This was crazy!

Today the weirdest thing happened. Let me give you the story in bullet format.

• Collins was sleeping, boys were being noisy so I sent Carter and Colton outside to play. Yes, it was kind of drizzling, but they were happy to be outside.
• I was downstairs working on school lesson plans for next week. Hunter was practicing the piano. Thus, I could not hear my cell phone or the home phone ring.
• While on the trampoline, Colton's basketball escaped and went rolling down the hill away from our house.
• Carter told Colton that he would go down into the woods to find the ball. 
• A bit later, Colton comes in the house crying and tells me that his ball rolled down to the waterfall and that Carter went after it.
• I (feeling a bit annoyed) said that I would go look for the ball and would find Carter and tell him to come back to the house. I never like the boys to go down to the waterfall by themselves and especially not on a day like today when it had been raining lots. The waterfall is always at full speed after a big rain.
• As I walk into my room to get my shoes, I notice that the answering machine light if flashing. Trying to multi-task, I push the button to listen to the message as I grab my shoes. It was Todd on the message and it went something like this: "Hello, hello. Is anyone there? Call me back as soon as you can. Carter got lost in the woods and a neighbor is bringing him home."
• I quickly call Todd and at the same time hear a car pull into my driveway. So I hang up the phone and go to the door. It was a very nice man, who lives on Country Bluff Drive (just a street over) who had heard Carter yelling out in the woods behind his house. 

So let's wrap this thing up. Carter headed out into the woods, not toward the waterfall, but in the opposite direction. He couldn't find the ball so he just kept walking and pretty quickly realized that he was lost. Apparently he was in the woods yelling, "Mom, dad....Todd, Bronwyn!"  Thankfully this gentleman heard him and came to his rescue. And guess what, when asked Carter was able to recite Todd's phone number.  What a blessing! Each morning before school we pray and then do Questions. I quiz the boys on questions like: how many states in the U.S., current and past presidents, branches of the !government, continents, seasons, months, days of the week, Bible questions, whatever we are studying that week...plus their address and important phone numbers. Woo hoo! It paid off and Carter knew what to do. 

When he got home he was cold and a little wet, but just fine overall. He gave me the biggest hug and got a little weepy as he recounted the whole story to me. I was so thankful. We stopped to pray and thank God for so many ways that He protected Carter today.