Pondering Things That Are Really Important

I've had the chance over the last 24 hours or so to think about the things in life that really matter. Recent events have certainly given me a lot to think about....and that's always a good thing, right?

My dad was in a terrible accident yesterday. One of his horses that he loves so much got a little anxious right as my dad was trying to get on him. Apparently, he was dragged by the horse for a ways and then trampled. His skull was crushed, and he sustained some pretty massive brain trauma. He was life-flighted to the hospital, where life-saving brain surgery was performed on him immediately. The doctor told me today that without the removal of part of his skull, he would have passed away yesterday.

It is still pretty bad. He's obviously in a coma, and the brain damage is so extensive that they are not sure what is going to happen next. They are waiting for some swelling to go down to see what his body does, but it looks pretty grim. My dad, though, is a fighter and he's always been physically tough. Despite all of that, I hear my dad's voice telling me the same thing he's told me a million times, and that is that you have to trust in whatever God has planned.

Megan and I cam to Salt Lake early this morning. We are so fortunate that all the pieces fell together that allowed us to be here right now. We're not sure what the future will bring, but the one thing we do know is that it is in God's hands, and we trust Him.

I love you dad.

Our little 4 year old has started his first soccer team! He is so excited. He loves to wear his cleats around the house, and he always asks his dad to take him out and let him "goal." Brice also gets to start the adventure with him, because he is the new coach for the team! Jack loves it. Every time we talk about Jack playing soccer, he says, "And dad gets to be my coach!" His first game is Saturday. I, unfortunately, have to be out of town for the first game, and I am sad I am going to miss what I am sure is going to be a hilarious experience. My little boy is growing up!!!!

March 7, 2010 - WHY WE THINK OUR SON IS DESTINED FOR THE OSCARS

Jack told a story today in Primary. Okay, it was more like a big old huge story....

Brice and I were walking to Sunday school a little bit late, and the passed the Primary President as she was walking out of the Primary doors. She caught us and told us she was sorry to hear about our dog. Brice and I glanced at each other and then turned to the Primary President and said...."Um, we don't have a dog. We've never had a dog."

She then proceeded to tell us about Jack's little story. Apparently, Jack raised his hand (which, from the way she said it, sounded like a rarity) and told the whole primary about how his dog kept running away and that because of that, his mommy and daddy took the dog to the pound. AND we wouldn't get it back. She said his face was so sincere that all of the adults in the room were like, "That's so sad...." One of the little boys in his class stood up and said, "That's so sad." He was upset by the story.

The result: 3 or 4 adults who were in the Primary came up to us after church and said they were sorry to hear about our dog. We asked Jack about this dog story on the way home, and he told us the same story the Primary President said he'd told in Primary. We looked at Jack, trying SO HARD not to laugh, and told him, "But honey, we never had a dog." His reply: "That's because you won't go get him!" Brice and I lost it; we were laughing so hard that our credibility as parents went out the window and we're pretty sure our son will probably just lie for the rest of his life.

PS - WE DON'T HAVE A DOG!!!

So, a few friends of ours have had babies recently, including Brice's cousin and his wife Kristen. We are so excited for them all. Just for fun, we thought we would ask Jack some questions in relation to all the "baby" excitement.

Me: "Jack, do you want a baby brother or sister?"
Jack: "Puppy."

He's got a pretty good gig right now, and he knows it.

Jack recently had a birthday, and as I told him when he was born that I would do every year, I made his birthday cake. I was pretty proud of that cake; it took me WAY TOO long to do something so simple. I am not a baker!!!! But Jack loved it. It reminded me of his 1st birthday, when I made the same cake for him (hey, no judgments - he WANTED Winnie again). It took me three days or something like that when I did it the first time. When he turned one, though, we brought out the cake, sang to him, and while he was sitting in his hi-chair, we proceed to cut the cake. Well, he was one, and Winnie was his hero. He did not take kindly to the idea back then that we were "cutting up" his hero. Since that fateful day, we've tried to avoid that same situation by discussing in the weeks before his birthday that cake is SUPPOSED to be cut up.

I am not a big fan of this "my baby is growing up" thing. On his birthday, I woke him up and asked him, "Jack, do you know what happened 4 years ago today?' In a tired and somewhat exasperated voice, he said, "Mom, you birthed me."

With a big smile on my face, I told him, "You better believe I did, Bubba."

....And this is when you know you are back in a place that values the cheapness of their movie prices. We tried to think of what $1.50 actually gets you where we live now....and we came up with NOTHING. Our area supports the entire movie industry single-handedly.....hey, someone has to make sure Robert Pattinson gets paid $15 million for his appearance in the next installment of the Twilight franchise, and we'll do our part by paying $11 for a movie ticket. My message? You owe us, Robert, you owe us.

Christmas in Utah 2009

Our Christmas this year was more than a little special - it was A LOT special!!! We got to go to Utah, and to make it even better, both Brice's and my ENTIRE families were there. We got to see everyone...including Chelsey and her family from Colorado. It was GREAT. Jack got some serious cousin time, and he always asks us when we are going back. He loves being with his "friends," as he calls them.
We made Brice's mom's Swedish tea rings - and LOTS of them. Brice's sister Shannon taught me how to make them, and we spent the whole day making them to give away to his dad's neighbors. I think we made about 50 in total!!!