I'm BAAAAAAACK!

Guys, here I am! Typing on my lil computer, writing a post on my lil blog. Can y'all believe it? Yeah, it's been way too long.

So after the accident, I stayed at my parentals house, resting and getting everything healed up. Spencer was the only child still living at home at the time and all the other bedrooms in the house had been commandered to serve other purposes. So the EQ came over one Saturday for muffins and juice and moving Spencer and most of his belongings downstairs to the library and moving me, my broken neck, busted leg, pirate cut face, juice pops, and the awesome adjustable hospital-like bed our neighbors graciously loaned us into his room. Thanks, Spence, for that. I had Mama and Pops and my whistle right next to me at all hours of the day. Also, my brother Dallin set up a TV shelf on the opposite wall and later hooked up the Nintendo 64 and a DVD player to keep me entertained. Thanks for that, pil-dil.

I had a special shower chair, a special toilet seat booster, a walker, a wheelchair, a serious-action bed-on-wheels-wheelchair, a cane, a neck brace, a leg brace, and a hard core, indestructable water bottle that went with me every where; it's affectionately called, "Wilson." Mom was at my beck and call and bought me anything I wanted to eat or drink and served it to me, Dad read me scriptures and novels whenever I wanted and helped me wash my hair and shave my legs (presh), Brynn and her chitlins came to visit, keeping my spirits high and quite entertained, Lindsay-- well, we know what Lindsay did and what she does best, EVERYTHING, and Spenny, Dallin and fam, and Cam and fam send a lot of much appreciated love and laughter.

Some of the most memorable things since "the crash":

1. Mom bringing a blow-up bed into my room so we could watch House, Clean House, Colbert, O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, conventions, and all things political and give our expert opinions to each other. In retrospect, we majorly OD'd on cable news.

2. Dad and I cuddling up to a great novel he read aloud to me.

3. Lindsay. nuff said.

4. Going to the state fair with the whole family. I was in this monstrous-bed-on-wheels wheelchair and Brynn was in a wheelchair due to her extreme pregnantness and the insistence of her husband and mother. They all went down the huge slide like we do every year. Lindsay entered a piece or artwork and won like she does every year. We ate super greasy dinner and lots of ice cream like we do every year. We saw the animals and the kids rode the ponies and were adorable like every year. It was super awesome.

5. Mom and I yelling to each other while in different rooms or levels of the house. We'd watch a lot of the same stuff on TV and have a running commentary as I layed in my bed with the TV on and she ran through the house doing house work and stuff, the nearest TV on. "Let's watch Colbert!" "What are you watching?" "Okay, I can't watch Olbermann anymore, he makes me too mad." "What are you watching now?" "Did you hear what ______ just said?!?!? (insert McCain, Obama, Palin, Biden, or any prominent political figure in the past few months)" "Now what are you watching?" "Mom, will you bring me a fresca?"

6. Visits from friends old and new. So many people visited or called or wrote to send their love and support to me. I got so many flower boquets, cookies, candies, cakes, dinners, movies, and just tons of great lovin'. I am so blessed!

7. Dad and I and our shower routine. I wasn't allowed/able to lifted my arms above my head for quite some time, so Dad and I worked out a system. I would get myself undressed and put on a long, huge, oversized cape (the kind hairdressers put over you when they cut your hair) and sit in the shower on my special shower chair. I'd yell to dad and he'd come in and wash my hair (he installed an awesome movable showerhead with the long snake hose. That was helpful). I had to teach him how to wash and condition girls' hair. He's very good at it now. I told him when he retires, he should get a job as a shampoo boy in a salon. Next, if I needed it, he'd shave my legs for me up to my knee. Then he'd leave and I'd finish washing up. I'd dry off and get dressed and lie down in my bed. Last, he'd take off my soaking wet neck brace, dry the plastic part, replace the pads with clean, dry ones, and put the brace back on. Isn't he just the cutest, bestest dad ever?

8. The food. Mom made all my meals for me and brought most of them up to me on a tray so I didn't have to get out of my bed. They were always arranged so nicely with an array of lovely fruits and vegetables. Mama takes good care of her babies.

9. Visiting the homies when Mama would let me. They took such good care of me and we had a lot of enjoyment with Thai food and the handicap hang-tag.

10. Jono. nuff said.

I have learned a lot and am still learning a whole lot from this experience. I suppose the biggest things are that Heavenly Father never leaves you. Never never never. He will always send help even when you don't know you need it. He will always love you no matter how much you mess up. He never leaves you. He always loves you. Also, I am thankful I got to be on the receiving end of so much love and faith and hope and charity. My parents and siblings and family and homies and friends really stepped up to the plate and went above and beyond. I was so touched and thankful. I don't even have the right words to describe how much that meant to me. One more thing, there is no end to how much my mother loves me. I owe everything I am to my angel mother.

So as of right now, and am basically moved back to my house in SLC. I am going back to work in three weeks. Next Monday until the following Monday I am heading to the Ohio to visit Cam and Steph and family for Thanksgiving. I am super duper excited! I can't wait to see them. It has been far too long. I am hopefully starting physical therapy this week. Nicole and I (we both dislocated our hips in the accident) made a pact to start working out and get in better shape.

Here's a few pictures that have been snapped in the past few months.

Nicole and I hanging out in Atlanta a few days before the wedding.

We were are hanging out in the gym setting up for the reception. We took a break and Kaleo thought it would be funny to take a picture of me feeding him grapes. I changed it a little bit right before the picture was snapped....

The bridesmaids and groomsmen outside of the temple. It was such a beautiful day. Kaleo is left of me. Nicole is to the right of the Doug, the groom, and Loren is to the right of her.

The bridesmaid. Nicole is to the right of me.


Nicole, me, Loren (the driver) and Kaleo outside the temple waiting for the bride and the groom to come out. (The fifth dude in the car, Bob, was not a groomsmen. He was a friend of Loren's but was not familiar with the bride and the groom.)

The five of us in the car. From left: Bob in the passenger seat, nicole in the back middle, Kaleo, me, and Loren in the driver's seat.

Chilling in my hospital bed. This was before Lindsay got there, so my head has

a slight reddish hue due to the blood. Bleck.

Thumbs up! Yeah!

Some of the homies who came to visit soon after I came home from Atlanta.

Some friends from the cast of "Little Women" (a musical I was in in March) came to visit me.

Some friends that came to Doug and Kimberly's second reception a month after the wedding in Utah.

A little cane attitude.

Chilling with the homies for our first reunion since the crash. We are eating Thai food. Yum. Nicole, sporting her new haircut is on the green couch in the pink shirt.