Our boy turns 12!

 HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET BOY!

The fact that 12 years has passed since the day our sweet boy entered this world is insane! Time has flown. This year was a little extra special because there was no chance of having a party last year with COVID and Hensley hasn't seen most of his friends for the past year since school hasn't been in session. This is also the last birthday before he is a teenager! HOW!?!

Hensley's birthday fell in the middle of the week and during spring break this year. We had decided to stay home because Andy was out of town working and our sweet dog Olivia was having surgery. 

We gave him most of his gifts from us early the Sunday before so Andy could be present. He was so excited to get his new gaming mouse. 

He didn't ask for much this year but what he did want he was really excited to get!

It was an early morning but we always have to take a photo!

He decided he wanted Japanese for dinner (which was no surprise) !

For Hensley his biggest joy this year came from having a big party with all his friends! 

He chose to go to Lazer X which we have been too before and they never disappoint. Lazer tag, arcade games, Chick fil A, and tons of fun!

Hensley chose a Glow Party which meant his party room was all black lights and glow sticks! It was really cool!

The kids had a blast and since we had two rooms they could hang out in there alone while they ate without the parents. Which at 12 years old, anything with no parents is a dream! 

They played several games of lazer tag and played the lazer maze!

After 3 hours of non stop going they were all exhausted! It was a really successful party and he had an amazing turn out! I was so happy to see him back in his element with all his friends and being able to enjoy himself. School starts back next week and I think this was a big boost for him to realize just how excited he is to get back into the routine. 

He is officially taller then me!

A few days later the last of the gifts arrived from Mom and Dad. He got a new gaming chair and a new extra monitor! He was in gaming heaven! 

Every year on his birthday I snap a pic of him sleeping. I am always shocked by how much his face changes from year to year. This year was by far one of the biggest changes! It's so hard to see him grow up and become closer to an age where I know he will go off on his own journey. But I always try to remind myself just how thankful and blessed I am to have a son who is growing and thriving in life. He is healthy and so smart. His personality is so unique and his sense of humor is one like no other. I like to think he and I have a very special close relationship and even as he grows older I pray it will always stay that way. This year has been one of growth for sure. He has changed in so many ways. He is going through all the typical pre teen things where he likes to be around friends more then parents. He hangs out a lot on his computer and doing things he enjoys like gaming and drawing. He loves anime and anything Japanese. He says he will live in Japan one day which terrifies me to think of him that far away. He has braces and his own style. He loves collecting shoes and playing soccer and basketball. His heart is so big and his love for animals has only grown bigger as he has grown older. The compassion and empathy he has for other is one of my favorite things about him. Don't get me wrong, he is moody and likes everything a certain way. He doesn't compromise easily and every once in a while I see his little anger streak. He is bossy and shy at times but he is the best cuddler and never let's a day go by without giving me a hug! He is, as he has always been, my beautiful boy!

Hawksnest Snow Tubing

 Each February Hensley's school as an academic break. A week off to rest and spend time with family. We usually try to plan a little getaway but Andy ended up having a lot of time off in January this year because of some COVID shut downs at work. So during this week he was out of town in Oklahoma. 

So, Hensley and I planned a little day trip with our friends to do something we haven't did before. SNOWTUBING!

I researched a few places in our area and we decided on Hawksnest in Seven Devils, NC. 

We invited our sweet friends, The Denson's and Hensley's good buddy Charlie. 

Charlie had a sleepover with us the night before the trip and let me tell you! A sleepover with two 12 year old boys is very interesting. They want their privacy and push the limits with music and YouTube videos but at the end of night they both ended up cuddled up in my bed with me. It's a weird and confusing age for all. 

The trip the next morning was about 2 1/2 hours so it wasn't too bad. Our reservations were at 12 noon. We grabbed some breakfast on the way there and Charlie grabbed a quick nap! 

We arrived just in time and got all suited up! These poor kids had enough layers and warm clothing on they could have survived a blizzard. 

After we got all checked in we could watch the morning group finish up from the observation deck. It was BEAUTIFUL! Hawksnest is located in between two mountains and it was really breathtaking in person. 

The boys were already planning out which hills to conquer first!

These boys have been the greatest friends since kindergarten and I love their sweet friendship.

And because of their friendship, I got the honor to call this lady my friend. She is the genuine and sweet and literally the greatest friend.  

Before we knew it, it was our turn to hit the slopes!

The greatest thing about all this sledding was that each hill has its own conveyer belt to ride you and your tube back to the top! It was a dream!

I didn't take too many photos because we were busy having a blast! Some of the hills allowed you to strap your tubes together with friends and all go down together. It was seriously the best time! 

They had photographers around the property taking photos and I was so glad they did! 

We also ran into our sweet friends, The Hudson's! The tickets were sold out before they could get some in our time slot but we got to see them for a minute before we headed out. 

We were beat after 2 hours of snow tubing. We learned a very valuable lesson. Wear 50 percent less clothing then you think you will need. We were sweating and sheading layers by the time we left! 

We had lunch at a local barbeque place (which was amazing) before heading to do some gem mining. 

We ran into a little issue finding a gem mining location open because of COVID and it was during the week. We soon realized most of the outdoor places only open during the weekends. However, after a quick Google search, we found a place! And it ended up being the perfect place! It was inside, which was nice, and the staff was astonishing. 

We ended up at Doc's Rocks and I highly recommend it if you are even in the Blowing Rock area!

The boys ended up with a ton of amazing rocks and arrowheads. We have been gem mining before and usually the staff are just there to help with the buckets but here we met an awesome young man who sat us each down after mining and talked us through each rock. He knew where every one came from, how they formed and interesting facts about them. It was the highlight of the experience. The boys loved it. I have never seen a more knowledgeable, funny and personable person as he was about these rocks and gems. You could tell he loved his job! 

This trip was a perfect way to spend a day on academic break. We will most definitely return next winter with Andy and our friends.