Happy 12th Elijiah

12, 12! Can you believe it. It’s a milestone year. I mean really…graduating from primary into young mens, getting the priesthood, one year from official teenagerhood…man time is flying by isn’t it? So this time last year we were moving into our lovely home on Hickenlooper and promising you we would never move as it was our dREAM house and perfect for our family. Which is was. You immediately felt at home and said, we aren’t moving are we? Well here we are again and yes we have moved. Just a short 8 months later. It took a lot of talks and time, but you are patient with our endless reasons. Downsizing, me trying to stay home and quit working. Simple life. So here we are at Grandma Noelles while we wait for the house to be built. This last year you tried out for a new soccer team- the BLAST and we moved you from Lehi to Salt Lake which seems to work out fine for everyone. You have become a superstar leader on your team. You have rediscovered your love of the sport and excelled a ton. You also tried out for a comp basketball team and while not quite the superstar working hard and gaining confidence. Its hard to walk on a team where you haven’t played the sport for long and expected to perform at the higher level…but you love it and doing just fine playing great defense. We had a great summer, Noel came out- granted she spent most of the time with Dan but you went lots of places, spent a week with us in Canada, played both sports and for the most part it went fast. You were excited to start school again and see all your friends. So far you are maintaining your all A’s and your friends have a hard time keeping up with you J. You and Tristan continue to be great and not so great. Actually you guys have found some common ground and interests that make hanging out easier. He still looks up to you and misses you, and I know any brotherly fights are just that. Brotherly – you love eachother a ton. Jett lol– man you little teaser! You love to antagonize him till hes screaming, running after him to kiss him- you adore him and love all over him…hes just not all that interested in returning the affection. If you play with him hes all yours…but the teasing…oh my Elijiah! You still devour book after book often reading one in just a day. You have a voracious appetite for reading and I love seeing that. I just wanted to say to you how proud I am of you. Ive seen a lot of growing up this year. You are wearing my same shoe size and just a few inches away from being taller than me. That will be a sad sad day for me you know! All I know is that our time is always so limited. I miss you so much. I love every minute we get with you and our family isn’t complete when you are not in the home. There is something special that we all feel is missing when you are gone. When you come home…its like we can be a true family again. Your 12th birthday will be a bit more mellow this year as we don’t really have a place to host…taking you and some friends to dinner and movie perhaps this Friday. So maybe a bit more grown up time…? I just wanted to wish you the happiest happiest birthday of all. I love you oodles and oodles and cant wait to see what 12 brings. Love mom