Happy Birthday, Ruthie!

 Dear Ruthie, 

Oh sweet Roo Roo. What to say about this year.  It has been a heck of a roller coaster ride. It would be easy to just talk about the great things. The accomplishments, the fun, the adventures. There was lots of good this year. But I think its important to remember the hard too. One day I hope you look back and this and say "I went through the hard and look at what I overcame. Look how I found help and pushed through and now things are good. I can do hard things and I learned a lot about myself in the process." 

This year you finished 5th grade with flying colors. You did so well academically and you had the best group of friends. You had a fantastic summer. You started middle school and it was the best first day of school I think you've ever had. And the first month or so was really great. You loved your teachers, found a good group of friends, and seemed to have adjusted well to the change. You had a ridiculous amount of homework but you were organized and motivated to work hard. Then the train went off the rails. You started with physical symptoms that from very early on we were almost sure had a psychological component to them. We went back and forth to doctors, got labs and an ultrasound done, and finally landed on a plan to help get you back to functioning. It was really hard couple of months. And you still have hard days. But the workload at school has gotten better (you weren't the only one having issues because of the workload), we have learned how to better help you when you're struggling and you're learning how to better communicate to us what is causing you stress. Bedtime is still hard as that is definitely when the worry monster comes to visit, but it is slowly getting better. I feel like we have our Ruthie back. You are happy again. You are back to wanting to hang out with your friends. You are back to being our strong, stubborn kid who has lots of definite opinions. I know this isn't the end of hard things and that this won't be the only time you struggle with stress and anxiety but I hope the next time you face a challenge that feels overwhelming you can say, "I now have tools to help me cope and I can work through this and it is going to be ok." 

So now that we've talked about the hard this year, lets talk about the fun! Like I said, you rocked 5th grade and despite all the challenges you've had to overcome you are rocking 6th grade. You have the sweetest friends and I am so thankful for their steady presence through the year. You've also made some really great friends since starting middle school. This year you've tried some new things. You took guitar at school and really enjoyed it (other than the kids in your class that didn't behave...it was def a problem). You played in the basketball intramurals at school despite having never played basketball before and decided you really liked it so this winter you're doing church basketball and I have been blown away by how much you've improved and how much you are learning. You even scored 4 points in your first game! You've continued to play soccer, did summer swim, and we did a really fun ski trip to Snowshoe. I love watching you grow and learn in all your activities! This year you became a member of our church which was so special. I love watching you grow in your walk with God and I am so thankful for some sweet friends who are just as excited about growing in Christ! This year you were also asked to do one of the readings for the Lessons and Carols service at church. You were asked if you'd participate right in the middle of going through all the hard things and I was sure you'd say no but you immediately said yes and I think it really gave you something to look forward to and to work towards. You spent a lot of time practicing saying your verses and you did such a great job speaking in front of everyone! It was truly a bright spot in the middle of a lot of hard days.

Through the good and the bad your sweet siblings have been by your side. JP is your permanent bestie. You give him a lot of grief but you love him fiercely and he knows it. Y'all love to be silly together and if one of y'all isn't home the other is a little lost. Ellie is who you chill with. She is happy to play quietly with you, do a calm art project, or just hang out in your room (because you're never allowed in her room and also she likes to sit in your room and look out your window because it faces the street). Emerson is who you look up to. You want to do everything she does ( so you both have 45min skin care routines!) and you talk to her about lots of things...since you're pretty much a 16 year old too. You love fiercely and would never let anyone mess with your people! Ruthie, you fit just perfectly in your spot in our family and I'm so thankful for you. 

As we look forward to 12 I am so optimistic about what the year will bring for you. You will finish up basketball, start a new soccer season, do summer swim, take some fun trips, finish 6th grade and start 7th. You will grow and learn. We will have struggles I'm sure my stubborn, head strong child. But we will also have so much fun because you do love to have fun! 

Happy Birthday Ruth Mitchell! 

Love, 

Mom

Happy Birthday, Emerson!

   

 Dear Emerson, 

Happy Sweet 16! I truly cannot believe that you are sixteen years old today. What a year it has been this year. 

I feel like this year has absolutely flown. Mostly because we so rarely see you during the day. You take yourself to and from school, go to swim practice after school, and then come home and eat dinner, do homework, and go to bed. You are a busy, busy bee! You do tend to thrive with a busy schedule and you've done a great job balancing everything. You are also involved at church, do Young Life small group, go to First Priority, and sometimes babysit for kids in the neighborhood. This summer you coached swim team, taught private swim lessons, babysat and took a summer school class. You also were a CIT at Bonclarken for 1 week and you loved it and are hoping to go for 2 weeks this summer. You have always thrived with lots of activity and you do a great job balancing it all. 

You started driving this year and that was a huge change in our lives! You are doing a great job and it has been very nice to have another driver in the house! Its really crazy to think that you've already been driving for a year. Seeing you drive off to school every day is still really strange to me. I'm pretty sure it was just yesterday that I was dropping you off at preschool. (And we won't even talk about the fact that next year we will be starting to look at colleges!)

This year you really improved a lot as a competitive swimmer. You also achieved some BIG goals this year. You made your first state cut (long course 50 free) and you earned your high school varsity letter. You have had 2 really great coaches this year and watching you thrive under their coaching has been really fun. They weren't always easy on you and sometimes that was really hard for you, but you kept your chin up and listened to their feedback and you saw big improvement!

One of the things that has made me the happiest over this past year is seeing you really settle in with a group of friends. I feel like you bounced around a little in middle school but as freshman year finished and sophomore year started you seem to have found your people. You have such a sweet group of close friends. They are kind, supportive, fun, and love you for who you are. This year I've watched these girls be there to listen when you're stressed, help you study when you're struggling in school, make you laugh or be a shoulder to cry on when you're feeling sad, and celebrate with you when something exciting happens. In this stage of your life your friends will influence your decisions more than anyone else and that can be really scary as a parent! I have prayed so much for you to find friends in Greenville that are as solid friends as the E squad and these girls are truly an answer to prayer. 

You are also a great sister. You and Ellie have gotten really close now that you ride to and from school together. I love your inside jokes and the way you lovingly give each other grief and the way you always have each others backs. Ruthie thinks you hung the moon. She looks up to you so much and is always coming to you for fashion and skin care advice and I'm so glad that you are usually willing to let her just hang out in your room with you. And of course JP still thinks you're his other mother. Oh, and Teddy thinks you give the best belly rubs and have the best tasting slippers he has ever tasted. He also appreciates that you always save him a spot on your bean bag chair.

As I look forward at the next few years its hard to believe that we are down to just a few more years of having you at home. I love seeing you figure out who you are and what direction you want to go with your life. You have a big heart and love people of all ages. You are organized and have a great eye for design. You can talk to anyone but don't want to talk in front of a group, even a small group. You are meticulous and detail oriented but you aren't speedy for sure. There are so many things you could do in life that I know you would love and I can't wait to see how you choose to use all your gifts!

Emerson, as you start off on another year of life I hope you know how much you are loved. I hope you know how much you bring to our family. I can't wait to see the new adventures this year brings!

Love, 

Mom