16 Things We Love About YOU

I teared up with this birthday this year.  This awesome kid has gotten over the hump of crazy grouchy teenage boy hormones and has became one of those sweetest, most pleasant, responsible, dependable, and handsome teenagers I have ever met.  I know I'm his mom, and you all would say that I'm biased.  Maybe a little.  But if you've met him or know him, I think you'd absolutely agree too!

Obviously with this birthday, we also celebrated a big milestone - DRIVING!!  And he passed his driving test and got all his hours in, so he's an official driver.  And what a blessing that is!!!  It's so strange still, but the reality is setting in and man, it totally takes a different trust in God and letting go even more.



So I've already shared a few things above, but here's 16 more things we love about this guy - Fone....

#1 ~ that you play games with me (Rose)

#2 ~ that you are my best friend (Mario)

#3 ~ you are handsome 

#4 ~ you are nice to me and kiss me (Yoda)

#5 ~ you help me with my school if mom is busy (Rose, Pookey, Max)

#6 ~ your drive to always do your best 

#7 ~ you babysit me (Max)

#8 ~ you play video games with me like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale (Ariel)

#9 ~ you are so responsible and an amazing helper/volunteer who genuinely wants to help others 

#10 ~ I like playing games/video games with you (Mario)

#11 ~ you are smart and do amazing with your school

#12 ~ your snuggles and smooches (Lady)

#13 ~ you are funny (Melody)

#14 ~ you were the first to call me "Mom" and have made all these firsts so fun and enjoyable

#15 ~ you help me when I play video games (Pookey)

#16 ~ I am a mini YOU!  (Pookey)

++God love you and bless always, Fone!  We love you and are SO proud of you!!  May St Christopher always intercede for you in safe travels!++

Wordless Wednesday: Chew, Chew, CHEWS life!!

**Chews Life products can be found HERE**  

12 Tonight - 13 Tomorrow

Going to bed 12.
Goodbye childhood years.

Tomorrow we will welcome teenage girlhood into our home.

I look at this beautiful girl and am in awe of her joy, her attitude, her brains, her beauty, her maturity, her faith, her love and just wonder what God has planned for her. I know one thing for sure - she's going to be one amazing mom! Being the oldest girl in a large family is excellent training for future motherhood, by the way!

I hope and pray she can surpass all of my own goals and successes in life and also learn from my mistakes and failings and rise above them to shine to be a beautiful daughter of Christ!

I hope and pray that we can be the closest of friends as well, because we all know the bond between a mother and a daughter is so special.

Happy birthday, dear!  
I love you SO much and am so proud of you!!!!!!

++May God love you and bless you always!!++

Wordless Wednesday: Beauties

8 GREAT months with our Lady

Yep, look who's eight months old!  Can you believe it?!?!  We cannot!  She's squishy and adorable and loved by all of us so very much.  She's a good little sitter, still a little tippy.  She rolls everywhere and can get to whatever she wants.  No crawling yet.  But that's ok- our babies are always a little bit later for the crawling and walking thing.  I think it's because we hold them TOO much, if there ever is a TOO much baby holding sort of thing.  (I'd say not!)

A Berry Fine Day

Last week, my mother-in-law took our two oldest girls out blueberry picking.  After being gone for a few hours, they come home with bellies full of berries and a yummy lunch from Culvers with their Grandma and cousins and 6 pounds of berries to share.  It was a WIN for us all, I'd say.  Our girls love this annual tradition of berry picking!

++Thank you God for time spent with Grandmas and cousins and for all the yummy fresh  blueberries!!++

New DOs

Rose got her very first haircut just recently.  It was SO long and was getting a little too much for her styling tastes.  She wasn't liking me combing out the tangles every day.  So our rule is - if you are going to have long hair, then you have to take care of it (or at least mommy help you take care of it). I told her that shorter hair would be easier to take care of and wouldn't have as many rats.  So she jumped at the chance of getting it cut to make it more manageable.

And look who else got a haircut too...