11 years and 5 months - Hello 6th grade and middle school! 💛

Happy 11 years and 5 months sweet, Aspen! 

You bring so much JOY to my life... to all our lives! 

I love your sense of humor... that you don't mind being SILLY! I love that you are my mini-me in so many ways.... especially your craziness! 😉 

This picture will forever be a favorite one for me. I LOVE looking at the camera and seeing your silly face there! I love that you come to visit during lunch sometimes. I love that you live next door and I get to see you most days! 💛 

Need I say more... you a little cray-cray! 😆 🤣 😂 

You can have a little bit of a "OK... enough is enough" look! 😆  Your tooth was about to fall out and I wanted to see! 

We went to Nelly's and you and your Mama got into an arm wrestling contest! 😉 

Y'all love a good game.... you're not quite as addicted as Bennett and Thomason though! 🤣 

It's been fun to watch you train for basketball in Social Circle! Your summer coach - Coach Fears - was such a good match for you. 🏀 

You can have a temper.... especially if you don't pick up on things like you think you should. It took you a minute to get some of the "drills" but when you did... !!! ❤️ 

It's been a HOT month! We've played a lot of games of Five Crowns. I will cherish these "nothing new" days forever! ♥️ 

You are quite the artist! I love when you draw! 

Clinic day!!! You had to get an IV for research and you weren't too happy. You still handle things like a CHAMP! This is a LONG day and a LOT for you! You and your Mama had to get there at 7AM. You might as well do some vocabulary! 😆 

Poor buddy! I love that your Mama sends me lots of pictures! I went with y'all for years and now haven't been for years. I love knowing all the things! 

They did a body composition. You were: 

68% water, 22% muscle, and 9% fat with 0% excess fat. That's not a shocker! 💜 

You did a CFRD help study. They took blood fasting and again at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. 

You love that you get to spend this time with just your Mama! ♥️ 

There is your SILLY self! YAY! 

You didn't gain any weight but you had a huge growth spurt so they weren't concerned about it. You are only 0.5 inches from 5 FEET! Craziness! You were SUPER pumped about that! 

Clinic days can be SO HARD! 

Happiness when it's time for LUNCH! 🥪 

You decided to wear Dexter at your next visit (shocking but they let you decide)! You got to get this cool toy from the toy closet so that made you happy! 

You didn't get back home until close to dinner but I promised you a juicy steak - cooked to perfection - after a long day! SILLY! SO silly! 😂 

Pops cooked it just right. You wanted a sweet potato and corn! YUM! 😋 

Sometimes I do math review with you and I love our time! You have grown SO much with your mental math. I am super impressed! 

 Playing 5 Crowns is good for you because you add up your points! I love it! 

We pulled up to basketball practice on this day and Bennett saw a HUGE spider. Needless to say your Mama wanted to vacuum her entire car when we got back home! 😂  She found the spider in the back with the spare tire! PRAISE THE LORD! 

Some days you are exhausted! Y'all don't go to sleep until 11pm most days! 😮 

You love to wrestle with your Daddy and drive him crazy too! 😂 

We love to be outside but on lunch breaks where it feels like 100.... we often play cards! 💛 

You are really good with Truett. You are letting him pet Gizmo! 

You've been to the splash pad twice this summer! 

Your eyes after trying to cry! Too funny! 

You love to go to the basement! SO sweet! 

You think it's cold in our house! 🥶 🤣  Another day doing math review! I'm so grateful your Mama homeschools you and B!

Going over vocabulary is fun! 

You love when you are the Grand HU-HA of game time! You don't like to lose but you LOVE to win! 

You get to ride in the front of the Bronco! You and Pops went fishing on the Tallula! You left at 4:30am! WHOA! 

I love this picture! 

Showing me your fish! SCORE! 

Y'all caught a ton! 

Pops said you refused to take a picture of your big catch without the chain attached! 😆 

Growing SO fast! I can't believe you are in middle school! 

Practicing what you've been learning! 

You took a selfie! 😆 ♥️ 

Lots of energy and silliness! 

Y'all let the rabbits out of the cage this month! 1 didn't survive the night but 2 did for several days! We were playing cards and you caught a glimpse! 😂 

Learning so much! 

Don't all people drink apple juice this way! 😂 

You went fishing with your Daddy and were SO happy to be home to see your Mama! You love your Mama something fierce! ❤️ 

Always finding snakes of all sizes! 

You go to practice 2-3 times a week in Social Circle...

You and Bennett and Thomason love to play basketball too! 

You were working on a project in the garage! 

Turns out it was for me...

You made my day! 💛  You made me a necklace out of a seashell 🐚 from our beach trip! That was SO thoughtful and meant SOOO SOOO much to me! 

I'll treasure it forever and ever.... 

I LOVE the send-off crew! Pops and I were headed to the mountains to hike! 

❤️ 

We brought you some jerky home from NC! 

Always playing around! 

You went to Grandmaw and PawPaw's and they gave you these tomatoes! You eat them like an apple! 🍅 

Getting better and better! 

SOOO proud of you! The coach told the entire group how you used to be the "worst" player but you've grown to one of the best because you are teachable. He explained how kids that act like they know everything can't really grow but because you are teachable you will grow past them. Keep learning! Keep being teachable and wanting to learn and get better. The sky is the limit for you. You can do anything you set your mind to. You are competitive and it will serve you well if you stay humble and give it your best effort! 

I love to see you running to say HELLO! 

We met Thomason and Truett to go swimming one last time in Tucker! You loved the diving board! 

Nothing like POOL tired at Chipotle! ♥️ 

I think you were telling us about Reece! 🤣 

😆 

Never a dull moment with you two! 

At the last minute on Wednesday we realized you start Summit on August 29th and you needed a haircut. It was almost time for church but we went as fast as we could! 😊 

1/2 way through your cut I saw your silly face and couldn't resist taking a picture! I realized how grown up you looked! You are changing SO fast! 

You love getting a haircut and I love that. It's time for church! We went home and got your Mama and off we went! 💜 

I can't believe how fast time is flying by. How in the world are you in middle school -6th GRADE! 

It seems like yesterday you were 7. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around. 

You moved up to youth group at church. WOW! I taught your Mom in youth group at First Baptist Loganville. What a full circle moment. Your teacher is Mr Jay - one of Dee Dee and Pop's friends... so I love knowing who your teacher is. There are about 12 guys in your group. 

One of the kids - Bear - isn't he nicest to you. None of us really understand WHY but I've seen him not be nice with my own eyes. We've talked about it some. It's really nothing to do with you - he's just insecure. Your Mama is going to talk to his Mom. It's hard to blend in with friends - especially in middle school. Kids can be so mean. BUT! I know your friends are out there and you'll make some this year that you like. 

Always know that Dee Dee prays for your choices. Your friendships. You future wife. Your decisions and school and all the things! I pray that you will do what's right in a world that so many don't. I pray that you'll allow the Lord to direct your steps and help you make wise choices. He loves you SO much and wants the best for you and so do we! 

You are fun and funny! You are competitive and stubborn. You are creative and can figure things out. You are independent and confident. You are talkative and yet can be quiet with talking too! You don't always offer a lot of details but sometimes you do. 

It's squirrel hunting season and you are so excited about that. You love the outside and a good pair of shoes! 🤣  You don't like to go barefoot like Bennett does. 

You are growing every week and changing into a pre-teen for sure. I hope you will always love to spend time, when you can, with your Dee Dee and Pops! 

I love you to the moon and back and back again. Always!