Cooper’s 17th Birthday

 

Cooper’s has turned 17.  I can hardly believe it.  Where has time gone?  Cooper is growing into an amazing young man and is independent and talented.  Happy Birthday Cooper!  Here are some fun things about Cooper at 17 years old:

1. Cooper’s favorite thing of all time is basketball.  He eats, sleeps and breaths basketball.  He is up at 5am playing open gym at the YMCA or OPS.  He joins league after league with his teammates to play all year round.  The Oak Farm High School basketball team had a really successful season with Nate as the coach.  Cooper is point guard and brought a lot of success to the team.  His 3 point shots were something to be reckoned with.  It is so much fun to watch him play!
2. Cooper is an entrepreneur.  He has started multiple businesses this year experimenting in sales opportunities.  From steel toed shoes, jewelry, and night light drop shipping businesses, to labor intensive Christmas Light hangings for homes.  It’s been really fun to see him work through marketing initiatives and figure out platforms to advertise, sell & earn money.
3. Cooper drives Nate’s old 2008 Honda Ridgeline.  This is significant because it was such an iconic truck for Cooper when he was a tiny little boy.  He loved “Daddy’s Truck” and always wanted to ride in it.  And now he drives it!
4. Cooper has gained some landscaping skills.  He is proficient at pulling a trailer loaded with riding lawn mowers and yard equipment.  All summer he maintained all of the rental properties’ yards.  He would pull that trailer all over town and get the landscaping jobs done.  He also helped with some of the remodel projects this last summer.  He is a hard worker, reliable & has learned a lot of lifelong skills through this work.
5. Cooper is a natural leader.  People are drawn to him because of this quality.  He has the ability to lead with integrity and share a community vision.  He also is a natural public speaker.  Like Nate, he can create a speech in a moment and feel comfortable speaking to a group without hesitation or nervousness.  This quality has served him well in FFA competitions and in National History Day presentations.  Way to go Cooper!  
   

Kaylee’s 14th birthday

 

Kaylee turned 14!  And she’s just about as tall as me.  Almost.  Maybe an inch shorter, but I do think she will pass me up.  At 14, the kids get a phone, so she is overly excited for hers!  Happy Birthday to our favorite girl.  We love you!! Here are some great things about Kaylee at 14 years old. 

1. Kaylee is a runner.  Whether she likes it some days or not, her body is made to run.  She prefers long distance runs and enjoyed the cross country season last fall.  She is fast and furious.  She got to know her closely equal opponents from other schools that would always be finishing right around her time.  So she would get really good at knowing who to pace with and who to beat next time.  This winter Kaylee and I did some speed training at Turnstone with the Epic Run Club.  These training sessions were great; multiple sets of distances timed and recorded for conditioning and goal setting.  We would do sets of 1K, 800m, 600m, 400m, and 200m in different cycles, get timed, record our times and then try to maintain or beat our times.  Its been a great experience.  Track and field is coming up and this winter speed training has been getting her prepared for Track season.  She’s pumped and excited.  Go Kay!
2. Kaylee is a super fun and spirited Oak Farm Cheerleader.  She absolutely loves cheer.  Her coach Oakleigh is fantastic and Kaylee is an avid flyer for the team.  She has no fear flying in the air, a smile on her face, sharp moves, with voice and spirit.  I love to see her routines while she is in her element! 
3. Kaylee is an amazing friend.  She is a consistent, loyal and honest friend to many.  She prefers lots of friends, always including others and aware of others’ feelings and friendship needs.  After some rocky time in Upper Elementary, she has created a reputation that she is friend to all.  Anyone is welcome in her circle, not just one or two.  She represents kindness and joy and is a natural leader because she has no favorites or biases.  She is truly full of integrity and kindness and love for all of those around her. 
4. Kaylee’s cats are her absolute world.  Rona and Coco are both about 5 years old.  Rona comes indoors and outdoors, and Coco is strictly indoors.  Both prefer to snuggle up on Kaylee’s bed or explore her bedroom whether Kay is home or not.  They know their mama well and they know they are loved deeply by her.  Those cats are such lucky girls :-)
5. Kaylee is an artist.  She loves to paint on canvases.  She especially loves the pottery wheel.  At school she is learning some pottery techniques, but recently we found a pottery wheel studio that she was able to use.  She threw some clay and created some amazing masterpieces.  It something that really brings her joy!