This Christmas was extra magical this year with a toddler who lights up
and dances when Peanuts plays from the Christmas tree.
Our Christmas tree is behind the gate that keeps her out of the entry room. Multiple times a day Remi heads over to the gate hollering “tree, tree, tree,” until we take her over to the tree!
It is usually the same routine: push the button on Big Bird to hear the Sesame Street theme song, the little talking elf, the Joker, sometimes High School Musical, the singing Pickle, Mikey singing Jingle bells, and extra time at the Peanuts ornament because she kicks her feet and jumps up and down every time. It’s the best!! She knows where every ornament that makes a song or sound is, and we have to make sure we get every single one.
Every Christmas morning my little family gets together for
Æbleskivers and presents.
This year, my little brother Noah and his puppy Nollie slept over in the basement. Dave, Remi and I are currently living here with my parents for a few months while we build a townhouse. Remi could care less opening presents this year, but she sure does love to play with her new books and toys. She is a dream to watch because she gets so happy and excited about everything.
In the afternoon our little family meets up with our extended family (grandma, grandpa and aunts/uncles & cousins) in the afternoon for fresh made omelettes, breakfast meats, and leftovers from Christmas eve. Next we play Grandma Mellen’s “find your present” game. Instead of presents with name tags, Grandma gives us a card with a small piece missing, and you have to find the present with the matching piece. It is one of my favorite little Christmas traditions because it makes opening presents last longer than 5 minutes. Once all 28+ of us has a present to open, we take turns opening to see what everyone got.
Around 6pm I buckled my baby into my mom’s car, and kissed David goodbye before we drove off in opposite directions. They were heading home, and I was off for a short and sweet little night shift. I didn’t pack a lunch, and I was running very early so I decided to stop at 7/11 for a snack for later.
As I was heading down 5300 south, an old Chevy Yukon turned left
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME
and I hit him– hard.
It was like it was happening in slow motion. I was practically standing on my brake, but I couldn’t stop. It went dark for a second and I caught my breathe. “I’m alive” I realized, and I turned around to make sure Remi really wasn’t in the car. “I think I’m ok,” I thought as I hopped out of the car to make sure the passengers in the Yukon were not hurt.
It took me a second to process that this car was not stopping. It proceeded to head west, into oncoming traffic and then over the median, and down 5300 south.
WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!
Luckily a few kind people stopped and reassured me that it was going to be ok. A sweet deaf couple followed the Yukon to get the plate information, and watched the driver ditch the car down a dark street, and take off on foot.
In my state of shock, I called work first to tell them that I might be late. Then I called 911! They were pretty quick to pull up and assist. I gave them my information and they told me that since my airbag went off, that I should receive medical attention. I told them I felt fine, and they asked if someone was able to pick me up because my car was totaled. They told me I probably shouldn’t go to work, because I was just in a pretty serious accident.
I called David. No answer. I called my mom, no answer. I figured they were probably heading up our mountain and didn’t have service, so I texted a picture to David– then I tried my dad. He had me on speaker in the car, and then I realized just how serious the situation was. I COULD HAVE DIED! I could have been seriously or permanently injured! That is when the tears came pouring.
In that moment I felt so overwhelmingly blessed. Blessed that I was able to walk out of my car, relatively ok! That I was able to call in sick to work, and go home and hold my baby. I STILL GET TO HOLD MY BABY. I am so glad my family was not in the car. Maybe I am being a little dramatic, but I am so, SO honored to be alive. I have SO much to live for, and so much I want to do with this short time we get on Earth.
Sure it couldn’t have happened on a worse day, or at a worse time (we are closing on our house within the next couple months so we will need to wait to get a new auto loan.) Sure it was my new car (new to me at least–I just had it a year and a month,) but it probably saved my life!
I sure felt beaten and sore, but I cannot stop thinking about how much worse it could have been.
HUG YOUR LOVED ONES TIGHT. Life is SO precious.
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