Spotlight on Akayla 2007

It's Akayla's turn for a spotlight. Next week I'll do one of the other kids. This is the easiest way to document some of the things that happened over the past year. It's always fun to see yourself in pictures!

Stuff about Akayla

• She is the oldest of 7 children
• She's 12 and in 7th grade at a charter school called "The Academy"
• She loves makeup, jewelry, her mp3 player, boys, playing piano and violin, hanging out with mom and family, cute clothes, the mall, Zac Efron, music, email, babysitting, being silly, friends, school, writing, teasing, and giggling!
• Favorite food: Just about everything. She has never been picky. Pasta is probably her favorite.
• Least favorite food: Green peppers. She'll gag them down, but can't stand them.
• Favorite colors: Pink and brown. She's decorated her room these colors (so cute!) and some of her favorite shoes and clothes are these colors.
• Best friends: Makenna and Maria from school and Corina
• Secret crush: (This is for her grandpa in Illinois because he wanted to know) I won't say his name but there's a boy from school that Akayla really likes. He's a cutie, but he is also so nice and a good kid. They are very good friends and they like playing basketball together with a couple of other kids during their lunch breaks.
• Favorite music: She loves High School Musical, Corbin Bleu (from High School musical), Wicked, EFY CD's, lots of other movie soundtracks, and she likes listening to the radio. She does like classical a lot, but I've noticed she listens to the other stuff more lately!
• Favorite movie: I would say High School Musical right now, but she loves Anne of Green Gables, Pride & Prejudice, Harry Potters, and all the other fun movies that come out.
• Favorite tv show: We don't watch much tv around here, but she does like Hannah Montana and some of the other Disney channel shows. Akayla rarely sits down to watch anything unless it's on a Friday evening.
• Favorite scripture story: Ammon, because he had so much faith and he was brave!
• Favorite books: She loves historical fiction. She read a book recently called Ashes for Rose. She couldn't wait for me to read it so we could talk about it. She doesn't enjoy fantasy because she can't empathize with the characters as much.
• Favorite school subject: She loves school and being there with her friends. She does very well in English, spelling, writing etc. so that's probably her favorite.

Here's some random photos from this past year.

Akayla LOVES clogging! She is very good at it. In fact this year she was put on the senior competition team and she is the youngest member they've ever had on the team. If you have in your mind that clogging is a strange western dance you have it ALL WRONG! You've just got to see the National Competition at Lagoon and you'll be hooked. Think "Lord of the Dance" only without Irish music and with WAY more energy and fun. We love the teacher here in Pocatello because the costumes are always modest and SOOO cute! This was her mamba dance. Akayla's team has taken nationals the past two years. WHAT A BLAST!

May This was at clogging nationals (Adriana's team got to go too). We brought Tanner and Genelle along for the ride. It was a very fun day. It was about two weeks before Elli was due and it was HOT! We went on a few rides then rushed back for the events one of the girls had to clog in. Next year we hope the whole family can come!

April Akayla turned 12 so she got to have a slumber party. Dave and Tanner lucked out because they had the Father/Sons campout that night. We had 15 girls in the house that night not including myself! Akayla has really cute friends that are very good girls. There's a lot of drama at this age, but it's all good! They will look back at this time in their lives (like I do) and laugh at themselves. Hooray! Akayla finally gets to be in YW and wear makeup!

March Spring Break we rented a cabin in Yellowstone and planned on going snow mobiling, but that fell through so we stayed inside and had a great time! Akayla and Corina are best friends. It's so great to have two girls so close together because they really love each other. They do fight, but they enjoy each other so much and miss each other when they're away. They each have their own room now which has helped in the sibling rivalry department!

April This is a spotlight on Akayla so please don't notice the HUGELY PREGNANT LADY at the piano. Anyway.....Akayla is a very gifted musician. I started teaching her piano when she was 5 and violin when she was 6. It was easy to teach her because not only did she pick up on things really quickly but she actually enjoyed it. She practices both instruments every day without me nagging her (at least not very often) for an hour each. We actually have to make her stop a lot of times and get other things done. Last year she participated in a scholarship competition. All the other kids were Juniors and Seniors in high school and she was in 6th grade at the time. She won fourth place so she got to choose a music camp over the summer for them to pay for. She went to the Suzuki Institute in Salt Lake City. She also went this year because it was such a great experience. She has gotten the highest rating possible at the National Federation of Music festivals for piano and violin for 6 years now and last year she was chosen as the exceptional musician so she was able to play in an incredible music hall at an honors recital. Watch out for this girl, she is going places! (Did I brag enough?! A mom gets to brag every once in awhile!)

June This was right before Ellie was born and I was about this big so Akayla was teasing me. This is a fitting picture for her though because I know someday she is going to be experiencing this. She is going to be such a great mom. She is responsible and a huge helper! She's also a kind and thoughtful big sister. We always feel like our kids will be safe with her and that she will take care of all of their needs. She says she wants 10 kids and I believe her! She's a great example to her brother and sisters.

November Mom, Akayla, Corina and Elli got to go to California over Thanksgiving break with grandma, Carissa and Genelle. It was such a great trip. Our favorite part was watching the play "Wicked". We totally loved it!

This was at Universal Studios overlooking the whole Hollywood valley. What cute girls!!

This was our Thanksgiving meal at Disneyland. It was such a great day. These three girls had so much fun together.

December Akayla wanted to learn to make bread for her YW project. She is a great cook, but bread is a little tricky so I stood behind her and told her what to do, but she did everything herself from grinding the wheat to pulling them out of the oven. She brought one to her favorite YW leader who said it was sooooooo good. She wants Akayla to come over and teach her how to make it!

October Akayla was a gypsy for Halloween. She did go trick-or-treating with the family, but she also got to go to a fun Halloween party with her friends.