100 Things I want to teach my daughter, Halen

1. You are absolutely and undeniably unique. You are one of a kind, and there is no one like you in the world. BE YOURSELF. It will draw people to you for the rest of your life.

2. Life is not a race. Never compare yourself to where the people around you are. Your plan is different than anyone else’s plan. Remember that.

3. Always set goals. Even small ones. We are creatures of progression. Post your goals where you can see them and always picture yourself accomplishing them.

4. Lists are your friend. Make them, and enjoy the glorious feeling of crossing off an item.

5. Step outside your comfort zone. You’ll be surprised.

6. You’re never too old to dream. Carpe diem!

7. Everything is always okay in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.

8. Nothing you do can make me stop loving you.

9. Pay attention to the way your daddy and I treat each other. We want that for you someday.

10. Beauty truly comes from the inside. Believe that. The media lies. Don’t compare yourself or your looks. Comparison is the thief of joy. You were made in God’s image. He doesn’t make mistakes. You ARE beautiful.

11. Read your scriptures. It has the answers to all the problems you’ll face. And if you don’t think so, read harder.

12. We don’t stop playing when we get old. We get old because we stop playing.

13. Friends will make or break you. Seek out good friends. Be the kind of friend you wish you had.

14. Don’t be a people-pleaser. Just be honest and do what’s right, even if it’s not popular. Stay true to you.

15. Live alone at least once in your life. You will learn more about yourself in that time than you ever can imagine.

16. When you start feeling sorry for yourself, find someone to serve. Do something nice for someone. Making cookies is a good start. Cooking can soothe one's soul. You'll feel better by being in the kitchen and doing something for someone else and they'll feel better when you deliver homemade treats to their door. I always feel at peace in the kitchen and when I can make things for others.

17. Chronic complaining is unattractive. Develop your problem solving skills. If you aren’t willing to make the proper change, you aren’t allowed to whine about the problem.

18. There are things animals understand, that people don’t. Cuddle one of our animals when you’re having a sad day. They'll teach you what unconditional love means.

19. Never deny an adventure.

20. Don’t lose the eternal perspective. As long as you can remember that Heavenly Father knows what he is doing, small trials become trivial. He sees more than we do, and it’s all for something.

21. NOTHING in the world is more important than Heaven. Always keep getting to Heaven as your goal, and stay worthy of it once you’re there. No activity, drink, behavior, or lifestyle is better than the blessings Heaven holds. I promise that. Get there. Stay there.

22. Keep a journal. Write your story. It’s therapy.

23. Your daddy works so hard to support our family. He loves me and you so much. He makes time to laugh and have fun with us every single day. He is happy and patient. I don’t know how he does it, but make sure you find someone like him to marry.

24. Don’t be afraid to do things by yourself.

25. Part of doing things yourself is making mistakes. Mistakes can always be fixed.

26. You never know who is watching and looking up to you. Never forget that you are always an example to someone.

27. Be kind to everyone. Even strangers. You don’t know what they are going through. Treat everyone you meet like it’s their birthday.

28. Hard work will get you further than anything in life.

29. Learn to see the beauty in the world. It’s all around. You just have to open your eyes.

30. Take road trips often.

31. There is more to life than money. Money can never make you happy. Debt will rot your soul. Avoid unnecessary debt.

32. Music is a language best understood by the heart. Your Uncle Chase writes his own music...ask him to have a jam session some time. He would love to teach you what he knows about life.

33. Don’t believe anyone who says Van Halen, U2, Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye and any of the class acts are lame. They paved our way for music.

34. Laugh every single day. A sense of humor is worth gold.

35. Happiness is a journey. It’s a mood. It is NOT a destination. You can be happy amidst trials.

36. Always eat a healthy breakfast.

37. A bowl of popcorn and Singing In the Rain will mend a heart. Gene Kelly and his tap-dancing feet will take your problems away for 1.5 hours.

38. Camping is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Do it at least once a year.

39. True love is doing the dishes together and inside jokes over silly things.

40. You’re never too busy for a long bubble bath.

41. Celebrate your heritage. It’s good to be Greek.  Your YaYa is one of the most amazing women who’s lived. Learn about her. Follow her example. You're also German....your PaPa is one of the most courageous, inspiring men I know. If you're ever feeling stuck in a rut and need a pep talk...he's definitely your man. You're also Polish...your Uncle Matt has some amazing work ethic and he's genuine. Save some good questions for him, he'll brighten your world.

42. I will never get mad at you for staying up too late reading a good book.

43. Be detail oriented. You know your mama is!

44.  Good ole pretend will never go out of style.

45. No excuses. Just woman-up and get things done!

46. A good pair of running shoes is an investment. I hope we go on many runs together.

47. Trust takes a long time to earn, be so careful to not break that with your friends and family.

48. Make friends with your cousins. Those relationships get even better with age.

49. Treat yourself to a cold Dr. Pepper (preferably one with real cane sugar)...your daddy will happily split one with you.

50. There’s no such thing as too many pillows.

51. Your name holds special meaning to us. We'll never grow old of telling you the story. Ask us any time.

52. A strong man isn’t threatened by a strong woman.

53. Womanhood is a gift.

54. The painful truth is always better than a messy lie.

55. Good communication is a skill that should always be worked on.

56. When it rains, pause to go jump in a puddle. Dance, while you’re at it.

57. Never go months without a washer and dryer. Save your sanity. Learn from your silly parents.

58. Understand your worth. If someone isn’t willing to treat you like a daughter of God, they aren’t worth your time. Don’t ever ever settle just to save yourself from being alone.

59. Girls can like Super Heroes too.

60. Never play the victim. If bad things happen, it’s for a reason. We rise from the ashes. We don’t feel sorry for ourselves.

61. Wickedness can NEVER be happiness.

62. Faith has a short shelf life. Never assume you’re “safe” from falling. I made that mistake, and it was hard to fix. But always remember, it CAN be fixed. It is just really really hard.

63. God's forgiveness and love is for more than just sins. It is for broken hearts, sadness, depression, struggles, and anything you need strength for.  He is always available for use. Don’t ignore him. Talk to him, he will help you heal.

64. It’s not your place to judge. Ever.

65. Forgive. Even when they never say sorry.

66. Don’t ever count on somebody else to make you happy. Ever.

67. There’s no shame in having birthday cake pancakes for breakfast. After all it's only once a year.

68. Be brave enough to try new foods at least once.

69. Fresh strawberries on vanilla ice cream is the best thing you will eat all summer long.

70. Be the first to volunteer when someone needs help.

71. Go to the mountains often, even if only on a drive.

72. Get a library card.

73. Fight for what matters. Learn your passion and always follow it.

74. Learn something from everyone.

75. Nobody likes a know-it-all.

76. Mean everything you say. Keep your word. Don’t trifle words.

77. Don’t live in the past. You can’t drive forward if you’re stuck looking in a rear view mirror. You will keep crashing. Look FORWARD, and occasionally glance back to keep things in check.

78. Don’t wait for things to happen. Make them happen.

79. Drink lots of water.

80. Most of the things you worry about never happen.

81. I will always want to hear from you.

82. Being passive aggressive is immature. When you have a problem with something or someone, do the right thing and talk to them about it. It’s hard. But it’s better.

83. Never attack the person. Attack the problem.

84. It never hurts to ask.

85. You can’t change what people think about you. Be your best self, and that is enough.

86.  Each season brings in the best weather. Live up each season. Wear your favorite boots in the fall with your Denver Broncos shirt, where your your colorful scarf in the winter, wear your sundress in the spring while running through blue bonnets and wear your go-to flip flops in the summer when we go to the beach in Michigan. Embrace God's gifts for each season.

87. If you’re bored, organize your closet.

88. Go thrift shopping with your NeNe, she has an incredible eye and will show you that consignment stores hold many treasures!

89. Girls can use power tools too. Just ask your daddy to help teach you first.

90. Get to know yourself. And LOVE yourself. But remember, it’s not always about YOU. Think of others, and be there to lift them up.

91. Your life has a reason, and you have a great work to do. Look for opportunities around you to make a difference.

92. Being consistent is the best way to not have drama.

93. Pay your bills on time.

94. People watching is never a waste of time. Just don't be impolite.

95. If someone tells you getting your pilot’s license (or anything for that matter) is impossible, they are wrong.YOU can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. Have faith.

96. You are a creation of two people’s eternal love. No one has loved anyone more than I love your dad.

97. Marry someone who is fun to be around and makes you laugh. If you can’t laugh together when you accidentally drop your steaming hot pie all over the kitchen floor, you’re going to have a hard time.

98. Climb trees.

99. Take LOTS of pictures.

100.  God is in control. But he wants to see what you can do in this life. You are the captain of your soul.

Halen Rae Carol

On Friday, December 13th your daddy and I took the day off of work. This was the next big milestone in our journey to meet you...20 weeks. This is the appointment where we could actually see you and find out your gender. We invited your Yaya and Aunt Dana to come along.

I dressed up warm on this rainy day, giddy for what would unfold. We arrived to the doctor's office and were directed downstairs with the sonogram specialist. She got me all set up on the table and squirted that cool gel on my belly. In no time your daddy and I could see you...your little feet, your nose, your legs, your arms! We were amazed. There you were. We smiled and just stared at you. Your Yaya got teary eyed, her second grandbaby was officially on the way. Aunt Dana took pictures of daddy and I wrapped up in this bubble of elation.

We told the specialist that we didn't want to know the gender at the appointment...oh no we had a plan. :) We had created two separate papers that would tell us if we were having a boy or a girl and put your name on each one. So when the time came to look at your parts the specialist told us to look away. Our hearts skipped a beat and we tried to divert our attention to the company in the room. After the appointment, we went upstairs to meet with our doctor, Doctor Swenson. She told us that everything looked beautiful and she was excited to see us in another month.

We left the appointment, excitedly hugged your Yaya and Aunt Dana then went about our way to enjoy our weekend. We went to a cozy breakfast at Kerby Lane then went to check in at the Driskill Hotel. The letter and picture telling us your gender was practically burning a hole in our pocket. We just kept catching silly glances at each other. Each secretly wondering what you would be. We hurriedly set our things down and made our way to our spot. As soon as we were on the balcony (the same place your daddy proposed) your daddy opened the envelope that would change our lives forever. As soon as I saw the pink border I squealed with excitement. Then the envelope unveiled: "It's a GIRL!" "Halen Rae Carol is on her way!" Your daddy and I were beside ourselves.

Sidenote: Now your daddy only cries at the best moments possible. He cried when he proposed, on our wedding day, when I told him we were having a baby and now he was getting his baby girl.

Your daddy wanted a baby girl more than anything. He was so excited that you were real and on your way into our lives. We immediately wanted to go shopping for you, so we went to Anthropologie and bought your first ornament, an 'H', that we'd use in our Christmas picture. Then went to South Congress to see what pink treasures we could get our hands on. After a decaf toasted marshmallow latte from Jo's Coffee we headed back to our hotel room to get ready for the night. We purposely made this a special evening, to toast to us as en ever evolving couple who's foundation was based on immense love and friendship and to toast to the start of our family.

We enjoyed the Driskill bar over a glass of homemade egg nog then had reservations at Austin Land & Cattle steakhouse, it was impeccable. We ordered the escargot as an appetizer, heirloom tomato, roasted onion, parmesan salad, and for our main courses: your daddy went bold and ordered himself a rare filet mignon, where I ordered the seared duck breast. We added the truffle macaroni and cheese and twice baked broccoli. The dinner was divine.


For dessert we went to the Four Seasons Hotel for crème brulee and to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. We went back to our hotel to float on cloud nine in between Egyptian cotton sheets.

The next morning after the Driskill hotel generously purchased our brunch: homemade cinnamon roll, huevos rancheros, hangover burger, coffee and tea; we decided to continue our shopping spree for our little girl. We found some fun treasures and I never thought your daddy would love the color pink so much!

Our next plan was to keep this our secret until the next week so we could unveil your gender to all our closest friends and family members. But your Papa and Uncle Chase had a really difficult time with this. They constantly called me, texted me to ask about your gender. They were trying so hard to make me tell! But I knew it was just because they were so excited. 

On December 20th, we had everyone over for a housewarming party/gender reveal. I had made some sweet and savory bites for our guests to enjoy: Swedish meatballs (okay okay, Ikea made those ;) ), Bacon Wrapped Bleu Cheese Stuffed Dates, Scallion Cheese Ball, BBQ Sausages, Santa S'more Cookies, Peppermint Fudge and more. Our guests started to arrive and Evan and I were thrilled to finally share our news. The time came and we had prepared light pink ornaments which we wrote your name on in a darker pink glitter glue. We wrapped them up and stuck them in our Christmas tree. When the time came to tell, we passed the packages around and told everyone to open them at the same time. Everyone was SO excited to hear we were having a girl! Your Yaya was in tears, your Papa (who really wanted a little granddaughter) had a huge smile on his face.

So many people love you before they even know you! Your Aunt Dana can't wait to raise her lil Piper with my lil Halen...future BFFs! Nisey, Julie and Jenna are so excited to babysit you and hold you. Your Uncle Matt renamed his man cave to Man Halen. Your Uncle Chase is tickled pink.

That's how we introduced you to the world our little Halen. We cannot wait to meet you.

Keep on kickin' little lady! xoxox Mama & Daddy