fackrellfamilyadventures: Riley is 12!

When I see someone that has a 12 year old, I think , "WoW-they have an old kid!" I mean 12! 12 is the start of your life forming and beginning into adulthood. That's why when Riley turned 12, I not only was a bit sad, but it was the realization that he is leaving our nest in 6 years! WHAT? It has been a reality check to think, "have I done a good enough job of teaching him all that he needs to know?"

We are sure trying to teach him everything, but the truth is, Riley is such a great kid! Now having him turn 12 has made me reflect on the type of person he is. Riley is so smart. He makes the honor roll each quarter with a 4.0 and school just comes easily to him. He gets that from his dad for SURE! Riley loves to read and he actually loves school. He likes to learn new things and he comes home most days telling me something new he learned at school.

Riley is so kind. He has a sensitive heart with others. If he sees someone in need of help, he helps. If he sees that someone needs a friend, he becomes their friend. I love this quality about him. Now we just need this quality to translate toward his siblings...for the most part he is great with them, but he does get a bit annoyed with them from time to time.

Riley is so outgoing! He has no problem talking to people he doesn't know, making friends, and just being himself. In middle school, it seems like a lot of kids are swayed by different things, but Riley has sure impressed me with how strong he has been to who he is. He is not ashamed to live his religion, he is bold in his actions and he knows who he wants to be.

Riley is sweet. When I come into a room with him laying on the bed next to Winnie singing her a song, it just melts my heart! He loves this little girl and to see a middle schooler ooing and awing over a baby is so sweet. He has started to play video games and legos with Bubby and that is also so cute to watch.

Riley is a hard worker. He has started to go to Crossfit at 5am with Regan for the past 2 months and he never complains about it! He wakes up at 4:45 to go and works hard from 5-6:30 where they do a hard workout and run a mile afterwards! Riley also practices his violin for an hour each day.

Riley is so friendly. He plays in the high school orchestra every morning at 7:15 and you would think that the high schoolers would be annoyed with a middle schooler in their class. The exact opposite has happened. They have really take Riley under their wing and have become his friends because he is just so friendly and fun with them. He even has a high school best friend!

Riley is a great musician! He is really progressing in his violin playing and even got an electric violin for his birthday because he had so much fun playing on one at the trans siberian orchestra concert this past December. He loves playing fast which we are trying to get him to go slower to fix things, but I have loved seeing him improve! He got the highest rating for his solo and quartet pieces in the solo and ensemble competition last month!

Can you tell I am one proud MOM! I love this kid so much and even though he is getting older and only has a few more years living in our nest, I have really enjoyed this kid. He is fun to talk to and is such a fun guy to have a part of the Fackrell FAM!

Riley saying his last talk in Primary! I am in the Primary presidency and I am already missing Riley being in Primary with me!

Off he goes to Young Mens and Boy scouts!

Our wonderful neighbor, Dick Nagel came over to give Riley his favorite fruit-pears and to sing him happy birthday!

Riley's cute friend Ryann painted this violin for him for his birthday!

Riley's xbox one cake

So in our family, we do birthday parties with friends every other year. This is the year of the friend birthday parties and lets just say Riley's started out with a BANG! All of these crazy boys came over for Riley's birthday party!!! We had an hour with all of them in our house for pizza and cake. In that hour, it was pretty crazy and it reminded me that boys are much more rowdy than girls!!!