Tragedy ends in a New House for the Swenson-Lee Family

Last year I received an email from one of my best friends from Iowa State, Vicki Seliger Swenson, that her sister Terri Lee had been killed by her ex-boyfriend. I was devastated for Vicki and her sister's children. Terri Lee and her 4 children had already lost Terri's husband Ty in a car accident 4/5 years earlier. Now she too had been taken away. Vicki and her husband Erik took in Terri's 4 children, in addition to their 3 daughter's. Dateline NBC had been following the story of Terri and her story aired last week.

Vicki, played volleyball at ISU and we met at a restaurant in Ames, Elwell's while we waitressed. We quickly became great friends and would go out with Cindy after work. Vicki and I share the same birthday on the same year. The 3 of us, Vicki, Cindy and I have all kept in touch mainly via email since those good 'ol days of waiting tables at Elwell's together.

Today, I wake up to Ryan tell me Vicki went to Disney. It's 6 AM and for those who know me that's early for me!! I asked him to repeat it and it took a minute then he told me he'd woken up at 3 AM and checked online to see if they'd won. By won, Vicki and her family now known as the Swenson-Lee family had been submitted to be participants on ABC's Extreme Home Makeover. They'd been accepted. Vicki had emailed to say that they'd know on Aug. 21 if they'd been selected as the family from MN for the show. Well, I'm happy to report Vicki & the entire Swenson-Lee family all 9 of them are on their way to Disneyland while ABC is building them a new house. Here is the link to the story coming out of MN: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1375966.html

I'm so excited for my friend and her family. God works in mysterious ways!