BRADEN'S GAME

It was a dream come true getting to go to Braden's last football game.



All those days of wearing Provo High Green and trying to imagine how it was going through the texting efforts of Lori and Aaron and others...but wishing we could see him in person.

I got permission from Elder Callister to go up to Utah to be there for the Senior Night game vs Timpview and it was very exciting!




Braden invited me to the school assembly and was not even embarrassed that I showed up.

I think he was glad I was there, because I had a camera and could video the team doing their "dance" in the assembly.  Each Fall sport did a dance, and it was really pretty fun to be there to see all of them!

Austin and Laura and Brooklyn flew down from Seattle to come to the game and to see me while I was there.  Austin and I were with Braden at the start of the game with the other parents of Senior football players.  It was a rather emotional event for us!











Elder Callister asked that I not wear my tag to the game, so I dressed down in jeans and a sweater...strange, but perfect for the occasion!





We were joined at the game by Dad and Carolyn, Lori, Aaron and his family, Breanna and Kellen, & Carole and John.

We had a couple of our returned missionaries come over as well; Sean Catlett and Eric Turner.
Great support for Braden!

Braden played both offense and defense, playing really well all first half.

We saw him come off the field one time with trainers looking at his leg, but then he was up and shaking it off and running on it and right back in the game.

At halftime, we had hot cocoa and donuts and cookies outside the stadium.  One of the trainers came and got me after we saw Braden being taken into the arena on a cart.  He told me that Braden had broken his foot.

This is the happy boy I found on the bench.

The orthopedic Dr that services BYU was with him along with the trainer.  Both told me that they felt his 5th metatarsal was broken and they arranged a 8 AM appt with the Dr over at the clinic, and also arranged a possible surgery with the Dr doing those in case he needed a pin put along the bone.  I got to stay with Braden the second half of the game.

The team played their hearts out, playing very well against one of the top teams in the state.  Braden's spirits were lifted after the game when he could hobble over with his friend for some photos





Our ward friend, Brandon Holden ended up being quarterback for the team this year, so that was really cool for us.  About 4-5 boys in our ward alone on the same team together






Fanga's family made leis, including a very special leaf one for Braden adn other teammates.  The leaf one was only made for Fanga and Braden.  As his Mom said...Braden is family.


Great to have so much family support from all the family!
And also great to get to see so many of my friends...Moms of other players!!!

We had John and Austin give Braden a priesthood blessing after the game.  The next morning when we went for his Dr appt.  There was no sign of a break.  We know that the Lord was watching over Braden and taking care of him since I could not be there to follow through on caring for him!  He is a very special young man!

BABIES

 I was delighted to be able to pick up Austin, Laura and Brooklyn after the field trip with Breanna on Wednesday.


This is the cuteness I got to sit with on the way back to Provo!

  Thank goodness for Skype so I was not totally a stranger to Brooklyn.  She was very pleasant and smiled very quickly as we rode home.


It was just great having her around the house!
We loved Wednesday night just being together as a family and even having Austin and Laura make their famous Nicolitalia style pizza and playing a games with Breanna's friend Kellen.
Great times!

Thursday we set aside some time to meet up with Jennifer and her twins.  It was so fun having the little ones playing together.  It made us wish they lived close by each other.

There was NEVER a dull moment with all these little ones underfoot!  They are all bright and cheerful and just amazing!

 All of these little ones LOVE BOOKS!
We could have just read and read and read to them.

 And of course, the house was full of all sorts of interactive toys that kept them running from one to another!

 They were all so pleasant...Daniel wanted Brooklyns hairbow and Nathan was interested in just sitting on her, and she was just all smiles.

Auntie Laura reading stories to Daniel, Nathan and Brooklyn.

 Jenny looking young and not even frazzled...she is an amazing Mom!!!  They are keeping her young!

Introduction of Brooklyn to the boys...

Storytime with Daniel...reading Brown Bear.  "Where'd it go?" "I don't know!"

BREANNA...The Teacher

 During my whirlwind trip to Utah to see Braden play football, I also got the chance to see Breanna in action...
Really in action!
She invited me to join her class for a field trip to Thanksgiving Point up north of Lehi.

I followed the bus, and when it arrived, I got this shot of her...looking so darling and young.
It was immediately apparent that her students adore her!

Our tour guide was  Debbie.  She was helping facilitate learning about HEREDITY.  We learned this as we looked at traits in animal families.

 When Breanna said she had chosen 5th grade to teach, I was surprised.  This seemed like a challenging age, but after going with her, I think she made the right choice.  They were eager and very bright and at such a great age that she can make a real impact on their lives.

This cow was huge.  The picture does not do it justice.


















The baby, on the other hand, was just the right size for petting.

 


In a classroom at the farm, we learned about the life cycle of the mealworm.  Fascinating.

What was even more fascinating was that at the end of the lesson, they offered us edible mealworms.

Look at these eager faces.
So exciting to eat bugs!!!

 
 Not to be outdone, and in the pressure to make this look doable...we gave in and tried one ourselves...roasted, cheese flavored mealworms!!

Tasted sort of like Cheetos.

This is what they looked like though.  They do not look anything like Cheetos...they look like bugs!

Bre and I were able to be an example in real life of HEREDITY.  The students thought that we looked about exactly alike...same nose, eyes, hair, etc. etc. Well...maybe not exactly, but we are definitely related!

It was a delight to be with Breanna.

She is a gifted teacher and I have all the confidence in the world in her.


Lucky Class!!!

INTO THE WATER...AGAIN

 If you would have told us two months ago that we would be attending Ed's baptism, we would have been skeptical.

But it is not up to us.  Thankfully.

The Lord had Ed and his family in mind, and with his faithful attendance to Church each week since Dana's baptism two months ago, he has learned and grown and had a lot of faith.

 Elders Starr and Tucker finished teaching Ed the lessons and joined us for celebrating this special night...and you can see we were all wearing "Gameday Green" in honor of Braden's football team who were playing during the baptism.

Ed & Dana's kids joined us for the baptism or Open House.  It was great to see them again as well.  We have become friends with them over the months we have known this family.

It was also really neat to have Dee & Jim Cherry at the baptism.  Dee used to be in our office at the Mission, and we realized she and Dana were old friends.  About 5 years ago, she gave Dana a Book of Mormon, not knowing she was part of the journey!

 Elder King, newly called to serve in our Mission Presidency as Secretary, gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and got the grandkids and daughter-in-law (to be) involved in holding up signs.
It was great fun!

 Afterwards we went to the Janulis home for an Open House and it was so fun to visit and see them with their grandkids and friends.  Huge support from the ward for the baptism!







Dana with baby Lyla.

Ed & Elder King chatting at the house.

We love this family so much, they are dear friends and neighbors and we know we were supposed to  be there for each other.

A Very Special Baptism

 If you would have told us that we would be meeting our neighbor friend Madison in Arizona while on our mission, we would have been surprised.
Like we were surprised when she came up to us after a stake conference last winter and hugged us!
At that time, she introduced us to her fiance, Doug.  We were thrilled to see Madison again.  She grew up across the street and was one of Breanna's best friends growing up.

We were up in Prescott again soon after that and met Madison and her Mom, Cynde, (now living in Texas) one of MY best friends in Provo for many years!  We all went to dinner and had a wonderful time catching up.
Doug was studying with the missionaries and the wedding was imminent.  We really liked Doug.  He treats Madison like a princess.
That was last Spring.
Now they are married and we have met Madison and Doug and even Cynde a couple times while up in Prescott.  Elders Beeston and VanKampen have currently been teaching them.  They are fantastic!
Imagine our delight when we got a phone call from Madison one night a couple weeks ago telling us that Doug had decided to be baptized...and if her Dad's health would not permit him to be there, that they would like Scott to perform the baptism.
Unfortunately, David had just come home from the hospital, and Cynde needed to be there with him, so we got to be there to support our dear friends.  They are solid members, strong in their faith in Jesus Christ.  It was a delight to be there and to hear Madison's testimony of the Savior and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  We went to lunch afterwards and just had the best time!  We look forward to meeting them on occasion when we are in Prescott and going to the temple with them in a year...with their new little baby they will have by then!   CONGRATULATIONS DOUG AND MADISON!
There are no such things as coincidences...we know we were supposed to be HERE to participate in this special event!