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Isla Elizabeth, 7 years (May 20th)

This past year.  A few things about her.

• Learned to swim and ride a bike last summer.
• She could easily read her own birthday cards this year (no longer needs Mom or Dad’s help).
• Her first grade teacher gave each student an individual award at the end of the year,  she received the “handsome handwriting” award.
• Has finally mastered shoe tying. 🙂
• Lost and grew 6 teeth.
• Can put her hair in a ponytail (and add lots of clips – reference photos above).
• Learned how to do a backbend from standing.  And can do a pretty mean round off.
• Says she wants to be a hairdresser or a person that draws the pictures in books or a clothes designer or a person who works with dolphins when she grows up (she’s obviously still trying to figure it out 🙂 ).
• On any notebook or scrap paper, she normally draws dresses or outfits.
• She’s messy, but likes perfection.
• Climbs or jumps on anything, anywhere (this has been true since birth).
• Ultimate goal, wherever we go, is to make friends.
• She wanted a 100 layer cake for her birthday, but she’d still be ok with 99. We settled on sprinkles instead.
• I can still carry her, but not with ease.
• She’s clever and witty.  And quickly spouts off one liners when needed.
• She loves lipstick.
• Likes to rearrange her room.
• Loves music.
• She still likes to sneak into Mom and Dad’s bed at night.
• Holding her hand is one of my favorite things to do.

The life and energy you bring to our everyday is more beautiful than we could’ve ever imagined!  Wishing we could bottle a little piece of you up right now and keep it forever . . .

(birthday day and recent photos via iphone & Nikon // the video is from a few months ago)

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(video credit: Isla A.)

Maddox Timothy –  10 years (May 10th)

This past year.  A few things about him.

• Loyal – to his friends, to his teams, to his teachers, etc.
• Loves little ones
• He’s complex, yet simple.  Multi-layered . . . and with each one that much more special.
• His Dad.  Not for sure if anyone will ever be able to outdo him in his eyes.  Grandpa is pretty great too!
• Quirky. One of the things I love most about him.
• Very smart
• One of his favorite things at the moment – youtube videos – like product reviews and kids demonstrating how to use toys, fishing lures, etc.
• Obsessions varied this year. But fishing and baseball are still favorites (he also played flag football and basketball and was in the science club)
• Really into perfecting whiffle ball pitches at the moment (something else really important will be the center of his life next week 🙂 )
• Homerun derbies in the backyard with his Dad are also a favorite.
• The adult is coming out in him more and more each day, but there is still so much naivety and kid left (which makes me happy).
• Sweet
• Still dislikes having his picture taken (it was hard coming up with these).
• A homebody
• Holding his hand is one of my favorite things to do.

You are one beautiful kid- each facet of you!  May you forever and always keep finding the most joy in “the simple”.  Store away bits of this past year (the derbies, the fishing trips, the gulf swims, your ten year old self) and let the memory of them continuously bring you happiness throughout your life (especially at those times when you really need it)!  You’ll always be my favorite boy!

(photos via iphone // the video is by Isla and is from last summer)