Car Accident in June 2008

Since my first entry on my blog I have had questions about my car accident the girls and I were in. Last June, the above log trucked backed into us. We were both at a stop sign waiting to turn onto Main Street. A semi truck was turning from Main Street onto the road we were stopped on. The log truck backed up to give the semi truck room to turn. The log truck had no idea I was behind him. I tried to get the car into reverse, but I couldn't. I turned back to the girls (Madi crying loudly), and told them that it would be okay (I remember looking back sometime, but Emma told me it was during the accident). I leaned on the horn and prayed that the truck would stop. As the beam on the truck was impacting our window the semi truck saw us and waved to the log truck driver to stop. He fortunately stopped as the beam was seconds away from crushing me. The truck driver was very kind and felt awful. I could see it in his eyes as he came behind the truck and saw the truck on the car with a mom and two beautiful girls in the car. Madi was dressed in her tutu, hair pulled back in a bun, ready to go to her last day of dance for dress rehearsal.

The girls were seen for minor strains in their back and hips for about two months. I am still dealing with pain in my left shoulder and hip. I have one month left for treatment. This week I have felt my best since we have been in Utah.

The girls and I were in a minor accident the week we were leaving for Virginia in September. A Ford 150 backed into the passenger side, while I was driving behind him in a parking lot. We were fine; a huge blessing that no extra injuries were added. Again, was not my fault. Right after that accident, the girls both agreed that wasn't as scary.

Our car after the log truck backed into us:

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Madi has been enjoying learning about butterflies in Kindergarten.  Everyday this week she has been bringing things home to show me.  Today, while holding a book she made, she said "Mom, today we learned about the life sickle (like Popsicle) of a butterfly."  I said, " what did you say?"  She replied, " The life cycle, Mom."  It was so cute.

Not getting the house

Well, we had our final meeting with the last inspection.  There was a concern about a structural beam.  We decided that with what we would have to do to fix it, we are not going to get this house.  We were going to close this Friday.  We know that the Lord will walk us through this time and we will find the house He wants us in.  

Good news is that we signed all the papers for our Oregon house and it should be closing tomorrow on my Mom's, niece's, and God Child's birthday.  Thank you for your continued prayers. 

State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City, Utah

This morning we meet Keith, Kay, and Karen Euhus from Oregon at the State Capitol Building. They were traveling through Salt Lake on vacation. We had a wonderful time. Chris took this picture of us standing on the steps.

Inside the building, Morris, a worker, took our picture.

The Thompson's with the House Chambers in the background.

Chris captured this adorable picture of Madi looking at one of many statues. Okay, we had her repose, because we were too slow taking her picture.

State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City, Utah (2)

There were no tours since it was the weekend. So we just walked around the main halls. On our way out to the front of the building, Keith stopped to talk to a worker, Morris. He offered to take us into the House Chambers, but before that he took us into the governor's ceremonial office, beyond the gates. It was absolutely beautiful! It even had silk walls. 

He then took us into the House Chambers on the main floor. We got to walk on the main floor, not the gallery where people usually observe. The girls and I read the name plates of some of the desks and walked up the isle.

Another picture in the House Chambers. The painting is of the first women voting in Utah.

This Gold room, where the dignitaries meet, was our last stop of our personal tour.  We were told this room was furnished for 6 million dollars. It was amazing as well. There was actually 24 carat gold plated decorations.

State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City, Utah (3)

Emma and Madi in front of a replica of the Libery Bell.

Pictures don't do this amazing building justice.

Utah is the Behive State, standing for working together.

The Euhu's took us out to lunch at Wendy's. Girls got to pick.  Thank you!  We had a wonderful time. 

The girl's friends

Last night we had the Pitt's family over (a family from the church). They are becoming good friends of ours. They have welcomed us with open arms and have been helping us settling in. I even ran over and borrowed a pan I needed to bake something (they are about 5 minutes away from the town house). They have 4 children. Their oldest is in the youth group at Sonrise. Our girls have attached themselves to Lydia (9 yrs.) and Moriah (8yrs.).

Red Butte in Salt Lake City, Utah

Chris took me to Red Butte for our first Utah date. We have 3 hours on Mondays by ourselves while the girls are at school. This first picture is of Chris with the Oquirrh Mountains (West Mountain Range) in the background.

I am posing in a "flower pot" at the chidrens garden.

Chris posing in front of one of many gardens.

The blossoms are starting to come out in full force and are beautiful.

Red Butte in Salt Lake City, Utah (2)

We took these two pictures of the daffodils for Mom (0ne of her favorite flowers). They claim to have 150,000 daffodils at Red Butte.

Easter Service at Sonrise Baptist Church

Chris preaching Easter Morning Sunrise Service at Sonrise Baptist Church. You can see the East Mountains (Washatch Mountains)behind him.

Pastor Troy (Senior Pastor at Sonrise Baptist Church) and his son Garrett after Easter Service. The girls love Garrett. He is a ball of energy the girls love to follow around.  Garrett  is eating a tootsie roll Emma gave him.

Madi hanging with Linda Taft (Nanna) in the sactuary after Easter Service. Glen (Papa, in the background) and Linda opened their home to us when we came to candidate and also when we were waiting to move into our rental. The girls really attached themselves to them. They are their Utah grandparents, which has been helpful to their transition, since they miss Grandpa, Grandma, Grampy, and Grammy in Oregon. What a wonderful couple they are.

This is a picture taken of the Easter service at Sonrise.

Easter Hunts

Our church put on an Easter Egg Hunt the Saturday before Easter. We had over 1,700 eggs and around 75+ children. The picture shows the section of 6-8 yr. olds. You can see Emma and Madi to theleft of the tree. The eggs had verses in them. The children could memorize the verses and get prizes. We also had eggs that had a salvation message in them we handed out to children that didn't go to the church and also handed out reserection eggs to families that did not go to the church. The reserection eggs were a dozen eggs that tell the story of Christ. the youth group put 40 of them together along with handing out flyers in the neighborhood.

       Emma and Madi going through their Easter Baskets.


                                              

We got to have Easter Dinner with a family at the chruch, the Yearsly's. Joyce, the Mom, is Emma's Sunday School teacher and the Bible Study leader of My Wednesday Morning Bible Study. Besides having a wonderful dinner and fellowship time, she made the girls baskets and they got to go on a Easter Egg Hunt.

        Madi with an armful of eggs at the Yearsly's home.

Our trip to Utah

We stopped at Multnomah Falls on our way to Utah. This was the girls first time seeing Mulnomah Falls; they thought it was amazing. It was cold, but we didn't know that our first full day in Utah would be even colder. Madi didn't care about how cold it was. She wanted to play in the snow. Nobody wanted to go outside with her, so she threw some snow balls and made a snow angel.

Our Home

The girls go to Oakcrest Elementary with about 1,100 other students. They enjoy their teachers and classmates, although still adjusting to the newness of it all. We live right behind the school and we walk to school, yes even in the snow. It has been sunny all this week, feeling like spring.

This is our town house we are renting. There are three homes per building. Our house is the top front of the building above the garages (one house has a two car garage). The door you see behind Chris and the girls is our door. The windows above it is our dining room window. The balcony above them is off the living room. The middle window is the girls bedroom and the last balcony, you can barely see, is the master bedroom balcony.

Chris and the girls standing in front of our door.

Our Home (2)

The Wasatch Mountians are to the East of our town house. This is our view from the living room balcony. At night it is just as beautiful with the city lights. The building behind the the cars and white fence is the girls school.  

Welcome to my site

I finally got my site up.  Hopefully pictures are comming soon; the camera is at church in Chris' office.  It has been 7 weeks since we moved to Utah.  Our house in Oregon is currently pending and will be closing by the 30th of April.  If you are in Oregon you can drive by and see our new roof and beautiful tulips.  We are currently in contract with a house in West Jordan, Utah.  This week we are having it appraised and inspected.  We are in the process of looking at flooring and paint for the house.  

Chris is doing an awesome job at pastoring Sonrise Baptist Church.  He is busy, busy, busy!  He preached and lead communion at our Sunrise Service at 7AM on Easter Sunday.  Although it was cold, there was no snow on the ground that morning and there was about 75 people worshiping the Lord as the sun was rising; it was peaceful.  Chris also sang I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin in the Sunday Service.  If you haven't heard that song, listen, it is a powerful song.  I get tears in my eyes every time I hear it.  

The girls are going into their 4th week of school.  They are in a year round school and they were off for 3 weeks when we first got here.  Emma is having serious anxiety about school, particularly recess.  She is doing better although she still cried this morning.  She is not too sure about Utah, although she made a friend at church the first week.  

Madi is enjoying Utah.... although when we were on our trip here we stopped for lunch and when we were waiting to order, she told me that the trip was too long and she wanted to go back to Oregon.  We weren't out of Oregon yet.  We were at the Dalles.  It was cute.

In the third week of school she started having anxiety ( I think she is learning it from Big Sis), but likes her class and making new friends quickly.

I am so excited to get into our house.  If all goes through with the house we want, we will have been living out of boxes for 9 months; I am so ready to have everything out, especially my kitchen.  My headache is doing about the same at this point.  My car accident injuries aren't healing as we want.  

We found a Mimi's Cafe on Saturday.  I am so excited.  And for those fans of In N Out Burger, I have heard rumors that one is coming here.  I hope it is true. 

More is coming....