Simply irresistible--part 2

Earlier today I posted the story about Chase spelling irresistible. Well, Chase thought he was SO funny and wanted to share the story with Jerel.
Tonight after dinner Chase says, "Hey Mom, did you tell Dad how to spell irresistible?"
Jerel responds, "Mom would spell it J E R E L."

Enough said. I'm like, it's going on the blog; you two are two peas in a pod. As soon as I log on, it gets funnier. Both Jerel's sister and his mom had Jerel's number. They had both commented on the earlier story and said things like, "Boy, isn't he his father's son." Too funny!

Simply irresistible

I am a bad speller, always have been. Spell check is an awesome thing. A lot of times when I need a word spelled, I call out to whomever is in the room "Hey, how do you spell __________?" Today this is how it went:
I call out, "Hey how do you spell irresistible?"
Chase says, without even hesitating a second at all, "C H A S E"

Here is the definition for those who may be interested:
irresistible--impossible to resist; having an overpowering appeal

Too funny!

Roller Derby Diva

I guess Camille really took this Roller Derby idea to heart and has been out practicing her moves with a local club as evidenced by this photo (thanks Mary for capturing this image!). Now we just need to come up with an appropriate stage name for her. The names being considered right now are Punky Bruiser, Sandra Day O'Clobber, Devilicious, Ace of Skates, Eva Knievel, and Lady MacDeath. Any other ideas?

Hey Mom

At breakfast this morning Trevor said, "Hey, Mom I like to call you Camille sometimes."
I told him, "Well, you need to call me Mom."
He then responded, "I still like to call you Camille . . . sometimes."

Oh, brother!

Roller Derby...it could happen!

Our family saw a news bit on ESPN about how Roller Derby was making a comeback. I had to explain to my kids and wife what Roller Derby was, how it was scored, and how it used to be the female version of professional wrestling. Apparently times have changed because the new and improved (how can something be both new and improved?) version of Roller Derby is completely real and doesn't have the staged plays like the former version contained.

Maybe Roller Derby should become a church sport for the women (since the men already have basketball for this sort of thing). Look at all the benefits: exercise, teamwork, creative costumes and stage names, something for the whole family to support, the list goes on and on. I mean what LDS woman hasn't secretly wanted to body check a neighbor or two into the railing at a roller rink! This could be a real win-win.

I suggested this to my wife and while I didn't get a verbal response, the look I received was sufficient for me to conclude, "Maybe not!"

Who knew the airport could be so exciting?!

I know I should be a good mom and post about my kid's in baseball, school programs, etc., but I just had to share my experiences at the airport recently. When I flew out to see Randy before he passed away, I had a lot of time before my flight left for Salt Lake. Just before I went through the strip search and confiscation area--I mean metal detectors. I noticed a ton of soldiers and "family" all waiting with big welcome home signs and balloons. I was intrigued and a little emotional, so I decided to watch the "homecoming."

As I sat and waited, I watched a man get in line for the metal detectors, notice the soldiers and get out of line. He walked over and gave every single soldier a firm handshake and told them thank you for all that they were doing. Very cool to watch. The soldiers were very touched and gracious about the whole thing. The man then got back in line and was gone. Just like that. Very simple, but very powerful to watch.

When the soldier finally walked down the hallway, everyone in the crowd/group began to get very excited and cheer. It was awesome. I know I was just a bystander, but I can't explain how cool it was. I felt overwhelmed with patriotism and thankfulness for the military. It came time for me to leave, but I was so touched by the earlier experience when the man shook all their hands, that I had to say something to them. I didn't want to interrupt the reunion, and so I walked up to a few soldiers on the outside of the group. I shook their hands and became emotional as I also thanked them for their service to our country. I told them it was very awe-inspiring to see them all there together. One of the officers then turned and gave me a huge hug. Then several of them thanked ME and gave me hugs. We all started crying. It was all VERY COOL! Although those words don't even express my feelings adequately.



Well, as if that isn't enough, my experience on the way home was really, REALLY wild. Jerel had taken the boys to get their hair cut and so I had some time to kill before they came to pick me up at the Phoenix airport. I was sitting in the baggage claim trying to read a book, when all of a sudden I hear a ton of SCREAMING and YELLING and dogs BARKING at the baggage terminal just one over from where I was sitting! It was extremely loud. Then within like half a second I see a bazillion security officers and police officers running with their weapons out. These guys were the size of American Gladiators too. Of course the crowd at baggage claim all ran over to see what was happening. I'm thinking, "I'm going to wait a minute." It was kind of scary. I'm not very patient, so I didn't wait long and walked over to the crowd. There was over 12 officers cuffing and shackling a man who was laying face down on the ground. They then ALL escorted him outside to more officers who then loaded him up in a police car.

I asked an employee what happened and he said that the man had come in waving a gun and yelling. Then the dogs and officers were then within seconds. I know the Phoenix airport police have come under a lot of heat lately after that lady just died in custody, but they sure acted quickly that night. They were there literally in seconds. I couldn't believe it happened right by me. I was glad they were on my side. Who knew a trip to the airport could be so entertaining!?

p.s. This is a funny part to the story. I, of course, called Jerel immediately and told him what happened. About 20 minutes later I get a call from Chase. He asks, "Mom, was there really a gunman at the airport?" I told him yes and he then explains, "Well, Dad told us what happened to you, but we didn't believe him." I then say, "Yeah, it's hard to believe that happened." Chase then counters with, "No, you have to understand why we didn't believe Dad. He had just got done telling us that the reason why he runs so fast is because he was raised by cheetahs. And then he followed that up with a guess what happened to mom at the airport story. Like I'm going to believe that." I was like, "Yeah, I can see why you thought dad made it all up." Later on in the car, I was talking about it again and Jordan pipes up from the back, "Wait! That story at the airport really happened?"

Just another reason why I love Jerel--he was raised by cheetahs!

Now that's a man who . . .

K, I just read a blog from a friend of ours and he gave a nice shout out to his wife. (She is great by the way. She's the kind of mom that you always strive to be like.) Anyways, I just got to thinking that I have a great husband. I know there's been a ton of blogs that have tagged me to do a list of some kind or another about my husband, but I'm just going to tell a couple short stories. It doesn't involve Krazy Toast or Jerel making me breakfast, but they are good stories nonetheless. I guess I could do a list of 40 things that I love about Jerel, (because he's turning 40 this year) but that's a LONG list. lol So here goes.

Story 1: After my step-dad Randy died, my mom was a little worried about all the yard work that needed to be done at her house. Jerel delayed our trip home from the funeral for a few hours until we could all finish up her yard work. We mowed lawns, edged, cut down tree branches, etc. He also made sure all her yard equipment was working. We had a LONG 10+ hour drive ahead of us, but he wanted to make sure my mom was taken care of. I love that.

Story 2: During the Christmas holidays we had a friend who was having major kidney stone problems. He's a tough guy and has a high pain tolerance, but one night it got extremely bad and his wife called at about 2 or 3 a.m. She asked if Jerel could come over and give her husband a blessing. Jerel quickly got up, dressed in his white shirt and tie, and went over. We were both so glad that these friends of ours didn't hesitate to call. Of course we would do anything for them at any hour. This poor guy had a heck of a time during the whole holidays. My heart went out to his whole family, and especially his wife. She was so worried about him. Jerel again went over on Christmas Eve night to give another blessing.

Life goes on, our friend finally got better and we really didn't think about it much. Well, in Sunday School a few months ago, this friend shared this experience in class. And as he talked about Jerel coming over in the middle of the night all dressed in his Sunday best, I got really teary-eyed. He then went on to say that after Jerel left, he turned to his wife and said, "Now THAT'S a man who honors the Priesthood."

Jerel, I love you and am grateful for a man who honors his Priesthood, serves others even when it's inconvenient and is a great example to my boys.

Hey, Jerel, just a thought. We do have Krazy Bread on our counter . . .

(The pictures were taken at Randy's funeral. I love the picture of Jerel with his younger brother Boyce. I think Boyce will love the picture because he's bigger than his older brother. And what a cute one of Chase and Jerel.)

What matters most...

As most of you know, I bleed BYU Blue when it comes to college sports. I loved the time I spent as a student of BYU and I continue to find much that is good and uplifting about this university. I was fortunate to attend a youth fireside last night with speakers that included Max Hall (current quarterback for BYU and former quarterback at Mesa Mountain View High), Todd Shell (former football player at BYU and in the NFL (2 Super Bowl rings)), Paul Tidwell (BYU assistant football coach), and Bronco Mendenhall (BYU head football coach). Over the past several years, I have become a fan of Bronco Mendenhall and not for the reasons one might initially think. Sure, he has orchestrated a complete 180 degree turn-around for the program including back-to-back 11-2 seasons capped by bowl victories over PAC-10 opponents. He has made it easy to be a fan of BYU football with the on-field success and has even elevated the program to the national prominence it once enjoyed under Lavell Edwards.

While I have most certainly enjoyed the success of the team (Harline is still open!), I have come to admire Coach Mendenhall for his ability to focus on the things that really matter. His admonition to the youth had very little to do with football and everything to do with developing a personal relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. He shared with the audience his experience when he was being interviewed by Elder Henry B. Eyring, one of the 12 apostles, for the head football coach position at BYU. He said that he doesn't remember how long the interview lasted or all that they discussed. However, he did recall that not one question was about football. He also remembered that Elder Eyring sat knee to knee with him, looked him deep in the eyes and the first question he asked him was, "Is the Church true?"

Coach Mendenhall went on to describe his challenge of coaching a football team while making sure that it was not about football. One of the steps he took to accomplish this task was to begin having firesides with the local congregations wherever the team and/or he happened to be (at home or on the road). He spoke of service projects that the football team participates in before games and how those are the moments he remembers long after the details of the game are forgotten.

His words were inspiring and a great reminder of why we are here on this earth and how we could best be spending our time. It is so easy to get caught up with work, sporting events, vacations, and all the other good things of this world. However, there is a plan that each one of us agreed to before we ever came to this earth and we must be vigilant in making sure we are headed on the correct path. BYU is fortunate to have not only a great football coach in Bronco, but also a man who sets an example of how to keep your priorities in order. I hope the hundreds of youth in attendance also came away inspired and with a renewed determination to stay close to their Heavenly Father and follow our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hiking the Wind Caves

Last month our ward had a family hike to the Wind Caves--just because it's beautiful and there's a lot of flowers blooming. Who says that the desert can't be beautiful?! We had a great time. We even brought Tynan, my nephew, along. It's too bad Chase couldn't be there. He was invited to go to the dunes as a reward for showing great leadership skills at the Aaronic Priesthood Camp last summer. Only four boys were asked to go, and the other three were Priests. Way to be a leader and make good choices Chase! He had a GREAT time!

The hike up to the caves and back is 3.2 miles. Those who want to hike up to the very top of the "mountain" can go a little bit more. Jerel hiked up with Jordan the first time. And then Jerel decided to come back down and run back up again. He did the hike twice, yep, twice. He's all into running now. Tanner and Tynan hiked up with the cub scouts that were going together as part of an activity badge. Trevor and I hiked up together. A couple times Trevor fell down (you can see a picture of his sad little face at one point), but he cheered up quickly and kept going. He was really proud of himself when we got to the top. Tynan and Jordan came back down with me and Trevor. Tanner hiked up to the VERY top with the scouts. Afterwards we got yummy juice and muffins. It was a ton of fun. The pictures below are all of us at the top by the wind caves.

Flowers can just brighten your day

Today a lady in the ward helped me make a floral arrangement for our front door. I had never done any kind of floral arranging before and was kind of proud of my first attempt. I even took the extra flowers and put them in the watering can on my kitchen table. I thought it looked okay. You can also see the napkin holder Chase made; it says "Campbell" on it. Jordan just made one for my mom too. They made them in shop class. Good job Chase and Jordan!

Hank, Dieter, and Tommy . . .

Check out this cute video. This is Jerel and our niece, Mikah, age 2 1/2. He loves this age and has a ton of fun playing with the nieces and nephews. (When our kids were little, this was his favorite age too.) By the way, all of the nieces and nephews love Jerel. I was even called Aunt Jerel by Ruthie for awhile. Owen our nephew is obsessed with going to "Jerel's house" and mentions it to his mom several times a day. Jerel would say it's because of him; I would say it's because of the basketball game. lol Because of this, Jerel also thinks the coolest calling would be "Nursery Commander." I told him that I believe the real name of the calling is Nursery Leader, he says, "Oh, no. If I had the calling, it would be Commander. And my first officer would be called Number One." He also said, for treat time he would line them all up and toss goldfish crackers at them and see if they could catch them with their mouth. Oh yeah, he's sooo funny!

Pat's Run

On Saturday, April 19th, I was able to participate in the 4th annual Pat's Run held in Tempe, Arizona. This race is held in honor of Pat Tillman who was killed while serving our country as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan. Pat spent his college years at Arizona State University and later played for the Arizona Cardinals. He turned down a contract extension with the Cardinals, choosing instead to serve in the military with his brother. Because Pat wore #42 when he played for the Sun Devils, the race is 4.2 miles (participants were separated by those who wanted to have a timed run and those who wanted to have an untimed walk/run) and the finish line is on the 42 yard line of Sun Devil Stadium.

The event was well-attended; I think they had over 15,000 people who participated in the run and walk portions of the race. My brother Shad also participated in the race - he works for State Farm and they sponsored a team so he was able to run for free. (In the above picture, you can see both of us crossing the Start line. We are both wearing dark shirts and red shorts.)

As you can imagine, the start of the race was really packed - I don't think we moved for the first couple minutes after the gun sounded. I ran a pretty good race although most of the time was spent navigating around slower runners (next year I'll try to get closer to the front). I finished in 32:48 which was 733 place out of 7,448 runners. Shad finished a little behind me and we met up with Camille, Tanner and Trevor who came out to cheer us on to the finish.

We visited many of the booths and games that were set up for the race participants and spectators. We hung around mainly because there was a kids race that Tanner had signed up to run. Tanner was smarter than Shad and I because he got right up in front for his race (the kids race was .42 miles and again finished in Sun Devil Stadium on the 42 yard line). There were over 1,200 kids who participated in the race and Tanner finished 3rd!! Below is a picture of Tanner jockeying for position at the start of the race (he has the red & yellow face paint on his cheek) and another of Tanner after finishing.

There are more great pictures of Tanner and I during the race if you go to http://www.patsrun.com/ and search by our bib numbers (mine was 1436 and Tanner's was 1017).

Don't go Megi!

When Trevor found out that his Aunt Megi and Uncle Ty were moving their family to Idaho, this was his response . . .

. . . you can see he wasn't happy that I was videoing. But Megi--and Ty--see how sad we all are going to be when you're gone? It's not too late to stay! We sure love you and will miss all of you more than you know!