Aiden :: 7 Years

Happy, happy 7th birthday Aiden! 

My Sweet Aiden,

This year has been so fun. You have always had a fun personality, but you have just continued to grow into yours, and you have kept us laughing along the way. You always seem to have funny little quips, and you are often unintentionally funny. Your Daddy and I often comment on how we hope that you always keep your self-confidence, because you just are fully YOU and seem 100% comfortable in your own skin. And we love that for you. You sing your way through your days, and you have started full serenades in the shower. They are my absolute favorite :)

This was the year that you dropped "Mommy" and started calling me plain "Mom." And while there is a part of my heart that broke a little to hear your little voice say, "Hey, Mom," for the first time, I am still so thankful that it is still quickly followed by, "I love you." You also started loving country music with me, and I love that it's probably mostly because I do, and I think it's just about the sweetest thing. I don't mind if that's "our thing." I'll sing "Where the Blacktop Ends" with you any day, my sweet boy. 

You love all things soldier and bad guys and armies and ninjas and fighting and superheroes. If there are swords and guns and tanks and knives, EVEN BETTER. But you also firmly have Pooh Bear by your side, and you gladly play Pretty Pretty Princess with your sister {and then promptly smash all the things}. You love to dance and would play outside in the dirt all day if we let you. You wrestle with your brother, but come find your Mama to snuggle {before you're off again on your next adventure}.

We love you so much, Aiden, and we are so excited that you are turning 7. We can't wait to see what this next year holds for you.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Love, 

Mama

Hello 40

Well, I am officially 40! :)

I am so thankful for a sweet birthday and for reaching such a big milestone! Mike and the kids made the day special, and I was so thankful for all of the birthday wishes from family and friends throughout the day. 

Unfortunately, I ended up sick {hello 40?}, so we are rescheduling my birthday dinner. And I get to plan a fun trip later this year, so the birthday festivities continue!

I had not dreaded 40 in the traditional sense. I don't necessarily fear getting older; I am actually grateful for the growth and maturity that have come with the years of aging. I just don't fret about the things that my 20 year old self used to, because they just don't matter the same as they did then. While my physical body may feel every bit of its years {and more}, I am thankful for the advantage of hindsight and wisdom and experience that comes with aging. I can appreciate feeling more comfortable in one's own skin, knowing more of who you are, and feeling confident in the life you live. 

That's not to say I have all of the answers and always feel confident in all of my decisions. I am currently in a season of unknowns {again}, not knowing what is around the corner, and still wrestling with what it looks like to trust the Lord. But in my years of walking with the Lord, I have gained the advantage of seeing His goodness and faithfulness on full display in countless situations, and I can walk in more confidence, simply because I have walked with Him longer. 

That's a gift that I didn't have 30 years ago, when brand-new baby Christian Erin didn't know anything else but that she wanted to follow Jesus. 

A gift that I didn't have 20 years ago, when growing Christian Erin was stepping out into the world and learning the reality of walking by faith and trusting her Savior. 

A gift that I didn't have 10 years ago, when struggling Christian Erin was crying out for answers in the midst of another season of unknowns and grief and loss, trying desperately to hold on to the truths she knew when nothing around her made sense.

As I think back on 40 years of life, 30 years of walking with the Lord, I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for all that the Lord has done. For His goodness and faithfulness to me over the years, and for His patience and long suffering with me. It's really hard to put into words, so I will say is that I am entering my 40s just incredibly thankful. 

As grateful as I am, celebrating on my birthday was still hard. There was a phone call that was decidedly missing from the day, and the reality of hitting a milestone he won't was really difficult to grapple with. So it was a bittersweet day, for sure. But I can still praise God for the gift of a new year, be thankful for each new day, and I can be thankful for how the Lord continues to take care of us, offering sweetness and grace in the midst of the tears.

-------

And as for that 40 Before 40 List...I kept thinking that I had plenty of time to check these things off. And then all of a sudden, I had 6 months left and not enough time at all!  Oh well :)

But even when I made the list, I knew that some would be a bit of a stretch, a bit of a dream to cross off. And some of these items have become out of reach for varying life circumstance reasons. But that's ok. I was still able to cross a few off, and the Lord has been so gracious to me over the past decade, even without crossing some of these off. Even looking at the list now, I'm wondering why some of these were so important at the time. I guess it's just fun to have a list of things to think and dream about.   

Celebrate our 10th anniversary with a trip away {sans kiddos!}

Finish a full year of hand lettering challenges - nope

Achieve and maintain remission for Crohn's - but does it count if I lost it right before my birthday?? Sigh.

Renew and use my passport - I don't even know where mine is...

Make a wise investment - I think buying our house should count

Take a family road trip to a new place

Take a photography class - the course is sitting in my inbox still...

Go on a train ride - does the steam train at Dollywood count?

Enjoy a fun girls' weekend away - this is coming!!

Take a self-defense class - nope

Go on a hot air balloon ride - haha nope

See the Grand Canyon - double haha nope

Read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - this should have been an easy one, such a missed opportunity!

Become flexible enough to do the splits - Ok. I actually tried this one for awhile. And then decided "why?"

Finish our baby clothes quilt - still on my "very much want to do" list

Explore a cave

Hug a redwood - nope

Take a cooking class - nope

Complete a 9000 piece puzzle - I didn't realize how expensive these are haha

Enjoy a white Christmas - timing hasn't been right

Join a book club - I'm counting our women's summer book club, especially since I led it last summer!

Recreate a childhood photo - this one made me tear up...because I had plans to do this with my brother. I had the exact photo in mind too. Don't put stuff off, guys. 

Cook a full Thanksgiving dinner

Release a floating lantern - I know the festival I want to go to. Just need to plan it and get a babysitter!

Serve in a new ministry - nope. I think I found the ones I'm supposed to be in for now.

Pay for a stranger's meal - nope

Watch the sunrise in a beautiful place - I think the hills of West Virginia are pretty beautiful.

Dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean - not yet

Visit the 5 states bordering Virginia 

{Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina}

Take a hike to view waterfalls

Have a professional makeup lesson - nope

See a play - nope

Be a tourist in Washington D.C.

Buy a house

Celebrate my 20 year friendiversary with Laura {2024} - again, such a missed opportunity!

Disciple a younger mom - I have tried, but nothing formal.

Write a children's book with my mom - nope. And what?

Undertake a home renovation project - does having our kitchen and floors redone count?

Finish and order our 13th year photo book - I am SO far behind on our family photo books...

Read the letter I wrote to myself to open on my 39th birthday...and write one to open on my 49th birthday - this was fun to read :)

Aiden :: 6 Years

Happy, happy birthday sweet boy! You are six years old today!

My Sweet Aiden,

I'm pretty sure I have been telling you for months that we are not celebrating this birthday, that you are just going to stay little forever, that you are not allowed to grow anymore. And yet, here we are. You didn't seem to listen very well. And every time I told you that you were not allowed to grow, you would just grin and tell me, "Mommy, of course I am going to grow! I have to grow!" And I'd kiss you and hug you and squish you down, willing you to stop growing anyway. 

I know I have joked about it, sweet boy, but there is a part of my Mama heart that wants to keep you little forever. Or at least wants to slow the passage of time so that it stops going by so fast. Because one minute you were a tiny little chunk in my arms, and now you are starting 1st grade, and my heart feels the weight of losing my little boy. There are still glimpses...you still giggle and laugh and ask for "more!" in that silly little boy way. You are hanging on tight to that Pooh Bear and at this point, I am happy to let you carry Pooh to college with you {kidding...sort of}. You are still obsessed with the garbage/recycling trucks, though now you track the days and even monitor the status of all our neighbors' cans haha. My heart still melts when you yell across the house- out of the blue- in your tiny voice "Mommy? I love you." 

But there are also glimpses of growing up. And while it's hard because you are my baby...I do really mean it when I say that I am excited to see you grow. Because growing up {so far} has brought sword fights and chess games and basketball in the driveway. It has brought "Mommy? Will you play soccer with me?" and army man battles and "did you see that, Mommy?" or "are you watching, Mommy?" to all the cool new things you are learning. You are still so full of joy, wanting to help all the time, often coming to find me just to hang out and watch what I am doing. You adore your brother and sister and just want to be where they are all of the time, because you genuinely like being with them.

You have been counting down to your birthday probably since your last one haha. You love fun and celebrating, and I hope that you feel loved and celebrated today. Your Daddy and I love you so much, and we cannot wait to see what this next year holds for you. Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Love, 

Mama

Aiden :: 5 Years

Happy 5th Birthday to our sweet boy, Aiden!

My Sweet Aiden,

How are you five? I blinked, and my baby boy is no longer a baby. The tiny years are officially behind us, and we are heading into a new phase of school, and boyhood, and adventure. You start kindergarten on Monday! My Mama heart is having a hard time with all of this transition, and I am having a hard time catching my breath as I think about the little boy you are becoming. I think about the man you will become and I basically just start bawling haha. But sweet boy, I am beyond excited to have a front row seat to all of it. As I sit here typing this, I am watching you catch baby sharks with your fishing pole, your little tongue out in concentration, yelling out, "Mommy, look! I did it!" And I can't help but feel gratitude for the life we have been given with you. You bring so much joy and fun, and I just can't imagine our family any other way. You have taught me an extra measure of patience and grace and creativity in my parenting, but you have also given me an extra measure of love and joy and laughter. My heart swells with pride when I watch you share and open your heart big to the people around you, and my heart just melts into a peddle every time you yell out {still}

Aiden: Mommy?

Me: Yes, Aiden?

Aiden: I love you.

Your Daddy and I love you so much, sometimes it feels like our hearts might burst. You are such a gift to us, and we thank God every day for you. We pray that you are always filled with His joy and love, that you always look for ways to include and care for other people. Happy Birthday, my sweet boy! I hope you enjoy every moment of it, knowing that you are loved and one of the best parts of this family.

Love,

Mama

STATS: 48 pounds, 45 inches tall

{iPhone Rewind} :: September

Morning Nature Walk!

We love playing music at the park

Making Rapunzel hair with Play Doh :)

This cutie was super nervous about his pediatrician check-up. He was teary-eyed, asking to go home every 2 minutes, but we prayed, squeezed Pooh bear tight, held Mommy's hand...and he did great! After, he said "Mommy! I'm all done! Pooh Bear and Jesus and Mommy helped me be brave! I'm so proud of myself."

Finally moved to a booster seat! #stopgrowing

We got to play at Pastor Milt's house!

Maddie Girl with Maddie Dog :)

Making our own pizzas for National Cheese Pizza Day

Cutie girl and her bows :)

Had our own Penny Store for math class

Eli: "Let's hold hands Maddie!"  #lovethem #twinlove

Making Aunt Lindsay's Monster Cookies to share with friends!

Finished reading Raggedy Ann Stories + a rainy afternoon = spreading out Mommy's BABY blanket and watching the musical

Building ramps in science!

Kicked off our fall Bible study...so grateful to study the Word with these ladies!

Sometimes Mommy can get creative with lunch and the kids think it's the greatest thing ever ;)

We're still working on our coordination {as well as our patience with each other}, but I love that we get to spend our mornings playing outside!

Flowers for fall from my love!

Snuggling up for Bible story

Cox Farms opened, and I forgot to take a different route...

Visited a fun new park with friends!

Car Picnic!

Sweet Girl

Aiden: "Mommy! I'm big enough to pull the recycling bin inside!"

Aiden :: 4 Years

Happy 4th birthday to our sweet Aiden!

My Sweet Aiden, 

You are not really sticking to our agreement that you will stay tiny, never grow, and be my little baby boy forever... but oh, what a joy this past year has been! I think 3-year-old-Aiden has been the most fun, and we are just constantly smiling at the things you say, the silly and expressive faces you make, and the goofy things you do. You are still obsessed with garbage trucks, and you are the "neighborhood watch"- you know every delivery that's made, what neighbors are doing, who hasn't pulled in their recycling cans yet haha. You are still madly in love with your Pooh Bear, but you have also added Panda, Aiden-Bear, and Dinosaur {to stand guard outside your bedroom door} to the armful of items you carry around with you all day. And of course, we can't forget your blanket and pillow; you don't even use the pillow haha; you just keep it in your bed and carry it with your arsenal of stuffies. You are constantly on-the-go, always ready for adventure, wondering where we are going next; you would live outside if I let you! You love stories, both listening to and telling them, and your expressions when relaying information are priceless. You want to do everything your brother and sister do, and I often forget that you are still a good bit younger. But I love how close you three are, and I pray that you always have a strong bond. Despite how big you are getting, you are still our little snuggle bug, and my heart melts every time you yell from across the room as if you are going to ask for something:

Aiden: Mama?

Me: Yes, Aiden?

Aiden: I love you!

Sweet Boy, Daddy and I are so thankful for you. We cannot wait to see what this next year brings, and we pray that your expressive personality is used to draw people in, love them well, and show them the unimaginable joy that only Jesus can bring. Happy Birthday, Aiden. We love you!

Love,

Mama

Stats :: 44 pounds, 42.75 inches tall

Maddie Lost Her First Tooth!

Today was a big day in our house...Maddie lost her first tooth!

A few days ago, Maddie called out to me during nap/rest time, really worried and upset about something. When I went to see what was the matter, she showed me that she had a loose tooth!

She was really nervous about it, unsure of what was going to happen. We talked through what she could expect, as I tried to reassure her that it was not going to hurt, that not all of her teeth would fall out at the same time, and that she would, in fact, be able to eat after she lost just the one tooth :)

It came up several times over those couple of days, but today it was mostly forgotten. And then all of a sudden, I heard Mike say "go show Mommy!" and Maddie came around the corner with a big smile on her face, holding out her lost tooth! She was BEYOND excited. I asked her if it hurt or felt funny, and she was so relieved to say, "Mommy, I thought it would hurt to lose my tooth, but it didn't!"

We are not going to do the Tooth Fairy, but I wanted to have a little surprise to celebrate this big milestone. Unfortunately, I thought we had some more time before it came out, so she is patiently waiting for her surprise to arrive in our Amazon delivery haha. 

Losing her tooth is all she can talk about now! She keeps talking about how it happened, when it happened, and what she thinks her fun surprise will be. She is also offering her brothers all the advice on how to lose a first tooth :)

So proud of this brave, beautiful girl! Now I'm off to shed a few tears over how big she's getting so fast...

{iPhone Rewind} :: May

Banana swirl a la Daniel Tiger

National Orange Julius Day!

We fed the Alphabet Monster to practice our lower case letters :)

Eli and Maddie had another check-up with the eye doctor. Maddie can stop patching {yay!}, and Eli has made a little progress. Slow and steady, but we're sticking with it, focusing on the long game. So proud of these two!

Little man ended up with another fever {??} and was pretty sad and pathetic for a few days.

My Mothers' Day gift from the kiddos :)  {I love them! But I can't wear them without the kids hugging my feet and "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over their faces haha}

Back to hiking at Stone Bridge Trail at Manassas Battlefield

Musical Alphabet

Matching our upper- and lower-case letters

Last day of Preschool calls for homemade fudgsicles!

Oh, how I love them so...

Maddie and Mommy time to get our hair cut! I sure do love this little girl

Playing Baby Shark in honor of Mrs. Becky...the kids loved playing with her!

The competition is fierce...

"Mama, can I hold your hand?"

We got a new sidewalk, so this is where the kiddos camped out to watch!

Just a couple of brothers, enjoying a snack

Not sure how this is comfortable, but ok...

Watching a ladybug!

Snuggles with Daddy!

Story Time with Mr. Jesse

Coloring with my girl :)