Maeli's Fan Club

For Maeli’s birthday, we had stickers made for her friends to hand out at school… because obviously every 16-year-old needs her own fan club. 

Unfortunately, the school AC decided it was also time for an early dismissal (a true birthday gift from the universe), but not before she secured a few new “club” members.

 

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Sweet 16

Sixteen. 🥹

If you know Maeli, you know she’s one of the funnest people around. She loves to laugh, enjoys teasing people just a little too much, and is always up for a good time.

A few things that make her…well, her:

Dance is her happy place and she somehow makes learning new choreography look easy.

Noah Kahan is always on repeat, but every now and then an old song from our high school days sneaks onto her playlist - and I secretly love it.

She avoids physical contact at all costs - unless she’s the one making someone else uncomfortable, then she’s fully committed. 😂

She’s a certified drink connoisseur. Swig, Circle K, Starbucks, Alani…if it comes in a cup or can, she’s all in.

Boys, consider this your public service announcement: don’t text too much, don’t overdo the emojis, and absolutely do not use pet names. You’ve been warned.

More than anything, Maeli loves her friends. She’s been blessed with an incredible group of people who genuinely enjoy doing life together, and it’s been so special watching those friendships grow over the years.

This next year is shaping up to be a busy one. Between working at the Milkshake Factory, helping teach dance classes, and balancing school and church responsibilities, she continues to prove just how hardworking she is. She loves learning new things and never shies away from putting in the effort.

One thing that still amazes us is her writing. She can sit down and write a story or poem in just a few minutes that leaves all of us wondering how someone her age has that kind of talent.

She’s funny, outgoing, fiercely independent, makes friends wherever she goes, and somehow keeps surprising us with the incredible person she’s becoming.

Happy Sweet 16, Maeli Grace. We love you baby girl!

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Milo is 14

Milo is one of the most thoughtful and caring people I know. He’s always paying attention to how others are feeling, and he’s the kind of kid who naturally looks out for the people around him. He’s polite, respectful, determined, and genuinely one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.

Some things never change… his love for creatures is still going strong. These days he has a special love for guinea pigs, and we’re just hoping he doesn’t always remember turning 14 as the birthday when his parents crushed his dreams by not getting him one. 😬 Even without a guinea pig, he’s still the best creature finder and catcher we know. If it crawls, hops, slithers, or flies, Milo can probably catch it.

This summer he also discovered a love for Monster Energy drinks (which his parents only occasionally allow ) and Dr Pepper slushies. It became pretty common to hear, “Will you take me to Circle K?” almost every day.

Milo is getting so strong these days, although he doesn’t always realize just how strong he is. Wrestling with his brothers has become a little more dangerous lately… and it usually ends with someone in tears. 

We couldn’t be more grateful to be celebrating 14 years with this incredible guy. Happy birthday Milo. We love you more than you’ll ever know. ❤️

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Camp is 10

Camp is our goofy guy who lives for a good reaction and keeps us laughing nonstop. He’s very open about his love for the ladies and recently informed us he had to switch crushes because his longtime one was “too hard to get.” 😂

He’s all about Stranger Things (Dustin forever) & recently fell in love with baseball - he’d happily let us pitch to him all day long. 

He’s thoughtful in the sweetest ways - every prayer includes protection for “all the people and animals in the world.” And when you ask his favorite part of the day, his answer is always the same…”spending time with his family.”

Camp is the perfect cherry on top of our family - we always know it’s going to be a party when he’s around.

Ten looks really good on you, Camp. We love you big.

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Cooley Turns 12

Cooley has a deep love for all things Stranger Things, could eat In-N-Out every single day, and recently discovered Mark Rober - so naturally he’s decided he’s going to be an engineer when he grows up. He does great in school but will openly admit he’d prefer to skip straight to being Mark Rober instead. 😄

Cooley is sweet, patient, and incredibly compassionate - always the first to comfort a sibling when they’re upset. A few years ago we talked about mindset and choosing positivity, so now when you ask how his day was, his answer is always: “Outstanding!”

He saves his longest conversations for bedtime, when he loves to tell us how much he loves us and how we’re the best parents ever. 

We truly can’t imagine our family without our sweet Cooley. Happy birthday Gooey! 🤍🎂

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Maeli is 15

Our baby is 15!! Her current obsessions: friends, fun drinks (Alani, Starbucks, soda on tap), and dancing — in that order. If she’s not with friends, she’s probably blasting music and doing her nails for the third time this week.

Maeli is thoughtful, full of creativity, and has a gift for turning everyday moments into a party. She’s confident, well-spoken, and when she’s committed to something, she goes all in.

Happy birthday baby girl - we love you!

 

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Milo is 13

This guy is officially 13!

Milo has a gift for spotting and catching just about any creature that crosses his path. Whether it’s a lizard, frog, or snake, if it moves—he’ll catch it. 

He’s also a devoted Mariners fan and loves nothing more than watching a game with his dad and brothers or playing outfield in his own little league games. 

Milo brings a unique energy to our home—he's confident, polite, and endlessly thoughtful. He’s got true big brother energy—roughhousing with his brothers one minute, and being incredibly kind and caring the next.

We love this guy and all the joy he brings into our lives. Happy birthday Milo-man!

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Camp is 9

Our baby boy is 9! 🥲 If you know Camp, you know he’s the life of the party—always entertaining & doing whatever it takes to get a laugh. He loves every chance to get a reaction— especially from his siblings & has no problem making them mad in the process. 

We recently realized he hadn’t seen a lot of the old Disney movies so we started watching the old classics together as a family. Ever since he watched The Lion King, he’s been obsessed! He blasts the soundtrack any chance he gets and even recreates scenes with his Legos. 

Camp is always dancing, and after LOTS of convincing, he finally agreed to try a hip-hop dance class—now he loves it! 

As the baby of the family, he hates being alone & would sleep with a member of the family every night if we’d let him. In fact, he refuses to go upstairs or downstairs in our house unless someone is with him.

He lives for Skittles, could eat chips and salsa for every meal, and is a die-hard Pokémon fan. We couldn’t imagine our family without our crazy baby boy. Happy Birthday Camp! We love you!

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Cooley is 11!

Happy 11th birthday to our favorite little Irish man, Cooley! This guys got a heart of gold, a mind full of Pokémon facts, and a permanent “shirts optional” policy. If he’s not making little kids laugh, he’s probably on his 10th orange of the day 🍊—but whatever you do, don’t ask him to make a decision! 😂 

Hope your day is filled with Pokémon, fun, and absolutely NO tough choices. Love you Gooey!

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