He was baby #6!
My heart was completely his the moment we saw him.
And I was thrilled Barry captured such a sweet picture of our son.
Of all our kids he was the first thumb sucker. He refused to take a pacifier. He pretty much thought we were trying to kill him in the process. I was sure it was just a matter of him accepting what we were showing him. (I like the pacifier because it is easier to throw away than a thumb...LOL) I am pretty sure the thumb issue should have been my first clue into understanding we were looking at another strong willed child.
(We say pacifier he says thumb!)
(But truly there is nothing sweeter than watching a little one suck his thumb!)
These shots capture his infectious smile! You can't help but look into his eyes and see his enthusiasm for EVERYTHING! To this day he still has JOY beaming from ear to ear with anything he does. Another picture that tells me this is a strong willed one. Both of my kids that earn this title draw you in to their JOY! We hate it when one of them isn't around!
Family Photo of 2002
(11 years, 9 years, 7 years, 5 years, 3 years and 8 months)
These were busy years but incredibly fun in the process of living life with them.
Home schooling 4 and little ones under foot...yep...I was going crazy and still am!
We have constantly tried over the years to keep our activities as minimal as we can. To create as many 'family moments' as we could over the years. Knowing as they got older this would be harder and harder to achieve.
This was one of the times that 2 of my kids gave up their activities by choice. They enjoyed our time out as a family and we had a son that made it on a select baseball team. If you have kids on select teams then you know the time that is invested in that decision. The kids knew if they did their activities mom and dad would be divided among each of their events, which meant the family would be divided. We let it be their choice and they chose to stay as a family!
Making life as simple as possible since we were spending so much time at the ball fields we created team shirts. Brandon would were his uniform and we wore ours! It was fantastic! No last minute hunt for what to wear for each of the kids as we made this a family affair. We wore the same things each time. Come home and I would throw everything in the laundry ready for the next evenings game. The other kids might not have played but they felt they were part of the team...and they were! Older brother was honored, other kids enjoyed honoring him, and in turn...mom and dad were deeply honored our kids chose to make this a family affair!
Yes, the joyful boy has his moments of tears. The strong willed child laughs hard but when saddened they feel it VERY deeply. It is a challenge walking them through the highs and lows of a personality that feels so deeply in either direction. (You got one of those?)
Since moving to Arkansas we have moved from Baseball as the family sport to Tennis. I am a mom who jumps with joy that the entire family has chosen Tennis as our thing! Apparently, Bryce is as into tennis as his older brothers. He takes it very seriously and is pretty sure he can take his tennis coach! (We may have to put a match together and take him down a notch!)Although for now we will run with the passion he has and keep him in motion to dream big!
The days are coming and I see my little man growing up so quickly. I will cherish some of my favorite pictures from swinging, thumb sucking, baseball, playing, tennis, and camping! 
This child has an amazing future ahead of him. We pray we can continue to teach him to live life to its fullest. Just because your circumstances aren't fun doesn't mean your joy has to leave. He takes constant work to keep him on task because he turns his head and he discovers something else he wants to do. I love that his favorite thing is still spending time with mom, dad, or one of his siblings. He snuggles any chance he gets. He loves to give us double kisses. He thrives to be the first AND the last one to kiss us when we leave the house. (I try not to let that frustrate me when I am in a hurry...remembering one day I will MISS THIS!)
Happy Birthday to my 8 year old! 
I have one or two or three of these! My youngest reminds me all the time of the fleeting moments of joy that are brought by his love for snuggling and making us laugh. Thanks for the posting!
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness! Looking at those pics made me miss that little boy! He's such a sweetheart and has a special place in my heart because he was the first of your kids that I was able to know from birth. Tell him that his Aunt Carissa loves him and misses him! (And tell him that I'm totally impressed with the tennis serve pictures! Great form!)
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