Eleven, Eleven, How Can It Be?

Oct 3, 2011

This morning (actually middle of the night) my Keziah turned eleven years old. If you haven’t read her birth story, here it is…I think it was a hilarious birth! Her birth was just like her…quick to the punch, took us all by surprise, and brings us all joy when we think of it…three hours of sheer intensity and then utmost relief to have her in my arms.

I have also been informed that many of my readers pronounce her name K-ugh-Z-long i-ugh…which is what it looks like…but for all of you that don’t know us personally, her name is said like the continent of Asia with a K in front…like K-long a-Z-yah. Make sense?

Anyway, little Miss Keziah is now eleven. Eleven feels weird to me. It feels SO MUCH older than ten. Eleven feels like the brink of womanhood, while ten very much feels like kidhood. I am not ready to have her be all grown up like this, but I am not in charge of growing up, so I am going to have to learn to adjust!

Miss Keziah has learned so much this past year. She has learned to share a room with a very messy, very loud, very everything three-year-old. She has learned to do a back handspring. She has learned how to be more nurturing. She has learned how to knit (which was a long, torturous process for all of us and we are oh, so grateful to the lovely Miss Sarah for loving her right into the world of knitting). She has learned to create stories and has started writing several books. She has taken on teaching a class for 3-to-6-year-olds and has learned all about creating lesson plans, preparing for class, communicating with parents, having patience with a room full of little ones, and how to love them.

Several times this year I have caught a glimpse of her beauty. Most of the time when I look at her I see her freckles, her muscles, and her signature ponytail, but a few times, I have seen her as the woman she will become. I have seen a softening of her determined brow and a light in her eyes that will one day gaze at her own children with adoration.

Keziah is full of life, vim, and vigor. She is a powerful entity and we are so blessed to have her in our family. She takes on the seemingly impossible and accomplishes much. She loves learning, playing, organizing, and planning.

The thing she wanted most for her birthday was to go to LDS General Conference with her Grandma and her friend Courtney. We were blessed to get tickets for Saturday morning and had such a wonderful time listening, learning, and singing. She dutifully took notes of every talk, song, and prayer…she is a little compulsive that way. Afterwards, we went to Old Spaghetti Factory and had the meal of the century, complete with birthday song, chocolate cake, and ice cream. Then, we went shopping at Savers (our favorite thrift store) and she and Courtney loaded up their carts with gobs of things to try on. Keziah made it out of there with a bag full of stuff for $15! Then Grandma took her shoe shopping where she bought her two pairs of adorable shoes…some black flats and some grey boots. Courtney loved the boots so much she had to get a pair as well. I’m thinking the two of them will wear them every time they are together until they grow out of them!

Now for a trip down memory lane…here are some pictures of her this past year…pretty cute, eh?

At iFamily sewing class

With her adorable purse she sewed

Building a raft with cousins

With Easton at Green River Lakes

With Annesley and Eve at Green River Lakes

Maiden voyage on Austin’s kayak

Three girlies in braids

Pure silliness

Carrying Easton in her mei tai (did you know she wants 47 children?)

With Cousin Tiegen on a hike

With Sadie

At MAT camp (grainy pictures…but had to include them!)

Another one of Easton in her mei tai – this time in our backyard

Her catapult she built for Math Alive!

Her iFamily Vocal Jazz class

Passover

Math Alive! class…learning about levers and balance

Math Alive! with the famous blocks

Climbing our trees in the dead of winter

Christmas morning with her skirt I Kat made her

Christmas afternoon with her cousins, aunts & uncles, and grandparents

Christmas party

Thanksgiving 2010 with Uncle Cameron

We love you Keziah! Hope your day and your eleventh year are full of growth, learning, love, and joy!