Tag: noah

seven so soon

MarthaKimball2 Comments

DSC_0001DSC_0010DSC_0015DSC_0017DSC_0019DSC_0021DSC_0025DSC_0030DSC_0038DSC_0040DSC_0043DSC_0048DSC_0050DSC_0051DSC_0053DSC_0056DSC_0061DSC_0063DSC_0067 (1)DSC_0071DSC_0074DSC_0078DSC_0079DSC_0090DSC_0091DSC_0094DSC_0097DSC_0103DSC_0107DSC_0109DSC_0110DSC_0112DSC_0126DSC_0127DSC_0133DSC_0137DSC_0138DSC_0143DSC_0145DSC_0146DSC_0155 (1)DSC_0157DSC_0160

My sweet, sweet boy.  In a house full of girls, it can be hard to be the one boy but he handles it so well.  Sometimes he needs some boy time for sure, but he plays well with his sisters.  It has been such a neat year watching him grow and develop and to see more of his personality shine through.  He has come a bit more out of his shell and often surprises me with his strength and bravery.  He loves to move, laugh, wiggle, and play and his energy is truly boundless.  All of my children are active and full of energy, but Noah’s boyishness shines through so often in his dire need for time to just run and jump and play wild outside.  On rainy days, he truly starts climbing walls and bouncing around like a ball.  He is such a delight to teach and flies through his school work, eager to learn and hungry always for more.  It is a true joy to watch, and I so desire to spur him on!  His hunger to learn has made him a voracious reader.  This year he really took off in his mountain biking, flipping on the trampoline, and in fishing.  He lost his first two bottom teeth this year too, and it has so changed his little appearance.  He treasures time alone with daddy and loves to help work in the garage, mow the lawn, and build things.  He loves music and began piano lessons this year, really enjoying learning and having time with his piano teacher.  He loves drawing and coloring.  Lately he’s really gotten into writing letters and he checks the mailbox daily to see if any of his pen-pals have sent him anything.  I see him growing spiritually, too, which blesses me endlessly.  I love to hear him laugh, it truly is the best.

Brandon built him a see-saw for his bike, as they’ve enjoyed some mountain biking together this past year and Noah really loves the sport, especially a see-saw feature at a local mountain biking area.  He actually had been helping Brandon build it over the last few weeks but didn’t know what it was.  It was so neat to see him be so surprised!  He played on it all day, in and out of the house either on the see-saw or riding his new roller blades around the house (I think I got a size too small so we will be exchanging them for a size up, so until then he is only wearing them inside).

We also gifted him his first real bible.  This is so special and he was pretty excited.  He has really excelled in reading this year and when we had family bible reading, it would be nice for him to have his own scripture to become familiar with.

I knit him a sweater of course, but this time he specified the design and the colors.  He really loves my sweaters and wears them constantly at home, which makes it always worthwhile to knit for him.  He had also asked this year for a doll, and Brandon and I felt a little uncertain about it and tried to persuade him otherwise.  But when I saw this waldorf-style doll called a “boy’s big friend” I felt like it would be a good choice for him.  I knit a little sweater for the doll (which he named James) with yarn leftover from Noah’s sweater.  Is it weird for him to have a doll?  I don’t know.  I think he just wants a little buddy to take care of and cart around, and he is a very nurturing boy.  But he also loves cars and trucks, biking and sword play like all boys.  I think it’s sweet that he wants a little someone to take care of and love.

He really developed a love for fishing this year, though we haven’t gotten to take him often.  I was inspired at the last moment to make his cake a little more fun and fancy by adding a few fishing details.  He really loved it.

Happy seventh birthday, my sweet treasured boy.  You are a delight and bring such joy to your parents!

❤

december birthday boy

MarthaKimballLeave a comment

dsc_0003dsc_0006dsc_0009dsc_0013dsc_0018dsc_0023dsc_0025dsc_0026dsc_0031dsc_0034dsc_0036dsc_0042dsc_0049dsc_0050dsc_005748424524_10156539459537605_9012155372122669056_ndsc_0062dsc_0067dsc_0069dsc_0070dsc_0074dsc_0080

My sweet Noah man

You are everything kind, tenderhearted, sweet, and brave.  You have a quiet strength, and it’s a good thing with all these sisters around to take care of.  I love the way you love others and care for others, seeing and noticing especially those on the fringes.  It’s a sensitivity I hope you hold onto in this abrasive world.  You love trucks and cars and its all you asked for for your birthday, besides green hand knit socks and a sweater.  (You are so sweet to your momma, loving the things I make for you and wearing them happily, treasuring them.  I don’t know how long that will last so I’m enjoying it while I can!)  You love pouring over books with beautiful illustrations so we bought for you the Nature Anatomy book, and you have been carrying it around with you outside, identifying all sorts of treasures in our yard.  Your birthday was spent first with pancakes, then opening presents with daddy before he had to go to work.  We planned to go the fire station but it was pouring rain and mommy made the rash decision to do a “quick” stop to the walk-in bone and joint clinic to check on phoebe’s foot (which she injured jumping off the stage at church barefoot).  That took far longer than anticipated and we had no time for the fire station and no where to park in all the rain, so we opted for hot cocoa and movie at home instead.  It’s just like you, to sacrifice your plans for others, but we will make it up to you and visit the fire station soon!  I think you still had a fun and happy day.  I love you so much my one and only little man, now six years old and so tall and grown.  It is a joy to see you growing especially in your reading and art skills, as well as in your faith.  You are so quick to remind me that you love me very much but “not as much as I love God.”  May He always have first place in your heart.  I’m so very proud of you.

Love,
mom

now you’re four!

MarthaKimball2 Comments

15590014_10154686787277605_2767830364848305978_n.jpgmy dear sweet boy

never lose your tenderness.  be brave enough, be strong enough to be a tenderhearted man in your generation.  it is a beautiful quality of yours, something i love most about you, even if it is often misunderstood.  it isn’t weakness or shyness to be tenderhearted.  our Savior is tenderhearted, and maybe those with tender hearts see those that others pass over so quickly–the lost, broken, hurting.  it takes tenderness to extend compassion.  so don’t let a cruel hard world pound out of you your tender heart.  stay soft, stay breakable.

my, what a year you’ve had.  you have literally transformed before our eyes.  maybe this is so unusual to us because our phoebe girl grows so slowly, but you are surpassing her this year.  you are really growing up!  you moved into your own boy room, and have since loved the privacy that gives you, even though you don’t love being alone in the dark of night.  you’ve begun to battle nightmares almost nightly, and often come snuggle with us in our bed.  it’s the first time, though, that i’ve really seen you turn to the Lord in prayer on your own.  you are beginning to learn to pray on your own to your Heavenly Father, and not to be afraid to speak freely to Him.

this morning i said, “noah!  you’re not three anymore!” and you said, in a distinctively more grown-up-sounding voice, “i know but i still call you momma.”

you love playing with your sisters, and do so well with both of them.  your favorite things lately are to play that you are dogs, running around in the house and yard on all fours, and to play drums constantly to whatever music we have going in the house.  you are addicted to movies much to my chagrin.  🙂  you have learned so much alongside phoebe in our first year of home educating, and i can tell you are so bright and eager.  you still love to be tickled to tears before bedtime, as you always always have, and you love to be sung to.  you love trucks and cars endlessly.  you love to help me in the kitchen, really to help with any task.

i am so so proud of you, son, so thankful that God gave us you.  you came quietly on this december day four years ago, but with so much drama somehow at the same time.  what a champ you were as your momma struggled to recover in the weeks following your birth.  i especially want to tell you that i’m very proud of you for the way you have loved phoebe in all her health battles this year, being protective of her and looking out for her.  the way you told her you missed her while she was gone to winston salem.  it’s not easy having to bend to someone with a special dietary need, and yet you do it quietly and with such a good attitude.  thank you, son!  your daddy and i adore you more than we can ever ever say and we thank God for the gift of you!

happy fourth birthday, my favorite boy with the best giggle!