Gaga's Birthday

Brandon turned ... well, he turned older this year!

So, the kids and I decided to make him a golf cake.

Hillbilly Teeth...

These were a blast for the kids to make and they were yummy too!!

Find the recipe HERE

My Version: 25 Things I Want My Son to Know

1. Your father and I love you and your sister more than anything in THIS world! And I know ONLY God loves you more!! Know that you are His miracle and He brought you here for a reason. Live your life for Him and He will help you along your journey's ups and downs! Life is much more clear if you lean on Him! Give thanks to God for everything!!

 2. The kitchen?!  Not just for girls... Learn to cook.

3.  Table manners. Use them.

4. Understand how to use basic tools.

5. Save money when you're young because you're going to need it some day. As the head of your future household, spend and save your money wisely.  Broke is normal, why be normal?!  Use credit cards only for emergencies. Avoid loans as much as possible; it is better to wait and save and then pay in full than to have years of stress and worry. Be smart with your money in terms of saving and purchases, but also be generous. Use your time and money to take care of yourself, but also experience the joy of helping others in need.

 6. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.  Read a book.  Reading expands your imagination and makes you more intelligent and interesting!

 7. Everything worth having is worth working for, so don’t be lazy.

 8. Be respectful, even if you feel someone doesn’t deserve your respect, and especially if you don’t feel like being respectful (i.e. when you’re a teenager and I’ve done something to really upset you). Use “yes, sir”, “no, sir” and “yes, ma’am”, “no, ma’am”, "Please", "Thank You', and "Excuse Me"...

9. Laughter is the best medicine!

10. Shower daily, shave, keep your nails trim and use deodorant.  Take pride in your appearance.
 
11. Play a sport.  It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble.  Never QUIT!!

12. Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight, but if someone clocks you, please defend yourself.  However, you really should NEVER use your fists to solve ANY dispute. One wrong punch could take a life and it could be yours.
 
13. You will never know a stronger pull than that of your friends trying to get you to participate in their wrong doing. Resisting makes you a man. Succumbing makes you a coward.  You will ALWAYS face peer pressure!  There is no weakness in doing what is right.  There will be times when you do something or say something that you will regret. Do not be afraid to apologize. You are strong, but don’t forget that strength is built through our experiences.

14.   Learn the words to express how you feel.  You will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment.  You'll cry from fear and shout out of excitement.  If you learn the words to express your emotions, someday when you are grown, you will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.  Being able to effectively communicate doesn't make you less of a man.

15. "Be a BIG brother. Be a friend. Be a protector."

16. Treat women kindly.  Lead them into a room with your hand on the small of their back, open doors for them, hold/kiss their hand in public, tell them how much they mean to you, be strong and tender at the same time, respect them always!


17.  It is NEVER acceptable to break up with a girl over the phone.

18.  Real girls do not look like Victoria’s Secret models.  More often then not, women are beautiful because of their brain, their determination, their integrity and their heart.
 
19.  Please choose your spouse wisely.  Your wife should be your best-friend with whom you love to spend time.  She should also give me lots of grandchildren, in due time, that I can spoil and send home!

20.  Be a kind, loving, compassionate father.  Good father's are sooooo incredibly rare these days.  No matter what direction your life with your spouse takes, always be there for your children.  I hope you, nor your children, ever know the effects of an absent father.  (Es Muy Importante!!)

21.  Pray and be a spiritual leader in your home.

22. These are the best years of your life.  Enjoy every embarrassing, unfair, boring, heartbreaking-ly FANTASTIC minute of your youth. One day you will look in the mirror and the 18 year old on the inside will appear much older in the reflection!

23. Love with all your heart.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
  
24. It's perfectly acceptable to be a Momma's Boy!  We will not always get along. No matter what happens, please remember that I love you. I am not perfect by any means, and I will not always be right, but I will always want the best for you. Whether you are hurt or lost or indescribably happy, you will always have a place in my arms.  (Also, I am going to kiss and hug you no matter how big you get... you have been forewarned!!)

25. Wherever you are in life, no matter what, you can come home. I will be here – always.

♥ Mommy 

VBS 2012

They LOVED it!!

MY Version: 25 Things I Want My Daughter To Know

1. Know Love

Your father and I love you and your brother more than anything in THIS world! And I know ONLY God loves you more!! Know that you are His miracle and He brought you here for a reason. Live your life for Him and He will help you along your journey's ups and downs! Life is much more clear if you lean on Him! Give thanks to God for everything!!

2. Take joy in the relationships you build with your friends and family

These relationships will be more important to you than any success. It is important to trust yourself, but there will be times when you will need to listen to the advice of those who care most for you, because they can often see things with a perspective you do not have.

3. No matter how many times you hear it, “Diamonds are NOT a girl’s best friend.”

Friends are invaluable. Choose ones that are trusting and loyal. They stick with you through good times and bad, happy or sad. Some will come and go, but your true friends will be with you always.

4. Don't ever let a boy make you cry

Guard your heart well. It is soft and wants to be loved. Do not give it to a boy simply because he says you’re pretty. Don’t give it away because he likes you, and it feels good to be liked. Give it to someone who respects you, admires you, and who would rather make you smile and be your best friend.   

5. Institute a Zero-Tolerance Policy for disrespectful men.

Any boy should feel lucky to be in a relationship with you.  He should ALWAYS speak to you with respect and cherish your relationship.  If he doesn't treat his mother with respect, chances are he won't respect you either in the future.

6. R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Be respectful, even if you feel someone doesn’t deserve your respect, and especially if you don’t feel like being respectful (i.e. when you’re a teenager and I’ve done something to really upset you). Use “yes, sir”, “no, sir” and “yes, ma’am”, “no, ma’am”, "Please", "Thank You', and "Excuse Me".

7. Smart is the new cool.

Never be ashamed of being smart or nerdy, having freckles or glasses, or loving science and math. Smart never goes out of style, it stays with you as you grow, and it will lead you down the most successful paths.'

8. Dream BIG

Whatever your dreams are in life, do NOT quit until you have achieved them!!

9. Broke is normal, why be normal?!

Use credit cards only for emergencies (and no, purses and shoes do not count as emergencies). Avoid loans as much as possible; it is better to wait and save and then pay in full than to have years of stress and worry. Be smart with your money in terms of saving and purchases, but also be generous. Use your time and money to take care of yourself, but also experience the joy of helping others in need.

10. A strong hand shake leaves a lasting impression.

It represents self-confidence and ambition. A strong hand shake and eye contact exemplifies a mutual respect for one another and is a sign that you are friendly, trustworthy, and honest.

11. Clean your room.

How you keep your space, is how you keep your mind. When things are neat, clarity will walk with ease.  A place for everything, and everything in it's place!!

12. Understand how to use basic tools.

While having someone to repair everything that physically breaks in your life is nice, being able to fend for yourself is also important.  Never rely completely on anyone for everything...except God.

13. Choose your role models carefully.

Even though you are only 4, I am so glad that right now you have absolutely no idea who Hannah Montanna is.

14. Read A Book

Reading expands your imagination and makes you more intelligent and interesting!  Proper grammar when speaking and writing is VERY important! 

15. LESS is MORE

When it comes to wearing make-up, and some other things, this is the general rule of thumb that applies.

16. There is no weakness in doing what is right.

There will be times when you do something or say something that you will regret. Do not be afraid to apologize. You are strong, but don’t forget that strength is built through our experiences. You will never know a stronger pull than that of your friends trying to get you to participate in their wrong doing. Resisting makes you strong. Succumbing makes you a weak.  You will ALWAYS face peer pressure!  There is no weakness in doing what is right.

17. Accept yourself for who you are.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!! (I may be a little biased because I am your mother) Respect your body and take care of it. You are strong, intelligent,qnd beautiful. Never let yourself forget that and never let anyone else make you feel like you're not.

18. Sister

"Be a sister. Be a friend. Be a protector."

19. Learn the words to express how you feel.  You will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment.  You'll cry from fear and shout out of excitement.  If you learn the words to express your emotions, someday when you are grown, you will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.  Being able to effectively communicate is vital in relationships.


20. Laughter is the best medicine!

Never be afraid to laugh at yourself.

21. These are the best years of your life

Enjoy every embarrassing, unfair, boring, heartbreaking-ly FANTASTIC minute of your youth. One day you will look in the mirror and the 18 year old on the inside will appear much older in the reflection!


22. Love with all your heart.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

23. 'I Hope You Dance'

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance...

DANCE!

-Lee Ann Womack

24. Like Mother, Like Daughter

We will not always get along. No matter what happens, please remember that I love you. I am not perfect by any means, and I will not always be right, but I will always want the best for you. And know that whether you are hurt or lost or indescribably happy, you will always have a place in my arms.

25. Wherever you are in life, no matter what, you can come home. I will be here – always.

♥ Mommy

Paddle Boatin'...

...on the river with Ryleigh!