I've thought about how to sort of *officially* close out this chapter of our story... and thought being the last day of the year would be apropos...

Sidni and Maia are doing very well. Sidni still gets tired from lots of activity but she's building herself back up. Her plan is to start back at the gym after the new year (HA that's all our goals).  She has a hematoma on her left hip that we're watching and may need some attention in the next year.  She's become somewhat of an accurate weather forecaster. She says she can feel the weather in her various screws... so far she's been a bit more accurate than the weather people on the news. The upcoming winter will really tell the story. 

Maia is back to her old self... fiery and feisty as ever. Still gets the occasional headache from loud noises and has some pain in her ribs from time to time.

Then there are the scars... the ones you can see and the ones you can't see. Sidni has a number of them all over her body... her body just threw out another piece of glass from her hand on Christmas.  We figure that will be happening for awhile. She has scars on her hands, legs, ankle, sides of her chest, her pelvis ... I'm beginning to think the one on her hand is starting to resemble a star. Maia has some on her legs and her arms as well. 

We all carry the emotional scars of the accident and subsequent aftermath though Sidni's lack of memory of the event probably makes her the luckiest of us all. We're dealing with them as we can and as a family.  If nothing else this has certainly brought our family closer together in some respects and brought us closer with others.

There are a couple of things I wanted to clear up as I've read back through the posts and wanted to correct some inaccuracies. I know not needed.. but it fits with my nature.  Maia's passenger side door did not fly off in the accident. It was removed by the EMT on the scene that morning to allow access to the girls and to help extract Sidni.

There is also an unconfirmed report of two men in a white van who happened upon the accident seconds after it happened, got out, went to look at the girls in the jeep and then left.  No one has been able to confirm or deny that.... I hope if true they had a good reason for leaving.

I'd rather characterize myself a priest who's lost his faith as opposed to some of the other characterizations I received through the various methods of contact from this event. I had the usual one sided conversation with the Big Man that one night and asked He not take my mis-steps out on my children. My therapist said Sidni's rapid healing was probably His response. Though I never personally heard a reply.

So here we are on the cusp of a new year. I've said it again and again... THANK YOU for all of your support, caring, prayers, meals when we needed them, support from our employers and colleagues when we needed it the most (and even when we didn't). 

Cherish the time you have with your friends, family and loved ones... because that can all change in an instant.

So goodbye to a trying 2018 and HUGS from me to you and to a better year in 2019 with less hurt, less death and more love and compassion for everyone!

PS - the photo shows how many visits to the site... 35k was the number by the end of September...