Last November started out great!! We took a family vacation to Orlando. We took the kids to LegoLand and Seaworld..and it was fabulous. We really enjoyed ourselves. I guess God was preparing us for what was about to happen. November 23, 2011...my what a crazy day. Spent most of the day helping my parents get things ready for Thanksgiving. Bailee and Halee decided to spend the night with my parents so I could finish my grocery shopping. So I had plenty of time to get my house cleaned...laundry done...not sure at this point what I was preparing for...but felt the need to have everything done. Derrick was working out of town and would miss Thanksgiving Day...so I stayed up half the night getting everything finished. The next day the kids wanted to stay at my parents while I was cooking. I took our Ranger to them so they could ride since they were bored. By lunch time, the whole family rolled in and of course the kids hurried through lunch so they could rush back out to play. My parents have a pond a couple hundred yards behind their house, and they wanted to ride down to it, and turn around and come back. My gut instinct was no...mainly because I could mentally picture my brand new ranger sinking slowly in the pond....but since their older cousin was riding with them, I gave in. The next few hours are somewhat of a blur. I know that Bailee and Halee dropped my niece off at the house to use the restroom....halfway on their trip to the pond they realized they forgot to go back and get her....so they tried to turn around...I don't know what happened exactly...may never know...but in a frantic effort to get help...Bailee slid out from under the ranger and ran to the house for help. Our Black Friday shopping list was interrupted by the door flying open and Bailee standing there screaming "Halee...Ranger...Woods"...my heart literally sank to my stomach. I ran as fast as I could screaming her name until I turned a corner and saw that ranger on its side...when I could see all four wheels and didn't hear her...I knew I didn't want to see what was on the other side. My brother and I were the first ones to her and he lifted the ranger off of her (absolute adrenaline).... She was blue and not breathing....but my sister took over and by the time everyone got to her, shallow breaths were being made. After what seemed like hours, actually only about 20 minutes, she was loaded up and taken to meet a helicopter. After being flown to Dothan, she was then airlifted to Children's Hospital in Birmingham. Derrick met me in Dothan and I believe that trip from Dothan to Birmingham was one of the longest. It would be complete silence for a long time, followed by praying, followed by sobbing, then silence again. Then to hear those doctors say time after time that your child probably isn't going to make it through the night....a parents worst nightmare. But with GOD's grace, she made it through. And so far 2012 has been a year of trips back and forth to Birmingham. All of this completely changed our life. I think that for those who weren't there...you don't realize how bad she was...but knowing what I know and seeing what I saw, then to see her now...she is a modern day miracle. And that has brought us to where we are today...living life to the fullest..trying to enjoy every moment. Love the people God gave you...he will need them back one day!
