I was able from the road, to track down our friends car and the owner of the place where it had been towed.  He could not have been nicer, nor more accommodating.  He answered the phone with a high school football game going on in the background and apologized for how loud it was.  I apologized for bothering him ‘after hours.’

“Not a problem,” he said.  “How is the couple?  And do you know how the other driver is? I’m pretty sure I know her.”

The crash happened just outside a small town where everyone knows everyone.

Turns out this woman, a lovely woman in her 80’s, had pulled over on the side of that 2-highway road for some reason, let traffic in her lane go by and when it looked like the last car had passed going in her same direction, she pulled back onto the road and went to turn left.  Left, into the path of our dear friends.  She never saw them coming.

Thank goodness everyone walked away relatively unscathed.  Sore.  Bruised.  A few stitches.  Both parties in need of new vehicles.  But alive.

…………..

The Cowboy stopped and picked up their luggage from the mangled car, went by the hospital, gently helped get them into the truck and took them to their hotel room.  They were going to be okay.  We would see them in the morning.

That night though, there was a house full of people gathered for us.

We arrived that night back at his folks house at almost the same time.

…………….

The love and joy and coming together of family and friends for a weekend we weren’t even planning to have this fall .. was wonderful, so appreciated, enjoyed and a bit overwhelming.

We stepped into a houseful of people simply waiting for us to get there safely too.  There were kids and hugs and stories being told and laughter and one incredible cake .. the Cowboy’s parents hosting a welcome party for everyone who came to town that Friday night.

Thank you to everyone who made that trip, you have no idea how much the time with you means to us.  Thanks especially to the Cowboy’s parents, for being so gracious to all that weekend .. and for sharing your home and hearts with new family and friends from Wisconsin.