Our House in the Middle of Our Street

17! You're FINALLY 17! You can drive independently, and you have read the manual, watched professional drivers and gleaned tips from others about this test that you've been dreaming about for years. You were given a car by a friend of ours, cleaned it to perfection, fixed it up in places, and have driven your sister and friends all over for the past week in near-unbridled joy. I am so happy for you (and I'd be lying if I wasn't happy for me, too)! You are such a mature and kind-hearted young man. You have big plans and are taking the steps to proactively execute them. You are sweet to your sister even if you'd deny it in front of your friends, and your relationship with her has come full-circle back to being as close as you two were in your littlest years.  You have so many goals and you work hard to achieve them! You prioritize what's important to you, and are willing to cut the rest. Although I sometimes wonder how you will remember to get to appointments with...

 In my haste to get this published quickly, I totally forgot an intro paragraph! You have been waiting for what feels like half of your life to learn and drive a car, and here we are. You spent weeks reading the actual Learning manual from the DMV (!) and you quickly aced the test. Reading the manuals has never let you down in the past, and it shows how dedicated you are when you are motivated to learn and do the thing you want to go after!  You are a bright young man who has a tender side (but only a few get to see it!) and you've learned so much about communication, hard work, integrity and more all while keeping a very full course load at school and finding time to hang out with friends. I am the real winner since I get to see nearly every bit of it up close, day-in and day-out. Happy Birthday, Lukka! We love you.                                        ...

Happy 14th Birthday, Anikka! It is getting harder and harder to find pictures of *just you* because you love to be with your friends, whether it's taking the bus to hang out at the pool, have sleepovers, or get together at the mall (?? that's a new one, and even though you don't like the activity you don't care because your FRIENDS are there!), we are now to the point of cropping people out of public photos so we can post them! You have grown in confidence, ability (on pointe shoes!), and beauty and you continue to put in the practice for any goal you want to accomplish. "Slow and Steady Wins the Race" is a motto I'd attribute to you because  you take your time, do things with intention, and make progress over time that you are proud of--an excellent life skill!  We love you so much and look forward to your next year!  Ani showing off her cozy hoodie, toque, and socks What is your favorite color? green Who are some of your friends? Marie, Anya, Audrey, Mya...

Happy 15th Birthday, Lukka! You are becoming such a wonderful young man. This past year you had a part-time job (and now a nearly full-time summer job!), got even more involved in volunteering at church and youth group, and have honed your stand-up comedian skills.  You still love music just as much as you did when you first started, and take it very seriously. You've excelled in so many things and have made great strides academically. You're a hard worker and are excited about your summer internship (and the first week was great).  We love you, and we can't wait to see what's in store for your 15th year.  Lukka and his calabi yau made completely of meringue!   What is your favorite color?  Blue one of the little buns we got to spend time with from our friend's litter! Who are some of your friends?  Matthew, Joshua, Mattias, Kate, Cole, Jeremy, Gabe, Zack,  Lukka showing off some co-op coffee bean artwork What do you want to do when you're an adult? so...

  Anikka on the Vancouver Island ferry Anikka has fully become a young lady this past year. She is no longer a kid who likes to play, and that means my baby's 'childhood' is a bittersweet memory. I will always miss her chubby elbow dimples but the young person she is transitioning into is such a beautiful mixture of her little self and the horizon of the future dreams she has. She is a goal-setter and a quiet achiever. She takes care of people, and shows affection by spending her time and art skills making things for others. She knows what she likes, and what she doesn't, and trusts me enough to take my advice if she's hesitant but feels I might be right about a new experience I'm gently pushing her into saying "yes" to. She loves just about any TV show I tell her about from my childhood (love that!). She's a strong introvert that needs hours of downtime a day, which works for her because  it's helped her become accomplished with her art!  We ...