THE EVANS FAMILY: November 2026

EMBER TURNS 14!!

And just like that Ember is 14! This may be the last year that she is shorter than me. And she is not only growing physically, but she is becoming more grown up and mature in every aspect of life. It is wonderful to have a front row seat to watch the beautiful (inside and out) young woman that Ember is turning into more and more each year.

At 14, Ember is 61 inches tall and weighs about 89 pounds. She continues to enjoy having her own room and still keeps it nice and tidy without any reminders from us. Ember goes to bed between 8:30-9:00 each night depending on school night or the weekend and wakes up on her own to an alarm on school days. She often will sleep in till 8:30-9:00 if we don't have anything going on. We still will sing her "Let me Call you Sweetheart" at bedtime. She no longer calls for her Daddy to come touch her fingers but she still likes him to go into her room when she is ready to go to sleep.

Ember has always been responsible overall, but she is growing more responsible and independent each year. We do not have to worry about if she has done her homework, grabbed what she needs for after school activities or taken a shower. She does what needs to be done with plenty of time to spare and to the best of her ability. She is intelligent and bright but also loves to be goofy and silly at times as well. She is organized and prefers things go a certain way in many aspects of life. Other times, she is more laid back and ready to jump into last minute plans with no hesitation.

Ember's favorite things revolve around doing the things that she enjoys with her family and friends. Ember enjoys sports very much and enjoys playing on a team or simply practicing the sports she likes with someone. She is often hitting a volleyball around or kicking a soccer ball back and forth with someone. She still enjoys riding her bike and scooter around the house or to the train tracks and back. She will randomly do a workout with her brothers or an ab routine with a friend on Facetime. Ember still loves to read books when she has down time. Trips continue to be one of Ember's favorite things. Her top choice remains Mexico but she loves going on hunting trips, to Lake Powell, to Lost Canyon or to any amusement park as well. Ember continues to be daring and enjoys trying new things. She likes swimming and ice skating. She enjoys trying new tricks at Levitate and going to the movie theater. One of her favorite things each year is the special time that she gets with her dad at the Daddy Daughter Ball that the City of Flagstaff puts on. Ember likes talking to friends and her cousin on Facetime and hanging out with friends whenever she has the chance. She enjoys going to our church's youth group and especially likes the worship. Ember has been recording herself singing songs on an app for fun and enjoys listening to various types of music. Ember still greatly enjoys doing her own nails or nails for a friend or her mom. She is taking more time these days to get ready for the day but isn't obsessed with her looks or what to wear. Ember still enjoys baking and cooking when she has a chance to do those things. She will play game like Solitaire, James Bond and Speed with her brothers. Some of her current favorite foods are: breakfast burrito, avocado toast, soups, bread, Caesar salad, almond butter, yogurt, salt and vinegar chips, ribs, pizza, and almost any kind of fruit.

Some of Ember's biggest struggles revolve around pride and control. Since Ember is so organized and structured, she dislikes when things are out of control or not going as she would like them to. This can lead to her being argumentative and thinking that her way is best. She can lack grace and patience when things don't come as easy for others as things tend to come for her. Ember dislikes being rushed. Her setting her own alarm each morning has really helped with this struggle. She also doesn't like having to wake up early on the weekends. We can tell when Ember is "hangry" and it is amazing how just eating a little snack can transform her attitude and countenance. She has grown and matured in so many ways throughout the years but there is always more room for growth.

It was another great year of growth and new things for Ember. She continues to do well academically and be above grade level in both reading and math. She is a good, diligent student and often helps others around her. She has guitar as one of her electives at school and has enjoyed learning the basics of playing an instrument. Ember took on the challenge of reading through the whole Bible this year starting in January and has stuck to it so far. Ember takes her Bible and notepad to church and takes notes each week on the sermon. She went on her first youth group trip to Lake Powell this summer with our church and had a great time there. Ember got an iPad last Christmas that she uses to communicate with her friends and family and play games on when she can have screen time. Ember was allowed to start wearing mascara at the beginning of the school year. She was in her first formal wear at her cousin Kiley's wedding and got to hand out programs as the guests arrived. Ember got her first big game kill while hunting when she killed her first javelina! She went to her first spring training baseball game and got to try the Canyon Coaster in Williams for the first time. She made the Varsity junior high volleyball team and the Junior Varsity high school volleyball team this year which kept her busy with practices every day and some out of town games as well. Ember got braces put on right before her 14th birthday and will have them on for a couple of years.

Ember truly is a special girl. God has gifted her in many areas of life and given her a kind and caring heart towards others. She has some spark to her which makes her want to stand up for what is fair and right but she definitely has a softer and sillier side as well. She is growing and changing so much each and every year but, at the same time, she is still so much like she was as a little girl 10 years ago. We are thankful to be her parents and love her so very much!

BIRTHDAY ACTIVITIES:

Ember choose chia pudding for breakfast!

Next, Ember opened her presents. Since she wasn't having a party this year, she wanted to update her bedroom some. She spent the morning changing out her comforter, rearranging pillows and blankets and picking out pictures for her new cork board that Dad helped her hang.

We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch!

Ember chose smoked ribs for dinner. We ate a fairly early dinner and then went Trick or Treating in Bellemont with friends. She dressed up as Piglet and some of her friends dressed up as other Winnie the Pooh characters.