A Sincere Thank You (and a winner)~

I wanted to take a minute to thank you all, my dear readers. As most of you know, three weeks ago my husband John was in a serious car accident. He fell asleep at the wheel and hit a metal light post head on. I was told that he is lucky to be alive. And after seeing the car, I believe it. As it is, he basically shattered his right leg, and broke 8 of his ribs. One of these days, when this is all far removed in the past, I may share a photo of the car with you all, you won't believe it. But for now, it is too fresh in my mind.

The next day, my father fell from a ladder, broke his hip, and crushed one of the vertebrae in his back. I thought that first week, with both of my men in the hospital, was one of the hardest I've ever experienced. And it was, in its way.

But then things got harder. John is home now. I'm glad to have him home, but he is still in a lot of pain. He can't really do much for himself. He can't put any weight on his leg for another 6 weeks, and then it will take weeks after that before he can walk normally or drive again. I'm drained. My laundry is WAY behind, my yard is full of weeds. You get the idea. And tomorrow, my father has to have surgery for the second time because his back isn't healing. It's just a lot to deal with.

But in the midst of all of this, I have gained immeasurable strength from friends and neighbors who have brought in meals and watched my children. And I have gained emotional strength from you. Yes, my dear readers, your comments, your emails have buoyed me up. They have given me hope. I have felt your love and your prayers. I have gained strength from the knowledge that good people, most of whom I have never met, are pulling for me. And so I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

One example of some of the lovely experiences I've had comes from my bloggy friend Beki of The Rusted Chain. Beki asked if she could send me a necklace with a word or phrase on it that is meaningful to me. I immediately thought of my favorite quote by Emily Dickenson... Dwell in Possibility. This quote reminds me to believe that tomorrow is a new day and that each new day is full of promise. I have this quote written on the chalkboard in my kitchen so that I can see it and be reminded of it daily.

And now, thanks to Beki, I can wear it around my neck. Isn't it lovely?

It's the perfect reminder to keep my chin up and believe!! Thanks so much Beki!

And thank you again, my dear readers, for understanding and bearing with me. I know that my blog has suffered a bit during this time. I am thankful for your understanding. I know that as life settles into a routine, I'll be back to my old blogging self in no time. I hope you'll all be patient with me.

And finally, I want to announce the winner of the Glitter and Bliss giveaway...Annastacia! Congratulations Annastacia! Drop me an email and we'll get you all set up with your darling prize!

Have a great day~