This Could Be A Long One..................

Even though I'm tired and worn out from a long day, my mind is racing with a million thoughts so I thought I'd try to blog a little bit and see if it settles down.

One year ago tonight (right about this time actually), we got the phone call that my little brother, Matt, had been in a horrible wreck. The first phone call said he was being cut out of the car, they were waiting on the helicopter to land and then flying him up here. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember details that I thought I'd forget and it makes my stomach turn just thinking about that night and the days that followed.

Literally, through the grace of God, Matt is alive today. The Dr's have all said there is no medical explanation for him to be alive. He's alive because he had lots of angels around him on that night and he had God on his side (thank goodness!). I truly believe God has great plans for Matt because otherwise he wouldn't have survived that accident.

Matt and I have always been close. I always tell people that I feel very protected by my oldest brother, Mike, but feel very protective of Matt. Matt and Tanner have always had a special relationship as well. He was still living at home and in high school when she was born and we lived with Mom and Dad. I think that's where the special bond they have today, started. Anyway, Tanner remembers the night we got that phone call as well, which kind of caught me off guard. She can tell you details that I hadn't remembered. For instance.....today we ran into the Gap Outlet for a minute and as soon as she stepped in the door, she said "Mom. We were in here a year ago tomorrow, remember? It was cool weather and we came and got matching yoga pants and sweatshirts because we were cold going back and forth between Uncle Matt's hospital and Great Grandpa's hospital." She was right. I had forgotten that.

Matt has come so far in a years time. I'm so proud of him and so impressed with how hard he's worked to get where he's at today. It hasn't always been easy for him. There have been many emotional times and several times where I know he wanted to quit. But he didn't. He's got some permanent injuries and right now is working through some of the psychological effects of the accident, but overall he is doing great. Looking at him, you'd never know he was even in an a car accident. (Talk to him on a bad day though....and love his heart, it very well could be obvious thanks to the head injury he suffered.)

Tonight, we treated Mom and Dad to a Kansas City T-Bones baseball game in honor of Dad's birthday, which is tomorrow. Mom, Dad, Mike, Jenny and the girls, along with Matt and Tammy, Steve, Tanner and I all went. We had great seats in the fourth and fifth row right behind home plate. Sitting there watching the game; watching Dad, Mike, Matt and Steve laugh and joke together; hearing Emma and Tanner cheering and giggling; All of us sitting in the dark together oohing and awing over the fireworks display after the game; And even Livie being the stinker that she is; I couldn't help but think back on the last year and just thank God that we were all there happy, healthy and most of all...together.

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Something else that I feel incredibly blessed about tonight is our freedom and the country we live in. Our best friends, Jeff and Diana Tate, live outside Conway, Arkansas. Jeff is a Physician's Assistant for the Army National Guard. He and Diana have three kids, ages 14, 9 and 5. Back in March, Jeff left to train with a unit in North Carolina that was being deployed to Afghanistan. He's been in Afghanistan for almost a month now.

Tonight when they sang the National Anthem, I got all teary and choked up. I couldn't help but think about the sacrifice Jeff and the rest of his unit, along with all the other Military people who are fighting the war, have made on our behalf. It's because of people like Jeff that we were able to sit and enjoy something like baseball in our free country. I've always had a high amount of respect for anyone in the Military and especially those who are serving overseas, but now that Jeff is there-someone we not only know but are very close to-it kind of puts things on a more personal level.

Thanks Jeff for sacrificing so much on behalf of not just my family, but the entire country.

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And the final thing-I have to brag on my girl. Tanner and I were going through her closet the other night when we were packing to come up here. I made the comment that she really doesn't need very many school clothes, if any, because she's got so much in her closet now. She agreed with me, believe it or not. I told her instead of buying several outfits this year like we've done in years past, we were only going to buy one. She agreed 100%.

Fast forward to today. We went out to do a little shopping this morning with Mom, Jenny and the girls. The first stop we made was at JC Penney. While I was looking at something in the kids clothes, Tanner and Emma went to work scouting out bargains on clothes they liked. We had ourselves a little fashion show in the dressing room and walked out with a very cute pair of shorts and an super cute shirt that Emmy and Tanner picked out. We had our outfit for the first day of school. And the best part? It cost me $17.00! I love my bargain shopping girls!

When we checked out, Tanner made the comment "I've got my first day of school outfit, I'm done shopping." We had several more stops to make and do you know, not one time did Tanner ask for anything else. Not once. I was so proud of her and appreciated so much the fact that she knew our limits and stuck to them. I was so proud that she didn't even really look at any other clothes, and if she did, she never asked if she could get something.

We did go to the Nike outlet to look at tennis shoes because the ones she has now are falling apart. We found a super cute pink pair of Shox for $30. When she tried them on and they fit and I said we were going to get them, she said "But Mom I've already got my one outfit for school."

I thought her attitude about the whole thing was very grown up and mature and made me very proud of the young lady she's becoming. She may be a little immature compared to some of the other kids her age, but I'd be willing to bet that her attitude and her heart are far more mature then most 13 year olds.

Tonight when she went to bed I made sure she knew just how proud of her I was and how much I appreciated that she didn't ask, beg or plead for anything other than her one $17 outfit.

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I told you I was going to be long winded tonight. I guess I've just felt so blessed all day long that I couldn't help but share.

Some days are just that way. Today was one of them.

(If your still with me, thanks for reading my small novel of a post!)