A Blogger I am not...

I'm obviously not good at keeping this up as I would have wished. I'll blame it on my busy life (which it is) but as Mark loves to remind me, you can do anything if you MAKE THE TIME! He's right! But that still doesn't help me :)

And I would like to say that there was many profound things that took place these last few months...so far I can only think of a few. And that is why I am blogging today (which I really shouldn't be!). But if Mark can go fishing and bikeriding with the kids, shouldn't I be able to feel guilt free about sitting down to the computer for a bit instead of doing the 20 loads of laundry and piled stinking dishes that have been awaiting my hands? Oh forget it!...here it goes...





So here is the first BIG event (in which I DO feel guilty about not sharing yet!). Josh was baptized WAY back on January 5th by Mark. While this is a very special occasion in any matter, this had even a greater meaning for our little family. Before leaving for Pennsylvania in October, Mark was most distraught over Josh's baptism. Not knowing if he would "make it", he didn't want to leave without taking care of this important event. But after a blessing, some prayers and Mark and I talking at length, Mark called his dad and my dad. He said in the event that he wasn't "here" for the baptism, he wanted his dad to baptize and my dad to confirm Josh. And so for obvious reasons, Mark being there preforming both was more than just a simple emotional response. It was an answer to prayers and hopes. It was an AMAZING day! And of course there was a "Mark" moment in all of it...Mark had cut his finger pretty badly earlier that same morning while hunting with Josh. So while getting himself and Josh dressed in WHITE, Mark's finger opened up and got ALL over Josh. So needless to say, Josh was already "wet" before entering that baptismal font! :)





And the above pictures are another WONDERFUL and AMAZING event that took place just this past Saturday night. This is Allan Peterson and his family. If you look back in my blog archive, I've written about Allan before. He is the man that was first to come to our aid when Mark drowned, he spotted and pulled Mark from the river. We finally got to meet with him and his family at a restaurant where we sat and talked for a few hours. I so VERY much wish I could post the entirety of that evening, but it would be pages long. And what I will write won't even do justice to the overwelming emotions and the immense gratitude we feel and felt during and after that dinner. What do you say to the man that saved your life, the very reason our family was still sitting all together talking with him? He and his wife shared their side of the story, details that we wouldn't have known, and the effects it had on them. It made the entire situation for us come full circle. We share an unusual bond now, Allan having saved a life and Mark alive sitting in front of him. Allan and his wife are the most humble people whom we owe so much to, and yet we feel we will never be able to repay.

We have always felt and known that Heavenly Father had his hand in that day, but it continues to become more and more prevalent as the months are passing. Mark and I are always pondering the "reasoning" for why it all happened, what was the greater purpose for it, but we are slowly seeing little bits and pieces of "why and how" over the months. All of these "peices" are different, showing us aspects in our lives that are important and humble us as we feel extremely blessed; blessed for the trials we've gone through, trials we've seen others go through and triumphantly never give up, people who have helped us, and people who influenced, inspired or changed us without even knowing, and mostly to our Heavenly Father who keeps "opening" these doors. I think I've blabbered enough (as usual)...we should apologize for the continuous "mushy-ness" of our blogs! Good thing we space them out! haha. Well, until next time (and hopefully not as long as the last time)....

A stranger, a brother; Our hero's....

If you can't tell, I have a theme of thanking people who have impacted our lives....it's long overdue, so bare with me.



This is Allan. Allan is someone we have never formally met and by guessing, I only know a few things about him. I think he lives near Sacramento and that he has a wife/girlfriend(not sure) and child, and that's it. And yet being a stranger, you wouldn't know that he has impacted us by giving Mark another chance at life. In the picture, he is being awarded for that very reason.

This part is hard for me because I don't like to talk about the accident. As many know, September 3rd was a very traumatic day. And without going into too much detail, it happened up near Sacramento on the American River. Allan was at the river that day not too far down from us.

Allan was out in the river with a snorkel and mask, I'm assuming, enjoying Labor Day with his loved ones like we were. When the accident happened he was the first one that heard our screams and began searching under the water for Mark. At that moment, I ran up the river to find help and a cell phone and no joke, I was screaming and people just stared at me, they didn't move. I never did make sense of that but it made me realize how blessed we were to have had Allan their at that moment. And from second hand information, he was searching with his mask under water when he saw a white glimmer at the bottom, reached down and pulled Mark out. Allan is someone in our life who, just by being who he is, gave Mark a chance to still be here. Had he not been there, at that moment, in that spot, Mark wouldn't be on this earth. He deserves much more recognition than we can offer.



This is Paul. Paul is Mark's youngest brother. He was with us on that day also. He decided to go with us last minute. Before leaving to the river, Mark and Paul were chatting and Paul mentioned he had recently taken a CPR course. Mark can't remember why they were talking about this but obviously it's relevant. Paul luckily didn't witness the accident. I like to think that Heavenly Father saved him from witnessing this horrible accident because maybe it would have traumatized him in a way that would have made him feel he couldn't do what ended up saving Mark's life, but that is my personal feeling. After Allan pulled Mark from the river, Paul was just making his way back up to us(he had continued floating down earlier) and saw Allan. Mark didn't have a heartbeat and was not breathing. Paul started CPR on him which miraculously started his heart and breathing, although Mark didn't regain consciousness till 2 days later. Paul preforming the CPR ultimately saved his life.

I want them both to know that we were blessed that they were put in that place, at that time, in order for Sierra and Joshua to still have their dad. I don't know what else I can say other than Thank you...but it just doesn't seem enough.