Answering some of the comment questions...

I wanted to answer some of the comments and questions...

I had to laugh about it being a man thing to want to know what it feels like to be shot. In fact Stetson said to Jace, "We always wondered what it felt like to get shot! Now we know!" To which Jace answered, "YOU may have wanted to know what it felt like to get shot, but I NEVER did... and you still don't! What's this WE stuff?" In fact the police officer that helped him had his own 'gun shot wound' story... only he was shot in the rear, not the leg! It was a 40 caliber. The police officer and others expressed 'relief' at the cost of bullets preventing it from being a hallow point... or something to that effect! Men are truly strange creatures! And yes it feels hot... and then numb! And for the record, bullets travel the path of least resistance, which is why it only grazed the bone. He does have a hair line fracture. But again, his angels were watching over him because a millimeter either way could have been complete tragedy! Not taking away from the seriousness of it all... it IS absolutely serious but we have to joke about it sometimes or lose our minds! We were walking through a FYE store and they were talking about a particular movie that was horrible and I said you would have to shoot me before I would watch that movie. Then looked at Garrett and said, "OH, ummmm... yeah never mind!" He did NOT think it was funny but Tiffany and Thayne laughed.

Garrett is devastated that it happened. He has talked to a counselor... he will get through this. IT TRULY WAS AN ACCIDENT. And I pity the person that every says "Garrett shot Jace" within ear shot of Jace because he is very protective of his brother and will set the record straight that an accident occurred with Garrett's gun... not that Garrett shot him. Garrett didn't have his hand on the butt of the gun or his finger on the trigger! IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT! There are times when Garrett gets really emotional about the whole thing, but he will learn to live with his mistakes just like we all do, and with any luck he will be a better person for going through such a tragedy. Guns don't kill... people kill. If you take guns away from all people, the only people with guns will be bad people. If we were to ban everything that could hurt or kill a person, it will be a really sad world! Will everyone we know be affected by this accident? Oh, absolutely! Most people will be much more careful. But you would be surprised how many people have had a close call with one thing or another, including guns. I know people who have lost children to very innocent things.... choking on popcorn, riding a bike, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, crossing a road. Should we ban cars because somebody was careless in how they drove? Or more importantly, because they may accidentally do something that hurt or killed somebody? I don't even want to go there! Government is getting ridiculous with all of it's laws anyway. Let's take this for exactly what it was... AN ACCIDENT!!! I have had doctors almost kill my baby boy... and for that matter, the doctor that initially did the fasciotomy did it backwards... put the rubber band looking things over the gauze instead of under it which made another surgery and skin grafts necessary... so I guess in the line of thinking that somebody can mess up, the doctor should lose his license because it did it wrong and caused more pain to Jace!

Scars and the stories behind them were a constant thing at the hospital. The one really cool doctor told Jace not to worry... "Chicks dig scars!" And then told him that he had it made because he could tell people he was shot and that's what the scars are from. Caitlyn's dad teased him that it would seem he wasn't bullet proof after all. I heard more stories about stuff like this than I ever care to remember, though some of the visions are stuck in my head for good I am afraid!

About Caitlyn's parents... they were upset that the kids had to go through that. They are glad that nobody else was injured and they are completely sick about Jace. They do not blame... they know that an accident occurred. In fact Caitlyn's mom was the first person to get there and comfort Jace because she was already in Salt Lake shopping that day. They sat for hours with us. Caitlyn's dad came on his way through and stayed for hours and hours, took us out to dinner, stayed the night and visited again before he had to leave on a business trip. He calls everyday and checks on everyone and is so supportive. They love Jace and have constantly asked about Garrett too. They accept that accidents happen and hold no grudges nor do they judge anyone in the situation. It could have been anyone, in any type of accident!

Many of our very good friends have thanked us for sharing so that they could continue to teach their children respect for guns... most we know handle guns and have them in their home. Like us, they have taught their kids and they have a pretty healthy understanding and respect of what a gun can do. But this drives home the fact that accidents can happen and that you need to be extra vigilant when it comes to guns. Or anything for that matter. I wish this had never, ever happened... but it did. And because it did, we can either be bitter, point fingers and ask why, or we can learn, grow, become less critical of others, not judge even when you think there is something to be judgemental of. My family has an opportunity to serve their brother... brothers! They are learning more empathy and compassion. They have learned to carry the pain of another human being and to pray for the health and blessings for someone besides themselves. Tonight Wyatt and Kalli eagerly got Jace a bowl of cereal while I got him his pills. They jump at the chance to do his bidding. They hold his hand and rub his foot and love him completely. It's not ideal to have to suffer like this... but they have learned what it takes to love another person so selflessly!

There is an old country song by Keith Whitley that we used to listen to when Garrett and Jace were tiny, little boys called Brotherly Love... we always laughed because they were then and are now the best of friends... it always seemed to fit them...

"There's a bond that brothers know, and it gets stronger as they grow, a love that time and miles can't come between, we disagree but in the end, there will never be two closer friends and brotherly love is something we all need."

That describes my boys completely!