Ripe Old Age of 6!

I can't believe we have a six year old! Five was a good year for our firstborn. It was a year of maturity and growth for Holden. Self control and gentleness are two things that God has really begun developing in Holden this past year. We can not practice or earn Fruits of the Spirit. Only God can graciously develop those things in our lives as we learn to follow and love Him. And Jeremy and I can see the work of the Lord in Holden's development. I feel like God has been whispering in my ear for over a year now about the wonderful things in store for Holden. I pray that I'm hearing right and not dreaming my own obvious desires. But sometimes I have a vision of the great man that he is growing to become. God calms my heart. This sinful heart that tends to worry about things like teenage rebellion, his battle to control and my own failures to show him a clear picture of the perfect love of Jesus. I can't show him perfection. So I pray I'm doing well at explaining and showing grace and forgiveness. And I cling tightly to this vision of handsome (so so handsome!) grown up Holden that loves Jesus and loves to serve Him.

Holden has a strong and passionate personality. His passion can be contagious. It shows up in the wide-eyed, entertaining and dramatic stories he retells. He's 100% into something or has no interest at all. He's just not really mediocre about much. Holden is an extrovert. I can be pretty shy. So I love to watch the way he never meets a stranger. It is incredibly easy for him to make friends, as we saw this daily on our family vacation last week. He really does seek out new friends everywhere he goes. He thoroughly enjoys being around others. This past year we have seen such a soft and gentle side to Holden. This side of him was revealed when Abe joined our family. He adores his baby brother. He loves to squish down his afro, tickle him, hold him, play with him and make him laugh. He is a great and sweet big brother to Abe. Holden's best playmate is naturally Pax. They can battle it out at times, like most siblings, but more often than not they are the best buddies. Holden idolizes his daddy. Jeremy has hung the moon and no one can convince him of a different story. He wants to be just like his daddy. They have similar personalities and quirks and their relationship is a sweet one that i get to witness on a daily basis.

I started our school year a little concerned that homeschooling would be a challenge for our relationship. There would just be more opportunity for conflict. But it has been a great year for us. It has made us feel like a team and our relationship has only gotten closer. Holden is a natural athlete. He has become a fantastic soccer player. He is a speedy little runner and has great control of the ball. So that makes for a great combo. He enjoys playing sports, especially those that involve lots of running. He is looking forward to playing basketball this summer. His height and long legs sure don't hinder his abilities. At age 6 he is 50 inches tall (97%)  and weighs 51 pounds (77%). We had to move him into size 8 jeans and pants this past winter a few months before he turned 6. He is long and lean!

Holden loves playing in the water, swimming, riding bikes, swinging, jumping on the trampoline, running and doing anything outside. He still loves to be read to. And now he is a great reader himself. He is reading everything these days. He loves to play video games, which are a huge treat at our house and are very limited. I'm half shocked that Holden is still hooked on playing with cars, trucks, construction vehicles and trains. He loves to roll matchbox cars and set up roads and obstacles for them to go over. It is never unusual for him to have a matchbox car in each hand. Two other newer interests this year have been monster trucks and Ninja Turtles. He loves Donatello best since he's missing teeth just like Holden. Speaking of teeth, he's lost 6 so far and another one is currently lose. It's just another sign to me that he is growing up incredibly fast and there is nothing I can do to stop it or even slow it down. So I'm chooeing to embrace these fun and new stages that we get to experience first with Holden. He is such a blessing to our family! Our first miracle.