More Life

April is almost like an early holiday season for me and my family. It is a month of birthdays galore! I wanted to use this post as an opportunity to acknowledge a handful of my family members who have birthdays this month and wish them many many more blessed, happy and fulfilling years of life!
Like Drake says ā€œMORE LIFEā€!

girl excited at her birthday party

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First on the list! I talk about my mom so much you all probably thought she made me on her own. Well plot twist, she did not make me on her own, lol, I have a father whom I love and adore very much and His name is George.

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Photos of my Dad

I always joke and say itā€™s the guy in those pictures up there that bamboozled my mom into having all these kids lol. My father has got to be THE FUNNIEST man I know. Heā€™s also super annoying. As soon as he walks in the house, the volume goes from 0 to 100 real quick.

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Sometimes I even run and hide in my room so I wouldnā€™t have to hear his rants lol; but I wouldnā€™t have it any other way. My father looks out for me like no one else. He may go on and on about how I ā€œneed to be more responsibleā€ or how Iā€™m ā€œnot a kid anymoreā€ and he shouldnā€™t ā€œhave to do all these thingsā€ but he does it because Iā€™m ALWAYS gonna be his ā€œkidā€. They say fathers always have a weak spot for their daughters but he shows the same love to my brothers as he does for me and my sister. He shows us love in his own ā€œtoughā€ way and is always giving us the best advice and using his own past experience and life lessons to help us avoid the same mistakes. Of course we donā€™t want to hear it at the time, but he is always on point. Heā€™s smelled some of the ā€œclownsā€ Iā€™ve called boyfriends from miles away lol. So Mr. Francis, happy birthday! I love you and I hope you see many more years. Enough to walk me down the aisle, enough to meet and be a part of my future childrenā€™s lives, and enough to get on my nerves for however long you feel. But just remember, if you get on my nerves too much, itā€™s straight to the nursing home for you,lol.

P.S Iā€™m not just saying all this to butter you up for a nicer car I swear.

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Next up, this one is a big one. The oh so Sweet 16. My second niece, Nia.

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Photos of my Niece

I look at the person in the picture on the right and canā€™t believe she was once the picture on the left. Now sheā€™s 16 and has her own independent personality, even rude of course. Her and my first niece, Anaya, are only a few months apart and I remember Nia being in the walker and my older niece would bite her fingers when no one was watching. Kids are so mean, lol! She would be crying randomly and we just couldn’t figure it out. We eventually realized what was going on but there was one day that Nia bit Anaya back. It was then that we knew that now the tables had turned and she was getting ready to be her own force. They still go head to head just the same and itā€™s a hot mess. She is one of the people that I want the best for and want to see succeed in this world full of a mixture of adversity and opportunity. Happy birthday to my niece Nia!

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Then thereā€™s my favorite little person, My 3rd niece, Sanaa.

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Photos of my niece

This little girl has been here before I swear. Sheā€™s so smart and sassy, and literally a ball of love.Ā We have new nicknames for each other every day and she can change your mood to a happy one in 2.5 seconds like itā€™s her superpower. She looks up to me and I take that to the highest degree. I want to show her that she can be whatever she wants, do whatever she wants, and that happiness should always be the motivation. Not only do I support her, but she supports me. Sheā€™s always offering to help, always asking how I am, what Iā€™m up to; grown people can take a page or two from her book. She also just might be the funniest person in this family lol, love her.

Happy Birthday ā€œBunnyā€! The most spectacular thing about me writing this to her is that she is turning 7 next week and she reads my blogs on her own. Yes, thatā€™s what I said. With the exception of a few harder big words, she reads these posts on her own!

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Lastly thereā€™s Akeem, my friend of over 12 years, Sanaaā€™s godfather (the ā€œfrickā€ to her ā€œfrackā€), and someone that I definitely love to hate lol.

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Photo of my niece and friend Akeem

I already told him that at my graduation he has to wear a t-shirt with my picture that says ā€œNefertiti is the smartest person I knowā€. Heā€™s one of those people who pushes my buttons on purpose, so you know what, I do the same back. I also think heā€™s at the top of the list of competition for my nieceā€™s love lol. Itā€™s always something with him lol. He says he doesn’t eat meat, but begged my mother for some of her Chic-Fil-A the other day. I told him I donā€™t do hair anymore, heā€™s always asking me to braid his. Do you see where Iā€™m going with this? Just ANNOYING lol. All jokes aside though, he is someone I can always count, and call on, and I will always appreciate that about him.
From being my friend, heā€™s become my family, and despite any ups and downs we will always be there for each other. Happy Birthday!

Some say life is short, I personally like to think life is long, and birthdays are anniversaries. Even if itā€™s not someoneā€™s birthday, to be able to have another day with them is a blessing. Be sure to tell those you love that you love and appreciate them all the time. As people get older, one day you may not have the luxury of to telling them these things face to face.

Give your loved ones their flowers while they can still smell them. šŸ™‚

P.S Happy Birthday also to my Aunt Michelle, my great niece Athena, my Aunt Jennifer, and my late Uncle Darrin. Love you all.

Happy Birthday Queen Bee!

Today is a special day hunny! I introduced you to this phenomenal woman a few weeks back, my mom Rachel, and today is her 56th birthday! Right now her and I are having a poolside pina colada (yes at 9 am, it IS her birthday lol). I decided to dedicate this post to her, Iā€™m absolutely obsessed with her, and so happy to be sharing another birthday with this chica.

I think one of the greatest blessings in this world is a mother. A motherā€™s love is a lifelong, selfless, forgiving, giving, unique love that you can only know if you are a mother. I am not yet a mother but if I could be only a fraction of the mother she is one day, I know I will be great. I actually strive to be twice the mother she is, so my unborn children are in for some RIDICULOUS lovin’!

One thing I know about my mom is she has dedicated her life to her 5 children and 3 grand children. I have seen her give her last, time and time again for any of us. Her love for us kept her from home from work for our stomachaches and headaches (the real AND the fake ones), pregnancy nausea, or just playing hooky every once in awhile. Her love put us first always and set the highest examples for us.

One of my favorite childhood memories with my mom was writing poetry together. I probably only contributed a few words or some grammatical adjustments, but she always put my initials in her signature. I want to share with you my motherā€™s own words that reflects her motherhood, a poem entitled ā€œChildrenā€, written by her back in 2000. Enjoy šŸ™‚

“Children”- Rachel Noel Pg 1

“Children”- Rachel Noel Pg 2

“Children”- Rachel Noel Pg 3

Happy Birthday Mom!!!