Things are a change'n

Well I don't have to excuse Ivan's absences anymore. I don't have to go round and round in circles with him about why he should or shouldn't be in school anymore. I don't have to keep yelling down the stairs for him to get up and then pull my hair out cuz he is once again late for school anymore, but I do have to wonder a little bit about how in the world he got strait A's and how in the world he graduated from seminary. 

This kid has both worked and played hard the last 12 yrs, moving from one grade to another, from one sport to another and from one hobby to another. He didn't love soccer when he was in elementary school, but he played it with all the neighbor kids and worked hard. Alongside soccer he played flag football and worked hard . When he wasn't at practice and games for those 2 things he was home playing hard in the backyard running around with friends and throwing footballs. When he started playing tackle football in 5th grade he didn't start out getting the playing time he wanted, he had a friend who gave him a hard time about it and coaches who where unnecessarily rough on the boys, but he  worked hard regardless.  He played baseball and worked hard. He got a dog and worked hard  on the night shift with him. He spent long hours fishing hard. In 9th grade he played up a year in football. Again as a Sophomore and again as a Junior. Now those boys WORK HARD conditioning, practicing, boot camping and playing. He used any free time he had to work hard with his cousins hiking around the hills hunting, deer, elk, bear, coyotes, ducks  and anything else they could find. He started a job at the cemetery working hard mowing and edging and digging and burying. He and his friends goofed around hard on Will's farm and in the spring of his Jr year he decided he wanted to be a bull rider. He researched how to get started. He read and watched and learned what he could from the internet and then started a bull riding school. He worked hard practicing and he spent the rest of his Jr year and all of his Sr year doing the hard work of traveling around and riding bulls. 

May 21's 2026 my hard working boy graduated from Lehi High School with honors. He has grown with a great group of friends and hasn't left much room for regret. He has played hard and he has worked hard and we are very proud of our Ivan. He is capable and he is independent. He slurps his cereal too loud and itches his crotch too much, but he is determined and self disciplined (mostly around hunting). He figures out how to get done the things he wants to do and he is Good looking to boot!  He is duty bound and is headed out on a 2yr mission in Victorville California. He is our first little birdy to leave the nest. Things are a change'n. It stirs up a bit of emotion to think of my little family dynamics changing. It stirs up emotions to think of my little tiny boy who is no longer my little tiny boy anymore and how I miss that little boy terribly, but I'm so proud of and happy for my big boy to get out there and make a life for himself. We love you Ivan.