Jen Tompkins

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Flashback

May 3, 2010
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by Jen Tompkins

Sydney at 4 months

Carson at 14 months

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Back-to-back birthday brothers! Asher turns TWELV

Back-to-back birthday brothers! Asher turns TWELVE today! The other day a family member asked me, “Does he realize how handsome he is?” I don’t know if he realizes it, but we do! Look at that smile! I also don’t think Asher realizes how many people in our lives loved him and prayed for him LONG before they ever met him! I still hear from our friends and family that they have the picture of him that we sent out when we were waiting for him to come home from Thailand. He has had an army of people supporting and cheering for him for 12 years. The last pic here is the first pic I ever saw of him, and it still brings tears to my eyes to remember that day. (It was June 16, 2011. My fellow adoptive mom Wendy calls that “Love Day.”)

At 12, Asher is goofy, active, sarcastic and kind. He’s so great with little kids--he turns on a side of himself that is gentle and calm. Asher also loves doing things with his hands, especially anything that involves a target! He can spend hours shooting airsoft guns and using his arrow and bows. Whenever we want an evening fire in the fire pit, he masterfully crafts the perfect flame for s’mores. Asher can memorize the lyrics to songs faster than anyone I’ve ever met, and he is recently very conscious of keeping his hair perfectly coiffed. 😉😏 He still plays 3 sports (soccer, basketball and LAX) and is a natural athlete, but not super competitive.

Asher has shown me, over and over, how very different each of my children is, and how my parenting style must adapt for each kid’s unique needs and personalities. Parenting this gorgeous Thai boy has brought my own innate selfishness and control issues to light, and having him in my life has allowed the Lord to refine me in countless ways. He is a JOY of a human being, and I’m so lucky I get to be his forever mom!

Today this man-child turns 17! I know for sure th

Today this man-child turns 17! I know for sure that he and I basically grew up together. I had no idea what I was doing when I became a parent—especially those long days of being a stay-at-home-mom with this stubborn, clever, talkative, STRONG-WILLED kid. He was my full-time companion, all-day conversations by the time he was 2, giving me his opinions on everything from the start. Remind me to tell you about the time he called 911 as a toddler, locked me out of the house (on purpose) when he was 4, and in an act of evil genius, he edited my “Wii” character to be an huge ogre-looking mommy with a receding hairline and a mustache when he was mad at me. He was barely 5.

Carson is still stubborn, clever and strong-willed. But he is also kind, fun, hard-working (most of the time) and witty. He values integrity in himself and others, and is on a path to making his faith his own, and not a carbon-copy of ours. Our house is better when he is home (which is less and less). He gives his mom hugs and gives his little sister a ride to school every day. His fashion sense is on point, supplied primarily by thrift stores all around town.

17 is an interesting age. As a mom, the countdown to adulthood is flashing—complete with lights and alarms and a huge lump in my throat. But I’m also so proud of who Carson is RIGHT NOW and excited about the man he is becoming, that I don’t want to only focus on my pre-grieving for when he’ll leave the nest. I want to focus on the joy that we get to finish raising this amazing kid and see what God is going to do in and through Him for many more years.

Happy birthday Carson! I love you more than you can possibly know. Also, please pick your towels up from the bathroom floor.

Ok, it’s the second week of school, and time for

Ok, it’s the second week of school, and time for a PEP TALK in the form of memes! Ya’ll, that first week back hit like a slap in the face. My wagon be draggin’.

In case your wagon is too, here’s some laughs for your pleasure. Do you also *love* icebreakers and replay conversations with rude strangers? Can you guess which of my children is too much like me? Do you also despise the writers of the Land Before Time? (And also An American Tale. “Fievelllll!” Nope. Shut. It. Down. Perhaps only Gen X and Millenials will understand this grief and loss from our childhood.)

Which is your favorite?

Also: shout out to the C-sections mamas! 💪🏼

Asher started the sixth grade! He has requested no

Asher started the sixth grade! He has requested no front door pic this year since we missed it on day one. 😕 But we got one at school. He goes to a small school that we joined during COVID and he loves it. He told me today that his whole class is his “friend group.” I don’t know if it will stay that way, but what a fantastic way to start middle school, right? Asher is playing soccer this fall and his first game is on Monday! Looking forward to a great year for this handsome kid! But don’t expect too many pictures, because he does not tolerate photographer mom longer than 10 seconds. 😜

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