Norah recently.

It's been too long since an update! Norah has grown up so much in the last year it seems. It's an honor to be able to watch her grow up into who God has and is creating her to be. Being her parents is such a blessing.

Norah finished up first grade very well. What a transitional year for her as she adjusted to going to school each day. It was a big year and we are proud of how brave she was and persevered doing hard and new things.

Summer was a fun time! It was special to have full days together again. Norah did softball and did really well. She grew in skill and in motivation/determination. Kley coached and did a great job too! Norah also did a two day tumbling camp (with Lucy and Ellory) and a four day golf camp. Norah golfed with Kley numerous times and he said she was completing a few holes entirely on her own! Norah also did swimming lessons and completed level four. She is a very good swimmer and can swim in the deep independently (while being watched closely still), and does the slide and diving board solo. Norah really enjoys swimming!

Spring/summer had some bumpy moments too because Norah had tubes/adenoids surgery in June. She was pretty nervous about it in the weeks leading up to it, understandably, but she did it and was so brave surgery day. Glad it's over for her! The doctor said both of her ears were completely full of fluid and she was probably hearing like you were speaking to her with your hand over your mouth, poor girl! I think this has also helped her reading too, of course being able to hear more clearly. She has really taken off and we are amazed at how much she has improved in a year. She is enjoying reading and it's so encouraging to see her free read just because she wants to!

In March, we went to Disney with the De Jongs- what an amazing trip! We were supposed to go in 2020 shortly after everything shut down, but I'm thankful it worked out to go this year instead because the girls were at such good ages for it. We had a wonderful trip and are thankful for the special times we got to have. Watching the girls' eyes light up was incredible! In June, we got to go to Brainerd, MN with the Schuts and had a fun few days by a lake. Grateful for family time!

Norah lost two more teeth, so now she's up to 8 lost. She lost her top right lateral incisor on 5/15/22 and her top left lateral incisor on 5/24/22. She had her 8 year old wellness check- she's a healthy and growing girl! She is 52.75” (85%) and 64 lbs (75%). Norah is wearing L/10 clothes and size 2 shoes. She switched clothes sizes in the spring and has been going up a shoe size before school each summer. She is doing really well at sleeping through the night, and she's going to bed a lot better this year too, having less anxiety about going to school. She is still taking piano lessons this year. While practicing is not her favorite thing, she does pretty well most days and it's been a good lesson for her to practice responsibility and persevering through things you don't always want to do but need to. Hearing her start to practice Christmas songs again this year is my favorite. She is also enjoying second grade Sunday school. Norah is very responsible in doing her homework each day- she has a spelling sheet and reading comprehension sheet that comes home on Monday, and she does it right away to get it done. She has a leveled reading book to read each night too. She is excellent at studying her spelling words and does quite well on her tests.

A very fun addition is new cousin Margo! She was born on 10/18/22 (shares a birthday with Daddy!) at 6:38am, 19.5” and 6 lbs 15 oz. So excited for a new cousin! Norah is a loving cousin and enjoys being around and helping with younger kids. She's very gentle and sweet with them. We've helped in the nursery at church a few times lately too, and Norah does a great job. Last year at the beginning of first grade, Norah loved to write lists of all the words she could spell, and now she's writing her own chapter books! Each chapter is about a page long and it's fun to hear her latest stories. She loves to play with her American Girl dolls/barbies/playmobil princess castle, write/color, ride bike, play outside, listen to music, play house or school, and chew gum.

Norah recently turned 8! We had quite the month of October celebrating. The first weekend, we got to celebrate with the Schuts, and celebrated with De Jongs the second weekend. The third weekend, we did our family celebration with Culvers, ice skating, and a movie, and her actual birthday weekend she had a friend party at the pool with a few families. She chose a butterfly theme and it was cute. Halloween was right after that and Norah was Mirabel (from Encanto). The girls also did the NWC dance camp for a day where they got to cheer with the cheerleaders for the first quarter of the football game. Norah also got her ears pierced as a birthday present! She had been talking about it for a couple months and she was nervous but so happy to have them when it was done! What a fun month!

It makes me tear up how much Norah has grown in this last year. From reading, surgery, going to school so well, and handling big emotions, she has learned so much and we are so proud of her. What a beautiful girl, inside and out, and we thank God everyday for the gift of Norah.