Gratitude, Graduation, and Grandeur

Another school year has come and gone, its hard to believe so much has happened in the last few months. I'm really not sure where to begin. I suppose I can start with Landon and see where it goes from there.

Landon has graduated from 6th grade, yeah! We will not have any children in elemantry school, ever again, which is really weird... he is very excited about moving on to Jr. High and the masses of pre-pubescent teens with acne, body odor, and a perpetual awkwardness that will accompany him and most of his peers for the next few years. He was involved in ballroom dance this year at school and also had a part in the school play "Honk" a musical version of the Ugly Duckling. It was sure fun to watch him and his friends as the play came together. Landon is also looking forward to scout camp and will be attending Space Camp in Alabama this month. He is now taller than his mom and seems to grow in his sleep.

Hillary just graduated from Layton High, can I get a Woot! Woot! She is very excited to move on to college, she will be attending BYU - Provo this fall (Go Cougars!). Hillary was very involved in school this year with Key Club and the Science Olympiad Team. The Layton High team took state this year and she got to travel to Wisconsin to compete in Nationals. We are very proud of all her hard work and we know the things she has learned will definately bless her at the next level.

Lindy and Cameron are in Logan attending Utah State, Lindy has been accepted into the Elementary Education program there, she and Cameron are both working hard and learning together about the struggles of married college students.

Madey continues to make a difference in our home and we have been blessed by many that continue to remember her. Last month Fairfield Jr. High retired Madey's basketball jersey. It was a tender moment, our hearts were full as coach Ron took a moment to honor her and present us with her jersey. We are also trying to continue the difference maker legacy. This year we started a scholarship. "The Difference Maker Scholarship in Honor of Madeline Slaughter". The scholarship was offered at three high schools here in the area, Northridge, Davis, and Layton. It was a rewarding and emotional experience to be involved in the process of selecting recipients and awarding the scholarships. But we felt it was what Madey wanted us to do and that she was pleased. Our hope is that we can continue to fund the scholarship for many years to come.

Now that the school year is over we took the time to go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and check out Grand Teton National Park. We had a wonderful family vacation and enjoyed time together as well as the beauty of the park. We were also reminded of life lessons learned. While hiking to Hidden Falls in the Jenny Lake area of the park, we found that much of the trail was still covered in several feet of snow. Landon didn't have on very good hiking shoes and struggled to get good traction. We were just about 30 yards from achieving our goal of the falls when Landon decided we should quit and go back. I aked him how he would feel if when we got back to the lake he realized we missed the waterfall by a few yards? He still didn't want to go on, but with some urging he continued and we all got to see the splendor of this magnificent scene. It made me stop and think how many times in my life I have wanted to quit when I was just short of a desired goal or needed blessing. I guess I was reminded that sometimes the blessing comes solely by completing the journey.

As we move forward on our journey we hope that we will have the courage to continue even when the trail is difficult and we feel like turning back. Knowing that the Lord will bless us along the way.