Protecting Shaniah through Prayer

So today I finally started feeling a bit back to normal after this trip and the toll it took upon my body! I was so thankful that my older daughter and grand baby came over to visit for the day! I was having a great day and had energy today to pick up the house, get ready for the day, and was playing with Ireland when I got a phone call from my daughter Shaniah.

As I looked at the number who was calling me I glanced at the time and wondered why she was calling me in the middle of the school day. My heart dropped as I wondered if something was wrong. As soon as I said hello, I could tell immediately that she had been crying. I could barely understand her through her tears but I was able to hear that she was in an car accident. She told me she was t-boned on the drivers side.

I immediately ran out of the house, jumped in my car and sped off to find her. I kept her on the phone talking to me so as to find out the extent of her injuries. I kept her talking with me trying to calm her down while I drove to the intersection by her school.

As I arrived I found Shaniah sitting on the ground crying and shaking uncontrollably. There were two students who were there at the scene of the accident who had their arms around her trying to help her. I was grateful for these two students as I did not think to ask who they were but told them thank you for their help!

Shaniah was extremely lucky! She was hit directly on her side and their was an airbag that came out of the drivers seat on her side, which the police said really saved her from further serious injury. She did however have a bruise shoulder from the seat belt, and serious concussion, whiplash, and a large bump on her head. The hospital did a CT scan to make sure she did not have a cracked skull or bleeding on the brain. The scan checked out fine and we were super glad and felt so blessed that she wasn't hurt any worse.

However, she was bummed that she can't play any contact sports for 6 weeks due to her concussion and now has to see a chiropractor 3 times a week to help the other injuries heal! But once again I thought about the prayer we had together before she went to school this morning! How thankful I am once again for the protecting arm of the Lord in her behalf today! I know she doesn't see that now as she is hurting and having her car totaled but she will someday. I am just extremely grateful for her safety today and the Lord giving me the strength to be there for her when she really needed it most!

Glad to be Home….

Today was I ever thankful to finally get back to my chiropractor. I needed an adjustment to help me with my pain and breathing issues. Going for 4 days without and adjustment really adds to my flare-ups. I was so thankful to be able to find things that help me be free and enjoy life more than I did after I was first diagnosed.

Another thing I am super grateful for his my essential oils. I have had to play around with them to find what helps me the very best, but I am a firm believer in them and have not had to have any prescription pain meds for over 9 months. I use essential oils to help with pain, inflammation, migraines, my adrenal fatigue, and stress. I used them  every day and used them constantly this past weekend and I know that is what helped me make it through this trip!

Today was a rest day that I really needed after such an eventful weekend. I was so happy to see my other daughter, my son-in-law, and especially my grand baby Ireland. When we got home yesterday after the long drive home they were at our house cooking us dinner! How thankful I was for them and their wonderful act of service for all of us who were too tired and worn out to cook!

The best part was when Landee squealed when she saw me come running up to get her! I missed her so much and I am not sure…. but it looked like she missed me a little bit too! haha!

So much fun to get back home and have everyone in your family together again!

Power of Prayer = Protection

So we drove home from Lake Powell today. It was a long 7 hour drive. Before we left we had a prayer with as a family to protect us in our travels on the way home. Boy! Was I ever glad we had that prayer. 

It was about 5 hours into the trip and we had just got on I-15. We were in a line of traffic going about 75 mph. We were driving the motorhome with the girls in it and the boys were behind us driving our truck pulling the boat. When all of the sudden the entire line of traffic came to a screeching halt. We could see 10 cars up ahead of us all slamming on their brakes. Cars were swerving as they slammed on their brakes not to hit the car in front of them. As my husband slammed on his brakes we looked into the rear-view mirror to see our son J'Dee slam on the truck brakes and we heard him screech and swerve out of the way to miss us. The car behind them swerved to miss them as well. 

The entire event was a chain reaction as each car behind another swerved to miss one another. I am not sure if cars behind us rear-ended one another but we barely made it out without any accident or injury! How grateful I am for the power of prayer and the protection it gives us daily! I know our prayers were answered today and that we were protected and brought home safe and sound!

I am so grateful to our Father in Heaven who hears and answers each and every prayer in his own way and own time!

Good Bye FAMILY and Lake Powell... We will miss you!

Day 3 of Lake Powell in the morning was not too bad, but by afternoon it was down right wet, rainy, and windy! So grateful we left a day earlier this past week. We did try to go out in the morning but the wind and waves were so choppy that it was doing a number on my migraine and lung pain. The inflammation really caught up with me today. My breathing was really difficult and the pain was so unbearable I tired to lay on the back of the boat so no one could see me. But my family picked it up so fast and they knew I wasn't going to say anything. But I guess the tears rolling down my cheeks were a dead giveaway. I tried to tell them it was just water that had splashed up on my face, they laughed and didn't believe me for a second. I told them to just continue on and I would be fine! But they said they were done and ready to go back anyway…. I know they weren't done but wanted me to not suffer any more.

I learned something today….that thinking of others beside yourself is what  family is all about. Its not about thinking about what you want to do or what you don't get to do. But its really about thinking of others before yourself. Whether it be not wanting to ruin anyones fun or being done with having fun so someone can feel better! Although I did not want to go back from having fun, I knew it was the right thing to do for both my health and to allow my family the opportunity to think of others before themselves today!


Although we did not play as much as we wanted to in the boat we found other fun things to do back in the motorhome. We played games, went to dinner, and then made homemade music videos with everyone of us. We laughed so hard as we made this video. What a fun last night on our trip together!

The Super girls posing as we are heading to the boat ramp to try and get off the lake before the storm blows us off!

Out to Mexican food for dinner

This time I am in the picture….haha

Our music video with Kim and the girls..

C'Jay was the star of the 2nd music video the song "My Hero"

Morning breakfast and pictures with the Fuller Family

Super Kids….

The whole gang…. Yes the guy holding his arms out is my hubby KIM!!!

Kim with his Dad and brothers

Kim and his parents with his brothers

C'Jay, Colton, Keonu, and J'Dee (Cousins)

2nd day of Powell

Day 2 of Powell was super fun and so exhausting. Even though the weather was nice and hot, there was some wind which caused the water to be much more choppier! But that did not stop us from having fun.. Although it was pretty rough on my migraine and lung pain, I just kept on applying my essential oils and kept and positive attitude.

Here are some more pictures of us having a great day today! The highlight for the kids is jumping of the  50 foot cliff today! Boy what a rush!!

C'Jay with Granpa and Grandma Fuller

The whole gang!

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C'Jay our 24 year old who thinks its safe to flip off a 30 foot cliff

J'Dee jumping

Niah and friend jumping together

The boys loved to scare the girls by telling them they can see a giant fish coming after them

PINKY SWEAR…that they will both jump at the same time…

This time the cliff is even higher.. 40 feet

Ready… Set… Jump

This cliff was 50 feet high… C'jay was the first to try it…. He said he kept taking a breath cause he never knew when he would hit the water!!

J'Dee had to go next! It was very scary but exillarating.

Niah was like…are you kidding me??? But J'Dee came back up to make sure she would not chicken out!

Well she didn't chicken out and jumped….She loved it but did not want to go again!!! haha

J'Dee jumping again!

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The boys yelling at  Niah that the fish are chasing her…

BIG FISH….Honey…Not!

TUBING FUN!!! Jump those waves Niah

1st day on Lake Powell

Today was our first day on Lake Powell. It was a very calm and beautiful day. I was so glad we left a day earlier due to the fact that a storm was coming in three days and we would have only had one good day on the lake. But today was absolutely fantastic! Weather was about 95 degrees and the water temp was about 75 degrees. Just perfect!

We camped on the Wahwheap side of Lake Powell and after launching the boat and traveling for about 45 minutes up the channel we ended up in Last Chance Canyon! It was so beautiful, the kids were able to surf, kneeboard, tube, fish and the best of all cliff jump! We had so much fun, laughing and listening to music while we played. Everyone made sure to remind me to stay under the boat's canopy so as to not add to my flare. Too much heat or sun increase myVitamin D level and seem to promote more flare-ups. But, I have always taken video and pictures of my family while boating and today was not going to be any different!

I knew I had to pace myself today. But this was my first time to Lake Powell since I was diagnosed! I use to kneeboard, tube, and jump off cliffs with my family and although I really wanted to do those things with them,  but I knew if I did I would be so flared I would ruin everyones fun so I had to just find joy and satisfaction watching and taking pictures of all them! It was just as much fun watching them as it was if I was doing it with them!

 I still found a way to do a couple of my MEAN pike dives off of the boat during the day! haha!  My family really loves to laugh at me when I attempt one of my dives off the boat….They laugh and joke about my form and then the all try to imitate my dive! So fun watching them make fun of me! I think that is why I keep doing it….just to keep them all laughing!! I actually think someone took a picture of me trying one this year!!! HAHA But no worries I will NOT be posting one of those…LOL

So here are a few picture from our first day of Powell…so much fun in one day!

C'Jay flipping off the back of the boat

J'Dee twisting off the back of the boat

C'Jay laughing at his dad dancing!

J'Dee's first surfing attempt!

C'Jay went for the body surf!

KIM AND I JUST HAVING FUN!

NIAH loves to kneeboard

Niah and her friend Kylee kneeboarding together

Sam, Kylee, and Niah all three friends having fun!

All three friends getting dumped off the tube

Silly Girls

Everyone is resting and the boys are fishing….

Resting in a nice quiet cove..

C'Jay cliff jumping

J'Dee cliff jumping

Niah Cliff Jumping

Lets see how many people we can fit on the tube...

"THE BOIL"

Such a funny story… we were on our way back from a fun filed day of boating fun when the boys saw a boil. A boil is bunch of fish feeding at the top of the water  on krill. They slammed the boat to a stop and the boys flew up like crazy tripping and fallen on everything trying to get to their fishing pole before the boil left. HAHA

Here are the girls laughing so hard at the boys as they tripped and fell trying to catch a fish!

Families that Play together….Stay Together!

Today we left, as a family, for a Fuller Family Reunion in Lake Powell. We were really excited to have a break from everything back home. Both of our boys went as well as our youngest daughter Shaniah came with us. Our older daughter was not able to come due to our grand baby. It would have been way too hard to bring a one year old on a boat for the entire day. She is hoping next year she will be easier to bring! We will miss them but totally understand!

Ever since my kids were young we have always had a family motto. "Work Hard….Play Hard!" As a family we have tried to teach are kids to work hard first and then you are able to play hard as a result of your hard work!

This weekend I was looking forward to some good old family boating fun!

It was a very long drive for me. I have not been able to drive for 6 hours since being diagnosed. I arrived to Lake Powell in quite the flare. I prayed so hard that I would have the strength and stamina to enjoy this trip with my family and not spoil any of our plans due to my health. I also trie to turn by pain and illness over to the Lord so that I would have the strength beyond my own to enjoy this family trip!

I was so grateful the Lord protected us in our travels today! I am so thankful to have made it here safe and sound and was an answer to our families' prayer!

Welcome Home C'Jay

Today our oldest son C'Jay returned from Kentucky after working for 5 months there. We were so excited to see him again.

Having him gone was similar to having him on his mission again but this time he was only gone for 5 months and not two years. But we still missed having him here and being all together as a family.

Tonight when we went to pick him up he brought with him a few things…. three turtles and a giant airboat that he hauled all the way from Louisiana! He loves to waterfowl hunt and is super excited to take his Dad and brother J'Dee in his new boat. In fact J'Dee helped pay for this boat so he could own part of it as well.

Here are some pics of when we picked him up! He had been driving for three days straight and was pretty exhausted. But still had enough energy to carry Shaniah when she ran and jumped into his arms as soon as she saw him! Then when Ireland saw him she was really perplexed at why he had such a hairy face! It was fun to see C'Jay smile so big and so happy to finally be back home with his family!

Family is just not the same if everyone isn't together!

Niah jumping into C'Jay's arms

 C'Jay held Ireland for the first time in 5 months

C'Jay and his buddy Koda!

FUN to have him home!

Koda holding down Irelands hand so she would not bug him! lol