18

My oldest turns 18 today.  He was the first person to call me mom and the only child to be born when I was a brunette. ;) .  So proud of this boy and so lucky I get to be his mom.

Happy 18th Birthday, Peyton!

The 18 years you have been alive just happen to be 18 of the best years of my life.  You were the first person to call me mom and your presence in this world changed my life forever.  It seems that I was 18 just a few years ago, yet we both know that's not the case. :)  The following are 18 things I wish I had known at 18:

1.  Follow your passions.  What lights you up inside?  What makes you lose track of time?  The world needs more people who are passionate about life.  Passions lead to uncovering God's purpose for your life.

2.  Be curious.  Never stop learning.  Be a student of the world.  Try new things and, if they scare you, even better.  Always be on the edge of your comfort zone.

3.  Be honest.  Practice honesty with others and with yourself.  If you are true to your word, you will live a life of integrity.  If you are true to yourself, you will know when to let go of things or people that no longer serve a positive purpose in your life.  Listen to this and do it sooner rather than later.

4.  Pursue health.  Move your body every day.  Find exercise that you enjoy.  Fuel your body with good food and limit anything that doesn't contribute to overall wellness.

5.  Have faith.  Pray daily.  Pursue a relationship with God by talking to Him like a friend.  Leave judgement to God.  Be an example of a loving Christian in this world by accepting and loving all of God's creation.

6.  Foster relationships.  Relationships with other people make life interesting and colorful.  Be open to meeting new people and getting to know them.  Be intentional about who you date and be a friend that can be counted on.  Be willing to learn from others, but don't let them change who you are at your core.

7.  Love your family.  Family is your beginning and your ending.  Foster relationships with your family of origin and create a loving family of your own.

8.  Travel.  The world is big; go see it.  Getting lost in this great big world once in awhile is the surest way to find yourself.

9.  Don't internalize other's opinions of you.  Other people's opinions of you are their business, not yours.  Look for patterns of opinions to be open to what you may need to work on, but do not get hung up on what other people think.  Know who you are and whose you are.  Nothing else matters.

10.  Make mistakes.  Fail.  Mess up.  Start again.  Every time you make a mistake, you learn something.  Keep reaching and trying.

11.  Be a blessing to someone every day.  People are fighting battles we know nothing about.  Find one person each day that you can bless in some way.  Buy their lunch.  Smile at them.  Hold the door.  Small acts of kindness have the power to alter someone's life and, ultimately, the world.

12.  Smile.  The world needs more joy.  This is the way that you can contribute joy to the world on a daily basis.  Bring your own sunshine.

13.  Manage your money.  Avoid debt; it steals your future and limits your choices.  Always have an emergency savings account, because there is always an emergency.  Spend less than you earn.  Learn to be content with what you have.

14. Heal the past.  Know that the people who have hurt and disappointed you have given you an amazing gift.  A bad example is often more powerful than a good example.  Take those hurtful actions and experiences and use them as a blueprint of how to conduct your life differently.

15.  Plan for the future.  Set goals.  Have a destination in mind.  Know where you are headed and how you will know when you arrive.

16.  Live in the present.  Wherever you are, be all there.  Soak in every experience, even the bad ones.  Some of the worst days of your life will be the turning points that bring you to the best days of your life.  Don't burn bridges.  Embrace each moment and gracefully let it go.

17.  Ask for help.  Be open to having others help you.  It brings people joy to help and you may just learn a thing or two.

18.  Call your mother.

I love you, Peyton!

Love,
Mom

Spring Break~Disney World!

Our Spring Break this year was sooooo late but sooooo worth the wait!  Dan, Mason and I took a quick trip to Disney World and had such a great time.  Dan had planned to attend Star Wars Celebration in Orlando for his podcast, Coffee With Kenobi.  Mason and I were glad to tag along! We missed the older boys, but sadly, our breaks didn't line up this year.  That was one of the reasons I took them to New York in February.  They stayed home with the grandparents this time and were waited on hand and foot.  Everyone was happy!  

Get ready for picture overload.  #sorrynotsorry

This trip was Mason's first time flying and he did great!  (Notice Mickey Mouse hanging out of his backpack. :)

We landed in Orlando at 9:30 PM and it worked out really well.  We drove straight to our hotel and went to bed so we could get an early start in the morning.

We got to the Magic Kingdom bright and early for Extra Magic Hours.  Nothing beats walking through the gates onto Main Street.  

Required castle pic...

We were able to line up fast passes for all of the rides we wanted to hit.  Combine that with an early start and the longest line we waited in was 15 minutes!  Disney win!

Mason hammed it up before the Haunted Mansion ride.

When we were at Disney when Mason was one, he was petrified of the characters.  This time he was all smiles!

One of the highlights of the trip was Mason getting made up like Jake the Pirate.  He loved the entire process and I loved his eyebrows and sideburns!  

Of course, we had to ride Pirates after looking like a pirate.  After that, it was off to a late lunch with the characters at Chef Mickey's.

Such a busy fun-filled first day.  One tired little pirate.

After a stroller nap and a bath, it was time for a movie and pizza by the pool.  Notice he's still wearing the pirate hat.  He told us he wished he could start the day over.  #lovehim

We have been to Disney enough to know that taking a break between park days is the way to go.  So on day 2, we spent a lazy day at the pool.  The weather was so beautiful and we had a great time.  We cleaned up late in the afternoon to make our 3PM reservation at O'Hana.

On our way to dinner, we went to Sunset Point at the Polynesian Hotel.  This is where Dan proposed to me and we wanted to take Mason there.

Our dinner was fantastic and we headed to Disney Springs after to do some shopping.  Fun for everyone!

On day 3, we headed over to Hollywood Studios.  Again, we had arranged Fast Passes for everything we thought Mason would enjoy.  This park was by far the busiest, but we still did not have any long lines.

Visiting the Star Wars characters turned into one of the best memories of the trip.  #thingsithoughtidneversay

Mason was so happy that Chewbacca "kissed" Mommy.  Ha ha!

I don't know what it is about this picture, but I think it is so sweet!

Mason was so sweet with these characters...look at his hand on BB8...

Off to lunch...

For lunch, we ate with the Disney Junior crew, including Captain Jake!  One happy boy right here!

Before leaving this park, we took a picture in front of Mickey's of Hollywood.  Dan did the Disney College Program twice while in college and worked here as one of his placements.  He has years of pictures right here in this spot.

Mason took another stroller nap after this picture, so Dan and I made a decision to head over to Epcot for a little while.  We love exploring the countries and eating in Epcot, but weren't sure if Mason would like it.  He ended up sleeping for about an hour, so it worked out great.  When he woke up, we were in Japan and he saw Transformers for sale.  He is officially an Epcot fan. :)

So gorgeous...

Mason loved the big "golf ball". 

We ate in Italy, and it was fantastic as always.  We swam for a bit after getting back to the hotel and all slept like babies.

The next day, it was time to fly home.  We were able to sleep in and grab a quick breakfast at our hotel before driving to the airport.

Dan was staying an extra three days for the podcast stuff, so Mason and I flew home alone.  Our family has a running joke because Dan is ALWAYS patted down at the airport security.  This time, it was my luggage that caused the problem...

They saw this on the screen and took my luggage to a security checkpoint and proceeded to ask me a bunch of questions and go through my bag.  So much for my relaxing purchase of bath bombs.  Ha!

Mason was the perfect travel companion.  He played with Rescue Bots, looked out the window and ordered snacks like a champ.

We landed late in the afternoon and went straight to Parker's baseball game.  In all, it was a wonderful quick getaway.  I never regret traveling!

Life Lately~February 2017

I'm a little behind on my February "Life Lately", but that because life has been busy lately!

This February, I decided to celebrate the month of love by posting a paper heart each day for the boys stating why I loved them.  This was such a fun activity and one we will definitely do again!

February brought about an epic trip to NYC!  Read all about it HERE.

And while we were in New York, Parker turned 15... (cue the momma tears).

We had such a fun night celebrating by watching Lebron James play in Madison Square Garden.

When we got back home, Parker got his driver's permit...here's a pic of him backing out of the driveway...

While the middle was learning to drive, Mason started preschool!  He comes to our high school two days a week and I totally creep on him and watch him through the windows. #sorrynotsorry

 He also started his second round of swim lessons.  He learned how to go under water, jump in and float on his back!

After graduating early in December, Peyton started college in January and landed a part-time job as an Associate Producer at a local TV station in February.  We are so proud of this kid!

 February meant getting those taxes done...

 And almost as painful as the taxes, we took Mason to see Daniel Tiger live.  Thank goodness he loved it...Dan and me, not so much!  The cartoon version is definitely the way to go.

That's life lately!

Weekend in New York City!

Three years ago, my middle, Parker,  asked me for an experience instead of a birthday gift for his 13th birthday.  That year, we spent the night in Chicago and went to a Bulls game.  Last year, we went to Indianapolis and saw the Pacers play.  It's now officially our unofficial tradition.  When we began discussing where we were going this year, I got all sappy thinking about the fact that he is fifteen, his brother turns 18 this summer and it all has just gone so fast.  While I was looking at NBA schedules around his birthday weekend, I saw that the New York Knicks were playing the Cleveland Cavaliers on the day of his birthday in Madison Square Garden.  I have always wanted to take the older boys to NYC, so I began planning an epic three day weekend!

Getting up at 2:21 AM is totally doable if you are headed off on a fun trip!

FRIDAY

Random fact...my in-flight beverages of choice, Starbucks and ginger ale with lime.  I hardly ever drink soda, but I always order this when flying. (I feel like you know me a little better now... :)

We flew into LaGuardia, met up with our friends who decided to join us last minute, and took an Uber to our hotel.  We stayed at the DoubleTree Suites in Times Square, which another friend had recommended.  The hotel was close to so many attractions and was nice and clean.  It was also a suite, which is a necessity when traveling with teen boys.  I love them, but momma needs her own space away from sweaty socks. :)

The lobby...

Our view from the room...

And who doesn't love free cookies?!

After we got settled (and ate our cookies), we walked to Shake Shack for lunch.  We were all starving by this point, so burgers and fries hit the spot.  After lunch, we walked to Rockefeller Center.  Such a beautiful building!  

Hello, Kathi Lee and Hoda!

Did I mention it was freezing?  And that we were so tired?  We went inside the NBC shop to warm up and Melissa and I found a comfy spot to hang out. ;)

Let me just tell you that our four teenage boys were such good sports with our selfie antics.  Melissa and I have known each other since second grade, so we have a lot of inside jokes, and we can be a bit much at times.  Even when we split up during this trip to do different things, we would randomly meet up with each other on the streets of New York.  One of her sons said we were like magnets who couldn't stay away from each other.  Ha! Our boys are all the same age, so it was so fun to share this trip with them.

After Rockefeller, we walked over to St. Patrick's Cathedral.  I have been here before, but each time I am amazed and overwhelmed by its beauty.

We then walked around and checked out some of the shopping.

When in New York...

Nike Town...

By this point, we were getting hungry again, so we made our way to Magnolia Bakery.  Cupcakes, Cheesecake, Banana Pudding...yes please!

Here we are back in Times Square.  We cleaned up a bit and then headed out to dinner...

 ...at Carmine's!  My cousin recommended this as a great place to take hungry teenage boys and was she spot on!  The pasta is served family style and is so delicious!

More selfie fun in Times Square after dinner.  Did I mention it was COLD?!  It was about 10PM at this point and we were tired and ready to rest up for day two.

SATURDAY

 Parker's 15th birthday!

We woke up bright and early on Saturday to head to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum for a 9AM tour.   I didn't take any pictures in the museum, because it just didn't feel right.  They have done an absolutely beautiful job with the sight and museum, but it bothered me in a way that words or pictures cannot explain.  I am so glad we saw this and that I got to see it with my children. I just kept thinking about how all of those people were just going about their workday and had no idea what was about to happen.  So sad and senseless.

Freedom Tower...

After the museum, we had planned to see the Statue of Liberty.  There was no way we were getting our freezing cold teenagers on a ferry boat, so we said hello to her from Battery Park.

Leaving Battery Park, we asked a security guard for a recommendation for lunch.  He pointed us toward Cucina Liberta, which was a convenience store/deli.  We felt like real New Yorkers in this place and the food was so good!  There was an upstairs with tables and chairs, so we all chose our food and met up there.  I love asking locals for recommendations when traveling.  

We took an Uber back to Times Square and then walked some more in the cold.

We had an afternoon tour scheduled at NBC Studios, so back to Rockefeller we went.

This was seriously one of the highlights of the trip.

We were able to tour several studios including Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live.  Because it was Saturday afternoon, they warned us that the curtain may be pulled on the SNL stage because they were in rehearsals.  When we got up there, they were in rehearsals but the curtain was open!  We got to watch them rehearsing and see Kristen Stewart practicing her skits.  So fun!  My oldest, Peyton, would love to work in TV and movies someday, so I probably could have left him there at this point in the trip.  At the end of the tour, you get to enter a studio and perform a scripted show by reading cold from the monitors.  So fun but so much harder than it looks!  Yours truly was chosen to host and Melissa was my guest.  We had such a great time doing this and then they emailed us the video of the show.  We also managed to embarrass our children, so this was successful all the way around!

Here I am sitting at Jimmy Fallon's old desk...

After the tour, we ran back by Magnolia Bakery and picked up a birthday cheesecake for my now fifteen year old!

This night, we ate at John's Pizza in Times Square.  So yummy!

Then more walking to get to Parker's birthday present...Madison Square Garden!

The Empire State Building all lit up for the game...

There were so many famous people sitting courtside.  We sat a little higher than that. :)

SUNDAY

I love mornings spent in a hotel lobby.

On Sunday, we had an early evening flight to catch out of JFK.  That left us plenty of time to eat breakfast at a little diner and walk to Central Park.  We walked around, did some people watching and the boys ate hot dogs from a cart in the park. 

We rode the subway back to our hotel, got our luggage from the bellman, and called for our car to the airport.  We crashed once we got in the car.  We walked 18 miles throughout the weekend and made memories to last a lifetime.  Such a great weekend with friends to celebrate Parker's 15th birthday!