Happy Birthday, Claire!! You've finally arrived...you're twelve years old now! Last year I wrote to you about how, in turning eleven, all you could talk about was how next year you'd be in Young Women's and going to girls camp and mutual and all of that jazz. My response was that I had a whole year to worry about any of that. Well, President Nelson threw us a curve ball when the age for entering the youth program changed and you became a Beehive in January! I love and sustain President Nelson with all my heart...except maybe for the tiny bit that is not happy that my baby girl grew up that much faster than I was expecting! :)
In all honesty, you were totally ready for Young Women's. With the change in the age for the youth program also came the announcement that programs such as Personal Progress would be changing at the beginning of 2020. You decided as soon as you heard that announcement that you were going to do everything you could to earn your Young Womanhood in Recognition award and medallion in your first year. I was a little hesitant that you'd be able to get it all done, but you made an appointment with Sister Austad, your personal progress leader, and the two of you made a plan. With hard work and diligence, you'll be able to get your medallion before the end of the year. I'm so excited to see you step up to this challenge!
You were also called and set apart as the first counselor in the Beehive class presidency, with Jacee Hammon as president, Courtney Bingham as second counselor, and Cassidy Morton as secretary. Coincidently, the presidency is also the entire active Beehive class! :) You accepted your calling with maturity and a desire to magnify your calling. You're working hard to love the girls in your class...even with the tension that surrounds your friendship with Courtney. You love going to mutual and helping to plan the activities for your class. You've even taught Beehives on Sunday, giving an entire 50 minute lesson!! With help from your Dad on how to format a lesson, you picked your own topic from the Come Follow Me manual for the youth, formatted your own questions, and we heard you did a fantastic job! I know that I could never have done something like that at your age. Your spiritual maturity astounds me.
Though you still have a month or so before you get to go to girls camp, the last item that you were so excited to be in Young Women's for was attending the temple do to baptisms for the dead. You expressed your desire to go monthly to the temple, and you got the ball rolling in January! It was such a tender experience for your Dad and me to be in the temple with you. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched your father baptize you and then confirm you as proxy for family names on both sides. It was an especially sacred experience for me, as it was the first time I had attended the temple to do any names from my family line. Your deep desire to be in the temple and to do family names has blessed me with a real desire, for the first time in my life, to do my family history and my ancestor's temple work. Even today, on your birthday, all you wanted was to be in the Salt Lake Temple ON your birthday. We had such a wonderful experience in that historic temple. You mentioned more than once that it was so neat to be where Dad and I were sealed and our family began. I felt that same sense of time connecting in ways I can't really comprehend...because I could sense you were in the temple with us that day of our sealing, too. It felt right to be back there with you! Your Dad and I look forward to many more experiences in the temple with you.
You've almost completed your 6th grade year...and your last year of elementary school!! It's crazy for your Dad and I to think that you've been in the same school for your entire elementary school career. We both changed schools multiple times growing up. It's been neat to see you have some of the same friends that you made in kindergarten! Of course, you've excelled academically. You were chosen to represent the 6th grade class and your school at the language competition at Weber again this year with your friends Ellie and Alauria. The three of you were determined to get first place this year, and you practiced and practiced. And you did it!! You continue to amaze us with your ability to speak the Spanish language. You also continue to love math, science, history, and writing and excel at all of them. You seem to be pretty ready for junior high and all that will entail! You've registered for all honors classes (except Utah Studies which didn't seem worth the extra project) and you're not worried in the least. You are a natural student.
During this last year, you've continued to have situations come up with your friends that are stretching you socially. You're learning patience and forgiveness, and how to have charity for those around you while at the same time setting appropriate boundaries and protecting your feelings. You are so easy-going that these situations don't seem to cause you too much distress, and I'm glad you're gaining these skills early.
You are such a blessing to our family, Claire! You and Sophie are still besties, and she'd be lost without you. You are starting to babysit more while I run quick errands, and I'm so glad I have you to help me at home! I'm loving how our relationship is evolving and we're creating a friendship together. You and your Dad still have a special relationship, and I love to see how proud he is of you! I know so many great things are ahead of you this year, and can hardly believe that the next letter I write will be to my first TEENAGER! Gasp!! :) I'm not worried though. I know you'll always be such a delight at every stage of your life.
I love you, Claire Bear! Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mom
You've almost completed your 6th grade year...and your last year of elementary school!! It's crazy for your Dad and I to think that you've been in the same school for your entire elementary school career. We both changed schools multiple times growing up. It's been neat to see you have some of the same friends that you made in kindergarten! Of course, you've excelled academically. You were chosen to represent the 6th grade class and your school at the language competition at Weber again this year with your friends Ellie and Alauria. The three of you were determined to get first place this year, and you practiced and practiced. And you did it!! You continue to amaze us with your ability to speak the Spanish language. You also continue to love math, science, history, and writing and excel at all of them. You seem to be pretty ready for junior high and all that will entail! You've registered for all honors classes (except Utah Studies which didn't seem worth the extra project) and you're not worried in the least. You are a natural student.
During this last year, you've continued to have situations come up with your friends that are stretching you socially. You're learning patience and forgiveness, and how to have charity for those around you while at the same time setting appropriate boundaries and protecting your feelings. You are so easy-going that these situations don't seem to cause you too much distress, and I'm glad you're gaining these skills early.
You are such a blessing to our family, Claire! You and Sophie are still besties, and she'd be lost without you. You are starting to babysit more while I run quick errands, and I'm so glad I have you to help me at home! I'm loving how our relationship is evolving and we're creating a friendship together. You and your Dad still have a special relationship, and I love to see how proud he is of you! I know so many great things are ahead of you this year, and can hardly believe that the next letter I write will be to my first TEENAGER! Gasp!! :) I'm not worried though. I know you'll always be such a delight at every stage of your life.
I love you, Claire Bear! Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mom
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