God was with us!

That pretty much sums it up. I woke up to my typical Sunday morning, Craig and the boys always stay quiet and let me sleep in on Sunday mornings. So when I woke up, I noticed it was too quiet, so I went outside and found the boys, they were doing "yard work". Then they asked me if I would go to Lowe's and buy a new nozzle for the waterhose cause they were going to wash the Jeep for our Sunday evening Jeep ride. I did as I was asked and headed to Lowe's. When I pulled back in the driveway, they were waiting with the waterhose in hand. I headed in the house to start lunch. Once the Jeep was finished, we had lunch. Immediately after Hayden finished his lunch he was ready for the Jeep ride, so I told him that once he took his nap we would go. Without hassle, he laid down and was snoozing within 20 minutes. Riley then decided that he needed to go to Nana's, for no apparent reason other than he wanted to, so Craig took him down and I finished downloading some songs to my Ipod for the trip. After Hayden's normal 3 hour nap, he immediately came to Craig and I and demanded that we get up and get in the Jeep. He NEVER forgets anything. So we all took bathes and got ready, diaper bag, camera, car seats and everything else we have to pack along with us. So we headed off, no plans other than a Jeep ride, we drove by the farm to see what was going on and then we headed to Kingston. We stopped at Rocky Top and got gas and a fuse for the cigarette lighter, that way I can play my Ipod in the Jeep. So while Dad was replacing the fuse Hayden said that he wanted to go to Ducklies (aka- this is what the boys call Lakeside Tavern), so we all decided that we would head to Calhoun's in Lenoir City, our normal Jeep rides go down Hwy 70. So that's where we headed just cruisin' along. We were not in Loudon County yet but past the New Midway Church sign and this maroon car comes around the curve completely on our side of the road and HITS us head on, I tried to get over as much as I could but he still hit us. It turned the Jeep around parallel in the road. I freaked out because all I heard was the boys SCREAMING, which is a mother's worse nightmare. I was trying to unbuckle and open my door all at the same time and it wasn't working, which I didn't know that my door was completely caved in on me, so I couldn't open it. So I immediately climb up in my seat and jump out the window. Craig jumps out and is yelling at the car coming at us, because we are just sitting in the middle of the road. Luckily she wasn't going fast so she was able to stop and the truck behind her was a Firefighter. The man and woman who was behind us came running and helped me get the boys out of their seats. I was so afraid that someone was going to hit us again with the boys still in there. Once I got the boys settled in the man and woman's truck I went to find Craig and check on him and that is when I seen the damage to the Jeep. OMG! the front drivers tire was completely off and laying under the driver's door. Pieces of the Jeep and his car were everywhere, not just directly around the Jeep. Then, what seemed like forever, the officers and emergency personal arrived. Once everyone started telling us that they couldn't believe that we were walking around, I guess then is when it all hit me, that we were very lucky!!!! For all those years working in the ER and seeing what normally comes out of wrecks like that, I just knew that God was watching over us. The man that hit us tried to leave the scene, but he busted his radiator so his car died just down the road. He was arrested for DUI and whatever else they end up charging him with. He wasn't drunk but he was definitely under the influence. He failed all his field sobriety tests. He told Trooper Brown that he would take a breathalyzer but refused the lab test, she told him of course you would! The boys were taken to Children's Hospital because Hayden was complaining with his belly hurting and after being advised after the impact we took, that to be safe we should have them checked out. The dr checked them out and sent us home with a clean bill of health. Craig and I are extremely sore this morning, he hit his knee on the dash board and the seat belt has me really sore, but we are being evaluated by our Family Physician this morning.







I would to thank everyone who stopped and checked on us and especially Mr. and Mrs. Mathis would stayed the whole time and keep up with the boys. I am sorry that I didn't get the names of everyone who stopped and offered to help, but we truly do appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thanks to our good friend Darrell Cook who came our as soon as I texted him..., Gloria Pickle who called 911, the fire fighter who stopped traffic for us, the tow truck driver who came upon the wreck and put the powder down on all our fluid that was coming out of the Jeep. Of course my Mom and Shara who didn't have a heart attack on the way to the scene, plus with the help at the hospital.


The scary part and I probably shouldn't think like this, but our accident was only a little ways down the road from where my Mom was killed in 1985. I truly believe that she was watching over us last night! Once again, I am very lucky.