Alena Turns 13!

We have a teenager!  Thirteen years ago, we were welcoming you into the world and now we are watching you grow up.  Every day, you make us prouder and prouder to be your parents.  You have become such a beautiful, intelligent, goofy thirteen-year-old.  You remain humble in your sports, even though you are usually the strongest player on the field/court.  You continue to do select soccer, (North Polk United), volleyball, basketball and softball (off and on).  We love watching you compete in middle school sports with your friends.  You plan to do WG volleyball, basketball, track and softball.  This winter/Spring you will play club volleyball with Ignit.  You have such an amazing group of friends: You always lift each other up and have each other's back, which is so important as you navigate through life.  Your friends would describe you as loyal, funny, easy going and smart.  

We knew you would be athletic but I am still in awe at times watching you.  For the conference cross country meet, they asked a few volleyball players to run as there were not enough girls to make a team.  You went to one practice and ran twice out in our neighborhood to prepare for it.  You ended up finishing 8th overall with one of the fastest times in WG history and was the first 7th grader to finish.  Simply amazing! 

To celebrate you turning 13, we ventured to San Diego with your good friend Claire, and her mom, Shelly.  We had such an amazing time exploring the city, relaxing on the beach, visiting the San Diego Zoo, and kayaking in the ocean.  

For your birthday party we created a live clue game and all your  friends dressed up in character!  It was a fun night!

I have had to look up to you for the last couple years and although you may not like being tall, one day you will realize the benefits of it.  Everyone is jealous of your beautiful long legs!  You now wear a size 10 shoe and I think your feet are done growing, so I'm more willing to spend money on nice shoes.  Your picky eating habits haven't changed much but some days you surprise us and are willing to try new things. 

We know your next trip around the sun will be amazing!  We can't wait to watch you continue to grow into the beautiful, respectful, hilarious person you are.  You can do anything you put your mind and energy into.  

 What is your favorite color?  Blue

What is your favorite toy?  Lauren's hover board

What is your favorite fruit?  Strawberries

What is your favorite movie? Animated Grinch

What is your favorite TV show?  Dance Moms

What is your favorite thing to wear?  Leggins and sweatshirts  

What is your favorite animal? Beluga Whale

What is your favorite song? You Belong With Me-Taylor Swift

What is your favorite book? To All the Boys I Loved Before

Who is your favorite friend?  Kendyl Hansen and Claire Modracek

What is your favorite snack?  Granola bars

What is your favorite drink?  Sprite

What is your favorite breakfast food?  Pancakes  

What is your favorite dinner? Cheeseburgers

What is your favorite place to go? Vacation

What is your favorite game?  Clue

What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play volleyball 

What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas

What do you sleep with? Eeyore, Squishmallow, weighted blanket, other stuffies and holiday blankets

What do you want to be when you grow up? Pediatric Ophthalmologist 

Twins Turn 10!

It is very hard to believe that Lauren and Caleb are now in double digits.  The time is flying by and I am so sad about it because I am loving the ages of my kids right now. They still want to spend time with mom and dad, their minds are still advancing, and they are full of questions.  

Lauren:

You had a busy year with activities.  You participated in softball in the fall and Spring, basketball, gymnastics and dance, (hip hop and lyrical).  You also did run club spring and fall.  You have really enjoyed running and I think Cross Country may be your thing come middle school.  At the last second you also decided to try soccer for the first time since you were 5, and you played with 4th and 5th graders from WG.  

 We love your enthusiasm in the morning and know that you are tired or not in a bad mood if you are not happy in the morning.  You don't like silence so fill any silence with talking or asking questions.  Your friends (and their parents) would describe you as silly, funny and loyal.   A friend's mom recently told me after you spent some time at her house, "Lauren is hilarious!"  You have brought laughter to us this year in a time when we really needed it.  You are also my emotional one, and the events of this last year have been hard for you to understand but we appreciate your honesty and questions. You have no filter and tell us everything you are feeling which we are so grateful for. 

I feel like you only grow upwards.  You can still fit in clothes you wore a couple years ago, except for pants which have gotten too short.  You are gaining muscle mass through gymnastics and we love your dimpled smile. 

We decided to do a birthday party at home this year.  You invited 6 friends over and spent the evening doing tie dye, sitting in the hot tub, playing Among Us, and playing the saran wrap game. It was loud but fun!  

We can't wait to see what this next year brings for you.  We love watching you compete, (you will be doing competitive gymnastics), this year.  Thank you for making us laugh, keeping us grounded and reminding us to enjoy life to it's fullest.  

Birthday Questions: 

What is your favorite color?  Teal

What is your favorite toy?  Hover Board
What is your favorite fruit?   Pineapple

What is your favorite movie? Jumanji
What is your favorite TV show?  KC Undercover
What is your favorite thing to wear?  Sweatshirts
What is your favorite animal? Squirrels
What is your favorite song? Unstoppable
What is your favorite book? Finding Gobi
Who is your favorite friend? Jules Modracek
What is your favorite snack?  Apple
What is your favorite drink?  Propel
What is your favorite breakfast food?  Crepes
What is your favorite dinner? Bacon
What is your favorite place to go?  Sky Zone
What is your favorite game?  Cards
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Jump on trampoline
What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas
What do you sleep with? Squishmallows and Zebe

What do you want to be when you grow up? A Veterinarian 

Caleb:

If anyone has a conversation with you, they would think you are older than you are.  Besides being the tallest in your class, you are incredibly smart.  We love your intelligence and hope you continue to embrace it.  You and dad can talk about sports all day long and you love any statistics regarding sports.  We should have built a gym in our house as you would use is all the time.  You are outside rain, shine, or snow, shooting baskets.  Depending what season it is, you will spend any free time focusing on that sport, throwing the baseball or football around or shooting baskets with your sisters.  

You are naturally talented in every sport you do but we hope you remember that hard work is needed as well to excel in these sports, and it's always important to continue working on good sportsmanship.  You are in ELP for math and are starting to enjoy reading more.  You would prefer to read every sports book with statistics but are willing to branch out a bit recently.  

You love your dog so much and snuggle with him lying on the floor every morning.  As before, you continue to have quite the appetite and love to snack after school.  Unfortunately, whenever you are sick, you tend to be sick for days and take longer to recover when compared to your sisters.  You are a trooper when we travel with the Modracek's and we all enjoyed a spring break trip to Nashville and Gatlinburg together.  

We can't wait to see what the next year brings you and are excited to watch you compete in all your activities.  This year you did flag football and select soccer (DCG). You continue to play basketball with your WG friends and will play on a AAA baseball team through Johnston.  

Birthday Questions:  

What is your favorite color?  Green

What is your favorite toy?  Basketball
What is your favorite fruit?   Applesauce
What is your favorite movie?  Animated Grinch
What is your favorite TV show?  None
What is your favorite thing to wear?  Jerseys
What is your favorite animal? Lion
What is your favorite song? Shooting Star by Owl City
What is your favorite book? None
Who is your favorite friend?  Kellen Velky
What is your favorite snack?  Protein bar
What is your favorite drink?  Rootbeer
What is your favorite breakfast food?  Doughnuts
What is your favorite dinner? Cheeseburger
What is your favorite place to go?  Sports Event
What is your favorite game?  Dominoes
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Play basketball 
What is your favorite holiday?  Christmas
What do you sleep with? Blanket

What do you want to be when you grow up? Basketball Player