Noah turns 9

Noah,

Tomorrow you turn 9, and you told me today that you are so tired of being eight. If it makes you feel better you are the height of a 14 year old :) In just a few years you might be towering over me.  This past year you have grown so much in confidence and your dance moves don't hide it. You can floss really fast and do lots of other moves that crack me up. Which brings me to my next point. You are pretty hilarious, and it was sweet to hear your encouraging classmates say the same thing about you at school.

You are really sweet and caring. Just this week we were picking up Hope and as she was coming in the car you ran out! I started calling after you because it was cold and you just ran ahead. After 50 yards you stopped, moved a recycle bin that was in my path on the one way street and ran back to the car. You also leave me notes on my phone using more emojis than words, but I still love it. Eli loves everything about you. If I ask him what he wants or what he wants to do, his typical response is, "What's Noah doing? or What's Noah having?" I am so grateful that he has a brother like you to look up too. You are very loving towards him, and set a great example for him to follow. Gracie too loves her "W-oah." You are very good with her unless it involves diapers :)

You are still very much into Star Wars, Wizards and Tacos :) I convinced you to go out for tacos this year and you had your first ever Guapos. My heart rejoiced when you said you liked mine better :) Daddy is coaching you again this year in basketball. Chloe has enjoyed playing with you too and wanted to play as well.

This year in particular we've seen you grow in the area of perseverance.  Whether it's working hard at school, working on your handle with the basketball or tickling the ivories (playing piano) you're learning and seeing the benefits of hard work.  Most people who are successful in life aren't the smartest, the tallest, or the fastest, but have a desire to work hard and not to give up.  We are glad to see you excel in those areas that you enjoy pursuing.

Keep up the good work son!  We love you much and are grateful to God for you.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

I already posted pictures from your half birthday, so here's a few more since then!

I love this last picture. Our neighbors, Andy and Jason love playing with you. This year we hosted our first "biathlon" here in our loop! Great job biking and running!

St. Petersburg

Daddy and I went away to St. Petersburg to get away for a few nights. Another quaint city that I loved. We enjoyed visiting the Sunken Gardens, and exploring the town. We enjoyed eating at The Mill and Brick and Mortar and even enjoyed an Art Museum! We were fascinated by Dale Chihuly's glass art, and I was proud of Danny when he recognized a glass sculpture at a restaurant here back home shortly after we came back.  I won't forget our visit to Clearwater beach. It was so beautiful and the sand felt like powdered sugar between my toes, and I could walk for miles on it. Happy birthday to dad. I'm grateful for his love for adventure and his persistence in getting this homebody out of the house.

Sunken Gardens

Clearwater

Chihuly museum

more about Grace

I'm trying not to neglect my 4th child when it comes to pictures. I'm really enjoying my solo time with Grace and don't want my last baby to get much older.  She really make me laugh...


waiting for your favorite outfit in the wash

coloring with a crayon since the marker was too much fun

You are starting to pedal by yourself!

making your own cobb salad

you pleaded for pizza, but not for yourself.

Ikea date with your best buddy, Hadley.

finding you asleep anywhere but your own bed

you are so adorable!

Chloe turns 7

Chloe,

It is making me sad how big you are getting. I even shed a few tears this morning. I got up early to make your favorite breakfast with EXTRA bacon before school starts, and the smile on your face makes it all worth it. Eli came sown shortly after, excited just as much as you (typical Eli) and gives you a big hug and said, "Happy Birthday sweet girl!" Noah wrote a thoughtful card for you, and it was a wonderful birthday celebration breakfast.

This year you have grown leaps and bounds. You are maturing into a more responsible and dependable girl. You initiate things without me telling you, and you have been extremely helpful with getting Gracie changed and dressed in the mornings and at night. Often times you ask me, "Mom, what do you have to do next?" And once I tell you, you like to surprise me and tell me that you already did it. I love that about you.You are a very nurturing sister to Eli and Grace, and always come up with silly games to entertain them. With Noah you love to do the things he enjoys. You guys started a secret hide out with the neighbors and have been playing basketball together.

You still love gymnastics, and just yesterday you showed me the beginning of a backhand spring. You work hard at the things you love to do. You love slime, glitter, paint, glue and anything else thats a pain to clean up. I have to tell myself I am going to miss all the mess you make. You are very creative and thoughtful. You love writing cards and wrote them to all the elementary teachers in your school this year, and you had fun mailing pictures to your friends. You are a very bright girl, inquisitive and curious too. You ask a ton of questions, and I also have to remind myself I'm going to miss that too.

You are a fun and adventurous girl and I couldn't imagine our family without you. We are so grateful for you and love you "all the way to Heaven and back". Happy Birthday Chloe!













Here's the poem we wrote for your second grade class:

Chloe, Chloe you’re so much fun,
and you love to talk to and befriend everyone.

You ask lots of questions like who? where? and why?
You make us laugh so hard it makes us cry.

You are so diligent, determined, and smart,
which makes you excel in things like schoolwork, gymnastics, and art.

You are creative and busy all the time,
and you love to mix things like glitter and slime.

A loving and nurturing sister you are,
when you play with Noah, Eli and Grace you are a star!

Before bed you always want to tickle,
and oh how you love a Chik-Fil-a sandwich BUT without the pickle!

While you always like to lead and love responsibility,
it is our desire that you love Jesus and grow in humility.

Chloe we are blessed to have had you for 2,555 days,
to God we are thankful and give him all the praise.

Happy Birthday sweet daughter!

Love,
Mom & Dad

One decade ago...

began the best part of my life.  I am so grateful for the man I married. Your dad surpassed everything I hoped for in a husband and a father, and I am so aware of Gods provision for my life in that.  He knew I would need more than what I just asked for, and I am eternally blessed. I love the couple that we are and how we really compliment each other with our strengths and weaknesses.  AND speaking of weaknesses, we are both even falling apart together!  We both currently have plantar fasciitis right now and its rather hysterical to me how we are approaching it. One more careless, and the other (eh hem, who happens to be more medically knowledgeable) more cautious. But in things like that we find our ways to balance things out and our lives together have been fun and adventurous. There have been some hardships, but all the joys have outweighed them all. I love where we are now and  I couldn't love our family more. I just love doing life along with your dad.  I wouldn't want it any other way. I hope for many more and healthier decades ahead!

Our plans for a 10 day trip to Italy had to be slightly adjusted to a long weekend to the spectacular Cape Cod.

We watched my favorite part of creation together

We took a day trip to Nantucket 

We rode our bikes along the coast of Martha's Vineyard

and I watched your dad jump off of Jaws Bridge, more than once I'm afraid to say (rolled eyes emoji goes here) 

This was special because Chloe loves Cape Cod potato chips.

And just another highlight I should add from the year, is that dad, along with Dave, did both his first mini and olympic triathlon! I am so proud of him!

And while I couldn't be convinced due to the fear of drowning, I've done my share and the dress still fits!

I love us...

and ours.

Happy 10 Year Anniversary!

Deep Creek Lake

Somewhere on top of the list of things that we are grateful for are our friends.  We are truly blessed to be surrounded by these families who serve the Lord whole heartedly and desire to train up their children under the instruction of God's word. I couldn't imagine doing life without them.  This past week we went to Deep Creek with 2 of those families, the Kauflins and the Averills. Devon & Kristine have know us since before we got engaged and although they left us for a while, we were thrilled when they returned for Devon to pastor our church.  We have been so grateful for their friendship and just the living example they are in our life. (We even followed the boy, girl, boy, girl pattern in the family :) We officially met Brandon & Annie at our park about 8 yeas ago, and then realized they went to the same church! Noah and Nathan quickly became the best of friends and when Chloe and Karina arrived our families have been sometimes inseparable.  Our families have grown together through church, sports teams and community activities. It has been a blast but as we've grown life gets busier and different schedules makes it hard to get together so we carved out a few days and headed to the Lake for a wonderful time...

We rented a boat and ALL took turns tubing. Surprisingly Chloe wasn't a fan, but perhaps she was deterred when she saw 2 of her buddies flip over the first time. 

Yes, that's Gracie!

Another day went for a hike at Swallow Falls and the kids enjoyed some time playing in the creek...

Hoping for many more memories with them all...

We love Bethany Beach

This years trip was so memorable. Leaving the beach, I thought to myself for the first time, "I'm going to miss this".  The ages that you guys are at right now is so much fun, and we were able to do so much more as a family. We spent several hours playing at the beach with perfect weather almost every day. We had days where we arrived at 9 and stayed until 6ish eating Grotto's pizza on the beach. Noah and Chloe were comfortable going in and out of the ocean and riding the waves on their own. Eli enjoyed the water with daddy too and building in the sand.  Grace was quite the beach bum, just lounging around and taking it all in. We didn't even have to rock you to sleep. You just laid there and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean. Mom-Mom, Grandpa, and Tayta joined us for a few days and we celebrated Mom-moms birthday on the beach with some candy kitchen treats.  Simply said, it was a wonderful time and I'll let the pictures do a better job explaining...

 family bike ride continues on the boardwalk:)

 We hiked at Assateague Island and had the wild horses literally come up tour car window. You guys swam in the bay, but we all prefer the beach.

Rehoboth rides never get old. This was Eli's first year on the paratrooper, and I wish I could have captured a better picture of his cute grinning face!

Until next year...