Season's Greetings: Temple Square Salt Lake City 2010

clarissa, gavin, sam
jeremy

"a deal is a deal"


I carried the kids....
he carries the


FOOTBALL

hahaha
We took the kids to see the lights
on Temple Square
on the MONDAY NIGHT
right before Christmas...

HELLO
THE Monday FAMILY NIGHT
right before Christmas...

The MOST crowded night downtown EVER!!!

The football was a good idea for the first few minutes,
and then it was being tossed
and boys were being tackled...

and I am thinking
the other MILLION people on Temple Square
appreciated that Brian CARRIED it for the
rest of the evening! :)

sidenote:

Clarissa did NOT appreciate her dad CARRYING
the football....EMBARRASSING!!!

journaling

I have posted some of the pictures from our Christmas Eve ER adventure. I wasn't sure I wanted to write about it but feel if I don't express the gratitude I have for the miracle we witnessed in our family that it will be forgotten in time. We are beings, humans, and we say we will never forget, and always remember....and then time happens, and life gets busy and blurred and the details that make miracles memorable fade a little. We remember we were blessed, but we forget how deeply and intimately those blessings were witnessed to us, as time passes.

Friday was and will be forever one of those days.

Gavin had asked me Thursday night if I could drive him up to PC to ski for Christmas Eve. His friend Dom had been hurt the day before and would not be able to ski, and his friend Nate had also been injured....Gavin and Noah would need a ride. We picked up Noah, with a stern reminder that the boys stay together and NO INJURIES PLEASE. In fact I drove passed the hospital on the way and pleaded that neither of them "end up" there today.

On the way home I checked in on my mom, who is hospitalized with some complications to her health, then called my Grandfather with an update. While on the phone with Grandpa I received a few calls from Gavin's phone. Embarrassingly I did not take the first call from Gavin. There are the times he forgets something...wants me to "run" back up please.....I thought " I will call him right back". When the call persisted I said to Grandpa..." I must answer Gavin's call, I wonder if something is wrong". Little did I know.

Gavin's friend Noah was on the line. He told me that Gavin had been seriously hurt. He was with Ski Patrol and they would be calling me right away. And then he hung up. Being a 16 year old boy...he had not much to say and I believe he was quite in shock himself. He had seen Gavin fall, seen the blood on Gavins face, the unconscious and unable to awaken him caused fear and trauma to Noah. No one wants to see their friend like that.

After a few minutes wait, and panic begins to rise in me I called Noah back. He didn't answer. I texted him, "Noah, please call me". He called. He said Gavin was taken down to Ski Patrol center and they will call me. Gavin was unconscious and had some memory loss. I have never felt such fear.

Ski Patrol called. They told me that Gavin had fallen on his head, they think...

They asked me about his health, in general. Asked me for permission to treat him. Asked me about our insurance.

They told me that Gavin had not been able to move his toes, that he couldn't feel his legs but they thought it was temporary. They said he had memory loss, he thought he was 15 ...maybe 14 [he is 16!], that he didn't know his name, his address, his phone number....but he did know he was in Park City.

They needed specific insurance information. I had to call Brian.

Brian said I sounded so calm. I was able to get the information to Vickie, of Ski Patrol and she said she would call me as soon as they had any information. She said they would probably Air Vac him to University Hospital. She did not want me driving up the canyon until they knew what they needed to do for Gavin.

I hung up. And then I really began to panic and cry and ....well, I began to feel really sick. There I was pulled to the side of the road and my world felt it was falling apart. My baby boy....almost grown up, and what was going to happen to him. I realized I hadn't told her to tell him I love him....

I called Vickie back. She answered immediately. I said, "would you please tell Gavin I love him?"

She answered, "honey, I already did. don't worry. we are going to take good care of him, we will bring him to you. He knows. He knows you love him."

I will never forget those words, the feeling, the peace that came knowing that he was in good hands. Good care, the ski patrol, and that of Father in Heaven. He was going to be fine. I just knew.

I called Brian back and told him everything I knew...which wasn't much, but I knew he would be okay. I just knew.

I came home and told the children. I couldn't stop crying but was able to kneel with them in prayer.


Ski Patrol called back. They told me all the GOOD NEWS first.

Gavin had no nerve damage....that is GOOD.

Gavin was able to feel his legs, and move his toes, he was remembering things, all the things he needed to remember, just not the fall, not the crash.

The x-rays showed no breaks in his neck or back.

However due to the memory loss and initial unconsciousness they didn't feel they could release him from the backboard without advanced imaging. They were sending him to Primary Children's Medical Center.

I could meet him there in one hour.

We were to the hospital at the exact moment that Gavin was brought in. They took me right back and Clarissa stayed in the waiting room with Sam and Jeremy.

There was Noah, Gavin's friend. Just standing, almost in shock, holding Gavin's patient belongings. I just hugged him. I could feel his fear and wanted him to know I appreciated him being there with Gavin. Was he okay? ...he said he was, but time....time will always tell.

I walked him to the waiting room after seeing Gavin. I wanted both boys to be healed...to be comforted...to be SKIING...throwing their tricks, this all behind them and all to be well. It was my prayer in my heart the rest of that afternoon.

Gavin had great doctors. First when you see a familiar face, ...and find out that familiar face is the person in care of your child, you somehow know that all will be well.

Dr. Douglas Neilson was Gavins Emergency Care doctor, I have worked with him through the School Community Councils for Wasatch Elementary and East High School. We have fought some issues together and some we have fought against each others positions, but that day, that moment, we had the same agenda....to fight for Gavin. That all would be well for him, and his health and well being. The thought....what is in the best interest of the child....our SCC motto...crossed my mind and heart. I knew Gavin would be well in his care.


He ran ALL the tests...he carefully tended to Gavin. And he walked us out of the ER. WALKED....yes, Gavin walked out. He was going to be fine. Time to recover will be necessary, but all was well and Gavin walked out.

We know this Christmas miracle is ours. And we are thankful. Raising children is the single most important thing I will ever do. It is with hardships and with celebrations, both I would take on any day to have the experience of being my children's mother. They are amazing beings and I am thankful they are ours.

Gavin is still recovering, and wont be back on those JUMPS for 3-5 weeks....if I have my way it would be EVER but I can not choose for him. With risk of injury he has to live his life, my hearts prayer and desire is that he will recognize that life is fragile and that he is not invincible, as teens tend to feel. With tender loving care I hope he will be a little careful in tending to the life I love so completely, his life.

Get well soon Gav. WE LOVE YOU! Every day there are opportunities to recognize blessings and miracles. Some more obvious than others, but with each step we make, and breath we take we have a lot more gratitude this Christmas Season. We approach the New Year knowing that God does hear and answer prayers. So many of you, our loved ones, include us in daily prayers. Thank you. We know your faith is a shield protecting us from what in all our challenges could certainly be worse.

tWaS thE niGht b4 cHrisTmAs

and then....

"yep, it's bent"

...thinking...

BLESSED

hAppY ? biRthdAy: goOd woRkS ♥

Clarissa, Sister Melanie Medaris [YW President], Brother Medaris

Happy 14th Birthday

Good Works

I was asked to speak on one of the Young Women Themes, and I have chosen Good Works. I chose this subject not only because it has been the season of giving but because it is one of the Themes I wanted to learn a little more about.

Good Works to me is defined as a passion of giving but never expecting anything in return but a feeling of joy in doing service for someone else. It can be as simple as sharing a hug or a smile to doing something for someone that they can not do for themselves.

Elder Uchtdorf said in the April Conference of this year during his talk “You Are My Hands” is that “As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the Spirit.”

One of the things I have noticed that relates this message and to Good Works is my younger brother every Monday morning he wakes up early enough without complaint to go to some of our neighbors and help them take out their garbage cans. To see the joy that it brings him to serve others is so fun to see! He really is happier!

As I was reading through my Young Women pamphlet in the Good Works section on the very front of the section it had a scripture and quote. 3 Nephi 12:16: There for let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. The quote is “I will help others and build the kingdom through righteous service”.

One of the many of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 2:17, which says “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” I really like that scripture because it is so straight forward in saying that when you are doing service for others your really doing service for your Father in Heaven, I believe this is true because you are helping one of His own children. I have learned that often others give service you may not even notice; such as preparing meals, or helping a brother or sister, or picking up a few things in around the house, even comforting others and helping them bear their burdens. These really simple tasks seem little but they are big to the person that you are helping. I know that there are many things we can do and if we truly take the time we will all be able to see the Good Works being performed…

President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency: “God knows you and what you can become because He has known you from the beginning when you were His spirit sons and daughters. What you become will depend in large measure upon how you follow righteous principles and do good works”. Which goes on to say how very important Good Works is. It is true that we will be known because of our works, which are our actions.

Good Works is an essential principle of family living. In fact one element of Good Works that is essential to eternal families is doing Temple work.

I had an experience in doing some Temple Work for my own Great Grandfathers sisters. It started with a young men’s and young women’s activity when we went to look for family names to do baptisms for youth conference, I was discouraged that I could not find a name. My brother found a little piece of information which led my uncle to finding some leading information to these two family names that my uncle found. I was so honored to have him think of me to do their names. A couple months later my Mom and I went to the Salt Lake Temple and I did the names while she stood on the side and watched. I felt the spirit so strongly when I was done I knew I had done Good Works, because it was something that these sisters could not have done for themselves.

Another scripture I found that went along with Good Works is,

Alma 37:34: “Teach [the people] to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.” This means to me that we should never think that doing service is too hard because in the end or even while you are doing that act of service if you really have the true intent of doing that service the Lord will bless you to have the strength and courage to be able to complete it.

A story that I really enjoyed reading this season was “Christmas Day in the Morning” by Pearl S. Buck.

It is about a Young teenage boy who lived on a farm. Every morning he would wake up at four a.m. with his father to milk the cows. Even on Christmas day the cows needed to be milked.

The young boy realized as he got older that his father went out to milk the cows all on his own Christmas morning without him. The Father loved his son and of course realized that his young son should be in the warm house opening gifts and sharing the excitement of Christmas with the rest of his family.

The young boy soon came to realize that his Father sacrificed by doing the work alone on Christmas Day. The boy couldn’t help but feel a little discourage and even guilty that his Father missed out on Christmas morning excitement, so this particular year he was going to change that.

The boy set his alarm clock for 2 a.m. which would give him plenty of time to milk all of the cows by himself and get back into bed.

The next morning *Christmas Day* he woke up to the sound of his alarm put on his shoes and ran outside. After he had finished with the cows he came inside and crawled back into bed and silently waited to his fathers usual wakeup call.

As his father peeked into his room he felt bad waking up his son so early on Christmas so he left silently without saying a word and went outside alone. Soon returning to his son’s bedroom with complete joy on his face he told him that someone had already milked the cows.

The boy told him that it was him and he father replied saying that it was the most wonderful good work anyone had ever done for him and that he would never forget it as long as he lived.

After his father died and 30 years passed the boy, now a grown man, still awakens every morning at 4 AM and milks the cows, never forgetting, always remembering, the smile on his dads face that early Christmas morning.

This story really expresses the joy that both the giver and the receiver of the service can experience. As we recognize the Good Works others do for us and as we do Good Works for others we are living the scriptures.

Jesus is our greatest example of Good Works. Everything that we learn about Him shows us how to do Good Works. We should always try to follow his example and bring joy to others and to ourselves by serving, comforting, and seeking to find Good Works in all our lives.