You are 12. This is it. Your last year before you enter the teen years that will carry you into college. I'm not sure why it all has to go so fast, but time really is flying by. You've made lots of changes in the past year that has you looking more grown-up now than I care for. The longer hair, the braces, and the contacts (along with growing to be about the same height as I am) have really pulled you away from looking like my little boy to looking like a full blown teenager. And since most of these changes have just happened over the past few months, I'm still not used to it yet. So if I look at you and looked shocked, it's probably not because you have a ghost standing behind you. It's because, for a second, I forgot you've been busy turning into a teenager. Don't worry, I will get used to it and we'll all be ok, but all this growing up can be hard on a momma sometimes. Just don't ever forget that I'm always up for a hug or cuddle, I don't care how old you are.
Here is your 11th year of life in pictures...
This is what you looked like last fall. Short(ish) hair, glasses, and no braces. Watch how much you change as you scroll through these pictures.
You and I spent the day with grandma last spring for the jonquil festival in Old Washington. It was so great to get to spend time together just hanging out and looking at things. You had your 2nd grade field trip here, so you enjoyed getting to see some of the places you hadn't seen since then.
The picture above and below are from the front lawn at Harding when we were there for spring sing on Easter weekend. We enjoyed getting to hang out with Kaulyn for a few minutes while we were there this year. Harding will always be one of my favorite places. You are very comfortable on campus and know your way around better than most visitors that go through there. You've always said this is where you want to go to college, and that just makes me happy. Seeing you and Aaron play on the front lawn just brings life full circle for me.
Sports aren't your thing, but you never complain about us dragging you all over Arkansas to watch your brother participate in events. You usually just find someone to play with or talk to and end up having a great time. This picture was taken at one of Aaron's trap shoot meets last spring.
You read over one million words your 5th grade year. You earned every single inch of the blue paper that this award was printed on. Reading is one of your favorite past times, and I'm so proud of how far you've come over the past few years. We're not even halfway through your first semester of 6th grade and you've already read more than 500,000 words, so you will end 6th grade reading even more than you did in 5th. You've already read more books than many people will read in their entire life. I love that you appreciate a good book and can't wait to tell me what is going on in your current book of choice.
We decided to have a garden this summer, and it was your job to keep it watered. You are the reason our garden (and our banana trees and palm trees) did so well. You were so dedicated to this job and it paid off by producing beautiful fruits and vegetables.
This summer you made the biggest grown up decision you could ever make. You went to Uplift camp at Harding and decided when you were there that you wanted to be baptized. You know right from wrong. You believe that there is a God and He created you and loves you no matter what. Don't ever forget that. This was a great moment for us all. You gave your life to God in one of our favorite places on Earth...pretty perfect if I do say so myself. I'm so proud of you for making this choice.
This picture was texted to me one night while you were at Mountain Fork Christian Camp. I'm not sure what was going on here, but it was the first time I thought about how long your hair was!
You started playing trumpet this school year and know about 6 notes right now. You have always loved music as much as I do and I think you'll do really well in band. You are so good about practicing everyday to make yourself better. Now we've just got to memorize those music notes!
You found a little painted rock one day at Roadhouse, and I just like this picture of you so I had to include it. You are just so stinkin' cute.
Annnnnd, we now have braces. We finally got Aaron out of his and then turned around and put you in them. I think Aaron wore the same color rubber bands the entire time he had braces, and you've already changed your colors 3 times now. Y'all couldn't be more night and day.
You've already killed 2 deer this year and you're itching to get back in the woods this weekend. I think you've made it a competition to see who can kill the most...you or Aaron. Aaron has decided he is going to tag out this year, so you've got some pretty stiff competition. Either way, I win because I get the meat!
Since your birthday falls on Thanksgiving Day this year, we had your birthday party last weekend. You invited your closest friends, Austin E., Micha, Clint, and Carter to spend the night and go to a movie. Y'all had a blast playing together and I somehow escaped without getting pegged with even one nerf bullet in the house. Again, I'm the winner. Except for the fact that I will be picking those things up for the next year.
So there is is. Your 11th year of life is just memories now, and we're moving on to your 12th year. My prayer for you this year is that you let God lead your decisions and choices that you make. Sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest thing to do, but you always come out a better person for it in the end. Be a leader in church and at school. Keep leading prayers at your FCS meetings at school. Keep volunteering to serve communion and teach discovery hour at church. Step up and volunteer for things that are a little outside your comfort zone, because these things will help you grow as a person. I am so proud of you and I love you more than I could ever put into words. Happy birthday to you, my sweet Austin. May your 12th year be even better than your 11th.
Love,
Mom
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