It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to wrap my head around how quickly we've gone from this:
To this:
The speed at which the past nine years has gone is breathtaking. And Mark has now pointed out that we are
halfway to 18.
Oh my.
If the past 9 years seemed fast, how quickly will the next 9 go? I seriously feel the muscles around my heart tense up when I stop and think about it. I've started praying that God will prepare my heart and mind for that moment, a short 9 years down the road, when I have to let go and watch my babies (my life!) begin their own lives. I'm trusting Him that I'll be ready and that Mark won't have to spend our empty nest years visiting me in the nuthouse.
All of that said, at the same time it is truly a beautiful experience to watch your children change and grow into their own personalities - and to really view them as God's children, not our own. There's something very freeing in that! I'm seeing Him work in their lives and it's magnificent.
So to Jack - this year we'll start with you! Especially because sometimes we worry that you get lost in the shadow of Noah. :) You are not as outspoken (sometimes can't get a word in edgewise) and tend to be more introspective. We just walked a mile together today and you didn't say more than 4 words - you were just happy in your own world, mainly focused on finding bugs on the sidewalk. You will still hold my hand, which warms my heart, but ONLY if we are NOT on school property. Then any kind of outward affection is not allowed. You will tell me you love me when I drop you off at school, but you say it under your breath because heaven forbid someone should actually hear that you love your mother. :) I'm okay with it though, because at home you are a total snuggler - love to curl up on the couch with me, you still sleep in our bed on occasion, smack me on the rear (?!?) and will always give me a hug or kiss when I need it.
You are into sports, sports, and more sports. Flag football and soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and soccer again in the spring. If you are at home, you always have a ball in your hands. You simply were born with the need to compete. Soccer's been done for a few weeks now and you keep asking when you can start tennis! At one particular basketball game last winter, you were on the bench while your team quickly fell to 10 points behind. Well. When you came off the bench, you had a look on your face and your dad and I looked at each other and said "uh oh." You were
determined. You proceeded to hog the ball and made up those 10 points
yourself in about 3 minutes, and then scored 2 more baskets, putting your team in the lead. Then you were satisfied. :) And running - oh my word. Child, you can run like the wind and you LOVE it. It lights up your whole being. And it's become really fun watching you - at your school track meet (where you won all 1st place ribbons!) my heart just soared along with your feet, watching you FLY around the track. And it makes you so happy! Then there's fishing - you've definitely caught the bug, and you are so blessed to have a grandpa and uncle who love it as much as you do and are happy to satisfy your fishing cravings!
You are sticking with piano - I gave you the option to quit this year, but you refused. It's not your favorite thing to do, but again, you are determined to stick with it and keep plugging along. I'm so proud of you. You still love the Wii and while you were sick with Swine Flu last fall, taught mom how to play Mario Kart. You finished the Sparks program at AWANA, which was a ton of work - so many bible verses you now have hidden in your heart! You are still a jokester - love calling me "toots" (like short for Tootsie) - and your laugh can make my heaviest worries simply melt away. Your smile lights up your face and the entire room - I have captured it so many times in my mind I hope it's still fresh in my memory when you are 40.
You are addicted to munching on crushed ice, mac and cheese is still your meal of choice (pizza a close 2nd), Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies are a fave, but FRUIT lights up your world. At a recent buffet, you headed off with your empty dinner plate and came back with it
heaping with fruit - nothing else. And you were happy as a clam. School is still NOT a favorite - but you are so very smart - you came home with straight A's this year!! And writing is your strength - you write the most creative, magnificent stories. You are currently working on a story with Noah and a friend and you guys have written 18 pages!
Your biggest news in the past year, my sweet boy, began one day when you came to me and said "Mommy, I don't want to be 'Jack and Noah' anymore, I want to be just Jack." I have to say, that was a shocker. And it broke my heart on several levels. But at the same time, we were so glad you spoke up and said something! Shortly after, you asked if you could
go to a different school. You are a very independent soul, so after three months of discussing and praying, we are okay with you heading off to a new school in the fall - on your own. You are so brave, I am so incredibly proud of you and I KNOW God has special things in store for you! Oh, how I love you, Jackaroni.
And Noah - there are so many fascinating facets to your personality, where should I start? So let's start with the fact your freckles have stolen my heart. :) I look at your smiling freckled face and I melt. And your belly laugh - oh, there is no sound like it in the world. Except maybe your singing, which you do whenever you stop talking, which isn't very often. You just make us laugh because there is NEVER a quiet moment with you - you are our Mr. Jabberjaws and you are still constantly asking questions, except your quota has probably doubled since last year. But seriously, I often find myself slack-jawed at the questions you come up with - they are like small windows to your brain, and at least once a day I think "how did he come up with THAT?" It is so exciting for me to see how incredibly smart you are and I honestly could not be more excited to see where you are and what God is doing with you 30 years from now. The only current disadvantage to your wisdom is that you are developing your own OPINIONS and have become an expert at catching mom and dad in our inconsistencies and we've decided you would make a FANTASTIC lawyer - not someday, like right now. Nothing gets by you. Oh child, you wear me out.
You learned cursive in school this year and you brought home page after page with high praises from your teacher about how spot-on perfect your handwriting is - a couple times I really thought I was looking at a photocopy of the text book. I think it has something to do with your artistic flair - you are an incredible little artist and love drawing some pretty amazing things. You are a magnet at school - I was able to see this year how kids just flock to you - you just exude a loving nature and go out of your way to befriend those who don't have many friends. Now THAT's having the heart of Jesus, on which I could take a lesson from you! You are so sensitive and kind and softhearted.
You have really taken off in piano - you pick it up very quickly and now love to just go sit down and play - not from your lesson - but just play for fun. And your 9th birthday finds you a lot more confident in yourself than last year. You were so fun to watch in sport this year - starting with football. During tryouts, at the field-goal kicking station, none of the kids were making any of them . . . then it was your turn. You got three in a row. Knocked the socks off the coaches. And it was effortless for you. Then soccer and basketball - you found your groove in both and you were sooooo calm, cool and collected and as a result, your abilities soared. It's interesting how Jack displays sheer determination in sports, you demonstrate peacefulness and yet you both excel. It's so fun to see your differences and how they work for each of you.
Your favorites include: tacos, chips, your buddy Nathan, talking, reciting various NFL facts, talking, watching the Cosby Show, tacos, talking, listening to Journey (?!?), Scooby Doo, talking, getting up at the crack of dawn because you are too excited for each day, talking, tacos, football on the Wii, all things animal, AND . . . snuggling with mom. Despite your size, you still love to try and curl up on my lap and you give the biggest, best bear hugs EVER. It won't be long before you and I are comparable in size - today we were measuring our wrists and yours was 6 inches and mine was 6 1/4. !!! Amazing. I keep asking you if you can't stay 8 for a little while longer and you are so sweet because you look pained, like you want that for me, but can't quite make it happen. :) I love you, Noah!
You both are just the most amazing gifts God has ever given your mom and dad (aside from our salvation!) and we seem to grow more and more thankful for you each day, each month, each year. I have anxiously counted down on the calendar for SUMMER, when I can have you both to myself during the day, commitment-free, to spend time with you, to play with you and to just enjoy who you are becoming. You are absolutely our favorite people to spend time with - evidenced by the fact that when your Dad had the opportunity to plan a vacation for his upcoming 40th birthday, he opted to take you guys with us - just because you are the coolest people on the planet to be around. We count each day with you as priceless, we praise God for the years He's already given us with you and pray that these next 9 years somehow go a little slower than the first . . . .
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK AND NOAH!!
Then a couple days prior to their birthday we had their party. Mark and I suggested every party idea under the sun, but they just wanted 4 friends at our house for pizza and sports in the yard. Totally simple. Totally easy. And they said it was their best birthday ever.
We also played a little bingo. For money. Huge hit.
Basketball.
And football.
Sweaty, smelly, happy boys.
And this was the day they turned 9:
Their day started out with a scavenger hunt, compliments of Grandma and Grandpa Roisum. 6 clues. And a $10 bill for each of them at each clue. They LOVED it - had the BEST time. Starting out:
Next stop: the piano -
Then a game in the family room -
Up to the living room TV cabinet -
Outside -
To the dog kennel -
Last stop: the tub. :)
This year, I took the boys shopping seperately so they could each buy something for each other. Interesting experience. Rather than just "getting it over with," they were extremely particular about what they got each other. Noah bought Vikings stuff for Jack:
And Jack bought a Legos set and stuffed dog for Noah:
They have to open most presents back-to-back since they get many of the same things -
On the afternoon of their birthday, they FINISHED A MARATHON. During the two months leading up to this, they each walked/jogged 25 miles around our neighborhood and then ran the last 1.2 miles on the Mickelson Trail and crossed the real finish line. It was awesome. We were so stinkin' proud of what they accomplished!!
Noah finished around 10th - 12th, which was fantastic for him - he ran the entire 1.2 miles, which he had NEVER done before. And nearly threw up. I talked him out of it, calmed him down and got him cooled off. :) What a sport.
We finished off the birthday with a dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Horak's house in Spearfish.
And a few more gifts - neither of which they were very excited about.
(Cabela's Big Game Hunter for the Wii)
(Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii). Crazy kids. 
Noah finished around 10th - 12th, which was fantastic for him - he ran the entire 1.2 miles, which he had NEVER done before. And nearly threw up. I talked him out of it, calmed him down and got him cooled off. :) What a sport.
We finished off the birthday with a dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Horak's house in Spearfish.
And a few more gifts - neither of which they were very excited about.
(Cabela's Big Game Hunter for the Wii)
(Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii). Crazy kids.
We are now summering in our camper at Hart Ranch. More on that later.
We are now summering in our camper at Hart Ranch. More on that later.
Our four campsites -
