Everyone where they should be

I haven't been able to return everyone's calls. Thank you so much for your concern. I finally am using this blog spot because I thought it would be a good place to tell those who don't know what happened to Tenney and Matt and those who just want to know they are okay. On Saturday, I was in Logan with Kelsie. We were attending a women's conference called "Time Out for Women." Keep note of that title, because it was a much needed calm before the storm. When I looked at my cell phone later, I noticed I had received a few calls before Matt's, but my phone was turned on to vibrate, and Matt's was the only call I felt. I listened to his message 30 minutes before the conference was over. Very calmly he asked me to call him as soon as I could. When we were walking out of the conference, I called him. He asked me how I was and how the conference was. "Great," I told him. I remember thinking, He's so calm. Nothing's wrong. That's good. Then he said, "Well we had a little accident." This is the story he told me, so calmly, so gently. I actually got more specifics as the night went on but I'll give it to you in the full version.

Tenney, our three year old daughter, loves horses. Matt does too. Tenney asked to go on a ride with Matt. Matt was happy to oblige. Hunter was across the street playing with his friend Miller at the neighbor's. They went down our road, across the alfalfa field, out Democrat, which is the canyon east of us. They came back toward our house around the mountain north of our house. Matt had packed a picnic, and they had eaten in the shade of the aspens. It was a beautiful Saturday, about 80 degrees. When they were finished, Matt set Tenney back up on the saddle. He put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg around. Before he could get his other foot in the stirrup, the horse started to crow hop, one, two, three and both Tenney and Matt were thrown off. Matt sat straight up, and could see Tenney laying on the ground, head away from him. He pulled her close because the horse was still near. "Tenney! Are you okay?" "Yeah, but my leg, my leg!" she said. Matt pulled her pant leg up almost to the knee and could tell the leg was broken right below the knee. The worst though was that her skin tore in the back of her leg about three inches across. Imagine putting a bracelet on up to the top of your calf, and then take only the back 1/2 of that bracelet, and imagine the skin torn all away across there. Matt pulled the pant leg back down, picked her up in his arms, trying to stabilize the leg as best he could and began to move. Tenney started to scream. Matt stopped, and said, "Okay Tenney, we have to pray." He cradled her close and prayed. Then he ran and walked a mile and half around the mountains to our house. Tenney did not shed a tear and never screamed out again. She said, "Ow, ow" every once in a while. That was it. Matt got in his truck, still cradling her in his arms and called 911 so ER would be ready for her. They asked, "Does she have a blanket?" "No," Matt said. He asked Tenney, "Are you cold?" "Yes," she said. So Matt turned on the heat full blast. Mind you, he just ran a mile and 1/2 in 80 degree weather and made the15 minute drive to the hospital with the heat blasting. By the time he walked in the ER with Tenney, he looked pretty bad. Tenney broke clear off the tibia and fibula about a centimeter down from the knee. The doctor is sure that the horse did not step on her or kick her because there is no imprint, so she either did it from the fall or her dad may have fallen on her, although she was very close to him when he first saw her after the fall. It all happened in a second. That's how accidents are. Our Bishop and Jay, our nephew, and Matt gave Tenney a blessing before the surgery. It was four hours from the time she left him until he saw her again. Jen Merrick, a dear friend of our family, was her recovery nurse. We were so greatful she was there. She said she had never recovered anyone, any age, as tough as Tenney. Her surgeon came in with the same words. "Man, she's strong. She's tough." The nurse anesthesist said, "She is inspiring. Usually someone that young when she leaves her parents, becomes hysterical. Not her. She was calm, almost like she knew everything was fine. I asked her if she wanted to hold the oxygen mask. 'Sure,' she said." We know, though, that Tenney is tough, but not that tough. We know God is strong; God is tough; God is peace; God is calming.

The whole thing reminded me of something I heard Tenney say about a month ago. We were in this rustic cabin at Alturas Lake. You could hear everything upstairs. I was downstairs, and a whole bunch of kids were upstairs. I heard Hunter say, "Hey, you guys you know my middle name is Matthias. You know what that means? It means gift from God." Then I hear Tenney. "Hey you guys, my name is Tenney Jen Barrow. You know what that means?" No one answers her. "Hey you guys, my name is Tenney Jen Barrow. You know what that means?" Not a word from anyone. So again, she said, "Hey you guys, my name is Tenney Jen Barrow. You know what that means?" It means Jesus Loves Me." Hunter then said, "Awkward." I was cracking up.

We are home now. Tenney can't put any weight on that leg for at least 6 weeks. We are rigging the house like crazy. We mostly feel exhausted and grateful. I really feel we were all in the perfect place. I was remembering and being inspired by many great and uplifting things at the conference like forgiving ourselves, things I could tell Matt because he was really giving himself a hard time over the fall. I think I would not have been a calming influence if I had been there in the beginning. Hunter was at the neighbors, our sweet neighbors, and he and Brian, the dad, helped put the horse away which had run directly back to the gate and was waiting when Matt finished running with Tenney. Matt was there with Tenney, her strength, her rock physically and spiritually and emotionally. I even had a girlfriend when I told her the story, said, "Oh my! On Saturday afternoon, I had a loud thought run threw my head which said, 'Pray for Michelle.' I argued with it thinking 'That's silly. She's fine,' but then I said, 'Okay.' I said a quick prayer to ask God to bless Michelle and her family." Tessa as you most know is in Argentina. When she heard, she fasted and prayed for us all day. She arrived at her home at 9pm and her host family had a huge meal waiting for her. She, then, found out that her host parents also fasted and prayed for Tenney and our family. They said to Tessa, "You are part of our family now, so your family is also part of our family." We were so touched by that. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. That's how the Lord always works. I know that. Thank you all who knew for your prays, concern and support. We love you.