Just a little somethin'...

We still do not have the Internet......but I decided that I would upload a few pics to show you that we are still alive and well just busy and tired...We are all moved in to the new house and loving it! Once we get the Internet I will update you on the last year of our life :) Promise!!

things i will miss...

I decided I would write a list of things I remember/miss about my little brother... for my sake I guess?

1. Singing/humming hymns or favorite songs just slightly out of tune.
2. His Laugh
3. Ability to make light of any situation
4. desire to do good
5. willingness to serve others
6. teasing my little adrie and all the grand kids for that matter
7. sleeping with his eyes slightly open
8. saying "I've done that before" to make me feel better
9. talking about girls
10. enjoying new music
11. how mature and humble he was
12. how he took care of my mom...
13. willingness to be hanging out with me cuz i was bored
14. watching american idol even though he acted like he didn't like it
15. hot wings
16. shrimp and vegetables with jerk sauce
17. motorbiking and four wheeling....camping, etc.
18. watching ESPN and sports any chance he got
19. love for Joseph Smith
20. him and his buddies hanging out at the house
21. sincerity
22. "barking spiders"......never thought i would miss that
23. all of our conversations in the last months of his life when he really started opening up...
24. willing to do anything for anybody
25. never complained or gossiped just changed the subject or didn't join in
26. his testimony
27. flaming hot cheetos and mini charleston chews
28. construction work
29. protein powder
30. working out and being concerned about his health
31. his love for music
32. listening to his mp3 player
33. taking naps on moms bed
34. procrastinating homework
35. accident prone....youngest of nine children and was most likely to be injured...
36. his feet
37. willingness to be of comfort
38. good listener
39. missionary work
40. falling asleep on the couch in awkward and uncomfortable ways
41. traveling for baseball with mom, kassie and I
42. all you can eat wings at wingers
43. subtle sense of humor

In the short time since my brothers passing I have been somewhat numb. But I have learned that in order to grow we have to have trials and adversity in our lives. I know this trial is a growing experience and only strengthens my testimony of the gospel. Our earthly life is a test of faith and this trial has helped me to have more faith in the Lord. I am so glad that I have the knowledge that I do and I am so thankful for the plan of salvation. I love you Cole and I will see you again! For now.......I miss you!!!

I couldn't have said it better....

My mother's best friend, Chris Powell, wrote this poem after my brother Cole passed away.... I was truly touched and it sums up his life pretty well! Thanks Chris for being such a great support to my mother. We love you! Thank you for this wonderful poem!!! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Cole

You wondered why he came to earth so early
When he made his unplanned, pre-mature birth,
It must have been that he was very anxious
To begin his mission here upon this earth.
He surely knew the things that lay before him…
The tasks the Lord had sent him here to do
And he knew his time was short to see them finished,
To accomplish all the things he must pursue.
So he set about his mission very early,
As the youngest child in a brood of nine
Bringing joy to all his sisters and his brothers
With a spirit that could only be divine.
As he grew his parents knew that he was special,
His quiet kindness touching lives for good.
Never causing them a moments pain or worry
Always doing everything a young man should.
Yet, still showing forth a streak of fun and goodness
That attracted many friends from every sphere,
Playing ball and living life with vim and vigor
By example, teaching lessons to each peer.
Not afraid to live the gospel to its fullest
He was Christ-like in the life that he did live,
He served a valiant, mission as an Elder
Truly giving every effort he could give.
But it seems his mission simply was not over
He was needed, still, to preach the Gospel truth,
So the Lord reached out his hand and gently took him
To the other side, it seems, while yet a youth.
There were souls that maybe only he could mentor,
There were hearts that maybe only he could turn,
There were lessons, maybe only taught through passing,
That the ones he left behind would need to learn.
Though he left life as he entered – much too early,
A long life here just wasn’t meant to be
Yet, because he touched so many in his lifetime
His influence will be felt eternally.


Love,
Kris

My Baby Brother....

Cole passed away Sunday morning, May 10, 2009. It was unexpected and without warning! There is a lot of people asking what happened....so instead of fighting the tears and repeating the horrific experience that my mother and family went through, here it is in a short version. Saturday morning my brother Cole was complaining of chest and back pain. He then went to a chiropractor for the back pain. After arriving home the pain had escalated. He was at this time vomiting and nauseated. My mother then took him to the Emergency Room around eleven in the morning. They ran a number of tests including cat scans, urine, and blood tests. The conclusion at the end of the first ER visit was that he was probably passing a kidney stone. He was sent home with pain and nausea medication. Saturday evening around nine my mother took Cole to the ER the second time. The pain was not letting up and the medication was no longer having an affect on the pain. He was in the ER for three more hours before they admitted him. He gradually got worse through the night, so they did a scan of the fluids in his body using that dye which they did not use in the first scan. This is when they found pools of blood internally and the doctors say that his aortic valve had burst or leaked and he was bleeding internally. This was around 630 Sunday morning. By the time they had found the problem it was too late to life flight him or prep for surgery. They could not stabilize him enough to do either. He went code blue at 8 am Sunday morning. He had no previous heart conditions. Everything that could go wrong did. It was a shock to us all.

Cole's Obituary can be seen at www.flammfh.com

Homemade Motivation!!!

Home made! Something different
okay so the first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me to you. my choice. made especially for you. of course there are some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what i make!
2. What i create will be just for you.
3. It will be done sometime this year.
4. You have no clue what it will be... it may be a story. it may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake something and mail it to you. who knows? not you, that's for sure.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. the catch? oh the catch is that you must re post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.
The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!! oh and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!

Mike's Trailer Incident

Finally getting around to posting mikes little incident. So here are the pictures that so many have asked for. The full story is in the post below. These are just some more pics of the truck and trailer!

They had to hit the trailer off of the truck with a hammer and let it fall down the hill and then come-a-longed the truck to a lava rock on the side of the hill because the tractor couldn't pull the truck out. It was to slick and the tractor would just slide down the hill. Kinda funny that they had to come-a-long it with a chain inch by inch. I am tired so this story is just all over the place! hahaha

Counting our Blessings!

If any of you have been up to my parents house in the winter you know of "the hill" that you can't get up without four wheel drive. Well Mike had four wheel drive but also had a trailer on and decided to go for it. Many attempts are made when people decide to go for it without four wheel drive and then they slide sideways down the hill! As you can see in this picture Mike's tire tracks almost made it to the top but he didn't quite get there....

The result .....the trailer going off of the side of the hill with the pickup halfway off.

Mike was just glad that his pickup only needed a new drive line instead of an entire makeover!

The story does not end there.....the neighbors relative tried to come down the hill to get his wife. Well first off he got his truck to come to a complete stop which was a miracle in itself. Then my brother in law proceeds to tell him he was amazed that he came to a stop and not to try to back up because his wife attempted to back up last year and slid all the way down the hill............so what does the guy do? he puts his truck in reverse and slides down the hill towards mike's truck and slides to a stop a few feet from mikes truck. Lets just say the guy didn't get out and offer to help. We wanted to smack him upside the head. We just told him not to try to back up and then comes within inches of putting a lot of lives in danger! Wow! Needless to say it was quite an experience and we are so glad that mike wasn't launched off the hill and we try not to think of what could have happen. We are counting our many blessings!