Running Into Kristi

Happy birthday Mike! Mike sent me this picture of the socks I gave him. He said he opened this present right as Harper hit a 2-run homer. Talk about timing!

Mike

Bubs let me know he was reffing down at the Huntsman Center starting at 5. The boys diving was changed this week from 4-6. Preston was there, but Stockton had class. I watched Preston like a hawk the first hour, making sure no one was picking on him. I ask his teacher to watch him the second hour so I could go watch my brother. She said it was okay. I was a little disappointed because I thought the JO divers wouldn't be there because of the Wyoming competition, but they were there. Tyce said he talked to them about how to be a good teammate. After I got home I started wondering if he just talked in general about it or if he called out Girl A and Boy A on their actions. I hope he called them out. How will they ever learn that this is not acceptable if everyone lets them get away with anything because they can dive into a pool?

Anyways, the Huntsman Center is steps away from where Preston was diving. Bubs was reffing some girls high school camp games. I was watching him and noticed I recognized one of the players. Kellie. I started looking around to see if Kellie's mom was there. She was! Kristi and I were great friends in high school. It was awesome to run into her like this.

Bubs

 Taking a picture of Kristi right as she notices me.

Kristi's dad died when she was seven from melanoma. Right as Kristi turned 40 she went and had a mammogram, they found cancer. She had a double mastectomy, but kept her nipples. I remember talking to her about it because my breast surgeon wouldn't let me keep my nipples. Anyways, a couple of months ago Kristi found a lump in her nipples and the cancer is back. She had to have surgery again. Her brother is also dying right now. I'm not sure what kind of cancer he has, but he is only a few years older than us. His youngest child is 4, I think his oldest is 18 or something like that. Kristi said he has no hope of surviving. My heart is aching for her and her family right now.

Kellie is deaf. She had a cochlear implant when she was super young. Right now they are trying something new. The coach has a headphone and what he says is transmitted right into Kellie's brain. I heard him say, "Kellie, behind you". It's great for things like that. The problem is the coach has a mouth on him. He swears all the time. Kellie hears the words right inside her brain and it makes her super uncomfortable. Kristi said that they are trying to work out the kinks right now.

Bubs

Bubs was talking to Kristi about the cochlear implant. He said the sign language teacher at his school is super against them. Kristi said that they had the implant put in when Kellie was really young. Kellie now wishes she had an implant in on both sides, but the brain has adapted to what she had done. Kristi said if you wait until the child is old enough to tell you what they want, you are making the choice for them. Kellie could always not have the implant turned on, so this way she has a choice.

I hurried back to diving after Kellie's game was over. I managed to catch Preston going off the 5 meter.

Preston and I headed straight to Hidden Village Park. The Smith family reunion was being held there.  We were late, but people were still eating. Sherry and Miah were there when we arrived. Steve and Shannon and their family came probably thirty minutes after we got there. Sherry brought chicken for everyone. After awhile, Mike took Maysen and Preston home. Preston threw up in the jeep on the way home. Maybe this is why?

Jorja had softball practice, so she couldn't go. Stockton was at class. I hung out talking to Brent and Kim and some of the older family that I don't know very well. I was waiting until it was time to pick up Stockton from his class in Taylorsville at 9:30. It was fun to talk to them for a bit. Brent and Kim were asking me about people in our neighborhood. They lived here years before we moved in, and many of the people are the same. For example, Bishop Valentine is the one who told Brent he was having a heart attack while they were playing basketball years ago. Glad he noticed! Brent probably would have waited too long to get checked out before he realized what was happening.

Scoop wasn't able to come. He went to California to help Lisa move. I don't know why he didn't go a few days later so he could come to this. It is so sad how he rarely sees any of his family anymore. I think he feels that as long as he has a connection with Lisa he is good, but the rest of us miss him. I am glad he came to our swim party before Lisa moved. He has never done that before, maybe he will start coming around more often, but I doubt it.