Dear Distracted Driver

Dear distracted driver: The text can wait. The phone call, the make-up, the radio. Whatever it is, I promise--IT CAN WAIT. 

When you are steering a two ton pick-up truck down the highway, there is nothing more important than your safety...and mine. Looking away for five seconds isn't an option. Fortunately, no one was killed...this time.

While you were distracted. your truck veered into my lane, headed right toward us. My heart raced as I laid on my horn. When you didn't change course, I was filled with terror. My four children were, too. We had absolutely nowhere to go. I prayed to God and tried to estimate where you would go next. I did my best to get out of your way...to avoid a head on collision (and, in my mind, certain death). You finally looked up, just as your truck plowed into the side of our car...the very place my 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter were sitting in their car seats. 

The impact was horrendous--the loudest, scariest sound I've ever heard. As our car spun out of control, I smelled smoke and heard the screams of my children. I felt completely helpless. When our minivan came to a stop, I turned around to check on my babies. I could see the fear in their eyes. Afraid of an explosion, I got them out of the car as quickly as I could. As I unbuckled 3-year-old William and pulled him from his car seat, I noticed blood covering the right side of his face. As I examined each of the children, I thanked God for His protection. Although we were broken, we were alive.

We made it out, but our mangled car was still in the road, with the horn blaring and engine smoking. Terrified that someone would hit the protruding vehicle--or us--we ran down the hill on the side of the road. As the five of us huddled in a ditch, I remember trying to calm my children, saying, "We're okay. We're all okay," over and over and over. We prayed for help and thanked God for sparing our lives. As we waited for help, we also prayed for you. We prayed that God would protect you and keep you safe, and use this tragedy for His glory. 

Help eventually arrived, and we were suddenly surrounded by sirens. Police and paramedics seemed to be everywhere, and traffic was backed up for miles. My husband was there, my children were safe...and I fell to the ground and cried like a baby. I was shaken and hurting, but thankful beyond words. As we picked the glass out of my son's bleeding wounds, I thought of you again. I wondered how you didn't get hurt and how you ended up a quarter mile down the road. I wondered what you were doing and if you had insurance. How you came to be so distracted, I may never know. What I do know is that--whatever it was--it could have waited. 

This time, you were fortunate. WE were fortunate. By the grace of God, we all walked away. If I saw you today, I would hug your neck and say: I forgive you. I forgive you for the terrifying accident. I forgive you for totaling our family car. I forgive you for my 3-year-old's cut-up face, my 5-year old's anxiety, my 7-year-old's nightmares and my 11-year-old's tearfulness. I forgive you for these excruciating headaches, the incessant ache in my neck and the shoulder pain that keeps me awake at night. I forgive you for the medical bills and the loss of wages yet to come. And I forgive you for the thing that caused it all--driving while distracted.

I'm sure you didn't mean for this to happen, and I'm sure you didn't think it would happen to you. I get it. I really do.

Most of us have been distracted at one time or another. We look down at the map, reach in the glove compartment, text a friend or put on lipstick. We only look away for a second. But a second is all it takes. It's amazing how such a little thing can have such devastating effects. Please, all drivers, look at the faces of these precious children (or your own), and say: never again. The next time might be your last.

Everyday Glory

God's glory is all around us. It is in the rising sun, the laughter of a child, and the tender bud pushing up through the soil. It is in the comfort of a friend and the kindness of a stranger.
His wonder is everywhere, if only we look for it.

Here are images of God's majestic creation, just outside our door...

Southern Living

The south is home to a crazy culinary event that centers around creepy, crawly crustaceans. It's called a crawfish boil, and people flock from miles around to peel and eat (and suck the heads) of these things. Saturday was our first mudbug boil as Mississippians, and it was Leila's first time seeing a crawfish. Here she is checking out the bucket of live crawfish being "purged" in salt water. Nasty! Liliana missed the critters, but had a special outing with Grammy and Grandfather. Since it included playgrounds, animals, ice cream and a Happy Meal, we're pretty sure she liked the arrangement!

I'm not a fan of seafood. I've tried every squirmy sea critter that's been put in front of me, and I haven't enjoyed a single bite. It's too bad, because we now have access to fresh seafood all of the time. So, that's my husband's department. Since I wasn't going to eat any crawfish, I decided I had to hold one. This bad boy was still alive!


After the outdoor festivities, we took it inside for a little Rock Band action. I'm a mama, so I've never gotten into any video games...but I could definitely get into this. I LOVE to sing, and I'm always too nervous to sing in front of an audience. But I did it anyway...and it was so much fun! Here are some of my fellow rockers and friends!

Home to Stay

Please forgive my sporadic posting since our move to Hattiesburg. I'm still adjusting to this new life, and my blog has suffered serious neglect. Although living in the south has come with some huge changes, I love it. Not only that, but I belong here! It seems crazy to say that, especially since I was digging my heels into the St. Louis dirt just a few months ago...but it's the honest truth. I feel it. I know it. I truly belong here.

It's amazing how God has blessed us during the past four months. He has put terrific people in our path, and we now have wonderful friends and a loving church family. We fit right in, and it's such a fabulous feeling. A huge thank you to everyone who has helped us to feel so welcome!

Here are some of our closest friends at Mardi Gras last weekend. The Greers (on the left) also teamed up with us for the FPC chili cook-off in January...and we took home the big prize! The Kanes (on the right) are our mirror-image friends who live across the street. Chami and I are training for a half-marathon in April. We have so much fun together!

Above is a group of girls from the church. Most of these gals are in our Sunday School class and the Tuesday night Bible Study. I had an opportunity to share my testimony at the last study, and I was so blessed by the experience. I look forward to hearing everyone else's stories in the months to come. This was the first girls' night out, and I'm hoping it becomes a regular thing! I love my girlfriend time!

All in all, things are good. On the health front: I'm recovering from my third bout of the stomach flu, and my girls both have bronchitis. It seems like everyone I know is battling some type illnesses. Wade is the only healthy one. He just returned from an 8-day trip to Arizona and California, and we celebrated his birthday on Thursday. Happy Birthday, Wade!

Lots of love from Mississippi!

Blessings,
Ramona

Blessed Beyond Belief

It seems that the weeks are flying right by. I've had a few bouts of homesickness, but overall, I'm loving our new home and community. We've been soaking up the sunshine and warm temps, renovating this quirky house and getting to know our new friends. While Hattiesburg is definitely trailing St. Louis in the things-to-do-with-kids category, it is not lacking in kind, caring people...and that's really important to us.

We're also thrilled about our large property. The girls play outside most of the day (left: Leila sitting in the grass on a sunny afternoon), and we are all fascinated by the wildlife. We have so many beautiful birds, lizards, chameleons, frogs and insects to keep us company in the yard. At the same time, we have met our nemesis: fire ants.

No matter what the weather is like, the girls love to keep each other company. I couldn't be happier about the way their relationship continues to grow and blossom. They absolutely adore one another. I love seeing the way Leila's face brightens when Liliana enters the room and observing Liliana's sweet words and actions. As Leila's birthmother aptly put it, "They're two peas in a pod!" (Left: sisters cuddling on the sofa, like they do almost every morning.)


Liliana is already psyched for this year's Mardi Gras festivities, which are set for the mid to end of February. I'm particularly stoked about the unlimited supply of King cakes during the next six weeks (a perk of living close to New Orleans)! Like last year, we'll be celebrating in New Orleans with friends. Our hotel is located in a family-friendly area right on the parade route. And, contrary to popular belief, the daytime events really are for families (i.e., we shout to receive beads).

This week was very momentous for both of our girls. Liliana began riding her bike without training wheels. Aside from forgetting she could steer (and trying to eat the azaleas a couple times), she was a natural.

We are thankful to have a long driveway for perfecting new skills. Each day, I grab a piece of chalk, walk to the 3/4 point of the driveway, draw a line across it's width and write, "STOP." And Liliana swipes the chalk and adds an extra line to the "P," making it an "R." She thinks it's so funny, and I think it's cool that she can write all of her letters!

Precious Leila is already six months old, and she learned to sit without support this week. On Monday, she was very unstable, toppling over every minute or so. But by Wednesday, she was able to sit for almost 30 minutes! She's a rock star!

Although getting here has been quite the journey, we are so blessed to be a family of four. We absolutely adore our precious daughters, and we thank the Lord for them every single day!