Today you turn 14! Wow. In more year you'll be getting a driver's permit . . . and a year after that - your license! But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Your thirteenth year of life was another good one. In fact, it was pretty similar to the previous one . . . You continue to do well in school. I think you have made the honor-roll every quarter. You don't have much homework as you get most of it done in school. You are in the honors 8th-grade math class - Alegebra 1 - and are doing great in it. Once again, you have maxed out in the school's reading program. One thing new about school this year is that you joined the student council group - called StuCo. In fact, you became Co-President. You really like it and love helping out at the activities and sporting events.
Once again, you are doing wrestling. Your last year. You've told us that you do not want to do it in high school. Which is fine. Of course, you can always change your mind. You've had 2 big meets this year and have won 4 matches so far. Awesome. You wrestle in the 95-pound weight group. It's neat watching you - you do have a lot of grit and stamina and even strength. You have a lot of friends on the wrestling team and you have a lot of fun at the matches just hanging out with them.
This could possibly be your last year of public school. Next year you are going to be our family's guinea pig and will do the BYU High School online program. You seem excited about it and tell me that you do want to do it (it's not something we wanted to force on you. . . but we are glad you are willing to give it a try). You'll miss the social aspects of school for sure - but we're glad that you'll be involved in seminary each morning and we are trying to get you in an elective class at the high school. Maybe you can even start a Board-Game Club with your friends (like you mentioned) and meet up with them weekly. You really want to take Chinese as a foreign language and you are excited that BYU offers it (our local HS does not).
You continue to exhibit many of the same traits you've had since toddlerhood - especially annoying your siblings. Okay, I think you've mastered it - let's move on to something else . . . :) You have moments of awesomeness with them, but they can be few and far between. On the other hand, you continue to show kindness and thoughtfulness to your peers that are . . . less well-thought-of by your fellow classmates. Your dad was doing surgery on one of your classmates - an overweight, shy boy. When Ben mentioned that his son went to Centennial and gave your name, this boy responded, "Oh Miles is my friend! He's real nice!" How cool.
You like to cook. Your "Life skills" teacher at school taught you some good cooking skills for sure. You even came home one day and made some fried-rice . . . chopping up veggies, sauteing them, cooking the rice, scrambling eggs . . . without a recipe. Just remembering what you did in class. It turned out delicious. Over the summer I was with the girls in Utah and you and Jonas stayed her to attend a STEM camp at your school. One night, you boys came home and got dinner going. Ben got called it to assist at the hospital, but you and Jonas made homemade chicken pot-pie and a homemade pumpkin pie. And waited until Ben came home a 9pm to eat it!
You love mutual nights at church. You've (we've) been bringing Malachi along for the past year or so and now you've invited your other friend, Michael, to come as well. There is already a good group of deacons (8?) and so you all have a lot of fun together. You talked to Bishop Crim and asked him if you can continue to meet on mutual nights with the deacons . . . he said yes but that you'll need to meet with the teachers and priests (they are combined) on Sundays.
You're a good kid and we're proud of you and the neat quirks you have!
Love you,
mom
