The 4 wheeler and the kids

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Philippians 4:6

This past weekend was a time that we all used this verse.

We got to my sister and brother in laws house Wednesday night. A loooooooong trip because we had 2 men, 3 women, and 7 children with one of those being a 3 month nursing child.

Thanksgiving day started off as any other day. The turkey and ham were in the oven, the kids were running up the stairs so that they could slide down head first. Or running down the stairs trying to race each other.

We women started to cook some of the food, but we didn't have much to do because my organized sister in law had whipped everything together the day before and all we needed to do was just stick the casseroles in the oven. No one had any idea how convenient that would later be.

The kids got bundled up to go play outside in the cold and damp 31 degree weather. But they didn't care how cold it was, they were going to ride 4 wheelers.

They had been out for about an hour when I decided to go take pictures.

Each of the three men out there had two kids each. One in front and one in back. I didn't have a good feeling about this. I had already told my man to go slow.

About 2 minutes after they all had gone into the woods on the 4 wheelers, I hear a man's voice loudly yelling.

I turn to look and it is one of my brother in laws-Dan. My first thought was that they were playing a joke on me. The only one I saw was Dan. No other sounds or voices.

I looked up to the house to see if anyone is up there then look back at Dan. He's coming out of the woods yelling "my arm, my arm came off and I had to put it together, I need to get to the hospital"

I of course don't have my glasses and can't see too far. I start picturing him without his arm and his arm on the ground somewhere. I yell up to the house for Mindy to call 911.

Dan is holding his left arm close to his body with his right arm. Yelling "I need to get to the hospital, my arm, my arm is broken off and I need to get there"

By this time, I could tell he was in shock. His face was awfully white and he was talking continually. Some of it not making sense.

I walk him around the front of the house to wait for the ambulance. He continues to walk down the road. I call out to him and he says that he sees the hospital and he's got to get there. I walk over to him and bring him back home.

Mindy is worried about the food, the kids are all freaked out and terrified that their uncles arm is going to have to be cut off or something, the men are still out back with the 4 wheelers trying to get kids off and everything back where it belongs.

Dan is still yelling painfully and still trying to walk to the hospital. I tell Mindy that she probably just needs to take him herself. So we load Dan in the car and off they go.

The ambulance did show up about 5 minutes after they had left.

Dan had a boy in the front of the 4 wheeler and a girl in the back. While they were riding, the boy wanted to go faster and put his hand on the throttle making it go fast on a hill. This caused the 4 wheeler to lose control and fall on top of them.

Somehow Dan caught this monster toy and the kids were OK. But his arm got caught and snapped.

The Dr's told him that his arm was broke in two between the shoulder and the elbow and that it was just laying there. He stayed there to wait for the surgeon. Mindy came home to eat the meal that she had prepared but we had somehow managed to cook.

We ate, loaded up the kids and went to go see Dan. The kids needed to see that he was OK. That he wasn't going to die or lose an arm.

He had surgery Friday. They put a plate in his arm and had to pack it down with some bone from the bone bank. I didn't even know such a bank existed.

It was a Thanksgiving that I'm sure no one will forget. It was a wonderful day despite the accident. We sure had a lot to be thankful for.