Today You Are Nine

Dear Miles,

Another year has come and gone and it's amazing just how much you've grown in that time. You're taller, smarter, kinder, and stronger. You've had experiences that have stretched you and helped you realize just how capable and brave you really are. You've had ups and downs, but have found joy and confidence through it all. 

You love the water. I thought of all the fun things you've done this year, a lot of them are in the water. You played in the ocean, went fishing, went down HUGE scary waterslides at Splash Summit, swam in the pool in the backyard, went crawdad fishing, and did a lot of wakeboarding! Speaking of wakeboarding, you learned how to wakeboard this year! And you are so good at it. I've loved watching you figure it out and improve with every run. I've loved seeing your confidence grow and your great big smile even after face-planting. 

Something else you've really impressed me with is baseball. Having played baseball my entire childhood, it's been fun watching you enjoy it as well. Except you are actually good at it. Ha ha! You're a fantastic batter and can just about hit anything. I think the best position you play is catcher, which is really amazing since you sit and let balls hit you over and over again. But you're focused and collected and confident, and that's just really cool. 

Other things you've enjoyed are snakes, catching snakes, reading about snakes, exercising, writing out exercise plans for your friends and I, going on Mommy Son Dates, playing video games, and building with Legos.

Miles, I love how much love you have to give and how you give it freely. I love that you're kind and helpful. I love that you think of others and want so much to make people smile and feel happy. I like that you're funny and goofy and that we can joke around with each other.

Something fun that happened this year was that you and your brothers made cars for the pinewood derby. You were supposed to race yours with the Primary kids, but a couple days before, you had to come to the Young Men derby since I had to be there with the Young Women and Dad wanted to watch your brothers race. So you brought along your car and when they asked if you'd like to participate, you happily joined in and smoked them all! You got first place! It was hilarious. 

Miles, I love how brave you are. I love that you're up for new and exciting adventures. I love your positivity and your ability to find the good in things. I hope by now you've realized just how good a kid you are and how much you are loved. You are so smart. You are doing 4th grade math at 3rd grade. You are a great reader and you love to learn. You're a good friend. You've made some wonderful friendships this year because you know how to be a good friend. I love your hugs and snuggles and your desire to be near me. I love watching you grow up, but I think you're doing it too quickly.  

I hope this year is wonderful and fulfilling and that you continue to learn and grow and be happy. I hope you continue to choose the right and to listen to the Spirit. I love that you've developed a love and understanding of the Book of Mormon as you've read it on your own. Your Heavenly Father loves you so much and your dad and I love you so much too. 

Thank you for being such a great example to me and for loving me, even when I'm not being very lovable. Thank you for being my baby and for letting me be your mommy. I've loved every minute of it. Truly. Being your mom is the best thing ever. 

Happy Birthday Sweet Miles!

I love you so much,

Mama 

Today You Are Fifteen

Dear Cruise,

You are fifteen today. FIF. TEEN! I feel like we just celebrated your 14th birthday, and yet here we are, number 15. Which makes me feel old. Like, really old.

You did a lot this year and grew in so many ways. You went to your first dance, graduated from jr. high, got your first job at the Megaplex, went to FSY, repelled for the first (and apparently LAST) time, got your Patriarchal blessing, saved enough money to buy yourself a Nintendo Switch, and finally got your braces off! 

Last night, as your dad and I were cleaning up the house and blowing up balloons, the three of us got to talk. I told you about the night before you were born, and your birth day. I told you stories about your babyhood and toddlerhood, and I got to reflect on your childhood and all that you've overcome and accomplished. But most importantly, I got to express to you how much I love you and how grateful I am that you're my son. I honestly can't imagine my life without you.

You are so incredibly lovable, Cruise. You're genuine and funny, and possess an admirable ability to know who you are and not be ashamed of it. You stick up for yourself, you're quick to apologize and own up to your mistakes, and you love your family deeply. 

One of my favorite stories from this year was when I picked you up from work and you told me about your first experience with a "Karen". She had come in demanding popcorn without the yellow flavoring and you explained to her that all the popcorn has it. She demanded you make her some without it. So you got your manager to come over to the till with you and address the issue. You wanted to help and be a good employee, so you tried to come up with solutions. But instead of appreciating your willingness to make her happy, she looked at your manager and said, "Will you tell him to shut up before I slap him?!" The Mama Bear in me wanted to find out who that lady was and tear her a new one. But then you explained that you responded to her in a respectful way, but still sticking up for yourself. You told her that what she said wasn't nice and that you were trying to help her. Luckily your manager was there to relieve you and you "took a water break to cool down." I was so proud of you. For almost fifteen years I had gone to war for you with principals, parents, coaches, and random people who should've known better. I had tried to teach you how to advocate for yourself and to be confident. And here you were, fighting your own battles and sticking up for yourself. I was so proud. I am so proud. And even though I really wanted to hunt that lady down, for the first time I truly knew you were gonna be just fine in this crazy, angry world.

Another small but favorite story was when I came to pick you up from work and realized I had forgotten to bring your wallet you had requested so you could buy a cotton candy. So I walked in to buy it myself, and there you were in your purple and black uniform, smiling ear to ear, ready to take my order. You excitedly told everyone there that I was your mom. And that made my Mama heart happy. You love so outwardly and loudly and I hope that never goes away. Because it's one of my favorite things about you. 

Something else that I loved this year was when we went to get your Patriarchal blessing and the Patriarch asked you to bare your testimony. You bore the most beautiful testimony and I felt the Spirit so strongly. Something I know about you is, when you say "I know", you really do know. You don't have doubts, otherwise you wouldn't say it. What an awesome gift to have! 

Cruise, I could go on and on about how much I love you and all the great things about you. You keep me on my toes, you make me genuinely laugh out loud, you respect me and love me. Tonight as we met together as a family to go over this week's schedule, you ran up to me, gave me a massively tight hug, and told me how much you love me. Just out of the blue. As you hugged me, I felt as if it was my birthday too. And in a way, it kinda is. I was born a new person: a Mother. It was the most transformative day of my life. And here we are, fifteen years later, and I love you more than ever. 

Happy Birthday, Cruise. I love you so much!

Love,

Mom

Modeling the apron you made

Goblin Valley

Goin' to the 9th grade dance

The Resiliency Award

2nd place in the school art show

Happy Birthday!

Today You Are Twelve

Dear Jett,

Holy moly you're 12! It's your last year as a tween! That's absolutely crazy to me seeing as just yesterday you were 8 months old and crawling around on the floor, biting the dog with your love bites. But you are quite the young man now, Jett. You've always been an old soul with an amazing sense of humor. You are wise beyond your years and the kindest person I know. You care so deeply about others and find ways to help people who need it. You are beloved in all groups you frequent. You're not only kind, but you are such a funny kid. You make me laugh every day, and laughing is one of my most favorite things. I love that you can laugh at yourself and have the confidence to just be you. 

You are also an incredibly smart kid. You learn things quickly and you love learning. You problem solve and never give up quickly. Quite often I find that you've read up on something or watched a documentary or video about a subject to understand an interest. Your classmates find you to be so helpful to them when they're struggling understanding something. 

You are so talented as well. You are my I.T. guy when I'm *this* close to throwing the computer against the wall. You're creative and come up with the best stories and art. You are an amazing wakeboarder. You are SUCH an incredible baker. I don't know how you do it, but your baked goods blow my baked goods out of the water. Just the other day you made pizza dough and made an entire pizza from scratch to share with the whole family. Holy cow I LOVED it!  I just absolutely adore cooking and baking with you. It will always be one of my favorite memories.

But my most favorite thing about you, Jett, is your ability to show empathy and compassion. And your ability to see things from another perspective. Most adults can't do that. You help your dad and I out so much, especially when you see us struggling. You help your brothers all the time. You see a need and fill that need. You go above and beyond what is expected. Just a few weeks ago I woke up on a Saturday to find that you had cleaned the entire kitchen. Like, DEEP cleaned. I never asked you to do that. In fact, I've never asked you to do that. But you saw the need and cleaned it and it was glorious. 

Something I love is that you message me every day while you're at school. I don't know if it's frowned upon or not, but you always find time to shoot me a quick message to say hi and to tell me you love me. I always look forward to it. I love our silly banter and that you like talking to me. I love that you come to me with your worries or struggles and that you feel safe confiding in me.

I am so pleased with the man you are becoming. I have been so blessed and can't take much credit for the person you are. You were born the funny, kind, empathetic, snuggly kid that you are today. Gosh, you are such an example to me. I want to be like you when I grow up. 😊

This year is your last in elementary school. You are going to be moving up and on and that totally blows my mind. But you are so ready for more opportunities and responsibility. I have all the confidence that you will rock jr. high. I am so happy that you love your current school and that you've made good friends. I am so grateful that you have kids around you who appreciate all your goodness. Continue to keep good friends.

Jett, boy, I just love you! I hope you've had a fantastic birthday. You bring our family so much joy and you make my Mama heart so proud. Thank you for being such a good son and a really, really good person. 

Thanks for letting me be your mom and your friend. 

Love,

Mom  

Today You Are Eight

Dear Miles,

Gosh, I can't believe you're eight already. It went so fast! People often say, "It seems like just yesterday..." but really, it really, really does. One minute you fit in my arms, all tiny and snuggly, and the next you're all arms and legs. But I'm glad you're still snuggly. You woke up this morning, excited that it was finally your birthday (you've been counting the days for months). You went to get dressed and lo and behold, you grew out of a pair of jeans and a favorite shirt. It's like your body was just waiting for your birthday be rid of your size 7 jeans and size small shirts. Thank goodness for hand-me-down clothes!

Miles, I first just want to say how pleased I am with who you are and the choices you make. Yes, you make mistakes just like the rest of us, but you make a lot of really, really, really good decisions. You are a good friend, brother, and son. You're smart and love to learn. You are kind and respectful. You are funny and helpful. You look out for other people and you know right from wrong. The other day, I sort of choked on something at dinner and I started to cough. And I coughed and coughed. You came up to me and patted me on the back, then ran to the kitchen and got me a glass of water as quick as you could. No one asked you to, you just saw the need, and took action. That's the sort of person you are. I'm so blessed to be your mom. 

This past year we have found ourselves still in a massive pandemic. It's been tough to be a kid during this time, especially for kids like you who need friends and school and playdates. You started a new school this year with new teachers, new friends, new routines, and a few new clothes. You met it with optimism, hope, and complete joy. You've made friends easily and have loved learning new things and having new experiences. And as tough as it is for me to send you out into a world that gives so many reasons to stay at home, your happiness and excitement make it so much easier. You're such a good example to me and so many. 

Miles, this year is a big year for you! You're getting baptized next week and that is so exciting! Today I asked you if you were ready, and you said, "Oh yes! I am so excited!" I asked you how it feels to be eight, and you said, "happy". You're making such an important decision and I am so pleased that you're excited to be making covenants with your Heavenly Father who loves you more than either of us can fathom. I'm so proud of you. 

Thank you for being my baby. I couldn't have asked for a better kid to be my youngest. Today I looked at those clothes you grew out of and realized I'd never see those clothes on one of my kids again. It's weird to mourn things like that, but as you grow, each thing you grow out of becomes the last, and I'm a little sad. But you've got a lot of things to grow out of still, and I'm grateful for every day I have to watch you grow, and grow, and grow out of more things. 

Miles, I hope this year is so kind to you. I hope you continue to love school and make friends. I hope that this pandemic will finally end and you can play maskless and attend all the parties, play with all the kids, and not have to worry about such depressing issues. I hope you never lose that joy and hope that beams from your adorable, toothy face. And I hope you never question how much you are loved. My goodness, you are so loved. 

Happy Birthday, sweet boy. I am so grateful I get to be your Mama. 

Love,

Mom

Today You Are Fourteen

 

My Dear Cruise,

Wow. I just can't believe how grown up you're getting! Despite the fact that it makes me feel incredibly old, I just love watching you grow up and become your own person. This past year has been crazy, especially since you had to do 8th grade at home and we are yet STILL in a pandemic. But you've been awesome through it all and I am so very excited for you to be able to go back to school and have an amazing year! I'm especially excited that you applied and got into Honors Art. That is going to be such a fun class and I know you'll continue to grow in your art and creativity. I am just so proud of you! You're going to do wonderful things.

Well, this year you got your very first grown up cell phone. I remember you getting your very first baby cell phone. It was an Elmo phone and you got it for your 1st birthday. You LOVED that phone and played with it all the time. You've had your hand-me-down iPhone for a whole day now and you already love playing with that one. 

My, how the years have flown. You used to be this adorable chubby baby and now you're an adorable big teenager. I love your sense of humor and how you never act like you're too old for Mom's hugs and kisses. I love that you can talk to me about anything and I love that you are so unique and your own person. I love that you write and draw. I love that you are so creative and imaginative. I love your confidence in who you are and your fearlessness to interact with the world. I admire that a lot.

I hope this year is good to you and that you'll get to learn all sorts of new things and make new friends. I hope you continue to develop your skills and learn more about yourself. I hope you continue to grow in the gospel and that you'll always lean on the Lord and your parents. We love you so much and we love who you are and the man you're becoming. I say it every year, but it's always true: I love being your mom! And I am so grateful that I am. It's never boring. 

I can't wait to see what you'll do this year! Have a great one, kiddo! Happy Birthday!

I love you so much,

Mom

Today You Are Eleven

 Dear Jett,

Wow! It seems like yesterday you were a brand new little guy who just wanted to be snuggled and held all the time. You haven't changed much in that sense. You've always been sweet and so easy to love. Over this past year, you've had to grow and adapt so much. 

Jett, you're the funniest, warmest, most lovable kid I know. You have the best sense of humor and you always can make me laugh. You are so helpful and kind. You think of others and try to see the best in people. You're such a great example to me. You are such a good brother. You help your brothers out when they aren't able to do something. When they're sad or upset and I can't cheer them up, you always seem to be able to. You're a good friend and just a really, really good person. The world needs more Jetts. 

This next year is kind of a big one for you. You're going to get the Priesthood and pass the Sacrament. You're also going to start 6th grade next fall and holy cow! That's crazy! How did you grow up so fast?! You're getting to that fun, awkward puberty stage and as much as I hate to see my babies get bigger and taller than me, I find that there is just so much more of you to love. 

You are finding things you're interested in and really good at. You can solve any computer problem I have and you know how to figure things out when I've given up after 5 minutes. You are such a good reader and end up staying up late with your little lantern reading books cover to cover. You are so talented on the wakeboard; I'm always so impressed at your abilities. You are an excellent cook and baker; I always love cooking together with you. You're good at basketball, Rubix cube, fly fishing, and starting fires (the good kind). You are smart and pick things up fast, and you're incredibly independent, which sometimes is out of necessity. 

Being the middle kid is so hard. I understand more than you know. I've depended on you quite a bit since you were little and I know that's been hard. In a lot of ways, you've had to fill a big-brother role to both your brothers and I know that's unfair. But I am so proud of you and I just appreciate how you always step up and help out, even when you just really don't want to. I love you, kiddo.

I am so grateful for you, Jett. I don't know what we would do without your sweet, funny, and strong spirit. I love hearing your testimony of the Gospel and I love seeing how you live it each day. I am in awe of the young man you are becoming and I really can't take all the credit for it. You're amazing. I hope you know how much I love you; I hope you grow up having no doubts about that. I hope I make you feel loved each and every day and I'm sorry that I fall short sometimes. 

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy, I hope this next year is a great one for you! I love you so much!

Love,

Mom