National Honor Society Junior Year

National Honor Society is awesome. It really helps celebrate your successful grades. I love that they get together at school for a few hours afterwards to just have some fun. What is nice this year is it was the last day of a weeks worth of testing. After all that testing its a much needed break.

Zekaryah works just as hard in class, sometimes harder as its difficult for him at times to retain information, copy it from one text to another etc. He has improved so much this year. I love how far his writing has truly come. He does an amazing job at giving time to the Lord. He is always willing to serve in any capacity he can. He works as a student leader for the ministry, he serves in the band, he works with little ones in our younger areas called Son Harbor, he also helps with sign language on stage during the music time on Sundays for the youth. He really loves this portion of serving. He is involved in Track, Cross Country, Men's Choir Ensemble at School as well as Mixed Chorale. He is BUSY~
I love hearing from other parents about how hard he works, how honest he is and just what a blessing he is in their lives. While he may not make grades enough to be in Honor Society he does an amazing job in my book. 

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My Sons Endeavors

Recently we had to purchase our oldest child a jacket of his own, he decided it would be our gift to him when he turned 17 this month. What a mature decision. We had been borrowing one from different people every time he had a formal event due to lack of money. We decided that it was affecting his confidence during interviews and speeches to be in someone elses clothes, maybe if the clothes had become his it would have been different, but they were clothes that would be returned. We were right. This past weekend he went to a new competition and he did better than he ever has. I am thankful for that Godly wisdom. I am also thankful for the sale that we found at Kohls for the jacket and that it matched the pants he already had.

Summer Group he was in to promote recycling in a local school

He has been part of Skills USA and National Technical Honor Society. This year he decided he wanted to be President of this group. This past weekend he went to district where he won 1st place in Technical Math and 4th place in Architecture Design of a Bakery he created. He will go on to State. I am very excited for him. This is a picture of the night he gave his first speech for the induction ceremony

He also chose to be part of the Interact group this year, which is part of the Rotary Club. I think it has great opportunities. He was able to go to a Leadership Conference and had a great weekend with  new experiences.

Acadec has been very involved this year. It is nice to see him do well in this competition. This years focus is on Russia. Next year his little sister hopes to join him in the class where he will be a senior and she will be a freshman. She is excited to learn along side of her big brother.

This year his High School started A Unite West group. He was chosen from one of the groups that he is in to participate in this overall group of leaders of his High School campus. What a wonderful opportunity.

He is also part of another Leadership Group for the school district. They just went to the State Capitol where he got to ask the State Rep of our area about the testing and what can be done about it so that it is a better process for our students

They got to sit in on meetings and conversation to. I am so happy he has had so many ways to serve in the community and further his leadership skills. I think it will be very helpful to do well at those college interviews he will have in the next year. He hopes to attend a local state school with a full ride.. I pray that his desires are granted.

DAR Award

I was shocked and brought to tears literally last night when the counselor of the school announced my daughters name as the recipient of this years National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I am always so proud of all three of my children. They are so unique from one another. I can see the Lord's plan before them and their contribution to society. This is an honor I have seen presented before to a young lady. I remember thinking of MeKenzei that night two years ago when my oldest was in 8th grade. Hoping that she would continue to grow and demonstrate the same great qualities. I never imagined that as a 7th grader she would be nominated for this prestigious award.

Some background on the Daughters of the American Revolution

"The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded on October 11, 1890, during a time that was marked by a revival in patriotism and intense interest in the beginnings of the United States of America. Women felt the desire to express their patriotic feelings and were frustrated by their exclusion from men's organizations formed to perpetuate the memory of ancestors who fought to make this country free and independent. As a result, a group of pioneering women in the nation's capital formed their own organization and the Daughters of the American Revolution has carried the torch of patriotism ever since. "

Her award states:

Good Citizenship Award

Honor: honesty, high principles, trustworthiness, loyalty, truthfulness, punctuality, moral strength and stability, cleanliness in mind and body.

Service: cooperation, meritorious behavior bringing honor to school or community, kindliness, unselfishness, true Americanism, individual responsibility to God, Home and Country

Courage: mental and physical, determination to overcome obstacles.

Leadership: personality, originality, ability to lead others, good sportsmanship, responsibility.

Patriotism: fundamental Americanism.

I think about her lately and how she has grown. A couple things come to mind. She had sought out to join a group called PALS, our oldest son was involved with the program and I was excited to see her interest. She was disappointed when she did not make it, however there were only 20 slots out of 100+ applications. Very difficult to choose I am sure. When she told me why she was so upset my heart went out to her. It was not that she could not be part of the group. She really wanted to be able to mentor students at the elementary school where she had attended. That was very important to her. Such wisdom to want to help others.

Then this past couple of months she has been really pushing hard to earn money for her own braces. We cannot afford to get these for her. She has been saving everything she can and now has $400. I think of the idea of saving for braces. What a huge responsibility. I think about the fact that she just turned 13 and realizes that I would give them to her if I could but that she has the ability to do something about it. She took it upon herself to save that money. Those are skills and qualities that we would want in all of our children. It shows great Leadership. Think of the world if we had a Congress full of leaders with such qualities. 

I am so proud of her hard work. Proud of her character and what she sets out to achieve. I can't wait to see what her next 5 years hold.

Thank you to our local DAR Chapter for this wonderful award and honor.