11.28.2010

Gratitude

Note: I wrote this post on Thanksgiving Day, but since I didn't have an internet connection, it had to wait to be posted until today.

I'm thankful for...

...parents who are great examples of selflessness, and love the Lord enough to sacrifice a year and a half and their material possessions to serve Him.

Opening their mission call.


...a loving sister who, though thousands of miles away, is still one of my best friends.

...five fantastic, protective brothers who constantly remind me of my worth.


Three of my brothers and my sister.

...sisters-in-law who are more like sisters, and a great brother-in-law who takes good care of my sister.

...nieces and nephews who bring joy to my life, even when I just think about them.


Lauren and me.

...one living grandma who is a constant source of humor, and a shining example of generosity.




...grandparents and great-grandparents long passed-away who left words and examples that still teach and guide me.




...aunts, uncles and cousins that care about me and keep track of what’s going on in my life, whether on Facebook, my blog, or though my parents’ gossip.

...cousins that share my passion for BYU sports.


Watching the BYU-Colorado State Game.

...dear friends of many years that make every effort to keep our friendship strong.


Harry Potter at midnight, thanks to the Merrills.

...new friends with whom I am creating wonderful memories.

...co-workers that inspire me to work harder and remind me how lucky I am to have the job that I do.

...the girls I coach on the tennis team that fill my life with laughter.


At dinner after our divisional tournament.

...students that remind me why I picked the profession I’m in.

...teachers past whose influence I still feel daily.

...church leaders who care deeply about my happiness and wellbeing (even when they make it a point to embarrass me).

...people who inspire me without really knowing the influence they have on me.

...people who are willing to share their talents with me, whether in concert halls, or sitting next to me on the living room piano.

...people who make me laugh.


Two of my favorites.

...people who have confidence in me despite my imperfections.

...strangers who are not too shy to share a kind word with me.

...living prophets and apostles whose words give me guidance and comfort.

...Jesus Christ and the healing power of His atonement.




Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thanks for all you do to enrich my life.

11.23.2010

I ♥ Bronco Mendenhall

Two weeks ago I got to meet one of my heroes:



I applied for tickets to attend a live broadcast of "BYU Football with Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall," a weekly radio show that they have on KSL Radio here in Utah. I had to write an essay about what BYU Football means to me to get my tickets. Maybe I'll post what I wrote in a different post. I got an email back telling me that I'd been selected to receive 4 tickets to the the November 10th broadcast.

It was such a fun experience. The only disappointment was when I found out that my fancy camera was out of batteries. All we had was my dad's iPhone– not the greatest for picture taking. Here we are waiting for the show to begin.



At the beginning of the show, they had us submit questions to ask Bronco. They selected four questions to be asked on the show. Mine was the third in order. However, the show went long, so they only got one question on air. Bronco told us that he would be happy to answer any other questions that didn't get on air.

I asked him what advice he had for a new coach in any sport. His answer was profound. He said, "Coaching is really teaching and teaching is service." He went on to tell me that I shouldn't expect my players to adjust to my teaching style, but I should know my players and how to best teach them. He said that I need to know the heart of each individual. This is all great advice for anybody in any teaching role (which is just about everyone at some point). My summary surely isn't as eloquent as Bronco's answer, but I thought it was worth sharing.

Even more impressive than the words he shared was how I could tell he lived his advice. It showed in the way he interacted with Joshua Quezada, the player who made an appearance on the show, that evening. Then, I went to the final home game at BYU on Saturday. I stayed for the ceremony after the game where they honor the seniors. What he said meant even more to me as I watched him hug each of his seniors. You can see a little bit of it here. Click the video on the right that is entitled "BYU vs. New Mexico Senior Night". You can see why I got a little teary-eyed watching.

11.05.2010

My students crack me up.

Two quotes from one of the characters in my government class:

"There is this one serial killer that I really admire..."

We were talking about legal responsibilities that citizens of the U.S. have. The class had already listed following the law, paying taxes, and jury duty. I was looking for someone to talk about registering for the selective service, so I gave them a hint, telling them that only half of the people in the room would have to do it. He responded, "Be circumcised!"