This has been a great and exciting year for Connor, our third child, and I thought I'd record some of the best memories surrounding him as he leaves to be a missionary for the next two years . . .
1. State Rugby Championship. Senior Year, and he was Team Captain, helping with team strategy on the pitch as our player #10. Two heart-palpitating, nail-biting games in the semi finals against Olympus and the finals against East High School, and Snow Canyon pulled out the win :). Our local newspaper called it a "Dynasty in the Desert." We're a small team physically, but we're well coached and play with a lot of heart.
2. Mission Call to Iquitos, Peru. Connor and his friend Warner Rigby received mission calls the same day and opened them together, with lots of friends at our house (Warner's was to Honduras). Connor was hoping for a German-speaking mission, after taking three years of it in school, but, hey, Spanish is the new challenge :) Actually, a couple of years ago a friend their age drowned while at Scout Camp, which made Connor and a bunch of his friends think seriously. They decided that their friend, K.J. Harrison, was needed on a mission in Heaven, and they signed a pact that the rest of them would be worthy and serve missions when they were old enough. A youtube video of Snow Canyon Class of 2014 Missionaries shows all of these friends fulfilling their promises, and they are now going all around the world sharing the message of Jesus Christ.
3. Graduation trip to New Zealand. What a great group of boys (20 from Snow Canyon), a great group of coaches, a great group of relatives and friends who hosted us, and great rugby too.
4. High School Graduation. Wahoo! Connor received High Honors and received an award from the school Principal, Warren Brooks, for "Outstanding Young Man." He was accepted to BYU (go Cougars!) and plans to play rugby there after his mission. Both sets of grandparents were able to come and share in the happy event.
5. 18th birthday--and the Parry Sky Dive! We now have 3 crazy children who have chosen to go Sky Diving when they were old enough. Connor went the day before he left for Peru and loved his experience with SkyDive Zion, overlooking beautiful Zion National Park. 20 minute ascent, barrel roll take off, and a safe landing made for a fun and memorable day.
6. Connor landing wakeboarding back flips. Wahoo :)
7. Connor, Dylan, and Wyatt all playing together. Our youngest sons were able to play at the same time for a few minutes on the rugby pitch in New Zealand, played together on our Ward Basketball Team, and played against each other in the friendly end-of-year Snow Canyon barefoot rugby match. Fun memories to see them all back each other up, or hit each other down and then help each other up . . .
8. Mission Farewell weekend. We enjoyed gathering with family and friends and hearing Connor bear his testimony and give an excellent talk. Connor has a nice spirit about him. His farewell happened to be on Father's Day, and he chose to use examples of how his dad and two grandpas help others. He also recognized his younger brother Dylan as a "never give up" kind of guy--the time he was recovering from an appendectomy, took a mountain bike spill which resulted in head staples and road rash over much of his body, then suffered a broken nose (yes, it was sideways until his doctor dad pushed it into place) yet ran right back into a rugby game.
9. Small moments together. Shopping for mission clothes. Eating at In and Out Burger and Honolulu Grill. Yucky mounds of vaccinations before going to South America. Singing in the Hummer (and being chauffeured; I don't much like driving but all my kids do)!
10. Mission Setting Apart and saying Good-bye at the St. George Airport. Actually I like getting weekly emails better than saying good-bye, but he's off to Peru and sounds excited to be there.
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