Holiday Crunch Time. (Literally.)

After we left Chateau Avalon, after a wonderful night away, we thought we'd head to the mall.  We really didn't have anything to get, we just hadn't been there in a long time, so thought we'd browse a little bit, and maybe pick up one more thing for the boys (they only have 2 presents each, and they both know what one of them are).
Well.... We never made it to the mall.
As we merged onto the Interstate in the rain, as Paul was trying to switch lanes, all the sudden the car in front of us swerved over and slammed on their brakes.  Immediately in front of us were two stopped cars.  There was no way to avoid it, and the wet pavement gave no traction.  We were going probably about 50 mph.
CRUNCH.
There were 5 cars involved, and a rumor that a sixth (the one that caused the whole thing) fled the scene.  There was a lady in the car in front of us that went to the hospital in an ambulance.  I think she had hurt her leg, and was having trouble breathing.  (Pretty sure they had hit someone, and then we rear-ended them.)  As near as I can tell, there was a fender-bender as someone was merging onto the Interstate, and they stopped in traffic.  Since we were coming around a curve, and it had just happened, we didn't see it until we were right on it.
We went in to see my doctor, just to be sure everything was okay.  I know that sometimes it's not trauma to the belly (which there wasn't), but the sudden stop that can cause the placenta to tear.  There was no evidence of that, but even so, she had me go over to the hospital and be monitored for four hours.  Baby was NOT cooperating, squirming away from the sensor and kicking it the whole time.  Obviously everything's fine. :)
It turns out the truck is NOT totaled.  I knew it would be borderline.  It was - about $500 short of being totaled.  I have mixed feelings.  I'm glad we don't have to make the decision of picking out a new vehicle (although it would have answered some prayers about what to do about a vehicle when Baby comes).  But we do have to cough up our share, the $500 deductible, and things were really tight already.  (But God has provided most of that money - more on that in a later post.)  Also, we're both a little worried that the engine block may be tweaked enough that it will have some problems later down the road.  (The radiator and battery we know moved.)
All in all, we know God has a reason He let it happen.  We decided to take the truck, even though the car gets better mileage.  (Although the car wouldn't have fared as well in an accident.)  We decided to take the Interstate, rather than cutting across on 95th Street.  We wanted to go to the mall, even though there was no need to go.  I'm not sure what He wants us to learn, but I trust His ways are higher than mine.