Kate Senior Tribute

 

Kathryn Louise Keeley was born at least a week later than I would have liked her to be, but still two weeks before her due date. 

Mayli and Patty had ruined things for her by being almost three weeks early, and it was very long pregnancy. 

In the middle of it, Paul and Rod had given me a blessing, and I felt very strongly that Rod's first wife, Louise, was there, and that she had been working on the other side of the veil on our behalf. I felt her love for us and her gratitude towards my mom for her service and love for her family. That's how Kate got her middle name.

I regret that we didn't just name her Kate. She's always wished we had. I guess she can always change it if she wants to. 

Each baby was more precious and enjoyable to me, and I just couldn't get enough of little miss Katie. She was a perfect, tiny, beautiful piece of Heaven. Such an unspeakable blessing!

 The nurses at the hospital thought she was adorable and begged me to let them give her a bath. I heard giggling and suddenly there was a little crowd around the sink, as they were watching her luxuriate in her first bath in mortality. She was laying perfectly still, and every time they slowly dragged the warm, wet washcloth across her little head, she'd roll her eyes in exaggerated extasy. Sometimes she'd coo. They played with her for a long time. 

Kate first bath, only a few minutes old 

I remembered these as being Patty,
but they were in Kate's baby book!
 (A more reliable source than my memory.)
She's holding Art's hand in the bottom one.

Kate 1st birthday
Doin' the cake dance 

Sarah, Patty and Katie 

Just two weeks after she turned two years old, Kate got a baby sister named Anna. We thought Anna was going to be a boy, "Baby Jake," and had been calling her that for months. It was so cute, for another couple months after we brought her home, Kate would refer to her as Baby Jake

Kate and Baby Anna one of my favorite pictures 

About the time she was two, Kate started saying the most hilarious things all day long. She'd use really great words whether she understood what they meant or not, and some of the things she said were SO crazy!

She offered to be my "Bathroom Yodeler" so she could come in when I was using the bathroom and trying to be alone in there. She was silly and adorable and thoroughly delightful!

Just before Kate turned three, we moved from Boise, Idaho to Orem, Utah and suddenly there were a lot of little friends in the neighborhood to play with. 

She spent a huge amount of time with Alli and Alex, who both lived in the cul-de-sac, and who came to our little free preschool the next year with a few other kids.

We had adventures at Chuck E Cheese, the Library and the park.

Move from Boise to Orem 

Kate and 2nd cousin at Lagoon 

Patty and Katie 

Patty and Katie 

Field Trip to Crispy Creme

Preschool 

Kate and cousin Emma 

Chuck E Cheese with Alli 

Kate school 

Elementary school was notable for a few reasons:

Kate learned that she was really good at Math and Science, the STEM subjects. She discovered a passion and gift for baseball. (She would later find that she could play well even if her arm was broken. Heck, she could play well if her SHOULDER was broken.) 

She discovered that it was a lot more fun and less drama to hang out with the guys, and most importantly, Kate made a decision to be true to who she is and support the people around her.

She's the only elementary school child that I've ever heard of to craft a personal manifesto, in poetry form, around a duck hat.

My heart could burst for love for this girl! 

First day of school 

The beginning of the bicycle brigade 

Lagoon 

Family reunion 

Piano recital 

Hope of America and bestie Scott

Her Manifesto
The computer says it has to be sideways 

Kate was in the StuCo in 6th grade and I got to be the parent leader. It was fun to get to spend time with her that way, and I also got to go to the sixth grade overnighter at Clear Creek. She had a good time with the fart machine.

In the middle of 6th grade, Kate BEGGED us to join a summer program at UVU that would be SO FUN! She had to write an essay about why she wanted to do it, get teacher and parent recommendations and make a firm commitment to attend and not miss more than 3. It was a 3 year program. Summer school STEM. Hard, advanced, all-day classes.

She wanted to do it so badly!

Um, okay.

She was so excited to be accepted! The middle of sixth grade seemed to be a hinge-point year for her. She was being challenged to dress differently, to play it cool, to stop with the Legos, boys, math, science, etc. Kate quietly made a decision, found her people, and stayed true to herself. This brought her joy.

 Then COVID hit and shut everything down. She had to do the first year at home. Ho, boy. She worked so hard!

When you mom's your UVU Summer school SPED Advisor 

Kate went all three years, sacrificing girls camp and family activities, getting up early and doing homework at night. We had to pull in older siblings' expertise in calculus and physics, etc for the program. It was hard work, but she had a good time and found that there were other kids like her. She chose learning and growth. I'm so proud of her!

Kate, Alli and Scott were able to go to the temple just before everything shut down for COVID. We were so thankful that the Prophet changed the rules and allowed everyone turning 12 that year to go in January! It would be a long time before they opened again when they shut down in March.

From 7th grade to graduation, she was off to Maeser Prep. Sorta. Because, COVID. and for the next few years we were forced to navigate some devastating family losses and face huge challenges. Several of Katie's best friends moved away at this time, making things even rougher for her.

Maeser: how it started 

Patty coaches Katie's JV team 

Ho, boy.

1st day of school, but not the first day of baseball season

 

Kate worked hard to get on the baseball team, spending hours on and off the field and in the weight room. By the very end, she was able to accomplish her goal of being a starting pitcher on the Varsity team. Remarkable!

Somewhere in Junior High, along with the Latin she was required to learn at school, Kate decided to study Danish on her own. She was incredibly consistent and self-motivated.

We decided to take some of the family to Denmark. Life-changing!

Denmark 

Denmark 

A Maeser Trunk or Treat

Kate's senior year was a privilege to observe. For her capstone, she interviewed many of the people in her graduating class, posting the interviews on YouTube.

She has a real gift for helping others to feel seen and safe, and was able to really get them to disclose personal information in a meaningful way. 

She had a great year of leadership and success with baseball.

She worked hard as the Fabrication and Electric Leads in Robotics. Paul was very involved with both sports and robotics with Kate, and together they built a shed for the groups to share, and raised a lot of funding for both. 

All while taking three AP classes and getting great grades, Kate also he did quite a few things outside of her comfort zone like Broadway rocks and choir.

Patty and Kate took temple and mission prep together for a couple of years, and then when Patty left for her mission, Kate continued to attend. She found as she began her Senior year of high school that she was ready to receive her endowments and go on a mission. She began going to the temple as often as she could, and hounding the bishop and stake president to allow her to take the next steps on the covenant path. 

When the policy for female missionary age changed last December, she was ready to go! She received her mission call to the Minnesota Minneapolis Spanish Speaking Mission and will be ready to start home MTC on July 15. She started actively campaigning to go to the temple early again, which landed her a very unique opportunity.

Kate was invited to speak at the Lindon Temple dedication with Henry B Eyering and others, and we were able to be in the Celestial Room as it was being dedicated. I'll include her talk below.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

Graduation Announcement 

Seminary Graduation 

Choir concert 

Temple dedication 

Mission Prep

Fun times with Aunt Kate

When she grows up, she was to be an archeologist 

Photo dump

How it ended

At the final assembly, Kate was awarded the Karl G Maeser Virtue Award. I asked her administrator for the words he said when he presented it to her:

"Here's what I collected from teachers and used in the assembly:

Kate has worked with me for the last 4 years. It's been such a delight to have her on the robotics team. She was always one willing to get her hands dirty and do the work. She also stuck true to her own principles and priorities, and made sure she took care of those first, but then was willing to stay late so many times to do what needed to be done. 

Kate Keeley is, at first, one of those people who quietly flies under the radar. She is humble and unassuming, content to observe, listen, and then contribute. Because of that, many people don't notice her right away. But over time, it becomes impossible not to notice her. She simply can’t hide her shine.

Kate is a powerful reminder of what can happen when someone works quietly, diligently, and consistently when nobody is watching. Through that effort, she has become a force for good wherever she goes — at home, at school, on the baseball field, and in her community. "

"My Testimony of the Temple

Kate Keeley (Given at the Lindon, UT Temple dedication)

During the temple open house I was able to bring my muslim friend to tour the temple and I was able to teach him about it. It was a wonderful opportunity, and it helped me greater appreciate how unique and magnificent the temple is. As I was explaining different aspects of the temple and of our religion to him, the spirit bore witness to me that the temple truly is the house of the Lord! I was able to feel God’s love for me and I was able to grow my testimony in so many ways. I am so grateful that my friend let me share with him something so important to me. 

 I have a strong testimony that the temple really is the Lord’s house on earth, and that it really is needed to continue on in life. During his time as an apostle and as prophet, Russel M. Nelson made it clear that worshiping in the temple is both a great blessing and a spiritual necessity. He said, “in the coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost,” and that, “... in the temple we may ‘receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost,’” which is saying that to survive spiritually we must go to the temple! What a blessing it is to have another temple so close! By attending the temple you can also, “expect to receive answers to prayer, personal revelation, greater faith, strength, comfort, increased knowledge, and increased power,” and so many other blessings. I have seen these promises from the prophet come true so many times in just the 6 short years I have been able to attend the temple! About two years ago I started going to the temple every week with my sister, instead of once or twice a month, and since that time I have noticed so many more blessings in my life! I have had greater faith, strength, comfort, increased knowledge, and increased power in my life! Going to the temple fills my cup and gives me the strength to continue to give my all when life gets hard. It helps me prepare for my mission and the rest of my life. Going to the temple has increased my ability to love more like how the savior loves. It has strengthened my bonds with my family, with my Father in Heaven, and Jesus Christ. It has helped me better understand scripture, because of the abundant presence of the spirit. As I read from Exodus in the temple, the spirit brought to my remembrance my experience of going to the ancient tabernacle replica tour in 2022. That memory helped me to better understand the scriptures I was reading by putting the words in context and providing an image. What a wonderful experience it was to learn of the ancient temple while worshiping in the temple. Going to the temple has helped me think celestial and want to live celestially on earth. The more I go to the temple to do baptisms or confirmations the greater my desire becomes to be endowed and my desire to always be in God’s presence grows. My time spent in the temple has shown me what matters most.  

One thing I have learned recently in my study of the temple and of scriptures is how important it is to slow down and give more time to the Lord. There is no better place to do this than in the temple. I recently read President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk, Of Things That Matter Most, in which he talks about slowing down and intentionally giving more time to God. In that talk he says, “Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light.” It is in the temple that we come closest to that truth and light, which is Jesus. By slowing down and giving time to the Lord in His house, we are able to grow our testimonies, receive revelation, and regain the energy we need for our daily life. By spending time in the temple we are keeping our baptismal covenant to always remember him, and keep his commandments. I know for many it is hard to find the time to go to the temple, but I know that if you make the sacrifice and make time for the temple you will be blessed. I have seen the blessings of the temple in my life. The blessings of the temple are promised by the Lord, through His called servants, to every worthy person. Please take time to either adjust your life to be on the covenant path so you can be worthy to go to the temple, or if you have a current recommend, take time to reflect on the blessing the temple is to you and how attendance has blessed your life, and then make an effort to go to the temple more regularly or frequently. I can not wait for the increasingly soon day that I can go through the house of the Lord. Again I ask you to please make time to go to the temple, for it truly is the house of the Lord. In the words of Russell M. Nelson, “Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple”, so please, make time to find Him there. I have felt his presence there. I testify of these things in the name of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, amen."

It's impossible to express the blessing Kate's been to our family. It's going to be so fun to watch her continue to storm through the world in her unique way!

I love her so much and will miss her so much while she's gone!

Jeri