National History Day

      National History Day! Who's ever even heard of this??  Not me.  Emily came home from school a few weeks ago and said she'd entered the paper she'd written into the NHD contest.  That conversation really had to start at square one.
     They'd been assigned in Social Studies to do any type of research on a historical topic.  It could be a paper, poster board display, website, power point, some kids wrote a play (!), really the sky was the limit on how to present your information.  Any student who then wanted to enter their project in to the NHD contest could.  Emily wrote a paper on Queen Mary I, (Mary Tudor), aka Bloody Mary.
    She got all registered, turned in copies of her paper to the judges, and the morning came.  On the way to the judging Emily read me her paper and did I ever learn a lot about Bloody Mary!  Mostly because I didn't know anything about her.

    We got to the the school where the judging was and waited outside her assigned room.  We knew she would have to defend her paper in front of 2 judges.  They were all assigned a 15 minute time slot.  Waiting outside that room was scary!  Finally out came the judges and in went Emily.  She was gone all of her 15 minutes and then came out very relieved and happy it was over.  She told me the questions she'd been asked and how she'd answered. 

Waiting to go in

After her interview, we walked around to see the displays

  We knew the awards were going to be later in the afternoon and Emily said she didn't expect to win anything so she didn't need to go to the awards.  Later that afternoon I got a text from a friend who was at the awards asking if we were there.  Nope - Bailey and I were at a movie technically.  She told me Emily had won 4th place in the research paper category!!  I text Emily from the movie and as best as we could we totally celebrated via text.  

    I am so extremely proud of Emily for entering this contest.  She had to write the paper for school, but she easily could have quit there.  But she entered this scary contest and had to defend her paper to 2 judges.  I am so impressed that she would voluntarily do this.  It took such guts to enter.  

   I have really been impressed with how brave Emily is lately.  Entering this was brave.  A few weeks ago Tyler was running super late on a Sunday morning and Emily volunteered to go the church, play prelude and the opening hymn for him.  That was brave.  She joined the school golf team without having much golf experience.  And not knowing anyone on the team.  She's the only freshman girl on the team.  That was brave.  This girl has really become willing to try new things, go after what she wants, and not let fear make her decisions.  I'm so proud of her!

Eagle Court of Honor

  Last Sunday we had Tyler's Eagle Court of Honor.  It has been a long time coming!  Tyler officially got his Eagle last June, but we've been waiting for a few friends in the ward to finish theirs so we could do a Court of Honor together.  We waited and waited, and at times wondered if they'd really finish, and if waiting was worth it.  But boy was it!  It was so AWESOME to do it together.  Not only to split up the work between 5 families, but to make this an awesome, big production.  Finally our 4 friends, Jackson, Jaxson, Carter and Brayden crossed the finish line and we were a go.
  I sent out an email to the 4 moms and laid out how I'd split the jobs 5 ways - and told everybody to just pick what job they wanted.  Within a day all the jobs were assigned and everyone went to work.  Robynn took the program - getting speakers, prayers, music, etc as well as printing the programs; Alison took invitations - making them, printing them, and delivering them to all the people in the ward we invited; Shannon took decor for the gym; and Kristie and I split the food.  All of the planning was through text - not one meeting, not one phone call, it was perfect.
   Alison took all of the boys for a photo shoot in their uniforms.  It was cold and a hassle to get 5 boys together, but SO worth it (says me who didn't do an ounce of work).  She had lots of the pictures printed for displays around the gym.  It was my favorite part of the night.
   Alison's pictures:

 Carter, Jackson, Jaxson, Brayden, Tyler

My favorite one of the group

  The afternoon of the Court of Honor the 5 families showed up to set up en masse!  We were like a dang army getting it done.  We set up chairs for 150, set up displays, decorated with balloons, and set up a food table.  We were done in an hour.

                                    

We each made a display for our son - pictures, interests, accomplishments

Tyler's display
Golf, Jazz basketball, Hymn book, BYU, pictures of his project,
baby picture, family picture, Eagle pictures

For food, Kristie and I did cupcakes - in a US flag of course, fruit, and a chocolate fountain (marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries, pound cake, and brownie bites).

     And just FYI, a chocolate fountain shouldn't ever be in the same room as kids.  Now we know. We didn't know before.  But we do now.  Imagine plates of food swimming in chocolate.  Imagine tongues in the fountain.  Yeah, that all happened.  But it's ok, because this was the coolest Court of Honor those kids have ever been to.  And now we know.

     Each Eagle took a minute to describe what they did for their project.

Tyler telling us how there wasn't enough outdoor seating at his school so he thought he could solve this problem with his Eagle project.  Four awesome benches later he sees kids using his benches every day.  I love how he sees his project being used every day.


Jackson telling about the drug boxes he made.  They're used to train drug dogs to smell drugs.

Then he had a state trooper bring his dog and demonstrate  how the boxes worked. "This box has meth and herion." That dog stole the show!

Carter talking about repainting lines at an elementary school playground for 4 square and hopscotch



Jaxson telling about making spider blocks for the Fish and Game department.
I guess they help fish make their habitat?


Brayden telling about repainting parking lot lines at an elementary school


Derek made the cutest slideshow of the boys.  It had baby pictures, silly pictures, photoshopped pictures (sorry Tony and Jason), Eagle project pictures, and the cutest pictures of these boys throughout their years of scouting.  It was the cutest and funnest video!

Our friend Mike spoke - he talked all about being a scout camp with these boys, watching them grow up, how much they've impacted him personally, and how much he loves them.
 And he just cried.   It was so sweet.
He also told them that only 2% of boys who join Boy Scouts finish with their Eagles.
That's pretty impressive to be in the 2%!


Our good friend Tony is the one who gave them the Eagle Charge.
He just cried too.

   I realized again, not for the first, not for the 10th, not for the 50th time, how lucky we are to have had awesome leaders throughout these scouting years.  I've seen these men give up countless Wednesday nights to go do scouting with Tyler.  I've seen them take vacation days from work to go to scout camp.  I've seen them go camping on weekend after weekend.  In good weather and in bad weather and in awful weather.  I've seen them on Saturdays helping with Eagle projects.  Tyler has had wonderful examples of men who truly serve and serve and serve.

Eagle Time!

The boys taking the Eagle oath

They might have struggled with making the scout salute

Dont tell BSA 

Me putting on Tyler's Eagle pin

Me getting my Mom pin

Derek getting his Dad pin

Jackson, Shannon and Bill

Jaxson, Kristie, and Tony

Brayden, Robynn and Jason

Carter, Alison, and Doug

     Tyler telling us why he gave he has Mentor pin to Derek.  He told how Derek has been with Tyler every step of the way throughout scouting.  Which couldn't be truer.  I don't know if Derek has ever missed a campout.  He could have earned every single merit badge along with Tyler.n  Except Music and Cooking - I'm taking credit on those 2 babies.

  Our Bishop was the final speaker - he recited this poem:

Stick to your task 'til it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders are few.

Honor, power, place and praise

Will always come the the one who stays.

Stick to your task 'til it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile

Will come life's victoreis after a while

-Author Unknown

He told the boys they are finishers.  They finished this thing they started years ago.  And it was hard and it was long and slow.  And some of was fun, but lots of it wasn't.  And they'll always have that Eagle to remind them that they are finishers.  When their mission is hard, they can finish because they're finishers.  When a job is hard, they can finish because they're finishers.  When a class, project, companion, trial ....  anything they encounter is hard, they can finish.  Because they are finishers.  And this Eagle is proof.  I LOVED his thoughts.

   Tyler had so much family support come!  My parents, Jen's family, Allyson's family, and Lance's family all came to support him.  What a loved and celebrated teenager he is!

Tyler with my parents

Sam and Tyler

Two of my most favorite Eagle scouts ever

Check out these scouter supporter cousins and brother

Zack, Tyler, Josh, Sam, Logan, Jaxon, and Caleb

   It was the funnest, greatest, best night.  I feel like it was exactly what Tyler wanted - a big deal, because getting your Eagle IS a big deal, and derserves some attention - but he was able to share the attention 5 ways.  He didn't want to be the center of attention - but having 4 others to share the spotlight with gave him the big production he wanted without the all of the attention.  I think it was the perfect balance for Tyler.  I loved the whole thing start to end.  I loved doing this with my friends.  I loved splitting the work with my friends.  I loved providing this awesome night to have Tyler celebrated.  I loved having his friends honored too.  I loved the speakers.  I loved the support.
It was perfect.