The Brockbank Family

Sports in January

2012-01-15T18:45:00.005-07:00

It is January and we are right in the middle
of the wrestling and basketball seasons.
This weekend was the Richardson Memorial
Tournament in Brigham City and Brad took 4th place.

He also got his 22nd Pin of the Season.

I saw a t-shirt this weekend that said,
"After you wrestle, everything else is easy."
(and I agree.)

I love to watch Brad when this . . .

becomes this!

I think Blake has felt left out because
we haven't been able to
get to very many of his Jr. Jazz games.
He wanted me to take some pictures
so he could use them on facebook.

I'm not sure he want this "white boys can't jump" picture

or if he would prefer this one.

This was my favorite picture --
Bry giving Blake some personal coaching.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T21:44:00.001-07:00

My sentiments exactly!

Christmas Vacation in West Yellowstone

2012-01-02T22:20:00.003-07:00

For Christmas this year we took our family
to Three Bear Lodge in West Yellowstone
where we went snowmobiling.

Since I was so slow about getting it on my blog
you can read about it at
Bryan's Blog and Alyse's Blog
We all had a great time!
(except we missed having Brandon with us.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2011-12-26T11:02:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas

and hope that all of you did too!
Here are the Brockbank Children with Santa
(Tradition!!!!)

Here is another tradition
Harold & Lori with their children at Temple Square.

The Christmas Season is Here!

2011-12-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Wrestling has Begun!

2011-11-28T21:39:00.003-07:00

Of all the sports my children do,

I think that I enjoy wrestling the most.
Even though you are on a team,
it is you and only you
against your opponent during a match.
Wrestling Season has begun
and Brad had his first match on Tuesday.
Once again Brad is one of the captains.
Brad's match went well and
he pinned his opponent in the first period!
Congratulations Brad on a nice win!
Here's to many more this season!

Don't forget that Password!

2011-11-04T07:21:00.003-06:00

That is assuming you can remember your user name!

October was Busy!!!

2011-11-03T14:14:00.015-06:00

Life is always busy
and October was no exception!
Here our some of the highlights from the month
for the Brockbanks:

Gwen had her birthday

and so did Harold.We took a mini vacation to Park City
(or at least Gwen, Maddie and I did!)There was a percussion concertand a choir concert.

Halloween was very different this year
with no class party to prepare for
at the elementary school.

Ben and Alyse dressed up like
Paul Bunyon and his Blue Babe!
Blake went to a party
as Danny from Grease!
And Gwen dressed up to Trick or Treat

at a few neighbor's houses!Sarah dressed up at her Delayed Bridal Shower
in her new belly dancer outfit!

The majority of our month was spent
enjoying Football!

Brad was a captain again this year.

And he went up against some

pretty big boys on the other teams!

Brad was honored as a Senior at the last home game.
(Which also happened to be
Breast Cancer Awareness Night with pink jerseys)

Blake got his hand and thumb injured in one game,
but the radiology department at PCMC
took good care of him because he was Dr. Prince's nephew.
(He even got a stuffed frog!)(Notice the very bruised and swollen thumb and hand)

Blake went up against some big players tooand against his cousin Sam!

Blake's favorite thing was being the

Water Boy for the Varsity Team.If that wasn't enough I bottled 52 quarts of grape juice
and 18 pints of tomatoes!

Quite the month that October 2011!

Gotta Love that Fall Moon!

2011-10-13T14:23:00.002-06:00

Saw this picture on Facebook
and couldn't resist putting it on my blog.
Happy Halloween!!!

Always a bridemaid, never a Bride!

2011-09-25T15:46:00.004-06:00

Okay it this should be titled
Always an attendant, never the King.Once again a Brockbank Boy was nominated

for Homecoming Royalty . . .
and once again some one else
was crowned King.Brad was nominated and really didn't want to win,
so he was happy with be an attendant.He did get to ride in the back of a truck
during the Homecoming Halftime Festivities.
Congratulations Brad!

M-M-M-U-R-R-R-R-A-Y! Go Murray!

2011-08-28T16:25:00.002-06:00

I know my recent posts have been about football,
but it is fall and that is football season!
(Okay it is almost fall.)For the past several years we have had
a large lighted "Y" on our front porch.
I had collected some orange lights and
asked Harold if he would make an "M" out of them.
Harold didn't use those lights,
but went all out and made a HUGE "M"
which is bigger than our "Y".
He then had to order orange light ropes,
but the completed project is amazing!
Harold got it hung right before the games this week.
Blake played his first ever football game.
He recovered a fumble!
(Mom was too slow with the camera to get the
pile of players on top of Blake #60,
but here he is getting up.Brad is once again showing how tough he is
going against much bigger linemen.We are hoping for lots of wins this season
for both Varsity and Sophomore Murray Football.
Go Murray!

My Life is a Comic!

2011-08-26T08:23:00.001-06:00

I love to read the comics each day

and this one really struck home:

Brockbank Fall Sports!

2011-08-21T20:21:00.003-06:00

Better than the Deseret News,
Here is this week's Sport Report:Gwen had her first two soccer games.
She is definitely in the big leagues now
and on a much bigger field!
Murray Football won their first game
against Cyprus 19:13
Brad played offensive guard
and went up against an opponent that
was 120 lbs. heavier than he is!
Brad did great and knocked him on his keester !
(That is my old fashion word --
Brad would have said "de-cleated."Blake got to dress for the Varsity Game,but the only time he got on the field
was as the WATER BOY!
(But he was a very prompt Water Boy!)

Football has Started!

2011-08-14T17:55:00.005-06:00

The temperature is still in the 90's,
but the calendar says football season has started!
Murray had its annual White and Orange Game.
This year the Brockbanks had two players on the team.Blake is 60 and Brad is 55.
(I wish that 57 would have moved out of my picture!)Brad is playing right guard on the varsity team.Blake plays left guard on the sophomore team.
(Here three big guys are all going after my one little Blake.)It was fun to see Murray play (even if it was against itself.)
Brad even got to hike the ball a few times as center.
Murray and the Brockbanks are looking forward to
a fun and rewarding season.

Braces Round Two!

2011-08-14T17:49:00.005-06:00

One of my very first blog entries
way back in 2007 was about braces.
At that time we had three tin grins at our house.
Gwen was not very old when she got braces the first time,
but her teeth were extremely crooked.
Now that all her permanent teeth are in,
it is time for round two of braces for Gwen!
Here she is with all her new hardware!
What we go through for beautiful straight teeth!
Since I didn't blog about Beehive Camp,
I thought I would include a picture of Emily and Gwen
before they headed off to Brighton Camp a few weeks ago.

Personal Progress

2011-07-31T16:20:00.005-06:00

I am the mother of 5 (count them!) Eagle Scouts!
I have helped with numerous merit badges,
taught first aide to at least 100 scouts,
and driven to East Fork of the Bear
so many times that I don't need a map!
But since Gwen turned 12 in October
this is the first time I have done Personal Progress.
(Okay I served in Young Womens a few years ago,
but the program was completely different!)
This week Gwen and I decided to work
on some of her "projects."
Gwen is making a quilt for her bedroom.
She picked out the fabric,
designed the quilt
and with a little help from me
(mostly just pinning) she made her quilt.
It is being quilted right now, but here is it part way done.Our other adventure was to go to the Springville Art Museum
then to the Provo Temple to do Baptisms for the Dead,It has been fun working with Gwen,
but it is definitely different than scouting!

Days of '47 Parade

2011-07-31T16:14:00.004-06:00

I was going to post these pictures earlier this week
when our Stake Float for the
Pioneer Day Parade won lots of awards,
But it didn't!!!I thought our float was amazing,
but I wasn't one of the judges.My children had helped on the float
back in June before the wedding.Even if the judges didn't pick our float
I think it is a winner!

Utah Shakespearean Festival 2011

2011-07-24T17:16:00.004-06:00

Gwen's 6th Grade Class was invited to perform
at the Utah Shakespearean Festival on the Adams Stage
which is a replica of the Globe Theater in London.
Gwen played Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing"
and did a fantastic job!

Happy Pioneer Day!

2011-07-24T17:03:00.003-06:00

I love the 24th of July

and honoring our Pioneer Heritage

While we were in Cedar City this week
we stopped to take a picture
with the statue of Francis Webster.
He is Harold's Great Great Grandfather
and was an amazing pioneer.
Of our 32 Great Great Grandparents,
30 of them crossed the plains between
1847 - 1869

Thanks to our Blessed Honored Pioneers!

I'm Not Sure You Can Call that a Beard!

2011-07-24T16:31:00.003-06:00

Bryan and Sarah just returned

from their honeymoon to Eastern Europe.

That meant two full weeks off from work
at the MTC for Bryan.
He thought that would be a good time
to "try" growing a beard.
Too bad he had to shave it off when he went back to work!

Now that's what you call a BEARD!!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-10T17:23:00.003-06:00

I know this post is a little late,
but we had a great time celebrating the 4th of July.
Since we moved to Murray it has become a tradition
to watch the Parade go down State Street.
Here are this year's spectators -- Harold & Gwen
BradBlake
We almost had as many in the parade
as we had watching the parade!
I thought this was a pretty cool picture
of the parade going down the street,
the crowds and the big flag at the end!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

They're Back!

2011-07-10T17:14:00.003-06:00

We consider the Gunter Family part of our family!
Way back in 1993 when we moved to Murray
Amber became our baby-sitter
and a big part of our family.
When Amber and Walter moved
a couple of years ago,
it devastated Gwen who thinks of
the Gunter children as her own.
Well they are back for a few week visit
and we couldn't be happier! Winni Trae Grady Maeli

Bryan & Sarah 2011

2011-07-06T13:00:00.000-06:00

I Love My Family

2011-07-03T19:14:00.005-06:00

I feel so blessed with the wonderful family that I have.
It was a wonderful experience to add to our family this week
as Bryan and Sarah were married.
(It is almost as good a new baby and
the labor isn't near as difficult!)
I really do love my family!One of our Family Traditions is

when we are vacationing to stop at the Temple in the area.
This is the Brockbank Children in 1999 at the Las Vegas Temple.

Here is the "current at home" Brockbank Family
this spring at the Las Vegas Temple.And here are my children at the Las Vegas Temple
for Bryan and Sarah's Wedding.And even though Brandon could not be with us,
He is doing great things in the Bahamas!
I truly am blessed.

The Newlyweds

2011-06-27T02:33:00.003-06:00

The Purcells and Brockbanks proudly present . . .Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Brockbank
We are so happy to have Sarah as part of our Family.
Congratulations Bryan & Sarah!

Grandpa Turns 80!

2011-06-20T02:00:00.002-06:00

I am very blessed to have a wonderful father-in-law.

He has been extremely kind to me over the years
even when I used to cruise by Harold's house
in my VW bug which they called my beer can on wheels!

Grandpa will turn 80 next week
during all of our wedding festivities,
so the family celebrated this weekend!
We had a fun family gathering and learned many new things

about this wonderful man.Happy Birthday Grandpa!

School's Out for Summer!!!

2011-06-04T11:38:00.005-06:00

After having a child in elementary school for 20 straight years,
with Gwen's 6th Grade Promotion,
that phase of my life FINALLY came to an end!My children have had wonderful teachers
and great experiences at Longview Elementary.Gwen received several awards,
including the Presidential and 100% Attendance.
She was also recognized for Outstanding Scholarship.Blake had 9th Grade Promotion.
Not to be outdone by his sister,
Blake also got the Presidential Award and 100% Attendance.
We also had to squeeze in a Bridal Shower for Bryan and Sarah!
And of course, Blake's Birthday!

I think we are all ready for summer now!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year . . .

2011-05-22T17:59:00.005-06:00

This time of the year brings lots of honors

and awards for our children
who work hard to be good students
and are involved in extracurricular activities.
This year has been no exception.Blake received the Superintendent's Award
for being one of the top ten students at the Jr. High
Here Blake is with the principal and superintendent.Blake also played in his last Jr. High Band Concert.Bradley inducted into the National Honor Society.Brad took 9th place at the Region Track Meet in the Shot Put
with a personal best of 37 feet 3-1/2 inches.Bryan ran the Ogden Marathon in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
And Gwen participated in the Spring Dance Show.Way to go Brockbank Kids!
As a Parent I love these Pay Days!

My Son, the Doctor!

2011-05-22T16:24:00.003-06:00

I love that my daughter-in-law Alyse blogs

about Ben and their life in Virginia.

It is so fun to see the things they are doing
and also pictures.
(because everyone knows I love pictures!)

Alyse posted this picture of Ben today

and all I could think of this beard and mustache was . . .
If you added a hat and earringBen would look like this!!

Wedding Bells!

2011-05-13T20:42:00.003-06:00

A week ago, Bryan popped the "Big Question"
to Sarah and luckily for all of us,
she accepted!!!

We are so excited to have Sarah join our family

Sarah and Bryan will be married on June 24th
in the Las Vegas LDS Temple.

Congratulations to the future
Mr. & Mrs. Brockbank

A Royal Wedding of our Own

2011-05-08T12:54:00.002-06:00

I don't know about the rest of the world,
but I do love a good wedding!
I can remember watching Princess Di
when she got married
(I was sewing my wedding dress!)
I didn't get up in the middle of the night
to watch the Royal Wedding,
but I did spend a considerable amount of time
that evening watching the news reports.But I think the thing I enjoyed the most
was when I saw these pictures on facebook!
Hilarious!!!

With that said . . .We are having our own
Royal Wedding this summer!
Bryan proposed this weekend
and Sarah accepted!!!!
(As soon as I get pictures I will post them!)

The Difference a Week can Make!

2011-05-08T12:31:00.002-06:00

I love living in Utah and one of the reasons
is that there are four seasons of weather.
But sometimes Mother Nature gets a
little confused and the seasons overlap!Here is what our house looked like last Saturdaywith 8 inches of snow!And here is what our house looked like today!WELCOME SPRING!!

April and Easter

2011-05-01T14:21:00.011-06:00

April has been a busy month.

The Brockbanks have been involved
in lots of varied activities.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love pictures!
So since a picture is worth a thousand words,
I saved you a lot of reading!
It was very strange to only have 3 children at our
Annual Easter Egg Hunt!

Elder Brockbank celebrated Easter with a special activity

about the Savior's Last Week.Brandon is also enjoying himself in Nassau, Bahamas!
Bradley celebrated his Birthday
(with Trifle of course!)Brad shares an April Birthday with his cousin Rachel.Gwen's Debate Team won all of their debates
at the Murray District Competition
and Gwen was ranked #1.Blake's Team won the Language Bowl at BYU.
Blake and the Girls!Blake and more Girls!
Speaking of Girls . . .
Bryan has a wonderful girlfriend, Sarah.
Ben and Alyse got to meet
Glen Beck and shake his hand.Alyse & Ben celebrated their 1 year Anniversary!
It has been a great month.

I Think it Must be Spring!

2011-04-17T23:10:00.005-06:00

The calendar says it is time for Spring,

but the weather has been a little crazy this year!
But I know it must be Spring because
Soccer and Track have started!
(I am feel like all I do is drive and drop
and watch a few minutes here and there!)
Brad waiting for his turn to throw the discus
(I think this picture turned out pretty good since
I took it through a fence and the netting was in the way!)Here is Blake scoring one of his 9 goals on Saturday!
(He also got 3 headers, but mom was
not quick enough with the camera!)Last of all it was so cold at this game
that Gwen wore gloves!

Another Temple and Mars

2011-04-10T16:12:00.004-06:00

The elementary schools were off on Friday and

Gwen and Maddie thought that would be
a great day for another trip to the Temple.
This time we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.
(It was cold and stormy.)

The rest of the weekend was spent

working on Gwen's Science Project . . .
A diorama of Mars!!
Gotta love those school projects!!!

The Brockbanks are Famous!!!

2011-04-05T11:17:00.003-06:00

Harold just received his UW Dental Alumni News --
which he promptly put in the recycling bin.
He then received an email saying
our family was in the magazine

This is from last years BYU/UW game

where the UW Dental Alumni sponsored a pizza lunch.
They let us stay even though we were wearing
BYU Blue!!!The Brockbanks are always up for a free meal --

especially if we get our picture in a magazine!!!

A Week in the Temple

2011-04-03T22:42:00.007-06:00

(The Brockbank Children at the Seattle Temple in 2003)

Over the years our Family has tried with each vacation
to visit the LDS Temple in the area.
For many years that meant just stopping
and taking some pictures.
As the children reached 12 years old
the ones that were old enough
would do Baptisms for the Dead.
All of our children are now old enough
to do Baptisms for the Dead.
This week we went to 3 Temples
and did over 125 Baptisms for the Dead.
The Redlands Temple The Las Vegas Temple The Brockbank Children at
the Las Vegas Temple 12 years ago and . . .this year!
The Ogden Temple
This was the last day the Ogden Temple was open
before it closed to be completely remodeled.Here is Blake with Gwen and her friend Maddie

Is this a Mission or a Vacation!?!

2011-04-03T22:13:00.008-06:00

Transfers came last week and
now Brandon is in Nassau, Bahamas!

Brandon's Mission is beginning
to sound like a Caribbean Vacation!
To get to the Bahamas,
Brandon had to fly to Miami from Jamaica then onto Nassau.
Brandon is having a great mission!
This is the ward in Negril -- if you have a hard time finding
Brandon, he is the one standing in the back!
I'm not sure if you call this a beard or a dreadlock!

Palm Desert Vacation

2011-04-01T18:50:00.008-06:00

After finally arriving in Palm Desert, California

we had a fun vacation with the second half of our family.
(Even though we missed having the rest of our children
with us -- I don't feel bad because these kids
didn't go on all the vacations our older ones did
before Brad, Blake & Gwen joined our family.)
Here are some of the highlights of our trip:
Shopping at the Flea Market
Pool Time
Boat Ride in the Marriott Hotel
General Patton's Memorial Museum
including its Tank Yard!
Palm Springs Aerial Tram

which was 2-1/2 miles up the mountain.

We left the hot valley to find SNOW!Brad, Blake & Gwen went on their own hike . . . because the mother had brought TWO RIGHT SHOES!
(Maybe I need to have someone pack for me!)

The Drive to Palm Desert

2011-04-01T09:28:00.000-06:00

Spring Break meant a Road Trip for the

Brockbank Forced Family Fun 2011.
We started out from home and
headed down I-15 for California.
With our trusty GPS we were on our way!
(wondering how we used to go on trips
with a map or a TripTik from AAA.)
After leaving Las Vegas, our Trusty GPS directed us
to Highways 95, 62 and 177 which we drove for over 4 hours.

The roads looked like this for miles and miles and miles!
It was like riding a roller coaster in a car!
All along the way Blake kept us entertained by
letting us know when he saw a Call Box
(which was about every 2 miles.)
The scenery was the same as we drove
across the Mojave Desert.

As we turned onto Highway 177
there was a lone gas station and we decided
we would go until the next gas station.
Our Trusty GPS told us there was one along
the highway that we could easily reach.

When we got there it looked like this:
And our gas gauge looked like this:
Lots of silent prayers were said in the car
as the low gas indicator "dinged."

The Trusty GPS said there was no gas stations nearby.
But we were blessed as we came down US 10
and saw the gas station at Chiriaco Summit!

A verbal prayer of thanksgiving was offered at that point!!!

Next Forced Family Fun we need to remember:

Nothing is better on a Road Trip
than a full tank of gas!!

(You would have thought we learned our lesson
on the way to Palm Desert,
but on the way home we once again listened
to our Trusty GPS and drove home through
Yucca Valley on Highways 62 and 247.
We did keep the gas tank full for this drive!

Our Jamaican Missionary

2011-03-14T15:14:00.002-06:00

It has been a while since we have received

some pictures from Elder Brockbank in Jamaica,
so I thought I would share the ones that came today.
Brandon is now in the tourist town of Negril.
Each morning as he eats his breakfast,
he gets to look out on the Caribbean Ocean.
He loves being in the Jamaican Paradise.

Brandon was able to get his feet wet when

he baptized one of their investigators a few weeks ago.
Brandon is really enjoying his mission.
I don't know if you can have a bad hair day
with dreadlocks this long!!

Jesus the Very Thought of Thee

2011-03-06T17:40:00.001-07:00

This is Bernard of Clairvaux.
The words to the hymn "Jesus the Very Thought of Thee"
are attributed to this monk who lived in the 1100's
which are called the Middle or Dark Ages.

I think maybe Bernard had more "light" in his life
than many people today.
Please enjoy his beautiful words about the Savior.
(Remember to turn off my music before you hit play)

Shakepeare Festival

2011-02-27T14:48:00.007-07:00

This week was the Shakespeare Festival

at the Elementary School
Gwen has the most amazing teacher ~ Mrs. Johnson.
(She is the one teacher that ALL of my children have had.)
Shakespeare is this teacher's passion
and the students performed their plays this week.

Gwen was Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing."
She did a wonderful job showing her distain for Benedick. . . until she discovered he loved her too
with "bands" to hold their love together!
Gwen even got to wear a disguise
while she was eavesdropping!

The entire 6th grade did a Great Job!!!

And the curtain falls on my last Shakespearean Festival!
(And after my long hours of helping, I need a rest!)

Keepers of the Fire

2011-02-27T13:52:00.005-07:00

I attended a Women's Conference on Saturday.
The theme was being Keepers of the Fire/Covenant.
Sister Wilcox was the speaker and she was inspiring.
She gave many hints on how we as
women can be Keepers of the Fire.
When we keep the Fires burning at home
it protects our families and keeps the "wolves" at bay.

She displayed this painting by Brian Kershisnik called
"Women Carrying Houses."
I was very inspired by this and the need we have
to protect our homes and our families.
We can do it (with God's help!)

Not Enough Attention!!!

2011-02-15T08:02:00.005-07:00

It seems that my blog has been mostly about Brad lately!

That is how my life seems to go.
One child will have a lot of events in his/her life,
then another child comes to the forefront.
Well Blake was complaining that I had not posted enough
pictures of him playing basketball!
(I think mostly because he wanted
a new profile picture for facebook!)
So just for Blake -- here are some basketball photos!

State Wrestling Tournament

2011-02-10T16:41:00.004-07:00

Even though Brad did not place in the State Tournament,

he did a great job on the mat!
He even pinned two of his opponents.
Here are some highlights of his matches:One of Brad's strong abilities is the escape.Brad finished the season with 17 pins!
Good Job Brad!!!

Jr. Prom

2011-02-07T05:36:00.003-07:00

Nothing is more fun than Jr. Prom!

It is great to see all those handsome boys
all dressed up their tuxes
and the girls in their dresses.
Here is Brad with his date Callie.
They make a pretty cute couple.And here is the Prom Royalty Attendants --
Brad and Jenna.
(Two beautiful girls on his arm in one night--
Lucky Guy!)

The Video You have Been Waiting For!

2011-02-06T17:32:00.001-07:00

Many of you have asked to see Brad's Wrestling Match
Here is the link to the video:
Brad Region Win

Region Champion!!

2011-02-04T08:28:00.006-07:00

I always love it when one of my children

does something that none of the
rest of the family has accomplished.
Last night Brad did just that--
He became the Region II 160 lb. Wrestling Champion!
That means he will be going to the State Tournament!

Brad went into the competition seated #2.
He pinned the #1 seat to win!
Here are the wrestlers that placed at 160 lbs.With Brad being #1!
If that wasn't enough excitement for the day,
in the morning Brad was named
one of the Jr. Prom Royalty!
Congratulations Brad!!!

Deseret News Article about Wrestling Regions

Missionaries All Over the World

2011-01-30T17:43:00.006-07:00

In our extended family there are

beginning to be more and more missionaries.
Elder Kevin Prince entered the MTC this week.
He will be serving in the Japan Tokyo Mission.Sister Kimberly Walton will be entering the MTC this week.
Here she is with her Brockbank Cousins
on the weekend of her missionary farewell.
Kimberly will be serving in the Italy Milan Mission.And Elder Matt Prince will be returning
this week from the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission
after serving honorably for 2+ years.And then there is our favorite Jamaican Missionary --
Elder Brandon Brockbank.

We are so grateful that these families
members have answered the
Call to Serve.

Tragedy in Jamaica

2011-01-25T11:08:00.004-07:00

Missionaries of the Jamaica Kingston Mission
December 2010

Last week an elder in Brandon's mission was shot and killed.
Elder Jermaine Walker died last Monday.
We appreciate all the love and concern
we have felt this week for Brandon
and the other missionaries serving in Jamaica.
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
A Memorial Service was held on Monday January 24th
and the family will hold a private funeral.

Church Statement Regarding Missionary in Jamaica

Detailed Story from Jamaican Newspaper

Happy Ben's Birthday to Me!

2011-01-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

I had a friend tell me a few years ago that Birthdays

and Mother's Day are all messed up.

On Mother's Day we should hold a celebration for our children
because they made us mothers.
Then on each of their Birthdays they should hold a celebration
for the Mom because she is the one who "birthed" them!
So since Ben made me a mother 25 years ago --
Happy Ben's Birthday to Me!
(and Happy Birthday to Ben too!)

Happy New Year from Jamaica!

2011-01-01T16:57:00.004-07:00

Brandon had a wonderful Christmas in Jamaica --His bike breakdowns have greatly reduced in number!

He was part of two weddings!
And he had a missionary's dream . . .
A WHITE CHRISTMAS!So here is a Sunny Wish for a Happy New Year from Jamaica!

Karácsony Másnapja or Second Day of Christmas

2010-12-27T17:56:00.004-07:00

In Hungary, then don't just have Christmas,

but on the 26th they have Second Day of Christmas!We talked Bryan into fixing us a Hungarian Meal.
He made homemade noodles called nókedli and
a sauce made with pork, onions, tomato and paprika called pörkölt!
It was delicious!We decided that we will be celebrating
the Second Day of Christmas every year!Thanks Bry for introducing us to this new tradition!
(By the way who could resist that face?!?)

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T17:43:00.006-07:00

What a wonderful Christmas!

Even though we were missing three of our children
Through the miracles of technology
we were able to all connect!
Here are some of the highlights of our 2010 Christmas:Our Annual NativityWith little lambs (not chestnuts) roasting on an open fire!Christmas Eve with Grandpa and Grandma Brockbankand Christmas afternoon with Grandma Prince.Our children surprised us with luggage . . . and there was set for each of us!but the highlight of the day was Skypeing
with Elder Brockbank in Jamaica!Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-24T11:48:00.004-07:00

For the past several years we have tried to

Celebrate Christmas Around the World.
December 13th is Santa Lucia's Day
and is celebrated in Sweden.
(We were a little late this year and
had our celebration on the 19th.)
On this day, the eldest daughter in a family
wears a white robe with a red sash
and a head wreath with candles.
All dressed up, she serves the family
Santa Lucia buns (Lussekatter) and coffee.
(Okay we have sweet rolls and hot chocolate!)
Santa Lucia is followed by the star boys
who wear pointed hats and carry star wands.
(Forgot the wand for star boy!)I am sure this is a tradition for almost every family
that lives in the Salt Lake Valley.
Going to Temple Square to see the Lights
is something we have done every year.
Most years we ride TRAX and have dinner at the Food Court,
But this year we mixed it up a little.
We went down early and had dinner at the Lion House
before enjoying the lights on Temple Square.
It was also wonderful to sit and contemplate
the Savior as we sat near the Christus Statue.
I also kept thinking about coming here as a child
with my family and how it helps me focus on
the Meaning of Christmas
What we didn't do was ride the escalators!
Merry Christmas !!!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

2010-12-17T12:40:00.002-07:00

If you do this . . .

Santa will give you this!!!

Way to go Brad!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-13T23:01:00.001-07:00

Christmas is a time for Family!
The Brockbank Family wishes all of you
a very Merry Christmas and
a Happy New Year!
We join with all of you as we celebrate
the Birth of our Savior
and our Joy at His Love for Each One of Us.

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas!

2010-12-12T10:46:00.003-07:00

At our house, Christmas isn't just lights and bells and trees --

It's wrestling . . .

and basketball . . .

and band concerts . . .

and dance performances!

I know it's a funny way to celebrate Christmas,
but it is my life!

Tradition!

2010-12-08T00:26:00.004-07:00

Every year since Ben was a baby
we have gone to have a picture with Santa Claus!
Even though the kids are getting older,
this year was no exception!
(I did have to bribe them with dinner at the
mall's food court to get the three of them to go!)

The Holidays are here!
Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving in Jamaica

2010-12-07T10:56:00.006-07:00

Although Brandon was far away

He was still able to have a Thanksgiving Feast.
(We think Brandon is looking pretty skinny
and he now cuts his own hair with his razor!)

Brandon sent us pictures detailing
how the Turkey got to the Table --

This turkey went from this . . .To this . . .

To this . . .

(That dog looks like he is waiting for his share)

To this!!!We know that Brandon is most Thankful for this . . .But some days he is not very thankful for this!

I am so thankful to have Brandon serving a mission.
It is a great blessing in my life!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-12-07T10:42:00.003-07:00

If you asked Brad what that time was,

he would say WRESTLING!
It started last week and he has already had 9 matches.He is looking forward to a great season.
Brad is one of the team captains.
We love it when he pins his opponent.And we hope to see a lot of this!
Good Luck Brad!

Piano Recital

2010-12-07T10:33:00.002-07:00

One of my favorite paydays as a parent is Piano Recitals.

I love to hear my children play
knowing all the hard work that has gone
to preparing their recital pieces.
This year was no different.
Gwen played "Witches' Dance"

Blake played "All of Me"
and Brad played "Oh How Lovely was the Morning"

Random

2010-11-21T18:40:00.006-07:00

Most of my life is jumping from one adventure to another.

That's the way this week has been.
First I am involved with one thing,
then it is time to start another --
and most the time they are not related in the least.
First off there was more raking of leaves!
With 17 trees we get lots of leaves and I rake up most of them!

Second, Brad was honored at the Football Banquet.
(Isn't he quite the jock!)Third, this showed up at my door!
Bryan rode his new bike from Provo to Murray
(and he was wearing this in public!)

Fourth, we took the family to BYU's "The Master's Hand"
which is an exhibit at the Museum of Art
of some of Carl Bloch's works.
It was an amazing collection of beautiful paintings of our Savior.
This one, "Come Unto Me," spoke to my heart
as we can all come unto Christ --
the sick, the slave, the mourner, the child, ALL.

Random -- that is what I said!

Being a Missionary in Jamaica

2010-11-14T10:26:00.003-07:00

Being a Missionary in Jamaica means . . .eating all kinds of new foods . . .

having unusual roommates . . .

getting a fabulous farmer's tan . . .

And knowing that Jesus really is the Answer!

Another Temple Trip

2010-11-08T02:19:00.002-07:00

Gwen and her friend Maddie had a day off from school this week.

They decided that they would go to the Salt Lake Temple
to do Baptisms for the Dead.
These two new Beehives had a wonderful time in the Temple
(and the two moms did too!)

Nothing says "Halloween" like Candy!

2010-10-30T19:52:00.004-06:00

Once again the comics are imitating my life!

As soon as the big bag gets opened, it disappears.
This was Gwen's last Halloween Parade!
It was my 20th and last school Halloween Party!Gwen's class made scarecrows as part of their party --
This is the Scarecrow Gwen's group made.
Candy wasn't the only thing for Halloween this year--
Blake was in the Jr. High Band Concert
Caveman suit and all!Last, but not least of the Halloween Fun ~
a Pumpkin Carriage and glass slipper
were on our porch this week.
Guess Brad will be going to the Girls' Choice Dance after all!

"I'll Go Inside Some Day"

2010-10-17T19:15:00.002-06:00

One of the things I love about being Mormon

(It is okay for us to say Mormon now and not just LDS)
is that we get to go to the Temple.
This past week was a big event because
now all of my six children have been to the temple!
Because Gwen is 12 she can now do
Baptisms for the Dead.Blake came too and we had a wonderful
experience doing just that.
One of the workers told Gwen that Joseph Smith
once said that when we meet those we have done
temple work for they will hug our legs and kiss our feet.

Whether that is true or not --
What a blessing it is to go to the temple.

Birthday by Gwen

2010-10-17T19:03:00.003-06:00

Harold with the Singing Birthday Dog

Harold celebrated his Birthday this weekend.
It is definitely different when you have a daughter
when celebrating your birthday.Gwen made several signs to let Harold know
how much she loves him.
She also wrapped and wrapped and wrapped
his gift in several layers so that he could enjoy
his birthday that much longer!

Old Spice

2010-10-11T18:45:00.001-06:00

I love these commercials!

And I think the knock-off commercials are just as funny!
Enjoy!!!

Linemen CAN Carry the Ball!

2010-10-10T18:01:00.002-06:00

Brad had a great game against West

this week even if the team lost.
He tackled well and all his long snaps were good.
Brad even got to carry the ball!
The ball bounced off the receiver and
Brad caught it and ran for 2 yards!!!
That doesn't happen to a lineman very often! Brad also had a great tackle on a punt.
He snapped the ball and ran
(much faster than his Brockbank genes should let him)
and tackled the punt returner just as he caught the ball!
Way to Play!

Look Out Young Women!

2010-10-10T17:49:00.007-06:00

Gwen had her Birthday this week and
officially became a "Young Woman"!!!
The YW gave her a "Heart Attack" as a welcome.

Gwen celebrated her Birthday with Cake . . .Presents . . .

Attending the B.Y.U. Football Game . . .

and getting a hug from Cosmo after the game!

Happy Birthday Gwennie Girl!

JAMAICA ! ! !

2010-10-06T12:14:00.006-06:00

We received our first email from Jamaica from Elder Brockbank.
He is so excited to be there.
Brandon spent the weekend at the mission home
listening to General Conference.
This is what he had to say:
"I love everyone and I hope you are all being your best selves
and applying the principles from conference."

Brandon is serving in the city of Junction
which is in St. Elizabeth Parish
(like a state or a county - there are 14 in Jamaica)If you want to get his emails each week just let me know.

Pretty in Pink

2010-10-03T18:38:00.002-06:00

This week the Murray Football Game was dedicated to

Breast Cancer Awareness Month.The Entire Team wore Pink Jerseys that were sold to raise money.Here is Brad in his Pink Jersey!Brad blocked well and all his deep snaps (like this one) were good.
Too bad Murray didn't do as well and lost --
But they did raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer!
This link takes you to the news report on KSL.com

Murray vs. Hunter

Great Aunt

2010-10-03T09:59:00.003-06:00

I have always thought I was a pretty good aunt.

Between my family and Harold's family
we have 26 nieces and nephews.
(28 if you include their spouses.)
But this week I became a GREAT AUNT!
This is my niece's new baby ~ Daxton.
Welcome Daxton!!
It is so fun to have a new baby in the family again!

Egyptian Sarcophagus

2010-10-03T09:36:00.008-06:00

For those of you who have never had a 6th grader,

you might not know what a Sarcophagus is.
Until Ben was in 6th grade I didn't either.
A sarcophagus is a coffin or tomb,

especially one bearing sculpture or inscriptions.

All of my children have had Mrs. Johnson for 6th grade
and each one has had to create a sarcophagus.
Gwen just finished hers this week
and I am done assisting with sarcophagus construction.
Here are a few I have helped with:

If you can't figure out which belongs to each child,

here is the answers:Gwen 2010
Blake 2007
Brad 2005
Brandon 2002
Bryan 1999
Ben 1997

Bugs

2010-09-26T00:36:00.007-06:00

It seems in the last month or so that I have had a lot to do with Bugs!

First when we went to Virginia to visit Ben & Alyse
we were confronted with this beauty:

I know this looks like a spider,
but it is a Camel Cricket or Spider Cricket.
There was community of them living in Ben & Alyse's Apartment.
Each morning were were greeted by several.
We worked on keeping the bugs from coming into the apartment
and I killed my share each day.
They were huge, but the worst part was that they jumped!!!My bug adventures continued this week
when Blake had to collect 25 insects for his science class.
He would catch them in a Cool Whip container
and put them in the freezer to die
before pinning them to his board.Who knew we had so many bugs living around our home!

MNT at the MTC

2010-09-15T23:00:00.007-06:00

Today Brandon became

Missionary Number Three to go to
the Missionary Training Center.Sunday was his Farewell and he did a great job on his talk.
He spoke about the 13th Article of Faith.He got very tired of taking pictures!!
Last night Brandon was set apart as a Full Time Missionary.
He said his good-byes to his siblings.Harold and I drove him down to Provo and the MTC.
(You can see it in the background
and there is lots of construction going on.)
This new stop and drop was very different
(but I think it is better.)
There were missionaries there to help him . . .
and within a few seconds he was part of the crowd.

I know Brandon will make a great missionary.
I love him very much.

MHS Homecoming

2010-09-15T22:39:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, Brad asked Mandi to the Homecoming Dance.

I thought her answer was one of the
most clever my boys have ever received.
Brad came home from school wearing this shirt.It was covered with "Yes" and "No"
The instructions were to wash it to get the correct answer.
Which we did!
(Brad is almost as cute as Clark Gable
who spends lots of time with me since I live in the laundry room!)

You can see the answer was "YES"
Here is Mandi and Brad before the Dance was last Saturday.
(Her dress was purple, but my camera made it look blue.)
I think Brad had a better time this night
than the night before when the football team lost 57 to 0!

Summer Adventures and UTIs

2010-08-30T12:28:00.007-06:00

At the beginning of August I took Brad, Blake, Gwen & Maddie

to Seven Peaks Water Park in Provo.
It was IHC Day and very crowded,
but we were determined to go on some waterslides.

The kids talked me into going on the one called "Free Fall"
which is the blue slide in the background.
All four kids went down and then it was my turn.
The lifeguard girl instructed me to not push off,
but just put my hands behind my head and cross my legs.

I did as I was instructed and promptly got stuck
in the tube portion of the slide.
I couldn't go back to the start and all I could see
was an hole at the end with sky showing --
and I knew it dropped off at 90 degrees!
My only option was to keep trying to
push myself forward to the drop off!
This process took forever and I dreaded what was ahead.
Finally I made it to the hole and fell!
The only problem was when I hit the water at the bottom
my modest one piece suit became a thong!
This mortified my children who instructed me later
that I was supposed to pull it out of my "crack" before standing up!

Who Knew!?!

Temple Trip (to one temple!)

2010-08-30T12:03:00.007-06:00

Before Bryan left on his mission four years ago

he and I took a Temple Trip to Chicago, Nauvoo & St. Louis.
Brandon desired to do the same thing,
but didn't care which temples we went to.
We decided because of work schedules and time constraints
to do a Utah Temple Trip.
The original plan was to go to Vernal, Manti and Oquirrh Mountain.
We arrived in Vernal late Monday night only to
discover the next morning that the temple was closed for cleaning.
We did get a picture of Brandon in front of
the dinosaurs before leaving Vernal.
After a 3-1/2 hour drive to Manti
we finally were able to do some temple work.
When we finished in the early evening,
we decided to cut our trip short and head home.
One temple is better than none!

This Summer Brandon has been to several temples
Washington, D.C. with Ben & Alyse
Rexburg and Mt. Timpanogos with Elizabeth
and Salt Lake, Jordan River and Draper with his friends
(This is Brandon, Dylan Payne and Andrew Abeyta
who are both in the MTC now)

White Coat Ceremony

2010-08-30T11:41:00.004-06:00

I have been slow in blogging because life got in the way!
A couple of weeks ago Harold and I went to
Richmond Virginia for Ben's White Coat Ceremony
at the Medical School at Virginia Commonwealth UniversityThis the Egyptian Building where the Parents Meeting
was held and Ben has his classes.The White Coat Ceremony was great.
Each medical student walked in carrying their white coat.
As each student's name was announced
one of the medical staff placed the white coat on.
Ben had Dr. DiGiovanni who had interviewed him
help him with his white coat.
The Medical Students then took the Hippocratic Oath.

It was an amazing opportunity to be there and

we are so pleased with Ben & Alyse and the things they are doing.

Fall Sports

2010-08-30T11:26:00.005-06:00

With school starting that also means

SPORTS!
I love watching my children play
even if it means driving them to practice after practice!
Gwen is playing Soccer
and so is Blake.
Brad is playing football for Murray.
Brad is one of the captains for the team.
They won their first game against Ogden.
Friday they played in at the Rio Tinto Stadium, but sadly lost.

But there are many more games to come this fall!

And They're Off!

2010-07-31T02:19:00.004-06:00

Twenty-eight years ago when Harold and I
had been married almost a year

we loaded up a U-Haul Truck and
headed for the Pacific Northwest.
We had both lived in Salt Lake or Provo
for the majority of our lives
and this was a very new experience for both us.
We arrived in Seattle, Washington after 2 days on the road
to an apartment that we had arranged for
through a friend of Harold's.
This was the beginning of 4 wonderful,
yet challenging years of dental school.

We knew nothing about Seattle or
the University of Washington before we arrived.
(In fact we had been planning on going to Chicago
just a few weeks before.)
We were dirt poor and at times
we couldn't even afford to heat our apartment,
but just wore several sets of sweats
when it was 50-60 degrees inside it!
I got a job in the Nursery at Swedish Hospital (and later in L&D),

we started managing the Fifteen-O-Fifteen Apartments
and Harold attended Dental School at the U of W.

It was challenging, but it was a wonderful time in our lives.
We made many wonderful friends that we still stay in contact with.
We were very active in our LDS Ward and learned how to serve.
We were "damp" all the time
because it seems to rain everyday in Seattle,

but most of all we became close as a couple.I have been thinking a lot about those times in our lives

because Ben and Alyse left this week for
Medical School in Richmond, Virginia.

They took Brandon with them for their
3 long days of driving across the country.Ben drove his Honda . . .While Brandon rode with Alyse in her car.And off they went!

I hope that they will enjoy their "med school" experience
as much as Harold and I enjoyed our "dental school" experience.
We will miss not having them close,

but I am a little jealous of the stage in life they are just beginning!And of course I made the kids pose for one last picture

since they will not all be together until at least 2012!

Summer Fun

2010-07-31T01:55:00.007-06:00

I keep thinking that life is going to settle down and won't be so busy.

But with a big family I don't think that is going to happen.
Our family has been having a wonderful summer.
Some of the recent highlights include:Bryan bought a "new to him" car -- a Mazda 3
Brandon returned from the Hill Cumorah Pageantand we celebrated his Birthday!Blake joined all the College Students
for the 24th of July Rodeo in Spanish Fork
Three Lily-white boys went to the Water Park
for the 24th of July along with all the girl cousins!We had a Allen G. Brockbank Family Reunion at our house.
Harold's parents and Uncle Brent and Aunt Anne were there
along with many of Harold's siblings and cousins and their children.My children were so tired of having their picture taken
that they just kept up what they all love to do best --
texting!!!
And Gwen decorated a cake at Activity Days.
Of course it had her favorite theme --- BYU!

This summer is going by much too quickly
and it won't be long until we will be back into a routine.

I am going to miss the lazy, yet busy days of summer!

The Healing Spell

2010-07-20T14:15:00.004-06:00

I just finished reading "The Healing Spell"
by Kimberley Griffiths Little!

Kim was my roommate at BYU and
now lives with her family in New Mexico.
This is her 4th book and I think it is her best so far!Kim had a book signing here in Salt Lake nearly 2 weeks ago
and I took Gwen and her friend Maddie.
For those of you who have daughters age 11 or above
this is a great book about love, life and forgiveness.
(Boys would enjoy it too!)

Patriots and Pioneers

2010-07-20T06:08:00.005-06:00

The Fourth of July is one of our Favorite Holidays.

Since we moved to Murray many years ago,
we have enjoyed going to the Parade which goes down State St.
For the past several years, the boys have slept in Harold's office
and gotten up very early to save a spot on the street.

This year instead we went to the Sunrise Service
where Blake was part of a tribute to Murray Veterans.
He highlighted a veteran from World War II.
He did a great job, but he almost got upstaged by . . .

the Clogging Grandmas!We then headed off to the Parade!
We were not in our usual spot by Harold's Office,
but down by the high school where Brad and his friends
had slept out and saved us a spot.We did all the usual fun . . . We waved flags . . .Yelled out people we knew in the Parade . . .
(these are the tellers from our bank!)
and caught lots of candy!

Most years one of our children have been in the Parade.
This year it was Brad with the Football Team.
We also enjoyed the fireworks at Murray Park.
Our celebration continued the next night with
the Prince Family for more food and fireworks!
Celebrating the great freedoms we enjoy
does not get any better than this!It was just a couple of days later that Brad and Blake left for Trek
starting our celebration to honor our Pioneer Heritage.

One Busy Family

2010-06-29T10:23:00.012-06:00

Summer 2010 is upon us and that means

every one is going in a 100 different directions.

Here are just some of the highlights.

Blake turned 14 and was ordained a TeacherBrad completed his driving hours
and got his "official" driver's license!
Bryan went to Los Angeles to be a part
of his last missionary companion's wedding.Bryan is third from the left.
Brandon headed to Rexburg to visit his cousins,
attended the rodeo and
scored some tickets from his friend David to his concert.
Brandon then left to be a part of
the Work Crew for the Hill Cumorah Pageant.
You can check out their blog.

These are just a few of the adventures
the Brockbanks are having this summer!

Cellulitis - "it is" what "it is"

2010-06-29T10:08:00.004-06:00

WARNING -- THE PICTURES ON THIS POST
ARE NOT FOR THE WEAK OF HEART

I got this definition off the Mayo Clinic site:
Cellulitis (sel-u-LI-tis) is a common,
potentially serious bacterial skin infection.
Cellulitis appears as a swollen,
red area of skin that feels hot and tender,
and it may spread rapidly.
This is the cellulitis that Harold
contracted while we were in Florida.
It went from the his big toe to his groin
(I didn't take a picture that high --
You can thank me later!)
Because this bad infection of Group B strep
Harold had a PICC line placed.
He is getting antibiotics continuously
and will continue for at least a week.

I am glad to report that it is getting better,
but now he has blisters and open wounds.
Please keep Harold in your prayers
so that we can soon have a
Happy Patient and Happy Nurse!

RAGNAR

2010-06-28T09:38:00.004-06:00

Bryan has become a Marathon Man.
He participated in the RAGNAR Wasatch Back
in which he ran three legs (with two legs.)Bryan was part of the team
The Young and The Wreckless (#88)
He got connected with them
because 5 are nurses I used to work with.

The race is run on back roads for
188 miles from Logan to Park City.
Some of the legs are run at night.

Bryan was pretty speedy and did well for his team.
Where did this kid come from?
I am not sure he has the correct Brockbank genes.
(We are not runners and not skinny!)

Sarasota Fun!

2010-06-18T22:57:00.004-06:00

Sarasota, Florida was our vacation spot this summer!

We went for the Open House to celebrate Ben & Alyse's Wedding.
It was lots of fun!

Alyse took us to Yoder's
which is an Amish Restaurant that she used to waitress at.
And of course we went to the beach!
The sand was like fine powder.

The only problem is that Harold's leg got infected
and he has been in the hospital with cellulitis
since we got home on Wednesday!
Please keep him in your prayers.

Musical May

2010-05-30T15:24:00.002-06:00

May is always a month full of concerts and recitals

and this year was no different.Blake played percussion in the Junior High Concert

and Brad played the trumpet at the High School.

As I sat and listened to them play,
I realized I have been going to Band Concerts
to watch my children perform
several times each year since 1998!
That's a lot of concerts, but it has always been a
pleasure to watch my children perform.

May also means the Spring Piano Recital.
We have been attending these since 1995!

Brad played "Maple Leaf Rag"

Blake played "Hungary"

and Gwen played "Murmuring Brook"

The Joys of Home Ownership

2010-05-30T14:50:00.005-06:00

We have lived in our home for over 16 years

and love being in Murray!
But when you have been in one place for that long
things begin to wear out and break.
It seems that has been happening a lot lately.

It started when my kitchen faucet started
spraying out the side. We ignored it for a while,
then Harold put electrical tape over the small hole.
That lasted for a few weeks, but then the leak got worse!Courtesy of Harold along with the help of Brandon and Brad
we have a new kitchen faucet!

Last week I flipped the switch to our light/fan
and instead of the room being illuminated,
sparks and sizzling sounds occurred.
Courtesy of Harold along with the help
from the neighbors and several of my sons
there is a new light/fan in our family room!

But the biggest adventure in home ownership came
while Brandon was working on the sprinklers.
The main sprinkler valve broke and water would not stop.
First a hole had to be dug to get to the water main and sprinkler valve.
Then the old valve had to be removed!
A temporary valve had to be put in so we could have
water connected to the house until the
sprinkler valve could be replaced.
(They are smiling in this picture, but Brandon was
in that hole in for nearly 2 hours after dark
using flashlights to get the job completed.)
The adventure started about 4:30 p.m. and finished after 11 p.m.

The hole is gone and we have water,
but in shutting off the main water line
all three toilets stopped working.
Harold and Brandon worked hard
and now we have new plumbing going to each toilet!

Oh the Joys of Home Ownership!

Wrestling Awards

2010-05-16T16:53:00.005-06:00

Bradley's Wrestling Coach is working on his masters.

Because of the Coach's schedule,
the Wrestling Awards Dinner was delayed until this week.Brad was honored as the Outstanding Sophomore Wrestler!Brad received his "Letter" in Wrestling.
His stats included 15 pins during the season!

This week he also received his Track "Varsity Letter"
Two letters in one week! Impressive!

Marathon #2

2010-05-16T16:25:00.004-06:00

Bryan ran in the Get Out and Live Ogden Marathon.This was Bryan's 2nd Marathon
and he shaved 10 minutes off his time.
He placed 8th in his age division
and 80th in the mens and 95th overall.
His time was 03:15:34.5

Link to Bryan's Results
Way to go Bryan!

Be Careful When You Drive on I-15

2010-05-10T01:27:00.003-06:00

Who knew that a little hubcap like this . . .

could cause this much damage!Bryan was driving on I-15
when a hub cap rolled across the highway.
The guy in front of Bryan braked.
Bryan braked.
But the guy behind him wasn't looking
and now the Honda looks like this!
(Note the bumper inside the car!)We were very blessed that Bryan was okay
and only the car was hurt!
(Also note the beautiful tulips in my yard-
gotta love spring!)
Bry has had this "sweet" car as a rental
while the other car is in the shop!

Spring Sports

2010-05-10T01:16:00.004-06:00

It's Spring so that means. . .

we are back outside for our sporting events
Brad throwing the discus at the JV Regionals

Blake & Gwen playing soccerGotta love those Spring Sports!

The Biggest Mother's Day Card -- Ever!

2010-05-10T00:57:00.002-06:00

For Mother's Day
my Family was very sweet and showered me
with gifts and cards!

It is impossible to say which was my favorite
because I got an original poem,
chocolate which is my weakness,
new gadgets for the den and kitchen
and even a "re-gifted" Eagle present!

But Gwen's Card was definitely the BIGGEST!
But most important I felt very loved.

Just Dance!

2010-05-02T17:53:00.006-06:00

It's May and that means it is time for the Dance Program.

Gwen was in three dances with Sr. Starlettes -
The Opener, Tap and Ballet.
It was a nice way to end our very busy week!

Going Home

2010-05-02T17:43:00.004-06:00

In this whirlwind week at the Brockbank Home,

Bryan was able to fly back to Hungary.
He went to go to be with Feri who had baptized 18 months ago.Bryan traveled with Feri and his family to Frieberg, Germany.
There Bry was able to be with Feri
as he went through the Frieberg Temple for the first time.
There are some days so full of joy
that words cannot describe -- this was one of them.