...and this is why

 How many times does it take for advice from your parents to stick?  Apparently at least three times.  Actually that is only the amount of times I REMEMBER asking/telling the kids not to jump out of the treehouse.  Rewind to July 29th, I had taken the kids to their Primary Activity at the church.  Then, from there I drove down to Tremonton to meet up with Keli to pick up her boys (I was tending them for the weekend).  We had probably been home for an hour or so when I looked out the window...and what did I see?  Not popcorn :).  Matt was showing the little kids how to jump and spin and do cool tricks off the first deck of our treehouse.  I thought, "I'd better go out there before someone gets hurt."  Too late.  Matt met me just  few steps from the back door.  He said, "Abby jumped out and says she can't move her leg and she won't stand up."  Olivia also met up with me and had an owie on her chin from hitting it on her knee when she jumped.  I should give that owie a little more face time--poor sweetie.  I carried Abby in the house, got her and ice pack, and one for Livs, and then finished up dinner.  Abby ate, but said she just wanted to go to bed.  2 hours later she had woken up every half hour crying and saying her leg hurt.  Martin got home from football practice at 10:00 and turned right around to take Abs to the emergency room.  I stayed with all the kids--luckily everyone else slept like angels.  So, our little Abby Aspen Pope broke her tibia bone in two places clean through.  They called it a double distal spiral fracture.  There were some concerns that the bone in between the two breaks would shift and require surgery to put it back in place, but we have been very careful with her and she is one patient...patient.

So now she has this great cast and a good story to have for "What I Did This Summer?".  She will probably have at least 2 weeks of school with a cast and crutches, but she has been very tough and very sweet.  She even told me after she got her cast that she hoped she wasn't too much heavier for me to carry.  Also, when she prays she says, "thank you that mom can still carry me."  and tonight she said, "thanks that matt will help me when I am outside."  It sure is not how I pictured the last couple weeks of summer would go, but we have had so much help, and prayers, and love.  Thanks to all!!! Most importantly, thank you to my Heavenly Father for the many blessings of smooth doctor's visits, no major complications, and so much support from loving family and friends.  Now, maybe these sweet kids of mine won't ask, "but, why?" when I tell them for the hundrenth time not to do something.  Or maybe I will need a picture of Abs to hold up, every time.