Connor turned twelve-years-old about a week and a half ago. TWELVE!!! How did that happen?!? Next year, he'll officially be a teenager. I think I'm really in denial about that. To celebrate his big day, we held a family party the weekend before his birthday. We had dinner--gumbo, one of Connor's favorites. Appropriate, since he was our baby that was born in Louisiana. Then we did doughnuts and ice cream for dessert. This has become our new tradition for Connor and Mike's parties because they would much rather eat doughnuts than cake. And then, we opened presents. Connor is starting to get to that age where he doesn't know what he wants. He's too old for toys {{sad face}} and is starting to get more and more into teenage things (cell phones, etc.) So, he ended up getting a lot of money from everyone, so he could buy whatever he wanted...
Nana, Poppy, Grandma, Grandpa, Mike & I all went in together to buy Connor a really nice mountain bike. That was one thing he said he wanted. His old bike was getting too small for him, so he had started riding *my* old mountain bike, which is probably over 20-years-old. I'm not kidding. I think I got it in 1993 or 1994. So, I think Connor was pretty happy to see Mike carry a bike from this century into the house...
It was a fun party with everyone!
On Connor's actual birthday, he was celebrated by his class at school. I took treats to his class (more doughnuts) and they dressed him up and sang to him. This is the last year he'll get special treatment like this at school for his birthday. Once you go to Middle School/Jr. High, like he will next year, all this fun stuff ends. {{More sad faces}} He just needs to stop growing up...
A few days after his birthday, we took him and some of his friends to get ice cream and then to see "The Maze Runner." The Maze Runner series was the series of books that got Connor to finally like reading. He hated it up until about a year ago when Mike bought him the first book in the series. He's since read all the other books in the series, and has also read The Beyonders series and has started on the new Five Kingdoms series. It's amazing what one good book can do! Here are Connor and his buddies eating their ice cream. No pictures of them at the movie unfortunately...
The next Sunday, Connor received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained to the office of Deacon at church. How can I have a child that is a Deacon?!? It's so hard to believe that we're already at this point! He was so happy to finally be able to leave Primary (only a week before the yearly Primary Program too) and join the Young Men's Organization. Nana, Poppy and Grandpa all came to see him be ordained. I should have taken a picture, but I totally spaced it and didn't get one. Boo! After church, he collected Fast Offerings for the first time! This next Sunday, he'll pass the sacrament for the first time. Crazy, crazy, crazy! I can't believe he's old enough for all this stuff. Where has my baby gone?
I'm so proud of what a great young man Connor is becoming! He always tries to make good choices and is a good example to those around him. He was chosen as Student of the Month for October because of his willingness to stand up for others when they are being mistreated or bullied. That's just awesome! I'm so proud that I can't even stand it!! I'm so lucky to have such an amazing kid...who is now twelve-years-old!!! Seriously, how did this happen? --Lindsay
