The dreaded DMV and a Christmas Miracle

I am a pretty embarrassed to even tell this but I figure one day I will be able to look back and laugh so might as well write it down while it's fresh on the brain.

I was in Utah all last week and got back late Wednesday night. Daniel and I made appointments to go to the DMV back in October and found out that our appointments were the next morning from when I got back from Ut. I had very little time to study and was so so tired from traveling all day. It is not easy to fly with a toddler who wants to run everywhere, and trying to keep him in one spot and happy. He cried the last 15 min of flying because his ears were hurting. We are not talking whining we are talking screaming freaking out.

So that was just to tell you how exhausted I was. We woke up at 6:30 to get ready (I knew I would be getting my picture taken) study a little more and get Bright up and be at the DMV at 9 which is 40 mins away with morning traffic.

So we get there stand in the appointment line which by the way they don't even check to see if you really did have an appointment. Get a ticket and wait for them to call our number to meet with someone to get things taken care of. We waited an hour and then they finally called our number. We go up to the lady at window 27 tell her we need a California drivers licence, and on the website it said I could bring my marriage licence and my id Daniel had brought his passport so he used that, well they told me my marriage licence and drivers licence would not work and I didn't bring anything else. I was so mad I just wanted to get it done while Daniel was with me and could help me with Brighton. I told him "you go ahead and take the test and I will run home and get my Birth certificate and be back." About 50 min later I was back, the same lady helped me but then she said she needed to see my marriage certificate to change my name. What!!? I was so confused my name is changed, I had left the marriage certificate in my car because they told me it didn't work. Well then she remembered she did see it so she didn't make me go get it. I paid and then was on my way to stand in another line to get my test.

Luckily Daniel was already waiting in that line for me so I only waited about 20 min to get the test. I was pretty nervous to take the test because really I didn't get to study at all. I maybe studied 40 min, maybe. They take my picture and hand me my test.

As I am taking my test I feel as though I have all these trick questions. For example, if you are drinking and you get pulled over, you may have to:
A pay a fine
B go to jail
C loose your car
Another example If someone in your car is not wearing a seatbelt:
A You both could revive a citation
B The passenger could receive a citation
C You could receive a citation if the passenger is 16 or younger

Meanwhile Daniel is standing in the next line saving a spot for me to get my test corrected. We are pushing about 4 hours by now. I change spots with him and wait about another 15 min. I have this lady correct my test and I am watching her make check marks with her red pen over and over again. She then tells me I am sorry you missed it by 1!!! I was physically and emotionally drained by this point. She had a very thick accent and I could barely understand her. I did get out of her that I could take another test right now - I could have three chances. I talked to Daniel and he tells me NO he has to go back to work. I beg and plead, I did not want to come back here by myself!!! He finally agrees and I get another test. Meanwhile Daniel waits in the test correcting line again with Brighton who has not had a nap or food, but he was being a trooper. I was trying to hurry this time so Daniel could get back to work, although there were trick questions once again, I felt as though I had this one. Just so you know too the test was different than the first test.

I stand in the line again waiting for the lady to correct my test when a guy working opens his window and says "I can help you right here" I hand him my test and I watch him with his red pen, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and he hadn't even turned it over to the other side yet. My eyes instantly started to water I just knew I failed once again.

He says to me "believe it or not you missed it by one" It made my stomach hurt. In my mind I was thinking I guess I will come back or just never get a California Drivers licence. He then says "how is your driving" I tell him "fine" He says "well how about an early Christmas present" I was so confused... He then said "I will pass you go to your baby and get something to eat" I thanked him over and over and over again and just lost it crying. You would think I was pregnant for how emotional I was. I could not believe that a DMV worker was actually breaking the rules this NEVER happens. I signed the paper and got out of there as fast as I could before he changed his mind.

Daniel and Brighton were waiting outside and I saw Daniel and he said "so" I told him " I didn't pass" He said "well you will just have to come back" I told him "no the guy passed me anyway" Daniel couldn't believe it he said I was the luckiest person ever. I agreed and kept crying and crying I was just so embarrassed I couldn't pass a stupid drivers test and I was tired and hungry and that plays a big part.

So Merry Christmas to me, I don't need anything else (except maybe an iphone). I can't believe how lucky I got!