Welcome to your last year before the teenage years! We are going to soak up this year so much because it's just way to hard to imagine that our BABY will be a teenager. You are definitely growing and changing so much, but you are still so true to yourself and not much has changed about who you are at the core. You are still an incredibly sensitive, highly inquisitive, super well-rounded kid and we just love everything about you!
This past year, you've definitely discovered more of the things you really like and few of the things you don't. Early on in the year, you seemed to really enjoy your first experience with wrestling. Unfortunately, your season ended early with a concussion. That was a ROUGH few weeks of recovery and it might have turned you off from wrestling forever. You quickly pivoted and turned your focus to chess club...determined to win the championship, which you did! You also grew to really enjoy your first year in band. We were shocked when awards were given at the final concert and you had apparently applied for a scholarship for summer lessons and WON! Summer was filled with some fun times with friends. You enjoyed your weekly cross country runs and often ended those with a get together with some of your running buddies. You spent a lot of time fishing and took every opportunity to go golfing with Grandpa. Our trip to Cedar Point was a blast and you learned that you were braver than you thought and tried out a lot of different roller coasters. And, of course you enjoyed our trips to the lake this summer. You, just like Dad, could spend every waking moment fishing! School started up and you jumped into 6th grade with ease. Cross country season was a blast and you worked so hard to secure a spot on the state team as an alternate. You set a new PR at every single race of the season and were so much fun to watch in your yellow sweatband, yellow sunglasses, and zebra socks! Cross country ended and you turned your focus to basketball. You practiced nonstop out on the driveway and were determined to make the team. The season was a bit rough and your team didn't win a single game, which definitely confirmed the fact that you DO NOT like to lose. Sadly, your season ended early with a broken pinky, but you handled it like a champ. As always, you just move onto the next adventure. You're eagerly looking forward to the start of mural club at school. You have quite the hidden talent as an artist and even got voted as the runner-up in your school yearbook cover contest. We laugh because your handwriting is absolutely terrible, but your artistic ability is top notch!
You definitely are a kid that tends to just roll with things. You go with the flow and try your best to make life easier for those around you. Rarely do you complain when asked to help out....in fact, you often jump at the chance to do things around the house. You love anything that involves a power tool or machine. Not only will you offer to use them, but you'll also ask a million questions about how and why it works the way it does. Your curiosity is one of your most wonderful traits. You are always observing and thinking and wondering and asking. This goes beyond just the physical realm....you are very in tune to the emotions of others and take to heart how others are feeling. Sometimes that sensitive side can be a bit much when it comes to your own emotions. You hate to disappoint, fail, or be wrong and your go to reaction in those situations often begins with tears. You're working on that, but definitely have some growing to do. It's okay though, because it serves as a good reminder that you're still just a kid!
And those moments where you show us that you're still just a kid are something we truly treasure. Certainly it has something to do with the fact that you're the youngest. We slow down just a bit more with you and really try to soak up everything. This year we've soaked up so much. We've loved watching what a well rounded and eclectic kid you are. You have the most hilariously diverse taste in music. In one moment, you'll be listening to the Beatles and three minutes later, you're rocking out to ACDC or dancing to Michael Jackson. You are full of funny fashion choices....wearing only a few different t-shirts or sweatshirts, but rocking a wide variety of socks (the flashier the better). You are, for the most part, a super picky eater, but absolutely love such unique things like smoked chicken, bbq ribs, and potato pancakes. Your Christmas list this year was evidence of your eclectic side and the gift you wanted more than anything was a sewing machine. You were beyond thrilled to get it and have already spent countless hours making pillows and other projects. True to who you are, you are full of surprises and definitely don't fit the mold of a typical boy your age, but we love that about you. We genuinely hope that you continue to stay true to yourself and that you don't let this world change that. God has big plans for you and has made you wonderfully unique for a reason. Keep being you and spreading love and joy...so much joy...to those around you!
Love,
Dad and Mom
