Because 2020 Keeps Getting Better and Better

 I promise I had a light-hearted, update kind of a post for today, but that plan went out the window around 2:50 this afternoon when I took Grace with me to go and pick up a grocery order and we got in a wreck.

Grace -- who only has a permit and has been wanting to practice her driving -- was at fault in this scenario, and is understandably shaken up.  She was attempting to turn left into a parking lot (cutting across two lanes of traffic going the other way) when we got T-boned.  The cars going in the opposite direction had a red light and were starting to back up almost to where we were waiting in the turning lane and the car in the closer lane to us had stopped to let us through.  Before I could tell her to make sure and check to see if the other lane was clear as well, she started her turn and BAM. We got hit.  {Understatement alert.}  So really, I'm feeling even more at fault for not being a better instructor.  :( 

 Not gonna lie -- as I saw the car coming straight for me and I knew we were going to get hit, time slowed down and I really thought "I guess this is it for me."   It is an absolute miracle that we are both fine.  We're not completely unscathed -- I have a slight abrasion on my right arm and a bruise forming, and Grace has a much bigger abrasion and bruise on her left shin -- but it could have been so much worse it's scary.  Especially since we ended up front end first in a ditch, all the air bags went off, and the steering column was smoking once we came to a stop.  

Grace's bruise is already looking much bigger and gnarlier.

The guy who hit us was really shaken up as well, and the front end of his car was completely crunched.  We attracted lots of gawkers passing by, along with some really kind and helpful people, too.  One of the first guys who stopped to check on us was an off-duty EMS who helped by turning off the engine and disconnecting something else that could have caused something worse to happen, like the car going up in flames.  I know this is a really small thing -- but to me it was a tender mercy -- that he happened to be from Louisiana.  I could tell as soon as he started speaking that he had to be from Cajun country, and sure enough he was from Lafayette! It was oddly comforting to hear his accent -- almost like I had someone from my family there with me and helping me out -- and I was so grateful for his help.  

(Trivial?  Yes.  But embarrassing, nonetheless -- this is the second accident I've been in since we've moved here where I'm still in pajamas for the day.  Doh!  I guess I really should learn to never leave the house without wearing real clothes.  Hahahaha.) 

Thankfully, we weren't too far from home, and Scott was able to run over and help with calling tow trucks and insurance, etc.  Ethan was also at the ready to come and help by unloading our gigantic grocery order from the back of our totaled van into the other trunk.  It was quite the way to kick off a weekend, let me tell ya!  

Grace and I went to the hospital to get checked out just in case, and luckily we don't seem to have anything worse than those bruises and abrasions.  Of course, there will be more soreness to follow, which is one of the things I remember as being so odd when we were in a terrible crash with toddler Ethan and Grace (and my sister, Sarah) back in 2006 -- I didn't feel ANYTHING hurting right after the crash, but by later in the day and the following day for sure, so many body parts were hurting and sore.   {Incidentally, that crash was the very FIRST blog post I ever created.  It quite literally started this blog out with a bang!  Hahahaha.}  We plan on taking it easy the rest of the weekend, and hopefully we'll be well on the mend by the time next week rolls around.  Time will tell...

Hospital selfie -- Grace and I both LOL-ed when simultaneously exclaimed that we needed to take a picture for the blog.  Hahahahaha.