Happy 11th Birthday Noah.....

It is hard to believe that our oldest son, Noah Robert, is 11 years old!  He was born on September 29, 2003 and was the first of our kiddos to call me Mama. I couldn't imagine life without this guy. We are so blessed to have him, I dedicate this post to my Noah.

.....you were the first kid up on your birthday

(you are Never the first one up...ever)

.....you make me laugh every.single.day

.....you are very social and like hanging out with your buddies

.....you like to ride your bike

.....you are really good at memorizing verses

.....you are in the 6th grade

(at home :)

.....you think that you are awesome

(you just told me to write that....of course)

.....you and Nate always get each other a gag gift

(this year it was a roll of toilet paper and a pair of your own underwear)

.....your favorite dinner is lasagna

.....you hope to become a member of our church soon

.....you like going to work with your Dad

(he sometimes has you do experiments in his lab)

.....you play the guitar

.....you make dessert for our family every weekend

.....you are so sweet with your baby brother Aaron

.....you love collecting coins

(just like your Pap Pap Bob)

.....you enjoy shooting your air soft guns

.....you like to eat

(you just told me to write that)

.....you are the strongest kid I know

.....you have the most chores out of all of the kids

.....you recently watch all four Rocky movies with your Dad

(and loved them!)

.....your little brother Luke loves to wrestle with you

.....you enjoy listening to music

.....you like Dave Matthews, Beastie Boys, The Good Shepherd Band and About A Mile

.....you are a huge help

.....you love going swimming any chance you get

.....you like to pick on your little sister

(but she loves you anyway)

.....your best friend is James

.....you have the thickest hair

.....you like to play football in our back yard

.....your little brother Adam adores you, he's your buddy

.....you love going back to PA to visit family

.....you love riding the motorcycle while in PA

.....you still get migraines, but they are few and far between

(we are very thankful to God for this!)

.....you and Nate have a very special bond

.....you and Nate have always shared a room

.....you sleep on the top bunk

.....you are very talented with woodworking

(you and your Dad make wooden swords and daggers)

.....you are growing in your faith

(such a blessing to see)

.....you like to watch cooking competitions 

(like chopped and cut throat kitchen)

.....you love to go camping

.....you read a Bible story to your siblings every morning

.....you are in your last year of The Dangerous Boys Club

.....you have a very close relationship with your Dad

When I look at you these days, I am really starting to see a young man. You are very independent, reliable and you are finally starting to understand the importance of hard work. Sometimes I wish that I could press the pause button on life....but I know the passing of time is inevitable so I am enjoying watching you grow and mature.  Daddy and I pray for you everyday, hopeful that you will have a strong faith in Jesus Christ and that you will grow in godliness, living a life of repentance.

Happy Birthday Noah

I Love You,

Mom

Happy Birthday Noah

On September 29, 2003....10 yrs. ago, God blessed Jared and I with our first baby boy.  It's so hard to believe that our Noah is now in the double digits. I remember vividly the day he was born, and how I couldn't stop staring at him, this precious little life that made me a mom.  Our first born has been an immeasurable blessing to our family and we are thankful for him each and every day. I dedicate this post to my 10 yr. old...Noah Robert.

.....you woke everyone up early so that you could open your gifts before we left for church

.....you are always making us laugh

.....you really are a great big brother

.....you want to build clubhouse in the back yard

.....your least favorite subject is math

.....you like to cruise around the neighborhood on your bike

.....you are really good at playing the guitar

.....you refer to your siblings as "the kids"

.....you got a kick out of Nate's prank...he wrapped up a roll of toilet paper and a baby toy

.....you have the best laugh

.....you wrestle with Luke all of the time

.....you tell us that you would love for us to have more children

(and have expressed that you would like another brother...apparently 3 just isn't enough)

.....you rarely wear a shirt around the house

.....your Dad got you a punching bag and you like to use it

.....you really like our neighborhood, but you would love to live in the woods

.....you still love it when I make homemade granola and pumpkin muffins

(this is the perfect time of year for them!)

.....your sense of humor and quick wit keep me laughing 

.....you would love to sleep in if we would let you

.....you are really close with your father

.....you are really creative

.....you really wanted air soft guns for your birthday

.....your Dad really enjoyed picking out your birthday gifts this year

.....you are having a blast using them in our back yard

.....your mother was a bit nervous with all of the gun wars

(but now I am more relaxed...you have been very responsible so far)

.....your were sweet and let your brothers and sister help open your presents

.....you have always been so good with Adam, and he sure loves his big brother

(there is something so sweet seeing my biggest and littlest guys together)

.....you and your little sis just joined the children's choir at church and you love it

.....you attend a co-op every Friday with other homeschool families

(we all really enjoy it)

.....you are still a member of The Dangerous Boys Club

.....you love to go camping

.....you have really matured this past year

(but still have alot of room to grow!)

.....you want a pet snake

(but that is NEVER going to happen)

.....you can still have an attitude and need to be disciplined for it

.....you love watching movies

.....you share a room with Nate, and sleep on the top bunk

(you have since you were 3 yrs. old)

.....you want to become a member of our church

.....you still suffer from migraines, but are learning how to deal with them better

.....you are reading The Lord of The Rings Trilogy

.....your Dad cuts your hair

.....you often read the Bible to us during our morning devotion time

(and if Dad is away in the evenings, you lead our evening devotion time)

.....your pet hamster, Rex, died last February...you and Dad buried him in the back yard

.....you still love camo stuff

.....you absolutely love going back to PA to hang out with all of your cousins

(and also to see your grandparents of course)

.....you have lived in 4 states since you were born

.....you like to draw

.....your favorite dinner is Lasagna

.....you absolutely love it when I make home made bread

(I'm sorry that I don't make it more often)

.....you had a family of brothers over on your birthday and had an airsoft gun war

.....you are allergic to bees

.....you still give me a hug and kiss every morning when you wake up

(and I am so very thankful for this)

.....you wear your watch everyday

.....you gave your baby brother Adam the nickname "Fuzzle Wuzzle"...which has morphed into calling him "The Fuzz"

.....you tell me that you still love being homeschooled

.....you are a night owl

.....you finally got Nate out in the yard to have an airsoft gun war

.....you enjoy taking the neighbor's dogs for walks

.....you have alot of good buddies from church

.....you love ice cream

.....you are much better at memorizing verses than I am

.....you still race your siblings in the back yard, and never let them win

As time moves along, and you mature, we have some really sweet moments and some really challenging moments with you. You are expressing your faith in Christ more and are continuing to grow in your faith and knowledge of God. Daddy and I pray for your heart everyday, and hope that God will do a mighty work in you, building you up to be a godly man. We have so much to be thankful for and our blown away by God's mercies as we raise you.  Thank you for making me smile every day these past 10 years.

Happy Birthday Noah

I Love You,

Mom

Canoe Creations and letting go....

Noah recently went on his first ever 3 day (2 night) camping trip. He went with a great group of kids from church as well as a wonderful family who heads up Canoe Creations. He of course had a blast and I of course missed him a ton. The energy in our home is so different with out that first-born personality throughout our day. Noah's sense of humor is like his father's and was missed while he was away. 

I have to be honest in saying that it was really difficult for me to let him go.  Thankfully it wasn't my decision, as my husband made the call. Jared knew that it would be good for all of us. I tried to think of all the reasons why he shouldn't leave, trying to justify the fact that maybe he wasn't ready, maybe he was too young to have an overnight, what if there was a storm, what if he got a migraine?...yadda yadda yadda. 

After praying about it and being deeply convicted....it all boiled down to me not trusting God with my son. It's even hard for me to write that...but it's true. For some demented reason I had this illusion that as long as my children are with me or their Daddy they are safe from all harm. This is a lie. A lie that I have repented from, praying for God's forgiveness. I know that I will have many opportunities in which to test my faith. When I start to get that anxiety feeling inside because I don't want to let them go....I know what I must do. It is hard, and with a lump in my throat and by God's grace....I let go. 

God graciously reminds me that my children belong to Him....they are in His hands, always. And what better hands to be in, than their heavenly Father's.  

In God's providence there was a big storm while Noah was camping. I saw the dark clouds rolling in, the wind was blowing and I could hear thunder in the distance. I got online and saw the red on the radar around the lake they were on. I prayed. During the storm, a close friend called me to see how I was doing, she was well aware of my fear as I had shared with her earlier in the week.  I was able to tell her that by God's grace, I actually was not worried about him...at all. Amazing! I knew that wherever he was and that whatever happened God was with him. This security wasn't something I mustered up myself....God was faithful and supplied me with all I needed in order to trust in Him. I was so thankful for that peace.

The following photos are of when we went to pick up Noah. It was fun to watch all of them paddle in on their canoes. He was smiling from ear to ear as he walked up the hill. I had to keep myself from running to hug him. His brothers and sister missed him SO much...it was very sweet to see their excitement as they hugged and kissed their big brother. 

I think just maybe Noah grew up a little bit while away.  I guess that's what is supposed to happen to our boys...another good reason to let them go.