We Have a Teenager

So, this was just a few years ago...

And then this happened.

What.

(Receiving a "bill" for his data use over the last few months)

We have a thirteen year old.

(Now, tearing it up as one of his gifts...probably his favorite present of the night)

A teenager.

 

A young man.

(A little love from sweet cousin Sophie.  He still wishes he could have a sister.)

Wasn't I  just about to enter 8th grade?

Apparently, that was a long time ago and I am now parenting my own offspring through the awkward years.  Except, Talmage seems to be averting that condition of adolescence fairly successfully so far.  Lucky kid.

When I think about this boy, my heart melts.  I mean, can we please look at another miniature version of this child again?

Look at that face!  Nothing. Sweeter.

From the time that he was born, my mammoth child of almost ten pounds, he has been a joy and a delight.  My Talmage has always had an innate desire to please and a natural drive to excel.  When he was about eighteen months old, I discovered that he loved to try and make baskets in his Little Tykes Hoop.  So almost every day we would practice making baskets from a certain distance until he could make them consistently and then move the basket farther away.  Every time he would make a basket I would cheer and praise him.  He would smile and laugh and then do it again so that he could see my happy reaction.  This continued for months.  By the time he was two years old, he could make those baskets from 10+ feet away many times in a row and from different angles.  He hardly ever missed. It was pretty cool to watch:).  That same persistence and proclivity to perfect tasks has continued to be one of his most prominent characteristics.  This kid can pretty much do anything he sets his mind to, whether it's teaching himself how to create intricate origami art, duct tape wallets, and paracord bracelets, or perfecting his three point shot. 

I must say, what Seth and I are most proud of is Talmage's desire to please his Father in Heaven.  He is building a strong testimony and doing his best to live righteously and honor his priesthood.  He consistently works toward his goal of serving a full time mission by completing Duty to God requirements, reading the Book of Mormon every day, serving in his Deacon's Quorum, and putting a large majority of the money he earns into his mission savings account.  He is helpful at home and phenomenal with his two baby brothers.  He is aware of his weaknesses and makes efforts every day to improve (okay, most days).  Honestly, there is just not a whole lot to complain about this boy.


As far as teenagers go, we feel pretty grateful to have this one.