Hopefully the closest to disaster we ever have to come

Summer has finally hit us in full force, and I have fallen behind in documenting our every move. We have been on vacation (pictures coming) and a 17 hour drive significantly reduces my ability and motivation to blog, as do long lazy days on the beach.

But one of the biggest reasons I have fallen behind is because I was trying to decide how to do a post on one of a parent's worst fears come true.

Cambel was hit by a car over Father's Day weekend.

Thankfully, he is fine, but it was a truly traumatic experience for us all.

Part of my hesitancy to document it is that it is difficult to relive. And, since our ending was happy, I don't want to over-dramatize our experience when I know that other families have faced terrible events as well, but with much worse consequences.

But this is an event that will forever mark our minds and memories, so how could it not make the blog?

We were visiting my parents, who live on a very busy one way 2-lane street, to celebrate Father's Day. As we all ate and talked in the fenced in backyard, the kids played in the yard and in the house. One moment Cambel was in my lap, I was talking to him and touching his hair, and then in what seems like a matter of seconds in my mind now, we heard screeching tires and the terrified scream of Cambel's cousin. She yelled his name and that combined with the sound of a car desperately trying to stop, it was not hard for my imagination to fill in the details. Somehow we were all running, screaming, crying, praying, panicking. Kevin had Cambel and then I did. He was panicked and crying--so hard that he passed out.

I have never felt so desperate, helpless, and fearful all at once.

Soon the paramedics were there and we were at the hospital. After cat scans and x-rays and an overnight stay, we drove home as a family--with abrasions and sore muscles as the only physical reminders of what could have been.

I don't want to use the term miracle lightly, but there is no denying that for some reason Cambel was spared. I have sat on my parent's porch and watched semi's barrel down the road in both lanes. Traffic along their road comes in waves of what are probably many distracted drivers. Yet the driver that hit Cambel was in a car and was alert enough to see him coming and to react quickly. We cannot overstate our gratitude to God. It is humbling to realize what could have been and yet have the opportunity to go forward with life unscathed.

In light of the accident, it is our prayer (even more than before) that we live in a way that is worthy of the abundant life that God has blessed us with, while also completely entrusting ourselves and our children to His care and whatever He sees fit to allow into our lives.

As I lay next to Cambel in the hospital I could not help but touch his hair again and breath in his smell, so thankful for his life, and even still when I hold his hand or hear him laugh, I breath a prayer of thanks that all is well.

(As for Cambel, although he is very fearful now to cross the street, the ambulance ride and hospital stay, complete with a spiderman pillow, green gatorade and a movie in the middle of the night, turned out to be quite an adventure for a four year old and he declared it a great time. Oh to be four!)

Father's Day took on new significance for Kevin, and we were both so happy to have our little boy with chocolate all over his shirt.