Lovely Olivia

Olivia is told me the other day that she will be able to drive in a year. It's crazy that she's that close to growing up on us! She's now 14 (and a half) and has started her freshman year in high school. She's doing online school this year, and it's been great to spend more time with her. I find that I really like the person she is growing into. We can have fun and laugh together, and her taste in music is generally pretty good. She's really into Marvel (superhero) movies, and she has spent a lot of time with her dad and friends watching just about every one made in the last few years.

I often joke that Olivia is our hermit. She'd be perfectly content to stay all day in her room, listening to music, reading, and drawing. She does like to spend time with her friends, though, so we don't worry about it too much. If she spends TOO much time alone, she gets a little stir crazy and starts looking for a way to get out of the house or have a friend over. She has a sarcastic sense of humor that she keeps in check pretty well. As far as I know, she hasn't hurt people's feelings by accident.

Olivia is a big fan of camping and and hiking - if the scenery is worth it and it isn't too hot outside. . The kids and I have started camping more often, especially since she's old enough to be a big help. She loves to take pictures of sunrises, trees, and any scenery that catches her fancy. She is considering a photography degree after high school.

Olivia is already taller than much of her extended family on her father's side. At 5'6", we are pretty sure she isn't done growing yet. She is often mistaken for someone older - which she thoroughly enjoys. She is very creative and enjoys designing clothing and coming up with room decor ideas. She's also trying her hand a writing occasionally, though she has yet to let me read anything she has written. I think she just enjoys living in her own mind, which has it's own charm, I guess.

When I go through my pictures, I see plenty of Olivia ducking out of camera view, and a few with her mouth open as she tells me to stop taking her picture. I have only a few that are good pictures of her, but here are a couple of my favorites:

My Pirate

I uploaded the pictures from my camera today, and found this tidbit that I had forgotten about from early December. I had to watch the video to remember what it was all about... I love this little guy!!

Sweet Kelsey

I realized that I never finished with my kids' updates, so I guess it's time to get started again with the next in line!

Kelsey is 10 years old, and will be 11 in April. She is a quirky gal, and she likes it that way. She's a big fan of playing outside, riding her scooter, and showing people her scars from the bad scooter accident back in April - just 2 days before her birthday, no less! In some ways, she is fearless. She jumped off the 12-foot high dive when she was about 7 or 8 years old, and she hopped back on the scooter the day after her injuries. But in other ways, she's a little timid. She doesn't like to be alone in the dark, and is a little... jittery... around spiders and other creepy-crawlies.

She is probably one of my most tender-hearted children. She craves acceptance and kindness from others, and is more likely to let me know when her feelings have been hurt. She rejects her old nickname from when she was little (Kelsey-bug) and just wants people to call her "Kels" or "Kelsey".

With the exception of a disastrous month in 2nd grade, this is Kelsey's first year in public school since Kindergarten. She is in 5th grade, which means she has a lot of work to do and keep up with. It was a challenging transition for us, but she has conquered it well. She is full of excitement for life, for school, for learning, for animals, and for drawing. She's also pretty competitive and loves to play games, particularly when she wins.

Kelsey loves people, especially younger kids. She has a blast playing with and entertaining them. Well, unless she's related to them, that is. When it's her brothers, it's a toss-up whether she will be in the mood or want to have "some space". She is inquisitive, and if there is a pretty flower or critter to discover when she is exploring, she will find it. Like all of our children, Kelsey is a blessing to our family. We love her very much and enjoy watching her grow into her talents, her gifts, and her interests.

She also likes to make crazy faces in pictures. Here's some of my favorite pictures that show her personality: