Ruy Turns Eight...His Year In Review

Yesterday you turned eight years old. I can barely wrap my mind around that. It was just yesterday that you were born, or that you said "mama" for the first time, or that you took your first step. And then I blinked and eight years were gone. You have grown into such an incredibly smart, sweet, and caring little boy. You are funny and goofy. You love to make silly faces and to try to make me laugh. You love to have your back rubbed. You love to sleep with lots of stuffed animals and your two favorite blankets. You still have to have me sing "You Are My Sunshine" every night. You love legos and Star Wars still. You are also into Davy Crockett right now. Anything army (camo) is still pretty much your favorite thing. You love playing soccer and baseball. You love to play out in the woods behind our fence. Liam likes to play back there with you too now. You are an AMAZING big brother. You are so good with Liam and Alanna. And they both absolutely adore you. Liam wants to do everything you do and always says "When I get big like Ruy can I....(Have a pocket knife, ride a big bike, scoop dog poop!)?" I know you are anxiously awaiting the day when you can pass off your chore of scooping dog poop to Liam. :) Alanna smiles whenever she sees you. She loves when you sit on the floor with her and play with her. She just started saying your name the other day and I know it made you so happy. You love playing board games and card games. You and Daddy love to play games together at night after Liam and Alanna have gone to bed. He has taught you very well and you can now beat him. Maybe he taught you a little too well. :) You lost your first tooth this year and that was such a big deal to you. You then quickly lost several more teeth right after that. You also got your first pocket knife this year. You worked so hard in school this year and it's been so neat getting to be your teacher and watch you grow and learn every single day. You are such a blessing to our family. You light up my world. You make every day better and I am so happy that I get to be your mother.

I love you so much...more than you will ever know!

*I put together some of my favorite pictures from this past year starting with a picture of you from your seventh birthday and ending with a picture from your eighth birthday!

7th Birthday

Uncle Mike's Wedding... looking adorable in a tux!

Beach Vacation

Jamestown when your cousins stayed with us for 11 days.

Sweet Frog with Grammy and Pappy

You and Liam having a water bottle fight!

Your two best friends in the whole world...your cousins.

Homeschool science project....making homemade butter.

Eating toast and the homemade butter you made.

At the zoo with some of our favorite people...all of Kim's girls Chloe, Lily, Ruby.

Thank you to Kim for taking such a sweet picture of my babies.

Golf and Ice-cream date with Mommy

1st day of 2nd Grade

Piano lesson with Daddy

Your Awana vest. You were so excited for your 1st year in Awanas.

State Fair. You were trying to help Liam not be afraid of the sheep.

I had a hard time getting you to wear anything but those army shorts and those army snow boots.

Soccer!

You love face paint.

Apple picking

Grandad's birthday

Carving out the pumpkin seeds.

You drew this for Daddy for when he came home from his missions trip from China. We hung a bunch of pictures on the back door to surprise him when he got home.