First Month of the New Year

We are already a month into 2019, and I honestly can't tell you how we got here. It just went by so quickly! It was a month packed full of family, friends, and fun! Our new year is definitely off to a great start, as you can see from the following highlight reel of January:

We spent the first week of the month in Houston,
making special memories with our Watts family

Ruth gave an Instagram tutorial to her aunt and Mimi.

Clay was glad to get back to school. He was excited to work on his reading,
discover a new love in Ken-Ken puzzles, and teach us all a money game.

Jeff spent two weeks in Mexico in an immersion Spanish class.
The vendors wouldn't approach him because they said he looked like Secret Service!
Nevertheless, he was able to track down all kinds of fun surprises to bring home.

We celebrated Max's 11th birthday with doughnuts, cake balls, and gifts.
And we spent the day at Corky's, playing arcade games,
throwing axes, and escaping from Alcatraz.

Weston and I got to attend Ruth's CAP banquet, where, among other things,
we saw her march in with the color guard, be recognized with her CyberPatriot team,
and receive an award for "Americanism" from the American Legion. We are so proud of her!

Max got a baseball pitching machine for his birthday,
and the boys have had a big time trying it out.

We somehow managed to survive WINTER STORM 2019. 

We made out like bandits at the library used book sale.

Clay adores his big sister and couldn't resist surprising her with flowers!

Mimi and Grandpa came to visit twice during the month,
and we had so much fun hanging out with them.

We attended the Minutemen Disaster Response open house and had a great time.
We were especially impressed with the 28-bed bunk trailer.

Ruth achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and
the title of First Sergeant at the CAP promotion ceremony.
She also gave a recruiting speech to encourage cadets
to attend Airman Leadership Training in the spring,
which is an event she will attend as medical staff. 

Clay started golf lessons and is absolutely the cutest little golfer ever!

The boys got new dressers, and I acquired
some new skills by putting them together.

Ruth brought me these beautiful tulips for no reason!

Weston spent hours climbing every tall tree in the woods.

Weston spent a ton of time working on Scout stuff this month.
He attended a Merit Badge College, where he worked on three
different merit badges. He hiked a total of 65 miles to complete
his hiking badge. And, he went on the monthly campout with his troop.
He also interviewed and was accepted to be on staff for one of the summer camps,
making him one of the youngest Scouts to receive such a position.
He has already attended one training session and begun practicing his speeches.
He loves Scouting so much, and we are so proud of his hard work and dedication!

One of my book clubs got together to throw axes, and we had so much fun!

Maximus Elevenus

Dear Max,

I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that you came into my life eleven years ago! Since that day, you have been helping me learn how to love in ways I never previously imagined and to grow and improve as a person. You have helped me see the world in new ways, and I honestly feel that just knowing you is a privilege. That's not to say our life together is without challenges, but more and more I can see that getting through those challenges side by side is part of what knits our hearts together. You are an amazing young man, and I am so proud of you!

You tried some new things this year, including yoga, an online coding class, a foam run, seeing a Broadway musical (Les Mis), visiting several new countries, saxophone lessons, camping with the Boy Scouts, packing and delivering boxes for Lovepacs, and classes one day a week at Arrow Christian Academy. It takes bravery and a sense of adventure to attempt new activities and to do things you've never done before, and it's important to have many different experiences so you can start to find the ones that light you up. I'm so proud of you for your involvement in and openness to each of these experiences.

Arrow is your favorite, and you are specifically enamored with your robotics class there, though you also enjoy your other classes, which include History, Science, P.E. and a couple of study hall periods. You look forward to working on your robotics project every week and to interacting with old and new friends.

Your great love of reading continues, and you have read numerous books both for school and for your personal entertainment. You have explored classics, fantasy, biographies, National Geographic magazines, and many other genres. You have many interests and are never really bored as long as you can find something to read. And you are particularly fond of series that allow you to really connect with the characters over a longer period of time. Reading helps foster your curious mind and creative imagination, and I'm so glad it is a true love of yours.

In the spring, you wrote your first in-depth research paper for Essentials about Abraham Lincoln. You read many books about him and developed a great love for him. And you did a wonderful job presenting your paper, in costume, in front of a large audience at the end of the year.

You've been really in to board games this year and have especially enjoyed playing Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, and Dungeons and Dragons. Through the games, you have been learning a lot about strategy, teamwork, adjusting your plan when things don't go your way, and many other important skills. Plus, you've been having lots of fun!

You have also spent lots of time outdoors having Nerf wars with your new neighborhood friends, playing outdoor games with your siblings, hiking with the family, whittling, and working on our new outbuilding with Dad and your brothers. You genuinely enjoy the Great Outdoors, and I'm amazed at everything you've found to do with a simple stick.

We spent a couple of months in the summer traveling in South America. You got to hike around Machu Picchu, fish in the Amazon River, sandboard in the Atacama desert, fly over the Nazca drawings, ski in the Andes, feed and pet llamas and alpacas, get up close and personal with the Moai on Easter Island, see where the desert meets the sea, visit ruins, eat different foods, practice some Spanish, and experience some cool cultural activities. You are a great traveler and enjoyed all the experiences tremendously!

You planned your birthday celebration completely on your own, working within the budget Dad and I set for you and the time constrictions our schedule required. You managed to squeeze in donuts, fun and games at Corky's Gaming Bistro with your friend (which included arcade games, axe throwing, and an escape room, all of which you were pretty awesome at), a lasagna dinner and movie at home, mint chocolate chip ice cream and homemade (by you) cake pops. You demonstrated determination, creativity, flexibility, and frugality throughout the planning process, and it was so cool to see how hard you worked to create the perfect day for yourself.

Max, I have seen you push yourself this year in a variety of ways to try to become the best version of yourself you can be. I have seen you work hard, and I have seen you play hard. And, I have seen new levels of maturity from you. You have a curious mind, an incredibly sweet heart, a passionate spirit, and a strong, healthy body. You have so many skills and talents, and you are an extraordinary person, who has a very bright future to look forward to. Thanks for letting me be part of your life! I love you, and I hope your birthday and the coming year are truly amazing!

Love,
Mom

Killin' Eleven!

December

Weston's birthday party at Top Golf

Hiking at Eagle Mountain Lake

Master Singer's Concert
(Max and Clay are trying to spot Nana)

Medieval celebration at Arrow

Packing and delivering boxes for Lovepacs

Dungeons and Dragons is a new
favorite game at our house.

Fun at Northpark Center

The Twelve Days of Christmas at
the Dallas Arboretum

Weston achieved the rank of Life Scout.

Winter Breakfast

Homestead Heritage in Waco

Mayborn Museum at Baylor

Holiday family fun

Weston spent Christmas Eve
researching stocks and investing
in the stock market.

Weston attended Twin Arrows
Scout leadership training at Camp Tahuaya

Ruth attended a CAP leadership training
at Lackland Air Force Base

Carnival Cruise as a family of four

Cozumel

New Year's Eve

November

We started off the month celebrating Jeff's birthday.
We played pub trivia (and won!), visited The Back Dough for midnight doughnuts,
and showered Jeff with fun gifts, like a ukulele. 

The boys had the opportunity to participate in a handmade market at Arrow.
They each worked hard to come up with just the right product and were thrilled
that they sold everything they brought and made some serious cash.
Max made molded chocolates. Clay produced many artistic masterpieces.
And Weston had homemade hot chocolate, marshmallows, and whipped cream. 

After the market closed, Clay's Arrow dance class put on a lovely performance.

Clay read about homemade drums in a science book and decided to make his own set.

We celebrated Clay's half-birthday with a few small gifts, doughnuts, and The Grinch

Ruth marched in the Veteran's Day parade in Roanoke,
and Clay and I got to watch the parade while trying to stay warm.

Clay decided to make giant pumpkin doughnuts.

Clay got a few plants for his half-birthday
and has been a very attentive gardener.

We had an eggnog taste test.
(I snapped the pic after the almond nog, which was everyone's least favorite.)

We introduced the kids to Bob Ross, and they are now huge fans!

Playing The Worst-Case Scenario Game was probably
one of the most hilarious game nights of all time! 

Weston has gotten really into debate and had the opportunity
to observe a debate competition, where he dutifully
"flowed" (took notes) so he could improve his skills. 

I happened to be up at Arrow one day
and in the vicinity of Clay's robotics class,
so I caught him in action.

Jeff and I had a super fun, spur-of-the-moment date night in Denton.
We saw Little Shop of Horrors at the community theater, visited East Side Denton
and Paschall Bar, and picked up unique doughnuts at The Back Dough.

Weston had a grand adventure camping and hiking for a week in Palo Duro Canyon.

Along with my parents, we made a little trip to Rusk for the Thanksgiving holiday.
This was our first day at the KOA. We had the cutest little cabin and my parents
brought their RV. The little boys rocked at finding the golden pinecones the
campground staff had hidden, and they were rewarded with ice pops.
Papa taught Weston how to make specialty sandwiches on the griddle.
And Weston delivered his fire building/safety talk and helped us get the fire started.

Thanksgiving Day was gorgeous! We took a walk in the woods, rented quad bikes
from the campground, tossed the football around, had plenty of snuggles,
roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, and wore ourselves out. 

I made gratitude journals for each member of my immediate family,
which had entries for every day from last Thanksgiving to this one,
and I presented them to the family on Thanksgiving Day.
They all said it was one of the best gifts they have ever received,
and making them was truly beneficial and joyful for me as well.

Thanksgiving, KOA style

The day after Thanksgiving was spent playing games,
racing bikes, and chatting around the fire. 

We had a great time in the town of Rusk, visiting the longest footbridge in the nation
(according to the city of Rusk) and seeing some murals and historic homes.

Mom and I slipped off for a lovely hike through the Piney Woods.

On our last night at the campground, we cooked gigantic steaks,
had a mini birthday party for Weston, and stayed up literally all night 
watching the Fightin' Texas Aggies execute an epic win against LSU.

Weston became a teenager, and we had fun celebrating with gifts and Wolf'ems.

I had my first ever experience with Jury Duty
and am now much more knowledgeable about the Voir Dire process.

Ruth achieved the CAP rank of Technical Sergeant.

We kept our annual tradition of having an "Average Birthday Party"
(for those with birthdays and half-birthdays in November) at a Brazilian steakhouse.

We celebrated Ruth's half-birthday.

We made models of water and alcohol molecules
for the boys' Arrow science class.