What Makes Memorial Day Important?

12 Sept. 2008  Well today we had our last Zone Conference.  It was me, Carroll, Donoho, and Warren.  Elder Young and his wife were there and spoke.  It was freezing.  I didn’t know what would happen when I bore my last Zone testimony.  Sister Young kept talking about things we should have done by the end of our missions and just before I got up to bear my testimony I thought of all the things I had learned, seen, felt and experienced on mission.  It was hard for me to get words out and I was crying.  It was weird.  I usually don’t get emotional and when I sat down afterwards, I felt a distinct warmth on my shoulders and back as if someone had put a warm blanket on me. 

Memorial Day is a great time to reflect and remember.  For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.  Alma 34:32

Mother's Day call

I always loved the call that came on Mother's Day from our missionaries.  Since we don't have any current missionaries in our immediate family and Bryce is as close as we get, I thought I would post something he said that applies to all of us.  It means a lot to me.
August 18, 2008
honestly dont worry about anything for my birthday you have already done enough.... way more than you need to. I know you love me and I dont need a package or money or anything to tell me that. In fact yesterday when I was teaching gospel principals... it was about service and I mentioned how when we serve we love the person we serve and they love us in return, I mentioned how I could think about the person that has served me the most is my mom and how the person that I loved the most in return was my mom. This also tied in with my talk that I gave during sacrement meeting on obedience. it is by obedience that we are able to gain eternal life, the greatest commandment is to love God,  If we love God we will keep his commandments,we do that by serving others, when ye are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God. Its amazing how closely related Service, Love and Obedience is.

Happy Mother's Day to us!

Elder Ronny...and his growing family

March 7th, 2014
When Bryce died 5 years ago, Elder Randrianirinaniarivo began to correspond with us every Monday while he was still serving as a missionary.  Even after his mission, I would receive an email on Mondays ( that was the day we would always hear from Bryce when he was on his mission).  We received this on Friday and it is still fun to hear from him when he will randomly check in on us. Here is his letter ( pretty good for someone that speaks French). All prayers in his behalf and his growing family would be appreciated!!!!!
To be honest with you Bryce was also my best companion he has taught me a lots he was so humble and willing to help. 

whene I am talking to people about my mission most of the time I alwasy talks about my experiences with my trainer who made me the kind of missionary that I was. I will always be greatfull to you because you have taught him in the right way and I know he is whatching over you everyday of your life. I am still listining to the CD who has the talk that Bryce gave the one that you send to me. Every time I am thinking about him I just imaging in my minde his smile and him encouraging me say Elder Ronny you will be fine so don't worry, when things goes hard he always cheer me up.

I really enjoyed serving with your SON he is the best.

Here in Madagascar All is well my family and I are doing good we are wainting for our second baby she/he will arrive in jully this year. my son is know two years and old time is going fast. 

My self I am still unable to find a job that can last so that I can provide for my family. like now I am doing nothing save job hunting its been four months now because the contract that I had before took an end. But anyway I will be able to find job and provide for my family, sometime I say to myself that life is hard but thats when I remember what Bryce said Elder Ronny you will be fine so don't worry. this comming month because of my calling I will be able to visite the Temple so I am very excited about that because I know I will recieve more strenght when I got to the House of God. Please pray for us here.

Bryce and James and snowboarding

Snowboarding always makes me think of Bryce. He was a natural on the slopes. He would be looking over a map on the gondola ride up to the lifts, planning out all the runs he wanted to do. I don't think anything ever got him as excited as snowboarding. We would get off the lift and he would be making his way down before Willy and I could even get our feet strapped in. It was hard to keep up, and sometimes he would lead us to hills I wasn't exactly comfortable with, but he pushed me to get better. There was one time that it had recently snowed quite a bit so there was a lot of fresh snow. One trail through the trees that we liked to ride was taped off. Bryce didn't care and lifted the tape to go under it. As soon as he did he sunk into powder up to his stomach. Willy and I laughed but Bryce didn't seem as discouraged as you might think, and he struggled his way through this trail while Willy and I took the main run and met him on the other side of the trees. I think about Bryce often. He was such a good friend and a good person, I wish I could have told him how much he meant to not just me but to everybody. He was a truly unique and special person and I'm glad to have had his influence in my life.

The Color Gold

This is a post I read today from a beautiful friend of Bryce's.  I just love her.

You see this nerd with the big glasses probably spitting all over his cake.

That's Bryce.

We met in 6th grade homeroom.

It was an art class.

We ended senior year 

in a cooking class.

I spent so much time teasing him

 he'd sit in the school weight room lifting trying to come up with ways to get back at me.

This guy went to South Africa on a mission.

I got letters and stories.

When he came home I was ecstatic.

Bryce had that personality that was so good to be around.

He had a calming affect on me. 

He cared a lot about his friends.

He saw more in me than I had in myself.

'Jessica now when you feel like nobody cares you can call me and I will tell you how special you are. cause Jessica you are special! and I am here to let you know.' 

We spent the night walking around school finding our new classrooms, picking out our new seats, planned a date for that weekend.

That next morning bryce was hit by a semi on his way to school.

This experience was more than heartbreaking.

Every January 7th I go to Bryce's family's house with flowers in hand and visit for a couple hours.

We celebrate his life and the memories we have.

They are amazing strong people.

When I reflect back on bryce's friendship and this experience 

I know that Bryce came in and saved my life.

He gave me more than I could ever repay him.

Family Information Sheets

None of the kids liked filling out these sheets each year since 1999.  You can see changes in Bryce as you see his form from his Jr. year to Sr. year and final year after he returned home from his mission.

 

November 2008

Christmas 2008

What can I say about Bryce?  He was one of a kind.  We miss him every day.

Five Years...but whose counting

Bryce's Journal
30 Dec. 2008  Well, I've been snowboarding 5 times this season.  We got a few feet in the mountains this Christmas week.  I even went snowboarding by myself once.  It wasn't too bad.  I went to 2 family parties.  I got a weight bench for Christmas.  I built a jump at Willy's to a picnic table but it wasn't much fun so we made it just a jump.  Willy would push me and I did front flips off of it.  Yesterday I I bought a 2002 Toyota Rav 4 for $4,900.  we got a way good deal on it but by the time we do all the needed repairs and things to get it road ready, it will be about $6,000 which is still a dang good deal for what we got.  I love that car.  I need to name it.
31 Dec. 2008  Well yesterday I went snowboarding.  I drove the Prism up by myself.  It does pretty good up the canyon if the roads are good.  I met up with Ben and his brothers there, did about 5 runs on Saddle Back with them and then they had to go so I

rode the Terrain Park by myself the rest of the day.  It was really fun.  I did a way cool trick on the C-box to flat box.  I did a board slide and slid a 360 degree while I was on the box and rode away so smooth the very first time.  It must have looked so cool.  Then my new bindings came and I put them on.  They are soo cool.  Every day that passes, I love my car even more.  I need a name for her.  I weighed 180.4 lbs. this morning, butt naked.