Happy 14th Birthday Sam!

 Happy Birthday Sam!! You’re 14!!

I can’t believe you are in your last year of middle school and just so old. You have enjoyed many things this year. 

In VBS you got to the lead part in the daily skits. You played Scout and did a fantastic job! Some kids were confused if Scout was you or something else. 

You are also still enjoying piano and playing baritone in the school band. 

We got a dog too. Her name is Luna and she adores you. She likes to sit in your lap while you practice the piano. You are so responsible with her. 

You are a good big brother. Very patient and helpful to them. You are also enjoying cooking and baking. Mimi has shared a lot of recipes with you and you also inherited Nannies grits pot and whisk. You enjoy adding family recipes to your cookbook. 

You are a fun kid. Always ready for an adventure. And still the snuggliest kid around. 

You have the most tender heart and it’s so sweet about you. 

Besides music you really love to do Rubix cube. In fact you are entering your first competition in December. You always have one in your pocket. You are doing robotics again for the second year and your team has greatly improved. You get to do it with a couple of your best friends so it’s great. 

I’m just proud of the maturing and growth that I get to have a front row seat to. I pray that you continue to know the deep deep love of Christ. I love you Sam.

Love, Mama

Happy Birthday Ezra!!! 9!!

 When you’re 9 and you’re awesome you have to be celebrated twice!! 

Friend party

Family party

Dear Ezra 

You are so much fun. You have matured so much this year and it’s a sight to behold. You are ready to start 4th grade which seems impossible. To me 4th grade is big kid stuff. So I guess you’re a big kid now! 

You are so smart. You constantly amaze your teachers and me! This summer you did math at home so you could skip 4th grade math and learn 5th grade math at school.  

You had the best teacher this year. It helps she is my friend. Ha. 

You love sports so much. You played flag football in the fall and baseball in the spring. You did so well in baseball, that you got to play on the All Star team this is summer. You hit your first grand slam!

You are a good friend and you are loyal too. I was looking at birthday party pictures of when you were itty bitty and the same friends from there were with you still! But you also are great at making new friends too. 

You love cats and dogs and cannot wait to have our own one day. You are the first to pet and snuggle with friends’ pets. You love to read and play video games. You are a sweet snuggler and you love to give people hugs. 

You got glasses and braces this year!!

Another exciting this is you got to go to the Bahamas TWICE as a 8 year old! This last time you were awesome at leading recreation time with the kids at Literacy camp. You also had fun exploring the ocean. You are a fun kid. 

I love this adventure we are on together. I love you so much Ezra. I pray you always know how much you are loved by God and us. 

Love Mama

Happy Birthday Sarah….(a weekish late)

Happy birthday to my Best Girl, my Sarah girl. 15 just seems incredibly impossible, but here we are. 15 means learning permit. There is no one else I’d rather wait 1.5 hours with in a DMV. Seriously, you are a good little partner out in the world. 

You are a complete joy. Just last night you hugged me when you left choir practice, & a man behind me said “Doesn’t she know you are supposed to hug your mom in public?” And I said, she is not afraid to show me she loves me. 

 

Two cakes for you birthday seems pretty apropos with how much you are loved!

 

And everyone does love you. Specifically but not limited to your brothers. They all just crave your attention and what to be near you. You usually deal with it well. Haha. 

You & Titus have an extra special bond, maybe it’s your love of football. 

You started high school & I’m just so amazed how you are handling it all. Classes and friendships and all of it are such an enjoyment to you. You have gotten to attend 2 dances and you had a blast at both. We enjoyed finding you cute dresses at the 2nd hand shops for cheap. So fun to shop with you.

 

Speaking of friends. You are a really good friend. You have had to navigate some hard things with friends this year, but you’ve handled it maturely and God honoring. You have sweet friendships at church & at school. 

A big thing you did was cut your hair right before Christmas. It was such a moment of, you’re growing up. You’ve had long hair your whole life, but you thought about it a long time, and went for it. I think it’s adorable and makes you look like you’re about to leave for college.  You donated it to a place that makes wigs for children and adults. That was important for you as your Nannie was going through chemo. 

You are still enjoying playing volleyball for the YMCA. You have made so many improvements in the last few years from when you started. You still love to read. You love to draw and color & you are so talented at it. You love to sing and are teaching yourself to play the guitar. I love listening to you practice. You sing in the youth praise band & recently you all started being able to lead worship on Sunday mornings. 

You are so fun. I love it that you like to run errands with me. You are the most fun at a dress up/themed party. You just make me happy. 

I pray that you keep growing in your relationship with the LORD. I pray that He will be your everything, because He is worth it. I pray you will turn to him when you are happy and when you are sad. I pray that you know that glorifying God in your heart & life is the BEST way to live. 

I love you so much little/not so little girl. 

Love Mama

Q & A with Titus Age 11

 Every year on the kids birthday, I ask the same set of questions. 

You can see Titus' answers when he turned 3 here, 4 here, 5 here, 6 here & 7 here, & 8 here. & 9 here & 10 here

Interview with Titus at age 11

1. What is your favorite color?  White

2. What is your favorite toy?  Football

3. What is your favorite fruit? Peaches

4. What is your favorite TV show? Green Eggs & Ham

7. What is your favorite animal? Manatee

8. What is your favorite song?  King Jesus by KB

9. What is your favorite book? Spy School

10. Who is your best friend? Koen

11. What is your favorite snack?  Goldfish

12. What is your favorite drink? Coke Zero

13. What is your favorite breakfast?  Pancakes

14. What is your favorite lunch? Ramen

15. What is your favorite dinner?    Alfredo

16. What is your favorite game?  Too Many Monkeys

17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? football

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

19. What do you sleep with at night? Nothing

20. What do you want to be when your grow up? Football player

Happy 11th Birthday Titus!

Happy 11th Birthday Titus! You are now 2 handfuls & a toe!! But you aren’t a handful to me, you are helpful and kind and so sweet!

I have loved seeing your tender heart come out more this year. For example on my birthday & your dad’s you brought us coffee & tea in bed! On our birthday a couple of days ago, your teacher went on and on about how much she enjoyed you in class. It made my day!

 

As usual, you spend most of your time playing sports. You enjoy soccer, but football is your favorite. This year in flag football, you and your dad won your final tournament. It was a fun time for sure. I am looking forward to you starting tackle football for the school this summer! Which cannot believe you have only a few more months til middle school!!

 

You starred in the church musical as Joseph. You got to wear an amazing colorful sports coat & I was so proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone! 

Even though I’m not at the school this year as much, I enjoy sneaking hugs from you when I pass you in the hallway. 

We enjoyed a trip to DC this summer and you wanted to pose with all the statues. This was my favorite photo of you looking so tall with the pillars inside the Lincoln Memorial. 

For Halloween you were a shark again, and it still cracked me up. This year you had a handler to guide you around. Koen did a great job. 

You are still a huge Chiefs fan even though they let you down when they lost the Suer Bowl this year. But you still love them. You have even convinced everyone else to support them fully too!

You love the beach and were able to go twice this past summer. Once, with your friend and then the second time we went to the Bahamas. You are the self proclaimed King of the Ocean!

We enjoyed another great snow! You loved sledding and learning to build a snowman! 

You are such a joy Titus. I hope you know how much you are loved and truly enjoyed. I pray that this year as you moved into youth group & complete communicants class that your heart is open to the goodness of the LORD. I love you so much Tito.

Love you Uganda and back

Mama

Happy 13th Birthday Sam!

 Happy Birthday Samuel. Today you are 13 which is unreal. Seriously, I know I say this every year on your birthday but you WERE JUST BORN! Time really does fly when you are having fun. Fun is what you are!

 

You just love to be with me. Wherever I’m going or sitting, there you are too! I should really soak this in cause who knows how much longer you’ll want to hang around your ol’ Mom. 

You are so musically talented, it makes my heart sing! (See what I did there? Your witty self is rubbing off on me!) Your piano skills continue to blow me away. You love playing baritone in the school band & can’t wait to be in the Pep Band next year! You also got this hilarious little instrument that looks like a music note or a soup ladle, that you just picked up easily. It’s so fun to sing a long with you. 

You continue to play baseball and have impressed me so with how you work so hard at it! You’ve become so consistent with your batting & do well when called on to play second base! I love that you love it!

 

Excitingly, one thing you’ve gotten to do this year, is try Robotics Team. 663x is your team name but you go by Xplosions. You are on it with some of your good school buddies & you are so excited that it worked out fo you to try it. 

I continue to be proud of you how hard you are working at school. It’s so much to keep up with all honors classes, but you are doing it! You definitely have an engineers mind, & it’s fun to see you at work. 

You are so tender hearted & I love to see the Lord work in your heart. You are helpful around the house & are always wanting to help me cook. You have a servant’s heart. 

You are very responsible, and it impresses me with how well you do daily tasks that are expected of you. I appreciate you Sammy Boy. 

I am so glad to be your Mom. You bring me so much joy. I love you forever and ever. 

Love, Mama