Well this will not be the most detailed post, but I was looking at our old books and realized that I wanted to keep doing these. Hopefully after this one I will keep more up to date so I can explain things in more detail. I am sure I will miss a lot of things that happened over the last year, but I just looked through my pictures and figured if it was important, I probably took a picture of it.
Most of the last year will probably be explained just using pictures because I wound really remember all the details. But, a pictures is worth 1000 words, so it will probably explain it better than I can anyway.
Christmas 2018
Haydn and Brody basketball seasons
Haydn did not tryout for the high school team, so he just played in the selects league. This is a league for all the kids who still want to play basketball, but do not play on the high school team. It actually spawned from a team that my friends and I created in high school. We called it "Cutters", because many of us had been cut by the high school team. I coached Haydn's team and his cousin Jake came from Raymond to play with him, so that was fun for them. They have became very close over the last few years. We won a few games and had a lot of fun.
Brody played in his first year of junior high basketball (gr. 7). I was an assistant coach on the team as well. The team worked hard during the season and played some tough teams. In the divisional 3rd place game we hit a last second 3pt shot to win the game.
Tyson also played Champs basketball.
Tyson's Baptism
Kristi Hawaii Trip
Challenger Baseball League
We started a new baseball league in cardston this year. Challenger Baseball is a league specifically designed for youth with physical and cognitive disabilities. This is the same type of league that Takai plays in Spruce Grove. We wanted to bring this league to Southern Alberta to give the youth around here an opportunity to play.
The league is sponsored by the Toronto Blue Jays and they are great. The sent 5 of us to Vancouver for training on how to run the league. They provided us with equipment and some start up money as well.
At first we had 5 kids signed up and we thought it would be a nice and easy way to start the program. Quickly word got out as to what we were doing and the roster grew to 17 athletes. So with that many athletes, we needed a lot of help. I can't believe the community support. We had kids of all ages coming to our Challenger days to help these kids play baseball. It was an amazing opportunity for everyone involved and I can't wait to keep it going next season.
Lenny Turns 5
Baseball / Softball Season
Haydn decided not to play high school baseball this season. He just wanted to play Men's softball with me and his friend Briggs Holland. We had a great time playing on the same team and Haydn hit his first in game home run. I was so excited for him and pretty sure everyone knew that by the way I was cheering.
Brody played baseball again this season. He had a great year pitching and hitting. His team lost a 1 run game in the league semifinal. Brody also hit his first in game home run this season as well. It was against the local All star team and the bases were loaded. Just like when Haydn hit his, everyone knew how excited I was because I was cheering so loud. Brody also was able to fill in with our Men's league team when we needed people. He did not skip a beat and was catching fly balls in the outfield and hitting doubles in the gap.
I missed a month or so of softball this season after I tore up my Hamstring. You will be able to see from the pictures just how bad it was. lets just say I had a hard time walking for weeks. I was very surprised when I was back on the field in just under a month. I played a high level men's team from Lethbridge this season called the "Longhorns". It was a tournament team. I played in 2 tourneys in Vegas with my brother this summer. The tournament would start at 8pm each night and both tournaments we played till around 6am. I cannot believe how hot it still was at 3am. No wonder they start the tournaments at night.
Mom and Craig Sealed
Moroni's Quest
Our ward and stake were involved with a camp called Moroni's Quest this year. The leaders and youth camp out in the community pasture and recreate stories from the Book of Mormon. Kristi is the young women's president in our ward so she was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the camp. Haydn and Brody were both old enough to attend the camp this summer. The boys were put into "tribes" with other youth from different wards in the stake. Haydn and Brody both have a hard time with things like this so we were super proud that they were will to go and put themselves out there. All the kids had to dress up as if they were living in the times of the Book of Mormon.
The camp started just fine and the boys had been there for a night. I actually went out to the camp the first night to give a fireside on overcoming trials. I went home to look after Lenny and Tyson who were still at home. Around 7am I got a call from Kristi and I could tell from her voice that she was very upset. I automatically thought that something had happened to one of the boys and I was preparing for the worst. She slowly told me that she had just been told that during the night Haydn's friend Briggs Holland had been killed in a Car accident and she was just going to tell Haydn. My heart sunk because I knew exactly what Haydn was about to go through. Oddly enough, when I was 19 one of my best friends Weston Gibb (Briggs' Uncle) was also killed in a car accident.
I quickly organized someone to watch Lenny and Tyson for the day and took off for the camp. By the time I reached the camp, Kristi had told Haydn about Briggs and they had announced it to the rest of the camp. I was pointed to the hill side where the kids were sitting and watching one of the reenactments. I walked towards Haydn with tears in my eyes knowing in my heart that he was probably in such pain. He saw me, stood up and walked towards me and when we met we hugged for the longest time. Later on I was told by a few other adults who saw this, that they thought it was one of the best parts of Moroni's Quest for them.
I stayed with Haydn and his friends for the rest of the day. Everyone was devastated. Briggs was a kid who was loved by everyone. Haydn came home that night to sleep and then went back to camp the next day. I was so proud of him for going back and finishing the camp. I know it must of been hard for him.
On the way home we stopped by to see the Hollands, and it was one of the saddest things I have ever had to do. Haydn was so sad, and it killed me to see him in pain. Over the next few days we reminisced about Briggs and how he was always at our house when we lived on 7th St. We found old pictures and videos of the boys together. Haydn and some other close friends were asked to dig some the grave that Briggs would be put in. The funeral was tough for everyone. I had never seen so many people in the church before. The chapel, gym, stage and classrooms were all full of people coming to pay their respects to briggs. He will be loved and forever missed.
Summer Road Trip (Vegas, Anaheim and San Diego)
This summer we decided to go on a family road trip!! We packed up the van the 2nd week of July and started off. Drove to Salt Lake the first day and stayed the night with Kristi's friend Ginger. Then made the trek to Las Vegas to stay with my brother and his family for a few nights. I was playing in a ball tournament a couple of the nights with Ryan and a team from Lethbridge.
From Vegas we went to Anaheim to stay a few nights. We went to an Angels baseball game, knots berry farm (waterslides), and Downtown Disney - which Lenny still think we actually went to Disneyland. Maybe she will find this funny when she is older haha. She told everyone that she went to Disneyland haha.
From Anaheim we drove to San Diego and met up with Ryan's family again. We hit the beaches and had a great time at Mission bay (Like a small amusement park). From San Diego we drove all the way back to Salt Lake and then home. Made it home from San Diego in 2 days. It was a lot of driving and I did all of it haha. Actually the kids were way better in the car than I thought they would be. They all had they devices and kept themselves busy. haha
Echo
Back to School
Haydn - Grade 11, Brody - Grade 8, Tyson - Grade 3 and Lennon - Kindergarten
Volleyball
Haydn played high school volleyball again. He was a starter on the JV team and also floated up with the varsity as well. He was very busy playing between the 2 teams. The JV team was one of the best teams going into the league playoffs and then had a rough final tourney. The varsity team was 2nd in the league and 2nd in Zones. They also made it to Provincials, but did not make it to the playoff round.
Brody played Gr 8 volley ball. I coached his team again this year. We got 3rd place in Rally Pointe, 2nd in divisionals, and 3rd in Zones. Boys had a good season and improved a lot. Between Haydn and Brody playing we only had one free weekend from September to the end of November.
Jaxon's Mission Farewell (Salt Lake West Mission)
Halloween
Basketball
Haydn is playing Selects again and I am coaching him. Jake is playing on his team again so I am sure they will have a lot of fun together. Brody made the Gr 8 team and we will see how the season goes.
Random Pictures through the Year
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