We decided to go to his mom and dad's for a little while. We pulled up in front of their house and noticed some kids playing in a front yard across the street. I was a little nervous because I noticed that there were two really young kids playing right by the ditch. So we sat in the truck and watched them for just a moment. Sure enough, the one child started walking right toward the ditch. Pretty soon she got right to the edge and toppled head first into it. We had no idea if there was water in the ditch or not, but Lynn immediately jumped out and ran towards the child. I was holding Hadley and so I felt helpless - all I could do was scream to the other kids to get the baby out. The aunt of the young child was at the side of the house and looked over at me wondering why I was screaming. I yelled to her that the baby had fallen in the ditch and she started running to the ditch too. (I'm starting to shake and my heart is pounding just typing this!)
I became even more panicked when I realized that Lynn did not stop at the point where the baby had fallen in - he was running farther down the ditch, downstream direction, so I knew there was water in the ditch. In a matter of seconds he was in the water and pulled the baby out. I was running towards them and couldn't tell if the baby was alive or not. He turned her over and patted her back and pretty soon she was coughing up water and started to cry. This is one of those moments when a child's cry is the most beautiful sound in the world. (Now I'm starting to cry thinking about all of it again.) Lynn had saved this precious child's life!
This all occurred within a matter of about 30 seconds. Those 30 seconds have replayed in my mind a thousand times. The more we have talked about it, the more we have realized the hand of the Lord in all of this.
- Lynn had a bishopric training meeting that he should have gone to that evening - but he was unable to go for other reasons.
- We had been at the house for about an hour before this happened, debating whether or not we wanted to go down there or go do something else. I finally said, "Let's go down to grandma and grandpa's for a little while."
- As we were getting ready to go out the door, I noticed some flower pots that I've been wanting Lynn to hang up for me, but I thought, "No, I can have him do that later."
- None of the other children playing in the yard even noticed that she had fallen in. There were no other people outside to see her fall in. Lynn and I were the only witnesses to this - and I am so grateful that we were there.
When we went to bed last night I said a long prayer of thanks that I have such a wonderful husband who didn't even have to think, he immediately went to the rescue of this sweet young child and that the Lord let us be there to help.
So, because of this rescue and so many other reasons, Lynn is my hero.
I love you Lynn!
I love you Lynn!