We're Back in Black (and White and Read All Over)

2015 has been incredible so far, packed full of excitement and big opportunities that we can hardly believe ourselves, so let's have a quick recap before we look forward. We kicked off the year with a sweet acoustic show and a packed house at the Plant Cafe, then spent a week in Music City, taking it all in, handling a few meetings, and eating more than a little good food! We left our hearts in Nashville, and we're more than ready to go back (check back later this week for a full travel journal!). 

We only had a few days between playing the tourist in Nashville and playing shows in Daytona and New Smyrna Beach, FL over Speedweek. The love and support we got from you guys during a week packed full of shows and appearances, and capped off by a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the pits at the NASCAR XFINITY Series Alert Today 300. 

Following the race, we played two weekends back to back at Moccasin Creek Offroad Park, sharing the stage with our new friends Young Sullivan at the Muddin & Music for Makinley Rain Nobody Fights Alone Benefit, and then the next weekend, first at the Blackshear stage dedication, and then back at MCORP with The Steven Flowers Band. 

We headed back to New Smyrna Beach for the New Smyrna Balloon and Sky Fest, where we played a four-song set before getting rained out. The weather didn't pass in time for us to go back on, but we did get to hang around and watch the lovely and talented Brad Sayre blow our minds, and then Jared Blake and his awesome band rock the stage. Finally, we played at the historic Annual Blessing of the Fleet in Brunswick, GA. It's always an honor and inspiration to play with people who are driven, dedicated, and passionate about what they do, and, as always, we had a fabulous time. 

While in Daytona, we released our EP, Long Way Home, with three songs: Fire, Uncaged, and Long Way Home. We've been anticipating such an exciting event since we started writing our own music, and we've been thrilled at the reception it's received, as well as the release of Fire to radio on April 20th! It's been so cool to see all of your feedback, and to hear how much you guys love a song that we've put our heart and soul into. Keep letting us know where you are when you hear it. It's such a humbling and encouraging thought to know that our music is being played all over the world and touching the hearts of people we may never meet face to face, but that's why music is so special: it's a universal magic. We're just glad to be a small part of it.  

Also...WOW. We're so close to hitting TEN THOUSAND LIKES, a huge milestone for us. We're so blown away by the love and support you've given to us, and we want you to know how grateful we are to every single one of you, whether you were here from the very beginning or hit that "LIKE" button yesterday. Either way, keep liking and sharing, and let's get to 10,000. As soon as we do, you'll be entered into a raffle, and one lucky winner will get a really cool prize. 

Lots of love, 

B + L

A Time of Thanksgiving

The holiday season has always been a special time for our family, despite the business that comes with it! We always find ourselves spending a bit more time together, laughing at jokes that might have gotten eye rolls a few months earlier, and, of course, putting in quite a few hours of decorating for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Christmastime is our largest undertaking, but there's something peaceful about bringing down the boxes full of autumn leaves, smiling scarecrows, and pumpkins that are just too pleasant to be included in the Halloween decorations. It only takes us a few hours to finish up, but we're always glad to have spent it together, with no sense of chaos and no deadlines to meet. 

At this time of the year, it's easy to get caught up in the rush. There are meals to prepare, family coming in, presents to buy and wrap (hopefully before Christmas Eve, though we've all been there!), and something always goes wrong, whether the turkey is still frozen when it's time to eat, or there's a squirrel in the Christmas tree, a la National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (fingers crossed none of us have to deal with such a thing, though it would add some excitement!), and without fail, we all have our "Cousin Eddie" adventures over the holidays. 

Even if nothing goes wrong at all, we oftentimes find ourselves at New Year's, wondering how November and December flew by so quickly. After all, it's supposed to be August, right? But whether you're so full of holiday spirit that you've been playing Christmas songs nonstop since November 1st at 12:01 AM, or if you're still insisting that "It's only November, turn that off!", we hope that you'll take a moment in the middle of the hustle and bustle and realize that, hey, life is good, family is crazy (but that's okay), and there's really so much to be thankful for.  

It is the most wonderful time of the year, after all. 

Happy Monday!

Hey, guys! We hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The weather was beautiful down here: clear skies, a nice breeze, and relatively mild temperatures for this time of year! We played at the Downtown Waycross Market Friday evening with our favorite guitarist, Frank Sikes, then enjoyed "the best hamburger in Waycross," courtesy of the Plant Cafe and Steve, Marla, and Stevie Howell. If you've never been to the Plant Cafe, we definitely recommend it; the food is delicious, the owners are great, and the whole place is packed full of antiques. If that's not enough for you, then the local legend is that Elvis Presley himself at there when he played at the Waycross Auditorium, so you might sit where Elvis once sat!

On Saturday, we spent the entire day at Gary Sellers' farm in Hortense, and we had a blast! We watched a few volleyball games, did a lot of dancing, enjoyed a "Friendly Idol" with our very own Simon, Paula, and Randy, listened to a few good friends play, and then rocked out ourselves. There was also a lot of ice cream, barbecue from Smoke Rising Barbecue in Blackshear, and a little bit of sunburn, which makes for a perfect spring day. 

We finished the weekend off by celebrating Mom and Dad's 23rd anniversary at our favorite restaurant in the world, Bennie's Red Barn on St. Simon's Island. All in all, it was a great three days, and Monday didn't seem so bad after all. 

Enjoy the pictures we've added, and join us tonight on Ears Radio for the Pat Stone Show. We'll be in the chat room from 7 - 10 EST, so swing by, say hello, and join us for some great music. 

Lots of love, 

Beau + Luci

Upcoming Events

Hey, guys! We hope everyone's having a good week and looking forward to an enjoyable spring weekend. We'd like to share a few events going on this weekend that we're really excited about! Check them out, and join us if you’re in the area!

• Friday, May 16, 2014, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, we'll be playing the Downtown Waycross Market at The Gazebo at Doughboy Park.  We have the privilege of opening up the first market day of 2014, and we're so excited to be a part of an event that supports local farmers, gardeners, craftsmen and artisans by offering fresh, local produce and handmade arts and crafts. We are passionate about a healthy lifestyle based centered on fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, and there's no better place to stock the pantry than a farmer's market, complete with a treasury of handmade arts and crafts.  We've attached a flyer below, so come enjoy beautiful downtown Waycross with us and check out our OneHeart Project, and sing along to our set of classic rock and modern pop favorites.
• Saturday, May 17, 2014, we will be playing at the 25^th Anniversary Celebration for Friendly Express, Inc., an employee family picnic at the Sellers' farm in Hortense, Georgia. We are looking forward to a day filled with good music, friends, and a delicious barbecue meal courtesy of Blackshear's Smoke Rising Barbecue, along with a few friendly competitions between co-workers, friends and family! This is an awesome event celebrating a Waycross-family owned business that has been at the heart of local communities in the southeast area for 25-years now.
• Saturday, May 17, 2014, is the 1st Annual Mattie's Mission Bass Tournament, starting at 6 AM with Weigh-in at 4 PM and is hosted by the Ware Co. Farm Bureau. More information can be found here, here, and here, along with rules and registration information. We won't be able to attend the tournament, because of a scheduling conflict, but our thoughts and prayers are with Mattie's Mission family, our church-family and friends, and all the men and women joining together to support a foundation that is extremely close to our hearts.

Also, we are joining forces with Mattie's Mission over the coming months in various opportunities to help and encourage families who have had childhood cancer impact their family’s lives.  During the month of September 2014, another family friend and Mattie's Mission board member, Jason Rogers, prepares for a 33-day, 3,100-mile, cross-country triathlon - Tri4Mattie - starting in Seattle, Washington and ending in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.  Tri4Mattie, Jason’s third cross-country trip for raising awareness and funding for various charities, is a triathlon - cycling, running and swimming - which is an added physical challenge to his previous two cycling trips.  We will be sharing more information about the triathlon, and all events surrounding Mattie’s Mission, as dates draw closer, and we ask that you keep the members of Mattie's Mission in your prayers and offer your support by liking the Mattie Goble's Prayer Team Facebook page.  The fight against childhood cancer is one that involves us all, and it is our hope and prayer that one day, we will see an end to all cancers. 

Once again, we want to thank you all for your love, encouragement, prayers, and patience as we take these steps in our musical journey! Anything and everything we accomplish is because of you, and we are eternally grateful!

Lots of love,

Beau + Luci

This Is Who You Are

You have never been nothing.

You are a body made up of unique DNA and cells that have multiplied into organs and tissues and skin and bones and a system that tries its best to protect you from influences that harm. You are the product of a long line of evolution, the present artifact of your ancestors successfully procreating until their genes were passed onto you. You are a product of chance and deliberate reason.

You occupy a definite space on this planet. You are mass and in your space, you exist.

You are a contributor to collective thought and discourse. You have opinions and decisions that ripple and reverberate in their results. Your words and silence and heavy pauses are all important, no matter the size of their relevance.

You are hope and sadness and betrayal. You are coldness and emotion. You are forgiveness and absolution. You are the difference between acceptance and tolerance. You are brave even as you are a coward. You are giving up and going on. And every single day, you are moving forward whether you want it or not.

You are judgment and objectification, stereotypes and mistaken assumption. You are pollution, you are unstained, an oxymoron. You are rules and the capacity to break them. You are a disorder and you are everything right. You are complicated and complex, and you will always remain a puzzle even to yourself.

You are sexuality and intellect, passion and logic coexisting in one being.

You are death itself because you have been holding its hand on the very day you were conceived. You will come to embrace the moment your breath expires and you will be nothing but a memory as your facts become part of the world’s continuous fiction.

But right now you are here and you are alive. You are possibility and change in one. You are soul and you are heart, no less and no more than anyone else around you. You were born as energy and power. You have a story and it is being written at this very second. When the end comes, what will your tale be about? What will they say about you who once existed and lived and decided?

You are creation and destruction. You have a right to your own definition.

Over all of these, you are master. There is the challenge of circumstance and forces that try to outline you into a template of how life should be lived, of what and how you should be. Remember that you can listen or ignore them.

This is your life and you should live it and believe as you please. Waste your hours, harness your power. Be offensive or try to reconcile. Stay ignorant or seek enlightenment and education. Place blame or take responsibility. See an unsolvable problem or a see a challenge. Be pointless. Be purposeful. In the end, know that everything you do is on you.

Yesterday, you were important. Today you are vital. Tomorrow you will still count.

(All credit goes to Thought Catalog and Jamie Delos Reyes.)

Always remember that you are loved, you are appreciated, you are necessary, you are helpful, and you are not forgotten. You are not some sad story with an unhappy ending. You are here, you are alive, and "a still more glorious dawn awaits."

Much love xxx.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving. It's a perfect complication of the Three F's: family, food, and football. My grandmother makes more food than any one family should ever eat and we don't do the whole "eat in moderation thing." We don't even eat until we're full. We eat until we hate ourselves, then we take a nap, and then we do it again. It's a family tradition.

In honor of the second best day of the year (Christmas being the first), I'm going to share The First Thanksgiving Proclamation, published on November 26, 1789 . May we, all these many years later, remember how blessed we are, not just today, but everyday. No matter how little we may have, as long as we have each other, we have more than we will ever need. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and

Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted' for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the third of October,
in the year of our Lord 1789.

(signed) G. Washington"

Fully Dressed

Once again, Rick Bragg has written an article that made me laugh aloud. In this particular feature, he details the subtle differences between stuffing and dressing. With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I truly believe that knowledge is power when faced with the inescapable question: What is stuffing, and why would anyone stick their hand up the back end of a raw turkey to make it?

You can keep your stuffing. My favorite Thanksgiving side is just that—on the side—and we call it dressing.

The word “stuffing” had a lot of connotations when I was a boy. None of them had anything to do with food.

Sofas had stuffing. But then again, I rarely heard the word “sofa.” We sat on “couches.” The first time I heard the word “sofa” I thought it was “Sofia,” and I never did figure out why anyone had to sit on the poor woman. Once, I heard someone say they had to restuff their Sofia. This haunts me still.

I digress. Teddy bears had stuffing for insides. Baseballs had it. We were urged to “knock the stuffing out of it.” If you caught a big fish, or shot a deer, or even a big gobbler, you could have them “stuffed and mounted.” I was mightily confused.

Thanksgiving turkeys, however, did not have stuffing, though sometimes my aunt Jo did shove a whole stick of margarine in there. Stuffing, I would be educated, was another word for dressing. And our dressing, as God intended, was cooked separately, in a shallow baking dish or pan.

It was not something the great cooks in my family were willing to debate.

“Stick your hand up the back end of a raw turkey?” said my aunt Gracie Juanita, shaking her head violently from side to side. “That is not natural.”

“Ain’t even human,” my mother said.

But the word stuffing was everywhere, come November. I heard it on the television, usually accompanied by images of a massive turkey with a golden cascade of breadcrumbs tumbling from its insides. Was I missing out? Why didn’t we have stuffing if they had stuffing on Father Knows Best?

“You ain’t missing nothin’,” my mother told me.

I would learn that, like so many things I struggled to understand, it was a Southern thing, like why a faucet inside the house was a faucet but outside the house it became a hydrant. And Southerners, especially mine, did not tolerate in-the-bird dressing.

“It was kind of like dating a Catholic,” said a very Southern friend. “Thank you, but, no.” I dated many Catholics. I never had stuffing.

I would learn it stemmed from a generational fear of undercooked poultry. How could the turkey cook all the way through, my people reasoned, if the heat could not swirl around inside the bird? Onions, lemons, butter, and other seasoning were allowed, but a thick gob of breadcrumbs was salmonella waiting to happen. But even if bacteria were not an issue, the cooks in my family would have shunned stuffing for one simple reason: taste.

Our dressing started with an iron skillet of cornbread, mixed with onion, sage, and the fatty, golden nectar from boiled turkey or chicken, usually the pieces that would otherwise be thrown away. It was baked until a golden crust formed on the top, leaving the inside firm but creamy. Too dry and it set up like cake. Too wet and it was a watery mess. It had to be perfect, and usually was.

Years ago, I stood in a supermarket, staring at a “stuffing mix” of spices and prepackaged breadcrumbs—tiny, hard little cubes. Mama, I thought, was right again. But when I mentioned that we were having turkey and dressing at my house, my Yankee friends looked confused. You mean, they asked, the stuff you put on salads?

It is a miracle we fought only one war.

All credit goes where credit is due, to the wonderful writer Rick Bragg and Southern Living magazine. I only hope that this extremely scientific approach at explaining the differences between stuffing and dressing has finally alleviated the hysteria, stress, and insanity that has plagued you ever since you learned that stuffing, to some, is not the foamy stuff in the couch or whatever is inside a baseball. May you have peace and uninterrupted sleep for the rest of your days, now that the mystery has been solved. The only stuffing that will be at our table will be the act of eating until we hate ourselves, as it should be. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

As long as I can remember, I've loved superheroes. What kid doesn't? They're strong, they're brave, they're larger than life and always there when we need them. No matter how bleak the situation may be, we can always count on them to swoop in, save the day, and demolish the city. I've been an Iron Man girl for years, but there was one superhero I loved before I ever heard the name Tony Stark. It's not Superman. It's not Batman. My superhero isn't famous or rich or the owner of a spectacular suit. He doesn't have breathtaking anger management problems. He doesn't have a hammer or hair with magical properties. He doesn't have a shield that he throws really hard while wearing a suit so tight it makes everyone uncomfortable. He doesn't have an army. He's not super fast, super strong, or a master of forty-seven different types of martial arts. He probably couldn't hit the broad side of a building with a bow and arrow. But he's still my favorite. He's my dad.

When we were little, Daddy used to tell us that he could pick up houses and that he moved cars out of the way when he needed a parking spot. We believed him. Every single word. I knew that nothing could ever go wrong because my dad was there to save the day. I still feel that way. He might not be able to pick up the house, but he can pick me up when I fall down. He might not be able to move cars, but he would move heaven and earth to take care of his family. He gets up and goes to work every day to make sure we're all taken care of. He's a good man, a good father. The very best, to me. He knows what it means to make sacrifices for the people he loves. He's fair in everything he does, and if anyone said anything otherwise, nobody would believe it. There are very few people in the world as good as my dad, and I'm so very blessed to be able to call him not only my father but my friend.

My dad is an example not only to me but to everyone he meets. He puts God first in everything he does. He leads his family in a way that honors God. He made sure we were in church when we were younger, but he didn't leave it to the Sunday School teachers to tell us about Jesus's love. He preached it, but more than that, he lived it. He taught us to work hard, and he showed us what hard work looks like. He showed us that opportunities rarely drive up in a limousine, dressed in a slick black suit. He taught us to be grateful and to appreciate the little things, because in the end, it's the little things that end up looking like the big things. He taught us that love is more than a word; it's a verb, and while it's great to say, "I love you," it's even better to show it. He showed Beau and me what a Godly husband looks like, and he's set the bar high. He taught us to value ourselves and to never settle, to be true to ourselves and to remember that, at the end of the day, God loves us and so does he. He is a living example of a true gentleman, and I am proud to say that he and Mama are raising a son that is a mirror of those ideals. He is capable of handling almost any situation, but he has never pretended to be a "macho man." Daddy is quick to give out hugs and tell us he loves us. He showed us that real men express themselves to the ones they love most. He encouraged us to value our education, to love learning, and to embrace the talents, quirks, and oddities we were given. He has never tried to shape us to a pre-existing mold he made for us. He is proud of us for who we are and what we have done, are doing, and will do in the future. All he asks is that we love him, Mama, and each other, honor God, and stay away from hippie tree-huggers and Florida fans.

Daddy gives good advice, too. When we were younger and in school, his suggestion for dealing with anything was, "Punch them in the nose." None of us actually punched anyone in the nose, but the advice was unexpected enough to make us stop crying and start laughing. That is still his favorite piece of advice, but he doesn't use it as much anymore, since we're all at that age of having such trouble trying not to become violent psychopaths.

He loves football, rock and roll music, and Phil Robertson (and the rest of the Duck Dynasty cast, but especially Phil). He's the reason we knew who Gene Simmons was at four or five, and that We Will Rock You was, in fact, not sung by a woman. He encourages listening to "good music," but despite his intolerance of "teeny bopper" music, the first thing he did when he got his new truck was program a pop station for us. He is not fazed by screaming, giggling, or the general hysteria that accompanies the mention of certain names/bands/top secret security agencies. He accepts the fact that we have to stop and admire any magazine with a picture of One Direction on it. He doesn't care if our music is so loud the entire back of our house is shaking (as long as it's good music and the Dawgs aren't playing). He puts up with three women who don't have much of a grasp on the concept of time, wear a lot of makeup, and spend an ungodly amount of time getting dressed/picking out clothes/packing. He even sat (relatively) patiently and quietly every Tuesday night from 8 PM to 9 PM while Beau and I watched Pretty Little Liars on his TV. He drove us from Georgia to California last summer without a word of complaint, for the sole purpose of letting us follow our dreams.

He's involved, too, in every aspect of our life. He and Mama are a team, and even though they have their moments, they have managed to raise three children with good heads on their shoulders, a solid sense of right and wrong, and an innate reflex that answers "Yes ma'am," "No ma'am," "Yes, sir," or "No, sir," when asked anything by anybody. He goes into the studio with us whenever he can, gives us his honest opinion about whatever we're working on, and always manages to waylay our insecurities and encourage us when we're stuck in his quiet way. If there's one thing we know, it's that we can always go to Daddy about anything. He will always listen, he will always be honest, and even if it stings a bit, he will tell us what we need to hear. He's always on our side, too, always looking out for what's best for the whole family. We can count on him to be there, no matter what. He will swoop in and save the day without ever putting a scratch in his reading glasses. When things look bad, he's at our side. When it feels like the whole world's falling apart and everyone has run away, he's got our backs. And when we can't fight the battle before us, he ties a sheet around his neck and takes care of it.

But of course he does. That's what superheroes do.

Happy birthday, Daddy. We love you so, so much. You're the best,

L + B^2

Find us on Pinterest and Instagram!

It has finally happened. Like any girl, we couldn't fight the draw of Pinterest and have given in to all our pin-ful desires. You can find our profile here (http://www.pinterest.com/beauandluci/boards/) and check out all the pictures of models wearing moto jackets and superheroes eating schawarma we've pinned.

Also, we've felt compelled to present our life to the public in vintage-inspired filters, so check us out on Instagram at beauandluci!

Check us out, and if you haven't already, follow us on Twitter (BeauAndLuci), like us on Facebook (/OfficiallyBeauAndLuci), find the California cuts of our debut album "Rules of Society" on iTunes, and sign up for email alerts on the website (www.BeauAndLuci.com). Stay connected so you don't miss out on the exciting things coming up for Beau + Luci!

Lots of love and chocolate cake,

B + L xx

Happy Birthday, Mom!

There are very few people on the planet that are as special as our mother. Not only is she beautiful on the inside and out, the woman is a genius. She raised three children (four, if we're being honest; we know you're technically an adult, Daddy, but age is really just a number) while never losing the child inside of her. She is funny, enthusiastic, and a bit a lot clumsy, finding herself at the butt of most of our jokes. She knows how to laugh at herself, which is a really good thing. Otherwise, we would have found ourselves in a TON of trouble over the past 18 years. She is the most loyal person we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She sees the goodness and the beauty in everything and everyone, no matter the color or creed. She has listened to us waxing poetic over the virtues of one celebrity or another, undergone numerous in-depth descriptions of movies or television shows (most of which she'd already seen), managed not to laugh as we suffered heartbreak at the hands of a movie star or a singer that we were going to marry, and even claimed us when we went into public wearing Halloween costumes in March, braided our hair into something akin to cornrows with beads and ribbons, or tried to do our own makeup (on certain occasions, all three were involved).

In short, Mama is the greatest.

There are really no words to explain how much we love her. She is our friend, our confidant, our biggest cheerleader, our number 1 fan, and our counselor. She has worn the hat of a chef, a driver, a coach, a nurse, a teacher, and, more recently, a manager. She dedicated her entire life to us, giving up her dreams for ours. How do you thank someone for that? How do you try to repay that kind of debt? We could wake up tomorrow and say "Thank you. I love you," over and over and over, day in and day out, and never truly express how grateful we are for her, how much we love her. But you can be sure we're going to try.

Mama, you are something else. We have never met anyone like you, and maybe that's a good thing, because the world couldn't take two Allison's. Whether you're drawing elephants on the kitchen windows in Sharpie or marching around the house banging pots and pans together simply because you can, you are a source of constant fun and enthusiasm. You set the perfect example of a strong, independent, Godly woman. You have shown the two of us what it means to be a lady with class, a woman with brains, and a girl with heart. You taught us to be ourselves in a world that would stop at nothing to shape us to its mold. You taught us to think for ourselves and to never, ever dumb ourselves down to fit in. You showed us that fitting in wasn't all that it's cracked up to be, and it's much better to be thought of as positively ridiculous than cool, if being cool meant we had to act positively ridiculous.

You instilled in us the importance of family, enforced in us the truth that blood truly is thicker than water, and showed us that the best friends we could ever have are in the form of parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, and even Gamecock-loving cousins. You taught us the importance of being kind and polite, but also that we should never let ourselves be walked all over. You taught us to be confident, to respect ourselves, and to always seek to grow and be better while never forgetting that we are perfect in your eyes and in God's eyes. You taught us to be a princess, the daughter of the King of kings, to walk with our heads held high and to always believe in ourselves. You are our constant in an ever changing world. You have always been there, and you will always be there, no matter the distance between us. You are as steady and shine as brightly as the sun. Thank you for helping us grow and flourish in your light.

You gave us the confidence to follow our dreams, to step out into uncertainty and off of the ledge of normalcy, to trust our wings to carry us through. You offered your unyielding support, and we thank you for that. We would have quit so many times before if it weren't for your eternal-and oftentimes, unfounded-belief in us. You see us not as we think we are, but as we could be, and you never let us stop dreaming. You held us when we cried, wiped away our tears, and took our hands when we were too afraid to go forward alone. You prayed for us, and your prayers cling to us even now, guiding us along the dark and twisted path we walk and protecting us in the way that only a mother's love can.

You showed us what it means to be a Godly wife and mother. People may look down on your decision to be a stay-at-home mom, but we think you are the queen, Mama. You wear your crown well, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for loving us, for laughing with us, and for allowing us to be involved in your life. Thank you for loving us, thank you for loving Daddy, thank you for loving your parents and giving us a perfect example of what the love of a mother, wife, and daughter looks like. You are the greatest woman in the world, Mama, and we love you so much!

Happy birthday, Mama. We hope you have a day that's just as wonderful as you are (which is really impossible, because you are the most incredible person on the planet).

We love you so much,

L + B^2

Happy Birthday, Braeden!

Tomorrow, our sweet little brother (who isn't so little anymore) will be turning 13, and we can say is, "How?!" It seems like just yesterday he was the rambunctious two year old who enjoyed climbing on top of the piano and playing loudly and enthusiastically with his feet, or the strong-willed (read: mule headed) four year old who had a denim baseball cap he wouldn't take off for anything, not even to sleep, or the outgoing five year old who knew every single NASCAR driver by name and could spout off their times and their wins and whether or not he thought they were sissies.

Everything about our brother, from the first day Mama and Daddy brought him home, was pedal to the metal. He came here talking, and Lord knows he's going to spend every single waking-and sometimes sleeping-moment of every single day talking, whether or not anyone is actually listening. He has filled our home with laughter, love, and conversation for almost thirteen years, adding generously to the chaos and keeping the insanity level right on the peak of explosion. Whether he's toying with yet another Percy Jackson theory or arguing Loki's case with extreme bias and prejudice, he is one hundred and five percent into whatever he's doing. He is enthusiastic, optimistic, and easy going, balancing out the two of us with innate skill, and has a sense of humor that leaves us in stitches, as well as penchant for not wearing pants.

He takes everything in stride, including a physical disability that left him struggling to keep up with other kids his age. Instead of letting it slow him down, though, he got creative, and he truly showed us what it means to be a trooper. He has dealt with the pain of his disability as well as the aggravation of having two older sisters with the patience of a martyr, something that truly leaves us in awe. Never once has he complained about sitting for hours in a recording studio while we work. He adds to our excitement, he helps extinguish our fears and doubts, and from the very beginning, he was our number 1 fan. Mama often says that none of this would have been possible if he had been anything like the two of us when we were younger, and while that it true, we'd like to take it a step farther and say that none of this would have been possible without him. Thank you so much, Braeden, for your unswerving loyalty, your dogged determination to be optimistic and upbeat, your patience, your encouragement, your enthusiasm, and your creativity. You are such a wonderful young man, and we are beyond blessed and grateful to be your older sisters, even if we don't always act like it. Thank you for letting us into your world and sharing your passions for superheroes and demigods and video games. We might have been able to survive without in-depth knowledge of NASCAR drivers and Percy Jackson conspiracy theories or your complete and total dedication and cooperation in proving Loki's goodness, but we wouldn't have wanted to. You are our little brother, but more importantly, you are our friend...even though you won't sit with us in church.

Happy birthday, Braeden. We hope that you have the greatest of all days of birth, a party that reaches Asgardian standards for food and fun (hopefully without any errant bilgesnipe showing up uninvited), and all the Lego sets you can manage to put together perfectly. The day you've been waiting for has finally arrived: double digits! ;D

Loads of love and lots of lipstick-y kisses (because what else are sisters for?),

B + L

One of Those Weeks

Hey guys! Did everyone have a fun 4th of July? I don't know about y'all, but I am definitely missing the relaxation and the whole "not doing anything for four days straight" thing. It might be summer, but for most of us, that hasn't slowed down the daily grind! We had Driver's Ed last week (cringe), and, after being scarred for life thanks to some emotionally traumatizing videos, our darling mother has come to the conclusion that this week must be spent cleaning, organizing, and sorting through every inch of every room in our house. Of course, we do get to turn our music on as loud as it will go and turn a clean-up into a dance party, so it's not all bad!

For Beau and me, our music has been almost exclusively Glee while we mourn the untimely loss of Cory Monteith. We woke up to the news on Sunday morning, and I have to say that I didn't believe it at first. I thought it was a joke, a la RIP Justin Bieber and RIP Zayn Malik. Twitter loves to kill people off, and I've gotten so used to seeing the death wars between the fandoms that it hardly even registered. But then I found out that it was real, and it felt like I got punched in the gut by the fifty pound swinging pendulum in one of our Driver's Ed videos. (It was supposed to show the strength of the human rib cage, but I think this reference put it to much better use.)I didn't know him personally, which is something I will always regret, but I did know that oddly large, goofy, awkward tenor from Canada who had a bad habit of forgetting his girlfriend was Jewish (though she did have the tendency to do so as well), who took on the responsibility of leading not only the ragtag group of goths, cheerleaders, goths, jocks, and divas to the top, but also an even more eclectic group of fans who loved him dearly. He gave us hope. He encouraged us. He made us smile when it wasn't easy and laugh when we didn't want to. He taught us that it was okay to stand out and to follow your heart, no matter where it leads you. He might have been an awful dancer and completely oblivious sometimes, but he was our fearless leader, and he will live on in the heart of ever Gleek who absolutely loved it when he punched Brody right in the middle of his Ken-doll face.

Cory probably never know the impact he would have, or the amount of people he would reach through his awkward Canadian charm and everlasting optimism. He believed in us so thoroughly we couldn't help but believe in ourselves too. He had the world at his feet, but then it was gone in the blink of an eye. I wish I'd gotten to meet him, to thank him, and to tell him how much I loved him, but I didn't and now I can't. Instead, I'm making a point to remember how short life is and how stupid it is to live like I've got all the time in the world. Make the most of every moment. Appreciate the people, the things, and the circumstances in your life, no matter how aggravating they may be. Say "I love you" while you can. Show gratitude and kindness, tell your mom how thankful you are for her just being around, and always smile, laugh, and remember that life, despite its flaws, is a beautiful thing, and there is always something to live for.

Rest in peace, Cory. We love you.

Xx, Luci