Tuesday, July 21, 2020
4th of July in Our Nation’s Capital
Our family was able to spend the Fourth of July in our nation’s capital. We watched the fireworks from the rooftop of the hotel we were staying at. They were beautiful.
We flew in to Washington DC on July 3 and spent the Fourth of July walking to various monuments. It had been about 30 years since Ken and I visited Washington DC while we were in high school.
The days were hot and humid and most of the hotel pools were closed due to Covid, but we enjoyed learning more about our nations history and seeing some of the important monuments.
There weren’t very many other people around so we practically had the place to ourselves. It felt good to be exploring and traveling again!
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Friday, May 29, 2020
Lila’s 4th Grade Year
Lila’s 4th grade year was a difficult one. Ken was in the hospital during most of the first quarter. Thankfully she was able to communicate using technology and even visit when possible.
Lila always enjoys the spirit days like crazy hair day (picture below).
Lila had the lead roll in the Christmas play, Jane Blond. Mimi flew from CT to see it and Grandma B and Uncle Bill were able to attend as well as her friends Chloe, Mya and Lexi.
Lila’s wonderful teacher Mrs Claes supported her in so many different ways this year.
I was able to go with Lila on the class field trip to San Juan Capistrano mission.
It was a beautiful day and we had lots of fun.
Ken and Lila worked on her mission project together, building Mission Santa Barbara.
Open house is always a great opportunity to see all of the great work on display.
This year was a difficult year with friends for Lila, but we were very proud of her when she received the forgiveness award for trying to forgive wrongs and move forward.
The school year ended at home with distance learning because of Covid-19. We are grateful for the experiences Lila had this year because she is developing character and learning to trust God in all things.
Brad’s 7th grade year
Brad’s 7th grade year began while Ken was in the hospital. He would attend school and then we would try to see Ken afterwards or on the weekends.
Ken and I were at City of a hope for Halloween so Brad (dresses up as Thanos) went out with a large group of friends from church.
Brad enjoyed being part of the worship team and the band at Heights.
He also continued weekly drum lessons with Matt Ordaz.
Although Brad has the added stress of Ken being in the hospital, he managed to earn honor roll honors and he was awarded the SHINE award for Christian character.
He was able to attend the new Star Wars movie with a group from church.
And he attended the Blue Man Group with Ken, Sky, and Mr Ordaz, his band teacher.
Brad also continued to read and enjoy the Ranger’s Apprentice series.
Brad was in my my home homeroom and our class did pretty well with the Apex challenges, which culminated in a color battle.
Although the school year was cut short because of Covid 19, Brad really did have a great 7th grade year. He learned how to switch classes, manage his supplies, and even learn from home, doing all of it with a great attitude and a cheerful spirit.
Sky’s Freshman Year
Sky’s freshman year at Sonora started with the stress of Ken’s cancer treatments. Ken droppied her off for the first day of school and then drove straight to the hospital for his 3rd round of chemo. Of course Starbucks was involved.
FCA (fellowship of Christian Athletes) played a big role in Sky’s freshman year. There were multiple events throughout the year and weekly meetings as well. The back to school family picnic was really wonderful, as each family prayed over their student.
FCA hosted a beach event which Sky really enjoyed.
For the entire month of October, Ken and I were at Coty of Hope and my mom and Bill stayed with the kids at our house. Sky was able to get rides to school with our friends from Heights, the Correa’s and the Rodriguez’s and home from school with the McKinley’s. These families took great care of Sky and supported my mom and Bill immensely during this time.
They went to movies together and Sky enjoyed the dances also.
Sky took honors English and AP Human Geography as well as biology, algebra 1, and dance. She eventually dropped dance to participate in the swim team but that was cut short due to Covid 19. In addition to distance learning, she also had to take the AP exam online.
Sky was a hydro-flask for Halloween and she attended a party at a friend’s home.
Sky’s first period class was French 1. We really enjoyed attending Paris Night and Sky and her partner built a model of Sucre Coeur, a cathedral in Paris. They also sang French songs while we enjoyed crepes and other French pastries.
Although this year was filled with unexpected twists and turns (father with cancer and Covid 19), Sky really enjoyed her freshman year. She made lots of new friends and tried new things (dances, French, swim team, etc).
As she looks forward to next year, she recently found out that she made the drill team so she will be involved with that. She will also be on the leadership team for FCA, possibly using her talent for singing to lead worship. And she’s waiting to hear back from a buddy program for kids with special needs that she hopes to be involved with next year.
We are thankful for the Christian presence at Sonora and the excellent school leadership and support this year.
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