I am Jaren and I am 12

Brent and I with our newly ordainded Deacon.

Jaren with all the men that stood in the circle to help ordain him.

It's so awesome to have so much family so close.

Cupcakes for Jaren's birthday party



Logan, Adam, Jaren and Trenton
My kids get birthday parties when they turn 8, 12, &16.
This year Jaren chose to go to the movies and out to lunch
with a few close friends. I think he had a good time.

It happened. My first baby turned 12 years old. I didn't think I'd be as emotional I was through this weekend. Having your first son depart childhood, enter youngmanhood and receive the priesthood is a pretty big deal. I couldn't be more proud of the young man he's turning out to be. It wasn't that long ago ,12 Thanksgivings, when I thought I was just experiencing some cramping. I was nine months pregnant. Little did I know those cramps turned out to be labor pains. To keep them going my Mom, sister Jessica and myself walked up Dead Man's hill. It's a hill in Pleasant Grove just up from my parent's house that goes straight up. I beat my Mom and my sister while 9 months pregnant and in labor!!! Soon I would get to see what that little body moving inside of me would look like. His face, his hands, his tiny tiny toes. When they layed that tiny, foriegn body on my belly my first thought was," He looks just like Brent!!" And he still does. I've had the privilage of watching that face grow into a handsome young man. I've watched his hands do many wonderful things up to this point. And it's been a blessing to watch as he's followed in his Father's footsteps and receive the preisthood. Earlier this school year Jaren was instructed to write a poem describing himself. He hates to write, so when he had me read this I had to hold back tears.

I am very very awesome at Math

I wonder if I will grow up to be a Marine Biologist

I hear the waves crashing on the side of a boat

I see my hand moving as I write this poem

I want to have all E's when I go out of sixth grade

I am a very intelligent person

I pretend that I'm flying high in the sky

I feel my hands grip on the bar in front of me as the rollercoaster starts

I touch the sharks fin as it swims by

I worry that I will lose all my friends

I cry as I limp home with a sprained ankle

I am as special as anybody else

I understand the meaning of life

I say that you are the best teacher in the World!

I dream that I may be famous some day

I try to be nice as I can

I hope when I grow up I will be your friend

I am the one and only Jaren Wood

Motherhood is an emotional rollercoaster. It's a marvelous thing to watch a son grow and mature and make right decisions. I hope I had some kind of hand in that. I can't wait to watch him grow even more. As he grows, I hope I can grow with him. Learn along side him how to be the mother that he needs. How to listen, support and love this young man that will soon be a teenager. Yikes!