What’s New With Mark?

Mark started out this year with a huge HUGE event of his life! He got ordained to be a deacon, which in our church means that he received the priesthood and officially became a Young Man. The rule is that you get to join the Young Men’s organization the year you turn 12, and although Mark’s birthday is not until December 28, he still gets to leave primary and be in youth. He was so excited for this change! In our ward, something like ten boys became deacons at the beginning of January. 

One wonderful thing for Mark is that you are allowed to enter the temple and do baptisms for the dead the year you turn twelve.


My two boys! Only a little over three years apart in age!

One Friday evening we went to the temple as a family and Robert was able to baptize all three kids for some of our ancestors. It was one of the sweetest experiences that I will never forget.

I actually have been very amazed with how much Mark is enjoying the young men's responsibilities such as administering the Sacrament, planning activities and conducting meetings. He is a solid young man according to his youth leaders--always ready to help and learn. I am very happy he is finding joy and friendships at church.

While I am on Mark’s page here, let me share a few more pictures. 

The school sent this picture with all of Mark’s school pictures taken at this school. Our cute Markovka is growing up! 

Also this winter, Mark made a decision to scale back his tennis training a tiny bit for two months and add basketball to the mix. It’s a great way to cross train, but it does make our life busier and makes him sacrifice some of the big winter tournaments as the games are on Saturdays. Mark was on the 11-12 team this year, as one of the younger kids. He did amazingly well, as expected! He is just naturally athletic and very fast. We absolutely love watching him! He actually scores quite a bit:)

He is number 12. The team name was “The Satellites”.

Mark has had quite an audience of people who came to see him play on separate occasions. Starting with Cameron and then Ms. Beickert, Caralyn (his tennis friend) and Waverly (his classmate and friend from the neighborhood). It’s always more fun when people come to support you! He has already decided he will be doing another season of basketball next year, probably one last time as the next level up plays on Sundays;).

And that’s how Mark has been spending his winter months:) 

Lyana. 

All About Sports--Getting Americanized:)

We feel like we have fully immersed back into the American culture by signing the kids up for many sports activities. It's always tough, at first, when you move to figure out where is what and what level of commitment you actually desire for your family. We thought we took things slowly but somehow our life has become quite involved in sports practices and games.

Alex. He is in 6th grade so he is not allowed to play sports through school yet. We signed him up for a season through the YMCA that went from October to December. It is, unfortunately, the most expensive basketball around because we are not members, but it's also the only one that was going on in Cary when we finally decided to sign up. Alex really enjoyed it, although it took him a month or so to love it. That's Alex jumping up to steal the ball (#5).



Mark. After doing a week long tennis camp in August through the Cary Tennis Center, Mark was begging us to sign him up for tennis wanting to play every day. We live five minute drive from the Cary Tennis Center, so it actually wasn't too bad. He got evaluated and got into the Tennis Academy (TAD) and can go four times a week for an hour for instructions. On top of that he had matches on Fridays for about two months. And then once in a while we hire a tennis coach, Polina, to give him private lessons. Those are expensive, so we have to know our limits. Polina is wonderful. She is originally from Uzbekistan and was a junior pro during her younger days. We'll continue evaluate if we are able to do tennis this often and if Mark will be able to participate in the tournaments (lots of them are on Saturday and Sunday).





Katya. She was very fortunate to get into her school's soccer team this year! It was incredible luck with timing and us having all the necessary forms filled out by the doctor back in England. She had practices three times a week and games on Wednesdays. Katya started as a right wing and then became a left back (and realized she really liked to run as little as possible:)) and THEN she had to sub for their goalie when she was sick and loved it. So she was playing goalie for the last few games and now wants to try out to be a goalie in her high school next year.








Of course, we already know about her new of hobby for rowing. Here are just two beautiful shots from a Saturday morning in the fall.





And that was our busy fall season of sports. Mark is continuing to play tennis and Katya is still doing rowing.

Bye for now.
Lyana.

Basketball Season 2015-Feeling American

Our boys LOVE basketball! 

This was the first year that Mark was old enough to participate in our Youth Center's basketball season. He was almost old enough last year, but he was turning five at the end of December, while practices started in the middle of November (and actual games started after he turned five). This year he was very excited! We had to give up tennis before Christmas because it was conflicting with our basketball practices, but Mark was insistent that he really wants to do basketball. He was one of the older and more mature kids on the team and quickly became one of the best players, the ones that actually were not afraid of the ball and scored at almost every game. His height helped too.

Mark is #43. He looked forward to every game, so the first six weeks when they only practiced were a bit long for him-he craved competition.

In January, the games started, so we had practices on Monday evenings (5-6 pm for Mark +6-7 pm for Alex) and then games back to back on Friday evenings. 

Mark gave 100% at each game and he learned so much during the season! 

He scored several points throughout the season, and when he did he always ran pass us with a big smile on his cute face! And yes, we cheered, "Go, Mark!!!". 

Here is Mark's little team. Next year he is really hoping to be on the 7-9 year olds' team, but it all depends again if they will let him do that if he turns seven before the games start. 

Alex has been participating in our base basketball season almost every year since he was five. For the first three years he showed off more dance moves than basketball skills, but he enjoyed every minute of it. This year was very different. He was one of the pros on the team, his last year on the 7-9 year olds team. 

And he was good! He scored, he dribbled, he worked with his teammates and listened to the coach. 

Alex was the tallest on his team. He towered over some of the opposing players. 

He even got to do the penalty shots which he missed both times. That basketball hoop in our driveway is waiting for you, Alex.

We attended every basketball game (for both Alex and Mark) as a family, cheering like crazy! Katya got into it too, it was funny. I must admit, Alex's games were intense! They were so fun to watch and you never knew how they would end. I would get hoarse after each game from cheering for our "Lakers" team.

I am grateful for the coaches who volunteer their time to teach our kids to play. Coach Webster (on the left) was Alex's coach for two years in a row. He was always very chill but fun and a good example to the kids.

We had a quick ice cream party for the boys after the last game. They got their T-shirts, trophies and ice cream.

I like basketball, especially watching it. So I hope that the boys will keep playing:).

Lyana.

“Get’cha Head In The Game”.

Throughout the year our Youth Center on base (this was true in Misawa as well) offers organized practices and games of several sports—football, American football, basketball, and softball. I am always a bit hesitant to sign up because a lot of games are held on Saturdays, which kind of makes it hard to go anywhere exploring on weekends. Basketball is played November-February with no Saturday games or practices, so, since Alex was begging to get involved, we decided to sign him up.

For six weeks, Alex just had practices once a week, and then games were added on top of that. He was on the team of 7-9 year old boys.  Alex LOVES playing basketball. He loved being part of the team! And he also got a lot better at dribbling the ball, passing and making the basket. He still did not forget to add a little dance on the court when he had a spare minute…

Finally, on March 1st, we had a closing ceremony for basketball, where all the players got their medals and t-shirts.

This is our coach, who is actually one of the colonels on base.

Here you go, Alex, another trophy to your collection.  Cannot wait till he plays sports with score keeping and real awards.

And a t-shirt to remember Alconbury basketball.

“Next year, I am doing basketball again, for sure!”.

Here is team “Magic”. We are grateful for people who volunteer their time to make it possible for our kids to play sports and have so much fun!

And since we are talking about Alex, here is a quick update on him. This winter, when Alex was not playing basketball, playing the piano or doing homework, he was reading. This kid…seriously…I think he wakes up with a book in his hand and goes to bed while reading his book. I am trying to teach him not to read while eating breakfast.  I usually don’t mind when he is reading books, but when it’s Harry Potter series for the fifth or tenth time…I do mind. So I am still searching for fictional books, that he’d get into like he did into “Percy Jackson”. He loves those “I survived…” books that tell you about how people survive during different natural disasters and non-fiction but he needs variety.

Alex is doing very well in his Year 4 (3rd grade) class, being on top of his class in most subjects. He absolutely loves music, and still goes to choir and orchestra at the school before school instruction begins. His headteacher (principal) takes him out, along with couple more students, for a writing session each week, since he excels in writing, but Alex really wants to stop doing that because he misses music when he goes writing. Yeah, funny boy.

I am just happy that he is happy at this Brampton school and loves learning so much!

Cheers for now! I have to go make my lunch now…and then clean our bathrooms. Chores are always waiting to be done even when living in England. This is when I am jealous of my sister’s life in India.

High School Musical 4

I told you recently that Alex really got into basketball this year. It was his first year that he could play on a “real” team with actual games and practices….although still with no keeping score.
Every Monday evening we had a practice—it was supposed to be for 6 weeks. And every Saturday morning for 6 weeks, we were supposed to have games.

I must say, this was Alex’s first exposure to any team sport with “older” kids. He thought it was the coolest thing to have a coach and to gather together to talk about the game in a time out, and to have same color of T-shirts…the list goes on and on.
The funny thing is, Alex was one of the youngest players. He was five and half when he started. Most other kids on his team were 6 and 7. And guess who is the tallest:) ….well, besides the coach.

But as we all know, being tall doesn’t guarantee success in basketball. Those little guys were FAST!
Now, for Alex, one of his major accomplishments was learning how to run and dribble at the same time. Coordination for this five year old boy doesn’t come easy….
As you may know, Alex is also our “performer”. If he could, he’d audition for a part in “High School Musical-4”-haha. He thought he is Troy from HSM. He thought he could dance in between catching the ball. He thought that when spectators (parents and siblings) clap, he should clap too “because it’s like a show”. He was cracking us up:)

  Alex “flying” through the court (he is #14).

I am so happy we signed him up to try basketball out. It’s good for kids to feel like they HAVE to practice and they HAVE to work on something to become better. I wish they did keep score so that they kids learn to “lose”. 

When it’s warmer outside, hopefully, Alex will be able to practice with Robert, so that he doesn’t forget everything he learned.

Lyana