Annual Holiday Skating Party - Not The Usual Party

I have been so busy sorting that I am not getting to do lots of the other projects I have that I want to get done and blog about. 
 
I have many projects with my mom's estate items that need to be refinished and I really want to get to doing them but I need to finish the sorting and scanning - or at least the scanning of the pictures I want to use in her book. So, things are not getting done around the house or other projects as I am hyper focused on the sorting project.

I get doing things and forget what I have and have not blogged about due to the fact that I take pictures and then think I have blogged it. I was about to blog about something I had already blogged about and then thought I had blogged about the annual skating party but then remembered I hadn't so today, I will share about that. 

My father always pays for our entire family to rent out a skating / bouncy / laser tag center the day after Christmas for a few hours before it opens to the public. He has done this for years and it has been a fun way for my kids to hang out with their cousins in a fun environment.  

As the kids get older, they aren't so much interested in the jumping fun but we usually enjoy laser tag. This year, since we had our Christmas at home, Princess One didn't want to travel the hours to the party and then the many hours to her home with little one's that get car sick so she chose not to go. 

Knowing she wouldn't be going, it isn't as much fun to not having little one's there to take pictures of in the ball pits etc. I really didn't want to drive the six ours to the party as it gets to be a long day and many of the older cousins don't attend so my girls and I usually end up watching younger cousins as their parents sometimes have a hard time keeping up with all of them. 

When I arrived, I was super excited to see my step-brother and his wife visiting from afar who hasn't visited in many years. In fact, it has been so many years, I didn't recognize any of his children. It was long enough he thought I was my sister as I have gained the weight from the parasites since he was visiting last. 

It was really good to visit with them. I had shared with a few people that it was hard for me to drive up and support the party as I am super tired and it is lots of time driving but we don't get to visit with many of the cousins as they are off playing so I would like a more of a reunion type party where it is more of playing a game so we get to see and visit with everyone. There are people that go to the skating party that I don't see or talk with at all as they are off with their kids and then leave when through playing. 

I had taken a few photos when someone came to me saying someone was hurt. One of the older teens at the party fell and hit their head really hard causing a HUGE bump on the back of their head. I shared with the parents about the signs of concussion and warning signs and as we are applying ice she starts to lose memory and can't remember getting to the party.

She kept asking if she had fallen, she kept acting surprised at the clothes she was wearing and within a few minutes couldn't tell me what day it was or that it was Christmas the day before. I have never seen a head trauma go south so fast. We were headed out to get her to the ER when I suggested we pray over her. 

We went into one of the side rooms and her father gave her the sweetest blessing / prayer and then they rushed her to the hospital. Before they prayed, the dad was super stressed and after the prayer, everything calmed down. It was so cool to see, it was as if we knew she would be "OK" after the blessing. 

I had planned to do something fun with the girls but had forgotten my cell phone that day. I told them to go have fun and I was going to head to my dad's to help get the adult dinner ready. I also wanted to take a nap before as I would have to drive home later that night alone. I was resting in the sun in the car when the family pulled into my dad's. I jumped out and asked how their daughter was.... The dad came and gave me a huge hug and said, "And you didn't want to come today.... We are glad you did!" and thanked me for helping his daughter. 

There were several other times throughout the day when things happened that only I could do or say and I realized that we don't always go to events for ourselves, and it may not always be convenient or fun, but, sometimes God uses us to help others and I think when we get stressed or busy, sometimes we forget that the real reason we are alive is to touch others. I needed that reminder. 

My cute artistic niece drew this amazing horse picture in about ten minutes. I need to do another "art show" post as she is super talented! I know she will be famous for her art someday.... Here is a link to a post about her art. 
 
Here is a link to last years skating party. Due to the head injury, I didn't get to take pictures of tag and karaoke as I lost my camera during the emergency and didn't find it until nearly everyone had left. It was in the side room under a table leg so I took less than ten pictures of the party.  

Here is a post from 2014 where Grand-Princess One attended looking in awe of it all. 

Here is one from 2011 where Princess Five is looking super young.  

I did get to enjoy Princess Five singing "Dancing Queen" at the end of the party while I was looking for my camera. She was rocking it up there! 

I am super happy that everyone was alright in the end and glad there were no lasting issues with the fall. It is crazy how quickly our lives can change and how fast accidents happen as we know all too well! 

I was giving gratitude this week in a huge way for Princess Five being alive as when I hear of others not surviving crashes, I am still in amazement that she survived.... We are truly blessed!