Happy double digits sweet Aspen! You are TEN!
You and I celebrate our birthdays the same month and we party allllll month! 🎉 To say you were celebrated well is an understatement. I even let you celebrate all the week BEFORE my birthday. 🥳 😂
SOOOOO much fun was fit into one month - as I'm writing your blog I can't believe so much has happened in 30 days. We've gone from freezing and holding icicles to temps in the 80's. It's been a month full of new things and adventure.
We started off the month with our Great Strides fundraising for a CURE in full swing. You happened to be up at our house with your FIGHT shirt on and your medicine. I couldn't help but video you to share with friends and family.
In the past 10 years we have raised $180,000 ❗️ ❗️ ❗️ for the Foundation. What an amazing blessing. This year has been HARD! I think it's the state of the world. The economy. And, unfortunately that you are doing SO well - people don't really see as big of a need to GIVE.
We are praying we can reach our goal of $10,000 for 2023.
It's so impactful - to me - to see just how many pills you need to take a DAY!
I love when you come up during lunch. Having Pops home these past two years has been hard (because of the situation) but it's also been such a blessing! You two have spent a lot of time together looking for things to shoot with your blowdart gun! ❤️
You have a LOT of energy! 😃
We went to Jones Bridge Park to fly fish... it was a beautiful day!
You love to play with Truett. You are a "baby" person just like your Daddy!
This is one of my favorite pictures! You all did a scavenger hunt!
It's the small things - gumboil fights in the yard!
To celebrate DOUBLE DIGITS - Dee Dee and Pops took you to Florida. We were going to southern Florida - below Naples to hunt for sea shells. The red tide was in and we had to cancel the day before we were leaving. We were bummed but we came up with a great back-up plan! Telling your Mama BYE! ✌️
And....we're OFF! ♥️
We were headed to Daytona Beach until we saw SO many motorcycles on the highway. 😂 We changed to Amelia Island State Park and had so much fun!
You are starting to want your limits extended. haha! You wanted to go up on the bridge (it wasn't a road) by yourself. I let you go if you would stay within my sight! 💜
We still found some amazing shells! 🐚
You LOVED the place we ate dinner at. To say you were spoiled is an understatement. LOL You had sweet tea and part of a virgin Pina colada and soup and calamari. Pretty much anything you wanted! ❤️
We stayed at the Home 2 Suites. You insisted on pulling your suitcase up the stairs with me. ❤️
I love that you love sunsets and sunrises too!
You were SO tired!
We got up SO early for sunrise! #worthit
You had my I-pad to watch You Tube videos. We were looking for a bait shop and just like that... you found it. I didn't even know you knew how to use the GPS. You are so smart!
Yep! Pops got pulled over on the beach! hahahaha! 👮♀️
You gave up on fishing until you saw the fish Pops caught... then you were ON IT! hahaha!
SUPER independent !
We thought you would love Disney Springs. Ummmm... NO! LOL
You said..."This HAS to be what New York City is like. Can we please leave?"
TOOOOOO funny! You were NOT a fan!
You didn't want to eat at Disney Springs because of the crowds so we ate Panda in our room!
You were a little hyper... 😂
We got up early for Discovery Cove!
They gave us red tags for our birthday month. It took us a minute to understand why so many people were saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🎈 🎂 🎉
Swimming with the dolphins!
You were a HUGE fan of the "all you can eat" food situation!
You really were a HUGE fan of the birds!
Dee Dee does NOT like water. I wanted to snorkel with you SO badly for the experience! I wanted you to be proud of me... not so much! 😭 😂
It was AMAZING! I think it was my favorite part. We got SO close to so many things!
We went down the Lazy River and under a couple of waterfalls too!
I think you had one of everything! 🥘 😂
We went out to seafood that night and we were all worn out!
We went fishing in Crystal River! We were out on the boat for 7 hours!
Taking a break between "spots"!
You LOVED catching a couple of puffer fish! You actually got to blow in the ear of one to PUFF it up! 😆
33 inches - snook! Such a big deal!
You caught some great redfish too!
This many spots is unusual!
We went back to the same seafood restaurant because it was SO good. You ate like a king all week. You thought menu items were free. haha!
We wanted to go to Three Sisters to see the manatees but they had already left for the Gulf!
The oldest hippo in North or South America. He was 63 years old. Older than Dee Dee and Pops! 😂
We went to some Indian burial and ceremonial grounds...
You wanted a souvenir- you got some sunglasses!
We got home on Friday night and Saturday was the start of my birthday weekend. I didn't think that part through very well. ha! We went to paint pottery!
We also went to Strange Taco in Monroe! It's a great place for a group!
On my actual birthday you all went with us for 1 of the nights we stayed in a VRBO in Clayton. We stopped to hike in Sky Valley...
It was FREEZING on my birthday - literally!
We found a wonderful cabin in Clayton! Y'all stayed the first night with us!
I LOVE what your Mama brought me for my birthday!
You silly!
This was the hike that I really wanted y'all to do with me... Siler Bald near Franklin, NC
We had lunch on the bald...
You were AMAZED at the icicles 🥶
We went to downtown Franklin when we left hiking and you were OUT!
I love your sweet freckles!
You and B are so goofy and hyper so much of the time! ha
Y'all have so many baby rabbits now!
We FINALLY asked Scott if you could come fish on his lake for your birthday and you were SO excited!
You weren't a fan of the early morning fog!
Birthday party day! You wanted brownies!
Such a beautiful day for a party! We had so much fun. You were so excited and so glad that Bella could come!
We went to Frontera's for dinner!
I put your letter with my CF Fundraising letter. Oh me! You are so sweet.
Your Mama got y'all this new swing and you two have had so much fun! As always... you push the limits!
We went to Top Golf ON your birthday!
B didn't want to smile! 😆
We went to Bass Pro to spend the gift cards you got. We also went to Academy!
You got a new pole...
Your Dad surprised you at Bass Pro after work...
We went back to your house to open gifts. You put your pole together.
We gave you a metal detector and a hat from Wander. It was dark but y'all still got it to work!
SO SO grateful for your life. You are sweet and can be sassy. You are adventurous and love heights. You are my bobsie in so many ways. You are determined and strong willed. You are athletic and smart in many ways although stubborn too. You love all things outdoors and hunting and fishing and usually hiking and jumping and running and blow darts and traveling too. You love a good steak and all things fruit and jerky. You are a people person. You will talk to anyone and ask anyone questions. You are loving our new church. You think you can do ANYTHING Pops and your Dad can do - and you usually can!
Your stubbornness can get you in trouble when it comes to school. You aren't affected by things being taken away from you. You want to do what you want to do. Your Mama and Daddy are working on ways to get your attention. ❤️ We are praying for your attitude at times. You are SO fun and SO sweet and SO loved - we just want you to not be affected by your stubbornness. 💜 We are wondering if your medicines have anything to do with your ADHD tendencies.
You missed clinic when we went to Florida. That has only happened a couple of times. I'm not sure the new date. You have gained weight and we are SOOO thankful for that. You ate SO much in FLA and seem to be eating more than ever.
Prayer Requests -
* Weight gain - wisdom on if a feeding tube is needed or not
* Trikafta to continue to keep your lungs clear
* To not culture anything at clinic
* For your PFT's to remain steady
* Behavior - is it related to the medicines and/or what should be done
* Your acceptance of your disease as you begin to learn more about CF
* For your friends and family to be able to make the walk on May 20th
Aspen.... your Dee Dee loves you more than I can say. ❤️ You have always been SO special to me and we've shared a special bond these first 10 years that I pray will continue. You have so many of my tendencies and so many of your Dad's too. I love that. I am praying for your friend choices as you grow and for your walk with the Lord. I am praying you will be able to stand strong and have a mind of your own and not follow the crowd. I'm praying for your health and for a CURE for CF! I am praying you will see your determined spirit and always work hard to keep healthy. I am praying for your future wife too. I am praying now that the Lord will prepare the perfect mate for you one day. It seems so long away but when I think how quickly these past 10 years have gone by... it's mind blowing!
I am proud of you and the boy that you are. I love how you aren't fearful of things and are confident. I love that you like heights like I do. I am SO thankful you have accepted the Lord as your personal Savior and I am praying for the right time for you to get baptized.
March was an amazing month. I am so thankful to the Lord for our health, safety and sweet memories.
I am excited to see what memories we make in April.
Welcome SPRING! You and I LOVE these longer days! ❤️
Happy TEN! I love you to the moon and back and back again!
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