jack turned 12!!!

jack turned 12 on the 23rd of October!

he's pretty much the greatest kid ever!

after waking up to a bedroom filled with balloons, he had an early breakfast of eggs and cinnamon rolls before heading to school.

I picked all the kids up early from school because im awesome (and because the kids all had dental cleanings at their new dentist haha... cavity free all around!)

after the dentist Chris took jack out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then we busted open a piñata filled with jack's favorite candies, money, and a couple coupons for a book and a new Sunday tie.

one whack from jack and that sucker was down!

that night we got a sitter for jack and then met up with aunt DeLauna and grandma and grandpa for a root beer tasting!!!

some ward members own a soda bar in newark and they held a special root beer tasting with an actual root beer aficionado that taught us some of the history of the drink along with some other facts. we had some hors d'oeuvres then we tasted and rated 6 different root beers. what a fun, memorable night! 

 the kids were really into it!

my favorite moment was when Charlie got the attention of the expert after a sample and said, "this root beer has a lot of vanilla in its aftertaste"... what a pro he is hahaha!

we were all surprised on what we liked and what we didn't like.

 it was so fun!

jack was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood on October 28. 

what an incredible experience.

grandpa Dave, grandpa and grandma Brower, and Marc and DeLauna were able to share the day with us and be there for the ordination. 

it was such a special day.

man, this kid makes me so proud!

the following Sunday was his first time passing the sacrament and as I watched him my heart overflowed with so much joy. he takes this ordination and this priesthood power seriously and has had a lot of respect and reverence for it. he was pretty bummed to miss out on his lacrosse tournament leading up until the actual day. it was the day of passing the sacrament for the first time. somehow, the tournament didn't seem like such a big deal anymore and he didn't bring it up once.

jack is growing into one of the Lord's elect and I feel humbled to watch him and learn from him each day.

plus, how sharp is he in that suit?!

we went to mens warehouse in September and found the entire suit for about $30!