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

An Example of the Various Ways 26 Letters (and A Few Numbers and Symbols) Can Be Combined

I don't know about you guys, but I have always been one of those ridiculous people who gets absurdly excited when I've just learned something that is completely and totally useless and irrelevant in any way, shape, or form. I've got more useless information stockpiled in my mind than I would ever care to admit, and I count myself as very lucky to run across a particularly frivolous fact before sitting down to write this blog. According to Mental Floss's blog (which is one of my favorite websites and a fabulous place to wile away the hours), the melody of Vladimir Putin's favorite Beatles song "Yesterday" came to Paul McCartney without any words. Until he could find the words that have since become the stuff of legend, he walked around his house humming, "scrambled eggs, baby, I love scrambled eggs," so he wouldn't lose the tune. (You can find the entire article, "11 Fun Facts about the Beatles" in the link listed below). It seems that genius and madness truly are separated by a very thin line.

Anyways, as promised, this is the first edition of our monthly newsletter thingamajig that will really do nothing but give you lot an inside look at how dreadfully delightfully uncool we are. Since this is the first go, it will be pretty experimental until we figure out what works and what doesn't.

What We're Doing
1. Scales. I sing scales in my sleep, I kid you not.
2. Writing/recording/writing/writing/recording. This is the fun stuff! It's such an incredible experience to see something that we created in our minds become a tangible object. We've truly been blessed to find a producer who is beyond talented and so passionate about his work. He has a gift for getting inside our mixed-up minds, finding the root of the song, and coming up with something that blows us away. We'll be hitting the studio again in a few weeks, and I'm getting more impatient everyday!
3. Scales.
4. School. For Beau and Braeden, September brought about the beginning of the school year. For me, it brought about the joy of reminding both of my younger siblings that I don't have any school to do because I have graduated and I'm taking a semester off. They grow less tolerant of this every time it's mentioned, but it's hard to hear their complaints over the fun of being free.
4. Scales.
5. Wrangling little monsters two- and three-year-olds at church. I love this age group. Their noise level is spectacular, their ability to love unconditionally is inspiring, and their enthusiasm and thoughtless expression of emotions are contagious. I never knew how much fun it was to build a tower of blocks and run at it, full speed ahead, with my arms flung out to the side and a battle cry on my lips. There is as much fun in the destruction as their is in the creation. Plus, their constant need for the answer to "Why?" make it even better. These kids will believe anything!

What We're Listening To
(I have to start this off by saying that the grammar fanatic in me wanted very much to revise this title and make it say "To Whom We're Listening," but the obsessive-compulsive desire for continuity and parallel structure won out. It took five minutes of great internal struggle before I could get on with this post.)
1. Paramore's self-titled CD. Beau and I have always been fans of Paramore and the band's leading lady, Miss Hayley Williams. It's impossible to dislike her, thanks to her magnetic, charismatic performances, her killer vocals, and her fiery red hair. She is the embodiment of a highly caffeinated energy drink, with all the charm of a red velvet cupcake with sprinkles on top. I just love her, and this album has made me love her even more.
2. Daughter. I happened upon this band very early one morning while I was on YouTube. I can't remember what songs led me to them, but I'm very grateful they did. Elena Tonra has the voice of an angel, and it pulses with more feeling than Ron Weasley could ever believe any one person could possibly feel. If you've heard of them, you are an honorary member of some lofty, enlightened club. If not, you have now, so go check them out.
3. Imagine Dragons. This band is the greatest. It's Time caught my attention, Radioactive gives me the desire to break through the windshield of the car and go all Rambo on a tree, and everything else is beyond criticism. A++++++++.
4. Ed Sheeran is the second ginger to make this month's list and will most likely be mentioned in every month's list. I love this guy. He's short, he's a Lego enthusiast, and his cheeks can turn the color of his hair. Don't get me started on him, because I will go and go and go and go.

What We're Watching
1. The Avengers. We are superhero freaks in this house, so anything that Joss Whedon created that includes Iron Man, Loki, and Captain America (Beau is his biggest fan, though I think that Iron Man is much more better* than Spangly-Butt Tight-Pants)is bound to be a hit with us. I think we've watched it at least a dozen times, and unlike Thor (which is also a fabulous movie that we all love), I paid attention to the whole thing, not just the first thirty minutes. (I like to watch them and pretend it's a short film called Loki.)
2. Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, Iron Man deleted scenes, Iron Man bloopers, Iron Man behind the scenes. Ok, so what? I'm a big Iron Man fan. Sue me.
3. Sherlock. We've recently been introduced to the brilliance (and emotional trauma) that is British television. Feeling good, life going well, everything looking pretty nice? Don't watch anything offered to you by BBC. Run. Run. But seriously, if Robert Downey Jr. insists on being happily married, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston are very nice consolation prizes.

What We're Reading
1. Harry Potter, or Emotional Trauma in Book Form by J.K. Rowling. Still no letter. Still waiting. Always.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or A Study of Emotional Trauma and Extremely Nonfictional Feelings for Fictional Characters in Fangirls by Stephen Chybosky. This book is powerful in a way that very few books are nowadays. It hits me every single time I read it, no matter how many times I've read it before, and I'm left speechless and feeling a bit confused in finding once again that Charlie is in fact not a real person.
3. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. Don't talk to me about these books. I still can't think about them.
4. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. This book surprised me and actually turned out to make the list of my favorite books. It's just weird enough to keep me turning the pages while driving home a very real point about something that I've yet to figure out. I'll get back to you when I do, though.

Well, to make up for the length of last week's post, I'm going to cut this one off. Enjoy your weekend, remember to tell someone you love them, master a new form of martial arts, and either be very grateful it's actually cool enough to wear sweaters or turn the air conditioner on and pretend it's not 80-something degrees.

Xx, L.

P.S. Here is the link for the article I mentioned above! Very cool to read. http://mentalfloss.com/article/51566/11-fun-facts-about-beatles

*I am aware that "much more better" is not correct grammar, but quoting Capt. Jack Sparrow (the only real captain) has proved to be the only way to get some points across.