Neal was born the 4th of seven children in his family, right in the middle of four other brothers and two sisters. He likes to say that he could choose to be the youngest of the older kids or the oldest of the younger kids, depending on how the situation favored him.
His best childhood memories involve playing just about anything with his younger brothers. They spent a lot of time in the dirt and the sandbox or riding their bikes around their neighborhood. The year they decided to fill the hole next to the house with water is still talked about. His dad had dug it for repairs on the house, and it was the perfect size for a swimming pool. That swimming pool, however, quickly found it's resting spot in the basement which obviously sent young boys running for cover.
In school, Neal played basketball, and was involved in the seminary council and German exchange program. And during his summers as a teen, he worked at scout camp. What could be better than being able to go camping and get paid for it? He grew to love the COPE program (a ropes challenge course) and became COPE director for a few years not only in Idaho, but after he was married and lived in Arizona as well.
After high school, he served a mission in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a very challenging yet rewarding experience he has been able to build his life on. This picture is of him and his trainer at the beginning of his mission.
His next big accomplishment was graduating from college. After Neal and Brenda were married, they moved to Mesa, Arizona so he could attend Arizona State University. He earned his degree in Construction Management. He loved the program and it has opened so many doors for him as he is now pursuing his career in project management, especially when it meant changing jobs to move closer to home.And we love him so much for all the sacrifices he has made to bring us closer to our families. Neal
is always so selfless with his time and talents and is always willing to help when there is a need. He is a wonderful father and loves his family very much. He seems to have a never-ending supply of patience to draw from, and for that we are very grateful. He works extremely hard all day and still comes home and makes sure we have everything we need. The best part of our day is when he comes home.
