The evening started out with a good deal of excitement; it ended with much more.

We had an incredible time while it lasted! According to Dad, the headlights kept going around the field faster... then faster...

Conrad sets out on a never-to-be-forgotten ride. Actually, parts of it he cannot even remember.

This was my first sight of Conrad after the accident. By this time he was conscious, though immediately after the crash, he had been stumbling about not knowing what was going on.

"Get a stretcher over here!"


It was around 17 degrees that night. Not fun to be lying still on snow-covered ground!

This was our family's first experience with the ambulance. Derrick said, "You're going to want to get pictures of this!" It would be fine with me if I never get the opportunity again.

Beginning to cut his jacket off. Conrad said he asked them not to, but it is trauma routine apparently.

Around this time, Mom climbed in to talk to him. He said, "Mom, don't baby me." We all felt better after that. :-)

The poor police woman who had to come out and who, by her own admission, knew "nothing about snowmobiles."

Thankfully, Paul does.

Lying just where it landed.

The rehash, the unwinding. It helps to talk it all out.

Derrick (an EMT), who didn't get a chance to ride, explains that he was "here for such a time as this." :-) He saw the accident and was the first person to get to Conrad.

(Thanks, Derrick, for all your help!)

Nancy can tell some pretty exciting, cover-your-mouth stories. ;-)

The one and only Kalie Weaver.

Derrick to Sarah: "The 'sweetness' [Derrick, Jr.] was stabbing Mervin, and his sister was just standing there taking pictures!"

Examining the accident scene in broad daylight.

The electric fence that Conrad went through.

Providentially, a few weeks previous, a vehicle had slid into this fence, loosening and flattening many of the wires of the section that Conrad ran into.

I wasn't at the hospital during the short time Conrad was there, but thanks to Dad's cell phone, we get to see Conrad in the intensive care unit.

Being wheeled to the hospital exit in a wheelchair, which he was not even allowed to man, was tough on his pride. :-)

It was the first thing he wanted to see when he got home.

Thanking the One who was in control of the whole event.

"Just think if it wouldn't have been for this helmet..."

"Citizens, this is officer Martin here telling you to wear your helmet!"

Soberness

This accident gave us all much to think about.

His eye went through almost every imaginable shade. Green was the most ghastly one.

He had a story to beat all stories that week, and there were plenty of people who wanted to hear it.

Life has to go on as normal. (I'm not implying that the umbrella is normal. Don't ask - I really don't know "why?")

Everything was going fine until... this arrived.

It got a lot of attention, but really was nothing of importance (just a copy of the police records).

This picture best illustrates why we called Conrad "Cyclops" for several days.

Even though his eye isn't totally healed, his sense of humor is back!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, all of you that kept Conrad in your prayers.

God Bless,
~Carmen~

An Old-Fashioned Taffy Pull

All right Everyone,

I need to see a raise of hands here. How many of you have heard of taffy-pulling before? How many of you have actually done it? (By the way, the technological equivalent to raising your hand is leaving a comment. ;-)

I'm warning you (not apologizing - just warning you!) I have a lot of pictures from just this one event, in which our family and the Einwechters get together to pull taffy. Ben blew me away by letting me have all his photos from the evening as well as giving me blogging privileges. I had so much fun putting this together!

One last thing before we get to the pictures, I have a little competition for anyone who is interested. The majority of these photos were taken by the Einwechters, but I did post eight of my own. The challenge(?) is to figure out which eight are mine. Just leave a comment identifying eight of them. Whoever has the most correct wins. I will announce the winner's name next time (if there is a winner :-) and will also post a photo of him/her if they send me one.

Yes, we are friends, and No, we are not practicing karate! (We are merely pantomiming the taffy-pulling process.)

The only violent aspect to the evening were these two prizefighters that we hired to guard the taffy as it cooled.

The first batch was so hard that four people couldn't even stretch the stuff.

I love the determination, Abigail!

This ought to strengthen your muscles, Candace. ;-)

The second batch, on the other hand, was so gooey that we had to start pulling it outdoors to help it stiffen.

"How can I prove I've got muscles with this stuff...???"

A sticky moment.

"Whoa! I never saw it that bad before!"

One little scrounger is determined not to let any of the sweetness go to waste.

Is 3 really the number of perfection?

"Yes, Ma'am! If this stuff doesn't turn out, I'll take full responsibility. Don't you worry!"

And it did: it turned out beautifully! (Don't judge from what Josiah's doing - he's just over-protective. ;-)

I think I'll start giving taffy-pulling classes. It was a lot of fun, especially since the students are bright and caught on exceptionally fast!

"The old sage" and "energy man" go at it.

To see him talk, you would think that HE is the pro! ;-)

Conrad: "Listen to the young upstart! He thinks he knows it all already!"

(Btw, Conrad, it's good to see both your eyes looking normal again. More on that next time...)