Today my first born turns 16!! Just thinking back over the last 16 years makes my heart full!! I can’t imagine my life without this sweet boy/young man!!!
always with a smile
Jordan is one of those kids who has always been very even tempered and rarely ever upset for very long.
Dinner
These days I rarely have to ask him for help – he just steps in and helps me around the house – especially in the kitchen.
Show Off!!!
I love when he does some of the exercises I like to do even if he can do them better than me!!
silly (this picture is not recent!!!)
Pictures with the boys are always fun – Jordan is silly a lot!!!
on the field
Since starting high school Jordan has developed a huge love of band!!! He loves to practice his trumpet and I enjoy hearing him play.
JROTC
Jordan is in ROTC at school – I know Chris loves seeing him in uniform.
silly
I love that Jordan and Hunter get along so well – they are good friends even if they don’t claim to be!!!
Gladiator
Jordan has loved history and all things related to history for years!!
3 years ago – just starting to run
He tried cross country in middle school and enjoyed the running but not really the competing. Now he just runs because he loves it.
Jordan as a 2 year old with my favorite people in the world!
Even when he was little – always smiling!
Great big brother!
He taught Hunter many things including the “correct” way to use sidewalk chalk.
Hunter, Jordan
Look how Hunter looks up to Jordan!!!
Driving
Now he is 16 – now he has more freedom – now I let him go just a little more.
look at him soar!!
My wish for him is that he will always be this free and willing to dive in to new things!!!
Nov. 10, 1998 Happy Birthday, Jordan
Happy 16th to my sweet boy!! I might always consider you my baby because you were my very first!!!
It is pretty much a well-known fact that I don’t really bake!!!
However, birthdays call for a special dessert and the birthday person gets to decide what they want. The past few years, it seems like my boys have gotten away from the traditional cake – fine with me!
This year Hunter wanted a trifle!!! He didn’t care what kind – just something with chocolate.
Hunter being a goof with his birthday trifle
I actually like to make trifles because it is just a matter of layering some ingredients!! At Christmas I usually make a couple – one with some chocolate and a fruit one of some sort.
This trifle ended up being an Oreo Trifle.
Ingredients:
* brownies (I used a mix to make a pan)
* 2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding (and milk to prepare them according to directions)
* 2 cartons of Cool Whip
* Oreos – I think I used about 20-25
Make the brownies according to package directions and let cool. (Or, feel free to make homemade brownies!!) When they are cool, cut them into small squares.
Mix the pudding and milk. Let set in the refrigerator about an hour. Also, if you just put the Cool Whip in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the trifle it will be easier!
Put the Oreos in a large Zip-Loc baggie and crunch up.
Assemble the trifle:
1/2 the brownies
1/2 the pudding
1 carton of Cool Whip
1/2 the cookies
Repeat layers
Today my baby is 13!!! I don’t even know how this is possible!!! I’m so proud of the young man that Hunter has become and love every single second that I get to spend with him!
There was a time that I just wanted to survive the seconds with Hunter!!! When Hunter was 3, I wasn’t sure that we were both going to survive!!!
side walk chalk or face paint?Sidewalk chalk- Turner style
I asked Hunter if he cared if I wrote some about the year of 3 and he said, “I love those stories. They are hilarious!”
I saw this face a lot!!! (well- minus the glitter that his cousins put on him!)
Ummm….10 years later I think the stories are funny – still not sure that hilarious is the right word – as long as we don’t have to repeat that year of 3!
he was super cute when he wanted to be!
One day, the boys and I were at Target (actually almost every day!) and Hunter threw himself on the floor and pitched a fit. I said, “OK – see you later.” I tried to get Jordan to walk a couple steps away with me – next thing I know, Jordan is crying because he thought we were really going to leave Hunter.
nice look – socks, sandals & grey sweat pants!
When Hunter was 2 I used to say he was either the cutest thing ever or the most ornery!
love that little smile
And, for months he really was cute. Then gradually he turned from ornery into a very strong-willed little boy and every day was a struggle!!
content for a second
Fits and full-blown tantrums were a normal part of our day. It didn’t matter what I said to him some days – he would just throw himself on the floor and pitch a fit.
he looks so innocent doesn’t he?
I could hand him a sucker and he would throw himself on the floor! “I didn’t want red – I wanted blue!”
pretty sure the spoons were swords
There was a period of about 3 months that I would sit at the dinner table with Chris after the boys were excused and cry every night. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong!
my sweet little boy
After Jordan started kindergarten, Hunter and I had 2 years that it was just he and I all day every day. We had some fun times together (minus the fits of course)!!!
so sweet
We also had some rough days!
black eye (I can’t remember what happened – poor boy)finally nap-time!
One day, after a very rough morning, I read the book Love You Foreverto Hunter before nap-time. By the end I could barely read it because I was crying so much – I don’t think he got it but he wiped my tears and hugged me!!!
such a sweetie
Even though 3 was a rough age, by the time he was 4, life was much better!!
fun timesbrotherly love (even with guns & holsters)fun in the snow
Hunter went through about 2-3 years that he had horrible leg-aches at night. Several nights a week he would wake up crying because they hurt so much. Growing up I had the same thing and when I was in high school my sister and I shared a room and bed she had them. (I used to rub her legs until she fell asleep.) I spent many nights laying in bed with Hunter and calming him and rubbing his legs until he could sleep again.
Even though I hated the fact that he was hurting, I loved that time that I had with him in the darkness – he wanted me to stay with him until he could sleep again – I spent many hours just being there with him in the night!!! And they were calm times (after he quit thrashing his legs)!!
a visit with some of the cousins and this happened
Hunter has always been happy to hug me and give me kisses – as a baby/toddler he was very snuggly and he will still wrap his arms around me and hug me!!
this was actually Hunter’s 1st birthday
Hunter hated having to walk places. Even at age 4 he preferred being carried – I think he was my original weight training!!! The summer he was 4 we spent 3 weeks in New Jersey – Chris had a training course and the boys and I were tourists. I carried him all over many places because “his legs were tired.”
fun in HawaiiI think this was our first Hawaii trip – look how little those boys are!
Funny, that my little guy who hated walking from the car to the store is now training for a half marathon!!!
our happy place
I look at pictures and see a sweet little boy who makes me proud every single day!!!
bright yellow!
Happy Birthday, Hunter!!! I love that I get to be your mom and see the changes in you from day-to-day and year-to-year!
Today’s 44 is one that Josie @ Yum Yucky demoed the other day. It is called a living plank and it is fun!!!
Start in plank with a kettlebell (you could use a dumbbell) above your head. With your right hand, move the KB down near your thighs. Use your left hand and return the KB to the start = 1 rep.
Try this for a new way to spice up your plank. The last few reps were hard – I had to work hard to lift the KB and not drag it!
Yesterday I wrote a post full of griping and complaining and then proceeded to let myself be in a major funk all day!
Today, I choose to be happy and share some happy things.
Saturday – Wrestling Tournament:
waiting – lots & lots of waiting
almost time
fixing to shake!
I don’t totally get all that goes along with wrestling – it is new to me – but Hunter had 3 matches on Saturday – he lost his first then came back to win his 2nd which sent him to the consolation round. He won that match by pinning his opponent!!!
3rd place in his category at his very first tournament!!
Sunday – Jordan’s Birthday:
so handsome
fun times
For several years now, Hunter has been trying to get Jordan to give him 5!
come on – give me 5
got it!!!
Sunday – Cello Group Concert:
waitingcello group (and someone’s bald head!)
This concert was Hunter’s cello group, a clarinet group and a flute group – all were great. The cellos ended the program with a version of William Tell’s Overture – it was awesome!!
