Family Update...needed to get this all out of my head.

Derek is at the end of a long (I can't even remember when he started) journey to get an AA in Retail Management through NWACC. This is a distance learning program through Walmart. All of his classes are done, he just needs to finish a paper to replace his semester long internship that his distance learning prevents him from doing in person. He has submitted his first two drafts of his paper and received positive feedback from the committee during a Skype interview on Monday. Now he needs to beef it up with another five or so pages letting them know specifics of how his education and work experience have benefited him as a manager.

Winter and life and my thyroid were hard on me this year. I gained about 35 pounds over the last year. Most of it December through April or so. Some of it came on gradually starting when I stopped exercising regularly during last year's dance show (2013). But most of it was me coping with winter and life and finances. Now I face taking 30+ pounds of weight off to improve my health, make my joints feel better and to lower my cholesterol. That sucks. I had my four year anniversary in May with LSS of MN as a DSP in a residential home in my small town. I am starting to feel the burnout that is very common in this industry. It is hard work emotionally and sometimes physically for not enough pay. For now I hang in there because it is necessary. I am hoping to cut my hours WAY back in September as I will once again be homeschooling 3 girls and it is Miranda's last year at home (I am not homeschooling her).

Miranda finished her first full year at M-State in May and is now a Senior in high school and a Sophomore in college. She currently has a cumulative 3.66 GPA and hopes to graduate with a 3.8+ next fall. She likes the freedom of a college schedule, loves college band (she is first chair clarinet) and appreciates a schedule that allows her to work during the school day and fit in all of her extracurriculars. This year she participated in dance, robotics, band, swim team, community theater, seminary, church choir and I am sure I am forgetting something....all in addition to school and work. She worked at the YMCA as a lifeguard and at the public library as a librarian's aid during the school year and this summer has picked up a third job as an intern at the Daily Journal. She is surprising herself and liking the journalism gig the best. Usually she detests someone else telling her what to write and how to write it but she is rocking this opportunity and might be offered a position at the end of the summer. She went to Idaho in June for a week at AFY and discovered that she LOVES white water river rafting and confirmed her lifelong suspicion of horses. She continues to like being in charge whenever she has a chance (often at church) and has uncovered a latent passion for all things theater. She loved her role as Chef Louis in the Little Mermaid this summer and plans on participating in the M-State musical and play this coming school year as well as 2015 Razzle Dazzle at AC4TA next February. After graduation she plans on working for 8 months before heading out to serve an 18 month mission for our church. Miranda has a strong character, a sassy mouth, a quick wit, loves any joke, pun or meme that involves a play on words, communicates in movie quotes, song lyrics and internet memes, loves her laptop, reading, writing, editing, music, ice cream, movies and cute boys. In short....Miranda is a ROCKSTAR!!!!

After 2 years (8th and 9th grades) of iQ Academy, Danelle will once again be homeschooled this year. She will start PSEO as a high school Sophomore with just one class at the college each sememster, most likely choir. She will be pursuing an AA from M-State during her junior and senior years as well. She will focus on the AA in performing arts/theater. She in not quite sure of her plans past high school but she is certain that it will involve performing. She loves to dance and this fall will be starting her 12th year with FFSD. She finished last year at the top of the "80's Club" with 289 classes attended during the year and 9 classes taken a week. Since the 4th grade she has focused on ballet, modern and jazz. This spring she applied, auditioned and interviewed for a summer mentorship through LRAC to work with a local tap teacher and is taking weekly one on one tap classes at an intensive like pace. Her goal is to finish the summer at Level 5 in tap so that she can take classes at the same level as her same age/grade peers this fall. Danelle also LOVES theater and was the lead role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid last month. She plans on participating in the play and musical at KSS this school year. She is not in band anymore and is pretty much letting her trombone collect dust. She sings and dances every opportunity that she gets. Lately she has been dealing with some girl drama that has been pretty foreign in our home. We are dealing with it and hopefully all will be well again soon. Danelle is smart, feisty, dedicated, loud and funny. She makes and keeps friends easily as long as they have high standards and get her brand of humor. Right now she has bright red hair (dyed for the play) that seems to perfectly match her personality. Derek says she needs to dye it brown again soon, but the red really suits her! Danelle is destined to be a STAR!!!!

Madison follows in nobodies footsteps. She is her own person and pretty sure of herself. She doesn't mind doing her own thing. This summer her 3 sisters were in The Little Mermaid while she opted out because it conflicted with swim team. One of her swim meets was in Alexandria and there were not enough participants to send a coach along. Madison was okay with that....then she got there and discovered that she was the ONLY FFF competing that day. No matter to Madi....she found the Alex coach, got assigned a practice lane and swam her heart out. She is not timid or shy, but not over the top either. She has had the same few loyal friends since she was very little. Her cousin Ethan, bff Angelique and good friend Lilly are all kids she has known since before she was 3. Madison is the only one of our girls that has never been to public school and the only girl that plans (as of now) to attend 4 years of public high school. She has a great support system in place with her cousin and friends, swim team and band. This coming school year will be her last at home. We will be concentrating on writing and spelling. Madison also dances at FFSD this school year, taking classes in jazz and modern. She took the year off of band (Hillcrest changed their policy regarding homeschooled students) and will start again this coming year at KSS. Madison has a passion for serving others and each month she volunteered at 4-H Homeschool Adventures helping Tammy Nordick set up and carry out the activities. Madison just took 3 projects to the county fair and received 3 blue ribbons. She also taught at  project day this school year and attended a 4-H leadership camp. She is Beehive President at church and has gained a greater command of herself and tamed her wild ways quite a bit. She no longer beats up on the missionaries or the Watchorn boys, but focuses inward on gaining and developing strength of body and character. Right now she has plans to attend BYU-I for a degree in Exercise Science. Madison will be the STAR of her own life!!!

Kamiryn. She is the baby. She can be sweet and sensitive and kind. She can also sassy, rude and difficult to deal with. She loves to be read to and reads on her own but just a little bit each day. She loves to know where I am and what I am doing all the time. She likes to be entertained. She has a hard time following through with tasks and assignments unless I am right beside her. She spends most of her time at home. She loves dance and doing anything her sisters are doing. She was in Razzle Dazzle and The Little Mermaid. She is kind to the littler kids in primary. She loves babies, puppies, kittens and all things soft and little. She is certain that she knows who she is going to marry and where she will live. She is nurturing and loves to cook, sew, make stuff and is a great hostess. She is intuitive and great at seeing what people need. Her bedroom is messy but she sets up "stores" and "restaurants" in the basement about once a month and they are always set up perfectly and ready for business. She has the choice of playing the flute or cornet in band and has chosen the flute. She LOVES fruit and vegetables and is definitely my most adventurous eater. She still plays with dolls and barbies.  She is in 4-H homeschool adventures and this week took 7 projects to the fair, most of them upcycled. She came away with 6 blue ribbons and 1 red. She says that she interviewed well. I believe her. She is very softspoken with strangers and often comes across as very shy. She has just a few friends and rarely interacts with them outside of specific activities (dance, 4-H, church, etc....). Mostly she spends time with sisters, cousins, grandparents and Derek and I. She is funny, loves to laugh and smile and make other people laugh and smile. Kamiryn is certain that she is the STAR of our family.