The Ambitious Life

Isaac, You are such a funny kid.  You always say "yes!" when I say I am going to leave for any reason.  You're the only kid that can get away with it.  For whatever reason, you like to give me a hard time and I'm here for it.  It cracks me up.  You are so sweet and come out of your room to give me a hug almost every night after I go check on the little girls.  I am so thankful for you.  I have seen such growth in your character lately - it seems like you are just continuing to develop into a lovely young man.  You think often of the people around you and it seems like you often try to think of how to bless the people around you.  I have also seen you struggle and persevere instead of giving up when you face hard things. Hopefully you won't remember this when you're older, but just this week you were at the park at the top of the hill by our house and your watch fell out of your pocket.  A little girl asked if it was yours and then took o...

 Jacob,  You are a joy and a delight!  You are so full of energy and your brain seems like it goes a million miles a minute!  One of the things your received for your birthday was online drum lessons and you seem to really enjoy them.  It has been fun to watch you learn!  You are also really excited about sports, still convinced you are going to play in the NFL one day, and my biggest extrovert.  This year for your birthday we had a party with a bunch of your friends at the park.  You really wanted there to be a basketball hoop - that was the only "requirement" you had.  I think you had a really good time and it was so fun seeing you all hang out together.   You love to build things - both Legos and mechanical sets that make you think through the instructions.  You've put together some amazing builds and it's fun to watch you problem solve.  You do not enjoy "down time" or feeling like you have nothing to do.  I am so...

Levi,  Happy birthday young man.  What a joy it is to be your mom.  I am so thankful that your dad and I were blessed with you and Jacob - it's been amazing.  You are quickly morphing from little boy to young man.  It is astonishing to me to see you walk through the house sometimes - almost full grown!  I can't imagine what it will be like in a few years!  You are still very excited about video games.  You really enjoy both the challenge and defeating them!  You still like to build Legos.  I'd say your passion is reading though.  All day, every day it seems, you love to read.  I don't think you leave the house without a book.  I love watching you explore new worlds and meet new friends through books - it's a special thing!  Dad and I got you some books for your birthday - always a highlight for you! You also had your first birthday party this year!  We did pizza and cupcakes at the park with a bunch of friends....

 Happy Golden Birthday Dear One. I cannot believe you are 16.  Growing up, I knew these milestone moments meant something to me, but I never imagined what my mom might be feeling.  Maybe because I'm not her oldest.  For my firstborn kiddo to be 16?  That feels big.   This whole year has felt big.  You are going to a public school for the first time and that has been an interesting experience.  I think going from accepting you were going to get in, because of location and homeschooling, to getting a spot and navigating all that meant was such a rush.  I am so proud of how you have handled it, although I am so glad you were home with me for so many years first.  I am thankful for the time to build into your character and speak life to you before sending you out into the world. It is such a weird world to be immersed in, isn't it?  All of the sudden you are surrounded by people who aren't on your team, who don't share your beliefs...

   Abi Ann, Love, Mom Timothy, Buddy.  You are 9 years old.  I know it makes me old to be shocked by that, but I can still remember the night you were born.  Goodness.  You are turning into such a sweet kid in the best of ways.  You are tough and capable, but you also see the people around you and try to bless them.  You know I am allergic to lots of things and always ask if I can eat treats you have and offer to share them with me.  It means more to me than you will probably ever know.   I also see you slowing down to help your little sisters.  I think maybe since you are the youngest boy, you know what it feels like to be on the edge of being included and you want to bring them along.   You are also more than capable of standing up for yourself, being loud and vocal if there is something you want, and expressing your frustration sometimes.  I do see you gaining self control and not giving full vent to your ange...

 Abi Ann, You decided to dye part of your hair a deep pink color right before your birthday and I absolutely love it.  It is just one of the ways that I am seeing you mature - willing to take some risks, willing to say what you want, willing to go for it.  I am so proud of that. In the past year I have really seen confidence develop in you in a new way.  You are starting to really own who you are and it doesn't seem to scare you as much to have opinions and ideas.  You are expressing yourself more and I am so happy to see it! You could spend the entire day with books if we let you and you'd be delighted.  I love how much you read and how much of the world and history you get to experience through books.  It's awesome.  You are also so creative and artistic.  You can sketch things that are detailed and gorgeous and it is amazing to see.  You do all the craft things so I generally send kids your way when they have a project to work on or n...

  Faith, You're 7!!  You told me today I'll never see you as a 6 year old again...and you're right!  Next time I blink you'll be 16! You are so fun and so insightful it makes me happy to hear the wise things that your brain thinks.  You observe things I think you might miss and pay attention to details.   We are one week into school and you told me your math is too easy and you are doing such a good job reading.  I think you're going to do great and I love how hard you are working without complaining!  You get excited to finish your school work and then grab out some of the extra workbooks we have and then sit at the table to work on them! You are working on finding the fine line between sassy and funny.  You still hate going to bed and require quite a few "hugs and kissys".  You love being included with the big kids in all the things they do.  I think your favorite is when you hang out with Abi and Grace in their room - you always ...

Rachel, You will forever be my Bean.  Rachel Bean, Beanie Baby, Bean, Beanie...you answer to all of it.  And I'm so glad you do.  You are big and so fun and I love you so much.  You give the best kisses and ask for kisses and hugs all the time.  You still love to be tickled on your stomach and back, especially when you're in a bad or sad mood.  You absolutely love to be in the water, in fact you got to spend the morning of your birthday at the pool with your big sisters this year.  You had such a good time!  You are also getting so brave at things like traveling playground and other places we go being able to do things on your own and ask for what you want. This was your last year as the school mascot as you start Pre-K this year.  I can't believe it.  I'm not sure how you got so big, but it went so fast!   You love to play on your tablet and you ask a lot about your Nintendo turn because you like playing in Minecraft.  Yo...

Isaac,  You're 10!  What an amazing kid you are.  I am so excited that you are mine.  This year, you went with your dad on your 10th birthday trip.  You went to Kentucky to visit the Ark and Creation Museum.  I know Dad also bought you some Legos to do while you are there and you told me you wanted Coca-Colas...which dad bought and you brought home to share.    You have a strong sense of justice - that is, you don't love it when your siblings get away with stuff.  You like things to be fair.  That also makes you pretty darn trustworthy.  You are such a great mix of goofy and serious and I love to watch how your personality is growing and maturing.    You love to build things on Minecraft and build Legos - a good mix of real life and pretend :)  You are a good problem solver, so creative, and ready to try new things.  You work really hard in school and do a good job but I know you don't love it...most kids do...

 Jacob, Young man, I am proud of you!  It is so interesting watching you grow and see how your personality continues to develop and change.  You have a deep sense of justice and what things to be "right".  You are also always taking in the world around you and trying to make sense of everything you see.  Sometimes you share "facts" that aren't really facts and it is interesting watching you have to sort out things that are true and things that "someone said once". You recently started playing the drums - Dad moved his into the laundry room for you.  It has been really cool to hear you practice and watch you figure things out.  I am excited you found something to deep dive into.  You prefer TV to Nintendo and you prefer Legos to books.  You don't like to read but you are always improving!  You are creative in coming up with games and competitions for the kids. I pray you continue to develop a heart that chases after God.  It is my pr...

 Levi, You are changing all the time and you are starting to look like a young man.  You have moved upstairs for middle school and church and are LOVING it!  Grandma gave you a camera for your birthday and you love to show me the pictures you are taking.  I see a creativity in you that is emerging and I love it!  You are thoughtful and analytical.  You are observant and try to figure out the world around you. You LOVE to read and devour books.  It is hard to keep you in good books.  You also like to play Nintendo a lot and it's been fun to watch you figure out different games and how to get past the challenging parts.   You are almost done (I think) with your braces and have done a great job with them.  I know it hasn't always been comfortable and you are probably really missing apples :)  I am excited to see how your mouth feels when you don't have to deal with any of it any more! I am so proud of who you are and who you are b...

 Grace Louise, You my dear are hitting the teen years fast and hard.  Glory, you have gone from little kid to (almost) full grown adult almost over night and while it is glorious to watch it is also hard on my momma heart.  Keep going though.  It delights me to watch you work through different situations and to see you figure out how to navigate relationships and circumstances.  You have grown so much in the past year and have become characterized by (mostly) wide decision making, choosing good friends, and recognizing when you need help. You are VERY into makeup, skin care, hair design, and more.  Your current plan is to study cosmetology and I can't wait to see you jump into this.  I think this will be perfect for you.  You are such a huge help to me by doing the little girls' hair when we have places to be and you have recently started cutting the boys' hair.  You also have started babysitting at other people's houses and it's just cool to...

  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 y...

 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...

 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 ...

 Happy birthday! You are my little tornado.  You are constantly moving and talking and it is a joy and a delight to see you take in the world around you.  You are a spider monkey - you love to leap off of things and on to people and you completely trust they will just catch you.  You love to give me hugs and kisses.  You love all things Paw Patrol and you are happy to play with people or by yourself. You have big feelings all the time and have perfected the fake "I'm so sad" look.  Sometimes we give in but we're on to you :)  You really like to "do schoolwork" while the big kids do school and often ask to do lessons on the tablet on Starfall or Reading Eggs.   Going with Dad or me anywhere is a big treat.  You are creative and full of make believe fun.   You are a joy little one and I am so thankful I get to be your momma.  Today you told me you were going to be a hair salon when you grow up and you were going to have 10 k...

 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 l...

 Jacob, This was a big year!  You turned 10!  That meant a birthday trip with dad and you guys went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  You guys did a mirror maze, rode the big ferris wheel, and bought SWORDS!  You guys carried those swords to the top of the mountain which I think was pretty incredible!  I know it was fun time with your dad, but I wish I could have been there! For your birthday I redid your bedroom and added some display shelves for your Lego creations.  I also added a bulletin board and dry erase board.  Grandma, Abi, and Grace helped me!  It was a surprise when you got home from your trip and I hope you love it! You are turning into such a helpful young man.  You do the things I ask quickly and cheerfully.  It is helpful to to me and your dad.  I appreciate the way you serve your family.  You also really like to mop which delights me! :) You are learning how to read a room so much better.  You are thou...

Levi, This was a big year!  You turned 10!  That meant a birthday trip with dad and you guys went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  You guys did a mirror maze, rode the big ferris wheel, and bought SWORDS!  You guys carried those swords to the top of the mountain which I think was pretty incredible!  I know it was fun time with your dad, but I wish I could have been there! You are getting braces this year and handling that like a champion.  It'll take some getting used to, but I know you'll adjust.  You love to read and are obsessed with Wingfeather Saga (which Grandma got you for your birthday).  You still love Legos and come up with some really creative builds.  I'm always so impressed.  For your birthday I redid your bedroom and added some display shelves for your Lego creations. You are both a night owl and early riser and I never feel like you get enough sleep.  You are finishing up a cross stitch project that I can't wait to see you ...

   Grace, You are such a lovely girl.  You are a huge help to me and dad babysitting when we need to run out.  You are also so good at doing the little girls' hair that I often give you that job before we need to leave the house.   You have taken a huge interest in hair this year and getting highlights was the only thing you wanted for your birthday (other than a phone, which wasn't about to happen!).  You watch hair tutorials all the time and are learning all kinds of new skills.  It is impressive, even more so I think because you've done it on your own. Watching you grow into this beautiful young woman is so fun and encouraging.  I love that you still come to talk to me about hard stuff and don't shy away too much from difficult conversations.  You have shown great discernment in the books you are reading and the stuff you put into your head.   I'm proud of you kiddo! Love, Mom Birthday cake: chocolate chocolate chocolate cake Birthda...