Dear Keaton,

The biggest news is that you are officially on your way to getting your eagle, and already have attended 2 scouting pow wows!  You are up to 6 merit badges already, and just need to create a geocache to get your 7th!  I am so proud of the work you have done.  I am also so grateful for your father, and how he is signing you up for these and doing the homework and requirements with you.  You are lucky to have him as a dad and I hope you thank him someday.  

You are turning into a teenager right before my eyes.  Now that I am working at your school I do occasionally see you in the halls.  Sadly, you already try not to make eye contact with me in the halls unless I touch your arm, but I understand.  You are doing okay in class, seem to either get A's or F's, which I am trying to understand.  I know part of it is that this school's tests are quite harder than other elementaries and you actually have to study for the tests, but I think you are learning that you have to work for your good grades, which is a very good lesson to learn at your age.  Your Nexus 7 tablet that you asked for for Christmas has been taken away for the last few weeks because of it until we see all A's and B's. 

Your favorite friend is still Landon, although you have been doing as I had asked and starting branching out a little bit more, which is great.  You are still playing the trumpet for school, and we are trying to remember to get you to practice playing it every night.  I have a terrible time getting you to read lately, which is bad because that is one of the grades that needs to be brought up, so we are working on that.  You are such a good worker though, and you know how to clean when you want to.  Yesterday, you volunteered to help me with the bathrooms and I was really surprised at how well you cleaned them.  I didn't have to make you redo anything, which seems to be the norm with the other kids (it is probably due to age).   Still, your hard work made me so happy.

You are such a good kid.  Every now and then you tease your brothers and sister and remind me of your father, but for the most part, I love how well you treat everyone and how respectful you are of those older than you.  I can't wait until you are made a deacon in a few week so we will have another priesthood holder in our home, and to take you to the temple to do baptisms.  

I love how you still want me to tuck you in every night, how you will put mustard or BBQ sauce on anything, are starting to say amazing prayers, live in that navy hoodie with the your sleeves rolled up to the elbows, want to walk home from church each Sunday with friends, can't wait to get out sharing time, insist on taking your tennis shoes every day to school so you can play soccer at recess with your friends and slyly keep them on for the rest of school even though it is out of uniform.  I love you so much.

Love, 
Mom

Dear Keaton,

Not surprisingly, you were very easy-going with the change in schools this year.  You seemed to be content with either school that I put you in, and I was so grateful for your trust.  Not surprisingly either, you are doing remarkably well at APA.  I am your room mom so I know both of your teachers pretty well.  They love you in their class and are very quick to tell me so.  They tell me you are an absolute sweetheart and never give them any problems, which is totally your character.  You have already been moved up a math level, and are loving every minute of school.  I think you look so handsome in your uniform, and I love how you have never complained once about the white shirt and tie every single day.

We were going to have you stop piano and start taking guitar with Sam at the end of the month, but you recently told me that you wanted to stay in piano, and I am secretly very happy about this.  You are doing so well in piano, and I hated to think you would not be progressing in it anymore.  I love the sounds of the piano when you are practicing, and see you get better week by week.

You just earned your Weblos badge in scouts, and it looks like you will be getting your Arrow of Light next month! I can't believe you are almost out of Cub Scouts.. crazy!

You (and Sam) are totally into Minecraft right now, and sometimes that is all I hear you talk about. You are hoping for an Xbox for Christmas so you don't have to play Minecraft on my computer.  I love how you will cover every snack in peanut butter, sneak in to sleep in Jack's bed every night, sing the hymns with me in church every Sunday, and can be caught reading in the big chair without being asked.

You are such a good kid, and I am so very proud of you.  I love you, son.

Love, 
Mom

Dear Keaton and Sam,

I so wish that the Pinewood Derby this year would've turned out a little better for you guys.  Knowing nothing about making derby cars, I passed on that task to your father to help you.  Your cars turned out cute, and the stickers were fun, but next year will we know, won't we.

We will know that the more slender and smooth and little the car, the better.  We will know that the stickers (which I said less is best, but they ignored me), only slow down cars, and that weights are a must.  

We will know this because Keaton, your car (far left) only once crossed the finish line, and while Sam (2nd from the left), yours did cross, you never did better than 3rd place in a race.  

I am proud that you boys were both such good sports about the whole thing, saying that we would learn from this for next year.  I feel somewhat responsible, should have read up on it a little better, and helped you make a fast car.  But I also want you to learn as well. Keaton, your car earned the "Turtle Award" because it never did quite finish the race, and that was pretty cool. 

Jack was more concerned about "Bishop" when he walked into the room, and he kept running over to get hugs from him.  I think Bishop Batty likes him too.  I love you boys.  You are pretty handsome scouts.

Love, 
Mom

Pinewood Derby!

Keaton had his first pinewood derby, and I have to admit it was alot of fun.  With all the work entailed making the car and the fact that time was running out, I was thinking of maybe just skipping it this year. (I know, terrible right?) But we didn't.  Chad was a great Dad and helped Keek make the car and he ended up finishing the races with great time.  He didn't win, but he had a blast doing it.

  

When asked what he what kind of car he wanted, he said BYU without hesitation.  Boy, do we have him trained or what? Good choice Keek, good choice.

Some of Keek's buddies, left to right Jaxon Allen and Caleb Sutton.

The night was also very special because before the race, and at the awards ceremony, Keek received his Wolf! He also got a few beads and 5 or 6 other achievements that go on his belt loop.  I was very proud of him.  That's my boy!