{Eight}

{Emmalee ~ One Month Old}

{6 1/2 Months}

{5 Months}

{7 Months}

{Ryan 4 1/2 years, Emmalee 5 months}

{Eight Years Old}

 

Dear Emmalee,

 

Oh, dear Emmalee.  I don't even know where to start.  Looking back at the pictures of your first year makes me smile, but they also make me sad.  You are not a little girl anymore!  It's so hard for all of us to believe that you are EIGHT years old.

 

Here's a little about you at eight years old:

You almost always have a smile on your face.  Unless your brother has really made you mad

or if you see something that makes you sad, you are smiling.  When you do your belly laugh, the rest of us just have to join in.

 

Your favorite word is "meep."  What does meep mean?

According to you, it means whatever you want it to mean, except for bad words.

 

Your daddy just said yesterday that we need to have a video camera on

you at all times.  You so often say things that just crack us up.  Your teacher comes up to me just about every day to tell me another "Emmalee story." 

 

You have several really good friends, and I love to watch you play with them.  When you are together,

you and your friends have such great imaginations.  You get your toys out (lots of them!), and I hear over and over, "And then let's pretend, or "How about we do this?"  I love that

you are able to tell stories and use your imagination so well.

 

You are in your third year of your three year "Let's Play Music" piano course.

Over the past two years, you've learned so much about music and piano and now it's

all coming together.  You'll go downstairs, sit at the piano,

and just start playing.

 

You are a very brave little girl!  Just before Winter Break, you had your music program at school.  The day before the program, the music teacher asked if you'd perform a solo speaking part throughout one of the songs.  I fully expected you to say no as you have a pretty strong case of stage fright.  I was so amazed when you came home with the music, the CD and started practicing.

You got up on that stage and did a great job.

 

You LOVE school.  You have an amazing teacher, and I think that has a lot to do with it.  You ask for me to give you math worksheets on the weekend.  Your favorite subjects are Math, Readers Workshop, Art, PE, Music, and Computer Lab.  You still spell phonetically, so we are working on that.  Your grades are awesome...and you're becoming an even more well-rounded person.  Today, you were a bit quiet.  I asked what was wrong and you said you were "school-sick," kinda like homesick.

 

Ryan would like you to know that you're loud, extremely energetic and loves to play outside. 

{smile}

 

Your most favorite thing to now is play with the kitten, Dash.  You love to play

with her, chase her, take care of her, talk to her ....

 

My most favorite part about you is your heart.  You have the sweetest, softest heart.

You care so much about others, and you'll go out of your way to help

those that need it.  Just today you told me that the most important thing to you

is your family.  We still get those monkey hugs that we love (yes,  you're still a tiny thing and we can still lift you). 

 

We are looking forward to see how you grow and change between now and your next

birthday.  We are so lucky to be your family.

 

Love ~ Mom

 

 

{Twelve}



Ryan - Six Months



 

One Year Old
 

Age Twelve!

 

This is the very same glare we used to get when he was two and we'd say, "Glare at Mommy!"
It was so cute...back then!!
Luckily, it's always followed by a smile.

 

PLEASE no more pictures!

At the end of fifth grade (June 2012), I was able to rest my chin
on the top of Ryan's head.  Six months later, I can't even do it
on tippy-toes!

 

 

Dear Ryan,

 

I'm not even sure where to start with my letter to you this year.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you are TWELVE YEARS OLD!

How did that happen?  I know it's a cliche, but it really does seem like

yesterday when we brought you home from the hospital. 

And now we seem to have a mini-adult living with us.

 

Here's a little about you....for when you {hopefully} look back on this.

 

You are the most well-rounded kid I know.  You are interested in so many things! 

You still love books and read SO fast.  You sixth grade teacher has asked you to alternate between fiction and non-fiction, so that's slowed you down a bit.

Recesses are spent either playing flag football (gives me multiple min-heart attacks everytime you go

for the ball), soccer or a made-up game with your friends.  This winter you plan on playing basketball on the school's team and will run track this spring.

You have straight A's so far in sixth grade.  Your teacher works with you to keep you from being bored and is very good at challenging you.  He treats you like an adult, which I think

makes you want to succeed even more.

You are in your second year of playing Tenor Saxaphone for the school's band and are in your third year of choir.  You were also one of the very few sixth graders selected to play in the

All-City Honor Band.  You tried out with your tenor, but they really needed a Baritone sax player.  Your regular band teacher found a Bari sax for you the very day you started practicing with the honor band...and you just jumped right in. 

You were given a shotgun for your 12th birthday and are planning on going hunting this next year.

We are looking for a Hunter's Safety course so you can get your license.  I appreciate so

much the time you've spent with Hop learning how to be responsible with firearms.

You also still enjoy airplanes and flying.  Uncle Max took you for a ride in the Warhawk's L-19 Birddog this fall.  It was your first flight in quite a while. 

This summer we spent a few weeks at the lake, and you were able to go kneeboarding.  This past week, you went snowboarding with your friends.  You are so much braver than me!  I'm glad that you aren't a wimp like me about some things and are willing to try new things!

And, lastly, one of your favorite pasttimes is still picking on your sister.  However, mixed in there

 every once in a while, are moments of sweetness when you help her with something, buy her something or play with her. 

 

I love your character.  You are very responsible and often act much older than your age.  You know the difference between right and wrong, and you're not afraid to say no to those things you know aren't right.  You are kind to others...both people you know and strangers.  You help others when you see the need.  You still come to me for a hug and will still tell me you love me (I'm so thankful!!!).  When you see me at work on the playground, you don't turn your head in embarrassment {smile} but you and your friends come over to say hi {or try to steal my hat and gloves if it's cold outside}.

 

I know that this next year will prove to be interesting with you nearing the teen years and entering junior high.  I know that I'll need to have more patience, be stronger, have thicker skin...but I also

know that it's going to be so fun watching you grow this year.

 

Love~Mom