Training Camp Memories

A few months ago I ran into a friend at the store and she said, "Hey what's it like to be the mother of an NFL football player?" I said, " It really isn't any different than it was before, I don't feel any different." I have been thinking about that the last few days as Spencer has reported to training camp with the Denver Broncos. How sad it is that I haven't found much joy in the hard work and success of my youngest child. As I was telling Rich this morning, the drowning death of Kamber has taken all the joy out of our lives for a year now. I think for the rest of my life I will associate "training camp" with the loss of Kamber. Last year on the very first day of camp Spencer got the awful news and the team flew him home. I remember sitting in Ethan and Jenn's house telling him how sad and broken hearted I was, all I could do was cry. He looked into my eyes and said, "Mom, these experiences make families strong." Well, I don't know about that, I do know they make families different. I look back a year ago and Annie was here with her family, she had a baby due at the end of August and Spencer was a rookie, they didn't even know if he would make the team or not. Their darling baby Gunnar was born a few hours after Kamber's funeral on Aug. 1st. The stress of all that was happening, made Annie go into labor early. We are so grateful and lucky that this little guy of theirs will turn one year-old tomorrow. To honor Kamber they named him Gunnar Kamb Larsen. I am so thankful for strong hard working children. Children with testimonies of the Savior, who teach their children the gospel. I know Kamber loves her family and wants us all to be happy. She is so lucky to have parents who have made covenants so she can be with them through the eternities. I hope this year as we watch Spencer play we can rejoice in our knowledge of life after death and know that some day we will be together as a family again.