Long, exhausting, scary, thankful day!!

Well today was not the best day and in another contradicting phrase it was a very blessed day. It started out pretty good. Clara has now learned to say "uh oh!". It is too cute!! I will try to catch it on video. Friday is also park day so the kids were looking forward to that (me too).


Well right before leaving I noticed Clara had fever. I called the doc and talked to them. We are still holding off on going in. She did take her first dose of Tylenol and Motrin today.....=( I think the majorirty of it is teeth, but she still has the crud on top of that too. We decided that we would still go to the park anyway...she loves the swings. Better to be sick and having fun than sick and doing nothing but feeling sick.

Well, my perfect, dream, mom-mobile (loaded Honda Odyssey) now has another car's glass thrown all over it, scratches all across the front of the car, chips in the windshield, and paint chips all over it from the showering of glass that pelted it as another car was smashed to pieces right before our eyes. It was terrifying!! It made me so grateful for God's grace! We were sitting at a stop sign of a dangerous intersection. I knew I did not yet have the all clear so I turned around to tell Christian to add Motrin to our grocery list....As I did this I heard the all-too eery sound of a loud crash and as I turned around everything went into slow motion. I saw a shower of glass flying at and over our car as I watched a woman in a red Grand Am fly uncontrollable in front of the car and turn around completely and come to a screeching stop behind us facing the same direction as us in the opposite lane. I was in a terrified pause waiting for us to be thrown in all directions horrified that we would be horribly hurt or worse. As I realized it was over...I was left wondering if we were even hit....I was completely in a state of unknowingness. I knew I needed to get my car off of the road. I yelled at Christian to call 911 and tell them our location. As I pulled the car off the road I hear this crunch and drag sound .......and just knew I would jump out and find the front of my car totaled. It was thankfully not. It was the Grand Am's back bumper and car parts I was running over. My car had minor scraping and glass rash from her totaled Grand Am parts flying all over it. There was glass all over the top of my mini van and even at the park saw some on my back bumper (as it sits in the garage it still has glass on top of it and on the back bumper). The glass completely showered the entire car. I have never seen anything like that. It is still all under my windshield below the windshield wipers...There are scrapes and paint damage all over the front hood, and along my window. I would hate to think what might have happened had the windows been open.

After I looked at the car (all happening in split seconds) I ran around expecting to see a severly injured or worse woman. There were already people from behind us that had jumped out also. My God is great....she was getting out just totally shaken up. Her car was completely totaled in the back. No back windshield to think of and her tires were completely bent inward and unmovable. The truck that she had run out in front of was crushed too but they were okay too. I just could not believe God's grace to let us breeze through this moment of terror with just an awakening of how quick everything can change!!!My car will need front end repair (minor) and a complete paint job to repair all the glass knicks....we are happy and healthy together this evening!! I just give all the glory to God. I thank Him for allowing His hand to shield us from what could have been a horrible, life-changing event. I realize that things in this life happen as it is a fallen world but I am just so grateful for this just being an eye opener.

After we arrived at the park...(yes we still went) the accidents just kept piling on. I was a nervous wreck, Clara was not being herself at all, and then on top of that Christian comes running over to me with a stick poking into his leg about an inch embedded. What else?? He had stepped on it and it sent it upward and right into his leg. I then just knew we were not going to be able to pull it all out cleanly and then we would be spending the evening in the ER having it debrided and flushed. YUCK!!! Well, praise God again after everyone so nicely pulled together for first-aid gear.....a few strong pulls later and a few loud groans from Christian, the leg was free of the stick!! We then flushed it out, put antibiotic on it, covered in gauze and tape and off he went to play. He was not going to leave that park!! We are going to keep an eye on it for any signs of infection but I think we are pretty safe for now. Nonetheless, after the park we skipped the grocery store and came home. Clay brought home Chinese and the Motrin we needed and we are here safe and sound for the time being.

So, even though it was a long, exhausting, scary day there is MUCH to be thankful for and MUCH to give glory to God for as I climb in bed this evening! Something such as this just leaves you completely vulnerable feeling. I know I have no control in this life and that God has it covered, but it is days like this that just open your eyes and make you that much more aware of how thankful we need to be for every second!!! =)