Calista Year Seven Retrospective.

Calista is now seven, as I mentioned previously.

She is a joy and a blessing to our family.


One of the biggest ways she's a blessing to our family is in her role as a big sister.

Man, is she an excellent big sister (most of the time)!

Caleb absolutely loves her, and loves when she's home to get him out of his crib at naptime or to read to him.

Craig almost always wants to play with her, more than she wants to sometimes, but she's good with him, and they love each other.

I worried last year about us moving her to a new city, school, and friends. I really shouldn't have. Calista is doing very well in school, making friends and adjusting to the new school and city.  Homework is sometimes a struggle, mostly just to get her to sit down and focus on it. Once she does, Calista does well there, too. She was the "Terrific Kid" one month at school because she was kind to the poor in spirit, and got reader of the month, as well.

Speaking of reading, this girl reads fantastically. Her teacher was shocked at how well she could read, and people at church are often surprised, too.

I have to say, it is 100% her doing right now. Calista loves to read and loves when we come home from the library with a stack of new books.

Extra-curricularly, Calista has active and busy. Throughout the last year, she started gymnastics and  continued curling,

swimming,

and dance at various times.

We've seen her try hard and improve in each of these, gaining confidence and ability. She even completed her first badge in gymnastics, and is ready to start learning the skills for the second badge in September.

She has plenty of free time to play a be a kid, too, preferring to ride her bike,

play piano

and sing her own songs, play with her brothers,

and draw in her free time.

She also loves to play games with Daddy and watch videos, sometimes getting a little annoying when she doesn't get to.

Actually, Calista can be a little bit whiny about many things, including doing her hair and cleaning up. Pretty sure that's par for the course, though, and we're managing most days pretty well. Until the day comes that I lose my cool and slap her or something. Until her teeth fall out.

Kidding, kidding! But she has had her teeth begin to fall out.

So grown up, with the missing teeth!

As we watch Calista get older, it has also been a pleasure to see her grow and mature. For example, she contributes well to spiritual discussions at home and church, beginning to understand and ask really good questions. She has been very excited to turn 7, because she would start preparing for her baptism next year. And we are so excited to help her prepare, too.

All in all, it's been a pretty awesome year for this pretty awesome girl.



August 2017

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

January 2018

February 2018

March 2018

April 2018

May 2018

June 2018

July 2018

Seven ponytails for a seven-year-old

While in Oregon, Calista turned seven! Can you believe it?

And, lucky girl that she is, Calista got to blow out a candle twice. First, we got cupcakes for her and Ivy at the beach, even though it wasn't quite their birthdays. We wanted to let them have a mini celebration while they were together.

And the rest of us didn't mind an excuse for cupcakes.

Especially Caleb.

Then, on her actual birthday, we had fun again. First, she asked for her hair to be in seven ponytails (thanks for the idea, Grammie!),

and told us that she had seven ponytails, seven letters in her name, was born in the seventh month, and is now seven years old! How lucky is that?
We headed to OMSI and played for a few hours (but no scary volcano movies.)

All THREE of my children playing in the same area! This lasted approximately 3 seconds.

Doing SCIENCE!

 After a wonderful day, it was time for dinner and more cake!

 We invited my Grandma - "Grandma Great" over for dinner.

Calista was thrilled to see her, and also to eat sloppy joes, sweet potato fries, and chocolate milk, all at her request. Then it was time for more cake!

The wind was giving us some issues, blowing out Calista's candle prematurely and trying to steal her birthday wish, but we got it in the end.
And finally, it was time for presents.

Books, a recorder, stuffed iguana, and her very own ukulele!

Happy birthday my sweet seven year old!