Jared MIchael - Yesterday and Today

Today is Jared's 21st birthday!!

Jared was our 4th grandchild and 3rd grandson.

He is an important part of this large family

And an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about him in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015; and those posts tell you about how Jared has grown and changed 'through the years'.  Also, the following photo stream will show you how he's changed physically 'through the years'.

But now I want to talk about Jared's todays and what's been going on in his life since his birthday last year.  First of all, last year at this time he had just started his second year of college.  And this year he's starting his third year and finding it VERY challenging.  He's taking a lot of classes that are required for his Economics major and over the summer he took a class required for his minor in Finance.  Even though he's taking fewer classes, the difficulty is way beyond anything he had expected.  He's says he's getting there but although his grades aren't as great as they usually are, they're okay.  His quote:  "Let's just say if I made it on the dean's list I'd be shocked"

.Another big change in his life occurred last year when his mom and stepdad moved to Pella, Iowa - away from the Waverly house that had been Jared's home base for just about as long as he could remember.  This meant that in the summer when he visited Pella, he wasn't able to hang out with his friends who were still back in Waverly.  Fortunately some are going to the University of Iowa - Lincoln (where Jared goes) and some are going to Creighton (I think in Omaha) so they're able to get together occasionally throughout the school year.  And he added that Pella with his family was a really relaxing experience and showed him the value of taking time to settle down, compose himself, and relax. 

One of the highlights of the past year was his holiday visit to Gulf Shores, Alabama with his large, extended family.

Also on his list of highlights for the year was the visit from his paternal grandparents just before school started when they helped him with his back to school shopping.  Here is the paternal side of Jared's family.

As to the future, Jared is looking forward to a trip to Sydney, Australia next summer for about a week as a part of the International Scholar Laureate Program.  Basically he'll be attending business conferences and workshops and doing presentations.  It requires a lot of advance preparation but he's definitely up for it.  This came about because he's part of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. 

He's planning another trip to Gulf Shores this winter and will be starting his final year of college next fall.  And right now he's thinking that he'll stay in Nebraska after he graduates because it's a place he loves and it's not all that far from his family in Pella.

So that pretty well wraps up the major changes in Jared's life but there's lots more I could tell you about him.  He's a loving brother and son,

a fun cousin,

and a very sweet, smart, helpful, loving person all around.  He takes his studies seriously and is already sensing the changes in himself and his thinking as he matures.  He doesn't have a girl in his life right now but when he does, she'll be a lucky one because he has a bright, shiny future and he's loyal, honest, and down-to-earth.  We love Jared and could not be more proud of him.  For these and a thousand other reasons, we're wishing him a happy (and safe) 21st birthday and a year better than any he's had so far but not as great as the many more to come!  Happy Birthday, Jared!

Clara Catherine - Yesterday and Today

Today is Clara's 5th birthday.

Clara was our 8th granddaughter and 20th grandchild.

She is an important part of this large family.

and an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Clara in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell a lot about Clara and how her personality has evolved 'through the years' and the following pictures will show how she's changed physically 'through the years'.

So now I want to talk about Clara's todays and what's been going on in Clara's world during the past year.  First of all, after going to preschool two days a week last year, she's graduated to going to preschool every day and she loves it.

And she spent the holiday week in Gulf Shores with her large, extended family.

Then in February she visited Florida and stayed with us for a few days where she enjoyed the pool

Blue Spring State Park to see the manatees,

Disney World,

and Universal Studios where she won these valuable prizes all by herself.

Then she spent a few days with her dad visiting all the Disney sites and attending and being a part of his surprise (for the kids) wedding.  And just this Fall she started ballet lessons.  Here she is at her very first one.

So it's been a busy and eventful year for Clara.  She's interested in sports and looks forward to playing soccer next year

  which is not surprising because she's always showed an affinity for this kind of activity

And she continues to be very active - especially enjoying playing outside with her brothers.

She also enjoys being creative and artistic.

 and spending time with her best pal brother, Eli

her biggest brother and frequent helper, Noah

and her adored sister, always helper, and mentor, Anna

And I couldn't end this post without mentioning how much she loves her daddy

and adores her mommy.

And of course I have to add a few more important facts about Clara.  She's a bright, loving, interesting and interested little girl.  She doesn't miss a thing and is always thinking.  She figures life out as she goes along and nothing is boring to her.  She's active, happy, engaging, and a lot of fun.  For these reasons and so many more, we're wishing her the best birthday possible and a year that's even better than her special day.

Happy Birthday, Clara!  We love you so much!