Letter To Morgan - 12 Years

Dearest Morgan,

You have grown up so much over the past year and it is really hitting me hard that you're no longer a baby. You are starting to develop into a young lady and puberty has started to take over your body. I've told you numerous times to stop it, but you just keep growing!

So much has happened over the past year and you've been able to do quite a few things since life went back to semi-normal (Covid-19). There have been some ups and downs, but you've handled everything really well and continue to be a very positive kid. It's one of the things that I love most about you. 

We had to say goodbye to Quinn this past year and it was very hard on our little family, but thankfully we had planned a Halloween trip to Jellystone with the Newtons shortly after her passing which helped take some of the sadness away. Your costume this year was Hermione from Harry Potter. You were able to trick or treat in the neighborhood, but it was definitely different this year due to the pandemic. Many neighbors were handing out candy in their driveways vs. in their doorways. The plus side is that we got around the neighborhood pretty quickly! 

Shortly after Halloween, Uncle Ed got very sick with Covid and we thought we might lose him, but thankfully he began to get better after a couple of weeks in the hospital. 

After the year that we had, we decided that we were going to decorate for Christmas early, so shortly  before Thanksgiving, we put all of the decorations up and had a small Thanksgiving with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lisa. 

During the Christmas season you helped come up with ideas on where to put Candi the Elf. You really enjoyed helping this year and you came up with some cute ideas. We had a small Christmas with both sides of the family and although we didn't get to see everyone, we had a very nice holiday.  One of your favorite presents was the Saturn V LEGO set. You loved putting it together and you have it displayed on top of your bookcase in your room.

One history-making thing that happened this past year is that we have our first woman Vice President of the United States. Not only is she the first woman, but she is also the first woman of color to be VP. 

In February we had a major snow storm for several days and although we couldn't really go anywhere, we had a blast playing and sledding in the snow. We played with friends and made Snow Ice Cream! 

We had a short family trip to Fredericksburg during Spring Break this year and we climbed Enchanted Rock. We unfortunately chose the windiest day of the year to climb the rock, but we did it.

We added 2 new members to the family – Ellie Mae and Sookie Sue! They are so playful and fun to watch. They love to play and hang out with you and your sister. You are in love with both of them, but you tend to favor Sookie just a little. 

You were in the gifted and talented program again this year in school and you did really well and made straight A's. There were still no extra-curricular activities this year, but you did apply to be in the HEB Honor Choir for the next school year and you were accepted!

This past summer was jam-packed full of fun things that you got to do. You attended an Anime Camp for a week and produced some great artwork of some of your favorite characters. You also did some physical therapy for your ankle, which seems to be improving. You attended VBS with your sister at various parks around the area and we visited NRH2O several times. You were able to go to Jellystone Park in Tyler with your sister's GS troop and made friends with Macey, another older sister of a GS. We spent 4th of July with the Newtons in Athens and Uncle Ed and Daddy set off fireworks in the field close to the house. You attended Glen Lake Camp for a week with your friend Lily and had a blast. We took a family trip to West Virginia for Daddy's family reunion and we stayed at a resort that had a zoo and other fun activities. We visited the zoo and got to see our favorite animal – red panda. Summer ended with a GS trip to Falkenstein Castle. Your troop made enough money selling cookies over the past 2 years to rent out the entire castle and stay there for 2 nights. You did an escape room challenge in the castle, you had a day at Inks Lake Park where you learned how to kayak. You also jumped off a cliff into the water at Devil's Hole while at the park. You participated in a Murder Mystery Dinner one the nights at the castle and your character was Snow White who had to sing all of her lines – there wasn't a more perfect character for you! You got into it and did a great job of singing and playing your part. Your troop was also able to take a tour of the Longhorn Caverns and see some really cool crystals and bats.

When school started, things looked a little more normal. Masks were optional and no longer required. Daddy and I wanted you and your sister to continue to wear your masks and you were fine with it and didn't fight us. You began rehearsals with the HEB Honor Choir and I got roped into being a parent volunteer, so I attend the rehearsals with you every week. 

We took you and your sister to your first Broadway play at Fair Park. We saw Wicked, my favorite, and you really enjoyed it. You thought the production was great and your favorite part was the moving parts of the giant Wizard. After the play, we went to Rise No.3 in Fort Worth and you had your first souffle. You had a mac and cheese souffle for dinner and a chocolate souffle for dessert. You LOVED it and can't wait to go back!

Your GS troop worked hard during the month of September to get your Bronze Award. You collected donations for the Hurst Animal Shelter and completed other tasks necessary to earn the award.

Your birthday was celebrated a little differently this year. You have officially reached the age where birthday themes and specific activities/locations are not what you want. This year you asked to go out to dinner with friends and have a sleepover. We took you, your sister, and 4 friends to downtown Fort Worth to eat at The Cheesecake Factory, then we walked to ITSugar to get some candy, before heading home for the sleepover. Your friends Karsyn and Lily stayed for the sleepover and we had birthday doughnuts the next morning. You opened your gifts later that morning and found out that you were getting your own cell phone. You were so shocked that you were speechless for about a minute!

Things you love: Anime, chocolate, friends, school, Genshin Impact, My Hero Academia, drawing, singing, and YouTube.

We're so proud of you, Pumpkin. You're a good girl, a loving daughter, and a sweet friend. This is your last year in elementary school and soon enough you'll be in junior high. Why does the time have to go so quickly?!

We love you!

Mom, Dad, and Maylin

Letter To Maylin - 8 Years

Dear Maylin, 

You have completed another year around the sun and you’re a big 8-year-old! You started 2nd grade online for 3 weeks before finally going back to school full-time. Your teachers were Ms. Stroud and Mrs. Cazares. School was different for you this year because Covid-19 was still a threat. You were required to wear masks every day, use desk shields, eat lunch in your classroom, and stay in a certain area of the playground without playing on or with any of the equipment. You made the best of this situation and were so happy to be able to be back at school with your friends. You were fine with wearing your mask and never complained. I think it was because wearing the mask allowed you to return to school. 

Before school started, we watched all of the Marvel movies as a family and you became a big fan of Black Widow and are super excited to see the upcoming Black Widow movie. We also took a trip to Galveston before school started because we were tired of being cooped up in the house during the pandemic and wanted some beach time. You went on your first ghost tour in Galveston and you got scared a few times, but handled it well. Now you search YouTube for ghost stories and tours that other people have been on. 

You went through a beatbox phase where every song became a way for you to practice your beatboxing skills – ha! You love to do puzzles and are currently up to 500 pieces! You also love to dance and will at every opportunity possible. If a song is on the TV, you’re dancing to it! Your best friend is still Skye and you both enjoyed some play dates and sleep overs together. You also had several Face Time chats with your friend Annabel, who recently moved to Houston.  

You are still in Girl Scouts and bridged to Brownie at the end of the school year last year. You and your troop sold a lot of cookies and got the chance to go on a weekend trip to Jellystone Park in Tyler in June. The moms (and older sisters) got to go too and we had a lot of fun!  

This year we had to say goodbye to our Quinny Girl and you really took it hard. It broke my heart to see the pain that you were going through. You loved that cat with your whole heart and you struggled with her death for some time. There’s a song on the radio called “Memories” by Maroon 5 and when it plays you always say how much it reminds you of Quinn and makes you sad. You have a lot of pictures of her on your tablet and every now and then you’ll flip through the photos just to see her again.  

Trick or treating looked a lot different this year, but you actually really enjoyed yourself. Many neighbors were outside of their homes handing out treats or leaving treats outside for kids to pick up. Because you weren’t having to ring doorbells and wait this year, we were able to get through the entire neighborhood for the first time!

During the Halloween season we met up with the Newton’s and camped with them at Jellystone Park in Burleson. We all had a great time and participated in some fun Halloween activities. It was shortly after this trip that your Uncle Ed got deathly sick with Covid and things were touch-and-go for a while, but thankfully he recovered. While he was sick, you wanted to write to him to cheer him up, so you wrote him letters and colored pictures for him. You have such a good and tender heart.  

One of your big accomplishments this year was learning to ride your bike without the training wheels! Daddy took them off and in no time, you were riding like a champ.  

We had a crazy winter this year and for about a week the temperature was near or below zero with several days of snow. You and your sister (and Daddy and I) had a blast playing in it. We used one of the pool blowups as a slide and slid down the big hill in our neighborhood. We also played with friends one day on the hills by the lake.  

This year also brought a big accomplishment for women in the United States. The first WOMAN Vice President was inaugurated into the White House!  

In addition to watching all of the Marvel movies (last summer), we also had a Harry Potter movie marathon during the snow storms. You and sister really enjoyed all of the movies.  

As a gift for you and your sister for Valentine’s Day, we bought tickets to go and play with the cats at Casual Cat Café. This led to an eventual adoption of 2 cats from the same litter, Ellie Mae and Nala (whom we renamed Sookie). They have brought so much joy to our family and you have had so much fun with them.  

The Covid vaccine was released this year, so your dad and I were able to get vaccinated. A vaccine for children under 12 has not yet been developed, but we’re hoping soon.  

During Spring Break, we took a trip to Fredericksburg. We went to Enchanted Rock and about half way up the rock, you started freaking out and wanting to go back down. In your defense, it was extremely windy that day (wind advisory) and it was trying to blow you off the rock! Daddy and I kept encouraging you and held your hand and eventually we made it to the top.   

You finished 2nd grade with all A's for the entire year! We’re so proud of you.   

This summer was filled with SO MANY fun activities! We started the summer hanging out at NRH2O with Aunt Robin, Gracie, Brittany, and Eddie. You attended several of the VBS activities at local parks around the area. We went to Jellystone in Tyler with your GS troop. Then you went to Basketball Camp at L.D. Bell HS and won the Lay Up Award for your grade level. You decided that you want to play on a team, but want to wait until next year. We went to Athens for July 4th and then you and your sister stayed for a few extra days. You went to Glen Lake Camp, which was your first overnight camp by yourself and you loved it! You can’t wait to go back next year.

After returning from camp, we took our family vacation to West Virginia for the family reunion. What a fun time we all had! You had a good time playing with your cousins and enjoying the activities at the resort (including seeing the Red Pandas at Good Zoo).  

You celebrated your 8th birthday at NRH20 with Skye, Lily, Morgan, Gracie, and Mason. Your theme this year was Black Widow, which included a cookie cake of Black Widow. The following morning, we went to IHOP to celebrate your birthday with Grammy, Pap, Aunt Robin, and Gracie.  

We finished off the summer with a trip to Burnet where we stayed in Falkenstein Castle for 2 nights with Morgan’s GS troop (cookie reward trip). On this trip you learned how to kayak and you also jumped off a cliff into Devil’s Water Hole on Inks Lake!  

I’d say that you’ve had a very good and active year despite the pandemic. You’ve grown so much over the year and we’re so proud of you. You’ve become more independent and enjoy physical activities. You are so funny and love to tell jokes and make people laugh. You always have something to say and talk non-stop! We have to remind you to wait for your turn to talk, but it’s very hard for you because you want to tell your story. You still like to cuddle in the evenings while watching TV and I treasure those moments because I know at some point, you’ll not want to cuddle anymore.  

We love you sweet girl and we’re looking forward to the coming year to see what is next for you.  

Love,  Mommy, Daddy, and Morgan 

 

Letter To Morgan - 10 Years

Dearest Morgan,

It’s been 10 years since you came into our lives, kicking and screaming and stealing our hearts. We are still in shock that you are now in the double digits! How can it be that our first baby is already 10? It’s true that time seems to pass more quickly when you have kids and although it makes me very nostalgic when I think about you as my sweet chunky baby, I wouldn’t go back and change anything. I’ve loved every minute of watching you grown into a sweet and confident pre-teen.

Your love of the arts continues to grow. You enjoy singing in the school choir and you’re looking forward to participating in the Christmas show again this year. You also love to draw, especially female anime characters. You are starting to appreciate the various mediums of art and visiting museums is interesting to you now.
You love school and really enjoy learning new things. You are an excellent student and continue to receive A’s in all your classes. You’re so smart and you actually enjoy doing your homework. This is your first year in the ‘gifted and talented’ program at school and you are excelling. You love to read and are currently interested in reading mysteries and anything with unicorns.

You have decided that you want to be an Astronomer when you grow up because you enjoy learning about space, and you want to explore the unknown. Earlier this year we went to NASA in Houston and you decided that you are going to work for them one day. Your Daddy would be so excited to see that happen.
There have been some health issues for you this year, but things seem to be getting better. You are seeing an Endocrinologist because at your last check-up with your Pediatrician you hadn’t grown, which was a concern. Over the next several months, you had to have many tests done, including a half-day long procedure of injections and taking blood. Ultimately, you ‘failed’ that test, BUT because you were starting to grow again the doctor suggested that we wait and see if you continue to grow. Good news, you are continuing to grow! In addition to the growth issues, you got Strep and the Flu over the last year which ended your 4-year streak of perfect attendance at school. You were disappointed to say the least.

We recently let you in on the secret of there being no Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, etc. You already kind of knew, but you took the news like a champ and said, “but I can still believe, right?”. That’s my girl!

Things you love: your computer, reading, singing, movies, pizza, chocolate, Cocoa Pebbles, school, family, friends, chocolate, Justice (the store), leggings, games, and did I mention chocolate?

When you were my fussy and colicky infant, I always wondered what you would be like at 5, 10, etc. You have exceeded my expectations, Pumpkin. You are such a sweet girl and so respectful of others. We couldn’t be prouder of you. We love you with all our hearts.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Maylin

Letter to Maylin - 6 Years

Dear Maylin,

You turned 6 earlier this month and what a year it's been for you! You completed Kindergarten like a champ and made so many sweet friends along the way. Your best friend is Skye Ramos, but you claim that all of your friends are your best friends (ha). Your teacher, Mrs. Bettis, told us that you were the class favorite for many of the kids in class. This was a proud parent moment for us because we knew that you were being a sweet and kind friend to your classmates. You LOVED Kindergarten and you LOVED Mrs. Bettis. You had so many stories to tell throughout the year of cool things (and not so cool things) that happened at school. The BEST part of Kindergarten was that you learned how to read! You're an excellent reader and can sound out big words really well.

It's crazy how much you've grown this year! You're getting taller, your face is thinning out, and losing your baby fat - this makes Mommy sad. You've lost 4 of your baby teeth so far and you have no problem pulling your teeth out on your own. You actually like to do it! You lost your first tooth at school and you were pretty excited to visit the nurse and get a treasure box to hold your tooth.

This year you started showing more of your personality and your humor. You love to be funny and crack jokes. Even though your jokes aren't funny, because you haven't quite grasped the concept of what a joke is yet, it still makes us laugh because they usually don't make any sense. I love the fun and humor that you find in most everything around you. You're silly and crazy and we wouldn't have you any other way. Along with the silliness is a very sensitive side as well. You get your feelings hurt easily and you have a very short temper. You don't like to be told what to do and when we ask you to do something, you typically groan and whine about it unless it's something that you want to do. You hate being told 'no' and you hate getting into trouble. You cry easily, but you also laugh easily at something goofy that we say or do. We love your funny, sweet, sensitive, and moody personality - it makes you who you are!

You enjoy being active. You like to play on the playground, toss a ball around, ride your bike, and do lots and lots of cartwheels. Sitting is not something that you enjoy for long and we constantly have to remind you to sit in your chair during dinner. You've got energy and you want to use it up! Your favorite foods right now are macaroni and cheese, Spaghetti O's, Chocolate Krave cereal, Cocoa Puffs cereal, cheese, and watermelon. The word that you say the most right now is "disgusting" HA!

You had your first year as a Daisy Girl Scout and you really enjoyed it. You got to sell Girl Scout cookies with your troop and your best friend Skye joined the troop which was extra exciting. You earned some fun badges this year and you got to attend your first Rangers Baseball game AND walk the field for Troop Day.

Over the summer, you got to spend a couple of weeks at Children's Courtyard and saw some of your old friends. You also attended Vacation Bible School, Triumph Sports Camp, and Music & Arts Camp at church. One of the great things that happened this summer was mommy quitting her job and getting to spend the rest of the summer with you and your sister. We did a lot of fun things together including NRH2O, Urban Air, Central Arts, Medieval Times, and Six Flags. We went on a short family vacation to Paris, Texas and saw a small version of the Eiffel Tower with a red cowboy hat on the top. You love going on trips, mostly because you like staying in hotels.

I can't believe how much you've changed over the last year, Maylin. You're growing up so fast and we're trying to cherish these childhood moments in every way that we can. We love you so much Sweet Pea and can't imagine life without you in it. Let's see what your 6th year brings!

Letter to Morgan - 9 Years

Dearest Morgan,

You are now 9 years old! How can that be? I look at you and wonder how that fussy baby turned into such a fun-loving and happy kid. You love life and everything about it. You’re outgoing and love to spend time with your friends. You enjoy hanging out at home, but you also like to go out and do things especially if it involves shopping for you, ha!

School is fun for you. You enjoy learning and telling us all about what you’ve learned that day. You are super smart and remember so many details on various subjects. So far you’re getting A’s in all of your classes again this year. You’re very involved in after school programs like Beach Club, Tiger Choir, Art Club, and the Christmas Pageant. So much so, that we will be cancelling your piano lessons at least for the school year.

You have a love and passion for all things Paris. Your room has so much Paris stuff and I think you may actually hold me to my promise of taking you to Paris when you graduate high school. That may change as your interests change, but I love that you have such an interest in a place you’ve never been but want to learn all about it.

You and your sister are starting to argue a little more as you both grow older, but I can still see the love that you have for each other. Maylin is always concerned about where you are and making sure that you’re involved in what’s happening. You get irritated with her sometimes when she does this, but I know one day you will appreciate that your little sister wants to be with you. I love to watch you play together and see the things that you all create and imagine in those wonderful minds of yours.

You are drawn to Art, Music, Math, and Science. These are your favorite subjects at school and you excel in all of them. You have great artistic abilities in your drawings and you have a creative mind when it comes to making things. You LOVE to sing and you have inherited your love of space from your daddy. You are so inquisitive about the planets, the universe, and how it all works.

You went to two camps this year. Your first camp was a 3-day Girl Scout camp called “Mischief Managed” which was a Harry Potter themed camp. You shared a cabin with 3 of your Girl Scout friends from your troop. You had a such a good time, but we sure did miss you while you were gone. You received a Bible from church this year and we had the privilege of going to Bible Camp together. We had a great time! You made some new friends and learned how to use your Bible to find books, chapters, and verses.

We are celebrating your birthday this year with a craft party at Michaels and then your first sleep over with 4 friends, plus you and your sister. You are so excited about your sleep over and have so many fun things planned, including a ‘build your own sundae” activity.
We couldn’t be more blessed to have you as a daughter, Morgan. You are a shining star in our universe and we’re so incredibly proud of you.

We love you, Pumpkin!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Maylin

Letter to Maylin - 5 Years

Dearest Maylin,

My sweetest of the peas! What a year it’s been for you! I still can’t believe that you’re 5 years old. My baby is gone and has been replaced with a sweet and loving little girl. You start Kindergarten in just a couple of weeks and I can’t help but get sentimental about how quickly time goes by. In the blink of an eye you went from a tiny 6-pound baby to a kid who likes to climb and jump on everything.

You continue to amaze me with your ability to empathize at this age. You are always aware of how people are feeling, and it makes you sad when someone else is sad – especially when your sister cries. You immediately want to make things better for her. We had to say goodbye to Aidan this year and you still talk about him and mention that he is up in heaven with the rest of our family. I love the sweet and kind heart that God has given to you. You are so loving. You want to cuddle, hug, and kiss me all the time and I treasure each of those moments. I hope that you will always want to 'give me love' even as you get older. In addition to that sweetness though, you are very stubborn. You don’t listen when you’re told no and you get mad when things don’t go your way. Just like your sister, you like things done a certain way and if that doesn’t happen you get upset. You still have a shy personality, but you are much more open to meeting and making new friends. You’ve made some good friends in daycare and I have no doubt that you will make some lifelong friends when you start school. You are so excited to start, and you can’t wait to be in the same school as Sissy.

You love to swim and are still taking swim lessons (and getting better every week). You were also in soccer and dance at daycare. You really enjoyed performing in your recitals this year and you did such a great job of showing us all the moves that you learned.

Did someone say candy? You love candy! More than ice cream, cake, cookies, pie, etc. You will pass up just about anything for a piece of candy. M&Ms and suckers are your favorite. I love that you will try just about anything once. You may not like it, but you’ll try it. You love mac-n-cheese, spaghetti, McDonalds, Cocoa Puffs cereal, and milk. You also love to be outside. You like playing on your bike and on your scooter. You also love to climb on things and really enjoy going to the park to play on the playground. It's difficult to get you to stay seated during meal time. You are so squirmy and want to get in and out of your chair during every meal. We are constantly telling you to 'sit correctly'. You'll do it, but then you're right back to squirming out of your chair - ha!

You really have grown so much this year and we couldn’t be prouder of you. We love you so much and are such a joy to this family.

We love you, sweet pea!

Mommy, Daddy, and Morgan


August 1st


Day of birthday party

Letter to Morgan - 8 Years

Dear Morgan,

Happy birthday to our big 8-year-old! You just keep growing and getting older every year. We tell you to stop, but you just don’t listen!

Over the past year you have done so well in school and even received an award for all 3’s the entire school year in the 1st grade (this is equivalent to all A’s). This year in 2nd grade, you are receiving real grades and currently have all A’s. You push yourself to do well and we’re so proud of you, Pumpkin. In addition to your school work, you are also very creative and quite the artist. You love to draw pictures of yourself and your sister doing things (singing, playing, dressing up, etc.)

You started taking voice lessons this year and you’ve really enjoyed it. Your singing has improved and you have your first recital in October. You are singing “Homeward Bound” and are nervous about singing in front of an audience, but you will be great! You have also expressed an interest in joining Cub Choir at school, which you will audition for in the coming weeks. In addition to voice lessons, you are still taking swim lessons and have progressed to level 6!

You joined a new girl scout troop this past year as a Daisy and have done so many fun and exciting things with this troop. You’ve made some new friends, sold a ton of cookies (with the badges to prove it), had a sleep over at Great Wolf Lodge, attended Pony Pal Camp where you learned how to ride a horse, and earned a ton of badges with each exciting event. At the end of the school year, you attended the bridging ceremony where you officially became a Brownie.

You are very inquisitive. You want to know about everything that is being said even if the conversation doesn’t involve you. You ask for an explanation on anything that you don’t understand and you will continue to push until you get an answer that satisfies you – ha! We love that about you and I hope you continue to be that way throughout your life. Seeking answers will only help you learn and understand the things that are happening in the world.

Along with being inquisitive, you also have a tendency to be bossy and demanding when things aren’t going your way or if someone isn’t doing what you’ve asked them to do. This particularly holds true when you are playing with your sister. Even when you’re bossy though, there is no doubt how much love you have for your sister. Many pieces of your artwork tend to be about your sister and you’ve made up math problems involving your sister. My heart melts when you tell each other “I love you”.

You have a very happy, fun, and outgoing personality. You make friends easily, as was evident at your birthday party this year of 15 kids. You love to dance, make people laugh, act silly, and play games on your tablet. You also love to have movie night in the media room, which is our typical Friday night routine. One of your favorite things to do is to watch Go Noodle videos on YouTube. Your favorite foods are strawberries, yogurt, BBQ meatloaf, chicken parmesan, pizza, and anything with chocolate.

The past 8 years have gone by way too fast, but you’ve made us so proud. We love you with all of our hearts and couldn’t imagine life without our girl. You’ve made our lives complete. Happy birthday, Pumpkin.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Maylin