Miracles Happen Every Day & Summer Highlights

Hey everyone its Dan again. 
     I can't believe how fast time flies.  I feel like its only been a few days since a post was put on the site and its been ten.  Life is very busy even when you try to keep things simple.  Amber and I have marveled throughout the last two years at how adaptable the Lord helps our family to be.  It seems like we go along as a family and something new and seemingly impossible to deal with happens and we kind of freak out and "normal" goes out the window.  We wonder how we can ever handle the new development or course the cancer has presented. 
    After a few days of wondering, and at least some unfocused freaking out, doubt is kicked out and our faith is re-focused.   We try to exercise our faith in thought and action by trying to do what we know the Lord wants us to do.  Before we know it we are blessed with the Lord's peace and the burdens that have been placed upon us somehow feel lighter that they were before, though they are seldom removed.  That is when we develop a new normal. 
     This process, which we consider a great miracle, has happened countless times over the last two years.  It does not happen because we are special or any different than anyone else.  It happens when we exercise our faith in Jesus Christ.  Through the power of the atonement and his grace which is sufficient for each of us he succors us in our infirmities.  He heals our hearts and our wounds and blesses us with his peace that passeth understanding.  Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his power to effectuate this miracle in each of us IS THE ANSWER to all of life's trials and suffering.  It is the way we do hard things while remaining faithful to the end.  I am so grateful that the Lord in his infinite mercy has taught me this so that I do not fear the future or hard things that may come in life.  I am also grateful my children are learning and experiencing this for themselves so that they know for themselves where to turn for peace and help.    
      We were blessed to spend time together in beautiful Ogden Valley at Wolf Creek Resort from 6/11-6/16.  We love to go there because it is so close to home, its beautiful. peaceful, and has a great pool and slide that the kids enjoy.  It did rain a lot while we were there so we had to time our swimming sessions just right and spend a lot of time inside playing games together and watching movies.  It turned out well because this level of activity fit Amber's ability better anyway.  She loved to go to the pool and float weightlessly in the water because of the immense pain relief she experiences while floating.  Caleb and Abby really enjoyed the small water slide into the pool.  Abby went on it 30 times in a row one day and 40 times in a row another day.  Amber made her stop at 40 because she was afraid she would drown from being too tired.  Caleb got to 28 times in a row and was very proud of himself.  He was so cute, he would hurry up the slide stairs and at the top on the platform he would look down where I was waiting to catch him at the bottom, flex his little muscles and yell at the top of his lungs how many times he had gone down the slide.  At that point he plunged into the tube yelling "man overboard"!  I kid you not, he did this every time.  I think Bekah decided she was too old for such things because she only went down a couple of times and then went to play with Ammon.  She never has really loved that slide anyway and since it takes about three people to keep Ammon out of water danger it was nice to have her playing with him.  Ammon is such a bundle of energy that every five seconds he has to be moved back to a safe water depth.  Blake is officially too old for the slide so he kept busy using a water noodle like a water cannon on the girls and sometimes on his mom.  If that failed he resorted to whatever splashing on them he could do with his hands.  I know everyone who knows Blake is surprised that he would enjoy such things.  surprised that he would enjoy such things.  We really enjoyed the time together and were blessed to be able to do it.
    

Amber has wanted to see our cute little Caleb play tee-ball because she thought he would be so adorable playing.  He had his first game on Thursday and she was right.  I have not had much time with all that is going on to work with him on playing ball like I did with Blake when he was little, so I was worried how he would do.  He did just fine and was so darned cute we could hardly stand it.  One time he hit the ball off the tee and it only went about four feet in front of the tee.  A bunch of parents and coaches started yelling "get the ball, get the ball"!  So Caleb dropped the bat and dove out of the batter's box and retrieved the ball.  He was so proud that he got the ball but it turns out that the coaches and parents yelling "get the ball" were from the other team yelling to their kids.  That's OK though at least he listened and showed some hustle diving for the ball.  We can work on the nuances of the game later.  
       Blake has been training with the high school cross country team every morning at 6:30AM the last couple of weeks.  We are very proud of him for sticking with it through the cramps and puking.  I think with some training and experience this is something he could really enjoy.  Blake, Bekah and Abby are all doing Jr. League golf at Eagle Mountain Golf Course on Mondays.  They play nine holes, have a lot of fun and give mom a three hour break Monday afternoon.  Its the best $50 each I have ever spent.  I guess that about concludes this Chase family highlight.  Sorry it  has been about as long as Sports Center on ESPN (1 hour).