Birthday Shenanigans and Tim Hawkins

Elijah's favorite comedian is Tim Hawkins. When Elijah saw in January that Tim Hawkins was touring again this year he decided he wanted to see him in person. We narrowed it down to two dates, April 7th in West Virginia or May 15th in South Carolina. After discussing it and weighing the pro and cons, we decided to do the 6 hour trip to West Virginia so that Kayla could drive the two hours to be with us on Elijah's actual birthday. I put a note in my calendar for the date/time the tickets went on sale and got online immediately to be sure we were able to go! We decided to do the VIP tickets so we could get in early, get good seats, and have extra time with Tim Hawkins. We also decided to buy two extra tickets so Kayla could bring a couple of friends and not have to drive back to Mount Vernon late at night by herself.

We traveled up the day before the performance so that we wouldn't be travel weary the night of. We rented a house in Belpre, Ohio that was only 10 minutes from the church in West Virginia. The house was right on the Ohio river and was in a great location. It also had a beach feel to it so it was really nice and relaxing.

On Wednesday morning we headed out to a used bookstore in Parkersburg, WV. It was touted as the biggest used bookstore in WV and we were intrigued. It was a nice size but the prices were a little higher than we are used to for a used bookstore. We were also a little disappointed in how the store was organized. But, it was a bookstore, so of course we came out with stacks of books 😂

Kayla and Michaela got to WV just in time for lunch. We ordered pizza from a local place and they really enjoyed it. We also had gotten donuts from a local bakery and made Elijah a donut cake from them. The donuts were super fresh and yummy.

We played games in the afternoon as we waited for time to go!

If you have never seen Tim Hawkins perform I highly recommend it. We had a blast. Tim was saying that his bits are based on real life. Why would you have to make things up since truth is funnier than fiction. He was taking questions and Michaela raised her hand and he called on her. She asked him about his yoga pants bit. Ya'll his response was PRICELESS!! The amount of money we paid was well worth it just for that moment! He was jokingly telling security to get her out of there. My only regret was that I didn't record it! It was awesome. We laughed so hard that night that mine and Elijah's chest and stomach hurt. I smile just thinking of that night. It was an awesome way to celebrate Elijah's birthday and see his favorite comedian perform.

The next day we were driving home and Kayla called us. Her and Michaela has hit and ran over a deeron their way back to campus the night before. Can I tell you how good God is?! They were in Kayla's mini-van instead of Michaela's car. They were both completely fine and the van only has damage on the bumper. It will be a little expensive to fix it, but their lives are PRICELESS and not replaceable. Had they been in Michaela's car the scenario would have been so much different. I praise God for continually watching over us. 

I am thankful for each and every moment that I get with my kiddos and their friends. It is truly a gift from God and I know this. I do my best to be present because they will be gone in the blink of an eye. None of us our guaranteed the next breath and when you get a phone call like the one I got, you know things could have been different. I tell my kids I love them all the time, I hug and love on them as much as they will let me. If something were to happen to me or them, their would not be doubt in their minds that I loved them the best I knew how. Life is short, take the time off of work (it will always be there), make memories with your loved ones and cherish the moments.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17