Davy's 11 Year Portraits

When I think back on Davy's 11 (now almost 12) years, I just gape in awe. He's grown immensely into someone who is really fun to spend time with. He goes at life the hard way--always has. I see that as a strength and a struggle, both. He needs to understand something before he jumps in. Once he does understand, however, look out! He's going to bring it to its full potential. I love his Lego creations so much, especially his houses. He just has an eye and appreciation for tidiness and order and space. His sense of humor is developing and it's so fun to watch what he finds and makes funny.

Davy Double Digits

Davy is a full two hands--he's 10 years old and every inch a handsome boy on the brink of growing up beyond me. I'm starting to see the future looming up in front of us and am equal parts nervous and excited. Davy has a heart overflowing with all the feelings, if not yet words to say them all out loud. I'm going to embarrass him by writing all this, I know. And I'm sorry, sweetie! I'm just so in awe of who I see you are and can become. 

Davy has the unenviable role of first and oldest. Sometimes I suppose it's not so bad but sometimes it's very difficult to be the "guinea pig" of the family. I tell him I'm new to this mom of a ___ old same as he's figuring out being ___ old. He is such a wonderful biggest brother, though. He loves his littlest sibling perfectly. He's learning the art of gentle teasing of his sister. Eddy would not know how to do life without Davy leading the way, they are the best buddies.

Davy enjoys Minecraft (earning screen time with extra piano practicing--he's really coming along! He can play a couple hymns for us to sing along to!--and reading Mom-assigned books and conversations), Catan (which he bought with birthday money from his aunts), and riding his bike to and from the bus stop for school. He's found new independence with riding the bus to his school and getting a bike lock with his own combination and a watch to keep track of the time. His birthday gift was headphones and a vintage iPod Shuffle with a playlist put together by dad. A good mix--from Beach Boys to Imagine Dragons. We see some budding tastes in music and it's fun to see him explore that.

The biggest gift was a staying-up later privilege. Once a week Davy gets to stay up with us after the other kids are sent to bed. I'll never forget the slow smile on his face as we told him that was part of being 10--getting to have some adult time. He requests it now and I'm so happy. I'm sure we'll need to bribe him with food at some point just to get his time and attention but for now he's happy with the privilege. We've talked, laughed, edited family videos, listened to music. Good times.

Davy loves his black hoodie, has an impressive eye-roll, and an all-in laugh. 

We love Davy very much, more than he knows or can even believe.

Davy's Ninth Birthday

(Now six months later) Davy turned nine!  His birthday is a week before Christmas and it seemed to especially get a bit lost in the shuffle this year.  We did several small celebrations spread out and I hope that it together made one satisfactory one.  We had birthday cake and make-your-own Lego face cupcakes with Aunt Camilla and Becky one day, a special family movie night with treats and movie chosen by Davy another night.  On his actual birthday we stopped in at the grocery on the way home from school and chose several flavors and toppings for ice cream sundaes.  I played waitress at home and served everyone the sundae of their desire.

Despite the less than fanfare-tastic party celebrations, I hope Davy knows how much we value him in our family.  We appreciate how seriously he takes his big brother role.  He is bright and bursting with energy and enthusiasm for learning and doing.  He loves playing Fur Elise on the piano and can figure out other songs by ear.  Davy may not play Minecraft very often (at cousins or friends occasionally) but he knows everything there is to be read and studied about it.  He is a talented writer and is becoming an extremely fast and precise typer. 

I can't believe how much he has grown.  Every time I turn around and expect to see a little child I'm astonished at how mature and tall he is.  The years have flown by since I could hold him cradled in one arm.  We really love this boy.  I can't wait to see what more he brings to the world.

I see this expression a lot.  "What do you want from me? What are you talking about?"

Davy's a Great Eight

I'm holding up the show here!  I keep trying to get everything all neat and tidy--all the pictures in a presentable state and a video and my thoughts in the same place at the same time--and life is just not.  Tidy, I mean.  So I'll come back and add in the loose bits but I've got to get the main part down.

And the main part is that we love our boy Davy.  He's truly an incredible kid.  We feel honored to be his parents and watch as he grows into a lovely person.  Davy is a strong, sensitive soul.  He feels and thinks deeply.  He is mature beyond his years in some ways yet as silly as any eight year old has a right to be.  He is a fantastic older brother to his brother and sister.

This year was a special birthday year.  He got to have two celebrations.  The first, his family party, we marked the day before he was officially eight.  He chose to have pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes, chocolate cake into a Lego shape with 8 studs, and Neapolitan ice cream.  I didn't really know what he was most hoping for in a gift, though I gave a few (in my opinion) good ideas to those who asked.  A few days before his birthday I overheard him say to Eddy that all he really really hoped for was a pair of goalie gloves.  I was in time to slip a word to Grandma, who promptly sent them.  His face when he opened them was priceless--so happy.  The other gifts of books and experiences have been very well used and appreciated, too! 

On Sunday, Davy's eighth birthday, he chose to be baptized into the church.  He was as ready as could be.  He helped plan the entire program.  He willingly (I had a harder time) accepted the addition of another convert last minute when the missionaries were anxious to do it before the Christmas holidays.  He invited several neighborhood friends and our distant English cousins.  We were even able to have grandparents from Utah and California facetime in for the ceremony.  He felt very special and he simply glowed.  I admit I was a little concerned how all the attention and stress of the day would affect him but he handled it all perfectly well.  He told Collin that he wished he could be baptized again right after he came out of the water.  I was so proud of him and his choice--it was his choice.  I hope he can always remember the feeling of wanting to be clean.

Davy asked for the "jumping in jumpsuits" picture especially.

After the service of course we had a party!  Davy requested M&Ms, Fanta and Oreos.  I threw in some veggies, soup and bread (he said I could) and made him some Pulla Finnish bread like my mom did for my baptism.  Everyone stayed and ate the platters clean so it was a success!

I'd still like to take some baptism pictures but it's just so cold and drab outside right now.  I will try again come spring, but here are some pictures Davy willingly-enough sat for so I could remember my eight year old just as he is.  Silly and serious and snaggle toothed and sweet as spun sugar.