TOFW/TOFG Weekend

Well since we had a accident I suppose it was fortuitous that the first thing on our girls weekend schedule was a mani pedi! 

Lillie and I waiting to get checked out at the urgent care after the accident

Carlos Bakery!

Lillie and I have been here a couple of times before but Dianne, Jen, and Abby love this show too so we sacrificed and brought them here. It was super tough ;)....It was also super tough to choke down a couple of their pastries for breakfast ;) ;)

 We spent the morning doing baptisms at the Dallas temple. This was Lillie's first time to go!
It was especially cool because this was the temple that I used to go to as a youth.
It was such a lovely morning. We were supposed to be sneaking in a few names during the Weatherford Youth Stake baptism morning. But when we got there they had priesthood but no youth. So not only were they able to do all of their baptisms, but they were able to do some of those stake names as well. And since they needed help I was able to do some baptisms too!
It was so wonderful to have that experience with L. 

Grandma with her Grandgirls

Hanging out at the Galleria:

We had been so excited about ice skating and it turns out they were remodeling their rink so they had a super tiny one set up. The girls still skated and bonus: since the tiny rink was not so popular it was empty and the girls had it all to themselves!

TOFG:

The girls had a great time and from Lillie's report the speakers were fabulous! 

They also had a couple of performances from the band Gentri. 

It was awesome for them to be able to meet the band and get some autographs. 

Being silly in the hotel room

Last night! Might as well enjoy ourselves at the Cheesecake Factory. 

This was at the request of the girls.

BCF: Best Cousins Forever!

Mom and L's Car Accident

What was supposed to be a fun and carefree girls weekend started out on a pretty scary note. L and I were headed up to Dallas for a 4 day weekend of sightseeing, TOFW/TOFG and to meet Grandma, Aunt Jen, and Abby for it all. We left early on the morning of 10/15/16 right after dropping the boys at school. We made it all the way to DFW with no incident and were 25 minutes from the airport when out of nowhere a car in the slow lane a few car lengths ahead of us (we were going 70 in the fast lane) literally turns left (not veered left, but turned left and was perpendicular to us cutting across all lanes of traffic headed for the guardrail) and heads straight for us. I could tell if we kept our course we were going to smash right into their driver side passenger door. I made the quick decision to try and move to the right as quickly as possible to avoid the accident but it was not the case. The back end of the driver driver side struck the front end of our driver side and sent us into a spin to the right across all lanes of traffic until we smashed in the on ramp guardrail. The speedometer stopped at 53mph so I'm assuming that's how fast we were going at the last impact. 

It was the scariest thing I have even been through in my entire life and the first words out of my mouth were "are you OK Lillie?!" And she was thankfully. But I just kept asking it over and over. And then I started my prayers of thanks. We were completely fine. I was going to be sore I could tell and had a few cuts and scratches across my chest but other than that we were only shaken. And that was really only me. L started to immediately ask if we were still going to stay up here to have fun for the weekend...ah the sweet gift of youth - she wasn't dead and neither was her mom so what else was there to be fearful of? 

A kind lady stopped and called the police for us. My phone had flown out of the holder and I couldn't find it for a bit. We never saw the other driver. He crashed on the opposite side of our side of traffic into the retaining wall that blocks from the other side of traffic and farther behind us. Apparently he kept trying to place blame on me saying that he had been driving right next to me and I had whacked him from the fast lane. Uh...no. Then he changed his story 2 more times and finally ended with saying that he had blacked out and had no idea what happened at all. The cops said: sir we can see the skid marks going from the slow lane all the way across to here leading to your vehicle. We have a feeling the lady's story matches up. He had children in his car and thankfully everyone there was ok as well.

I had a hard time sleeping for a couple of weeks between torn muscles in my chest and panic attacks while my brain kept reliving the accident of it's own accord. I kept asking myself questions like: what if we had stopped for gas like I had kept thinking of doing? Or what if we had hung out a little longer at Bucees, or a little less? For a person who is already riddled with anxiety like myself this was hard stuff. We did stay and do the trip, and spending 2 days hearing spiritual talks was just what I needed. Since there's a million reasons this could have happened I found solace in a few ideas. Here they are:

#1 - sometimes stuff happens. This is earth life, and we agreed to it. We're all OK and I should be grateful. 

#2 - Maybe if we hadn't been in this accident we would have been in a worse one somewhere else that day

#3 - Maybe us crashing into that car helped them to stop and hit the retaining wall instead of flipping over it. Perhaps us being in that accident helped a bunch of other people to live. Who knows. There are people who think I'm crazy for thinking that but I do believe that God works through others in mysterious ways. Even in this way. Maybe this wasn't the case at all. But maybe it was and if it was then I'm glad we could help prevent injury or loss of life. These were the kinds of thoughts I needed to have to help myself heal mentally from this. (And mental healing is something I'm still working on. As I type this it's June 2017 and I still think about it every single time I drive.)

The one thing I know for sure is, we were absolutely being watched over by protecting angels. Even though this happened quickly it felt like it was in slow motion and I felt a helping presence with us in and around the van the entire time.    

Lillie's first (and hopefully only) ride in the back of a police car.

He was kind enough to take us to the police station to wait for Grandma and Aunt Jen to pick us up.

Random Fall Fun

As of September '16 Isaac is now a Buddy Buck player.

He loves it and calls is H-E-Buh-ee-Bucks! whenever he sees the store :)

Found this wishing well pool on clearance for $10 in the fall. I don't know why L and I aren't pictured, but this thing provides hours of non-fighting entertainment to all the kids! Win!

L and G began diving lessons this Fall and are having a blast learning some cool stuff

The Rock - ok people, at the end of last school year Grant - who was in 1st grade at the time- got an ear ache and told us tearfully that he had stuck a rock in his ear. When? We ask. In Kindergarten, he says. What?! We look and it certainly looks like something is in there. So off to the Dr. we go. And they promptly tell us there's only earwax in there. Okay-ay. He keeps getting ear aches once every couple of months or so. Always the same ear. And always they say they can't see a rock just a huge gob of wax. So yesterday we are at his well check and I ask them to check again (different Dr. this time). They still say it's wax. Grant tells them he can feel it starting to come out. Low and behold at dinner tonight he shakes his head to the side and digs out...a rock. And it is the exact "ball of wax" that I've been looking at for 6 months. His ear is clear now. Thanks Doc. Also, don't stick pea gravel or anything else in your ear Grant!

Because of Camp Apocalypse we were not able to hold closing ceremonies on the last day of camp. The stake held a mutual in it's place. Here's L with some of her other Level 1 girls and her leader.

Labor Day in Port A. & Padre Island

Happy Labor Day!

We celebrated the holiday by taking a day trip to St. Jo's Island off of Port A and spent the late afternoon in Padre Island. 

Taking the ferry to the secluded St. Jo's island to beach comb

It was seriously secluded here. The shells weren't as great as promised but if we walked far enough to find them they were still some of the best we've ever experienced (which really isn't saying much). But is was awesome to be so secluded! Hardly anyone comes here so it was very peaceful. 

 After a yummy lunch at a small local Mexican joint we went to Padre to window shop at tacky beach shops and played a round of mini golf before heading home with a load of tired but happy kids and parents

Hemisfair Park

It's September but we know we've got a good three months of summer left. We took a late evening and went to Hemisfair park. And then took an unexpected "dip" in the splashpad. Apparently not too unexpected for L who came prepared in her swim suit. What a great city park!

First Day of School 2016-2017

I cannot believe that the end of summer is here and we are ready for another school year! It flew by way too fast and while I'm ready for a routine again I am going to miss these kids like crazy...and so is Isaac!

I'm really excited for the kids - The boys have great teachers and best friends in their classes. With L in middle school it's all a crap shoot. But she knows that no matter what she at least gets lunch with her friends!

Sending L off to 7th

S at the top of the school this year in 5th 

(Mrs. D'Ambrosio for homeroom & Science, Mrs. Porter for math, and Mrs. Werner for ELAR)

...and all decked out ready to rule the school in patrols!

G excited for a great year in 2nd with Mrs. Mulroy

The boys and their neighborhood friends at the morning bus stop

L to R: William, G, S, Weston, Matthew, Carter, Delaney, and Is.)

Mr. Cool on his way to pick up his bros. from the bus stop