Brady is currently attending Job Corps in St. Paul. He is doing well in classes and is also working a part time job. He has a computer for email and a cell phone. If anyone would like to visit with him just call Lisa for his info.

Evan is in middle school, 7th grade to be exact. He has struggled some to keep his work up but he is adjusting. He is still in Boy Scouts and seems to still like it. Sometimes he is hard to read. He is in confirmation class in church this year and he and Mom got to go on a retreat this past weekend. They went to a hotel in Willmar with many other confirmation kids and some parents. Evan plans to go out for swimming this year. He has attended a few middle school social events already and has come home each time with a smile. I guess he is doing OK. The funny thing is he has only been in middle school for three months and already I can’t picture him ever being in elementary school.

Mason is working hard at keeping up in 5th grade. He has found that when he doesn’t quite finish an assignment in class, he is expected to, get this, bring it home and finish it. It is a wacky concept that he has struggled with a bit but we are all working together to tweak the system and get things going more smoothly. He is in Cub Scouts and likes it. The official term is Weeblo’s. It is the transition stage between Cub and Boy Scouts but he is technically still a Cub Scout. We just got done with the Popcorn selling season and Mason graduated to going to doors by himself this year. He had to know his products, get correct info and collect money on a sale, and do it all with a positive upbeat attitude. He did very well.

Alizay is in fourth Grade and is doing very well. She is right in the middle in math and exceeding in reading. She was doing very well in spelling at last conference and her handwriting is better than most adults. Her teacher had to put effort into coming up with some things for her to improve on at conferences. She still socializes a little more then she should but her teacher said she was doing better. Ali is a junior in Girl Scouts and really likes it. She gets to stay after school once every three weeks or so for a troop meeting where they do projects to earn badges. The girls sold Christmas wreathes for a fund raiser for Scouts again this year. This is something else Alizay excels at. She an absolute natural with customer service and salesmanship (I don’t think there is such thing as saleswomanship). She is the one kid in the house who likes to do some of the standard domestic household tasks. I am not sure if that is good or freaky.

Tessa just finished her required fry word recognition list. Oh, not the one for now, the one for the end of next year or something like that. I don't know exactly but I do know she was past where she needed to be for the end of this school year at last conferences. School in a nutshell, she could not possibly do any better then she is. She exceeds at ridiculous levels in all subjects. She is also a good teacher’s helper and does well socially in school. At home she fills the role of the rescuer. If one of the others is getting picked on, she comes in swinging and kicking. I wouldn't consider it cute or anything, when it happens she means business. It is just an interesting behavior, good or bad. She, on top of everything else, is shy. We have no idea where that came from. I guess there is one in every bunch. There will be news and pictures from the birthday party to follow soon.

Collin is so busy doing new things that it is easy to lose track. He is in preschool. He is in speech through preschool. He just turned four. He just got glasses. He says more things every day that we can understand. You can see the frustration sometimes when he is telling us something and we aren’t getting it. We have to really make an effort to understand. Often we have to resort to calling in Special Forces (Mason) when we are not getting something that he is obviously very concerned about. We honestly do between all of us almost always figure out what he is trying to convey. This kid has personality bursting from his seams; ask anyone who has ever come in contact with him.