6th Grade

Sadly, Joel's 6th grade year means it's our last year at Bentley. We have loved everything about this school since Caleb started there many years ago as a 4th grader. The teachers and staff are phenomenal and we have loved watching how much our kids grow and change during their three years there. With Joel being the last one, you'd think he would only be known as the brother of Caleb and Leah, but he has certainly made a name for himself. Last year was the first year that he had a teacher that both of his siblings had and she assured us that Joel is 100% unique and set apart from his siblings. He marches to the beat of his own drum and has a personality that is so easy to love. Joel takes school pretty seriously and his competitive side is definitely what drives him to do well. He always wants to be the best of the best...no matter what. While we love this about him, we know it's not always the easiest trait to deal with. Regardless, we know he is going to do a great job leaving a legacy at Bentley. He will be an awesome leader and we can count on him to do what he needs to do without much guidance from home!

 What is your name? Joel Sturm

How old are you? 12....you're not 12....dang-it, 11

What do you want to be when you grow up? electrical engineer or a person who takes care of dogs

What is your favorite food? smoked ribs or smoked chicken

What is your favorite drink? pink lemonade

What makes you happy? Chief

What makes you sad? Mom when she yells at me or Dad when he makes me do so many things at once

What is your favorite thing to do at home? snuggle with the dog

Who is your best friend? Quinton or Finn

Where is your favorite place to go? the lake

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? bake cookies

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? fish

What is the best part about Caleb (brother)? He lets me stay up late and doesn't snitch.

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? She plays with me.

What is your favorite book? The Losers Club

What is your favorite movie? Ant Man

Where is your favorite place to eat? Popeyes

What is your favorite thing to wear? UnderAmour shirts

Sophomore Year

Freshman year couldn't have ended soon enough for Caleb and we are so excited for a fresh start this year. Our school loving kid definitely changed his tune last year and he/we would like to forget a lot of what he experienced as a freshman. Looking back, we know that Caleb always struggles when he transitions to a new school. That doesn't seem too surprising given the fact that he is our most routine/structure-loving kid. Caleb thrives when he knows what to expect and has more confidence in his ability to succeed. High school certainly comes with a lot of challenges. Balancing all of the demands of school, sports, and a social life is not easy. We are thrilled that Caleb wants to do so much, but are also seeing how hard it can be to juggle. Hopefully a year of growth and maturity was just what he needed to have a more positive and successful year! 

What is your name? Caleb Sperm

How old are you? old enough

What do you want to be when you grow up? veterinarian

What is your favorite food? nachos, fettucine alfredo, or fried chicken sandwiches

What is your favorite drink? Pepsi

What makes you happy? winning

What makes you sad? losing

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play basketball

Who is your best friend? Micah

Where is your favorite place to go? anywhere besides home and school

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? listen to her yell at me and ground me

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? watch him go along with mom

What is the best part about Leah (sister)? nothing

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? He's always down to hang out with me. He's my homie.

What is your favorite book? Harry Potter

What is your favorite movie? Rush Hour

Where is your favorite place to eat? Popeyes

What is your favorite thing to wear? anything that doesn't make me look fat

8th Grade

It just doesn't seem possible that Leah is entering her final year of grade/middle school. It seriously feels like she was just being dropped off at preschool (kicking and screaming and crying). Thankfully, her opinions on school have changed quite a bit and she is almost always happy and eager to go. She is an incredibly hard worker and, after years of pushing herself and working her tail off, she's in all of the accelerated classes. We know she is going to do great. She has the most amazing study habits and organizational skills....which is totally shocking since she was (and sometimes still is) our most free-spirited, "tornado" of a child! It seems as though that "tornado" personality works to her benefit as a student because she has endless amounts of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to school. We cannot wait to see her crush it in 8th grade this year and are going to soak in every moment before she makes the big jump to high school!

What is your name? Leah

How old are you? 13

What do you want to be when you grow up? teacher or ministry

What is your favorite food? chicken nuggets

What is your favorite drink? sparkling ICE drinks

What makes you happy? when I have no homework

What makes you sad? when someone else is hurting

What is your favorite thing to do at home? play outside

Who is your best friend? I have a lot

Where is your favorite place to go? the beach

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? go to the store

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy? play sports

What is the best part about Caleb (brother)? When he doesn't yell at you guys.

What is the best part about Joel (brother)? When he plays with me.

What is your favorite book? Words on Fire

What is your favorite movie? I don't have one.

Where is your favorite place to eat? Pops

What is your favorite thing to wear? my new pink shirt

Lake 2023

This year we only got two weeks at the lake instead of the three weeks we've had in the past few years. Whether it's two weeks or three, there never seems to be enough time down there. We all love our summer days/nights at the lake and it seems to be even more enjoyable now that the kids are older. We made tons of memories this summer and it would take a novel to tell it all, so I'll stick with some short phrases and words in list form:

*Fourth of July - neighborhood golf cart parade and fireworks with the best view

*Gilbert Family joined us in July

*Micah joined us in August (along with Grandpa and Grandma)

*LOTS of games...day and night (Tripoley, Casino, Mexican Train Dominoes, Triominoes, and several new ones - Hearts, Roulette, and King's Corner)

*Boat rides

*Skiing (Joel has mastered slalom skiing), tubing, and kneeboarding

*Waver runner rides

*Kayaking and Paddleboarding

*The Beacon Point Gang (Sturms, Gilberts, and grandkids of Uncle Dave and Aunt Nancy's neighbor)

*Ice cream at Scooters

*Learning to play pickleball

*Dinner at Jolly Roger

*Early morning walks and jogs

*The resurrection of the old train set

*A new (and delicious) ice cream place in Eldon - The Ice Cream Factory

*Shopping

*Go Karts

*Lots of fishing (including a new challenge called "net fishing" in the dock well)

*Mini Golf

*Leah finally learned to dive off the dock (she can do it in a pool, but the dock always scared her)

All in all, lots and lots and lots of fun was had! We love our lake time :)