THE ROMNEYS: The Start of Summer

I have said it before, but this year was a great one. It was fun to celebrate an awesome school year with these 3 fantastic boys and welcome the summertime!

Last day of school photos!

Jace had a cool 6th grade graduation. I felt really emotional all morning as I thought about him growing up. It was a happy/sad moment...then when i watched him get awards for physical fitness and academics, and saw all of his accomplishments including student council/reflections winner/school play, etc. I was mostly just happy for him!

Jace and Jake. One of Jace's first friends.

Graduation attendees. Mike was there too but had to leave before we snapped photos.

Jace and Anthony.

Jace and his teacher Mrs. Downs, who was a great influence for good on him this year. I feel especially grateful for her. This is the email I sent her at the end of the school year:

Dear Mrs. Downs,

We just wanted to take a minute to let you know how grateful we have been for you this year. There are many reasons why, but here are a few of the most important to us.

1. You have really taught the kids. The year started out a bit rough for my sweet Jace who has breezed through other grades with minimal effort and minimal growth. You were tough, expecting the kids to be constantly learning and improving. You didn't let Jace get away with half-effort or talking his way out of good work. You pushed him and pushed him more, even when he hated it and felt grumpy.

However, I saw huge strides and knew he was actually learning, understanding and retaining his knowledge. It especially showed on his last test scores where he completely blew his past performances away. He finally tested as smart as he is! While I know test scores aren't everything, what I have noticed is that he actually understands concepts and feels comfortable with them. While there was a lot of complaining about Mrs. Downs at the beginning of the year, Jace just told me that you are now his favorite teacher because of all you taught him. He said he has never felt so smart or more ready for Jr. High.

You have made the rest of his educational career so much easier because you have made him feel "smart," prepared, and have shown him that working hard yields great results. We cannot thank you enough for this.

2. You have loved him despite his weaknesses. Jace can be a lot to handle, but you seemed to "get" him right away. You never let him get away with much, but you also never made him feel like he was a "bad" kid. Though he could bring chaos to your classroom, a temper to a disagreement, or drama to your after school hours, you saw through to his heart, which has always been good and you knew that. You allowed him to lead and made sure he knew he was important to your classroom success. You were patient when things got rough and quick to discipline when it was needed. You treated the kids fairly and expected a lot out of them, but you gave them your respect in return. He has grown so much this year and has learned life skills and life lessons that will help him in the future.

In the beginning you were strict and tough and some of the kids weren't sure about you, but with 6th graders, it was absolutely necessary. They respected you and respected your job as a teacher. They learned so much this year! By the end of the year, they had seen your fun, kind, and supportive side. A few weeks ago when you were gone, Jace HATED being at school with a sub. He wanted you back in the classroom because, as he said, "Mrs. Downs gets us. She knows how to teach us and still let us be ourselves. Having a sub is torture." When you returned, school was good again.

We are incredibly grateful to you. This year was a game changer for Jace, and because of you, we know he will be set on a different academic and social path. Teaching 6th grade cannot be easy, but to us, you passed with flying colors.

Parker also had a great teacher this year. This was the email I sent to her:

Dear Mrs. James,

We just wanted to take a minute to let you know how much we have appreciated you as Parker's teacher this year.

I have often visited your classroom and have been utterly impressed at the learning atmosphere you consistently create. You use every second you have to teach these 4th graders something new and interesting. You have a gift for explaining things simply and easily and infusing fun facts and excitement into every day lessons. Your classroom is calm, orderly, and organized and it creates such a wonderful place to learn.

We have especially loved the independence and the responsibility you have created in your students. They are required to work hard and be prepared, but they are also consistently rewarded for their great efforts. Parker absolutely adores you and cannot wait for another school day. You have fed his insatiable appetite for knowledge and growth and he has been constantly engaged in your classroom. You have challenged him and kept him moving at a quick learning pace, which is not easy to do with such a variety of levels in your classroom.

There have been times in other classrooms where Parker just has to "read on his own," while every one else finishes their work, but that doesn't happen in your classroom. You always have something to keep him growing and moving. We appreciate your extra effort in working with your higher level learners and allowing them to go broader and deeper as they study the general core. We also appreciate you pointing out what Parker can do better and improve upon. He has had goals to meet all year and areas he has tried to strengthen because you have also kept him humble, which is critical to future learning.

Thank you, also, for taking interest in your students outside of the classroom. He (and we) thought it was so special to have you at his soccer and basketball games this year. That was above and beyond and we felt of your involvement and love for him.

We always pray that Parker will have a teacher that will allow him to continue learning at a quick pace and feed his love of knowledge, and we feel incredibly blessed because you have done just that this year. Mr. Hughes promised us that you would be everything we hoped for, and you have exceeded our expectations. Thank you so much for a wonderful year. We hope you have a long and relaxing summer!

It was the hardest to say good-bye to James' teacher. She has been with her class for 2 years and has been so incredible. We just love her to pieces. James even shed a few tears on the last day of school. Here was the email we sent to her:

Dear Valarie,

As the year comes to a close we just wanted to thank you for being such an amazing teacher for James these past two years. We were unsure of what the PAL program would be, but because of you, it has completely exceeded our expectations. We have been impressed on a daily basis with so many things, but here are a few that mean the most to us.

1. You make learning fun. James has said it over and over again...you make learning everything such a fun adventure. Your love of life and excitement for learning comes through to the children you teach every day. In two years, James has never used the word "boring" to describe school. On the contrary, he cannot wait to be there and learn more every day. He loves your crazy dances and brain breaks, and all the little things you do to make the classroom so personal. He only wants summer to last a few weeks! You have given him an invaluable gift: the love of learning.

2. You challenge each child. James came into the program ahead of his peers, but you have challenged and pushed him. He is constantly trying to do better, score better and be better. He wants to please and impress you because he respects you. He is always busy with something meaningful to do. He has learned and grown so much academically this year.

3. You develop the whole child. We were concerned that by being in this program, James might suffer in other areas, but your vision for every student is to make them into their best selves. You have done this by encouraging them to work on their weaknesses...public speaking, performing, getting along with others, organization...everything. It has been such a treat to watch him grow in every way, not just academically.

4. You teach them to work with others. In a group like this, there are often too many chiefs. I have watched you round them out by having them work in groups, give each other sincere compliments, listen, show respect and many other ways. These skills will be so useful in the days and years to come. You know just how to help the dramatic and emotional ones and the ones who are a little lacking in those areas. You are fair and honest with each student and you want them to get along and enjoy their time in the classroom. Overall, they have all become great little friends.

5. You love them with your whole heart. This last one makes me teary just thinking about it, but I cannot tell you how much James has changed for the better these last two years because of you. Your open heart and affectionate arms have taught him to express his feelings and love for others on a very regular basis. He has felt so much love from you and has brought that sweet side of himself home to our family. Where he used to withhold affection and his feelings, he is now the first to say, "I love you," and greet us with a hug. He is comfortable saying how he feels, talking things through and forgiving people quickly. There are more hugs in our family than there have ever been and we love it. We can only attribute it to your loving example. You will be a teacher he, and we, will remember forever...he hates it when you are gone and can't wait to share all his life excitement with you.

You are an excellent teacher. You have superb communication with the children and the parents, and I think we all feel like we are your favorite. Thank you for teaching James and especially for loving him. We cannot thank you enough! We hope you have a wonderful, relaxing summer and and feel a little jealous of the kids that get to be in your classroom next year.

The boys decided on Sweet Tooth Fairy as an end of the year treat and then we headed to Cherry Hill for some water fun!

That Saturday, we had a rare, free moment, so we took advantage and went on the Ogden Waterfall Canyon hike. Hiking has become something our family really loves doing together and I feel grateful to live in an area with so many beautiful nature opportunities. We started the morning with breakfast at a cute tiny spot that had the most delicious breakfast sandwiches!

We made it to the top of this beautiful stream and the boys were ready to head back. We convinced them to press on.

The hike was hard, steep and long. At one point each family member (except Mike and Parker) was ready to say, let's turn around. But when we made it to the end, we sure were glad we didn't call it quits!

The ants and huge potato bugs helped keep Pierce engaged for a bit.

The desert was blossoming! We found beauty every where!

We were so proud of Jace during soccer try outs. He moved up 2 team levels and ended up on the A team, just under the Elite level. We feel so grateful that he has a very dedicated, awesome coach and a whole group of boys that will surely turn into great friends. We started the season off with a party at the park!

We had and will have lots of summer days at Cherry Hill. We love having it right in our backyard. It has also been a blast having Jace's friend, James tag along with us during the summer. The more boys the better. We were also celebrating the fact that James could go swimming!! No more cast. Hooray!

Jace and Parker were able to play on the same baseball team this season and we loved watching their games. They had great coaches and fun boys to play with. Nothing like baseball!

Loved having grandma there to cheer them on!

These two are my garden buddies. The love going out each morning with me and checking on our plants, fruits and veggies.

We tried to start out the summer with cousin swim days at Grandma and Grandpa's pool. This one ended in a down pour!

Sometimes we take advantage of the school behind us and get out for a little baseball. Mike was trying to break James back in after he cast came off, and after Pierce really wanted a piece of the action. He was sure he wanted to be the pitcher. Watching him was a hoot...leg up, serious face and crazy throw. We love that boy!

At the beginning of the summer, Parker decided to participate in a little track camp. Because of soccer, he has become a really great runner. At the end of the camp, they all took part in a city-wide track meet. Parker shocked us all and place 1st, 2nd, and 2nd, in his event (200m, 400m, 800m). He qualified for district in each event and was super excited. Watching him run was a blast!

After a long 6 weeks, James was back on the ball field. His first day wasn't too bad...he hit the ball and got on base. He was so happy to be back on the field!

Another great summer activity is frog catching! I can't tell you how much I love that my boys have the chance to do wild nature things! So awesome.

Another treat for our family was having Chaz come visit! These two are best friends for life. He shocked us all with how tall and lean he had become since Christmas. Jace is now anxiously awaiting his growth spurt!