Spooked!

Yesterday the family and I headed to the lake for the afternoon. When we arrive, M. usually gets out of car to open the gate and turn on the water valve. I usually get out of the car and walk around to get back into the car in the driver's seat. Then I drive in and M. shuts the gate behind me. But yesterday, as I started walking around to the driver's side, I saw a terribly long, poisonous-looking snake staring straight at me. I screamed "bloody murder." M. yelled, "What is it?!" I yelled back at him, "It's a huge snake RIGHT THERE! You just walked right by it! Why didn't you tell me!?!" I jumped back in the passenger side of the car and scooted over to the driver's side. By this time, the girls are also screaming. M. tells Li'l Man to get out of the car. He gets out of the car and stands by M. M. grabs a long stick and starts "playing" with the snake. It starts to coil up. In my mind's eye I can just imagine that the snake is about to strike at M. or my little man. I'm already trying to remember the way to the Dadeville Hospital. But all of a sudden, M. picks up the stick with the snake on it,turns it in a certain direction, and the snake glides away ever- so- peacefully. M. was so calm, cool, and collected the whole time. I'm NEVER that calm, cool, and collected! I don't even think M.'s heart rate increased! Meanwhile, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. A few seconds later, I rolled up the window in the backseat. AAA let out a loud scream! I hadn't realized that she was hanging out of the window watching the snake. Her yell sent me over the edge! Between the snake and the yell, I was done! Just get me inside!
I had the willies! But I was also bothered by my over-reaction to the whole thing. The two little girls were crying and I was a wreck! It reminded me of the time AAA knocked her front tooth out and I thought I needed an ambulance (for me). It's a whole different story - but certainly one worth telling. After the incident with AAA's tooth, I started praying for peace and calmness during stressful situations. I knew that my reaction to certain situations precipitated my children's reactions, and I wanted to be "in control." Yesterday proved that I still need to be praying!

We left the lake around dark. I usually get into the car and start backing it up. But it's also my job to position the car's headlights so that M can see the electrical box so that he can turn off the power to the water heater. M. walked into the biggest spider web with the biggest, blackest, hairiest spider on it that started crawling straight for him. He hipped and hollered, jumped and yelled. He even took his shirt off! It was so fun seeing this man acting like ME! However, it would NOT have been fun if it had been ME!

I'll save the story of AAA's tooth for my next post! Stay tuned! It'll make you feel better about yourself!

By the way, it was a king snake!

Thanking God today for my brave husband! And still praying for calmness to prevail!