Time Flies....

I think the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun.".  I agree and would add- time just flies!!!  I really need to get caught up on this blog.  My goal was at least once a month and unfortunately, I have failed miserably.  However, now that school is back in session and I am trying to get back into a good routine, perhaps I can actually accomplish that goal.  Maybe.  I am certainly not going to make any promises-but here are the "noteworthy" highlights from the Lloyd home in the last 5 months????

Nathanael's life has changed the most in the last 5 months.  On April 9, 2014, he received a letter calling him to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Chile, Rancagua.  I was so surprised!  Because of his Tic Disorder etc., we had to have him speak to a counselor at LDS Social Services to determine if he really was able to go and serve a full two year mission.  He met with a gentleman for about an hour and a half asking him over 100 questions.  At the end, he asked for a list of Nat's accomplishments and strengths.  We just printed his resume and the man looked at it and exclaimed that if he was able to accomplish all those things, he certainly would be able to serve a mission!  We invited family and friends to dinner that night and also had them guess where they think he would go.  It was an exciting night and I was so grateful that he was so anxious to go and serve.

The next week, we celebrated his 18th birthday.  It was incredible to me that I became a mother 18 years ago.  Where did the time go?

Nathanael did go to Prom with a young woman that he did not know very well but he had a really good time.  It was kind of a last minute thing but I was glad that he was able to go to Prom his last year of high school.

On May 4, 2014, Nathanael received the Melchizedek priesthood from Travis.  I kept asking Nat if he were ready for this added responsibility.  Finally, Nat told me that he was ready and that I shouldn't worry about it anymore.  We were so blessed to have our extended family come and be there to support him.

On May 18, 2014, Nat graduated from the seminary program.  He was asked to speak at this ceremony.  He gave a wonderful talk and it was such a blessing to hear him bear his testimony.  I started to realize that he had grown up right before my eyes.

Nathanael graduated from Lone Peak High School on May 31, 2014.  Honestly, I felt relieved to have him graduate.  He is so brilliant but it was difficult at times to get through for him and for me.  There was an insert in the program and his name was listed as receiving the top score on his team at the Academic Decathlon.  Incidentally, he helped get the team a $2000 dollar grant this year.  He was a great captain and a great leader.

Nathanael received his own endowment at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on June 6, 2014.  We went to JCW's afterward for dessert.  Again, we were blessed to have so many family members come and support him.  That night, he became a man.

Finally, he spoke in our ward on July 27, 2014 with two of his friends who were also leaving the following Wednesday.  Again I was grateful to hear him bear his testimony.  We had a family brunch afterward and then various ward members visited later that day.  I am so grateful for all the support that he was given. That weekend before he left was wonderful.  A dear friend of his was able to get tickets to see a taping of one of Nat's favorite shows, Studio C, and he chose to take Nat.  In between sketches, the audience gets to ask questions and the cast members give them good, better, and best advice.  Nathanael's friend was chosen to ask a question.  He asked what Nat should do to prepare for his mission.  They then asked Nat where he was going and he replied Rancagua, Chile.  Everyone cheered and they threw him a t-shirt.  The advice that he got was to live the Gospel, eat rice and beans so that when you eat rice and beans, you think of home, and pretend that you cannot read Spanish!  I doubt anyone would appreciate that experience more than he at that time.  The next day, we went as a family to eat lunch at a family owned Chilean restaurant.  The couple that runs it was so friendly and the food was incredible!  We had the best time as a family.  It was definitely my big "moment of joy" these past few months.

Monday, July 28, 2014, Nathanael was set apart as a full-time missionary and given a beautiful blessing by our stake president, President Noble.  I cried throughout the whole blessing.  Afterward, we changed and headed over to a local park to have our family picture taken by my sister-in-law, Leslie.  It had stormed all day and I was worried that we wouldn't be able to do it outside where we had planned.  However, the Lord blessed us with a tender mercy and the weather ended up being perfect.

The Tuesday before he left, we went to his favorite Pizzaria for dinner.  Again, we enjoyed being together as a family.  It was a wonderful time but also made me a bit sad for I knew that our family would forever change-for good of course.  However, part of me was and is grieving that he is not my little boy anymore.  We stayed up all night on Tuesday because his flight was at 6:30 in the morning and we had to be at the airport 3 hours early.  There was no reason to go to bed.  Nathanael finished packing and it was time to go.  Travis gave him a Father's blessing that was tender and sweet at 2:30 am.  Travis had a difficult time getting through it because his emotions would take over.  I am so grateful for a husband who honors his priesthood and is worthy to give our children blessings at such important times in their lives.

At about 4:00 am on July 30, 2014, we said goodbye to our oldest child.  I watched him walk through security and a feeling of peace overwhelmed me and I knew that he would be okay.  He is ready.  He has been taught and prepared and grew up while I wasn't looking.  My!  How time flies!

I know that was a lot about Nat but I will be writing more about the other children in this blog as we have a mission blog set up for him and all that he is doing.  I feel so grateful and blessed that he has made this choice and that he has gained his own testimony and is serving because he wants to-not because Travis and I have made him go.  He will be a wonderful missionary but I do miss him.  However, I wouldn't want him doing anything else.

Okay.  Now for some "noteworthy" highlights of the others' activities......

Lindsay finished her Sophmore year in high school very strong.  She was able to sing in the Spring Concert with Nathanael and her cousin Hunter.  In June, Lindsay was able to attend girls' camp with our stake.  It was a really good experience for her and she enjoyed spending time with the other girls.  In July, she was able to attend an EFY (Especially For Youth) at Utah Valley University with her friends.  She really enjoyed the group that she was in and all the workshops, games, and dances.  This last August, she started her Junior year of high school.  She has a tough schedule but she is very bright and I know that she will do well if she works hard.  Lindsay was asked to attend her high school Homecoming dance.  It will be coming up this week and she is very excited.  The young man left a bunch of wood pieces cut into different shapes at our door.  Each piece had a symbol so you knew that those pieces went together.  One of the letters said, "Wood you go to Homecoming with me?"  and when we put the pieces together, it spelled his name.  We answered the next night creating a little beach and wrote "Shore!" in the sand (brown sugar).  This time Ethan got to help drop it off at the porch and run.  In the past, it has been Nathanael and Lindsay but now that Nat is gone, Ethan gets to help.

Ethan was very happy to finish seventh grade!  This summer he was able to attend a special scout camp to train young men to be good leaders.  He then was able to attend his scout camp with our ward and earn several merit badges.  He needs to finish up just a couple of merit badges and do an Eagle project and he will have earned his Eagle.  We are so close- sprint to the finish!  Ethan also participated in a couple of soccer tournaments.  His team did not win any "hardware" this summer but they were put in higher groups and played teams that are playing at much higher divisions.  So far his team has done really well to start the season and I think part of it is that they had to play at a higher level in these tournaments and the experience helps the players to "up their level of play".  Ethan himself has earned a starting position that he had not done before and he is doing really well.  He began eighth grade a couple of weeks ago and seems to really be enjoying Men's Choir in particular.  He is singing second Tenor.

Clarissa graduated from fourth grade and was voted "The Best Author" in her class.  She has been working hard at Irish dance this summer and was able to move to the next level with Lindsay.  I decided to work with her this summer in swimming.  She is so cautious but she did everything that I asked and she is becoming a good little swimmer.  I am so pleased because swimming lessons have been so hard for her.  We just celebrated her 10th birthday.  Again, how time flies!  She is my baby girl and it seems like it was just yesterday that I found out that I was having another girl.  I was thrilled and she brings such sunshine to our lives!  We had a "storytelling" birthday.  I wrote a Mad-lib story about the girls and they added the adjectives.  Then they made bookmarks out of patterned felt and gems.  Next, the girls played a game called, "Telestrations" that is like telling a little story with pictures and words or phrases.  Finally, they made paper dolls that could become characters in a story that they make up at home.  Clarissa had a blast because telling stories is something that she loves.  She started fifth grade and seems to be doing well.

Finally, Zachary is learning and growing so much!  I took him this summer as well to learn how to start to swim.  He also did everything I asked.  He didn't like it-but he did it!  He is off to a good start.  He then started his second year of preschool last week.  He was so excited!  He was up at 7:00 am dressed and ready to go and preschool does not start until 9:30 am.  When Travis and I dropped him off, he wanted to make sure that we were not going to stay.  Ha! Ha!  When did he become a little boy and not my baby?  Again, how time flies!!!!

Well, this has been a long one.  Whew!  I am ready to go to bed.  There are just a couple of other "noteworthy" items I want to write down because this is our family history.

One, we were able to go on vacation to Disneyland as a family this last June.  It was a wonderful vacation and a great way to end that phase in our lives.  It was interesting because we always listen to a "Harry Potter" book on the way there and back.  It was time to listen to the seventh book in that series.  We listened to it all the way there and back and just as the final words from the book were being spoken, we pulled into our drive-way.  It was so symbolic.  One story was ending and another one beginning-just like our family.

Two, Travis and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary while we were there.  Yes, how time flies!  We have had our share of ups and downs but I wouldn't want to be on this journey with anyone else.  He continues to be my best friend and I could not have asked for a better father to help me raise my children.  He is a man of honor and integrity and he lives for his children.  We celebrated by having dinner at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland.  It was a memorable experience.  (My parents had come with us and took the kids for the evening.)  I am so blessed to have the parents I do.  They are a couple of my favorite people in this world.

Too many "moments of joy".  I just feel so blessed and grateful.

March Madness II

I know that my post from March last year was also "March Madness", however, this March was even crazier than last March if you can believe it!  Here are some "noteworthy" items from the Lloyd home...


Nathanael started the month of madness in New York.  He went with the high school Chamber choir on tour. He was able to attend a couple of Broadway shows that he loves.  He was able to go to his favorite of all time- "Les Miserables" and then he also was able to see, "The Phantom of the Opera".  I saw "The Phantom of the Opera" on tour with my high school choir and so that was fun for me to have that connection with him.  One of the highlights of the trip for him was singing in Carnegie Hall as the feature choir.  He said it was "crazy" just before, but that they were able to pull themselves together and perform really well.  Nat loves the city and he was able to see some things that really made an impression on him like the September 11 Memorial.  After he got home from tour, he was here for a couple of days and then traveled to St. George, Utah to compete in the State Academic Decathlon competition.  He has been the captain of the team this year and he has done a great job.  Nat made the team an official club-which no one had done before.  He gave them ample opportunities to study the material together, meet with teachers with expertise in each subject, and he had a very optimistic attitude that they could win state.  However, he had a couple of people drop out the day before they went to St. George and they had to recruit at the last minute.  Nathanael did not get upset or angry, he just tried to help the new recruits as best he could.  His team won 3rd place in the large school category.  Nathanael was able to win 8 different medals and scored the highest on his team and was able to win $100.00 toward his college education.  (Maybe he can get a book with that money :)  Nat had worked very hard and so we were really excited for him to be so successful.  Overall, Nat's "March madness" was crazy but very good.

Lindsay also had a month of madness.  She first performed in our stake "A Night on Broadway" with Clarissa and myself.  She performed in "Lullaby on Broadway", "We Go Together", and "You Can't Stop the Beat".  She is a natural performer and she sang and danced beautifully.  A week later, Lindsay performed in their annual Irish dance recital with Clarissa.  The first half of the show is performing their dances that they compete with, and the second half of the recital is a class dance based on an overall theme.  The theme this year was Broadway musicals.  Her class danced to a song from, "Peter Pan".  Lindsay was selected to be Tiger Lily.  When I went with her to her teacher's home to get fitted for a costume, her teacher asked me if she does musical theater because she danced and acted so well.  She told me that Lindsay's example helped to make everyone else step up to a higher level and so she put their number towards the end because she thought it was well done.  This was quite a compliment because her teacher graduated from BYU in musical theater.  Lindsay did such a great job and it was so fun to watch her and Clarissa perform so well.  Lindsay also played on her Young Women's basketball team and won Region!!!

Ethan's month of madness is mostly because soccer season is starting up again and he decided to participate in track at school.  Track has challenged him a bit to push himself.  He has track almost everyday after school and then a couple of times each week, he has to go right to soccer practice.  I kind of miss seeing him in the afternoons.  Ethan has been able to compete in a couple of track meets and he has done fairly well.  He feels that track has helped him to get in shape for soccer-which I think it has.  He still really enjoys soccer and is having a lot of fun playing with his friends and being coached by Travis and Nathanael.  Ethan is growing in leaps and bounds and has passed Lindsay and I up recently.


Clarissa's month of madness was unusually busy.  She also performed in the stake "A Night on Broadway" with Lindsay and I.  She performed in "A Lullaby on Broadway", "It's a Hard Knock Life", "I Won't Grow Up", and "You Can't Stop the Beat".  One night during rehearsal, the director had Clarissa come up in front of everyone and told us that we all need to sing like her.  We had been told to sing louder and so Clarissa did. She could be heard over everyone else.  She was just doing what she was told to do-she did sound marvelous though!  Clarissa also performed in the annual Irish dance recital.  She was a "lost girl" and she was so fun to watch!  She really gets into character and makes it enjoyable.  The week after the recital, Clarissa performed in the school play, "Robin Hood".  She played a minstrel which was basically a narrator for the story.  She had several lines and she performed really well.  One of the directors of the play told her on closing night that she "lit up the stage" when she came on and that he was "blown away" by her performance each night- which made her feel really good.  The play was a really good experience for her.  She loved going to rehearsal and she loved performing.  Clarissa told me that she was sad to have it come to an end.

Zachary's month of madness was going to all these performances!!!  He is definitely turning into a little boy and is not just a toddler any more.  It is amazing the difference that one year can make.  He was very well-behaved during these performances and really seemed to enjoy seeing his siblings on stage.


My "moment of joy" this last month was actually performing with my girls.  I had not done anything like that for over 20 years. I really enjoyed doing something with them and being able to spend time with them in a different way.  I feel like I am always helping them get ready for their activities and making sure that they are ready for school and church responsibilities and so it was just a joy to actually do something with them and not just for them.

March went by really fast but I am excited to see what the future holds in these coming months!


Cathy

Fabulous February!

February seemed to fly by this year!  It was fabulous  and fatiguing (Is that a word?).  Here are some "noteworthy" items from the Lloyd's....

First of all,  Nathanael performed Faure's "Requiem" on February first.  It was called a Masterworks Concert.  He performed with the Chamber Choir and got to perform this piece with other schools'top choirs in the district.  Faure's "Requiem" is so beautiful to me.  I had also sung that piece in high school and I was pleasantly surprised at how much of it I remember.  After a fabulous and fatiguing day, it was a treat to sit and listen and "be still".

Lindsay's first day of February was mostly taken up by her participating in the Shelley Winterfeis put on by her Irish dance school.  Once again, she placed in most of her dances.  Lindsay is a fantastic Irish dancer.  It is so much fun to watch her dance.

Ethan has been spending February playing Futsal.  Futsal is a bit like indoor soccer but you have to keep the ball in control and not bounce it off the walls or let it go out of bounds.  It helps to develop a soccer player's ball skills and touch on the ball. Because Ethan is double-rostering (playing on two teams), he is becoming a first-rate defender.

February first brought success for Clarissa as well at the Feis.  She also placed in a few of her dances-which is quite a feat because she has sooo many dance in her age category.  Way to go Clarissa!  She is such a character and brings the sunshine into our home.

Zachary had a fun field trip to the fire station with his preschool.  I had woken him up and told him where he was going to go that day and he asked me to come with him because he was frightened.  It turns out that his teacher really needed the help and so I was grateful that I was able to go.  While at the fire station, Zachary overcame his fear and climbed in the fire engine and seemed to be completely interested in everything that he saw.  I was concerned that he would be "clingy" but was pleasantly surprised that he wanted to try new things and also be part of the group and not hang back by me.

My "moment of joy" this last month was during our stake Broadway Review rehearsal.  The girls and I are participating in this show together and one of the sister's in charge, brought Clarissa up to the front to tell us that she was singing louder than everyone else and that the rest of us needed to "step up" and sing out.  Clarissa turned red because she was a little bit embarrassed to be singled out but she was singing so well. She was loud but not screaming-she was right on pitch and it sounded fabulous!  I sometimes feel so bad that my children share some of my struggles with anxiety and OCD-and so these moments I treasure because they wouldn't be who they are without me as well.  I did pass on some good things too.


February was fantastic, fun, and fatiguing!

Cathy

Big Steps

One of my goals this year is to post a blog once a month of the "noteworthy" happenings in our family.  I know I have said that before and I am already behind-here we go anyway...

Nathanael took a "big step" in January and began filling out his mission papers to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He had to have a physical and go to the dentist.  I first called the doctor to set up an appointment for a physical.  They explained that he had one last year on February 20th and that our insurance would most likely not pay for another one within 365 days.  However, the receptionist then said that I could call our insurance company and see if it is a calendar year or 365 days.  I called and our insurance starts over at the new calendar year!  Check.  Next, I called the dentist office.  Our dental insurance had a policy that will not pay for an examination before 6 months in between.  I told the receptionist about our health insurance and she called our dental insurance company for me.  She called me back and explained that it is 6 months to the day, however, there is a grace period of 21 days before the 6 month check-up.  Wow!  Check.  We were able to accomplish both things and get his paperwork done.  Now the waiting begins because he listed his date of availability Jul 1 and so the soonest that the information can be called to church headquarters is March 1.  This is a "big step" for Nathanael and our family!



Lindsay had a couple of "big steps" in January.  She finally got her driver's license!  It seemed to take a while to get it and I was honestly kind of tired of driving her to her friend's houses all the time!   Now she can drive herself!  Another "big step" for Lindsay was that she attended her first formal school dance.  It was Girl's Preference.  She asked a friend that she felt very comfortable with to go with her.  For their "day date", the group went sledding in Tibblefork Canyon.  They went to someone's house afterward for hot chocolate.  They they went home and got ready for the dance.  Lindsay was stunning!  We had rented a dress from someone who lives close by and Lindsay looked amazing!  I know that I am bias because I am her mom-but she really was gorgeous :)  The group all brought something for dinner and dessert.  Basically, she just had to pay for the ticket to the dance.  Lindsay had a really great time and I was please that she has the courage to take those "big steps" and ask the guys out on a date!

Ethan's "big step" in January was turning 13 years old!  Yes, I have ANOTHER teenager!  Ethan is now allowed to watch PG-13 movies and so Travis took him on his birthday to go see "The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug".  He absolutely loved it!  Ethan's actual birthday was so busy that we had celebrate his birthday in parts.  He had a late night with his friends, cake and ice cream with his grandparents, and on the actual day, we took him pizza to share with his friends at school. This is a "big step" to start a new phase of life! Hopefully, we will all get through these teenage years with minor bumps and bruises!

Clarissa took a "big step" by trying out for her school play and getting a speaking part!  The play is only for fourth through sixth graders. She started rehearsals in January and just loves them!  She comes home energized and grinning!  She is having so much fun!  She gets to be a minstrel with a speaking part.  The minstrels are the narrators of the play and so she has a lot of lines.  Clarissa keeps telling us that we are going to think that her character is funny.  Can't wait to see her perform!


Zachary's big step in January was turning 4 years old!  I can't believe my baby is no longer a toddler!  He is turning into a little boy.  He had his first friends birthday party.  Can you guess what the theme was?  Yes, of course-"Star Wars Legos".  I just invite their primary class for this first party.  We had about 11 little ones come and I felt like it went really well!  We had them first "use the force" to keep the balloon in the air.  Next, I made a matching memory game using "Star Wars Lego" stickers and cutting the "cards" into circles that matched the foam pieces that I was using so that it looked like a Lego.  The kids then used a light-saber to destroy a "Star Wars Lego" pinata that I had spray painted and glued on foam circles to look light a Lego Death-star.  Finally, Zac unwrapped presents and the kids had cupcakes with R2-D2 chocolate shaped molds on the top.  Zachary seemed to have a blast!

Our January was full of "big steps".  Once again, I am having a difficult time thinking of just "one moment of joy".  I guess that I am just grateful for the great people that my children are turning into.  Each one of them strives to do his/her best.  As I look at the year ahead, there will be many more "big steps"!  Here's to 2014!


Cathy

"Wrap up" of 2013

Another few months have gone by and so much has happened!  I will try to "wrap up" the year and let you know of the "noteworthy" things that have been going on with the kids....

Nathanael decided to go to Homecoming this year.  He invited a young woman in our stake who also sat by him in AP English.  I was grateful that he took our advice and went.  His group had a young lady who worked on Saturday before the dance and so for their "day date" they went to the homecoming football game and then went for ice cream afterward on Friday night and then went to dinner and the dance on Saturday night.  In October, he and Travis had the opportunity to sing in the LDS production of "A Century of Honor".  It was to celebrate the LDS church collaborating with the Boy Scouts.  It was an amazing production and I felt that it was a privilege to be able to go and take Ethan to see them sing.  I am grateful that the scouting program, along with the priesthood, is helping me to raise my boys to be "men of honor".  Also in October, Nathanael sang in the "Disney Magic" concert with the Chamber Choir at school as a fundraiser for tour.  His friend sang , The Ballad of Davy Crockett", and asked Nat to pretend to be Davy as he sang.  Nat had a blast doing that and he did a really good job.    For Halloween, Nat dressed up as a Sith from "Star Wars".  He even got red contacts to wear.  It was really creepy. Nathanael had a great experience in November.  Because he is graduating this year, Travis decided to take him on a special trip.  Travis and Nat went to the BYU/Notre Dame football game in South Bend, Indiana.  They had a great time even though BYU lost and it was freezing cold.  Nathanael said that it was an experience that he will never forget.  In December, Nathanael participated in the "Madrigal Feast".  It is also a fundraiser for the choir to go on tour.  It is a dinner based on a Medieval theme.  Because he is in Chamber choir, he got to be "royalty".  One of the nights he performed a couple of Christmas songs on his bagpipes.  I had heard that he did a really good job. (I was in the kitchen helping that night).  A few days later, a friend convinced him to go to the Christmas dance.  It is an ugly sweater dance. His group picked out ugly sweaters for their dates at Deseret Industries and then they played laser tag, went to dinner, and then games afterwards.  He seemed to have a really good time.  To "wrap up" his year, Nathanael accomplished his goal of earning his "On My Honor Award" as well as his "Duty to God Award". He has been working on his "Duty to God Award" since he was 12 years old and it was such a great feeling to see him earn it after all his work.  I am so grateful as a parent that he has a desire to do what is right and accomplish his goals.

Lindsay has been very busy as well.  First of all, Lindsay turned 16 years old!  Wow!  I can't believe how fast time really does go!  Usually after the kids turn 12, they don't really have a "themed" party but she wanted to do one for her sixteenth birthday.  We did a ,"Once Upon A Time", theme because she loves that show.  We had hamburgers for dinner because one of the characters has a hamburger for the first time on the show.  We then played a "Once Upon A Time" version of the game, "Werewolves" and a "Once Upon A Time" version of "Taboo".  We "wrapped up" the night making carameled apples.  Yum!  Next, Lindsay went on her first date.  It was the Sadie Hawkins dance.  The theme was "Disney" and so her group decided to go as "Pirates of the Caribbean".  They went to a place in Provo with a nautical theme and did the ropes course.  They dressed up as pirates and then had dinner and then went to the dance.  Lindsay said that she had a really good time for her first date.  She had asked a young man in her seminary class who I think is about a foot taller than her!  Both she and Nathanael participated in the Lone Peak September 11th school concert.  It was fun to see both of them perform.  Because she already had a pirate costume, that is what Lindsay chose to be for Halloween.  She "wrapped up" the year by singing in a voice recital.  She sang ,"Silent Night".  She did very well considering she had a migraine headache just before and was on some medication that makes her a little sick to get rid of the migraine.  It was her last voice recital for awhile because she has chosen to just really focus on Irish dance.

Ethan had quite a busy end of the year.  He played AAA level competative soccer and his team won their division in the fall.  They competed really well and he has so much fun because Travis is the coach and Ethan gets to play with his friends.  Ethan also participated on a flag football team this year where his coach is a former NFL player.  His coach is a great man and is always very complimentary and encouraging to the boys.  Ethan had a blast!  Ethan decided to be Gandalph for Halloween.  He really likes, "The Lord of the Rings"  series.   In November, Ethan performed in the school play called, "The Emperor's New Clothes".  He even had a few lines in which he did really well.  He enjoyed participating in the play and soccer.  He is also the Deacon's Quorum class president which also keeps him on his toes.  Ethan "wrapped up" the year by playing Futsal on two teams.  He is a really good player but more important, he is a really good sport and I am grateful that he knows to play your best but recognize that it is only a game.

Clarissa continues to participate in Irish dance.  She competed in a feis in September and was able to win a medal which was very difficult because there are so many dancers her age.  Clarissa made a cute Dorothy from , "The Wizard of Oz" for Halloween.  In her Halloween parade at school, her teacher had dressed up as a witch and so they "acted" out the witch saying, "I'll get you my pretty!"  and Clarissa acted very frightened.  It was fun to watch.  She also received "The Eagle of the Month Award" in November for "Doing Your Best".  This is an award that her elementary school gives each month for a different character trait.  One boy and one girl from each class receives the award and they are nominated by their teachers.  I am so grateful that Clarissa was recognized for trying her best.  She struggles to stay focused and pay attention in math because it is a challenge for her.  However, she has really "stepped up" to do better and her teacher really noticed how hard she was working.  Clarissa "wrapped up" the year by singing in Deerfield's Christmas concert.  (Her teacher told everyone to sing louder and that Clarissa was trying to sing softer so that she would not drown everyone else out!)

Zachary continues to enjoy preschool.  He also played soccer this season and once again, Travis got to be his coach.  Zachary actually started doing really well at dribbling the soccer ball and going towards the goal! Zachary has that "Star Wars" gene that Travis apparently passes on.  He loves it and wanted to be a clone trooper for Halloween.  He was cute, but the color on his helmet almost made him look like a clone trooper chicken!   He "wrapped up" the year learning to stay in his own bed at night and helping clean up.

It has been a good year -but I am so excited to move on to 2014!  The children seem to continue to grow so fast and I can hardly believe that very soon our family will grow and change and we will enter a new phase of life.  There are too many "moments of joy" to mention, but one highlight was the day after Christmas hearing all the children play on the Wii-U together.  They were laughing and having a great time and it was something they could all play together!

Time to "wrap up" this post.....