Year 8 Complete!

Ending the month of June with so many lasts with this kid who just completed year 8!! I can't believe my baby boy is growing up and is officially a high schooler! His baby face still shows that he is younger than he looks and maybe that's a good thing but I know that he's going to blossom and grow older throughout his high school years. I have to admit it, his second semester of 8th grade was a bit challenging. I'm telling you that these pandemic kids went through a lot but alas he passed all his classes and he is very well aware that in high school teachers will be more harder and difficult. 

Noah's Winter Concert.

Time certainly flies and Noah's 8th grade winter concert was last week. Luckily there will be one more concert this spring and then that's it. I believe that my time for attending choir concerts in the future are over because Noah mentioned not wanting to do in choir in high school. To be honest- it's okay and although I'll miss my kids singing in front of an audience it'll be nice to not attend so many events in the next few years. On top of all the other things that I know high school will give him including continuing Boy Scouts, choir is his least favorite thing to do. He'd like to play a sport in high school. Particularly golf (not tennis insert tear here) and continue to play his guitar but I'm not that mom that tells him to be involved in every single club! Oh no I am not! I want him to enjoy high school and not feel stressed out. I'm also getting up there in age and need my rest too! LOL! Don't we all no matter what age!

Class of 2014...Lewis Indian for Life.

It's surreal to have had Lexie graduating from the same middle school as her sister did. Reason I say this is because Sierra went to three different middle schools in two different states, and we seriously thought that Lexie would be graduating eighth grade from a totally different school in a different state as well. To tell you the truth it feels good to finally have some stability when it comes to the girls education. So far we have managed to stay put in the same state for six years, and have Lexie be in the same school district since the third grade! Luckily God had different plans for us and obviously the timing to move to the New England area was not meant to be, and after seeing all the experiences Lexie has gone through with all the friends she has I realized that she was totally meant to stay in Jersey to conclude her eighth grade year here at Lewis.

And I'm glad.

Glad because who knows if she would have participated in volunteering to have her head shaven for cancer research, be chosen as a Lewis Legend, be recognized for her award-winning Safety essay, be chosen as Lewis' Shining Star, and receive the Anthony Graves Music Department award, and other amazing accomplishments had she attended another school in a different state. Who knows...who knows. 

All I know is that she was indeed meant to stay here not only for herself, but for others as well. The Lord has blessed her with so many successes, and experiences for her to grow, and learn. As I see those blessings pouring down upon her reassures me that she...we are supposed to continue to reside here in the Garden state.

I will always remember Mr. Nichols, and his witty sense of humor calling Lexie "the girl from Connecticut." He teased her with that saying all year long! One thing for sure is how happy he was to have found her name on his list of students for advisory for this year. Even though she told him she wouldn't be returning next year he never removed her name from the list. It was as if he knew she wasn't really going to move. Imagine his surprise when she actually walked into his class on the first day of school. He was so thrilled. It definitely has been a good three years for them. 

^^^ Photo collage of the band students that was given as a gift from all the band kids. ^^^

I was amazed at how crowded graduation night was. I don't recall Sierra's graduation being this crazy,  and filled to capacity! Oh...and get a load of this throwback photo of Sierra. She hasn't changed a bit on looks where I feel as if Lexie has changed a ton! So proud of our girls for the lovely young women they are growing up to be!

^^^ Sierra, circa 2009 & Lexie Class of 2014 ^^^

The past three years for Lexie at Lewis have been phenomenal. I look back at all her accomplishments and we are extremely proud of her. 

Noah and Chelsea were so excited for her too! They constantly wanted to take pictures with her all evening long.

Just a note to the Lewis Class of 2014:

Congratulations on your advancement on moving on up to high school. Y'all have so much more to look forward too. Always keep focused in all that you do especially when it comes to your academics, and in living a life filled with light, kindness, good friends, and in being yourself. It's your turn to shine, and like the banner reads that the school made in memory of your class "There's A Place For Us" there will definitely be a place for you in this world. 

Keep up the excellent work, and never give up on your dreams! 

xo

A Piano Recital & A Dance...All in One Night.

I've never had an evening packed with two special events on the same day at the same time! I hope to never repeat that again, but we survived the evening, and all went well. This is how it is to be a mother running around in different directions in an evening at the same time where one daughter is getting ready for her eighth grade semi-formal, and another for her piano recital....on the other side of town.

Lexie didn't want to miss her sisters recital and so we all rushed out of our house to make it to Chelsea's recital by 6pm. After looking at the program we saw that Chelsea was going to be one of the last kids to play her piece. By the time she's done Lexie will have missed half of her dance, and being that it's her last year in middle school we didn't want her to miss out. We hustled out of there as fast as I could to drop Lexie off at her dance in hopes to make it back to hear Chelsea to play, but to no avail. I missed it. I wasn't as sad as I thought as I was going to be. Probably because I was too busy running around, and hearing my stomach grumble. (I was starving!) I've been hearing her play the same piece over and over again in the house so that too could be another reason why I wasn't so distraught. Jon told me that she did phenomenal, but because I had the phone that records he didn't get a chance to record her playing. That's okay. She's nine, and there will be more recitals. Hopefully not at the same time as another activity!! 

I realized this evening that I hated the way things were planned. I'm hoping that next years recital won't fall in June where there are weddings, dances, and hello...Father's Day all in one weekend! Anyway...I digress and so here are a few photos of Lexie with a few of her buddies at the dance...

Crazy girls...still sporting their short hairdo's, and loving it more each day. Don't blame them...it's too hot to have long hair right now!

and just a few from Chelsea's recital (sorry mamas!) 

It's funny how I look at these photos seeing how life seems calm in the eyes of our children knowing that one day they are going to be going through "life" and challenges, and schedules with their future posterity! Balance is key kiddos, and try not to pile up your schedule like this mama did this past Friday night!! No bueno! Enter hashtag... #tooblessedtoobestressed 

Love you all!

**Past recitals you can see here, here, & here.

my shining star.

^^^ with Mr. Otten, principal of her school ^^^

Shame on us for skipping family home evening last night, but I think that attending Lexie's recognition night for being Lewis 'shining star student' is a pretty good excuse. We can make it up during the week! There were quite a few "shining star students" who were recognized this evening for achievement in improving on their academics throughout the year, for kind acts of service, and overall being an excellent student. We definitely live in a society where all we see on the news throughout the tristate area are acts of violence. I personally don't need to watch the news every night because I know what kind of world we live in. It's so nice to know that there are great things happening in the midst of all that violence such as wonderful students being recognized for the good that they do in this world. And one of those courageous people in this world is our daughter Lexie. 

Members of the board congratulated her as she walked down the aisle shaking each of their hand individually. It was so nice to hear the words of her guidance counselor read by Principal Otten as to why she was chosen as Lewis Shining star student, and I couldn't agree more. Mr. Otten represented her on Mrs. Gardiner's behalf, and it was so nice to hear all the wonderful things she wrote about her.

 

Shining Star Student '14 from Rose Jorgensen on Vimeo.

We are so proud of Lexie in all the wonderful things she has done, does, and continues to do! I never have to worry with this one. Aside from the fact that I look like a really, really short person in this pic next to her, and Jon she is my shining star as well!(That's what you get for marrying a really tall guy!)