our accident!

so here is the story

thursday evening i headed back from a great trip to cincinnati for spring break. we took the usualy route. i even printed a map and put numbers along the route to let the kids know where we were on the trip and how long until we would arrive. they each got a copy! it worked wonders. the kids were very well behaved on the trip. we headed out just after enjoying lunch with Dawn and Madison! what a blessing it was to have them drive from lexington just to see us for a few hours.

as we began to drive the rain began. i knew the further north, this rain would turn to ice and then snow. and of course it did. early on in my trip i spoke on the phone with some friends (this is always a great time for me to catch up). then the rain came and it came hard. and the temperature dropped. it was about 4:30ish and the signs all said there was lots of construction on 80/94 and 65. this is the ONLY way to get to Chicago from Indiana. I called my mother in law to ask her to check for alternate routes since the weather was bad, the timing was bad (rush hour), could she check for another route. we spoke briefly, when i told her i had to go. the rain was really coming down and i didn't want to be on the phone. i looked in the back and almost simultaneously elijah and micaiah were falling asleep, it was about 4:45 in the evening.

within 5 minutes of our conversation i passed a semi. he was in the center lane and i was in the left lane. it was raining hard and all this water splashed up on my car, making it even more difficult to see. at that point i was thinking...semi's should not be allowed to drive in these conditions, it makes it so dangerous for the rest of us. well the very next semi i approached is where my story begins.

i was driving along in the left lane heading north and as i began to approach another semi on my left my car slipped (not sure if it was on ice or water or what?) and i fish tailed into the semi, my van bounced off him and off we went (myself, caleb, elijah, and micaiah) went into the median ditch, and into oncoming traffic. once we were up on the asphalt the van spun and was then facing south but towards the median ditch. i immediately stepped on the gas and put our van back into the median ditch.

i quickly unbuckled and got in the back seat to check on the kids. micaiah was in the seat behind mine, elijah behind her and caleb was next to elijah in the back row. i grabbed them all and held them tightly. all i could say was "thank you God, thank you God" over and over and over again. the kids were all crying hysterically. all three of them were perfectly fine. just crying. after i had all them in my lap for a few moments, i went back to the front seat to grab my phone and call 911. i went back to the kids and we waited. caleb pointed out that the windows had been shattered (i didn't even notice, i just kept looking at my beautiful children, overwhelmed that we were all okay). the automatic door on the passenger side of the van had its window shattered as well as the back right window and back window. i called rita to let her know what had happened and to contact AAA for a tow. we are friends with our insurance agent so i knew she could call him and he could help her get the info and i could focus on my kiddos who were still quite shaken up. since i had just spoken with rita i knew she would pick up and could let peter know as well. as i was on the phone with her, someone FINALLY stopped to see if we were okay. the semi never stopped, the car who swerved to miss me when i went into oncoming traffic never stopped, and the many many witnesses who saw the accident (at nearly rush hour) never stopped. i thanked them greatly and told them the police were on their way. the police man came, offered to have an ambulance come. at first i said no but he said i probably ought to with the three kids in the car. so we did. then he took us the police car to wait. i was terrified to sit in a police car on the side of the road for fear someone would slide into us, but i ignored that fear and calmly reminded how wonderful the policeman was to come and help us.

the ambulance arrived and we all went into the ambulance to talk. the kids had calmed down, just anxious as all the emt, paramedic, etc. offered to carry them from the van to police car, then to ambulance, and eventually into the hospital. the kids still seemed just fine, they checked caleb's head for glass since he was sitting next to and in front of 2 broken windows, NO GLASS! we asked about their pain and i moved around their little bodies. THEY WERE ALL PAIN FREE and now excited about their experience in the ambulance. the paramedic asked if we wanted to go to the hospital and i shrugged and said, i thought we were okay. although my neck was a little sore. he warned me that there was a possibility i could turn into a vegtable if i didn't get checked out and that it would only be worse over the coming days. so off to the hospital we went. the kids got strapped into their car seats in the ambulance and i was put on the stretcher in a neck brace. again, spending all of my time preparing my kids for what would be happening and trying to keep them calm. THEY WERE! Caleb and Elijah were given a stuffed sponge bob and micaiah got a little cheetah, we named miracle.

as they put me in a neck brace and on the stretcher i became overwhelmed with thoughts of my father's heart attack and death. i had no choice but to suck it in as my children are all sitting slightly above me watching me on our 15 minute ride to the hospital. as we arrived my kids were taken by nurses into the er with me and my bed was now raised and the for the first time i was out of sight of my children. i burst into tears, still overwhelmed with flashbacks of my father coming into the hospital after suffering a massive heart attack and then being revived for nearly 45 minutes before his 6 day coma and finally passing.

for over 3 hours i lay in the hospital bed, twice leaving to go for x-rays and then a ct scan of my neck. i was not allowed to get up or take the neck brace off until all x-rays were cleared. in the meantime, my kiddos continued to sit on three hospital chairs. EVERYONE just kept commenting how good they were. and they continued to be for 3 HOURS!!!! now remember, elijah and micaiah had just fallen asleep so were obviously tired enough for a nap and the accident happened at 4:50 so it was supper time. yet they just sat patiently, waited, behaved beyond belief and waited some more. God's hand was definitely on them!

after 3 hours i was finally able to get up, take the neck brace off, and hold my kiddos. we still had waiting to do. peter had gotten in the car and began driving from elgin at about 5:15 and did not arrive at the hospital until almost 9:00!! the roads were horrible as was the traffic. this was only 90 miles!

we were so happy to see daddy! we spent the night in a hotel and drove home the next day.

i suffered whiplash, and was in a neck brace until sunday. today i am continuing to get better, just some soreness and stiffness, but really nothing, especially considering what could have been!

God so evidently protected our family and amazed us in soooo many ways. we are so very grateful to be alive and well! He has blessed more than we can possibly imagine! again, i say, thank you God, thank you God!