Lily - 9 Years!

Lily, my little Goose, is 9!  One more year and we'll be entering the double digits! Lily, you're a girl with a lot of emotions.  You're sweet and then sour at the drop of a hat.  But, that sour side doesn't last long.  All we have to do is give you a little hug or kiss and you go back to your sweet self.  You are a girl who's always known exactly what you wanted and you're just stubborn enough to get it! 

At 9, Lily:
-weighs 56.8 lb (21%)
-is 4'8.8" tall (21%)
-finally bumped up to a Youth Medium in clothes
-will start soccer this year, but still loves to play basketball
-is in 3rd Grade and doing great
-got her first set of braces this year
-loves the color pink
-wears tennis shoes every day to school because she can run in those and she can't if she wears boots or flip flops
-still loves love
-talks all the time about her future...but her plans on what she intends to be change often

Lily, you're my little firecracker.  I love you so much, but you're not afraid to tell me you're a Daddy's girl. 

Nixon - 12 Years!

My little Butterbean Nixon is 12 years old!  One more year and I'll have two teenagers in the house.  We should start praying now!  Nixon is the polar opposite of Landon.  He's doing well adjusting to middle school and has actually come out of his shell even more.  He can be a tough one to crack sometimes.  I think he knows that Chris and I have our hands full with our busy family and he tends to blend into the background.  We've really tried over the past year to make sure that doesn't happen.  I want him to always know he's special and loved more than life itself. 

At 12, Nixon:
-weighs 84.2 lb (34%)
-is 4'10.25" tall (39%)
-started 6th grade
-tried a new sport (Cross Country and does absolutely phenomenal at it)
-wants to be a Youtuber or Coder when he grows up
-started riding the bus to school for the first time
-has made so many new friends at Middle School
-started playing the Saxophone in Band and he's a natural

Nixon, you're the sweetest thing ever.  You have a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone.  I know that it will serve you well.  I love you more than anything!

Landon - 14 Years!

Landon, my first born, is officially fourteen!  One more year and we'll be thinking about driving.  I know I say it all the time, but it's crazy how long the days are, but on the other hand, how short the years are.  Landon is a typical "first-born".  He's a rule-follower (at least as far as I know). He usually observes more than participates.  And he also has a heart of gold.  I love that boy more than life itself.  The teenage years haven't been that bad so far, but I know we have a ways to go.  Basically, puberty has made him revert back to how he was as an infant.  If he's grumpy, make him sleep or eat and that usually solves it! Seriously, he's a great kid and I couldn't ask for better.

At 14, Landon:
-weighs 111.2 lbs (45%)
-is 5'5" tall (61%)
-wears Adult Small clothes
-went from a size 6.5 to 10.5 shoe in 3 months time!
-has narrowed down to only playing baseball with school
-still plays Rec basketball
-wants a Jeep when he turns 16
-wants to be a Physical Therapist and go to ECU
-can't wait to be an adult so he can eat as many Little Debbies as he wants (ha!)
-has started working out at the hospital gym and loves it
-has started riding to school with me again..feels weird after so many years of not taking him
-has adjusted well to high school

I think Landon will go far in life.  I can't wait to see what roads he travels down as he gets older and starts to make some real life decisions.  It's so weird how as a parent, you don't want them to grow up, but you can't wait at the same time.  Such conflicting emotions.  Landon, I love you more than you love those cold Little Debbies.

Hattie - 6 Years!

Hattie girl, you're 6!  You started kindergarten this year and you're loving it so far!  You struggle in match which is new, but you love reading and love learning.  You are a special little girl that loves her friends.  You've already snuck a pair of shoes into school because you didn't like the "practical" closed toed shoes I decided you should wear during winter.  You're my handful for sure!  

At 6:

-you weigh

-you are " tall

-you love the color purple

-you want to be a teacher

-you love your Daddy, but you love your Moma more

-you love to snuggle

-you learned to read

-you're my little lefty and it's so challenging teaching you how to do stuff with the opposite hand than I'm used to!

-you love to accessorize

Hattie, I love you more than life itself.  I can't imagine our family without you in it!

Lily - 8 Years!

Lily Girl, 

You are 8 years old!  Such an achievement that you've been counting down the days to!  You're full of life and love and spunk.  I know that one day, you're going to be running a company, or at the very least, your household, with ease and grace.  You give your Daddy and me a run for our money with your sassiness.  You love as hard as you fight and I wouldn't have you any other way!

At 8 years old:

-you weigh 46.8 lb (28%)

-you are 46.75" tall (24%)

-you love the color pink

-got your first set of braces

-you want to be an engineer/teacher/builder when you grow up

-you love basketball, but you've tried tumble, baseball, and dance

-you love your siblings one minute and they drive you crazy the next

-you love alone time, especially at the beach

Lily, I love that you're a headstrong little girl, even as it drives me crazy.  I love that you're so sure of yourself and even when you're not, you have enough gumption to keep going.  You're going to change the world Lily!

Nixon - 11 Years!

Well, well, well...my little Butterbean is 11 years old!  I can't hardly believe it.  I look at pictures of that little chubby face or hear that little baby voice on videos and it feels like yesterday.  Nixon has always been my little firecracker from Day 1.  He kept me on my toes when he was a toddler and I feel like he will do that for years to come.  He's so much like Chris, it's uncanny.  He's my middle child that just goes with the flow most days.  He's social like Chris and is with friends more than he's home.  He still plays lacrosse, but has no desire to play any other sport.  He is not competitive at all, which is definitely a trait he gets from me. 

At 11 years old, Nixon:

*is 55.5" tall (32%)
*weighs 73.8 lb (31%)
*is in 5th grade
*plays lacrosse
*finally wears a Medium/Large in clothes (growth spurt finally!)
*favorite color is yellow and blue
*wants to be a You-tuber when he grows up
*loves to read (he went through multiple 500 page books this past summer)

Nixon, you have a heart of gold.  You'll go without so that one of your siblings has something.  You wear your emotions on your sleeve and I can usually tell when something is bothering you.  I love you more than life itself. I can't wait to see you grow.  I know you'll go far in life and carry compassion to everyone you meet.

Landon - 13 Years!

My original baby boy is 13! I can't hardly believe that I'm old enough to have a teenager!  Landon has always been such an easy kid.  He has, and always had, such a sweet, compassionate heart.  He takes everything in stride and nothing seems to faze him.  However, you know when something is bothering him, because he wears his emotions all over his face.  It's crazy when you start looking eye to eye with your child, when they start looking more like a grown up than a little boy.  It tugs on your heartstrings just a little to think of everything you've been through together, but also exciting to think about what's to come.  

At 13, Landon:
-weighs 92.4 lb (34%)
-is 5'2" (51%)
-wears an XL shirt, but still a L in pants
-finally moved up to an adult shoe - size 7
-is moving up to 8th grade - last year in middle school even though it feels like we just started
-will play football and baseball in middle school again this year
-has started daily workouts so that he can get stronger
-will eat all day long if you let him
-still wants to be a mechanical engineer when he grows up

Landon, I love you more than life itself.  I'll always be your biggest fan.  You're the one that has taught me so much about myself and this motherhood game