The youngest is 8!

My youngest baby,

I know you aren’t a baby anymore, but in my heart, you and your brother will always be my babies.  I am so proud of you.  You have certainly matured over the past year and are most definitely finding your way as a big boy.  You are funny, kind, empathetic, athletic, sweet, smart, charismatic and a friend to everyone you meet.  You have never meet a stranger.  I love how you are considerate of other’s feelings and can just strike up a conversation with anyone at any time.  You are a builder like Daddy.  You love to build things, to take things apart and to figure out how they go back together.   You think outside the box and there is not a lazy bone in your body.  I am so proud of your work ethic.  It amazes me that I can see it already.  You are the first to offer to help and the harder the work, the more you enjoy it.  I pray your amazing qualities continue to grow with you.

 

You have had a fantastic year!  You have done so many things for the first time.  From snorkeling in Florida, to your first train ride and visit to New York City.  You are such a great mix of city and country.  You talk often about wanting to go back to New York.  I have to admit, that trip was one of my most favorite trips ever, too!  As much as you loved the city, you also loved your first camping trip with Daddy and all the fun things you learned in scouts this year, from shooting a BB gun to shooting a bow and arrow to horseback riding.  You also had another great year in sports.  Your favorite sport is still baseball.  It’s so fun to help coach you and watch you grow as an athlete.  You always encourage your teammates and are a good sport.  That makes me more proud than if you were to hit a homerun every time at bat.  The same with soccer.  You truly give your all and look at the sport from a team perspective and not an individual one.  I’m proud of the goals you score, but I’m most proud of your attitude.  My wonderful son, I pray you continue to encourage others, have a good attitude and be a good team player.  You have many gifts and I pray you continue to be a good steward of those gifts.

I will end this year’s letter my precious boy, the same way I do each year.  By reminding you again how much you are loved and how proud we are of you.  We will always be here for you with unconditional love.  I will remind you, like in last year’s letter, that there will be trials, but that God has equipped you with everything you need to get through them.   Keep growing in your faith, keep being exactly who God made you to be knowing that our Heavenly Father does not make mistakes and He made you! 

Happy Birthday my remarkable boy.  May this coming year be your best ever. We love you so much, we love you more, we love you most, we love you more than most!

His annual birthday video is here:  Birthday video

The oldest is 12!

My Dearest Nicholas,

You are 12.  Happy Birthday to the first human to teach me the type of love that had previously been unfathomable.  From the first moment I saw you, I knew exactly why I was put on this planet.  You, my sweet young man, bring me joy every single day.

You continue to amaze me with your head and your heart.  You understand things beyond your years and show extraordinary compassion and empathy.  You aren’t afraid to march to the beat of your own drummer.  Despite peer pressure, you make the right choices, even if it means going it alone.  You are strong, much stronger than you even realize.  I pray you keep that strength and discernment.  They will serve you well.  I pray you never lose your compassionate heart and your faith.  Always look for the good, my precious son.  It is there, even if we have to look beyond the surface.

This year you have found what you enjoy the most and what works best for YOU.  You have decided not to play baseball and soccer, but instead continue with Boy Scouts, cello and Tae Kwon Do.  I am so proud of you, once again, for following your heart and not the crowd.  It would be easy to just continue doing what all of your friends are doing, but you are doing what is best for you.  That takes courage and character.  You have an abundance of both and I couldn’t be more proud.  You have excelled at these activities and even won your first regional tournament in Tae Kwon Do.  It brings me so much joy to see you working hard, thriving and having FUN!

Again this year we traveled, we served and we had adventures.  I have enjoyed seeing you jump in and take initiative during your opportunities to serve.  I pray you continue to notice the world around you and volunteer to help where you see a need.  While it is important to do what is best for you, it’s also important to look beyond yourself at the world around you.  Notice where there is a need and fill the need.  It is also important to make sure you find a good balance.  Don’t give so much that you lose yourself and don’t isolate so much that you miss opportunities to bless others and be blessed in return. I hope I can help guide you in this.

Nicholas Gabriel, you are a blessing just by being you.  From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I loved you and that love has continued to grow every single day since.  I cannot thank God enough for choosing me to be your Mom.  How did I get so lucky? I pray God’s blessing continue to fall upon you and His favor and protection surround you.  I pray you are always aware of His presence and always take the opportunity to share a kind and encouraging word. May you continue to do your best and to grow into the man you were created to be.  Thank you for being compassionate, caring, kind, brave, loving, silly, funny, unique and just plain FUN!  Thank you for being such a great big brother and loving son.  Thank you for being YOU!

Love you most!
Mom

You can see his video here.

The Oldest is 12!

My Dearest Nicholas,

You are 12.  Happy Birthday to the first human to teach me the type of love that had previously been unfathomable.  From the first moment I saw you, I knew exactly why I was put on this planet.  You, my sweet young man, bring me joy every single day.

You continue to amaze me with your head and your heart.  You understand things beyond your years and show extraordinary compassion and empathy.  You aren’t afraid to march to the beat of your own drummer.  Despite peer pressure, you make the right choices, even if it means going it alone.  You are strong, much stronger than you even realize.  I pray you keep that strength and discernment.  They will serve you well.  I pray you never lose your compassionate heart and your faith.  Always look for the good, my precious son.  It is there, even if we have to look beyond the surface.

This year you have found what you enjoy the most and what works best for YOU.  You have decided not to play baseball and soccer, but instead continue with Boy Scouts, cello and Tae Kwon Do.  I am so proud of you, once again, for following your heart and not the crowd.  It would be easy to just continue doing what all of your friends are doing, but you are doing what is best for you.  That takes courage and character.  You have an abundance of both and I couldn’t be more proud.  You have excelled at these activities and even won your first regional tournament in Tae Kwon Do.  It brings me so much joy to see you working hard, thriving and having FUN!

Again this year we traveled, we served and we had adventures.  I have enjoyed seeing you jump in and take initiative during your opportunities to serve.  I pray you continue to notice the world around you and volunteer to help where you see a need.  While it is important to do what is best for you, it’s also important to look beyond yourself at the world around you.  Notice where there is a need and fill the need.  It is also important to make sure you find a good balance.  Don’t give so much that you lose yourself and don’t isolate so much that you miss opportunities to bless others and be blessed in return. I hope I can help guide you in this.

Nicholas Gabriel, you are a blessing just by being you.  From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I loved you and that love has continued to grow every single day since.  I cannot thank God enough for choosing me to be your Mom.  How did I get so lucky? I pray God’s blessing continue to fall upon you and His favor and protection surround you.  I pray you are always aware of His presence and always take the opportunity to share a kind and encouraging word. May you continue to do your best and to grow into the man you were created to be.  Thank you for being compassionate, caring, kind, brave, loving, silly, funny, unique and just plain FUN!  Thank you for being such a great big brother and loving son.  Thank you for being YOU!

Love you most!
Mom

The Youngest is 7!

My Sweet Caleb,

What a year you have had!  From wonderful things like Disney World, to not so wonderful things like getting 5 staples in your head, you have done it all!  Your Daddy and I are so very proud of the delightful little boy you have become.  You have the kindest heart, the funniest sense of humor and, even at your young age, real work ethic!  There is not a lazy bone in your body my boy! We pray those amazing qualities of kindness, love, compassion, bravery, vigor and humor continue to grow for you.  We continue to pray that you use those God given gifts to go out and be a light in this world. We pray that you always turn to our Heavenly Father to help lead the way.

This past year has been exciting!  You really did a great job in soccer and were instrumental in your team having an undefeated season.  More importantly, you were a good sport and did not brag or boast.  You just did your best and supported your team and even encouraged those on other teams.  This was your last year in t-ball and you did great! Next year you start coach pitch, I can hardly believe it!  You have finally caught up to your big brother and can run just as fast as he does!  I can’t believe how fast you’ve grown!  Continue doing your best in all that you do son, this is all we ask of you.  Do your best, be kind, be encouraging, be a good friend and teammate and HAVE FUN!

We had another fun trip to Disney and this year, we had our special Mommy and Caleb trip, where it was just you and I for a few day before your brother joined us.  I love our special bonding trips and I hope that as you grow, the memories of them are as sweet for you as they are for me.  My little beach bum, we also went to Myrtle again and, just like your Mommy and big brother, you are a beach bum.  It’s only January and you are already asking when we can go back!  You finally mastered the boogie board this year and did a great job body surfing.  Every year you learn a new skill!

You finally became a cub scout this year!  I can hardly stand how cute you look in your uniform.  You have done a great job in scouts and have already earned several awards.  Your Daddy and I are so proud.

I will end this year’s letter my precious boy, the same way I do each year.  By reminding you again how much you are loved and how proud we are of you.  We will always be here for you with unconditional love.  I will remind you, like in last year’s letter, that there will be trials, but that God has equipped you with everything you need to get through them.   Keep growing in your faith, keep being exactly who God made you to be knowing that our Heavenly Father does not make mistakes and He made you! 

Happy Birthday my remarkable boy.  May this coming year be your best ever. We love you so much, we love you more, we love you most, we love you more than most!

You can find his video here

The Oldest is 11!!

Every year, I make a video and write a letter to each of my boys recapping their year.  Here is the oldest's for 2016.

To my amazing 11 year old,

No longer can you show your age by using your fingers, you are officially a pre-teen (gulp).  Nicholas Gabriel, you leave me in awe.  Every single day you make me smile.  Every. Single. Day.  You are growing so quickly my precious son.  Not only physically, but also in your character, personality and faith.  I pray you continue to grow, continue to thrive, continue to always have hope and feel loved, because my precious son, you most certainly are!

We’ve had another awesome year.  We have travelled, we have had adventures, and we have served.  I love how willing you are to help those who need it.  How you think of others, how aware you are of what goes on around you.  May you continue to notice the world around you, see where you can help and never be afraid to jump in and do it!  I pray you always take initiative.

Another year of soccer, baseball, scouts and cello are under your belt.  I’m so glad you still enjoy them.  You are so well rounded my beautiful boy and I am thankful.  I hope you continue to have a lot of different interests and always do your best.  I’ve always told you that it doesn’t matter to me if you are the best or worst player on the team or the best or worst cellist in strings, I just ask that you do your best with your best attitude.  Always be a good sport, lift those who need encouragement, help those who need it and always do it humbly.  Those lessons will always apply.

In your letter last year, I wrote the following and it still applies, so I wanted to remind you.  Please try to remember to give yourself a break and not dwell on your mistakes. There is no one harder on you, dear son, than you!  Learn from your mistakes and move on.  It’s good to be determined, to do your best; to want to make the ones you love proud, but dear child know this…there is NOTHING you can do to make me love you less.  My love for you is unconditional, it can not be earned by deeds or good grades or winning games.  You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself.  Try to find balance.  It’s great to be motivated, but don’t forget the fun!  At the same time, all fun + no purpose or motivation = trouble.  Work on finding that balance.  Again I say to you, don’t dwell or beat yourself up, learn from your mistakes, move on and do your best not to repeat them.

Nicholas Gabriel, you are a blessing.  I can not thank God enough for choosing me to be your Mom.  You amaze me with your intelligence, sense of humor, your heart and your faith.  I pray God’s blessing continue to fall upon you and His favor and protection surround you.  I pray you are always aware of His presence and are never afraid to share your gifts with others or to share a kind and encouraging word. May you continue to do your best and to grow into the man you were created to be.  Thank you for being an amazing, funny, brave and caring person.  Thank you for being such a great big brother and loving son.  Thank you for being YOU!

Love you so!

Mom

You can find his video this year by clicking here.

His letter from last year is here.

A Letter to the Youngest on his 6th Birthday

Every year, on their birthday, I write a letter and create a video for each of my boys recapping their year.  This is the youngest's for 2016.

My Precious Caleb,

So here we are at another year.  Everyone told me it would go faster the second time and they were right.  How is it possible that you are already six?  You have grown into such an amazing little boy with so much love, kindness, personality and just a touch of mischief.  You fill my heart with so much love and happiness.

My dear, sweet, boy, as much as you have grown physically, you’ve grown even more mentally and spiritually.  Your sense of humor is enormous, your love, empathy and compassion are well beyond your years.  We pray that continues to grow for you.  We pray you use the gifts that God has given you to go out into the world and make a difference, to serve others as a way of serving Him and to love and honor God first.  We pray you continue to be a good friend and loving little brother.  We pray health and happiness over your life forever.

This past year has been a busy one filled with many firsts.  You finally got to play soccer and baseball for Radford Rec, just like your big brother.  You did fantastic, were a great sport and earned your first medals.  I can’t believe how fast you can run!  I was most proud of what a great sport you were.  You were always cheering for your teammates and even players on the other teams!  You never had a bad attitude and always did your best.  This is all we ask of you when it comes to sports, my energetic boy.  Do your best, be kind, be an encourager, be a good friend and teammate and HAVE FUN!

This year you finally got to go to Disney World!  We all agreed that it was the best vacation our family has ever taken together.  We were so lucky to not have had long lines and the weather was beautiful!  You are such a fun little boy to take on trips.  You travel well and have so much excitement and joy when doing new things, it is contagious.

We had another fun trip to Myrtle Beach my little beach bum.  You still love the water park and going down all the big water slides all by yourself.  This year, since you were bigger, you got to do even more and go on even bigger slides.  You still had no fear.  I love how brave you are.  We also got to go to a new dinosaur exhibit that took your new found love of dinosaurs to even greater heights.  I have never known a child so young to know so much about dinosaurs!  You know their scientific names, if they are herbivore, carnivore or omnivore, you even know which period of time they lived. It’s so interesting to listen to and learn from you.  You say you want to be a Palentologist when you grow up and my smart little boy, I have no doubt that you will accomplish whatever you want to do.

Remember how much fun we had on our Mommy/Caleb trip to DC?  You finally got to see a REAL T-Rex skeleton!  You were fascinated by all the fossils and thought the fossilized dinosaur poop was just about the funniest thing you had ever seen.  I love making memories with you. 

There were even more firsts this year, you lost your first tooth, you learned to ride your bike with no training wheels, you are growing up so very fast!  Then in August, another BIG first.  Your first day of Kindergarten!  You were ready and so excited to finally get to go to a big boy school like Nic.  You have done WONDERFULLY in school!  We are proud of how much you’ve learned and how far you’ve come!  You read your first full sentence all by yourself this year, way to go!  I pray a love of learning stays with you throughout your life.  No matter how old you are, there is always something new to learn!

I will end this year’s letter my sweetheart, by just telling you again how much you are loved and how proud we are of you.  I will remind you again that we will always be here for you with unconditional love.  I will remind you, like in last year’s letter, that there will be trials, but that God has equipped you with everything you need to get through them.   Keep growing in your faith, keep being exactly who God made you to be knowing that our Heavenly Father does not make mistakes and He made you! 

Happy Birthday my remarkable boy.  May this coming year be your best ever. We love you so much, we love you more!

P.S. You can find your annual video here.

You can find last year's letter here.

Starting Another School Year

Wednesday will be the first day of school for my kids.  This year is a mix of emotions like none I've known before.  When I think that it will be the last time I'm sending a kindergartner off to school, I'm all like this:

But then, I start thinking about how this will be the first time in 10 1/2 years that I will be child-free for 6.5 hours a day, 5 days a week.  I also realize that when the oldest started Kindergarten, I had a 7 month old, so it's been over a decade since I've not had a child with me and been in a Sesame Street frame of mind a majority of the time, so I'm all like:

and like:

and like:

I know I will miss my babies, but the older they've become, the more fun we've had.  I'm excited for all their future holds, as well as for what my future holds.  For the first time in a decade, I will be able to work for more than a couple of hours at a time.  I will be able to complete a thought.  I will be able to watch the news.  I am so very thankful for my beautiful boys.  I wouldn't change a thing.  I am sad to be closing a chapter, but I'm happy to be starting a new one.

Change is hard ya'll, but it's also awesome.

The Oldest Turns 10

Each year, I write a letter to my boys on their birthday and create a video for them recapping the year.  This is the oldest's for 2015....

My sweet boy,

10.  T-E-N.  You are ten.  A whole decade old.  I have to keep telling myself this because it is so hard to believe.  Double Digits.  The last year you will be able to show your age on your not-so-little hands.  I remember those chubby little fingers that have now grown into amazing instruments used to throw a baseball, play the cello, write and draw, give a high five, provide a helping hand, pray.

What a year it has been!  This year you were finally able to zip line for the first time.  You’ve waited a long time to do it and at last you were big enough! It is so fun to go on adventures together.  You have such a strong sense of adventure mixed with just the right amount of caution to be safe.  We had fun in many different places this year.  We especially enjoyed DC, Myrtle Beach and of course, Disney World!  How blessed we are to have opportunities to travel.   Thank you, my precious son, for not taking this for granted and for your thankful heart.

As you have grown, so has your heart.  Each year I think it can’t possibly get any bigger and each year you surprise me.  You are considerate of others feelings and are so often thinking of ways to help friends, strangers and even animals.  You make my heart grow bigger as well.

My dear young man, I love your determination.  When you decide you are going to do something, you do it!  You aren’t afraid to put in the work required to meet your goal and that is awesome.  Whether it’s getting an A on a test or being a meteorologist on TV, when you want something, you go after it.  I pray you never lose that sense of purpose.  May you remain steadfast in what you want and believe, but never be disrespectful to yourself or to others.

My beautiful son, sometimes you are just too hard on yourself.  I get it.  After all, you are your mother’s son.  I understand that when you mess up (as we all will do), there is no harder critic of yourself than you.  Please try to remember to give yourself a break and not dwell on your mistakes. Learn from them and move on.  It’s good to be determined, to do your best; to want to make the ones you love proud, but dear child know this…there is NOTHING you can do to make me love you less.  My love for you is unconditional, it can not be earned by deeds or good grades or winning games.  You don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself.  Try to find balance.   Too much of something is never a good thing.  It’s okay to put some pressure on yourself if it helps to motivate, but don’t forget the fun!  At the same time, all fun + no purpose = trouble.  Work on finding that balance.  Again I say to you, don’t dwell or beat yourself up, learn from your mistakes, move on and do your best not to repeat them. 

You are still determined to be a meteorologist and a storm chaser when you grow up.  I have no doubt you will accomplish all you set your mind to.  What fun and wonderful memories you now have of all the weather related fun we’ve had this year.  From your tour of the WDBJ7 weather studio last May, to the tour of the National Weather Service last fall, to your turn as Kidcaster on WDBJ7 in April.  My bright boy, I know you will go far.

You started playing the cello this year.  We’ve tried a couple of instruments before, but Nicholas, I do believe we have found THE ONE.  You love it!  It fills my heart with so much joy every time I hear you play.  You are such a well rounded boy; from boy scouts, to sports, to music to academics, you put your heart into all that you do and I couldn’t be more in awe.

Nicholas Gabriel, you are a blessing.  I can not thank God enough for choosing me to be your Mommy.  You have a beautiful heart, fantastic faith, an astonishing mind and a brilliant future ahead of you.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your first decade; I can’t wait to witness the next!  Happy Birthday!

Love you so!

Mom

You can see his video here.

Last year's letter is here.

 

My SOL confession

As a parent, I don't like the SOL's,  This isn't shocking, most parents don't think the SOL's are an accurate measure of a child or a school, but this post isn't about that.

My confession is that when I was in school, I loved standardized testing.  We didn't have the same SOL's that kids take today.  I don't recall the name of our day long "nerdfest," but it was some younger incarnation of today's SOL.  I do, however,  remember how happy I was when it was time to spend the whole day with just me, my brain and my No. 2 pencil.

I enjoyed how quiet it was in the class, how everyone was focused, how I didn't have to think about anything else except what I was doing at that moment.  I liked that it didn't count towards my grade so all I truly had to do was my best and there was no way it wouldn't be good enough.  Even if I "failed," I could still pass.  I loved that we were all in it together.  I liked that I could go the whole day and not be worried about if the teacher was going to call on me.  I hated being called on. I felt more pressure in having to answer a question in front of the whole class than I ever felt from test days.

The point of this post is to simply share with parents that to your kids, the SOL's may be something completely different than what they are to you. Not all kids are stressed out about it.  Some actually look forward to it.  Let's not let our distaste for the test influence how our children feel about it and cause them more stress and pressure.

Happy 5th birthday to my youngest

My sweet Caleb,

You came into the world without any movement, blue and quiet. But, my strong boy, that was the last time you were still and quiet!  All in one moment you brought me from joy to fear and back to joy again.  You continue to do that daily.  Do you know what else you do daily?  You fill my heart with LOVE.  You complete our family, you amaze me and you make me laugh.  You are deeply loved.

It’s hard to believe you are half a decade old.  It’s been five years since we were blessed with you my precious boy.  It sounds so cliché, but is so true….time flies!  It hasn’t always been the easiest 5 years, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

This past year has been so full and you have grown in so many ways.  Your heart is one of the biggest I’ve ever known.  You continue to show love and compassion in ways that are well beyond your years.  This doesn’t just fill your heart, but mine and your Daddy’s as well.  We pray your heart continues to grow and you continue to share it the rest of your life.

Your sense of humor is fantastic!  You laugh so easily and love to make others laugh.  May you always keep that my funny boy.

You are also brave in so many ways.  You are fearless, courageous, curious, adventurous and energetic.  Sometimes we just don’t know how you do it.  Up early every morning and never ready for bed time.  May you always have the energy and courage to do the things that really matter in life.

It has been another exciting year of firsts my beautiful boy.  Remember going to the zoo in North Carolina for the first time?  You loved the polar bears!  It was also the first time you got to do a ropes course and zip line.  You were fearless and patient!  It took time to learn how to lock and unlock yourself onto the lines, but you never got frustrated, I was so proud.  You went to the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC for the first time, too.  You were fascinated by the interactive dinosaur exhibit and getting to see the large rockets.

We also did our normal family activities this year like hiking the Cascades, going to the Safari Park, a trip to Gatlinburg, and our annual trip to Myrtle Beach, among others.  Each year our trips become even more enjoyable and I feel so blessed to get to share so many adventures with you.   I love your audacious spirit, always willing to try new things, to be brave, to learn, to have fun!

My precious son, your faith is another attribute that is well beyond your years.  You love God, you always think of ways to follow Jesus all on your own, without prompting and that, darling boy, makes my heart swell.  May your heart always be filled with love, kindness, braveness, wisdom and selflessness.  May you grow to be a strong, happy, devoted Christian man.

Please know my sweet, sweet boy, that your Daddy and I love you more and more each and every day.  Know that there is nothing you can do to change that.  Grow, my precious one, in that knowledge and go out and share that love with others.  Know that we will always be here for you, no matter what.  Know that there will be trials, but that God has equipped you with everything you need to get through them.   Keep growing in your faith, keep being exactly who God made you to be knowing that our Heavenly Father does not make mistakes and He made you!

Happy Birthday my dear one, may the coming year be your best yet!

Your annual birthday video is here

Your letter from last year is here.

Happy 9th Birthday to my Oldest (Annual Birthday Letter)

My dear little man,

Today you are 9.  You are half way through your childhood, in only 9 more years you will be an adult. But, no matter what age you are, you will always be my baby.  It’s hard to believe that as quickly as time has passed in the past nine years that in the same amount of time, you will be ready to go out into the world on your own.  The realization of this makes me want to treasure our time even more.  I do love spending time with you Nicholas Gabriel.  You are so funny and smart.  We can have the most amazing conversations and laugh over the silliest things.  Some of my favorite times with you are just sitting on our front porch swing talking. 

I also love your adventurous spirit.  This year you were able to go snorkeling for the first time.  It was such an amazing experience.  Swimming beside you and holding your hand while we explored the reef, pointing out the fish, swimming AWAY from the barracuda, being brave, having fun, and being in awe of how clear and blue the water was and of course, making memories.  I loved watching you as you took in the beauty and the wonder of this new world you had never before seen.  So many wonderful memories.  Thank you, Nicholas, for giving me the opportunity to experience the world through your eyes and helping me to see the beauty.  Sometimes as we get older, we forget to notice how beautiful the world is.  We get so busy that we just don’t take the time to see.  I pray, my extraordinary little man, that you always remember to take the time to see the beauty around you and remember to thank God for it.  Never take for granted how blessed we are with the opportunities we have had.  Be thankful and be humble and with every opportunity, share those blessings with others.

Speaking of sharing, I am in awe of your heart.  Your willingness to help others amazes me and I also pray that you never lose that.  When you came up with the idea, all on your own, to donate money to weather disaster victims, instead of getting birthday presents, I could not contain my joy.  I have always tried to teach you and live by example that we should do all we can to help others; I am thankful that you have listened and stepped up to help fill needs when you see them.

Your first year at the “Big Kids” elementary school has been outstanding.  You have maintained straight A’s the entire year!  Please know, my bright boy, that as happy as I am that you have all A’s, what is most important is that you do your best.  I have always told you that it does not matter to me if you win or lose, if you get the best grade or the worst, as long as you truly did your best, as long as you are kind, as long as you don’t give up.  Those are the some of the things I want most for you.  Your character is more important than any grade.  The type of man you will become, the way you treat others, the life you lead, the love that you share and what you do with the blessings God has given you will always be what matters most.

This past year was the first year you played football.  You also continued with baseball and soccer.  It’s amazing to me to see how much better you’ve become!  You have really grown as an athlete.  Your first time up to bat this year you scored your team’s first home run of the season!  How exciting!  Always be a good sport, my precious son, be humble with your gifts and encourage others.  ALWAYS.  I will love you and be proud of you no matter what, but when I see you encouraging others and being a good sport, even when you are losing, I am more proud of you than if you were to hit a home run every time at bat and catch a pop fly during every inning.

In closing, my sweet boy, I will simply say I love you more and more with each passing day.  You and your brother are, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the reason I am on this beautiful earth.  You help give me purpose, you fill me with love, you amaze me, you fill my heart to overflowing.  Thank you, Nicholas, for being you.

I love you!  Always and forever, to the moon and back,

Mommy

His annual birthday video can be found here.

Last year's letter can be found here.

A Letter to my Four Year Old

My sweet baby boy,

Yes, I know you aren’t a baby anymore, at least not chronologically.  But know that in my heart, you will always be my baby.  The fact that you are now 4 years old is hard to believe.  It is bittersweet.  I am so excited for the big boy you are becoming and sad that the time seems to be going so quickly.

To see how much you’ve grown, not just physically, but your character and personality, is astonishing.  Over the past year, you have proven to be one of the most selfless 3 year olds I have ever met.  You always think of others first.  At this young age, that blows me away.  I have seen you get a snack and when I ask why you have two, your reply is, “One is for me, one is for Nic.”  When I ask if Nic asked you to get him a snack, your reply has been, “No, I just love him so I’m going to do this for him.”  This isn’t just a rare occurrence, this happens almost on a daily basis.  If we are at a store and I offer to buy you a surprise, before saying yes, you always ask if Nic can have one too.  Your heart is amazing.  You always want to do for others, to make others happy, before thinking of yourself.  What a gift you are!  I can not tell you how much my heart swells during these daily moments.  I am blessed to be your mother.

What a year you have had my beautiful boy!  We had so many adventures, from your first trip to Tennessee, to your first helicopter ride, to your first trip to Florida!  In January we went to Rez Kidz for your birthday trip.  We had so much fun in Gatlinburg dancing and singing at your first Go Fish concert.  They are still your favorite group and your favorite song by them is Five Little Monkeys.  We were fortunate to have great weather and to be able ride on the ski lift.  I was nervous, you were not.  We spent the long weekend just being a family, enjoying the sites and celebrating you. 

Then there was Myrtle Beach.  My little beach bum, you love playing in the sand!  We had a great vacation with your favorite babysitter Nikki.  Because we had a sitter, you and your brother each got to be king for the day.  While one of you stayed with Nikki, the other went with Mommy and Daddy and we did whatever you wanted.  You wanted to ride the helicopter, so that’s what happened!  Then we went to the amusement park and had dinner.  It was a fabulous day!

Our third trip of the year was to Florida.  Just you, Mommy and Nic on our first road trip with just the three of us. It was our Mommy-son adventure!  We went to see your God-family in Naples and had a blast!  You love your God-family so much and look up to your God-brother Jacob.  We played in the pool, went to the park, the children’s museum and just spent wonderful time with them.  Before getting to Naples, we made a pit stop for a couple of days in St. Augustine.  The hotel we stayed at had its own huge water slide.  I thought you would be intimidated.  I should have known better!  I tried to go down with you the first time to keep you safe, but you didn’t need me.  You were so fast that you started down the slide without me.  From that point on, you just did it all by yourself.  You and your brother climbed those stairs and went down that slide for three full hours!  You couldn’t get enough!  Seeing your smiles and your joy made my heart overflow.  I couldn’t believe what a great little traveler you were.  We had the best road trip ever!

I almost forgot that you also went to Baltimore for the first time this year.  You got to see lots of fire trucks at the Firehouse Expo.  You still love your fire trucks and I would not be surprised at all if you grew up to be a firefighter like Mommy. 

You continue to do great in school as well.  Your teachers often have funny stories or share how helpful you are.  Again, you have an amazing heart and personality to boot!  You are doing well writing your name, as well as other small words. You love to read, color and especially love to build things. You are also great with puzzles. Your favorite thing to play with is your railroad tracks. You are constantly taking them apart and putting them back together in different configurations.  It’s the best of both worlds, a cross between building and puzzles and incorporates trains, which you are CRAZY about right now!  We are thrilled for you that you love school and love to learn.  We pray that stays with you.

My hilarious child, every day you make me laugh.  Every. Single. Day.  Without fail.  It doesn’t matter what type of day I’ve had, you can pick up on how others are feeling and know how to make them smile.  It is a gift.  You are a gift.  You have great comedic timing and a wonderful sense of humor already.  You are quite the character. 

We also see your faith growing, which is the most important.  Now, instead of saying the typical “Now I lay me down to sleep…” prayers, you want to speak from your heart.  You always take the time to thank Jesus and acknowledge Him at this young age.  We could not be happier.  My sweet, sweet boy, please know that in all of life, this is the most important.  Keep that faith, that thankfulness and that humble heart.  Always rely on God, trust Him, He knows what He’s doing! 

As I close this letter, my heart feels torn.  I am beyond happy to see what an amazing little boy you are becoming and also sad that it seems to be going all too fast.  I look forward to what this coming year holds for you.  I am blessed beyond measure that you call me “Mommy.” 

All my love forever,

Mommy

I also made a video for you again this year, like I do every year, you can watch it here.

You can also read last year's letter here.

An Update from the World's Worst Blogger

I miss my blog.  I think about blogging quite often.  A great topic comes to mind, I have a brilliant epiphany that I am compelled to share and then…..BAM!  Life happens.  I forget to blog about whatever stroke of genius graced my feeble fleeting mind.

I’m not complaining though.  While I do miss having the time to blog, I have found that the time I used to spend blogging has been replaced with other loves.  Loves that fill me even more.    I do want to get back to keeping up my blog, though.  As I looked back through the years of posts this morning, I read things that I had forgotten.  Re-reading old posts ignites memories and reminds me of things I’ve learned along this journey.  It reminded me why I blog, not only to help retain my memories and share them with my children when they are older, but also to share with others lessons and laughs.

What are the other loves that have taken away from my blog you ask?  Of course, I have my beautiful family, but they’ve been around a long time.  The big change for me has been my return to school.  Finally, I’m getting my degree and I have to tell you, it’s fantastic!  I’ve always been a bit of a nerd.  Now, I’m a full grown nerd.  I love to study, to read, to (EEEK) take tests!  As bizarre as it sounds, I find comfort in these things.  I am blessed beyond measure to have such a wonderful, supportive husband and wonderful children.  They share my excitement, give me time when needed for studying and are truly happy for me.  I couldn’t do it without their love and support.  The most surprising thing to me has been math.  It was my biggest fear.  I HATED math.  My motto had always been, “What do I need it for?  I have a calculator!”  Now, with learning architectural design, math is a MUST.  When I saw my first lesson that included fractions and ratios I thought I was going to DIE.  Imagine my surprise when I aced my first math exam!  Now that I’m more than half way done and have maintained straight A’s, I can say that I actually (gulp), enjoy math.  It’s official, I’m living in bizzaro world and I love it here!

Since my last post, the boys and I took our first road trip together.  Everyone said I was crazy.  Well, duh!  What fun would life be sane?  With just my two little guys, we went to St. Augustine, FL for a couple of days before heading to see my best friend in Naples, FL for a week.  I drove the entire trip, with two kids and it was the BEST!  We used the time in the car to talk, to sing, to connect.  Still, to this day, I can not believe the boys did not fight at ALL!  It was truly a lot of prayer that helped us along our trip, I’m certain of it.  Typically, it takes about 5 minutes for arguments to start in the car, but not this trip.  It was perfect.  The weather was great; the hotel we stayed at in St. Augustine had a huge water slide that they let Caleb go down over and over and over again.  Seriously, the boys went down this slide for THREE HOURS straight!  There was a little outdoor grill beside the pool where we sat and ate lunch, we went to see the lighthouse at St. Augustine and danced on the beach to live music. It was Caleb’s first trip to Florida and it couldn’t have been better.  Then, when we arrived in Naples we had a great time with my best friend and her family (who happens to be Caleb’s Godparents).  The kids got to go to a great children’s museum, swim, play and Nic and I even went to the Keys for his first snorkeling adventure while Caleb got some one on one time with his Godmommy.   It really was perfect.

Now, my “baby” is getting ready to turn 4.  My oldest will be 9 this year.  Nine.  The last year of single digits.  This year will be our 5th anniversary.  It’s hard to believe we have been together for 6 years and married for 5.  It’s hard to remember my life before him and impossible to think of it without him, he is my soul mate, that is for sure.  Our business has grown by leaps and bounds and 2014 looks to be even better.  We are humbled and thankful.  Since my last post many lessons were learned.  There has been some family that has grown apart, new life, lives lost, some new friendships have budded and old friendships that have only strengthened.  There have been disappointments, tears and struggles.  There has also been joy, blessings and love. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Annual Birthday Letter to my Oldest Son

My precious oldest son,

Today you become an eight year old.  For more than eight years you have been bringing joy to my life and those around you.  Truly, you are a blessing and an answer to many prayers.  I am thankful for you son, every single day. 

What a year it has been!  Each year we try to give you and your brother new experiences.  Not to spoil you, my sweet son, but because we want you to see how big and full of opportunity the world is.  Opportunities to help others, opportunities to be brave, opportunities to have fun, make a difference, be kind and learn something new.  It is a fact that we are blessed to live in a country where opportunities are endless.  Your own grandfathers, as well as other family members, have sacrificed to ensure that.  It’s important, my dear big boy, to always remember that and be thankful.  I’m proud of you that at such a young age, you understand that and have taken advantage of those opportunities presented to you.  Like the time we volunteered at our local food pantry, you went right to work vacuuming, setting up tables and doing whatever was asked of you with a joyful heart.  And remember your birthday last year?  Instead of presents, you asked everyone to bring supplies for the local animal shelter.  I love your giving heart.

We also visited Gatlinburg, TN for the first time this year.  We went for RezKids and had such a BLAST!   We got to worship in a fun way and even sat right in the front row at your very first concert.  We saw Go Fish and loved them!  We also rode the ski lift for the first time and it reminded us of when we parasailed.  How blessed we were that even though it was January, the weather was wonderful!

This is your last year at “little kid elementary.”  It seems like just yesterday I dropped you off for kindergarten and soon you will be heading off to third grade at the new “big boy elementary.”  You are excited and ready to go.  I am trying to slow down time.

You played soccer again this year for the Griffins and your team had a great season.  We just began baseball season and you are playing for the Angels.  I was so proud of you during the first game, you scored two runs and got one out.  Do you know what impressed me the most though?  Your sportsmanship.  As you played catcher, you congratulated every single player on the opposing team that came across home plate.  May you always keep a humble and kind heart.  Always know, my beautiful boy that I don’t care about winning or losing.  Your character is so much more important.

Again you are excelling at school.  I’m so happy that you LOVE learning, I learn something new on a daily basis from you.  Thank you for keeping me on my toes!

You are still fascinated by weather.  I understand this.  I could sit and watch tornado hunting shows with you all day (we never have, but we could)!  You check the skies daily and inform me what type of clouds there are, you search for clues about coming weather patterns and give me your forecast every single day.  You say you want to be a tornado hunter and work for NASA as a meteorologist when you grow up so you can combine your love of space and weather.  You amaze me.

I could go on and on.  I could write an entire book about how much I love you and how you amaze me, about your wonderful heart, your funny sense of humor, your amazing character and all of the things you, my precious son, have taught me.  I would rather, however, tell you those things in person….daily.

I love you Nicholas Gabriel.  I wish you the happiest of birthdays and that the coming year is your best ever.

Always and forever, to the moon and back,

Mommy

Your annual birthday video can be found here.

Last year's letter and video can be found here.

It's been a while...

It's been a couple of months, so I figure it's probably time to update.  I'm sure no one really reads my blog and I can't blame them, I don't update enough.  At this point, my blog really is just to help me remember what goes on in this crazy life of mine and for my children to one day look back on.  Hopefully, one day I will read some of these posts to my grandkids.

My hope with my blog is that it also helps others in some small way. To relate, to know you aren't alone, to laugh, to share, to inspire, to learn.  Sometimes it happens and that's great.  The rest of the time, this really is just for me and my family.

Since I last posted I have once again taken on firefighting.  I suppose 15+ years of it in Northern Virginia just didn't get it out of my system.  I have actually surprised myself, I remember ropes and knots, I remember how to correctly put on all of my gear, including the SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) and crawl around on the floor in a maze of smoke without being completely out of breath when I'm through.  It's weird, it's just like second nature to me and an environment I've always been very comfortable in.

My husband's business has really grown.  We now have a 4,300+ sq. ft. facility.  Our headquarters houses our workshop and offices.  He works so hard and I'm proud of him.  The business has taken a majority of my time, as I've become very involved and hands on.  I do more for his business than mine anymore, but I love it!  I'm really enjoying working with hubby and the opportunity for us to be creative together.

The boys continue to grow and amaze me daily.  The little guy continues to excel in school and soccer season has now started.  Although the weather has already cancelled two out of our three games so far.  The littlest guy is doing great as well, his personality is one of the best, funniest, sweetest personalities I've ever known.  Each day they both make me smile.  What also amazes me is that each day, they can also both drive me nuts.  It's all part of having children, I know lots of parents can relate.

I wish I could write more, but I just don't have time.  Most of my blog writing time now goes to business blogs, so there just isn't time for personal ones anymore.  Ah well, I'll do the best I can.

Until next time...

Happy 3rd Birthday to My Youngest

Every year, I write each of my boys a birthday letter and create a video recapping their year.  This is for my youngest, who will be three on the 18th.

My littlest man, you are three.  I’m sorry I always start your letters the same, but it’s because it’s true.  Time flies.  It feels like I JUST had you and now look at you, such a big boy!  You are such a blessing my precocious, sweet and funny boy.

What a year it has been.  You started preschool this year and Daddy and I were a little nervous, but you have adjusted wonderfully.  You did not cry a single tear, just waved goodbye and excitedly jumped right in.  You are definitely a “people person.”  You have never met a stranger and are always waving and saying hello to people you’ve never even met.  You remind me to do the same, to take the time to smile and say hello to others. 

You have learned so much in the past year.  I couldn’t believe it when you wrote your name all by yourself.  But, it’s not just the ABC’s and 1, 2, 3’s that surprise me.  My son, your dexterity amazes me.  Is there anything you can’t take apart and put back together?  You have figured out things that stump me!  What really makes my heart happy is how patient you are while learning and trying new things.  If you don’t get it right away, you just keep trying, without getting upset.  You did NOT get that from me.  I am learning from YOU, my precious son, how to be more patient.

You can be so mischievous and so loving all at the same time.  It is impossible to stay upset with you.  Like the time you snuck a piece of chocolate candy into your bed at nap time and fell asleep with it in your hand.  When I got you up from your nap, it looked like the Hershey factory exploded in your bed, on your walls and all over you.  You looked up at me and said, “Oh, Cawub, what did you do?  I’m so sorry Mommy, I’m a mess!”  Then you started singing the Laurie Berkner song, “I’m a mess.”  You approach things with a wonderful sense of humor.  I treasure that.  After we cleaned everything up, you hugged me and said, “Thank you Mommy, I WUV.”  I loved that you appreciated my helping you clean your mess and didn’t just pull out the cute, “I love you” at the beginning, when you thought it would help get you out of trouble.  You said it after everything was over.  I can always feel how much you mean what you say.  Your heart and your honesty amaze me.  I pray you never outgrow that honest heart.

Speaking of your heart, I am so thankful that you are already showing a love of the Lord.  You pray everyday and LOVE going to church.  All throughout the week, you ask if we can go to church and are so disappointed when I tell you during the week that we aren’t going until Sunday.  My prayer for you and your brother is that you take that love of the Lord with you throughout your life and share it with others.  Always trust in Him.  Faith can be so hard to have sometimes; those are the times when it’s most important to keep.  As the song goes, be strong in the Lord and never give up hope. 

My sweet baby (yes I know you are no longer a baby, but to me, you will always be my baby), you make our family complete.  I can not imagine life without you.  Every single day you make my heart feel like it will burst right out of my chest with love for you.  Every single day you challenge me.  Every single day I learn from you.  Daddy, your big brother and yes, even our doggy Maximus, loves you so very much.  We are proud of the little boy you are growing into and can’t wait to see what your future holds.

Always and forever,

Mommy

To see his year 3 birthday video, click here.  (Disclaimer, have tissues handy)

To see his year 2 video, click here.

And year 1 is here.

Quick Updates

My poor blog.  It has felt the effects of my over scheduling.  I used to at least post 2-3 times a month.  Now, I post every 2-3 months.  Well, sometimes once a month, but still, not nearly enough.

With that being said, here is my lazy post with quick updates glazing over what I should have blogged about, but didn't have time to:

1.  Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We had a house full of family and lots to be thankful for.

2.  Christmas was equally wonderful, but quiet.  We didn't see family until a few days after Christmas, it was actually nice to not have an overbooked, stressed out, travel filled Christmas.  To just have quiet time to focus on the true meaning of the season and enjoy much needed one on one time with my boys.  My oldest played the angel Gabriel in our Christmas play at church.  He was named after the angel Gabriel  and did a wonderful job, so as you can imagine, I cried.  Hubby and I sang in the Christmas cantata where he had a solo and did GREAT!  We also sang a duet of  "O Holy Night."  The youngest had his first recital at preschool that we really enjoyed. Especially the part where he did his best Al Bundy impression and shoved his hand down the front of his pants.  What can I say?  He's comfortable on stage.  Other than that though, he was a hit.  Our season was very full of giving and it felt wonderful.  Hubby built a playhouse that he donated to the oldest school's new outdoor classroom.  The oldest and I volunteered at a local food pantry, among other service projects we took on.  As I stated on my FB page, I share this not to boost or to get a pat on the back, but simply in the hopes of inspiring others to give back.  Take the time to help others and you will find, you are actually helping yourself even more.

3.  New Years Eve was awesome.  We went to a friends house that had a family friendly New Year's Eve.  There were lots of people, food, games, fellowship and the kids all had each other to play with as well.  A lot of fun was had by all.

4.  I joined the fire department.   Those of you who actually know me, know that I was a firefighter for 15+ years when I lived in Northern Virginia.  After 7 years of living in SWVA, I finally decided to go for round 2.  I am now a firefighter at my local fire department, because yes, I just don't have enough to do :-).

Please forgive the numerous typos and grammatical errors that I'm sure are in this post, maybe one day I'll have enough time to share a perfectly written post, but don't hold your breath.

Wishing you all a safe, happy and prosperous 2013!

God's Will vs. Free Will

I had an epiphany last night.  I’m sure some of you will read what my epiphany was and think, “Well, duh, why’d it take you so long to realize that?”   The answer is: it didn’t.   This is something I’ve always KNOWN, but I don’t think I fully comprehended or felt the love and peace that comes with it until last night.  It’s kind of like when you’re a kid and you know your parents love you, but until you become a parent yourself, you don’t fully comprehend how much.

My devotional last night was Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  God’s will be done…check, I know that. 

Then a marvelous thing, a rare thing started happening.  I started thinking.

In the back of my mind I always wondered how, if we have free will and our will is different from God’s and we go down a very wrong path, can we say HIS will is being done?  Sometimes we make choices that are very clearly not God’s will.  What happens then?  God’s will doesn’t change, but we are doing the wrong thing, so how is His will being done?  Does this mean that when something bad happens, it's part of God's will?  NO WAY! 

Then I realized what I had been missing, the word “prevails.”  Duh, Donna, that’s a pretty important word to miss.  I was reading it as His way wins, as in right then and there.  Not thinking that to prevail requires time, patience, grace…LOVE.  His will prevails regardless of what path we venture down.  No matter how far away from Him we roam, He loves us so much and is so gracious in His love, that He uses our poor choices to develop in us what is needed for His purpose.  He doesn’t just turn His back on us when we do stupid things that we know aren’t right and aren’t according to His will.  No, He uses our failures to groom us for HIS ultimate will.   So even if you take a wrong turn at Albuquerque, eventually, no matter how much you fight Him, no matter how much you exercise your free will, His will will be done!

But what about when someone is murdered?  What if a drunk driver kills an innocent family, how can that be God's will? The answer:  It isn't.  Remember, we have free will and our free will sometimes affects other lives.   Having faith requires trusting God that ultimately, every life has a greater purpose and His will is NOT to punish us, but to save us.  No matter what we do, GOD IS IN CONTROL.  God is there with you, grieving, comforting, being the loving Father that He is.

Pet Peeve #52 - Y cnt u spel wrds out?

I know I'm getting old.  I can tell from my last two posts.  Oh well, here goes.

I cnt stnd it wen ppl rite lik ths, evn wen they r nt txtng.

Okay, truth be told, I can't stand it when they write like that even if it's just when they text.  This just proves how old I'm getting, because 90% of the American population under the age of 25 seems to write like that anymore. Now, if you are under 25 and don't do this, don't worry, I love you and give you your "props" in the last paragraph  (I used the word "props," see how cool I am?  Okay, maybe not.  Maybe I'm just "all that and a bag of chips,"  as they used to say back in my day).

Now, mind you, I'm NOT the grammar police and I'm certain my writing makes English teachers cringe, but at least it appears as though I put forth some effort by spelling a majority of my words correctly. Fortunately for me, there is also spell check.  I don't think our youth know about this handy feature.

To sum things up, whenever I attempt to read a status update or text from a majority of today's youth, I feel like I need to get out my Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring. (see that reference, once again proving I'm old).  I want to reply, "YOU ARE 24 YEARS OLD, DAMMIT! LEARN TO SPELL!"

Of course, not all of our youth do this, which makes it all the more delightful when I correspond with a young person who actually writes out all of their words.  No shortcuts, no slang.  I want to reach through my electronic device and hug them.  Then call their parents and thank them for doing such a good job.

Peace out.

I2LH-25...The Latest Threat Against American Youth

You've all heard of H1N1, but have you heard of I2LH-25?  Probably not.  Why?  Because I invented it.  It is the name I give to the syndrome suffered by so many younger Americans.  I have seen such a high number inflicted with this in the past week that I felt it necessary to raise awareness.

What exactly is I2LH-25?  Simply put, it is the Inability to Lift your Head.  It happens to many Americans under the age of 25 (hence the 25).  Symptoms include subject being unable to look you in the eye, as well as the inability to acknowledge your presence, even if they are being paid to do so (say at the grocery store, department store, doctors office, etc.).  It is believed that this syndrome stems from cell phone use.  Today's youth have no need to look up to make a point, they have no need to even open their mouths.  Everything is communicated via cell phone.  This syndrome can also branch out leaving the subject unable to spell correctly.

The prognosis isn't pretty.  Studies show that by the age of 40, people suffering from I2LH-25 will look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

What can you do?  Educate your children and loved ones.  When you are speaking, require them to look at you and acknowledge your presence.  Ask for their feedback.  When they are speaking to you, have them practice eye contact.  Try communicating in person when you are in the same house, not via text messaging.

Please, help stop I2LH-25 before it becomes an epidemic. As G.I. Joe says, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle."

This has been a public service announcement from At Donna's Discretion and concerned parents nationwide.