This year we sat on the shore to watch the fireworks, it was really fun. This is just a few of them waiting for those fireworks to start!

End of the Grammar School for Riley!!

Changes are coming for us....Riley will be leaving grammar school and headed to the dreaded middle school. Riley was blessed with the most amazing teacher. He had her for 5th and 6th grades. Riley absolutely adored her and she loved him as well. She had a special place in her heart for him and she took great care of him during some of his trials over the last 2 years with older siblings not so wise choices and Logan's accident. She was a great Listening ear and a shoulder to cry on when needed. It is hard for a mom to be everywhere that they are needed and I'm so thankful for her compassion toward Riley and extra tender care when needed. The most important thing is her encouragement to him to keep striving to be his very best academically and athletically. He was awarded the highest award you can achieve for the school the Block R award and honor roll. This is him with his award and his teacher Mrs. Brocklebank. Way to go Riley!!!

Saying "Goodbye" is the hardest thing to do!!

Saying "Goodbye"

to our beloved Sammie was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I took Sammie to the vet last week, after much incouragement from my father, and had to face the fact that it was time

to let Sammie go to Heaven.

I have been dreading this day for a very long time. I just knew that it was coming sooner than later. Sammie had gone down pretty quickly in the last couple of months. She has had a tumor in her mouth for about 1 year now. It had gotten pretty large and there was no way we could remove it because the vet didn't think she would survive the surgery. Not to mention we probably wouldnt survive the vet bill! She had recently started limping and was having a hard time breathing. So my mom and I went to the vet all the while trying to prepare myself that she would probably suggest putting her down. I called Perry before I left to get his opinion and see if I should bring her home so everyone could say their goodbye's or just do it while I was there. We decided it was probably best for her to just go then.The vet asked it I wanted to be with her, at first I said no but then I decided that I couldn't not be there for her in her last minute of life. So, I held her while the vet gave her an injection and before you knew it she was gone. She was very peaceful and I am glad that she is free from pain and nice and chipper like she used to be. I must say it was much harder than I thought it would be. I just bawled and bawled, I think it took me 20-30 minutes before I could leave. She was such a special dog. I can't imagine that we will ever find one as great as she was. We haven't put her bed away yet or her dishes but I'm sure the day will come and we will be strong enough to let go completely.I still find myself looking for her first thing in the morning to let her out and checking on her at night before bed. This is a picture of Sammie before I took her to the vet. Goodbye to my Sammie girl...the best friend any girl could have. For 16 years she has been a great dog for my kids and always such a gentle spirit inside her. She was very wise. She always was a great watch dog! People were always afraid when she barked. I loved when she would talk to us in her dog language. She loved the beach and I'm sure Perry will miss his walks along the beach with her. I could go on and on about how great she was, I just hope if she gets to pick a family in heaven, she will know how much we loved her and pick us!!

Justice!!!

THEY HAVE ARRESTED THE GUY RESPONSIBLE FOR LOGAN'S TERRIBLE BEATING!!!!

Many of you have been asking how Logan is doing now that he has been home from the hospital. Sooo...... I thought I would give you an update. First of all we are relieved and thrilled that the person responsible for Logan's injuries has been arrested and we can all sleep a little easier now.It has been nearly 2 months now since Logan's terrible accident. He is really doing good and is still in speech and occupational therapy twice a week. He is still struggling with fatigue and complains of feeling week often. He is trying to build his strength back day by day.He still has 2 black eyes, although the black is not as dark as it used to be it is more grayish black. He still looks in the mirror and wonders if he will ever be the same.He has days of feeling down and dealing with the changes he feels inside. He can tell that his brain is processing differently and sometimes can't find the words to describe what he is talking about. But for the most part he is just taking one day at a time. He feels that the Lord has blessed him and refers to the accident as " God needing to beat him into submission!" I am just so thankful that justice will come and Logan will get the chance one day to look his abuser in the face and tell him how he has altered his life forever. He bares the scars physically and mentally, and that is something that he will have to live with forever. This is a picture of Logan last Sunday all dressed up for church.. did I say church, yep he is going to church!!! Miracles never cease!!!

Oh how we love spring break!

These are the cute faces I got to
wake up and see each day!!

Lily and Cambria in the campground

This year we headed to our beloved vacation in Malibu, one of our happiest places on earth!! Thanks to the Urmston family who introduced us to this place some 14 years ago. It is hard to believe we have been going there that long. What fun memories we have made with family and great friends.This is such a great time of year, we usually always enjoy sunny relaxing days at the beach and great marshmellow roasting campfires.On occasion is has known to rain on our happy place, but over the years we have learned to roll with it and make the most of it. I probably rolled with it better when we had our motorhome but this year we did experience some drizzle and we were expected to get a full thunder and lightening storm the day we were to pack it up and head home. So we packed up a day early and enjoyed Kristi and Brayden's visit from San Diego. They were suppose to camp with us the last night and spend the day at the beach with us. Luckly we have family that live in San Diego so we made a phone call and then we headed their way instead to spend the weekend with them there and we were able to spend a couple of days with Perry's dad and wife so it was really a double bonus for us.We got to see more family and most of all spend time with Brayden and Kristi who we all miss. This was the first time that they have seen Logan since his accident last month.Fun times and more memories made.

Some of the boys that dominate the beach each year! Cambria with her sweet friend Ellie. She sees Ellie 1 or 2 times a year and they just pick up where they left off!! Playin and having a great time. Chad, Monique and Ethan were able to come with us for part of the week.
Lilly was just lovin the beach, I wonder if she is going to be anything like her mother!

Kristi and Brayden came to spend the day with us. We had so much fun spending time with them and it was really special that Logan got to spend time with them. Thanks Kristi for making the drive! This is Logan and Brayden in the campground and on the beach.

Miracles Happen!!

On Wednesday the 11th of March, I got the phone call every mother fears. The gentlemen on the other end of the line identified himself as a social worker for the Fresno Community Hospital. He asked me if I had a son named Logan. I told him yes and he asked me if I was aware that my son was in the hospital. I told him NO, I had no idea. I must say I am proud of myself I stayed farely calm trying to get all the information from him so that I could no what to do next. He proceeded to tell me that all he knew was that he was brought by ambulance to the hospital from an address I did not recognize at first, I thought it might be his girlfriends but I really wasn't sure. He said that he had been assaulted and that he was in bad shape and was in the Trauma ICU. (I can say that this is where I started to feel a little freaked!) He said that the accident happened on Monday the 9th. I could not believe that he had been there nearly 3 days with no one with him. My heart just sank. I told him I would be right there after a few calls and droping children off. Thanks to good friends and family, I dropped the little ones off and headed to the hospital. There was nothing that could prepare me for the sight I saw. I just had to put my head down and cry. I could not believe I was looking at my son. I would not have recognized him. I was shocked that another human being could do this to another. So we began our road to recovery and being educated on Tramatic Brain Injury. Most of the damage done to Logan was in the frontal lobe of the brain. He did suffer some damage to the Parietal Lobe. What I have learned and what I have witnessed is a miracle. The body is an amazing thing. I have been able to watch Logan go from not being able to stand without help and learning to get his balance and eventually being able to walk on his own again. He had to learn to use his muscles in his throat again just from being incubated 5 days, to swallow food and drink fluids without asperating. He had some issues with his vision in the hospital but those are getting better. He is still working with occupational therapy and speech therapy. He has some cognitived things he is working on but all in all he is doing great. The Doctors and nurses told us that he is a very lucky young man. He could have died. I know it wasn't luck! It was a miracle. The second I knew what had happened we petitioned everyone for their prayers. I had people that did not even know Logan offering up their prayers in his behalf. His name was put in more than one temple. Perry and Uncle Randall gave him a blessing that first day we saw him in the ICU. He doesn't remember alot of the experience but while the blessing was being given his pulse and blood pressure went up and the machines were beeping. I am just so thankful to watch my son each day and I am amazed each day how much stronger and better he gets. It has been 3+ weeks now and the changes I have seen amaze me. I am grateful to everyone that gave me help with meals, childcare, and most of all prayers. I had so many people call me and ask what they could do and I want to let you know that all I could think of was pray. I know that some people wanted to do something more physical than that but never under estimate what a gift you are giving someone when you pray for their loved ones. I am really thankful to my Heavenly Father for his tender mercies and pray each day that Logan will come to understand why the Lord spared his life.
This is what I saw the 3rd day in the Trauma ICU

Logan has just had the feeding tube and everything taken out but he still needed oxygen for awhile.

This is the worst side.

This picture is after they brought him out of the induced comma and the nurse shaved his head.

Riley loved being at the hospital with Logan. This is roughly the 2nd or 3rd day out of the induced comma.The left side was the worst. It took him nearly 2 weeks to be able to open that eye.

Lookin good....this is about 9 days after the accident.

After 2 weeks in the hospital, they finally set him free. This is what he refers to as his "Quazi Moto" look!

This is 9 days after being discharged from the hospital. Not looking to bad, still sporting a black eye though!

He's official!!

It's official Jared is now Officer Metcalf!! We could not be more proud of him! This is us right after the ceremony

Jared received a special award "Most Inspirational Recruit"

I think it is safe to say that Riley and Cambria were pretty proud of Jared