Miracles upon miracles upon miracles. Let me just tell you about my crazy life. I live a crazy life, because it’s not fun if it’s not. But, this is a good, clean, crazy, blessed life. So to start out…Lacey and I were fourwheeling up snake creek canyon and were so so close to a massive bull moose that could have charged any second. Two days later we went to that exact same area (dumb, I know) While we were on our way we saw a puddle. We were thinking “YAY we’ll get muddly!” not only did we get real muddy but we hydroplaned and crashed about 5 feet off the path. You don’t understand what a miracle this was. We dodged three trees and lacey landed on a big boulder… had she landed more squarely on her back she could be paralyzed. Also, If we would have fallen anywhere else on the path it would have been a rocky mess. We happened to fall into all green, soft bushes. It wasn’t as fun as I’m making it sound though. The four-wheeler landed on top of us. When all the commotion stopped I kicked it off us and we both started freaking out saying, “ARE YOU OK ARE YOU OK??” when we realized we were fine we burst out laughing. We just crashed. And it was awesome. We could have been seriously hurt but we know we had angels around to help us. Then we continue to go riding to where we saw the moose before. We are very cautious getting past the meadow and keep riding. We decide it’s getting late and head back down the mountain. The moose is standing right off the path we have to travel on to get back to the cabin. It’s huge. Glaring at us. (Believe me, I can tell when a moose is glaring from 100 feet away) Has HUGE antlers and will not move. We don’t have a lot of experience with moose so we were thinking if we kept going it would feel threatened and could charged. It probably would have. The only problem was we had a dinner reservation in one hour that we still had to get down the mountain, shower off the mud, and be down in Midway. In one hour which is impossible. We threw that idea out the window and focused on getting out alive. Laceys phone was beeping and flashing red saying “I’m going to die any second!” We had to call the parents who just laughed at us. No help. Call her parents. Laughed then tried to help. We went back up the mountain and down. Up and down4 TIMES! We waited on the mountain for an hour for it to get past. There is NO ONE on the mountain. Haven’t heard any other four wheelers all day. After 10 prayers later we hear a motorbike. Hallelujah. They come and scare it away. The best part was they stopped and talked to us for about 20 minutes and the older boy got Laceys number and had been texting her… super interested!
Third miracle, Lacey and I went horseback riding on my birthday. Lacey got bucked off. Now has a huge bruise on her leg and a big cut on her back. We make it back safe. Only one beetle attacked my face. Life is good.
I am truly humbled to be here today. I shouldn’t even be alive and let me tell you why. The following day my friend Travis and I go horseback riding. The horse I’m riding is 24 which means he’s slow (just the way I like it). We ride up a beautiful Mapleton canyon about 5 miles, eat a sack dinner and head back. We’ve gone about 3 miles and it’s dark to the point where you can only see shadows. I’ve been told horses have excellent night vision and I trusted my horse tucker. A horse that is as old is mine isn’t as quick as 7 year old Charlie (the other horse) and mine may have arthritis etc. Travis’ horse slips on a washed away path, but gains his footing. My immediate, alarmed thought, “Oh please can you make it tucker.” Nope. The horse and I go sliding down a steep ravine side. A bunch of commotion and 20 feel later I end up in the bottom of a rocky, muddy river bed with a 2,000 lbs horse on top of me from the neck down. I am now straddling 2,000 pounds on my legs. I’m not flexible and this hurts. I can hardly breathe with all the weight as I’m trying to screaming Travis’ name. I am thinking “this is the end. I can’t go to Jerusalem. I have so much more life to live and I won’t be able to.” Then realized that’s exactly what Satan would want me to think. Changed my attitude right now. Travis is hustling off his horse to hike down 20 feet to me. After what seemed an eternity He grabs the horses front legs and pulls. I am pulled out. I don’t think I pulled myself out though. I really believe someone is pulling me out because I don’t have hardly any energy from trying to stay breathing with the horse on top of me. (Side note, this horse is completely still the whole time I’m underneath him. Horses don’t do that. I truly believe there were angels there calming him because any other horse would have struggled on top of me and could injure me much, much more.) Travis is lifting this horse. This is when I am so extremely grateful for his strength. If it would have been ANY of my other friends, I really don’t think I would be able to get out. He lifts the horses leg and I slide out, but my leg is stuck between this horse and the boulder that I am now realizing my bottom landed on. The horses front legs are to my right and his back are to my left. My leg could crack in half any moment because of the weight of this horse on this rock. Travis’ horse starts going crazy not knowing what to do when we’re down in the stream so he running and making lots of noise everywhere around us, which upsets my horse. My horse starts kicking his legs with my head right in between the four. I get knocked around and screaming, something told me to stop screaming and Travis starts to calm down the horse. He is still. We get right back to work and Travis tries to hoist up his two front legs to get me out. 5 minutes later we still can’t get my leg to move. I yell, “Get down here we’re saying a prayer!” That was the most sincere, heart felt prayer I believe I’ve ever said. Lots and lots of pulling and yelling to Travis “BELIEVE THIS WILL WORK!” we get my leg out. I run (yes I am able to run) to the other horse to calm him down. Now I’m a muddy mess sobbing on this horses neck for gratitude to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to get out. I hurt, but as far as I can tell nothing is broken. Travis tries for a while to get the horse up. I’ve heard that when a horse is on it’s back like that, its air way will close and it can be suffocated. (thank goodness I didn’t know this until a couple days later) Eventually he has to get himself up and we say a heart felt prayer of gratitude. This could be so much worse. We walk, leading the horses the remaining 2 miles in the pitch black. The gross thing about this was there was a dead cow upstream a ways and I landed in that stream. I was probably in a bit of cow blood. My leg that got stuck between the boulder and the horse is hurting, and I probably have a pool of blood in my shoes by the time we get back, but I’m alive and I can’t believe it. The little bit of talking we did on the way down Travis had no idea how stuck I was under the horse. Absolutely amazing. We arrive to the truck realizing how muddy we both are, trying to see if Tucker is ok. We just have to get home.
I survived. Travis and I survived. All four of us survived. I am counting my blessings incessantly because IF: This had been Travis stuck I could have done NOTHING. In order to get cell service I would have had to ride down 2 more miles, get in the truck, of which the keys were in his pocket, and drive 20 miles before I got cell service. It truly was a blessing. T
I came home a muddy, sore mess, but ecstatic I was alive. The following morning we went to the doctors and got about 8 x-rays. The doctor was in awe that I didn’t break one single bone. Especially my pelvic bone, which would have had be on bed rest for about 6 weeks or more. Which would have meat no Jerusalem. I didn’t even break my skin anywhere on my body! How is this possible. I walk like a 90 year old man for the next 4 days with a bunch of cool bruises all over my body. I truly cant believe I’m alive. I can’t wait to see what Heavenly Father has planned for me now.
