9 years and 3 months and Mr. Sassy pants! 😅

Happy 9 years and 3 months sweet, Aspen! 💛

It's hard to believe how fast you are growing. I think this is the month you are "officially" one of the guys! LOL You don't like to play in water this year (water balloons or sprinkler), you like to watch Truett but don't really want to play with Thomason. You want to help with ALL things your Dad and Pops do. You think you can. You usually do. LOL   You are a guys guy. Lately I've had to ask you to speak to me when I come down. ha! I don't think you mean anything by it.. but you are much more into Pops and what he's doing. You are into fishing, your blowdart gun, your bow and arrow and your pellet gun if you can use it. We do love to ride the golf cart in the pasture. I'm hoping you aren't outgrowing doing things with your Dee Dee! 🧡

We started the month celebrating Pops birthday at Unicoi State Park. We had a picnic and fished! You were a fan! You LOVE to carry Truett! 

You have a little bit of an attitude these days. I am praying you will drop it pretty fast! You are 9... going on 18. You think you should be able to do anything you want to at times. This is your angry face! 🙏

You love to climb anything that's close by! 

I LOVE your goofy side. You tell me you get your craziness from me! I think that's hilarious! 

We were in Publix and you saw a passion fruit. You love to try new fruits so I bought you one to try. 

BAHAHAHA! You were NOT a fan! 

You love your waders! 

It's fun to watch you fish...

I think it's awesome that you enjoy the garden! 

I let you drive the golf cart with me in it. You do really well most of the time! 😅

You are a super fast runner! You love to race me in the golf cart...

You are STRONG! You can climb up most anything! 

Helping your Dad build the rabbit cages! 

You love your Daddy so much! 

You are good at most any game you touch! 

Pops shot the first squirrel this month. You were not a fan! ha! 

And are so flexible! 

You rode to Jasper, GA with your Dad to pick up four rabbits! You all are breeding rabbits to eat. 

Your arms got pretty scratched up coming home! 

You love to help and you love to pick up the heavy things! 

Picking your squash! 

You haven't outgrown riding your bike though! I'm glad about that! 

Always finding frogs or lizards or bugs of any kind! 😆

You two love to watch funny videos with Pops on his phone! 

Trying to find a solution for the fans for the rabbits! 

I'm not sure what we would do without the creek! It can entertain for hours!

We have lived in our house for over 20 years. This Friday night brought the worst storm we've had at our house! We lost 10 trees and TONS of limbs! 🥺 We are SUPER grateful that the tree that fell by the house didn't fall into the house! It could have been so much worse. We've used what happened to help you see PERSPECTIVE and to be thankful for things! 

We lost a HUGE oak in the back yard!

So thankful this tree didn't bust through the porch! 

The next day we headed up to Blue Ridge to fish for Father's Day! 

Me and your Mama put our ENO's up! 

You got a bit of an attitude because you couldn't fish "on top" of Bennett. Your Mama talked to you...

And your Daddy did too! And then Dee Dee tried talking to you too! 🧡

We ate dinner in Ellijay. 

Happy Father's Day 2022! 

Your Mama made yummy homemade biscuits and gravy. She's such a good cook! 

Thomason and Truett have been gone for almost 3 weeks on a cross country road trip! They were back to staying with y'all the week of Father's Day! 

Pops started the cleanup the following week. It's been SOOO hot (100)... but it was a tad bit cooler today. You all helped load some limbs! 

You love you some fruit! 

Dee Dee and Pops went up to Blowing Rock, NC for our anniversary! We love a good send-off! 

You killed a snake with your blowgun! 

You love playing with Truett! 

Truett isn't a fan of his playpen so you love to calm him down by playing inside! 

We played Poker! We are both pretty competitive! 

It's so fun to watch y'all play! 

We didn't open our pool this year! It's SO expensive. You all are making the best of it! 

Fishing with your family on Hard Labor Creek..

You find the BIGGEST frogs! 🐸 

You're a bit of a thrill seeker! 

The garden was hurt by the storm! These are your first potatoes! 

 We went camping at Black Rock State Park! It was so much cooler up there! 

We watched the sun set a few steps down from our campsite! 

Making s'mores! 

Playing Snapchat with your Mom's phone! 

You find frogs wherever you go! 😜

We came back from the mountains and went to Truett's 1st birthday party! Y'all had so much fun playing with Rosemary! 🥳

When you go camping and can't check the garden... you might find these! Look how HUGE they are! 😆

• It's been a good month for you! You've been healthy and have done some fun things! It's been HOT much of the month so we've been outside less than normal. It's rainy but cooler this week and we are thankful. 

You were supposed to go to clinic this month but your Mom needed to reschedule. Dr. S lost her husband this month... that was sad. We pray she's doing OK! 

COVID has been much less concentrated on but there are still many people that are getting infected. Dee Dee tested my antibodies this month and I still have some from our infection in December. I'm grateful. 

You have good days and bad days with school but I can tell you are learning so much! I can't believe you will start 4th grade soon. Your Mom is doing a great job homeschooling you two. 

You said this month that your favorite foods are steak and fruit. That sounds about right! ha! You are still a jerky guy but Dee Dee hasn't been able to buy as much. You have a great appetite. I sure am praying you will have put on some weight at your next appointment. 

Prayer requests -

* Weight gain! I pray you will have gained enough weight to be in the green zone! 

* You won't culture anything when you are swabbed

* Your lungs will remain healthy

* Your blood work will have good results 

* Your attitude and choices 

I sure do love you, Aspen! I pray for you, your future wife, your choices and health and attitude and so much more. Always trust in the Lord in all you do! Love you to the moon and back and back again! 💛