Thank you to our amazing friends for recording Elder AJ Brey farewell, if you have a few minutes, you should listen...he was amazing (even if I'm bias) - And after AJ speaks at the end you can hear Shelby Brey and Micah Jones beautiful musical number!!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/agfr1ygo9el1fag/AJ%20Farewell.wma

Farewell Talk - October 28, 2012

AJ gave his farewell talk in our new ward on October 28th. It was AMAZING! What an awesome young man he is (even if I am a little bias.) :)

It was so crazy! The count in Sacrament Meeting that day was 691! It was bigger than Stake Conference.  But like I've always said, AJ can be gone for two hours and come home with two new best friends.  I'm so thankful for the example of friendship, kindness and love that he has shown to us!

AJ asked his buddy Micah and his sister Shelby to sing... it was so beautiful! What a spirit that was felt that day! One to leave a mom very proud and in awe of these amazing children.

I was so moved by the song AJ chose, I'd like to share the words...

You Can Believe In Christ

Jeff Goodrich

Searching through the shadows of your mind

As you struggle to retain what’s left behind

Of the smiles and the laughter

Though the miles and years after all are gone.

Still you’d like to have them back again

For a chance to be with family and friends

And you wish your dear ones could be near ones

Without fear forever on and on.

You can believe in Christ

You can receive the Christ.

Walk in the joy of Christ and glory in his light.

You can embrace his word;

Until you face The Word.

Come and believe, come and receive Jesus Christ.

Striving just to glimpse eternity;

You wonder where tomorrow you will be

Who will have the power, in that hour

Will you now or never understand.

You can find the answer deep within yourself

Leave man’s philosophy upon the shelf.

And the light within you will continue

Leading you to know the Master’s hand.

(repeat Chorus)

Our Very Own Army!!

As we listened to General Conference last weekend, and heard our amazing, loving Prophet, President Monson announce the new missionary ages, we spent so much time reflecting on the INCREDIBLE ARMY of young men that AJ has spent his life surrounded by.  

The returned missionaries that he hangs out with, the life long friends that he says "see you in two" to every week, the boys he's spent many hours on the baseball field or the basketball court that are either out serving, receiving calls, ready to submit papers, or wholeheartedly focusing on education, we could not be more blessed than to be surrounded by our VERY OWN ARMY! We love these boys like they are our own, we laugh with them, cry with them, worry about them, support them and are so thankful for them all!!  

So boys, there are tons of you, that we consider "ours" ~ we hope you all know how much we love you, how proud of you we are and how much we feel of your strong spirits in our lives and our son's life! Thank you for being a great example, a great friend and great SONS... We can't wait for the great reunion when you all return from missions and school to share all of your amazing stories and testimonies! 

Signed, A VERY PROUD MOMMY!!!

Called to Serve

AJ's call arrived on Wednesday, June 27, 2012... BUT...Shelby & Sydney were at girls camp with our ward and AJ didn't want to open it without them.

So to help mom and AJ with the temptations (ok, really.. just MOM); Dad took the call and hid it Wednesday night so we didn't have to stare at it until Saturday when the girls would be home.

It was so fun that week and the few weeks before gathering everyone's guesses as to where AJ would serve... to sum it up, we had over 180 guesses.

With 7 guesses for Africa, 6 for Australia, 6 for Russia, 14 for Japan and over 50 for various places in the United States.. it was finally time!

Where is our boy going to spend the next 2 years, serving, growing, learning, teaching, loving...........

 (love all these boys!)

With sisters home from camp, tons of friends and family gathered in the back yard; cousins from St. George on one i-pad and cousins from Japan on another i-pad it was time!

Elder Austin Joseph Brey, you have been called to serve a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Peru Cusco Mission.

AJ will depart to the Provo, Utah MTC on November 7, 2012 and will stay there for three weeks.  He will then go to the Lima Peru MTC for 6 weeks and then he will head to Cusco.

We are so excited, so scared, so happy, so sad, so nervous, so overwhelmed, so humbled, so grateful, but so ready for this adventure.







So this begins the blog..... Elder AJ Brey!