We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the blessings of God the Father, the Love of Jesus Christ, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit be with you.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Theresa Update & Impromptu Photo Shoot
I've been rather neglectful writing regular posts about Theresa. So here's a wrap up of the past few months.
Our little peanut weighed a whooping 14 pounds even at her 6 month checkup. I don't think she's gained much since then. In fact, she still fits nicely into the infant car seat. But we finally switched her into the convertible seat over the weekend...rear-facing of course. It's a bit roomier and therefore, easier to get her in and out of. Thank goodness she loves riding in the van...because we're always driving here, there, and everywhere.
Theresa might not be growing much, but gracious, she is a little pig. Seriously. I made every kind of homemade baby food possible and filled up 14 gallon-sized freezer bags over the summer. Guess what? It's gone...all gone. And that was 3 months ago. Nowadays, I mash up whatever we're eating and feed her that at mealtimes. Tonight's menu was roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese...she inhaled it. Daddy fed her pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving, and she LOVED it. The family could help but laugh at David because he couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough. Every time he paused for just a moment, she would scream at him. I have bought a few jars of prepared baby food...sometimes there is just not enough time to get her anything else...and we have to be somewhere to pick up somebody 20 times a day...you know what I mean? :-)
We keep waiting for Theresa to sprout some hair and cut some teeth. Right around Thanksgiving, she finally cut one of her bottom front teeth, followed immediately by another. She didn't cry or fuss at all while they were breaking through...whew. The hair around the back of her head is getting longer, but around the top and sides...there has been negative growth. I think her tiny, newborn cousin Tim has more hair than she does, lol!
Around 7 months, our wee babe figured out how to crawl. Well...she doesn't crawl exactly. She lurches forward on her hands, and pushes off the carpet with her toes. All of our other kids crawled army-style on their tummies. Theresa apparently has her own style. It looks like that dance move from the 80's...what was it called? The worm? When she seems something on the floor that she wants, especially a piece of food, she shrieks after it. Yes...our little one has become our official floor sweeper.
Let's see, what else? Oh, yes. Theresa knows how to get attention. When she fusses, one of her big sisters comes running to pick her up, hold her, or give her Cheerios. Even Joshua will often pick her up and play with her for a few minutes. It's sweet to see a 12-year-old comfort his baby sister. Of course, I don't actually tell Joshua that. He might not like it. ;-)
Earlier tonight, Theresa found her way into the kitchen, and I had a few minutes for a photo shoot.
I see Mommy...
She's holding a cool looking toy...
I WANT IT!
Our little peanut weighed a whooping 14 pounds even at her 6 month checkup. I don't think she's gained much since then. In fact, she still fits nicely into the infant car seat. But we finally switched her into the convertible seat over the weekend...rear-facing of course. It's a bit roomier and therefore, easier to get her in and out of. Thank goodness she loves riding in the van...because we're always driving here, there, and everywhere.
Theresa might not be growing much, but gracious, she is a little pig. Seriously. I made every kind of homemade baby food possible and filled up 14 gallon-sized freezer bags over the summer. Guess what? It's gone...all gone. And that was 3 months ago. Nowadays, I mash up whatever we're eating and feed her that at mealtimes. Tonight's menu was roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese...she inhaled it. Daddy fed her pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving, and she LOVED it. The family could help but laugh at David because he couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough. Every time he paused for just a moment, she would scream at him. I have bought a few jars of prepared baby food...sometimes there is just not enough time to get her anything else...and we have to be somewhere to pick up somebody 20 times a day...you know what I mean? :-)
We keep waiting for Theresa to sprout some hair and cut some teeth. Right around Thanksgiving, she finally cut one of her bottom front teeth, followed immediately by another. She didn't cry or fuss at all while they were breaking through...whew. The hair around the back of her head is getting longer, but around the top and sides...there has been negative growth. I think her tiny, newborn cousin Tim has more hair than she does, lol!
Around 7 months, our wee babe figured out how to crawl. Well...she doesn't crawl exactly. She lurches forward on her hands, and pushes off the carpet with her toes. All of our other kids crawled army-style on their tummies. Theresa apparently has her own style. It looks like that dance move from the 80's...what was it called? The worm? When she seems something on the floor that she wants, especially a piece of food, she shrieks after it. Yes...our little one has become our official floor sweeper.
Let's see, what else? Oh, yes. Theresa knows how to get attention. When she fusses, one of her big sisters comes running to pick her up, hold her, or give her Cheerios. Even Joshua will often pick her up and play with her for a few minutes. It's sweet to see a 12-year-old comfort his baby sister. Of course, I don't actually tell Joshua that. He might not like it. ;-)
Earlier tonight, Theresa found her way into the kitchen, and I had a few minutes for a photo shoot.
I see Mommy...
It looks so chewable...
Just about there...
Sure...I'll smile. Just let me eat the camera. :-)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Five Little Pumpkins
All right, all right! You wanna see really cute pictures of my kids Halloween night? Fine.
Here's Joshua. He's a Bakugan Draganoid, whatever the heck that is.
Rebecca as Batgirl. If you knew her, you might say, "huh?" Really? But that's what she wanted this year.
Christina. Innocent enough looking fairy, with a skirt that actually lighted up (not shown in the picture, sorry).
Gabriel. Yes, he was a pirate last year. No, he didn't want a new costume. Worked for us...and saved money too.
And the most precious little tomato you ever did see...Theresa. Totally edible, right? ;-) I made the costume for Rebecca when she was a baby, and it fit Theresa perfectly.
Gotta have a group shot before hitting the streets. I know...I really don't have five "little" pumpkins...the older three are rather big kiddos...makes me a little sad...boo hoo.
Not to be outdone by Halloween, our church encourages kids to dress up as their favorite saint and process in for the All Saints Day Mass. Christina was the only one who wanted to costume up, so she went as the Blessed Mother, "because Mary is my middle name." We lucked out, borrowed the robe from a friend, and I sewed the veil. I thought she looked awesome.
Here's Joshua. He's a Bakugan Draganoid, whatever the heck that is.
Joshua ended up trick-or-treating with his best friend on the other side of our neighborhood. The other kids happily went from door to door with David. We took turns carrying Theresa until she started to fuss, and I knew our little tomato was done. So I went home early and tucked her into bed. The rest were not far behind, and after munching on a few choice pieces of candy, and a good teeth brushing, we got them to bed. Joshua came home relatively early, and we got him to bed by 9:00 o'clock.
I will say this...next year, I think I may have to finally stay home and pass out candy. In previous years, we've put a bowl of candy out on the front porch. Well, after we started out, and passed by our house on the other side of our street, I crossed over to see how our candy was holding out. It was gone...all of it. One big, full bowl gone. Greedy little hooligans...we had left our house barely 5 minutes ago. I knew it wasn't anyone on our street, because they were all out with us, and their parents would have been watchful. So I replenished the bowl, and caught up with the rest of my crew. I knew it would be gone in minutes...oh well.
Something else bothered me. We had a lot of kids trick-or-treating that night who don't live in our neighborhood. That's fine...except a LOT of them weren't wearing costumes. No mask, face paint, or even a hat...nothing. Maybe I'm thinking too much, but come on. If you're getting free candy, at least make an effort. And manners...well, those must be obsolete these days. When I refilled our bowl, one little boy took a big handful...he could barely hold it all. I told him, "Just one young man!" He didn't listen and darted off...his momma was waiting in the street and didn't say a word. Nice...real classy guys. I'm not sure I feel like passing it out to kids who aren't in costume or have no manners. But we'll see...maybe next year I will stay home. I realize I can't police everyone, and Halloween is supposed to be fun...right?
Speaking of candy, I'll going to go get my stash and have a piece. Or two... ;-)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Busy Doesn't Even Describe
I'm been busy people. There should be another adjective to describe my life these days.
How about, "I've got ten million things to do, and need ten million hours...preferably uninterrupted to get it all done. And while we're at it, I need to get away to a deserted island so I'm actually not interrupted."
Yeah...that sounds pretty good.
Since that's not exactly realistic, I'll just list what's on my plate these days.
1. An on again, off again headache I've had for almost 2 weeks. Do you think it's stress?
2. A 3,000 envelope mail-out I volunteered to do for David's work. There are 10 big boxes taking over my dining room right now. I've only got one box done. 500 have to be done by next week. Go ahead, say it with me, "What were you thinking???"
3. The mom's group at my church is having a bake sale next weekend. I will probably bake some, but not as much as I have in years past. It's been a long time since I've made some cake ball lollipops, and I promised my kids I'd make some cute pumpkin ones. I know...I'm a sucker for my kids.
4. In addition to the bake sale, the mom's group is having a craft night next month. I said I'd teach some ladies how to sew those adorable pillowcase dresses. Now I need to actually make one so I at least look like I know what I'm doing. Thankfully, I had some leftover fabric, and finished this one today.
Cute, right?
6. I'm nearly out of homemade baby food for Theresa. She's eating some table food, but not for every meal, so I need to make more. I feel like there's no time, but I hate the idea of spending money on jar food. Argh...decisions, decisions!
7. It just got cooler here...FINALLY. I need to switch out all the kids clothes to warmer things, like long-sleeved tops and jeans. And wash them all. And get my children to hang them up/fold 'em into their dressers. I'm not doing it all guys!
8. Last but not least, we've had some personal issues to deal with. I can't go into details, but the budget has taken a hit, one major part being the fact that we now have 2 car payments, thanks to my accident back in August (and we had to buy a new van). Sigh...enough said.
9. Theresa hasn't been sleeping well for weeks. I wasn't able to take her into the pediatrician for a while because we didn't have insurance. When I finally got her in last week, she got all her shots, her ears pierced, and a antibiotic for a double ear infection. I was hoping once the medicine kicked in, she would sleep better. After a terrible weekend (and she didn't sleep better at all!), I took her back in on Monday. She still had a double ear infection, so Dr. T prescribed a different antibiotic. Last night, our sweet baby girl did sleep better, so I pray we're on the right track. This momma is TIRED!
Did I leave anything out? I hope not. Now you know why I haven't posted lately on my cooking blog lately. Next week is not looking good either. Sorry folks.
Sigh...
I've got the best group of friends on the planet...my Catholic Chicks. One of the Chicks sent this out a few nights ago, just when 3 of us (including me) were doing some venting. I liked it so much, I'm going to share it with you.
"Satan's never been terribly creative. The tools he uses today are the same tools he's always used - and no wonder, for they've been quite effective. From the Garden of Eden to Martha's kitchen to our own ever day world, Satan still plans his attacks around "Three Deadly D's of Destruction."
Distraction
- Discouragement
- Doubt
"Throughout time, Satan has resorted to these tactics to bring down God's best and brightest. The underlying strategy is fairly simple: Get people's eyes off God and on their circumstances. Make them believe that their "happiness" lies in the happenings that surround them. Or send them good news about somebody else. Then they're thoroughly discouraged, tell them God doesn't care. Then sit back and let doubt do its work."
"When Jesus met Martha that day in Bethany, she was "distracted". That's where Satan usually begins. He know if we're overly worried and bogged down by duties, chances are good our hearts will not hear the Savior's call to come. While distraction may not win the battle for our soul, getting our eyes off of what is important will certainly make us more vulnerable to attack.
"When we're distracted, discouragement is just around the corner. Weariness creeps in as life overpowers us. It causes us to say and do things we would never consider saying or doing otherwise. Discouragement breaks down our perspective and our defenses. Though we may have just completed great things for God, weary discouragement tells us we're useless, hopeless and abandoned."
"Discouragement can drain us of all hope, of all visions, of all our tomorrows and dreams. .....When we're distracted, tired and overwhelmed, there is no better place to go than our Father. He alone is what we need. Go to the Lord and let Him sweep away your discouragement. As you do, you'll find healing for your hurting heart. Even when it can't help but doubt."
A bible quote:
"Do not be anxious about anything." Paul wrote in the Philippians 4:6-7, "but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"In other words:
1. Be anxious about nothing (not even grades - haha).
2. Be prayerful about everything (ok......especially grades).
3. Be thankful for all things (even the messy rooms- yea right?)."
I've read this several times over the past few days. I know God is standing right beside me, steady as a rock. I just don't feel very steady. I feel like if one more thing is added to my plate, I'm going to drop.
Then again, I don't want Satan to get the best of me. I want to strive to offer God my best, even when I'm floundering. Sometimes I know I try too hard though...finding that balance will be a life-long lesson for me.
I like to think the Blessed Mother is with me too. I imagine my head in her lap, listening to me pour out all my worries and frustrations. And like any comforting mother, she would say,
"Why are you troubled? I will place all your cares at the feet of my Son. Entrust them to His hands, you have nothing to fear. Don't forget to ask me to pray for you too."
So I have to remember I shouldn't be so stressed. Life is lived one day at a time...so I should focus on the NOW, let go of the PAST, and let the FUTURE rest with God.
All right Lord, here we go...I can do it!. I want to be the kind of woman who puts her feet on the floor every morning, and Satan says, "Aw crap, she's up!"
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Texas is on Fire
Texas is experiencing one of its worst droughts in recorded history. We are SO dry, (officially, we are in a state of "exceptional drought") and nearly the entire state is under a burn ban, Worst of all, we are dealing with wildfires all over the place. 170 fires have erupted this past week alone. Many of you have heard about the fires outside Austin in the Bastrop area. The pictures circulating all over the web and on Facebook have made my heart sink. I love Texas...and it hurts to see so much of the land burned beyond recognition.
Closer to home, there have been fires about 20 miles west of us, in Montgomery, Grimes, and Waller counties. My hubby works in Hockley, and one very large fire, the "Riley Road" fire was burning about 5 miles north of his office. Here's a few pictures he sent me from his cell phone. These were all taken in the same day...you can see how the fire was burning hotter, and how the clouds of smoke grew bigger.
This one is right outside his office, facing north.
Here's another one...right off of FM 1488
And here's one he took at sunset on his way home.
About 12,500 acres has burned from this fire, and an entire subdivision (about 80 homes) was destroyed. That sounds so awful, but Bastrop has it much, much worse. Over 1,300 homes have burned, and 4 people have died. That fire has blacked 45 square miles (nearly 40,000 acres). I don't have any pics of that fire, but I'm sure you've seen them on the news reports.
We desperately need rain here in Texas. Ironically, there is a tropical storm (Nate) out in the Gulf of Mexico. People here are actually praying it comes right at us and drenches us with tons of rain. Isn't that crazy...we actually want a tropical storm that could potentially strengthen into a hurricane to hit us!
This past Sunday, our pastor asked everyone to pray urgently for rain. We have started to add that prayer request when we say prayers with the kid at bedtime. Here's the prayer Father N. suggested:
Prayer for Rain
Lord God,
in you we live and move and have our being.
Help us in our present time of trouble,
send us the rain we need,
and teach us to seek your lasting help
on the way to eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Please pray for us...especially anyone reading this who lives outside of Texas. Thanks y'all. :-)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
So Long Old Friend
The last time I saw my 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan, it was on top of a flat-bed trailer, and it didn't look so good.
Yeah...it had a mishap. With a Chevy Tahoe to be exact. It wasn't the Chey's fault though.
Last Tuesday, we were on our way to Social Skills Camp. I had Joshua, Christina, and Theresa with me. (Rebecca is an awesome babysitter, and she was at home with Gabriel). We were stopped at a light just a mile from the house. The light turned green, and I turned to say something to Joshua as traffic moved forward. I turned back to the road, and realized the SUV in front of me had come to a dead stop. I remember thinking,
"Oh, no...I'm not going to be able to stop in time!"
I know everyone says it happens so fast. It really does. The next thing I know, I hear a loud "BANG!"
That would be me, plowing into the Chevy.
I then remember opening my eyes, and seeing this funny, white ballon-looking thing in front of me.
That would be the now deflated airbag. Amazing, even though the van was 10 years old, it still worked the way it was supposed to.
Then the horror of the accident hit me. Christina was crying in the seat right behind me. Theresa was in the seat next to her, and she was screaming. Joshua was saying, "Mom, did we have an accident?"
My brain seemed to be on pause...and then like a light switch, my adrenaline kicked into overdrive.
I called to my little girl: "Christina, it's okay sweetie, it's okay! Are you alright? Is Theresa okay?"
"Yes Mommy, I think I'm okay. Theresa is okay too!" I could tell Joshua was fine, since he was in the front next to me.
Thank God my children were all right. If they had been hurt, I would have blamed myself a thousand times. I already felt terrible that I hadn't been paying attention, and couldn't stop in time.
I found my cell phone, and decided even though the kids appeared fine, I needed to call 911. It took three tries, my hands were shaking so hard. Finally, I dialed the number correctly, and told the dispatcher what had happened. She kept me on the line long enough to get our location, determined we needed an ambulance, etc. Then she told me I could hang up and call my husband.
I called David. I was trying so hard not to cry, but I did...I told him we were okay, but that the van was totaled. He asked me where we were, and I told him the intersection. He said,
"Honey, those 2 streets don't intersect, where are you again?"
After telling him the same thing at least 6 more times, I realized I was wrong. I wasn't at Louetta and Cypresswood, I was at Louetta and Ella. Lord have mercy.
At this point, people had stopped, and offered to help us get out. We were right in the middle of the road, and one very kind man (whose name I can't recall now) and a woman (really an angel in disguise) named Carmen helped us across the street to a gas station. The same 2 kind souls also got Theresa out of her car seat, and then the car seat itself out of the van. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to hold our sweet baby girl safety in my arms. I was able to gather my wits and take a closer look at all the kids. They were fine...not a single scratch, bruise, or bump of any kind.
Thank you Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I called David again and told him were were fine, and exactly where we were so he could find us. I then called the dispatcher back, and aplogized for giving her the wrong address. She said, "Oh, don't worry honey, someone else called us, and the EMT's are on their way." (I still feel terrible about that.)
The EMT's came, and asked if we were all right. They looked over the kids, and said they looked just fine, but warned we might be sore from the impact the next day. One EMT pointed out a big scrape on my left arm, probably from the airbag, but it was relatively minor, and I didn't need treatment for it. After just 20 minutes or so, they left.
At this point, David was still en route. We made our way to the Sonic next door to the gas station so the kids would have someplace to sit in the shade. Someone brought over a watermelon slushie for the kids...which they appreciated. The van had been towed out of the intersection, and the tow driver was patiently waiting for me to decide what to do with it. My heart sank to it's absolute lowest when I got a better look at it...I knew it was not salvagable, and would cost far more to repair than it was actually worth. Oh man.
During this time, 3 constables had arrived at the scene, and taken my statement. There were actually 4 vehicles involved. I had hit the Chevy in front of me. The Chevy hit the sedan in front of her because the impact from my van pushed her forward. Then another sedan hit me from behind, because she was also unable to stop in time. So technically, we were #3 in a four car-pileup. I still don't know why traffic had come to a stop in front of me, and we might never know, unless the police report reveals something (which should be ready in a couple more days).
One of my neighbors just happened to be driving through the Sonic for a drink. She saw Joshua and Christina sitting at one of the tables, and then found me. Joshua was anxious to go to camp, (they were going to Main Event that day), and she offered to take Christina home, and then run Joshua to camp for me. I gratefully accepted her act of kindess. What a blessing that was!
David finally arrived, and I nearly lost it. My wonderful, sweet, calm husband said,
"Honey, it's okay. It's just a van. I'm just glad you all are okay. Really, don't worry about it."
Thankfully, everyone in all four vehicles were fine. Nobody needed any medical treatment. And everyone was rather nice, as nice as a person could be after a car accident. (The driver of the Chevy actually goes to our church, ironically enough, and she recognized me, although I didn't know her. So now we know each other ;-). The one constable who finished working the scene was nice too...even when he presented me with my citation. Yes, I got a citation for "failure to control speed." The driver who was behind me got a citation too.
Rats. Defensive driving, here I come.
Finally after having the van towed, David took me and Theresa home. I cannot tell you the flood of emotions that hit me. I bawled nearly the whole way home, but I could only cry for about 3 minutes (remember, we were barely a mile from the house). I didn't want to scare the kids, and we had decisions to make. Once home, I nursed Theresa, got her down for a late nap, and sat down with David. I was still shaky, but I could think clearly.
We got a rental car for David, (it was cheaper than a van, plus I could use his truck for the time being) started sending out emails to a few car dealerships, and called our insurance company. Over and over, I kept apologizing to my hubby. He just told not to worry, brought me water, medicine, and gave me a reassuring hug. After leaving to get the rental, I made lunch for the kids. Once David got back, it was time to pick up Joshua. I wasn't quite ready to get behind the wheel, so David brought him home, and then left to go back into work.
The next day, I was sore...my chest had a humdinger of a bruise, my arm was a nice shade of purple, and my neck ached. But it was manageable. The kids were perfectly fine...so glad for that.
Today, after spending all day out looking a minivans, we came home with this. "It's a Kia."
It's got way more bells and whistles on it than my old, plain Jane Dodge van. Of course, the kids were thrilled. I still miss my old van. But I admit, it's kinda neat to have power sliding doors and tailgate, rear view camera, built in CD and DVD players. Pretty sure it will take me a while to figure everything out. It's also the first, brand-new vehicle I've ever had. :-)
So, in a nutshell, this week has been way more exciting than I wanted it to be. But overall, I've learned that God works in interesting ways. I mean, doesn't He always? We had a wreck, but there were angels around us. We lost an old friend, but gained a new one, which hopefully will be around for a long, long time. And we are thankful nothing was really lost, and nobody was hurt. We came home with all our treasures intact.
Once more, we thank you Lord.
Last Tuesday, we were on our way to Social Skills Camp. I had Joshua, Christina, and Theresa with me. (Rebecca is an awesome babysitter, and she was at home with Gabriel). We were stopped at a light just a mile from the house. The light turned green, and I turned to say something to Joshua as traffic moved forward. I turned back to the road, and realized the SUV in front of me had come to a dead stop. I remember thinking,
"Oh, no...I'm not going to be able to stop in time!"
I know everyone says it happens so fast. It really does. The next thing I know, I hear a loud "BANG!"
That would be me, plowing into the Chevy.
I then remember opening my eyes, and seeing this funny, white ballon-looking thing in front of me.
That would be the now deflated airbag. Amazing, even though the van was 10 years old, it still worked the way it was supposed to.
Then the horror of the accident hit me. Christina was crying in the seat right behind me. Theresa was in the seat next to her, and she was screaming. Joshua was saying, "Mom, did we have an accident?"
My brain seemed to be on pause...and then like a light switch, my adrenaline kicked into overdrive.
I called to my little girl: "Christina, it's okay sweetie, it's okay! Are you alright? Is Theresa okay?"
"Yes Mommy, I think I'm okay. Theresa is okay too!" I could tell Joshua was fine, since he was in the front next to me.
Thank God my children were all right. If they had been hurt, I would have blamed myself a thousand times. I already felt terrible that I hadn't been paying attention, and couldn't stop in time.
I found my cell phone, and decided even though the kids appeared fine, I needed to call 911. It took three tries, my hands were shaking so hard. Finally, I dialed the number correctly, and told the dispatcher what had happened. She kept me on the line long enough to get our location, determined we needed an ambulance, etc. Then she told me I could hang up and call my husband.
I called David. I was trying so hard not to cry, but I did...I told him we were okay, but that the van was totaled. He asked me where we were, and I told him the intersection. He said,
"Honey, those 2 streets don't intersect, where are you again?"
After telling him the same thing at least 6 more times, I realized I was wrong. I wasn't at Louetta and Cypresswood, I was at Louetta and Ella. Lord have mercy.
At this point, people had stopped, and offered to help us get out. We were right in the middle of the road, and one very kind man (whose name I can't recall now) and a woman (really an angel in disguise) named Carmen helped us across the street to a gas station. The same 2 kind souls also got Theresa out of her car seat, and then the car seat itself out of the van. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to hold our sweet baby girl safety in my arms. I was able to gather my wits and take a closer look at all the kids. They were fine...not a single scratch, bruise, or bump of any kind.
Thank you Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I called David again and told him were were fine, and exactly where we were so he could find us. I then called the dispatcher back, and aplogized for giving her the wrong address. She said, "Oh, don't worry honey, someone else called us, and the EMT's are on their way." (I still feel terrible about that.)
The EMT's came, and asked if we were all right. They looked over the kids, and said they looked just fine, but warned we might be sore from the impact the next day. One EMT pointed out a big scrape on my left arm, probably from the airbag, but it was relatively minor, and I didn't need treatment for it. After just 20 minutes or so, they left.
At this point, David was still en route. We made our way to the Sonic next door to the gas station so the kids would have someplace to sit in the shade. Someone brought over a watermelon slushie for the kids...which they appreciated. The van had been towed out of the intersection, and the tow driver was patiently waiting for me to decide what to do with it. My heart sank to it's absolute lowest when I got a better look at it...I knew it was not salvagable, and would cost far more to repair than it was actually worth. Oh man.
During this time, 3 constables had arrived at the scene, and taken my statement. There were actually 4 vehicles involved. I had hit the Chevy in front of me. The Chevy hit the sedan in front of her because the impact from my van pushed her forward. Then another sedan hit me from behind, because she was also unable to stop in time. So technically, we were #3 in a four car-pileup. I still don't know why traffic had come to a stop in front of me, and we might never know, unless the police report reveals something (which should be ready in a couple more days).
One of my neighbors just happened to be driving through the Sonic for a drink. She saw Joshua and Christina sitting at one of the tables, and then found me. Joshua was anxious to go to camp, (they were going to Main Event that day), and she offered to take Christina home, and then run Joshua to camp for me. I gratefully accepted her act of kindess. What a blessing that was!
David finally arrived, and I nearly lost it. My wonderful, sweet, calm husband said,
"Honey, it's okay. It's just a van. I'm just glad you all are okay. Really, don't worry about it."
Thankfully, everyone in all four vehicles were fine. Nobody needed any medical treatment. And everyone was rather nice, as nice as a person could be after a car accident. (The driver of the Chevy actually goes to our church, ironically enough, and she recognized me, although I didn't know her. So now we know each other ;-). The one constable who finished working the scene was nice too...even when he presented me with my citation. Yes, I got a citation for "failure to control speed." The driver who was behind me got a citation too.
Rats. Defensive driving, here I come.
Finally after having the van towed, David took me and Theresa home. I cannot tell you the flood of emotions that hit me. I bawled nearly the whole way home, but I could only cry for about 3 minutes (remember, we were barely a mile from the house). I didn't want to scare the kids, and we had decisions to make. Once home, I nursed Theresa, got her down for a late nap, and sat down with David. I was still shaky, but I could think clearly.
We got a rental car for David, (it was cheaper than a van, plus I could use his truck for the time being) started sending out emails to a few car dealerships, and called our insurance company. Over and over, I kept apologizing to my hubby. He just told not to worry, brought me water, medicine, and gave me a reassuring hug. After leaving to get the rental, I made lunch for the kids. Once David got back, it was time to pick up Joshua. I wasn't quite ready to get behind the wheel, so David brought him home, and then left to go back into work.
The next day, I was sore...my chest had a humdinger of a bruise, my arm was a nice shade of purple, and my neck ached. But it was manageable. The kids were perfectly fine...so glad for that.
Today, after spending all day out looking a minivans, we came home with this. "It's a Kia."
So, in a nutshell, this week has been way more exciting than I wanted it to be. But overall, I've learned that God works in interesting ways. I mean, doesn't He always? We had a wreck, but there were angels around us. We lost an old friend, but gained a new one, which hopefully will be around for a long, long time. And we are thankful nothing was really lost, and nobody was hurt. We came home with all our treasures intact.
Once more, we thank you Lord.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Venting (with Love and a Smile)
So...what happens when your hubby takes the child to camp this morning instead of you?
1. Child rushes around trying to get ready—has to be told 3x what to put in his bag.
2. Child forgets his ADHD medicine
3. Child forgets his sack lunch
4. Child breaks his swim goggles and insists on getting a new pair on the way to camp
The Mother...
1. Frantically calls the Father 4x on two different cell phones once the aforsaid forgotten lunch was discovered. (He didn’t call back until it was too late to turn around and retrieve the lunch.)
2. Wishes she had taken the child to camp instead of Dad, because she always carries extra meds in her purse, just in case.
3. Is very disappointed because the Father this morning told the Mother he wished she would pick up the child from camp instead of him. Never mind the fact the Father said he would pick up the child when it was discussed earlier in the week, and only said something different minutes before walking out the door. Never mind the fact the Mother has drive the child to and from camp all this week, and has to do it again every day next week too.
Conclusion:
Mother is very frustrated, and trying very hard not to blow her stack. Praying for her anger to cool before her beloved hubby calls her. Otherwise, the hubby will probably lose his hearing in his left ear. And will almost certainly be sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight.
~Written by yours truly, a full-time wife and mother to 5 awesome kids, and one amazing hubby. She really loves them...99.9% of the time. The remaining .01% of the time is spend praying for more love to spread around.
1. Child rushes around trying to get ready—has to be told 3x what to put in his bag.
2. Child forgets his ADHD medicine
3. Child forgets his sack lunch
4. Child breaks his swim goggles and insists on getting a new pair on the way to camp
The Mother...
1. Frantically calls the Father 4x on two different cell phones once the aforsaid forgotten lunch was discovered. (He didn’t call back until it was too late to turn around and retrieve the lunch.)
2. Wishes she had taken the child to camp instead of Dad, because she always carries extra meds in her purse, just in case.
3. Is very disappointed because the Father this morning told the Mother he wished she would pick up the child from camp instead of him. Never mind the fact the Father said he would pick up the child when it was discussed earlier in the week, and only said something different minutes before walking out the door. Never mind the fact the Mother has drive the child to and from camp all this week, and has to do it again every day next week too.
Conclusion:
Mother is very frustrated, and trying very hard not to blow her stack. Praying for her anger to cool before her beloved hubby calls her. Otherwise, the hubby will probably lose his hearing in his left ear. And will almost certainly be sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight.
~Written by yours truly, a full-time wife and mother to 5 awesome kids, and one amazing hubby. She really loves them...99.9% of the time. The remaining .01% of the time is spend praying for more love to spread around.
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