My Zeke Russell is 14 years old!
Let's see what he's been up to the last year.
For his 13th birthday we got him 2 sets of this race track he really wanted. Him and Jack have spent hours designing the layout and then trying it out with all their Cars. They've had it set up all over the house. Definitely a good investment.
Right after Zeke's birthday we had Owen's graduation and to celebrate him we went out to eat at Red Robin as a family. Zeke's go to meal at Red Robin is always the pepperoni pizza covered in 4-5 packets of crumbled parmesan cheese. He usually only eats a little bit of it and then he brings the rest home and has two more meals out of it.
Zeke and Justine both love playing games with Daddy. They were all in this Call of Duty phase, but unfortunately they came out with a new version and changed a bunch of things and they also made it harder for PC gamers to play. Plus Comcast sucks so our connection was always lagging so they don't play it anymore. Thankful Ezee Fiber is installing lines in our neighborhood so once they are finished we are kicking Comcast to the curb.
On the day we went to Ga-Ga & Pa's house in Orting to pick up furniture we decided to stop at the MCD's near our house to get lunch and take it back to the house. Zeke was riding with Owen in the truck and he decided he wanted to come sit with me and Justine while we figured out our order on the app. He sat in the front because the back of the van was filled to the brim with furniture. Since I knew it might take me a minute I told Owen to drive home and Zeke could ride with us. While I was figuring out the order Justine and Zeke were watching reals.
Once the order was in we went through the drive thru to pick up the food and then drove home...don't worry though they were buckled in and I only had to drive across one actual street until I was in the neighborhood.
On Father's Day we took everyone out to Olive Garden. We were planning on going to Claim Jumper since we hadn't been there in a long time and it sounds fun, however, for Father's Day they were having a buffet and it was $50 per person. I was shocked...it was going to cost us $650 for lunch for 13 people! No...not happening! We were actually sitting down at Claim Jumper and once I came out of the bathroom and heard that I said nope and we walked out. Now Claim Jumper is closed and it's no surprise at all.
During the move in process the kids and I were at Ga-Ga & Pa's a few times helping out. It's so nice now that they are so close we can go over and visit or help anytime they need us.
Since Ga-Ga & Pa had just moved into King County we couldn't do fireworks at their place so Bill & Christina offered to host 4th of July at their house. Of course the game crazy guys had so much fun playing board games upstairs.
Owen was also looking at stuff on his phone and Zeke is usually right next to whoever is watching something on their phone.
There were a few times last summer where we had to go bring Ella something at Wild Waves after her training and her actual shift didn't start for a bit so we'd go to Costco and get lunch. Zeke said this was one of his favorite things about last summer. My favorite thing is not even in this picture anymore. See that Pepsi symbol on the soda fountain? Thank you Costco for switching over to Coke products!!!
On our Silverwood road trip!
Last summer Zeke was older enough to sit in the front seat so now Ella is in the back with the boys.
Zeke and I were not interested in going on the ride with the others so we hung out in the shade and snacked!
Staged photo!
]How he really feels! Hahaha!
He had a good time I think he was just tired at this point and probably cold.
Zeke and Conner hadn't really hung out before, but boy did they have a great time together. I can't wait for them to get to hang out again this year since we're headed back.
During VBS Zeke got to be the volunteer that went up on stage to help with a demonstration. Mr. Micah held a bag of water over his head and then shoved sharp pencils through the bag. The kids thought it would leak, but it didn't. The demonstration was about how people can try to poke holes in our faith, but if we have God in our heart our faith will hold strong!
During the middle of VBS week, Craig and I took the youth group to a Mariner's Game for some of the youth this was their first time at a game. Towards the end of the game Craig took a few of the youth over to certain area so they could possibly get a ball or a signature. Zeke ended up getting a ball and someone signed his jersey. He has no idea who it was though!
Once the kids tests are all validated for the year we can finally get rid of their PACE's. This was all of Zeke's work for his 7th grade year!
This was Zeke's first time going to Youth Group Summer Camp.
I was a little nervous about him going because he is one of the youngest kids and his still so small for his age. I shouldn't have worried at all and honestly once we got there and he was off with his friends I didn't worry at all. He even ended up making a bunch of new friends too. He had the time of this life!
Our next adventure was going camping at Zeke's favorite place...Oasis. Of course we had to stop in Cle Elum at MCD's to have lunch first. Zeke's go to meal there is chicken nuggets and he always thinks he wants fries, but then he never eats them. His favorite drink is orange Fanta!
Then that night we went to DK's Drive-In to get dessert!
Love this sweet boy of mine!
He hung out with me and Daddy on the golf course. It was fun getting one-on-one time with just him!
In the pool at the campground the kids always have so much fun. Justine put Zeke on his shoulders and while I did get this good picture of him smiling; I think for the most part he wanted Justine to put him down.
One thing the kids wanted to do while we were in Eastern WA was go find a skatepark. I found one in Moses Lake which is only 30 minutes away. We first had to stop at Walmart to see if we could find a skateboard for Zeke. We didn't find one he liked, but we did find helmets. We then went to Big 5 in Moses Lakes and we found the skateboard that Zeke wanted.
Back at the campground hanging out with whoever has a phone.
Every time we go to Oasis we always have animal encounters. Last year it was ducks. There was mama duck and her babies. There was also another youthful duck that we think was abandoned. It kept trying to join their clan, but then the mama would run it off.
Enjoying hammock time with Jack.
Those "crocs" that are on the ground are Zeke's go to shoes....all. year. long! He's been begging me for actual Crocs, but I told him my rule is your feet have to be done growing before I buy you real Crocs.
The Back To School Bash at Red Robin!
I know 2030 will be here in a heartbeat.
We've told the kids that our plan is to take them all to Hawaii after Zeke graduates. We've always said that Hawaii isn't for children so once Zeke is 18 we won't have any "children" anymore and they can come with us.
Headed into 8th grade....last year of middle school!
Contemplating...something random I'm sure!
Every 2 years Zeke has to go see the Pediatric Cardiologist to have his heart checked because of his Pectus Excavatum. The above picture is of the technician doing an ultrasound of his heart last September. He's been doing these tests since 2020 and this was the first time his heart has shown that it's being impacted. The lower right ventricle of his heart is being restricted which is making it so his heart isn't able to pump enough blood through like it should. They had us come back a couple weeks later and he underwent an exercise test where he was hooked up to an oxygen mask and had to pedal a bike so they could get all sorts of readings.
In October we met with the general surgeon to talk over the results. The doctor was amazing. He sat with us for almost an hour going over everything. The exercise test showed that his heart is unable to become enlarged when he's exerting himself so he gets winded and is unable to do the same level of physical activity that other kids his age are able to do. We tried to see if this devise called a bell would work for Zeke, but it didn't work with his level of pectus.
This is a picture I found online....it's not Zeke.
I'm actually glad this devise didn't work on Zeke because it would have been torture for him. He would have had to use is for 1 hour 3 times a day. When the doctor put it on his chest and pumped the air out trying to pull his ribs forward they didn't even move at all. They have grades for pectus and anything higher than a 3.2 is considered severe and Zeke is a 6.
We talked over all the options with the doctor and had a lot to think about. After a few weeks we pretty much decided to go with the Nuss procedure. Zeke's pectus is so severe we know it's going to impact his life. We have no idea what he's going to want to do in 10, 20 or 30 years down the road. What if he wants to take up some sport that requires a lot of endurance and he's unable to do that because his heart can't pump properly. Also the best time to take care of this is right now. He's right at the age where they like to perform the surgery. So...in October of 2026, Zeke will be having the Nuss procedure where they insert 2 rods behind his rib cage that will hold his ribs out. It's basically like 2 metal ribs. He'll have those in for 3 years and then he'll get them removed. The success rates for this type of procedure are so high.
Zeke was nervous at first and didn't really want to think about it. I know he feels the effects of his condition though and wants to be able to do everything the other guys do. We met with his actual surgeon -the one we met with last year was retiring - in March and he was also amazing and really made Zeke feel at ease about the whole thing. Our next step involve Zeke getting a CT scan and then we meet with the surgeon to go over those and then we schedule surgery. Most people opt to have surgery in the summer so they don't miss out on school, but since we homeschool that isn't a concern. I want him to have fun this summer and be outside while it's nice. Surgery is going to be in October sometime. The best thing they started doing for this surgery is they now freeze the nerves on the undersize of 5 ribs on each size. They have found that that significantly lowers the pain during recovery. The freezing can last anywhere from 3 - 12 months. He's still going to feel a bit rough that first week and then mostly sore the next 3 weeks, but overall it's going to be a lot less painful than it was years ago.
Zeke is still my buddy when it comes to the corn maze!
This handsome teenager!
One thing we've been trying to do this last year is help Zeke gain weight. He's so skinny which Owen was the same way so it's not a huge concern we'd just like him to put on a few more pounds prior to surgery. Since October 2025 to April 2026 he went from 69lbs to 77lbs. That is a huge jump for him in such a short time. The thing that we've changed is I don't care what he eats...for the most part. I mainly just encourage him to eat....anything! Food with him is a constant battle. Getting him to try new foods is always a struggle and pushing him gets me nowhere except frustrated. I will have him try a bite of food that I know he's eaten before like chicken, but trying totally new foods is totally up to him. Also if he doesn't like what we're having for dinner I don't force it I just let him go make himself something else that's good. I don't just let him eat junk food, but at the same time I don't really worry about it if he does. That being said he does actually have a really good appetite and the doctor seems to think that after the surgery his heart won't have to pump so hard so he won't be burning as many calories so he should be able to start gaining even more weight.
Jack and Zeke are still rooming together and probably will be until Jack either moves out or joins the army. They do really well together and have a lot of the same interests. They both like BeyBlades, Basketball, Comics, LEGO and Minecraft.
Zeke loves his Ga-Ga & Pa it's so nice having them close. I'm sure this summer he'll be at their condo frequently!
Zeke is so particular about what pencil he uses. He likes a certain brand and a certain color. He also almost always choose to write in cursive.
At youth group we had a Karaoke night and I was so surprised that Zeke actually wanted to go up and sing. He did have friends with him so he wasn't all by himself. He has a really nice voice and I would love it if he joined choir with Ella, but he keeps saying no.
This was at the NW Youth Conference in November. It was a high energy, loud, God-filled amazing experience. Zeke and Josiah are the best of friends. They just get each other! I love that each of my kids has a very best friend. It's not about the quantity it's about the quality.
Bros!
I would say that Zeke gets the most frustrated by Owen. Typical oldest and youngest not getting along. It's not all the time though. I think Zeke gets the most frustrated when Owen doesn't let him speak when he's trying to explain something.
This last December was Zeke's first time helping out at the Women's Christmas Dinner where he had to dress up.
He was going around filling up everyone's water and he was doing such a good job. He's such handsome guy!
Celebrating Ga-Ga's birthday at The Black Bear Diner. Zeke loves it when he can have breakfast for dinner.
Christmas Babies!
His haul at Christmas.
Zeke still loves his stuffies.
To raise money for winter camp the youth group had a coffee stand fundraiser. Zeke basically helped out everywhere.
One night at youth group, Christian had a game where you had to guess what was in the box. Zeke can get easily grossed out so when he volunteered to go I was a little worried, but then Christian pull out this.
I was so happy it wasn't something gross and slimy.
At winter camp Zeke was on red team which ended up winning the team competition. This was the dodgeball crew. They had so much fun!
Zeke asked earlier in the year if he could get his eyes tested. I called in January or February and the earliest they could get him in was April 3rd. He knew his prescription had changed which sure enough it did. Just like with Ella I grabbed a pair of glasses...the first ones...and he put them on and loved them.
Easter at Ga-Ga & Pa's. I think the only things Zeke ate were a roll, pretzels and chocolate.
Zeke has done really well this year at school. Last year we found out that the doctor that diagnosed him with ADHD and Autism and was continuing to help him with his care was leaving the clinic she was at. We continued to do the hair analysis for one year, but after that I wanted to switch over to blood analysis. Zeke was not happy about that. He hates having his blood drawn. I took him to see a Naturopath at my clinic that also has ADHD and she has been such a great help and resource. She really gets Zeke and totally understands where he's coming from. She's also really good at helping me understand how Zeke's brain works and why he does something or thinks something and the reasoning behind it. With the blood analysis we were able to cut out a few of his pill since he hates taking them. That being said I usually only have to fill Zeke's 7 day pill container about once every 3 weeks. That is even with me telling him to take his pills. It's not like he's on anything that is dire to his health. They are all supplements that do help him feel better so when he starts sniffling a bunch I just say....when was the last time you took your allergy meds?
Zeke is really the only kid that actually enjoys helping Daddy with construction stuff. This is our master bathroom....he helped Daddy do almost the whole floor. He even learned how to use the chop saw.
One of Zeke's biggest nemesis' is boredom he does not know what you do with himself if he isn't able to do something he wants to do. He loves to read, but mainly in the morning and then right before bed. If it's nice outside he wants to go across the street and play basketball. He enjoys watching certain shows....Young Sheldon was a favorite. For the most part though because his brain is really really good at pattern recognition watching movies can be hard because he usually figures out what's going to happen really quickly and therefore the movie isn't interesting anymore. He loves to play Minecraft right now with Jack and Justine. They could play together for hours and some nights they do. When I tell Zeke it's time to get off the computer that's when he doesn't know what to do with himself. This is a very common thing with ADHD....boredom is the worst!
On the flipside he does not do well with overstimulation either. Being away from home and in an unknown environment for too long is not a good combination. If that happens he usually needs to go upstairs so he can be alone in a safe place and read. That's usually how he resets from situations like that. Thankfully this last year I've learned how not to put him in those situations. On Mother's Day 2025 we went to a restaurant right after church and the wait was over an hour long. It was not good for Zeke at all! This year instead of going out to eat right after church we waited until 3pm to head out and the wait was about 2 minutes.
Happy Birthday my sweet Zeke Man...you are 14 years old!!
I know it's because you are the youngest and therefore still the smallest, but it's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that you are only one year away from being able to get your learners permit. What in the world is going on with time!
You are such a character Zeke! You are so happy and you bring so much joy to our family. You're my sweet bubby, my last baby. I'm so proud of you and all you've accomplished this last year. You are thriving at life and it's so great to get a front row seat to it. You are about to finish 8th grade and then it's onto high school. Seriously what is going on! I can't believe next year it will just be you and Ella in school. 4 more years and our homeschooling journey will come to a close. I am so glad we decided to homeschool you kids.
You are a homebody, but you do love going certain places. You love going to Ga-Ga & Pa's and church. You also like going to the movies which is exactly what you wanted for your birthday. So that's what we're doing we're going to see the new Mandalorian movie tonight as a family. Your birthday dinner will consist of popcorn, candy and soda! Perfect!
This is going to be a big year for you buddy...starting high school and having major surgery. It's going to be a lot, but I know you are going to meet those challenges head on and we'll be right here to support you through them. More importantly God will be with you through it all....through the good time, hard times, times when you are frustrated, times when you're in pain and all the in-between times too. Keep pressing into Him because He will never fail you.
Love you to pieces and pieces and hunkies and chunkies!
Mama
