Family Vacation Gone Terribly Wrong

My son, Chase, his wife and two children set out on a much anticipated vacation Saturday. About half way to their destination, it began to sprinkle, quickly turning into a hard rain. Talitha, my daughter-in-law, was driving when their Chevy Blazer hydroplaned, sending the vehicle sideways down the left hand side of the freeway, then rolling two and a half times, landing on the driver's side in the median. Chase climbed out of the passenger window and pulled the windshield off with his bare hands to get to his wife, who was bleeding and had a huge cut from her eyebrow to the top of her scalp. Many people stopped to help, including two nurses and one EMT in training, but Chase, in his adrenaline rushing haste, didn't think anyone was getting his kids out of the car fast enough, so he climbed to the bottom of the Blazer, opened the door and unbuckled his four year old, while a Good Samaritan went in for their toddler. 

Two ambulances came, one for Talitha and another for Chase and the kids. They spent six hours in the hospital, getting glass out of wounds and stitching up Talitha and Chase. Amazingly, their little boys were uninjured!

The fact that Chase and his little family came out of this accident alive, without even so much as a broken bone, is indeed a miracle. 

Many of you have asked how you can be of assistance. What Chase and his family REALLY need is another vehicle. Please click on the red link below for an explanation and opportunity to help. NO AMOUNT OF MONEY IS TOO SMALL. We sincerely appreciate ANYTHING that you can do!

Replacement Car Deposit Fund

This Week Only! Buy a Shirt, Help Provide Communication Therapy to a Child with Autism

Imagine being unable to express your thoughts and feelings, or being a parent to a child who is unable to communicate their wants and needs. This is a reality for thousands of families affected by autism.

For many children with autism, therapeutic technology plays a vital role in developing communication skills. This week your support provides families of children with autism the tools, resources, and therapy to unlock a child’s voice, allowing them to communicate with their family for the first time.

This week only, Sevenly will triple their donation for every purchase to Autism Speaks. Click on One Week. One Cause. to learn more.

Source: sevenly.org via Vicki on Pinterest

Just Send Cold Hard Cash

I was having a conversation with my daughter today and mentioned how I wish more people would comment on my blog posts. Cody, who watches waaay too much TV, started mimicking infomercials and said,"To journal blog posts, call 632-2147. That's 632-2147 OR send check or money order to..." yada yada yada.

I'm thinking maybe I should put PayPal's Donation button back up?!

BTW- Go ahead. Call that number all you want. It no longer belongs to us.. ;)

Sock Monkey Quilt

I received a phone call early this afternoon from Nikki at Cody's day program. She's the cute girl who keeps me posted via notes in Cody's backpack (see this post and this post ). When Nikki identified herself, I was a little nervous. I thought maybe Cody was sick or in trouble, but she was calling to tell me about some really cute quilts that had been donated and she wondered if she could send one home with Cody.

In my mind, I was visualizing a lap or crib size quilt that had been tied. I was pleasantly surprised when Cody came home with this...




 I couldn't get a picture of the entire quilt and
I was even standing on a chair. It's that large.



Here is a close up of a few of the squares.



The entire thing is machine quilted.



The backing fabric is textured...an added bonus for Cody because he is blind.

It even came with a pillow case...



This is the sticker that was in the upper left hand corner of the quilt.




Thank you Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for your thoughtful donation. Cody loves his quilt!

Road Trippin' Part Two

After Don, Cody and I left Zion National Park, we drove to a nearby ghost town named Grafton.

As you can see in the photo below, unless a person is aware of Grafton and specifically looking for the turn off, the sign would be easy to miss.

Soon after turning onto the side road, we crossed over this historic single-track iron bridge.

Then we spotted a much older sign, half hidden amid the tall grass.

We had to drive passed multiple security cameras, but finally came upon the completely fenced in ghost town. Just inside the gate, was an information plaque.

There was also a box to donate money for preservation, if so desired.

 In this picture, Don is trying to help Cody drop a dollar in the donation box. You can see that Cody is grumpy because we made him get out of the car.

This is the old school/ church that has been restored.

Cody is forcing a smile and I am nervous thanks to 
a huge lizard lurking around the step.

This photo, taken inside Grafton, is looking east toward Zion National Park.

After we left Grafton, we visited the town's graveyard. I will post more about our experience there in Road Trippin' Part Three.