Colorado Pitchforths: Our First College Graduate

April 24, 2011

We have had a very fun filled busy exciting week. Talon, I will start with how that is going. Dano got his figurative hand slapped by his commander when he tried to get that information for Talon, so we went to the C.B.I. (Colorado bureau of investigation) ourselves. When we told the lady what we needed and when we needed it, she leaned back in her chair, narrowed her eyes and asked, “When did you find out you needed this by, oh, today?” I looked at Talon and he stepped towards her, leaned down and said, “My bad. I spaced it off.” She looked at me and I said, “Why they sent this to an 18 year old instead of his mother I’ll never know.” She fell forward on her desk laughing almost to the point of tears. She said she never hears the truth and was wondering what kind of story she was going to get. She said it usually takes about a week to get the report after requesting it, but bc we’d told the truth she would get it for us today. She requested it, went up to whatever floor she needed to, and then brought it back to us. Crazy, huh?! We then took it to the secretary of state who wrote an apostille showing it was true and valid. Talon called the missionary travel center and they told him to mail it in with his VISA application and they’d see if it was accepted, and if not, they’d wait for the FBI clearance. He has paid a pretty penny for next day mail this last week. He still has the same entrance date, May 18, which is nothing short of a miracle.

He has had some interesting ‘a-ha’ moments that have solidified his testimony of going to Belgium.Netherlands on May 18. His passport was issued May 18 2010-exactly one year before he enters the MTC. When we went through the Logan temple, both his brothers and dad had names of people from Belgium. Talon spent Wednesday and Thursday night with his buddies at BYU which = very little sleep.

We got into Provo, with Bobby, Wednesday and pulled into the Belliston's at midnight. Thursday we went out for breakfast and I tried to firm up temple plans for Talon. Between Jeremy’s school schedule in Idaho, Tyler’s graduation Friday and leaving for Portland Oregon on Saturday, I’d been spitting in the wind for the past week attempting to bring it together. Honestly, I was the only one who really wanted to make it happen. I wanted both his brothers to be there in the temple with him. But Thursday, I finally gave up and said we’d do it in Denver with his YM leaders. Then Jeremy called me, God bless him, and said “I’d rather miss school than miss this, so if we could do it in Logan Thursday night, I will be there.” Talon wanted him for his escort too. I called Celeste to get the number and set it up. Then we mission shopped until we needed to leave. Bobby went to Robin’s and spent the evening there and we picked him up on the way back.

The temple was great! It was cool that it was the Logan temple that Jeremy first took out his endowments and now he was there as an escort for Talon. Celeste and Becca came too, which we all loved. It was an amazing night.

Tyler graduated from BYU on Friday- he looked great in his cap and gown. Then we helped bust out their apt-as they were checking out at 7 am the next morning. Jodi will be living with her parents, sleeping on a couch for the next 6 very long weeks. For his graduation dinner we went to BONZAI, and then stopped at the Purple Turtle for dessert shakes. We left for Colorado at 7:30 the next morning.

Stake conference was AWESOME. Elder L. Tom Perry spoke and told such fun stories. Kellie and Talon are going to share their experiences with the apostle. I will share the testimony he bore. When he started to bear his testimony, his voice became stronger, he stood taller, and the spirit of God testified through him. He spoke of the reality of Jesus Christ, His mission, His atonement, Him being at the helm of this church and leading it here on earth through keys given to His holy prophet. Jamie, it was powerful. I listened with my own ears to an apostolic testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ. I shook an apostle’s hand. I thought back to an Easter long ago when His apostles grasped the hand of Him who had been dead, but who now lived and stood before them. I read the NT testimony of those apostles and know that the apostle I heard today has their same testimony. What a wonderful Easter message.

Part of me can’t wait for it all to be over and to see God’s work and glory manifest for all. I am so grateful to be a part of His plan and a soldier in his army. O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. I understand Alma’s longing to do more and to have a powerful effect on others.

I am so grateful for my family, the gospel, and the happiness I enjoy in abundance.