Grandpa Swenson

Grandpa Swenson passed away on Friday, May 24, 2013.  We received a phone call around 10:30 am informing us that he had peacefully passed away in his home around 8:30 am in Spanish Fork, Utah.  After hearing the news I (dad) gathered Parker and Brock and told them what had happened to their Great Grandpa.  I had the following tender moment with Parker:

Dad:  Grandpa passed away. 

Parker:  To where?

Dad:  To the spirit world

Parker:  What is that?

Dad:  That is where you go when you die

Parker:  So we can't call him anymore?

Parker:  When he comes alive can we call him again?

Parker:  I will see Grandpa again when he comes alive

We had the sacred opportunity of visiting with Grandpa Swenson on the phone on the Monday and Wednesday prior to his passing.  The boys sang" I Hope They Call Me On A Mission" and "I Love to See the Temple".  He expressed how much he appreciated hearing the singing and then shared his final counsel with us "Take care of your family and keep doing what is right!"

Having talked with Melissa and visiting with the boys we expressed gratitude and comfort for family as we prayed to our Heavenly Father.

Thoughts?  I couldn't help but think of my love for my Grandpa and how he was now spending time with family and even perhaps our son that will be joining our family soon.  I looked at my yard in which I had been working and noticed not a single dandelion of which I think he would have been proud.

Days after the funeral Parker continues to pray for Grandpa Swenson "in the spirit world" and perhaps said it best, "I will always remember Grandpa Swenson."  

Me too because of all that he taught us!

Pen Pal Parker

Parker is a thoughtful boy.  He loves to write notes and draw pictures for people.  A few weeks ago he told mom that he wanted to draw his aunt Brittany a picture and send it to her in California to cheer her up!  It did just that and a pen pal was instantly born.  From that moment they have been going back and forth sending letters and little gifts.  Parker loves it and I think it is fair to say that he loves his Pen Pal.

Parker Pele

I never played soccer growing up.  Baseball was the national pastime and apparently it was our family pastime.  I remember seeing pictures of my brothers wearing soccer uniforms but pictures of me playing the world's game was not in my world.  Even when I went and watched some friends play soccer I found it very hard to stomach, especially because it took me away from the baseball diamond.

With Parker coming of soccer age and not conflicting with t-ball season, we decided to put Parker into the county soccer league.  He was put on the Castle Dale team with other youth ranging in ages from 4-7 of which he is one of the shortest and the youngest.

Despite not having soccer lineage I have made a few attempts to share with him my wealth of soccer knowledge.  I had seen some soccer highlights and so the first lesson I taught him was that when he scored a goal he was to throw his hands in the air and start running and yelling, "GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL."

5 games into the season that lesson is still waiting to be put into use.  So far he is getting the hang of getting into the "swarm" of kids that moves as one up and down the field.  He started a little timid but seems to be holding his own.  He loves playing goalie and has been a wall only allowing a couple of goals to sneak by.  Probably the best part for Parker is that he gets to travel to other places to play soccer.  So far Parker has taken his Pele skills to Cleveland, Huntington, Ferron, an Orangeville.

Pele was the great Brazillian soccer player, Parker is the Pele of Emery County?