Brighton Kevin: 10 Years Old

 Dearest Brighton Kevin,

My oh my how does the time fly?! I can hardly believe my sweet baby boy is 10 years old today! There were so many moments with so much uncertainty around your life~ All turned into beautiful memories of you!

Your name, Brighton, has always been fitting for your personality. As you ventured into a new school this year, your bright smile and ability to hold a conversation with anyone has served you well. You have made so many new friends already!

On the soccer field, your growth and confidence in your abilities to be a leader have grown exponentially. You were moved up to the top team as well as highly talented and recruited by another club for their top team. So much of this can be attributed to the true team player that you are. You are quick to point out how hard your teammates work and you’re eager to pass the ball to assist them in scoring goals. 

On the golf course, you continue to be the mayor of the sport. You also continue to become stronger in your driving, precise in your chipping, and work tirelessly on your putting. Most importantly, you embrace the true joy and aura of the game.

While you constantly have a smile on your face and we’ll speak to a stranger, you can often be quite critical of yourself. You expect a lot out of your little body and soul. You don’t like to make mistakes because you never want to let anyone down. This has been a hard transition from being a nine-year-old to a 10-year-old. Such a gift for you to be aware of so many things, but sometimes a hindrance to yourself to expect perfection.

Usually, however, you are able to do some reflection overnight and come back with a mature and overall view. I am always amazed at your ability to believe in the goodness of life.

And despite the fact that you’re very “cool”, You always ask for one more hug and kiss at bedtime. I hope that never changes!

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

A Thompson Fall: Visit a Farmer’s Market

We have passed the Beargrass Church Farmer’s Market on Saturdays in the fall for years. Usually zipping to swim practice or soccer or tennis or well pretty much anything else! But we’ve never had the opportunity or time to stop to check it out. 

Well, we were finally able to take advantage of a slower Saturday fall morning and give it a whirl. We absolutely loved it! We were greeted with a Kid’s Treasure Map for Say & Viv to go hunting for stuffed animals along the booth trail. So they hopped from booth to booth looking for treasures. Sampling here and there as they found zebras, sharks & bees!

After they cashed in their treasure map for a prize, we circled back to our fave spots for some goodies. We came home with white cheddar popcorn, macaroons, local grown honey, Kentucky hot sauce, noodles & pasta sauce, and homemade soup!

  

The girls had a blast talking to the farmers/makers, shopping the shops, and sampling the delicious foods! Definitely a must do each fall from now on :)

Adelaide Jane: 13 Years Old

 Dearest Adelaide Jane,

How are you an actual TEENAGER today?! It is truly hard to imagine that you've been here for THIRTEEN years...at the same time, I do not even remember my life without you!

This last year, you have shown so much growth and maturity. You are a blossoming young lady and a beautiful soul. You also keep me on my toes and give me gray hairs ;)

You have successfully completed your first year of competitive swim at Lakeside. You had wonderful short course and long course seasons. You flourished in state meets~ proving that hard work and perseverance can accomplish so much. 

                                                     

You had the privilege of swimming for Team Kentucky ay Zones in Orlando. Swimming against the best of the best throughout 15 states, you swam the max 6 individual events and anchored 5 "A" relays. You had so much fun cheering for others and sharing a room with Claire L, Lila D, and Kelsie C. And I think deep down you loved having me there as a chaperone!

                                                                 

You are thoroughly enjoying L7 at SHMS. Your growth from the last half of L6 to now is remarkable. You are back to loving math and feeling confident in your abilities. Your love for reading is growing even more with each day. You read far more than your summer reading and often can be found reading at bedtime unprompted.

 

You continue to be an amazing friend and teammate. You are embracing your role as "big sister" with the same zest as you did back when you were first given that title. You are always helping Salem with her hair in the morning; building Aspen up in his tennis & academic endeavors; bonding with Brighton over word quotas & being social. You have a beautiful role in our family of pseudo mommy & big sister.

 

But to me, you will always be my little girl; the one who made me a mom; my best friend.

I love you!

Love,

Mommy 

A Thompson Fall: Bake an Apple Pie

 We kicked off our fall bucket list with an awesome family homemade pie. One of the more quiet Saturdays in August allowed us to take our time to bake. Each kiddo had a role in baking the scrumptious pie{s} and I was so happy to see the smiles it brought to their faces. Salem was the dough roller. Aspen was the apple slicer. Adelaide the kneed her and sauce mixer. Brighton the dough brusher and pre-bake sampler. With a side of vanilla ice cream, the kids thoroughly enjoyed each yummy bite. Bonus: we baked an extra pie to drop off to my mom & dad!

A Thompson Fall {2025}: Our Fall Bucket List

 We've mapped out all of the fall fun we are hoping to have in the coming months. Follow along as we enjoy all things apple & pumpkin, the changing of seasons, and the joys of family time.