Taylor has achieved his EAGLE!

Taylor has achieved his Eagle, and so have 4 other friends in his troop. Patrick, Mark, Ben and Carson. He really is more excited than he looks in this picture.

On his way....to get the award. Too bad Dad and Grandpa can't sit in the Eagle's nest with him.

Mom got way too excited!!! He didn't seem to share her enthusiasm.

He started to warm up when he let Grandma get sooooo close.

Taking his final oaths.

From the article, "100 Scouts". it said that only one in four boys in America will become Scouts, but it is interesting to know that of the leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, three out of four were scouts.
Many people say that the mother of the child receiving their Eagle...should get the award. However, in our case, it is Steve Brewster who got all these boys to be Eagle Scouts. The court of honor before this one....had 24 out of 24 eligible scouts receive their Eagle's.

What a celebration!!!

In the beginning of September, Taylor started his Eagle project. His cousin, Josh, had just finished Chemo after having been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. The recovery rate is 90% in kids that are not in stage 4, but Josh's cancer was definitely in stage 4. Taylor wanted to do something for cancer. Our 26 yr old neighbor had just fought breast cancer, and her brother had collected pink yoplait lids, which money would go towards research in the fight against breast cancer. We decided to do that as well. From September to November, yoplait puts out yogurt with pink lids. Every lid that is sent back is 10 cents towards the research of breast cancer. We put baskets in doctors offices, law offices, our schools, and spread the word to all our friends and family. In the end, we gathered 3,000 lids, and donated $300 dollars towards this cause.

So many pitched in on the counting.

So many helped gather lids at the assigned time.

They did it even in inclemental weather.

Emma Goes Big and Goes Home

Emma had a fun-filled day. Her Kindergarten class went to the zoo, and James and I were allowed to tag along. We had a great day. By the end of the day, we were all worn out. We had just eaten a big dinner and we were preparing for Family Home Evening when we heard the scream. Blood curdling scream that is! It was no ordinary cry, and I knew something had gone horribly wrong. By the first glance, I knew it had. Her arm was definitely not the same shape as it had been minutes before. She apparently jumped from the swing while it was still going. Instead of her elbow bending the way it was supposed to....it hyperextended and went the other way. I grabbed it, and yelled for Joey to get the keys. We were headed for the emergency room. When we arrived, the place was packed and my heart sunk. I hadn't even given her any pain medication. She was one brave little hombrecita!!! The break was so bad that they bumped her to the top of the list...and morphine was given. That didn't totally do the trick, but it took the edge off. They started her I.V., and told us to prepare to take her to Primary Children's. The x-ray needed to be done, but they were pretty sure that we needed surgery. The nurse and doctor at Alta View were great. I was bummed I hadn't remembered my camera in my rush, but to no avail....the phone came in pretty handy. It's not the best picture, but it will do.

This isn't even the most gruesome view!

Ambulance or car??? Emma chose the car so she could stop by and get hugs from Taylor, Maddie and Andrew. While at Alta View, Emma kept saying, "Taylor is going to feel bad, because my arm really is broken. When I came in screaming, he told me to "BE QUIET!" The Doctor was putting an elastic around her arm for the I.V. when he heard this. He immediately told her that these rubber bands were good for flicking those kind of brothers. He asked her if she would like to take it home....she immediately answered, "YES!"

Emma on a little too much Morphine! Emma is hilarious without Morphine, but with it...she was so funny that Dr. Carroll (operating) and the Anesthesiologist didn't want to put her all the way under. She kept them in stitches. They kept calling her some famous child actresses name, but would I remember the name? No. She got 2 new stuffed animals and a blanket from the hospitals. They treated her like a queen. As busy as both hospitals were...they got Emma right in. It was so nice. We were at Alta View by 8:00p.m. and were having surgery at Primary Children's by 12:00p.m.. Now that is service!

While the doctors were operating...Joey was having a good old snooze in the waiting room. The doctors were pretty impressed with his inguinity in the way he maded himself a bed.

I on the other hand was keeping Emma's snowman company and reading a good book.

The surgery was finally over, and the news was given that everything had been pinned back together successfully. What a relief!!!

So exhausted...she didn't budge the rest of the night....even with the nurses checking on her every 15 minutes.

She won over the hearts of all who went through this experience with us. She is truly a gift, and a ball of fun....even under these kind of situations.

The nurses kept telling her to go back to bed after she had awakened at 7:00a.m.. However, she told everybody that her brother Andrew had woken up that morning, in tears, worried about her...and she needed to get home so that he would know she was O.K.

We arrived home at 9:30a.m. with a big adventure to tell. Awaiting her were many get well signs, notes and candies from her brothers and sister. It was sweet...and she loved it. All day we had friends bringing gifts, cookies, treats, etc., etc., etc. We even had teenage boys coming over to sign her make-shift cast. They said they would come back when she got her real one on. She was eaten it up!!!!

There was no time to waste....we had to plan and get to Taylor's Eagle Court of Honor that night!

At Taylor's Eagle Court of Honor, the night Emma got home from the hospital...Emma got TONS of attention!

The hard cast is finally on!!!

Ready to get on the new cast at Shriners Hospital.

We wanted to see the pins...but the photographer didn't get a great shot!! The doctor told us we were SICK!!!

Just a little bit bruised!

Finally!!! The hot pink cast that we have been waiting for. It looks like we'll have three weeks in it. I wonder if she will be sick of pink by the time we're done? She'll get it off just in time for summer.

Jerusalem, March 21-31, 2008

Headed for Israel!!!

The kids started to get emotional as we were leaving. So we snapped this shot, kissed the back and told them that whenever they were missing us to kiss the picture and we would feel it wherever we were. (Taken from the Kissing Hand...and turned into the kissing picture.) Corny, but seems to work for my family. Joey was loading the bags to the car and James saw him. He asked, "Daddy-Joey, where are you going?" Joey replied, "Mommy and I are going on a trip!" James burst into tears and started running through the house panic stricken. He was yelling, "Mommy, don't leave me." The poor little guy is so attached that we weren't sure how he was going to handle it.

I don't think either Joey or I could have been more excited. We were heading back to the place that we met. Twenty years ago, Joey and I met on a study abroad to Israel. He was studying the broads and I was just studying! (Ha, ha) Don’t ask me when that line is going to get old. I think I find it so funny because it was just the opposite. I had never planned to go to Israel. I had lined up myself and others to spend our first semester at college in Hawaii. I happened to call my friend, Michelle Walker, who lived in Salt Lake City to see if she would want to come with us. She suggested we go on the BYU study abroad in Israel. I changed courses immediately. Now this was an adventure! The Lord has funny ways of molding our lives, and this experience was life changing for me. Not only did I find my spouse in Israel, but I solidified my testimony of the gospel. I had always known that the gospel was true, but I had not always sought after deeply studying it. It was here that I spent 4 ½ months doing just that. It was priceless. We walked where Jesus walked. We heard the sounds, experienced the culture, saw the way they dressed, came to understand what the Jewish people were thinking, and allowed the scriptures to come alive to us. After this experience, I could read the words in the scriptures and see the sights where they took place. It was a once in a life time opportunity. Joey and I were so excited to go back.

We were so excited not only to reminisce over our relationship there, but to deepen our understanding after having had so much time to strengthen our own testimonies and knowledge since having been there. We studied before hand. I finally understood, in a small degree, the conflict of the land and the people. I had a greater understanding of the sights we were going to visit. However, there was a little fear. Israel has always been a land of unrest. This was still true. People were astounded that we would leave behind such a young family and venture to a land that was so unstable. I started questioning myself. However, in those quiet moments, I knew it was our time to return. I am so grateful for Our Heavenly Father, and prayer, that allow us to make decisions on our own with confidence that He is behind them.

So we were off!
You can tell how desperate the two of us were to get away, because we both thoroughly enjoyed the 16 hour plane ride over. We read books, listened to music, played cards, watched movies...and believe it or not...no one crawled on us. We were in heaven. We did have an experience, where I look back, should have scared us a smidgen. We had just loaded the plane in Atlanta for Tel Aviv. We were rolling out to the runway when the plane pulled back into the docking station. I was sitting next to an Israeli man who all of a sudden looked a little ataken back. He said, "What just happened?" I looked up from our conversation to see 2 men being escorted off the plane. My brother in law had been sitting in front of them. One of the men had been joking with his friend about blowing up the plane. The stewardess didn't find it funny. Their suitcases were taken off, and the plane was checked out. We set out an hour and a half later. My brother in laws theory is that they were a special law enforcement agents checking the security protocol in Atlanta. The reason behind the Theory was that these men were with four others as well. When they exited in Tel Aviv...they were picked up by a special government van. Even with all this excitement, we remained calm. After the long trip, we finally arrived at the Olive Tree Hotel. Their olives are green over there....and so was the Hotel.

We are finally here! We arrived in Israel about 5:00 p.m. their time. (nine hours ahead of Utah time)
We had to venture out and find some Israeli snacks. this is a typical store in Jerusalem.

The gas in Israel is so expensive. We figured they pay about $10 a gallon. You definately do not see any SUV's.

Sights and smells of Israel return

I'll never forget when I arrrived in Israel twenty years ago. It was late when we arrived, but as the sun rose in the morning....I remember looking out over Jerusalem for the first time...and I started to cry. Why had I chosen this spot over Hawaii? It was digusting and dirty! Everything was the same color! There weren't any trees or flowers. It was depressing to me. Well, Jerusalem hasn't changed in that way. However, this time I went prepared with lots of hand sanitizer and wet wipes. Even in this state, I felt a special spirit about this place.

In Jerusalem, residents are required to keep their premises clean, but public property becomes the dumping grounds for junk. No one is responsible for these areas...so no one cleans them up.

This is a typical fruit stand. Banana's are hanging, dates are packaged and all sorts of different (and I mean different) foods are sold.

It is common place to see an 18 year old soldier with a machine gun in hand. All Israeli boys are required by the government to serve in the army for 3 years. In fact, most Jewish careers are centered around the Army. If you are an Engineer, most likely you work in a factory helping to create new technology for war. Israel is really financed by other countries. None of the Ultra Orthodox Jews even hold a job. They spend their days in prayer and reading from the Torah and the Talmad.

I love to see these bread stands. They are everywhere.

This just makes me smile. You would never see this in the United States. However, beware....if you take his picture...you owe him money.

Wayne Brickey/The ultimate tour guide

Wayne Brickey was our tour guide! He has been part of our family since he took us on a Church History tour about 8 years ago. He is fun! Not only is he fun, but his knowledge of the gospel runs deep. He is making Papa Covey's dream come true. To come to the Holy Land with all ten children and their spouses has been a dream of his for about ten years, if not longer.

As Wayne puts it...these buses are our MTC on wheels. He was constantly loading our minds with incredible insights and information.

Did someone say we look like tourists? The LDS tour guide fannypacks, transmitters and headphones, cameras, etc. made us obvious targets for the vendors. For you....american...special deal!!!!

Let me introduce you to the whole Covey Clan! Liz and Mike, Sarah and Erick, Christine and Stu, John and Kath, Joey and I, Rachel and Coleman, Wid and Suzy, Mom with Matt behind, Becca with Paul behind, Mary Jane, Papa and Irene and Ryan. How fun is this, all of us together without any kids?! Dream come true. There was nothing better than to spend 10 days with people you love. The laughter was nonstop, the spirit inevitable, the competition a given and the concern for each other a gift.

Another great teaching moment at Masada.