Gotta Feeling

Tonight's gonna be a good night.

Today is Zac's 13th birthday.

For his birthday dinner, he'd like to go to Texas Roadhouse. George and I usually have a pretty strict policy against eating out locally at a chain restaurant, but the Texas Roadhouse is fun with the peanuts and all, and has good steaks. We're all looking forward to it.

What do you get a 13-year old for his birthday? The list he's given is extensive: weight set, XBox 360, laptop computer, iPhone, iPod touch, a new bat, a new WOODEN bat, and the moon and the stars, with the space shuttle thrown in for good measure, just in case he wasn't feeling special enough.

I'll let you know tomorrow what we've given him, just in case he logs in to read this today. I don't want to give away the surprise. By the way, I love, love, love that picture I posted. Zac took it of himself with my iPhone and I use it as the thumbnail photo when he calls me from his phone. It makes me smile.

You may be wondering where I've been lately. Or not. But if you are, I'll let you know. I've been in a bit of a funk since July 26. My Aunt Rhonda and her daughter-in-law, Rachel (my cousin) were in a horrific car accident on that Sunday evening on their way up to their lake house. From what the several on-scene witnesses say, the guy driving his car south-bound on Hwy 281 was slumped over the steering wheel (probably asleep/hungover/drunk), cut across 4 lanes of traffic and hit Rhonda's car head-on while she was traveling north-bound on Hwy 281(both vehicles moving at 70mph). Miraculously, everyone survived. I don't know the current status of the 3 guys in the other vehicle, but, both Rhonda and Rachel are home now; Rachel, after a week in the hospital, with a serious abdominal surgery to repair some tears and perforations in her colon and a broken foot; and Rhonda, after surgery to set, pin and plate compound fractures in both femurs just above the knees, in addition to an extremely dangerous brain bleed. Rhonda also spent a week in rehab learning how to maneuver herself in and out of her wheelchair and learning exercises to begin the rehabilitation of her legs.

It's been a long 3-and-a-half weeks.

I don't know if I've ever prayed more in my entire life.

It is nothing short of a miracle that everyone survived, especially Rhonda.

Now the really hard work begins.

In other news (how 'bout that segue?), the boys started school on the 10th. I've been so funky lately that I didn't get any pictures, but they're basically the same as last year. They're both doing very well. Jake enjoys doing his homework and studying, if you can believe that, and Zac has settled in to the more difficult schedule I changed him to. He bragged last year that he hadn't used a single brain cell all year (evidenced by all A's and only 2[very high] B's on his report card for all four 9 weeks of the school year) so I changed his schedule to take Algebra I and the robotics elective. There was a great deal of weeping and gnashing of teeth over these changes all summer and spilling into the first couple of days of school, but he's doing fine now and really enjoys the robotics class. I think he's secretly enjoying the Algebra class too.

Anyway, it's good to talk with you again, internet. I'll let you know tomorrow what Zac got for his birthday, AND, I'll tell you about my mom fighting with the fan at Jake's baseball game this summer.