Andy at age 11

• I can't believe our Andy is getting so grown up! He continues to be a big personality in our home. He knows what he wants, he's smart as a whip, and is developing talents and skills at so many things. It's an honor to watch him mature and grow up. 
• He's in 6th grade this year and his teacher is Mrs. Childs. He loves her (she wears Air Jordans and has a Harry Potter themed room). It feels like he's really blossomed this year! He's in student council and has loved that. He generally stays pretty on top of assignments, but I was a little surprised at his first PTC this year to see that he'd forgotten to turn in quite a few things. ;) 
• He continues to get up early to do his piano and jobs. We found out that for a chunk of this year (he said it was a few weeks, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were a few months) that he'd been getting up at 3:30 AM to play video games for hours while we slept. This has since been remedied (we hope), but it does show Andy's determination to get what he wants (which is as much screen time as possible). 
• He continues to love to read and reads for a couple hours every day. Maybe more. His favorite books are Hilo, Techno Wizard, Zits, and really any graphic novels. It's rare when we can convince him to read anything else. 
• He's really developed socially this year and loves to hang out with friends. He's always taking off and hanging out a friends' houses. He loves to be with Kade Ballam, Jayden DeWaal (who just moved--he is very sad), Rocky Ballstaedt, Cole Read, Logan Dong, Reed Wilde, Cade Myers, McKay Munday, and lots of others too. He always would be rather hanging out with his friends and is happy to ditch family events whenever we'll let him. :) We've started leaving him at home on his own more when he doesn't want to come with us somewhere. He really values his alone time and has a hard time being around his siblings for long amounts of time. Or even short amounts of time. ;) 
• Andy is very kind to friends and people at school. I always notice when I'm at his school that he's extra friendly to everyone and looks out for people. 
• Andy continues to love soccer and sports in general. He loves his soccer team (Steel Titans) and looks forward to practices and any games. He's very athletic in general and spends recess doing football, basketball, soccer, or whatever his friends are doing. 
• He's achieved a lot in piano this year and has grown and developed so much. I think a big highlight was when he won 2nd place in the Encore Keyboard Competition in September. He really loved playing his Debussy Valse Romantique. He's also loved learning the preamble from Bach's fifth partita. Lately he's been working on Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag and loves that. 
• As far as shows go--I think his favorite movie he saw this year was probably Top Gun Maverick. He doesn't really seem to watch shows anymore, but prefers to watch things on youtube. Dude Perfect and Studio C are what he's technically allowed to watch, but he seems to sneak watching other riveting things on youtube like watching other people play Minecraft and Airack. He continues to be obsessed with his switch and usually chooses that for screen time. 
• He still continues to be super picky and basically drinks large amounts of whole milk, bread and english muffins, and cheese. Occasionally he'll throw some hot dogs in. He will also clear out shocking amounts from our candy cupboard. I'm not sure how he grows, but he does. 
• Andy has shot up this year and is getting so tall! He's 5'1" or so. And his feet are my size--mens size 8! Shoes are a lot more expensive now that he can't wear kid sizes. 
• Andy loves long daily showers while he blasts loud music. 
• Andy loves to listen to his music in general. It's always very loud and he's always "stealing" it when I'm trying to use our spotify account. He really loves Imagine Dragons and went to his first concert this year to see them. He also loves One Republic. He loves musicals like Hamilton and Hadestown too. I'll also catch him listening to classical music like Liszt occasionally. 
• Andy loves going to symphonies, plays, and musicals. He kept asking me this year when I would finally take him back to the symphony, which I was happy to olige! :) 
• Andy is getting extremely excited to get his own room. Our basement should be finished within the next few months and all of us (especially Max) are counting down to the days when Andy and Max will no longer share a room.  

Andy and his soccer team got to go onto the Real Salt Lake field at half time! Here he is with Cooper or Bronson, Elliott, and Kimball.

Such a beautiful pianist!

Andy's home games are at a field by Greg and Kathy's house. It was fun having them come to a game!

Andy ran for student council and WON! He's had so much fun being on student council so far.

Steel Titans!

Andy got to go to BYU soccer camp with Jayden, Kade, and Beckham this year.

Such a sweet brother to Davis.

Andy's art from summer art camp. He's a great artist!

Andy likes to mountain bike, especially with his BFF Charlie.

First day of 6th grade!

A picture Mrs. Childs sent me from his classroom.

A fun night of swimming and dinner with Cade Myers and Reed Wilde.

Andy's fall flag football team. His first time playing and he liked it! It was fun having Jayden and Logan on his team.

Andy was old enough to go to Cornbelly's with his friends quite a few times this fall.

A night out to the symphony to see the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2. He loved it!

Andy's student council group

Andy got to do a candy cane fundraiser with his student council to rase money for OSSO. He's very responsible and always remembers where/when he needs to go.

A fun Christmas part at Jayden's house.

Andy's had fun being in the same class with Cole Read this year!

A goodbye hangout with Jayden before he moved.