Baseball and Raptors game

The last few years Max has been playing baseball and this was Asher's first year of T-Ball. This is one sport that they both really enjoy and do really well at it. After each season their coach sets up for their team to go to the Ogden Raptors baseball game. The kids are able to line up and get to run out with one of the players.
It is amazing to see how their faces bright up when they hear they get to do this. They are so excited to have their names announced and to get to run out with one of the players.

Max & his team waiting to run out & Max with the Raptor player:








The kids would not leave the poor mascot alone. Each time they saw him they had to talk to him or get an autograph. We will have to remember paper if they do this again. Asher ended up having his face, arm, shirt and leg autographed because he thought it was so awesome.











Asher & Makensy and the rest of Max's team. They had a great time at the game.

Travis Poll

On June 18th, one day before his 36th birthday and two days before Fathers Day, Travis Poll's battle with esophagal cancer ended. Travis was one of Nelson's really good friends from JR High and High School. As parents, we always want our kids to find some "good friends". Nelson had that. He had some great friends growing up and still does today.

Travis and his family battled cancer for 2 1/2 years. We have learned many lessons from their family and our love for them has grown even more. Nelson has some very fond memories of Travis and is so grateful for the friendship they share.

The Saturday before he passed we were able to go say our goodbyes. I learned many lessons that night. Nelson and Travis hugged and talked a bit. They kept talking about what it was like to get to go see Jesus. Nelson even mentioned that he was a little envious. I understand that is the reason why we come to earth so we can return back. I just could not get past the part that he was leaving an awesome wife and 4 beautiful kids behind. While we were there the home health nurse made the situation a little crazy by her constant complaining. I was a little disgusted by what she was saying. Mandy, who had been struggling with this great trial looked at the lady and said it is ok, just do what you need to, we are not mad at you. The pure love she had amazed me. I am sure I would have probably started yelling. She definately reflected the pure love of Christ at the moement and it taught me a valuable lesson. No matter how crazy things are we truely need to love those around us.

I had a hard time watching my husband tell one of his best friends good-bye. I had an equally hard time the next day at church when we sang I believe in Christ in Sacrament. Nelson could not hold it together and just cried and cried on the stand.
Nelson has many memories of Travis and has learned many lessons. Some of the lessons he learned are:

1. Cancer never over powered Travis friendship. No matter what was going on with him, his frienships he had built over the years still meant a ton to him. He was still determined to keep those relationships strong.
2. Nelson felt that with Travis friendships were special rather than just a common thing.
3. No matter how bad Travis was struggling he never let it get in the way of his family. He would always be there for his kids as well as recognize every little thing they were doing.

We will always be grateful for Heavnely Father blessing us with such great friends. We feel so blessed to have the Poll family in our lives and to have been strengthened by them.

At Travis's graveside some of the people put their Livestrong bands on his casket.

Here is Nelson and his friends(including travis in High School and College)

Jumping

I really think I was meant to be a mom to boys. The rough and tumble aspects of boys does not get to me at all. I am not sure I would be able to handle a child that was whinny. My boys have been fun.
One day we were playing around and decided to get out my moms mini tramp and our ottoman. They put the two by each other and run and jump on the tramp and do tricks over the ottoman. The kids can spend hours and hours doing this. When they think they need a lot of momentum they will even open the door and start outside to run so they can go faster (I don't think it helps, but they sure do).
We have done different things such as jumping over many pillows (they can do as many as 5 now), jump over the mop at different heights, and the most adventurious is jumping over people. It is crazy how much entertainment a mini tramp and ottoman has provided in our home. Here are some fun pictures of Max

Here is Asher doing his tricks