And not to be left out...

...in my usual graceful way, as the kids and I were leaving for the restaurant last night, I fell down all fourteen of our basement stairs! I was carrying Abigail and when I stepped down with my first foot, my shoe slipped right out from under me and I slid down on my shins all the way to the bottom. I remember thinking, as I bounced and banged my way down, "This is really going to hurt when it's over!!!" And it did! Amazingly -- gratefully -- I am not in as much pain as I thought I would be today. My right ankle is bruised, my left knee, shin, and foot are bruised, swollen, and scraped up, and everything hurts like I've been beaten up, but I am up and around and in discomfort more than in actual pain. I am very grateful for the Lord's protection -- it could have been so much worse -- and I am also thankful that Abigail stayed out of harm's way and was completely unscathed by the ordeal. In fact, when we got to the bottom -- all I could do at that point was gasp and moan -- Abigail cocked an eyebrow at me and said, "Why did you do that?" !!!!!!!!!!!!! David earned a badge of honor in the midst of all this -- he was very levelheaded; he asked if I was okay and then ran to get the phone and called his daddy to ask what he should do to help me. It's nice to know I can depend on him at times like these! Just another episode in my saga of klutzy performances...but I think this is one of the most dramatic ones yet!