Sophia turns 13!

My Dear Sophia,

Thirteen. There are certain birthdays that feel like markers, and this is one of them. Not because everything suddenly changes overnight, but because it gives me a moment to pause and take in who you are becoming — and who you already are. And Sophia, you are a remarkable young woman.

What stands out most to me is not just what you do, but how you do it. You are a good sibling — patient, playful, and steady in ways that matter more than you probably realize to your mom and I. You are a good friend — the kind of person others feel safe with, the kind who shows up, listens, and makes people feel seen.

You have this beautiful instinct to be intentional, especially in the way you give gifts small and big. Whether it’s a thoughtful gift, or a small gesture, you are thinking about how to best love those in your life. You pay attention. That is a trait you should keep for life.

I’ve also watched how you open your heart to others, especially the children who come into our home through foster care. You don’t hold back your kindness. You make space. You make them feel welcome. You make them feel like they belong. That kind of compassion will shape lives in ways you may never fully see.

You are growing into someone we can trust — whether it’s caring for younger kids as a babysitter, showing responsibility in your schoolwork, or simply carrying yourself with a quiet confidence. And yet, alongside all of that, you are still full of fun and life. Your laughter, your energy, your ability to bring lightness into a room, those are gifts too.

As you step into your teenage years, my prayer for you is not that you would rush to grow up, but that you would stay grounded in who you are: kind, thoughtful, joyful, and strong. There will be moments ahead that stretch you, and moments that test you, but you already have within you the character to meet them well. That you remember that you can like what matters to you, and be kind to others, even if friends around you make a different decision.

That you don’t grow out of dance parties with your siblings, or valuing time with your mom at things like mother daughter camp, or asking me random questions when you get home from school. Although I could do with a few less random questions when you are 45 minutes past your bed time. 

I hope you continue to be someone who welcomes others, who gives generously, who loves deeply, and who finds joy along the way. The world needs more of exactly who you are becoming.

I am so proud of you, Sophia. We love being your parents.

Happy 13th birthday.

Love always,

Dad

Jayden turns seven!

 

Hey Buddy,

Happy seventh birthday! It’s amazing watching you grow into such an active and busy boy. This has been a special year--the year you learned to swim without your life vest, the year you started devouring books (especially The Big Book of Knowledge with your mom before bed), learned to ride a bike even with a coordination disorder, excelled at ninja warrior, and the year you showed just how much love you have to give — especially to any dog that comes within petting distance!

Your love of Pokémon runs deep, and I love how confident you are when you tell me about your favorite characters and Pokémon trainers-- it may be your favorite topic of conversation. You also showed such a gentle heart this year when we had little Logan with us until he went to live with his pre-adoptive parents. 

Jayden, my prayer for you this year is that you keep learning how to be a good friend at school and to your siblings. When you are in a good place with them, it is the sweetest, but that can turn on a dime, and I would love for you to feel confident enough in yourself to step away for a few minutes, and then come back to reengage.

I hope you keep flashing that sly, sweet smile as much as your face allows before your cheeks get tired, and laughing out loud at movies on long car trips, or at potty humor in a book you are reading. You love to be silly, try to tell jokes, and love to wrestle, and be tickled.

I am hoping that in the coming year we can figure out how to help handle your occasional emotions rollercoaster--even when you’re feeling really mad. I am here for the journey and to walk alongside you.

Love you always and I am so proud of you,
Dad

 

 

Jayda turns Seven

My Sweet Jayda,

Seven. I can hardly believe it. Somehow you keep growing right before my eyes taller every day, and your loud, joyful laugh fills every room. You shine, Jayda, not just because of your beautiful long, curly hair, but because of the way you bring joy and energy wherever you go. Your pants are basically for one day use, given all the time you spend sliding and crawling as part of your play time.

This year, you learned to swim without your life vest, ride a bike, and embraced reading. I love watching you take so much pride and accomplishment as you have learned. You and Jayden have shared so many sweet moments together, playing with Magna-Tiles or building forts together, or looking over each other’s shoulders at a book.

You were especially welcoming for little Logan when he came into our home. The way you cared for him showed such big-sister love- joyful, and full of heart.

My prayer for you this year is that you’ll keep learning how to navigate those big feelings that sometimes seem bigger than you are, and that you’ll discover how strong and kind you can be even when plans change, or things don’t go perfectly, or friends don’t follow your leadership. And please keep giving those running hugs that fill people up with love, but give them a heads up, especially if they are over 75, so you don’t knock them over! The world needs every single one of them.

I am so proud to be your dad.

Love,
Dada

Jason turns 10!

Dear Jace,

Happy 10th Birthday, buddy! Double digits—what a fun milestone. It feels like just yesterday you were building towers out of blocks, and now here you are, dreaming up entire worlds with LEGOs. Whether it’s designing and building an entire airport scene, or the large complex LEGO plane set for Christmas, and then the pirate ship for your birthday—your imagination and building skills have really taken off this past year. My favorites are when you come up with your own creations with details like camper hitches and airplane ailerons.

But your love for building isn’t just about bricks. You build joy, kindness, and connection wherever you go. Whether it’s soccer practice in the backyard or kicking the ball around with your buddy Arthur behind your school, you bring energy to everything you do. This fall, you’ll be on your first rec team, and I can already picture you sprinting across the field, giving it your all—not just to score goals, but to lift up your teammates. That’s who you are.

You love to wrestle and build pillow forts in the living room, and had an obsession with learning about tornados this year, asking most people we met for about 3 months if they had ever seen one, and then peppering them with questions so you could learn more. I can only hope that this interest in learning continues to all kinds of future topics.

You often sit and watch a new situation before you engage, but you always end up finding a way to get involved.

Your third-grade teacher said it best: you are “honor bound.” You help others do the right thing at school. Every morning this past year, you walked Jayden into his classroom, helped him get settled, and made sure he felt ready for the day. You didn’t stop there—you helped other kids too, and then quietly made your way to your own classroom, setting up chairs while waiting for your classmates. There was the time you were out riding your new bike and when you got halfway up the hill, you stopped, put the kickstand down, and walked back to help your mom push the stroller—without being asked. Or the time you handed your lucky orange to a classmate during Chinese New Year, or your piece of candy or toy to a sibling. No fanfare. Just quiet leadership.

And then there are the moments that your mom and I want to remember forever. Like when she asked how your day was, and you beamed, “It was amazing!” before skipping down the sidewalk, as a 9-year-old! Most of your days are “amazing,” even the ones spent hanging around the house, or a regular day at school.

This past year you told your mother, “Sometimes when I can’t hold your hand because you aren’t there, I hold my hands together and pretend that one of them is yours.” That kind of tenderness is rare. We pray that God continues to deepen character in you as you grow.

We pray this year you continue to develop your quiet leadership at home, modeling the right ways to be a helper, and treating your siblings with respect.

Jason, you are a gift. Not just to our family, but to everyone lucky enough to know you. As you step into this next chapter—ten years old!— we pray that you keep looking out for the underdog, continue to be the mayor of the school saying hi to everyone (kids and adults alike), and lean into your love for math, science, and history.

Happy Birthday, love,

Dad

Sophia turns 12

 

My Dearest Sophia,

Happy 12th Birthday! It feels like just yesterday you were a tiny little thing, and now look at you – almost a teenager! This past year, your 6th grade year, has been such a joy to watch. It's been so awesome to see you thrive. Theater, band, and 3D printing club are just a few of the areas where you have gotten involved.

Your friendships continue to be such an important part of your life. You are thoughtful, remain a great gift giver, and love any adventure to shop for food, gifts, or clothes. You also have been stepping up your cooking game this year in the kitchen by routinely making some of the dinners. And your help taking care of, and connection with, our 17 month old foster placement has been an encouragement to us.

Your involvement in the Delta Youth group has been really fun. It's clear that you're growing in your faith, and it’s great that you have started to ask so many good questions.

As you step into being 12, I hope you continue to embrace all these wonderful parts of yourself. I hope you keep on not putting all of your attention to what others think of you – that confidence and self-assurance you've developed will serve you well. This will become more challenging as you get older with others trying to ascribe a particular wardrobe or behaviors to fit in a box that was never meant for you. My prayer is that you will continue to shine brightly in the one of a kind way that God designed you.

I am so incredibly proud of the young woman you are becoming- your kindness, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, and curiosity. I can't wait to see all the adventures this summer brings as well as next school year.

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl!

Love,

Dad

Happy 6th Birthday Jayden!

 

My Dearest Jayden,

Happy sixth birthday, superhero! Six years of spins, tumbles, and incredible adventures!

The other day when I was doing laundry, I was admiring your large collection of

spiderman themed clothes you have collected.

Your love for Spiderman and all things superhero runs deep. And now, you have super-

powered vision with your new glasses (even if you don’t see it that way yet and often

take them off)!

It's wonderful to see your intense friendship with Malcolm in your kindergarten class.

You two are a dynamic duo, always running up to each other every morning like you

have not seen each other for weeks. Your teacher says you have often act like siblings

in class.

More recently we have been working to tackle big emotions. This year, we’re praying

that you’ll continue to develop tools to handle those big emotions, just like a superhero

learns to control their powers.

We also hope that this year is filled with lots and lots of laughter. Your laughter is

contagious, and it brings so much joy to everyone around you.

Love,

Dad

Happy 6th Birthday Jayda!

 

My Dearest Jayda Joy,

Happy, happy sixth birthday! Can you believe it? Six whole years of your bright, shining

smile filling our lives with joy. Just like your beloved unicorns, you bring energy and a

sparkling smile wherever you go.

Whether you're leaping, dancing, or running around in your pink rain boots no matter the

weather, you seem to be trying to suck all of the emotions and experience out of every

moment.

You want to feel your food, paint all the colors, try one of each, and only speak with an

outside voice at all times, because life is so exciting.

This year as you are learning the basics of reading in kindergarten, you want to get it

perfect right away. It's okay to take your time and trust your brain to figure things out,

even if it takes a few tries.

We’re praying that this year, you’ll grow even more confident in the classroom. Your

ideas are amazing, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible things you’ll learn. We’re

also praying that you’ll continue to be a wonderful friend, someone who is flexible and

kind. Sometimes, plans change, and being able to invite others to play, even when

things don’t go exactly as expected, will make your friendships even stronger.

We love you more than words can say!

Love,

Dada