Today you are ten years old.
We’ve had you in our family for a whole decade. You have certainly made the past ten years
more fun, more intense and more active.
There are certain constants in your life. Your love of all things farming is one of them. You read books about it and watch countless videos about it. Out of all the tractors in the world you would pick a shiny red International 1456 over any other model. You spend a lot of time setting up little farming scenes in your room and are very protective of those displays. Going to Uncle Bryce’s farm for the day is something you love to do even though there aren’t any red tractors there.
Another core interest of yours is sports. You play them all, but your favorites are
basketball and baseball. Winning the
state championship with your travel baseball team was a huge highlight of the
summer. Attending basketball camp was a
close second. You love your time on the
diamond or on the court. With a seemingly
endless supply of energy, you often head out to the field across the street
from our house and spend time practicing catching a pop fly or throwing pitches. When weather doesn’t cooperate you can be
found playing basketball or football in the basement (which is not really a
sports facility but…).
You approach sports with a fierce sense of fairness and
competitiveness. You do not ever give
half an effort when it comes to sports. But
that makes it very tough too because you care so very much. I can see that you are learning a lot about
how to be a good teammate.
You do love a good graphic novel. So many times, I see you curled up somewhere
in the house with a Diary of a Wimpy Kid or a Dog Man book. The best is when you come to read aloud to me
a part that you find particularly funny and can barely do so because you’re
laughing so hard. I love your love of
stories and silly humor.
Your absolute favorite place on earth is Grandma Vande Voort’s
farm. You love being there and wandering
around outside. Sometimes you find a
small treasure somewhere. Sometimes you
practice your pitching against the side of the shed. Sometimes you just wander around. You still miss your Grandpa so much, but now
you can talk about him with a smile on your face. His picture still hangs right next to your
bed. And in so many ways you remind me
of him – your love of farming, your love of baseball, your love of basketball,
your love of silly humor, your math abilities – all of it a sweet glimpse of a
man you love even still.
Your sisters are both your biggest fans and your greatest
annoyance. Sometimes you love hanging
out with them and sometimes you wholeheartedly reject their teasing. It’s a fine line and they frequently step
over it. But even when they are driving
you crazy, there is a deep foundation of love.
They really do love you like crazy.
They think you’re cute (which you hate) and they want to dote on you
(which you hate more). There’s a sweet
friendship there that I hope grows stronger and stronger over the years. They love you and I know you love them
too. I’m glad the three of you have each
other.
School is not difficult for you, but it isn’t always your
most favorite thing. You’d rather be in
PE. You have some awesome friends and I
have been very impressed by the way they go out of their way to encourage you
and support you. I find that quite
remarkable in 9-year-olds. I’m glad to
see you making good friend choices.
You love roasted potatoes, Chik Fil A, and pickups. You love your stuffed pig named Wanda, tigers
and hot cups of coffee. You love red t-shirts,
hiking in the woods and drawing pictures of aircraft carriers.
I tucked you in the other night and you were sad. I asked what was wrong and you told me you were afraid you were forgetting things about Grandpa. We talked about that for a while. I told you that some of that was normal and that our brains just can’t remember all the things that happen in our lives. But we can remember the great love we had for people in our lives even if we can’t remember every detail.
As I look back on 10 years of you, that is what I cling to. I won’t remember it all. I won’t remember every time you made me laugh. I won’t remember all the great plays you made
in your various tournaments. I won’t
remember all the times your hand slipped into mine. But I KNOW those things happened and happened
often in the last 10 years. And I am
thankful. I’m thankful for who you were
these ten years, and I am so excited for the young man you are
becoming. You are such a treasured piece
of my life. I appreciate your presence
in our home more than I can say. So even
if I don’t remember every detail, I’ll just celebrate that there was so much
good.
God has so much in store for you. I can’t wait to cheer you on through all of
it.
I love you so!
Always,
~Mom
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