Trials and blessings...

I don't even know where to begin. Since my last post announcing the birth of little Myles Truth, life has been a whirlwind. Having Myles has been a blessing through it all. He is such a good baby.

The Sunday that he turned one week old we were staying home from church to rest as a family and my sister and her girls were coming up to meet Myles for the first time. Right around lunch time Marc, Matthew and Malachi left to go pick up a picture CD from Wal-Mart. They had not been gone too long before my phone rang. It was a neighbor from down the street and she told me that Marc had been in an accident. I felt my knees buckle as I sat down on my bed trying to listen to what she was saying. My worst fear has always been to get a phone call like that, and I was living the nightmare. I hung up with her and called 9-11. They would not give me any information and told me to try to call his cell phone. I dialed it and of course I didn't get an answer. A few minutes later my neighbor called me back to tell me that her son (who just "happened" to leave church and was the first one at the accident scene) called and said I needed to come get Malachi (the 3 year old). At this point I am thinking he must be ok, but what about the other two? Marc had driven my van and I didn't have a key to his car. The phone rang again and it was a police officer calling to let me know about the accident and that I needed to come get Malachi. He wouldn't give me any information on the other two either. I felt like I was having a nightmare and couldn't wake up! My neighbor was sending her daughter to come pick me up. In a daze I walked to the end of my driveway to wait on her. Before she could get here my sister just "happened" to drive up. I immediately got into her car and we went to the accident scene to get Malachi. I was desperate to find out how Matthew was doing. By this point someone had told me that Marc was talking, but that Matthew was hurt. When we got to the accident scene it was nauseating! It was the kind of scene that when you see it, and don't know the people involved, it still makes you sick to your stomach. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and the horrible sight of the crashed van. They had already taken Marc and Matthew by ambulance to the larger hospital 30 minutes away from us. They still would not give me any information, which was pure torture! When I saw the side where Matthew was probably sitting (the front passenger seat) I knew it was bad. I got to Malachi where they had strapped him in the fire engine. He was pretty traumatized as he sat there with his teddy bear, fire hat and Gatorade that they had given him. We took Malachi home and decided it would be best for Kellie to stay home with all of the children and I would drive her vehicle to the hospital. As we got back to my house our neighbor's son was at our house. I finally had someone that had seen Matthew and he told me that Matthew was pretty banged up but had spoken. I was just relieved to know that he was alive! I was so grateful that I had that to at least get me through the trip to the hospital. As I drove on the interstate I prayed harder than I have ever prayed. During Mariah's two horse accidents this summer I had seen her and knew she was going to be ok. This time I really didn't know what to expect. I got to the ER and felt like a wet noodle as I was trying to carry Myles in his seat into the ER. (Remember, I had just given birth a week before!) They told me which number Marc was in and which one Matthew was in. I was so desperate to see Matthew, but nothing could have prepared me for what I walked into. He was laying there by himself behind a curtain. He was flat on his back with blood all over him, tubes, an IV and unconscious. I spoke to him thinking he would rouse when he heard me but he did not. I felt like I was going to pass out. The trauma surgeon came in and told me that his CT scan looked clear but they were concerned that he was not waking up. He started talking about doing an MRI to look for sheer brain damage that could cause personality changes and would require rehabilitation. I have always heard that the Lord won't allow you to go through anything that with HIM you can't handle. I was really pushed to my limit and at that moment wished someone would knock me out. "The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms;" Deuteronomy 33:27 I continued for a few minutes trying to get him to wake up, but when he wouldn't respond I couldn't deal with it anymore and I left and went to where Marc was. He was conscious and talking but still flat on his back with a neck brace on. He was waiting for test results before they would let him get up. Of course he was worried about Matthew and about to lose it wanting to get up. I went back to where Matthew was and tried again to talk to him. Three men from our church (our pastor, elder and song leader) came walking in at a point that I didn't think I could handle much more. It was such a relief to have someone with me. They started talking really positive to Matthew and he started responding. It was amazing to watch. About an hour later they moved him to the pediatric ICU. His injuries were concussion, broken collar bone, pneumo thorax, bruised lung and bowel, and broken teeth. He had lots of cuts on his head and leg. It was a miracle that his leg was not broken or even crushed. (We found out the day after the accident that Malachi had a broken leg and had to be casted.)

With all that we have been through with Mariah's horse accidents, her being in the hospital in August, the birth of Myles and then the car accident I look back over it amazed that I actually made it through without losing my mind! The car accident pushed me pretty close. I am a worrier by nature. I hate that about my personality, but I always worry about my children's safety. I know in my head that God can take care of them, but I have always thought He needed my help! I am learning through all of this that I can't protect them from everything and I have to Trust Him. I also look back at all of it and am amazed that God DID protect them when it could have been so much worse.

I have so much to be thankful for!

~Mariah surviving being kicked twice in the last six months by a horse.

~The birth of a healthy baby.

~God sparing the life of Marc, Matthew and Malachi.

~Thankful that Matthew's injuries weren't worse.

~Family and friends that prayed and did so many other things for us.

~An unbelievable church family

~A friend from church (with a large family of his own) loaning his 12 passenger van to us until we could replace our van.

~Meals brought to us.

~How God orchestrated the details the day of the accident. I had just the right people in place throughout the day.

~My sixteen year old daughter who is capable (and willing) to run our house in my absence.

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Matthew leaving the hospital.

This shows where the door came in on Matthew. It was the hand of God that protected him!

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

Malachi with his cast. He has learned how to get around just fine with it!

Thankful for a healthy thirteen year old boy!