October

I got a call from Derek's friends one afternoon.  Allyn was in such a panic that she couldn't explain the situation to me but I did get enough information to know there was a lot of blood and they wanted to know whether to take Derek to Community Care or the hospital.  I was relieved when Sierra's mom got on the phone but I soon remembered that she is high drama when it comes to anything medical (and she herself admits this).  The basic story was that he smacked his head on an open cupboard door.  First, I could not imagine how my 6'4" son could hit the corner of a cabinet door that I'm positive he is taller than.  Second, I now understood why there was so much blood and panic.  I know from motherly experience that head wounds bleed A LOT.   I also know from experience that Derek easily gets light headed just from standing up so I was not at all surprised that he seemed dizzy and couldn't talk to them after hitting his head.  I've done that and it hurts like a ..... well, it hurts.  My instincts told me he was okay but because I wasn't there and couldn't talk to or see Derek myself and I didn't want to seem like a bad mother I told them to take him to community care and I would meet them there.  Allyn, Sierra and Sierra's mom were convinced he was on his deathbed and I had no intentions of scarring them further.

I got to Community Care first because we live closer so rather than wait I signed him in. When we met up he still looked dizzy but he tried to tell me that he was okay.  Sierra and her mom were talking so fast and dramatically that Derek's version was left in the dust though I did understand enough to know that he had saved his favorite white shirt.  "Not a drop of blood on it."  

At this point I still had not seen the wound, only the bloody rag that he was holding to his head.  The nurse quickly called us back and we left the others in the waiting room.  They took us to the procedure room assuming from the dramatic telling of events that he was going to need stitches. As the doctor pulled out the stitching supplies and snapped on his blue gloves Derek calmly told his version of the accident. I also informed him that I had not even seen the cut and that his dizziness and lack of communication was very typical of Derek right after an injury so immediately claiming a concussion was a little extreme.  Doc removed the bloody cloth and....merely a flesh wound....a very long flesh wound but no depth to it at all.  There was nothing to stitch.  He was left with a "scratch", a very tender bump on the head and just enough reason for the girls to pamper him.

  

We all had a good laugh at this point.  Not because it was necessarily funny but because of the dramatic vs. practical perceptions of the whole thing.  If LeRoy is in charge?  Drama.  If Kimber's in charge? Practical. Derek? Practical, though probably light headed and doing deep breathing.  Not that I don't get concerned, there's just a certain calm in me that takes over when a medical situation comes up. After laughing about it with us the doctor whispered, "don't worry, I won't charge you for it." 

I'm not sure Sierra and her mom were convinced it was all okay. They took the "Concussion" what-to-watch-for paper very seriously and promised to watch over him for the next few hours.  I drove home alone knowing my boy would be in good hands as they provided a soft couch, pillow, movie and ice cream for him.  

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Hyrum really wants to be as tall as Derek, "without someone holding {him} or standing on something".  

So, for at least a minute or two, Derek made it possible.  

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The BYUI portable rock wall was the main attraction at our ward party.  While I was mingling with friends I had no idea that my baby was braving the wall.  LeRoy captured it (or at least the shadows of it) on his phone.  He has no fear!

Hyrum was the Star Student in his kindergarten class.  The teacher requested that we send in a few pictures so I printed this collage in an 8x10.

Man, that kid is adorable!

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While Bret's family was in Rexburg they went to the Teton Flood Museum.  Erika sent me a very excited text while she was there.  From the time she was little she has heard about our family connections to Rexburg and how her Great Great Great Grandfather opened the very first ice cream shop in Rexburg.  Unfortunately, I have never had pictures to show her because, according to our knowledge and connections, all pictures were lost in the flood.

Her text included this picture:

"Mom!!  We found Evans Ice Cream Canisters!!"

We were thrilled! Erika even sent the picture via email to my dad.

Recently, I was looking for something else related to old Rexburg and came across a website that anyone 

could post pictures on.  There, I found pictures of the ice cream shop.

I wish I could share these with Grandma Fullmer.