Jack

Jack is our most photographed child. Our kids have told us that the greatest thing that we have ever done was to have our 10th child.

Katherine calls him magic and so he is. It is interesting to watch him work with his neighborhood friends and see the influence he has on them. He is a Karate man, soccer, baseball, basketball, football, singing–there is nothing he doesn’t do and like.

One incredible memory of Jack was when he was with a singing group a couple of years ago. He got to sing a solo–an Elvis Presley song I think. He was rocking out. I didn’t know that that that was going to happen so i was just sitting there. And here goes Jack the whole choir was his back up. during a break in the music he ran back and forth in front of the choir giving high fives then he finished up with a flourish. The place went nuts. Camille Aagard was yelling out his name–no one could believe it. He acted like it was no big deal–but everyone knew the truth. A talent was born–i hope he sticks with it.

Jack is the great combination of all of the kids together. From Darci (25 years older) to Tom (5 years older) they pour love into this kid and he pours it back. He is the greatest argument in any debate about the value of a large family. It will be exciting to see what he does.

Tommy

Tommy is the only one of the kids of whom my favorite memory is really recent. Katherine wrote about it in her blog much better than I can here but here we go.
I had had a really good and promising day–good meetings, lots of good signs of things to come. Even to the point where I called Karen on my way home and while I was telling her about my day, she said, “Oh, Jack just scored a goal.” I told her that capped an incredble day.
I picked up Tommy and took him over to the school to play his football game. I told him about my game and then I told him about Jack’s goal as well. He said, “Well, the day is not over. Now we will really cap it off with a great game from Tommy.” He had been concerned about playing time–others had gotten more time than him and he felt ignored. But I suggested he keep up his hopes and good things will happen.
The game started. He didn’t start–a couple of other guys got the ball first. Then on the third play he went in. He got the ball on the next two plays–a 10 yard gain of left tackle. Then they ran he very same play and he broke it for a 21 yard touchdown run. His friends came and sat near me–and they were going wild. Over the next few minutes, the kids came and then the cousins. They were bummed when they heard that Tommy had a long touchdown run. But there was more where that came. He scored again a few minutes later and then, with the game on the line he almost single handedly ran the clockout on a series of 5 and 10 yard runs.
After the game, we saw him come off the field–looking happier than he has ever looked. “How is that to cap off a great day, Dad.” he said to me. Then he said, “All they had to do was give me a chance.” All the cheerleaders had been going nuts for him when he was running, and his cousins were dancing on the bleachers. During one series a whole section of family and friends were chanting his name. I have never seen him so happy.
I know the Lord reached out to this great boy to give him this incredible blessing. It will be interesting to see what he does with it. I have no doubt that it will be wonderful.

Annie

Annie has always been 10 years older than her age, even when she was 2. Her peer group was her brothers and sisters so many of her friends were 20 when she was 8. Everyone of Freds friends just knew they would eventually marry her.
Some of my favorite memories of Annie as a little girl were watching her play basketball. I remember Doug, her first coach, talking about her final season game one year. There was little time left and we were behind. Annie stole the ball and scored and then chased down the other team’s ballhandler and stole the ball again to win the game. When i was her coach, we had a game where we were behind 22-2 at the half. Then in the second half, she outscored the other team by herself 15-8. Some of the other parents weren’t so happy, but she was amazing.
Anything Annie has wanted to do she has been able to do. She decided early that she would be an A student. Sometimes I ask her when was the last time she got a B. She calmly says, “I’ve never had a B.” She is a poster child for what can happen when you apply yourself and work hard. On top of it all, she is pure and righteous and loves the Gospel. I love her beyond what is possible.

Fred

An obvious funny memory of Fred was when he pour cherrios on the kitchen floor and then milk, then swimming. But one of the times that made me proudest of him was when he was playing baseball for Kevin Gleed. The had a good team and Kevin’s son, Cameron, was on it. Cameron had a hard time hitting at the time. He had a good swing, but couldn’t connect. He would strike out repeatedly. after one such strikeout, he came back to the dug out and said, “I can’t do it anymore. Everyone hates me, and I always strikeout.” Freddy was 9 at the time and he said, “Cameron, you can’t think that way. You just have to get up next time and know you can do it. And if you strike out again, be more determined the next time.” Cameron went up the next time and got a base hit and people cheered and couldn’t believe it. And no one really believed that it would happen again.
In the ninth inning, Cameron came up with the bases loaded and we were behind by 2 runs. No doubt, with Fred’s words ringing in his ears, Cameron hit one to the center field fence, clearing the bases and making our team win the game. Kevin coordinated the traditional shaking of hands and then when just about everyone was gone, he went to the mound and pumped his fists in triumph.
In his entire life, Fred has helped brothers, and sisters, and friends become more than they thought they can be. That is how to live life in the pattern of the Master, for whom it is His work and glory.

Sam

Sam was notoriously happy and violent. One of my favorite family videos is of him slam dunking the basketball in his bedroom, then kicking Jimmie as hard as he could over and over again. Nothing made him happier than at least trying to inflict pain on his big brother or dad.

I loved the time, now well known, that we had a family home evening in Fremont. I was tired and short on patience and the kids seemed to sense that. We started our lesson and it was hopeless from the beginning. Kids were wild, fussy, laughing. After trying for a while, impatience got the better of me and i sent everyone to bed. I went up to our room with Karen and soon we heard little footsteps tramping down the stairs. I looked and Karen and smiled as I went to intercept the culprit. “Who is that?” “Sam” What are you doing?” Then he came running back up with a ninja turtle stuffed animal under his arm. I started to say, “Now Sam, you are too old to have to have a stuffed animal to go to bed with.” But without saying anything, he went into his room and put the stuffed animal under Fred’s arm (Fred was already asleep). Then he jumped into bed and said, “There, now when Fred wakes up, he will be really really happy.”

Sam has been busy making people happy ever since. When i spoke with Tom Bainter, Celestial Football Coach, Tom said that it was such a privilege to have Sam on his team, not because he was such a fine football player, but because he was an extraordinary person and leader. He always will be.

Katherine

The video of “I’m the Queen” is legendary in our household. But my favorite memory of Katherine as a little girl is more personal. We had just moved to Fremont and we had a pool in the backyard. Our yard was big and it looked really pretty in the middle of that big lawn. We were wondering whether we could get away with not putting up a fence.

A few days after we moved in, Katherine, who as about 2 at the time, was playing by the pool. I was nearby–I am not sure how far away, but I saw her and thought she was safe but I was alert. I looked away for a moment and looked back just as she toppled into the pool. I ran over as fast as I could and looked down to see a sight that is emblazoned on my memory, even today nearly 25 years later. She was looking up from about 6 inches under the water with huge eyes, kicking and paddling with no hope of getting out. I reached down and grabbed her, pulled her out to safety and held her close. She wrapped her arms and legs around me and wouldn’t let go for a while. I remember how I would never let anything happen to her and it made me even more determined that she would be safe at any cost. The fence went up immediately.

She is on her own now and doesn’t need me much, but I still want to keep her safe because I love her way more than I love my own life.

Kimberley

I will always remember that on her eighth birthday, Kim asked the bishop if she could sing in church. She did and it was great, and it started her career in singing.
When she was in high school she was already an accomplished singer. She did the national anthem at sports events, and she sang in the school elite jazz group. She would sing in church regular.
When she was a senior, she sang in the solo ensemble with the goal of making it to and placing in state. She sang the same song she had sung the year before. She prepared and prepared and was ready. We spent a lot of time talking about why we do things like that–her talent was a gift from God and therefore the use of it should be devoted to Him not to her. She got that–she prayed that she would be blessed and do well, and she dedicated it to the glory of God.
Karen and i went to hear her. She was magnificent–much better than the year before when she got a 1 (highest possible) but didn’t go to state because she was a junior. It was clear and beautiful and it couldn’t have been better. Karen and i went home secure in the knowledge that she would go to state. But she got a 1-. We were flabbergasted. i struggled with it for hours–how could this happen. But Kim handled it way better than me–within an hour she was happy and excited about life like always–the result was ancient history. She learned what I apparently hadn’t. That when you dedicate the performance to the Lord, you submit the outcome to his hands. She did as well as she could, got a different outcome–and that was up to the Lord. However the Lord had something else in mind for her. 3 years later she was welcomed into The Young Ambassadors, BYU’s elite singing team.

Cubbie

When we lived in England, my company asked me to be Santa Claus at the company children’s Christmas party. I had 4 children attending at one of the partners’ homes in very upscale Chelsea. I ran a little late and put on my Santa Suit in the cab on the way over. I looked at my reflection in a window as I walked up to the door and I knew I was not recognizable.
So with that I walked up to the door and knocked–the door opened and a few of the children were there, Cubbie along with them. All the kids looked at me and ran away from the door screaming that Santa was here–except Cub. She said, “Hi, Dad.”
As the party went on, all of my kids saw me but none of them recognized me–Kim as a little tot and when she sat on my lap, she was terrified and got off as soon as possible. About halfway through the party, i heard Jimmie gasp and say to a neighbor, “I know who that is”. Darci never knew me.
But Cubbie knew me immediately–we were bonded in some special way from early in her life and even though in my costume, you could only see my eyes, she knew me. It made me think of the scripture that talks about knowing the Savior when He comes again because we will be like him. Cubbie and I were always bonded.
As I watch Cubbie as a woman, with her love and compassion and connection to people–i have no doubt that when the Savior comes again, Cubbie will know Him best of all. She fills my heart with happiness.

Jimmie

When we lived in Bothell, Jimmie was the new kid in town when he was in high school. Before we moved there he was relatively shy, but once in Bothell, everyone wanted to know him and be with him. My recollection was that everyone listed to his ideas, wanted to come to his parties, and generally he was a large character in the LDS community in our stake. He had every reason to be a hot dog.
Once i was sitting in priesthood meeting, and a young man (it was Richard Horne) came in who had just been sustained to be a deacon. He was nervous and wasn’t sitting by anyone. He had never been to priesthood meeting. While everyone was coming in and getting ready to start, Jimmie came in with his buddies and headed toward their seat–the big guys had arrived.
Jim made a point of passing behind Richard as he walked to his seat. He stopped and put his hands on Richard’s shoulders and lended over and whispered to him. I don’t know what he said, but I do know that Richard sat up a little taller and was visibly happy that Jimmie had noticed him and said something to him. I was so proud that Jim had made the effort to reach out to a nervous young guy to give him greater self esteem and self respect.
This has been Jim his whole life–always the first to volunteer to serve, always looking for opportunities to make people feel better. He has projected this gift that he has into his profession. No father could be prouder of his son.

Darci

When I was young in my career, we lived near San Francisco. I had to travel quite a bit for work in those days and would be gone sometimes for several days at a time. Darci and Jimmie were little and Karen would sometimes take them down to Santa Barbara for a few days to visit with her parents. Then I would fly into SB and we would spend the weekend or a day or two.
Once I had a meeting on the east coast that took me away for a couple of days. When I took the long trip back to California, I went straight to Santa Barbara where my wife was tired from working with the kids for those days I was gone and she needed a break. I was exhausted from the trip, the flight, and a general lack of sleep while I was gone. But knowing that however tired I was didn’t compare to the hard work that Karen had, I was glad to take the kids. When i walked in, Darci and Jimmie attacked me hoping that I would take them somewhere. I agreed and asked where they wanted to go. “To the Pool!! To the Pool!!” My father-in-law was a professor at UCSB and so we could go to the faculty club. The kids bounded into the car while I dragged my tired bones into the drivers seat. They talked excitedly about what they had been doing and I was delighted to listen–just trying to stay awake on the way.
As we drove up to the guard booth on campus, the kids were still overflowing with energy. I stopped to talk to the guard and Darci jumped onto my lap and called out to the guard, “This is my DAD!!!” The guard got a good laugh out of that, but my heart was filled to the brim and about to burst that my little daughter was so proud of me and wanted the guard to know who I was.
Thirty years later now, my heart is still full of love and pride when I think of Darci.