Dear Gabriel,
At the beginning of the year you were ordained a deacon - even though you were still only 11 and wouldn't turn 12 until October. After you were ordained we didn't get to the temple fast enough for you to do baptisms for the dead before the temples closed because of COVID-19.
- You have ventured into another part of your "boy" self this year. I have seen it in you - you want to go live in a cave and you want me to come visit you "sometimes". Whenever you have told me this, it isn't out of anger towards me at all, it is just your boy adventurous spirit wanting to have a walk-about like the aborigines used to have. You are feeling the call of the wild! That's for sure!
- You started a business for your school project this year called "Gabe's Holiday Snacks". You have had some success but it's helped you realize how much effort it takes to keep marketing a business in order for steady customers to come and buy from you. I think it's caused you to think twice about business ownership - but a great experience for you.
- You have been doing Fire Canyon Academy this year on Mondays (you started in September). You've done the Georgics class (leadership), sports and physics. You have loved your physics class and you've really liked your other classes as well. Next semester we are doing a play and you will be in that play for some of your class period times. So that will be fun for you!
- You have been having a lot of jumping "in and out of teenagehood". Other moms have mentioned this to me that they see their sons one day just wanting to be a little boy and have imagination land all the time and then the next day they will be super responsible and get a ton done. I have been that in you - sometimes it's day in and out, sometimes it's week on and week off. Lately I feel like you have been in your "little boy land" for about the last 2 months and you don't want to jump out of it. I have worried a little bit about whether I need to push you out of it a little bit more - but I feel a holding back from doing so. You are going to see a lot of adult responsibility soon enough and I don't want to take this time away from you before it's necessary.
- You and Elijah have been getting a long a lot better! At the first of the year you were fighting with him quite a bit, but you guys are doing lots better together!
- You were the "fiddler" in Fiddler On The Roof production that we were in together as a family from like January to July. It was a super long process and it was totally worth it. We learned so much together and we had a blast making all kinds of memories together as a family and as a cast.
- We have of course gone hiking quite a bit together as a family, mainly hikes that around the area and have been fun enough for you but easy enough for Joshua.
- We went up to Idaho after Fiddler was done and visited Papa and Mimi. We went to the Aquatic Center in Idaho Falls when we went up there and you LOVED it. It was so fun to see all the sting rays and fish and birds and everything else!
- You have still been loving the nature co-op. We've had an off year with the co-op because of Covid - but we've had some great lessons. One of your favorites was when a master falconer came to the group and showed us his pet hawk. You were in heaven about that! We also went up to a canyon around Kanab with the group and rode a bunch of side-by-sides and hiked around. You loved that. You have also really loved going to Sandhollow as much as we could during the summer time and kayaking around.
- Your favorite sport right now is golfing - of course! You have the personality for it - I think we need to get you going more with your golf game, that's for sure!
- Papa came down for Elijah's baptism and you were able to see him quite a bit. You turned 12 years old at the end of October and it's amazing to see your priesthood understanding start to come alive!
- When we went up to idaho we were able to go to Teague's house and visit, and you and Teague started working on your book together writing it. It's all about cats! haha!
- We also went up to Yellowstone park together with Papa when we were in Idaho. He wanted to go on a drive and he took us up there to see the geyser!
- We went camping up by Kolob lake together and you had a great time.
- You went to the OUR gathering together with dad over the summer to be educated about human trafficking.
- You almost started our house on fire this year! That was an experience. I'm sure you remember the details - I think I wrote a journal about it. You still feel really bad about it. We brought it up the other day during a Sunday lesson and you were still very embarrassed about it and didn't want to talk about it because of the sadness you had almost hurting our family. I appreciate your soft heart about this experience.
- Papa and Kalea came down here to watch the Fiddler play! You were so excited to see them and have them come watch you.
- We got chickens this year! That has been an adventure and there's lots of learning we have all had in the process. You have been extraordinarily helpful in making sure the chickens are taken care of - I really appreciate that about you.
- Of course we quarantined pretty much all of March and April so there isn't much that happened there beside play practice! I'm glad we had that to distract us.
- Last but not least - we saw Colleen in February this past year! That was awesome! You saved up the money to buy the plane ticket to go and see her. So we scheduled it for February. It was cold in Nebraska, but you were in heaven getting onto a plane and seeing how everything worked. You loved it so much, and I was so proud of you for saving for a long time in order to see that goal was fulfilled to get on an airplane and fly out to see your Aunt Colleen!
- And last January we went up with the nature co-op to have a snow day up in Brianhead together. YOU WERE IN HEAVEN because you love snow so much.
- You have been part of the EPIC Children's Choir (which you like), and piano lessons (which you LOVE - you are getting SO GOOD and playing the piano) and going to The Grip for Ninja Warrior Classes.
More than anything this year I have seen firsthand how you are developing into a young man. You are a good kid with so much ability. I'm seeing that it's time for you to start stretching your wings a bit to leave the nest and I think it is a very important part of your growing up years. I don't really want you to go to junior high at this point but I know that the Lord is going to show us the possibilities of education for what you need in your future.
I love you bud!
Love, Your Mom
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