Every Second Counts

106 days since Our Adventure began.
2,544 Hours.
152,640 Minutes.
9,158,400 Seconds.

Putting it into numbers seems to makes it feel so recent and so far in the past all at the same time.

We went to see Dr. Paul Gardner's PA, Star Clayson, last week after Kirk did a flexion and extension series of x-rays. Star put the x-ray films up on the board, separately and one on top of the other to see if everything lined up. The best words came out of her mouth, "Everything looks very stable. It couldn't be better."

Absolute relief was shining through our smiles like the rays of the sun after a stormy day. We ran several questions past her, the biggest of which was, "When can he get out of his shell?" Star wanted to speak with Dr. Gardner but felt that he would recommend transitioning into a soft corset over the next month or two. She said she would give us a call when she had spoken with him and got his opinion.

As you might expect, Kirk transitioned himself out of the shell that night. No call from Star. No soft corset. No surprise here. He went to work the next day, with shell in hand, "just incase".

Three days later he got the call, "Dr. Gardner would like you to transition into the soft corset over the next few weeks." Star told him. "Well, what if I just transition myself out of the shell without the soft corset?" Kirk casually asked. Star gave him the recommendations from Dr. Gardner and Kirk finally told her he had already "transitioned" himself out of the shell. "How long have you been out of it?" she asked. "Since Tuesday." Star asked how he felt and his response was joyful....."Better than ever!"








And he is.

He has transitioned out of the hospital bed and out of the shell. He continues to physically do more and more each day while taking fewer and fewer medications for pain. After spending the morning raking leaves with his dad, brother Brad and nephew Cole, mowing the lawn and even doing some laundry, Kirk walked into the room, threw his hands up in the air like a veteran referee calling the winning touchdown in the final seconds of the championship game, and exclaimed, "I'm back!"

What a beautiful journey we have been blessed with. Every single, miraculous, second has brought us together in ways we couldn't have managed on our own.

We are stronger.
We are more focused.
We are giddy.

And "we" are searching for a new motorcycle:)





- Posted by Gena Bertelsen using BlogPress from my iPad

It Will All Be Worth It

Eleven Weeks.
We are at eleven weeks since the beginning of Our Adventure.
Kirk and I have spent most of the day at home today. For once, I am the one not feeling well. Ironically, he says this is probably his best day so far.
We watched the movie 17 Miracles this afternoon after a sweet friend of mine challenged me to watch it. We have heard what a great movie it was, and we agree. However, my eyes are swollen and red from shedding tears for over an hour. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should make every effort you can to watch it. Make sure you have the kleenex close by.




This is a true story of pioneers from the Martin and Willie Handcart Company that crossed the plains to come to Zion. Two of the pioneers, Sarah Anne Frank and George Paddley, were obviously so in love and had planned to be married when they reached Zion. George asked Sarah several times why they were waiting to be married, she would tell him, "It will all be worth it."
I needed that today. We are constantly grateful for the multitude of miracles we have been given but, as time goes on, the miracles seem to be disguised as other trials, stresses and worries. I am human. I am imperfect. I get frustrated, ticked off, impatient, discouraged, sad, mad, worried, doubtful and weak. Today, I needed that reminder, "It will all be worth it."
And it will.
Watching this movie was a great reminder that prayer works and that every challenge we face is meant for our good and our growth. In short, it will all be worth it.
I am starting to wonder who really needed that lesson on patience;)
- Posted by Gena Bertelsen using BlogPress from my iPad

Conversation Piece

Another week has passed in Our Adventure.

Today is the 80th day since it all began. Whew! Kirk says it definitely feels like it has been that long. I think you might get a different perspective whilst wearing a turtle shell back brace.

He has been back to work, light-duty, for 3 weeks now and comes home each evening totally exhausted and ready to crawl in bed. Considering the alternative.....exhausted is absolutely exceptional.

We had a great day yesterday. We had originally planned to take a ride up the canyon and see the beautiful fall leaves up close. But, as I was reaching for my shoes my dog Buddy nudged his way into my closet as if to show me which shoes I should pick. They were the walking shoes. Putting those shoes on makes him the happiest dog in the world as he knows he will get to join me for a walk. He became very vocal as I picked up the walking shoes and I told Kirk that Buddy was hoping we would go for a walk instead. He got his way. And it was perfect.

We went about two miles, just North of our neighborhood, and roused just about every dog you could imagine into a barking frenzy. It was not our normal route so these dogs are not as familiar with Buddy the Wonder Dog and his gentle, playful nature. It is either that or they are extremely jealous of his doggy backpack that he wears on our walks.


Buddy is quite an amazing dog. He is a shoe and furniture critic. He creates enough hair in one week to make another dog and, he loves everyone. Buddy is such an obedient dog that he stays right with us when we walk as if he were the poster dog for the "We don't need no stinkin' leashes" brand. No leash, just a happy friendly dog that wants to meet everyone. This last trait is not always welcomed by others. In fact, most people Buddy would meet on our walks would initially be afraid of him. He is very unique looking and if you didn't know him, you might wonder about his level of friendliness. I decided to use him in an experiment; what if I changed everyones perception of him? Would people still be afraid?

We took him to PetSmart and purchased a doggy backpack. Upon returning home, Bryn and I put it on him and took him for a short walk. He acted as though he had been punished and walked with his ears back and with a little droop in his tail. I didn't give up. I started putting it on him for every walk so that it would become routine. Almost immediately people changed. Everyone wanted to pet him. All that changed was their perception! He had this backpack on which made him appear to be a "working" dog and everyone knows that working dogs are friendly! And, working dogs want to visit and be touched. Buddy cannot believe his good fortune.


Kirk's turtle shell has become a lot like Buddy's backpack. Wherever we go, people want to talk to him, ask him what happened or, as in an earlier post, ask if it can stop a bullet:) We ventured in to several pawn shops yesterday and met so many people that seemed to have so much in common with us. Whether they lived in Mapleton, rode motorcycles or had back problems, we were connected. Kirk and I were talking about how his shell is like a people magnet and he said it has opened up so many conversations with people he didn't even know. He calls it a "Conversation Piece", you know, like one of those great big twisted pieces of glass that you use as a decoration and people are drawn to ask questions about it. It starts a conversation. That is another blessing of Our Adventure.


Saturdays have become our "let's just be together" day. Our old "normal" would have seen weekends come and go with most of our time spent separately, focused on whatever we each made a priority. I was worried about laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning and Kirk was more "fun" oriented with motorcycle riding or tinkering on guns when he was not at work. The new "normal" includes plenty of focus on each other. Priorities have been balanced where they should have been all along.


There are so many ways, in the busy life that we all lead, to lose focus on the important things and we are living proof of that. I think you become so comfortable in your relationships that you don't think about the nurturing that is needed to keep that relationship strong. It's like planting a garden; you work the soil, plant the seed, fertilize and water, prune and weed, and if you are diligent, you reap a wonderful harvest. If you only planted the seed and watered when it was convenient or when you remembered to, your harvest would be nothing to brag about, if you even had a harvest.

Our Adventure has taught us to make each other and our family our number one priority. No matter what. I used to think our marriage was great and couldn't really imagine it being any better. Our Adventure has only improved our relationship because of the adjustments we needed to make. Again, another blessing.

Hope your priorities are balanced. If not.....do something about it! Life is too short to waste another minute!



- Posted by Gena Bertelsen using BlogPress from my iPad

The SWARM

Day 73 of Our Adventure.
Can you believe it has been over 9 weeks since it all began?
I was thinking about that a lot this morning. Some of it still seems very surreal. The rest of it is a reminder that it is VERY real. It's all good, in the big picture of life.
Both Kirk and Bryn have been sick this week and they were kind enough to share their good fortune with me:( They both missed several days of life/work and both seem on the mend. Being an overachiever, I intend to make short work of the gift and be 100% tomorrow...wish me luck.
Kirk was invited to a SWARM on Saturday and, wanting to spend some more time with him, I invited myself to go too. I had to ask him what a SWARM was, I am pretty sure you might be wondering too. A SWARM is kind of like a remote control mini-convention for those who fly RC Planes. They all stand on the pre-determined "flight line" and release their planes at the same time. It sounds like a swarm of bees and is actually pretty darn cool to see. Here is the video footage I took of it:

One of my favorite parts of the SWARM were the two little commentators on the lawn in front of me. I have no idea who they are but, dang it was fun listening to their views on the event.
A couple of The Brethren, current and retired, were there making planes, flying them and having all manner of fun as they attempted to take the planes with the streamers out of the air.

















A big shout out to Ralph Derico, Jake Ervin and Dan Holdaway. It is always great to see you boys. I did ask Kirk why Cheryl and Kim weren't there and he said, "This is kind of a guy thing." Whoops;) Maybe next time.
Over the last few weeks, almost everywhere we go, someone we run into mentions the blog, that they read it, enjoy it and share it. How beautiful is that!? Thank you. We are humbled and inspired and hope that you find something of value in Our Adventure that can help make your life better.
I love this picture of Kirk at the SWARM. Yes, he does have his brace on under the sweatshirt.....otherwise he would look even skinnier! I keep trying to fatten him up without success.




I don't know that we could say this enough........THANK YOU. We are so grateful for the wonderful, genuine friendships we have come to count on in our lives. Your thoughts and prayers, positiveness, service, example and love have held us up through some of the most difficult times we have know. There truly is strength in numbers, especially when it is focused on good.
Love to you all!
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Tomorrow

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.
It comes to us at midnight very clean.
It is perfect when it arrives and puts itself in our hands.
It hopes that we have learned something from yesterday."
~John Wayne

Today is the 69th day since Our Adventure began.

Kirk has been plugging away, putting in lots of hours of light-duty work at Orem City. His spirits are lifted so much by The Brethren. They probably don't even know how loved they are.....in a professional way, of course:)

He stayed home from work today not because he wanted to, but because his body told him it would not be in a standing position for more than a few minutes at a time. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Our sweet Bryn shared the quote at the beginning of the post. When I read it I immediately knew it was meant for me today. Do you ever have moments like that?

Let's just say...."It's been a day." Whew...I feel much better:)

So many times I get caught up in the moments of today, stress, smiles, happiness and frustration, and I let it set the tone for the rest of the day. I realize that this is not very productive, but that does not lessen the "attractiveness" of letting emotions take the proverbial wheel and drive you wherever it may. Unfortunately, emotions rarely take you to your planned "destination".

Our Adventure has opened up a treasure chest of emotions for our entire family. We have laughed, cried, worried, been hopeful, anxious, grateful, joyful and elated. Actually, where haven't our emotions been?

Emotions are tricky little things that have much more control of our actions and words than any of us would be willing to admit. (There's that "control" word again.....why does it always seem to be in the shadows just waiting to jump out and do something crazy?)

So, today is almost over. Tomorrow is going to be beautiful. We all have another 24 hours to smile, serve, pray, help, guide and inspire. And after that, we will get another 24 hours to improve on everything again.


I am looking forward to midnight. In fact, I may just stay up to welcome tomorrow with open arms.



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The Forgetting

Day 66.
A very low-key Sabbath day for us.

Kirk and I went for a walk today, around the pond, like we used to do daily. This is the first time I have been up there since Our Adventure began. It was beautiful to see the reflection of Maple Mountain and the changing leaves in the pond.

Everything was so peaceful and calming. Exactly what we needed.

I have been very reflective the last few weeks about Our Adventure and lessons that we have learned throughout the last few months. I am sure the lessons will continue, maybe not as vividly as some have been, but they will be there. I'm not worried about that.

My concern is the forgetting.

I was visiting with a darling friend, Raylene Long, the other day about the forgetting. We have several great connections, our husbands both work for Orem City, are both Police Officers and both love to ride motorcycles. We have both gone through life altering experiences where our husbands were injured and have recovered. Let me tell you a little bit more about Raylene's husband, Jeff Long.







While serving our country in the Middle East, a suicide bomber detonated a van full of explosives in very close proximity to Jeff and his team. They were driving a HumVee, Jeff was on top as "the Gunner". When the van exploded, Jeff was engulfed in flames and fell inside the HumVee. The fire suppression system was able to put the fire out but not before Jeff suffered severe burns to his face and body.

Jeff spent several months in military hospitals recovering from the burns, some of the time without his family by his side. There are still scars, emotional and physical, from his experience, and probably always will be. Jeff is another Hero in my life.

I asked Raylene how they kept the things they learned during that time, including the very miracle of him being alive, at the forefront of their mind. She told me that she had mentioned to Jeff, just a few days prior, that the scar on his face was fading. This was a very visible reminder to them of the miracle they had been given. With it fading, would the memories fade also?

Don't misunderstand me, there are some things I would be fine forgetting. But there are some vitally important lessons here that we obviously would not have been able to learn without Our Adventure. So how do you remember these things when life resumes it's normal pace, other stresses take over and you aren't "focused" on the Adventure?


For us, part of the gratitude includes putting the lessons we have learned into action in our lives. We are more mindful of others who are in difficult situations, who need our prayers and service and we act. We cherish our time together, with our family, friends and each other, in ways we didn't understand before. We take more opportunities to tell those around us how much we appreciate and love them. Kirk made the comment one day, "I have really worried my parents. They tell me they love me every time they talk to me." It wasn't that they didn't say this to him in many ways, it was just a lot more often!

So, here we are. Kirk's back is healing. He is back to work, even though it is light-duty, full duty is just around the corner. The pains have lessened. Sleep is improving. And soon, we hope, he will be able to sleep in our bed instead of the hospital bed. We know that Heavenly Father has given us a multitude of blessings. We just don't want to forget them.

This, I am sure, is another lesson we need to learn.

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8 Weeks Ago Today

Can you believe it has been eight weeks since Our Adventure began?

Sometimes it seems like years ago. Other times it feels like it was just yesterday.

We started today early by walking at the 8th Annual Suicide Prevention Walk in Provo. The theme was HOPE; Hold On. Persuade. Empower. It was good to spend our morning supporting some very special people in our lives and we are so grateful for the memories of those we have lost.

The walk was two miles and the route was one big square of several city blocks. At each corner stood a silent sign holder sharing a powerful message. I especially loved this one:




The majority of us have seen or heard the words of the Serenity Prayer throughout our lives but today they seemed to shout out to me "Hey You! Pay attention!"

In my mind, the Serenity Prayer has been a type of mantra for Alcoholics Anonymous, a poetic reminder that Heavenly Father has a plan, whether we like it or not. We cannot tell Him what to do, we just need to pay attention to the promptings of what He needs us to do.

For some reason, I have struggled with this in the last two months. But I am being reminded daily that I am not in charge. It's a bittersweet kind of thing:)

I am thinking of starting a new support group for people who think they can fix everything by themselves and in the process they create a whole new series of problems. I know I have mentioned Control Freaks Anonymous before but my BFF Cheryl said it's not actually "Anonymous" if you openly admit it.

This seems to present another problem........

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