Aspen Michael: 7 Years Old

 Dearest Aspen Michael,

You’re lucky #7 today sweet boy! Time has flown and you’ve grown so much in so many ways. The maturity & overall awareness for life has been one of the greatest joys of my life to watch. 

Your Kindergarten year is almost complete which makes you a “rising” first grader. Somehow that makes you sound sooo old. You’ve worked tirelessly this year to adjust and adapt to new learning styles & have truly made so much progress academically. You love math and are a whiz at your addition & subtraction flash cards. Your reading & writing is moving along nicely. You can often be found reading books in bed for hours. 

You played in your first two tennis tournaments and beamed with pride through them. You won some matches and you lost some matches. But most importantly you overcame adversity & controlled your emotions. Orange ball has been a great stepping stone for your tennis game development.

You continue to work hard at overcoming your emotions and controlling your impulses. You have learned many techniques to help you & I couldn’t be more proud of how you’re handling yourself.

You have flourished in making friends and socially growing this year. You’re always inclusive & happy to smile at all around you. Your joy for life is contagious & your hugs can heal the soul.

You still love spending time with your mommy; often just hanging next to me & holding my hand. I will cherish those days always.

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Salem Lucille: 3 1/2 Years Old

 Dearest Salem Lucille,

My sweet Lulu you are nearing 4 years old rapidly. You are a little social butterfly chatting away with me all the time. You truly are a 4th child and youngest sibling as you strive to be so big all the time. Whether I am cracking eggs, brewing coffee, cleaning up messes, or folding laundry, you are always eager to help.

 

You have loved every minute of school so far, rotating between the butterfly class & Ms. Lisa's PDO room. You often like to play pretend school, asking me to be Mrs. Evans or Mrs. Kinney. You enjoy packing your lunchable & apple in your backpack for after school just like your big sister Adelaide does each day.

 

 

Speaking of your big sister, whenever she isn't around you typically cry for a few minutes because you miss her so much. She is really your best friend and to see how much you love her makes my heart happy. You equally love your brothers too...often wanting to be right by their side no matter how rough they are playing.

 

Mondays are for dance and your first recital is coming up soon. You love your cousins & friends being in the same dance class as you. I cannot wait to see you in your costume with a tappin' attitude! You adore Ms. Jae and constantly keep her on her toes ;)

You are really into playing Barbies and baby dolls. I often find you calling me Mimi, while you pretend to by Tay-Tay married to daddy (aka Robbie) carrying around your American Girl Doll "Vivie" and your baby boy named "Ford." You love to pretend like the large spinning chair we have is a boat & spend a lot of time in FL watching the dolphins on the ocean from your boat. You have such a wonderful imagination!

 

You continue to be so much fun; sometimes a Tasmanian devil, but overall a sweet girl who stole your mommy's heart 3 1/2 years ago when you were born. Keep smiling and giving big hugs all day every day.

I love you!

 

Love,

Mommy

Brighton Kevin: 5 1/2 Years Old

Dearest Brighton Kevin,

Oh son you are just as fun as can be these days. Your little personality is constantly budding, and you are quite the jokester at times.You have this way about you that makes it hard to be mad at you; even when you think it is so funny to "copy" me. You truly light up my days.

It is hard to believe that you will be entering Kindergarten in the fall. You have enjoyed every minute of JK with Ms. Wheatley & your precious class. The class started out with you, Griffin, and 4 girls making you & G the best of friends. You two are a hoot and I can't wait to watch that friendship grow with the years. A few more classmates have been added making for a sweet bunch of kids just living the good life in JKW. You have learned so much and really worked hard in school this year. I am so proud of you!

 

You continue to be a social butterfly and make friends pretty much wherever you go. You’ve enjoyed playing tennis and picking up more golf with Daddy. You embrace life and enjoy each day to the fullest. You’re such a bright spot for us all. 

 

 

You’ll be playing tee ball & soccer with your classmates this spring. I can’t wait to see you having fun with them outside of the classroom. 

I love that at church you’d rather stay with Mommy than go to gather the children. I think you relish in the alone time where you can cuddle up to me for a few minutes without your older siblings.

You are a joy BK. You’ve always been my little miracle of sorts and life with you is more fun & special than I could have ever imagined!

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Lucky the Leprechaun & All His Fun: St. Patrick's Day 2021

 Nothing like a little luck to set us into Spring this March. Our little leprechaun~ Lucky Buckles Gold sprinkled us with green goodies and played daily tricks at our house for 17 days leading up to St. Patrick's Day!

 

 

Adelaide Jane: 8 1/2 Years Old

 Dearest Adelaide Jane,

My sweet girl you are 8 and a half years old. You are beyond wise in so many ways and it can be such a breath of fresh air. You’re independent in certain regards, but I love how you still sleep with pictures of Mommy when I’m away because you miss me. I love our Friday night sleepovers in my bed and the snuggles you give in the mornings. Your big smile when you sneak up and scare me from around a wall corner is contagious & always a source of giggles.

 

You are working hard in school and have made the adjustments necessary to continue to learn. There has been anger, frustration and sadness at times which is hard to watch for my happy-go-lucky girl. But I am so proud of you for pushing through it all and working as hard as you can during these times. You love your teacher Ms. Hagan so much and can often be found making artwork for her. You enjoy being in class to learn and socialize with your friends.

 

 

Your love for gymnastics continues to grow as you have competed in three meets so far. It has been a joy watching your hard work & efforts come to fruition. You are so excited to be with your teammates in your  matching uniforms, laughing & cheering each other on! The friendships you are making are wonderful and hopefully will last a lifetime. I am so glad you're surrounded by wonderful coaches and friends.

You continue to enjoy swimming and racing more specifically. Luke & Emerson are your fierce competitors and friends which has been such a fun experience. You are also loving this new swim session with your cousins~ Collins & Cooper. The car rides home at night are a real hoot to say the least!

 

You continue to be a good helper and great example for your brothers and sisters. You have really stepped up in helping around the house too. Walking the dog, cleaning the dishes, making your bed, and helping to shower your baby sister. You are also taking an interest in helping Aspen & Brighton with their homework. Helping them with sight words & reading. Checking their math answers and encouraging them to keep working hard. You are growing into your role as big sister nicely, and I am beaming with pride at how much alike we are in regards to being the oldest child.

 

Keep being kind and being the sweetheart that you are my girl. I know you are processing so much in the world right now, and you are handling it as best as possible. For that I am proud of you and I am here for you always.

I love you!

Love,

Mommy