10!

This boy turned 10 this month.  

And he got braces!

Hard to believe this boy is 10 and that I've been a mother for that many years.  I still remember the day he was born, like it was just yesterday.  Such happy memories!

 Avery at dessert, imitating her cousin Max and flexing her muscles.  

 Avery sitting with Tyler and enjoying a cookie in his class.

For breakfast, he requested crepes.  After breakfast and some presents, he hurried off to school.  Carter, Avery and I snuck him away for lunch.  He wanted pizza so we went to Amici's.  We dropped him back off and then brought homemade snickerdoodles into his class and the sang to him.  I wasn't sure he would want me to come this year- but he did and I will go as long as he wants me!  He played with his gifts after school (a new airsoft rifle, some ammo and goggles, model airplane and Nerf flag football game) and then we headed out to dinner with the crew.  We went to Mel's Diner.  Jake had a basketball game at 7:30 and then we met all the Edmonds family at Fenton's for dessert.  After ice cream, Andrew came over and spent the night.  The next morning, Aaron took them to donuts and then all 3 boys had baseball try outs.  Instead of a friend party this year, Tyler is having his friend from Ontario, Trey, fly up for a visit.  He is coming this week and they are so excited to be reunited!

I sure love that big boy of mine.  I have a special place in my heart for my oldest son.  We tried so hard and so long to get him, that I have very tender feelings for him.  He is a good boy.  He can be a stinker just like the next kid- but at heart, he wants to do good and tries to do what's right.  He is smart as can be- scoring a perfect 600 on the math portion of the state testing last year, always scoring 100% on spelling tests and almost always for math and science and just won his class spelling bee and was able to compete in the school wide bee- where he was up against 4, 5 and 6th graders.  I was so proud- I cried when he spelled his first word.  That's my boy!  He is tall and BIG for his age.  He is usually at least a head taller than his friends.  He loves sports and excels at baseball.  He decided this year to be done with soccer- which broke his mama's heart.  But I have really enjoyed watching him progress and really come to love the game of baseball.  He is an outdoorsy kid- through and through.  He would much rather be outside throwing a ball or climbing a tree, than sitting inside playing video games.  He is slooooow as molasses and completely on his own time schedule- which makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes- but it's just the way he is and I don't ever want to change him.  He is so laid back- which is mostly good and sometimes not so good!  It is hard to ruffle his feathers or get him upset- he is so patient and even tempered.  

Doesn't seem possible that we have already passed that half-way mark with Tyler and he will be leaving on his mission in less time, than we have had him with us!  Wow!  I am thankful for him and know he will do great things in his life.