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Here's our three year old Leisel! She has really grown this year as she became big sister and no longer baby. We can still convince her to share lots of sweet hugs, but she is quite ready to go down the street with the big kids to play with friends. Leisel loves to learn and read books. She loves to sing and listen to music. She has a knack for any gadget and will explore and change the settings on any electronic device if we let her. Leisel took on the potty challenge this year and conquered it. Her nursery leaders say she is the calming steady influence in her class. She is friendly and affectionate after she gets to know new people, and she has become more and more of a chatterbox as my buddy around town when the kids are at school. We are so grateful for the light this beautiful girl brings to our family!
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Beginning this post I realized I don't have lots of great pictures of our Tessa. Maybe she is too busy to stop moving and look at the camera, or maybe I have just posted lots of her photos already.. Nonetheless, Tessa does tend to be a bit of a whirlwind. In September she turned 6!
This year was special for Tessa as she started school and began reading. She has a sharp mind and constantly counts, adds, and recites the jingles she has learned. Tessa loves being a leader and is our strong willed girl, but continues to gain more self-mastery as she grows. She is very social, loyal and loving. Tessa's teacher says she is a "people pleaser." But she has a good sense of right and wrong so she tries to shine by doing good things. Tessa adds so much to our family with her zest for life and go getter attitude.
I should explain the top picture of Tessa because it's unusual to see her not jumping in to join the activity on hand. She came down with a fever in the middle of a trip to the lake, but still wanted to stay close to the fun. At the bottom, Tessa got a spot at the front table for her school Thanksgiving feast and invited all the girls coming through the line to join her. She was in 7th heaven.
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Here are some recent photos of Jordan. If Tessa is a sure 3/1 in energy profiling and Leisel is somewhat of a 2, I have learned this year that Jordan is more of a 4 than I thought. His particular and precise way of thinking will serve him well as he keeps learning to be a animal scientist. Jordan is confident and likes to be an authority on everything. Getting glasses was a little strange and unexpected this summer, but Jordan grew into the pair that he chose. They are perfect for an active and busy guy. The top picture shows Jordan as the third grade four square fanatic that he is. In the classroom, on the playground, and at home, Jordan's competitive streak shows up. He is ready to push himself to do a good job in all his endeavors. It has been great to see Jordan jump into scouting and take responsibility for his baptismal covenant.
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| Jordan is showing off one of his creative projects and his smile after patiently dealing with a year of braces! |
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| Jared took Jordan to the Penguin Encounter at the aquarium for his birthday. Jordan learned the penguins names and paid close attention to their behaviors and how to distinguish between them. He wanted Jared to write everything down and keep a record. |
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Grandma and Grandpa and some cousins came down to cheer Michael on for his last lacrosse game. This fall Michael took on the challenge of being the new guy on our local lacrosse team. He wanted to contribute some of his own savings for the team fees and worked hard to get the most our of his experience. Michael often chooses an area that sounds interesting to him and dives in to learn everything he can about it. As parents we try to keep up with him and support his latest worthy venture. In lacrosse this fall, Michael enjoyed the comradery of the team and he was always ready to take the direction of a good coach. Michael's peers respect him for being a good influence and he is careful to seek out friends who are honest and upright. For energy profiling Michael shows characteristics of 2/4. His teacher has dubbed his spirit animal to be a turtle. He takes his time and enjoys the activity at hand. As in the case of lacrosse Michael can decide what he thinks is best and move out of his comfort zone to get it in his own non-aggressive way. Michael likes to make up his own mind and doesn't mind doing something different than the crowd. He continues to lead our family in great directions.
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| Michael is Center of Middle Row |
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| Cheetos with a birthday surprise $ inside! |
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| Here's our last big kid. Jonathan has a birthday in February, so I'll wait till then to talk about his first year. In short, we love his smiles. Jonathan is always on the move. Right now he practices all day standing up and balancing. He wants to do hard things and is determined to keep up with the big people around him. |
I wish I was better at regularly recording the kids special moments and the unplanned highlights of life. But it's good to look back on the year and the positive experiences we have had. These kids keep life full. We are grateful for each of them.
