National Honor Society and Meli's report card!

Last week Kara was abducted into the National Junior Honor Society.  I was a very nice program, but mainly because it was short and sweet.  It was Sunday dress and it is always fun to celebrate Kara's accomplishments.  

 None of our pictures turned out really well.   Matt actually took pictures with his camera that actually turned out.   But for the time being I wanted to document it.

Kara went home with a nice certificate, a pin and they had some yummy cookies and punch for dessert.  We are proud of Kara.


Meli's report card also came in the mail today.  She did an amazing job!   She is such a good student and studies so hard.  The different requirements in school in Germany and the tests that need to be taken are very daunting.  

School Fees---I can't even believe $690.00 for one student!

Unpaid Balance: $15.00 [refresh]
School Year	Ent	Due Date	Billing Description	Amount Charged	Amount Paid	Amount Due	Class
2014	704	07/12/13	REGISTRATION 2013/14	$105.00	$105.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	PTSA Membership	$6.00	$6.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	national honor society dues	$20.00	$20.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	Yearbook Fee	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
2014	704	08/21/13	Student Parking Permit	$20.00	$20.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/05/13	CONCERT CHOIR ACAPPELLA	$10.00	$10.00	$0.00	CONCERT CHOIR ACAPPELLA
2014	704	09/06/13	PHYSICS	$5.00	$5.00	$0.00	PHYSICS
2014	704	09/06/13	THEATRE 3	$30.00	$30.00	$0.00	THEATRE 3
2014	704	09/06/13	MARINE BIO	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00	MARINE BIO
2014	704	09/06/13	MARINE BIO	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00	MARINE BIO
2014	704	09/06/13	SPORTS/ENTMT MKTG	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00	SPORTS/ENTMT MKTG
2014	704	09/18/13	Acappella Dress PURCHASE	$89.00	$89.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	Music Participation (vocal/instrumental)	$50.00	$50.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	Drama Participation	$40.00	$40.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	acapella spirit pack-tshirt	$10.00	$10.00	$0.00
2014	704	09/18/13	drama -Shakespeare	$240.00	$240.00	$0.00	TOTAL
				$690.00	$675.00	$15.00

Kara's first day of her Junior year

 Today was Kara's first day of school as a Junior at Bingham!   She had an uneventful day!  

This week and other things....

Wow!  What a jammed pack week!  This week started off with going to Layla's soccer game.  She happened to be playing her championship game really close to our home so I was able to go and see it.  She is an awesome soccer player and it was fun to watch her competitive soccer team win. 

 Meli started school this week.  Kara and Meli went to a new school orientation to become more familiar with her schedule.  We went to an Aspect Foundation mandatory meeting.  There they discussed the rules and familiarized the students with the program. I really like her program director, Heather.  She happens to have been Kara's German teacher so it was cool for Kara to go to her home.  Aspect, the organization that Meli is a part of, seems to be really organized and very supportive.  I have already gotten several phone calls for them checking on how things are going and Meli has too.  I also went to a Back to School night with Meli and I was really impressed with her school.  I have a Highland Ram and a Bingham Miner.  Kara went to her first high school football game. 

Meli had her first day of school on Wednesday and she really liked it.  She thinks her classes might be too easy, but we decided to wait  a week or so before changing them. Kara has her first day tomorrow.  I have been so impressed with Meli's attitude about starting everything new.  She is so easy going and has a fun sense of humor and very smart! 

We spent a lot of time going shopping for things for Meli.  On Thursday we went to get Meli some school supplies and other things.  We went out to a sandwich shop and since it was so close to Wal Mart we decided to go there.  I generally don't like this particular Wal Mart, but decided since it was close to AT&T that we should suck it up and go.  BIG. MISTAKE.  To make a long story short, Meli wanted to get some slippers.  She picked out some adorable slippers.  They were soft and fluffy.  She put her feet in them to make sure they fit at the store.  They fit just fine, but when we got home and she was taking out the stuffing often in new shoes, she realized it wasn't stuffing, but a MOUSE!!   Seriously, I have yet to see the mouse, but Kara, Meli and Matt both did and I will take their word for it. I despise mice like I can't even describe.  I couldn't even look at it or it would be forever etched in my mind.  Matt is planning to take pictures of it, but I don't want it on my camera or on my blog or I would be ILL!  Sorry, to be so dramatic, but this is how I feel.  Anyways, I feel horrible that this happened to Meli with her first purchase of slippers/shoes.  She was a good sport about it and wasn't too traumatized.   Spencer has been in contact with the store manager and he has been very helpful, I don't really feel like it is the stores fault, but they have assured us that they have check all of their slippers and there are no mice in them.  We are taking them back, mouse and all tomorrow. 

We took Meli and Kara camping.  The weather unfortunately was a little on the cold side.  We brought our boat up to Bear Lake and Meli said she hadn't been on a boat like that before or for a long time.   We came home a little early because  it was colder and Kara just found out on Tuesday that she had to read a book and do other homework before school started on Monday.  Somehow her English teacher didn't pass out the assigned work last year.  Poor thing. 

 Had to go to La Beau's to get a yummy burger.  Matt and Meli got a grilled cheese.

 Camping, right before it started to rain!

And with other news, Spencer has had a two week work vacation.  Colton has been busy working and attending mission farewells and homecomings.  He has an appointment with this counselor at the dept of Vocation.  He is deciding which program he will do with her this Tuesday and then he will start school.  Both boys don't like me blogging about them much, so I try to respect their wishes, but it is HARD. 

Coby gave a talk in church on Sunday.  I wish I could have been there to hear it.  The subject was Marriage, that makes me wish I could have been there all the more! 

 

 

The last couple days!

Meli is such a sweet, adorable, polite young woman.  We are thoroughly delighted with her.  It has been fun having her in our home.  We picked her up at the airport on Saturday afternoon. It was fun to wait for her as there were many foreign exchange students coming.   We ordered pizza  and Meli told us afterwards that it was one of her favorite dishes.  She was sweet and brought us a fun German cookbook,  lots of yummy chocolate, and a book about Hamburg.  She is from a gorgeous area.

 It has been fun to hear Meli's perspective on things. It is all fresh and new.  She has a great attitude about following the rules that Aspect Foundation has layed out.  We have taken her to church with us, shown her around the area.  Kara even took her to a boring party and she came home with an American cup. So cute!  

 Tonight we went to a mandatory training meeting for Aspect.  They again went over the rules and shared the do and don't.  They suggest that she only spend three hours on the Internet in one week.  Luckily, that is excluding blogging and skyping with her family.  As soon as she got home she took Facebook off of her phone.  Boy, was I impressed. 

 Tonight Kara and Meli were running some errands and then tomorrow Matt, Kara and Meli and Adell (another foreign exchange student) are attending her school orientation.  Then later tomorrow night we will  be attending her Back to School night.  Meli speaks such good English and is such a positive person to have around.  I can tell her parents did a great job raising her into a beautiful young woman.  It has been so good for Kara to have a "sister."  They both get along so well.  

Above is a picture of her room with all the fun pictures she put on her wall of family and friends.  You can tell she is adored.  Wednesday is her first day of school.  She is so excited to start school so she can learn.  Her attitude is contagious and I am grateful!

It all happened so fast

Kara got her driver's license on April 24th.  She has already been driving for over three weeks.  She is a really good driver, but it still makes me nervous when she takes off by herself. Funny story, the driver's test instructor, couldn't find any one to go with them to take the test, so he was going to cancel.  So Kara asked if her dad could come.  How many kids can say there parent was in the car when they got their driver's license.  She got a 100% on her test. 


Kara was asked to sing the National Anthem in front of her whole school for an assemble.  They only request this during the election assembles.  I wanted to go so bad, but it was the day Coby was graduating and I didn't dare ask to take the morning off too,  Someone recorded it, but  it is too big of a file to send in an email.  Everyone I talked to said she did an amazing job!

Kara got another 4.0 this semester.   She is also in a play at Bingham.  She has been working on it for several months and her performance is May 23rd and 24th.  I am excited to see it.  She is just too buys, seriously. 

 

 Kara recently went to a girl's choice dance.  It was a take you out to the ball game theme.  Her group seriously looked like they had too much. For a day activity they decorated their shirts and then went on a ferris wheel at SHIELDS.  Then they came over to our home for dinner.  The food all turned out yummy.

 After the dance they came back to our home and hung out.  We had ice cream sundaes.  This was one fun group.  I seriously don't think I have ever heard that much laughing by so little of people.

Perfection

 

Congrats Kara!!!  Perfect report card, especially with 3 honors classes. Her World Civ class teacher  keeps asking her to go to the A.P. class because she has  122%.  Next year I think I will really encourage it!!!!  Coby also got a 4.00, but I  don't have his report card and I am POSITIVE he wouldn't want me to put it on here!

Big, Little, and Random Things

  Love the suit and the person in it!  I took this picture, right before Spencer was going to help his girlfriend  at her sister's wedding reception. 

A couple days before Christmas, Matt was working on the squeaky brakes on my van and well, there was a little accident. I was in the house at the time and  then heard a bloodcurdling sound of my car hitting the garage door.  I thought he was crushed behind it-REALLY SCARY!!   We didn't take a picture until after the three panels were on the grass and flattened.  It looked unfix able.

 My friend's dad owns a garage door company and  so we called them.  They were fast and helped us put our garage door on, unfortunately, now we can't put any cars in our garage, because of how we had to fasten the door shut.

 We still haven't gotten it fixed.  Matt wanted to get it fixed right away, and I wanted to wait.  The cheapest door to replace it with was $1195, and the highest price with insulation was $1795, so we are waiting.  Although, I will say, going out to a car in the morning when it is 6 degrees isn't my favorite thing.   Matt now thinks he might be able to fix it himself, we will see.  

 Colton right before work.   He is smart to get ready for work and then take a break!!!

 Kara's report card for 1st quarter. She got an A- in Chemistry.  But an A in all of her Honors/Other classes.   She has had a 4.0 this whole quarter and the semester will end next week.   Then she starts driver's ed.  She has been driving for a while now, and has gotten really good at it. She can get her license in less than two months!!!   

 

Kara was also recognized in November with the Melvin Award from her high school.   A Melvin’s Hero is  recognition for being an awesome student.  A student is picked by teachers and  a small handful of students.

They spotlight a student Monday through Thursday.  There are 2500 students at the school and there are only 130 days that you could possibly be awarded this, so this was quite a cool thing.  Kara got a t-shirt, certificate and medal.    Our family knows Kara is awesome, but it is nice when others appreciate her  too.

Coby got a 4.0 at BYU last semester.  Yesterday he started his final semester at BYU.  He is graduating in April. He has been applying for scholarships for master programs in Europe and Israel.  We are so proud of what a hard working student he is and it is hard to believe he works part time too!!!!  

I copied the way my friend Makinzee hung  her cards. I love it and now I just don't want to take it down.  Such a cute idea, thanks for sharing.

What is going on!!!

A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks.   Some annoying stuff---our car getting towed and costing one of our children $230 to be able to get it back.

  Another day having our car not start and after spending a couple hundred it finally started working!!! Hooray!!!!!  Thank you Mindy for driving car pool for me!!

Also,  we are dealing with  children  who are making some tough decisions about what they want to do with their life.

Kara tried out for the play they will be doing at her new high school.  Usually they don't cast very many sophomores so we are crossing our fingers.  They also only cast a small group.  She did her singing audition on Tuesday and she finds out if she is in it this Friday!!! My fingers are crossed!

Coby traveled to Canada recently with his girl friend, her brother, and his girlfriend..  He had a great time.  His girlfriend just turned in her mission papers. It will be fun to see where she goes!!!  She will be an amazing missionary!!!

Right before school started we went to Bear Lake with some friends.  It was so much fun!!!!  Unfortunately my camera was dead so I am relying on my friends for pictures.  But here are a few that I copied.  Thanks Makinzee!! 

 Kara holding Lily!!!  She is such a sweet cute baby. 

 

Me holding Lily.  I started rubbing her head and she was fast asleep.  

 Here is our whole group minus Jen and family.  This is right after we hiked through this cool cave with A LOT of steps.   It was fun. 

 

Hopefully, I will have a  lot more pictures after  I look through all of my friends pictures.  

Kara had her first piano student today. She is going to be an excellent piano teacher.  Right now I believe she has two students, but she is taking more if you know anyone that is interested!!!  

I went out to lunch today with friends from work.  It was fun to catch up with those I haven't seen in the last couple months.  I am starting work later than normal this year due to a whole new core curriculum being started.  I go back to work on September 24th.   I have been grateful for my break as I have been doing this 40 day de-clutter project my friend Camille told me about.   Also, I have been able to walk each morning with my friend Ann!!! It is so beautiful outside right now and it is so fun to talk to Ann!!!