My kids

It's important for me to remember everything about my kids as they grow up as I possibly can. Kellie and I take thousands of pictures a year, yet I want to make sure I remember their personalities and special gifts at each stage of their life. This blog is devoted to just that.


This is Chandler, our oldest (8 years), who starts third grade next week. Chandler is an absolute princess in every sense of the word. She loves makeup and jewelry and anything girly but isn't afraid to get down and dirty either. She loves to sing and perform (and I believe she's gifted at it) and excels in her dance class. Chandler is very smart - she's gifted at both reading and math - and she is a natural leader. She is the one who likes to cuddle the most and she often serves as an extra "parent" to her little brother and sisters. She surrendered her life to Jesus last year and I have the privilege of baptizing her. Chandler is without a doubt a momma's girl, although I get my time in too.


This is Reynolds (6 1/2 years), who will be entering first grade next week. She is our outdoor girl who loves to dig in the dirt and would rather dissect a worm or roll in the grass with the neighborhood dog than anything else. Even though she is a little bit of a tom boy she still loves to dress up and look pretty. The best way to describe Reynolds is "free spirit" - she doesn't really care what other people think about her and she doesn't follow the crowd. Kellie and I are convinced that she will get married barefoot on a beach somewhere. Reynolds is also very smart, but not so much the book smart type as she is just really aware of the world and how things work. She just recently surrendered her life to Christ and she likes to talk to her little brother and sister about Jesus on regular occasions. Reynolds falls into the category of being a daddy's girl more often than not.


Next is my son Deacon (3 years). As the only boy in the family, Deacon does well to make up for the lack of testosterone in the house. He loves sports - all sports - and has several outfits that he puts on to match the sporting mood that he's in. Right now he's on a football kick (I couldn't be prouder) and I have trouble getting him to take off his Wake Forest football jersey and his "basketball shorts" so that we can wash them. Deacon is also really smart yet he shows no real interest in reciting numbers, colors, or shapes right now - he's too busy with other things. As rough and tumble as he can be, he's very gentle with his little sister Emme and watches after her like a big brother should. He absolutely loves music - especially drums - and I often catch him nodding to the beat while we driving somewhere in the car. Deacon lights up a room when he walks in it and he's so darn cute that he's often hard to discipline. And, he's daddy's little man; as the only boy, you know we have an extra close bond.


Finally we have Emmerson (Emme), our little princess (18 mos.). She is our "surprise" baby that has blessed us more than we could ever imagine. As the only child with blue eyes, daddy finally had one that looked a little like him. Emme is flat out wild with energy and an inquisitive nature, but she also likes to be near those she loves. She is always laughing and smiling but she can get bent out of sorts if mommy or daddy aren't nearby. Our biggest desire for Emme right now is that she would sleep better - and longer (she's an early riser) - but when she does wake up it's because she wants to enjoy life a little bit longer. She's a bit of a daredevil too and we have to constantly be on our toes to keep her off of tables and chairs and other perilous perches. Right now she's starting to mimic every word that comes out of our mouths so that keeps us on our toes as well. Emme splits her time between being a mommy and daddy's girl.