Amazing Acedemics

How can a mom not be extremely proud at the end of the school year when both of her children earned cumulative 4.0 GPAs?

Even with honors classes, every single letter on J's report card for the entire year is an "A" and he aced every single CRES as well, with a perfect 100 on his History CRES. And, I happen to know (insider knowledge) that he earned the very top score in his entire grade on an important reading assessment, and was 11th in the comparable math assessment. Talk about WOW! He accomplished all of this while staying active in Boy Scouts, hiking and earning merit badges, with lots of basketball and piano practicing on the side.

M's weighted GPA is a 4.6, and this is in addition to early morning seminary at 6:15 each day AND all three seasons of sports until 5:30 each evening. She never missed a day of seminary unless she was sick, and she read the entire New Testament. She also stayed active in her church youth group, serving as her Mia Maid class president. And she continued her piano studies, with a beautiful school recital featuring one of her original compositions.

It wasn't easy! There were lots of early mornings and some very, very late nights for both. Sprinkle in weeknight and Saturday Cross Country and Track meets for M and numerous campouts and a 20 mile hike for J and you have a recipe for intense! This year's final report cards represent incredible hard work, dedication and committment with a whole lot of fun and great memories mixed in. I couldn't be happier with the efforts and accomplishments of my wonderful children :)

~ Gushing Mother

Color Run

What do you call a 5K where they spray you with paint after each kilometer? It's a Color Run, of course!

Service, Service, Service

J. genuinely loves service projects! He spent his morning painting a cabin with his friends.

A Day to Remember

My heart was full as our family spent the morning together in the Washington D.C. LDS Temple. It was one of the sweetest experiences EVER! I lack the words to express the way I felt being in that beautiful, sacred place with such nobel youth, and especially with our entire little family.

This was J's first time in the temple, and he said that it was the best day of his life other than his own baptismal day. That says volumes coming from a 12 year old :)

The Artist

M. received an art tablet for Christmas, and her talent is inspiring! Here is one of her creations:

A resounding MERRY CHRISTMAS!! As promised in our Christmas greeting, here are the answers to this year's puzzle (along with some supporting details).

Faith in Christ

Family Time

Cross Country Runners

Track and Field Girl

Basketball Players

High School Freshman

Sixth Grader

Early Morning Seminary

Excellent Students

Airsoft Boy

Texting Girl

Piano Players

Boy Scouts

Bahamas Cruise

Scientific Discoveries

Middle School Techie

Personal Progress Leader

Ward Mission Leader

We Are Blessed

Now, to explain a little...

Faith in Christ: We have been strengthened and comforted this past year as we lost several very dear friends, my aunt, and Marc's nephew's baby. We have also had to rely on our faith as I've dealt with some health challenges. It is an indescribable blessing to have an eternal perspective, and to be able to feel our Savior's love through all of life's ups and downs. At this Christmas time, we especially recognize just how very much we have been carried through our trials.

Family Time: Nothing we have done this year has been more satisfying then simply spending time together. This year, we all discovered Dr. Who; we've been through about 5 seasons! We also enjoy playing games, watching the kids' sporting events, attending concerts, family meals, outdoor adventures, etc.

Cross Country Runners: M ran cross country for her high school this year, and J joined a cross country club at his middle school.

Track and Field Girl: When cross country season came to an end, M realized just how much she loved to run and stay in shape. So, she joined the indoor track and field team. This keeps her busy and happy.

Basketball Players: Both kids enjoy playing basketball on their church teams, but (truth be known) J is our greatest fan of this particular sport.

High School Freshman: Yes, M is now a Freshman and 15 years old. She is already anxiously awaiting her 16th birthday. Hmmmm, I wonder why?

Sixth Grader: J is in the sixth grade, and has made a smooth transition into middle school.

Early Morning Seminary: 6:15 rolls around pretty early, and M begins the process of awakening and preparing for the day at around 5:15. That is supreme dedication. But, the blessings of starting the day immersed in the New Testament are definitely worth it! In her own words, "It's awesome and you learn a lot and Sister Kiyota is really nice."

Excellent Students: Can't help but brag just a little here because both M and J are maintaining straight A's this school year.

Airsoft Boy: The latest hobby for J involves shooting little plastic pellets at a target, and preferably at his friends.

Texting Girl: The cell phone that's been collecting dust for nearly a year is now seeing some real action as friends are becoming more and more important to our teenager.

Piano Players: Our home is still continuously filled with beautiful music, thanks to our budding musicians. Even Marc is learning how to play. He gets lots of points for being the one family pianist who chooses to play Christmas music just because he knows how much I love it!

Boy Scouts: J is loving the Boy Scout program, and doesn't want to miss a single meeting or camp out.

Bahamas Cruise: In April we went on a 7-day Bahamas cruise. None of us had ever experienced such an adventure, and we all agreed that it was a great one.

Scientific Discoveries: Marc continues to publish and do incredible science. He is developing label-free functional imaging for cells, and also making discoveries about how molecules behave collectively in liquids and supercooled liquids.

Middle School Techie: My job at the middle school keeps me busy and is sometimes exhausting, but the reward of watching the students grow up (and having a small influence on their lives) is well worth it. It's a special treat to be there with Jacob and his friends.

Personal Progress Leader: I was released as the Stake Relief Society Secretary and now serve as the Ward Young Women's Personal Progress Leader. I feel at home back with the youth after many other volunteer jobs.

Ward Mission Leader: Marc was released from the Stake High Council and now enjoys working with the Missionaries assigned to our ward.

We Are Blessed: This about sums it up! Through all of the joys and even the difficulties, we feel so very blessed and thankful for our Savior, each other and many wonderful extended family and friends. Thank you for being among our greatest blessings :)

Fall Update

We had a fabulous Fall and beginning to the school year. Some of the highlights include M's Cross Country, early morning seminary, school spirit days and Homecoming, as well as J's many Boy Scout Campouts, Airsoft adventures and trips to the park to play basketball. A road trip to Atlanta to see Farmor and Farfar, a Thanksgiving celebration with four other families, and three birthday celebrations were icing on the cake. Here are a few memories that we happened to capture:

First day of middle school

Early morning seminary

BYU vs. Georgia Tech

Crazy Day

Cross County

Thanksgiving dinner with friends

RAD

Homecoming

Somebody turns 12!