Amy Elizabeth

Our Amy is a delight.  She's kind of quiet (well, not at home) and always sweet.  Her teachers have all enjoyed working with her, which is no surprise.  It's hard to believe that she is done with elementary school.  Last year I volunteered in her class with Mr. Taylor.  He sung her praises every time I came into their class.  So it wasn't too much of a surprise when we found out she was one of four kids that was awarded the "Hope of America" award for "demonstrating during this school year capacity for leadership, ethical and moral character, and outstanding academic and accomplishment."  (This award is not connected to mom's 'Hope of America' but is given out by the Kiwanis club.)  It was fun to be able to go and cheer for her at a school assembly.

On the last day of school Kate and I went to her school for the dance festival and an attempt to break a world record (the longest thumb war chain).  It was a lot of fun.  Made me think of the not-so-long-ago days when I was a teacher.  I'm not going to lie, it was kind of wonderful to be on the parent side of the day's events.  It was so fun to watch Amy with Kate.  She's simply a wonderful big sister and Kate adores her.  Any concerns I have about the future seem to melt away during moments like this.

(*I can't get the spacing to work on this post, so I'll just briefly write about all the pictures below.)

Amy and Kate-
(pic 1) Amy came to stand with me for a few minutes while some other grades performed their dances.
(Pic 2) She then went back to her seat and took Kate with her.

Dance Festival -
(Pic 3) Amy didn't exactly look like she loved performing their grade level dance, but then again, none of the sixth graders looked like they were enjoying it.  They are all ready for Junior High!  (Pic 4)  The faculty did this funny dance to the "Charriots of Fire" slow motion song.  They ran a race around the edge of the stage area and had some fun choreographed tumbles and crashes and the like.  The kids seemed to enjoy it much more than the average faculty dance.

Popsicles -
(Pic 5) Kate looking longingly at Amy's popsicle :)  After the dance festival the school was trying to break the world record for longest thumb-war chain.  Turns out there is a lot to do in order to legitimately beat the record.  Each person has to be given a wrist band, counted, photographed, and thumb printed (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it was hot and it was taking a looong time).  I chatted with Shanine, which was good, and Amy and Kate hung out until Kate konked out.  In the end (after about 45 minutes of waiting and then some practice thumb-warring) they finally did the official thumb war only to find out afterwards that they didn't have enough people to break the record.  Darn.

It was a good day.

Amy's Elementary Graduation

There are so many good things that happen in life.  This blog has helped me remember just a few of them.  I'd like to be better at recording more of life's happenings, but I'll be grateful for the ones that do.  Today was Amy's graduation from elementary school.  That's a big deal!  She's such a kind-hearted person.  I'm so glad I get to know her.  She's an important part of our family.

Not only did she graduate, but she was chosen to speak at the graduation.  She was nervous and spoke to quietly but had done a very nice job writing her talk (I got to read it afterwards).  Here's the first page.

Mr. Davies, the principal, speaking to the students, congratulating them on what they've done and encouraging them to continue doing great things.  I've been able to talk with him several times while volunteering and also organizing the shoe drive last year.  I appreciate how much of an impact an administrator can have on his/her faculty.  Her teacher was ********.  I think she also had her in 2nd grade.  She did a great job preparing the kids for Jr. High.
 

The graduates.


It's official!  She's done with elementary school.  That makes her sound older.  Hmm.  Her best friend summer came over to the house several times.  Cute girls!
  

Proud of our Amy!

Summer and Amy.

My favorite picture of the day.  I tried to sneak over to get a picture of her as she was preparing to go up front and she glanced over at me.  At times like these I always wonder what the future will hold.  What will this young lady do?  Who will she become?  Where will she go?  She has so much to offer the world.  I'm looking forward to observing her grow.  Congratulations, Amy Elizabeth.  We love you so!

Hope of America

It's Hope of America time once again.  This was Kate's first.  Look at her cute little self!  Matt and I volunteered again.  It is so fun to do this kind of thing with Matt.  He just jumps in and gets things moving.  It was also fun to remember back a few years ago when Matt saw me for the first time at Hope of America.  I'm not sure that story about Hope of America is recorded anywhere (maybe it is in my little journal from Ghana...?), so why not here :) 

Matt and I started emailing each other in May of 2010.  I had been living with Caroline for several months to help after the twins were born and while I looked for a house to buy.  I'd decided to quit waiting "just in case"I met someone and just start settling down.  I'd moved 5 times in 5 years and I was tired.  So, Fred Benson, John's dad, was helping me look for places.  The townhouse I settled on wasn't my first choice, but it was a good size, I could afford it, it was just a few blocks from Westside, and it had a garage (which I was so excited to park in during the winter!). 

I had signed up for LDSsingles again to help me move past a very difficult experience I'd had.  I wasn't, however, planning on doing much besides sign up.  But then one Saturday evening I got a fun little email that left a smile on my face and allowed for an short, easy response.  It was Matt (although I didn't know that was his  name at first).  Over the course of the next week I closed on the townhouse and moved in while Matt and I were emailing back and forth a few times a day.  Then he asked if he could call me sometime.  I was nervous and yet very interested in talking to this man who had been so easy to write to.  I gave him my number and we planned to talk on a Sunday afternoon (which happened to be the day after Erin and I moved into my townhouse).  

We talked for three house as if it had been minutes.  During the course of that chat the Hope of America came up and Matt says "I've seen you before.  I saw you there!"  It was almost as much as a surprise to him as it was to me.  Tyler was in the show that night and Matt was there by himself (talking to a girl he'd gone out with on the phone) to watch the show. I didn't believe  that he'd really seen me, but then he said that he remembered watching my mom on the stand trying to get the attention of some teachers leading a group of students down to the floor and was obviously frustrated about something.  He said he saw me run up and talk to mom and then run over to the group of  teachers and talk to them.  He was only a few rows up from the floor and "noticed you weren't wearing a ring" he said, kind of smiling through his words.  I was quite struck by this.  He then said that Tyler had been in the flag, sitting on the far left side.  He had started out in a blue shirt but then was given a yellow shirt to put over the top to be part of the frame that went around the edge of the flag.  Matt later told me that he asked Tyler a few days later if he remembered who gave him the yellow shirt.  Tyler said it was a lady with a blond ponytail and a headset on.  It was me.  Heavenly Father has a way of showing that He is involved in our lives.

So here's a few pictures from this years show.  It is amazing to me every time I see it.  What a great thing my mom has done for this community!  And what a happy reminder it is of the time a boy saw a girl and a few months later they would be happily married with with eternity to go.  

Here we go!  The flag came together in the last minutes before the show started.  It's always a small miracle that it does at all.

Mom was invited to lead two songs.  This picture, however, is of her on the sidelines singing/signing The Star Spangled Banner with the chorus.  She's pretty darn cute!

Exer-saucer Tutorial

Daniel was 4 or 5 months old when I brought this exer-saucer upstairs for him to play with.  It had been in the storage room for months but when I brought it into the living room Kate's eyes got wide and excited... until I said it was for Daniel.  She wasn't impressed.  I told her she needed to teach Daniel how to play with it, which she took very seriously.  Here she is "teaching" him how to squeak the little buttons.  I've got video of this somewhere.  It's pretty cute.  

Kate got a little sidetracked...

However, let us all take a moment to appreciate Daniel's cheeks.  Wow!

Again, those are champion cheeks.  He has hair, it's just so blond it doesn't show up.  How I love these little people!

Exer-saucer Tutorial

Daniel was 4 or 5 months old when I brought this exer-saucer upstairs for him to play with.  It had been in the storage room for months but when I brought it into the living room Kate's eyes got wide and excited... until I said it was for Daniel.  She wasn't impressed.  I told her she needed to teach Daniel how to play with it, which she took very seriously.  Here she is "teaching" him how to squeak the little buttons.  I've got video of this somewhere.  It's pretty cute.  

She got a little sidetracked...

However, let us all take a moment to appreciate Daniel's cheeks.  Wow!

Again, those are champion cheeks.  He has hair, it's just so blond it doesn't show up.  How I love these little people!