Sometimes we tend to take life for granted, but things can change in an instant, as we learned on Friday afternonn. Our daughters and one of their friends were in an auto accident that could have taken their lives. Looking at the car, you know that only by the grace of God did they survive that crash. Two of them walked away with only cuts and bruises. My oldest daughter wasn't so lucky. She was aircared to UC Hospital in Cincinatti with multiple injuries. When I realized that Ashley was trapped in the car still and they were going to have to cut her out, I can't describe the feelings that overcame me. I guess panic and fear would be close. But now that everything is over and I know she'll be okay, I get sick to my stomach when I think how different the outcome could have been. I can't imagine life without our girls, and I hope I don't ever have to experience it.

Ashley is a light shining for Christ and I'm sure that her work here on earth is just beginning as I see great potential for God's Kingdom in her future. I thank God continuously for entrusting us with this beautiful child and for sparing her life. May He use her to bring hope and Christ to others through her ministry in many years to come.

I got my first check from Cashbaq this week. It was for $11. Woo Hoo!

I know it's been quite a while since my last post. Things have been hectic around here. We just got back from a trip to visite my sister and her family in Irvine, CA. My niece graduated from high school. I'm so glad we went. We had a great time and Lisa and Steve were great hosts. They took us everywhere we wanted to go. My mom went with us, too. It was some much needed family time. We visited the San Diego Zoo for my daughter, Danielle, who turned sixteen on the day of Chelsea's graduation. We were exhausted by the end of the day, but it was a good tired!

We also went to Knott's Berry Farm. They have all kinds of the Peanut's Gang there. We were looking for unique Snoopy items, but didn't really find what we were looking for. But we still had fun. We went on the Rapids when we first got there, and guess who got the wettest! Right, I did. Man was it cold when we sat down in the restaurant to eat!

We stayed at a very unique La Quinta Inn in Irvine. It was made out of an old storage facility used to store Lima Beans back in the 1800's. Surprisingly, the rooms had cement walls in the original silos, but they were very nice. As much as we enjoyed the trip, it was nice to get home and sleep in my own bed again!

Just want to let you know about a great site for PE and health teachers. http://www.pecentral.com This site is full of great ideas for games and activities for PE classes as well as projects for health class. It has been around for quite a few years as I have been using it for almost 10 years myself. They have a newsletter and ideas on grant writing and so forth. It is just a great website to check out!

Father's Day is coming up and while you've still got time, I ran across a website with a couple of great ideas! Go to http://www.sliceofpinktypepad.com and check out the Snappy Pappy post there. Snapfish and Blogher sponsored this post. If you're looking for a gift for Dad, these look like winners!

I went to a retirement celebration yesterday evening for one of my college professors. I am so glad I made a point to go. I saw several friends that I played college ball with and all my PE professors were there. It was really good to catch up with where everyone is now and what's going on in each others lives.

Showing appreciation for those who have helped to shape our lives is important. Sometimes we don't realize what an impact we've had on others. We might never know that if they don't tell us.

Mother's Day is coming soon. How often do you talk to your mother? Does she live near you or far away? My mother lives about 3 hours away. I usually get to see her once or twice a year. Our hectic schedules keep us from seeing each other more often. I try to talk to her at least once a week. Usually I call her on the weekends. She keeps me updated on my nephews and how their ballgames are going. Sometimes she has a scoop from my sister who lives in California. We don't get to see her very often. But we are making plans for a visit this summer. My niece graduates from high school. It's always a momentous occasion when one begins a new chapter in the book of life.

Any way, back to mothers and keeping in touch. Make sure that you make the time and effort to talk on a regular basis. My dad has been gone for 8 years now, and I am glad that I talked to him every week in his last few years. I guess I realized at some point that they won't be around forever. Of course, we don't want to think about it. Daddy used to tease us by saying that someday he'd be dead and gone and we'd regret whatever it was that we didn't want to do, such as give him a kiss or something that required we give him our attention. We have to appreciate the time that we do have with our loved ones, because once they're gone, there's no going back to fix things.

You know, I really think I'll try to get that Mother's Day card in the mail early this year so she'll actually have it on Mother's Day. That would be novel, as I'm the world's worst at remembering to send cards. Who knows, maybe I'll get motivated and send her a gift even. No matter what though, I know that she knows that I love her. Don't forget about your mother this Mother's Day!