Today was a milestone of sorts. Two sets of mission papers here at our house are COMPLETE. Thomas is going to send his in by the end of the week and Evan's will go in probably in about four weeks. What emotion am I feeling? Scared. Sad. Happy. Excited. Lonely. All of the above. They're both going to be great missionaries and I can't wait to watch them learn and grow and help other people learn and grow. Go get 'em.
Thomas is working hard getting his mission papers all ready to send in. He's excited to get his call and get on his way. This week he had his wisdom teeth out as one of the last things he needed to do. I picked him up at the oral surgeon's office when they were all done and getting home with my large Polynesian charge was quite the adventure. Thomas was very drugged up, but we had to stop at Dick's Market to get his prescriptions filled. When I took the papers into the pharmacy, I came back to the car to find Thomas gone. Hmmm, not such a good feeling to lose him in his drugged state. But, I was lucky enough to see him go around the corner of the market, so I went after him, took his hand and led him back to the car. At this point, I told him not to move a muscle because I had to go back and pick up his meds. He nodded his agreement, I went back to the store and when I got back to the car, well I'm sure you guessed, he was gone. But this time, Thomas was no where to be found. I had a stranger jump in her car and start looking for him and G-Dawg came right over and she started looking. We decided we better call 911 since Thomas was definitely on drugs and might scare someone or hurt himself. The police said they'd send some cars right over. Luckily, just in time he turned up. I asked him where he had been and he said he had been in the car the whole time. Right, Thomas. Not unless he was invisible. So, I don't know where he went, but at least he was back. I took no more chances, drove straight home and deposited him on the couch with a fresh batch of drugs.
As a side note, I was moved when the surgeon's office called that afternoon and asked if they could help Thomas pay for his mission. This is a doctor who didn't even know Thomas before Friday and took out his four impacted wisdom teeth for free. There are so many amazing people in the world.
Homecoming week at BYU provided lots of partying opportunities. One fun event was the giant blue foam slip-n-slide set up somewhere on campus. Evan and his friends found this activity to be particularly enticing.
They decked themselves out in goggles and"True Blue" and had a riot slipping and sliding down the hill in the foam, that is until...
Evan went down on his knees and something sharp under the plastic came through and put a very deep cut in his leg. So, they moved the party over to InstaCare, where Evan had 12 stitches WITHOUT HIS MOMMY. I asked him if he wanted me to come down and make sure he was okay, but he said he and his friends were taking care of it. So, it appears Evan is going this college thing on his own. Which, I guess, is really okay!
It's a great time of year. It's already cooling off. School is back in session. And it's football season.
Week 1 was up and down for the Parrys. Sam's team played a very tough Bingham team that has only lost three times in three years. We led the entire game, even overcoming some very bad calls, but gave it up in the end and lost by one point. Sam caught a pass that went for about 30 yards and a TD, we think, but the officials called him down on the 1-inch line. Sam plays receiver and cornerback.
Isaac's team didn't score this week and also lost to Bingham. Isaac plays center and D-tackle. It's hard to cheer for the line because I never know when they are doing a good job. I aso hate it that he has a big black X on his helmet. I think the weight limits are ridiculously low and protect the little kids way too much. 
The sophomores played a good Logan team this week, which was their second game. They played Lone Peak last week. Jake was a captain last week against Lone Peak. Jake plays linebacker, but his specialty is the kick-off team. He's almost always the first one down the field and often makes the tackle. This week in the varsity game, the put Jake in on kick-off, he made the tackle, and they announced his name. A very fun moment. 
Pareting is a racket. It must be. Why else would we have to send our kids out into the cruel world after nurturing them and teaching them and helping them for 18 years. I think the kids who head off to college are probably ready, but the parents aren't. I know I'm not. It's all downhill from here. Evan will barely be home a few weeks at the end of the school year before he's off on his mission.
The good part? He texted me today and said, "this is where I'm supposed to be". So if he's happy, I'm happy.
He's gonna love BYU and he's only an hour away!
Yay! The first day of the school year has arrived (despite the best efforts of the kids to ward it off). 
NAME: Isaac
GRADE: Fourth
SCHOOL: Valley View
TEACHER: Ms. Kotter
HEIGHT: 4'11"
WEIGHT: 107 lbs.
NAME: Samuel
GRADE: Seventh
SCHOOL: Millcreek Jr.
HEIGHT: 5'1"
WEIGHT: 117 lbs.
NAME: Caroline
GRADE: Ninth
SCHOOL: Mueller Park Jr.
HEIGHT: 5' 6 1/2 "
WEIGHT: Nunya
NAME: Jake
NAME: Romeo
...hopefully not. I've been watching Evan amaze people with his baseball skills for 15 years now. Today was the last day of his summer league and I've been wondering all day if it's the last time I'll get to watch him play baseball. It's been a priviledge. In typical Evan fashion, he hit the ball 420 feet today twice. He was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing in the tying run. It was fun watching him goof with his long-time friend, Masen Fenn (#7). Although he was told by the BYU coaches to come prepared to join them for conditioning in the fall, we're not quite sure what to expect. So for now I'm gonna hold onto all the memories I have of my boy playing a lot of really, really good baseball.
It is a tradition in the Spectrum (gifted) program at Valley View for the students to write, produce and perform an opera. The kids own it. They decide what it will be about, who the characters are, they paint the scenery, write the lyrics and help decide on the music. It's a long process. This year the opera was called "Rain Forest Rumble". A group of "famous people" are on their way to the "Famous People Convention" in South America when their plane crashes into the rain forest. They come upon creepy crawlers, animals and plants. The groups work together to save the "famous people".
Isaac cast himself as a stick bug in the creepy crawlers group. The program was really fun, but Isaac clearly did not want to have any part of an opera. It was painful for him. In the program, each child was spotlighted and got to talk about themselves. Isaac said, "Isaac loves baseball. He plays eight hours and 30 minutes of baseball every week." That about sums it up right now.
Senior Prom 2010 was a blast! Craig and I never went to a prom together--this was our first. No, we didn't just crash Jake and Evan's party, we were chaperones and Craig even got me a corsage and rented a tuxedo. He likes mighty fine.
Jake had a fun night. His group ate at Oakridge Country Club. They had their own private room all set up for dinner. Jake's date is Maddie Blake. Jake and Maddie have been friends for a long, long time. Maddie's family is moving to California when school gets out, so I'm glad they got to go to a dance together. After the dance, Jake's group went to Alec Green's house and made s'mores on their backyard fire pit. Craig and I weren't invited.
Evan had a big, party group. Being seniors and all, they decided to arrive at prom in style in a long white limousine. After the dance they went to G-Dawg's and watched a movie and played pool.
Evan took Katarine Skedros to the dance. They also went to homecoming together. Thomas's date is named Kelly Carlson. I think both their dresses fit them perfectly. Evan's group ate at Corbin's, a steak house in Layton.
Probably fitting that the 2010 Mr. Brave pageant took place on April Fool's Day. Lots of foolish stuff going on tonight! Fifteen awesome senior boys were chosen to compete for the title of Mr. Brave. Evan was Mr. Baseball. 
The evening started with an awesome group dance with a spotlight on each contestant. Not a lot of flexibility in those "high kicks".
Each contestant also performed a talent. Evan's talents translate so much better outside, but he was able to adapt and his minute was called "Jugular Juggling". He was quite a good juggler. 
Then, the obligatory random question. Evan's was "What was your best date?" His cousin, Sawyer, escorted him onto the stage.
And then, all these handsome boys waited for the crowning (sure going to miss them next year). Evan wasn't "the" Mr. Brave, but he's "our" Mr. Brave. Besides, it was really just for fun anyway. 
Surprise! Yes, we went from no dogs and no hope to ever get a dog, to two dogs. Mom surprised EVERYONE (including Dad, who is now calling the new puppy The Unauthorized Dog). On the way back from St. George we took a little detour through Gunnison to pick up Jeter. He is a bundle of fur and very playful. He loves to attack Romeo and then they roll all over the floor playing with each other. It didn't take long for us to bond with him. Just a week after he came, Jeter became very sick and had to spend some time at the vet on an IV. We were so glad when he was able to come home. Jeter & Romeo fit right in here and we wouldn't trade them for anything!
Dance night at the high school. The theme is "Game On", which opens it up for lots of interpretations and lots of fun.
Jake's group is going as "night gamers", so the whole group wore black, paint-spattered shirts and then each couple had unique colored bandanas. I think Janessa is a cute girl and they will have tons of fun.
Thomas and Mitch went with a "dodge ball" group. This picture is before the war paint was added.
Evan's group went as "Halo" gamers. Yikes! I hope he will take the helmet off for some of the evening. I think Evan's date, Laura, looks just like Liv Tyler, but not everyone agreed with me.
Evan's first at-bat today. First home varsity game of the season. With two strikes and two base runners, Evan put one over the left field fence.
After hitting a single in the 4th inning, Evan got up again with two men on base and hit another ball over the left field fence!
It was quite a day.
And it was also Craig's birthday. Evan's is tomorrow, so we had cake and ice cream tonight.
A very good day.