Dear Caleb,

Seventeen is one of those numbers that just sounds and feels VERY old! It seems lightyears away from the simplicity of your childhood days and way too close to the reality that adulthood is just around the corner. We know that in your eyes, you've been ready to be an adult for awhile, but that's an awfully hard concept for parents to accept. Thankfully, this past year has shown an incredible amount of growth and we are more at ease with the idea of setting your off on your own in a little over a year.

A year ago at this time, we were just beginning to scratch the surface of an unexpected diagnosis that gave us a lot of answers to help explain the rough patch we experienced during your later junior high/early high school years. ADHD is definitely a complex and confusing disability. Seeing you walk through such a tough time was one of the hardest things we've endured as parents, but we'd do it over and over again to be able to show you our steadfast love and commitment. We hope and pray that you'll look back on those years and forget the many moments of frustration and, instead, see that we stuck with you through thick and thin because we knew there was a light on the other side of all that darkness. Seeing that light reappear in your life this year has been the most reassuring feeling. Obviously, we are thankful for the way in which it eased the tensions between us, but more than that, we are just happy to see the side of you that we all know and love come back to the surface. You truly are a delightful person and when the best of you is on display, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't absolutely love to be around you.

You have an incredible sense of humor and bring joy and laughter to all that you do. Some of our favorite moments are those in which you share a funny story or do something goofy and we all just about die with laughter. You still have a smile that goes from ear to ear like when you were a baby. Your smile and laughter is contagious and you light up a room when you're in it.

You never take life too seriously and do a fantastic job of making sure that you live each and every day to it's fullest potential. Though it can be exhausting from a parent standpoint, it is also so great to know that you don't waste your days. This past year, you've continued to take a full load of accelerated classes, played three sports, stuck with band, participated in a couple activities beyond sports, stayed active in youth group, and kept up with your social life! We are constantly in awe of your ability to balance it all. It's not enough for you to just show up to these things...you are all in with all of it. You almost always give 100% to each and every single thing you do. You show great leadership skills and dedication. In fact, your wrestling coaches awarded you the 3D award this year for your dedication, determination, and discipline. Those words describe you quite well and are traits that will serve you so well as you continue to grow. Your ability to jump into things with your whole heart and mind is certainly one of your best qualities. It doesn't take much to convince you to try something new, take a risk, or live in the moment. You bring the carefreeness to our family and your friends and are always up for an adventure.

If you aren't going full speed, you'll usually be found relaxing on a couch watching sports, playing the xbox, or catching up on a show. You are also notorious for spending excessive amounts of money on your card collections, so it's a good thing you landed a job as an umpire last summer! You are a great brother to your siblings. You have a reverence for Nyla and use her as a guide for the future. In that same way, you live out that role for your younger siblings. You've done an amazing job of helping Leah get acclimated to high school. When she was terribly lost after several hours on the walk through day, you took her back up to school and patiently worked with her until she had her schedule down. When she was on the verge of quitting band, you were willing to become her personal tutor when she switched to the band advisory that you were already enrolled in. And, as always, your brotherly bond with Joel just gets stronger with each year. You two are quite different, but have such an indescribable connection. He admires you and you humble yourself enough to recognize that he can teach you a few things now and then! Our family is certainly lucky to have you and wouldn't be the same without you. You are our easiest travel companion and go with the flow on vacation better than any of the other people in our crew. You remind us all to "just chill" and take life one day at a time. You keep us busy and give us plenty to cheer for with your sports schedule. Football was a blast this year despite the heartbreaking end just one game away from the state finals. Wrestling was awesome to watch because you've grown and improved so much. And now you're onto a whole new sport - water polo - and, somehow, it seems like you were just born to play it!

We truly cannot imagine life without you. You are unique is so many ways and it would take a million years to describe the depths of it all. Watching you grow into the (almost) adult that you are has been an adventure and a gift. From our easygoing baby/toddler to a happy-go-lucky kid to a strong willed teen, we wouldn't trade you for the world. You have an incredibly bright future and we are eager to continuing watching it unfold. Between your tender heart, unmatched intelligence, and one of the strongest wills we know, it is obvious that God has big plans for you. We pray that you continue to stay close to Him and allow Him to guide you. It's going to be an adventure no matter what, but that won't phase you one bit because life through the eyes of Caleb Sturm is just one.big.adventure!

Love,

Dad and Mom

Winter Wrap-Up

Winter has come and gone faster than ever before in the Sturm home. We have learned to appreciate this season a lot more now that our kids are older and being cooped up inside isn't all that bad! We had plenty of slow paced, relaxing evenings and weekends, which was a welcomed change after such a hectic fall. 

We enjoyed getting away for a long weekend in South Bend, Indiana. The trip was somewhat last minute and didn't require a ton of planning. It was just nice to have a change of scenery and time together with family. The kids enjoyed snow tubing one afternoon, we watched tons of football, played a lot of games, took a frigid walk on the Notre Dame campus, and spent a lot of time enjoying the fun house that we stayed in (with an entire game room in the basement). We were shocked to find two free days to get away between the busy wrestling and basketball schedules, but the stars aligned and we took advantage of it!

Caleb endured a long wrestling season and pushed through to the end. He spent a bit of time on the sidelines nursing a hip injury, but was back in time for the final matches of the season and then helped practice with one of the varsity boys who made it deep into the post-season. We really enjoyed watching him this season. After never having wrestled prior to high school, he has shown a ton of growth. Wrestling certainly isn't easy, but he has stuck it out. His coaches gave him the 3D award at the end of the season, which stands for determination, discipline, and dedication. We were super proud of him and felt that it was definitely deserved. Caleb also got an award for having the most escapes....not bad considering he often wrestled kids that had 30 to 40 pounds on him! With the season wrapping up, it was very clear that his body needed a break from the two intense seasons of football and wrestling. Somewhere along the way, he did some damage to his lower back. One MRI and several doc visits later, he is now spending the next few months doing physical therapy and hoping to heal before his senior year.

Leah jumped into basketball after initially thinking she wouldn't do it during high school. She knew a few girls on the team and decided she'd give it a try. The first month was a bit rough with a toe injury and then a concussion a couple weeks later, but she eventually got some consistent playing time. The season had more downs than ups, but she enjoyed it and they definitely improved as time went on.

Joel spent his winter enjoying his role as the junior high basketball manager. He got to take on this job with one of his best friends, so that made it extra fun. He definitely took a liking to seeing basketball from the standpoint of the coach/manager and even talks about someday wanting to be a basketball coach himself! When he wasn't busy with that, he had fun getting involved with the scholastic bowl team. They practice once a week and have a few competitions over the course of several months. All in all, Joel had the least busy and most relaxing winter, but that was not a disappointment for him at all. He loved having lazy afternoons and weekends that were wide open for fun.

Nyla got to celebrate the end of her four years as a manager with a lovely senior recognition ceremony. We had fun watching the game and seeing her in her element. It's not an easy job and she sacrifices a lot to do what she does, but we know that she absolutely loves it! 

Dear Joel,

We have no idea how it's possible that our baby is a teenager! This journey from baby to toddler to preschooler to adolescent to teenager went quickly with your older siblings, but even faster with you. We tried our best to soak it all in even more with you because we knew just how fast it would go. Thankfully, even though time flew, we definitely feel like we made the most of it all. Watching you grow to this point has been an absolute blast and we love the person you are becoming! From early on until now, you've had some of the most admirable qualities. We love your curiosity, your determination, and how incredibly well rounded you are!

There is no doubt that you are curious. In the thirteen years that you've been around, you've probably set a record for how many questions you've asked! In the earlier years, it was usually up to us to answer those questions. However, as time has passed and your inquisitive little brain has grown, you've learned to find answers all on your own. Whether its a book you read or a YouTube video you watch, you're always seeking to find out more about the world around you. You've gone from a novice to a near-expert on so many things and we find it funny to hear you spout off the most random pieces of information (a gift you certainly inherited from Grandpa Rob). You are a shadow at home...mostly following Dad around, but occasionally interested in what Mom is doing. You watch closely to see what is required in the world of "adulting" and our whole family knows that you'll probably be the most prepared for adulthood!

Your curiosity is also intertwined with your incredible determination. You strive to be the best at almost everything....well, except for your handwriting, but we've come to accept that you'll never put much effort into that! You will spend countless hours researching how to be better as a runner, sewer, golfer, you name it! You put so much time and effort into your running this past summer. You signed up for the high school camp and pushed yourself further than you ever thought you could. Keeping up with runners who were much older than you was a challenge, but you never gave up! You also became so knowledgeable with sewing this past year and have created some really cool projects. Your 4H quilt should have taken several weeks, but you laser focused for two days and had the entire thing done. That same laser focus has helped you grow tremendously as a golfer this year. You watch videos all the time in an effort to improve your golf game and you never miss a chance to hit up the driving range with Grandpa! When you're not at home perfecting your hobbies, you're at school doing great things. School comes pretty easy for you and, therefore, you have set your own standard of having the highest grades possible. Sometimes we have to bring you back to reality and remind you that you cannot have a perfect 100% in every single class!

One of our most favorite qualities about you has always been your well-roundedness. From very early on you've been able to get along with just about anyone and can find something to enjoy in just about any situation or environment. You are amazing at entertaining little kids and that's been proven by our little neighbor's affection for you. You can sit and shoot the breeze with people who are decades older than you. You have a heart that knows how to treat everyone with kindness and dignity. That shows in how you spoke of your interactions with the Cherry Hill buddies - a program that brought kids with severe needs to your school to hang out with kids in the general ed population. Girls or boys, young or old, verbal or nonverbal...you can handle it all! In the same way, you can be thrown into any situation and manage to make the most of it. You love to try new things and have, what feels like, a million different hobbies and interests. When change comes your way or new situations arise, you just roll with it. The transition to junior high was seamless for you this year. We didn't even make it to your walk through day because you had your older siblings take you (which was certainly way more fun and cool). Just about any time we've worried about something new or unpredictable coming your way, you've already problem solved it and have a plan in place.

We should probably knock on wood, because the teen years are ever so unpredictable, but parenting you really is easy! You're easy to love, easy to guide, easy to please, and just a joy to be around. You have always been the exclamation point at the end of our sentence...marching to the beat of your own drum in your quirky ways and bringing excitement and fun to all that we do! We are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents. If He hadn't, we'd be pretty jealous of whatever other family got you! We can't wait to continue to watch you grow into the amazing adult that we know you'll be. For now, we are going to soak in these teen years and are hopeful that we will enjoy this phase just as much as we've enjoyed the past thirteen years!

Love,
Dad and Mom

Holidays 2024

We had a wonderful holiday season this year with lots of traditions, family fun, and memories! We definitely look forward to the holiday season and it seems to fly by faster every single year. We crammed in as much as we could, but also built in plenty of time for some rest and relaxation.

We kicked off the holiday season with a fun trip to one of our favorite places - The Walnut Room! We had a yummy dinner and then enjoyed walking around the city to see all of the lights.

The kids all had a plethora of activities throughout December. Leah started off the month running in a 5k to support her friend's little brother. Ben has arthritis and was thrilled to have all of the older girls there to support him! We also enjoyed quite a few concerts throughout December. If we weren't at school for concerts, we were there to watch sports. Caleb was really busy with wrestling and Leah snuck in a few basketball games in the weeks between her foot injury and her concussion.

As soon as break started, we were busy almost every single evening with some sort of celebration. The first night was one of our favorites - a get together with the Blooms because Mark, Madelyn, and Lydia were in town. It was so great to see them and we had such a fun time!

We hosted the Lamont cookie day and it was a blast! We loved having our house full of some of our favorite people. We ended up with way too many cookies, but they managed to get eaten!

Christmas day ended up being super relaxing! We woke up early and opened our presents before having Grandpa, Grandma, and TiTi over for the day. We had breakfast, opened presents, played games, and just lounged around all morning and into the early afternoon. Everyone left for a short time and then came back for dinner. We also loved having Nyla's friend, Tyrese, join us for the day!

Between Christmas and NYE, we squeezed in some birthday celebrations. By the time NYE rolled around, we ate, drank, and celebrated so much that we didn't know if we had anything left to give! Thankfully, we rallied and enjoyed an absolutely awesome visit from our "Florida friends". We had so much fun catching up and celebrating the New Year with them!

By January 1, we felt like we all crawled across the holiday finish line! We had a wonderful holiday season, but it was BUSY. This picture of Chief on New Year's Day sums it all up quite well!

Dear Leah,

Even though you've been a teenager for two years, this felt like the year that really solidified the fact that childhood is over and the teen years are here! That's not just because of the increase in sassiness and moodiness that we've seen! In reality, your level of sass is nothing compared to what it could be, so we cannot complain. You have a heart of gold and genuinely want to make life as sweet and easy as possible for those around you!

The real truth is that you are undoubtedly a teen because of the huge jumps in maturity that we've witnessed over the past year. Prior to this year, you still seemed to have so much childlike innocence and wonder. That was never a bad thing, and truth be told, our hearts hurt just a bit knowing that you have let some of that go. However, in letting go of that, you've begun to grow into the most incredible young lady. You've taken all of your most wonderful qualities and carried them into the teenage years. 

You are a loyal friend and family member....always putting your loved ones first. You don't have enemies and treat people with kindness (even if they're not in your inner circle). You have a great group of girlfriends and have chosen them carefully amongst all of the other drama and harshness that can come with teenage friendships. You make friends wherever you go and do an amazing job of drawing people together. That sometimes comes at a cost - spending a bit too much time on your phone! However, it's worth it to see you so happy and making the most of your high school days. 

Watching you move onto high school in such a flawless way has made us so proud! You chose a heavy academic load and are working so hard to adjust to the rigor and high expectations. You keep yourself organized and never have to be reminded to put your schoolwork first! You've continued to grow in your ability to advocate for yourself and set yourself up for success. When things get challenging, your initial instinct is to give up, but you do a great job of pushing past that and getting to the other side of your frustrations. Aside from the academic side of school, you've done a great job of getting involved! You went out on a limb and played tennis for the high school team. You didn't know a single soul on the team, but made a ton of friendships by the end of the season. Now, you've jumped into basketball and are rediscovering your love for that while having a blast forming new friendships there. You were the ring leader for your Homecoming Olympics team and did a great job of coordinating all of that. You also have pushed through some tough days in band, where the transition to the high school level has been much harder than anticipated. We are genuinely excited to see what the next few years hold. You are already rocking it at LWC and we know the future is bright for you there!

And, when high school is over - which we know will happen way sooner than we'd like - we know you will move on to do amazing things in life! You have never strayed from your innate desire to be a teacher or do something with kids. You continue to seek opportunities to explore that and with each experience, you grow more and more confident in your decision to follow this path. You jump at the chance to spend time with our neighbors' little girls and your help with them is truly a blessing. You've continued to help with the little kids at church and do an amazing job there. You jumped headfirst into helping at Miss Jill's dance camp this summer and she said you were an absolute natural with kids! You've taken on a leadership role with the junior high youth group and are building into younger girls there. And, on top of all of that, you took the child development class first semester in the hopes of being able to get involved with the preschool program at the high school and the teaching internships. There will be no convincing you otherwise - you were made to be in a profession where you work with kids!

We have really loved watching you grow so much in this past year. At the core of who you are, you are still the sweetest and most genuine girl. You stay true to who you are and do a great job of fighting against all of the negativity that comes with being a teenager. We hope and pray that you always find the strength, confidence, and bravery to be yourself...you are just far too amazing to be anything other than yourself! Fifteen years of loving you has been easy and we are so very proud to call you our daughter.

Love,

Dad and Mom

Fall Sports Recap

We had a super busy Fall in the Sturm home with three kids doing three different sports. Despite the fact that it kept us running in a million directions, we truly loved watching them do what they love!

Joel enjoyed his third year of cross country. It definitely feels like he's been a cross country runner for way more than three years! The friends and memories he's made in this sport are priceless! He has grown so much as a runner and his hard work/dedication to the sport grows with every passing year. We love watching him set goals and surpass them. His season started out a bit rough because he came down with a nasty respiratory bug that messed with his breathing for several weeks. He started to get pretty down on himself and doubted if running was even for him. It took a cold, rainy, miserable mid-week race to turn that all around. He finally got back into his groove and ran an amazing race. From that point forward, he was back! The season didn't end with a team trip to state like last year, but he still had a wonderful season overall!

Leah went out on a limb and tried something totally new...tennis! I kept trying to plant that seed with all three of the kids, but nobody ever seemed too interested. At the tail end of summer, Leah decided that she might just want to give it a try. She joined in for the last few days of tennis camp at LWC, spent a few hours practicing with me, and showed up to day one of tryouts. She didn't know a single person and I was so proud of her bravery for trying something new without having a friend to ease the anxiety. She made the team and spent the season playing doubles with another girl who was new to tennis. She learned so much and definitely improved! It was a great way to start her high school career and she learned that sports are an awesome way to get involved and connect with others.

Caleb had a football season to remember! After MONTHS of conditioning (starting last January) and an intense summer of camps, practice, and conditioning, their season started in late August. The boys played their hearts out every single Friday night and we had a blast cheering them on. The few losses they had were super close games that kept us on the edge of our seats. Their hard work paid off and the team made it all the way to the state semi-finals. After an incredibly intense game that appeared to be a victory for LWC right up until the final minute (when the opposing team scored), the boys came up short and the season ended. We know that the loss was heartbreaking for the team and we were sad to see it all come to such an abrupt end, but they certainly had no reason to feel anything besides proud! Caleb had such an amazing experience throughout the whole season and we are so thankful for the memories he made.

Now it's time to move onto Winter....Caleb is doing wrestling again, Leah gave basketball a try, and Joel is managing the boys basketball team at his school. Busy, busy, busy!