Carew's 18th Birthday!

Carew, at exactly 12:25 p.m. you were officially 18 years old!

 (Since you were asking what time you were born.😊)

When I hugged you and said goodbye to you this morning, I realized that although your chubby, rolley polley, baby squishiness is gone... my heart holds you closer than ever and loves you more than ever before. The time has flown by, and try as I might I can't stop it or slow it down... so to this I say go ahead and conquer the world and conquer your dreams!

 I love you so much...❤💛❤💛❤

Happy birthday handsome!

 The Birthday Boy asked for maple donuts for his birthday breakfast...

 So he got a dozen of them topped with 18 candles! :)

And when Kesslyn woke up to have breakfast she was also one happy camper to get to have donuts for breakfast! :) She dove right into that with her mouth wide open!!! ;)

 This is Carew's special birthday present...

The same type of present that I gave Kierra for her 18th birthday last year, and the same type of gift that each one of my kids will get  from me when they turn 18...

 His very own hand made cook book titled, 

"There Is Beauty All Around When There's Love At Home...

And Food On the Table"

 Inside the front cover of the binder I also attached a special set of measuring spoons titled,

 "The Tee Of Life."

This cook book is special in a lot of ways, but most of all I want my children to remember just how much their mother loved the gospel and how it applies to everything in life...even food! 

Family dinner time is sooo important, and a spiritual feast is just as important as a physical one...
Included on every page with the recipes are also quotes and scriptures that have EVERYTHING to do with the importance of FAMILY...just like dinner time...it has EVERYTHING to do with family. :)

 INSIDE THE FRONT COVER...

 I could have made it a lot easier on myself and typed up each recipe, but I didn't.

 I wanted to hand write each recipe so that my kids could see my handwriting and hopefully associate it with some sort of measure of my love and sacrifice for them... I also could have made it a lot easier on myself and color copied all of the recipes that I wrote for Kierra last year, but I didn't. 

I wanted to choose each child's favorite recipes so that it would be extra special to them.

 INSIDE THE BACK COVER...

 THE BACK COVER...

 Inside the gold gift box I put the cook book, measuring spoons, an apron, dish towel, hot pad (in orange since it's Carew's favorite color), a box of his favorite cereal, and some M&M's.

(Because chocolate goes well with EVERY present. :)
(Carew also got other gifts for his birthday like running shoes, church shoes, suits, and lots of other cool stuff, but THIS gift is bar far my favorite one to give. :)

 Everyone played in the driveway until it was time for us to go out to dinner...Carew chose to go to RUMBI ISLAND GRILL for his birthday dinner. :)

 After we got back we sang happy birthday...

 ...blew out the candles, and ate the BEST CAKE EVER!!!

 Carew read his card from Grandma Panter...

 ...opened his cook book and approved all of the recipes :)

 Tried on his new apron...

 ...read his card and opened his gift from Kambriella...

 ...and practiced looking "chill." :)

18 years as his mama and I still don't understand where the time has gone...

it's crazy how many memories are tucked away in my heart and mind, and although it seems like just yesterday that he was little...it also seems like we have been together for an eternity. 

And I believe that we have. 

I'm not sure how it all works exactly, but I'm pretty sure that Carew and I were pretty close in the premortal world, and that somewhere along the way we agreed to help each other through this mortal journey. I think we knew that if we could be on the same team (in the same family) we would pretty much not only endure this life but ENJOY this life and return back one day to where we want to be with our Heavenly parents as one big happy ETERNAL family.

I love you Carew!

Happy 18th Birthday, and happy every day from here on out!