The fifth-grade band concert was a huge success! Daniel learned so much as he worked hard on his drumming. He had private lessons and practiced diligently. His band directors had such great things to say about him – they really praised his combination of natural talent and hard work. There were times during the concert that Sary-Jo flashed back to Janel when she watched Daniel play. His mannerisms were similar and she is such a good drummer. It was a real treat to watch Daniel (and now you can watch too).
Hershey’s Invitational Track Meet 2012
Daniel and David have been eager to participate in the Hershey meet for several weeks. Unfortunately, Daniel’s band concert was scheduled for the same night. We went to the track meet hoping that they would be ahead of schedule so Daniel might run the 800; unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. Daniel was only able to compete in the standing long jump and he did not qualify for state.
David was able to compete in both the softball throw and in the 400 meter run. Although that’s not his favorite race (he likes a little more distance), the time worked out so he ran. And he ran hard! He took first place in both of his events and will be competing at the state meet on June 30. There was an incident in the 400 in which another participant was running hard – and might have beaten David – but was interfered with by a non-participant. The meet officials wisely declared the race a tie and are sending both boys to state. Watch the video.
He threw the softball 118′; his time in the 400 was 1:09.56. Great job, David!
Daniel’s Reading Award
Daniel exceeded his goal in Accelerated Reader (AR), and was recognized at the school’s Awards Assembly. Daniel, we are so proud that you take your school work seriously and work hard at it! Your success is due to that hard work.
District Track Meet
Daniel
The Puyallup School District held its annual elementary school track meet, with competitors from 21 elementary students in grades 4-6. David will get to participate next year; Daniel had a thoroughly enjoyable day today. First, he placed 2nd in the long jump (grades 4-5). Then, he anchored the relay team. They had a bit of a rough exchange on the first passing of the baton, but still finished 7th overall (two teams per school). Finally, the event he has been waiting weeks for – the 800 meter run. Daniel is very aware of the rich tradition of Ethiopian distance runners, and in a way, I think his success in this area helps him feel connected to his native land and culture. He is a gifted runner and it showed as he worked his way to the front of the pack and then pulled away for an impressive first place finish! Click the photo above to see more. Watch the video, which includes all three events.
Lauren’s Graduation Party
Lauren is graduating from Puyallup High School! Joany threw a graduation party, which was a huge success. The weather was great and there was a terrific turnout for the party. The boys liked it because they had plenty of lawn for kicking a soccer ball. Click the picture to see more.
David’s Reading Award
David received a medal for his reading accomplishment this year. He exceeded his goal of 30 points in Accelerated Reader (AR) by earning about 75 points. AR tests the kids’ comprehension of what they read, and David loves to get the positive feedback by succeeding on the computerized tests. The school held an assembly to honor the primary kids who met their goal and our camera was there. We are so proud of you, David!
Finished! – Daniel’s Jackie Robinson Mosaic
Daniel’s class is connecting several subjects to baseball right now. He did his research on a Hall of Fame player (guess which one Daniel got), and completed other baseball-related work. An art project included a mosaic of Jackie Robinson. Daniel is extremely meticulous, so he was not going to settle for a run of the mill mosaic. He took many extra hours to get it just right and the result is incredible! Here he is with the finished result. Click the picture to see him attaching the final piece. And as he was approaching completion, David took a little video of the artist in his studio.
Ethiopian Food – May 28
It had been a while since we had been out for Ethiopian food, and it had been a while since we spent time with Randy’s parents. So, along with one of Daniel’s teachers and her husband (who wanted to experience Ethiopian food), we went to Lalibela for lunch. It is our favorite of the Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle and we enjoyed good food and good company. As usual, we ate too much and brought home left-overs (which the boys will devour in short order tomorrow). We took a few pictures to commemorate the occasion.
(Not) Just Another Day in the Park
On Saturday, we got together with friends who had recently returned from Ethiopia following their adoption of a sibling group (2 boys and 1 girl). These kids came from the same orphanage in Adama that Daniel and David lived in. They had seen pictures and video of our boys, but they did not meet in Ethiopia.
Sary-Jo began praying for these kids as soon as they appeared on the “waiting children” list. Logically, it was unlikely that they would be adopted. We are so grateful that God’s plans are so much greater than our logic! Not only did he find a home for these beautiful children, but he also gave them a home fairly near ours so that we could experience the joy of meeting them in person. A while back, we met with the family and became instant friends. They had contacted us because of their adoption-in-process, and they were seeking advice regarding school, learning English, etc. What an awesome experience to spend a few hours in the park with these same kids.
The boys are about the same age as our boys, and they became immediate friends. They spent hours kicking around a soccer ball. We learned that all four of these boys have incredible skills (and endurance) for their age. Our boys learned that they can still communicate in Amharic when they need to, even though much of their conversation was in English. And the parents had a great time just talking about our early experiences.
What a day!
Click the picture above to see more. Watch the video below.
Yardwork
Our house on Memorial Day
One of the things we enjoy in Spring is fixing up the house and yard. Last year, we never really got it the way we wanted, which meant that this year’s effort would be that much larger. We moved plants, added plants, pulled weeds (and more weeds, and more weeds), fertilized, and spread 5 yards of mulch. Considering our lot is not very large, we spent a lot of time in it. So, we thought we’d share some pictures of the results.