Aspen! You are 5 years and 1/4th! Time is moving so fast and this Dee Dee is so grateful I get to watch you grow. You are energetic, funny, observant, VERY independent, loving (you give the best bye hugs), competitive, smart, and a lover of all things outside and frogs! You love to swim... WOW have you improved SO much this month. You are even swimming to the deep end to get things at the bottom of the pool. You still love your milkshakes and chicken wings and have a good appetite. 

This month we started out taking dinner to Mrs. Michele and stopping for dinner at Shane's on the way home. It was storming SO bad on the way home. The power even went out inside Shane's. We were like... OH NO! :) 

All you really wanted were chicken wings... so Dee Dee was sure to get you some!

Dee Dee was in charge of karaoke at the church for our Women's Ministry team. We had to try it out at the house first. You thought Dee Dee and Mommy were a little crazy at first but then you joined right in! :) 

Eating one of the peaches off our peach tree before the deer eats them all...

Your Mommy LOVES her ENO! A relaxing Sunday outside...

How fun!!! You were up above with Dada while Mommy read!

Dada cleaned out the area in front of the house and it looks SOOOOO good! You were so excited to ride your bike down...

You love to show us your muscles and I love to watch you! :)

Summertime used to be my least favorite season but with you boys... it's quickly becoming my favorite. No school and catching lightening bugs! SO.MUCH.FUN! 

Until...

You rarely fall but you fell going down the driveway. We were SO grateful you didn't knock your teeth out. You did bloody up your nose really good though. UGH! 

Thomason came over later in the day and you are already excited for him to want to get in the creek with you! 

You love playing with Thomason! SO cute! 

You love helping and I love that you love to! You have started bringing the trash can up some and it's the sweetest thing! You are fiercely independent and REALLY want to try to do things on your own. I love that about you. It's going to be such an awesome asset to your personality when you get older! 

The interaction with you and Thomason is so precious! 

Me and you and Mommy and Bennett were on the way to Zoo Atlanta when Bennett said he had to throw up! You were SO sad that we couldn't go and it upset you so much that I decided to take you by myself! I'm so glad I did. We had so much fun! 

Dee Dee loves to spoil you! You want dippin dots... you get them! :) 

You loved seeing the blue frogs...

You liked the panda bears too...

But, I think you had the most fun playing with the goats! 

You loved brushing them the best...

We rode the train!

We saw a tattoo place on the way out and you really wanted a frog one! 

You are so big!

So proud and you were sure to tell me NOT to tell Mommy you had one so you could surprise her! :) 

 The zoo was super crowded so we had to park wayyyy off! LOL We found this cool wall along our walk to the car! 

I sure did have fun with you! I hope we have many more adventures ahead of us...

On the way home, we stopped at Mellow Mushroom... I thought for pizza! LOL You wanted to order wings, so we did. And pizza. When they came to the table, you refused to eat them because you wanted to wait to eat them with your Daddy! HOW sweet is that? 

You love to play in the water...

And to swim! I'm so thankful we have a pool now because you and Bennett LOVE it! 

Dada picking you up after cutting the grass! 

Since you love to help, you also love to help water Dee Dee's flowers...

2 years ago and this month... still walking up to Dee Dee and Pop's to swim... hand in hand! 

 You are so brave! 

Dee Dee and Pop's 34th wedding anniversary was on June 9th! 

You are so smart and so "sure-footed!" You got a balloon stuck up on the ceiling fan and used your grabber to pull the string down! I love that you figure things out for yourself! 

You love to make Dee Dee cards and I love for you to make them for me...

Dee Dee and Pops went to California this month and we Face-Timed a few times! 

You beg Mommy first thing in the morning to either play in the creek or go swimming! Or maybe climb on your jungle gym! Y'all both LOVE to be outside! 

I called y'all from CA one day and this is what I saw... hahaha! A mouth full of popcorn! 

You love all things crawly...

You got this fish in the pond and told your Mommy you "had been trying to catch this fish ALLL of your life!" hahaha You were SO proud! 

Dee Dee and Pops were in CA on Father's Day! We sure missed y'all. You all went to Bass Pro Shop. I love this picture! One day. Maybe? :) 

Y'all sent Pops some yummy scones and jam to our room for Father's Day! SO sweet!

We got home late at night but that next morning we couldn't wait to see you all! You wanted something FROG from CA, so Dee Dee and Pops brought you back a kite and an umbrella! LOL 

I missed playing Jinga with y'all! 

We went to Publix and you wanted this huge M&M cookie...

You can hop pretty far on one leg! You have some incredible balancing skills! :) 

I LOVE to watch you run! SO good for your lungs...

We had talked about catching lightening bugs when Dee Dee got home from CA for a couple of weeks! Y'all got to stay up late and it was so much fun...

We were so happy to see Thomason and Nelly and Co-Chri later in the day...

Pops started putting your jungle gym together! You want to be "one of the guys" so badly! I know it's coming but it's still hard to believe you are getting SO big! You love to help build or repair things.

We went to get the mail..

I'm so happy that your Dada and Pops are patient to teach you...

It's ready and y'all had so much fun...

I'm amazed at your swimming progress...

Dada threw Mommy in the pool in her clothes! LOL

You don't stop very often but when you do it's so sweet... you were just chilling and thinking in the pool

You're on this kick to cut down weeds and I'm sure not complaining! haha

Dee Dee and Pops brought you back this shirt with Daisy on it and a shark! You love it so much! You didn't change out of it for almost a week! LOL 

We had game night at the church...

Having pizza with your friends...

You're pretty daring! Mommy said if you were in Yosemite with Dee Dee, you would be on the edge of the cliff with me. ha! (See picture below this one)

I hope you go to Taft Point at Yosemite one day and think of how much your Dee Dee loved mountains and heights! 

We went to Frontera's after church one Sunday...

And afterwards, we went to get you some sparklers! You have wanted some for a long time. ha

I love passing on traditions! I used to wave goodbye to my Papa and Ree Ree like this and now you are waving by to Dee Dee and Pops...

You are SO sweet! You make Dee Dee's heart so full of JOY! 

Wherever I go... I look for all things FROG! ha! I saw this glove and ball at TJ Maxx!

Your patience level with B's throwing isn't very big! ha! You have a really good arm. Mommy is going to sign you up for t-ball soon and I think you will thrive! 

If you're outside... you're looking for frogs or anything that moves! 

It started storming really bad, so we came inside and made cookies!

You love decorating...

Today was such a stormy day but we still made it out for lunch at Panda Express! 

You love your new frog umbrella! I'm kind of glad it rained so you could use it! :)

Dada was laying down but you love to drive home! haha

I love to watch you work with your Dada and learn...

We ended the day watching Star and Mommy made us spaghetti for dinner...

We had the cutest conversation tonight in the car...  I love your heart! :)

Aspen: When I get older I’m going to marry you, Dee Dee!

Me: Trying to explain... I ended with “Dee Dee is already praying now for the perfect girl for you one day when the time comes.”

Aspen: but Dee Dee... you are the perfect woman! 😂😍

Sweet boy doesn’t understand just yet... but he was so sweet and sincere I could hardly stand it. ❤️ #sweetestheart #Ilovethatboy

You are getting so big! You are acting so grown too. I'm not sure what I think about that. LOL You're quick to remind me though, that you HAVE to grow up! You want to grow up so you can cook us dinner. hahaha! You keep us all laughing. Here are a few of the things you said this month:

* On the way to Daniel's house with Dada, Bennett said something about houses "closing!" You said... "BENNETT!!!  Houses don't close. Only stores do!" 

Bennett wanted a Mountain Dew and you told him that he was too young for MD because it had too much caffeine! That's not really "funny" you are starting to know what you are saying and it's super accurate! ha

Co-Chri was cutting our back yard and had turned the lawnmower off for a minute. You asked him if he was cutting the grass and when he said, "YES!" you said... "Well, it's NOT on!" haha

On the way to the zoo we saw a playground. You said..."See that playground? I used to play on those but I'm too big for that now!" LOL #ohdear 

Dada pulled a "monster" prank on you this month. He made a monster noise over the speakers when you opened the refrigerator.  I asked if it scared you and you said..."Yep! I hit him out!" hahaha

Bennett asked Mommy where the storms come from and you answered..."Bennett! How many times do I have to tell you that God made the white clouds and that he also made the storm clouds!" 

You are SO much like your Dee Dee and your Dee Dee LOVES it! Mommy had the sound on a movie y'all were watching up louder than normal and you said..."That's NOT how loud we watch movies (as you covered your ears). Too funny! Dee Dee understands! :) 

It's hard to believe... You only have one more month and you will officially be in school! Gasp! Dee Dee is already praying for the friends you will make and the teachers you will have. I can hardly stand it! LOL 

I'm excited for the rest of the summer and what it will bring. I'm praying that it will be a healthy month full of wonderful memories! 

You go to the CF clinic for your next visit on July 23rd - Dee Dee will be in New Hampshire. It's your last appointment at the current location. The new CHOA hospital will open in September. 

If you are following Aspen's journey... we are so grateful for your prayers! 

PRAYER REQUESTS for sweet Aspen - 

* For weight gain! It was important that Aspen gain for this clinic visit

* Praying that he will not culture anything

* Praying that his teacher will be aware of CF and that he will have a good first year of school

* Praying that he will make friends that come from good families and build good friendships

* Praying for Aspen's lungs to remain healthy

* Praying for drugs in trial (especially one that should be available in 2020) to prove to be beneficial

* Praying for a CURE! 

* Pray for Aspen as he begins to understand more and more about CF and what it is...

Aspen... Your Dee Dee couldn't love you more! I love you to the moon and back and to the sun and back and back again! I love the way you run as fast as you can to hug me! I love how you  enjoy playing at Dee Dee's! I love that you love games! I love that you are so much like me! I love your determined spirit and your independent ways. I love that you are a fighter and you are tough but have a sensitive side to you. I love that you make me cards! I love that you are so inquisitive and like to understand things. I love that you love Daisy and riding with me. 

Happy 5 years and 3 months, sweet Aspen!!! I pray July will be another fun-filled month with many special memories to last a lifetime!