Tyler's Answers

1.  What do you know now that you wish you would have known years ago?

Not to judge others.  I usually don't know the whole story.

               

2.  What is the greatest lesson you learned from Mom and Dad? 

I think the greatest lesson they taught me was to be involved in activities and to be actively engaged in everything I do.  They always told me to never do anything halfway.  A close second would be that the living room isn't a jungle gym or not to jump on the furniture.

       

3. In what ways are you the same as Mom and Dad? 

I think I have Mom's fun lovingness, and her ability to think from anothers point of view.

I have Dad's dedication to BYU (sports and academics), and a constant urge to aspire higher.
          
4. What do you miss from our childhood days? 

I miss sledding and "snowboarding" down the backyard hill, my curly fro, beating up Kyle, making fires in the basement and blaming it on my siblings, going camping every month for scouts, riding my bike up and down the street all summer, pinewood derbies, playing Nintendo, winning 2nd place in a karate tournament, watching home videos as a family, playing Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters, having a pet hamster, Mom's ornately decorated birthday cakes, and wiping boogers on the wall.

           

5. What is one of your best Christmas memories?

I have a lot of Christmas memories, and I can't say that one is better than another, but there are definitely some that are more memorable.  

I remember one year Mom took us to Uncle Danny's apartment and we cleaned it up and put up a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations.  

Another year we were a Secret Santa for the 12 days of Christmas for a family in our ward.  That was a lot of fun because I got to run the gifts to the house and every night I had to sneak around  to make sure they didn't see who I was.  They really wanted to know who was leaving gifts every night!

A couple years ago Jen slashed her finger at Mom and Dad's house and she had to go to the emergency room to get stitches.  I remember Kyle freaking out at the sight of her blood too.

I remember one year I got a remote control car.  I was so excited!  Me and Dad played with it outside in the street for like a week straight.

I remember all the Christmas Eve talent shows Mom and Dad always made us perform in.  I had to play my baritone, Kjerstin always sang something, Dad always taught us a Swedish song that we always made fun of, I think Emily always danced, and I don't remember what Kyle and Whitney ever did.  They probably sang or something too.

Probably one of the funniest memories I have is Kyle and I racing to see who could decorate the most sugar cookies.  We just plopped chunks of icing on as many as we could.  

            

6. Which traditions do you want to carry on for your own family? 

Definitely the Secret Santa 12 days of Christmas, some sort of service activity for someone we know, Santa Lucia, opening a present on Christmas Eve, and acting out the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2 (if I'm not the narrator, I have to be the donkey).  

We started one of our own too.  Every year after we decorate the Christmas tree, the last ornament we hang is a white stocking.  We open the stocking and read a slip of paper that reminds us of the present we gave to Christ last year.  We then write on a new piece of paper what our gift to Christ will be for the coming year.  It's a great way to remember the reason we celebrate Christmas and to reflect on ways we can improve.

           

7.  Share your testimony.

I know that Christ lives, God is our Father, the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet and restored the gospel to the earth, President Monson is the current prophet on the earth today, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on the face of the earth.  I know if we endure to the end and are obedient, our family can be together forever.