I Hit a Deer. Again.

      So, life feels a teeny bit crazy right now, mainly because I keep going places every weekend.  Which has involved a lot of driving with little friends - who, thankfully, have done really well.  As I was headed to Kansas this past Friday, I had the very unfortunate experience of hitting a deer.  It was 11:30 a.m., which means that deer should have been fast asleep somewhere else, far from me.  Sadly, I think that deer had a death wish and jumped right in front of me, and I hit it with my left headlight.  I am quite squeamish, and I was so shocked, that by the time I pulled over, I was too far away to really know the fate of the deer.  However, since I was going 80, his little deer chances are not very good.  Stupid deer.  Here is the car.  John was on the phone with the insurance agent when I texted him this picture.



He said, "Go ahead and run the claim."  When I got to Siloam Springs to pick up Ellen to ride with me the rest of the way to Wichita, her husband, Luke, helped me get the broken pieces out, so that it looks like this now.



Yes, that is my battery you can see now that the headlight is completely gone.  I am so thankful that the Lord kept us safe and kept me calm.  The last time I hit a deer was about 8 years ago when I was driving with my mom.  I screamed and cried a lot that time, but this time, since I was the mom, I kept it all together - Lily never even knew something bad had happened.  Though, every time she walks past the car, she says, "Broken car."  It really is just such a hassle, but we have good insurance, and cars can be repaired, so all in all, I am thankful that we are all right.

      I was headed to Kansas to celebrate my mother's upcoming nuptials with her bridal shower and bachelorette party.  We had a great time at both, and I am so thankful for the Lord's provision in her life of a new companion - what a blessing.  Being with all the girls is always a lot of fun.



(sis Ellen, Bella, me, Mom, sis Laura, sis-in-law Ashley, and Lily)

And, there is nothing quite like seeing your mom decked out and drinking from a giant bride pimp goblet.




Then, we went wedding dress shopping for my youngest sister, Laura, who got engaged last week - congrats LJ and Ryan!  She found her dress, which is not pictured here, and we had a great time giving opinions and seeing how radiant she will be.


(not THE dress, but a pretty one none-the-less)


The little girlies did great with many hands to hold them and each other to entertain.




My brother changed his first diapers this weekend while he kept the girls during one of the parties - it was so wonderful to see him love on my children, and to see Bella eating his arm.



She seems to like the bottles just as much as her older sister did.



Lily had a great time playing with my Mom's dog, the only negative consequence of this being that she is now telling our cats to "STOP" doing things.  She has also tried to tell me to "STOP," which I quickly put an end to.



      All in all, it was a great, productive visit, and we are looking forward to seeing marriages blossom from these weddings.  And now, it is good to be home.