Magic Prayers

Monday, after Jack's baseball game I realized my keys were not in my camera bag. I had been taking pictures most of the game and remembered putting my keys in a little pocket of the camera bag. It was 7:00pm and my kids and my mom were waiting dinner for us. Dan began searching the vast baseball field looking for my keys. Jackson and I went to the lost and found but still no luck. After 25 minutes I began to think it was a lost cause. I called home telling my mom the situation and instructed her to feed my kids. She asked me if I had prayed for help. . . which I had, but at that moment we both thought to ask Maddie to say her own prayer--for some reason Maddie has such huge faith that everything she asks for she gets. Within 30 seconds I saw a little sparkle in the grass and without hesitation knew it was my keys.

When we got home, both Maddie and Zach were happy that their prayers were answered so quickly. Once again their testimonies in prayer were strengthened, as well as mine.

Surgery, Red Sox, Busy Husband, and Manifests

Yikes!! It has been a crazy month and a lot happening, so let me catch you up on the latest adventures of our lives!!

Maddie had surgery Monday, May 17 th. The doctor cut her femur just under the hip and twisted it 30 degrees. She has always had a funny walk, with one foot twisting inward causing lots of trips and falls. The surgery took 2 hours and the doctor put her in a body cast (leaving an open area for her to use the bathroom). The surgery seemed to be a success, and Maddie has had very little pain. She has been absolutely amazing with very little complaint!! She is in a wheelchair for six weeks with extensive physical therapy for another six weeks. It may be a long and boring summer for Maddie, but she seems to have a really positive attitude about the entire thing.

Jackson and Zach's baseball season is officially underway. They were excited to see that both of them were assigned to play as the Boston Red Sox. Zachary has really improved over last year and Jackson seems to really enjoy getting some of his own attention this year for baseball. Dan is an assistant coach for both teams and enjoys helping his boys develop an appreciation for the sport. We don't expect champion athletes, but we are proud of the progress they are making.

I don't often write about Dan and his adventures at work. As many of you know he is busy preparing for his murder case which is expected to be in court some time in October. It will be a busy summer as he preps for the "biggest case of the decade" (according to one of his bosses). I am hoping to post local news stories of Dan once the case takes off later in the fall and will keep you posted on the trial.

As for Me I am officially licensed as an Idaho certified teacher!!! I do not have a job yet, and my future is uncertain as to if I will be a working woman next year, but I was just told last week that my name is now on the Meridian School District's teacher manifest for possible teacher applicants. . .which basically means that if there is an opening for a history teacher, I might get some job interviews in the next few months. I am really excited, because I thought I thoroughly messed up during the interview process and would be rejected.

It has been a very busy month, but we are so glad the worst is over. Thanks again for all of your prayers and concern. So many of you have sent cards and gifts for Maddie helping her feel loved!

Handicapped Parking

People who don't think this sign applies to them really, really annoy me!!!

I will update my blog about this past week in the next few days, but Maddie is doing great!!!

A Lesson in Fasting

As most of you know Maddie is having surgery May 17th. It is a really big deal because she will be in a wheel chair for 3 months! Today we told Maddie that all of her relatives (on both sides) were fasting for her. She was totally shocked and honored to have so many people care about her. We asked Maddie if she wanted to be a part of the family fast and she loved the idea. Zach wanted in too. When we got home from church we told Maddie to go upstairs and break her fast so we could eat dinner. Five minutes later Maddie came down stairs with tears streaming down her cheeks. She admitted that she really was scared for the surgery, and that fasting made her feel something good but scared inside. A few hours later when Maddie and I were alone, she expressed deep concern for her surgery. I asked her how she felt as she was praying to end her fast. She expressed that as she was telling Heavenly Father how scared she was she got a really funny feeling in her heart that felt really good, but still scared her. We had a special moment today when I got to share my testimony with Maddie about the great power of her fast. I could tell that she was beginning to understand Heavenly Father's love for her and that he would watch our for her during this scary time. Her faith made me feel better about the surgery too. It is moments like these where I know my daughter is growing up to be a righteous young lady who is such an example to me.