Christmas 2011 Letter

And apparently, it still never got posted.

I thought that this was scheduled to post automatically in January, but apparently it never did.  So here it is a few months late.

December 2011

Fifteen. Eleven. Teen, tween; how they grow!
The theme for this year seems to be transitions.

Ian is doing well in 5th grade, and Preston, in 10th grade, started taking a couple of classes with CHESS (Centreville Homeschool Enrichment Support Services) this year to supplement what we are studying at home. He is taking Spanish, an SAT Math prep class, and a computer information systems class. In the spring we took a field trip to the Library of Congress. Then in June Ian and Kanoa visited the Virginia Historical Society museum in Richmond with Kanoa's mom and Aunt Mary. This fall Ian and Kanoa also took the Fredericksburg Trolley Tour. On Mondays while Preston has been in class, Ian and Kanoa have also taken several hikes at the Manassas National Battlefield. The trolley tour and hikes at Manassas both supplemented Ian's study of the Civil War.

Music instruction continues to play an important role in the boys' lives. Ian continues to take piano lessons, and this summer he attended a summer camp that focused on voice instruction. The camp concluded with a performance of the song each participant had learned during the week, and in the style of American Idol, the audience voted for the best performer. Ian won for his age group. Preston is still taking piano and guitar lessons. In February he participated in the local piano festival where he earned a superior rating. In March he played guitar with a group of musicians from our church for the annual WinterFest gathering of local Brethren congregations. His guitar teacher also arranged for the guitar students to perform at a local nursing home. Both boys have shared their musical talents at church throughout the year.

On the sports front, both boys played basketball last winter. Preston's team was quite successful, making it to the championship game. Ian played soccer in both the spring and fall again this year. Preston played on the church softball team this spring and summer. Our summer swim team had an exciting, undefeated dual meet season where both boys contributed to the team's success by scoring points. Both boys swam at Finals in August where the team won the championship. Kanoa was also elected to a two-year term on the swim team board at the awards banquet in August.

There were many fun Scouting events this year as well. In January Ian participated in the Pinewood Derby, winning second place overall. Also in January we visited the WPRZ studios to learn about radio stations, and each of the Scouts in attendance was able to say hello on air. Later in the spring Ian and the other boys in his Webelos den built model bridges to learn about engineering. Throughout the winter and spring we did other fun activities such as bowling, ice skating, and roller skating as well. During the summer we held a rocket derby where it was more exciting if you could find and retrieve your rocket to relaunch it since everyone's rockets launched successfully. We also visited a local gymnastics studio to earn the gymnastics belt loop. This fall Ian and his den have been busy completing their remaining Arrow of Light requirements and visiting Boy Scout troops so that they can transition to Boy Scouts in February.

Preston's Boy Scout troop has been busy with several exciting trips this year. They traveled to the Outer Banks in January, West Virginia in May, and southwestern Virginia in July for summer camp, where Preston, fittingly, took part in the Mountain Man experience. He spent a week learning about things like blacksmithing and shooting black powder rifles. The older boys in his troop also decided to put together a crew to travel to Philmont, the BSA's high adventure base in New Mexico. This has required additional fund raising activities and monthly training hikes in addition to regular troop activities. Preston was elected Senior Patrol Leader this year, and to prepare he attended Impeesa, the National Youth Leader Training course, in June. If that's not enough, he is also active in the local Order of the Arrow chapter, which has its own meetings and activities. Additionally, Preston continues to press on toward Eagle Scout by finishing up merit badges and beginning to plan an Eagle project.

An activity that both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts have found fun this year is geocaching. David has taken Preston and Ian a few times this year, and on back-to-back weekends in November Ian's Webelos den and Preston's troop went on outings.

Even though we didn't take any major trips this year, we still were able to take in part in some enjoyable short events. In February we traveled to Charlottesville for a UVA women's basketball game. May and June were particularly busy with a quick trip to Winchester for part of the Apple Blossom Festival, a trip to Charlottesville for Kanoa's 20th UVA reunion, and a couple of trips to Richmond. In July Ian was invited to travel with a friend's family to West Virginia for a few days. Then in August we all traveled to West Virginia to visit the West Virginia State Fair and the cabin. In October we visited King's Dominion with David's brother's family, and in November Preston was able to go hunting with his Granddad Ratliff again.

Church also continues to be a hub for our family. Kanoa transitioned off the church leadership board last January but agreed to serve on the youth task team, and David transitioned on the leadership board as the Fellowship and Recreation coordinator. These positions have allowed us to be part of several exciting events this year. The youth baked cookies and made Valentines for the congregation in February and then planned the Youth Sunday worship service in May. They also took part in a Christmas play. After a break, Kanoa once again directed Vacation Bible School, which Ian attended and Preston helped with, in June. Events that David helped to plan included a visit by the Celebrant Singers in July and a movie night in October. The senior high kids, including Preston, attended Roundtable, a regional youth conference, in March at Bridgewater College and a Christmas lock-in at the beginning of December. Ian enjoyed a week at Shepherd's Spring again this summer, and David, Preston, and Ian all performed in our annual talent show in August.

Among other exciting events this year, we cannot forget the earthquake that occurred here in Virginia in August. That was followed by the rains from Hurricane Irene. Then in the fall a tornado came through Midland. While there was no damage at our home from any of these events, there were several local buildings that did sustain damage from the earthquake, and at least one house was damaged by the tornado.

Our photo this year is of the boys enjoying the Lawn at the University of Virginia during Kanoa’s reunion. We hope that all of our friends and family had a terrific 2011 and are looking forward to an even better 2012.

Sincerely,
The Ratliffs
David, Kanoa, Preston, & Ian

Fall Soccer 2011

Bean's fifth season of soccer. Practices were on Friday nights, which meant that we only had to miss one due to conflicts with Cub Scout Pack meetings. They did miss three other practices due to weather cancellations though. Bean moved up to U12, and there were only four teams in the league. The one negative was that the majority of the teams wanted to play on Sundays, which we don't really like.

9/11 Lost (2-5)

9/18 Lost (0-3)

9/25 Lost (2-6)

10/2 Games Canceled

10/9 Lost (3-5)

10/16 Lost (0-4)

10/23 Tied (2-2) – So close to winning one!

10/29 Soccer Tournament – Games Canceled due to – get this – SNOW – in October!

10/30 Soccer Tournament – Tied (2-2)

11/5 Soccer Tournament – Won (3-0)

11/5 Soccer Tournament – Lost (5-0)

The tournament was so close. The team almost made it to the championship game. They missed by 1 point, I think.

Winter Basketball 2011

Preston

Practices on Wednesday nights. Two practices canceled (1/12 & 1/26) due to bad weather, but it didn't seem to affect their level of play.

1/8 Scrimmage (39-35)

1/15 Won (46-30

1/22 Lost (45-36)

1/29 Games Canceled

2/5 Won (43-34)

2/12 Won (50-45)

2/19 Won (31-30)

2/26 Lost (73-37)

3/5 Playoff Game - Won

3/12 Championship Game – Lost

The championship game was against the same team that they had lost 73-37 previously. For some reason I don't have it recorded, but it was a much closer game.

Bean

Practices on Monday nights – except for 1/17 & 2/21 when teams weren't allowed to access schools due to holidays. Fortunately no other practices were missed due to weather cancellations.

1/8 Scrimmage

1/15 Lost (75-8)

1/22 Lost 24-22

1/29 Games Canceled

2/5 Lost (26-6)

2/12 Lost (35-17)

2/19 Lost (37-15)

2/26 Won (31-17)

3/5 Playoff Game – Lost

At least they won one game!

Summer 2011 Swim Team

Practices began May 31 in the evening. On June 20 they switched to mornings. Preston swam in the 13/14 male age group, and Ian swam in the 9/10 male age group. First through sixth place receive ribbons, and first through third place score points for your team in dual meets. Both boys swam in relays as well, but it's harder to record the results of those, so I limit it to just individual events.

June 22 – CPST @ Hampton Oaks – Exhibition Meet

Preston's Events: 50 Free – 39.19 (12th), 50 Fly – 50.94 (7th), 50 Back – 46.31 (5th)

Ian's Events: 25 Free – 25.12 (17th), 25 Fly - DQ, 25 Back – 27.69 (6th)

June 29 – College Heights @ CPST – WON (333-165)

Preston's Events: 50 Free – 38.53 (12th), 50 Fly – 50.45 (7th), 100IM – 1:43:25 (7th)

Ian's Events: 25 Free – 24.12 (13th), 25 Back – 27.25 (3rd)

July 6 – Fawn Lake @ CPST – WON (264-231)

Preston's Events: 50 Free – 38.55 (18th), 50 Back – 48.97 (7th)

Ian's Events: 25 Free – 23.69 (10th), 25 Fly - 33.22 (7th), 25 Back – 28.19 (6th)

July 13 – CPST @ Lee's Hill – WON (212-138)

Preston's Events: 50 Fly – 52.29 (7th), 50 Back – 47.86 (5th)

Ian's Events: Away at Camp

July 20 – Dahlgren @ CPST – WON (292-210)

Preston's Events: 50 Free – 37.61 (8th), 50 Back – 46.75 (5th), 50 Breast – 55.62 (9th)

Ian's Events: 25 Fly - DQ, 25 Back – 28.53 (5th), 25 Breast – 31.57 (6th)

July 25 – CPST @ Chancellor – WON (280-226)

Preston's Events: Away at Camp

Ian's Events: 25 Fly – 28.90 (6th), 25 Back - 25.75 (4th), 25 Breast – 28.38 (9th)

August 6 – Patriot Division Finals – WON (799 points)

Preston's Events: 50 Free – 37.12 (4th – 3 points), 50 Fly – 49.56 (8th), 50 Back – 46.82 (11th)

Ian's Events: 25 Free – 22.33 (2nd – 5 points), 25 Back – 26.95 (4th - 3 points), 25 Breast – 31.43 (5th – 2 points)

Finals works differently from dual meets with A, B, and C ranked swimmers who can all place and earn points for their teams. Additionally, points are awarded through 6th place. As you can see, the boys contributed 13 points to their team's score at Finals. This was also our first undefeated dual meet season in a long time, and to win Finals was nice too.  While all of that is awesome, they are also becoming better swimmers and having fun, which is what summer swim is all about.

Spring 2011 Soccer

Bean's fourth soccer season. Practices were on Thursdays, which meant that we could generally attend all of them, when they weren't canceled due to wet field conditions. It was a very wet spring with many missed practices and two games canceled due to wet fields. When the team practiced, they did well, but when they missed a couple of practices in a row, it definitely showed on the field. The coach did a wonderful job though. It's too bad that they had such and up and down season.

4/2 Won 5-4
4/9 Game Canceled
4/16 Game Canceled
4/23 No Games Scheduled
4/30 Lost 5-4
5/7 Won 8-3
5/14 Lost 6-4
5/21 Lost 6-3
5/28 Tied 3-3
6/4 Missed Game and never saw results

Fall 2010 Soccer

For Bean's third season in soccer, the team had fairly successful results.
Practices were on Wednesdays, so we had to miss the ones that were on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays due to Cub Scouts.

9/11 Won 6-0
9/18 Lost 2-1
9/25 Won 10-1
10/2 Won 3-2
10/16 Lost 4-1
10/23 Tie 3-3
10/30 Won 4-1
11/6 Tie 3-3

Christmas 2010 Letter

December 2010

This year has been an interesting year filled with blessings. Preston is now 14 and in high school (9th grade). Ian just turned 10 in November and is in 4th grade. Both boys continue with their music instruction. Ian plays piano, and Preston plays both piano and guitar. Both boys played basketball last year, and Preston played baseball in the spring. Ian played soccer in both the spring and fall seasons. Summer is swim team season, and both boys improved their times considerably this summer. Preston also played on the church softball team this summer and was able to contribute during most of the games he played. This summer Ian enjoyed the opportunity to attend a summer camp where they learned a mini-musical and performed it at the end of a week.

Scouting is still an important part of our lives as we enter the last year where we have one in Cub Scouts and one in Boy Scouts. Ian is in Webelos with Kanoa as the den leader and Cubmaster. Some of the activities that he has enjoyed are the annual Pinewood Derby (where he took 1st place overall), a rocket derby, the NCAC Grand Centennial Parade, a Cubmobile derby, and attending resident camp for a week. Preston has attained the rank of Life and is eagerly working toward the rank of Eagle. He has been active in the Order of the Arrow, a Scouting honor society to which he was elected last year, by participating in the Spring OA call-out; and within his troop, he is the Patrol Leader for the Hippo patrol. Highlights for this year included a trip to the Outer Banks in January, the NCAC Centennial Camporee, a trip to Natural Bridge, summer camp at Bayport Scout Reservation on the northern neck, a troop movie night, and working at the Boy Scout Christmas tree lot. A planned trip to Valley Forge in February was canceled due to the storm of the century here on the East Coast.

In addition to homeschooling the boys, Kanoa continues to actively volunteer in a variety of capacities. She is a co-leader for Ian's Webelos den and Cubmaster for Pack 1187 on the Cub Scout side, and a merit badge counselor and Troop 161's publicity coordinator on the Boy Scout side. She also helps out at the district level by serving on the Cub Scout Roundtable staff. This summer she spent two weeks at summer camp. In June she went to Shepherd's Spring with Preston and Ian and spent a week as a counselor for one of the girls' cabins. Then in August, Kanoa and some of the other Cub Scout parents took the Webelos to Camp William B. Snyder. At church, Kanoa is a Sunday school teacher for the Middler class for 4th through 6th graders, she is finishing her term as Educational Coordinator for the church's Leadership Team, and she will be working with the Youth Advisory Task Team in 2011. David continues to co-teach an adult Sunday school class, he and Preston run the sound system most Sundays, and he will be joining the Church Leadership Team in January as the Group Ministries Coordinator.

After nearly 15 years with Lockheed Martin, David's business unit was sold due to changes in federal law – he now works for a company called the SI Organization, Inc. Other than the dorky name, his job has so far remained the same.

After a winter of exceptional snowfalls, our family and David's mom decided to take a trip to Florida where we rented a house with a pool in Davenport. We enjoyed a trip to Downtown Disney, a visit to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings at Florida Southern College, a bike trip at Circle B-Bar Reserve (aka Alligator Alley), and an evening at the movies before returning home.

In May David's father turned 70, and to celebrate a surprise party was planned. However, the week before his birthday he decided to cut down a tree in their yard. In the process a branch knocked him off the ladder to the ground. As a result of his injuries, he was airlifted to Inova Fairfax hospital, where he spent a few weeks. After that he spent a few weeks at two different rehabilitation facilities. Everyone is grateful for his remarkable recovery.

This fall was busy. At the end of August, the family traveled with David's parents and Kanoa's mom to the West Virginia cabin – a great time was had skeet shooting. Next came Abingdon where a couple of days were spent riding the Virginia Creeper Trail. The family and Kanoa's mom rode the 17 miles from White Top to Damascus. After lunch Kanoa's mom, David, and Preston continued on to Alvarado while David's mom took Kanoa and Ian back to White Top to get the van. The next day Kanoa's mom, David, Preston, and Ian rode 9 miles from Abingdon to Alvarado. This sequence strategically takes advantage of the downhill portions of the trail. David also decided to visit Grayson Highlands State Park in an effort to hike to the top of Mt. Rogers. The Ratliff reunion was also held in Abingdon – everyone enjoyed visiting with the family at the reunion as well.

In November Kanoa planned a field trip to Charlottesville that was well received by all who attended. The group began the day at Monticello where they toured the house and estate. After lunch came a tour of the Rotunda and Lawn at the University of Virginia. After nightfall it was time for a program at the McCormick Observatory. It was a long but enjoyable day.

Also in November Preston traveled with his grandfather on the annual hunting trip for the first time. Since David's father is still unable to drive after his accident, David's mother drove them down to the Thompson Valley and stayed to cook for them. In the afternoon on his first day of hunting, Preston shot his first deer. After a few more days, the hunting party moved to the West Virginia cabin, and David's mom and Preston returned home, with Bob and his cousin Jim coming back to Nokesville just before Thanksgiving.

Our photo this year was taken on our trip to Florida in February to escape the snow. The Lego sea serpent is in the lake at Downtown Disney. We hope that everyone had a merry Christmas and that 2011 will bring you blessings.

Sincerely,
The Ratliff Family
David, Kanoa, Preston, & Ian