11 Today!

Can you believe Joel is 11 today? It seems like just yesterday he was 3 and we had just met! Joel is an amazing young man and I am blessed to be his step mom! This year we did a low-key birthday. Last weekend he had two buddies over to spend the night! They had a great time watching movies, eating pizza and turning our downstairs into a WWE Wrestling ring (opening his first gift, thanks again Josh and Laura)! Then this weekend Joel opened his gifts Friday night. This year we pulled our money together with Jon's parents and got Joel a wii!!! He's been asking for one since last year, but the money has never been there! We decided to bite the bullet and just go for it! After his football shaped ice cream cake we set up the wii and had family game night!! It was so much fun! Saturday morning Joel slept in then we headed to Bob Evans for brunch (his choice). He has a table full of gifts here waiting, unopened from family that didn't get to see him before he went back to his mom's. I plan to go over to his mom's tomorrow night and have him open them there, so he can see them before November. (we leave for FL on Thurs and won't be back until Oct 31).

Joel is super excited about his camp Kern trip next week! It's the big 5th grade field trip that he's been talking about since 2nd grade!! His class tie-died their camp shirts on Friday, his turned out great! He is almost finished with Fall Ball (baseball) and is glad, it's been a long season! He is doing GREAT in school right now!!!! He's working really hard at studying and being organized! It's paying off too! He got a 101% on his Science test last week! He is also giving up his afternoon recess each day to help the 1st graders during Art Class! He has such a big heart!!

**pictures soon to follow**