Egg Family & Ortiz Family; One Year Update

One Year Update: October 17, 2021

After One Year, Aly and Darwin Get Together!

We got to have dinner with Bryttni and Aki on Friday.  Hannah and Devin brought Darwin, and Kristy's parents, Kathy and Kevin Richards were there. We had the most wonderful reunion.  The last time these two babies were in the same room was December of 2020, when they were still in the womb.

Since then, and up until the last two weeks, Aly has been in the hospital. What a miracle it is to have her here now. Here are some images from our get-together;

Devin, Hannah, Darwin, Aki, Bryttni, Aly - at their first meeting on October 15, 2021

First hellos

  

Aly and Darwin hit it off just fine!

Bryttni Ortiz with Baby Aly
...and Jay Egg at a prep-op visit in mid 2021

Sometimes, it's good to just be grateful, and reach out to someone else in need. It helps me to remember all the blessings I have.

The image above is Little Aly Ortiz. She was born just after Darwin Jay De Priest, in April.  Her mother Bryttni was on a mission in Venice when we lived there 10 years ago. Almost as soon as Kristy I moved to Arizona in November, Hannah was contacted by Bryttni to get together, and we heard about her pregnancy difficulties. Devin and I gave her a blessing, and later that month, Bryttni, Aki, Hannah, and Devin all came to church to hear mom and I speak in sacrament meeting. We got together for lunch after that.

The Story Gets Better

Aki & Bryttni, Bryttin's Mom, Kristy and Jay at Aki's Baptism in May, 2021

We were able to attend the baptism of Aki Ortiz in May 2021. It is so wonderful to watch a man in the middle of the greatest difficulties he may face, choose to enter the waters of baptism. He has done so well.

The Back Story

Jordan & Hannah Egg with Sister Brytnni Fox in 2011

Bryttni & Hannah expecting in November 2020

Hannah, Kristy, Devin, Jay, Aki, and Bryntti just before Christmas, 2020

Hannah & Bryttni are both pregnant here

It's now the middle of July, and baby-Aly has spent only a few days outside of the hospital. She has had two heart surgeries, and they almost lost her last week.  During the course of her short life, her dad, Aki was baptized. We're grateful that we were able to attend that baptism and see their hope and faith. I even had the privilege to go to the hospital one time to give little Aly a blessing recently.

Bryttni & Aki's patience, love, and faith have been amazing.  They have asked us if we can do something for little Aly. She wants us to write get well cards. She plans to post them up all over the room. If you have a moment today, would you write a get-well card? You can post a picture of it right here on Facebook, an we'll print them out and get them to Bryttni.

Aly after her 2nd heart surgery

Keeling Aly in our thoughts and prayers

Everyone of us has had our share of difficulties in our lives. I think the best medicine is to reach out to someone else and share our love and concern.  It's always good to reach out together on these things. We have so much for which to be grateful!

Will you write some nice thoughts down on a note, take a picture of it, and post it here in the comments? We will get them all over to Aly so Bryttni can put them taped-up and they see some of our love for Aly on the walls in her hospital room.

 

Many people answered the call to send letter,
which Bryttni put up as a show of faith and support! 

Welcome Darwin Jay De Priest, Grand-Baby #6!

An Exhausted Mommy and Baby

Our youngest daughter, Hannah and her husband, Devin now have an 8 lb, 13 Oz baby boy named Darwin, He is 21 in long, born on the 6th of March 2021. Hannah had a very long labor, which finally ended with an emergency cesarean section early yesterday afternoon. We are so grateful for all your thoughts and prayers for them. Our family chat was filled with love, and we are so  delighted to see siblings and extended family supporting each other with such deep devotion.

Devin, Darwin and Hannah; first family photo!

We join with all of you, including Devin's parents, Carol and Derek De Priest in this wonderful celebration of a new grandchild in our midst. It is ironic that this is the first grandchild which we've had the privilege to be near during birth, but because of COVID, we were remanded to electronic communication. We're so grateful that new-daddy-Devin was able to be there the whole time. Because of the C-section, they will likely be coming home on Kristy's birthday, March 9th. I think that's a fitting birthday present!  Whatever day Grandma Kristy gets to hold Baby Darwin will be perfect.

Baby Darwin-A Big Boy!

Over the years, we've had the privilege of spending quality time with the five older grandchildren:  Rebecca's daughter Cameryn, Katie's daughter Jamisyn, and Erial's children,  Ellie, Malachi, and one-year-old Evelyn. What a great group of cousins! With our 6 children, and now a total of 6 grandbabies, we finally have our dozen family descendants!

Successful families are founded on  forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, wholesome recreational activities, and a nice, healthy dose of faith and prayers that everything will work out for the best.

-Kristy & Jay Egg

Grandma-Kristy gets her first chat with Hannah
after the birth of Darwin last evening, 03/06/21

The story of Brian Egg and the Orlando Temple tour that changed my life.

- A story of conversion - By Jay Egg

2021 Montage of the Theron Jay Egg, Jr Family 

This story goes back to 1994. Michele Egg and I had been married for about 7 years, Brian and Lori Egg were married and living in Gainesville, and Brian was working for Taylor Freezer. I had opened Egg Systems in 1990, and the four of us got together regularly as young married couples.

Jordan and Taylor Egg in 1998

Jordan was born on May 15th, 1994, and we were starting to take life much more seriously. One particular weekend while visiting Brian and Lori, Brian asked me if I would like two tickets to the Orlando Florida temple open house on September 10th, my birthday. For some reason, that hit me like an electric jolt. I looked at Michele and said, “... yes, I would love to do that for my birthday; can we?”

Michele said yes, and I really didn't think much more about it until my birthday came around. On the appointed day, we traveled from Palm Harbor to Orlando, and when we arrived and walked up to the chrome and glass front doors of the temple, I remember an army of people helping to get all of us through in an orderly fashion. At the front doors, there were folks with blue shoe booties, slipping them on our feet as we walked through.

I don't know if it was intended, but those shoe booties instilled in my heart how clean and pure the temple was, and is. I suddenly didn't feel like I was really ready to go in. I did, and an overwhelming and familiar sense of pure light and Eternal life infused me as we were guided through all of the sacred rooms of the Orlando Temple.

The next thing I remember was having a late lunch with Michele at a local restaurant before traveling home. I told her that I felt an earnest desire to attend church regularly in our local Palm Harbor Ward. She said that would be OK, and was wonderful about attending with me and the babies for the next few years.

I continued to be the very best I could, and to keep that wonderful light alive in my life. The feelings of beauty, light, and eternal life we're firmly ensconced in the deepest recesses of my heart that day at the temple.

I know that I had a long way to go then, and I still have a long way to go today to become the man I know I can be. I know Jesus Christ is real and loves me, and I know that my family and I can and will be with our Heavenly Father again in the Eternities.

Thank you for taking the time I understand who I am, and why am I so in love with my family.

Theron Jay Egg, Jr

Husband, Daddy, Grandpa, Brother. Uncle, etc.

Kristy and I were sealed in February 1999, after
having been married in May 1998. She is pregnant
with Hannah in this image

PS: I was able to have the privilege of receiving temple endowments 3 years later in 1997. I met Kristy Richards at a singles event in March 1998, that was about four months after Michele and I were divorced. Kristy & I have now been married for 23 years. I'm so grateful for all the good things that have come of these crazy happenings in our Eternal family. But that's for another story!

Our blended family about 2001
Jordan, Hannah, Jay, Kristy, Theron, Katie, Kevin, & Taylor