Friday, January 16, 2015

Happy to Be Alive, Ten Things of Thankful Week 83

My family was not killed in a horrible car accident.

Thankfuls 1-10 right there.

As always, Bryan was taking the kids to school Wednesday morning.  As he moved into the left turn lane, his car shuddered, went "KA-CHUNK!" and stopped dead.  The car was still running, but it wouldn't move an inch.  He couldn't even put it into park.

After getting the kids to school, I waited in a much less trafficked area for the tow truck to arrive.  Why not take a photo?  
I'll skip the long, boring story and cut to the chase.

Hours later, we were told that the front axle on his car cracked in half right there in the turn lane of an extremely busy 4-lane thoroughfare.  If he would have been making that turn when it happened, my children would have been smashed to smithereens.  If he would have been on the freeway when it happened...I don't even want to think about it.

But, I have more thankfuls, so we won't just end with the accident that wasn't.

(2) Shockingly, a new front axle, with labor, only cost $350 to fix.  We were expecting thousands, which we wouldn't have paid, seeing as how Bryan's car has almost 200,000 miles on it.  BUT we can pay $350.  The car is already fixed and in our driveway.

(3) This internet thing has brought me all sorts of laughter and fun.  This week, I received a message from Kristi.  In her understated, hilarious way, she told me about a dream she had the night before starring my boy, Cuckoo.  I have been laughing about it for days.

(4) Bryan and Star returned safely from Texas. Not only did they have a blast at the big football game (First ever real national championship football game, and Ohio State (the state where we're from) was in it), they also did all sorts of other things to make Star's trip extra fun.  Sure, it was only 30 degrees half the time, but it didn't stop them from enjoying themselves.



(5) It was 35 degrees on Thursday.  And sunny.  After the bitter cold we've been having, playing on the playground was a necessity.  Even if it was preschool pajama day and he didn't have clothes to change into.



(6) I am heading to Chicago this weekend for Phoenix's volleyball tournament.  Originally we were supposed to leave Friday afternoon.  However, we got the schedule, and he doesn't play until 4:00 Saturday.  We were able to cancel the hotel for one night and wait until Saturday to head out.

(7) There are some awesome clearance sales going on.  I was thrilled to find a fancy, fancy dress for my niece's birthday.  It had been $90, I got it for $13.  She is a tomboy in princess clothing, so I made sure she knew I expected her to wear the dress on normal, play outside days and not to save it for a special occasion.

(8) I was able to have breakfast and catch up with a friend on Tuesday.

(9) I have been able to get to the gym several days this week.  My sore muscles are the proof.  And I was able to find a swim suit on sale.  With the $20 in coupons I had for the store, they were practically yelling at me to buy it and get my butt in the pool.  I'll be swimming laps come Tuesday.

(10) Our church/school community is the best.  We'll leave it at that.

How's your week been?  What made you stop and say, "Thank you!" this week?

Link it up or tell me in the comments.

Have a lovely day!


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40 comments:

  1. I can not believe the axel broke. Could have been tragic. Could have been costly. Boy,oh,boy did you guys get the best case scenario all the way around! Beyond glad to hear it! ~May@Achieving Clarity

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    1. I can't either! It could have been a whole mess of things way worse than it was! We most certainly had the best case scenario.

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  2. PHEWWW! That is a million thankfuls right there. So glad everyone was okay. And I would be snapping a photo right in the middle of a disaster. Sounds like a good week - I love a clearance bargain. Wow! Enjoy the warming trend (is there one?)

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    1. It was a good week. Glad I'm not the only person to stop and take photos in unusual situations.:)

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  3. The kind of week that gives you pause for sure. Thank goodness things happen when they do. A fancy, fancy dress for $13? Awesome score! I think I'd wear that outside to play too. Safe travels and wishes for a wonderful week ahead.

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    1. The dress is so pretty, too. People were asking me where I found it when they didn't even know it was only $13. I'm just crossing my fingers it fits her!

      Thank you!

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  4. Talk about mid-week slump...not! Thank goodness everyone is alright.How scary! Are the kids ok, about the near miss? Brian must have had a heart attack 20x over. Damn.
    This list is chock full Christine. Of good things:) Health and well being notwithstanding, $350 to fix the car, $13 for a dress! Traveling for fun things! Friends and community. Very nice share. Thank you!

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    1. No slump in the week, that is for sure. :) The kids didn't even realize how close they came to being smooshed, thank goodness. They were just grumpy that they had to sit in a car for 45 minutes waiting for me to get there to give them a ride to school.

      Bryan was a nervous wreck when he first called me.

      There were lots of good things this week, for sure.

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  5. Well, that car trouble happened at the right spot. Excellent and cheap to fix. I'd be uber thankful about that too.

    You've had a great week. I love these posts that you do. It's good to recognize all the good things that happen instead of focusing on the bad. Lots of folks do that.

    Have a fabulous day. :)

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    1. It is completely remarkable that the car broke where it did.

      I'm glad you like the thankful posts. I read a comment on someone else's thankful post saying these would get boring to read after a few weeks and she probably shouldn't do it. I'm glad to hear you aren't bored with them!

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  6. Isn't it astounding how such a crucial part of the car can be so relatively cheap.

    We need to make playing on playgrounds in pjs like a thing for adults!

    look at you getting all those awesome sales!

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    1. I don't know why this important piece is so cheap, but I'm really glad it is!

      Well, there are plenty of adults going to the grocery store in pajama pants. I'm thinking the playground is the next logical place. :)

      It really is shocking, considering how infrequently I shop anywhere besides the grocery store. It made me even more excited about the deals.

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  7. YOUZA!!! Scary indeed!! And $350 to fix??? YES!

    Sounds like Star & Bryan had a great trip. I love that you both take special trips with your kids. <3

    I love when I get a great deal too!!


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    1. THE SITUATION TOTALLY WARRANTS ALL CAPS! WHY DIDN'T I DO IT IN THE POST???

      They had loads of fun. I love that we do it, too. We were so smart back when our kids were young. :)

      It's so exciting to get a good deal, isn't it?

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  8. Thank goodness that happened in a safe spot--very scary!
    And I'd have NO IDEA what an axle would cost.
    I adore a good deal, you seem to really find them.

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    1. I don't even like to think about it, because the other scenarios would have been so, so bad.

      I thought it would be a whole lot more than $350, seeing as how it's what holds the wheels on!

      I got lucky. I don't always find them, seeing as how I don't shop very often. Normally I'm paying full price because I buy things at the last minute.

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  9. Woah, that could have been pretty dangerous, I hope you're always this lucky (for accidents and for deals!).

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    1. I probably should have played the lottery this week. :)

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  10. Oh my goodness, the car break-down sounds scary, I'm so glad everyone is safe and sound, and that the repair was rather inexpensive for what had to be fixed. Coupons and sales are awesome! I forgot my hat at my parents' place a couple of weeks ago and got a new one that was €18 for only €3, yay!! I also started letting the girls wear their fancy dresses on normal days; one day I realized that the dresses deserved better than just being worn once or twice and then hang in the closet until the girls outgrow them.

    I hope you have a wonderful week, Christine!

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    1. I must admit, when he first called me to let me know, I was mostly just annoyed that I had to wake Cuckoo and go up there. I didn't know what had happened until later. That's when it hit me how close they were to being in very big trouble.

      Good for you, letting the girls dress in their finest on non-finest days!

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  11. WHEW! Scary stuff! Glad everyone is safe. I want cuckoo dreams too! Im soooo jealous!

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    1. Well, I hope your dreams come true. :) Funny thing, while she was dreaming of Cuckoo, I had a dream which included Mike Rowe. True story.

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  12. OOOOYAH! I'm SO glad everyone was safe! Wow! And the fixing sounds great - really quickly and simply done. What a relief.

    Glad you've been chuckling this week, and that you were able to see your friend. Those things are so important :) And YAY to the dress for your tomboy niece that she can wear outside :D

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    1. If the axle had to break, it couldn't have picked a better time to do it.

      Lots of good little things this week, for sure.

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  13. Wow, that is crazy about the near car accident thing! I am glad everyone was safe! Or this would have been a much different blog entry! You are probably here in Chicago right now, so I hope you are having a great time... it is even a little warmer this weekend than the freezing weather we had last week!

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    1. You ain't kidding! Let's say a prayer that I never have to write a post like that.

      I was in Chicago when you wrote it. Unfortunately, I never even got to see what the weather was like. I was never outside for more than a couple of seconds. The schedule was an odd one, so we never saw anything besides our hotel and McCormick's place. We still had fun, though, and lots of it.

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  14. Goodness how scary about the axle incident. SOOO thankful no one was hurt!! Car problems seem to be going around like the flu lately. Our entire family has been having issues lately!!

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    1. That was a lot of lately's. I am tired a lot lately. Baha. Baby and all. :D

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    2. Hopefully you know a good mechanic! He'd be getting a lot of business from you lately. :)

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  15. Kidzilla wears her "fancy" clothes everywhere. It's not like I could stop her...but I realized why keep them in the closet for only special occasions? Life's too short and little girls are too cute in their dresses.
    So glad your family is OK - that's scary for sure. An inexpensive repair just adds to the blessing! Hooray!
    I need you to go shopping with me because I do not find deals like that.

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    1. Exactly! Glad you agree.

      Thankfully, I didn't know how scary until it was over. Saved me all sorts of heart issues. :)

      It doesn't happen often, seeing as how I don't shop that often, but I do get lucky sometimes. We're in a good time to shop for clothes, as they are trying to clear things out in order to put out the spring merchandise. Get out there!

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  16. 'the original TToT (well, maybe 'the thing of thankful')… when that kind of thing happens (axel breaking sooner rather than later and worser)…how direct is that sense, 'this could have been!'. yow
    good dominant timeline, yo

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    1. No doubt, I'm thankful we did not experience what could have been.

      Thanks, yo.

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  17. I misread that first sentence. Let's just say that. And that my heart has quit pounding.
    I am also thankful that it happened where it happened. And only $350? That's amazing!

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    1. Ha! Pretty sure if my family died in a crash, I'd start out a little differently, and it wouldn't be in a TToT post. :)

      It was the best case scenario all around, thank God.

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  18. Love things that could have been but weren't. I wish we could have more of them. Sunshine on bitter cold days is almost magical. What a great week!

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    1. In this case, I couldn't agree more.
      My favorite place on a cold day is on the couch from 3- 3:30. The sun lands right on me and it is the most cozy, warm spot in the world.

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  19. Accidents that may have been and weren't are ALWAYS thankful things. My (years ago) beloved Jeep caught on fire just after it got a new engine (198k miles). Thinking that it may have happened when I was driving on the highway has always haunted me even though it shouldn't. I love pajama day at school but WHY do they always do it in the winter when it's freezing???

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  20. Oh, I'm so glad your family is safe! After such a scary experience, how nice that the repair was so inexpensive (relatively speaking).

    Dreams are such funny things. I'll forever attribute Cuckoo to a hilarious conversation that never really happened! (And I chuckle every time I think of it, too.)

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  21. Wonderful tens --- I am laughing and smiling about how a fellow blogger had a=dream of you ... lately I have had such crazy dreams and at least once or twice a week i am dreaming that I am meeting and hanging with my blogger friends... I think you and I hung a couple of times. Too funny.

    I'm so glad your family is safe...that sounded quite scary.. i had no idea - about two weeks ago we had some snow and I drove with the 4 wheel on well when I tuned left or right the car would make a horrible noise - hubby said it's probably the front axle (our mechanic the last time we were there that it was rusting, rotting or drying up and would need a new one soon...well I told hubby to tell him I will drop off the truck on Saturday two Saturdays ago after Religion Instruction the kids and I did had to walk 6 block in the cold but after your story I am so glad we did.

    Love it how you all have a special trip with one child it is a special time.

    love bargains ....no really I go into a happy dance ( a very quiet hardly any movement happy dance)

    have a wonderful week ahead, enjoy Tuesday swimming :)

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