Micah David: Eleven Years Old

December is always a whirlwind; the week of Christmas in particular. We celebrate Jaxton's birthday, Jesus' birthday, and Micah's birthday. It's a solid week of gifts, cake, and singing Happy Birthday.

When Micah turned 11 this past December, we made every effort to celebrate him individually and intentionally so that he wasn't squeezed into the already busy calendar of events.

Per his request, Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast...

... and Olive Garden for dinner. This kid can more than eat his weight in pasta.

He had three requests for birthday gifts: climbing shoes, a Warriors jersey, and money. And this is why boys are awesome - super simple to buy for!

It was no surprise Micah asked for mint chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge and mini marshmallows. In Micah's world, this is its own staple food group.

I'm late in posting this, but I don't ever want to be late in telling you how much I love you and value you. Micah Man, you have gifts and abilities that leave me wondering if we brought the right baby home from the hospital because you don't get those things from your dad and I!

I love your humor. I enjoy your creativity. I admire your relational abilities. I appreciate your sensitivity. I respect your quick insights and mental connections.

More than all of this though, I want to see you know, love, and serve Jesus with all that you are and all that you have. He is worthy of your everything - even when it doesn't seem easy, convenient, or cool.

Psalm 1

Blessed in the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

But whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, not sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Happy 11th Birthday Buddy!

Jaxton Isaac: Five Years Old

Once upon a time, a small seven-pound baby boy was born. His mom turned around to help care for his older three siblings, and suddenly that baby boy was FIVE. 

At least that's how it feels. And five is a really big number because it requires all of your fingers on one hand to show how old you are!

Jax, you've never acted your age - always above it because you've wanted to do and be everything your older brothers and sister could do. 

This year I'm instituting a new rule: you have to stay five for five years. No more growing taller. No more running faster. No more learning how to read. No more anything that puts you on a path to getting big. I want you to stay my lil buddy.

Except I know that rule will be broken, probably even before I finish writing this post. Your body never stops going, your mind is always churning, and your mouth is always... talkingmovinglaughingasking.

And if I'm honest, keeping you little wouldn't be a good thing. God wants you to know, love, and serve him, and the best way you can do that is to keep on growing - year by year - toward him.

Birthday breakfast... dabbing and muffins. Some boys smile nice and say cheese. Others dab and make strange faces.

Birthday gifts... well some of them. You opened a box of Lego's at breakfast and had them opened, spread out, and mostly assembled by bedtime.

Birthday family... always, always, always remember we love you, we are proud of you, and we are on your team. We are your biggest cheerleaders!

Birthday dessert... and you requested the "balloon piece with the most frosting."

Belated birthday... Nana came a couple of days after your birthday and the celebration of love continued.

Jaxton Isaac, you are a gift. God has loaned you to me for a short time and I'm cherishing each moment. I really am! You light a room with your smile, you give the best hugs, you are aware of the feelings of others, and you amaze a crowd with your quick wit. I sure do love you.

Happy 5th Birthday Buddy!

Annalyse Joy: Eight Years Old

Annalyse Joy... you are eight years old!

EIGHT.

Just stop it already. Stop growing. Stop changing. Stop maturing. Stop learning. Stop becoming.

Except that I've thoroughly enjoyed every single day of life with you and I marvel at all that's transpired in these short years. God is gracious and good.

So, I guess I need to be a big girl and tell you to go ahead and keep at it. Keep growing into a beautiful young woman. Keep changing your ideas and interests and experiences - keep your life colorful. Keep maturing into a young lady who loves Jesus, loves others, and loves herself. Keep learning about God's big world and embrace your special place in it. Keep becoming the person God created you to be, because you're the only you!

Meanwhile, I'll buckle up and continue to enjoy my front seat adventure of life with you.

You went to bed seven and woke up eight! Streamers and cinnamon rolls greeted you - along with a very off-key Happy Birthday from your adoring brothers.

It may have been your birthday, but your mean ole mom still made it a school day. But, in between subjects you opened cards from extended family, and during lunch your bestie came by with a small surprise for you. 

That's my girl! Animated, expressive, and appreciative. You love opening gifts, and I love watching you open and respond to gifts.

Marble cake: ✔
Pink frosting: ✔
Purple frosting: ✔
Colorful sprinkles: ✔
You asked... and you received Birthday Girl!

Hands down the highlight of your birthday was getting your ears pierced. You couldn't wait. You talked about if for months. You'd talk about it mid-problem during math. You'd talk about it during dinner. You'd talk about it while taking a shower. You'd talk about it before bedtime prayers. It didn't matter where you were or what you were doing, it somehow entered the conversation.

You chose where our family ate for dinner and then we all marched through the mall towards Claire's. It. Was. Time. (Eeekkkkk!)

You happily climbed up into the chair and confidently chose which pair of studs you wanted. As things were getting set up and cleaned, you began to get nervous. Your smile faded. Your eyes began to water. And you slid off the chair ready to leave.

But, a quick pep-talk from Mom, a hug and "You're beautiful and I'm proud of you" from Dad, and you were ready to go again.

A quick 1-2-3 and you were smiling proudly with two sparkling flower earrings on display!

About a week after your birthday, Dad took you out on a date. He tries to do this periodically, but he wanted this time to be special. He made dinner reservations at McCormick and Schmick's because he knew you really wanted "small, crispy shrimp." And, he reserved one of the special tables in the back with the privacy curtain so you could be alone in your own room. You came home so excited about "the really fancy place" Dad took you.

Hey Annalyse? Someday, in the far away future, look for a man who loves Jesus, loves you, and loves his family. Look for a man who works hard, who persists when things are difficult, and who manages priorities under pressure. Look for a man who lives with integrity, values truth, and models servant hood. Come to think of it, look for a man like your Dad.

You invited a few friends to join you for a birthday party at the botanical gardens, but a hurricane blew through and we had to postpone until late October. No worries... you girls ran around playing tag, hide and go seek, and laughing loudly, not caring that flowers weren't in bloom and that it was too cold to play in the fountains.

Our family wouldn't be complete without you! You are a gift from God and one of our greatest treasures. I'm praying for God to do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine in your heart this year - that you would grow deeper in your love of Him, and wider in your love for other people.

Annalyse Joy, Happy Birthday baby girl! (Because, you know, you'll always be my baby girl.)

Grady Lee: 12 Years Old

My baby boy is 12! And this baby boy is only a couple inches shy of looking me eye-to-eye. His feet are bigger than mine, his shirts are bigger than mine, and his appetite is bigger than mine. It also goes without saying that he can run faster than me, throw further than me, and lift more weight than me. But in spite of all this, he's still my baby boy. 

And He always will be.

Grady Lee, you have an enthusiastic approach to all of life. The simplest things cause your eyes to sparkle, your smile to consume your face, and your very countenance to exude joy. Eating watermelon. Catching a frog. Petting a dog. Running a race. Working outside. Using tools. Receiving a back rub. Opening a new pack of gum. Watching a football game. 

Keep it this way, Buddy. Discovering joy in the simple things is contagious to others around you, and is an important part of knowing true contentment.

Grady Lee, when you're tasked with a project that involves using yours hands to work hard and get sweaty and dirty, you are all in. There is no halfheartedness about your approach. You work with intensity, vigor, and delight. You finds satisfaction in completing hard work. 

Keep it this way, Buddy. Working with focus and giving your best effort leads to excellence - in attitude and in the finished result.

Grady Lee, you have a tender heart. Fuzzy animals melt your heart. Little babies capture your attention. Sadness or loss in a movie plot bring tears to your eyes. You seek approval and validation from Dad and I and are sensitive to words of affirmation.

Keep it this way, Buddy. This world has enough meanness and ugliness and is desperately wanting kindness and beauty. 

Happy 12th Birthday Grady Lee! Your day of cinnamon rolls, grilled burgers, fresh corn on the cob, sliced watermelon, and warm apple pie is over. We always enjoy a day to celebrate you and thank Jesus for you. You are a gift. And you are still my baby boy!

-

Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you; let me know wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Nana's Visit

Remember waaay back to December when it was Christmas? And New Year's? And two birthdays? Well, Nana also came to visit and joined in on all that fun. (And why is it already mid-February and I'm talking about last Christmas?!)

Awesome: Nana generously gifted the two birthday boys with gifts matching their personalities and interests.

Not so awesome: I'm finding Hulk Nerf bullets in the most unexpected places from Jax, and there are always decks of playing cards on every open surface in our house from Micah.

After birthday celebrations we moved on to a belated Christmas celebration. With gifts seemingly coming from Nana every day of her visit, I sure hope my kids don't begin to expect this every time!

And after birthday celebrations and a belated Christmas celebration, we moved on to a New Year's Eve celebration. This was nothing big, mind you, just a few Minute-To-Win-It games that everyone could play together.

Fun fact: Nana kicked everyone's tail and won nearly every game! She was patient. She was persistent. She was willing to be silly. And she was a winner because of it!

Please note the crying three-year old in the background. It just wasn't fair his dice didn't stay on the spoon and it was obviously everybody else's fault!

Want to laugh till it hurts? Watch someone place a cookie on their forehead and try to get it in their mouth using only their face muscles.

This is the face of cool calm, or maybe one of "Why can my mom do this and I can't?!"

Thanks, YouTube, for helping my kids ring in the new year with an artificial countdown and fireworks. Getting them in bed by 10:00 bode much better the next day rather than them staying up till midnight.

Believe it or not, once all of our partying days were over, we actually enjoyed doing normal things with Nana! Board games, card games, and, a highlight for Grady Lee, assembling his 1,000-piece Star Wars puzzle.

On Nana's last evening with us, she treated our family to dinner out, and Micah treated everyone to dessert out. So generous! So thoughtful! And so appreciated.

And just like that five days were over and Nana was loading up her car and making the long drive home again. I know Nana's love their grand kids, but I don't know of many Nana's willing to drive alone for 10 hours in the snow to visit their grand kids. She loves us well and sacrifices for us routinely... and we are so thankful for the gift she is to us!