The One-Son is 11

Braden is 11! How is it that this boy is growing up so fast?! He is such a bright and well mannered kid. He is dedicated to learning and improving himself. Sometimes this dedication leads to him being a bit hard on himself but I have a feeling that his drive for perfection will serve him well in life. I cannot wait to see what this kid will do with his life!

Arrow of Light

Braden has been a great little Cub Scout! He's especially been a good sport as I have taken over his Den as Den Leader and as Cubmaster in our ward. He has worked really hard over the past 3 years to earn his Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, and now his Webelos and Arrow of Light Award. There were moments when I wasn't sure we would get things finished on time, but he worked hard and got it done.
I had a lot of anxiety the night of his Arrow of Light ceremony. As the Cubmaster in our ward is was up to me to make the evening special and this was the first one that I was in charge of. In the end, with the help of my amazing Assistant we came up with a fun and meaningful ceremony that Braden later told me was very special to him. The best part of the evening was being able to give Braden an Arrow made by one of his Scout leaders. Brother Golden was his Den leader as a Wolf, Bear, and Webelos and Arrow of Light. He was released just a month before Braden finished his Arrow of Light requirements. Brother Golden was sick and could not join us for the evening but the arrow he made for Braden was very special and I was honored to give it to Braden on his behalf.

A Prestigious Award

At the end of the last school year students in grades 3 and up took a rigorous test to determine where they are academically. The results of this test were not received by the school until later in the summer and at a morning ceremony students who performed at the top of their grade were recognized for their success. Braden was the only student in his class, and in the school, who received high marks for both  math and ELA! Braden continues to amaze us each day in his academic abilities and his dedication and desire to succeed has brought Kameron and I so much joy. We are very pleased with this great kid of ours.

Labor Day Weekend

For Labor Day we had planned on going camping with my sister near Lake Arrowhead. I was busy getting everything packed and food-prep done so we could leave in the morning when I got a call from my mom telling me that my Uncle had a condo near Dana Point California that he had booked and could no longer use and wanted to know if we wanted to use it. It was a little crazy trying to put the tents and camping gear away and find all the beach and swim stuff to pack instead but in the end I think our vacation turned out to be much more relaxing and that's always a good thing!

A New School Year

Braden and Carter started school a bit early this year. Our school district had all students begin the school year 2 weeks early. As much as I wasn't ready for summer to end, I am grateful for the change because it means the kids will finish the 1st semester of school before Christmas break and will be out of school before Memorial Day.
The boys were very excited to start school and see their friends again. They also are very excited about their new teachers. Carter started 3rd grade and Braden is now in 5th grade. At the boy's school they do 5th grade a little differently. Instead of just one teacher they have 5. Similar to middle school, they rotate classes during the day, hence the 5 teachers, and for the last period of the day they have their specials class. Specials are classes that rotate each day of the week including: PE, Spanish, art, STEM, and music.

 Riley started he last year of Pre-School a week after the boys started back. She goes to Little Stars Pre-School and her teacher is Miss. Heather. Riley also loves school and was very excited on her first day but just before it was time to go she got very nervous and worried. She is a lot like me in that way. In the end she had a great time and she absolutely loves her teacher! I am so excited to see what she will learn this year.