Friday, August 30, 2013

Seven.

Dearest Micah,

My firstborn child...

My heart just bursts with pride for you, Son.  You are growing up SO much into a boy, into a bigger boy than ever.  Seven years old seems so big, but it suits you perfectly.  You have grown into your boyhood so very much these last few years, and I love to watch you climb and jump and be adventurous and brave.  I used to be so nervous about these kinds of things, and now, I just embrace it.  Climb up the tree??  Sure!  Climb on top of the playground set instead of inside of it?  Awesome!  Launch off the side of the couch over a stack of pillows?  Why not?!  Create huge battles and stories and fights in your play?  Go for it.

Thankfully, I have embraced your boyhood just in time for you to become a boy.  You have blossomed so much, and I love to see you be your best self.

Micah, you are creative and funny and kind and thoughtful.  You do kind things for your siblings all the time, thinking of them as often as possible.  If Sophia is crying, you look around for her paci.  If Ella gets disciplined, you cry out of compassion for her.  You think of your siblings, and you notice how you can help.  You work hard to be so loving and kind and polite, and this shines in all you do!  You make us all laugh all the time, and you are constantly building and arranging things with your toys, food, books, etc.  You see the world through a creative, introspective lense.

You are a reader and a thinker.  You absorb pretty much every single thing you read or hear.  Mommy has to remember this when I am talking on the phone or to Daddy about something.  You are always taking in what is being said around you.  You read constantly...and I am not exaggerating.  You probably average a novel every day or two, and when you don't have a current novel to read, you find cool books on the shelf about history or former presidents or National Geographic for Kids books of facts and random stories.  You soak it all up.  And then, when we are at a museum or the zoo or something, you will spew random facts that you have read that, surprisingly, always relate exactly to the current experience.  The connections you make amaze me.  You really are so much like your daddy.  You currently love the Matt Christopher books, and you are just starting to read the Boxcar Children.  We have been reading through the Little House on the Prairie books together, and you love these so much!  I think you're getting ready for the Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter.  Perhaps that will be next on your list.

You remain our little vegetarian.  You love vegetables and fruit (favorites probably being cucumbers, apples, blueberries, and tomatoes) and eat them like crazy, but you will not eat any meat (except the occasional chicken nuggets...).  Your favorite is pasta, with sauce or pesto or just olive oil and garlic salt, and you could eat noodles every meal and not grow tired of it.  You also love beans and peanut butter and toast and bagels and potatoes.  You love ice cream.

You love school, and you had such a fantastic first year of homeschooling.  Can't wait for this coming year to learn together with you.  You soared through math, your handwriting improved greatly, and you loved learning about space and animals and the United States.  Since you are an information kid, and you are such a self-learner, I joke that you will homeschool yourself.  You certainly make teaching you a joy.  You also loved swim lessons, Spotlight, and t-ball this past year.  It was such a joy watching you shine!

You love video games.  Your favorite this year was Mario, and you loved going to Nana and Papa's to play it on their Wii.  You love playing games on Daddy's phone or on the computer (especially Animal Jam).  You still love movies and legos and pretending.  You and Sammy pretty much do the same thing at all times, unless you are just sitting and reading a book.  You love having a constant playmate.  And I love watching it.

This year, you saved all of your money from Christmas, you sold all your Target gift cards to me, and you asked only for money for your birthday.  After all this hard work saving, you reached enough to buy your very own ipad mini.  This was your goal, so it was super fun to take you to the store to buy it on Wednesday.  You already love it.  I can only think of one other dollar that you spent through the year, and that dollar was cashed into four quarters at the grocery store so you could buy each of your siblings a gumball.  SO so sweet.

Micah, I can't imagine our family without you.  You bring so much conversation, so much joy, so much laughter and creativity and life to our family.  You are old enough now that when one of the littles says or does something silly or naughty, we can connect eyes and laugh together or make expressions together that only we understand.  It's so fun having this connection with you now that you are older.  I can't wait to see what is in store for your next year, Buddy.  You are the best.

I love you so much, Micah Moo!

Love,

Mommy

We had a big family party for you and Ella on Saturday, but these are the pictures from your actual birthday.  We had a blast eating your favorite breakfast, meeting your best friend/cousins (Chuck and Nolan) at Chuck E. Cheese (where you crazily got 700 tickets and were obviously through the roof with excitement), eating Noodles and Company at Nana and Papa's for dinner (as per your request so you could play some Mario Wii), and going to Yumz for ice cream.  You planned a perfect day for us, Micah!  So fun!









Monday, August 26, 2013

Ella's Day

Ella's birthday was a full day of celebrating.  She woke up to her big girl bed set up and ready for her, we had her breakfast of choice...pancakes, hashbrowns, bacon, and strawberries...she got a new princess bike from her grandma and grandpa (complete with a carriage for the basket!), and she had a super fun party with her brother (since they share the same birthday week) and even got a new dollhouse from her nana and papa.  It was a full day of surprises for this girl, and she loved every bit of it.  She is already loving being THREE!


















Sunday, August 25, 2013

THREE!

Oh, Ella Jo, where do I even start with you?

Words cannot even describe the JOY that fills my heart whenever you are around.  When I was pregnant with you, Mommy and Daddy picked your life verse we wanted to claim for you and pray for you..."Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).  I began praying immediately for you to have the gift of joy.  And it seems that God has answered my prayers above and beyond.  You are the definition of joy, Ella.  You have life and joy and smiles and giggles just bursting from you!  You make everyone smile around you, and you have so much excitement for whatever is happening around you.  You squeal and speak in high-pitched voices whenever you get excited about something.  You talk to anyone and everyone.  I grab your hand, and we run to the car or to the bathroom at the park, and you immediately start giggling.  This is seriously amazing.  You have this incredible gift to seize the moment and enjoy it fully.  May this never leave you, sweet girl.  May you continue to be a girl, and later, a woman, of joy.  I pray this over your precious life.

Ella, you adore your big brothers and your baby sister, and they love you so much, too.  You sometimes drive Sammy crazy, trying to mess up his elaborate toy plans or take something that he wants, but most of the time, you guys play so well together, having so much fun playing and laughing and launching off the side of the couch and being silly together.  You are, by far, Sophia's favorite person.  She wakes up in her crib and says, "Ella??!!!  Ella??!!!" (which actually sounds like, "Eh--waaa!")  She always wants to know where you are, and if you are sleeping while we are driving in the car, she screams your name, trying to wake you up.  The sister bond that you two share already is beautiful, and I know it will only deepen as the years go on.  I am so, so happy that you have a sister to share life with forever.

You are a girl of adventure, Ella.  You jump all the time, you leap off things, you climb like crazy, and you move all the time!  You LOVE to swim, and you leap off the side of the pool with reckless abandon over and over and over.  Or last night, when we swam at Grandma and Grandpa's hotel, you laid on the side of the pool and slithered in like a little seal, over and over and over.  You go go go until your head hits the pillow (perhaps like someone I know...)  I love the spirit with which you live your life, Ella.  I love that you are an adventure-girl.  It is so fun to watch you!

You love all things girly...pink, purple, pretty, and princess-y.  You love your nails painted, you love to play with babies and tea sets and pretend cell phones.  You love jewelry and high heels, hats, and dressing up.

Your mind is brilliant...you seem to keep track of everything going on around you.  One morning, you started reciting the books of the Old Testament in order, and I realized you had been listening all along to the boys learning them for school.  You memorize verses and songs, and you sing them regularly.  Precious beyond precious.

You love bananas, noodles, cheese, chicken, strawberries, tacos, and beans.  You love chips and salsa.  You like to drink in a big-girl cup now, and you still say, "milt" for milk.  In fact, this is something we have hesitated to correct in you because it is so precious.  You say, "tootie" for cookie, "Lute" for Luke, and "tute" for cute.  You also say, "foon" for spoon and "file" for smile.  You are starting to correct this, which is probably a good thing, but kinda sad, too.  We love your sweet mannerisms.  You talk with such drama and expression.  You tilt your head to the side and throw your hand out with grand gestures.  It is highly entertaining.

A year ago, you were making messes ALL day EVERY day, and now you only make mischievous messes once or twice a day, getting into toothpaste or lotion or the pantry.  I'll take it. :-)  After all your craziness, you still love to snuggle up in the rocking chair before naptime and have me sing to you (either Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella" or the "My Sweet Baby" song).  This is, by far, one of my favorite parts of the day.

Ella Bella, you bring so much life to our family, and we love you to pieces.  I cannot imagine life without you.  You are the happiest and cutest and sweetest girl I have ever known.  It is contagious and inspiring, and I pray you will only continue to inspire others around you towards choosing happiness.

Happy THIRD Birthday, Ella Girl.

Love you.

Mommy

Some of my favorite and recent pictures of my Ella...living life to the full, as always...

















Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Joy of the Daily Mess

"I give happy thanks for the daily mess with a smile a mile wide, because this is again my chance to wholeheartedly serve God....I can count each task a gift. This work - the thousand endless jobs - they each give the opportunity for one to become the gift, a thousand times over." -Ann Voskamp



I have been thinking on this quote the last few days as I go about my chores.  The chores are, indeed, never ending, and I loved this reminder that each task is a gift.  I get to be a gift to my family.  I get to serve and love as I go throughout my day.




Today, as I washed dishes and went grocery shopping and scrubbed potatoes and made muffins, I really tried to name those as gifts, to give thanks for those everyday, non-glamorous moments, and to choose joy in the process.




May I remember, when the tasks are overwhelming, the truth of these words and the privilege of my role in our family.

"...because this is again my chance to wholeheartedly serve God."

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Eighteen Months!

(I have been thinking lately about wanting so badly to capture the stages my kids are all in.  This season is so sweet, so precious, so new and cute and funny each day, and I am so so scared I am going to forget it!  So here is my attempt to capture a bit of our lives right now.  I plan to do a little "journal-ish" letter for each of my children as their birthdays or half birthdays all approach in the next couple of weeks.  Sophia is FIRST!)

Dear Sophia Elaine,

Today you are 18 months old.  I can hardly believe it.  You are moving (much to my chagrin!) from baby to toddler, and you are growing and changing SO quickly.  Sophia, you have captured each of our hearts in the HUGEST way.  Daddy's most endearing nickname for you is "Cuteness-that-no-one-can-fathom."  No joke.  He talks daily about your cuteness and how we can't get over it.  You are, seriously, the cutest child EVER.  I can't stop kissing you.  I just can't!  You still love for me to hold you, and it is so familiar, almost innate, to just kiss your forehead, your cheeks, your soft, blond hair, as I carry you around.  You are still nursing a couple times a day, and the awkward-but-cute "Nuhse!!!!" gets me every time.  I still treasure the sweet cuddle time with you.  

Your siblings adore you in the HUGEST way.  Whenever you go to nap, you have to say ni-night to everyone in the house, and your big brothers and sister come running to give you a hug and a kiss (twice a day, for each nap!).  And when you wake up, they beg to go and see you and get you up!  They love to read books to you, to carry you around, to hold your hand and guide you places, and hold you on their laps.  I loooove watching you with your siblings.  Such a mutual adoration that really can't be described in words.  The biggest gift.

Sophia, you are talking SO very much, and we marvel every day at how much you are communicating with us.  You are saying too many words to record, but our favorites are "Ella, cereal, please, swing, cookie, snack, milk, why, paci, and brothers."  We have little conversations with you that kill me everytime...
Sophia: Mommy??  Nuhse?
Me: Not right now, Sophia.  
Sophia: Paci??  
Me: No, Sophia.  
Sophia: Why??
Me: We're going to eat soon, Sophia.
Sophia: Oh.

You have found your way to communicate to us exactly what you want, sometimes with screaming words of intensity.  (Although, Praise be to God, you are finally screaming less!  Woohoo!)  You seem to have a strong, intense personality developing.  I like to say that you are a mover and a shaker!  You are going to make things happen in your life, Girl, and I can't wait to watch!  You are busy, busy, busy, moving and climbing and getting into things.  You like to pull laundry off the bed when I am folding, take dishes out of the dishwasher when I am loading it, and dump out bins that you can find.  You climb onto the tables and chairs around, and you love to climb up the ladder for the bunkbed.  You like to be on the go, and you LOVE to be outside.  You love to play with your babies (which is seriously too cute for words) and you love to push the doll stroller around the house.  You get so excited for food that you shake your arms up and down and start to dance in your booster when you know it's coming.  your favorite foods are bananas, kiwi, strawberries, Cheerios, vegan cheese, noodles, chicken, broccoli, and anything Mexican.  You LOVE beans and rice and salsa and guacamole.  

You ADORE Daddy and are thrilled when he walks through the door.  You make a beeline for the door the second you hear his voice and demand him to hold you immediately. ("Upie!!!")  You and Daddy are precious together.  You adore him, and he adores you.

Sophia, you have brought such JOY and life to our family.  You make us smile and laugh daily, and we love, love, love the sweet spirit you bring to our home.  You are precious and wonderful, and we love you more than words can express.

Happy 18 months, Sweet Girl!!!!!

Your Biggest Fan,

Mommy


Some of my favorite, most recent pics of our Soph...










"But the wisdom (Sophia)  from above is first pure, than peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere."  James 3:17