First Date

Preston had his piano recital today. He is my fourth child and is parented like it. I can honestly say I have never heard him practice either of the pieces he played in his recital. He either practiced while I was gone, practiced on Stockton's piano downstairs or is an excellent sight-reader!

Preston

Preston's first song was too long to upload, but here is his second one.

Preston, Taggart, Hadley-Kate, Liam's brother, pretty girl, boy, Liam, Sister Newman, Liam's other brother

Ava, two boys, three pretty girls

Today was Jorja's first official date. Technically she went out with Mackie yesterday as part of the date today; but yesterday I wanted to put the title as Engineering Project, so I'm claiming her first date as today. Jorja spent all day getting ready. I would never have the patience to spend that much time on hair/makeup. She was trying to get her hair in a weird 50s updo. She got frustrated. I think she looks great like this. Clair picked her up first. I snapped a few quick pictures before she walked out the door.

Jorja

 For some reason I snapped a picture of the car as it drove away.

Fifteen minutes after Jorja left we got a call from her. She had been in a car accident. Claire, Jorja and Mackie were in the car. They were driving to pick up Claire's date. A lady ran a red light. She was also speeding. The car was totaled. We are so lucky that the three kids in the car were just bruised. This could have been so bad. The lady wasn't hurt either. Jorja said she was acting pretty mad at them. Jorja was looking down at her phone. When she looked up the car was right there. She said everything went in slow motion. She vividly remembers watching the car hood crumple up. They spun around. She felt like she was in a movie. All three kids were super quiet while this was happening. Mackie threw out his arm to hold Jorja in. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt, so glad he stayed in the car! Claire's leg started bruising up right away. Jorja has had chest and neck pain for a few days since the accident. Mackie's back was pretty sore by the end of the day. Still, so lucky! To think, I had been so worried about her being in a car accident the night before when they were driving up the canyon in the dark. I didn't worry about it in the dry daytime!

Jorja said Claire was crying. She felt so bad. She kept apologizing for ruining Jorja's first date. Claire's parents came down and were with them while they dealt with the aftermath. They had to stay at the crash site for a good hour. I am so glad that Jorja called us. One of our neighbors called us and asked if Jorja was in an accident. They had driven by. So glad we found out from Jorja and already knew she was okay! Claire has a twin sister, Sydney, she went and picked up Claire's date. The group was meeting at the football field. The other kids waited there for Jorja and her group to arrive. They were able to snap a few pictures before they hurried off to dinner.

Jorja and Mackie

 Maggie & Maggie's date, Jorja & Mackie, Liz & Darby, Sydney & Max, Hasti, Finn & Ellie, Christian & Brinley, Jared & Kenzie, Griffin & Claire

Hasti is by herself because her date got sick. At least she was able to go with him last night. She was a pretty good sport to go to the dance and not let that spoil her night.

 Jorja, Sydney, Kenzie, Brinley, Liz, Claire, Ellie, Hasti, Maggie

The kids then went and ate at Sonic and were able to be at the dance for about an hour. Claire's parents took them to the football field. They were split into different cars after that, so Jorja and Mackie were no longer driving together. Jorja had fun being there at the end of the dance. They do this weird circle/cheer thing. The student body and class officers all get to lead the cheer from the middle of the circle. She loved it. After the dance everyone went to Kenzie's house. They wrestled and played games and then came home. I was so happy to have her home! Overall, Jorja had a great first date. She could have done without the car accident though. She'll never be able to say her first date wasn't memorable!

Liz, Jorja, Ellie, Hasti

Stockton meanwhile had a fun time of his own. He went downtown and hung out with his diving friends. They played Mario Kart, ping pong and one other game. Stockton never lost a game. He got home shortly after Jorja did. Stockton, Jorja and I stayed up talking until 1:30 in the morning. We are going to be tired tomorrow!

John's Accident

This is the letter my mom wrote home to our family and neighbors four days after John's accident.  I thought I would put it in here so Stockton could read it.

Dear Neighbors and Family,

We weren't going to worry the neighborhood about John's accident, but since Ron's mom called the Leatherwoods, I decided to write a note letting you know exactly what happened to our John.  I did try to get hold of the bishop because at one point we felt we needed the prayers of as many good people as we could get; but since it was the fourth of July, no one was home.

We were visiting the cemetery at Richmond, Missouri.  This is the cemetery where David Whitmer is buried.  We had parked the tent trailer on the side of the road and walked to the top of the hill.  After we had found his grave marker, we were all together (except for Spencer, he had gone to the car.)  We decided to take a picture of Austen King's tombstone.  He was a leader of the mobs who persecuted the early saints -- later he became governor.  Just as Ron was about to take the picture, we heard people yelling and heard a car screeching and stopping.  People started running and I heard a lady yell, "Oh my God".

I immediately thought that Spencer had been hit.  I started running down the hill yelling his name.  I thought Johnny was behind me.  I yelled, "Is that my child?" before I could see anything.  A lady called back, "I don't know."  When I could see, I saw Johnny.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't even know he had left us.  He was lying in the road as still as could be.  When I ran up to him, he was unconscious.  He was bleeding from his mouth and nose.  I cannot describe to you the feelings I had at that moment.  I have never felt so sick in all my life. As I reached him, he started to come to.  I knelt over him and tried to keep him still.  He started to fight me and try to get up.  People were yelling at me to not move him.  He wouldn't answer or acknowledge me and he seemed very disoriented.  A lady made me leave Johnny when the ambulance came.  She stayed by me and tried to calm me down. Ron had jumped over a ledge in an attempt to get to Johnny.  He gave John a blessing -- but it was a fast one.  He didn't get the oil and the paramedics kept trying to get us both to leave while Ron was giving the blessing.  They strapped Johnny in all the papoose boards etc. and started oxygen on him.  They took off his shoes (the kids tell me his shoes fell off during the accident) and cut his clothes off of him.  The lady who hit him came up to me.  I told her that no matter what happened, I knew it wasn't her fault.  Johnny just ran out in front of her.  Another car, going faster than she was, just barely missed him. Later she told me that as she began to approach the hill where Johnny was hit, she started to think about another little boy who had been hit by a car by another cemetery in town last week.  She started to slow down.  Then her friend said to her, "You'd better slow down." So she slowed down some more.  She was going about 37 mph when she hit Johnny.  She saw him out of the corner of her eye and she swerved. She thought her wheels ran over him.  (We think the wheel grazed his face.)

We followed the ambulance to the Richmond hospital.  We could hear Johnny crying as they were working on him.  I could see a little through the doors, and he looked a sickly gray color to me.  I kept asking everyone who came out how he was and they all said, "We don't know yet."  A policeman did say he had seen worse and he thought Johnny would be OK.  They decided to fly him by helicopter to Mercy Children's Hospital in Kansas City.  The doctor then came out and told me that since his head wounds were so serious that they weren't going to take the time to take x-rays.  He said he suspected a broken clavicle and maybe a broken leg.  He told me that all we could do now was to pray.  One of the nurses told me that a young boy with a similar accident last week was doing fine after brain surgery.  They thought that his skull was depressed and that bone fragments were pressing on his brain -- and that surgery would be required to relieve the pressure.

We drove to Kansas City; it took us over an hour to get there.  We were all sick with worry.  No one talked much the entire way.  When I walked into that hospital, I felt I was in a dream.  I knew I would be faced with news of great importance.  I wondered if he had died.  I couldn't believe this had happened.

The doctor met us and told us he was stable -- but until tests were taken and x-rays given, he could not give me any answers.  So we waited for 3 hours for news.  Meanwhile Ron's foot began to hurt.  He had injured it when he jumped from the ledge.  So he went to a nearby hospital to have it x-rayed. He just bruised it.  They x-rayed John from top to bottom; they did tests for internal injuries; they did a CAT scan. They found that he had no broken bones; no internal injuries that they could detect; he did have two superficial bruises on his brain caused by a concussion.  His face had road burns all over.  He has a black eye and stitches be hid his ear.  His face was swollen in several places.  He has lost a tooth -- but it was a baby tooth and it was loose before.  (He swallowed it while eating.)  He has extremely deep wounds on both knees that are causing him a lot of pain.  He cannot walk very fast.

We know Johnny was watched over.  We feel the Holy Ghost inspired the women to slow down.  Her quick reaction saved Johnny's life.  We have lived through a miracle.  Johnny has not yet fulfilled his mission here on earth.

Our plans, needless to say, have changed drastically.  Monday we have a follow up appointment in Kansas City -- but we're carrying on.  To have Johnny with us is all any of us care about.

We have seen a Cardinals vs. Giants game and we're on our way to Nauvoo.

Sorry this was so long.  I got carried away.  I thought you'd be wondering about John.  Please let anyone see this letter who you might think would want to.

See you soon

Love,

Harriett

P.S. Ron wanted me to add that they stayed on the lawn for 3 days of the person who hit John.  We made a really close acquaintance with them.  Ron gave them a Book of Mormon when he left.  I slept on a couch in the hospital for 3 days.