Tessa LOVES horseback riding. She has been taking English riding lessons for a couple of years now & loves every minute of it. I love to watch her on the horses. She is so happy when she's riding. She has been in several shows and has won several ribbons (Three 2nd Place ribbons & One 3rd Place ribbon). Tessa was scheduled to ride in a show this morning & she was really excited. We just bought her some new riding boots & breeches a couple of weeks ago, she had practiced the routine over the past few weeks, and was all ready to go. Then came the weather predictions...thunderstorm warnings & possible severe weather...so they cancelled the show. Tessa was really disappointed (and so were we). She was looking forward to riding in the show & hoping for another ribbon (maybe even 1st place this time). :) Anyway, we are so proud of her for so many reasons. Not only does she work hard at everything she does (and got straight A's in school this first quarter), she is so kind & compassionate towards others, she is always willing to help me with anything around the house, she loves her brothers all so much & is so sweet to them. I love her sweet spirit & I'm so glad she's my daughter!
PJ is our musical kid. He loves to sing and always has, and was getting really good at piano (when he practiced). :) Since 4th grade, he has been in the school choirs (and has always had to try out each time). The past 2 years, he's been in the Jr. High Men's Select Choir, as well as the Seminar Choir (another advanced choir at his school). This morning at 7 a.m., he headed to the Jr. High for the All-Region Choir Auditions. There were over 1200 students from all the Jr. Highs & High School(with 50 directors to judge). He was a little nervous and didn't think he did that great, but tonight his choir teacher called and said that he got 7th CHAIR (for Tenor 1) out of 128 kids that auditioned for that part. WOW!!! WAY TO GO PJ!! :)
Mr. Jonah is our natural athlete. He loves to be active, and is good at most anything he does. He has done soccer, tennis, basketball, taekwondo, & swimming. Today at his swim lesson, his teacher asked if we've ever considered private lessons or swim team for him. I said we hadn't really thought about it. But he said he's a natural and would do great with something like that. Jonah is quite the little fish & it's fun to see him dive off the edge and swim all the way across the pool. He loves it. He also loves basketball & did a week-long basketball camp this summer (each evening for 3 hours). He had a great time & wanted to try the league. So he'll start that in January. Jonah is also going to be turning 8 in just a few weeks, and will be baptized. He is so excited! And he is also SO excited to be able to start Cub Scouts! He'll have a blast. He has such a bright, happy, excitement about life, and is so friendly & outgoing.
Mr. Clay loves a little of everything right now. He loves to sing, he loves to draw & paint, he loves reading, playing outside & digging in the dirt, building things with legos, playing with trucks, cars, dinosaurs, etc. He's a smart little guy & loves to learn. He LOVES kindergarten & is having so much fun this year! He adores his big brothers & sister, and will leave them (and Mommy & Daddy) little notes to tell them that he loves them. It's so sweet. He is also turning into a great little swimmer & has fun at his lessons each week. And this spring he wants to try soccer.
Anyway, I know this post is a lot of bragging about my sweet, wonderful kiddos, but hey, I'm their mom, and that's what mom's do! :) I'm so proud of each of them for working so hard in school too. They ALL got straight A's the first quarter (that just ended last Friday), and have done great! I look at what our kids are learning now, compared to what we were learning at their age & I'm amazed! In 5th grade, Tessa is learning stuff in science that we didn't learn until Highschool! And in PJ's Pre-AP classes, I'm amazed at all that he is learning & doing. And Jonah & Clay are both in "enrichment" classes for kids that are a little more advanced, where they do special projects & work on a little higher level materials in small groups each day or a couple times a week. It's fun for them & they love it! I am SO very blessed to have such great kids!
In Jonah's enrichment class this year, their focus is "Making a Difference in the Life of Someone Else". They are doing a shoe drive for the local Children's shelter & a few other things. And over the next few months we were asked to take some pictures of our kids doing things that make a difference in the life of someone else. As I've thought about this, I can honestly say that just the little every day interactions I have with my kids (the hugs & kisses, kind words, little notes, reading stories or playing games together, & just talking & spending time together) makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in my life. They brighten my day & lift my spirits & remind me how very blessed I am! Being a mom is one of the greatest blessings ever! One of my favorite quotes is: "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back & realize they were the big things." That is so true & I want to try to always remember that & enjoy all those little things & special moments. That is what life is all about!
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