Why I am Very Thankful……and a Little History

 

I watched a video today that brought back a whole lot of memories. Memories that arrived at the perfect time for me to remind myself to be thankful. Thanksgiving.

I’d like to use my blog as my personal journal to recall those memories and for my family to print and save as piece of our history. So, don’t feel obligated to read any of this post if you don’t have time or don’t want to get too personal.

And with that……on to the history.

Not many people know that my family flies for free. That’s right, no cost at all, to fly just about anywhere, including foreign destinations, too. That’s all due to working many years for the airlines. In fact that’s how Ranchman John and I met over 23 years ago, when we both lived in Maryland. We were both working for the airlines, two different airlines actually, in the Baltimore/Washington International Airport. We started dating and made plans to get married a year later.

Ironically, at the same time, both of our airlines decided to merge….just like we did. So from then on we worked for the same airline. Unfortunately a year after our marriage, our airline experienced some financial troubles, and like all airlines do at one time or another, had to downsize. They usually offer their employees the option of a temporary furlough and  a transfer to another station. We were struggling as newlyweds and living in a trashy trailer park near Baltimore, so Ranchman John thought it would be a great idea to get out of the ‘burbs of crowded and expensive Maryland and move West. He chose Albuquerque.

Without doing any research beforehand (because of course, there was no World Wide Web and Internet back then in the dinosaur ages), we packed up everything and moved to our new city sight unseen.

Hey! We were newlyweds, with not much baggage, no kids, and we had a huge sense of adventure (still do, but much more low key now)

We did manage to find an apartment a few weeks before we moved, and fell in love with our unique pueblo designed abode, complete with neon lights, by the internationally famous architect, Antoine Predock.

We had the most fabulous Land Lady who took care of us and was like family.

But Ranchman John had to fly back home to tie up loose ends and wait for his transfer to New Mexico to come through, while I settled in to our new home. I must admit, although I grew up a Military Brat and lived many places as a child, this was my first time moving someplace on my own with such a very different and unique mix of cultures: Mexican, Native American Pueblo and Gringos (that would be me. hah!).

I remember my first visit to a grocery store. Coming from a grocery store background of not seeing too many international foods in the stores, except La Choy Chow Mein and Bueno Taco Shells, I was floored to walk down the Mexican Food aisle and see a vast and varied display of unusual (to me) spices, snacks, meals and sauces. There wasn’t just one brand of tortillas, there were at least 10! And most of them were made locally!

I was in awe, but completely overwhelmed, but I quickly fell in love with all the new flavors, and once I began exploring the area, I also fell in love with the beauty of my new state, The Land of Enchantment. Many people told me that newcomers either love New Mexico or they hate it. There is no middle ground. And I’ve found that to be true. I’ve met people who moved to New Mexico and wanted it to be more like where they moved from. They couldn’t be convinced there was one good thing about living here. And I didn’t work too hard at trying to convince them otherwise. I was glad that they moved away. I figured that was just more New Mexico for me.

Anyway, I lived and worked in Albuquerque for the airlines for over a year before Ranchman John’s transfer come through, and before he could even transfer in, the the airline went through more financial trouble and I was furloughed. I was hired on with a commuter airline at the Albuquerque Airport and worked, ticketing, gate loading, loading planes with baggage, freight and people, and refueling planes. I did that only for a year. It was hard work and I was glad to return to my job with my previous airline when the furlough was over.

Not long after that, I was injured on the job because we were always shorthanded. I ruptured discs in my neck and had to have surgery. When I was finally strong enough to go back to work, I wasn’t able to do repetitive lifting anymore, so I couldn’t perform my job.

During all this time, Ranchman John was holding on to his own airline job by accepting furloughs and working in other stations around the country, including Washington DC, New York’s La Guardia Airport, Las Vegas Airport, and Denver’s Airport. When he was finally able to get his transfer in for Albuquerque, I wasn’t even able to work with him.

(Yes, I used to be a scrapbooking fool. That’s me and my twinlings not long after they were born. They were bigguns’, each weighing 7 lbs)

But a few years after we were finally together in New Mexico, we became pregnant with twins, and then he was furloughed again. We decided to take a huge transfer and move back east, leasing out our home in New Mexico with faith that we’d be able to move back home one day. I knew I would miss the gorgeous views of my beloved Sandia Mountains from my living room window and backyard most of all.

Well, we lived in South Carolina for 7 years, bought a house, made some dear friends, began our home school journey, and brought my baby girl Jen into the world.

(Our Rock Hill, SC home. Yes, it really does snow in South Carolina)

(Me with my big ‘ol pregnant belly, standing in our kitchen.)

(My Baby Girl who came into this world weighing 11 lbs 12 oz! Doctors thought she’d only be 8 lbs….give or take, so I chose to deliver her naturally and drug free with the help of my Doula. Surprise!  But her birth was easy for me, though, and my baby girl went into the hospital’s record books as the largest baby born in that hospital, delivered naturally with no complications. Pretty cool.)  

 (Ranchman John and baby Jen. One can never begin learning computer skills too early. And who would have thought Ranchman John would become so infatuated with Facebook one day. hehe!) 

Ranchman John was driving just across the border into North Carolina to work at the Charlotte Airport, and all was right with the world, until The Terrible Accident happened that almost took the lives of my husband and my twin sons. (Click below)

Liberty University Lacrosse Accident News Story

Down below is a video taken by one of the lacrosse players. That smashed white van you'll see was driven by my husband, who was the Lacrosse Coach. My twin sons were 8 years old and riding in the back with some of the lacrosse players. That smashed semi-truck you'll see, hit the van you saw, head-on. My husband suffered an arm injury which required surgery, along with a brain injury, which also required surgery to install a permanent shunt.

My twin son, Jem, smashed through the side glass and was thrown at least 30 feet. He suffered a brain injury, along with many cuts, including a shredded face which required 70+ stitches. This photo was taken almost a year later. His face healed well with smooth scarring. But his brain injury has taken much longer to heal.

My twinling Jax was pinned underneath the van, beneath another lacrosse player. By the time the van was flipped back up by the adrenaline power of many, Jax had suffered from 5 broken ribs and a broken arm.

And here is the video of the accident scene in Prichard, Alabama. Today was my first time ever seeing this. Ranchman John happened to find it yesterday doing a Google search and he posted it on his Facebook page. It was his first time seeing this video, too. I never went to the accident scene, so everything I knew was from what others have told me. Needless to say, I was, and still am shocked, especially to look inside the van where my twinlings and husband had been. It’s a miracle they survived. most people don’t survive being hit head-on by a semi-truck.(Note: There are no injured people in the video. This video was shot after all the injured were taken to the hospital) 

   

After all the surgeries and healing, we realized that Ranchman John’s injuries, especially the brain injury were making it difficult for him to continue working. No one was paying any of the medical bills, and Liberty was trying to wipe their hands of any responsibility. We sought legal help and decided to sell our house in South Carolina, where things were more expensive, and move back to New Mexico again. Although it was a very difficult and challenging time, we were all looking forward to moving back to our beloved home in our Land of Enchantment.

All the airlines were going through a huge turmoil because of the 911 terrorism acts and our airline was offering furloughs or early retirements.

Speaking of 911, I’ve got another reason to be thankful. On that fateful day, my twinling Jem and Ranchman John we’re in the air at the same time that the planes crashed into the twin towers. They were on their way home from a flight to Orlando, Fl. As I watched the horrors happening in New York and in Washington DC I prayed so hard. I kept having to remind myself to breathe. Seeing them walk through our front door was huge relief.  

And because of all the uncertainty that was going on in our lives, Ranchman John decided to take an early retirement with the airline which included lifetime free flying benefits. We packed everything up with huge generous help from our wonderful home school community and our friends, and drove west. It was the best feeling ever to drive through the Tijeras Canyon Pass between the Sandia and Manzano Mountains and see Albuquerque spread out before us. We were finally home again!

(Our Rio Rancho, NM home with Jax and Jem in front)

But Ranchman John still had no job, and we were almost out of money from the move across country.

To be Continued……………