My visit to the hospital on Friday

I spent the afternoon at the hospital on Friday. Both Christian and Stephanie are hanging in there but have a long way to go. Every day is different and it's still kind of touch and go. I was there with my sister Diane, and later my parents arrived. One of the nurses handed us a huge stack of cards and letters that had been delivered to the hospital. Most were from people who had never met Christian or Stephanie, but had been influenced by their example.

We got to visit Christian for a while but Stephanie was still in surgery where she had been all day. When she was finally returned to her room they said it would be still be over an hour until we could see her. My dad had to leave for an appointment after a little while but my mom stayed to ride home with us. We went out in the waiting room to read all the mail.

We had just finished reading all the kind well wishes from strangers when Stephanie's oldest sister Page walked in. She had just arrived from the airport (lives in Utah). Page is an RN and wanted to know all the details and had lots of medical questions to ask. It was such a wonderful bit of luck (probably not luck) that Dr. Matthews (the surgeon who had been working on Stephanie all day) happened to walk through the waiting room just then.

I was the only one of our little group sitting there who had met him (I had two good talks with him earlier during the week) so I don't think he would have stopped except that I went out of my way to make eye-contact with him and he recognized me (bless his heart) and came over. He talked with us for a good hour giving us lots of details and explaining the latest information to us. And he answered Page's questions. At the end of our conversation it was about time for Stephanie to be seen so he took her back. Jay had arrived during this time so he and I headed home.

Dr. Matthew is a quirky guy, but I really like him. He is patient and takes the time to explain things in a way that those of us with no medical background can understand. It was late in the afternoon on a Friday after he had been in surgery all day, but he didn't rush or seem put out at all. What a nice guy. He described himself as a "god-fearing man" and said he was praying for them as well.

I won't go into the details, but the bottom line is that we are grateful they have no internal problems.... all organs are functioning well. Their lungs weren't damaged and their bodies seem to be responding well so far. They have many many many more surgeries ahead and months and months and months of recovery to go but I have faith that everything will work out.

People have been so generous with their offers of help, and have been donating to the recovery fund. What a blessing! Thank you all! Jay's co-workers got together and made a nice contribution, which was really thoughtful. There are so many good people in the world. It's nice to know that.

A Way to Help

You may have noticed something new on the side bar. Many of you have asked how you can help. If you would like, you can donate to the recovery fund for Christian and Stephanie. (click on "donate to NieNie") The cost of their care is going to be in the millions, and they will max out their insurance very soon.

Thanks again for all of your love and support!

Some Thoughts

*I spent most of the day at the hospital yesterday. (Thank you for keeping Jack all day Teresa! And for bringing dinner!) I was able to talk to the doctor before and after Christian's surgery yesterday and he said that things went well. It was the first of many surgeries to come.

*I spent the afternoon at the hospital again today. (Thank you Jenni, for helping with my kids!) Stephanie was in surgery when I arrived, but I got to "talk to" Christian for a while.

When I spent some time in the hospital after a bad car accident about 9 years ago, my father sat at my side and read to me from the Book of Mormon during a particularly difficult time... I had just come out of surgery and was in a lot of pain. He read for over 2 hours, and while he did so I was calm and peaceful. He said that whenever he paused to clear his throat or take a sip of water I would begin writhing in pain again. It is a wonderful testimony to the power of scripture.

So, today I took a copy of the Book of Mormon with me and read to Christian... until they kicked me out so they could prep him for surgery. I held the book in one hand and kept my other hand on his shoulder where there are no burns or bandages. He seemed to respond a bit while I read... plus it was comforting for me as well. I don't expect him to remember it, but I think a part of him knows.

*I have been so impressed with the doctors and nurses and staff. I have been told a number of times that this burn center where they are is top notch. One of my dear friends emailed me yesterday to tell me how she worked there while in nursing school and what a great place it is. I know that Christian and Stephanie are in good hands (both a great medical staff, and the Lord's hands). Everyone has been really kind. Both yesterday and today there were "cookie packages" delivered from friends. Obviously, Christian and Stephanie can't eat them, so after removing the cards I invited the staff to eat the cookies, which they were more than happy to do. :)

*My sister-in-law Darin had the wonderful idea of putting photos of Christian and Stephanie in their rooms. My sister Liz followed through today and put up a bunch of wonderful photos. It was fun to look at them with all the nurses as they "ooh-ed" and "awed" and asked me about each one. They said they felt like they were getting to know them through their photos... and that was the whole point.

*Liz also hung a few quotes from Stephanie's blog, one of which mentioned the Family Proclamation. The nurses asked me what that was and I had the opportunity to tell them a little about it. Combine that with them hearing me read the Book of Mormon to Christian, and I think I did a little bit of missionary work today. :) Which reminds me....

My brother-in-law said the other night that this is what would be referred to as a "hard blessing." I think that is right. It is certainly difficult, but has changed lives forever.... for the better. So many people have been touched by this event, and I have no doubt that there will be many more.

Christian and Stephanie are wonderful examples and have been bold about sharing the gospel with their neighbors.... who love them for it! At the prayer service the other night, there were tons of people who are not member of our faith (particularly many of the close neighbors), but know and love Christian and Stephanie and have been touched by their testimonies and their exemplary lives. Even their mailman was there!

*C & S's bishop happens to be the brother of my brother-in-law. He came in this afternoon while I was there. We talked for a few minutes about all of the tender mercies that have been evident in all of this. I don't have time to list them all now, but in my prayer last night I thanked Heavenly Father for such things as the fact that my aunt and uncle were able to be on the scene of the crash with them, that my dad was able to meet them as they arrived at the hospital, that the plane didn't crash into a home or the propane tank that was only feet away, that they didn't take the children with them on this flight.... you get the idea.

Thank you to everyone for all of your well wishes, offers of help, words or comfort, and especially prayers. Please don't stop.

nienie

Read an entry from my sister's blog about Stephanie here.

CJane

In case you aren't already following it, please check CJane's blog (Stephanie's sister) for updates on Christian and Stephanie.The man piloting the plane (Christian's flight instructor), Doug Kinneard, passed away Sunday night surrounded by his family. They are amazing and strong. Please pray for them as well.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and well wishes! You are all so kind. It means a lot to know that so many people care and are praying.

The prayer service tonight was wonderful. Christian and Stephanie's stake president gave a wonderful prayer of comfort and a bold blessing for their complete recovery.

Here is a news article and video.

Fast

If anyone is interested in fasting with us today for Christian and Stephanie we would appreciate it. There will also be a special prayer service at 6:00 this evening at their church if you would like to join us. Email me for directions.

Please Pray

I think many of you know my brother, Christian, and his wife, Stephanie, through the blogging world. Yesterday afternoon they were in a small-plane crash. Please pray for them and their children.

Mary's Birthday

It's been a little crazy around here and I have a lot of catching up to do. So, I will have to back up a bit.

At the end of July, Mary turned 7. We didn't have time for a party because we left for the ranch a day later, but we did have cake and ice cream. The party had to wait until after our trip.

Mary is such a good girl. She is always so responsible about doing her chores and her homework. I am so glad she wants to do what is right. She is a hard worker and always does her best. She is always smiling and is so much fun to be around.

Happy Birthday Mary!

Pioneers and Ice Cream

I was called to be an Activity Day Leader for the 8-9 year old girls in our Primary. (I'm glad to still be doing something involved with the Primary.) Yesterday was my first activity. Since it was Pioneer Day, I invited the girls to come dressed in any pioneer attire they had. They looked great, but I couldn't take a picture of them because Jay had taken the camera to work for some reason.

I also asked them to bring a pioneer story from their family history to share, if they had one. Most of them did. It was fun to hear all the stories. The story I shared was about my great (I can't remember how many "greats") grandfather, Thomas Karren. (If you are interested, you can read his story at the end.)*

After the stories, we made homemade ice cream in a bag. If you haven't done this with your kids before, you should... it's pretty easy and fun. I have a couple of tips to add;

1) After adding the ingredients to the small bag, shake and squish it a minute to dissolve the sugar and combine the ingredients. (I used part Half&Half, and part heavy whipping cream.)

2) The best way to mix it is by rolling the bag around on the counter, almost like kneading bread dough; don't bang it or be rough with it or the bag will break... bad news. Make sure it's a "freezer" bag.

3) Wear gloves or use a dish towel so your hands won't freeze.

4) Wipe the salt water off the small bag of ice cream before opening it so that you don't get salt in your ice cream. (You can also rinse it under cold water, but be careful or you will melt your ice cream.) The easiest way to get it out of the bag is to cut a hole in one corner and squeeze it out into a bowl.

5) The recipe says it only takes 5 minutes for it to harden, but we found it was still pretty soft at that point. If you want it to be more of the texture of "real" ice cream, you will need to go longer. Just feel it periodically.

*Thomas Karren was a baker by trade. He and his wife joined the church in England and felt strongly that they should join the saints in Nauvoo. His pregnant wife, Ann, was very resistant, but he told her that this was what the Lord wanted them to do. Of course, he didn't want to go without his wife, but he was prepared to do so.

On the day the ship was to set sail, he awoke to find his wife packed and ready to go. In the meantime, she had given birth to their baby. They went to the dock, but were told the ship wasn't ready to leave, and that they should come back the next day.

They went back every day for the next several weeks. It was the middle of February, and the baby got sick and died. The following day the ship was ready to sail. The distraught couple had to leave their baby to be buried by relatives who weren't happy about any of this.

They made it to Nauvoo where they settled and Thomas worked as a baker again. (He recorded that he made the bread and crackers, and his wife made the cakes and pies.) They had several more children and were quite happy. But then the saints were forced to leave Nauvoo.

They traveled to Winter Quarters where they stayed for a time. Thomas was recruited into the Mormon Battalion. Since her skills were needed there, Ann decided to stay in Winter Quarters to wait for his return. During the march with the Battalion, Thomas because extremely sick, and was finally left for dead on the trail.

A group that was traveling to California found him and nursed him back to health. He caught up with the battalion in New Mexico, and eventually was with one of the first groups to reach the Salt Lake valley. He then returned to Winter Quarters to collect his family, and made the trek yet again!

I am grateful for my pioneer heritage. Their faith and devotion is wonderful example to me.

An Interesting Read

I have been reading quite a bit of non-fiction lately, which is a big change for me. Here is another one I really enjoyed.I picked up this book at the library quite by accident. It must have been fate, since it practically jumped into my hands and I rarely read books that haven't been recommended to me. I had no intention of reading a book of this sort, but for some reason I looked at it in my hand and thought, "What the heck."

I like his writing style, and I loved the variety of topics of he covers. I predict you will be in turn surprised, amused, annoyed, chagrined, concerned, and comforted.

How Lovely to Be a Woman

It turns out that feminists hate this book, but I loved it. (No surprise there since I'm not a feminist.) I think she is right-on-the-money. Thank you for being bold about it. I learned a lot about myself. I need to read it at least once a year.

(If you don't get the reference in the title of my post, then you need to watch this hilarious video clip from the film version of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie.")

With a little help from Ikea

I have never liked the light fixtures on our front porch, and in the entry way of our house. Yes, I picked them out, but I had to do it really quick and I didn't know what I was doing, and when you are building a house you have a million things to choose and you are trying to save a money anywhere you can, and besides it was over 10 years ago and they are outdated now.

So, time for a change.

On Saturday we went to Ikea and found this little guy for our entry way for a mere $35. (I'm still trying to save money.) I love it, and it gives my entry way such a boost. Funny how something so simple can make me so happy. Every time I walk by it I look up and smile.

Watch out porch light... you're next.

P.S. I love having a handy husband. Jay installed that thing in nothing-flat. He has many other talents as well. And no, I do not loan him out.

Eye Candy

I have no idea who these people are (I don't watch the Food Network) but a friend of mine posted a link to a blog with photos of this cute wedding, and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. Enjoy!

Reading Rescue

Ever since he learned to read, Collin has been an avid reader. He will read anything he can get his hands on... even the Wall Street Journal (the only newspaper we get in our home)... and he will talk to me about the articles. "Mom, I read in the WSJ that....."

He began reading the Friend magazine so quickly that he was turning to the Ensign (at 6 years old). I finally subscribed to the New Era for him (he's 9). He blows through that... and then reads the Ensign.

As much as he loves to read fiction, he loves non-fiction. I think he has read every non-fiction book in the school library, or least all the ones on science and World War II (his favorite topics). Although he seems to be branching out; when we went the library last week, he chose a book called "Arizona Historical Land."

I have always had a hard time pulling Collin away from a book when he is supposed to be doing something else. He gets so caught up in books that he completely loses track of time.

Then there is Mary (6). She is a good reader... or I should say "she reads well." She reads dutifully every day for exactly the required amount of time. And that is it. She doesn't get excited to read, and she doesn't ever want to read for fun. Is there something wrong with her?

I have been thinking that she just hasn't found anything she loves to read. At her age, Collin had read every "Magic Tree House" book and loved them (especially the historical parts). He would read a book in one sitting. Mary reads one chapter and puts it away. "Mary, don't you like it?" "Sure I do." "Is it exciting?" "Yes." "Don't you want to find out what happens?" "Tomorrow. I want to go play."

I found some adaptations of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books that she started on (I thought the originals were probably too daunting for a 6 year old). Same story. There have been other books here and there, but nothing has stuck. Her 1st grade teacher read "The Box Car Children" to the class, so I tried to get her to read more of those, but she said she wasn't interested. Huh?

I took the kids to Barnes & Noble yesterday to get forms for their summer reading program (free books anyone?), and told them I would buy each of them a book (which had to be approved by me). This was a rare treat, since we usually just check them out from the library. But I wanted Mary to have a reason to get excited about reading.

Collin got "Johnny Tremain." (One of my favorite books at his age!) Jack picked a little book on how to draw Pokemon characters, which I finally agreed to since he can't read yet. (We have way too many picture books anyway, and he has already moved on to chapter books... I'm reading "James and Giant Peach" to him currently.) And Mary? Well, I spent at least 30 minutes with her trying to find something she wanted. I made suggestion after suggestion and she kept saying she wasn't interested. Nothing I said would convince her these were books she would enjoy. She did like the Ramona Quimby books, so I suggested other books by Beverly Clearly, but she still said no.

I finally gave up, so Mary didn't get a book. She was all upset, but so was I!!!

So, I need your help. Please give me your book recommendations for 7 year old girls... something that will develop Mary's love of reading. (Please no adaptations of TV shows!)