Starting Out With a BANG!

So after a calm, uneventful scrap-filled New Year's Day I was thinking...not too bad. A rather quiet birthday on the 2nd (now I qualify for Senior Discounts?) again, thinking not too bad. I went to eat with Tad and Robert on Sunday (yes, I broke the Sabbath and my fast) then on to church. As each person bore their testimony, I reflected on my own testimony and on my many blessings. Got home from church, noted that Tad's bag was no longer by the front door (did he really put it up like I asked?)picked up my cell phone, dialed Tad and no answer, then went out the back door while it was still light and warm (yah, like there has been any warmth for the last month), got a load of wood in, watered the dogs, went back in took my Church clothes off and went into the bathroom. The phone rings. I don't get out in time and it rings again, I answer to hear Janessa say that Tad has hit a tree and they (George & Lacey) are bringing him to the ER. I asked in shock, what happened, she didn't know. They didn't have phone coverage, I was at church and her job was to let me know what was going on. I hurriedly change clothes and get ready to meet them at the hospital. I hear my answering machine beeping take a minute to see what it is and it is Janessa telling me that I need to call her as soon as I get this message.

I drove to the hospital and they aren't in with Tad so I sat in the parking lot. I thought about calling Jenna and Maggie but I didn't know what to tell them. My phone rings, it is Lacey saying that Tad doesn't want to go to the ER - I told her he has no choice. My phone rings and it is Jenna and I tell her what I know. Hang up and my phone rings and it is Maggie and I tell her what I know. I am thinking that what are the odds that both girls would call within seconds of each other while I am waiting for them to bring Tad in.

They arrive, I get out and George and Lacey get out. Tad gets out, he is bloody and not able to stand and I can tell he isn't doing well. He is adamant that he isn't going in there and I told him that it was not his decision to make. We get him in the ER - I sign him in and the nurse (Kelly Crowther...?) takes him in and asks us to wait. I then try to find out what happened and here's what George told me. Tad decided to go to Morenci (George nor I knew this) hit some ice, slipped off the road and was stuck. Had cell phone coverage and called for George to come and help him. Knowing that I was in church, Roberta was out of town, George called Lacey (his daughter-in-law) to go with him in case they needed the help. In the meantime, someone comes along and pulls Tad out and Tad then decides to turn around and go back home. He said that he was driving too fast, he wanted to get to the top of Turkey Burn/Campbell Blue and let George know he was out and coming back and that George didn't need to come. Tad hit an icy spot on a bad curve and went off the right side of the road. Tad told George his truck was bad. A couple that lives in Alpine was coming up the trail and picked Tad up and was heading toward Alpine. Tad was in and out of it but came in again to see George and asked the people to flash George. George loaded Tad in his truck and started home with him. Officer Hererra from the Town of Springerville shows up and he is allowed in. Tad is angry and tells the nurse to get him out of there. They finally tell me I can go in and Tad is throwing up. They have pigtails for iv in his left arm, his head is bleeding. He continues to throw up for a long time and finally he is through. They put the iv stuff (don't know what it was) in and Tad is laying back, saying that his chest hurts. He tells me that he 1) crawled out the passenger side window 2) was ejected and watched his truck roll down the cliff 3) doesn't have any idea how he got his coat because he didn't have it on in the truck. They are wanting to take him for a cat scan and for xrays. The policeman is waiting to talk to Tad. We shuffle in and out and the best we can figure is that Tad was going too fast, maybe looked down at his cell phone, looked up and it was too late and hit the ice and over he went.

Deputy Dayson Merrill from Apache County shows up and said that DPS will investigate. Chad and Robert show up. Chad calls other friends and Officer Taylor and his wife come down. Jolene, Cheyenne and Austin come in from the ranch. Many people are concerned for Tad. Somewhere after nine or so they have the xrays done, the cat scan done, etc. and they tell us that Tad has a concusion (that is why he is throwing up and can't recall some things) and that after observation he will go home.

It's 11:00 and I am in a daze. Tad and I are talking, he feels like crap and we go to bed. I wake up on Monday morning and the realization of the last day sets heavy on my heart and mind. We call the insurance company, the towing company, George and head to Alpine to get the stuff out of Tad's truck. We round the curve to Alpine Garage and my breath caught when we saw this... not even recognizable as Tad's truck. Tad walked down to the office to give Rex his insurance info and George and I just looked at the truck in disbelief. The two guys that towed it in told us that they spent an hour looking for bodies in the snow, there was no way that anyone survived this wreck. Zack, the young kid that went up and down the mountain with Tad's belongings in the cold and snow crawled in the truck and handed us things we could see that Tad wanted. His cell phone, wallet, ipod, gun, etc. They were all there, unbelievable. On the way home we had to pull over for Tad to throw up. The realization of what he survived was starting to set in. He didn't even recognize his own truck at first. He is blessed and I have tried to counsel with him of that knowledge and what responsibility that he has. A long week in front of him, he will be ok. He walked away with thisrequiring 4 staples. He has no serious internal injuries, just lots of hurts and shortness of breath. He still has a hard time with some memory things (my gosh, is he gonna be on the short bus?) He is lucky, he is alive, he is a blessing and I'm gonna kill him for taking ten years off my life. Rex told me when I went back Monday afternoon to get Tad's keys and some other stuff in the truck that it was the second worst accident he has seen in twenty three years.

We take it a day at a time - you know one step forward, two steps back...

Jenna and Weston were here for the weekend and it was so much fun to have them here. Bailey Boo is getting to be so much fun - she has kind of taken a liking to me and I love that. Gunnar told his mother that Mo Mo Sadie is wild...(what does he mean?)

Bailey had several tea parties for Teddy Ruxpin, baby, Elmo and herself. They wanted to "eat"chips, cereal with, fruit snacks, water... she was so cute and would give everyone something to eat then go around the table and eat what she wanted out of their plates (marshmallows out of the cereal for example :o) Ali was grateful for messy babies because every once-in-awile something would hit the floor. She has learned that with Bailey and Trentin there is always a strong possibility of something hitting the floor. With Trentin it was on purpose, a bite for him, a bite for Ali.

At night time, Bailey's babies had to go to bed with her too. I LOVE being a grandma to these babies. They make my heart smile.

Troy and Maggie have only been gone two months and it seems like forever. Kamryn, Trentin and I can talk on the phone now and I don't cry the whole way through. By the time I get used to them being gone, they will be home (I hope).

I'm alone again at the end of the weekend when the kids have been here and it is sooooo quiet. I miss all of them and wish they lived closer. I wish for all of you a good week with love and laughter.