Remembering last year.....

I have so much to be thankful for this year......2 of which being my sister and niece whose lives were spared in a terrible accident last year this week. I never did blog about it at the time because it was just too traumatic, one of those things that I chose to tuck away in the very back back back of my memory.....yet almost impossible because we drove on the road daily where the accident occurred. Last year Sunday it was raining pretty bad and for those of you not familiar with the road we live off of it's pretty hilly and curvy. Add some rain and night time to that and you can have a dangerous ride home! Which proved to be the case for Kristi and Taylor last year. She was coming up a small hill and as she came to the top she had to slam on her brakes because there was a car stopped to turn into their driveway. This caused her to hydroplane into oncoming traffic and she hit a Saturn SUV head on.....ugghhh just typing this out makes me want to loose my breakfast. Sorry. Moving on. Her car finally came to a stop but the SUV flipped over her car and landed on it's top.....skidding for several feet. Jon and I just happened to be going home just a minute {literally} behind her and she was able to call me. At best I was FREAKING OUT. I think I scarred my kids due to being so upset. We arrived at the scene and I jumped out of the truck......running up to the SUV 1st. There was woman driving the car {no one else in the vehicle. thank goodness.} and her body was twisted in a way I can't really describe. I knelt down by her head asking if she was ok and she had just "come to" and could talk.....saying "yes". Relief. I then ran through the rain and millions of car lights and people to find my sister and niece who were both OK but in complete state of shock. I brought them up to Jon and the girls to wait for an ambulance and police and then ran back to the lady. I, again, knelt down beside her head and started talking to her {strangely enough there were a LOT of people out there but no one was talking to this lady} again and when I happened to glance up my eyes connected with a Bible. I asked her immediately if I could pray with her and she said "yes". I'm not sure what I said and it was God who prayed through me because I was so completely nervous for her well being that I didn't think I could focus enough to say a prayer. Police and ambulance arrived, they had to use the "jaws of life" to get her door opened and safely remove her. She was taken to Erlanger via ambulance. Kristi and Taylor were checked out by the paramedics and encouraged to go to the hospital but an ambulance ride was not necessary. After shuffling kids around I drove them to Erlanger to be evaluated. Taylor was 1st and did not even have a scratch on her being. We then moved over to the adult ER where Kristi was evaluated and was released with only some minor hand damage which would heal without surgery. During the waiting period of Kristi to be seen I was in my typical people watching nosey mode and saw family members who I thought could possibly be with the lady in the other car. I went up to them and started talking, sure enough they were her daughters. I explained that Kristi and Taylor were in the other vehicle and wanted to know there mother's status......unsure if they would punch me in between the eyes out of anger! Their mother was FINE!! She was about to be discharged!!! They were SOOOOO kind and SOOO worried about Kristi and Taylor. They came to where Kristi and Tay were and said hi and we were all tearful and thankful that everyone was ok. A scary accident indeed but everyone would be going home. Several minutes later we experienced GOD up close and personal......the lady in the other vehicle was not only ALIVE but WALKED out of the er all by herself!! I ran up to her and wanted to hug and kiss her face off but she was in pain.....and I was, after all, a complete stranger. I told her who I was and that we had been praying for a good outcome and soooo thankful she would be with her family for Thanksgiving. GLORIOUS day or night that was to witness this!! See 1 of the policeman, at the scene of the accident, told us he had not a SINGLE clue how this lady was even alive much less Kristi and Taylor walking away from the scene......someone if not ALL of the girls should have died in this type of accident. Yet again, typing this takes my breath away. So you see, we felt extra blessed to have Kristi and Taylor with us last year and as I reminisce about this accident I am quickly reminded again how precious life is and how I often take if for granted. LIFE it's what I'm thankful for this year.....among a bazillion other things!

Taylor waiting to be evaluated in the Children's ER

The SUV of the other driver