The older he gets the better friends we've become. At this moment what I love most is Kalen.
Can you tell what he's saying in the first picture? It went like this, "Mom why are taking a picture of meee?" I said, "Because I love love you." Kalen: "Fine....." Whenever he asks why I am doing something that concerns him I tell him it's because I love him. He never argues with that. :)
Can you tell what he's saying in the first picture? It went like this, "Mom why are taking a picture of meee?" I said, "Because I love love you." Kalen: "Fine....." Whenever he asks why I am doing something that concerns him I tell him it's because I love him. He never argues with that. :)
Then he proceeded to give me "cheesy" smiles, and asked again, "why are you still taking pictures?" I said, "I'm not stopping until you give me your best smile....."
And there it is.......
In a few ways Kalen is turning into a typical teenage boy, to be expected. But, in most ways I'm really impressed with Kalen. My friend did a post here and titled it "Remember." Inspired by her title I too want to remember some things about Kalen right now.
Kalen has been blessed with the gift of motivation.
He wakes up early every Sunday morning to be at church forty minutes early to prepare the Sacrament. He takes it very seriously, and I am thankful for his example to not only his church family but to our own family. We never asked him to or told him to do this, he just does it.
Kalen wakes up does his studies for the day and then goes off to swim practice for two hours from 4:15-6:15pm Monday through Friday. This is serious stuff now because Kalen just made the Junior Olympic Time for his Breaststroke. If he can keep up with the time they will send him to the Junior Olympics.
Kalen is almost always first to ask, "what can I help you with mom." And I've told him how much I appreciate it and pointed out how leading by example really does work, because his brothers and sisters ask to help too.
Kalen is so fun to be around. He earned a trip out to dinner with Mom and Dad for learning five church hymns on the piano. He chose the Cheesecake Factory and we had a blast. We talked and laughed the whole entire time. He's so funny and has a great sense of humor...with his parents at least.. :)
As of late, Kalen has decided that he wants to be a lawyer. I can't say I'm too surprised because he loves to argue and he's got a good defense....a defensive side that is. I'm not sure where he gets that from....yes it's from me, his mother. As a side note, I wanted to be a lawyer too. I was looking at Santa Clara's Law School when I met Kalen's dad.
Kalen will often have a salad with me at lunch. I always eat it for lunch and it's become one of his favorite's too.
Kalen's favorite school subjects are Science and Math. Currently he is studying Botany in Science and he's about to start Zoology.
Every morning he wakes up and walks straight out the back door into the garden area. He looks over "his" garden everyday and if there is something new to see, like a bloom, he calls for the whole family to see. He's exactly like my dad this way!!!!
Kalen loves babies. He and Georgia are the two that care for William the most.
Kalen wrote his first talk for Sacrament meeting and is giving it tomorrow, 11/11/12. He is speaking on his baptismal covenants. He wrote the talk entirely by himself. I told him to do most of his research on Lds.org. Other than that, he put it together. He started on Thursday afternoon and finished earlier this evening.
Kalen and I have our moments of contention, unfortunately. I wish we didn't but this is life I guess. On the upside, as he has gotten older we've grown closer. Kalen tries hard, if he's called on something he will try and do better, he wants to do what's right and for this...What I love most today are the many faces of Kalen.
Kalen has been blessed with the gift of motivation.
He wakes up early every Sunday morning to be at church forty minutes early to prepare the Sacrament. He takes it very seriously, and I am thankful for his example to not only his church family but to our own family. We never asked him to or told him to do this, he just does it.
Kalen wakes up does his studies for the day and then goes off to swim practice for two hours from 4:15-6:15pm Monday through Friday. This is serious stuff now because Kalen just made the Junior Olympic Time for his Breaststroke. If he can keep up with the time they will send him to the Junior Olympics.
Kalen is almost always first to ask, "what can I help you with mom." And I've told him how much I appreciate it and pointed out how leading by example really does work, because his brothers and sisters ask to help too.
Kalen is so fun to be around. He earned a trip out to dinner with Mom and Dad for learning five church hymns on the piano. He chose the Cheesecake Factory and we had a blast. We talked and laughed the whole entire time. He's so funny and has a great sense of humor...with his parents at least.. :)
As of late, Kalen has decided that he wants to be a lawyer. I can't say I'm too surprised because he loves to argue and he's got a good defense....a defensive side that is. I'm not sure where he gets that from....yes it's from me, his mother. As a side note, I wanted to be a lawyer too. I was looking at Santa Clara's Law School when I met Kalen's dad.
Kalen will often have a salad with me at lunch. I always eat it for lunch and it's become one of his favorite's too.
Kalen's favorite school subjects are Science and Math. Currently he is studying Botany in Science and he's about to start Zoology.
Every morning he wakes up and walks straight out the back door into the garden area. He looks over "his" garden everyday and if there is something new to see, like a bloom, he calls for the whole family to see. He's exactly like my dad this way!!!!
Kalen loves babies. He and Georgia are the two that care for William the most.
Kalen wrote his first talk for Sacrament meeting and is giving it tomorrow, 11/11/12. He is speaking on his baptismal covenants. He wrote the talk entirely by himself. I told him to do most of his research on Lds.org. Other than that, he put it together. He started on Thursday afternoon and finished earlier this evening.
Kalen and I have our moments of contention, unfortunately. I wish we didn't but this is life I guess. On the upside, as he has gotten older we've grown closer. Kalen tries hard, if he's called on something he will try and do better, he wants to do what's right and for this...What I love most today are the many faces of Kalen.
What a sweet post. He sounds like a very fine young man! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think all parents have those moments with their children. If we didn't I don't think we could call ourselves parents. He looks like you! Thanks for tagging me in your post. That is so sweet!
ReplyDeleteI bet it will keep getting better as he gets older, what a handsome young man!
ReplyDeleteOh congratulations to Kalen on that swimming time - that isn't the sort of thing that happens accidentally. More importantly, it was so sweet to read about the ways that Kalen is developing into a young man. These are all wonderful traits that will last much longer than any swimming time.
ReplyDeleteShauna your photography is amazing - handsome boy Kalen is :)
ReplyDeleteAxx
I am a little choked up reading this post. My oldest is 10 and I see a lot of Kalen in him. They can be so sweet and loving, not to mention helpful. It just makes me sad to think these times will pass and that they will move on.
ReplyDeleteContinue to love the many faces and may he continue to strive for his dreams (be they in swimming or at law school...hey maybe even both)!