Summer '08 Continued-This will be long!

So the next event in our summer is one that we would all love to forget, but it changed our lives forever. This post will be long and pretty detialed but this is my journal/scrapbook.

The week of July 7th Cody asked if the kids and I wanted to go camping that weekend. I never really gave him an answer and finally thursday night I decided that it would be a nice break to get out of town for a couple of days. So friday I spent the day getting ready and we were going to head out around 7 when Cody got home. Cody got home as planned and we loaded the suburban and hooked on the horse trailer and went to get our horses from Cody's grandma Brown's pasture. When we got there Cody realized the trailer had a flat so we hurried and changed that. We stopped by Cody's dads to change hitches because the one that was on was causing the trailer to slant too much. Then we stopped at Pit Stop to get gas. We then thought we better stop and get a spare tire for the trailer. By now the kids are starving so we stop at McDonalds on University Avenue and get them some dinner. It is now about 10:30 p.m. and we have about a 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive ahead of us. While driving up the canyon I remembered I forgot to stop at the egg farm and buy some eggs so we stopped in Heber and bought eggs just as the store was closing. Cody and I even said should we just wait and leave in the morning and we both thought we should just go and the kids would sleep the whole way. It even entered both of our minds to not go at all and just go another weekend.

We finally got to the West Fork and got in the cabin and played musical beds for a while until everyone finally fell asleep. Cody's main object for the weekend was to look for wildlife and get a good workout for the horses(especially a 3 year old colt named Camrey). Cody got up early and rode the horses for a few hours and we all slept in. We then had breakfast and goofed around the rest of the day and had naps and Cody and the kids went for a horse rides. Had a good dinner, roasted marshmallows and went to bed.

The only ones up to the cabin was us and Cody's cousin Seth and his wife Andie and their three boys Race, Ryder and Kelly. His aunt Bev came up for the day on saturday and made sure we all ate really well that day:)

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast and headed out for a long drive and shooting guns. We had a blast and our 2 year old Brit fell asleep on the way back to the cabin. We finally decided we should start getting ready to clean up and go. Cody went to move the suburban closer to the cabin so we could start loading all of our stuff and we could not find the keys. We looked EVERYWHERE and finally Cody remembered had had hid them inder the floor mat. We were all done cleaning up camp and his cousin left about 30-40 minutes before us. Beretta was already in the suburban, I had Brynlie in her car seat and Brooklyn and I were sitting on the porch waiting for Cody to get the horses and get the loaded. Brit was still sleeping in Grandma Jeans trailer and Brooklyn told me she left the door open a crack so if he woke up he would just be able to push the door open and walk out. I had this thought to go and shut it but just then here came Brit walking up the trail. He sat down next to me and Brooklyn said I am going to get a drink for the ride home and Brit saw Cody with the horses and jumped up an said I want to help. He took off running and got to Cody just as he was about to load the horses into the horse trailer. He handed Buck to Brit and they were standing to the side of the trailer while Cody went to load Camrey. Cody took her in and went to hook her in and she started backing out so he pulled on her to bring her back in. I think that happened two times and on the third time Cody turned to pull her again and saw Brit standing right behind the door. I looked up and saw him at the exact same time and just then Cody pulled on her as hard as she could and she went back as hard as she could and trampled right over the top of Brit. The horse Brit was holding onto put his nose down and kindof shoved the other horse out of the way and Cody hurried and picked Brit up and came running and handed him to me. We hurried and grabbed some towels, loaded the kids, horses and headed out. This is all still a blur to me!!

At first I thought he just had a bloody nose but soon realized it was much worse than I thought. He had a hole in his face that was on the right side of his nose, under his nostril and then out to the middle of his cheek. He also was bleeding on the back of his head and looked like he was going to pass out any minute. We asked Brooklyn to say a pray as we were driving. Cody was a panicked mess and I somehow held it together while I held him on my lap as Cody drove like crazy on those dirt roads with a horse trailer flying behind us(I'm sure people were thinking what are these idiots doing).

We caught up to Cody's cousin right before he was about to turn to go up to Timber Lakes where he lives. He saw us in his rear view mirror and said to his wife they're going to the hospital. We got cel phone service about that same time and Cody called his dad and said meet us at Heber Hospital and bring your truck so you can take my trailer home and bring your oil so we can give Brit a blessing. I called Seth and told him what happened and he led us to the hospital.

We got to the hospital and went in the ER and they looked at him like what do you want us to do? They immediately called Lifeflight and did a CT scan to make sure there was no bleeding or swelling on the brain. We really wanted to give him a blessing and Clyde and Eva were not there yet and Cody has a few friends who live in Heber so he called them and could not get a hold of one and the other one was in Provo just heading up the canyon. He finally got a hold of Greg McPhee and he hurried down and they gave him a blessing. Seth and Andie took our other kids back to their house and bathed them and fed them dinner.

Clyde and Eva came and I think they gave him another blessing. The CT scan looked good so they got him ready for Lifeflight. Cody's mom and sister Sharla had got word and immediately headed up the canyon and his sister Leslee was taking her stepkids back to Heber and so she got there too just before he Lifeflight got there. Seth and Andie brought our kids back so Clyde and Eva could take them down to my parents.

We all watched and cried as they loaded him in the helicopter. I had never felt so helpless as a mother. We went back in the hospital and Clyde and Cody's friend Nic Provost gave us each a blessing. About the time we got done and loaded our kids in Clyde's truck they came and told us that Lifeflight had arrived at Primary Childrens(It was seven minutes later). They would not let Cody or I drive so Sharla drove me in the suburban and Cody went with his mom. We stopped to grab a drink because we knew it was going to be a long night. Cody asked me to call one of our good friends Casey Pratt(one of Brit's idols)and let him know. I called and told him and he said Stacy and I are on our way. I said you don't have to come Cody just wanted me to let you know.

We finally got to Primary Childrens and got to see him and he was not happy. They had given him some morphine that was making him halllucinate. They had done some x-rays and other scans and informed us that he had 4 broken ribs and a pleural effusion(air that escaped out of the lung and had formed a pocket on the outside of the lung), a scull fracture, was going to need staples in the back of his head and that the plastic surgeon would be able to do his face that night. They later came and told us he had 3 fractures in his foot. He was so thirsty and they would not let him even suck on a piece of ice.

The plastic surgeon came and told us what he would be doing and we could stay in and watch if we wanted too. We opted not to but our friends the Pratt's came just then and stayed in there with him. The medications were not working(he is a tough kid) and so they had to get o.k. to give hime more.

In the meantime Cody's really good friend from high school Ben Cloward and his wife Marni came to our rescue. They live about 5 minutes from the hospital and came and picked me up and took me to there house to shower. They took me back and picked Cody up. About the time I got back they had just finished up his face and was doing the staples in the back of his head.

Once they finally had him settled in a room it was about 11:30 p.m. and even though Cody and I were so exhausted we both had a really hard time sleeping. Brit woke up all night crying in pain and the stupid machines kept beeping and nurses kept coming in to check his stats.

Brit is a total daddy's boy and would yell for Cody whenever he woke up. Cody never left his side. We were there until wednesday afternoon and had a ton of family, friends and ward members come to visit. Some of the visitors were Brooklyn, Beretta, Grandma Jackie,Grandpa Clyde and Grandma Eva, Aunt Shar, Riley, Kelsie, Mal, Robbie Nikki and Natalie Brown and some of there friends, Grandma Lil and Grandpa Terry, Uncle Tyler, Aunt Katie, Aunt Diane, Aunt Vina, Uncle John, Morgan, Sydnie and Nate(Ashlie and Allie were in New York) Lynn and Millie Abplanalp, Becky Davis, Shanna Okelberry O'Brien, Seth and Andie, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Russell, Aunt Trisha and Uncle John, Bishop Wayne Miller and Brother Glen Tanner, Greg Maughn and Josh Davis(Sorry if I left anyone out).

Casey and Stacey were there until 11:45 the first night and were both back again the next morning. Casey came first with a new rope and a truck and horse trailer. Stacy, Savannah, Cheyanne, Codie Jo and Leslie Beck came later with balloons, a horse and treats.

While Casey was there we learned that the pleural efusion had not gotten a little bigger and if it did not start to get smaller they would have to do a surgery, so Cody and Casey gave him another blessing. Casey did an awesome job and later that night he had another x-ray and it had started to go down.

It had been a long four days and we were so ready to come home! Over the next month we had to go back up to the hospital at least once a week for different doctor appointments. Brit did so good during the whole process and was so good to keep his C-Collar on. The hardest part was not being able to shower or bath because he gets in at least 3 times a day normally(NOT KIDDING).

If we thought we were overwhelmed by visitors at the hospital it only doubled after we got home. I don't even want to begin naming them because I know I would leave someone out. People brought him all sorts of things to do while he could lay on the couch including movies, books, playdough, coloring books, stickers, remote control tractors, fishing game, etch-a-sketch and the list goes on.... We had meals coming in and people taking our other kids so Brit could get some rest. People would call and ask what I needed from the store and if I needed help cleaning my house.

The biggest shocker came though when I went to get the mail and for a month we kept getting checks and money from people wanting to help out with hospital and doctor bills. We do have insurance but it was still adding up really fast. Then the roping club that Cody is in called and said that the ACTRA roping that was scheduled for August 7th was going to be a benefit roping for Brit. And Brad Ford called and said he set up an account at Central Bank. I can not desbribe how humbling it is for people to care so much.

When Brit's Benefit Roping came it was so unbelievable. Cody's mom and sister Sharla made some baby quilts, my mom and aunt made a big quilt and another ropers wife made a quilt and Cody's aunt Beverly sent down a receiving blanket and burp cloth. Stacy Pratt sold alot of raffle tickets before and that night at the roping. Other sponsors for the event were Brad Ford-Creative Signs added money to roping, Luke Hansen Prime Electric- added money, Mike Wallburger-Rocky Mountain Large Animal Clinic added money, Greg Kessler-Steers, Sam Lunceford-The OilChange-Belt Buckle, Randy Burnham-Piano Gallery-Belt Buckle, Jesse Sullivan-S&L Automotive-Belt Buckle, Rocky Giles-Rocky's American Car Care- 2(125.00) Gift Certificates, Nick Hanks-Five Star Trailers-drop down trailer window screens, Glen Larsen-Frontier Trailers-added money, Casey Pratt-Mirage Landscape Donation to Benefit Fund, Western Unlimited-Headstall, Broken Spoke Tack and Feed-Headstall, Marty Cole(Deseret meats)- Hot Dogs and Buns, Bill Beck-Planter Box. There was more I think but was I am not sure who or what.

The Benefit roping turned out to be a huge success and we are so thankful for all of our family and friends who made the night a success. We can never repay you all but know if anything happens to you our family will help out.

We are so thankful for all the prayers on our famalies behalf. I look at Brit every day and know how lucky we are to still be able to have him in our lives. He is so funny and is doing so amazingly well. He is not afraid of horses one bit, in fact he is more obsessed with them than he was before. He really is a 2 year old going on 20. He watches rodeos all day and night and Brooklyn and Beretta get so mad. Most two year olds watch Barney and Handy Manny but not him. It is either the roping show or a rodeo or a movie with horses in it. His favorites being Man From Snowy River, Return to Snowy River and Flicka.

I want Brooklyn and Beretta to know how thankful we are for them for being so good during all of this. I am sure they got a little jelouse about all the attention that Brit was getting.

I want Cody to know how thankful I am for him and for the priesthood he holds. Brit looks up to him so much and wants to do whatever it is Cody is doing. He cries every day when Cody leaves for work, which is fine with me because my other kids have always been more attached to me.

Thanks again to everyone who helped out. We truly appreciate it all so much. Everyone hug your kids every day and tell them you love them because you never know, it could be the last time you will see them again. We just got blessed and still get to be able to do that every day.