Preston's Yellow Belt

Preston has been ready to take the test for his new karate belt for a few weeks. He was finally able to take the test night. He was SO excited to earn his yellow belt. He works really hard in karate and he was very happy when they presented him with his new belt. We are very proud of him!

Valentine's Day

We had a very laid back Valentine's Day this year. The kids had the day off from school, so we spent Valentine's Day in Owensboro with the Congleton family. We hadn't seen them since last fall, so it was really good to get together. We also got to meet Daniel! He is such a sweet little boy and he fit right in with the six older boys.

Preston had a friendship party and I went and did a craft with his class. I loved being with Preston and his friends and it was so much fun to help. 

It was a really busy weekend and we could not find a sitter, so Carl and I decided to scrap our original Valentine's celebration plans. We opted for a very quick Valentine's dinner at the sushi restaurant that is close to our house. Evan watched Preston at the house while we were gone and they both did a great job. I was very proud of both of them and it was nice to spend time with Carl. 

Evan's 12 Birthday Celebrations

Evan was SO excited that his birthday was on a Saturday this year! Although he generally likes school, he was very happy that he could enjoy the day without having to get up extra early to catch the bus or do any school work.

We started the day with opening presents. Evan is really into nature this year and loves being outside.  He is especially excited to take pictures of deer and find shed antlers. His favorite gifts reflected his love for deer and his most favorite gift was a blanket with a large buck.

We went to Defy for Evan's birthday party with his friends. Sam, Max, Carter, Parker, Turner, Reid, Nolan, Bradley and Elvir joined him for the party. They all had a great time and spent almost the full two hours jumping on the trampolines!

We had a family party at our house on Sunday. Grammy, Granddaddy, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Teddy, Caroline, Alex and Andy came and we all had a great time.

Evan is a really great kid and we are always so proud of him. He has done well transitioning to middle school and he has matured and grown a lot. He does well in school and his report card consists of  mostly As and a just a couple of Bs. It has been fun to watch him develop a love of nature and see him gain interest in things like fishing and photographing animals. He is also quite athletic and has excelled in sports such as swimming, diving, and soccer. Evan also enjoys video games and is especially fond of playing Fortnite with his friends. He is very adventurous and likes to try new things. He also has many moments of being kind and sweet, which I love. I am excited to have another year to watch him grow, learn, explore, and have fun.