Silas is 9!

Silas - "9 more years and I'll be an adult."
Me - "No, you aren't an adult until you're 18, bud."
Silas - "Yeah Mom, 9 more years."

What!? How did I not realize that he's half way through his childhood?? 😭 I seriously cannot believe it. The statement "the days are long but the years are short" have never been more true. I want SO DESPERATELY to soak in every single laugh, every single tender moment, every single experience with each of my babies and yet most of our days feel so rushed and our weeks so busy.

The realization that we are teetering on tween/teen years has me nervous. I just read an article about 12 year olds and how they shut down and shut out people around them as they begin to navigate the teen years. It's hard for me to believe that my outgoing boy who shares everything about his day will soon become withdrawn and somewhat introverted so I relish these days of conversation, the best conversations being at night before bed.

Silas is still loving baseball and always goes into a season with high hopes of being on the best team. He missed his best friend, Kellen, with every fiber of his being but is learning to navigate the year without him. Kellen was such a constant in our house last summer that most days I just took him along wherever we went because it was just easier. Those two boys being on the same team last year was icing on the cake and they dominated their team. I can only pray that God gives Silas another friend like Kellen or that He brings Kellen back into our lives soon. Silas really misses that deep, connected, brotherly friendship that he had with Kellen.

He got his first mountain bike for his birthday. He was so pumped, so eager to go out and ride. Seeing his excitement and watching that face light up is so awesome. I want his gorgeous hair, his big, dark eyes and his phenomenal eyelashes etched in my memory forever. Seriously, the most handsome kid I've ever seen.

Although he's made some mistakes this year, he's made some awesome decisions that have made us so proud. He and his friend saw another student eating lunch alone so they went and joined him. I see little glimpses of his heart like this and it makes me so excited for his future.

We just got back last weekend from spring break in Phoenix. Briar was a perfect traveler and the big kids had so much fun. Seeing their excitement and joy when it comes to vacation is so much fun. They love flying and always come home on such a high. The memories they have of our trips are so awesome and I love that they are getting to see part of the world. A big thanks to my parents for taking us along!