Happy Birthday Laurel!

 Our tiny little Laurel Ann turns 14 today! This girl is truly something else and we are all so blessed to be living in her world. My friend told me once "I love talking to Laurel....everything that comes out of her mouth is gold" and she is not wrong. She is hilarious with her phrases and descriptions without even trying and sometime it seems like we are talking to an elderly woman when she speaks.  I love it! Her heart is so pure and she is so confident in herself and what she is doing. At times that can mean a stubborn streak that is frustrating to her parents, but I really admire her integrity. Laurel is funny, sweet, thoughtful, athletic, kind, independent, and determined. She gets the most angry when she is called out for a wrongdoing but I've just recently come to discover that she's not angry for the act of getting caught, but rather she's angry at herself. She knows right away when her words or actions were hurtful and she really gets upset that she caused someone pain. Laurel is, for the most part, the most easy going kid we have. She usually doesn't know the upcoming plans, but she is totally fine just going along with whatever we are doing! Every year since she started to talk I've noticed that she is a thinker before she is a doer. She examines and truly gets to the root of the conversation or written piece. Unfortunately this does not always transfer to her academic career as she tends to rush through her work so she can be done! But when she does slow down, she is an excellent writer with fun details and creative techniques. Laurel loves animals (especially dogs and highland cows), soccer, ribs, swimming, watching television, pop music, pizza pockets, chocolate milk, fidgets, telling you about her injuries, and hamburgers. She does not like chores, science, being last, waking up early, cake, clipping her toenails, or seeing someone hurt. She is easy going, tough, a fierce and forever friend, understanding, compassionate and mature. We joke often that Laurel is the luckiest member of our family and she is just gifted with things absolutely falling into perfect place for her. On the day she was born, she was a pretty fussy newborn and Matt and I were exhausted and the nurses on duty at the hospital that night told us that even though it wasn't protocol, it was pretty slow in the delivery department at that time so they would take her to the nurses station and hold her while we got several hours of sleep. She has been won raffle drawings, been waited on with surprising speed in a time sensitive situation at the sporting goods store, had coaches hold her jacket/sweatshirt/water bottle while she competed....Laurel succeeds and is taken care of in most life situations. And the beauty is that she does not take that for granted or even really notice it....she just keeps bouncing happily through life! We love her so much and appreciate her attitude and can all learn from her steadfastness and honesty. We are so proud of you little Lowlie Pie!

1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite sport? Soccer
3. What is your favorite fruit? Watermelon
4. What is your favorite movie? Once Upon A Time
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Pizza pockets
7. What is your favorite subject in school? Electives
8. What is your favorite snack? Homemade granola bars
9. What is your favorite animal? Dog
10. What is your favorite song? 
11. What is your favorite book? What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible
12. Who is your best friend? Brooklyn and Paisley
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cocoa Pebbles
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride the motorcycle
15. What is your favorite drink? Chocolate milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17.What is your favorite restaurant? Red Robin
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Donuts
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Hamburgers
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Physical therapist 

Levi's 12th Birthday

Happy 12th birthday to our favorite young man! Levi has been a joy and blessing to our family from the moment we brought him home. His humor and wit has been far more mature at each stage of his life and he continues to be the most funny person I know. Levi likes being the youngest of the family and the only boy and he handles both with excellence. He is the bravest child we have…investigating weird noises with a hockey stick or other weapon of choice at the ready. He pulls out the gopher traps when they are triggered not caring if there is a mangled dead animal on the other end. Levi is also very thoughtful and kind to his sisters. He continuously asks the girls if it’s okay that he eats the last of something and we hear all the time “it’s okay…I’ll take that one because I know the girls will like the other”. It can be frustrating at times when we want his opinion or to do something nice just for him and he immediately thinks of what Erika and Laurel will like. But if that’s the only hiccup in their relationship I should count my blessings! He is selfless and kind and independent. Levi has no problem making conversation with anyone….his age or an adult. He appreciates others and is a friend to anyone. He made the transition from elementary school to middle school like he was born for it. He likes the more fast paced day and learning and his teachers have already seen what an asset he is to any classroom. He continues to be the most diligent worker….the first thing he does when he gets home from school is pull out any homework he has to complete it right away. And we never have to ask him twice….usually we never even have to ask him once…to help with any chores around the house. Levi does not like being wrong and especially doesn’t like when the wrong is pointed out to him. Each year he gets more and more able to realize when he needs to remove himself from the rest of the family and will just quietly go to his room to cool off. It’s hard to witness sometimes because I still see my baby boy in him who was always smiling and happy go lucky so when he gets upset and angry it hurts. Levi has become really involved in our church family, asking to help lead worship and read scripture and do the A/V booth. He loves to serve and loves God and has a true heart to do what is right. Levi loves Legos, fruit bowls, canoeing, pork chops, being outside, driving the go-cart, Airsoft, milkshakes, and Roblox. He doesn’t like shopping, hot dogs, going to his sister’s soccer games, folding laundry, or practical jokes. We are blessed by his love, humility, servant heart, compassion, and kind example that he demonstrates every day. We love you so much Little Man!!

1. What is your favorite color? Yellow
2. What is your favorite sport? Track & Field
3. What is your favorite fruit? Green grapes
4. What is your favorite movie? Avengers Age of Ultron
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Corn dogs
7. What is your favorite subject in school? Choir
8. What is your favorite snack? Chex Mix
9. What is your favorite animal? Deer
10. What is your favorite song? Don’t Stop Believing 
11. What is your favorite book? I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster
12. Who is your best friend? Boston
13. What is your favorite cereal? Multi-Grain Cereal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Drive the go-cart
15. What is your favorite drink? Ginger Ale
16. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
17.What is your favorite restaurant? Texas Roadhouse
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Waffles
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Burgerville
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Astronaut then a teacher