Happy Birthday, sweet daughter. You turned 14 this year and I'm still in disbelief. How in the world do I have a beautiful, accomplished, graceful, intelligent, kind 14 YEAR OLD?
You enjoy playing volleyball with your friends, cousins, and even at time, your sisters. This year you told me early in the summer that you wanted to just play for fun, not worry about the school team. I was so proud of you for looking at your priorities and deciding which things you want to pursue more seriously and which things you want to pursue as hobbies. You were still courageous enough to try out for the team just to see how your skills were developing and what you could work on on your own for fun. This was challenging, I know, because there were a lot of you who were on the cusp and despite the fact that you really want to pursue your dance more seriously, it is still difficult to bravely try out for something and not make the team. I am so proud of your courage and your heart.
You did get to enjoy a really fun volleyball tournament this summer with your cousin
You long to be a big sister again, but have settled into being an awesome "big cousin". You have had quite a few new nieces and nephews in the past year or so, and there are more coming! You adore getting to hold all the babies!
See what I mean?
You love hot cocoa. Random piece of information there, I know, but I had to share because I love that you have your sweet, warm comfort beverage and that you sit and enjoy it when you need a moment to relax. You and I have been watching Once Upon a Time together and it's also part of our show watching experience to have hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon like they do in the show.
You really enjoy a good puzzle. When Uncle Kevin's family came last Winter, he set up a puzzle contest. Each team had the same puzzle and had to do it as fast as possible to see which group would finish first. It was really fun and you especially enjoyed it.
You don't love the cold nor the hot, you are very much a spring and fall girl in that way. You will brave the cold for a good sledding trip and the hot for a fun pool day, but mostly you like to cozy up with a blanket and slippers when the cold weather sets in.
Last year you were in the school choir with a few of your friends and it was so fun to see you develop more of a love for singing and music during that time.
You have a special bond with your littlest sibling, Kolbe. You are a huge help with him when I need it and since he was little you have always loved on him. That doesn't mean he doesn't drive you up the wall sometimes because he's a 7 year old boy, so he certainly does at times.
You are excelling in school and can often be found reading. You read new books you've never tried, and you re-read books that you've already read over and over.
You are taking dance every day and working to get en pointe. You now take many different styles of dance including ballet, tap, Irish, contemporary, and lyrical. In addition you participate in a number of technique and strengthening classes, so you are officially at the stage of dancing where you practically live at the studio each evening. You are graceful and beautiful and we love to see your face light up as you perform. You even choreograph dances for your siblings and friends and help them perform mini recitals.
You love the great outdoors as well though this is one thing we need to work at making more of a priority. It is so peaceful and calming to get out in nature to reset. I'm grateful I sometimes get to do it with you. There's nothing like being out in God's big, beautiful creation with you.
You are an awesome Christ-filled daughter. Never lose sight of the things that truly matter. I'm so grateful for each and every moment we have together and I can't wait to travel with you on our grand European adventure when we can make it happen.
You are filled with so much joy and beauty and tenderness.
You received this lovely dress as a gift from Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Bob and you just SHINE in it!
In general you don't love dresses or frills or fancy, but every once in awhile something just hits you right and you RADIATE with joy in a dress or fun hairstyle.
You love and adore animals. Last year I got you a guinea pig for your birthday and you love Marigold and her furry self. But it's not just your own pets you love. You adore animals in the wild, at the zoo, and in other various places that you meet them. Yes, you jump sometimes and pull back, but you LOVE them. Your heart is for God's creatures and you overcome your fears of some of them because of your great love.
This year was a weird year for celebrating your birthday because we attended a funeral (Aunt Christine's father-in-law) the day before and that threw our typical schedule off with having family in town etc. Plus my college roomie, Bernadette (or as you like to call her Veronica) came into town the evening of your actual birthday so we picked her up at the airport. We did have a fun evening enjoying our first ever Five Guys burgers. But the celebrating of your birthday with an actual cake of any kind was done much later. You did get celebrated by family after the funeral when we all hung out which was beautiful as well. It was not a typical celebration this year, but nonetheless a good celebration in many ways and forms.
Happy belated birthday (at the point this picture was taken and the video below was recorded)
You still struggle with anxieties and fears, but, Elise, you are one of the bravest girls I know. You walk through the storms and the difficulty with such courage and heart. And you remember that you are a Child of the King despite the fears. I love that you have such a tender heart that sees the pain of others and walks with them in it all. At times, holding all that pain and heartache and anxiety makes you lash out in anger and frustration, but you are quick to apologize and choose kindness after. Thank you for being real, for being patient with yourself, and for leaning into the love that we all have for you in this journey of life. It is not easy, but you walk through the storms and hardship with such grace. I am so very proud of you, sweetheart.
Your dimple is one of my favorite things in the world. You have the sweetest smile and the brightest eyes and dimpliest dimple.
You face struggles with your school work sometimes and work very hard, slow and steady, in it all. Sometimes things come easily and sometimes they don't. I could not be more proud of your willingness to work diligently despite the fact that some of the work is so difficult to process.
You love babies and it's been wonderful to get to see several baby cousins lately. You light up with a quiet joy whenever they are around.
You are also a complete goofball. When your cousins visited you, Ava, and Benji were on a team to put together a puzzle and you guys kept cracking up about this and that and it was just the best. The puzzle we did was of a pug (kind of dog) and you three had this joke calling each pug face and then you would all erupt in laughter.
The writing program at our school has been a source of frustration for you. In fact, you thought yourself to be a terrible writer. BUT it turns out that because your 6th grade teacher started a little lunchtime writing club, we discovered that you are a very gifted writer. Your stories are detailed and interesting. One day I heard you reading from your for-fun writing notebook to Kolbe and it was amazing. Your voice was full of inflection and passion and your story was engaging. Kolbe couldn't get enough, and he's got a pretty short attention span as you well know.
Additionally, you wrote a poem that you shared with me, inspired by your class reading The Scarlet Pimpernel in class. It was BEAUTIFUL. Since then, you have written several more very beautiful poems. Whenever you are tempted to think you are no good at writing, please remember that you ARE. You are incredibly gifted in this area and I am so excited to hear more of your stories and listen to more of your poems.
Sweet Elise, you are so very loved. Thank you for sharing your joy and your heart and your sensitive tender spirit with us. We love you.
January was a fun month spent with family. First, my brother's family and then the second half of the month we got to spend a lot of time with Uncle Nick and Maggie
hike time!
This little man never stops moving
sliding on some icy trail.
The site where the summer White House was going to be built
On the right and below is the remains of the house where the architect for the project lived.
Then we got to have Nick and Maggie for dinner. They are such great sports. The kids invented a "family". Nick and Maggie were the parents and them and the various stuffed animals were the kids.
Elise also told us a fantastic version (her own and wildly inaccurate and completely made up) of Nick proposing to Maggie. He DID propose to her and told the kids that day. But Elise's version, which I'll summarize, is fiction. In her tale, Nick and Maggie went to a restaurant and Nick asks Maggie and she says no, so Nick runs out and goes home to his roommate Gerry and (I think I'm remembering this right) Andrew. Nick is crying and Gerry is sobbing with him. Then Maggie comes to the door and at first Gerry won't let her talk to Nick but then he does and Maggie is wondering what is going on. Turns out she didn't even hear Nick ask her to marry him. She heard the waiter ask if she wanted a cinnamon roll and she said "No" which Nick thought was to him. So it was all a big misunderstanding and Maggie said Yes, she would marry Nick. The end.
silly pictures- not all the random stuffies involved.
haha
We're having a good time-yeah!
just some silly and fun shots from January
Yes, I am burnt out. I was in January. I am now (writing this in July). If I "catch" up a little, it's really taxing and my emotions get fried. If I take care of my heart, not much else gets done. But prayers like this are a huge help and reminder to just stay with Jesus and rest in his presence. That's the only true peace. Him.
Playing a new game Skyjo
snow fun!
He is wearing these Christmas decoration snowmen on his legs.
My birthday is in January. Sometimes I have the kids that day, sometimes not. This year I didn't, though they were able to come over for a bit. Nick and Maggie made sure I wasn't alone and had something fun to do. Hike, of course.
Hiking on my birthday is becoming a tradition.
We hiked up to a fire tower which was really neat.
beautiful views!
Plus I got to hang out with some of my favorite people
When the kids came over, they wanted to paint my nails. So we did. I chose the blue with glitter.
They always shower me with beautiful words and pictures.
And they got me a new TinySaints keychain. JPII, our family patron saint.
