16 candles with a side of glitz and glamour

 For my birthday, my sweet friends (who were in town) came over for a birthday breakfast! It was so much fun to start the day off with such beautiful faces!

 This picture is sooooo funny in so many ways... love y'all so much!

 For my birthday dinner, we went to Longhorn Steakhouse where my friends told the waitress that is was my birthday... I don't know why but I have never enjoyed getting sung to. It was still really funny though.

 One of my very close friends gave me a very large "Happy Birthday" inflatable cake that we put in the front yard for everyone to know.. that is after the rain stopped.

 My Birthday cake was made by Terra and Foster Street Bakery. It was hands down the best birthday cake ever. My mom told me later that when Terra asked what I liked, she told her that I was into natural.. she even used the word "granola". LOVE IT! And it was literally perfect!

 All the many many grandchildren! We take these pictures every time someone has a birthday but never really use them... well finally they're being used for more than just memory space.

After 2 days of rain and a weekend, I FINALLY got to take my drivers test... and passed!!!! Now I get to have the full feeling of a 16 year old, and let me tell you, It is so great.

 Miss Houston County

 The night after my birthday, my older sister was in the Miss Houston County pageant. She did so great and was awarded 1st runner up!!!

 

 This is probably my favorite picture. Annabeth and the 2012 teen miss Houston County became close friends and were talking on stage right after Anna was announced 1st runner up.. SO CUTE!

Miss Dothan

 Annabeth was in Miss Dothan 2 weeks after Miss HC and did amazing!!! She received 1st runner up in this one as well. Doesn't she look stunning?!?!

 Throughout the pageant, Anna kept giggling.. SO her personality to laugh, well, all of the time! One of the things we have in common.

Annabeth won Interview, Evening Gown, Miss Congeniality, and 1st runner up in Miss Dothan. 

       Sometimes when things don't go exactly the way you thought, you just need to make lemonade. When I had to wait 5 days out of no fault of my own to get my drivers license, my mom kept telling me this, "Life is going to stink. It just matters how you handle the stench." It is her new favorite quote. It is a good one though! I was very upset I didn't get to drive by myself on my birthday, but now looking back, I see that those 5 days were time of amazing spiritual growth. The Lord taught me how to have patience when it is extremely hard to have. It is something that is really coming in handy. He also taught me the true meaning of "Good things come to those who wait," because really they do. When things don't happen when you want them to, it is only because it's not God's timing yet. You can't rip open the package before its due date, because then, it disfigures what's inside.

   When you are at a time in your life and things aren't going how you planned them to, make lemonade! I know it is hard, trust me I do, but that is one of the greatest things about God... when things are awful, they are only going to get better. Never stop enjoying the good times because you just never know, but also know that the hard times are good times too. They might not seem like it in the process, but after, they contribute greatly to our good times. Learn from your mistakes. The bad times are the times God puts in our lives so we can grow closer to him in the areas we need help in the most. He puts them there as a realization that we need God oh so much. When we ask, "Why is this happening?!" It is happening because God wants so much more of you. So much more than we can actually give because he is so perfect and righteous that he deserves our ALL.. not our half or our part, but our whole being. For me the goodness that came out of the hardship was having patience and seeing that God always has SUCH a better plan. What will yours be? Don't forget that hard times are blessed times.

And I will Dance with Cinderella...

When sweet little Mary Alan asked if she could go jump on the trampoline with "Bubba", I quickly grabbed my new camera I got from my grandparents for my birthday and in no time we were out the door and headed down to have some bouncing fun.

The song that plays in my head as I was standing there photographing this overload of joy and happiness was the song Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman. It was straight up adorable when they were dancing and having the most fun.

One of the things MA has picked up from the good ole movie Bambi is how to roar... she is constantly making roaring sounds and sticking her arm out as if a threat to all the surroundings. She definitely thinks she is much bigger and badder than she actually is. 

We went across the bridge at possibly THE best time because the lighting was amazing. It cracks me up  how she will walk half way down and stop as if she knows i am waiting for that "picture perfect pose"... and she definitely was right.

Already working the bent knee pose. And trust me, she loves every second of it!

MA could NOT keep her hands out of the sand the whole entire time we were on our nature walk.. it is definitely the little kid in her. 

After the sun set it began to get cold so we put on our sweater as to have the "china look" as Dad always refers to it as when she is all bundled up. 

Right as we were walking up to our house, a whole flock of 6 or 7 geese were just hanging out by our dock.. right there.. not moving even when we got as close as 5 feet away. Good thing they didn't chase us as Mom later told us they do.. woopsies!

 Our adventures today were so much fun and even though the memory will linger in our brains, we now have pictures to reminisce on! Thank you Dede and Pop for one of the greatest and extremely useful gift that keeps on giving! 

Mary Alan is such a blessing and each and every day this becomes more evident. Having her has made me see how christ adopted us when we were orphans like we did for Mary Alan. We were all once broken and fatherless and that is when he swooped in adopted us. We are made whole and given a name by the one who created us to be! We stand before him loved to pieces and straight up adored. ADORED. Having sweet MA has given me perspective of this love and adoration. Isn't adoption such a beautiful thing?! Being a big sister is so much fun!

for the song about cinderella... Steven Curtis Chapman Cinderella

for a great song about adoption... Ronnie Freeman Orphan