Aspen's Journey with Cystic Fibrosis -Growing Like a TREE: 5 years and 7 months and MR. INDEPENDENT!

Happy 5 years and 7 months sweet Aspen!!!

I'm so grateful for the month we've had. Your cough is much better and so is your runny nose. You seem to be doing well and I give the Lord THANKS!

This has been a good month for you and you've made lots of new memories. I love watching you live with such JOY and excitement. You love school and are doing really well. You've gotten a "green" smiley face EVERY day but one... you got an orange smiley! LOL You are very independent and are fearless. You are social and you LOVE well. You're a Dee Dee's boy and my heart is FULL! I asked you this month if you were going to sit in my lap forever and you said... "no" but that you would for a while. ha! You are a realist and analytical. You are literal like your Dee Dee. You are sweet and funny. You have a stubborn side and some pride issues at times. You bring us all SO much JOY!

You love for me to pick you up from school and sometimes get upset when I don't. You love for me to pull over so I can look in your book-bag and see your folder and what you brought home. You love to play at my house and I love that you do!

I love you to the moon and back and to the sun and back and back again!

You love games of all kinds! :)

You love to pick up Thomason! You pretty much think you are grown at times. ha!

Dee Dee and Pops started the month going to Lake Oconee. You all are the best send-off crew there ever was! You all make Dee Dee's heart so thankful!

You LOVE to help your Dada with anything he's doing! You act so much older than your age in so many ways.

Dee Dee and Pops left Lake Oconee and went to have lunch with you at school before heading to the airport for New York! I love seeing you and meeting your friends.

This is Emma on the left and Autumn... two of your friends you talk about the most!

Dee Dee and Pops flew back from New York and met y'all at Frontera's for dinner! It was late but you were SUPER excited to see Dee Dee! :)

You crashed before dinner was over with but it was so good to be able to hold you!

Dada had to give you a lift to the truck! LOL

The very next day we went to Burt's Pumpkin patch in Dawsonville... We were super tired but I wouldn't miss this tradition for anything!

"A" for effort! It was bright outside! :)

I love when you ask to have your picture taken. Look how old and mature you look here! Oh me! Your Dee Dee wishes she could freeze time!

You are so strong and so independent. SUPER cute!

The warmest we have ever picked a pumpkin! 87 degrees on October 7th but we still had a blast!

We took a hayride...

We came home and Dada made us dinner and you showed us how you and Mommy had been working on your "sight words!"

Showing how strong you are after eating a huge dinner of Hawkin's hash...

You went for your CF clinic visit at the new building off I-85. Very nice!

You are so brave and so big! You had a chest x-ray but they postponed your CT scan until December because your cough was still present. You topped the 40 pound mark...every little bit is exciting!

You got your flu shot. SO BIG!

I love when our family gets together and has dinner on the porch...

I love that you love taking care of Bow Valley! You love giving her a salmon treat...

We decorated some cookies after school one day...

And played games...

You love for Pops to flip you!

I have so much fun watching you draw! You are really good at it...

You wanted to stay and eat dinner with Dee Dee and Pops, so you helped cook dinner.

We love going to Southern Belle Farms...

You are the sweetest and are going to make an amazing husband one day!

They had some really fun things to do... like this giant slide!

You love to use scissors! :)

We raced around the track and had so much fun...

I even decided to jump in a container of corn with you and B! LOL

I love to watch you help your Dada or Pops! Your Dada built us a fire-pit!

What a beautiful day to lay in the ENO too!

Dada did such a great job!

Snuggling with you is one of my favorite things to do...

Fall break in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Dee Dee bought a new bike... I named her Lila! I wanted a bike just so I could ride with YOU! You loved it so much! We had a lot of fun...

We saw some elk in downtown Cherokee!

Your first time to the park!

We had a picnic at Cades Cove...

It was an unusual day. Usually animals are seen in Cades Cove but we were ready and prepared! We were practicing our bear call. ha!

It was raining but we still went on a 3 mile hike at Abraham Falls!

You LOVE to go as fast as possible and to lead the group! I used to do the same thing! :)

You are a little bit competitive like your Dee Dee! ha! We finished first and you were like..."OH YEAH!" hahaha

We went to the NOC in Gatlinburg! Your Mom was pretty excited to go.

We found a MM in Gatlinburg! Yum!

You LOVE to have our picture taken in a photo booth! SO funny!

Dee Dee struggles a little bit with you sitting at a camp fire. We don't let you around the fire when it's getting started or let it blow in your face. I still worry about keeping your lungs healthy. It's so hard to balance what's OK and what's not but I'm trusting in the Lord as you grow and experience new things. Everyone wants you to be a little boy and live life to the fullest!

One of Dee Dee and your Mommy's favorite places in the east... Max Patch!

The sun was blinding but we gave it our best try!

Your Mommy is a HOOT!

You stayed back one day and went fishing with your Dada! You caught this trout and you were so proud. Your Dad cooked them for dinner...

Even when we're camping, you find Dee Dee some beautiful flowers for her camper!

Starting to learn how to "chill" around the fire! :)

We rode bikes to the playground!

You brought Mecko to the mountains!

Nelly and Co-Chri and Thomason met us at our house when we got home from camping! SO FUN!

The very next day, your Mommy and I got up early and volunteered at "Wish for Wendy" ... you were a team ambassador for a HUGE CF fundraiser! Dee Dee is so proud of you!

It was an 80% chance of rain and we only had a few raindrops. Thanking the Lord!

Dada pulled your tooth while we were at Wish for Wendy! He tied a string around it and pulled it and y'all lost it! LOL The tooth fairy still visited and brought you $5!

You have so much fun climbing Dee Dee and Pop's dogwood tree!

I'm so thankful we have had some pretty days to play outside...

Once again... Mr. Independent! You don't need help putting that HUGE box up! HA

You and B had so much fun sweeping!

It's a good day when we can play games in the driveway...

Your Mommy bought you this cool shark hat for crazy hat day!

Dee Dee loves picking you up from school. I usually pick you up once or twice a week!

We went to Walmart to get you a prize for losing your first tooth!

Crazy hair day! We bought you the hair dye at Walmart the day before. You were SO excited!

You've started taking Dee Dee's trash out and I think that is PRECIOUSNESS!

It's been a while since we've put a puzzle together but that was your choice today! FUN!

Happy 31st birthday, Nelly! We had pizza and cookie cake and carved pumpkins! You said you had SOOO much fun and that made us all smile!

You loved cleaning out your pumpkin...

Dee Dee loves her sweet boys!

You were SO SO proud of the bat you and Dada made!

Dee Dee made the sun and Mommy and B made the cat!

Loving on your Mama!

Nelly made an "I love you to the moon and back" pumpkin for Thomason and your Dada made his own pumpkin too!

Mommy said you sat like this for 20 minutes eating candy! :)

I love to watch y'all playing in our yard...

Even when you're playing in the yard, you stop and pick Dee Dee flowers! :)

SUPER excited that your bat costume came in the mail today! You helped Dee Dee pick it out "on-line!" SO cute!

Ta-da!!! You are a bat!

You wanted to ride bikes so your wings would flap in the wind because you "GO SUPER FAST!"

You are excited about trick or treating this year! We're going to Nelly's neighborhood this week! I love to watch your excitement.

I am praying this will be an amazing month for you. A year ago in November you were in the hospital with your CF exasperation. Already praying that the Lord will protect you and your lungs this fall and winter!

Dee Dee had her first fundraiser for YOU for 2019! We had a Thirty-One party and all of these sweet friends came to support YOU! We sold over $3,000 in sales and raised almost $800 for CF and your team! I am so grateful for caring friends that love YOU and our family. One day you will understand how much support you have and I know you will be so grateful too!