Religion Bee

A few years ago, the Archdiocese of Atlanta began an annual Religion Bee for all Catholic Schools.  Every 3-8th grade student takes a written test covering all aspects of the Catholic Faith.  At Queen of Angels, the student with the first place score from each homeroom then competes in the school religion bee.  There is 1 bee for 3-5 grade and 1 bee for 6-8 grade.  This year we are so proud to say that Nicholas (7th), Grace (5th) and Henry(4th) were all the first place winner from their classes to move on to the bees.  Nicholas did great in the middle school bee but he got out on the toughest question of the day so did not advance.  Grace and Henry ended up being the final two standing, duking it out for first, in the 3-5th grade bee.  In the end, Henry won and Grace was runner up!!  So Henry then went to the chancery and competed at the Archdiocese level against the best 3-5th graders in all the area.  There were about 20 kids (mostly 5th grade) and he placed third!  We could not be more proud of all three kids!  Very well done!  

Henry with the superintendent of schools, Hal Plummer

The QA school 3-5th grade competitors

The QA school 6-8th grade competitors

Happy Birthday Henry

Dear Henry,

On Tuesday (aka "two's day") 2-22-22 you turned 10 years old....do the math, adding all the 2's, and it gives you 10!!!!  Pretty cool and special just like you!!!  At 10 years old you still love yard work and the outdoors, Cub Scouts, and playing basketball with your friends and brothers.  You now also enjoy running, after completing your first cross country season last fall.  You are excited to start track season soon.  You are really into watching all sports on TV, but especially VT sports.  You and your buddies at school are always discussing all the sports stats. You have really gotten into trading baseball and football cards as well and that's been fun hobby for you to share with a few of your friends.  We still consider you an "old soul," sometimes wise beyond your years.  But you love hanging out with friends, playing football with your brothers, and watching religious shows on Formed.  You remain passionate about your Catholic Faith and love to make slide shows for us about it regularly.  You work hard in school and do very well, making mostly A's.  You got braces this year which is not always fun but you are a trooper.  You can have a hot temper at times and are still working on that.  You love to write and when you write, you have a gift for sharing your heart with others which is so very beautiful!  You just recently won first place of all 3rd,4th and 5th graders in your school for your Catholic Schools Week Essay, and it was well deserved!!!  You also just won the religion bee for the I pod and competed at the Archdiocese level and won third place in the whole diocese 3-5th grade, as a 4th grader!  We are so very proud of these accomplishments,  but most of all, proud and happy to see the loving and faithful young man you are.  Always keep the faith and live it out in your daily life and you will always be filled with true joy and happiness.  We ask God to bless you with a year full of health and happiness  - times "2"!!!

With Love,

Mom and Dad

This year for Henry's birthday celebration, he chose 3 friends to invite to the Atlanta United home opener game at the Mercedes Benz stadium.  Shawn and the boys had an absolute great time and saw a good win!  Then they came back to the house for pizza and cake.  Grace helped to make the cake and she decorated it for Henry this year. It was a great celebration!

It was a "surprise" cake so when you cut it, candies spilled out (kind of)

Nicholas bought him a mess kit for camping

Grace crafted sushi and pizza for him...some of his favorites

Sam made a pearler bead Mandolorian

HENRY'S FAVORITES AT AGE 10:

Stuffed Animal:  Baby David

Food:  shrimp

Movie:  Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Show:  Matanoia

Clothes to Wear:  VT sweatshirt (just got for B-day) and Jeans

Game:  Yatzee

Snack:  coconut cacao

Animal:  wolf

Song:  Sov'reign Lord by Mary McDonald

Book:  What Was: The Bombing of Pearl Harbour

Friends:  Colin, Gabe, Nathan, Rory, Nicki

Drink:  water flavored with Crystal Light

Outside Activity:  yard work

Sport:  running

Park Activity:  throw the football with Dad

Inside Activity:  playing foosball and collecting cards (baseball and football cards)

Place to go:  Dave's Card Shop

Fruit:  red apples

Vegetable:  cucumber 

What do you want to be when you grow up?  a missionary

What brings you joy:  being with family and friends

What makes you sad:  when someone dies

What do you think heaven is like?  paradise - no one is sick or injured and everyone is happy and joyful

Pinewood Derby

This year, Henry and Sam are both in Cub Scouts - Henry is a Webelo and Sam a Tiger - 2 two cars to make.  Shawn and the boys pulled out all their tricks to make some super fast cars and it paid off!  Both boys won first in their dens, and Sam won first and Henry third overall in the whole pack!  Great job Pinto boys!

First for Tigers

First for Webelos

First and Third in the pack

The whole Northern Ridge District, which includes all the Cub Scout packs in the Atlanta Metro area, can send their 3 fastest cars to compete in the District Championship Pinewood Derby...so of course Shawn and the boys were all over that!  There were some super fast cars there, but they still did great!  Sam placed 2nd in the Tigers!  Great racing boys!

 

February Fun

 February is always a great month....

We started it off with a great celebration of my birthday

The kids showered me with gifts - Sam spent his money to get me some lavender essential oil..my favorite!

Grace used her culinary skills to bake and ice a carrot cake, all from scratch...definitely the best carrot cake I have ever had by far!!

Nicholas bought me a delicious smelling candle

And Henry bought me daily prayer book and a new cookie sheet like I needed

On Scout Sunday, Shawn and all 3 boys processed up at the 12:15 mass with their pack and troop.  Msgr shared a wonderful homily focused on the great service the scouts do and encouraged them to keep it up.

All my sweet scouts :-)

Henry with some of his den

Grace captured in a the midst of a science project at school

Henry has recently really gotten in card trading and he and his friend Colin and Gabe have been going to Dave's card shop once a month to buy/sell/trade cards and eat pizza.

They have actually been selling quite a few!

Grace and a few friends went to their friend, Anna's,  home gymnastics meet to cheer her on...it must have encouraged Anna b/c she got her highest scores of the season!  So fun!

My practice, Georgia Breast Care, sponsored a table for the It's a Journey Breast Cancer Gala at the GA Aquarium. The 2 physicians and 2 NP's that I work with, along with all our spouses, attended the Roaring 20's themed event.  It was a great night!

It was a fun date night out for Shawn and I!

Sam designed a super cute football themed Valentine Box 

He also finished up a great basketball season with Fellowship Christian School.

Auntie Dale mailed Grace and I each a beautiful necklace and a rosary that were Nana Whitty's.  Nana had previously chosen each of the items to be handed down to various family members after she passed.  It was such a beautiful surprise to arrive in the mail and certainly will be gifts we treasure forever in memory of what a great and faithful woman Nana Whitty was.  Grace is wearing her necklace in this picture.