Radi's Mission Vlog #2 (part 2)

 Second part of Radi's Vlog #2

Radi's Vlog #2 (part 1)

 Here is another mission Vlog from Radi (part 1)

Radi's Vlog from his Mission in Italy #1

 Radi has been putting videos together from his mission, and told me that I could share them.... so here they are!  Please notice and appreciate the HAIR!!! Holy Moly!!! He finally got a hair cut, thankfully.

Blazer Chronicles

Car Wash Wednesday 👈🏻👈🏻Click for the video
  What a fun day this was!!!!  Nothing too serious, nothing very useful, but it sure was fun!

Here is some history on the Blazer.... there isn’t much.
I have been keeping my eye out for a car like this for the kids for a while, and I finally found it at an auction. I honestly am still thinking of cleaning the car up a little and selling it, but for the moment it is far too entertaining.  I got it for $750, but it has its issues.... one issue is that the transmission is going out so it won’t shift into 3rd gear, it just goes into neutral. Kind of like a kid that feels like you have asked them to do too much.... they don’t just keep going and refuse to step it up into the next gear. Nope, they just stop doing anything at all and just coast. And they continue to coast until you dial it back down to a gear they feel comfortable in.
   So to remedy this issue I got a transmission to replace it with.  But there are two reasons that I haven’t yet switched it out.  The first reason is, I have know idea how to replace a transmission. But that seems like it would be an adventure and a great learning experience..... so I still want to do it.  That, and the guy that used to own this blazer was talking to me about it and asked if I was going to do it myself or have help, then asked “Have you ever done a transmission before?” I replied “nope” and then he said “Ok, so someone else is going to do it.”  And for some crazy reason that struck my pride and made me want to do it even more!!!!  So Radi and I have been getting ourselves all hyped up to do it someday.
   The second reason it hasn’t been done yet is because at the moment it only goes 30 mph!  Why in the world would I want two 16 year old boys, or any teanager for that matter to be able to go faster than 30 mph!?!?!?!?  They only need to drive on roads that have a speed limit of 25mph anyway. So going 30mph gives them a little bit of that opportunity to be rebellious anyway.
   So, I’m a little torn as to whether to fix it or not.... and a little concerned that I will not be able to figure it out on my own and protect my precious pride.
   The twins and I have started to work on it a little and fix a few electrical things and clean it up.  Car Wash Wednesday was just a fun detour in the cleaning process haha!
   I’m sure I will learn a lot from this vehicle, there will be plenty of analogies.... I’m just hoping that the main lesson I learn isn’t that I should never attend another auction with money in my hand.

Giving my best to my People

Post from Rick:

   Maren has ALWAYS expected me to give my best efforts at home for her and the kids. And she's ALWAYS been right. It hasn't mattered what the life circumstances are, she has consistently and sometimes bluntly reminded me that as a husband and father, my first responsibility is to her and our 8 beautiful kids. That's a tall order for any person but it's such a basic concept that I can't believe I haven't always done my part. After 20 years of trying to learn this truth I'm much better at it now than I was early in our marriage. Although I was a bit off, basketball has taught me how to give my best efforts.

On the morning of April 14th, 2004, my team GHP Bamberg was sitting somewhere tied or close to 4th, 5th, or 6th place in the league. We only had two remaining games and we needed home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs (4th place would get us that). I woke up and went to the computer to do my regular stat study of our opponent Telekom Bonn, who at the time was sitting on first place.

I went to the league website and there was an article about our game, which received media attention because it was an important game for playoff seedings. I couldn't believe what I read...There was a quote from Telekom Bonn President Wolfgang Wiedlich that said (to my recollection) something like, "No, we're not staying overnight in Bamberg. We're in 1st place and we're going to ride down to Bamberg, get us this win, maintain 1st place in the league and then we're going to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs-and this time we're going to beat Berlin in the finals!!"

The hair literally stood up on the back of my neck and I felt an energy come over me that was unreal. My competitive pride kicked in and I said to myself, "It ain't goin' down like that tonight!" I spent extra time that morning covering the statistics and scoring tendencies of Jackson, Capin, and Kaukenas. After morning shoot around I came home, got something to eat, studied again and feel asleep watching highlights and game sequences of Kaukenas, and I woke up from my nap knowing how to get the best of him. He was a talented player and in my opinion, their most critical offensive player. I came to the conclusion that I wasn't capable of guarding him one on one for an entire game and that if he played a full game, we'd lose. The only was to get him out of the game was to get him in foul trouble. I noticed that he sometimes jumped for shot fakes, that he sometimes didn't really want to play defense, and that from the right wing, he ALWAYS caught the ball, faked right, then came back to the left with a cross step and left handed drive.

During the first quarter, on a baseline inbounds play, he got caught on a screen and I came off to shoot. I caught, lift faked, and he jumped...I leaned in, drew foul number 1, and earned two free throws. About a minute later, he was going to catch the ball on the right wing and I anticipated his catch, I pretended to go for his fake to the right, then I beat him to the spot back to the middle and drew a charge. I'm not sure it was a charge, but the refs called it and he had foul #2. He was upset and off his game. Later in the first half, I noticed he was not really guarding me. I decided that on my next catch I would drive to the basket, create contact, and do my best acting job to hang foul #3 on him. So I did. And the refs called it. He was ticked and wound up having to sit long portions of the first and second quarter. I just checked the stats of the game and in a double overtime game with 50:00 minutes of playing time available, he played just 24:19...because of fouls.

My mental, physical, and emotional preparation for that game were exceptional. It was absolutely my best efforts. I played 44: 29 and came up with 11 rebounds, all defensive. I have a picture in my office at the high school where I work that captures a moment right after I had just made a 3-point shot in the 2nd overtime to clinch the game. It's a favorite memory of my playing career.

  

Today it's clear that my best efforts belong at home. I love working alongside Maren and spending time with my kids-learning and teaching them about life and sports:) However, in 2004 I had my targets a bit off and found as many ways as possible to give my best to GHP Bamberg. In the process of giving my absolute best to Bamberg, the fans and people of Franconia became my people. Not my family, not my team family, but something very close. I literally dreamed of ways to be my best for our fans. I loved their desire for rough play. I loved their honest feedback-when I stunk they told me about it and when I played well, they rewarded me. To this day a big part of my heart is still there.

I love my Bamberg people and will ALWAYS feel like I'm coming home when I drive from Hirschaid, through Strullendorf, and on to the Berliner Ring. I will always feel like I gave my best, was at my best, when I played for those fans. Their acceptance of me, their support of me, and their will to see our team succeed was deeply rewarding and I felt their love.

Rick as the head coach of EnBW Ludwigsburg, when they played at Bamberg (his former team's arena) and won, the fans from Bamberg chanted his name and cheered for him after the game.  It was emotional for him to be back there.

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Friday of last week RWS 4 (Ricky) got word that his cancer had returned. Maren and I flew to Los Angeles then took a red-eye to Connecticut to be with Ricky. Along with fear and anger and disappointment, I was excited to see my son. Although not a pleasant situation to face, just being around Ricky was amazing. He had spent the past 7.5 months dedicated to serving, loving, and lifting the people and communities of CT and MA where he had lived. I noticed immediately how much he had grown in understanding, compassion, kindness, and genuine care for others. He talked about the people of Southington, CT and Oxford, MA who had shared their life with him and allowed him to walk a few miles in their shoes. He shared their victories and their defeats. His mind and heart were totally given to these people...Southington, Meriden, Berlin, and Oxford. 

It broke his heart to recently learn that one of his favorite mission people, someone totally different and from a different walk of life than he had ever seen, passed away suddenly. The man was young and strong and it hurt Ricky deeply to learn of his passing. Ricky truly loved those who gave him a chance to get to know them.

Elder Stafford, Elder Kendall, Brandon and Brendon

Listening to his stories was beautiful, spending time learning what he had been doing as a missionary for our church was rewarding, and being able to hug my son was simply the best. But the most unbelievable part of the whole experience has been my recognition of who Ricky's people really are. 

I have watched him walk the halls of two separate hospitals wearing a hospital gown and pushing an IV pole/tree with fluids and medications running into his body. I have seen him muster unreal patience, love, kindness, and grace when the pokes in his arms and hands don't seem to work. I've seen him stop and see-like really see a child in pain and anguish and make them smile. I have witnessed him remain optimistic with everyone around, although he's been aware that a fellow patient across the hall is in hospice care and the family members coming are paying their final respects. At the request of a fellow patient, I've seen him learn a new song to play on the Ukulele; this has lifted his own spirits but has also strengthened his connection with that patient. I've watched him treat nurses as teammates by reassuring them that although his veins were super good at rolling and difficult to stick, that he had faith in them and that he knew they were awesome and capable. I've seen the love in his eyes for the young girl who had likely received her diagnosis of cancer that day. I've seen his understanding of other's pain and anguish and the efforts he's made to smile, speak encouragement to fellow patients. 

And the love, kindness, patience, support that both fellow patients and health care professionals give back to Ricky is astounding!!!! They fill his bucket full every day as he connects!!!

In short, for as much as Ricky loves the people of CT and MA, his people...the people he REALLY, TRULY, SINCERELY understands, connects with, and receives strength from are the people of hospitals; especially those patients and health care professionals of pediatric oncology or child cancer. The amount of love, compassion, charity, and concern that Ricky has for his fellow travelers in the cancer ward is unreal and these are the people who get his best efforts. These are the people he loves the most. These are in fact his people.

The joy I've felt recognizing that Ricky truly is in his element amongst his people has been overwhelming. I have most times wished his path would have taken him back to Germany, back to "my people" of Bamberg and I've learned that this is wrong. Observing him in his element has corrected my vision. He is, although some may feel it's tragic, a duck on water. A pea in a pod. He is a square peg that has been placed in a square hole. His time at Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer hospital in Manhattan is not a waste. It's not tragic. He's making the most of it AND his people are strengthening him during his trying times as well.  

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For the time being Memorial Sloan Kettering is home son. Your privilege is now spending every day with mom and she is teaching/coaching you on the same lesson she teaches me...Your best efforts are needed at home. At some future point in your life, as a husband and father you'll need to focus your best efforts on your marriage and your children. But until that time...

Continue to rise up! Answer the bell every day. Your efforts bring me much joy!!

I am your greatest fan, except mom maybe...:)

Love you Ricky boy!

Dad

-- 

THE WORLD’S GREATEST

In a few days I’ll be 41.  I have the greatest life, and I’m sure it sounds crazy but I am

quite possibly the most blessed person to have ever lived.  I have a husband that adores me in the midst of all my crazy. I have 8 amazing kids that have patience while I learn and experiment with parenting on the fly. I was raised by amazing parents that thought I was the most talented athlete, poet, singer/songwriter, artist, musician, and DIY genius there was. And at the same time they had a way of being honest enough that reality never strayed so far off that I could completely and utterly embarrass myself while trying to flaunt my amazing talents.  Although, reality was often embarrassing, and there is plenty of flaunting that goes on, somehow the part where I was always THE WORLD’S GREATEST at something kept me from being crushed with humiliation. Hahaha. And if you read enough, you will soon realize that I am THE WORLD’S GREATEST at finding a use for.... ‘dot,dot,dots’ and the comma! As I told my Sister-in-law earlier today, “I am queen of the Run On Sentence!“

     I feel kind of selfish writing about me, but I don’t know anyone else’s thoughts at the moment.  That, and since I’m the only passenger on this red-eye that is still awake, I’m kind of stuck thinking about my world and my thoughts and feelings.  Yes, I’m on a flight across the country right now. My sweet husband fell asleep trying to watch Despicable Me 3.  My 7 youngest kids are at tournaments and staying with family until Rick gets back from this trip.  And the neighbor has our dog.  We likely won’t be headed back together, but we don’t have plans, or much information at all for that matter.  All we know now is that our oldest boy, who has been serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Massachusetts Boston area for 7 1/2 months, has relapsed. I can hardly read what I’m typing right now.  His leukemia has returned. It’s hard to believe. I can feel the weight of it all slowly creeping back up my spine to my shoulders.  I don’t actually think clear thoughts about it all very much, it’s more of a blur, a collage of thoughts that just interrupt each other.  When I can control the thoughts it quickly makes me want to sob.  A sob kept under control turns into a shudder that just makes me want to scream. A swallowed scream makes me want to throw up. So... that’s why I haven’t been thinking clearly...on purpose. That’s why I can’t answer the calls yet, or talk on the phone... talking requires me to try to communicate a clear thought.  And somehow publicly sobbing, shuddering, screaming or throwing up isn’t an option. My brains equates that to utter humiliation and won’t let me do it.  The weight gets heavier as things get more real, but it’s a weird weight that is kind of hard to notice just how heavy it is, until it’s gone, until it’s lifted, until you get the words “no evidence of disease” from the doctors.  This time is different though. This time I know the weight, so I can literally feel it on the lower part of my spine.   Maybe that’s why emotions come too easily right now.  The weight isn’t square and balanced on my shoulders quite yet.  But it will get there, back to where I feel a little more control again... at least emotionally. 

   The getting ready to descend chime just rang. I just checked. And we should be on the ground again within the hour.  We pick up the rental car, and drive 30 minutes to the hospital of central Connecticut, or something like that. It’s in New Britain. I’m excited to see my boy. I’ve really missed him. I haven’t slept yet though, and last I looked I had huge bags under my eyes. That makes me a little sad because I wanted to look really nice when I saw him again. This boy is aging me.  The woman across from  me on our first flight was holding her 1 month old baby, her first born.  She’s so filled with excitement and pride. It was fun to see. I vividly remember those flights.  I remember coming home with him from Germany when he was 6wks old. My dad was at the gate to meet us when we arrived. (Back when that was still allowed)  The pride beamed out of me, and was contagious. It beamed out of my dad when he saw us too. And beamed even more when Ricky promptly smiled at meeting his Grampa.  I have carried that excitement and pride for over 19 years now.  And I am still the most blessed person. To have ever walked the earth. I get to see my boy in a few hours. And I get to hug him again. I get to sit with him all day. And this time around, he gets to teach me about the most important things there are.  He gets to teach me what reading the scriptures each day has taught him and how it can bless me too. I didn’t go on a mission. This will be as close to real missionary life that I have ever been.  I am so blessed. I’m excited. I can barely see through the tears, my nose is stuffed and drippy and I kind of want to throw up.  Time to go back to the collage of interrupting thoughts again.   Just caught a glimpse of myself.... good news!!!! The puffy eyes hide the bags!!!! Hahaha!  There must be tissue in one of my coat pockets, cuz I think my mom wore this coat once. Hahaha....yup!! There it is!!! Mom to the rescue from reality yet again!  

Setting Up Our Guard in the Wrong Place?!?!

    I tried to publish this as just a post about what I learned while reading today, but it just didn't feel right to not add some personal tidbit.  So here goes.
     Back in 1996, I met and fell in love with a wonderful man named Rick.  We were in Alaska going to school at the time.  Other than my sister and brother-in-law, we didn't have family around while we dated.  In December we were ready to get engaged --- correction, in December Rick was ready to get engaged.  I was ready much earlier, or so I thought. ---  so we had to meet each others' family to pass that final hurdle.  Rick was traveling with the basketball team for much of the holiday season, while I was home in Utah with my family.  He stopped through for an evening when he got the chance, and was planning to talk to my dad about our plans and get permission to marry me, all in the same night he met the rest of my family.  Now, anyone who really knows the Legas family has heard of 'Hurty games'.  And it just so happened that Rick arrived in the midst of a new one that involved a pie tin, and a stomp rocket that shot a plastic arrow across the room.  If I'm honest, this seemed to me to be a pretty tame 'Hurty Game' as far as those games go.  The game consisted of one person as the Stomper/shooter, and the other as the target/victim as most of our games do.  But this time the Target had one pie tin and one choice.  He could choose where to place the pie tin -- what he wanted to protect.  Most often the choice of what to protect was either to place the pie tin in front of their face, or the more popular in front of the groin area.  And then the Stomper got to take his best aim, and best shot at whatever vulnerable area was left.

    So my dad and my brother-in-law, Cass, were playing. And Cass was standing in the middle of the kitchen with his eyes closed and a tight grimace on his face, while holding a pie tin in front of his groin area....
---Enter Rick, stage left---
    I can only imagine what thoughts went through his head as my father stood there smiling ready to shoot a rocket at the only other man who had dared marry into the family so far.  And the rest of us sat there happily watching the entertainment.  He might have rethought whether he truly wanted to ask for permission to marry into this band of crazy people... I'm not sure, but he was brave and had a chat with my dad anyway (That is another story).  Maybe he saw that my dad wasn't a great aim with a stomp rocket?  Maybe he felt like I was worth getting shots taken at him for the rest of his life?  Who knows?  But, that is the story that came to mind today, when I thought about choosing the right things to protect.
   Today I sat down to read in the scriptures for a moment, while "Spiderman" and "Superman" went outside for a little bit to play.  I read the first chapter of Helaman, in the Book of Mormon, the lesson that really hit me was from about verse 15 on.  (Click here to read the full version)
     To paraphrase, the Lamanite King sent Coriantumr to gain power over the Nephites.  Coriantumr took his army and marched straight and quickly to the heart of the Nephite lands and took control of the greatest city they had, Zarahemla.  He thought that he had defeated the strongest hold of the Nephites, so he was confident and took his army out to conquer more lands and more cities, killing any group of people they came upon along the way.
   Moronihah, the leader of the Nephite army, had supposed that the Lamanites would be too afraid to head for the center of their lands, and that they would attack the outer/weaker cities first, so he had placed his armies in the outer cities instead.  Because Moronihah had his strong armies still, he was able to catch up and head off the Lamanites before they could conquer the next city.  The Nephites surrounded the Lamanite armies and saved the rest of their lands, they also regained possession of the city Zarahemla.
   When I first read this, I thought Moronihah was in the wrong place. And I thought he had made a mistake by protecting and guarding against the wrong threat.  I wondered if I was concentrating on the wrong threats... "Are my armies in the right place!? Am I focused on and putting my energy into the wrong things!?  Maybe my focus needed to be in the 'center'?!?"  That had me thinking for a minute.
   But as I reread the verses I understood that because Coriantumr had attacked the center first, and because Moronihah had been focusing somewhere else,  Moronihah still had the time and strength to regroup and stop the attack, and avoid the total loss of the lands.
   Moronihah was doing his best.  He was thoughtful and prepared.  He just couldn't predict where the attack would come from and hit first.  But he wasn't destroyed because of that mistake.  Heavenly Father was still blessing them to be able to catch up and defend the rest of the land.  And after that they regained all of their cities again.
     Moral of the Story (aka: What I learned) ---  If I do my best to be prepared, if I train up and teach my family, (even if I don't predict right where the threats and attacks are coming from, and even if we lose some battles) Heavenly Father will give us the strength to catch up and stop the adversary from gaining anymore ground.  And we will be able to regain what had been lost in the first attacks.
    I am thankful for the Atonement.  Thankful that it makes up for my weaknesses and moments of a lack in good judgement.  In my own life and in my family there have been attacks at the heart of us, and there will continue to be.  But, I know if I am doing my best to be thoughtful, prayerful, diligent and prepared, Heavenly Father will give me the strength and ability to make up any lost ground through the gift of His son, Jesus Christ.