Dear Kellen,

Well, you finally made it all 6 blocks to our mailbox on your new-to-you-bike (thank you Iain and family for the blessing you have been to us) without shedding a single tear. You have struggled to learn the art of pedaling for months and have finally mastered it. Way to go!! Once you mastered pedaling, we began practicing the brake. Oh, what a struggle it was for you.

Yesterday when we came upon the hill slight incline downward you said, "I'm not gonna yike dis." But you conquered your fear and can now ride downhill without tears or terror. Good job buddy! Gross motor skills have never come easily for you, nor do you enjoy high speed, 'dangerous' activities. But I am so proud of the way that you persevered and never gave up.

I'm excited about being able to jog on our walks this summer just to keep up with you. We are going to have so much fun! (Well, some of us will. Your sister can hardly stand the fact that you are out there going fast and she is strapped into the stroller. She will be chasing you on the tricycle in no time, so watch out.)

I pray that this challenging experience has taught you much about perseverance and hard work. Never give up...you can do anything!

So proud of you, my little man!
Mama

PS. I'm not looking forward to taking the training wheels off anytime soon. Maybe we could send you to Grandpa's house in a few summers and he can teach you that new skill. ;)