i am no longer a law-breaker

It all started last night. I began filling out a voter registration form that Brandon's mom kindly printed out for me. Last name, first name, you know the drill. I came to the space to fill in my driver's license number. Does anyone have theirs memorized? I don't. So I went to  my wallet, pulled out my license, and noticed it was EXPIRED! But we aren't talking for a few days or few months, but 14 MONTHS to be exact. Gulp. Have I really  been driving illegally for that long? Yes, yes I have.

I jumped online to find out where I needed to go to get it renewed. So this afternoon, I loaded the Blakester and we headed far west to the Driver's License Office. Oblivion really is bliss. Here I have been driving for over a year with no worries, and now that I know it's expired, I am a nervous wreck driving to the office.

I get there safely and of course, see a huge line as soon as I walk in. The fact that I had already filled out a form prior to getting there didn't grant me any special line-jumping privileges. I was hoping that Blake would suddenly have a huge meltdown and then people would be sympathetic and let me jump to the front of the line. But no, he was as content as could be just looking around at the new surroundings. There were some pretty unique people in line that tried to make awkward conversation. Thanks to Brandon for texting me so I could avoid the awkward talk.

After that line, I got a number for another line. Blake is starting to get fussy at this time, but I just keep singing "3 little speckled frogs" to him over and over. I finally get called and walk up with my documents in hand. The clerk asks for my documentation. SS card. Check. Old license. Check. Birth certificate. Oops. I only had a copy. But my passport sufficed. 2 forms of current address proof. Check.

And then, "Excuse me, ma'm, but one of these forms is dated from 2 years ago. It won't work." Seriously? I shuffle through my wallet for anything with my name and address on it. No such luck. I ask her to  hold my place and papers so I can run out to my car to look for something. But naturally these days, a "run" really means walk as fast as you can while you carry a huge purse and car seat with a baby. The looks I got. I scavenged through the car and found something that worked and got excited to think I was almost done with this process. "Everything looks good," she says. "However, since it has been over a year, you will have to take a written test."

That's fine. I figured I would have to. It was open book so how bad could it be? I go to the testing area and start the 25-question exam. Half-way through, Blake has the melt-down that I was hoping for earlier. I tried to quietly calm him down (since talking is not allowed in testing area). He didn't find comfort. He was sick of being in his car seat and I don't blame him. I pull him out and have him in one hand, while trying to shuffle through the exam book to find the exact distance you should leave between a fire hydrant and your car. It's 15 feet, just in case you are ever in my predicament. He is done with that place, but I have a few more questions before I'm done. I guess on a few of the remaining ones and try to find the answers in the book as quickly as I can.

Submit. Score comes back- 84%. A pass by 4 percentage points. Good enough for me!

I pay the $25 and get a drivers license. I'm legal now! And if that isn't the best part of my day, it's the fact that they automatically registered to vote for me. Yay for saving 43 cents on a postage stamp.

And as a reward for reading my whole ordeal, here are a few pics of my boys from last night's first BYU football game of the season...before I realized I was a law breaker. :)