Eagle Scout Court of Honor

She's officially LOST her MIND...

Sarah is finally a teenager...she turned 13 on Saturday!! We can safely say without any error that she now has no brains!! :) Just kidding of course. Sarah and Brandon (who turned 15 on Friday) enjoyed a day at Lagoon (our closest amusement park - in Utah) last week to celebrate their birthdays. Brandon camped out in the backyard on Friday night with Matthew; and Sarah and I enjoyed an evening of shopping in Idaho Falls (with Brielle) for her birthday. She will have a bunch of girlfriends over on Friday night this week to celebrate with them. It's hard to believe how quickly they grow up!! I'm glad we have Matthew and Brielle to enjoy it a little bit longer.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

We had Brandon's Court of Honor last weekend. He is officially an Eagle Scout!! I had camera problems and had to have my mom take my pics so I will try to post them soon.

Scholarships, Eagle Scout, and Track

Kayla was offered a RENEWABLE scholarship to Idaho State University this fall!!! We are working on setting up her housing and scheduling her for classes; she starts on August 25.

Brandon officially had his Eagle Scout Board of Review on March 24 (the same day Erin had her SURPRISE baby (6th boy, instead of the girl the doc had predicted)! We are waiting to get our letter back from Nationals and will then hold his Court of Honor!

Sarah is in track for the first time this Spring. I think she will be throwing the discus. She can't make her first meet today, but will have one next week. So far, she is enjoying it!

Popcorn, Popcorn, Popcorn!!!

Brandon is in the process of selling popcorn to raise money for his National Boyscout Jamboree trip next summer. We would appreciate anyone who would be interested in purchasing some from him. REMEMBER: It's for a good cause! :) Log onto www.orderpopcorn.com and use the order key TEWHPT9 (Troop 472). Brandon will receive 40% of his sales and if he can sell $500 worth, he will receive 6% toward a college scholarship or his mission fund. We would appreciate any support we can get and hope to be sending individual emails to everyone with the link as well. Thanks everyone!

Another Youth Gone

Well we have lost another young boy in our neighborhood...this one was not such a shock, but is still sad. Brayden Pittsenbarger, 15, died on April 1 last week of cystic fibrosis. He was in Brandon's teacher's quorum, same grade, and they were even on the same ballroom dance team up until he had to quit dancing (due to his health) a couple of years ago. Braydon was a wonderful guy who lived life to it's fullest. He was always smiling and never let his disease stop him from trying anything. He always had a good attitude and endured much in his short life. He will be missed by many. Thanks Barbara and Dave for having such a wonderful son!

Thoughts of Trevor

We had a tragic loss in our neighborhood, church, and school this week. One of Kayla's friends, Trevor Walker (18- a senior in high school), was killed in a car accident on his way to school on Monday morning. Trevor was an exceptional guy - very talented in music (voice and violin), friends with everyone, great student, always trying to better himself, and was very active at church - always happy to help where he could and preparing to be an Elder at church in preparation for his mission for our Church next year. He was a great example to my kids and will be greatly missed by everyone. One of my favorite memories of Trevor was when he and Kayla had their combined 16th birthday party. Trevor and Kayla's birthdays are only 4 days apart so for their "Sweet 16" birthday in 2007 we rented the Junior High School and had a big party with all their friends! Thank you Kim and Melanie for having such a special son! We love you all and will remember you in our thoughts and prayers in the coming days and months that follow!

Valentine's Day Dance 2009

Ballroom - January 2009

Here are a few pictures of Brandon and Sarah from their performance at the Civic Auditorium last month:

National Boyscout Jamboree!

Brandon received a letter last month inviting him to participate in the National Boyscout Jamboree in Fort AP Hill, Virginia for 2 weeks in the summer of 2010! 2010 will also be the 100th anniversary for Boy Scouts and promises to be an even better jamboree. This jamboree is only held once every 4 years, and is a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. He can participate in rapelling, sailing, and scuba diving; in addition, he will be able to tour the National Mall, the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, and other national historical sites. He also has the chance to tour some of the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) historical sites: The Sacred Grove, Fayette Farm, and Kirtland, Ohio instead of touring Boston. They will all end the 2 weeks with a day at an amusement park. There will only be 5 troops formed from our Grand Teton Council. As you can imagine, the cost for such experiences is astronomical ($3000). We have received the blessing of being given a $1000 scholarship from a close family member and will be working to save the rest. Dad and his friend will be hosting a Dutch Oven/Cowboy Music benefit dinner this summer in his behalf; with all profits going toward Brandon's fees. If you would like to view information about the National Jamboree go to www.bsajamboree.org for more information.