A Post About Eva

I feel privileged to be a mother!  I have four wonderful kids that I enjoy and love to spend time with.  Each one of my children are very unique and I've thought I should write about them as individuals at times.  I'm going to start with Eva. 

I feel very fortunate that Eva is my oldest.  She is very responsible and helpful.  I know I wouldn't be able to work with the younger kids as much as I do without her help.  She's great at getting meals ready when I need it, moving laundry, getting kids ready and out the door when they need to be, etc.  I appreciate this particular skill set when I'm in Salt Lake with Nathan and life for the other three continues here without me to manage it.  Eva prepares for everything!  She's been volunteering 2 hours of her Saturday nights since January to babysit for the community choir and every week she prepares activities and/or snacks for the kids.  She's so good at preparing that I never have to wonder if she's falling behind on school work--in fact she generally has to remind me several times of things I need to get for her so she can complete projects!  I love shopping with Eva--she has a good eye for colors and how to put them together--she has a great sense of style. 

I really admire her dedication to learning about the gospel.  From a very young age, Eva takes every suggestion very seriously.  Our entire family has benefited from her deciding she was going to read the entire Book of Mormon before her baptism--I didn't think it would be possible but she and I did it together and after that I decided the others could too.  Nathan is on track to finish it before he turns eight next year and we all have Eva's persistent determination to thank for it!  Eva is also very thougthful--she loves to write little notes to people and make cards.  She works hard to develop her talent for crafting and sewing as well as her more obvious musical talents. She pursues her violin and piano education relentlessly and has become very skilled.  She is nearly as advanced as I on the piano (although I may not admit it to her--there's a comfort level I have that comes with age) and she is only 13!  In the past several months I can hear a beautiful musicality to her pieces--as her violin teacher said today--"her musicality is blossoming"! 

Last week Eva was recognized as a "Super Citizen" at her school.  Here is what the nominating teacher had to say about her: "She is always on top of everything.  She helped any group when needed in Science Olympiad and took on multiple events herself.  She always strives to do her best in everything she does."

This reminds me!  Eva is in the MESA club at school (she's a seventh grader) and they went to the Science Olympiad.  Eva competed in two events and I can't remember what they're called but one of them entailed building a rocket.  In one of the events she and her partner placed second!  They were the only students from her school to place in the top three in any event this year or last year--schools come from all over the valley to Westminster to compete.  I don't quite understand it because science was never my thing but Eva loves it--particularly anything to do with microbiology. 

Congratulations Eva on being recognized for all your hard work--you deserve it!