October 7, 2013

hey so this week river and daelee and mariahs dad Austin Markusen was in a really bad car accident. he was life flighted to seattle and now hes in some sort of an induced coma. the whole left side of his body is crushed and he had a bunch of internal bleeding and he broke his neck and all sorts of stuff. they all thought he was dead and the doctors are still saying he is most likely going to die. he has huge brain damage and from what they have said if he does live he will be brain dead or mentally ill or something. please keep him in your prayers. please keep River and Daelee and Mariah and Adell in your prayers as well. I am really worried about them. the day it happened we got a text to go to adells immedialtely so we went over and she was just getting back from picking the kids up from school. I have never seen someone cry like how they were crying. at first I was just sad but then all of a sudden I was freaking out. I start crying so bad. its not that I was close to Austin, but I am so close to daelee and adell and river. I didn't realize how much I really do love and care for them until then. when I saw them I felt so bad. their world is literally coming down around them and there was nothing I could do about it. we all cried for a little bit in their hall and then adell said lets pray. river could hardly speak through his tears but he was the first to say a prayer. I have never felt the spirit as strong as I did then. the FIRST thing he said was "heavenly father, we are thankful for this day" I know its probably out of habit but it was so hard for him to even get those words out it was so crazy that he didn't blame god for what was happening, he thanked him for another day. then he prayed for his dad. we were all just weeping it was so sad. then adell said a prayer and I said a prayer. it was so hard. they had to leave for seattle and we couldn't go so I gave daelee my missionary tag and I gave river my book of Mormon and they left. Austin since then has not gotten better at all and im afraid that it is his time. I don't know how this is going to effect river and daelee. daelee was saying that she would never play sports again because he was gone and they were all so worried because he was never in their life like he should have been and they just love him still. adell keeps saying river is going to get into drugs now just like everyone else. it isn't fair with all that they have been through to have this thrown at them as well. they put up with so much in their life already this just seems like too much for them. please pray for them. we have fasted and I pray for them constantly throughout the day. its crazy because I didn't know that I cared for them so much. I would literally do anything to help them right now but I cant. there is nothing I can do. this is a really hard time for them please keep them in your thoughts and in your prayers. I love you all very much. love, tanner