Hi! First of all, I’m happy to share that Jimmy is slowly starting to feel better since being sick last week. He went to urgent care and was able to get a steroid to help his lungs. It also had the side effect of giving him a little more pep in his step! Hopefully he will be 100% soon 😊

Okay, let’s talk about cupcakes! My nephew, Lawson, had his first birthday party on Friday night and it was such a fun evening celebrating the little guy. Hannah asked me to make baseball-themed cupcakes and obviously I was on board with that!

Lawson is such a sweet boy. He’s smiley, easy to please, and generally a happy little guy. I just love him so much!

Hannah decorated our church’s fellowship hall so adorably and we ate hot dogs, nachos, and Cracker Jack just like we were at a ball park. Such a fun idea!

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I really enjoy going to kids parties and seeing the gifts get opened and oohing and ahhing over the cute clothes, toys, and more. I love picking out just the right gift, too! I think gift giving is my love language 😂

Fun fact: my mom and Lawson share a birthday! I don’t know how Hannah went into labor and had him on my mom’s birthday last year but nobody is more happy about that fact than my mom 😉

Since my mom had a birthday along with Lawson, I thought it would be fun to share a few things my mom has taught me in life!

–> Things are meant to be used. Cars are meant to be driven and have miles put on them. That fancy candle? Burn it and enjoy it! Play at the kitchen table and don’t worry about paint getting on the table. Basically, use the stuff you have because it’s just stuff and life is short.

–> Be generous. Everything you have is from God. It’s all a blessing and you should use what you have to bless others. It feels so much better to give than to hoard.

–> Being quiet is a powerful as being loud. My mom never raised her voice when I was a child. Usually if she was extra quiet, I knew I was probably misbehaving 😂

–> You must have needed the sleep. Any time I have taken a nap or slept in late and mentioned it to my mom her response is always “You must have needed the sleep!” I try to remind myself of that instead of feeling guilty!

–> The little moments are the big moments. My mom was always there for big things in my life (choir concerts, swim meets, school plays, etc.), but my favorite moments with her were driving to those things together, cooking dinner on a weeknight, and walking around stores to window shop. Now as a parent, I try to keep in mind that the everyday moments are just as important as the big events!

–> Believe in yourself. Nobody is more supportive of my goals and ambitions than my mom. It has to be a mom thing, right?! I could tell her I want to be the President of the United States and she would be like, “Yes! You will do great! What’s your next step?” without blinking. I try to believe in myself as much as she believes in me.

What have you learned from your mom?