Change Up

Day 19.... I grabbed Autty's computer this afternoon and decided to throw a little "Change Up" in the daily blog.
As I have sat here night after night I have had so many thoughts flowing through my head about the last 19 days. Even back to that short-simple little text that Sommer received Sat Nov 1st while she was watching Moose playing baseball in a game that I was coaching. It said "Britton has been in a 4-wheel accident on his Sadie Hawkins date and he's got a concussion" Well as you can imagine we didn't really know where to go or what to do? We knew he was 50 miles away on his day date somewhere around Pine Valley, Utah and more than likely someone would haul him down to inst-care or the ER. Sommer & I talked and she went to the hospital to just wait there for him and see what was really going on! 30 minutes had gone by and I hadn't heard anything from Sommer. I had just took my phone out of my pocket to text her when a good friend of ours came running to the dugout I was sitting by and said " Jesse, you need to go NOW! They are life flighting Britton to the hospital!" You can imagine the panic that sits in when you hear something like that? I got up off my bucket and headed for my truck in the parking lot with a little bit of a gate in my step. I kept as calm as possible thinking to myself "Ok, this was in a remote location and he just has a concussion, so they had to send a helicopter up there to get him." I kept thinking everything is going to be ok! I also kept thinking "Wow, this is going to be one expensive helicopter ride!" Little did I know! Now here we are Day 19.....

We have always made it a point, priority, habit, tradition, whatever you want to call it, to LOVE our kids! I mean hug, snuggle, kiss, smooch, tease, smoother, cuddle you get the point! Whether it's our stinky boys or our sweetheart of a girl. We always give kisses good morning, kisses goodnight, kisses hello, kisses goodbye. We make sure we always say "I love You" when we leave in the morning or simply saying bye on the telephone. I'm so glad we have that in our little family.... that is a comfort like no other in a time like this to know... that Britton knows that now & knew that when he left that Saturday morning while his Mom told him to "Be Careful" & she Loved him at least 20 times!

There is no doubt that my mind has been consumed with Britton lately as he lay here in coma. But it has also been consumed by the outpouring of love and support our Friends, Family, Community & People we don't even know have shown! This has been a very unfortunate accident that has opened a door of blessings beyond my belief! Blessings for our little family no doubt and the aforementioned as well. I have seen prayer work before my eyes, I have felt The Priesthood working like never before. I know God has a plan and I know what he sacrificed for us more than ever now! I know children's voices are the first ones that get there as their little prayers are said for Britton each and every day. People are GOOD! People are real GOOD and it just takes things like this to reaffirm that! I have never loved My Boy more than I do now, and I've never been more proud of him either. What a missionary he is, What an example he's always been! And what a feeling to know he's fighting so hard for himself & so many others that have faith in him.

Britton has a little brother named "Moose" well actually his name is Ledger! This little 8 year olds best friend is 16! It's been hard for Moose not to have his big bro come home every night and smack him around, tease him, play catch, play basketball, shoot bb guns & drink protein shakes together! Moose is a spitting image of Britt, they are built from the same mold. (and it's a handsome mold too) Both are sports fanatics, both love call of duty, both love everything their Dad loves and that makes me smile. If Britt takes his shirt off to parade around the house, so does Moose! If Britt eats a bowl of cereal at 10pm, Moose eats a bowl of cereal right by his side. If Britt likes a certain girl..... well Moose has a crush on her too! (thats the truth too) They are "PALS" in the sweetest sense. There is a song that I have always loved since the early 90's by Earl Thomas Conley & Keith Whitley called "Brotherly Love" I always dreamed I'd have boys like that song sings about someday! and I do! It depicts Britt & Moose to a tee. When Moose came to the hospital with me on Day 4 to see Britt, he pulled a little brown spongy football out of his shorts and placed it in the right hand of his "Best Friend" while he thought nobody was looking! I was looking & listening as he said "When you wake up Bud, I want you to throw this to me!" Simply put, they are "PALS"

Ledger loves Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hunting, School, Drawing, Reading and his Awesome Friends! But most of all his Big Bro #7

Britton's other brother is Bones! Bones is 13 yrs old and is just quite simply "The Man" and I mean that in more ways than one! Ya see about a year ago a 12 yr old Greyson (Bones) sat down on the couch beside me early one Saturday morning and preceded to inform me he had "HAIR". I said ya I know and rubbed his thick beautiful head of hair.... he pulled away from me  and said "No Dad... Down here" as he pointed to his mid section! This wasn't one of those... I guess ya had to be there moments to be laughing out loud.... if you know this kid! This boy is loved more in our little town as anyone thats ever roamed these streets. He is "The Man" in Santa Clara, friendly, loving and has the thickest (but cutest) pair of glasses around. When Greyson was born we found out he was born with a genetic condition called Williams Syndrome. This is a condition where there is just a little chip out of chromosome #7. Theres that #7 that binds these 2 brothers together! How ironic is that? This is also called The "Friendly Gene" and if you know our Greyson you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
 https://williams-syndrome.org/what-is-williams-syndrome

Greyson has a nickname for Britton or "Brittney" as he calls him every time they look at each other or even just walk by each other! Theres always a smack, flip or little shove between these two, and I love it! I personally think it's Greyson being "The Man" thing with Britton? Ya see... it would rub me wrong too if my little brother that is younger hit puberty 4 years before me??? just say'n Brittney! Just some more of that brotherly love I guess?

Bones loves Old Cars (Ratt Rods), Demolition Derbys, Skateboarding, Scootering, Bass Speakers, His You Tube Scooter Videos, and anything that involves lots of People. He is such a Great friend to all his Buddies.

Now we get to the Girl that Sommer & I have had the opportunity to LOVE for 20+ years! We LOVE her even more than all of you that follow this blog believe it or not?
Our Autty is something special.... She has always been something of a spirit that is hard to describe. Her abilities physically, mentally & spiritually are second to none. This girl can play any sport to it's highest level & go toe to toe with any guy in each of them! She's hunted & harvested a 6 point bull elk and pounded the hills with me for years. She is a outstanding student with a drive to be the best at whatever she is doing. She has a testimony of The Gospel that is tried & true, with a heart that wraps you up the second you meet her. She is as beautiful as her Mother with hair that some would die for. She is tough as nails when she needs to be, but soft and subtle when needed most. She has an eye for photography & video that is able to capture a story. And a gift to put passion, true feelings & honesty into words, as you all can attest. There is no filter needed with this girl, because she has respect for herself! She knows who she is without a doubt even on bad days. Britton is one "Lucky Boy" to call her his big sister & she thinks just the opposite. She feels like the "Lucky Girl" to be his big sister. I sit in this room more often than not as she writes this blog and I cry as I'm reading it, while I'm living it. (how does that work?) She is my only daughter and we have always had a relationship that I dare say "Nobody Has" It's special in the truest form. I think as more of you have got to know our family thru Autty's blog you get the same feeling about this girl as I do. AMAZING! She just makes me smile and keeps us all so positive in such a tough time. She knows we need her here right now as much as ever, and I know she'll have to eventually return to her family in SLC "Her Team" & to The University of Utah. But for now she's where she belongs....right by Our Boy Britt's side!!!

Jesse Shipp