Memory Monday - An anniversary of sorts

I've decided to make Monday's on my blog, "Memory Monday" a day when I share a memory and/or experience from my life. Bear with me as this is where the journaling part of my blog comes in. More for posterity sake I guess.

November 5th 2001 was a pivotal day for our family. We packed up everything we owned in a U-haul truck and left Utah and began our journey to South Dakota.

To explain I must go back further. At the end of January of that same year, Scott cut his hand badly while at work. He cut through the tendons and nerves in his left hand requiring surgery. We knew that he would miss work, but we had no idea that it would be the end of October before he was able to return to work. Nor did we have any idea at the time he cut his hand that his employer did not carry worker's compensation insurance. Ultimately he had 4 surgeries before all was said and done. He never has regained full use of his pinky finger on his left hand.

Through those 10 months our family experienced many ups and downs. At the time of the accident we had 3 small children, the twins were 9 months old and Jordan was 2 1/2. Luckily we had built up some great food storage and were blessed to have family that were able to help us. I also was able to go back to work to help sustain our family.

During the end of September Scott began to look for a new job that he could start at the end of October. Around that same time, some friends of ours (a guy Scott had worked with at a previous employer) were unhappy with his job and where they were at. They needed a new job and new change for their family. He was a painter in a body shop, Scott is a bodyman. Scott called his brother Roy in South Dakota who owns a body shop, and it just so happened that Roy was looking for a painter and wanted to get rid of one of his bodymen too. So in a matter of a few days we all, our family and their family, decided that we would move to South Dakota.

Five years later we are still here. We continued to struggle, mainly with the many legal hurdles that we experienced with trying to get Scott's former employer to be found liable for covering the medical and other costs arising from Scott's accident. It took 4 years for us to see one penny.

Many lessons were learned from this experience that we had. Patience was a big one. Faith and forgiveness were others. We have also learned the value of food storage and being prepared for the unexpected. We have made great friends here and grown in ways I don't know that we would have if we hadn't moved here or had the experiences which we did. At times when we are experiencing a trial or difficult time it is hard to reflect on the blessing it is in our lives, or how this experience can be of benefit to us. It is much easier to look back after the fact and realize how trully blessed we were for having had this experience. Though I wouldn't care to go through it again.