Monica Buckles

Wow the wild ride that is my life just doesn’t slow down. We had a wonderfully blissful time watching conference. Believe it or not all my kids behaved themselves for all 4 sessions of conference. Of course due to the wonderful conference bingo game. I love that game and the creative person who came up with it.

Â

Â

Â

On Sunday we went over to my in-laws house for breakfast and conference, and stayed for both sessions. I really needed this conference. I don’t know that I heard anything earth shattering, I just needed the grounding that it gave me. I just needed something to bring me back to center. Life has been crazy for so many months now it was great to do nothing but listen to the apostles teach at conference.

Â

Â

At grandma’s house we cheated a little, and let Cole play blocks quietly during the morning session.

Â

This morning we got up early to get Ash ready to leave for the airport. At about 7:00 I got a phone call that I recognized as being from Iraq. When I answered the phone my brother-in law was asking me what happened to Ben. Ben is his best friend, he’s know him since they were kids. Ben is a very important part of the family, he is just like family. I’ve know the kid since he was 8. I told him I didn’t know, but I would find out. After a little hunting, and a little lying (I had to pretend I was immediate family) I was able to find out that he had been in a car wreck and was at LDS hospital in the ICU. So I took Ash to the airport and ran over to the hospital to see if they would let me in. They did let me in, but I wasn’t ready for what I found. Ben broke his neck and will never walk again. I couldn’t believe it, he is only 25, has 2 step kids and a baby on the way in December, and he will never walk again.

Â

I then had to make the phone call to Iraq and let Corey know what I found. He took it pretty hard, and is on his way home in the next few days. Ben is pretty upbeat about the whole thing, and his sweet wife Megan is holding everything together for now. His mom and sister came to town. (Ben lost his dad a few months ago, so this is just another major blow). It is good to have them here. His mom is handling a lot so Megan can focus on Ben.

Â

I spent the morning at the hospital, and then came home to get my kids from school. I’m going to go back up their as soon as my sister gets here to watch my kids. Oh funny side note, my little sister went in to see Ben and promptly passed out TWICE. What a wimp.

Â

Anyway does anyone have any ideas of how I can be useful? I have often heard stories of service that people have given, and thought “I wish I would have thought of that.” I just don’t know how I can help.

Â