My Utah Trip {beware- it's a long post}

Well, I went to Utah for 6 days with my parents. Pete had to stay home and work {It was sad leaving him here}. My sister Marinda who just graduated got accepted to Snow College, in Ephriam Utah. Her school started two days before my brother Rusty was to return home from his mission. So, we decided to have Rusty fly into the Salt Lake airport....that way we could take Marinda to the airport with us so she could see Rusty {otherwise it would be a while before they could see each other}. I also have a bother and another sister living in Utah. So, they would get the chance to see Rusty too. It was a really well planned out trip. Friday night we drove to St. George and stayed with my brother K.C. and his wife. They are expecting and due any minute. We were hoping they'd have the baby while we were there, but no such luck. We stayed there until early Monday morning. Then, we drove to Ephriam to take Marinda to school. We got there an hour before her classes started. We stayed in Ephriam for 2 days helping her get moved in and settled. She was gone at class most of the time so we ran around doing everything for her { we bought her groceries, picked up and dropped off applications for jobs, bought books, etc.}. There was also a lot of sitting around and doing nothing...which was boring. So, to entertain myself, I look a ton of pictures and leaned how to work my new camera. My sister Jenae and her family drove down from Provo on the second day. That made things a little more exciting. Bryson and Katelyn had fun hanging out. Then, on Wednesday we all drove up to Sandy. We spent the night at our Aunt Holly's house {she's our favorite Aunt}. Then, Thursday morning we woke up and started getting ready. We were supposed to pick up Rusty at 12:30 in the afternoon. At about 8:30 We got a phone call from my sister Jackie {who lives in Mesa - she didn't come to Utah with us}. She said she had just gotten a phone call from a paramedic. The paramedic told her that they had our brother Rusty in the ambulance. He had a lay over in Atlanta and was about to board the plane to fly to Salt Lake when he passed out on the floor and then had a seizure. All the other missionaries yelled for an ambulance. They loaded him up and took him to the hospital. The other missionaries had to just leave him because their flight was leaving. They did have time to call their mission President thought and tell him what happened. They took all Rusty's carry on stuff with them. A few minutes after we got Jackie's call we got calls from everyone. The Mission office, the stake president from home, the mission president from Brazil, the mission president from Atlanta, and so on. It was crazy. But, nobody knew which hospital he was at or if he was ok or not. After like an hour we finally located him. We gave the ER a number for Rusty to call so we could talk to him. He called us a little while later. He sounded so out of it. He said they were running test on him because he fell on his head when he had the seizure. He told us that we had to still go to the airport because his luggage was on the flight and so was his carry on stuff. We decided Rusty shoudn't fly into Salt Lake anymore because then he'd have the long drive home with us. We didn't want anything else to happen to him...we just wanted him home safe. So, we got on the phone and made a bunch of phone calls to give everyone the update and switch his arrival to Phoenix. The mission President in Atlanta sent missionaries over to the hospital to be with Rusty until he was released and to drive him to the airport after being released {Isn't the church awesome?}. After everything was worked out we got in the car and headed to the airport. It was sad to see everyone else waiting for their missionaries to get off the same flight. And even sadder once they were all re-united. They were all crying happy tears. We were crying too, but they weren't happy tears. Marinda was really sad because with the new plans she wouldn't be able to even see Rusty at all{along with Jenae and K.C.}. The other missionaries gave us Rusty's carry on stuff. Among that stuff was Rusty's suit coat with his name tag on and his scriptures. Marinda wore his coat and carried his scriptures around like they were her life line {picture below}. It was so sad. After we talked to everyone we jumped in the car and headed for home {we were supposed to stay in Utah for for 2 more days}. An hour later {while we were eating lunch} we got a call from the mission office saying that Rusty was released and he would be boarding the next flight. The next flight would have him arrive home at 9:15 pm that night. It was already 4:30 pm and we still in Sandy. So, we knew we would miss his arrival home. Jackie {and her family} and Pete would be the only ones there to greet him home. We were all SO SAD! We called our bishop and told him to go to the airport with his family so more people would be there. His daughter is friends with Rusty so she called up all their friends and told them to be there. We dropped Marinda off at school in Ephriam and then drove the rest of the way home. We called Jackie and Pete {from a pay phone cause we had no service} after Rusty landed to make sure he made it. He did. He was wearing green doctors scrubs with his white shirt and tie {he had thrown up on his suit pants at the hospital} I guess he was pretty out of it and wasn't all there. The bishop could tell he needed to get home so he told everyone he had to go home. Jackie {and family} took him home to my parents house and put him right to bed. They stayed the night there with him. We got home at like 3:15 AM! It was wild. Rusty was already in bed so I had my parents drop me off at home and had to wait until the next morning to see him. It was sad when I did. He didn't look good. It was so sad. The seizure trashed his whole body. He has no strenght in his arms - he can't even lift them up. He stands with his left shoulder totally just drooping towards the floor. And, when he fell he landed on his head so he has a scab across most of his forehead {it's really swollen and looks painful}. Poor guy. It breaks your heart just looking at him {I'll post a picture of him}. It will take a few weeks to a month to be able to use his arms fully {tear drop}. CRAZY, huh? Well, here's pictures of our adventures.... Daddy and Bryson saying good-bye

We went on a picnic to this cool place in St. George. They had a
Creek flowing threw the place. Bryson enjoyed a dip.


We visited the St. George Temple. It was really pretty.

We stopped to visit some friends in Ephriam. Bryson and Katelyn enjoyed riding this cool jeep they had at their house. Bryson was awesome. He drove it like a pro. Katelyn had a hard time getting the hang of it. Bryson didn't enjoy her driving. She kept giving them whip lash. It was so funny! We all enjoyed watching them.

A few days before we left we found out that our pet hamster {who had been living with our friends for the past month} had died. Bryson took it really hard. While we were in Ephriam we walked by this bulletin board and there was a poster with a hampster on it. Bryson got really excited and said, "There's Patches! He's alive!" I had to tell him it was just a picture and that Patches was still in heaven. He was really sad.

We flew kites to pass the time in Ephriam. It wasn't very windy so after a while Bryson

was really mad at his kite for not going up in the sky.

While we were grocery shopping for Marinda, Bryson found this Spiderman umbrella. He wouldn't put it down so {of course} I bought it for him. He loves it. It was worth it. {Lol}.

Bryson climbing a tree to keep himself entertained {and out of trouble}.

Lana and Bryson jumped in the school's water fountain to cool off. Everyone walking by thought they were crazy {I don't think people are allowed in the fountain..oops!} The water was FREEZING cold but Bryson had a blast after the initial shock.

The two drowned rascals

We got to feed some sheep some apples. Bryson thought that was great.

We visited the Manti Temple

We stayed at a My dad's Aunt's house while we were in Ephriam. She was a crazy old lady! In this picture it's my dad, mom, sisters Larissa, Lana, Jenae, and her daughter

Katelyn, Me, Bryson, and Wanona.

In Sandy we stayed with my favorite aunt, Holly. This was right before we headed to the airport. After arriving at the airport we noticed half of us were wearing black.

We said it was because we were in mourning. ha ha.

They have this sign when you enter Moroni. If you sit and cover up the "I" it says Moron instead of Moroni. Moroni is a few small towns before Snow College {in Ephriam}. I went to Snow College after I graduated too and we used to always stop and take pictures here. So, I had to relive old memories. Bryson didn't enjoy it as much as I did.

Here's us at the airport waiting for Rusty's stuff {not him}. It was really sad. We still made a sign for him though so they other Elders could find us to give us his things.

Here's Marinda with Rusty's coat and scriptures. She was SO sad! But, one of the Elders {the one who was with Rusty when he starting having his seizure} was checking her out. We're going to hook them up. They'd be so cute together. We decided that's why we had to go to the Salt Lake aiport....so they could meet. Ha ha.