Happy 9 years and 2 months sweet, Aspen!
You are an outdoor boy through and through. There is nothing you'd rather be doing than hunting, fishing and playing in the creek. You LOVE your blow dart gun that you bought with your own money from the Slockmaster! 😉 You get it taken away about as much as you get to keep it 🤪 You have a little bit of an attitude but I also called that a strong willed child. There are huge benefits to being confident and needing to "understand" something, analytical and all those things. BUT! You are in the learning process. 😅
You have my heart. You are sweet and determined. You are competitive and loving. You love the outdoors and are good at pretty much anything you try. You can be sassy but you are sweet too. You know what you like. You still love you some jerky and most all kinds of fruit. You love Huey McGoo's and picked that for your night out this month. You love you some of your Mama's bread too! She is quite the baker. She's trying hard to get you all of all the artificial anything. And sugar! Y'all are already making SO many changes. Just this month she learned to make sourdough bread. She's super talented. 🧡
You started the month shooting a chipmunk with your blow dart gun. Your Daddy is trying to teach you the difference in shooting something just to shoot it and sportsmanship. You said with the chipmunk..."Would you rather the chipmunk go into Dee Dee's basement or me kill it first! LOL We have had a couple get into the basement so I would rather you kill them. ha! You've also killed a mouse close to the house.
We hang outside in the afternoon. Pops has been home for 10 months now. He's looking for a job but we are enjoying it while we can!
You came up to our house so I could help you make a Mother's Day card for your sweet Mama!
We also got our shirts this day and you were a fan! I LOVE that we sit down and come up with the design and you love to be a part. This is a special Great Strides walk because we haven't been able to walk since 2019 because of COVID. I think this picture shows you haven't gained much weight, if any, this month. You go back to clinic in June. I am praying your BMI will be up.
I'm so grateful that we celebrate Mother's Day all weekend. It's so much fun! Me and Pops and your Mama and Bennett went to Cleveland to hike. It was warmer at home so you came in shorts and a t-shirt.
When we got to the mountains... the fog, drizzle and cold (50's) didn't go over well with you at first! LOL
We hiked on the AT for a bit!
Hiking with your blueberry granola! ha!
Cold and windy on the Richard B Russell Parkway! 🤣
We couldn't see the view so you rated the hike a thumbs down 👎 😅
We love looking for heart rocks!
We went to Whitley Gap Shelter!
We went to Smithgall State Park in Helen when we were done with our hike. They had a great visitors center!
This is outside of the visitor's center. If there is water... you are in it! ha!
You tell me all the time you get your crazy from me. I think that's true! 🤣
We had dinner at Mellow Mushroom in Gainesville!
Mother's Day morning I hear the doorbell at the front door and it's you in your robe! SO stinking cute!
I love watching you love on your Mama!
I LOVE, LOVE when you pick me flowers! This was a whole bouquet! 🧡
You think you are hilarious! 🤪
Mother's Day 2022! Your Daddy made us breakfast and we hung outside. Later in the day we went to Lake Varner to watch the sunset. 💛
You love to terrorize geese! 😆
This picture made me realize you DO need to put some weight on. Your Dee Dee prays every day for you!
Pops and I got new gravel for the side driveway. It's river rock. I LOVE how you love to help!
You have been eyeing this skink for a LONG time. It is HUGE! You finally got it.
You gave Penny a bath. You played with her some but not nearly as much as B did. Penny died this month. It didn't affect you very much but Bennett was so sad!
You went turkey hunting with Pops! You didn't get a turkey but you got a bird!
Even when you are turkey hunting, you want to play in the water!
OH DEAR ME! SO sweet! You asked your Mama when you could stop taking your enzymes and doing your vest. Your Mom explained that I was the leader of your TEAM ASPEN and that we had raised almost $180,000 for YOU and CF. All by yourself you made me this beautiful card that I will cherish forever. You gave me your money to donate also! 💜
You helped me cook dinner for Pop's! You love to help with whatever is going on!
Look at this frog you found! It's HUGE! But also look how big your hand looks! 🥺
We went to Lake Varner for a picnic!
Lake Varner has some of the prettiest sunsets! 🌅
You want to cook all the frogs! AHHHH! LOL
You spent the night before your walk with us! Bennett was sick with a cold and low grade fever and we wanted to keep you well!
We made signs for in the morning...
We also had Huey's earlier in the night...
We had to leave so early on Saturday morning!
This is my favorite pose from the walk. I have a picture of us walking to the Great Strides Walk for almost every year that you could walk!
I LOVE that they brought back these signs!
I sent this picture of the first walk we ever did to the Foundation and they put it up on the walk site. Your Mom wanted to recreate that pic. You were a sport! LOL
This is our 10th - TENTH - walk! What a blessing!
Our team was small but mighty! It's so hard with graduations and school events! SO thankful for all that came!
Mrs. Adrienne and Mr. Cliff have been huge supporters for you! We are so grateful for them. This is your friend Bella! You were so excited she came!
SO glad Jackson could join us too!
You drew the picture on the right side of the shirt! It was for the research team at Emory. They wanted to get a picture with you!
Hope and Will with your friends! Mr. Darryl is so funny!
You were excited that Steven came! He has grown SO much!
You gave Bella a huge hug when she first got to the walk!
Y'all wanted to recreate this picture from 2019! 💜
I love how excited you are that people are there! You were glad to see Co-Co!
I love this picture of you and Rosemary!
They asked Dee Dee to hold a number again this year. That was me holding #8. 🌟
I love watching you with friends!
We went to the Halycon after the walk!
You were exhausted that night!
I couldn't love you more! 🧡
We aren't opening our pool this year because of expenses but you all make up for it with water balloons!
You get to ride in the front seat when we ride in Daisy!
We went to Meridian to see the ducks!
You saw a tree frog in the flowers and got SO excited!
You said you were so excited you were shaking! SO cute!
Lightening bugs are out this year a little early!
Happy 57th birthday, Pops! You made him the sweetest card!
Pops got a blowdart gun for his birthday from Nelly!
Your Mom and Dad were off celebrating their 10th anniversary and we headed to Cherokee Bluffs in Flowery Branch! You were a fan!
You two had so much fun climbing!
You are hilarious! I turned around and you were on top of the rock! You are VERY sure footed.
After we hiked... you took off running in this pasture. I pray you'll always have this much energy!
We left and went to Bass Pro and then to Thai for dinner! They brought you this tiny cup and you thought that was hilarious!
Pops couldn't find the bruised bananas but you knew exactly where they were! ha!
We met Nelly and Co-Chris and Thomason and Truett at Alexander Park!
Always pushing the limit! 😅
Silly. You are silly. 🤪
We also played at the park at Cherokee Bluffs earlier in the day. You were having lunch!
After a long day of playing... we ended the night with a shower and a bowl of cereal. You two were very excited. We also watched a hunting show. We are getting up early to go fishing in Helen! 💛
SO thankful for health. So thankful for sweet memories. SO thankful for all the ways the Lord has blessed us. The world is crazy right now. The pandemic continues. Monkey Pox is floating in the news. A mass shooting happened in Texas where 19 kids were killed at a school. SO many sad things. I am SOOOO grateful we know who holds our future and we know that none of this takes the Lord by surprise.
I pray for you. I pray for your friends. I pray for your future spouse. I pray for your attitude. I pray for your schooling. I pray for your health and SO much more including your walk with the Lord. I pray you always know how much you are loved.
I adore you sweet Aspen! I love you to the moon and back and back again!
Dee Dee
