Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Happy Birthday Erik!

My youngest son turns 16 today.  Wow. I'm old!

Here he is recently when he made me hot tub in the morning to celebrate the first snow. It was bitter cold with blowing snow - a truly miserable experience.  (He has his head turned so the pelting ice crystals didn't hit him directly in the face.  Don't feel too sorry for him - I'm the idiot standing in my swimsuit taking a picture!)


He loves new food experiences. (He'd had crawfish before - although it's not particularly common in Colorado!)


Here he is over the summer. He woke up at 5:30 a.m., wandered out to the hammock and slept for three more hours!!


He keeps us on our toes!!

But he really hasn't had the best year in his life. Just teenage stuff - but it has him down (you couldn't pay me enough to go back to my teenage years).  So I wanted to make a birthday card that was also encouraging.  

A Million People


The sentiment is an in/out set and the inside says "That makes you one in a million".  I think it's exactly the message he needs right now.

I started out with some clear sequins - like sun spots in the sky - but then realized that my 16-year old male would be offended by sequins!  I had these wooden stars on my desk needing to be put away and I'm glad they were there - because I love the look!

We don't have huge plans today.  We do have tickets for the entire family and a friend of his for Star Wars tomorrow.  He and his big brother went on opening night but could only get first row tickets in a small theater. This time, we have decent seats in a huge theater with the reclining seats and restaurant service.  I'm excited!  (I'm old - so I still remember seeing the very first Star Wars way more times than I care to admit.)  Then he's hauling a second TV to the family room and he and his friend are doing side-by-side "XBoxing" for the rest of the night with promises from the rest of the family to stay out of his way and not complain about the extended XBox time!

SUPPLY LIST

Both stamp sets are retired Stampin' Up - the balloons are from Patterned Play, the sentiment from One in a Million. The paper is Crushed Curry. I used Distress Inks to sponge the colored strip - Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber and Bundled Sage.


6 comments:

  1. Great card Kim. Sounds like he is going to have a wonderful birthday. Hang in there, it can be so hard for young people these days, watched my 19 yr old battle depression for nearly two years. He is bow twenty three and going strong but it was so hard for him and for me trying to be there for him. Stay strong

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  2. Happy birthday Erik!! What a good mom you are to brave the cold!! Fantastic card for him too. Enjoy Star Wars. We haven't seen it yet but my brother says it's gooooood!!!

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  3. I agree with what Lisa said in a comment above me...what a great Mom you are...but I'm sure it's because of your "great" son that you are doing that. (braving the cold and all...WOW!) Your card is wonderful. Hope your son had the best birthday ever!

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  4. Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate his birthday :) Loved the Star Wars movie (saw it in 3D in a swanky theater with reclining seats) and yes, I too remember lining up for the very first one when I was in high school. Thank for making me LOL at your comment about you being outside the hot tub taking the photo. Major points for mom!!! They grow up waaaay too quickly, don't they!!

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  5. Belated Happy Birthday, Erik! Sounds like you had a 'perfect' celebration with the movie and X-Box fest! Kim, your card for him is stellar! You've shared your love for him in the images, the decision *not* to put sequins (the stars are far more 'handsome' *grin*), and, especially, the sentiment. Being a teen, especially these days, is hard. With your support and encouragement, he'll weather the storms and emerge a strong, resilient young man (he's already on that road...). Fabulous photos; thinking of you standing in your swimsuit to take the picture...brrr! Yet more evidence of what a great mom you are!
    Hugs~c

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  6. What a great celebration of life for both of you. Just wanted to ask.......were you having iced coffee? LOL

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