Things I wish I knew in my Twenties ….

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The past few days I have been seeing posts that say – People in your thirties, what advise do you have to give to the people in their twenties? While I did comment on some of them, I did want to share more than just one tip. So why not do what I do best and write, it is my cure for everything. Check out my Top 5 tips I wish I knew or had done in my twenties

  1. You don’t have to go to College right away or even at all.

While this is totally against what most people say and think, I am living proof that sometimes it is okay to wait to go to college. My advice would be to go see the world. Move out of your home town. Work. Travel and figure out what you want to do in life, without the influence of other people. There is a huge world out there, explore it. You never know what you will fall in love with. On top of that, if you do go back to college at an older age, you will appreciate everything you learn so much more! Trust me, this I know for a fact.

2. Do what makes you happy regardless of what society, your parents, your friends, or even your neighbors think.

You only have one life. Do not waste it trying to make someone else happy or doing something for someone else.  For so long I tried to “fit in” with what I thought was the right thing that I should be doing. Which in turn pushed aside what I really wanted to do, what my passions were.   You are your own person. Your thoughts, your feelings, your passions are yours and no one else’s. Do not let anyone take those away from you. Pursue those passions with a fire. Do things you love.

3. Save some money from every check

I waited tables and was a bartender for almost 12 years of my life and I have nothing to show for it except some great customer service skills and I know how to make a drink or two. Seriously though, regardless of how much money you make, make sure you save some of it. Save some from every paycheck or every shift you work, even if it is only $5. After 20 shifts you will have $100. Depending on how many shifts a week, that’s roughly $100 a month you are saving. Now just think, if I had done that, I would have over 14 thousand dollars in the bank not including interest. If you have a full-time job, fantastic. Make sure you set up your 401K and at the very minimum put in what you need to get your company to match you.

4. It is okay to be alone

For some reason there is this huge expectation that we have to be married right out of college and have a baby the following year. I am here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be that way. Trust me, I would love to be married and have a family but I also want it to be with the right person. Don’t ever settle because you deserve the world. If your partner isn’t willing to do for you what you are willing to do for them, then maybe just maybe they aren’t the partner for you. It is okay to wait. It is okay to not get married in your twenties. It is more than acceptable to wait for the person that sets your soul on fire.

5. Be a nice human being

There were a lot of times in my twenties when I was not a very nice person, especially since I worked in a restaurant for all of them.  Be a nice person. Show compassion and love. Show grace. No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. That perfect family or life you see on social media isn’t real.  Everyone has their own troubles and struggles that you may know nothing about. Be nice and spread some love.

These may seem like small tips to some but sometimes it is the little things that matter the most.

Whatever you do in your twenties, be great doing it.

And as always, spread some love. We could all use a little more love.

XOXO

Casey

Just Keep Smiling …

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I don’t know about you but this quarantine this past month or so has left me in a mix of emotions. Some days, I am on top of the world and other days it takes everything I have to get out of bed. Why is that? Why does being stuck at home only intensify the emotions you already have?

What most people see when they look at me, is a girl who seems to have it all together. You take a look at my social media and I do my very best to uplift, encourage, and inspire every day. I have an amazing child that deserves so much more than I could possibly every give. I have an amazing job that I love with everything in my soul. I just started a brand-new boutique (The Rustic Pony) that has taken off with all the support everyone has given me. This is literally a dream of mine coming true. I also am part of an amazing company that sells some of the best makeup I have ever worn. I am two classes and a thesis away from getting my Master’s degree, something that I have wanted for a long time. From the outside looking in, it sure seems like I have it all together.

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I am here to tell you that I don’t. I am just a normal girl who has a crazy range of emotions to deal with. Just a normal person no matter how many wins she gets never comes close to getting what she really wants. A girl who has days were the tears just fall down her face no matter what she does.

I am here to tell you that life in general is hard and no matter how perfect or great someone else’s live seems; remember they are fighting battles you know nothing about. Trust me, this is coming from someone who suffers from self-esteem, confidence and depression issues. Yes, you read that correctly. I am also someone that works hard every day to stay positive. I do personal development almost every day, I try my best to surround myself with positive people who bring me up instead of drag me down. I show gratitude for everything and everyone in my life. I do my very best to trust in the Lord’s plan but sometimes that just isn’t enough.

I am here to tell you that it is okay. There will be some days that get the best of you. You have to pick yourself up though, dust yourself off, wipe your tears away and know that tomorrow will be better. You have to find something in your life worth fighting for and do whatever you can to better yourself for that reason.

Most of all you have to believe in yourself and know that you are capable of everything you have ever dreamed of. No matter how you feel keep smiling. There will be dark days but know that those days will pass and there will be better days ahead.

Keeping reaching for the stars

As always spread some love, we could all use a little more love

XOXO

Casey

32 and Loving Life

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If you have read any of my past blogs or seen any of my social media accounts lately you will know that I am a huge proponent of mindset, growth, and stepping out of your comfort zone. I recently wrote about this amazing transition I have had in the last few months. While I know most of my family has noticed (I sure hope they have), I wasn’t quite sure how much y’all, the public, has noticed (I am pretty good at hiding my feelings….most of the time).

Rewind to this time exactly one year ago. I had Valentine’s Day, my brother’s wedding and my birthday all in a matter of 5 days. I bawled all 7 of those days. Yes. You read that right. I mean everyone needs a good cry now and then but I took it to the extreme.

  • Nobody likes to be single on Valentine’s Day. Okay, let’s back up here. The majority of the female population doesn’t like to be single on Valentine’s Day, even though they may not admit it. (Reminder – this is just my opinion). If I am wrong, great, but last year at this time, I know that I did not want to be single. It was another reminder that I was never going to find anybody, that I would never get married or have any more kids. It would just be me and my cows one day. Did I mention when my mind runs, it runs wild?!?

 

  • My brother’s wedding. I love my brother and his wife. They are great together, they love each other, and they are killing it at life. He is my little brother. I knew the day was coming but it came too quick for me. Let me remind you Valentine’s Day was two days before this wedding. In my mind, he was my baby brother, I was supposed to get married first. Then my mind (love when it does this, totally joking here) ran wild again. I was never going to find anyone, etc. etc… I can only imagine what my parents were thinking during those days, they are so amazing in all the support they give me.

 

  • My birthday. This amazing event (I mean how can it not be amazing, I was born on this day!) happened two days after my brother’s wedding. 31. I was officially into my thirties now. You know what I heard instead, my biological clock just ticking away. Then the flood of tears came.

 

Fast Forward to one year later.

I woke up on Valentine’s Day happy and excited about life. Side note here, Mattie snuck into my room in the middle of the night so I did wake up with some cuddles, my favorite. Seriously though, I am happy with where I am at, I am happy with being alone… okay maybe not ecstatic but I am okay with being alone. I am excited about my birthday, I can’t believe I just typed that but it’s true. My thirties have honestly been some of the best of my life. I am so excited to see what is in store this year. I will say that one year older for me is one year older for Mattie, which I am not too happy about but we will take it one day at a time.

As a society, I feel we put so much pressure on people. When they should get married, when they need to have kids, how Valentine’s Day should be spent showing someone how much you love them. When in reality, it is okay to go against the norm. It is okay to wait until you find the right guy or girl for you. Besides I have learned that you have to learn to love yourself first before you can make anyone else happy – true fact.

Just remember that everyone is at a different season in their life and God has an amazing plan for you. Yes, we wish we knew exactly what that plan was or I do at least but I don’t and neither do you. Instead, I am grateful that I am here at this time right now, getting to do the things I love. I am grateful I have an amazing daughter that loves me unconditionally. I am grateful for the amazing family I have. Shout out to both sets of my parents for making me feel loved on Valentine’s Day, love y’all! I am grateful for this season I am in, for I am constantly learning every day. Next time things aren’t going your way or you are down and out. Take out a pen and paper and write 100 things you are grateful for, yes 100. If it is really hard then take some time to stop and smell the roses. You will get a reminder of all the amazing things you have going on in your life.

As always spread some love

XOXO

Casey

How Changing Your Mindset Can Change Your Life

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You might be wondering why I am feeling compelled to share my college experiences. I do promise there is a point. Every decision that I have made the last 6 years has put me to where I am today. Some of those decisions included me growing and getting out of my comfort zone. I wanted to translate how important it is to get out and grow. To experience life. When you don’t, you honestly don’t know what you are missing or what you are capable of achieving.

The semester I was supposed to graduate I took an internship with the Texas Beef Council. Yes, I postponed my graduation! Once again, God was working his magic. The decision to apply for this internship was one of the best decisions I have made. I don’t even remember how I came up with the courage to apply. I just knew when I saw the email about the internship opportunity that it was something that I was really interested in, especially since Texas CattleWomen worked so close with them. Y’all this internship, there are no words on how awesome it was. My partner in crime for the semester was the greatest. I am telling you, this was a dream come true for me. I met so many incredible people, I got to work with some of the best in the industry and this internship truly taught me to spread my wings and grow. I am so thankful for that opportunity, for the people I have met are truly amazing.

Around this time I decided to apply for Graduate school. I had no intentions of moving back “home” (Wharton) anytime soon. College Station was/is my new home, for now anyway.  Graduate school was/is rough, the whole first year and a half I felt I made the wrong decision. I was on the major struggle bus.  I couldn’t find a project to do to write my thesis on and I honestly wanted to quit and just go to work. I was really unhappy with my life, for the whole past year actually. It was the “woe is me” type thing. I was stuck and never thought I was getting out and my life was so hard, it wasn’t fair, blah blah blah. When I look at myself back then, I just shake my head. I had done so many awesome things and grown so much and when I hit a road block those negative thoughts started happening and good went to bad and bad went to worse.

Roughly 6 months ago I was looking for a way to make extra money. I didn’t want to go back to waiting tables, I loved my full-time job but I wanted something extra to try to pay off some debt and get Mattie to Disney. I made a decision that has really turned my life around. Not only my life, but my mindset on life in general. I joined Younique, which is a makeup and skincare company. I had no idea what I was doing when I joined but I figured I would give it a shot. Once again God is so good y’all! I was blessed with the most amazing black status upline. She literally took me under her wings and has worked with me and taught me to fly, because at the time I had very little experience with makeup. She is one of those amazing ladies who is always positive no matter what, she keeps the positivity, the charisma, and the “I can do” attitude in all our group chats, team posts etc. She turned me on to Mr. Ray Higdon who has been such a blessing for me. I have never met him personally but I learn sooooo much from all of his online trainings. I have seen my mindset shift from woe is me to being grateful for the opportunity to wake up and do something I love every day. Mindset is everything. If you get anything from this blog let that be it and when I say mindset, I am meaning the way you look at things. If you are constantly negative and only see the bad in people or pay attention to all the terrible things going on in this world, that is what you are going to attract. The Law of Attraction. Transition your thoughts to what you are grateful for, transition your thoughts to how you would feel when you accomplish your wildest dreams, transition your thoughts to thinking you have already achieved them. It isn’t easy. I have to work every day at it and some days are a lot harder than others. Keeping negativity and negative people out of your life is probably one of the hardest things to do, especially if they are your friends. It all depends on you though and what kind of life you want for yourself.

I have my fingers crossed that I can graduate this Fall. I haven’t started job hunting yet but I have been finalizing the vision I have for myself. I did find an incredible project that I am so grateful to be working on for my graduate work. Needless to say, I am very excited to see what 2020 has in store for me.

As always spread some love

XOXO

Casey

Every Decision You Make Changes Your Life

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Six years ago I made a decision. I packed up pretty much all of my belongings, a two year old and headed to College Station. I left my full time job with a construction company and my bartending job on the side with the goal of getting that degree. I moved in with my mom and started College full time again for the first time in 8 years. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew that I wanted to finish my education.  I was 26 years old and boy did I feel that 26 years old. I was very shy, felt really out of place, and needless to say, had a lot of growing to do. At the time I didn’t know this decision would change my whole life, my only focus was to finish my last two years of school, go back home and eventually get married.  Needless to say, God had other plans.

That first semester rocked my world. Even with my total GPA of 3.5 at the end of the semester, I got put on Academic Probation. Yes, you read that right. You see, I was an AgBusiness major and I had taken accounting that semester and got a D! Yes! A D and I was an AgBusiness major, like I said God had other plans. At A&M, the AgBusiness program has certain core classes that you have to make a certain GPA in, accounting was one of those classes and since that was the only core class I took that semester my GPA was a 1.0. I was devastated. I can remember crying my eyes out in the back of the kitchen at Chili’s on the phone with my mom trying to figure out my life! I thought it was over but it was only getting started. I had to meet with the Dean and he actually told me about an AgEconomics program. It was similar to AgBusiness, had no core classes, had an entrepreneurship class, and I would be off Academic Probation. I was sold and switched programs.  See, I had had a dream of owning a feed store one day. When I was younger, I would go Hallettsville when we went to our deer lease and they had this feed store there that I loved! I wanted one similar but a little bigger sort of like the D&D store in Seguin.  By the way, if you have never seen that store it is HUGE!

During that first semester I also took an Animal Science class. This class changed my life, period. Everything that I thought I had wanted to do workwise was out the window. Besides the feed store, I now had new dreams. I wanted to run a cattle operation and I wanted to be involved with Agriculture. It took me roughly a year of taking Animal Science classes along with my other course load but I made another big decision and added Animal Science as a double major to my degree. This added roughly an extra year to my graduation date but I did not care. I was soaking up knowledge left and right. Extremely grateful that I went back to school when I did, I actually wanted to learn and I cared a lot more.

The AgEconomics program was a huge blessing in disguise. I met so many mentors and was able to network with so many people. The best part was in one of the classes, you have to start a business from scratch. That class was probably one of the hardest classes I have taken due to the amount of work required but I loved everything about it. My business was a cow/calf operation, where I sold preconditioned steers and bred heifers. I loved that class and my Professor Dr. Rister. He was one of the best Professors I have ever had.  I still have all my binders under my bed from those classes, that way when I am ready to open a business I can pull out all my old tools.

One day during my first year at A&M, I was sitting in my statistics class and I saw this girl wearing a Texas Aggie CattleWomen shirt. I actually got the courage to ask her about the shirt (told y’all I was shy) and she told me about this Collegiate Organization and that I should check it out. It took me a whole year before I got the courage to go to one meeting! At that meeting they made us stand up and introduce ourselves. Of course I sat in the back and tried to hide, I was literally ringing with sweat when I had to stand up and say my name and where I was from. I mean I was terrified! Did I mention I am currently the President-Elect for the State Organization? A whole year, I wasted a whole year because I was afraid of what other people would think of me and I didn’t even know the people yet! Crazy! Needless to say, I joined the organization and haven’t look back. I have served as the Treasurer and President for the Texas Aggie CattleWomen, Vice President and currently President-Elect for the Texas CattleWomen and I am also on the Board of Directors for the American National CattleWomen. This organization has given me so much life. I am so thankful for all the people that I have met along the way. While at the time I didn’t realize it was happening but I have been slowly growing. I can speak in front of people without sweating, I can run meetings, I can help host events, and plan them well too. If you have never heard of Texas CattleWomen or are interested in learning more about it, please reach out to me. I would love to help you find a local chapter. Tune in next time for when I finish my college adventures and tell you about the next couple of decisions that have set my soul on fire even more than it already was.

As always, spread some love.

XOXO

Casey

To New Adventures and Lessons Learned

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I have always wanted to be an author. Lately I have been thinking about what it would be like to be a NY Times Best Selling Author. How amazing would it be to have people not only buy your book, but read the words that you have written. To have people laughing and crying with you as you write page after page. I can almost feel that feeling, I can just imagine it. That imagination fuels fire to my dreams. One day I will be a NY Times Best-selling author.

It has been quite some time since I have written publically so I figured I should start out with a bang. Five life lessons I have learned in my short time (31 years) on Earth. I am very curious to see how many people can relate to this!

 

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You Can’t Change Someone

This is huge, for so long I thought that maybe if I was good enough or pour my whole heart and soul into a relationship that that person would really see how amazing I am. They would change their ways and be a better person. They would love everything about me, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything would be hunky dory. Wrong! People only change when they are ready to change and there is not much you can do to make it happen any faster, if it ever happens at all. If you are not being treated right, fix your crown and move on.

No One Will Hand You Your Dreams on a Silver Platter

I grew up in the Disney Era, with the Little Mermaid and Cinderella. For a long time I waited for my knight in shining armor to swoop in and give me the world. Don’t get me wrong, I worked but I was waiting for someone to fulfill my dreams for me. That, my friends, doesn’t happen. You may find the perfect person to be there and support you while you achieve your dreams but no one is going to hand them to you. If you happen to find someone that will just hand them to you then you won’t get the satisfaction of ever really achieving your dreams. If you are really wanting to accomplish your goals, put your head down and hustle hard. Hustle harder than you have ever hustled before. You will get there before you know it.

Being a People Pleaser Gets You No Where

Okay, before everyone jumps on me. Yes, you can get somewhere by being a people pleaser, however, you will never achieve what you are fully capable of achieving. I am/was a people pleaser. It is something that I have had to work really hard at changing. You will never ever and I repeat NEVER EVER make everyone happy. So why try? There will always be someone who doesn’t agree with what you say or just doesn’t like you. That my friends is A OKAY. Focus on your dreams and aspirations and let the other people worry about themselves.

You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To – With A Little Hard Work

Okay, let’s be a little realistic here. I remember being little and being told you can be anything you want to be. While that may be true, it takes a lot of hard work to be anything you want to be. Hard work requires growth, which requires stepping out of your comfort zone, which makes accomplishing those dreams a little easier. For example, I sell makeup as a side hustle. Me! The girl that hardly ever wore makeup, the girl that made her friends do her makeup if they were going out, the girl that used to wear gold, dusty eyeshadow for crying out loud! Yes, I still have pictures to prove it. I am that girl but guess what, I am loving the skin I am in now. I knew I wanted something more for Mattie and I and this was a way for me to achieve that. So I joined a company and haven’t looked back. It hasn’t been easy but it has been worth it!

Be Your Own Unique Self

This, this right here hits home so hard for me. I look back to those awkward teenage years until now and I see so many different people that I tried to be to fit in or be liked. It really makes me sad. There is only one you, God made you to shine just being yourself, so do that. The last two years have been some of the best of my life. I have finally started to figure out who I am. Been letting my inner girl shine. The last two years have also been full of huge lessons for me. All I know is that my confidence is building and I am beginning to step more and more out of my comfort zone! I cannot wait for this next year to see what will happen. Just remember to be yourself, the people that matter won’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.

As always spread some love.

XOXO

Casey

Weddings, CattleWomen and More

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It is been a while since I have put pen to paper but this has given me the opportunity to think through a lot of things.  Sometimes taking that step back from a situation helps clear our heads and enables us to look at things from a different viewpoint.

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There have been a lot of beautiful things that have happened lately. Roughly a month ago, I was able to witness my brother say I do to his new wife.  The place was fantastic and the wedding was great, however, my favorite part was watching both of them share their vows for each other.  You could honestly see the love they had for each other beaming out of them.   To love someone that deeply has to be a feeling that is out of this world.  I know I am a little late on this but I had to share it.  To my brother, if you are reading this, I hope that you know how incredibly proud I am of you.  You amaze me every day with your selflessness to serve.  I look you up to you in so many ways.  I know most of the time we spend together we normally end up picking on each other but just know that is out of love.  It has been amazing watching you grow up to the man you are today.  Thank you for stepping in and playing a role in Mattie’s life, watching y’all two at the wedding brought more love to my heart than you can ever imagine.  It brings tears to my eyes writing about it now.  So thank you.

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This past weekend I was able to rejuvenate my love for CattleWomen.  We spent the weekend at our annual Women In Ranching program and it was a blast.  Being surrounded by women with like minds is an incredible thing.  I was able to sit and watch ladies of all experience levels come together to make a weekend successful.  The one thing I loved most about all this is the friendships I have made and continue to make.  There were times in these last few months that have been pretty lonely, not really quite sure I had any friends at some points, but these ladies have changed that.  It is not often that you can get a bunch of ladies in a room together and have everyone get along.  My favorite moment of the whole weekend was Saturday evening, killing some time before dinner.  I sat down at a table with two other ladies and within 10 minutes, not only was our table full, we had a circle of probably almost 15 ladies, talking, sharing stories, and getting to know one another.  This event has put me on fire and I can not wait to finalize the Fall Tour and get the ladies on board.

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There have been some struggles the past few months but everyone has struggled in one way or another, it is how you look at those struggles that changes your way of thinking.  Keep pushing forward to be the best you can be. Keep growing in your faith and as always share some love, we could all use a little more love.

“I will Soar on Wings like Eagles..”

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As I was driving home last night, this topic was really weighing on my heart and mind and I felt I needed to share.  Yesterday was a good day.  No, yesterday was a great day.  Texas CattleWomen had an informational session in Decatur and the best possible outcome happened that could have, we got a new local started.  How can all these great things be happening but yet it feels as if I am not doing enough or the results that I am getting are not good enough.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have really noticed how much and how bad negative thoughts can affect someone.  Trust me, I get them all the time and normally always assume the worst.  Why, why do we do that?  I can work my tail off at something and nail it and get told that what I did was great and yet I am still so unsure.  It is crazy how the mind works, why some people feel certain ways and others can’t.  How self-confidence can make or break you.  How it can be so hard to genuinely accept that – Hey! You are doing a dang good job!

Just know that You are enough! When you get that compliment, say thank you and enjoy it.  Relish in it and give yourself a pat on the back.  Believe in yourself as much as other people do – this is HUGE, something I struggle with a lot.  It is okay to have bad days, everyone has bad days, but get up, dust yourself off and make tomorrow better. No one is perfect, no one.  Smile, you never know who is watching or wanting to be just like you.

Find things that make you happy and do them.  Learn to be you and don’t let anyone take that away from you.  And sometimes you just need a three-hour jam session of some Jesus music.  This next week I challenge you to do something out of the norm, whether that be saying hello to someone on the street, trying some new food, or even picking up a new hobby. Have an amazing week and as always share some love, we could all use some more love.

 

 

Sliding into 2019

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2019 started with my foot on the gas pedal!  A quiet New Year’s Eve evening with Mattie popping fireworks with my dad and me, which has turned into a tradition, has turned into a non-stop roller coaster from Mattie’s extracurricular activities to starting a new job to my CattleWomen to school starting.  My life has been busy busy busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

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I am definitely excited to see what is in store for 2019.  2018 was amazing overall but I was glad to see it go.  A new year always means a new slate to me.  A new year to make a difference and to live life to the fullest. 2018 started off with a bang and slowly dwindled down so I can only imagine what 2019 has in store.  It is true, my thirties have already been better than my twenties and I am just getting started.

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It is crazy how your path can take you to different places, with different people, and you learn and become interested in different things.  I always knew that I had a creative side in me.  I mean, I did originally want to go to College for a photography degree. The more time I spend working the more and more I fall in love with it. I was sitting at my desk the other day working on a design for a new website and I thought to myself, I should have been a communication major or something equivalent.  I wish I would have gotten more experience in that field in school but one of my classes this semester is Ag Design so I am super excited about that.

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God continues to bless me every day and I am so thankful for all the wonderful opportunities that I have been given and my amazing parents for making those opportunities possible for me.

2019 is going to be a year of rebuilding for me, a year of growing up, a year of finding new hobbies and pursuing them, a year of traveling (gotta love my CattleWomen ladies), a year of making new memories and a year of cherishing everything and everyone around me.

Here is to 2019 and I hope your year is the best that is can possibly be!

As always share some love, we can always use some more love!

To My Heart – Mattie Moo

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This blog post has been weighing on my heart for some time now.  I have written it probably a 1,000 times in my head and it still isn’t and will never be perfect enough for you.  You were the game changer for me, the life changer, the, I wanted something more for you changer.  Words could never describe the feelings I have for you, but I will try. This is for you Mattie Moo.

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I remember it just like it was yesterday, the first time I felt you move.  At that moment things begin to change.  You were more than just a heartbeat, you were a real person.  From the first time I saw your squishy head fly past me to when we left the hospital, I knew it was going to be me and you kiddo and that it would always be me and you.

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It wasn’t always easy although you were an angel of a baby.  I was back to work before you could blink and you were off to daycare.  It was hard being without you the majority of the days and weekends but sometimes those were the sacrifices I had to make.  Sometimes you have to do what needs to be done and that included working.  I have to thank your grandparents (both sets) because, without them, we would be lost.

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I remember the first steps you took and when you finally decided to grow hair.  The thing I miss the most is holding and rocking you to sleep.  I still get snuggles for now, but I know those won’t last forever.  I made a big decision and we moved towns and I went back to school full time.  I know things for you can be different at times and I know you may not always understand but I hope one day you do.  The things I do, I do for you.  I want you to see the passion and desires I have to follow my dreams.  I want you to know that your dreams are possible and to never give up.

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You are the most loving, the kindest, and the most caring kid I know.  You have the sweetest soul and your love for Jesus, animals, and people shines through you.  Please don’t lose that.  Life is going to be tough but just know that you can make it through anything and I will be right there with you along the way.

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You never seem to amaze me with your infectious belly laugh and your toothless grin.  Keep being you Mattie and never lose that. I have heard that children in heaven actually pick their parents out before-hand.  If that is the case or if God chose me, I am so thankful for that.  You teach me things every day and we learn how to “tackle” life together.  I love you sweetheart and I always will.  Don’t lose your faith in God or me because together we can make it through anything.  You are about to turn another year older and get another year wiser, just know you will always be my baby.  I love you Mattie Moo.

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