Flashing Life, Abridged

So, about a week ago, something pretty traumatic happened. Ed and I got into a really bad car accident. One of those ones that if you saw it, your stomach would turn. We were turning left (unprotected) and somehow a big pickup truck sped around the corner and right into us. It drove straight into the passenger side of the car where I was sitting and it is miraculous that Ed and  I ended up more or less okay. I actually wrote out a play by play of exactly what happened, but decided that I don't really need to share that. Suffice to say, it was bad enough that I had to be strapped to one of those boards with a collar around my neck and taken in an ambulance to the hospital, because the damage to our car implied that I might have been severely injured. Thankfully I only needed 7 stitches total and besides still being super sore on my side, I am fine. Ed got a few cuts but didn't even need to be checked into the hospital.

Experiences like this, though, really reinforce what is important in life. Yes, our wonderful Prius, who took us on so many trips, is gone, but it did a great job when it really counted. Yes, our weekend plans of camping with family didn't pan out, but we were so thankful to have brother and sister in law Tom and Irma there in town to help deal with everything. Yes, it was terrifying, but the amazing support of strangers who stopped and sat with me while I was hyperventilating on a curb right after the accident, the emergency personal who took excellent care of me, all gave me so much faith in humanity. Everyone was just so nice. And, more than anything, Ed and I are so thankful that we are both okay. In that instant, so much could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't. We're okay. And thankful. Very thankful.

To make good things from bad, we replaced our faithful Prius with a new family car that we're very excited about:

The Prius V! Everything we loved about our former car, with a beautiful new color, a lot more room, and some special enhancements (thanks to them not having the lower model in stock). It's been very fun to have our first official car that we bought together, and has been a ton of fun to drive. 

So, we're moving forward with life. A little more cautiously, perhaps, but moving forward nonetheless. 

California Weekends

The last month found us making a couple of very quick weekend trips out to California, and Ed and I discovered that a weekend out there really is quite doable. 

The first occasion was Mother's Day. 

My dad had called earlier that week and asked if we'd be interested in coming down. After all, it wouldn't just be mother's day, but also my mom's 60th birthday (and close to my other sister's 30th birthday). It was a big weekend!

Somehow I managed to not take many pictures, but in any event, we had a lovely time. We drove out Friday straight after work and arrived around 9:30. Having never driven at night, it was a new experience, but not really any more challenging. Plus, it gave us a full day and a half, which was lovely. 

Saturday morning, we went on this lovely walk, while Ed was out running. He's been training for a 50k, so the California trips were a perfect excuse for him to enjoy some beautiful trails and cooler weather. 

It was very fun to take Amelia on the trails, and was a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Ed and I discovered that going away for the weekend someplace where you have nothing to worry about but relaxing, napping, and reading, is really quite lovely. 

The next weekend brought us back out to California, this time for a concert Ed was performing in, in Poway, San Diego. We needed to get there at 3pm, so we left around 9am, and had a (very) leisurely lunch in Yuma. Apparently this restaurant closes during the summer months, since it's only outdoors, and the day we went was there last day open. They were out of a few things, but the worst part was it took almost 50 minutes to get our food! On the plus side, it was gorgeous out, and we felt very rested afterwards. Thankfully, my parents were running a little late, too, so we got to the concert at the same time. 

The concert was really great! It was a festival, in this outdoor pavilion, which really made you feel like you'd stepped back in time. While all the groups were fine, Ed's was outstanding! And I'm not just saying that. They were impressive. 

The focus was on the Armed Forces, so there were a lot of marches and tributes to different branches of the military. It was also such a treat to be in the perfectly temperatured place, as our temps out here in Arizona were already starting to climb by mid May. 

After the concert, we headed up to Oceanside for dinner, which made Ed and I super happy. We're grown to appreciate the ocean so much more since we've moved away from it, and any chance we get to visit it seems to refresh and rejuvenate us. 

Since we were eating right by the water, Ed and I took a few moments before dinner to walk along the pier. 

It was beautiful, with so many others out there enjoying the fading evening light. 

California, and the beautiful scenery it provides, always seems to spark in us reflection about life. 

And right now? We were feeling pretty wonderfully content. 

We had a really wonderful dinner with my parents at 333 Pacific, a steak and seafood place right across from the ocean. The food was impressively good, and it was very nice to spend some time together with them. 

After dinner, they headed back, while we went for one last breath of fresh ocean air and one last view of crashing waves. 

The next morning, Ed went on a long run while I went for a walk with my family, and then it was time to head back to reality. But what a nice escape.