Friday, January 31, 2025

Reece - 9 years old

 Reece turns 9 years old!

How is it that Reece is only one year away from double digits? It truly does go by so fast. Reece continues to grow and mature in all areas of life and keeps us busy with his early morning wake ups and constant energy. 

At the age of 9, Reece is about 51 inches tall and weighs about 58 pounds. He still is our tallest child at each age. Reece and Kade share a room still but in our Belle Springs house that we moved into right before he turned 9. They have their own bathroom in their room which is convenient... and also usually a little gross. Reece continues to fall asleep quickly when in his bed which is usually around 7:45 - 8:00 pm. He is our earliest riser and quickly gets up out of bed and is ready to go for the day. He still wears his sleep mask each night and requests that we sing "Twinkle Twinkle" as we scratch his back each night.

Reece somehow manages to be our most shy yet loudest kid. He does not like to draw attention to himself in large groups but at home he is loud and constantly in the rest of the family's business. He still has seemingly endless energy and is happiest when he can be running. He likes to make up weird words for things and says them often till he moves on to the next strange word (ex sugar plum fairy,. He is also really good at coming up with annoying noises. Reece is athletic and does well at every sport that he plays. He is super fast. He loves to help out with a project and work along side others if there is a job that he can help with. He doesn't like to decide what to do or play and is happy to follow the lead of Ember or a friend.

Considering Reece's high energy personality, it is no surprise that most of this favorite things involve being active. He loves running and jumping pretty much anywhere. He climbs things that are in his path. He loves riding his bike and scooter. He enjoys exploring, catching bugs, climbing trees, and building forts. He likes jumping on trampolines and swimming at the pool. He enjoys sledding and rollerblading. He loves going to Levitate and jumping and flipping there. Reece loves going camping with friends. He also really likes going fishing - whether at Lake Powell, in Mexico or in Oak Creek. He loves being in Mexico and spends lots of time trying to catch tiny crabs, fish, and shrimp in tide pools. He, of course, also loves theme parks and is always up for doing the biggest rides and roller coasters that he is tall enough for. He loves playing made up games with his siblings. He still really enjoys being tickled and also likes wrestling with his siblings. Reece is a pretty non-picky eater but he sure does eat alot! Some of his favorite foods are: cereal, oatmeal, bananas, Zbars, fig bars, corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, cheese crisps, apple, mango, ants on a log, pizza, brats and fish he caught. 

Reece has many favorite toys and games that he enjoys. Most of the toys he plays with outside are connected with a sport. He likes practicing dribbling a basketball and drop kicking a soccer ball. He often plays football with his friends while at the park or camping. He enjoys playing kickball with Ember, Kade and the neighbor kids in the backyard. When he is inside he likes playing with Legos and his Picasso Tiles the most often . He also spends alot of time doing trick shots on their little basketball hoop in their room.  They still play Gaga ball often in their room. He enjoys playing on his Tamagotchi and doing Paint by Sticker books. He will occasionally still do Perler beads. Reece really loves playing Monopoly with his dad. He also enjoys playing War and Uno. He doesn't love reading but he enjoys The Bad Guys graphic novels and the I Survived series. He is always asking Alexa to play songs and really enjoys Cody Johnson like his dad. 

There are, of course, also things that Reece does not enjoy. He will bluntly tell you that he does not like spelling - even though he gets 100% on almost every spelling test. He doesn't enjoy things that take work to do well at. Interestingly enough, he doesn't enjoy work in general despite his high level of energy. He complains about chores still most weeks. He doesn't like not being good at something - especially in front of others. This often keeps him from trying new things because of his fear of failure. He is still scared of heights in certain situations such as climbing a rock wall or doing a high ropes course. 

Reece finally lost his first tooth this year! And he wanted to use a remote control car to pull out the next two that were loose. He continues to grow and improve at each of the sports that he plays. He's gotten better at skiing as well. He won the mutton busting contest at the Flagstaff Pro Rodeo this year by holding on to the back of a running sheep for the longest amount of time. Reece continues to enjoy school - except for when he has to get up and present in front of his class. He is a grade level up in math and at grade level for reading. He is doing well at memorizing his Bible verse each week. He is growing in his knowledge of the Bible and is more and more able to answer the questions we ask. 

Reece keeps us busy! And often is the reason for more sibling fighting than we'd prefer to have to deal with. But, he also can be sweet and selfless. He has a kind heart and wants to help others. We continue to pray that God will soften his heart to Him and save him. We love Reece and his many quirks so much and can't imagine life without him. 

Birthday Fun:

Reece chose French toast sticks for his birthday breakfast


He had a fun surprise waiting for him outside as a birthday gift!


We headed to Williams to the Lost Canyon Family Camp for his birthday but celebrated with Reece's dessert choice of banana splits when we returned home.

Reece's 9 Year Interview:

Favorite color? Orange

Favorite toy? Remote control car

Favorite food? Cereal

A food you don't really like? Tortellini

Favorite thing to watch? Dude Perfect

Favorite place to go? Mexico

Favorite book? I Survived series

Favorite song? "Bury Me in Georgia"

Favorite restaurant? In N' Out

Favorite thing to do each day? 

Favorite thing to do with Mommy? Play basketball

Favorite thing to do with Daddy? Shawn

What makes you happy? Getting tickled

What is something scary? Talking in front of the class

What are you really good at? Basketball and soccer

Who are your best friends? Shep, Sam, and Chance

What do you want to be when you grow up? Professional sports player

What do you think about before you fall asleep? School


Here are a few more pictures from the past year:























Thursday, January 30, 2025

Kade - 6 years old

 Kade turns 6! 

Our silly, sweet boy is another year older! He is such a special part of our family and he keeps us laughing and smiling. He continues to draw positive attention from those around him and we love him so very much! 

Kade is about 40 inches tall and weighs about 35 pounds. Kade still shares a room with Reece but now in our NEW house! They have lots of room to play and their own bathroom in their room. Kade continues to fall asleep quickly around 7:45- 8:00 after we sing "Silent Night" to him while scratching his back. He usually sleeps in till about 6:30 and sometimes longer when we don't have to wake up for church or school. Kade no longer takes naps.

Kade is an easy-going, fun loving little boy. He likes to be silly and make people laugh. He is responsible for a 6 year old and likes to do things on his own when he can. He enjoys trying to do what his siblings and friends are doing. He surely makes us laugh. He still does have a shy personality with other adults besides his close family and around kids when he is in a new situation. But he usually quickly warms up to others. 

There are a lot of things in life that Kade enjoys! He likes being outside playing  - whether that is at a park, an open field, in the driveway, or exploring while out camping or in the greenbelt behind our house. Kade loves building forts/houses and searching for bugs. He also really enjoys riding his pedal bike and scooter. He loves running and jumping at Levitate. Kade loves going on trips whether that is a camping trip, to Lake Powell, to Mexico or to a theme park. He is all about any of it and is easy going during the trip most of the time. He is usually very into the trips for the snacks and special drinks. He enjoys getting to have different things to eat and drink than we normally have at home. At home, some of his favorite foods are: cereal, bananas, waffles, Z-bars, salami, cheddar cheese, mango, fruit strips, pizza, apple, brisket, ribs, hot dogs and ants on a log. He also still really loves gum and looks forward to his one piece each day. Kade also loves going to the pool weekly. He loves the hot tub the best but also enjoys the big pool to practice his swimming and miniature golf as well. 

As far as toys and games go, Kade has many favorites and is usually good at finding things to do when there is downtime. Kade has really grown in his love for Legos and loves doing age appropriate sets almost all by himself. Reece and him still really enjoy building with Picasso Tiles. They like to do trick shots in their room with their little basketball hoop. Kade also enjoys doing the Paint by Sticker activity books which also helps him with his letters and numbers. He enjoys made up games with his siblings such as: "King Kade" and "Real Life, Life." He is old enough to enjoy some board games and card games. Some of his favorites are: Uno, Go Fish and Old Maid. Kade loves when we read books to him. His most requested books are Elephant and Piggie and Dr. Seuss. 

Kade continues to be agreeable in personality overall. But, of course, there are some things that get him sad or frustrated. He doesn't enjoy his siblings telling him to do things or correcting him. He usually is all about laughing at himself when he says or does something funny, but can sometimes get embarrassed. He doesn't like being woken up and takes a little while to get going usually. Kade still doesn't like wearing jeans and he gets upset when he wants food when it isn't time for food. Some foods that he doesn't enjoy are: tomatoes, potato and pasta salads, pastrami, and green olives.

Kade continues to grow and learn more and more each year. He played soccer for the first time and it didn't take him long to figure out how to get the ball and take it to the goal and also how to stop the other team from doing so. He can swim on his own until he runs out of breath and then struggles to stay parallel.  However, he always going under the water and doesn't mind that part any more. Kade is taking on more chores around the house to help out. He puts his own laundry away now and helps wipe down light switches and door knobs as well. He graduated from Mount Calvary preschool this year and continues to learn more and more letter name and sounds. He still excels more at math and continues to grow in recognizing patterns and doing simple equations.

Kade is such a special boy who is loved by so many! He accepts people as they are and just wants to make others smile. He is kind and obedient for the majority of the time. He desires to learn and grow and get better at things. We are so thankful for the 6 years of him in our family and lives! We love you, Kippers :) 

BIRTHDAY ACTIVITIES:

Kade requested donuts again for his birthday breakfast.



His penguin Squishmallow. He also got some guns that shoot foam balls.


Chick-Fil-A for lunch


Ice cream sundaes for his birthday treat! 


And here is Kade's 6 year interview! 

Favorite color? Green

Favorite toy? Guns with the foam balls

Favorite food? Candy

A food you don't really like? Tortellini 

Favorite thing to watch? Grizzly and the Lemmings

Favorite place to go? Mexico

Favorite book? The Bad Guys

Favorite song? "Burn the Ships"

Favorite restaurant? Pane Vino (in Mexico)

Favorite thing to do each day? Play a game

What do you and Mommy do together? Read books

What do you and Daddy do together? Tickle and "Shawn"

What makes you happy? Being tickled and playing

What is something scary? Reece and Ember jumping out at me 

What are you really good at? Tracing and playing games with Ember and Reece

Who is your best friend? Declan, Jaxon and Landon

What do you want to be when you grow up? Zookeeper

What do you think about before you fall asleep? Probably nothing or probably a monkey sleeping... I don't know


Here are a few more pictures from the past year:
















Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Ember - 11 years old

 Ember is *E*L*E*V*E*N*

She is growing up so fast and each year reminds us that she is getting farther from a kid and closer to a teenager. I know God designed everything perfectly, but we often find ourselves wishing that we could stop time because it is flying by too quickly.

At age 11, Ember is about 55 inches tall and weighs around 63 pounds. Ember's room has changed color schemes some. She has an aqua bedspread and rug. We sold her Barbie house and she has a saucer chair in the corner instead. Toys are becoming fewer and fewer on her shelves and books are taking over the space. Ember goes to be between 8:30-9:00 after reading or unwinding for a while after her brothers go to bed earlier. She still calls her Daddy up each night to "touch her fingers" and get one more hug and kiss. She continues to start her CD player to play music for her to fall asleep to. Her favorite song for us to sing to her at bedtime is "Go to Sleep." Ember is definitely starting to sleep in more on the days that she doesn't have to wake up for school or church. She usually wakes up between 7:30-8:00 but sometimes sleeps past that. 

Ember is a strong personality who likes to be around people and have fun. She likes to have some control in situations and sometimes overreacts when that is not a possibility. Ember is a hard worker and very bright. She likes to do her very best on most things and is persistent when learning something new. She is tidy and likes her room to be clean and organized. She enjoys being silly and making others laugh. She is creative and comes up with activities and games to do with her brothers or her friends. Ember is still a leader and a kind friend to those around her - but it is often harder for her to treat her brothers with as much patience and kindness. 

Here are some of Ember's favorite things to do. Reading is still at the top of the list. She goes through books very quickly and rereads her favorites often. She is currently going through the Anne of Green Gables series and has just started The Lord of the Rings series. Ember loves school and all things associated with it (except for being waken up to go). Her favorite parts of school right now are math and reading. Ember loves to sing. I gave her my old ipod that I found and she enjoys listening to music with that and singing along. She often makes up her own songs as well. Ember also enjoys sports and activities. She still loves practicing her gymnastic moves that she has been learning from friends and through classes this year. She loves to just run when the opportunity presents itself and she likes to do obstacles that challenge her when walking around Buffalo Park or anywhere else there is something to climb on. Trips and vacations are still some of Ember's most favorite things. I don't know if anything can top the beach to her overall but she sure also loves going to Disneyland or other theme parks. She continues to love camping and has developed an interest in hunting like her Dad and she is now old enough to start hunting. Ember has been really enjoying the 4th - 6th grade midweek meeting that our church recently started for kids her age. They learn catechism questions and answers, memorize verses, pray together, eat snacks and of course play silly games. Ember continues to be adventurous and pretty fearless and enjoys things like: high ropes extreme course, ice skating, ziplining, flips off diving boards, swimming, climbing high in trees and bungee trampolines. Ember is still a great eater. Here are some of her favorite foods: avocado toast with an egg on top, egg burrito, waffles, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, noodles with butter, pickles, olives, cheeseburgers, pizza, brisket and most fruit.

In her down time when Ember isn't reading or singing, she still really enjoys being creative. She likes making things with her Rainbow Loom. She enjoys doing paint by sticker books. She will create a village of Legos with her random assortment of Legos collected over the years. She will make up songs, stories and poems. Ember enjoys playing games and has been really into Solitaire recently. She has been learning new games such as Settlers of Catan and Euchre (games that Dad and Mom really enjoy). She learned a game called James Bond that she enjoys from the girl that helps watch the kids during our Lifegroup meetings. She will also often play Sorry!, Tenzi and Chinese checkers. Ember still enjoys being outdoors. She likes riding her bike, rollerblading and working on gymnastics in the grass. She doesn't play on park equipment as much but will practice kicking her soccer ball with a bungee that returns it or practice bumping her volleyball to herself. 

There are just some things that each person struggles with in life and Ember's tend to remain mostly the same. She still doesn't enjoy being rushed and we are learning strategies and solutions to make this be less of an issue. She can play so well with her brothers but then there are times where she doesn't have the emotional and metal capacity to handle them and doesn't kindly let them know she needs some space. She doesn't enjoy when we go somewhere and there are not friends for her to play with. She usually handles these situations quite well but would prefer that there be someone her gender that's closer to her age there. Since things come fairly easy for Ember, she often struggles with being humble and seeing these things as gifts from God.  Ember has always been a good eater but has randomly started not liking certain things like cashews, Zbars, pomegranate seeds and Cuties. 

Ember continues to grow and learn in all aspects of life. She keeps getting stronger and learning new things physically. She improved at skiing with another year under her belt and is much faster than I would like to go. She played volleyball for the first time and did really well for her first year. Her FCS JV volleyball team actually ended up winning 1st place in the intermural program the city puts on for private and charter schools. Ember started official gymnastic classes this year and quite quickly moved from Level 1 to Level 3. She truly enjoys learning new skills and is often practicing handstands and back walkovers around the house or at the park. Ember continues to grow and excel academically as well. In January she won her school spelling bee and advanced to the Coconino County spelling bee where she won 2nd place against 2nd -8th graders who won their school spelling bees. She is in a math class 2 levels above her grade level and in an advanced ELA class. Ember continues to grow in her emotional health as well although it continues to be the most difficult for her. She still has days where she does great at nicely stating what she needs and keeping under control and then there are other days that she lets things get under her skin too quickly and upset her. She is continuing to learn that she can't please everyone and needs to at times just do what she enjoys without thinking of others opinions of her. We also encourage her not look to be a victim in all situations. Most people (even her brothers) aren't always trying to ruin what she would like to have happen on purpose. Sometimes things just don't go as planned and we have to adapt to that. She has surprised me multiple times within the last year by being super helpful or selfless without us asking her to. She offered to carry my water bottle to the car for me, she let Reece go first on something voluntarily and ran upstairs to help Kade get his shirt down when he asked me to help. Spiritually, Ember still has a desire to know God more and more and to please Him with her choices. Sometimes her own selfish will takes over but that isn't usually what she wants. She continues to memorize scripture and catechisms. She continues to take her Bible to church and take notes. She has good insights when we do family worship night and our nightly prayer and Bible reading. 

Ember is mature beyond her years in some areas and then, at the same time, still so in need of training, love and direction. We are so thankful that God has placed us in her life to help with these things. Ember is so special and unique in how God has made her and it is so exciting to watch new things unfold and grow in her each year. We are so thankful for our 11 years with Ember and pray for many more years and memories with our wonderful girl! We love you, Ember! 

BIRTHDAY ACTIVITIES: 

Pancakes for breakfast


We took Ember lunch at school

She got to open a few presents after school. She got a mood necklace, a 3D pen and some new Nike tennis shoes



We went trick or treating in Belmont again with some friends



We finally had the ice cream sundaes Ember wanted for her birthday treat about a month later because of busyness and sickness


Ember's 11 Year Interview:

Favorite color? Blue

Favorite toy? Tickle

Favorite food? Pizza and soup

A food you don't really like? pomegranate seeds

Favorite thing to watch? Dude Perfect

Favorite place to go? Mexico

Favorite book? Chronicles of Narnia

Favorite song? "The Middle"

Favorite restaurant? Pano Vino (in Mexico)

Favorite thing to do each day? Read and sleep

Favorite thing to do with Mommy? Go to stores

Favorite thing to do with Daddy? Get Boba tea and get tickled

What makes you happy? Friends, family, and getting A's

What is something scary? Thinking about my family dying

What are you really good at? Reading, math, singing, hugging

Who is your best friend? Evelyn, Evi, Bailey, Adeline

What do you want to be when you grow up? Teacher

What do you think about before you fall asleep? How the day went, how I wished the day went, and future days


Here are some more pictures from the last year!