The one word that comes to mind when I think of your 10th year of life is PROUD. I am just so stinkin' proud of you. You've got a heart of gold and your love for others shows wisdom that is far beyond your years. You understand people (probably better than I do) and you love them unconditionally. You are not afraid to walk right up to an adult, shake their hand, look them in the eye, and ask them how they are doing and how their day is going. This is a gift, Austin, and one that will get you further in life than any test score in school ever will.
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| You, dad, and Aaron being goofy, as usual. |
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| Skiing at Sipapu last December. I believe this is your favorite sport. |
One of my favorite things to do with you is to ski. Sometimes I wish we lived closer to the mountains so we could ski as often as we wanted. You and I like the same type of runs and tend to go about the same speed, so that makes it fun. I say we move to New Mexico, live near the mountain, and let Aaron work there as an instructor so we can ski for free anytime we want! Whatcha' think?
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| Carter and Micah are your best friends. This was taken at your 4th grade field trip. |
As much as you love all the people, you definitely have your favorites. You, Carter, and Micah are best buds. I love watching you grow up together. Right now y'all are talking about nerf guns and Minecraft, and in the near future you'll be talking girls (EEK!), trucks, and college choices. You have chosen your tribe and you have chosen wisely. I love it when you boys get together. Childhood friendships shape who you are, what you're interested in, and what you do. I pray you always make good choices on your friendships, and influence others in a positive way.
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| I don't remember exactly when I took this one of the 3 of you playing at our house, but it could've been the same day y'all decided to get sharpies and sign your names in the floor of your treehouse. ;) |
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| And here yall are this morning...eating your birthday pancakes. |
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| You and I spent a day together at the Fort Worth Zoo this summer. Feeding the birds was your favorite thing there. |
Middle school...(sigh)...Middle school can be hard sometimes. You are growing up and being exposed to more than I'm ready for you to be exposed to. I want to keep you innocent for as long as I possibly can, but I know I can't forever. But I want you to know this: People will let you down. Friends will disappoint you. Kids will be cruel, either to you or someone you care about. BUT your God is bigger than ALL of that. HE knows what you will come across, and He has given you wisdom that will prevail throughout it all. Always hold on to your faith in God, and always know that you can talk to dad and I about everything that is going on in your life. Draw strength in knowing that whatever you are going through is temporary, and God has bigger plans for you than your current situation.
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| You and Carter went to robot camp this summer and made your own robots. This is your niche! |
A few words on dyslexia. Ok, maybe a lot of words...
Now that you're in 5th grade, I doubt you have a lot of memory of what 1st grade was like for you, and I honestly don't want you to remember. It was a hard year. Learning spelling words and trying to "read" (we actually just memorized to make the grade) weekly fluency stories almost did us both in. You were working so much harder than the other kids in your class but that was not showing up in your grades. It was frustrating for all of us that were involved.
Fast forward to today. Reading is now one of your favorite past times. You choose to read bigger books because you love a good story line. You read in the car, in your bed, in the living room, EVERYWHERE. Dyslexia has not slowed you down at all over the past year, and I don't believe it ever will again. Standardized tests will never show your gifts because you do NOT have a standardized mind, and IT'S OK TO NOT HAVE A STANDARDIZED MIND. Besides, outside the box thinkers are the multi-millionaires of today! :) Never let a grade or a test score define what you think about yourself.
I want you to know that, because of you, more kids in Arkansas are learning to read. Because of you, I fought to bring a dyslexia program to our school, where we now have more than 50 kids getting reading intervention they need. Not only that, but the success that we have seen in our students has inspired other Arkansas schools to step up and hire interventionists in their schools. This means there are less kids struggling like you did when you were in 1st grade. You wouldn't even believe how many people in our state know about the dyslexia program at our school, and they know that there is a boy (YOU!) behind it who just couldn't learn to read in a traditional reading program. You have already began to change the world for the good, and you're only in middle school. Thank you for showing me where God wants me and where my students need me most. If it hadn't have been for your struggles, SO many kids would still be struggling today. You are so special, Austin.
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| Reading in the living room... |
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| Reading in the car... |
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| You received an award for being int he top 3 AR points in your class at your 4th grade award ceremony. You've come a LONG way, baby! |
A few pieces of advice as you enter your 11th year...
- Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, even if you get made fun of for it.
- Spend less time in front of a screen and more time being active.
- If you notice that something needs to be done, do it. Don't wait for someone to tell you it needs to be done.
- You are 11. Your body is growing and changing. Showers and deodorant are super important.
- Ask questions. It's ok to not know everything, that why you have parents and teachers. If there's something you want to know or understand better, just ask! Nothing is off limits.
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| Geocaching this summer! |
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| You just got your very first deer last weekend while hunting at Pond Creek! |
I am so honored that God chose me to be your mom. You are just one of my favorite people to be around and I have learned so much from you. Keep loving people. Keep caring for those around you. Keep that heart of gold. You are going to move mountains, my sweet boy.
I love you,
Mom
