Modern Miracles & Tender Mercies - Part II

     So the last little while has been a bit crazy for me.  I told Jaxon just yesterday that I think we are putting Heavenly Father and his angels on over time just protecting us.  Now I KNOW that I am blessed more than I even realize, that I am protected and saved from things I have no idea about, things that are going on around me.  But sometimes that veil of ignorance is swept aside and the magnitude of what is happening, this war we are battling in between good and evil, is all too clear.  I have to tell you I like my ignorance.  Yet, this reality does help me appreciate my life and especially makes me grateful for the life I have and my blessings.  It also humbles me clear down to my bones - in a way that really nothing else can.

     Anyway, the boys have been begging Jared to take them fishing.  We went up in Fish Lake a bit ago, but thought it would be fun to go somewhere else.  Plus, I was bugging Jared about doing something fun over Labor Day weekend.  So, on Saturday afternoon, we decided to go up to Big Lake for a fishing trip.  Jared had it all planned out, we took the fishing poles, the boys bb guns, food, treats, stuff for our dinner over the fire, a book for me, etc.  Jaxon had really been wanting to go on a 4-wheeler ride too so we decided we could fit that in as well.  So we went and borrowed my parents truck and 4-wheeler and took off.  Jaxon and Josh on 4-wheeler in front of us and the rest of us in the truck behind them.  We got to Big Lake but it was so crowded, the bow hunt was going on too, so there were really people everywhere.  This doesn't bother me, I think it is kind of fun, but Jared, who grew up in the mountains, when they were far less busy, is usually a little bugged.  So, we decided to keep going to get to Deep Lake and hoped it would be less busy.  It was, a bit.  As soon as we got out of the truck, a wasp flew past Josie and got stuck between her hair and ear, thus stinging her twice on the back of her ear.  So she was crying and quite distraught (her ear did swell up quite a bit), I grabbed some mud and stuck it on her ear, which didn't help too much.  Later, we thought of putting ice on it, which helped a lot so she was much happier and even caught a couple fish.

     A few minutes after arriving, I decided I better get a fire going because I knew Jared wanted to cook the fish we would catch and I knew we would need some coals for that.  And, me being the complete fish-catching, dirt-loving girl that I am, I was willing to help the whole process along.  If any of you know my Jake, you will know that he is a pyromaniac - totally, completely enthralled with the whole thing.  He will just sit and stare at a fire for hours adding twigs, paper, logs, weeds, anything and everything to see if it will burn.  So, Jaxon, Jake and I got it going (honestly, mostly Jaxon, he really is an amazing kid) then, Jaxon and Jake totally took it over, then Jaxon started fishing so Jake was left with it and I was left watching him, while trying to help everyone else with their problems.  (Jared and Jaxon were taking fish off the line, time after time because the rest of us still don't like touching fish.)  I started taking pictures to document the whole process when Jake comes walking over complaining that his finger is hurting, so I ask him why and he said he simply touched a rock around the fire.  So, yes he was burned, a pretty good one too.  It blistered up and everything.  He was really tough about it though, didn't complain much, just kept his finger in the lake a bit more.  (He probably knew I would tell him it served him right).  :)

    Problem #3:  Jainie, who had really been an angel this whole time, found Jared's extremely sharp filet knife.  She pulled it out of it's sheath and was looking at it, when Jared and I both noticed her.  We both immediately knew this was a BIG problem.  It really is so sharp and pointy.  We both told her calmly to hand us the knife, knowing if she did anything too quickly, she would cut herself.  Jainie being a 4 year old, wanted to put it away herself, so with Jared and I both begging her to just hand it over to one of us, she continued trying to shove it back into the sheath.  The sheath is a nice leather cover.  She gripped the sheath while shoving the knife in, trying in haste to put it away before we would grab it from her, sliced a long hole in the sheath before poking her finger with the tip of the knife.  Immediately drew blood, started crying, and whined she didn't know how sharp it would be.  Jared wasn't too happy about his ruined sheath either.  (He has had it as long as I can remember).  He was really good about it though, just glad she didn't do any worse to herself.

     At this point, I decided it was time to rush things along, so while Jared took his turn fishing, and I really hope he enjoyed it a bit, he finds so much peace fishing, I find a lot of stress fishing (maybe just all it entails with kids).  So, I pulled out the hot dogs, chips, drinks and told people to start eating up.  Jaxon started filleting the fish then I convinced Jared to take a break and wrap them up, and cook them.  Yum - yum.  I did try a bite.  Which is better, fish or hot dogs?  I will let you decide.  I mostly ate chips.  :)  (I would have had fish if I would have had a pound of butter to drench it in).  As soon as I could get this all done, I started packing, fast and furious, I was ready to get home.  This is when Josh remembered that Jared had packed his gun.  He decided he really wanted to shoot it, so I told him to go up the hill and shoot some brush.  We did notice him trying to shoot a rock, which Jared told him would ricochet and possibly hit him (dangers I never think of) so he did learn that lesson.  Anyway, a few minutes into shooting, he came over crying holding his finger.  He had just smashed it in the lever of the gun - problem #4.

     I didn't want anymore problems, it was time to go.  Four of the five kids had gotten hurt and I wondered, "Why in the world do people like to go to the mountains?"  Jared worries about going to the lake, it makes him nervous, I worry about everything, but this seemed just as dangerous to me.
     We finally got loaded up, Jaxon on the 4-wheeler, the rest of us in the truck.  Joshua decided he didn't want to ride of the 4-wheeler this time and honestly, it was cold.
     Off we went, Jaxon in front.  Just after we passed Big Lake, Jared noticed that he wasn't seeing any dirt kicked up from Jaxon.  I had complained MANY times about Jaxon going too fast and getting too far ahead, but Jared kept reassuring me it was okay, he was a boy and needed to do these things and the truck had to go slower.  So, when he sped up and we were cruisin down the mountain, I started getting a bit worried, so I asked what was going on.  He mentioned the no-dirt thing, which then I noticed and thought for sure Jaxon had taken a wrong turn.  Great!  One more delay in our already late night.  (Did I mention it was dark by this time, because it was, quite dark, but not pitch dark).  After we had driven quite a ways down, Jared said maybe we should turn around.  What should we do?  Turn around and look for him or keep going to Glenwood until we knew if he was there.  We decided to turn around.  The thing that was the oddest to me was that several times we passed people going up the mountain or people along the side of the road, I kept asking him to stop and ask them if they had seen a 4-wheeler go past, he just ignored me and kept driving.  It was a bit frustrating.  Then, on our way back up the mountain, a certain truck was on it's way down and he suddenly stopped and rolled down his window, I thought, "Hallelujah, he is finally going to ask someone."  But, no, as soon as he stopped the other truck stopped and asked us if we were looking for our son and out stepped Jaxon.  They had found him walking along the side of the road and they asked if they could take him down to us.  I was mixed; worried, anxious, happy to see him but upset that he would ride with strangers - what have I taught him all his life?  Grateful - for the wonderful people who would pick him up and help him out.  As he came and got in the car, I was still thinking he must have been lost, so I was ready to really let him have it, riding with strangers, driving too fast, not waiting for us to know the right way to go, etc. But, luckily, Jared spoke first and asked him what had happened.  I was perplexed, what did he mean?  But, Jared knew.  He knew Jaxon had wrecked.  Why he didn't tell me I am not sure, probably because he doesn't talk about anything.  Anyway, that is a different story.  Jaxon told us how he had been driving too fast around a particularly difficult turn and had slid off the road.  That is about all he said about it.  We asked if he was hurt.  There wasn't a scratch on him, he said his knee hurt a little bit.
     So, off we drove to find the 4-wheeler.  Jaxon said he had put the helmet on the side of the road so we could find the right spot, so we drove until we got to Big Lake, where Jared knew Jaxon had passed, turned around, and then found the helmet.  After getting out and seeing where the 4-wheeler was I realized just how serious this wreck was.  It was down a very steep incline wedged between a huge rock and a large fallen tree.  And I mean wedged, with absolutely NO room for a person to be on it.  It had rolled down this incline and wedged itself on it's side between these two impossibly close things.  Jared and I just looked at it, wondering how it the world we would get it out of there and if it would even run.  It was then we noticed Jared's jacket.  Jaxon had been wearing it while driving.  It was stuck under the 4-wheeler.  It had a 6-inch rip right above one of the pockets.  Jaxon told us that he had been stuck there for a bit, until he realized only his jacket was stuck, so he unzipped it and crawled out.  Yup.  Really.
      It didn't appear that anything was wrong with the 4-wheeler, looking at it anyway.  I am sure Jared had super human strength at this point, adrenline rushing through him.  He picked up the 4-wheeler and shoved it upright.  I did try to help and also felt stronger than I normally am.  After getting it upright, we messed with it until we finally got it to turn on.  Then, we somehow had to get it up this brush, fallen tree, wooded, rocky-invested  hill.  So, we both pushed as Jared held on the gas.  It was way too steep to try to ride it up, you would have simply toppled over.  After we got it up about 2/3 of the way, we were stuck.  It was really rocky and we just couldn't get any footing.  Jared told me to move out of the way, he was afraid I would get hurt, I was afraid he would get hurt.  Wonderfully, two of the Larsen boys showed up and it took them both and Jared to push that stupid 4-wheeler the rest of the way up.  I am so grateful that they came along, I don't think Jared and I could have done it alone.  So, thank you to them, I will be forever grateful.  I jumped on the 4-wheeler and rode it the rest of the way home with Jared and the kids behind us.  We pulled into Glenwood at about 9:45.  My parents, were both worried and were just thinking of sending someone out to look for us.

     A miracle.  Jared and I still wonder that Jaxon is alive, let alone not hurt.  He did have a pretty good bruise on his knee, but that is it.  He was definitely in shock.  He still hasn't talked too much about it.  But, I am telling you, without angels there guarding him, I guarantee, he wouldn't have been safe.  Alive, not sure.  His head should have landed right on the rock.  And, maybe it did.  We don't know.
     So, 5 of 5 injured.  Not good.  Will we go camping again?  Definitely.  It is these things that strengthen us, that help us grow, that help us develop our testimonies.  We will always have prayers before we go, we will always know that Heavenly Father is watching over us, we will always be careful but, accidents are inevitable.  And, I will be FOREVER grateful for modern day miracles.  If you don't believe in them, just ask me, I will tell you - they really happen, it is real and I have my family today because of that.
     GRATEFUL!!!