Eagle Awards

Stockton got his green card in the mail sometime last week.  We needed this card so that we can pick up Stockton's eagle awards and certificate. I was surprised that it was just this little postcard thing.  I'm glad I noticed it and didn't think it was junk mail!

Isaac's came in the mail today.  I took both boys cards down to the scouting office and picked up the awards.  Their court of honor will be Sunday.  President Beck, the Young Men's General President, is planning on coming.  Fancy.  When he heard that four thirteen year olds earned their Eagle, he asked if he could speak.  President Back's (the scoutmaster) daughter married President Beck's son.  I think. Which I think is funny, because then her last name would be Back-Beck.  Elder David Evans won't be able to be there.  He got sent on a last minute assignment to South America.  Elder Evans is Isaac's grandpa.  They almost had the Young Men's president and a General Authority at their court of honor.  Crazy!  My dad will be in Israel, so that is too bad.  I'm glad I don't have to plan this thing alone though!

Stockton's an Eagle!

I didn't send Stockton to diving today.  I was supposed to take Josh and Josh.  Josh H to diving with Stockton and Josh Y to his cello lesson that is near Stockton's diving.  Both parents cancelled.  Josh H. because he wasn't feeling well and Josh Y because he found another ride.  (He would have been a little late with us.)  Anyway, Stockton did not look well when he got home from school.  I decided to skip diving as well. The only problem was Scoop and Cori decided to surprise Stockton and they came to his diving practice.  He wasn't there.  Whoops.  They came over to see him.  Stockton looked horrible by the time they got here. They gave Stockton a diving jacket.  It is actually a scuba jacket. It is really long, warm and says idive on it.  Stockton loves it.  He wore it to his Board of Review tonight.

Speaking of his Board of Review.  Stockton passed!  He needed to ask two other adults (one could not be his scout master) to be in the meeting with him.  I wish I had a picture of them!  He chose Mike Masters (the deacons quorum advisor/assistant scout master) and Isaac Bingham (the 2nd counselor in the bishopric).  Ray Whitney led the board of review.  He has done all of Stockton's board of reviews. That was nice because it made Stockton not as nervous.

First all of us met together for about thirty minutes.  He talked to us about what the Eagle means and the importance of receiving an Eagle. He asked both Mike and I to talk a little about Stockton and qualities that he has/observations we have made of Stockton during this journey.  Mike talked about how scouts were really hard for Stockton when he started.  Especially the camp outs.  At first he hated them and dreaded going.  Now he doesn't mind going.  They are probably still not his favorite things, but he choose going to the Klondike instead of going to his diving competition.  Even though he already earned his camping merit badge.  He also talked about how he had become friends with the boys in the scout troop.  I talked about how honest Stockton is.  From the time he was born.  I honestly don't know if Stockton has ever told a lie.  He is completely honest.  Even when telling the truth makes him look bad, he tells the truth, with no other explanation.  I have never met someone like him before.  It is crazy!  I remember in first grade. His teacher pulled me aside and said a girl accused Stockton of touching her private parts.  She asked Stockton about it and he said he did.  Wow.  His teacher said that that didn't sound like Stockton at all and asked if I could find out what really happened.  I pulled him aside and asked if that had happened.  He said yes.  I asked him to explain to me why he had done that.  Turns out the girl (who annoyed Stockton to no end, so another reason why this was so weird) was wearing a skirt and kept lifting it up to show Stockton her underwear.  Stockton got tired of it and reached over to pull her skirt back down.  She moved right when he reached over and he accidentally touched her where he shouldn't have.  I was so thankful that the teacher knew Stockton well enough to ask me to find out what really happened.  That could have ended so badly!  Especially since the girl's mom was a teacher across the hall!  Anyway, an example how he is unflinchingly honest, even at such a young age.  Incredible.  (By the way, I didn't tell the details of the story above, that would have just been weird.)  I also talked about how Stockton has a heart of gold.  He is taking a peer tutoring class where he works with kids of different disabilities.  He loves it.  Stockton is not very social.  Only once since we moved here has he called and asked someone if they wanted to come over to play.  That was Johnny. A boy who has Down Syndrome who lives on our street.  Stockton also talked about us and how we have helped him.  It was so sweet.  I loved it when he said he was glad we were his parents.  That made me so happy!

Mike and I were then asked to leave.  The three leaders were then in the room with Stockton.  I'm not sure exactly what they talked about.  They were in there for about twenty minutes.  Mike and I hung out in the foyer talking to Josh Bingham.  Brother Bingham had walked to the stake center with Josh (12 years old) and Abby (about 4 I think).  Josh is such a great kid!  I loved getting to know him better.  Stockton then came out of the room while the three leaders deliberated on if Stockton deserved to be an Eagle.  The decision had to be unanimous.  They came out awhile later and asked us to come back in the room.  They told Stockton they had decided to award him the Eagle.  They talked awhile more about it.  The last thing they said was, "As of this moment you are officially an Eagle."  Well, I don't know 100% if that is the last thing they said, but it is the last thing I remember.  If Brandon had had his Court of Honor one week and one day later, Stockton could have gone into his Eagle's Nest!  That's okay.  Brandon earned his Eagle way back in September.  I am so proud of Stockton.  Not many boys can say they earned their Eagle as a 13 year old!  Stockton's scoutmaster is amazing!  He works the boys so hard!  He said that in his experience the boys either earn their Eagle before they are 14 or a week before they turn 18.  Haha!  Stockton worked really hard, but there is no way he would have accomplished this without President Back!  So thankful for amazing leaders!

Stockton ~ Eagle Scout

Sick Stockton

Stockton did not feel well today.  Right before school he fell back asleep in my bed.  I didn't wake him.  He woke up around 8:50.  He was so mad!  He claimed he was just waiting for me to take him.  Stockton does not like school, but he hates missing it more.  He can't stand to do the make-up work.  I had given him an advil in the morning and he didn't feel as hot, so I let him go.  He checked in the last bit of his first period class, English.  It wasn't too bad and I'm glad he got a little bit of a rest.

After school he still wasn't back to 100%, but he managed to deliver his birthday invitations with me. Isaac and Logan invited him to play basketball, but I wouldn't let him.  Too bad.  I would have loved for him to get out with the neighborhood kids.  Just not when he is feeling so yucky.  He got a little rest before he headed out to D.I. with Mike.  They wanted to donate the rest of the toys that were dropped off for his Eagle project.  Stockton's board of review is tomorrow, so we wanted to make sure this was done.

Maysen and I went to a meeting at her high school.  It talked about different A.P. classes and concurrent enrollment.  Maysen is not excited about her choices for English next year.  They do not offer Honors English.  It is AP English or nothing.  When she heard the AP teacher talking about the class she decided she did not want to take it. It is everything she hates about English, so why would she want to take it?  BYU is also accepting less and less AP credits.  So many decisions.  I am very glad we went to the meeting though.  I learned things about math for both Maysen and Stockton that I wasn't aware of.  Good to know the choices out there.  I have signed Maysen and I up for a meeting in a few weeks about concurrent enrollment.  It will be long, but better to understand everything before we need to make any commitments.

Home Again

Now we are home.  We had three flights to get here.  It wasn’t so bad.  The weather was fine and the delays were minimal.  The kids did really well.  My dad met us at baggage claim.  When we got home our porch was filled to the brim!  We had a few neighbor gifts, but most of the things were for Stockton’s Eagle Project.  We also had four packages that were supposed to be delivered to our neighbor.  Oh boy.  Someone probably missed Christmas.  I took three of them to their house tonight, but no one was home.  I left them on their porch.  When I got home I found another package from them.

 Preston & Jorja

Stockton and Mike spent the rest of the day finishing up Stockton’s Eagle Project.  They went shopping for new toys for the nursery.  Now all Stockton needs is to get a few signatures tomorrow and he is done!  Hooray!

Stockton buying nursery toys for his Eagle Project

Brett Made It!

It was snowing like crazy today.  I got up early to exercise.  (These four days in a row kill me!)  It wasn't snowing early, but it sure made up for it later on.  I hurried to the store to get some final things for Christmas and our trip.  While I was there I was called by the Room Mom in Preston's class.  She had asked me to help with the class party at 1:30. It was about 12:30 when she called.  She wanted me to come now.  So I did.  I helped her get things ready for the graham cracker trains they were making.  They have had a Polar Express week.  It was pretty easy for me, so that was nice.

Preston's train

While I was at the store I heard a lady say that they had shut down the airport.  NO!  I am supposed to pick up Brett today.  I get one day to see him.  This is it!  Luckily they opened it back up.  Brett's flight was delayed for about an hour.  Then he had to sit for almost another hour after they landed, it was so backed up.  At least he was able to make it. Matt and Sam came over and played games with us.  My dad came up for a bit.  He took Brett back with him to his house.  Bubs was reffing a game in Park City, so he couldn't come.  Although I understand they have plans to play basketball later.  It was a quick trip, but so good to see him!  Jorja kept hugging him the entire time.  Jorja and Preston also liked to chant, "Brett!  Brett!  Brett!"

Brett and Jorja

Mike took Stockton to finish up his last two merit badges.  He had to have interviews to get his blue cards.  I think he got Camping and Citizenship in the Community.  He has all his merit badges he needs now.  Nice to have that done before our trip.  He will need to shop for toys, fill out some paperwork and get some signatures.  I think he's going to make it!

Eagle Project

For Stockton's Eagle Project he decided to organize the nursery.  Three boys came and helped him.  Not many could come because the middle school was having a choir concert that a lot of the boys were involved in.  It would have been nice to have just a couple more boys, but I am sure glad all of them weren't able to come.  That might have been a madhouse!  This was the only day that Sister Lundgren (the nursery leader) was available.  It was nice because Sister Lundgren was about to start this project.  She was really excited that Stockton wanted to do it. The boys went through all of the toys and got rid of the broken ones, fixed up the ones that they could and cleaned every toy that was left. They also built a book shelf and went through all the books.  Stockton took home all of the blankets and soft toys to wash.  Stockton was able to collect money to buy new toys.  We will have to do that after our vacation.  Stockton was so excited about this project.  He loves babies. He said, "How could anyone not have fun working with toys?"  He came up with this idea himself.  I am so glad it worked out for him!

Stockton

 Isaac, Logan, Ryuhei, Stockton