Mattox is a Teen

 Mattox,

Buddy, you are now 13. I am about a month late writing this, and you have just started 7th grade. The past year has been a good one for you. Last fall, at the start of 6th grade, you committed to getting better at soccer. You have worked all year and have found yourself working mainly as a goal keeper. You started middle school at Parkwood Middle School, but after Christmas break, you transferred to a small Christian school. Academically, you had an amazing year. You made straight A's all year long. You made new friends and recently expressed an interest in getting baptized. 

Last fall you also became a foster brother to a little guy named Jermaine. You were great with him. We recently got a new placement. A little girl. She adores you. You are one of the kindest brothers anyone could ever have. I admire your patience, kindness, and fairness. 

Your favorite thing in the world is screen time. You and Sam are best friends. You are very intelligent and always want everything to be equal. You aren't a huge extrovert, but you don't love being bored either. You don't love being outside in extreme weather and you absolutely hate mosquitoes and other bugs. You are seriously handsome. 

I am feeling optimistic that the teenage years aren't going to be as bad as everyone says they will be when it comes to you. You are logical, kind, fair, and smart. You are a bit sneaky but you are a terrible liar and you don't get away with much. I love you so much. You own my heart and always will. I will always be here for you if you ever need anything. I hope you can always come talk to me. Here's to many more birthdays! I am very proud of you.

Love,

Mom

Sam turns 11

 Sam,

The past year has been a year of major growth for you. We gained a foster placement at the beginning of the summer. A little guy with a lot of medical problems. At first, you were unsure. You weren't the first to hug him or touch him or help with him. Soon after he came though, you started to really be his champion. You were so sweet and kind to him. You grew to love him. He went back in October. This year you started and completed the 4th grade. Your best friend (other than Mattox) is Alec, a buddy from school. The two of you are pretty funny and yall talk like a bunch of old men.

This year you also started your first year of club swim. You swam for a team called, Team Charlotte Swim. You are a decent swimmer. You never complain about going and you are continually getting better, stronger, and more confident. It has been very fun to watch you swim this year. You really like your coach, Rob, and he is the perfect role model for you at this point in your life. You met another good friend through swim. His name is Parker. The two of you swim almost every event together and are super cute to watch.

This year, you also did awesome when we went skiing. You are slow, but getting faster and better each time you ski. You are such an easy and likable kid. You still LOVE Pokemon and now you have an obsession with video games. 

This year was the first time you made straight As. You are a smart kid. You are also very wise. You don't run your mouth or react to anything drastically. You are pretty steady but I think you have a lot going on inside your head. You are a good friend and brother and I think you are a mentally strong 11 year old. You have grit and I don't really worry about you. Everyone loves you. 

I love you the most because I am your mom. I pray that you continue to seek the Lord's will for your life. I love you and I am very very proud of you. I hope year 11 is filled with health, fun, friendship, and success. 

Thanks for making me a proud mom.

Love you always

-MOM

Eli Turns Six

 Eli,

Happy 6th Birthday! This has been a big year for you. Shortly after you turned 5, PawPaw passed away. That is the first relative you know that passed away. He was your great grandfather, but loved you so much. This year you learned how to ride a bike. You haven't practiced much, so you are still kind of wobbly. You did your first year of summer swim team this past summer. You were the youngest there so we kept telling you that you got 1st place for being a 5 year old. The truth is, you were the only 5 year old, but it was so fun to watch you get pumped about getting first place. This year, we also had our first foster care placement. A little guy name Jermaine. At first, you were unsure. Then, you fell in love with him. It was fun to see you grow to love him and you were such an amazing big brother. You loved to be helpful with him and were very proud that you learned how to cut off his g-tube feed. This past fall, you started Kindergarten. You started in the dual language program and you already know a lot of Spanish. You love your teachers, Mrs Diaz and Ms Sierra. I am pretty sure you are a very well liked kid. Your best friends are Harry and Korinn. This year you played machine pitch baseball. You were one of the best on the team. You look SO cute in a little baseball uniform. You are also playing basketball. You don't love it as much as baseball, but you practice it a lot at home. I hope you had an awesome birthday and I want you to know how loved you are. You are funny and so very smart. You are so capable, people hardly believe you are so young. You are so expressive and you love Dad the most. You are so much like him. You laugh a lot, smile a lot, and buy into all the funny stuff he does. We love you so much. Happy Birthday big guy!

Love,

Mom