my wakeboarding accident

I keep wanting to tell people that I was in a wakeboarding accident, but that makes it sound a lot worse than it was.But I got your attention, right? And now that I have your attention, here's the story:

On Tuesday night, Ammon and I spent the evening boating with our good friends Shad & Whitney. They were so kind to invite us. Mark & Rachelle came too. I hadn't wakeboarded in years so my heart was pounding as I sat in the water, board strapped to my feet, rope in my hands, and just hoping that my body would remember how to get up. I hesitantly yelled, "READY!" and before I knew it, I as up! I was so glad it didn't take me more than 10 tries to get up, like it did my first time. However, the board I was using was really big and it was difficult staying up. So after three attempts of getting up and then sort-of crashing, I was done for the night. So far so good. But then...

The next day we all woke up super early and hit the water. Like, before 7:00 a.m. early. This time, it was just Shad, Ammon, Whitney and I. Ammon went first. Then Shad. Then Whitney. Then we dropped off Whitney at the dock because she had to leave early. Then it was my turn. The sun was officially above the clouds so I had no excuse for not getting in. Once I was in, the water felt nice. It was just getting out of the water that felt cold.

This time, I was using a smaller board, and after I realized that I needed to lean back and not forward, I was cruising! I was getting in and out of the wake no problem! After a couple really good runs, I told Shad, "One more" with a smile on my face. My body was aching, but I knew I might not get to wake board for a long time. Also, if you've wakeboarded before, then you know that after you figure out how to get in and out of the wake, the next step is to attempt jumping. So that's um... exactly what I tried to do. Notice I said try...

Here's what happened:
I was outside the wake on the right side feeling good. After gaining confidence (or should I say arrogance?) I veered left and caught a little bit of air. However, when I landed, instead of landing on my heels, I landed on my toes. The SECOND I hit the water, I shot forward and face planted it HARD. The first sensation I felt was that feeling of almost passing out. In that moment, I thought of two things. I thought I really hope I don't black out. And it's okay if I black out because I have this life jacket. But luckily I didn't pass out! The next sensation was my tangled feet. So I untangled them and that's when the pain hit me! My face felt like it had smashed against concrete. I was relieved because I knew that I would be okay, but I wasn't so sure about my face. I was certain that my face was flat as a pancake. Due to the pain and shock, I just laid there, facing the sky, groaning. That's when Shad and Ammon appeared. They asked if I was okay. I don't remember what I told them, but I remember saying something about my face. They reassured me by saying it looked fine. That was a relief! I started to believe them, because the more that I talked to them, the more the pain started fading. I could feel my face again! My face felt like a face! I slowly unstrapped myself from the board, swam back to the boat, and climbed in.

After getting in the boat, I wrapped myself in a towel and started laughing about it all. I also kept saying how fun it was! (Not the pain of course, but just being out there in that smooth water!) After sitting and talking for a while, that's when the reddness started appearing. Reddness around my right eye and my forearms were splotchy and purple! But I wasn't upset, I was more excited that I had some battle wounds to accompany the story. Sometimes I like to say, "It's worth it if it makes a good story." It's definitely not my life mantra, but this is an example of when it was worth it. It makes a good story. :)

After getting back home, Shad came to our apartment, and the three of us got ready for work. We looked like we were all heading to a funeral in our black attire. But as Shad said, "Luckily not to Leah's funeral!" haha. Once at work, I started getting a bad headache and my eyes felt very strained, as if I had stayed up all night staring at a computer screen. It wasn't difficult interacting with my tables, but my eyes and head hurt. Oh and my jaw started hurting too. Ammon, the good husband that he is, started worrying about me and insisted I go see a doctor just in case. I was really stubborn and resisted at first. But after some persuasion, I finally decided I should go see a doctor. My managers were really helpful and made it so both Ammon and I could leave for the doctor's.

The doctor's was frustrating. I waited for a long time. And I found out my insurance doesn't come into effect until August. After meeting with the doctor, I found out that I pretty much just have a mild concussion. He told me that I should be fine and that I could go back to work if I wanted. I left that office feeling way more stressed about money than about my head. Without insurance, my bill was around $100. I don't regret going though, because it's better to be safe than sorry.

After coming home from the doctor's I slept for a good 2 hours. Then I woke up and went to work at 5. It was fun seeing everyone at work again and telling them what happened. Plus my head was only hurting a little bit. Ammon and I worked in the same section, so that made work more enjoyable. The whole night, everyone was tipping me really well and I started feeling a little less stressed about money. And then... my second to last table... left this:

I was in tears! I'm still in tears as I write this. The guy that did this was a friend of mine from Jr. High. He's going to college right now so I know he's not made of money. Just a really good guy who was an answer to mine and Ammon's prayers. I have a HUGE testimony of paying tithing and tender mercies. Some people might say this was just a coincidence, but this was not a coincidence. I had told this person about my wakeboarding "accident" but I never mentioned anything about seeing a doctor, let alone being stressed about money. This was the result of paying our tithing, having faith, and having a prayer in our hearts. I will feel FOREVER grateful toward this person and his generosity. I can't pay him back (and I'm sure he wouldn't want me to), but one day I can pay it forward when Ammon is done with school. I can't wait for that day! :)

So that's my wakeboarding accident story. Until then, it doesn't look too bad. You can't even really tell. :)