Aleisha graduated from BYU in December! Hallelujah! She "walked" in August and Jerry and I went. We were very proud and still are now in December when it is official. She graduated with a major in Philosophy and minors in Logic and Spanish. Jerry teases her that she graduated in tidliwinks (which if she didn't have a plan would be true, there are many a philosophy major being receptionists somewhere?). Her plan is to apply for law school a year from now. All I can say is, "Watchout law school!" She spent the spring semester in Spain with BYU study abroad and speaks fluent spanish, with (thanks to Spain) much less of her white girl accent. While she was home for Thanksgiving she went to the Spanish Relief Society and they were very impressed, then forgot she was fluent and talked about her to their single sons! She is still an avid rock climber, a great cook and achiever-extrodinaire! She just got a job working at her Uncle Mike's law firm while she studies for the LSAT. We love Aleisha.
Mason graduated from high school this year (after successfully being involved in every known club at SHS and being the leading goal scorer in 4A soccer in the state of Texas! *see older posts!) and immediately went to Jackson, Mississippi to work. While he was there he received his mission call to the Philipines. We had a big group conference call and read the call to him over the phone. I made it all the way through without crying! I did however cry 2 weeks ago when he left for the MTC. Mason was very ready to go so he didn't cry. Everyone came to visit for Thanksgiving and his farewell the Sunday after. I sent him to Utah with Grandpa as his companion and Grandma helped him finish shopping and kicked him out at the curb at the MTC. She said she will not do this again (there was crying involved) so I have 2 years to come up with a different plan for Daniel. We have received 1 email so far, his companion is 6 ft 4, 240lbs. Now that is a funny picture. Mason leaves for the Philipines in February. All I can say is "Look out Philipines!"
Following in his brother's footsteps, Daniel has been a flag runner for SHS (the white blurr in the picture is Dan! *see older posts). However, he has made it his own. He spends alot of the game doing back flips, ariels and handsprings. He is a self taught gymnast. He recently informed me he has progressed as far as he can without some professional training so that he doesn't kill himself. How very reassuring! I found out later he had googled how to run up a wall and flipover and was trying it at the games (Kendall ratted him out!). Dan was a rockstar last soccer season (again, older posts!) and is one of the top returning players this year! He spent the summer cycling and running. He loves that stuff. He rode in the Hotter n Hell 100 mile ride again this year and improved his time! Daniel is quick witted and keeps us laughing. His aspirations for the future are questionable, originally he wanted to be a bum but recently decided Bear Grills from Man vs Wild has the best job on earth. Dan applied to be on an episode but was disqualified due to age. Unfair! In the future, look for Dan to be jumping out of something, somewhere!
It is blurry and they all look alike, but somewhere in there is Brandon playing the trumpet. He is a pretty big band nerd, not quite as big as Kendall but close! When Brandon isn't staring intently at his cell phone, he is very into the arts. He likes band and theater! Not in front of the stage mind you, but in the wings and that's alright! Somebody has to open the curtain or the show can't go on. Brandon is our socialite. He undoubtibly has more phone contacts and facebook friends than all the rest of us put together! Would that we all were so loved! Brandon is also the best dressed individual in this house, without question.
Kendall will tell you that she has spent her life watching her brothers play soccer. Which is true. This past spring Kendall ran the 200 meter run for the track team. This picture is proof that her brothers were there to watch her, for a change. They yelled encouragment from stands, loudly! (I had to put a stop to that.) She does really well running (*older posts). She is also a humongous band nerd (mysteriously her brothers are always busy on concert nights). This year, as a freshman, she was awarded 1 of the only 3 available flute spots in the high school symphonic band. Kendall loves fashion of all sorts and is pretty sure she could be a model except for the whole modesty issue. We installed a very large mirror in her room recently and she was enraptured. Daniel says she shouldn't need such a large mirror to see all of herself. He's hilarious. (Kendall disagrees.) Kendall is a joy, just ask her. Really she is. She is also a talented writer and extrovert (and believe me, that is a talent.)
Jerry has had a good year, I think anyway. His golf swing is back (he had a tiny case of the shanks for awhile, we nearly had to do cpr to resucitate Jerry's sanity). Needless to say, he spent every moment humanly possible at the golf course. This fall he and Mason ran the chains at Tarleton Stadium. Jerry loves this, Mason tolerated it. It is still a mystery to me, why it is fun, but Jerry and his buddies love it. For awhile Jerry and his friends were really into ping pong. It's ok to giggle, it is funny to watch. They have fancy paddles and everything. Very serious. Jerry's dream came true recently when he got the call from Tarleton that he was up for season basketball tickets. He has been waiting for years! So come down and go to a game with him and sit in the chair seats. . . they have Jerry's name on them!
I am still working in Waco in the ER and teaching at the nursing college. I also added an occasional day in the Stephenville ER. I know too much. But it is too fun! There are times now when I'm home alone and it is soooo nice! I don't know when but the kids grew up. I'm incredibly proud of all of them. My kids are terrific people. My biggest happening this year was the kitchen remodel. Dan and I started it the day after Mason's graduation and Mason and I finished it the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We are turtle slow, obviously, but we do good work. It was quite an ordeal. But, I think it turned out really nice. I won't ever do it again but I think it is pretty (*see future blog). Come on down and you can sit in my new kitchen . . . I will put your name on the new bar stools!
Merry Christmas
