Layla's turn

yep....another birthday.  perhaps these posts are getting old to some, but when i'm trying to log milestones, this is certainly one of them!  so bear with me....two more to go... :)

sweet Layla is nine.  she is officially into her last year of single digits.  and when flipping through old photos to post there is no shortage of cute ones to pick from.  for some reason she seems to have the most!  i almost picked the photo of her as a baby wearing angel wings, but then that would be a little too funny for those that really know Layla....Layla is lots of things, but angelic isn't often the characteristic that comes to mind.  honestly (because this blog must be honest), she is a paradox of sorts.  she is delightfully sweet, and fiercely feisty all on the same day.  she is loud and bubbly or she is low and pouty.  she is sun and rain, she is salt and pepper, she is hot and cold....you get the idea, right?  consistently, thank goodness, there are some pretty spectacular qualities within this daughter of mine (ours).  Layla is a thinker and feels deeply when others are hurting.  she processes information, asks lots of questions, and prays earnestly for those that suffer.  she cares about her faith and wants others to share her trust in Jesus.  she asks anyone and everyone if they believe.  i wish i had her boldness.  it is beautiful to see, and i hope she holds on to this passion.  she loves to communicate~ with adults and kids alike.  she smiles and laughs lots and is such a little spark plug in this misfit group that is us.  keep shining, my Lolita...

 

these two pictures are at the top of my list....

 

so, this was Layla's year for a friend party and the sun appeared right on cue.  so thankful for that!  it was hot and humid and she played with her friends for the afternoon...water balloons in the pool and on the trampoline added a new element of fun.

 

it's a good thing the cupcakes are all finally consumed~ now i'm back to my healthy breakfast! :) no, i'm not joking...

future jay's pitching staff?? (not soon enough for them, unfortunately)

i don't know what the future holds, but who of us does?  in the meantime, however, it's wonderful to see this young boy dream of a future in baseball.  he struts onto the field with a certain swag.  he loves to imitate the intricate behaviours of a typical pro-baseball player.  he swings his bat like he watches the great ones do.  he spits and throws and mimics the mannerisms he's picked up from the hours of Blue Jays baseball that fill many evenings in our home.  he was precious to watch in action, both during practice here in the backyard and during Saturday mornings with his team, the Wyoming Twins.

baseball wasn't really on our radar for Hudson.  not that it couldn't or shouldn't have been, but it's a sport that never came up with any of our older kids, or even for Jeff or myself as kids.  my parents suggested they'd love to see him try a season and wanted to be involved, so naturally this was an offer that was welcomed and accepted.  so glad they had the idea, because Hudson loved everything about it. 

Just missing this pitch...but great swing anyway...

the season has just recently wrapped up, but without fail during the season Hudson would jump out of bed on Saturday mornings with excitement and energy (well, more than usual, i mean...) to burn on the field.  he loved looking the part in his baseball pants, team shirt and hat.  he loved to wooo the spectators and flash his smile and give the nod to the fans.....he loved being the show.  and why not?? 

because there on the field he is focused and growing and developing.  growing in more than the expected and obvious ways of receiving and hitting a pitch, catching a ball and tagging a runner, etc....but learning to play as part of a team, to receive instruction from a coach in a fun and positive environment, to focus out field and follow the rules of the game, to harness his energy for times of appropriate outlet....

it was really all good, and i'm so glad he's experienced baseball this summer.....so while it isn't exactly the big leagues yet, it's been really big to Hudson, and that's pretty priceless...

adam

what i wouldn't give for just one more day of Adam like this....not because now, being 11, isn't wonderful, because it is, but the squishy cuteness of age three is pretty amazing, and even though i really feel like i savoured those days they passed in a whirlwind like a thunderstorm that blows through on a summer day.  here and gone before you know it. 

yes, Adam was next in line for the string of August/September birthdays and it was a joy to celebrate him this week.  as i told him, more than ever he's reminding me of his dad.  he makes me laugh out loud so unexpectedly.  he has a heart of compassion and this is especially evident in his gentleness with small children.  he would be a fantastic primary teacher~ if i didn't think he'd be an even better engineer, that is...he is such a thinker and always inspiring me with the way he can assemble or disassemble something or problem solve when something isn't working right.  he is great with his youngest brother (especially) and i love to watch him play in the pool with AJ or read him stories.  good for my heart...can't wait to see what the future holds for him.  Adam Jeffrey~ we love you loads!!!  hope your birthday was fun and your upcoming year even better!

oh, and nice "six packs" boys.  i can kind of make them out...maybe i just needed to zoom in a bit more...

bff

eighteen years from last Monday, i was getting ready to meet my best friend at the end of a long aisle.  to pledge my love and faithfulness.  i was so excited and fearless about what the future might hold.  here i am in my parent's room in front of the long mirror.  checkin' out my big hair. :)  those were the days, my friends...

and yes, i'm aging, but who isn't, right??  trying to embrace that, with gratitude...

this guy waited for my grand entrance, looking all dark and handsome himself...

he's still my best friend~ even after a slew of pregnancies, children, adoptions, moves, and all the in between...here's to 18 more, Jeffrey...

push-ups

oh, the preciousness of this delightful clip...but first, the history...for several weeks now our family, in the spirit of competition and our overall desire to have healthy bodies, has been logging push-ups.  each of us trying daily to beat our personal best from the day before.  we work on technique and endurance and muscle strengthening.  it is so fun (until it is my turn) to see each one getting better and stronger, or in the case of AJ, more dramatic....

he must win some kind of record....26 (give or take...wink, wink...) pseudo push-ups with lots of effort and sound effects thrown in....it doesn't really matter that the push-ups are like 1/8th of what they are supposed to be.  he's only four, after all.  sooo whattt that he's really doing more of a head-bob than any actual arm movement.  his Ethiopian cuteness makes up for all of the less than perfect technique, don't ya think?  

13

hardly seems possible.  how is this little munchkin....

now a teenager??? 

Hannah Renee, you are such a gigantic part of this family.  you are loved for so many reasons, but what clearly stands out most to me is the wonderful way you stay true to you, exactly you....you are content and confident, funny and sweet.  you are warm and gifted.  we cherish you.  dad and I celebrate your birthday with such thankfulness that you were born~ safe and purely adorable.  your pregnancy was filled with ups and downs, yet completely 100% worth every moment of concern when i consider the joy you've added to our lives already in your thirteen years...keep holding fast and shining brightly!  much love...Mom