Oh the Blessings!!

It was One year ago TODAY that I got a phone call from an unknown number. I ignored it because I was picking Ali up from Ballet. Then a few minutes later another call from the same number. I again ignored it. As I was driving I thought I would call and see how my husband was doing at work. As I sat there waiting for an answer I got a little nervous for some reason. As no one answered I wondered where he might be. I continued to drive and thought I should call him again. This time there was an answer, but not my husbands voice on the other end. It was a female voice I didn't recognize. Annoyed a little by not knowing who it was I immediately asked where my husband was. The voice on the other end seemed a little hesitant and replied, Is this Mats wife? I said, " Yes." She then went on to explain, "Your husband has had an accident. A gun he was working with exploded in his face, and caught him on fire. He has been taken to the hospital." I couldn't even speak for what felt like forever. I replied," A gun blew up in his face." She continued to explain and tell me she didn't know where he was taken or what else happened only he was on fire, and they had to take him immediately.
Not realizing Ali was in the back seat hearing her dad was on fire, and his face was blown off, and a gun blew up in his face, I pulled the car over. She started asking all sorts of questions, and I didn't even know what to do. I called my sister hoping she was near by. She was just ahead of me at a store, and I asked if she would take Ali for me. What a blessing sisters are!
At that point the woman at Fros work called me back and told me he was taken to Alta View Hospital. I was at the bottom of American Fork Canyon at that point and new it would take me at least 25-30 minutes to get there. I drove, like I had never driven before, saying a prayer the entire way. I didn't know what condition fro would be in, if he would be able to see, if his whole face was blown off- I just had no idea. As I was driving I felt really strongly to call my dad. He has always been there to comfort me with EVERYTHING! I called and casually asked where he was. He explained he was in Draper and was doing some work. I explained the situation and asked if he could head over to the hospital to give Mat a blessing. Instantly my dad dropped everything and headed over there. I can't even explain the sudden peace that I felt, knowing my dad would be able to get there and give Mat the comfort he may be in need of. I suddenly felt reassured that he was okay, and everything would be fine. It was amazing!!!!
When I finally got to the hospital - which felt like an ETERNITY- I was sent right into where he was. He couldn't open his eyes. His eyebrows, and eyelashes were totally singed off, and they were scrubbing away all of his skin on both arms. It was so awful. The worst part for me was I was pregnant and he smelt of burnt hair and skin- Way bad combo. I watched as he cringed as the pulled away all the skin on his arms, and couldn't do anything. He was such a trooper. I hate getting a small burn blister let alone, burns up and down your arms and face.
This is several days after we got him home. He heales amazingly fast. I had to change his bandages a couple times a day, and each time it was so painful for him because it would rip off the newly developing skin. It was so sad.

This was when they were finally healing, and only some spots remained second and third degree burns. I had to wrap both arms up with bandages and wraps everyday.

This was when I had to scrub off the skin with this soap so it wouldn't get infected. He hated that. And the first time he took a shower was excruciating.

He had permanent tan lines on his upper arms from where the fire had singed his skin. Luckily for us he was wearing protective goggles, and his eyes weren't burned to badly. We were so blessed to walk away from this experience. It could have been much worse, and we were very aware of that. Mats work made him take an undetermined amount of time off, and after 1 week he was itching to get back to work. The doctors made him take 2 weeks off, and he got many levels of James Bond on play station passed off! We are so Blessed!