11 years old!!! You are ELEVEN! You have grown so much.

Happy 11th birthday sweet, Aspen! 

It's your birthday! Let's celebrate! 🎉  What a full month full of sweet memories. 

You have grown so much over the past few months. You are no longer a "kid" it seems. You are loving and sweet. You are adventurous and very resourceful. You are determined and smart. You are funny and sarcastic. You have a side of you that loves to annoy people... but I think of it as "pick on people" - especially your Daddy. You are inquisitive. You are persistent and a people person. You aren't shy AT all. You are a helper and can do most anything you set your mind to. You are an expert shooter of all things - your gun and your blow darts. You trap all the things around here. You are fun and my mini-me and I couldn't love you more! 💛 

We started the month with you catching a flying squirrel - Booster and me buying you a "thing" to carry him in. This is the second flying squirrel you have gotten out of your cabin! 

You and Your Daddy worked hard to build this cage as part of your birthday! 

Booster ended up dying not long after he got in his cage. Your Mama found out they need a partner. You were heartbroken! 💔 

You are an expert at driving the golf cart! 

You have gotten really good at basketball! You won around the world without having to stop! 

It makes my day when I see you running to see me! You come up for lunch a lot of days! 

Your Mama said you looked like Dory and I couldn't help but try to see the resemblance. 😂 

One day you came up to do math with me. I love my time with you! 

You are silly and I love it! 

You love to try new fruits so I got you this dragon star fruit. You were NOT a fan! 

In fact... you didn't even eat it! 😆 

Dee Dee and Pops went to Canada for my 60th birthday this month. Your Mama was out of town and you came up early in the morning all alone to tell us bye. It touched my heart in such a sweet way. I'll never forget that. I text you when we left and this is what you wrote back. I'll always remember how sweet you were. I sure do love YOU! ❤️ 

We like to FaceTime you when we are gone! 

Fundraising for Great Strides is in full swing! I love this picture of us! So far we have raised 75% of our goal! 💜 

Pops and I went snow shoeing when we were in Canada. This made me think of when we were in Florida and I wanted you to be proud of me for snorkeling. hahahaha! This pushed my limits but I'm glad I did it and wished you were with us! 

We came home to you in the driveway with flowers and a balloon. Forever a favorite memory! 💛 

We left hours later for the mountains! We went to Otto, NC to celebrate my birthday! 🥳 

You know how to make your Dee Dee feel loved! You still pick me flowers! 🌸 

I love a good porch and a sunset! We had dinner on the deck as the sun set! LOVE! 

We've started playing Rummikub and we love it! You are really good at it! 

The house had games in it and y'all had so much fun! 

You slept in the basement with me and Pops the first night! 

I love you SO much! 

We went to Franklin, NC for breakfast... 

On the way home you and Pops got out to look for arrow heads! ❤️ 

This was the driveway! So beautiful! 

 

Some friends came up to celebrate my birthday! You love Mr. Scott! 

You gave me a hilarious card but you know me so well... you wrote a sweet note on the envelope! 💛 

We had fun playing cards! You helped Scott with the score! 

You love Mrs. Judi and Mr. Steve! 

I can't believe I am 60! We sure do love you! 🥰 

I sure do love you four! ❤️ ♥️ 💜 ❤️ 

Y'all spent a second night and we went to Highlands, NC for breakfast! 

We love a good waterfall! Y'all looked for arrow heads too! 

We celebrated your birthday week well. We made your terrarium- a gift from two Christas's ago! 😆 

I was SUPER thankful you caught the armadillo that has been causing problems at our house! 

You cut our grass and you weed eat this time too! I'm so proud of you! 

It turned out so beautiful! 

I love when you come to the front door during lunch! 

Yes! You talked me into another star fruit and I let you! hahaha! This one wasn't any better but now we know! 

Silly! Pure silly and I LOVE it! 😍 

We went to the park in Jersey! 

You're already hot and it's 68! LOL

I love making silly faces with you! 😉 

Heading to church and to the Easter egg hunt afterwards! 

I am so happy when all four of you can be there! 

SO much fun after church! 

Looking for a prize egg! Thomason was the only one to get one! 

Charlie's are OUT! 

SOOOOO funny! 

Always making something! You are very good at making things! This is a trap! 

We love games! 

You two can get pretty hyper! 😆 

We went to Caribou to try their hot chocolate! We have a new store in Loganville. You are a fan! 

I love when you bring me these to blow and make a wish! 

It's your birthday eve, eve! You and I went to lunch in Monroe at Taco's and Beer! 

You wanted to sit on the same side! I love my time with you! 

We went home and got your Mama and B and went to get ice cream! 

We got home and I begged Pops to go ahead and give you the gun he wanted to. You were in panic mode that you wouldn't have ammo for the squirrel hunt on your birthday! You were speechless when he came in with this gun! You love it! ❤️ 

You had so much fun practicing! Pops used this gun when he was a teenager. This was a special gift. 

Aspen... your Dee Dee loves you to the moon and back and back again! I am forever thankful that I get to watch you grow up. I am thankful I get to see you most days and spend quality time with you outside. I love that you are my mini-me in the good ways and in the not so good ways! 😉 

You can be stubborn but you are determined and know what you want. You can be sarcastic but you are just learning how to apply humor at the right time and when it's the wrong time. You can press the limits but you are learning and growing every day. You've learned that your Dee Dee loves a big hug when you come up to see me. 😉  You go to Summit on Thursdays and enjoy art and stem class. I'm so thankful you are homeschooled. What a blessing. I am praying you will do what your Mama needs done and not mess around so much. ❤️ You are SO incredibly blessed to be able to do school at home. 

We are in the middle of fundraising for CF. This is our 12th walk and it seems impossible. We have raised around 200k over this time period. What a blessing. You are an Ambassador for the CF Foundation and I LOVE being able to do that with you. I'm so proud of you. 

Your Dee Dee is so grateful that you asked the Lord into your heart. I pray that you will continue to grow in the Lord and will trust Him all the days of your life. I pray for your health, your friends, your choices, and even your future spouse. Lord, put the people in Aspen's path that will draw him closer to you. 

You are such a blessing and I couldn't love you more! I pray you'll always look back at your childhood and remember how much your Dee Dee loves you. 

Happy 11th birthday sweet boy! I am praying blessings over your life. Remember Proverbs 3:5-6.... 

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways commit to Him and He will direct your paths! 

Happy March. I love sharing a birthday month with you! I pray this year is your best one yet! 💛