Zach's quiz

Zach's 2013 end of the school year quiz

Favorite color:  purple
Favorite food:  popcorn chicken
Favorite movie:  Lord of the Rings:  Return of the King
Favorite TV show:  studio c
Favorite trick at gym:  round off back tuck
Favorite thing to do with dad:  everything.  except argue
Favorite thing to do with mom:  i like to spend your money, jk. no, no, no, erase that. . . play a game like trains
Favorite thing to do with Sam:  mini basketball
Favorite thing to do with Maggie:  play tiny wings, two player, on the ipad
Favorite thing to do with Casey: play lightsabers
Favorite thing to do with Jill:  play dad
Favorite thing to do with Anna:  play pups, of course
Favorite friend:  Clay
Favorite sport to watch: football
Favorite sport to play:  swimming and running
Favorite toy:  don't have one
Favorite book:  you can't make me answer that.  i don't have a favorite one.  but, if you had to pick one . . . can't.
Favorite Primary song:  Called to Serve 
Favorite song:   i don't know.
Favorite art project:  clay bird
Favorite Animal:  echidna
Favorite ice cream flavor:  chocolate fudge brownie
Favorite Restaurant:  mango's
Favorite Scripture Story:  Ammon
What are you good at doing?  math and running and swimming and football and science
What do you like about yoursef?  everything except sometimes i am too stubborn
What makes you happy?  when my family loves me
What are you afraid of? nothing that i know of
What new thing would you like to learn this year? if we can go back to arizona
What would you do with $100? ten percent for tithing, 20 percent for saving, and the rest for me or my family
What do you like to do for other people?  service projects like building a grocery store
What is your favorite thing to do at school? skip health and stay in ms. spivey's . . . with permission because i don't want to go outside because outside is hot
What do you wish was different at school?  people weren't dumbos and trying to impress girls so saying stuff they wouldn't say like cussing
What was your favorite thing about sixth grade?  i had good teachers
What are you excited for in seventh grade? elective every day
What is your favorite thing to do in Arizona?  swim and hang out with my friends
What is your favorite thing to do in Missouri? swim, run, and go somewhere fun with my family.  definitely not shopping
What do you want to do in ten years?  be married and in college on my way to being a dentist
What do you want to be when you grow up? dentist

Zach is 12

12 years of Christmas interruption has come and gone.  Every year on the 19th, we take a break from Frosty and candy canes to celebrate an amazing boy.  It's a good thing we love him so much, or we might hold a grudge for disrupting December festivities.  But, we are so grateful to have Zach in our home and here are 12 reasons why.

1.  He is full of life and he makes life fun. There is never a dull moment when Zach is around.
2.  Zach likes to participate in everything.  If there were only more hours in the day.
3.  Zach can make you feel like a million bucks without saying a word.
4.  The world is very black and white for Zach.  He knows what is right and doesn't mind telling people about it.  He is already a great missionary.
5.   We love Zach's confidence.  We sometimes wish it could be bottled and sold. 
6.  He is soooo excited to get the priesthood and go do baptisms.  It was his only birthday wish.
7.  We love his gravelly voice and hope it never goes away.
8.  He loves his brothers and sisters, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  He is a good communicator and loves to chat, text, call, tweet (not), and talk to them.
9.  Zach tries hard at everything that he does. Gym, choir, basketball, cross country, band, school, scouts, etc . . it is always his best effort.
10.  Zach is a great student and wants to always do his best.  He has his sights set on being a Cougar, but has informed us that is only for undergrad because he currently wants to be a dentist.
11.  He is friendly to everyone at school.  I love that a ton about him.  Everyone in his class would call him a friend and I admire that so much about him. 
12. He loves to help others.  I know if I want something done right, I can ask Zach to do it. 

In our opinion, anyone who knows Zach is lucky.  He is a light to those around him and we love him tons. Happy Birthday, Zach!

Zach learned his tuck . . .

and he has been hard to live with since.

Zach's Quiz

Favorite color:  purple
 Favorite food:  popcorn chicken
Favorite movie:  Hunger Games
 Favorite TV show:  Looney Tunes
Favorite trick at gym:  back flip off the wall
Favorite thing to do with dad:  go to a football game
Favorite thing to do with mom:  jump on the tramp
Favorite thing to do with Sam:  basketball or chess
Favorite thing to do with Maggie:  jump on the tramp 
 Favorite thing to do with Casey: play star wars guys
Favorite thing to do with Jill:  play owner
Favorite thing to do with Anna:  play owner
Favorite friend:  Tate
Favorite sport to watch: college football
Favorite sport to play:  swimming and running
Favorite toy:  nerf gun
Favorite Primary song:  Called to Serve 
 Favorite song:   Somebody's Watching Me
Favorite art project:  clay mask
Favorite Animal:  Leopard Seal
Favorite ice cream flavor:  Cookies and Cream
 Favorite Restaurant:  Lambert's
Favorite Scripture Story:  Ammon
What are you good at doing?  reading and juggling
 What do you like about yoursef?  my determination
 What makes you happy?  when my brothers and sisters play with me
What are you afraid of? nothing
 What new thing would you like to learn this year?  longboarding
 What would you do with $100? 10 for tithing and the rest for a kindle fire
What do you like to do for other people?  I like to make them happy
 What is your favorite thing to do at school?  go to gifted
What do you wish was different at school?  the attitude of the library teacher, the music teacher, and the computer teacher
What are you excited for in sixth grade? GAP/ gifted (people who get good grades)
What is your favorite thing to do in Arizona?  hang out with Tate
 What is your favorite thing to do in Missouri? ride the 4 wheeler
What do you want to do in ten years?  go on a date when I am home from my mission
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be something medical like doctor, orthodontist, or pharmacist

botd - The very hungry caterpillar

April 5 - 

We have been invaded. 

By the very hungry caterpillar-s.

In the hundreds.

Maybe thousands.

Out went the kids.

To try and save the rose bushes.

4 times today.

Bags full of furry "web worms."

Yep.  It was gross.  Every time I backed  the car out I would squish 10-20 of them.  The kids did one cleaning before school and took the bags of caterpillars to school.  Sadly, the bags were sent back home.  We dumped all of the bags in the garbage with Anna screaming, "Zach, garbage, my cattapillrrs."  All I could see when I closed my eyes last night was a scene of very hungry caterpillars.

z at gym

And, it's a birthday

Shhh, don't tell Zach, but I don't like his birthday.  It messes with my Christmas plans.  It's a good thing he is lovely in all ways, or I may just boycot.  But, this boy deserves a birthday, so  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZACH!!!
And, here are 11 things I love about you . . .
1.  You are one of the most tender hearted people I know and no one would ever know unless they are lucky enough to call you a friend.
2.  You like to laugh and scoot yourself on your back across the floor.
3.  You are a hard worker.  I never doubt when I give you a job that you will finish it to your best ability.
4.  You are so good to your brothers and sisters and have turned into one fantastic babysitter, even if I do forget to pay you.
5.  Your hair.  Enough said.
6.  Your sense of humor.  The other day as I picked you up from school, you proclaimed your chick magnet status with the explanation for it being #5.  (see above.)
7.  You finished the Book of Mormon and have let us know that this entitles you to "big" status in our house.
8.  You are loyal and brave and have a unique ability to show love.
9.  You run hard, play hard, jump hard, swim hard, read hard, eat hard, flip hard, and pretty everything you do is done to the most.
10.  You are willing to take the kids on rides when I need to fix dinner.  You are a lifesaver.
11.  You are a child of God and you pretty much let everyone know how happy that makes you.
Love you, Zach!!!

9.

and finally zach

Zach finally let me get a picture of him.  Not very good ones, but you get the idea.  He went from being a Ranger from his favorite books to choosing the castoff costume of Maggie's.  He never ceases to amaze.

more first day of school photos

Just a few more pictures from our back to school bash.  Somehow, Sam escaped, and the missionaries didn't want to show off their eyewear.  But, school is off and running.  It has already been a much better year than last year.  A little less crazy without football and adventures all around Missouri.  So, hopefully the good will continue and the bad will stay away for a really long time.