Joel is EIGHT!

Our Joel turned 8 last week! The older the kids get the faster the years seem to fly by. Joel is at a really sweet age and the rare moments when I get some one on one time with him are really special. He is smart, thoughtful, quirky, sensitive and funny. Joel struggles with keeping his big brain on task and out of the clouds, but he is getting better at harnessing his thinker, and body, every day. I can't wait to see all the things he does as he grows! We all love Joel and are so thankful he is in our family.

An Interview with Joel:
favorite food: sushi, chili or stir fry with rice
favorite dessert: cheesecake
best friend: Asher, Ben, Chase, Ty and Wyatt
favorite toy: Legos and 3DS/Wii
favorite book: Geronimo Stilton
favorite place: rock climbing gym
favorite tv show: Scooby Doo
Best thing to do with/about Levi: play video games
Best thing to do with/about Nate: play in the pool
Best thing to do with/about Rachel: be goofy/silly
Best thing to do with/about Mom: cook with her and eat her food
Best thing to do with/about Dad: go hunting or fishing
favorite color: light blue
favorite game/sport: soccer
favorite thing about school: studying science, recess
what do you want to be when you grow up?: paleontologist
favorite song: Heathens by Twenty One Pilots
perfect day?: Go rock climbing, have all my cousins and best friends come with me, eat pancakes and bacon, then sushi and then stir fry for dinner with cheesecake for dessert.

STATS:
height- 48 inches (11%)
weight- 53 pounds 10 ounces (33%)
shoe size - youth 1
clothing size - youth small


Favorite Things:
Video Games (Minecraft, Mario)
Climbing (trees, monkey bars, rock walls)
swimming
building things (kinex, legos, bunchems etc)
eating (especially sweets, spicy food, heavily seasoned food)
playing with the chickens
riding his bike or scooter
using his typewriter (the only thing he wanted for his birthday)

Least Favorite Things:
chores
eggs (unless made into quiche or casserole)
being told to stop something
being told he is wrong

We celebrated Joel's birthday by taking several of his friends to a rock climbing gym. He even let Levi come along. We had a pizza dinner and cheesecake and then spent about 2 hours climbing the rock walls. Joel is a natural and was zipping up all the different walls and having a blast. He has a very sweet group of friends from church and school, and they all got along very well and really enjoyed their time together. It was a very fun evening!