Double Digits!!!!

My baby is 10.  Ten.  He has been my boy for a decade.  Whoa.

I am so proud and grateful to be the mother of Porter David Sowa.  He is an extremely smart, curious, and thoughtful kid.  What a fun birthday we had, celebrating him!

On the morning of Porter's birthday, he wanted to open just ONE present, so he got a clue that led to an entire scavenger hunt (I love that he still loves these...)

(The "treasure" was donuts!!!)

That evening, after soccer camp, Chipotle for lunch, and taquitos for dinner, he opened his presents.

His request was brownies and ice cream for dessert!

For his birthday celebration this year, he wanted to take his best buddies, Trevor and Sawyer, to SkyZone, followed by a dinner at Steuben's and a sleepover.  They had so much fun!

Leading up to his birthday, Porter and Emma Rose got to spend a fun week with cousins.  Here are some fun pictures of the kiddos at a bowling outing, and some lake-fun:

"Cheese!!!!"

The kids were in a Real Edge Soccer Camp all week.  Emma Rose labeled her soccer ball and, again, outgrew her old soccer shoes...THEY GROW SO FAST!!!

To celebrate Porter's birthday, cousin Haley's birthday, and Father's Day this year, the family came over for a fun evening. 

I am so grateful to my family ... Kids, Nieces, Nephew, Dads, Siblings, etc. 

I am also grateful for my wonderful husband, an amazing father to my kids. 

Happy Father's Day, Corey!  The day after the big family celebration we celebrated Corey.

We love you, Corey!

And Porter, we love you.

I wrote Porter a letter this year.  Here is a piece of it...

Dear Porter,

As I write this letter, the 10th dawn of the date of your birth, I am struck by how quickly the years have flown by, and how much change can come in a mere decade of a young man’s life.  You are two digits. You are (too quickly!!!) becoming a young version of the man you will someday be, and while you can be challenging, I watch you fight against yourself to be the best version of Porter that you can be.  It is hard, and it is slowly rewarding....

You just finished your fourth grade year at Lincoln Academy in Mrs. Burns’ class, where you continued to thrive on friendships, and where you continued to excel in school. I am grateful for how easily concepts come to you, and how curious about the world you still remain.  Your favorite subject was P.E., although you continue to enjoy Math and Science, and reading and grammar come naturally to you. Just the other day, as Emma Rose and a friend were goofing around, “Now I know how Papa feels. It’s irritating when people don’t speak properly.”

You also just finished your last year on Real Edge “Academy” soccer, and you finished competitive try-outs, making the United team, the second from the top of eight teams in Competitive U11.  Your dad and I are so proud of you. Two years ago, you began on the lowest of four semi-competitive levels, and you have worked hard to become a smart, strong player with an amazingly strong shot and impeccable passes.  So often on the sideline, parents scream, “let Porter take the shot!” With such a talented and competitive group of boys, you should feel proud of your well-deserved placement.

In addition to playing soccer all year long, you continued to ski and become even better. There is not a run you won’t go down.  With the Ikon pass this year, we skied many days at Winter Park and Mary Jane, and even a few at Copper and Eldora. Our really fun ski-trip this year was over spring break in Banff, Canada, where we skied Lake Louise and Sunshine Mountain. It was beautiful.

Another fun, more recent vacation that we took was this past May.  You skipped a week of school to go to Marco Island, Florida, where we celebrated our first ever Christian Brother’s Automotive conference.  

Sure enough, our Christian Brother’s shop finally opened up during your 9th year of life, just 12 days after your birthday.  Dad couldn’t be happier. Also, just last month, I decided that it was time that I spent more time at home, being more present for you and Emma Rose, and I finally left my job at Valor. This is something your dad and I prayed for for many years. I hope that our relationship grows as I now have more time to focus on you and your dad and your sister!

Some of your favorite things to do this past year included: shooting on the goal in the back yard with friends, playing Nintendo Switch (FIFA 2019 and Splatoon are your 2 favorite games so far,) playing trucks or legos with your sister, skiing, and of course, all things friends.  As for food, you still love a great burger, and you LOVE bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches. For breakfast this year, I surprised you with a scavenger hunt to find donuts from LaMars (you thought I would NEVER let you eat donuts for breakfast.) You also watch crazy Youtube videos about soccer, snakes, and other goofy things. You are well-liked by everyone at school - older girls included, and I swear, everywhere you go, whether the pool, the soccer field, the park, you run off to play because you see one of your “friends.” You remind me of your dad in that way - everyone seems to be a really close friend...

...This is a crazy time to raise kids. You are exposed to so much, and the world is a scary place.  We just memorized a verse together, Joshua 1:9 - “Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble nor be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Porter, I pray that you become a strong and courageous man after God’s own heart. I know that He has made you a leader. May you lead others toward him. You are my smart, tender-hearted boy.  Nothing makes my day more than when you wrap your strong arms around me, or when you look up, surprised, and say, “Wow, mom, you look really pretty.” Thank you for being my son. Happy Birthday, Porter David. I love you.

Love,

Mom