Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Friends....Golden New Ones





Somedays just bring you joy...new joy....new friends....these are some of those blessings. My Gary connected with Ridgerunners' and purchased a plane. The company is awesome and the folks that run it are too. On our daughters' birthday December 14th, they delivered his "baby"....arrival at 4:30 pm...frame intact...ready for his hours of placing "fabric"...we totally connected and just knew we were friends that had alot in common right from the start! They had to get on the road to deliver another frame in NC and then head to the Biltmore .... they never made it to their destination. After the delivery of the 2nd frame it was getting late and he promised her that he would stop and they would sleep, "just a little bit later"...she snuggled down to sleep in the truck, seat belt in place. He drove on and was about to stop off at a motel on Rt 40, but he didn't make it. He drove off the road and the rest is history. God directed him after the accident to get "help" for his wife as soon as he could. He got himself up to the Interstate, but no one would stop to help him, even when he went across the road and back, waving his arm. He crawled back down the ravine to check on her and looked inside what was left of the truck, where she was trapped and spotted his cell phone. He dialed 911. God intervened and connected his cell phone to the area 911; it was programed for Boise, Idaho, their home, so, that was the first of many kind acts by God in their lives.
God blessed and brought them help and she was taken to Carolina Medical in Charlotte, NC; the "best" trauma hospital in the country. She has had a difficult time since that time. She had all but 2 of her ribs broken, a punctured lung, bleeding liver, bleeding brain, and as it turned out a broken back and broken left foot. She was on a ventilator for over a week, trached and then weaned. She is now on regular food; and doing PT. She is in a turtle shell brace since her back surgery last week and her left foot found broken when they tried to stand her up recently is in a soft shoe cast. She walked around some plastic bowling pins yesterday 2 times and picked them up off the floor also. She does suffer from dizziness yet and is slow on her feet, but she can walk and eat and communicate with her family. She smiled yesterday when we brought her a signature quilt to collect all her new friends and support staff autographs there and old friends and family when she returns home.
They are working on flying her home when she can sit up over 4 hours without increased pain. Her husband broke all his ribs on the right side and his story of how he crawled up a 50 foot ravine to get her help and returned to her to keep her responsive until the rescue got there, is truly another miracle. The flight nurse on board , just happened to be a Top 10 flight nurse, and knew exactly what she needed.
God blessed her with a devoted husband, a wonderful family and now an amazing journey of continued healing.
We went to see them yesterday and after her PT workout she wanted to get some fresh air before getting back in bed. She is amazing!!
Gary and I just began our journey with them and count it a sheer blessing to have them in our lives now and in eternity. God is so very good. Rejoice in your blessings daily! We were so glad to go see them yesterday before we head to our "new" to us home in Bloomington, Indiana. Quilted Blessings, Love, Karen

Monday, January 16, 2012

Friends....Golden Ones


Somedays just start right! Today I found a very special picture I want to share....my best friend and her family. She is blessed with 14 grandkids and I see some married grandkids already. We had so much fun growing up together. Her Aunt was my Moms' best friend growing up too, so we had so much in common due to that connection. As we grew up and got married (both to our High School sweethearrts), our families grew and seeing each other grew less. But, in our 20's we both found the Lord and then refound each other. In the early 90's she was in a terrible accident driving through the country in Illinois to a baby shower at their church. She was life flighted to Chicago and was in a coma for several weeks. She home schooled her 4 kids, was an excellent seamstress and always knew how to have fun. After she was able to come home, through many injuries and problems, she has continued to strive to be strong and gain strength in her life and living. She is amazing. She told me on the phone a couple years ago that God let her live so she could see all "these grandkids, Karen!".... God bless our brave friend in her journey! God Bless Rex, what a soul=mate who truly has been a faithful husband, Dad and Gramps. They just look so good together!!
Pray for us as we pack and move our things to Indiana, amazing how God provides, we have a house already to rent and jobs....be so good to be back nearer to family too.
Quilted Blessings! Karen

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Travels of........Us






We have so enjoyed the time we have spent in Virginia. The mountains are breathtaking and always changing. We enjoyed the fall colors and then the rain even taking the leaves off the trees was fantastic. We found a great restaurant in Bedford, Virginia called Lynchburg Station; awesome food served in the old train station there. Night drives on the Blue Ridge when dear would appear at the side of the road on a steep curve...quietly standing there with the fall leaves falling down. I did not have my camera but that memory will always be implanted in our hearts of the Blue Ridge. God is calling us back to Indiana to live near our son and his family as he faces a giant in his life, kidney disease. God is in control of his journey as He is ours. God Bless you as you serve our living God daily. It is all that matters, really in this life....the way we handle His Love and His people that He has so meticulously put into our lives and journey.