Nike Desert Twilight Meet in Casa Grande...Go Katelyn!!

Today we traveled down to Tucson via Casa Grande to see Katelyn run in the Desert Twilight XC meet.  Teams come from all over the country to run in this event.  People everywhere!!  It's a fun and exciting atmosphere.  We love watching our girls compete!!

 Warming up before the race at the starting line.

 

Gettin' ready...

 There were a lot of girls in this race!  Probably over 300!

 

Ready...set...

 GO!!!!

 

 This race is difficult because a couple of heats before this one are still running the course, so Katelyn was passing people from the other heat.  She said the course was a lot more crowded this year and that it was confusing to know where to go and who to follow.  Her goal was to finish top 20, but fell slightly short of that with coming in 22nd.  She was disappointed, but she ran her heart out!  There were more girls this year than last...  She had gone on a run that morning and I think that it was too much because she complained that her legs were really tired.  Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way.  I'm proud of how WELL she did for having tired legs!  She's amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Here's her racing number...

 Some friends from the team...

 

After we finished at this meet, we headed down to Tucson, where we stayed overnight so we could watch Brooke swim in her meet at the University of Arizona for the TYR High School Classic. FUN!

Jordan is Chesapeake Virginia's Newest Firefighter!!

Jordan is now a proud firefighter in Chesapeake, Virginia!  What's neat about this is that he will be working at the same station John did 20 years ago!  I'm sure it was an emotional time for both Jordan and Allison!  It has come full circle and is a bright new beginning!

Here is a picture Allison posted on fb of Jordan's graduation.

 

 

I love this picture!  Allison surprised Jordan with John's

restored Class A dress hat from 20 years ago!

Academic Recognition Assembly For Brooke!! :)

Today was one of those proud, happy moments as a parent!  Brooke has worked so hard during her time at Sunrise Mountain High School, and I absolutely LOVE that this school recognizes true, honest, hard effort!  Brooke was recognized for her perfect grades AND perfect attendance during her Sophomore year.  (Last year.)  I loved going to these assemblies with Megan and I continue to love going to them with Brooke!  It NEVER gets old-- NEVER!!!!  She let me take a bunch of pictures, so here they are:

 Here Brooke is receiving her awards and shaking hands with Mr. Svorinic, the Principal.

 

Class of 2018...that's not in the too far distant future...the program shows

Brooke getting acknowledged for both grades (*) and attendance (+)!

 Her Academic Letter certificate!

 

 

 The front of the program...really nice cardstock and in color!  (The invitation that was sent in the mail was also on really nice, heavy paper and in color too!  SMHS is stepping up its game!)

 

 Her Perfect Attendance certificate!

 

 A close up of the Academic Letter certificate!

 

We didn't get a picture of this one this morning, so

Brooke let me take it when she got home from school!

 Both certificates...yeah, I'm a proud Mamma!

 

 

But of all these awards, acknowledgement and recognition...this one below, an email I received this afternoon from her Child Development teacher, Mrs. Yonkovich, took the cake!  THIS is what it's really all about.  Brooke has great grades and attendance at school, but she is a good person and has great character on the inside and out!  She is an amazing girl and I love her regardless of what she achieves!

 



Happy day today!!

Megan's Letter On 9/26/16 - Weekly Email :)

Hello Everyone!
Lots of BYU fans were here for the football game! Ha almost everyone that came into the Visitors' Center was wearing BYU shirts and hats haha! We represented well in DC! ;)

This week went by so fast! I can't even believe it! I don't even know where to start!
Melody- She is doing so well! She came to the Relief Society dinner activity that our ward had and she really enjoyed it! She told us and Bernice, "Wow it feels like I have 3 new sisters in my family!" Haha it was so cute! I love the unity and sisterhood in our church. We are all a big family! We taught her the Plan of Salvation this week as well! She is so excited for her baptism in October! She is changing so much just in the couple weeks we have known her! She is just the best and such a huge miracle.

Doris- So we got to meet Doris this week! She was a media referral! When we got over there we got to know her and then started to teach her! She recently had one of her daughters  pass away and so we taught the Plan of Salvation to her! She found so much hope in this plan our Father in Heaven has given to us! It was really neat, she told us the one thing she wishes she would have done, is have her daughter baptized. It gave us a wonderful opportunity to testify of temples and how we can do that essential work for our ancestors who have passed on who didn't receive those essential ordinances while they were on the earth! I am so glad we are able to do that for them so that they have
the choice in the next life to accept it. Temples truly are so special!

Rachael- Huge miracle this week with her! So Rachel is the one who has a strong desire to get baptized but her parents are not supportive at all. BUT GUESS WHAT!!! Bernice took us all out to lunch and RACHAEL'S MOM CAME!!!  It was nice to get to know her mom a little bit more! I
know their hearts will be softened one day! I am so grateful for Bernice! She is such a key member in the Bethesda ward!:)

We brought a cute young woman out with us who is preparing to go on a mission soon! That was such a neat experience and we saw lots of miracles!

Well those are some experiences this week! I love you all! Here is a quote that I really liked from this week! It is by Brad Wilcox, "Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with God
(see Alma 40:26), but no unchanged thing will even want to". I love this quote! Change is so essential! I am glad this mission is changing me!
Sister Freeman

 Bernice took us all out to lunch to a Greek restaurant.

 

 

 

 BERNICE IS THE BEST!
 

Elder and Sister Burgon leave this week to St. George to be the Visitor Center directors
there!:(  We are going to miss them so much! They are such great and Christ-like people!
 

Sister Lin made Korean BBQ for Sister Shin! It was so sweet!

 

 

 

We got to try some yummy Thai food!

 

Sister Ete!!!!!

Brophy Invitaional Swim Meet

Lots of dropped time for Brooke today!  It was a great meet and I think Brooke was proud of her performance in the water!  She swam all of her events faster than she's ever swum them before!  She has been working hard, and it's paying off!  She is really close to some State times...it's early in the season so there's a great chance she'll qualify!  Great job today Brooke!  Proud of you!!!

 Brooke's first event of the morning...the 100 Freestyle with a time of 1:01.61--shaving off 3 seconds!

Brooke on the starting block for the 200 Freestyle Relay...she swam first to get an official time on the 50 Free individual event.  She PR'd here too, getting a time of 27.96!! 

She was super happy with this!  The team performed well with a relay time of 1:53.39.

Brooke, Mack Houk, Callie Gregory and Lindsey Thomas swam in this relay.

First leg of the 200 Free Relay...

She also swam the 100 Breaststroke.  I love these 2 pictures of this event because they show her face and her beautiful form!  To think I took these pictures on an iPhone! 

More dropped time on this event as well...she got a 1:23.50 dropping almost 2 seconds!

With all the fundamentals in place, Brooke just needs to drop more time and she's got it!!