Turner Times

This was a perfect weekend for some fun, sun, and good times with good friends. Where, oh, where did everything go wrong? When Ellie refused to brush her teeth, which she never does, should I have known then when she ran from me when I had the toothbrush in hand? Should I have known the trip was doomed? Well, I didn't, but it was.

We headed off to 12 Mile Canyon with Todd and Jodie, they had already set up camp and we just needed to pick up some of the kids on our way there. Ellie should have been tired and taken her nap on the way there.....nope! The drive was nice other than that though. The Canyon was beautiful and the other family members we met were all very nice and welcoming. Ellie even had a friend to play with.

All was well until later that night as we started settling in for the night with a campfire and S'mores. Then Todd and Jodie's young nephew walked into one of the hot metal marshmallow sticks with his eye. He was immediately packed into the truck and taken down the canyon by Todd and Jodie to the hospital in Gunnison. (Little guy is going to be alright though, he has to wear a medicated/protective contact for a week.)

Soon it was time to put Ellie down and enjoy the rest of Todd and Jodie's family, without Todd and Jodie! Ellie decided she would rather have the BIGGEST fits ever and not go to sleep until after midnight! So much for enjoying the circle at the campfire.

The Next Day

Next day started out so much better. Ellie was playing, and getting dirty, and just enjoying the stuff of campin'. She even went down for a nap relatively easy. Todd took Brian out for a 4 wheeler ride while I read in the trailer as Ellie slept. When she got up, was right around the same time the guys got back from their trip. But, Todd came back, and not Brian. Todd waited just a minute or two before he left again to go get Brian who was supposed to be right behind him. I went to go get my camera so I could get some pictures of the guys coming back on the 4 wheelers, but Todd came back alone, and said Brian was hurt and we had to go get him in the truck.

Todd, me, and Brian headed back down the canyon to the Gunnison Hospital. Brian ended up with a 3rd degree shoulder separation, a few fractured ribs, and a hurt sternum. I went back up the canyon with Todd to get our stuff and Ellie, and my dad met us at the hospital to take me and Ellie home. I got our car and headed right back to the hospital to be with Brian overnight.

Today we went to see an orthopedic surgeon who told us he usually doesn't recommend surgery for these kinds of injuries, and it will just take time. However, Brian's separation was so severe the Dr. did recommend surgery. Brian will be going in Thursday to have some donor hamstring stitch up his shoulder again, and hopefully be better soon!!

This is Todd coming back to let us know Brian was hurt and we needed to go get him. This was my last picture of our camping trip.

The next night we spent here, Gunnison, Utah. For such a small place, it was a great hospital and everyone was very helpful and nice.

We found out later that Todd and Jodie's oldest daughter ended up hitting her head really hard on a rock and ended up with a concussion! Then the family dog who was tied up right outside the trailer was sprayed by a skunk. That's when they decided this was the end of the camping trip for them too!