Kelly talks about Jeff...
Hello family,

Today is Sunday the 15th. I'm feeling a little melancholy about Jeff. Last night Jeff graduated from high School. what a sad/happy thing that was. i was fine until Keri started wiping her eyes. Another change is upon the Bullock family and there is no turning back, a new phase has begun. The ceremony was very nice and the talks were short and sweet. It was held in the Tacoma dome which I thought made the whole thing very impersonal. it was just too big of a place. Jeff was one of 6 valedictorians in his class of almost 400. Its hard for me to swallow the enormity of that accomplishment. Its so unme. (No wisecracks thank you!) He has a special gift for academics, self motivation and constant improvement of self and he definitely earned this honor all on his own. For those who don't know, Jeff is off to BYU in the fall. He earned a full tuition scholarship from BYU and another $1000 scholarship our orthodontist gives to a patient each year. yeah for us, only a balance of $5400 left for the 2 semesters!! (Yikes!) He has been a great son to have in our home, I look up to him and admire him so much. I'm so glad he was sent to me and I can't believe he will leave us so soon. @#$%&!!!! Before you start puking because I'm making him seem too perfect and you think I have no idea what real children are like, let me help you relax. Jeff's room is always messy, he won't wear his retainers after I spent 4500 on his braces, he never does the dishes, he has totaled one of our cars already and he had to do over 25 make-ups just to pass seminary so our bishop didn't have to write a letter to BYU rescinding his ecclesiastic recommendation (Which He kept threatening to do). Jeff absolutely refused to be on time. After 15 minutes your attendance doesn't count for the day in our stake and Jeff's teacher was a "by the book" person. He would get up at 6:30. Seminary started at 6:30. He had so many tardies, (10 make an absent) and so many days that just didn't count that he was way under the 80% required to pass. Jeff loved High School and I'm so glad for that. He has several really close friends, i will miss them coming over.  Jeff came home from school Thursday, which was the seniors last day, and his eyes were all puffy and red. I looked at him and said, "rough Day?" he started to talk and began crying again. It was so pitiful but I remembered how it felt. Life's changing and it will never be the same with your friends from High School. You know it and its painful. The year went by way too fast. His last Homecoming was hard. His last basketball game was hard. Then his last soccer game was hard. His last parent/teacher conference was hard. Then his last school dance (prom). Then his last day of school. It just seemed to speed up faster and faster with each 'last." I will miss him sitting at the computer night after night well into the night doing homework and chatting with friends. i will miss begging him to get up just 10 minutes earlier. I will miss his phrases like, "Tight" and "Savage" and 'I'm straight" and 'the bomb". i will miss watching him play basketball and soccer. he loves sports and I love watching him play with that love. I will miss him asking Halli over and over, "Whose cute?" so Halli will answer, "Me!" I will miss him turning on the charm when he wants something from me like a haircut at 11:00 PM. I will miss him torturing his younger siblings and watching them scream but idolizing him the whole time. He's all grown up and soon to be on his own. it seems like yesterday that he was running around with cowboy boots on and hat and gun belt with a backpack full of all his treasures exploring the world. Love your kids, childhood is so short, too short.

Love, Kelly