Fourteen

Happy 14th birthday to my first dream come true!  It's so hard to believe it was 14 years ago today that the doctor place a tiny 6lb 14oz perfect little bundle in my arms and I truly understood what love was.  I never would have thought through that first 6 months of life where you continuously fell into the "under average" category for weight and height that in just 14 years I'd be looking up to you.  God truly blessed me by making me your mom!

I love you sweet boy of mine!

 ( I love that in this picture JK is actually leaning down a little to get closer to my height.  When standing up straight I only come up to his shoulders.)

I'm proud to say that we have officially survived year one of the fun that is raising a teenager and it honestly hasn't been to bad.  We have had to adjust our parenting in a few areas and I have had to really try to learn to not take the sudden mood swings thrown at me to personal.  This year has had a few ups and downs, but we are all learning together and things seem to be smoothing out.  What we have learned after being in a constant battle in a few areas is that we needed to adjust our no dating rule until 16 a bit.  Currently we ar still saying there is no dating, but there is now room to have a girlfriend.  (Because there is a difference!)  Clint and I decided that if JK decides he wants a girlfriend (which he has) he's going to have one whether we know about it or not.  Trust is important in our house so we decided to be a little more lenient in this area.  JK is still not allowed to go on dates or meet up at the mall or have any alone time with said girlfriend, but he is allowed to hug her and spend time with her at school and school events such as dances.  (Thank God for a school with a very strict pda policy and a staff that enforces it!)  There is phone time allowed, but it happens in a somewhat public place in our home and the time is strictly monitored.  While we originally said there would be no time spent together outside of school events until next year, we agreed to bend that rule a little and JK is being allowed to invite his girlfriend to see Frozen with our family on Friday.  Clint joked that she would be sitting on his right side and JK on his left.  We both feel that these girlfriends are going to happen whether we're ready for them or not and that we would much rather be the family they want to spend time with, when in the future they are allowed to start dating on a less restrictive basis.  Honestly this has all been such a learning process for us and I can only pray that we are making the right decisions with our sweet boy as we continue to take each day and each new situation one step at a time. 

Aside from the serious interest in dating and the mood swings that have come with the teenage years, JK is still the sweetest most thoughtful kid I know.  The way he thinks of and treats others continues to make my heart swell on an almost daily basis.  He is kind and generous and just so much fun to be around.  I am so blessed with the kids that God has entrusted with me but am beyond thankful that he chose to give me JK first.  He really has made being a parent so much fun and for the most part so easy.

We love you sweet teenager of ours and hope and pray that all of your birthday wishes come true!

Happy 14th Birthday!

  

Another attempt...

Life gets so busy around here that I usually find myself declaring after a month or two of not posting anything that it might be time to let this little blog of ours go.  Then I need to remember something and I find myself back here looking through the pictures and memories. Every time I do this I find myself falling in love with this little space all over again.  So I make a promise to myself that I'm going to do better, because these days and years are full of things I want to remember and probably wouldn't if it weren't for this space. So here I go again...

A little random rambling as to how I found my way back here again today...  It's actually quite sad, but I can't for the life of me remember what exactly Christmas looked like here last year.  Honestly I'm convinced that I have the worst memory of any 34 year old around.  My husband and kids think it's funny, but it's actually starting to scare me a bit.  So this morning as I laid in bed trying so hard to remember having Molly home with us last year on Christmas, I just couldn't do it.  So I decided to look here.  Looking back through pictures and posts of last Christmas might seem like a strange way to see what kiddos sat around our tree last year, so that I'll know for certain which one's will be around our tree this year.  It's just that it's so much more pleasant then skimming the filing cabinet looking for an ugly, dusty divorce settlement.  And for the record I could have just as easily and quickly text or called Molly's mom for the answer (which I do a lot) but I hate to bug her and really, really hate how scatter brained it makes me feel.  Even though the truth is that I am a bit of a scatter brain.  Which is just another reason that having this space is so important.

So where to begin.  Hmm....

I think I left off with a couple of cute picture of JK and Lillie at the start of the football season.  And oh what a season it was!  The jr braves ended in 3rd place with an awesome winning record 8-2.  It was a great year to end our time with the youth football program.  JK's team is stocked full of really good, sweet boys that Im excited to watch him grow with.  Through this team we have created amazing friendships we know will last a life time.  While we were a little sad to see it come to an end, we know most of these boys will be moving on into high school together and as strange as it is to say it, I can't wait!  I am so ready to cheer our Braves on through the next chapter of their lives.

And who knows we very well might be with this program again next year if Lillie decides she wants to cheer again.  While there were a few rough patches in the beginning she ended the year so strong.  All of the girls had a little dance routine they learned over just a few weeks to perform during a halftime performance and Lillie rocked it!  She really did do such a good job this year and was beyond cute cheering her little heart out.  I was reminded quite often that she was a fan favorite for sure!  

Molly ended up playing soccer closer to her other home this year which meant that we had to make a long drive up north to watch her play.  While we made it to a handful of games, it was hard to schedule it so we could get to all of them and we ended up missing more games then we would have like.  What we did notice this year was that she was definitely the star player of her team and showed improvement every time she played.  As I've said in the past I think she could really go a long way in this sport and wouldn't be at all surprised to see her playing in college one day if she decides to stick with it.

Like the Jr Bethel team JK's middle school team also had a winning season, though they did struggle a little to find their balance.  They were anticipated to be undefeated at the end of last year but with a new coaching staff their team had a little more trouble then they probably should have.  JK was named team captain at the beginning of the year and did a great job leading this group of boys under a coach who a lot of them were reluctant to play for.  In the end the boys did well and are all looking forward to starting their high school careers next year.

   
Moving onto Halloween...

For the first time in I think forever we did not get to the pumpkin patch as a family this year.  We did some switching of weekends in the month of October so that Molly could be with her other family for some fun things they had planned and it just never worked out for all of us to get there.  It made Clint and I both a little sad and it's been decided that it will not happen again next year.  It's one of our favorite things to do as a family and we both realized this year how much we missed all of us not getting to go as a family.  Lillie and I were able to make a quick trip there with some friends while Clint was at work one day, but JK didn't want to go.  I should have made him and regret that I didn't.  I've decided that I'm really starting to loathe the month of October.  Every year it seems to get busier and busier, pulling our family in what seems like a hundred different directions.  I used to think December was our busiest month, but it's a different kind of busy.  An all together busy and I'd take that over having to split up most weekends any day!

All complaints aside, we did end up finding a little bit of time to host a dinner and pumpkin carving party at our house with friends the weekend before Halloween.  On Halloween Lillie had lots of fun tick-or-treating, filling her snack bag full and then eating more candy then she probably should have.  Frankly, after her class party and night of trick-or-treating, I'm dreading her next dentist appointment.  She chose to be a princess (again) and fell in love with a little southern bell dress while we were walking through Fred Meyer one day.  It's the first year that she has not changed her mind on costumes, ever!  This little girl of ours truly has a princess heart!

With October and Fall sports now behind us we've got a little bit of a lull in our schedule (which is quickly filling up with lots of miscellaneous events and other projects) but the best part of all this year is that we FINALLY have Molly coming back again.  We went an entire moth without seeing her and decided that was just much to long.  We were all missing her tons and then when she finally came back last weekend it took a little bit of time falling into our normal, comfortable routine again.  We did get to have a fun girls night out and enjoyed dinner and Disney on ice.  I know Molly is probably getting to old for this little tradition, but I'm hoping she'll want to continue to go for at least a few more years.  As much as I love watching our kids grow into amazing young people, the speed at which they're doing it is hurting my heart a little. 

So I think that about covers most of what we've been up to the last couple of months, and now my fingers are crossed that I'll actually be better at keeping this little place a little less dusty. 

My football player and his cheerleader

My heart beats just a little faster as we're getting these two ready for a Saturday game.  It's kind of like my little dream come true...

With the age difference between the two, I never imagined that we would actually find something that they could participate in together.  This year we did.  And with JK moving onto high school next year sniff sniff this will be the only year they'll be able to participate in a sport on the same field at the same time and I'm loving every single bit of it!  The only thing that could make this any better, would have been if  Molly could have cheered along side Lillie.  Of course even if her primary house wasn't more then an hour away, I don't think we ever could have gotten that girl to trade her cleats and shin guards in for pom poms, anyways.

JK is officially playing for two teams again which makes the weekdays a little exhausting with four hours worth of practice after school.  This kid of ours never complains though and really has found his true passion.  So far he has lead his team through two games coming away with pretty big wins for both of them.  His athletic ability astounds me.  People are always asking me where he gets it from, and I honestly don't know.  I wasn't bad in sports, but I certainly wasn't the superstar that he has proved to be so far.  Next week his middle school games will start and it will be fun to get to watch him play two games a week.  Although it can be a bit nerve racking at times, I really do love watching him participate in something that makes him so happy. 

Then there's our new little cheerleader.  Lillie is love love loving cheering for her big brothers team.  While she is a little young still and I think sometimes gets a little overwhelmed with some of the cheers, she really is doing an amazing job. And don't even get me started on how stinking cute she is in her little uniform!  In true Lillie form she has made a ton of friends and the girls she cheers with adore her (especially the older one's whom JK has told to watch out for her).  I don't know why I worry, (being as shes proven me wrong time and time again) but I was a little nervous over how she'd do getting up in front of such a large crowd. As usual she seems completely unphased by the people watching her and just has a blast.  This girl of ours loves to perform and has so much spirit in her!  One of the moms told me the other day, you just can't help but be drawn to her.  I don't know if she'll follow in my mom and my footsteps and turn out to be a high school cheerleader or not, but for now she is seriously having a blast!

This last Saturday my past and present came to heads for the first time when we took on Orting.  My cousin and  stepbrothers sons both played on the Orting side in the game right before ours. It was fun to sit with family and friends and cheer on the younger Jr. Cardinals to a victory.  It just felt so natural.  For JK and Lillie's game we loaded up our chairs and headed to the Bethel side.  It was a little strange to be sitting across from people I've known my entire life, cheering against their kids, some of whom our kids are pretty good friends with.  And although I was super proud of and excited for our boys, my heart did hurt a little for my old hometowns team as JK and his teammates walked all over them ending the game with a score of 28-0.  It was fun nonetheless and everybody, including JK's old Orting coaches were good spirited and proud of him and the job he did.      

Full Day Kindergarten

Last Monday, September 9th, Lillie had her first day of Kindergarten.  Again.

Clint and I had made the decision we were going to have her repeat kindergarten last December, but had a little bit of a struggle getting the school to be on the same page with us.  Academically Lillie did fine.  Socially she struggled a little in areas we hadn't even thought about.  While she still made friends easily and was very outgoing, we noticed that where she had always shown leadership characteristics in the past, she quickly became a follower who was really concerned about fitting in.  Her sweet heart was broken by a few not so nice kids a couple times throughout the school year and overall a majority of the kids in her class were just a little rough we thought.  (Her teacher agreed saying that every couple years a rougher class then most would work there way through.)

While her teacher thought she would do fine over the years, she understood our point of view being the mother of a late August baby herself.  She was kind enough to arrange a meeting for Clint and I to discuss our reasons for wanting to retain Lillie and let us know to be prepared, that we had a little bit of a battle ahead of us being that she technically passed kindergarten.  It was a little more work then I thought it would be, but we were passionate about our decision and did not waiver.  In the end, after several meetings and more then one person trying to persuade us to let her move forward, we won the battle.

Lillie has officially been in full day kindergarten for a week now and is loving it!  She has another amazing, yet completely different teacher then the one she had last year.  Her class is full of kids who seem to be super sweet and she is making friends easily.  Her teacher stated that Lillie definitely seems to be one of the leaders this year and is often the first to have her hand in the air when questions are asked or volunteers are needed.  While I was a little nervous that she might be the tallest in her class, she's not.  She fits nicely right into the middle and has no idea that doing full day kindergarten isn't supposed to be the next step after half day kindergarten.  

As for Clint and I, we our beyond excited that we get to keep our little girl home with us one year longer.  We will no longer have to worry about sending a 17 year old off to college, or having our child be the last one of her friends to get her drivers license.  Yes, it was a little tough to think about holding one of our children back a year in school, but now that the decision is made we are at total peace and couldn't be happier with our decision and sticking with it.

8th Grade

Today JK started 8th grade.  Which means, next year he'll be off to high school.  Sigh.

I'm not ready to have an 8th grader, but this sweet boy is certainly where he's supposed to be.  This morning I dropped off a completely cool and calm kiddo who walked into his middle school like an old pro. (His only complaint about the start of this school year was that he had to wear his leadership shirt on the first day.  In protest he refused to wear any of his new clothes stating that he had nothing to match the shirt and that it was to hot for jeans.)  Yeah...  He's kind of funny about the shoes, clothes and socks he wears all matching.   

Last year JK was selected as one of a just few 8th graders to be part of the leadership team that is in charge of welcoming in the 6th and 7th graders this year as his school transitions from a Jr high full of 7th and 8th graders last year, to a middle school.  He went from being the underclassmen to the upperclassman in just one year and he had no problem taking on that big guy on campus role today.

With the start of school comes a much busier and more structured schedule, that I just wasn't ready for.  I forgot how little time I have to work dinner into a night with two football practices.  So the kids settled for a big snack after middle school football and then a late dinner after his second football (and Lillie's cheer) practice.  I've made a few small changes to my schedule for tomorrow in hopes of finding something that works a little better for all of us. 

JK honestly makes parenting seem so easy.  He's super laid back, smart, talented, well liked by all of his peers and teachers, and so sweet hearted.  I have never really worried about sending this kiddo off to school because friendships and academics all just seem to come so easy to him.  I'm super proud of the fact that he was chosen for the leadership program and just love everything about this boy.  He honestly makes me so proud.  I know his 8th grade year is going to be a wonderful one!  

Six!

Happy birthday to the sweetest, spunkiest, loyal little girl I know.  Six years ago today my wish came true when you arrived into this world, becoming the perfect little person to complete our family. I adore that you think of me as your best friend and hope and pray that even through the teenage years when being a mom and a best friend don't always jive, you will still want me to be yours. I love you sweet Lillie girl and thank God everyday for the gift that is you!

Family Birthday Celebration

I swore when Lillie was born just a little over a month after Molly's birthday that we would never, ever combine their birthdays into one party.

That little promise came to an end this year.

Our summer schedule this year has us running in about a billion different directions.  Trying to schedule just one party seemed nearly impossible and two, well it just wasn't going to happen.  So Clint and I decided to break the promise we made nearly 6 years ago by inviting the people we love most over for taco Tuesday. We enjoyed two cakes for dessert and turned a fun little family dinner into a laid back birthday party where we all got to celebrate and spoil our two favorite girls.

I did stick to my guns on the cakes.  Each girl got to choose the type of cake they wanted and each of them got their own cake with their own candles for their very own wishes.  Molly chose strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting and Lillie chose triple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  (Neither of their choices surprised me.)  Though you wouldn't guess it from looking at them, both cakes were equally DELICIOUS!!

If you're noticing that Lillie only has 5 candles on her cake, she does.  Molly quickly pointed that out to me.  I guess I'm just not ready for my baby to be 6.  Her growing up is hurting my heart a little. 

(And here's proof that we fixed the candle situation before any wishes were made.) 

Both Molly and Lillie were spoiled beyond belief.  They got so many great things including lots of really cute clothes.  We did have a little trip to Oregon to do some school clothes shopping at the end of the month planned, but honestly I don't think there is much else that I could get these girls besides maybe a few pairs of shoes and undergarments.  Their closets are literally bursting at the seams with fun new things to wear. 

  

Thank you Molly and Lillie for being so gracious about sharing your birthday celebrations with each other.  You sweet girls make my heart swell!