Celebrating Joel

The day finally came for Joel - his first "friend" birthday party! He's watched his siblings enjoy these for years and now it was finally his turn. We recycled the same "Pancakes and Pajamas" theme that we did for the other two when they were in kindergarten. The kids all had fun playing games, making crafts, and eating pancakes, sausage, and cupcakes! It was definitely the highlight of his birthday week because he kept talking about it for days.

For his actual birthday, he requested pizza and chocolate cake. Nana Pam supplied a plethora of zebra decorations that she found on clearance at Walmart several weeks before.  Everything about the celebration was right up Joel's alley and he was delighted!  

Dear Joel,

Just one look at this picture says it all....you are all grown up. As much as we denied this day would come, another birthday is here and you're SIX! As the baby of the family, lots of things have always been easier with you. All-nighters as an infant weren't so bad because we knew they'd be our last. Toddler tantrums didn't phase us - we'd done those twice before. Leaving you crying on your first day of preschool wasn't hard because we knew you'd be just fine. Lately, though, the milestones you've hit are anything but easy for these sentimental parents.

This past year, you have done so many new and exciting things. We've cheered you on along the way, but inside our hearts ached just a bit as we knew these would be our last "firsts". Last summer, you became a total fish and began swimming fearlessly without floaties. Though it's so nice to be able to leave all the gear behind on a trip to the pool, something about that freedom feels so strange. 

Summer ended and you marched yourself right onto that bus to kindergarten without even a glance over your shoulder to say one last goodbye. Since that day, you've spent many months growing and learning so much each day at school. Sometime early in the year, your reading skyrocketed and before we knew it, you were reading real, actual books. We've traded bedtime readings of Goodnight Moon for listening to you read Star Wars books and Pete the Cat. It's always been a favorite milestone to watch you and your siblings read, but watching the dust collect on those worn and loved board books isn't easy.

This past fall, you had the chance to play on your first sports team. You took on flag football and loved every minute of it. Your little mouth could barely fit the giant mouthguard and those flags were just about as long as your little legs. Through it all, you smiled and anxiously awaited Saturdays to play one more game. You're already counting down the days until you finally get to play baseball in the spring!

There's been a ton of other steps taken towards the direction of "big kid" land, but thankfully you've still managed to hang onto some of our favorite "little kid"isms. You still wake every single morning and let us pick you up and give you a big "squeeze" and "smoochy face". You're a super cuddler and won't pass up the chance to snuggle with those you love. You're still incredibly obsessed with zebras and hang onto hope that someday you might actually be able to own one in your home. You're as curious as they come and are constantly asking questions and eager to learn more about the world around you.

What's hard to figure out about you is that, as a third child, you still haven't quite figured yourself out. You desperately want to be like both of your siblings and often struggle with letting that desire overtake the desire to just be you. Sometimes, it's just too hard to keep up with them, and you're slowly learning how to work through that frustration and accept yourself for who you are. Regardless, both of your siblings would say that you're their favorite sibling nine out of ten times. You're almost always tagging along with one of them and it's rare to see you choosing to just be left alone. And, when things are going well and you're letting your better qualities shine through, you're one of the most delightful people to be around. You know how to bring joy to anyone around you and it's one of our favorite things about you.

As we celebrate another year, we know there is so much to be thankful for with you. You're everything a dad and mom could ask for in a child - healthy, polite, smart, easygoing, funny, and (like all Sturm kids) strong-willed. We know that God is molding you into a person that can do amazing things and you won't let anything stop that. We pray that those amazing qualities continue to bless those that you cross paths with. The joy within your little body is contagious and the world definitely is a better place because you're here. Happy birthday buddy! 

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

Lake Lawn 2018

We took our annual trip up to Lake Lawn Resort over the MLK long weekend. It was SO nice to get away and we are incredibly thankful that my parents take us there each year. The kids all have a ton of fun and the adults get in some much needed relaxation. I even managed to squeeze in time to read some of my Jen Hatmaker book that I've been trying to find time to read for several months! It was so timely that one of the chapters I read talked about the importance of having traditions with your children. She wrote about the significance of the cabin her family grew up going to year after year. I shed a few tears as her words spoke so deeply to me. I've been so blessed to see my own children carrying on traditions that were a part of my childhood. The yearly trip to Lake Lawn during my childhood was something I always looked forward to and enjoyed so much!

Here is how Jen Hatmaker puts it (I couldn't have said it any better myself):

Mamas, the traditions and experiences we provide during the Family Years are paving a road our kids can always return to, one that always points home. There is something about a recurring shared memory; the sum becomes greater than the parts.

Childhood is such a wonky, weird season. Do you remember the fears and confusion and insecurities we harbored, our own little private pile of worries? Kids are amazingly resilient and handle change better than we give them credit for, but there is something to be said for a given, some constant, an element of childhood that delivers over and over with predictability and joy. While their bodies and minds and friends and classes are a swirling vortex of volatility, while they are constantly required to adjust and shift and recalibrate and flex, providing a familiar touchpoint week after week or year after year is an anchor that keeps them grounded and a buffer against the scary winds of change. It says to them: Yes, everything is fluctuating, but you can count on this thing we do, this place we go, this meal we share, this memory we make.

I cannot say enough how thankful I am that this truth she writes about is something we've been able to provide for our kids (often with the help of generous family members). Trips to Florida each year, Lake Lawn, the lake, and even our new tradition of a summertime road trip are constants that our kids can count on. They've stored up hundreds of memories in these places already and will hopefully have many, many more in the years to come.

The kids loved swimming and we were glad the water was a bit warmer this year than it was in the past.

Morning snuggles and cartoons are the best!

Of course we love all the game playing, hot chocolate drinking, and eating of yummy treats.

It was TERRIBLY cold, but we got in a little bit of ice skating!

The kids loved building a gingerbread house with Grandpa.

Relaxing before bedtime...

We had a little bit of a problem with the heating in our room, so the kids used Daddy's clothes for extra layers at bedtime.

Disney Half Marathon

After each half marathon I've done, I always swore I'd never do another one. However, two out of the four were in the pouring rain, so I have a reason to not enjoy them very much. Thankfully, the third one I ran last spring was on a gorgeous day and my attitude shifted just a bit. So, when my wonderful running partner said she really wanted to run the annual Disney race, I decided to just do it!

The training was tougher than usual because we headed into our longest runs just in time for temps to drop and winter to settle in. With spring races, our last training weeks are usually accompanied by great weather! This time around, we were forced to skip a whole week of running just before the race because Chicagoland was experiencing frigid weather (we run in anything above zero degrees, so you know it must have been bad)! 

That cold weather followed us to Florida and we were both quite sad to be in Florida with our winter coats! We made the most of it, though, and enjoyed the short trip to Orlando. My sister tagged along for the trip, so we made a special visit to Universal Studios to (mostly) see the Harry Potter worlds (she is a huge Harry Potter fan). It was a fun day, but we eventually got so tired of the crowds that we left. Race day meant a 3:00am wakeup because we needed to be at our corral by 5:00. Standing in a giant herd of people in 30 degree weather for almost an hour was definitely the worst part of the race. Once we got running, however, we were all smiles and had a blast! It was absolutely amazing to run through Magic Kingdom as the sun was coming up. I found myself especially emotional because our family had just had such a magical experience there the year before and all the memories came flooding back! We didn't worry about time and stopped to take plenty of pics along the race route. By the end, we felt pretty good and managed to still be smiling. It was definitely an unforgettable experience and I'm so thankful to have had the chance to do it!

We made it!!!

Packet pick-up.

Leah showing her Disney support from back home.

What an amazing way to see Magic Kingdom.

Of course we couldn't run past Woody without a pic!

Run? I thought you said Rum?

Stitch!

All done!

Celebrating Leah

What seems like an ongoing week of celebrating, continued on with Leah's birthday celebration. We had a bunch of girls over for an art party. Anyone who knows Leah knows that she loves arts and crafts, so this party was perfect for her! The girls painted canvases, made slime, did a color-by-number relay, and made giant paper snowflakes. We also had a separate nail salon run by none other than Aunt Denise. All of the girls had a great time and we learned that it is a thousand times easier to run a party full of girls rather than boys!

For her actual birthday, Leah kept it simple and requested pizza for dinner and cake. We enjoyed getting to celebrate our sweet eight-year-old and can hardly believe how much she's grown and changed in the last year.

Dear Leah,

You're eight. Somehow the last eight years have flown by and though we can vividly remember bringing you home from the hospital, so much of what's happened since then is a blur. We can hardly remember a time before you were part of what makes us a family and we are thankful each day that God blessed us with you as a daughter. There's so much to be amazed by with you.

To start, you are still one of the most selfless and kind girls we know. You almost always put the needs of others above your own. Even when your brothers are rotten towards you, you only let it bother you for so long before going back to being the peacemaker that you are. We often fear that you might get taken advantage of, but we've begun to recognize that might not be the case.

It turns out the strong will you exhibited as a baby and toddler never fully went away. When you know that something is wrong, you won't stand for it. One of the most memorable examples of this in the past year was when Mommy got a phone call from the school social worker saying you were involved in an issue with two other girls. Knowing that this is the age when girl drama tends to begin, Mommy worried that you got sucked into a bad situation. However, you held firm to your convictions and wouldn't allow any girls to tell you what to do or how to behave. The two other girls were fighting over who you should play with and instead of caving in, you told them they couldn't force you to do anything and you would make time for each of them. Hearing the social worker call you the "angel" of the situation made us so proud and reassured us that you have the strength to do what's right even when it isn't easy.

You've also continued to amaze us at school with more than just your social skills. It's no surprise to hear your teacher say that you're always willing to lend a hand and help her or other students. What comes as more of a shock is when we're told how well you do at school. At home, you often display a lack of confidence and complain that things are too hard. You doubt yourself often and always try to ask for help. However, at school you are far more independent and are one of the highest achievers in the class. We appreciate the humility, but sure wish you'd see just how capable you are!

When you're not at school, you still spend much of your time playing hard. Your favorite things still center around imaginative play....babies, Barbies, school, forts, and so much more. You are incredibly creative and love to do all sorts of crafts. You've also enjoyed playing soccer again and are looking forward to starting cheerleading this winter followed by softball for the first time in the spring. The name of the game with you is busy, busy, busy. You're still the same energetic kid you've always been and it doesn't take long for you to make a HUGE mess while you're wrapped up in your playing. Thankfully, with age, you've gotten just a tiny bit better about cleaning up after yourself. Just a TINY bit. It still can be a real pain to get you motivated to clean up!

With all of the aspects that make you the unique girl that you are, it's so hard to picture what the future holds. Regardless of what road you choose, we know it will be filled with so much love, laughter, and joy. The light of Jesus radiates through you and we know that no matter what the future holds, you will be used by Him to do great things! You are such a gift to this family and a treasure to all those lucky enough to know you. Happy birthday sweet girl. We love you so very much!

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

Christmas Recap

Christmas is always full of fun and festivities in the Sturm home. This year we had lots of fun carrying on yearly traditions and making new memories. December seemed to fly by faster this year than it has in the past and it's hard to believe the Christmas season is behind us.

Towards the beginning of the month, we enjoyed a very special visit from Uncle Randy, Aunt Sharon, Laura, and Meredith. They made the trip up North to spend a cold weekend in Chicagoland. Friday night we enjoyed getting to chat and catch up. Saturday morning, we spent most of the morning in our comfy clothes playing games and just hanging out. While I had to be at church setting up for our Christmas Shop event, the rest of the crew went to see a movie. The kids were quite thrilled that Uncle Randy generously bought them each their OWN GIANT BAG of Skittles! After the movie, they came over to church to attend the Christmas Shop. What they didn't realize was how slammed we'd be with people and instead of running from the crowd, they jumped right in to lend a helping hand with gift wrapping. After the exhausting few hours, we all went out for dinner and then everyone was ready for bed early that night! It was truly a wonderful visit and we were all so thankful to have time with family that we don't get to see nearly as often as we'd like!

It wouldn't be Christmas without baking and a lot of that was done this year! On this particular day, Joel and my favorite little two year old that I babysit anxiously awaited each batch of sugar cookies to finish. They were in charge of sprinkles and did a great job of adding to the giant mess that was made that day!

Each year, Grandpa Rob and Grandma Leslie are kind enough to take us to breakfast with Santa. Nana Pam and Ed often join us and we all enjoy getting to eat well and spend time together. The kids all made sure to tell Santa what they wanted and I think he listened pretty well!

We spent plenty of time making memories with friends this season as well. One night, we had a house full of kids and parents to make gingerbread houses. The kids had a great time and ate just about as much sugar as they put onto their houses! We also had a fun evening with our neighbors when we did a Christmas scavenger hunt. We teamed up and drove around town looking for all sorts of fun and funny outdoor decorations. Who knew it could be so hard to find a house with a "Seasons Greetings" sign?!?

Another day we all look forward to is our annual Lamont cookie decorating day. It was especially fun this year because we put all the "old guys" in charge of judging the decorating skills of the youngest generation. The judging process and thought that went into their selections was quite fun to watch!

I hosted baking day with friends and it was a blast. It's just a bunch of moms getting together to bake while (most of) the kiddos are at school. We all left with mounds of different yummy treats!

This year we finally made it to the Morton Arboretum to see Illuminations. We've been members there for several years and have heard great things about it, so this year we finally made it a point to go. We lucked out and had wonderful weather that night. We walked for about a mile along a path with tons of different lighted trees and light shows. It was a really cool experience!

Perhaps a new tradition that started this year was to enjoy taking a night off from cooking by going out to dinner on Christmas Eve. We usually spend the evening going to church and then having dinner with Grandpa, Grandma, and TiTi. This year, we went to church and then all went out to dinner and it was such a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the evening!

Christmas morning was full of smiles and fun. The kids loved their presents from Santa and Dad/Mom. They also got tons of great gifts from Grandpa, Grandma, and TiTi. The best part about gifts these days is that they take up MUCH less room than they used to, so it didn't take weeks to find space for all of their new stuff!

The day after Christmas, we got a visit from one of favorite out of town guests -Aunt Denise! She came and stayed with us for several days and we made the most of her time here with us. One of the highlights of our time with her was our trip into the city to have lunch at the Walnut Room. The food was delicious and the memories were priceless! Fairy Jade made sure to have everyone make wishes before she left our table :)

We truly hope that your Christmas season was filled with blessings and treasured memories. It is absolutely the MOST wonderful time of the year!