Family Fun

We hope everyone had a good week, we sure did. We had some significant events worth mentioning this week as well as the ordinary and daily routines. So, where to start? How about with Alex.
On Monday, we rode our bikes over to Bay Middle School to see the annual art show. Why our sudden interest in the creative manufacturings of pre-adolescents you ask? Well, because our Alexis had a ceramic piece selected by her art teacher to be on display! So, we rode over, and yes Sam is now riding bikes with us as you'll see in the pictures below, and walked through the much anticipated art show. There were many pieces to look at ranging from ceramics to photography, pen and ink drawings to oil paintings, and other things like scratch board pictures. Some were quite impressive for kids of that age to create, while others made one simply stare in amazement that the piece actually was interpreted to be that of value. Alex made a ceramic piece of a seal in the water. She did an excellent job.


Throughout the week, Alex also had a few tests in her classes which she feels good about, as well as a fitness test in which she did 5 pushups--one of the most for the girls!
Her latest venture is decorating the interior of the neighbors tree house. She has picked yellow paint with blue polka-dots. Don't quote me on that, it might have changed.

Mesia is working hard as ever and is being rewarded and blessed abundantly with her new job. She is working overtime tomorrow (Saturday) to make up for two days of being sick last week. While she has awesome supervisors who love her, her job and assignments require her devotion every minute of the day in order to stay on top of her workload. Hey, it's not easy being on the "Tiger Team," but it is rewarding. Oh and one of Mesia's supervisors has a crush on me.
Mesia has taken a love to the "small village" feel of Bay. Being a stone's throw away from the lake front, parks, and trails has afforded us the luxury of listening to Mesia's new demands for bike rides every day of our lives, now that summer is here. The minute I pick Mesia up from the bus stop, the first words out of her mouth are, "Know why I'm happy?" I have now learned that it's no longer a guessing game, because I always know the answer. But I also have learned that more epinephrine pumps through her veins when I let her tell me the answer. So like a good husband, I play dumb, "I don't know, why are you so happy?" Inevitably, she responds, "BECAUSE IT'S NICE WEATHER AND WE WILL GO ON A BIKE RIDE TONIGHT!!!" The answer is a mix between surety and a flat out command, which we all oblige because we all know that 'when mom is happy, the whole house is happy.'




Sam has learned how to kiai and growl. Yes, that's what you get when you spend all day with a ferocious karate sensei of a dad. Although our conversations are single syllables, our interactions are much more intense. We take turns growling back and forth and then we'll take a break and practice our kiais. While many of you may find this juvenile and petty, let me assure you that an effective kiai is a practical and important skill. To learn it at such a young age will ensure tight abdominal muscles, focus, and channeled aggression, all of which will come in handy as she uses a deadly shuto to the jaw of her over eager high school suitors. She has also been working with Alex on walking. Her record so far is 3 steps!





As for me, my calling in church is keeping me busy in my studying of the Old Testament. I have also been tackling "Jesus the Christ" by Talmage. Both are keeping my mind exercised as I'm working on my memory for law school. Speaking of which, I just found out that we will be receiving $20,500 of federal aid for my first year. This is great news considering tuition and books will come to about $26,000-$27,000. We will be applying for another federal loan to make up the difference as well as a little bit of extra money for our own comfort of living. The average student graduates law school with upwards of $110k in student loans. We will be just under $90k. With Mesia's job and my potential one, our student debt should be of no grave concern. Oh, and we have a bunny rabbit living in our backyard--don't tell Nyxi and Thena.

Well, that's a wrap. Until next time, we hope that everyone is safe, healthy and happy. With Mother's Day on Sunday, our family expresses the most sincere wishes and deepest gratitude to Grandma Cindy, Grandma Debbie and all other mom's and grandmas in our family who may read this. We appreciate all you guys do for us and recognize that we would not be the people we are, be where we are in life, and be on the path to the future we are without your influences. Thank you for all you do. We love you.

Signing off,

Brian and family.