Place of Springs: Eight

Newborn. One of my FAVORITE photos of me holding him.

L turned eight, in October. Maybe it's because I used to teach kids his age, but I found myself teary a few times as we celebrated his birthday. His "tiny kid" years went by so quickly. Eight seemed like a milestone. Maybe I'll post the kids' birth stories, sometime.  For now, I'll say that I fell in love with L as soon as Dr. Breit held him up over the blue curtain, in the operating room. Chad & I had waited for him; we prayed for him. He was a precious baby & a fairly well-behaved toddler.  I know I'll miss those baby/toddler/preschool days; I already do. However, I'm not stuck there. With each new age/stage, there are new adventures & things to enjoy.

Now, he's a 2nd grader & able to read chapter books. He eagerly participates in the "Reading Counts" & "Book It" programs, at school. With reading counts, students read books, take quizzes over the books, earn points, and earn prizes. His goal was to reach 100 points, by the end of 1st semester. Today, he told me that he's already reached 96! So proud of him. As someone who loves to read, it makes my heart so happy that his imagination can soar & get lost in a book.

While he plays/enjoys some sports, his dad & I see him specifically show an interest in art & creating "inventions". If he dreams up something, he tries to find a way to make it, using things around the house. Writing stories makes him laugh.  He & J have also been taking a painting class once a month; their "masterpieces" continue to make me smile. He is a sweet mixture of Chad's engineering mind & my appreciation/interest in language arts.

L very much has his own personality, and he's still so curious about the world around him. He's started asking questions about where babies come from. Gulp. Actually, it hasn't been too bad. Just new territory. I keep reminding Chad that we're probably way more embarrassed than he is, concerning the subject. I ended up using the word, "uterus" during dinner one night to explain where babies live inside the mommy. I remained calm & acted like I was using any old, ordianry word. That helped, because he wasn't weirded out at all & seemed pleased with the explanation. More talks are in the future. Pray for us. :)

L adores being outside playing, camping...whatever.  He is energetic, yet cautious.  He's a friend to many...sometimes even to his brother. ;)  He already loves Jesus. We love L dearly, & pray he'll continue to grow in his love for God & others.

This year, his birthday was more like a happy "birthmonth"! During our monthly "Card Night" with friends, the kids took turns hitting a pinata.  Within our Card Night group alone, two kids & two adults have October birthdays.  Another weekend, we enjoyed Granite City brunch with my parents, to acknowledge L's birthday. Yum!! Then, there was the pirate party with friends at a local bowling alley...complete with a treasure chest cake. Grandma Eck was kind enough to make another cake, for a little celebration at our house. She & Papa also brought pizza for lunch. Afterwards, they took the boys to see Cars 2, at The Palace.  Finally, it was THE big day...his actual birthday. Just when you'd think we'd be partied out, he enjoyed cupcakes with his class & dinner out at On the Border with Chad, J, & me. Birthday joy was sprinkled throughout the month. :)

We're thankful for him & for all of the special people who invest in his life:  Family, friends, teachers, coaches, Superchurch teachers, & River Explorer's leaders. Thanks for working with us to nurture, encourage, & challenge one of our greatest gifts.