School Pictures 2017-2018

I still need to catch up on July-September happenings on the blog sometime soon, but while the pictures on still fresh on the desktop I thought I'd post the boys school pictures that I took yesterday! James is in second grade, Jude in K4, and Joah in K2 but he really just dabbles in what everyone else is doing with no set curriculum at this point. Parenting in general (and then homeschooling added to that) is probably the hardest job that I have ever done. Many days I question my decisions and myself, but I know this is the place that God has continued to call us for another year and so we press on by the Lord's strength.

Joah and Jude's Birthday Letters at 2 and 4 (long overdue)

I never got around to posting these birthday letters for Joah's second birthday in May and Jude's fourth birthday letter in June. My blog is still the easiest way for me to go back and find old memories/pictures around the time that they happened so I'm still (very occasionally) posting here!

May 4, 2017

Happy Second Birthday, Joah Lakes! Two years ago we were anticipating your arrival, and in these few short years together you have just infiltrated our hearts and family with everything that is uniquely and wonderfully you. Every year we get a better glimpse into who you are and are becoming. Sometimes as the third baby boy in our family, your preferences don't stand out as clearly because most of the time your choice is just to be in the middle of whatever your brothers are doing. "Who wants to eat?" or "Who wants________?" (fill in the blank with just about anything) and your little voice resounds with a sweet, enthusiastic "meeeeee!" if it seems like a good idea to everyone else. But slowly as you grow (very tall, it appears!) and change we are seeing a glimpse of the little boy that you are becoming. 

At two years old you are already sporting mostly 3T clothing and size 7 shoes which you really prefer not to wear. Your hair is still silky baby-soft and dirty blonde, and your changing eye color seems to be settling on a golden brown. You are tall and strong and are quickly catching up with Jude, and you may just surpass both your brothers in height eventually.  You've got a big, endearing smile that's all your own and 14 (almost 16) baby teeth to go with it.   

You are easy-going by nature (as much as a two year old can be!) and very independent. You are much better at waiting and playing alone than your older brothers were at this age (likely out of necessity) but you are very content to find things to get into on your own and you think up ideas the other two never had time to even figure out (like recently licking and sticking fruit snacks all over your body!) You are fearless and rarely ask for help. If James and Jude can do it, then you will try it too: climb up, get on, slide down, jump off, you name it...you'll be a big help for your mama one day when you aren't giving her gray hair or a heart attack! You are friendly and enjoy being with family and friends, and you are always so excited to see your Daddy at the end of the day. You are rough and easily hold your own (I feel bad about it sometimes, but it's all you've ever known with two big brothers!). When you really need our attention in this crazy family, you pull our chin toward you with your hand which we have a (mostly)love-hate relationship with until you can tell us what you really want us to hear (even if we don't understand it all!). You are talking up a storm in the last month or so. You use all of your family's names, you are stringing sentences and phrases together, and memorizing parts of your brothers' Bible verses from Awana and parts of songs. Hearing your little voice and all your new words just brings us such delight! Some of your most commonly used words and phrases right now are: "I see, Mama.", "I want that, Mama.", "No!", "I love you too!", "Jaaaaames" and "Juuuude!" (You are so used to us calling their names that you do it too, especially when you know they aren't listening!), and "I eat." 

Your interests right now seem to include: Mickey Mouse, Donkey (from Shrek!), music and dancing, playing in the water or swimming, books, "doh" (playdoh), your play kitchen, animals (as long as they don't come too close (you cry to see them and then cry when they come to see you), and balls (you've got quite an arm and we are still working on when and what is appropriate to throw. Needless to say, meals can be crazy right now!). Your most favorite foods right now are probably: chicken nuggets, scrambled eggs, hotdogs, turkey, macaroni and cheese, fruit, chips, and desserts. You mostly drink water but some juice and milk. We are investigating a possible dairy allergy, although really you've just had a lot of sickness and respiratory sickness in the last two years (which we learned in the last week is likely due, at least in part, to hidden mold in our house.)

So, on your second birthday this year we find ourselves temporarily uprooted and living in the upstairs of Nana and Grandpa's house and not in the only place that you've really known as "home" (since about four months old). You will probably come to know one day that your mama (me!) likes to love you sweet boys of mine lavishly and especially on birthdays make every detail special, and so this year I'm coming to terms with the fact that this birthday won't look the way I might have planned. But this year as I let go of the perfecting, we will celebrate you with simplicity: with a tricycle (so you don't have to try to steal your brother's any longer), a store-bought cake, and a family outing of your choice. We will most importantly give you the gift of time surrounded by the people that love you most. And I know that you will feel so celebrated and loved! I pray that with each passing year you will always know that you are loved, treasured, celebrated, and valued in our family!

I want you to know on your second birthday and always that your parents serve, love, and are loved by a sovereign God. And even when our plans change or things just simply don't go our way, that none of this catches Him by surprise. Every circumstance in this life is molding us and shaping us into the person that God desires us to be and ultimately to look more like Jesus. I pray that as you look back on your childhood in all of the details and memories, that most of all you would see Jesus in me! And that our faith will one day be yours because our love proclaimed like a megaphone  His perfect love for you.  

Joah, on your second birthday I praise God for your life! I praise him for disrupting our whole world in the best possible way with your birth! I praise God that with the interruption of our plans this week, we can celebrate what is better! I am thankful every day for the chance to be your mama. I am so undeserving and, yet, so overwhelmed with gratitude to know you, love you, and call you my son. I love you forever, my Joah Bear. 

Love, Mama (and Daddy, James, and Jude too!)

June 7, 2017

Happy Fourth Birthday to our middle monkey, Jude Brooks! We thank God for placing your right in the middle of our crazy (but wonderful) family, our "praise" baby. Praise will ever be on our lips for God's gracious gift of your sweet life in His perfect timing. We praise Him for your sweet brown eyes that sparkle when you smile, and for the last four years how you've been been lighting up our world and bringing joy to everyone around you. You are adorable, social and outgoing, and you are always on the look-out for a group of older girls to play with you wherever you go. Many times you have declared lately, "I love girls, Mama!" And lately you love to watch Wheel of Fortune with me, on  the lookout for Vanna White and her "fancy dresses." You are a charmer! You love to tell Mama that's I'm "pretty" on days that I'm extra dressed up. You always say that "the girls"

(on your soccer team or your VBS leaders) are your favorite part of every experience. 

At four years old, you are transitioning from baby to big boy. Your look is changing: your body is more slender and your curls are loosening (which I have been in denial about for a while but we're finally cutting your hair shorter). You are short and muscular with a sweet, deep voice and a charming smile that warms everyone's heart. You are rough and rugged and yet so endearing. You are able to do so many things independently now and absolutely don't want our help opening anything (and will refuse the desired item if we forget). You know all your colors and are starting to learn your letters and numbers (and are showing more of an interest in learning and reading books). You continue to excel at puzzles. You memorized 31 Bible verses for Awana this year and have a knack for memorizing song lyrics too. You love to sing and dance, and I'm learning to differentiate my teaching style to you through songs as much as possible. Potty training has been more of a challenge with you, but I know these days are fleeting and "accidents" will be a distant memory one day (if a memory at all). I know that with every milestone you will do them all in your own time and own way (different from your brothers). 

I love the ways that you are different and unique! I love your love of "little toys" especially the mystery and surprise bag forms. I'm convinced you would rather have a "little toy" for a few dollars than a more expensive item any day. I love that you love to carry your little toys around in little bags and backpacks - they are your treasures! You like what you like in many areas of life and don't care if anyone else follows or agrees. You prefer strawberry over chocolate (although you like both - really all candy and dessert are your favorite and all fruit too)! You love "green monsters" and other rough (yet heart-warming) characters (Mike W., The Hulk, trolls, Jack Sparrow (your latest favorite!)). Your beloved characters aren't usually everyone else's favorites. I adore that about you and predict one day will watch you lead greatly instead of follow. 

You love your brothers fiercely. Someone recently asked you if James was your brother and you responded, "No, he's my best friend." That made this mama's heart melt because my prayer is that you three would always remain close and truly have a special, unbreakable bond. Of course, you fight like brothers sometimes but I love to watch your adventures together. You are a peace-maker and very unselfish with them most of the time. If you are getting something for yourself to eat, you often ask for them as well. You are happy to go with the flow (although you don't seem to do well out of your routine like when Daddy is out of town or the months we were displaced from our home this year), are pretty independent and laid-back, and are not a super emotional guy. If you ever ask for me to snuggle, hold you, play with you, or read to you, I usually drop whatever I'm doing to have that special time with you! 

Jude, I am just so incredibly grateful to be your mother! You embrace life with so much freedom and you teach your fearful mama so much every day! You bring me so much joy and I could not imagine my world without you, Jude. I want you to know that I will love you always. Nothing could ever change that and I will strive every day to be the best mother that I can possibly be for you and love you well! I also want you to know that God loves you more than you could ever fathom! You are on loan to us from Him. My greatest prayer is that you would trust him wholly with wild abandon with your whole heart and make him your Lord and Savior one day very soon. I don't care what path you take as long as your are taking the path that is walking hand in hand with your Maker! He has great plans for you and I still can't believe that I get to be a part of them! I love you forever, my Jude-y Bear!

Love, Mama

(And Daddy, James, and Joah too!)