What a wonder to watch your children grow before your very eyes. What a joy to see their affections take shape and to watch them grow in the Lord. So many times over the years I’ve wished I could bottle them up…bottle up that little baby laugh or bottle up the way they pronounce “raisins” or bottle up the pure glee that oozes out of them when they are filled with delightful surprise…I realized I think this little blog is my way of “bottling up” the sweet goodness of the growing up stages. And so here I will attempt to do just that…bottle up Elliott’s fifteenth year of life as he begins his sixteenth year.
His passion for animals and farming has only continued to grow at exponential rates. He had big plans for purchasing 80 chicks this spring to expand his chicken business, but due to several mitigating factors Brian was not ready to allow him to make that fairly large purchase. To Elliott’s delight, however, God intervened. A local store had discounted all of their chicks to $0.50 a piece in order to clearance them quickly. At that price, a MUCH smaller investment than the $600+ amount Elliott had been planning on, Brian was much more comfortable allowing him to get the 80 chicks he was desiring. My only stipulation? Absolutely NO indoor housing. In the words of the famous inn keeper from the Bible, “No vacancy! Proceed to the stable.”
A few months earlier, Elliott had purchased a luggage trailer on auction for very little money, in hopes of turning it into a chicken coop. I will use two words to describe the trailer: UGGGGG-LEEEEEEEEE.
With a little bit of demolition work, Brian and Elliott removed enough of it to make it a *tiny bit less* UGGGGG-LEEEEEEEEE. I was thankful the 80 chicks were not indoors, but I was also counting down the days until we could transform the UGGGGG-LEEEEEEEEE.
Here are some before shots of the coop:
Elliott’s birthday present from me was to help him paint and transform this coop. (Don’t tell him this, but his birthday present may have been more a gift for me than for him….) After the first day of painting (first coat), I will confess that I determined to never use oil-based paint again (guess how long that dream lasted?). I got a little bit in my hair and let me tell you…IT DOES NOT COME OUT.
But then day #2 we realized we needed a second coat. So I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and tried to be *much* more careful with my hair. I had a plan. I would paint the inside ceiling first so that the surface I was lying on did not have fresh paint. However, there happens to be this little known phenomenon called gravity, and as I painted the ceiling, small drips of paint would fall onto the floor I was lying on…and unbeknownst to me my HAIR would sop it up. I know this is not supposed to be about me, but you have to see what my hair looked like after day #2:
The tangles in my hair are suspended there by tiny bits of oil-based paint. One does not easily brush out oil-based paint–ever. And even though it’s been a solid FOUR WEEKS of me brushing, pouring oil in my hair, and scraping out the paint with my fingernails, someone pointed out to me the other day that I *still* have paint in my hair. At least it’s all finally off of my face and arms and legs.
Anyway! The sacrifice was worth it. I had a great time painting with my son. Behold, the new chicken coop:
From UGGGGG-LEEEEEEEEE to PRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT-TTEEEEEEEEEE! Right?!!!
And so, Elliott has grown. He crossed the six-foot mark and continues to excel in his entrepreneurial endeavors, from chickens to coops to lawn care to investing to fire mitigation. He is excelling in academics and in his love for his friends and for the little ones of our church. I almost never see him at church anymore without a child in his arms. He plays tag, chases them around the building, holds them, scoops them up when they’ve fallen, and lets them climb all over him like a jungle gym. What a joy to watch him grow.
We celebrated his birthday with…drum roll please…CAPTURE THE FLAG. I bet you couldn’t guess that one! We had beautiful weather and a great turnout. Although Elliott is highly competitive and counts on his friends and young adults to make this game a real challenge, I love that he is also equally as thrilled to have the little kids join them all out there for the game.
On his actual birthday, his Grampa and Nonna took us all out to eat. The four of us happened to be at Home Depot the *moment* he actually turned 15. And we all enjoyed a birthday breakfast and mud pie with his Grandpa and Grandma a few days after his actual birthday.
My son, I want to bottle you up right now so I can remember every aspect of the current YOU. I also look forward to every day of growth ahead of you. As is my constant prayer for you–May your love for the Lord ever grow each and every day for the rest of your life. We love you so much. Happy 15th birthday!
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