Car accidents and bird watching... all in a day's work.

I woke up this morning much the same way I do every Monday, but as I was putting Lainey on the bus, I got an unexpected and scary text from my best friend.  It said:

T: Say a prayer for me. Doing 90. JR n boys car accident... no details just told to get there.

Wow, not sure what I was expecting when I woke up this morning, but definitely not that.  Now I try not to be a dramatic person or get caught up in the drama of other people's lives, but these were people who had stood by me during the roughest points in my life this far and they all had a special place in my lives.  For a moment my breath was taken away, and then I thought, "Surely they are fine, right?".

I texted her back and told her to let me know asap.  I was taking Ella to the babysitter's anyway, so I figured if needed I could go help however I could.

T: JR and boys at OSF (hospital) boys ok not sure about JR.

Me: Do you need me to come?

T: It's alright....maybe if you wanna...not sure how long gonna b there.

"Maybe if you wanna..?" Now I was worried, the woman who had always been  impervious and invincible, was for a moment in time, vulnerable. I was going to go, even though there probably wasn't going to be anything I could do.  She had been there for me every time I had needed her. I was going to be there for her and her family. And, I could tell she was scared, she would need someone sane to be there...

After I dropped Ella off I randomly checked Facebook to see if anyone had posted anything about the accident, After all, I had no idea what to expect. Someone had posted pictures of the car and it was awful.

A picture of the car after it rolled 2-3 times off the side of the road. 

This is the baby's side of the car... notice the grass stuck in the 

top of the door, amongst other things

When I got to the ER they were wheeling her oldest, five years old, in from x-ray.  He had a neck brace on and was as still as I've ever seen him.  JR looked dazed and had a couple of scratches on his head, and a sore back (luckily not the spine, just sore muscles).  As he recounted the accident the part that will stay with me for a long time was the part when he said after the rolling stopped he thought the boys had flown out of the car because they were so quiet.  He looked back and thankfully they were both still there, just staring at him.  He had to crawl out the back window and then pull the boys out.  The booster seat the oldest was in wasn't even under him after all was said and done, but the youngest was still strapped in safe and sound and only got mad when his dad pulled him out.

I can't even begin to imagine the terror that went through these parent's minds. One as he was experiencing it, and the other driving back from work, not sure what she would find. I do know as a parent it's your worst nightmare. But God sure was watching out for them today and I'm glad he did.

We all have a little joke about me being their family's personal housekeeper because on the weekends I don't have the girls I will go over and do their dishes and clean the kitchen. JR is Mexican, but he likes to call me Rosalita. (I prefer Risario, from Will and Grace.) I didn't hear it at first when I came in with one of the ER nurses, but he said later that when the nurse brought me in he said, "It's ok, she can come in, she's our housekeeper." Yeah, I'm pretty sure he was ok at that point. I got him his muscle relaxers and a Gatorade and called it even...

Hug your family a little closer tonight folks, and thank God they are safe!

Also, notice I posted a link above to ER the TV show, because it's awesome and related to this post, along with Gatorade.

Aside:

On a funnier note:

The girls and I were looking at the circular for the new Bass Pro Shop this morning before the bus came.  On one page they had binoculars and Lainey had asked what they were for.  I told her for bird watching.  Ella goes in her grandpa's back room and comes back out with his binoculars and bird book.  She proceeds to open the book and look at the birds in it with the binoculars.  We had to explain she was suppose to look out the window with the binoculars and then use the book to find out what kind of bird they were. *slapping my face with hand*