Even the very young understand the importance of patriotism!
There are always a few games of very intense volleyball.....
Serious hitters playing Mountain "work-up".....look at their faces!!
Hiking up to Webb Tower. The view is beautiful, cousins and friends finding names and leaving their names as the tradition continues....
Picking berries was eventful this year. And exploring the caves is always fun and dirty...
and of course there are the motorcycles! Everyone's favorite pastime.
Pitching in and helping with cousins and lots of "helpers" makes the work go fast.
And sometimes....it's nice to relax and do things that our fast-paced lives crowd out down in the "real world".
Our Saturday dinner was well attended.
Pitching in and helping with cousins and lots of "helpers" makes the work go fast.
And sometimes....it's nice to relax and do things that our fast-paced lives crowd out down in the "real world".
Our Saturday dinner was well attended.
Sunday's meetings are always special. There is a warm spirit that touches the soul as testimonies are shared, songs are sung, and the beauty of the mountain is in view.
Our Relief Society
Priesthood
This year’s experiences and memories are
a little different than most years. As
we spent a wonderful weekend at the cabin on the 4th of July
weekend, we were surrounded by the admirable work of the fire-fighters. There were a few fires in the surrounding
areas and we watched this all through the weekend.
On Labor Day, it was beautiful and green from the rains of the monsoons. However, we didn’t get to experience any of the memorable rain storms this weekend. For “tent city”, this was a blessing, I am sure!
Every year, a group decides to hike off the mountain. Jacque, Ryan, Aly, and Eric were part of this group. Brad and I drove separate cars down the mountain Sunday evening and left a car for these four at Grandmas so they would have a vehicle back to Gilbert. Monday morning, we receive a call from Jacque. This is highly unusual as there is no reception on top of the mountain, so we thought they had hiked down far enough to finally get cell coverage. I answer the phone:
Me: HEY.....you must be making good time hiking the mountain! How is everyone?
Jacque: Well...there has been a change of plans. We are bringing Aly down the mountain in Mark's truck. We think she has broken her leg.
Me: ..........what?........
NOW: for the rest of the story....we insert Aly's telling of her experience:
Right before beginning our hike down the mountain, Eric and I decided to go on one last dirt-bike ride. Sometime around 8:15-30am (ish) we were riding about ten or fifteen minutes past the Bible Camp gate, we came up to a washed-out section of the trail. Not being able to get past all of the ruts driven into the ground, our front tire fell in a foot and a half deep ravine. As I was sent over the handle-bars, my knee got caught in the handlebars and threw me back. The bike’s momentum still sent the bike forward and the bulk of the bike landed on me (A Yamaha 250 weighs around 270lbs). We were blessed that Eric did not get too injured (just scraped up a little bit) because he was able to pull the bike off of me. I immediately yelled at Eric to get the bike up; he responded with, “I don’t care about the bike right now!” but I did because that was our only way back any source of help. After getting the bike to the least rough spot on the road and standing up, Eric ran back to my side. Once I saw my leg, I began to go into shock; the entire leg below the knee was cock-eyed and sunken down about an inch from where a knee should be. Since Eric had never driven a dirt bike, I assumed I would have to drive us back. I asked Eric to pick me up and as he did, my knee rolled and popped back in alignment. Standing (being held up about 95% by Eric) next to the bike, it was clear that I would not be driving or riding us back to camp; I knew we had to pray. Eric said the prayer and we both knew what had to be done. Eric sat me down on the side of the road and figured out the bike enough to drive back to camp. I waited until I couldn’t hear his engine anymore and let out all of the screams I had been holding in. Between screams I sang Primary songs and prayed. The pain was so intense that I started experiencing cold sweats and my head started to spin. I knew that I needed to focus, so I started to count the flowers that I could see. To pass the time, I took off my shoe and ripped my jeans from seam to seam so we could reach the knee. Frankly, I felt rather accomplished at this point. Although I know that the time period was much longer, I was very blessed because it felt like 5 minutes.
Honestly I do not remember who
showed up in what order, but before I knew it, Uncle Mark and Eric pulled up in
a truck, Uncle Daryl and a lady (whose name has slipped my memory) drove up on
a dirt-bike, and Jacque came crashing through (haha, I couldn’t leave that part
out). The men carried me to the truck while Jacque and the lady pulled me into
the cab. The drive from the accident to the cabin was probably the worst part
out of the entire day besides that actual incident because my knee was
literally just jiggling in every which direction. Once back at the cabin,
Jacque popped painkillers in my mouth while others helped get me water and
feeling as comfortable as possible in the back of the truck. Nathan split a 2x4
and covered it in tape in order to create my splint. Other helpers (whose faces
I cannot really remember) ripped up a towel for the splint and got me a bottle
of water. Eric and Uncle Mark gave me a Priesthood Blessing to help the pain
and my nerves. It was truly a miracle that I was as comfortable as I was during
the entire drive home.
Jacque and Ryan hopped in the front
of the truck while Eric held me for the entire drive home. Yes it was painful,
but the drive home was rather pleasant under the circumstances. Poor Mom and Dad
received that phone call that no parent wants to get. We would meet them at
Banner Desert Hospital in Mesa. After a short pit-stop and a car switch at
Grandma’s house, we were headed home. I felt so great that I even asked if we
could stop at Taco Bell! Good thing we did too, because I would have gone a
LONG time without food (8:00am to 7:00pm without food? = Cranky Aly). That
Doritos Locos Taco was worth the stop.
At the E.R. entrance, we took a picture, as seen on Facebook and Instagram, and headed inside. After hours of troubles with nurses, pain medication, x-rays, an immobilization brace and rude technicians, I was finally able to go home with the news that nothing was broken (which was false).
At the E.R. entrance, we took a picture, as seen on Facebook and Instagram, and headed inside. After hours of troubles with nurses, pain medication, x-rays, an immobilization brace and rude technicians, I was finally able to go home with the news that nothing was broken (which was false).
After a couple of weeks with doctor appointments,
another x-ray and an MRI, we found out that:
* There was a complete tear of the medial collateral ligament and medial capsule
* A Displaced tear of the medial meniscus
* A complete tear of the ACL
* A complete tear of the PCL
* AND...a depressed lateral tibial plateau fracture.
After hearing that, I felt very validated in my pain level on Labor Day. Thank you to everybody who has helped, is helping or has done anything to make this experience any less negative than it could be. I am so thankful for my family and friends, I love you and I have felt your love.
* There was a complete tear of the medial collateral ligament and medial capsule
* A Displaced tear of the medial meniscus
* A complete tear of the ACL
* A complete tear of the PCL
* AND...a depressed lateral tibial plateau fracture.
After hearing that, I felt very validated in my pain level on Labor Day. Thank you to everybody who has helped, is helping or has done anything to make this experience any less negative than it could be. I am so thankful for my family and friends, I love you and I have felt your love.
