How the Bartons celebrate a beautiful weekend

So, Cole's football game Saturday morning accidentally got cancelled. They were playing against Cortez, on the most inopportune day, the opening day of the rifle deer hunt. Bishop Macdonald, Cole's coach, and his four daughters had all drawn out for the hunt, so they could have been up the mountain. But because the game had already been scheduled, and couldn't be changed, our team decided they would play. And every boy but one decided they would come down off the mountain, or postpone their hunting plans. Family came from far away (like Drew) to watch them. Unfortunately, Cortez didn't show up. Our team received a phone call from the Cortez team explaining that they had received a message that because of the hunt our game had been cancelled.
The boys decided to have a short scrimmage against each other, with Britt's team victorious in the end. Then, we sent them on their way. As we were leaving, a bus showed up with the Cortez team. The Cortez 6th and 7th grade team, I mean. Our boys are 4th and 5th grade. Blanding's 6th and 7th grade team had decided they didn't want to play on opening hunt day, so they called Cortez to let them know the game was cancelled. The message got mixed up, and the wrong team was told not to come, and obviously the wrong team came. So, two teams wasted their morning. UGHH!

But it was such a nice day. It seemed like we ought to do something, since we didn't have the game. Britt had a project at the house he wanted to finish. That took him a few hours, but there was still a few hours of good daylight. Britt and Garrett had not drawn out for the hunt, which was too bad, because maybe they would have been better off hunting.

Well, I said to Britt, let's go for a hike, or we could watch a movie, or just take a walk. He said, how about we go for a motorcycle ride? All right. Took us a while to get going. We couldn't get Cole's KTM to start. Britt tipped it over to fix it and when he turned it upright, he broke the exhaust pipe. So, in frustration, he told Cole to get on the little Yahama, which is also broken, but at least rideable. Then, Britt took off on his motorcycle, sending gravel flying back at those of us who were waiting to go.

That's just the beginning of the story. We finally got on our way. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures of our crew. As I said, it was such a process to get going, I just didn't feel like taking any pictures. Garrett was on the Honda CR50. Cole on the Yamaha YZ50. I was on the Honda 4-wheeler with Tyler, Rachel and Olivia.

We headed toward the canyon next to our house. The path we took started just past the college. Britt was in the lead, but he kept stopping to wait and see if us girls made it okay down some of the rougher parts of the trail. Then, I came around the corner on the 4-wheeler and I could tell something was wrong. Britt was yelling his head off and then he threw down the bike and hopped on one foot off the path and sat down in the brush.

Cole wants me to let you know he was swearing like crazy.

Tyler was terribly concerned, and wanted to run over and help him, but I made her get back on the 4-wheeler. I pushed Britt's bike out of the way, then he reminded me to turn off the gas.
He was pretty ticked off, so none of us could do anything right. I told the girls to get off the 4-wheeler and start walking back up the trail, with Cole leading them on his motorcycle.

I could see that Britt's foot was bleeding inside his tennis shoe, the top of the shoe was torn up. It took him a while before he was willing to leave the place where he was sitting. He was in a lot of pain, and really freakin mad at that stupid motorcycle. I won't tell you all the things he said; they are not meant for tender ears.

I brought the 4-wheeler further up the path, and turned it around. He got on the back, and we started back up the hill. Then, he kicked me out of the driver's seat, because I wasn't plowing up the hills aggressively enough for him. Once we had gone far enough up the hills, he let me drive again. I passed the girls and Cole, and told them I would come back for them. (We honestly weren't that far from home).

Once I got Britt home, I tried to convince him to get in the van, so I could take him to the doctor, but he did NOT want to go. So, I got him situated on the couch, with his foot propped up on pillows. I gave him two prescription Motrin pills. He wouldn't let me take the shoe off.

I went back for the girls, and got them home. We put all the bikes, including the upside-down KTM--turned right-side-up--into the shed.

The girls noticed that some cards had been left for us from Grandpa Joe and Grandma Carol, for our anniversary and Olivia's birthday (just a little late), so I called Joe to thank them. "I'm in Salt Lake," Joe said, "It was Jesse who brought those to Blanding for us." Then he asked how we were doing. And I told him. He said to call Jesse and have him bring Britt's bike back for us.

Well, Jesse was on the Monticello side of the mountain, gutting the deer he had just shot. I said, don't worry about us, we'll figure something out.

So then the kids got on the phone and started calling people. Cole called Macdonalds to tell his friend Preston that his dad has broken in his foot. Preston was out hunting with his dad, but his mom answered, and when she heard the story, she offered to help. She came right over, and helped me convince him to take his shoe off. There was a great gash down the side of his second toe, and the ball of his foot was swollen something fierce.

The kids were all starving, so I made them pasta while Lisa took care of his foot, washing the dirt and rocks out of it. (Good thing it was her, because I don't think he would have been so nice to me beating up--carefully--on his foot). Meanwhile, I had tried to call a few different people to help bring back the bike. Everyone was on the mountain.

But DeAnn Hunt read between the lines of the story she got from her daughter (one of the people I called), and decided to come over and try to help. She helped clean up the kitchen after the kids were done eating. She also got the kids ready for bed later, after I finally took Britt to the doctor. Yes, we actually convinced Britt to see a doctor. Apparently the left-over pain medication we had given him kicked enough to calm him down and make him reasonable enough to deal with whatever pain the doctor might subject him to.

And then, Garrett had called James Hughes to tell him what had happened. James is Garrett's scout leader. I got on the phone, and asked him to come give Britt a blessing. After he and Brady Tanner gave Britt a blessing, they helped him get out to the van. We all convinced him that at the very least, he would need stitches.

Garrett wants me to tell you that Britt did NOT want to get stitches, because he would not be able to take a shower.

Long story short: Britt has five broken toes, and the laceration on the side of his toe was stitched up. Michelle Lyman, the Physician's Assistant who doctored his wounds, said he was lucky he didn't tear the tendon, which was exposed, or damage the nerve which was also visible under the tendon. She had to work carefully to avoid those as she stitched his skin back together. She also had to do a digital block, which meant poking a needle in the nerve of each toe. OUCH. OUCH. OUCH!!! Then, once he was stitched up, she pulled all three middle toes back into alignment. Oh man, just describing it is making me hurt.

I am such a wimp, the nurse had to hold his toe while she stitched it, because I didn't want to be that close to the whole process. Now I am feeling guilty about that, but there it is.

This is how Britt described what happened. He was coming around a corner, hugging the inside of the turn. As he came around, his left foot hit a rock jutting out of the ground. The momentum of the motorcycle shoved the front of his foot under the footpeg, crushing it between the peg and the rock. I guess it could be worse. Let's cross our fingers this is an injury that doesn't require surgery. We just hate recovering from those surgeries (right, Mom?).

Well, I just have to say, my kids were having a great time out on a family ride, right up until that moment. Oh well. Guess that is how it goes sometimes. Thanks to all our friends for looking out for us. Here we go again. Anyone out there looking to buy a motorcycle?