Brooke Sophmore

Brooke, 

You are happy to be back at school and that makes me so happy! You are not shy and you have an ability to speak in front of an audience and you are not afraid. This is a huge gift to have Brooke; I know you are going to use that to speak publicly about things to help others and educate people. You know you are smart Brooke. I am glad you are confident about this. Always seek the ways you can use each of your gifts and blessings for that which loves you the very most; The Gospel and those truly engaged in it, for Our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love you my brilliant beautiful Brooke. 

Love-Mommy💝

 

5th Grade and Will

 

Will! It is your last year of elementary school and I can hardly believe that this summer you will be joining the Young Mens Program at church and receiving the Priesthood. 

You have joined Brooke in her quest to establish her own fashion, but you have pretty good taste in clothing except it's less mature than I would choose for you. That's okay, every single day you wear a bracelet that I bought you at the mall one day. It has the scripture on it, " Be still and know that I am God." You chose it yourself remembering that I used to make and engrave my own jewelry years ago. We talked about me not having made you one, since then you wouldn't have worn it. I didn't expect you to wear this everyday but I am so glad that you do because that means it is special to you. 

At first I was not too happy that the only school clothes you wanted were shirts of Anime TV shows characters this year, but after I watched the first episode of the show you love, " Demon Slayer ", I loved the entire storyline is about a brother and a sister that have so much of a love for each other, that they both would sacrifice. I didn't like the scary demons in the show, but the brother went out to the town and when he came back, his entire family had been killed except his little sister whom the demon had bitten but to turn her into a demon with them. Even though she was looking and feeling like a demon, this older brother had so much belief in his sister that he would not kill her, even though she looked dangerous, he kept telling his thoughts and saying to her that he knew she was still in there...eventually the most powerful demon was coming to get the new demon and he was in shock because suddenly a demon was not on his side. The demons would keep trying to kill her brother, but one of their supposed own would fight them to their giving up. Because their entire family was killed the brother and sister became " Demon Slayers " and were able to defeat each demon because the demons were now being fought by equal powers of a demon who only protects her brother while he spends his time killing that which killed their family. 

I decided that maybe you could see Jesus Christ in that and the bond that a brother and sister can have, when you watch this popular fad of anime shows. 

Will, Brooke is a little bit occupied by teenager things right now, but I know that she is going to always be there for you the way that that sister in your show is for her brother. Always remind your sister how much you have learned from her, and she can always remind you about the true experience of care that she has had because of you being born. I haven't seen Brooke get too worried about much, as she was so worried about you falling when you were learning to walk, and when Brooke goes out and buys things she remembers you and brings you home something. I know that Heavenly Father gave us the chance to have siblings so we can help each other and know what it is to be like Jesus. 

Will, I don't mind anything you choose about your fashion because the most important is what is lasting forever which is the purpose of life to choose to receive more spiritually by loving, learning, and worshipping God. 

I love you Will my prince - Mommy💝

Wills no words for sports

 

Will, 

You say you don't like basketball but you did really good in each of your recent games. Will you don't want me to write anything about sports but said just put the pictures for your books. 

Since you don't like team sports you have agreed to run with me and try track. 

I love sports and physical exercise so I hope you change your mind. I think you will find something you enjoy. 😊

Love, 

Mommy 💝

Summer of 15 years old- Brooke

 Brooke had been asking for the chance to go to Aunt Audrey's house alone for the past couple years and this summer she got her wish! 

Brooke

asked Eli to do make up on her cousin Eli

These two cousins literally cried in each other's arms when they were little and we left town from spending a week with Aunt Audrey's family

Fawn and Brooke on the plane to Audrey's in Arizona

This is what you taught Lehi to do

            Lehi liked having you at his house 

          You and your Gay best friend Jamal at 

The concert with Weezer, from my days of being fifteen years-old! 

                  Grandpa Pack and you 

                  Ice cream in Mustang Island , TX 

I did not know how I would be not seeing Brooke for 2 weeks but I knew she would be in the next best place for a teenage girl to get some away time from parents and brother; Aunt Audrey and the McNeil cousins are just like me, but more strict and more kids Brooke's age that like to do random and silly jokes all day. 

So, This was my thinking sending Brooke away for two weeks in Arizona, and then I got the call where Brooke told me the most safe and strict parents were letting their teenage boys drive 6 hours away, alone, without any adults, and that they were staying in a cabin of some friends alone in the mountains near Durango, CO and could she go? 

I realized quickly as I said, " Yes, you can go. " I didn't just send Brooke to Arizona to her cousin's house, but I sent her on a road trip through Colorado mountains with only teens, a few hundred dollars, and was told that she would not be sleeping holding hands with her older boy cousins like I imagined to help me feel like she was safe. 

Brooke, 

Never forget how many times you asked me to Zelle you money when you are older and I did, even though you had been given more than enough from your Dad. Let it remind you how your Mom wants you to have everything you want and in return you will only be nagged about your love for Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and showing Them through thought towards them and coming to know Them in scripture; and nagged about doing those things only because = I know that They also want you to have everything you want and have even more ability to give ALL to you than I do; plus, They are everything, and have so much love and wisdom that being close to Them will make you happy and I want that for you, and so...that is my only requirement and for the rest of it, you can go on road trips, or rock climbing with people I don't know, and in a place that I have never even seen, and on the fly with 5 min. notice. 

Because, if you love God and Jesus nothing will ever go permanently wrong. So, I trust in that and know you can too. 

Brooke, 

Your brother Will never complained once that he didn't get to go with you to your cousins, so always want him to be happy, by being kind to him and loving him, at eleven he could have been pretty sad to not go to one of his favorite places too ( his cousins houses) but he missed you but was not wishing he was there with expressing it. He looks up to you and loves you even when he teases you. 

I know that you and Will can always be a comfort to each other, so when you read this later, call your brother and tell him you love him. 

Brooke, You make our conversations controversial all of the time, but I know that is because you are smart, and that you know to learn all that you can is the best way to determine where you stand on something, and besides that it must be fun for you to see me explode into distress when I hear things about you wanting your hair pink, and to not live in the USA when you are grown up and that maybe your healthcare or college should be paid for by the government, which you don't stay in that thought for long, when there are too many logical facts given about how the decline in life in general would be made on that path. 

Brooke, You know the best thing about your trip for me this summer besides knowing you had so much fun, was when you came home and whispered to me that of every one you missed me most. That meant so much to me because of how much I love you my princess Brooke. 

Love,

Mommy 💝