Snug in the Cow Palace

Hi all! Here we are on New Year's Eve all cozy and warm in the Cow Palace Best Western Hotel in scenic Lamar, CO. We thought we had a way out today, but the highway never opened so here we stay for another day. The sun did arrive today and the snow stopped. How beautiful it looked. We took lots of pictures on a stroll around the parking lot and a little way down the highway. We will post the pictures as soon as we can. We also have pictures of the wreck that we will post.
There are many things to do at the Cow Palace. If it was warm, we would be "enjoying???" the odors of the local feed lot. Since it is cold we have been spared this pleasure. If we had brought our swim suits we could be swimming or enjoying the hot tub. The food is GREAT!! Steve said it's the best coffee ever. The staff and management have bent over backwards making our stay as comfortable as possible. They have been stranded here also since even the local roads are covered with snow drifts up to 8 feet tall. We have entertained ourselves with riotous games of Rummikub, meeting new friends, and eating.
Carol and Faithe are doing great also. We're all a little tired of hotel living, but are sure glad to be here, alive and warm. We hosted a church service this morning in the Colorado Room of the hotel. Three people in addition to our family came. We had a good time of scripture reading, prayer, sharing of testimonies, and singing to the Lord.
We will add more as the adventure continues. We wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Steve and Karen

Angels on Our Side

As most of you know, we (Carol, Karen, Steve, and Faithe) were traveling back from Colorado Springs on Thursday. We made it through a tremendous snow storm going out of Colorado Springs. It took us an hour just to make it out of the city. We eventually drove out of the snow and into rain. About 20 miles west of Lamar, CO we thought we were seeing a bridge across the highway. As we approached, we suddenly realized it was not a bridge, but a semi blocking the whole highway. We were in two vehicles since Steve was driving his son's car back to Oklahoma. We were both able to stop in time. Steve got out of his car and went to check on the truck driver. He also called 911. While waiting for help to show up, another semi heading west did not see the first semi across the road in time and plowed into the truck blocking the road. The three women were in the Carol's car. We watched as the semi got pushed toward us then stopped inches from our bumper. As we were praising God we heard a noise and looked up only to see the trailer of the semi falling toward us in slow motion. It literally moved slowly like someone (our Guardian Angels!) was just gradually laying it down. This gave Carol time to slide down in her seat as the roof and hood were caving in. The trailer stopped at the same time that Carol could no longer slide down any further. It had bent her glasses frame and popped out one lens. Karen in the passenger side and Faithe, in the back seat were able to get right out. Carol had to squirm a bit, but made it out fine also. Meanwhile, back at the side of the road Steve had heard and seen the 2nd truck coming. To avoid being hit, he ran to the side of the road. Unknowingly running right into a barbed wire fence. He quickly came back to check on the women in the car with punctured and scratched up legs and a punctured hand with a sprained finger. You never saw such grateful and cold people in your life. It was about 32 degrees. We had to wait for emergency people to show up. The fire department, ambulance, and Colorado Highway patrol and later Hazmat crews all showed up (more Angels on the Highway!). Steve was looked after by the EMTs and the rest of us were put into a warm vehicle while we waited for the necesarry paperwork to be filled out. It was about 2 hours before they eventually towed away our cars and took us to a hotel in Lamar, CO. Later that night a major blizzard moved in. So here we are in Lamar, CO till the roads open back up. Stay tuned for more updates!