HS Academic Awards Ceremony

We attended the RHS Academic Awards Ceremony this evening, having received an invitation stating Annah would be receiving an award.

 These awesome freshman were the student council representatives for their class this year.

The HS Student Council (minus a few who weren't able to be at the ceremony) for 2015-2016

The RHS class of 2019 is full of excellent students. All of these freshman were on the high honor roll, receiving all A's.  They keep each other working hard.

Mr. Wyant said some very kind words about Annah, and presented her with the award for Advanced English 1. 

Señorita Kruse awarded Annah the Spanish 1 award. She has been a wonderful teacher and great encourager to Annah, and we are sad she won't be at RHS next year--though happy for her as she fulfills her own goals. 

Muy bien!

Annah also received the Biology award.

And the Math 2 award. 

 And the Geography award.

 Hugs with Addie!

 Needless to say, we are proud of Annah.  We were pretty surprised that she won the award for every single one of her academic classes, but happy for her to be recognized for her hard work.  

"Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established." - Proverbs 16:3

A selfie the girls left on my phone...

Caeden and his friend Kamoni played "slap-checkers" before church started on Sunday morning. They had all these crazy rules, which included slapping each other in the face!  Oh my goodness.  They thought they were hilarious!  

These two got dressed to go to a funeral visitation and thought they matched well, so we took a pic.  

Annah jumped in for one too.

On Tuesday, Annah went on a little field trip to Barnes and Noble to choose new books for her English teacher's classroom.  They each were allowed to spend $20 on books.  They also had lunch at DQ and hit up the Starbucks inside the Barnes and Noble for frappuccinos.  

Caeden's 5th grade class went on their last field trip of elementary school today.  They visited the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College and Kickapoo Creek Park.  Caeden tried to dodge a huge mud puddle and fell right in it.  He was covered in mud. Doesn't sound like it was a very fun day for him, but hopefully he will have some positive memories from it.  

Friday Fun Day

This afternoon, I ran the tic-tac-toe relay at the elementary Field Day.  It was Caeden's last Field Day,  and it was a beautiful day for it.  We had so much fun!

Sylvia gave a how-to speech in Reading/English class today about how to play the cello.  Her friend, Ms. S came to class to try her hand at the cello.  Ms. S works with special ed classes, but Sylvia has gotten to know her by chatting with her in the mornings before classes start, because she monitors the kids in the gym before school starts.  Ms. S has been a great encouragement and support to Sylvia over the past couple years, and I appreciate her so much!

This weekend is Ridgeview's Amazing Art Show!  We knew we wouldn't have a chance to come back to the school during the actual hours of the show, so we walked through after school and looked at everything.   I am always completely blown away by the art show.

Shows past: 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 

This year, Annah took high school Art 1 as a freshman and loved having art class first thing every morning!  3 of her projects are in this photo--

--The yellow paper next to her legs has some origami projects from the first day of class.

--The circle of butterflies above her shoulder is her Color Mixing/Color Vocabulary/Simulated Texture project.

--The project on the side of her legs is also hers--Monocromatic Painting/Color Mixing/Value.  

I think these were some of the earliest projects from the beginning of the school year.

I cannot overemphasize how thankful I am for Mrs. Hoffert and the way she teaches art! For 10 years now, I have been amazed at the art history and techniques my kids learn in her classes.  She is a fantastic woman and a phenomenal teacher!

Annah's 3-D project in the style of Jackson Pollock on display in the art classroom

For this project, Annah was to use items she had to represent her own likes, things that are important to her, or that tell her story.  

Some of the things that stand out to me: 

- the pin that says, "Jesus puts a song in my heart"

- glow-in-the-dark butterflies from her closet at home

- Reeces peanut butter cup wrappers

- pink and purple yarns to represent her favorite colors

-a pin that says, "When all words fail, music speaks"

(Annah sang this song for solo/ensemble last year, and it really represents her.  She has trouble making her own words say what she feels or wants to say, but loves using music to express those things!)

This side is all colored with markers.

Annah's clay coil pot

I realized later that I didn't take pictures of Annah's most impressive projects.  I'll have to take some when she brings them all home.

Caeden has struggled a little bit with art class this year.  He earned his first B ever in art 2nd quarter, and doesn't feel very confident in his artistic abilities.  When I asked for a picture of him with his henna hand drawing, he didn't want to smile at first, so Sylvia helped him.

He finally did oblige with a smile...His project is to the right of his face in this photo.

This is one project Caeden was happy with.  His is the red/purple tree in the middle the row right next to him--so, up and left of his head.

Caeden is almost completely done with elementary school!  We have been blessed by our kids being part of this "unique garden" for 10 years now, and I have to admit I'm a little sad thinking about them all being too grown up for elementary school anymore in just a few days!

HS Music Awards Banquet

We attended the RHS Music Department Awards Banquet this evening, another first of the high school years.  It was fun to eat and celebrate with the music department families!

As we finished up eating, teachers began announcing awards.

Annah was recognized for participating in the ILMEA All-District (3) Festival Choir last November.  Only two RHS students were chosen (by audition) to participate in the festival, Annah for choir, and Brandon for the band.

Addie, Allison, Annah, and MacKenzie, with their certificates for receiving Division I ratings on solos at ILMEA Solo/Ensemble Contest this past March. ( Addie's and Allison's certificates are for vocal solos and their vocal trio with Tristan. Annah's are for her vocal solo and her violin solo. MacKenzie's is for her flute solo.)

These students, MacKenzie, Kaitlyn, Madison, Annah, Zach, Brandon, Katie, Lexie, and Lauren, participated in the Heart of Illinois (HOIC) All-Conference Honor Band this past March.

These are the choir seniors (minus some who couldn't attend the banquet.)  I am going to miss them very much!!!  

Annah received the Outstanding Freshman Award 

for the choral department, and RJ for the band department!

And, even though I took hundreds of pictures of these friends together on the trip to Florida, they all matched in their marching band t-shirts tonight and were so cute I had to have one more picture!  So thankful for their friendship! 

Over the past week

My last several posts have been event-specific, but today's will be very random.  Each time I sit down to blog, I am reminded how blessed and fortunate and lucky I am to have this life.  Going through my photos and calendar and sitting down to put some stories together here helps me to reflect on some of those most precious moments.  They're not always the prettiest or easiest, but I am thankful for the way God is walking us through this life and helping us learn from Him together.

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A Monday night at home...Sylvia practicing cello, Daddy wanted to join in.

Meanwhile, someone was taking sneaky selfies on Mom's phone.

Annah and her friend Alexis are making the best of dissecting a rat in Biology this week.

I recently made these cute lil sandals (which will look 10x cuter with baby feet in them!) for the momma of a couple little guys in the wrestling club.  They're having a new baby girl this summer.

Early Saturday morning...folding some origami at his desk, obviously some LEGO action going on too...

Sylvia made coconut chocolate chip banana mini muffins and gave me a special Mother's Day arrangement of them!

This guy changed my phone lock screen.

Sylvia and Caeden made necklaces for me. Each wrote a sweet little message to me and put it in a tiny bottle on a ribbon.

I am responsible for compiling information from response cards after church, and noticed Sylvia had done the most adorable doodles on the back of hers!  I had to preserve them digitally!

  

The best part about Mother's Day was that we had an entire weekend with all 5 of us at home together!  I loved it.  Friday, Jeremy took the day off, so we spent time outside together.  When the kids got home from school, we chatted outside and enjoyed waving to neighbors.  Jeremy went to GC to pick up Monical's for my Mother's Day meal--(we don't want to fight crowds on Sunday after church.)  Then we watched some movie's he rented.  

Saturday, I taught 2 piano lessons in the morning, and we watched a movie when it rained.  I did laundry.  The kids did homework.  Jeremy did some work outside during the sunny times.  I made a big supper and we all sat down and ate together.  Caeden and Jeremy and I played frisbee in the backyard.  

Sunday, the kids all got up early and were ready to leave for church with me at 7:20.  Worship service was awesome!  Caeden made me a gift in kids' church.  I drove through and picked up McD's quickly since Jeremy helped with tear-down.  Annah and I stayed in town for her violin lesson.  We relaxed and watched one of my favorite movies, Robinhood Prince of Thieves, together in the afternoon.  Jeremy gave me a beautiful card and a Home Depot gift card.  There were so many lovely and fun moments.  

I am so fortunate to have the husband and children I have, and to have the privilege of being a wife and mother.  I love my family so much!

Along with all that, there were moments, too, that were not so lovely...

One kid came home from school Friday very sad and upset about hurt feelings causing a lot of strain in a friendship.  One kid was a real brat at church and injured my finger while being obnoxious.  All 3 kids were annoyed with me for making them empty and load the dishwasher.  One kid went to bed very upset with me because I pointed out the fact that remembering to take a shower 20 minutes after bedtime means no shower is going to be taken.  Not every moment is fun.  Not everyone is happy with everyone else at all times.  This is how we learn and grow.  Sometimes it hurts.

Still, I am so fortunate to have the husband and children I have, and to have the privilege of being a wife and mother.  I love my family so much!

"It's the little imperfections;

It's the sudden change in plans...

Yeah, I live for little moments like that."

- Little Moments Like That, Brad Paisley

String Project Recital

This beautiful girl played her cello in the String Project Solo Recital this evening!  

Can I just say how proud I am of her?!  Sylvia did what I think would be one of the most nerve-wracking things in the [junior high] world this week!  Last week, when Dr. R suggested she try to play her piece by memory for an "audience" before the recital, Sylvia asked her band director if she could play in class.  Mr. M allowed her to play at the beginning of band on Monday morning, and Mr. R brought in all of his study hall to listen too.  That included most of the junior high kids.  I really can't think of anything that would be more scary than playing in front of the very peers who criticize, tease, bully, and pretty much mentally and emotionally torment you every day!  I think she was so brave to do it!  

As she would tell you, she was very nervous, and it wasn't her best performance ever.  But, she did it!  She did play well, and she made it through the piece by memory!  And, excepting one envious girl who decided to give an unsolicited and uneducated critique of every moment of Sylvia's performance, Sylv said she received several nice comments and compliments throughout the day on Monday from  kids.  I told her that if she could play in front of all her junior high peers at school, the recital would be a piece of cake in comparison.  She agreed.

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The String Project recital includes elementary and junior high string players who are private students of String Project teachers. Most of those teachers are ISU music majors--some working on bachelor's degrees, some master's.  Sylvia is fortunate to study cello with Dr. R, who is the director of the String Project program. 

I was happy for the privilege to accompany Sylvia on her piece again.  While no one who performed this evening would say they felt they had a perfect performance, we were so glad Sylvia played confidently.  I think she did a great job!

VIDEO: Danse Rustique

After the recital, Sylvia wanted pictures with her cello friends.  Her friend Yvin's little brother wanted to be in the pictures too!  So, Caeden was very happy to jump in so we could get a picture with both little brothers.

Sylvia and Yvin are so glad to have become good friends through String Project!

The girls convinced their fellow cello friend Sidney to join the pictures, and Dr. R hopped in too! Such talented and wonderful cellists and people!

I can't even explain how thankful I am for Dr. R, for String Project, for these friends, and for Sylvia's cello playing experiences!  Seriously, Jesus and her cello are getting her through 7th grade!  

"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered." - Psalm 71:23