The Ambitious Life

  Timothy, You are such a FUN kid.  Seriously.  You make the best faces, you are expressive, and you make yourself known.  While you don't love talking to people you don't know, you aren't shy.  You are quick to make friends and everyone who knows you, loves you.   You still like dinosaurs but you aren't quite as obsessed.  Minecraft and Pokemon has taken over some of your brain space :)  It's fun watching you learn new things and try new things out.  You like to trade Pokemon cards with friends and tend to come home with STACKS of them! You like to try new things and you have really liked rollerblades lately.  Dad and I bought you some for your birthday because you use the big girls' and they are too big!!   I am really proud of you kiddo.  You like to sing me Believer by Imagine Dragons to me.  It's super fun.  You also do the Wii Dance moves and song to "Take On Me" and it is HILARIOUS. Keep being sweet young man.  I'm so proud of you! Love

 Abi, You are a joy and a delight!  Goodness, you are 13!  It is so fun watching you grow up.  You are starting to care a little more about fashion and makeup although you haven't been completely sucked into that world.  You are figuring out new ways to express yourself and I love it.  You are completely obsessed with the Keeper of the Lost Cities books still.  Ya know, I ought to read them.  :)  You LOVE to read and it is so fun to watch...I was concerned you would hate it always. Anyway, your big thing this year was saving up to get a snake. You worked SO hard to earn money and asked for money for your birthday.  Miracle - a set up was donated to the thrift store which got you there SO much faster!  Kernel Benson Barkley Stenson joined us on the 23rd.  I love him (her?).  You do too.  He's small and a cutie and I am SO glad it worked out! I am so glad to be a teenager mom now.  It is so cool.  Stay true to who you are.  Don't compromise for anyone.  Keep your eyes on Jesu

 Faith,  I love you soooooo much!  This year I started calling you Faith Potato because Rae was Rae Bean.  We decided (you decided) that was the best vegetable for you.  But I'm not allowed to call you that in front of people :)  You are so fun and sweet.  You like to be around the big kids but you are also really good at finding things to do on your own.  You recently started playing Nintendo and ask me to play every day!   School is starting soon and you are looking forward to it.  I think you're excited to learn to read this year!  You are a joy and a delight.  It is so fun to watch your face of concentration as you are working on an art project or practicing your letters.  You absolutely love co-op and are excited to be in the "big kid" class this year.  You are smart, creative, and a joy to be around.  I am so glad you're my girl! Love you always, Momma   Birthday cake: chocolate with buttercream icing, topped with Bluey.  Abi made it for you! Birthday Dinne

 Isaac,  Oh my goodness, how are you 9 already?  You were so teeny tiny when you were born and now you are so tall and just look like such a big kid.  I mean, you're practically a teen so it makes sense, I'm just not ready for it.  I still remember the day I found out I was pregnant with you.  I was so excited.  I am so glad I get to be your momma, you are such a fun kid! You love to come into the kitchen in the morning and help stir the eggs.  You like to declare that they "look like eggs" when they start cooking.  I was watching you outside today and you do a little hop skip when you walk.  I am not sure why, you do it a lot, but it's cute.  It always makes me think you are just cheerful and delighted with life. You are great at building legos and VERY into Pokemon right now.  You also like to play with Lily, your brothers and sisters, and to play Minecraft on the Switch.  You do not like people picking at you or being loud with you - who does really?  You do su