15 years ago today...

15 years ago at 4:25pm my 3 sisters and I were in a very serious car accident. Patti (20), Micki,(16) Honey (14) and I (13) were driving from Regina, Saskatchewan to Cardston, Alberta to stay at my grandparents house. My Dad had just been called to be a mission president in Detroit, Michigan so my parents were already in UT getting ready to enter the MTC ,and were visiting my oldest sister Jeannie and her family in Logan, UT.

I was sitting behind the passenger side where the door is missing. They had to use the jaws of life to get my sister Honey out who was in the front. I have no memory of being taken out of the car or being strapped to a backboard. Honey and I were both asleep when the accident happened, and we both had our heads resting on the windows, so when the accident happened we both took the windows out with our heads. Thus, the reason why I can't remember being taken out of the car.

There were many miracles in this accident. The first that we all survived. My sister Micki and I both were not wearing our seat belts. Micki saw the whole accident happen and she said that when the two cars collided instead of going forward she felt two hands on her shoulders push her back down in her seat. We had our four quad scriptures in the back window they didn't move, Micki's Work and the Glory book flew out the window. :)

My sister Honey remembers my sister Patti handing her the car phone and Honey could hear my Dad giving her a blessing over the phone. Come to find out that when our stake president whose house we had stayed at the night before found out about the accident he called my parents and my parents hit the floor on their knees, and my Dad blessed each one of us by the power of the priesthood, Honey heard the exact words my Dad had said. Honey later found out in the hospital that the car phone had been broken in the accident.

The other man's car. As you can see, he unfortunately didn't make it. We later found out that he was from Ethiopia and didn't understand that before entering the highway he had to stop at the blinking stop sign and blew past the rumble strips. We broadsided him going 70 mph.

The brake pedal stuck to the ground from Patti pushing it so hard.

I got stitches on my cheeck from my glasses. I had such a bad concussion that I threw up 11 times in half an hour. It was insane! I really don't remember much due to my concussion, I do remember asking the paramedics to leave me alone so I could just go back to sleep. :)

My sister Honey with stitches in her head and a broken collar bone.

My sister Patti getting her knee cleaned out. She cut it on the steering wheel.

My brother John was at the MTC at the time. Here we are together before my parents got set apart. My parents and my brother were in the MTC at the same time. Don't you love my glasses? :) These were my old ones because my new ones got mangled in the accident. I don't think my new ones were much better, it was the nineties people! :)

As I think back I cannot believe that this happened 15 years ago. This experience really strengthened my testimony at the age of 13. I am so grateful that I have all my family members. It could have so easily taken one or all of us. I know we had angels around us that day. Maybe, just maybe, it was our future children protecting their mothers.

A "Hairy" Situation

I love coupons! I love getting a good deal. I love seeing my grocery bill or another bill shrink because I have slammin' coupons. This week I learned the hard way that not all coupons should be used. I got this great coupon for a haircutting school. I thought, I need a haircut anyway, score. Wrong! Wrong! I got my haircut, well butchered, just butchered. It was AWFUL! I really wish I would have taken a picture of the massacre before I got it fixed, but frankly I never wanted to remember that haircut. EVER.

Gratefully, I went to a great salon last night and Leisha did her magic and saved my hair. I told her what happened and her first response to my hair was, "Girl, she gave you a full on mullet." It was that bad. Leisha is my new best friend! :)

Here is my hair now.

Who Let the Dogs Out??!!

I have debated putting this on my blog for fear that I may offend, but it was too funny and I know Blake will get a kick out of this when he is older reading this blog book.

Yesterday the kids and I were coming home from running a ton of errands and we passed Petsmart. On Saturdays they have Adoption day so they have a whole bunch of dogs in this one fenced in area on the corner. We were sitting in the car waiting for the light to turn green when Blake was watching the dogs and all of the sudden said to me, "Wow, Mom look, that dog is giving the other dog a piggy back ride!!" I looked over and just started laughing!! :) How do you explain that one??!!

Blake's Preschool Graduation

Blake and his class.

Blake saying his part. As you can see Blake is tall for his class. :)

This part made me cry. They had the music and everything.

Way to go Blake. He was so proud, and he was also proud that he never had to go in the time out chair all year.

So cute!

Ashley and I with the cute grad.

With Grandma and Grandpa Allen

With Manny

With Micki and Spencer. Thanks for taking the pictures and for the present!

A Heartbreaker and a Milestone

Two Sundays ago at church a lady in our ward came up to Ashley and told her how beautiful she is. Blake piped right up and said, "Did you know that when I was younger a lady told me I was a heartbreaker?!!" Blake is so funny. He is such a handsome and kind little boy. He has gotten a ton of attention from the little girls at preschool. Just last week as he was getting in the car he said, "Mom, now three girls are in love with me, Catherine, Callie and Lilly." I tell him it's because he is so handsome and kind, and I remind him that we don't kiss the girls! It is so funny when I come to pick him up and hear the three girls say, "Bye, Blake." He just blushes and waves. So cute.

Blake has had this teddy bear since he was one. His name is "Bapa."

Ashley and her favorite person. Jordan made it to the State Championship finals in the hurdles. He was one of the only sophomores and he did AWESOME, it was so fun to watch him.

Blake learned how to ride his two wheeler today. I am so proud of him. He and I are so much alike, it was fun to help him and see him figure it out.

Ashley loves this tricycle and rides it so well!

And he is off! It was so fun to see him get more brave and say, "Mom let go, I can do this." I am sure I will hear him tell me this his whole life.

Catching Up

Happy Easter! Can you feel the love from Ashley? :)

Hunting for eggs

Ashley's big girl bed. It was totally me trying to keep her little in her crib. It was long overdue. She loves being able to get out herself.

I watched my two neices for a day while Mindy was in Seattle. Ashley could not get enough of baby Annie. Ashley frequently asks me, "So Mom, when are you going to have a baby?" My response, "I have to get married first, Ash."

This month the kids and I have been sick, sick, sick with awful colds. Blake has had a cough for over a month! First he was on Amoxicillin, then the cough was still there, took him to the doctor and found out he had "walking pneumonia." What?!! So he was put on Zythrimax and Albuterol. The doc said if the cough does not go away he needs to come back and get a steriod. Heaven help us! Poor boy. Ashley has been on Amoxicillin for the past week. Things are looking better for us.

Ashley and Blake with their butterly nets like Maggie and Josie. Gotta love the dollar section at Target.

My parents are the best! My cute Mom made the kids boxes for their butterfly nets. Blake named his net, "Old Reliable." He says that is the name of Spongebobs net.

My awesome friend Jessica was asked to present a booth at BYU's Women's Conference and she asked me to be her assistant. It was so much fun. We met some great women who have gone through terrile things, but are so much stronger because of them. Our booth was named "Thrive, Not Just Survive the Difficult Times."

Okay my camera is the pitts. That is what I thought before Jessica told me yesterday that I had it on the wrong setting. Ah,woops! So sorry for the major fuzzy picture. Jessica can you send me the pics that Christina took? :)

The cute ladies we met at the "Blended Family" table. They gave us great advice.

My old stomping ground. I worked here for a year. It was so much fun!

Two of the most amazing people you will ever meet. Jessica and Cyndi. We are single mothers that have very similar life experiences. They are the best. I love you guys!

Blake and Samuel playing.

The difference between boys and girls...

Two weeks ago I was outside with the kids and I went into the house to get the kids some juice, next thing I knew I heard Ashley screaming. I ditched the apple juice and booked it outside. A million things were racing through my head. I ran outside and found Ashley with her pants around her ankles, screaming. It was quite obvious what had happened. She said, " I tried to go potty like Blakey." She was so sad it didn't work out like she thought. But most of all she was sad because she got pee in her new pink shoes.

After trying to get the real story out of Blake he confessed that he peed in the yard first. Gross! I explained to him that we don't pee in the yard.

Well, today in the car on the way to the doctor Blake was talking about the incident again. This time Blake said very matter of fact, "Mom I know why Heavenly Father gave boys "apernis'," boys need them to go the bathroom at boys camp. You are allowed to go to the bathroom that way at boys camp. Girls just sell cookies."

I was laughing so hard I could barely see!