Nicholas. Age 3.

Nicholas is without. a. doubt. the LIFE of our family.  He is wild and crazy and funny and naughty and everything that reminds me of myself on the inside... but uninhibited.  Just recently he put all the couch cushions on the floor and was dancing and jumping from cushion to cushion when he slipped and fell on his mouth.  After crying for a few minutes and wanting to get down and play I realized his tooth didn't look quite right.  Sure enough, he cracked it off at the root. And now we have Nick.  The toothless wonder. 

And teeth or no teeth this boy does NOT stop living!

One of the few peaceful moments we have in the house is when Nicholas is playing on some form of apple product.

Nick has a natural athletic ability that never ceases to surprise me.  He shoots basketballs all day long in a little hoop he has in the driveway and makes an amazingly high percentage of them!  He even dribbles the ball!  Watching him play is like watching a mini basketball practice session!  And if he isn't playing basketball he is running or riding his bike, chasing his brothers or sister, wrestling his Daddy or just screaming at the top of his lungs.  

 Something else unique about Nicholas is that he insists on dressing himself.  He loves to pick out his own clothes and he has some STRONG opinions about what he wears.... needless to say they aren't always appropriate. :)

From the time he was a baby he has been making us laugh... and I expect he will make us laugh for years to come.  

We love you Nicholas!  We love your amazing sense of humor, your insanely long eyelashes, your crazy voices, your silly sayings and even your naughtiness.  We are so grateful God gave us such an amazing and special boy!

John Michael. Age 5.

What is there NOT to love about John Michael?  He is a charmer with an abundance of personality!

John Michael has a sweet freedom about him to be silly and funny and affectionate.  Here he is meditating like the monkey in The Lion King. 

And giggling.

And making me giggle!

And making Greyson giggle!

And snuggling.

Sweet, sweet boy

John Michael is HUGE. Simply put. He is consistently off the charts for his height and any day now we expect him to be taller than his big sister!  

And his brain is just as big as his body! He loves to put together puzzles, he's a whiz at math and he is turning into an amazing reader!  

He's also playing T-ball this year and rocking it!!

What stands out to me the most about John Michael is his sweet nature.  He is always the first one to hug me and tell me I'm beautiful.  He is going to make some lucky woman an amazing husband one day!  

John Michael... thank you for loving me so sweetly. Thank you for serving me and our family by joyfully doing chores around the house. Thank you for working diligently at school and delighting in us as much as we delight in you.  

Adeline. Age Seven.

Addy has been growing up so much!  She turned seven a couple of months ago and we have been enjoying watching her grow in her independence!  

 This past year we moved her to her own bedroom on the same level as us and she LOVES having her own room.  She said living with the boys upstairs was like living with a stampede of elephants!

She is an amazing reader.  After Kindergarten she tested into a fourth grade reading level! Every night before she goes to bed she listens to Adventures in Odyssey and reads as long as we'll let her. 

Being a good reader has helped Addy to become a great student!  Here she is at our dining room table plugging away at school. What a serious student...

Who knows how to melt my heart! 

Here she is reviewing her History lessons. 

Such a funny position to read in!

Probably her most exciting step toward independence has been learning how to ride a bike!

 

 

 

 Addy was also able to be a part of Gems this year. She absolutely loved the opportunity to be with other girls her age and older and learn about loving Jesus and serving Him with her life.  Here she is on her way to the Gems sleepover.  She was so excited!

We are so crazy about you Adeline!  You are smart and funny and witty and you have the most amazing memory! I love that you love to wear dresses and high heels and you have your own ideas and opinions about everything.  I love that your best friend is John Michael and that you are like a little mama to Nicholas and Greyson.  Thank you for loving us back and sneaking into our bed and reading about Laura Ingalls Wilder and Anne of Green Gables with your daddy and me!