Field Trips

 The first Thursday of school, we took all the kids in our church and went to Costei for VBS at the church out there. It was a 3-day thing from Thursday-Saturday from 9:00-12:00. It was fun, my dad preached, and the games were cool. The game we played on Friday was real cool. They laid out 3 tubes, 2 small and one big 'un, split us up into two teams, and gave all the players numbers. When our number was called we had to run and grab as many of the tubes as we could. On the last round, all of us went, and everyone went for the big boy. I grabbed a smaller one, and got easy points. When I went to help my team get the big tube, I jumped over it, and pushed it from in the middle. It didn't work, though, because everyone on my team thought it would be a great idea to give up, and let me get dragged all the way to other side.
 Well, my back hurts and I'm back in school. Until Friday. Then we went hiking with the Tyler's. We hiked, climbed up a mountain, explored a weird cave, swam in freezing cold water, and got the stomach bug. We may be stupid Americans, but we like swimming!
 Now, my stomach hurts and I'm leaning over the toilet. Literally, all night me, mom, and Andrew were saying goodbye to the once-yummy-looking pizza. Spence also threw up quite a few times, and Joey once.
 There is some good news, and that is that college football started! The South Carolina are back in business, beating every team we play! Dad's team won their first game, so until his team plays my team, he can say the same thing. I also just heard that the New Jersey Nets moved to Brooklyn. Now that is cool. I wonder how good they'll be. And if they'll get rid of their dumb name ... 'the Nets'.
 Basketball season started, too, and this Friday Pro Baschet Lugoj will start practice again. Pro Baschet Lugoj is the name of the basketball team I play for.
 I think that's all that happened. But just yesterday, me and dad went and looked for a new bike. They decided to look in Timisoara, but the bikes there were even more expensive than those we saw here in town. So, soon I should get a new bike!
 I can't wait until next Monday. A new TV show, Revolution is coming out!
 Woopie! Hasta luego, amigos (and amigas).

Summer's End...

 Well, to end the summer I organized the Howerton Olympics. I have all my younger bros (and sister) sign up for various sports. Of course the sports are often improvised:
 1. Javelin throwing: we tossed a long stick instead of a spear.
 2. 1-on-1 soccer :-)
 3. Big rocks were used for the shot put.
 4. 100m dash was cut down to 10m, the 400m down to 40m.
 5. Shooting: we used Nerf guns.
And there were other 'improvised' sports as well. I created a page on facebook called 'Howerton Olympics'. It's got photos too.
 Just today, Monday the 27th, we started school. I was forced out of bed at 7:30 to start the day. My parents got up super early. Mom said she slept in to to long during the summer (7:00 isn't exactly my idea of 'sleeping in') and she enjoyed the quiet mornings. I started taking Spanish, so after another 2 or 3 years, I will be officially trilingual. I also teach Andrew's history, grade Spencer's paper's, and soon I will be teaching a Romanian guy English. His name is Sami and he is 2 months older than me. He goes to our church. He also went to camp this year, the week I got sick, and I threw up on his jacket and shoes.
 Mom is busy making pizza and cookies... with some chocolate chips we just got in a package today! I'm starving... I think mom's gonna let us put the toppings on our pizza, so that's gonna be fun!

My Summer

Well, the first time I went to camp, I was sick and threw up all the first night. The nurses wanted to send me to the hospital, but Mr. Tyler happened to be there, and he drove us home.
 We went again next week, and had a good time. I met some new kids, played fun games, ate good food, and the speaker was an American Gypsy!
 That next Monday, we went to Germany for the BMW conference. That was fun too, meeting other missionary kids. The conference building was really big, and I didn't share the same room as the rest of my family! I roomed with an MK (who lives in Italy) named Justin Heizer.
 On the way back, we stopped in Prague, walked across King Charles bridge, ate Czech bread, and saw a sign that pointed toward The Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments. I wanted to go, but mom and dad had other plans for our day.
 I'm sad about two things: 1. The Louks left yesterday. 2. School's starting... not that I hate school, I just hate getting up early, math, and English. I'm going to take Spanish this year... that makes sense, I don't know Spanish. But why take English? I already know English! I even have a blog to prove it!
 On the 20th we finished a 3-day basketball training camp in Timisoara with Ghita Muresan. He's 7'7!
There was this one 12-year old who around 7 foot! But he's as skinny as a pencil ( I'm as skinny as two thick pencils).

 I don't even remember the day we left America. Our 10 months there seem more like a dream more than something that actually happened. When we got home, we celebrated two birthdays- Spencer's and Nate's. Spence turned 12, and Nate turned 6. Spencer got a Nintendo DS, and a Shih Tu (a smallish kind of dog that is very fluffy, hence the new dog's name: Fluffy 2). Nate got some sort of high-tech toddler toy called a Leap Pad. He can now take pictures, video-tape people, and play games. He also got an Avenger's sticker book.
 We celebrated the 5th of July (it would have been the 4th of July, but we had prayer meeting on the actual holiday) at the Tyler's. And just this past Monday, Andrew and Joey went to camp. Joey memorized a verse in Romanian, and Andrew got saved! 

Character Description

This is the character description of the healed leper who went back to thank Jesus that I wrote for Literature. The Lone Lepers On a very dreary night, A certain man was doomed to die. For he became a leper, but he wouldn't go without a fight. He said his goodbye's and began to cry. He lived secluded with 9 other men. They read stories, sang many a song. They decorated their home-a mere den. He wondered, "what have I done wrong?" The days turned to months, months to years. He hadn't seen his wife or children dear. But then they heard of Jesus, the one who conquered fears. They thought, "maybe He could come here!" A few weeks later, He was spotted, They all ran to the entrance, screaming, crying, pleading to God's only Son; "Help us, Son of David! We are lepers, bleeding and dotted. Then...He turned and came toward them. His face as radiant as the sun. His arm extended toward the man His face smiling, He said, "Go to the priest, he's got your decree." They went, and broke into a run, they ran and ran. Before they knew it, their leprosy was gone, they were free! The Samaritan went back to his Saviour, He glorified Christ, with a grateful heart. He was redeemed all the way down to the core. The Samaritan was glad, for His life was forever changed.

My Trip to Orlando!

I celebrated my 13th birthday a couple days before my actual b-day. Most of the time, I've got a hunch on what I'm getting. This year, I had no idea what an awesome gift my parents got me! They got me a Gamecocks notebook, and a mailbox. But the note said,"You'll be going on a trip with Dad and Papa Mac." I wondered where I would go with Dad and Papa! Inside the mailbox were 3 tickets to the Capital One Bowl!! It will be taking place in Orlando, Florida.
At the end of the regular season, all the good teams get to play in a Bowl. The Gamecocks are normally really bad, but this year we were the #9 team!
On January 1st, 2012, we started traveling. There are 3 games in Florida, so it seemed every car had team flags. Everywhere we stopped, we saw fans. We spent the night at a Christian camp (which was near a lake).




I've never been to a football stadium. It was huge! We went to the fanfest, and I got to have my face painted. I got a maroon USC (University of South Carolina) on my left cheek, and a gamecock on my right cheek. We also high-fived the players as they came in. I even high-fived Melvin Ingram (he's our star defender)!
After that we went into the stadium. It got louder and louder and louder, as we walked higher and higher and higher. We sat really high up, we had great seats.
I'm not going to write a play-by-play, but I will list my top #3 favorite plays:

3. When Nebraska got the ball after we punted it to them, the Cocks stopped them to 4th down and 10.
2. Nebraska had just scored a touchdown, and on the extra point, Stephen Gilmore blocked the ball and scored a 'safety'. The score was 6-2, Nebraska.
1.With 3 seconds left in the 1st half, Connor Shaw threw the football 60some yards to Alshon Jeffries and 3 Nebraska defenders. At first, it looked like it would be an interception, but all of a sudden, we saw Jeffries' hands poke up and catch the ball in the endzone.
In the 2nd half, the Gamecocks' defense played super! The final score wa 30-13, Gamecocks.
I had a totally awesome time!

Swimming

One of the first fun things we did was go swimming at the Evans' pool. None of us knew how to swim. Spencer started a little bit. I just doggy-paddled.
On Monday - August 22nd, I started 7th grade. I was out of grade school!! I am now a homeschooled middle schooler. On that same day, we went over to the Barrons house to learn how to swim. We split up in 2 groups: Spencer, Gina, and me were in one group and Joey, Andrew, and Nate were in the other. Spencer and I swam the craw-stroke and everyone else just floated around and went underwater. Mrs. Barron put us all in 3 groups. Joey and Nate, Andrew and Gina, and Spencer and me. I love swimming!! After swimming lessons we go home and start school. By Friday, Spencer, Andrew, and I could swim, jump in, and 'roll' in. We went swimming ALOT!




Once, we went swimming at the Evans we went swimming with the Garzony's, our neighbors.
Other than swimming, America is alot of fun. In Romania we don't have libraries, potarts, woods in our front yard, granola bars, good swimming pools, Dunkin' Doughnuts, and much more. We love playing 'war' in the woods (Joey calls it 'the jungle'), we love not having to go to the water fountain every Sunday, and I like going to North Hills. I think we should put a dougnut place in our church.
It's almost football season, too. GO GAMECOCKS!!