21 Jul 2024
VOLUME 12 – NUMBER 565
Brooke and friends in Savannah
This weekend I got to go on a girls trip with my friends! It was planned by our husbands as a Mother’s Day gift, and I was so surprised when Braden told me about it. Such a fun and thoughtful gift!
We met up on Friday morning and made our way to Savannah, Georgia. We spent the weekend exploring the city, hanging out at the beach, and eating yummy food! I had shrimp and grits for the first time, and I have been dreaming about it ever since—ha ha!
Charlie and Ellie playing with kinetic sand
It was so much fun to go on a little trip and get to spend time with friends in a new place, especially since we are moving soon, and I won’t be able to be with them.
I’m so grateful for this awesome group of friends that I have here. They really are a great group of women, and I’ve learned a lot from each of them.
I’m also so grateful for Braden, who surprised me with this trip and made it possible for me to go!
Harcrow’s ice cream stand (last week)
This week was the 5th Ward youth conference. It was pretty fun, and spiritual. It was at the same place where we had the 5th Ward young mens camp last year.
We played a lot of volleyball, and got cool youth conference shirts that Monte designed. They were orange, and there was a construction symbol on it with a person praying on their knees. The theme was “Build your life upon Christ.”
I had a really fun time, and I slept really well—a little too well! I slept in on both the days, and everyone was kind of upset. On the final day, the leaders and some of the youth decided to wake me up by pouring water on my face. It was pretty fun, and it actually felt really refreshing.
Gloria and Owen in the hammock
This week we had the 5th Ward youth conference. I had a fun time doing all of the activities and getting to know the youth a little more. I was in charge of a few meals, and I enjoyed making pancakes and helping the others make the other meals.
I really liked an activity that sister Franco did. She had us think of something that we had learned from camp, and then write a phrase that described that idea on a t-shirt.
I also really enjoyed doing the water slide because it was so hot, and I haven't done one in a few years.
Aquarium visit while Olders were away
I also gave a lesson on how we can build our lives upon Christ. One of the scriptures I shared was the theme of camp—Helaman 5:12. I liked how it said that the devil "shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo."
Reading and preparing for the lesson helped me come closer to Christ, because if I have a sure, strong foundation, then Satan will have no power over me.
Cougar with Owen before operation
Endia
Our little guy had to go in for a minor surgery this week. It was definitely hard as parents to see him go through that, but he seemed to enjoy himself! He gained a reputation amongst the staff for the smiliest happiest baby on the floor, both before and after the operation!
When we came back to see him afterwards he had a little fan club of nurses holding and playing with him and he was giving them all his cutest smiles!
He seemed a little off for then next week or so, but overall he was a really good sport about it all. As far as how I am doing? I’m so glad that is behind us!
Endia with Owen
The Older's went to youth conference, so it was me, Quinn, Joanna, Mom, and Dad that stayed home. I was grounded from video games for a week. so I started to play more piano. I started to learn I am a Child of God, and it is pretty easy so far. but I still haven't learn left hand at all so I will try to learn it.
Mom has also Challenged the whole family to set our four goals in the youth program for each week and finish them. I was doing good for the first two weeks, and then it started to get harder. This week I started late, so I'll be setting goals for four days so that I can finish them.
We also got a boarding dog named Jagger. He was very hyper at first, so I wasn't allowed to take him on walks until Mom worked with him. Now I've been taking him on walks, and it is hard. He has so much energy and is very strong, but I can manage.
Aquarium visit while Olders were away
Youth Conference with the Spanish ward was this week. Overall, it was a pretty good camp. There was some drama with one of my friends and I, but that's not what I want to talk about here.
This campground is the same place we went last year as young men, so we roughly knew the grounds. The funny thing is, when the young women asked us where to get water, we brought them to the place that we got water last time, not noticing the faucet that was right next to our campsites!
We watched Once I was a Beehive on the first night. Boy, oh boy, that movie is a bit cheesy, but it's still a good one. It's kind of crazy thinking back to when I first watched that movie, and how long ago it was.
Isaac and Aaron Barco making dinner
Throughout all of camp, we played so much volleyball. It's such a fun sport to play with the Spanish ward. On the second day, we got our camp t-shirts that I designed. I think they turned out really good.
I really enjoyed spending some more time with this ward, because I love everyone there so much, and it still hurts me that we aren't officially part of that ward anymore. On that subject, I talked to Aaron, Marcelo, and Hazel, and just let them know individually how thankful I was for them. They've been some of my best friends, and I couldn't have done it without them.
Mattias
I want to finish by sharing a little message. God is real. He is my Heavenly Father, and He is your Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is God's only begotten son. Jesus did suffer in Gethsemane, and he died on the cross for me, and for you. The pains that you and I feel in this life are temporary, and they will end, if not in this life, in the next.
I love God and Jesus Christ. I can't wait to be able to serve them for two years on a mission, so I can share my love of them with others.
These are the truest things that I could ever say, and I know that I'm not wrong. I share this message with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Kai knife throwing at youth conference
In the months leading up to youth conference, I really didn't want to go, because I had a lot of other campouts that month. It might have also been because I hadn't seen most of the 5th Ward youth in over a month, and I was scared to go! But I finally decided to go, which was definitely the better choice.
Immediately, once I got to the church, so many people were there to say hi to me, which really made me grateful, because I thought that when I came back, they might not see me as a member of the ward anymore, just a 2nd Warder. But no, this was really heartwarming to see that everyone still cared about me.
Once everyone was at the church, we started packing our stuff into cars, trucks, and trailers. The scenery on the drive was pretty amazing. You could look down and see this huge valley, and if you looked up, you could see these huge hills with forests!
5th Ward youth conference
The camp itself was just fabulous! I want to thank all of the leaders and the youth on the youth committee for making this camp such an amazing experience for me! There were some powerful lessons from both the leaders and the youth! I got to really connect with my friends on this camp, and I even got out of my comfort zone a little during the activities!
On of my favorite activities was definitely the challenge course. It was really fun, because it was competitive. The leaders would time us, and we had to rush ourselves across a rope bridge, climb down a ladder, and sprint to get to a web that we had to weave through. We then had to climb up a cargo net and roll down the other side. To finish the course, we got to a small beam that we had to walk across without falling.
I for sure did way better than last year (the young men went to this exact camp last year). I cut my time in half basically, with a time of 50 seconds. I still wasn't as fast as Marcelo or Monte, but definitely an accomplishment for me.
Children and dogs at the park
My other favorite activity was playing volleyball with the ward. Last year I was too scared to play, because I thought I wasn't good and I didn't want to ruin everyone else's game. But this year I decided to try it out, and it turned out that I really liked it! I even got some compliments from some of my friends saying I wasn't too bad.
The leaders fed us like kings! The food was absolutely amazing! We had carne asada con rice and beans on the first night. We had pancakes with eggs, hash browns, and apple juice on the second morning. We also had tacos with chicken and carne asada as well. Like I said, the food was amazing!
Veidi on obstacle course
This week we went to youth conference with the 5th Ward, and Yaretzie came with us. We did nine square, and it was fun.
We also did axe throwing, but I missed all the times I did it. We made pins, and we did designs on t-shirts with markers. The food was delicious, and I liked the devotionals that were given.
For one of the activities, we did a challenge course. They timed each of us, and I got through it in one minute, which was great. I felt accomplished.
I had a fun time at camp. Even though it had its ups and downs, it was a great experience.
Quinn, Troy, Caleb working on their game
When Caleb was here this week, he made a game with Troy and I. It has a map, and we each have our armies on the map. Then, when our armies fight, we do a real battle with paper airplanes, or Lego towns, or we shoot at plastic cups until the battle is over. Then we move our guys on the map. Me, Troy, and Caleb had fun playing it!
Caleb, Troy, and Quinn’s game board
The river trip was a wonderful family activity. However, it got me into some serious trouble. The day after I got home, I was reviewing a big stack of emails, when I realized that last week I had overlooked an important reminder email, and missed a mandatory training session at BYU.
As a result, my director was unhappy with me, and explained that because I had missed the session, I would not be able to teach Fall semester. I was kind of in shock. Had I just been fired? I immediately sent off an email explaining my situation, but I did not get a response all week.
So I started to think through other employment options. A year ago, I had considered seminary teaching before getting a salary estimate that was just too low. That is when I had moved on to BYU part-time teaching as an option.
Kai sleeping
For some reason, I decided to contact the HR department for seminary and institute again to get a revised salary estimate. Since my first attempt a year ago, I had another year of teaching on my resume, and I had also revised my resume to include all my teaching experience at the top, instead of my more recent business experience.
I received a fairly quick response from the HR department, and to my shock and disbelief, their revised salary estimate was $25,000 higher than a year ago, $10,000 higher than my previous full-time pay at AtlasRTX, and more than enough to keep us afloat financially!
By the way, my BYU director did finally get back to me, and I was able to get reinstated for teaching fall semester.
Family eating at Aura’s fundraiser
This was a difficult experience that rattled my self confidence, but I feel like the end result has provided a new career alternative that might be much better than my current situation.
It’s funny, because several weeks ago I received a subtle prompting that I should look into teaching seminary again. I didn’t dismiss the idea completely, but I couldn’t see how that path could work out.
It’s almost like Heavenly Father hid a couple emails from me, so I would get in trouble with my boss and almost get fired, so I would feel compelled to look again at the seminary option!
There’s still a long path to getting accepted to teach seminary, but I can start in September, possibly student teach in January, and maybe be hired full time by the summer of 2025.
I hate to quote an overused saying, but in this case, I think it applies: “When God closes a door, He opens a window!”
Yaretzie and Veidi at youth conference