Jakes Stitches

Looking over my blog from the last year I noticed I had missed a few very important posts. Jake getting stitches and our camping trip was one of them. The first weekend in October we borrowed a cabin on Mt. Graham and went up for what we expected to be a great weekend with family and friends. My brothers, Nate & Dana joined us as well as Norm & Jen & Ben. We had such a fun weekend with the exception of the first afternoon.

We got up to the cabin before anyone else and the kids were playing outside and having a good time. Norm & Jen got there around 4:00 and we were helping them unload their stuff. We had a little chat about how there were bear sightings around and that the kids needed to stick together near the cabin at all times.

I went inside with an armload of the Knights stuff when I heard Jackson screaming hysterically and running by the cabin. He was screaming "There's blood everywhere! There's blood everywhere!" I think everything I had drained out of me as this horrible feeling washed over me. My first thought was there was a bear and all my kids were outside including my baby girl who wouldn't be able to run. How was I going to save them all? It was the worst feeling ever.

When I ran outside Jake was climbing up the side of the hill with blood streaming down his face. A little relief because the blood was coming from a gash in his head from a rock Joey had thrown. NO BEAR! However, Jackson was still crazy and Joey was hysterical because he was responsible. He was afraid of what he did because he thought he was in trouble and because he was scared about Jake. He kept saying it was an accident. He was at the top of the hill throwing rocks and Jake at the bottom. Jake got hit right between the eyes. And you know head wounds - they bleed!

I'll say I wouldn't have done nearly so well had Jen and Norm not been there. Jen helped keep everyone so calm and Norm helped tape up his head the best we could to get down the mountain to the ER. Jake really was a trooper. He hardly cried ever. Even when they were sticking him in the head with a needle. Jen & Norm stayed with our kids while we drove back down the mountain to the ER and waited, and waited. We were finally seen and they put three stitches in his head. I couldn't believe just how brave he was. He now has a scar he's very proud of.

Here's a few pictures from the rest of the weekend. Such a good time playing games, singing around the pot-bellied stove at night to the guitar, horse-shoes, hikes and lots of yummy food. My kids have never been dirtier or enjoyed themselves more.

Gracie just loved playing in the dirt.

The boys made a little slide down the mountain and were swinging from the tree to go down it.