Do you Believe in Miracles??

Hi Gang!
I have to share an event that happened to our family over this past weekend!

My youngest son Andrew was out playing with his friends on a street near a local drainage system when they got swept away by the fast rushing rain water.

You can read more about it in the LOCAL PAPER
and NEWS REPORTS

Saturday could have been much worse ...

We found out about the events in the early afternoon when a member of the WFPD came to my home asking if I was Andrew's mom. My first thought was DARN what had he done because he had spent the night at a friends house the night before. The officer began to explain that Andrew and his 2 friends were playing down the street and had been sucked into the cities drainage system by fast flowing rain water. If that wasn't bad enough he explained that Andrew had been missing in the drainage system for over 10 minutes.

After I got over the shock of Andrew being missing and how he was missing, the officer explained that the other 2 children had came out exits of the drainage pipes and were just fine.(other than having shredded clothing and a few cuts and bruises) That is how the officer got my address, so I knew they were ok if they were able to give info.

Andrew's male friend crawled out of a drainage hole and had flagged down a passing car. That car just happen to have an off duty firefighter in it. His friend told the firefighter about what just happened and the firefighter jumped into action and called for additional help to locate the 2 still missing children.

Andrew's female friend was found a few minutes after the call by an elderly couple. She had come out the drainage system behind the country club area! What a blessing! That they were safe!

But, MY Andrew was still missing.

I was told after 25 minutes that it did not look good to prepare myself for the worst and that the divers and boats had been sent in to find Andrew. That it was now considered a recovery mission. My heart dropped!

Time was passing so slowly!

It was so hard just to sit and be calm ~ I was thinking~ where could he be and what was he was doing...was he safe??
I wanted to run down there and search for my baby but the officer would not let me leave!

When you see a member of the PD starting to tear up you just know the news is going to be bad!

By this time my house was filling up with family and friends praying for Andrew.

AFTER a 45 LONG minutes there was a crackling over the police mans radio ~ he had walked away so I could not hear what was being said..

He come back to us and explained  "We have him"!
BUT he didn't tell me his condition or at least I didn't give him a chance!

I just remember running down the street to the drainage ditch!

When I got there I saw Andrew sitting in the front seat of the police car with a blanket wrapped around him. His eyes were huge and he looked scared to death!

Andrew was found walking out of the same place that he had been swept in~~
He was taken to the ER to make sure he was ok.
He was cold, wet, scared and in shock.
His pants had been shredded by the current of the water.
The Dr released him shortly after he was declared to be fine.
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I want to thank the entire police force here in Wichita Falls along with the firefighters, divers, boat operators and member of the city who searched for my son!
I also want to say a big thank you to SouthWest Baptist church and its members for praying for the children, even before they knew who they were!!
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I believe that it was a miracle that he and his friends were found all alive!!
I always hear horror stories about kids and rushing water!
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update 11-3-12
All 3 of them tell their stories of this day all a little different. ~~
*The male friend says he rode the waves until he saw daylight and grabbed for one of the drainage holes that come close enough for him to grab hold of. He says he didn't even know it was a drainage hole until he had crawled out of it and calmed down. His pants and shirt was almost gone from the waves and debris in the water.

*The female friends says that she could not hold onto anything so she just rode the waves. She came out at the exit near the country club. He pants and undergarments were shredded from the water.

The 2 of them laugh to this day cuz it was the funnest water ride they had ever been on...lol

Andrew on the other hand explains that he could not find anything to grab onto, the sides of the tunnel were solid flat surfaces. He said he knows he made 5 to 6 turns in the drainage system. He was trying to stand up but the water kept rushing him. He was scared, crying and praying. He says that when he started praying something grabbed his foot and held him in place so that he didn't float away anymore. The water level at the time he was grabbed was at his neck and rushing over his face. He says it took him a few minutes to calm down and realize that the water level was dropping. The water level continued to drop enough so that he could stand up on his own. What ever had grabbed him had let go and he started walking. He states that something guided him out of the dark tunnels. He cant explain what it was but he says "something" guided him out.
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Update June 2013
The 3 of them are still best buds! They have sleepovers at each others' houses every weekend and hang out at the movies and the mall often. They know they were very lucky and bring up the events of that day often. Mostly it is laughing about their clothes.(they think they looked like the HULK) They all still attend the same church and are planning on going to summer camp soon together.

We have seen the officer that come to the house that day many times. He is amazed at how much the children have grown since then. Andy has grown a foot since and his voice has got deeper..lol
The office still says it was one of the best days he has had as an officer. It is a day he will never forget.
Its nice to now that we live in a community that jumps to help it kiddos in trouble! I feel lucky to live here! There are now signs all around the street where the water flows into the drainage system to beware of fast running water. The kids were swept away by less than 5 inches of water that day!

Andrew still cant explain what happened in there. He just doesn't know how to explain it.
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If you don't believe in a higher power or prayer this story should make you believe!
Please hug your children today cuz you just never know what the day may bring!

I am feel so blessed that God placed the off duty fireman and the elderly couple to help these younger children in their time of need! I am also grateful for the officer because he kept me calm in a time of shear panic!

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FREE iPad application - Elfishki Game Collection

Due to your demand, we just release our very first FREE iPad application - 

Elfishki Game Collection Free.

In this version, you you can enjoy the "Decorate the Cake" Game (fromElfishki and The Giant Cake Fairy Tale storybook).

The other two games - "Help Jeanso Pack his Backpack" and "See I Spy" are available as In-App purchase.

Get this Free iPad app HERE.

These are great games for the kiddos!

They have also released an iPhone version of our popular "Elfishki and The Giant Cake Fairy Tale storybook.  It's only $0.99.  In this iPhone version you will find:

• Multilingual storybook with professional voice-overs
• Same amazing illustration
• And a Bonus - "Decorate The Cake" game, which have been specifically adapted for the iPhone.

Get it HERE.

  

disclosure~ this info was passed on to me from Elfishski!

Progresso Launches Two New Light Cream Soups

Though summer is winding down, soup season is just gearing up! If you´re craving rich and creamy flavors, but don´t want to splurge on calories, the two new creamy flavors of Progresso® Light soups are here with a reason to celebrate!

At 100 calories per serving, now you can indulge in warm, creamy soups like Light Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese* and Light Chicken Pot Pie Style* without feeling guilty. Packed with indulgent, satisfying flavor, these two new Light creamy soups are the perfect way to make thoughtful eating decisions without sacrificing incredible taste.

• These two new Progresso Light creamy soups are joining the lineup of more than 40 flavorful soups that are 100 calories or less per serving
• These Weight Watchers® endorsed soups have 100 calories and a 2PointsPlus value per serving
• The Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese variety boasts pieces of potato with savory bacon and rich cheese flavor
• The Chicken Pot Pie Style variety exudes a home-style essence with cuts of white-meat chicken, hearty potatoes and classic vegetables

Is your mouth watering yet? Want to give these new Light creamy soups a try? Then grab your soup soon and download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of 4 cans of Progresso® soup today! Be sure to share this coupon with your family, friends and readers so they too can take advantage of the savings and try Progresso Light creamy soups!

To find out more and to keep up with the latest news from Progresso.com, visit Progresso.com and be sure to "Like" them on Facebook! 

disclosure~ this info was provided to me thru MyBlogSpark.

Wichita Falls Museum Day- Stroll and Roll~ Kell House

This is part 4 of my series on the Stroll N Roll from 2012
Part one ~ Museum of North Texas History
part two ~ The Wichita Falls RailRoad Museum
part three ~ Hotter 'N Hell clubhouse and the Art Gallery

As a reminder, the Stroll N Roll is a yearly event put on by the city of Wichita Falls 

and the Red River Valley tourism Association. 

For one day, we can visit all the local museums and art centers area in our for FREE. 

The city also provides free trolley service to each of the sites. 

This year there were 10 sites available to visit. 

My posts will cover a few of them that the kiddos and I found interesting.

In this post I will cover the Kell House Museum

Kell House Museum

Long considered a visionary and driving force behind the growth of our city, Frank Kell moved to Wichita Falls in 1896 at the urging of his brother-in-law, Joseph Kemp.  The two men were involved in the grain industry, the development of Lake Wichita, the utilities companies, the newspaper, the streetcar system, the railroad, the local college, and much more.  In 1909, Mr. Kell purchased the land on the bluff overlooking downtown and, with his sister-in-law Mrs. Minnie Mae Addickes serving as contractor, he built a home for his family. 

The Kell family home was occupied by Miss Willie May Kell after the death of her parents. When Miss Kell passed away in 1980, the Kell House was purchased and restored by the Wichita County Heritage Society, and the Kell House Museum opened in 1981.

The Kell House is one of the most historically and architecturally significant buildings in Wichita Falls. The Museum features distinctive architecture designed by the local firm of Jones and Orlopp, original family furnishings, textiles, decorative arts, and historic costumes. Guided tours of this local, state, and national landmark provide a fascinating history of this area’s early settlement and of the Kell family.

The Kell Family in 1910:

Left to Right
Back: Joseph, Carrie, Bess, Willie May, Sadie
Front: Mary Jo, Lula Kemp Kell, Frank Kell, Sybil, Emma Frances Stinnett Kemp

picture from this website

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Texas Landmark!

bedrooms

bathroom

kitchen

The kiddos and I had a great time walking thru such an old house and learning about the history of our city!

for more info on the Kell House Museum

Please check out Red River Valley

Thanks for reading!

I hope you enjoyed the tours from Stroll N Roll 2012