our little angel has angels

Day 2: with doggy and blanket beside me it's going to be a good day!

It has been a week today since our scary mishap with our youngest...one of those mishaps that could have gone so, so much worse and in the moment it seems it just might.  Nathaniel and I were throwing on our tennis shoes to take the kids on a walk up to the field to catch grasshoppers for their praying mantis and ride their razors...Asher and Anabel were just outside waiting, a common thing, and Evie was probably still looking for a missing shoe; when in runs Asher and says Anabel is crying.
Nathaniel goes right outside and hears her crying but cannot see her anywhere.  We live on a somewhat steep driveway that goes straight out from our garage and then turns down the hill to the road.  Its about sixteen stone steps or 8 feet vertically off the road from the highest part of the driveway.  Nathaniel asks loudly "Where is she Asher?!" and Asher points down the driveway....Nathaniel races down the driveway and once at the bottom realizes she is behind him on the road crying, trying to get back up the brick retaining wall she has just fallen off....in a stroller!  The stroller rolled across the driveway, through the grass, hit the retaining wall and flipped over the edge and onto the road.  As he carries our very bloody, in shock two year old quickly up our stairs, my panic-mom-go-mode sets in....she has a deep oval "hole" above her right eye and blood is covering her face, arms, legs and clothing.  We quickly get ice in a towel, get the kids in the car, and race to ER...it was one of those scary, speeding drives to the hospital, very unsure of just how bad her head injury was given that she rode a stroller over a 7 ft wall to land in the street on the pavement below.  Anabel, in a sleepy shock state was barely awake...a moms most terrifying moment as I am continually talked louder, saying her name and tapping her cheek trying to keep her eyes open.
The rest is probably just details to the casual reader but what I must say is how thankful I am to our Father in heaven for keeping His angels watch over our youngest that day.  The ER docs were so wonderful and gracious (as they ordered a ct scan), saying how often they are amazed at how God made the little ones out of rubber, but I know it was angels that kept her.  When I look at the mangled stroller handle that must have hit first, and her bruised shoulder and head where she hit and her scraped legs, I know how bad it could have been.  Even as I think about it now, only three stitches and a bunch of scratches and bruises later, my eyes well up and I am grateful beyond words.  Its a story that ends so badly for some, as the neighbors lay awake at night worrying, wondering...but for us, its a reminder of God's mercy and care for His children, this child.  Mommy wasn't there when Asher decided to help Anabel into the stroller...and I should have been; thank you Jesus You were.  Now we can smile in thankfulness every time we see your giraffe stuffed animal they gave you at the hospital, reminding each of us how precious life is.
And one day we can look back at the pictures and retell our stories, like the Israelites, and remember what the Lord has done.  Praise and glory be to Him, always.