Some of you may know from Facebook that Randall had a car accident this afternoon.  He was driving home from Plainview (8 hours) where he has been taking care of his father who had a tripple bypass surgery.  He was about 2 miles from home when someone ran a redlight and sideswiped his truck.  The woman went through the red light and hit the very front of SUV to Randall’s left and into the front wheel well area on the truck.   They were all pushed through the intersection to the side of the road when it was all over with.  When the truck came to a stop it caught on fire and Randall got out through the passenger door since the driver door was wedged shut.  The driver of the BMW who ran the light was airlifted to Brackenridge.  We do not know how she is.  The driver of the SUV was fine, she and her vehicle got the least of the damage.  Randall called me and I came to the scene then took him to the hospital since it was only 2 miles away.  The blessing in all of this is that the SUV was positioned where she was.  The impact to her SUV is what pushed the car forwards into Randall’s wheel well and not into his door directly.  It would have been a whole different accident.

When Randall called me and I knew by his voice that it was not good.  I flew next door and asked Angi and Judd to come watch the kids.  They came over immediately and off I went.  When I arrived and saw his truck I started shaking and praying!  It was smoking and people were using fire extinguishers.  The truck looked horrible!!!  Luckily I saw Randall standing there.

We went to the hospital and our friends Kathy and Arthur came by and then went to the house and got the kids and took them to their house to spend the night.  (Their house is Anthony’s FAVORITE place).  Anyway, Randall got some CAT scans.  He is fine other than lots of ugly bruises, pulled muscles in his back, shoulder, arms and neck.  He has some rough looking marks from the steering wheel on his wrist, the seatbelt on his neck, and a big mark on his side from the door.  They gave him some Morphine and sent him home with a Vicodin prescription.  So, he will be okay, Praise God!  He will just be very sore for a while.  Thanks for all the prayers.  Keep them coming.

The ironic part is that he was not coming directly home, but was on his way to do something VERY sweet!  You see, he was coming home a little sooner than he estimated, so he was going to run by the theater and pick me up some hot buttered popcorn.  Why, you ask?!?  Because earlier this week I posted a comment on Facebook saying “I wish theaters would deliver hot buttered popcorn”.  So, my friends, my dear sweet husband was doing something sweet and romantic when this awful thing happened.  Had he been coming home, he would have turned right and not gone straight through the intersection.  Sigh!  What a great husband I have and I THANK GOD with all my heart that he is home safe and sound (albeit sore)!

The whole truck has a slight twist to it. 

You can see the twist in the buckle of the doors.  The rear passenger window was blown out when his suitcase hit it.

The white powder was from the fire extinguishers.

The BMW

There are going to be several posts from the trip to my parent’s house this month.  My mother is the “Queen Mum” of her Red Hat Society group.  Her queen name is Queen Rosey.  She held a Red Hat party at her house with the theme Christmas in July.  We arrived on Friday and the house was decorated for Christmas including a small tree with presents.  Of course the kids LOVED the Christmas in July celebration.  We even had the traditional Christmas Eve pj’s.  The kids woke up on “Christmas morning” to several presents each and the traditional coffee cake and sausage Chritmas breakfast.  The was even a full blown Turkey dinner where we made the turkey and the Red Hat ladies brought all of the side dishes.  The turkey was 24 pounds!  I have never seen one that big.  Anyway, ALL of the food was wonderful and we had a great time!  Since I am a youngster (under 50), I have to wear a pink hat.

Opening PJ’s  (Anthony’s are Ice Age)

Sydney in her cute Minnie Mouse PJ’s

“Christmas” morning opening presents

Ant got an Optimus Prime mask with voice changer.  Very cool!

I had to try it on.  =0)

Check out the cool presents.  Grandma and Grandpa ROCK!!

Sydney got a baby who’s eyes open and close and she giggles and cries.

The HUGE turkey for dinner.  It was yummy.

Queen Rosey and the ladies.

This littlest “Pink Hat”.  Like Mommy, like grandma.

The kids went to the mall playground with Grandpa and had a good time

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted!  So many things have happened.  I went to Phoenix… it was great..and of course hot as blazes!  While we were there SYDNEY turned TWO YEARS OLD!!!!!!!  We has a Christmas in July party and the kids got Christmas presents and jammies and even Christmas cookies and a turkey dinner.  Go grandma!!!  We went to an aquarium and Ant and I went on a log ride. We met some old friends, I went to a high school reunion, we played at a bounce house place, went to a small water park, and we had lots of fun at Grandmas. There are lots of posts that will come in the next few days with plenty of pictures… so stay tuned!

As crazy as it seems, we are on vacation… well the kids and I are.  Randall was scheduled to go on a mission trip to Honduras this week and next, but it was cancelled at the very last minute due to political strife in the area around the former president.  We had arranged for the kids and I to fly to my home in Arizona to visit my family while Randall was gone.  Despite the job situation, this get away was needed.  Things are really starting to tighten up in the household as we go on month 6 of unemployment.  Sigh! 

Anyway, within hours of the Honduras trip being cancelled, he received an email from a sister parish asking for youth leaders for a mission trip in Austin.  Randall was available and has spent the last week on a different mission trip.. one that has been very fulfilling.  Apparently they lost one of their youth leaders at the last minute and were in dire straights to find another… Randall was QUOTE “The answer to their prayers”. 

So, here we are in the Phoenix area, having some nice family time with my parents.  It is hotter than blazes here.  The temps have been running around 115 each day.  The poor kids are getting a little cabin fever.  We went to a park at 9:30 in the morning and the playground equipment was already too hot to play on.  Wow, I used to live here… how easily we forget.  We have gone to the aquarium, a park, had a Christmas in July party including a huge turkey dinner (24 lb turkey!) and tomorrow we are going to a small local water park.  Anthony and Sydney will have a blast.  We are going right after breakfast…. isn’t that crazy?!?

Anyway, not to be diminished, but today was Sydney’s 2nd birthday.  We had a nice small celebration here at the house.  I will post pictures and commentary soon.  It is after midnight, I just got home from seeing Harry Potter with my mom.  We went after the kids were in bed.  My dad had some work to do at the house, so us ladies ran out.  I am just posting an update so you know that I did not fall off of the face of the eart… I am just out of town and I am exhausted.  You see… my dear Sydney is still waking up on Texas time… two hours ahead, so that means early mornings for me.  Ugh time changes.

The kids are getting spoiled, and I am getting a chance to get away from the worries of life for a short while.  I’ll post pictures soon.

Our dear friend Berkley was just diagnosed with Leukemia on Friday. She has already had a surgery and one round of chemo in two short days.  Sweet Berkley is only 3years old and a sweet, sweet little girl.  She will be in the hosptial for at least 7-10 more days for this round.  We don’t know much at this point other than Berkley and her parents Serita and Billy need all of the prayers that they can get.  This is the only recent picture that I have of Berkley.  It was taken on the 4th of July.

Please pray!

I’ve said it once…. I’ve said it a dozen times, Sydney is a Daddy’s girl.  She is fine with me until Papa walks in the door… then she throws her arms up and tilts her head back in a smile. 

So, I had to capture this moment on film.  Randall was holding her and when she saw me with the camera… this is what I got…

YEAH!!!  I love being the recipient of Sydney hugs!!!

Irving Berlin said it well when he wrote God Bless America in 1939:

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

1939 was the end of a decade that suffered the Great Depression.  Thinking of these words from that point of view is oddly familiar.  As you know we have been in a Depression of our own in this family.  We have had a pretty rough year.  We are personally feeling the effects of the downturned economy, still being unemployed and frankly we are looking to God for that “light from above”. 

This county, despite the valley we are in, is still a great country.  If you want or need evidence of that, go visit somewhere else for a while.  Not a week, not a month, but try at least a year.  After living in Okinawa for four years, I got a feel for the freedoms that we have in this country that make me very glad to live here.  Okinawa is a fairly properous country, however I learned during my four years there that they lack a lot of the freedoms that we have here.

Regardless of your feeling for the previous or current Administrations, KNOW that this country is unique.  The fact that you have the freedom to speak your mind and go celebrate today in any way you see fit is truly a blessing.

Happy Birthday America.  Here’s my prayer for today.

God Bless America,   (AMEN)
Land that I love.  (absolutely)
Stand beside her, and guide her  (please carry us through these times) 
Thru the night with a light from above.   (it DOES indeed feel like night, keep your light on us)
From the mountains, to the prairies,  (everywhere that only you can reach)
To the oceans, white with foam  (those great waters that buffer our borders and show your greatness)
God bless America, My home sweet home.   (Amen)

CJ makes the most beautiful afghans!!  We are privileged to own one!  I have had this precious blanket for two months… but my darling Sydney has not been cooperative when it comes to pictures.  Yesterday she was totally “ON”.  Here are our pictures. 

Please go check out CJ’s afghan website.  The T21 Traveling Afghan site where one afghan makes its way from one T21 family to another along with a log.  Go see some great pictures and stories of this wonderful afghan.  Because there are many of us that are on the list to receive THE blanket… CJ has been cranking out the afghans so that these sweet kids can have their own personal afghans.  You can find the T21 and personal afghans at CJ’s site.

Aren’t I PRECIOUS?!?

Is this for ME?!?!

Wow, I LOVE the colors.  Great workmanship!!

Hmmm…. soft yarn, 100% cotton, I believe!

Look Mama, it fits!

And it makes a great hiding place for my piggy coins!