And just like that...

...everything changes.

Right after Madi got home this afternoon with her new car, a few friends started showing up. Her friend Zach came over as well as a car load of friends who live in the area. Zach was still here when the other car left. Blade was driving with Kellie, Kiley and Tessa. I'd just met Blade officially when he was here but I know all the girls really well.

If Zach hadn't been here visiting I'm sure Madi would have gone with them. If she had, this evening would have turned out so differently.

Shortly after leaving here they were in an awful car accident. Apparently Blade swerved to miss hitting a deer and in swerving he hit a boulder, which propelled them into the air. They came down evetually rolling the vehicle several times.

Another Stillwater student who was longboarding in the area found them and called 911. He snapped this picture of the accident before the rest of the emergency vehicles arrived.

Blade and Kellie were both wearing their seat belts and although they are pretty banged up and obviously shaken up beyond belief, they are ok.

Kiley and Tessa weren't wearing their seat belts and were both ejected from the vehicle. Kiley has a broken collar bone and lots of cuts and scrapes. Tessa was thrown through the front windshield and suffered major injuries. I'm not 100% sure what injuries were sustained. I've heard broken collar bone, broken shoulder blade, fluid in a lung, punctured spleen, a "something wrong" with her spine.

These are 15 and 16 year old children. My heart just aches for them and their families as they have to endure this. Please help me pray that they will fully heal and thank God that no lives were lost today.

How'd this happen?

I'm only 25 so I'm not sure how this happened but somehow I have a child getting ready to turn 16. So weird.

(2 of my 4 kids just read this over my shoulder and said, "Why did you say you're only 25?" Psshh. I totally am.)

We went to spend the night with the in-laws on Thursday night since it was spring break. Brad's brother and his family was visiting and we take all the chances we can to get together when they are around since they live in the Houston area. Unfortunately, I had a photo shoot and a meeting on Friday.

So we took two cars and I came back Friday with Sadie to be my assistant and Brad stayed there with the other kiddos.

So today before heading home they went to Tulsa to do some car shopping since Madi's birthday is quickly approaching and our little town doesn't have a whole lot to offer.

They started out this morning and found something at the very first lot. Kind of like a wedding gown, where girls so often fall in love with the very first one but keep trying them on just to make sure there isn't something better out there, Madi found a great one right off the bat.

We told Madi (and all the kids) years ago that we would match whatever they saved for a car. Save $4000? You'll get an $8000 car. About a year ago Madi realized we were serious. Thank goodness she didn't realize it sooner. We woulda been in trouble!

So after an afternoon of looking, lots of talking and thinking and a little bit of uncertainty...Madi bought her very first car.

WOW

Her birthday is April 3rd so right now she only has her permit. But since I was here and they were there with 2 cars she got to totally be illegal and drive home from Tulsa. Eli rode with her and manned the cell phone for any calls from Daddy who was right in front of her.

And then of course I made him call me when they were close so I could run out with my camera to be sure to capture her coming home with her new baby.

Did I say wow? Cause really. My baby just bought a car.

WOW

Haiti or bust

So remember that meeting I went to a few weeks ago? Well, we decided to postpone the Haiti trip because we originally had it scheduled right after elections in the country. Which could have made for some extra hostile conditions during our time there.

So we are going. Just not next week when we originally planned.

We are now going the first week of April. Which is fine except that it's my baby girls 16th birthday. Her sweet 16. Kind of a big deal, right?

When I realized that's when the trip would be I told her about it.

Me: They rescheduled the Haiti trip. It's during your birthday now.

Her: That's ok.

Me: But it's your birthday.

Her: So. I'll have another one next year.

Me: But it's your SIXTEENTH birthday. It's a big deal.

Her: Mom. Seriously. It's fine.

It's hard to think that I won't be here for her 16th birthday. I won't even be in the same COUNTRY for it. It's kind of a big deal. Right?

Although maybe if I'm not here she won't turn 16. Does it work like that? Is that a way to keep her frozen at 15 forever? Yeah. I think I'll go with that.

There's something wrong with me!

Most people probably aren't happy when they find out that there is something wrong with them. Me though...THRILLED. Because finally after all the testing and trying to figure out why I just can't seem to get better I have a diagnosis.

Woohoo!

Turns out I have a bacterial infection:

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus): A type of bacterium that comes in pairs and is shaped like a lancet (a surgical knife with a short wide two-edged blade).

Pneumococcus is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia and otitis media (middle ear infections) and an important contributor to bacterial meningitis. Pneumococcal infections are the most common invasive bacterial infections in children in the United States, causing about 1,400 cases of meningitis, 17,000 cases of bloodstream infections, and 71,000 cases of pneumonia every year in children under 5.

Vaccines now exist for those individuals at high risk of infection with this bacterium.

The formal name of the bacterium is currently Streptococcus pneumoniae. (The "strepto-" means twisted and "-coccus" comes from the Greek kokkos meaning berry.) Because of its coming in pairs, it has also been called Diplococcus pneumoniae. "Pneumoniae" refers to its propensity to settle in the lungs and cause pneumonia.

There. Everything you ever needed to know about it. My doctor said that it's generally treated with one of the two antibiotics that I already took. You know, the ones that didn't make me better.

So I went in yesterday and today and got Rocephin injections. Ouch! And then I'm on a Z-Pack as well. I can't WAIT to start feeling good again!

Well lookie there!

I was going to do a quick post to let all my fans know that I was getting a facelift.

And by fans I obviously mean anyone who just happened to accidentally land here.

Obviously.

So I found this awesome girl who is my new friend (cause she thinks I'm funny!) and commissioned her to do a makeover and was super duper excited when I pulled up my blog this morning and found that she's almost done with it.

Oh my goodness. How cute is this?! SO much nicer than it was. Now I'm going to have a hard time not hanging around here all the time!

Woohoo!

The image of health

Definitely not me. Nope.

I went back to the doctor last Friday because I hadn't really seen any change. After more nose swabs (those are the worst!), a chest x-ray and blood work we don't know a whole lot more. Other than I don't have pneumonia or mono and my blood work looks good with the exception of a slightly elevated white count.

Obviously the rest I'd been trying to get wasn't helping a whole lot so I'm just trying to go about my normal schedule and pray that I don't lose a lung or get another migraine while doing it.

I've always been a huge yo-yo with my weight and health and in January of this year I decided enough was enough. I started really watching what I was eating and working out again. Unfortunately, I just wasn't seeing results.

I probably was getting results, just not the Biggest Loser super fast results I wanted.

Then the beginning of February came and we got snowed in. Twice. And then I started getting sick. So I turned back into a slug.

I know I need to be healthy. Not just for me but for those around me who love me and want me to be around for a nice long time so I can always nag them.

So this morning I drug myself over to my dresser and dug out my spandex that scream at me when I wear them because they are stretched so tight. Poor spandex. And then I drove myself across town and worked out for the first time in 3 weeks.

I'm pretty sure part or all of one lung might still be in the room. I have another one though so I'm good. Maybe?

And I found this little pretty on Rhonna's site and wanted to share.

I'm not sure why it's posting so small but the little tag reads "Nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels." Rhonna mentioned that the quote is actually "skinny" but that her goal (and mine!) is to be healthy. So...
here's to being healthy! Even if my body doesn't really want to cooperate.

Sick sick sick

I have a knack for this. Being sick I mean. It pretty much happens every year around this time and I could so do without it. Really.

Last year it was right after I got back from my mission trip to Mexico. I had worn ear plugs while I was there to drown out the noise so I could sleep a bit better. When I got home it was like my ears were still all plugged up. It lasted for what seemed like forever. I finally got an appointment with an ENT who forced the air out. It made me scream. Really loud. After that I got on allergy shots and meds and have had a fairly healthy year until now.

Nearly three weeks ago we had the blizzard of 2011. Also known around here as Snowpocalypse 2011. Crazy cold temps, wind and tons of snow had us out of school for 3 days which was great because Sadie and Teagan both had the flu that week. Near the end of the week I started feeling kind of cruddy but no fever so I figured it was nothing. The next Monday I had a migraine followed by Migraine Hangover Tuesday. On Wednesday, Snowpocalypse 2011 Part 2 hit along with another migraine. Not cool. I was out of migraine meds at this point so my neighbor across the street trekked through the snow and brought me a Treximet which saved my life. I seriously thought that headache was going to be the end of me. Seriously.

What followed then was several days of bad headaches with nausea and occasional vomiting. By Monday I had enough so I visited the doctor who put me on antibiotics for a sinus infection. Tuesday...I had another full blown migraine.

At this point, I kinda thought I should cut my head off

Head still attached, I had a CT scan on Friday to see if we could figure out what is going on in this noggin of mine. As of now I still have no answers. I'm hoping to hear something on Monday. And as much as that scan cost there had better be some results from it. If it's clear I totally want my money back.

So that's what's going on here. Crazy weather (-30 in one area of the state with a 100 degree swing within 7 days!) and crazy sicknesses.

Did I mention that in the last few days I've developed a cough too? I'm pretty sure it's a "cought due to cold" as Mr. Gump would say. Whatever it is, I'm done with it too.