What S Up?! at First, I Was Thinking Nothing Much Happened This Week As It Zipped by With

Letter #67

June 2, 2008

Devan,

What’s up?! At first, I was thinking nothing much happened this week as it zipped by with the usual lightening speed. However, as I reflect back, I’m not sure I could have added anything else without loosing my mind! And yet, I’ve really enjoyed the family this week, finished Suzuki Camp stuff, made some significant progress on the playhouse, and collected just about everything I’m taking on the Havasupai hike. Jeff checked with work and they said “#%#@ Yes!” to letting him go as well! So, thank goodness, I’ll have someone to share the adventure with this time – next time it needs to be you! I suspect you could walk me into the ground right now. My only regret from last week is that I’ve fallen off my exercise schedule! I did mow the lawn, though. Does that count??

It rained on and off all day last Monday, so we didn’t put out flags for Memorial Day – darn!! I heard my email alert, but I didn’t check it until you’d left. Was that all you needed from me is to empty you inbox? I suspect we’re not supposed to really “chat”, but I’m usually around the computer, so if you need to get some quick responses, try and see if I’m online. Monday and Tuesday were quite the marathon’s! Looking back, I still can’t believe what we all accomplished! Christina had 7 packets left in order to graduate and I really, honestly believed they would be impossible to do since everything had to be done by 8:00 pm on Tuesday. To compound things, Christina had to work Monday evening as well!! It probably was good that it rained as Linda and I sat down with Christina and divided up the work needing to be done. There were eight PowerPoint presentations needing to be created for the four life science packets. Christina had done a lot of the work already and she finished up the three English packets while Linda and I worked on the others. As things turned out, the packets were very time consuming – like 30-50 pages each consisting of questions, activities, essays, portfolios, and presentations. (And well they should be, as each one is equivalent to a half term’s work!) When Linda and I drove to pick Christina up at 11:00 pm, we were very discouraged. I didn’t believe there was any way possible, nada, no way that everything was going to get done by the deadline! I particularly felt terrible for Linda who has worked so hard for so long to get Christina motivated and the work done. When we got home, we decided to still try and so we all sat down and worked until 2:30 am on more of the packets.

Tuesday morning obviously came very quickly. We drove Christina to East Shore High School at 9:00 am and she began passing off and testing on what she had ready. The help there varied – some teachers more helpful than others. I guess Christina was able to quickly get three packets passed off and she passed the final exams easily as well. The other four were quite a different story. As she hadn’t had time to study the material and since Linda and I had helped, she found things frustratingly slow – that and the fact that half of Utah county students were there also trying to get their packets done as well. We still had the two last packets at home with a ton of work left that Linda and I tackled. After going over to the viewing for Chris Nielsen (we didn’t stay for the funeral), we drove back home and dove in! We called Shauna and she drove out with Ayden and helped so much with a required portfolio for the last life science packet. We only had one computer working with the internet (dumb me didn’t notice the disable switch on the side), so Shauna would call Rich who would look things up on the internet and then Shauna would fill in the blanks. Well, amazingly, around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon, we had pretty well everything completed, so we drove out to ESH and gave the stuff to Christina. She had those packets and four exams left to complete in less than 4 hours. There was no way!! Linda and I were so nervous – we drove out to Kelly and Derek’s to visit and see Sofie. One could only imagine how things were going with Christina. Well, at 8:05 pm, she called, crying, they had closed the testing center and she still had two tests to go – one she had tried several times to pass and the other she hadn’t even attempted. It was a very quiet and discouraging drive for Linda and me to pick her up. We knew it wasn’t the end of the world and there were still some options, but such were the consequences of not spending the time soon enough to get things done. When you are young, I just believe that the connection between actions and consequences just isn’t established yet. Well, when we got to the school, I went in and couldn’t find Christina. The thoughts (and prayers) earlier had been that if she’d just stick around, maybe someone would go the extra mile and help her out. I just couldn’t imagine teachers and administrators there at the high school throwing kids out right at 8:00. (There were several kids there leaving when I walked in who were crying and very despondent!) Anyway, I walked around for a bit until Linda finally came in. We peeked through the window of the testing center and sure enough, Christina was in there working on a test. We visited with the resident police officer there and just walked around waiting and literally praying that things just might work out. Well, around 8:45 pm, Christina came out and walked down to the administration office. I’ll never forget the expression on her face – she looked to be in shock, sort of smiled, nodded her head in the affirmative, and we all started to cry! She had passed the last two exams!!! Unbelievable!!! I guess some woman there saw her standing outside the testing center day, asked her if she still had an exam to take, and just let her in. Christina did her best and when she finished, she had a 70%, a passing grade. The woman was elated too and congratulated her for being done, but Christina said she still hadn’t passed the previous exam. The woman asked what her score had been, 62%, but with the extra points that Christina had earned for passing a previous exam, the gal told Christina it was close enough! What a change in feelings from just a few hours earlier!! We were all in elated shock for the drive home! Christina still had two final exams at school the next day, but compared to what she had been through Monday and Tuesday,… I just hope (and believe she knows) that there has been lessons learned and that she really appreciates what Linda and others sacrificed for her and how much the Lord has blessed her – I’m sure she does!

So, Wednesday morning, Linda and Christina drove to Orem High to try and finish things up. Christina took her exams and passed!! Then, there was still the matter of some ARC’s for past absences. I had talked with the vice principle last week and he finally relented to give Christina credit for two classes last year she had passed but did not receive credit because of some absences that hadn’t been “made up”. I think the vice-principle is an ok guy, but he forgot our conversation and insisted Christina do some more penitence, so she picked up rocks around school for awhile. (I really didn’t mind her having still things to do – she has to see there are consequences for all our actions and I think she’s catching on!) I drove down to BYU at noon to teach a class for another professor and then went by Jess’ work to pick up my new Camelback pack. It’s very light (just a little over 2 pounds) and just what I need to make my 20 pound limit! Later in the afternoon, Christina and Linda came home and Christina had her cap and gown!!! She was so elated – it was a done deal, she would graduate on Friday! As I said, unbelievable!!

I worked on the playhouse most of Thursday. Liz and Jared arrived in the early evening. The Parkers hadn’t been feeling too well, so we had Liz and family stayed at our house downstairs in Gina and Jess’ old rooms. Jared was scheduled for an all-day’er with the ChemEd department at BYU on Friday. He stayed up late working on his presentations, while Golden, Jeff, and I played golf.

I used Friday morning to work around the yard and play with the grandkids. We had fun all day! Christina’s graduation was in the Marriot Center at 4:00 pm. Her principal has to be the most boring speaker ever, but we made it through the program and it was so wonderful to see Christina happy and proud of her graduation certificate (even if they misspelled her name.) Liz went to dinner with Jared (some of the faculty took them out to dinner), while we all came home for dinner in the backyard. I lit a fire in the fire pit, we had corn on the cob, delicious salads, hamburgers, and yummy desserts (sorry!) It was fun for me to have everyone there (except you, Gina, and Benjamin’s clan). I spoke with Jared about the BYU job and I don’t believe Jared wants to pursue it any further. Liz was a little disappointed as they both would really love to move back up here, but after talking with Jared, I also don’t believe this particular job is a good fit. The job would involve some teaching but a whole lot more of fund raising and research – a constant worry about keeping graduate students funded. We all know there will be other opportunities and the Lord will answer their prayers in His own due time and way. Christina didn’t go to the high school “all nighter”, but did stay over at a friend’s home. Around 2:30 in the morning, we heard this loud, continuous horn. We jumped out of bed thinking maybe it was the fire alarm. Turned out, kids out for the night had taken a stick and jammed it between the horn and front seat of Jeff’s car. It took us awhile to figure out what was happening and Jeff was the one to discover the stick. Anyway, that didn’t help us have a very restful night!

Saturday was spent mostly in the backyard with the kids. Liz and Jared went to the temple with Jared’s folks. The biggest event was that Amelia learned how to ride a bike without training wheels! She was so very, very happy – her smile was worth a million dollars! I think we mentioned that our good neighbors to the north, Charley and Hisoko, are having marital problems and it looks like they are separating. We are very saddened – Linda has spoken with both of them separately and both have justifiable complaints – not justifiable to end a marriage – just justifiable things they should work out! They have two sweet little children who spend a considerable amount of time over here now. Anyway, Charley came over and spent most of the day with us as the kids all played outside. He stayed for supper and played games with Amanda and Jeff that evening. Oh, Amanda saw Marie at Walmart – Marie was getting some stuff for her upcoming China trip. They talked for awhile – we are looking forward to having Marie and family over after her trip.

Sunday morning, Liz and Jared left – all too short of a visit, but they’ll be coming back for the 4th of July celebration (and my birthday.) Drew is always wanting to do something with me – mostly airplanes. But, he was satisfied this trip with the new playhouse. By the way, the playhouse is almost done – or rather, it is very useable for the kids. I have the upper level done now and the kids love to climb the ladder to their hideaway house! It was fast Sunday – Phil Bunker warned us that there were exactly 30 days until Rob comes home! I guess Rob has done very well on his mission, changed and grown tremendously. He’s the first! We talked some about Havasupai in priesthood meeting – I thought Mark was going to take the whole time (which I don’t like at all), but it turned out that I had 15 minutes left for a lesson after all – thank goodness I had something prepared. After church, we broke out some small steaks and had a delicious dinner with the leftovers from Friday and Saturday. (We really do eat well!) Jeff and I spent a couple of hours working on our packs and camping stuff – I’m so glad he’s going with me. Golden and Jess come over often and we love seeing them. Golden loves playing Tiger Wood’s Golf on Christina’s Xbox. I must admit, it’s a pretty fun and addicting game!

Well, I’d better quit as you’ll take all your time reading this long diatribe! We have a full week ahead of us. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is stake youth conference and so both Linda and I will be involved most, if not all of the time. I’m better prepared for a camping trip than ever before, but next week is coming on quickly. I’ll have one week at home after the camp before starting to teach summer term. Gina comes home on Thursday. We get to talk with her every now and then. She’s had a very wonderful time, seen a lot of things in the east, but is ready to come home. She’ll then have three weeks at home before heading back to New York for her summer music camp. Christina may be registering for UVU this week – wouldn’t that be something?! Benjamin is working hard to finish his airplane. He really wants to have it done and for me to come down for “Bomber Field” in September. Shauna and Rich have started to finish their backyard this week. Rich is trading his Bobcat for the cement work around the play area, garden, and a sports court pad. Amanda will be busy at the doctor’s office this week – Amelia is getting some warts off her foot and Ross will get … well, some manly thing done. Jess feels up and down lately, but everything with the baby still looks good. Sofie and Kelly and doing better each day and Derek will finish school this summer.

So, other than all that, life is pretty dull around her. We think of you often – no, rather all the time. Are you enjoying being district leader? Sounds like your mission president is always trying to make things better. I believe you have the right attitude – it’s the people that are most important. They are all sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them as much as He loves us. You are doing good just by being there amongst them as you hold the priesthood and have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I don’t know if you’ve thought about that, but just your presence blesses those around you when you live righteously and are trying to keep the Lord’s commandment. Your work is the most important work going on in the world today. You are lucky, no, blessed to be part of it. It was your choice and the Lord loves you. We pray for you always. We hope we can be worthy of your goodness when you come home!

Take care. Love, Dad

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