The Return

Halloween Night 1981

The day had come when I was to return Home from my Mission. I was scheduled to arrive home on the 31st of OCTOBER ,,,that's right Halloween Night.


I landed at the Sky Harbor International Airport and I had arranged to have Renae meet me there to pick me up and drive me to the Stake Presidents office so that I could be released. It sure was good to see her after all the time that we had been apart.

We had written each other for the full 2 years and she was my main support as I was away Serving the Lord. After arriving at the Stake Presidents Office I was released and we drove from there to my Mom and Dads house to see them and talk about our Future plans.



The night was filled with interruptions though,,,These little people kept knocking on the door and wanting,,,,,that's right,,,,, you got it right,,,,, CANDY



PLAYING CATCH UP
All I wanted to do at that time was to talk to her and look into her eyes. She was the most beautiful person that I had ever met. I was ready to talk about our Future. We had been making plans to be Married on the December 1st 1981. I was ready and so was she. So that is what we did.

She was going to finish her last year at ASU and I was going to start my schooling and work construction with a Framing Contractor in Mesa. We had crossed all of the Tee's and dotted all the I's.

DECEMBER 1st 1981

Everything went as planned. Renae had worked so hard to get this all ready for us on such a short period of time.

We were Sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple for Time and all Eternity.

I have never been happier in my life knowing the I was going to be with Her Forever. It was a special ceremony and friends and family supported us and wished us the best for the future.










I remember looking across the altar, holding her hand and seeing that happy person that I met just 2 years previous at that Young adult swim party.

"Who would of ever thought that Our Relationship would grow into a Forever Bond of LOVE."



We moved to our Apartment in Mesa where we managed some Tri-plexes to keep the rent money down. We found work where we could and tried to save a much as possible.

"MISSIONARY REUNION DISASTER"
Then our First Disaster struck...
We traveled up north to do a little Snow Skiing with one of my Companions, and the very last
run after skiing all day was one that I will never forget. It all happened at the Brighton Ski Resort just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. I was going down a run following one of my past companion Pete Hoj from my Mission. I remember him saying "just follow me". So I did. I was not that good of a skier, but I did not want to tell him that. We knew we had to get off the mountain because it was getting late. I was in deep powder,,,,In Arizona we don't have deep powder,,Oh Well, I was doing OK until I tried to turn to the left going down a pretty steep hill. Just as I tried, I fell over and my binding did not release and I heard the CRACK sound and the pain start immediately. I knew right then I broke my leg. I yelled for him to come back, as he did I tried to pick up my leg with the ski still attached and it just went limp. He told me to lay still and he would go for help. Not even 2-3 minutes had past and we heard some people coming down the hill right behind us.

It was the Brighton Ski Patrol combing the mountain for the day. As they heard us yelling to them they came over and I heard the one guy say,,,"you guys are pretty lucky,,we are training some new Patrol on how to bring down victims." Well, that was me,,, I was a victim. My leg was hurting so bad, I told Pete to" give me a blessing so that I would not feel so much pain". He did, with the assistance of a few Ski Patrol members. They stabilized my leg and down the hill I went for about 1 hour. They had to lower me down in sections of the hill, and with every release of the rope I could feel the pain in my leg,,,bone rubbing on bone. It was not until I said a quiet prayer asking the pain to please stop did I receive total comfort. Got down and my Pete Hoj told me he would drive me to the nearest Hospital. The whole time getting there in a little Celica, I kept thinking to myself,,"How am I going to explain this to Renae." Pete had called ahead and notified Renae on what had happened and where he was taking me.

As I drove up to the St. Marks Hospital emergency, I notices a couple nurses standing there waiting for me. One of the nurses, a very nice size women just reached into the little car and told me to "put your arms around me and I will lift you and get you into the chair". Well, she did just that. When she picked me up my leg hit the door and just fell limp again, sending that "shocking pain to the Brain". Inside we went, Drugs were administered and still pain. They gave me something a little stronger and then I told them "they could do whatever they wanted with the Leg,,,I did not feel a thing". They had to cut the boot off, and proceeded to cast the leg clear up to my crotch. Top Boot Fracture. Renae arrived and she was wonderful through the whole thing. Trying to give me comfort and keeping it all together. We had no insurance and I kept thinking how were we going to pay for this. To top it all off, we drove up to Salt Lake and so Renae called her mother and they sent us money for a airplane ride home for ONE...Me....

....to be continued