Happy 8th Birthday Maddox!

Dear Maddox,

We celebrated your 8th birthday this weekend!  You asked for a birthday party at Surge, a trampoline park.  None of us had ever been to this particular location but you had heard about it and remained focused on this being the location to celebrate #8!  I love that you are at an age where you can put together a list of friends you want to have at your party and you can have a "vision" for what you want to do for a birthday celebration.  You quickly picked out your cake and had a plan for all the fun you were going to have with your friends at the trampoline park!  These friends are so cherished as they encourage you at school and sit with you in church.  I love to see these friendships developing as you are getting older.  Most of these friends you have known since you were born.  You are at such an awesome age! I continue to love our bedtime cuddles.  I love listening to you practice scripture verses and read chapter books in the evening before bed.  You are so determined on the ball field.  No matter what sport you are playing, you give it your all.  You continue to enjoy soccer, basketball and baseball.  On the day before your party, you scored 4 goals at your soccer game!  You are so fast and aggressive when it comes to making a play but you are equally humble when you score the goal.  There is minimal (if any) celebration after a big score.  You calmly move back to your spot on the field to do it all over again!  You scored the winning goal last week and I jumped out of my chair to cheer you on! You are so incredibly smart.  Your handwriting is immaculate and you have such thoughtful sentences when you are writing.  You love math too and are starting to show some great mental math skills as well!  I love your heart for your friends and family.  Just last night you gave your brother one of your new toys to have since you said you had plenty and could share with him.  You are constantly sharing your belongings with family and friends.  You are equally "rough and tumble".  I have to worry about you a little bit more since you don't tend to see danger ahead.  I think your optimism for life makes it hard to see that anything bad could happen.  I pray you keep your optimism and positive attitude while also being mindful of any challenges that your decisions could yield.  You have the best smile (even if those four front teeth refuse to come in).  You have finally stopped sucking your thumb at bedtime thanks to some fancy gloves you started wearing to bed.  You wake up each morning early, ready to start the new day and go 110% until it is time to go to bed.  I pray you will always know how much I love you and how proud I am to be your mommy.  I hope you enjoyed celebrating #8.  We will continue to celebrate you this upcoming week with donuts at school and after soccer practice (birthday boy's request) and you might have a few presents waiting for you on your actual birthday.  We love you so much!

Love,

Mommy (and Daddy)