Happy Birthday, Xavier!!

Xavier celebrated turning 15 today and I think it was a great day!

He started his day by taking the driving portion of his school permit test and passing!  

For the next year Xavier can drive to work and school/allowable school activities (HSAP classes, etc.) without an adult.  After completing the year without violations he'll be ready for his intermediate license at 16.

After his test it was back to home for hootenanny (oven pancake) and bacon.

And a couple of gifts...

He spent the rest of the morning relaxing and reading, then we had tacos for lunch with dirt cake for dessert.

He opened some gifts from family that came in the mail and one last one from Dad and I...he has a new bike on the way but it won't be here until Saturday.

A new tool belt....which made Mom a little nostalgic.

He's a very loved young man.

Xavier played some video games, pitched some balls to his brother, and read a bit more to pass the day, before we headed to youth group.

We have the best youth pastor who heartily agreed when we asked if we could bring pizza to celebrate the birthday when we saw that youth group was scheduled for tonight.  We were hoping to celebrate Jace, too, but he had a band event, so the teens sent him a lovely video singing happy birthday.

We slung pizza, chips, and ice cream and then Pastor Shawn had a couple of really fun games for youth.  There were several friends gone who were missed, but summer is just hard, and I would say overall it was a really great night.

Back in the day, our youth pastor and his wife were such positive influences to "young Mike and Jenn." In fact, almost (tomorrow) 20 years ago our youth pastor married us.   

We are so very thankful for those who help us pour into our kids.

Loved this moment....because we crashed the youth event Mia and Zayden played the games.  In this round Zayden was the only man standing on his side versus a LOT of teens still standing on the other side.  He held his own really well for quite a while!  Nothing like a mom watching her 9 year old take on a group of teens solo to make the heart pump---all in good fun. 💓

We came home and Xavier admired a new survival kit from some friends and played a game of Telestrations before heading to clean up and call it a night.

All in all, I think Xavier did turning 15 up just right!

Xabe, you are a blessing to us.  You shoulder a lot of responsibility and execute it very well.  You love working hard, playing hard, and living hard.  You see the big picture, are a good friend, a good brother, and a good son.  We are thankful for you.  Cheers to another year, Bud!

Don't Blink... {On Little Boys Growing Up}

Time....both a thief and a gift.

I could put so many little cheesy sayings in this post....about how we shouldn't blink, and that the days are long but the years are short.  

Nothing helps you understand these things when you are in the thick of raising your first little ones and you're just trying to care for them emotionally and physically and spiritually....you just can't really "get" it, I'm convinced, until you live it.  What a gift our oldest children are to us...the ones who helped raise us into parents.

Young parents....you're doing it.  I'm cheering you on.  There's nothing I can say that will make the tantrums feel any less significant or the sicknesses any less scary.  I wish that I had done better at letting the small stuff be small stuff and enjoying the little moments.  However, just....well, golly, hold on tight.  It really does go so fast.

Xavier - December 2014 (age 4 1/2)

Xavier - June 2025 (age 15)

A new toolbelt for his birthday....but he still needs suspenders to keep it up. :)

Mother's Day 2025

A lovely mother's day with my favorite people...

First, church.

Then, obligatory photos, and the gift of a new cup for mom because I broke my water bottle this week.

Mike grilled steaks for lunch and made fried potatoes and tossed salad for lunch with the kids' help.  Delicious.  After lunch my sweet crew worked so hard for me.  They took some bricks that were already on the property and made a new flower bed in front of the fence.  Last year we tried to grow a patch of wildflowers there and were not successful, so this year Mike and Xabe re-tilled it, bricked it in, and we filled it with good soil.

When Mike and I went to buy soil, I had a whim to get some fairy garden supplies.  Mike indulged me at both Dollar Tree and Dollar General.

The kids and Mike got the dirt dumped and leveled out and then Mia, Zayden, Evalynn, Mike, and I put in our fairy spots....what a fun, sweet time.

Tomorrow we'll plant our wildflower seed mix around the fairy garden areas and let the flowers grow up (hopefully).  This is a shady area so we got wildflowers good for partial shade and are hoping for the best!  The fairy gardens are giving me immense joy.

All in all it was a lovely day.  I repotted some house plants, the wind chimes are re-hung, and did you see those fairy gardens? :)  

I'm a blessed mama indeed.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

We celebrated the glue that holds us all together in early April.

There is not enough partying to express how much we adore this guy.  We are so thankful for him!

A new chair for the king....got him ready for soccer and baseball season!

Many arrows he has....so thankful.

The kids helped make Dad a butterscotch pudding dessert.

I laid down my phone and one of the kids picked it up and captured this treasure....and this sums up year 44 pretty well.  Chasing kids, making memories, always a little tired, and enjoying every second.

Mia's 11th Birthday

Ameliya's birthday fell on a Saturday this year which meant we had all day to play.  She had big plans of a shopping day and we had so much fun.

An early gift from Nannie and Vance which speaks volumes to her personality...

First up, birthday breakfast at home with the family.

clip on hoop earrings

fancy lil sis helping her inspect the collection...

Imagination Station

After breakfast and gifts Mia and I headed out to pick up her bestie, Cora, for a shopping day.  The girls had a list of stores they wanted to go to and a list of items they were looking for.  I was the driver and the wingman (wink).

We hit Five Below, Hobby Lobby, had a lunch break at Arby's, and then back for more shopping at TJ Maxx.  I don't know if you've ever taken a pair of tweens shopping but it is, by far, one of the most fun experiences ever.  I stayed near enough for safety but far enough for them to be themselves.  They giggled, they scoured the shelves, they bought a little make-up, and they looked at everything.  They were successful at finding matching t-shirts and had the bonus delight of finding matching crocs.  They shopped for some craft projects, some candy, and helped me find Easter basket stuffers.

At our lunch break Cora could contain her excitement no longer and gave Mia her birthday gift.  I love the gift giver, the heart and planning behind the gift, and the delight of the recipient.

Several weeks before Mia's birthday Cora asked me if she and her dad could make Mia a set of bunks for her 18" dolls.  Sweet sweet girl.  These friends know each other so well.  

The details down to the bedding - Mia is over the moon.

In the end, however, the master outshopped the students and they dropped in a chair and declared they were finished!

Two last stops...one for them to run back into Five Below for a candy treat, and then through the Sonic Drive-Thru for milk shakes.  Then back home to unload, review the loot, and play inside and out.

(soccer with the siblings)

Mike helped get supper on the table and it was delicious, however the girls and I were pretty full from our big day.  None of the three of us could really manage dessert!

A last gift (American Girl Grace, from Paris of course) and then we took Cora home.

Mia said it was a perfect birthday!  Cheers to your next year, Millie.  We love you so much!

(the girls at church the next day in their matching tees)

Bonus - Mia got to celebrate her birthday with Grammy and Papa Beeler when they came up and took her shopping.  

She got to celebrate more at Sunday lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Tallman's the week before her birthday.  She's a blessed young lady.

Ecstatic about a typewriter!