R.I.P. Kitchen Aid Mixer.....

This is my Kitchen Aide Mixer. Or at least it was. I have a great love for this mixer. I know some of you will not understand my great love and admiration for this piece of equipment. But let me explain. I have had this mixer for close to 17 (yes I said 17) years!!! It took me FOREVER to save up the $$$ needed to buy my mixer. You can't imagine the joy I felt when I went to the store and put all my money on the counter that long ago day. It was like I was a little kid with all my pennies to buy a toy. I had that mixer before I had kids. I used it almost DAILY. It went to Hawaii and back with me. I still have stuff in storage in Hawaii but not my mixer...it flew on the plane with me. I used it, then cleaned it---it almost looked brand new. (except for this picture--because it is in the garage graveyard--it isn't as clean) I baked yummies for my family, my friends, my visiting teaching ladies. Every holiday season we had many days together. Like my hubby takes the kids out of the house so I can bake all day...just me & the mixer kind of days. But it is no more. The Sunday before I left for girls camp I was mixing up my last batch of cookies and then IT happened.....(you might need tissue after this story--heehee) So this is how it went: I was stressed. too much to do not enough time. I had had a very stressful couple of months of leading to this point. It was hot. I was sweaty. I was trying to get everything ready for camp. The kids were kind of cranky. Hubby stressed with homework. etc. etc. Anyway, JAG my youngest son had left the chocolate milk powder out on the table. I asked him to put it away. (the HUGE container from Costco) He put the lid on and the then stepped back to put it into the pantry. Well.....he stepped without looking and tripped on a bag of trash someone had put there..he dropped the chocolate milk powder..which we quickly realized he didn't tighten the lid enough...so brown powder FLEW everywhere in my kitchen, he is yelling my name as he was falling backwards onto the trash bag. I turned. In a quick second I had to decide.....Help my son or help my mixer. I didn't have time to turn it off. My mixer lost. I will always help my kids...(heehee or at least hope I will). Well in THAT exact moment I lept to help JAG the big silver knob on my mixer fell off, into the cookie mixture and tripped up the beater causing it to jam the motor. There you have it. The end of my mixer!! I know...the tears. I actually did shed tears. I was so stressed..this massacre put me over the edge. I realized our days of baking were over. I am not even kidding. I lost it. This mixer was my saving grace. When I couldn't afford to buy treats for my kids I made them. We made so many brownies, rolls, cookies, cakes, holiday treats for friends and the ward members. It was with me thru a divorce, single mommy days, deaths of loved ones, summers, depression...everything!!! I loved my mixer sitting clean and shiny on my counter. My mixer was the first thing set on every counter of every house we lived in. Now it is gone. When my kids saw me crying they thought something was "really" wrong. They ran and got dad..."Dad, come quick something is wrong with mom...she is crying". When Pineapple Princess found out why I was crying she couldn't beleive it was over my mixer. I tried to explain that it was the straw that broke the camels back....but she sees it as "mom is crying over her broken mixer". WHATEVER. It kinda is. But it was just the final thing. So, my mom has let me borrow her mixer. I just haven't had the heart to use it yet. I feel like I am cheating. But life goes on...right? I won't be getting a new mixer anytime soon. Now I have kids....I NEVER have extra money. It is not on the priority list. So...there you have it. {R.I.P. sweet mixer. I love you. I will remember you ALWAYS..} Thanks for the memories.