Hug your family!! (and 12 days Christmas update)

We are home today from our trip to Utah that easily could have ended with one or more of us not home with us.  On our way home late late Saturday night, a large deer popped up in the middle the road while we were going 75 mph (that was the speed limit) through northern Utah.  My husband began to slow down and veer to the right to avoid it, and that deer jumped more in our way and we hit it head on... BAM at about 65 mph.  

Our lights went out immediately and we pulled over to find our front end badly damaged.  I could barely even open my passenger door.  It was 1 am, completely dark (like no traffic) and freezing temperatures.  After what seemed like hours, we got towed to the nearest little motel and the guy agreed to accept our van as payment for the towing.  It felt so good to be in a warm room again.  Then, my brother called to say that he and my sister-in-law were driving out to pick us up and take us all the way back home to Oregon.  Now that’s brotherly love!  We feel SO blessed to all be safe.  All we really lost was our van, and we can eventually replace our van - but we can’t replace each other.  We were being watched over, that is for sure!

Other than the deer incident and the fact that we don’t have a family vehicle anymore... we are doing great and we had a fabulous time!  

I was looking at these comparison family pics and thought I’d share them on here.  

2003

2007

2010

The obvious difference is that my kids are a lot taller but I also think that the hubs and I look like completely different people!  Don’t ya think?  I was just thinking after the deer incident that life is too short to wait to make a change.  Life is too precious to not live it joyfully and to love others fully.  Life is too amazing to spend a single second holding a grudge or loathing oneself.  Life is so good.  I haven’t wanted to wait until it was over before I really feel and believe that!  LIFE IS GOOD, so let’s live, love and laugh and make it all count!

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The 7th Day of Christmas - a hard case wallet :)

I also enjoyed a wonderful 12 days of Christmas swap with Melissa over at The Fat Mom (aka the Fabulous Mom).  Here are the pics of the rest of the gifts:

The 8th Day of Christmas - a hard case picture holder :)

The 9th Day of Christmas - Matching earrings & necklace :)

The 10th Day of Christmas - Scarf & gloves :)

The 11th Day of Christmas - Hand Painted ornament :)

The 12th Day of Christmas - Willowtree  "Surrounded by Love" figure

I LOVED all these gifts from Melissa.  It's like she knew me so well!  So fun!  Isn't she truly Fabulous?!!  I definitely feel "surrounded by love" this Christmas and I hope each of those reading this feel that too.  XOXO ~Margene