Dear Hayden,

This fall, you are playing on your first basketball team! You are having such a fun time learning to play the game. We love to watch you play!

Love you,
Mama

Dear H, O and B,

We spent the last six days sailing on the high seas on the Mickey boat! We had the time of our lives. So many fun things happened! There was a gigantic Halloween party (y’all went as Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Yoda), there was a pirate night complete with a pirate stage show and fireworks over the boat and a lot of fun activities in the kids’ club — including a pajama party with Pluto and pirate training with Jake and the Neverland Pirates. There were fantastic stage shows each night featuring our favorite Disney characters. We had dinner each night with two awesome servers who did magic for you and treated you like family. We swam in pools shaped like Mickey Mouse and got ice cream from Goofy’s Galley on Deck 9 every day! It was so fun to watch you enjoy cruise life, too. You all relaxed and had a fantastic time. You tried new foods and were engaged in all of the magical experiences. All in all, it was one of the best vacations of my life!

Love you,
Mama

Dear H, O and B,

We just got all of this year’s school pictures back! Love these mugs!

Mama

Dear H, O and B,

You’ve recently been asking a lot about getting another pet. We’ve talked casually about getting a desert tortoise, but Hayden, you’ve been really interested lately, researching, etc. Well, we learned that the Arizona Fish and Game department was looking for homes for quite a few desert tortoises and they were accepting applications. So, you and Dad went out back and built a burrow so that you could take the required pictures and submit our application! Long story short, tonight Dad stopped and picked up our newest family member. You already love him and are having a great time with him. Welcome to our team, Jet!

Love you,
Mama

Dear H, O and B,

This weekend, Uncle Darryl and Andrea got married in a beautiful beach wedding in San Diego! We made a long weekend out of it. We stayed in a great little beach house on Coronado Island, spent time on the beach, learned to boogy board, explored the island and had a fantastic time! We got to see some of our extended family, too. You were the cutest ring bearers and most beautiful flower girl I’ve ever seen. Andrea cares so deeply for the three of you. You are lucky to have another fantastic aunt!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

Today, you are eight! It is so hard to believe that! You are growing up too quickly!

You are quite a kid! This year you’ve grown up in so many ways. You have your own sense of style (think blue high top converse) and your own style of music (think Taylor Swift and Lindsey Stirling). You are an excellent reader and you enjoy school. You have a lot of good friends and the best sense of humor! You also understand things with an unexplainable wisdom. We are blessed by you every day.

Today was a great day. You kept saying, “I’m having the best day ever!” This morning, I arranged for Elijah, Allie and Alex to come over for donuts at 6:30 before school! I didn’t tell you they were coming, so you were so surprised every time another friend showed up! Then, I signed up for lunch duty at your school today so that I could bring you lunch from Paradise Bakery. The entire second grade sang Happy Birthday to you in the cafeteria and you handed out blue frosted cookies to share with your class. Tonight, we had Meggy and Josiah and Nana and Papa over for dinner, presents and birthday cake.

Right before bed, Dad and I gave you one last gift — we gifted you the sponsorship of a little girl named Marie who was born on September 21, 2007 in Burundi, Africa and loves to read and play ball games, just like you. You were very happy because you have been asking us for quite a while to please sponsor a little girl to whom you could write letters. We read you the information we received about Marie and you were a little sad because you realized that Marie probably didn’t receive anything special for her birthday. You told us you are so excited to write to her and that you hope to see a smile on her face in the next picture we receive. Then, when you needed more water before bed, I heard you say, “I’m so lucky to have this water.”

I’m proud of your heart. You already understand things that take others years to grasp. I know you are only going to grow wiser and more compassionate. You are a spectacular human being. I am so lucky to be your mom.

Love you,
Mama

Dear Owen and Bennett,

This week you both went to preschool with Miss Sue. Owen, you returned for your final year — you’ll be at school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Bennett, you started for the very first time — you’ll be at school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Miss Sue is the most magical preschool teacher. She makes everything so fun to learn and loves you two more than life itself. I know you are each (and both) going to have an amazing year!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

We’ve been making some fun memories — but these are worth noting — you’ve been to TWO amazing concerts in the last 5 days! On Thursday, we went to see Lindsey Stirling rock out on her violin. Tonight, we saw Taylor Swift perform on a 200 foot lifting and rotating stage! Both concerts were amazing. When I asked you which one you liked better, you told me that they were too different to even compare. I couldn’t agree with you more! I felt the exact same way. Most of all, it was fun to have some special time with you!

Love you,
Mama

Lindsey Stirling:

Taylor Swift

Dear H, O and B,

After we got home from vacation, the rest of summer just flew by. The last few weeks have been busy getting prepared for all three of you to go off to school. We did a few more science experiments, swam a bunch of times and had a lot of fun playing! I am always happy for you when it is time to go back to school, because I remember how exciting and fun it was to start a new school year, but there is a part of me that is so sad! I’ve had such a great time having you home with me this summer, and I am going to miss all the unscheduled freedom we have enjoyed to do the things we really wanted to do.

Love you,
Mom

Owen, you went on a pallet hunting field trip with Papa:

Hayden, you went to 2 days of basketball camp and LOVED it!

(I forgot the note for your snack, so I wrote it on your arm instead!)

We went to see Miss Pyper perfform as Mary Poppins in the stage show:

We got to see your cousins while they were in town:

Building the Tower of Babble:

Tons of Swimming:

We did two final science experiments:

And a lot of random fun:

Dear Hayden,

Today you started second grade! We met your teacher, Mrs. Clipner at Meet the Teacher on Tuesday night, and then you started today. You seemed to really enjoy it! I know it is going to be a great year for you!

Love you,
Mama

Meet the teacher:

Last night:

Today – The first day of second grade: