1st Grade Awards Assembly. 2017

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Our sweet Lil had her first grade awards assembly last week, and we could not be more proud of her! She has truly blossomed this past year, and I have loved every moment of watching her little personality grow. Below is a list of the awards she received for 1st grade:

-Physical Education Excellence Award

-Ready Reader (2) Award

-Rising Reader Award

-Independent Reader Award

-Classroom Spelling Bee Champion

-State of Oklahoma Achievement in Reading

-Accelerated Reader: 10,000 Words and Beyond

-Certificate of Achievement in Addition

-Math Masters Club

-Great Expectations Life Principle Achievement in Attitude

-Certificate of Achievement in Math (Personal Best Subject)

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She received the P.E. Award out of all of the first grade girls, and I was so surprised! Jeb was like, "Well Kelli Ann, look who her dad is." Lol! The P.E. coach said she was "kind, competitive, and a little bit sassy!" Competition dance has really helped her become more assertive and outgoing, and I truly love her calm, but fiery spirit. Her dance teacher says she's a "gamer!"

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 LilliAnn and Presleigh

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 She loves her Papa!

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 I look crazy in this picture because my eye was swollen from a bug bite! But we sure are proud of our girl!

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 She is definitely Nana's girl!

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 We have loved having Mrs. Cornelison this year! At first I was a little overwhelmed with the homework and some of the assignments, but after the first few weeks and getting into our routine, I was amazed at the progression LilliAnn was making! Mrs. Cornelison pushed and challenged her, and her math and reading skills dramatically improved this year!

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 Lyla and LilliAnn have been friends since they were born...Lyla is moving to Norman and we are going to miss her and her family so much! 

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 Precious girls!

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 Lil and Audrey!

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I hope she always lives her life to glorify God, and in doing that, it will be greater than any award shecould ever receive! Super proud of this girl for her academic achievements, but most of all for her good attitude and kind heart. 

Mrs. Cornelison is beyond amazing, and LilliAnn has truly, truly been blessed to have her as a teacher this year. First grade was fabulous and fantastic!!

2nd Grade Awards Assembly. 2017

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Reid had his 2nd grade awards ceremony yesterday, and we could not be more proud of his academic success!

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He received the following awards:

-English Achievement Award (Personal Best Subject)

-Science Achievement Award (Personal Best Subject)

-Spelling Achievement Award (Personal Best Subject)

-Penmanship Achievement

-Hard Worker Award

-Book It Award

-Super Reader (2) Award

-Super Reader (3) Award

-State of Oklahoma Achievement in Reading

-Certificate of Excellence in Academics and Dedication 

-Drug Free Kid Certificate 

-Math Masters Club

-Math Homework Award

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Reid and his good friend Will Duran

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Rush was so excited to go to "bubba's awards!"

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Love these precious boys of mine!

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 classic Reid :)

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Mrs. Novotny has been so great this year! 

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Reid is a great kid, and we are continually working on channelling his passion, competitiveness, drive, and intensity in a positive direction. His desire for accomplishments and perfection will help him become very successful, but we are learning that own main goal should be use our lives to honor and glorify God. By living for Christ, instead of for ourselves, we will be fulfilled and blessed. This year has been a year of learning, growing, and changing, and I am thankful for it all! 

"mom-in" ain't easy.

I've laughed, cried, laughed, and cried again today.

LilliAnn has "whatever-itis" (this is what she has diagnosed herself with) and has to have a foot massage EVERY night before bed...Reid "can't breathe very well" and doesn't think he's going to be ok MULTIPLE times a day even though we've investigated every possible cause, and Rush SCREAMS at the top of his lungs if someone sings along to one of "his songs" in the car or if his yogurt isn't opened just right. This year has been my toughest year of mothering yet...

"Mom-in" is hard.

Trying to become a mom is sometimes hard, the birthing story you go through to be a mom is hard, the adoption process to become a mom is hard, mothering dogs is hard, not having biological children, but taking care of children because they were always meant to be yours is hard, mothering your grandchildren is hard, mothering on your own is hard, becoming a mom to an angel is hard, mothering when you're working full-time is hard, mothering when you're home all day is hard, mothering when you're sick is hard, and mothering when you're healthy is still really hard..."mom-in" isn't easy. I haven't experienced all of these, but I do know that all of them are hard.

But you know what? It's worth it...so worth it. Being a mom is worth every tear, every heartache, every accidental cuss word, every eye roll, every sigh, every scream, every headache, and every bit of chaos. Because no matter how you mom, "mom-in" is beautiful.

Happy Mother's Day to every kind of mama out there...current mamas, future mamas, grandmamas, dog mamas, and crazy mamas! Press on, you wonderful women. Finish the race and teach those littles (and bigs) about God's amazing grace.

"I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

Acts 20:24

Letter to My Birthday Boy: 9 Years Old

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My precious Reid-a-Roo,

You have truly transitioned this past year, and year 9 seems to have changed you from a "little boy" to just a "boy." You still have the same sweet spirit, beautiful empathy for others, and desire for achievement, yet you've struggled with perfectionism, competitiveness, and control. The very things that will make you a successful adult, are a burden at times when you're eight. I love your determination and your competitiveness (when you can keep it in check). I love your passion and your fire when you're on the court or the field. There isn't another kid out there that cares as much as you do. You pour your heart into athletics and you always seek justice. Daddy loves being your coach, and although it is a challenge to coach his own son, I know that he cherishes the time he gets to spend with you and the pride he feels when you're giving it your all. 

Everything seems to come easier to you this year…not much has been a challenge, except for the dreaded piano lessons. School comes easy and you make excellent grades. You excel in every subject, but tend to favor math and science. Since putting you on teams with your own grade instead of playing up, you shine on the court and the field and are one of the best. You're an excelling "winner" and can be a good teammate, but losing is something we are currently working on. You don't cope well with failure, so I'm trying to give you the skills you'll need to deal with failure and disappointment in your life. It's hard for a type-A, first-born to deal with things not going their way. In these situations I want you to give it all to God and pray for his guidance as he helps you put things into perspective. Failure makes us better, and it is our trials that give us strength. 

You do not like taking piano lessons, but I am keeping you in them for now. It's a fight to get your to practice, but I have never met anyone who regretted learning to play. You play very well, but dislike the challenge and concentration it takes to learn the piece. You are like you're mama in so many ways, and you tend to want to give up and not do the things that you are not naturally good at. I love that piano uses a part of your brain that no other activity uses, and I love how you have to sit still and concentrate on reading the notes. I don't except you to be a famous pianist, but my goal is that you will develop a love and appreciation for music. 

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LilliAnn and Rush adore you. You and LilliAnn fight like crazy, but you two also love like crazy. You are the best of friends and the worst of enemies. You would do anything for her, but won't hesitate to wrestle with her in the living room floor or take something that she was playing with first. Rush tries to do everything that "bubba" does, and he loves following you and Fisher around the house like a big boy. I want you to always remember that he watches you and looks up to you, so be a good role model and point him towards Christ. You are your daddy's sidekick and I have never seen him worry about someone as much as he worries about you. He is absolutely crazy about you and the two of you have a very special bond. He is so patient with you and does such a good job talking to you and teaching you things. You soak in every word that he says, and you frequently spout off information that "my dad told me…" You had a big hunting moment this year, when daddy took you out in the woods and you shot a bobcat. It was a big deal and your dad was super proud of you. You love the outdoors and any type of adventure, just like your daddy. If the weather permits, you stay outside until dusk every evening after school. You have loved living at our new house and having woods to explore and a pond to fish…and a good street to ride your bike and your Hoverboard. 

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Thins that remind me of Reid Jackson:

-baseball, basketball, soccer, football

-Legos

-any game or challenge

-Thunder basketball games and professional sports teams

-wakeboarding

-fishing

-bike riding, Hoverboards, and Rip sticks

-collectable coins

-baseball and basketball cards

-cozy blankets

-popsicles

-lasagna

-plums and apples

-root beer

-salmon, lobster, and crab legs

-potato and tomato soup

-intensity, determination, justice, and competition

-empathy, sincerity, and loyalty

-wolves and lions

-Under Armour, Nike, Hurley, and cozy jeans

-basketball shoes, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and CP3

-iPad and XBOX One

-drawing

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Reid Jackson, you were my first-born, my first love. It doesn't seem that long ago that you snuggled beside me, your entire body fitting on a pillow, waiting for your daddy to come home from the evening shift. You were such a serious baby, all business, never time for purposeless play or entertainment. Today, you are the same way, and I adore your personality. God has a divine and perfect plan for your life and I am excited for you to seek His will. As I tucked you into bed last week, you prayed that special prayer and asked Jesus to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. It was one of the best days of my entire life and I praise Jesus for allowing the Holy Spirit to convict your heart. I pray that you be bold in your faith and blaze new paths of courage. I pray that the light of Christ radiates from your soul and reach people with His love wherever you go. Reid, I am very proud of you and I love you so. You are a son of God and a warrior for Christ. Go out into the world and do big things.

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The Lord is with you mighty warrior. Judges 6:12

All of my love forever and always, 

Mommy