Category Archives: Senior Portraits

Ya Say It’s Your Birthday – It’s My BIRTHday Too 🎶🎶

It’s milestone 18 tomorrow and it’s time to celebrate!

Tomorrow marks 18 years for my sweet + a little snarky, baby girl…Who’s now an ADULT! And this week I’m sharing 18+ gift ideas I collected to celebrate her step into adulthood!

It was a sunny Spring morning in Plano, Texas 18-years-ago. I scheduled my regular check-in visit between track practice and my first class of the day. My prenatal visits were more frequent after being put on bed rest with this little bundle. About 5-minutes into the appointment Dr. Farmer says, “We need to get you upstairs, you’re in labor.”

“I’m sorry, what!?”

Two-weeks of bed-rest, 2 hormone injections {to develop her lungs} to get us to 36-weeks and that’s all Miss Emma was giving us – She was ready to see the outside world on March 5, 2002!

At least with the bed-rest I had my long-term sub plans finished and waiting in my desk. All the teachers reading this know the “fun” of getting all that prep ready to go for six-weeks. She surprised us 18-years-ago-tomorrow and surprising us too many times to count since then {good thing I like surprises}.

A lot of us have our first 18-year-young, or coming up on that birthday, so this week I thought I’d give a quick run-down of birthday ideas for this milestone birthday in case you’re lookin’.

18+ Ideas You Can Do Now + Gifts To Celebrate Birthday 18

1. Register to Vote {Print the form to wrap up}
2. Join military {Wrap up a few of those old green army guys you keep stepping on in your basement}
3. Lottery tickets {Is it too much to hope that one of them wins enough to pay for her first semester’s tuition?!}
4. They can sign legal docs {a pen will do the trick for this one}
5. Get a tattoo {Emma hates needles – think I’m safe here |Temporary or Henna ones are fun though}
6. 18-$1 bills {every $1 counts}
7. AMC theater gift card {You can see whatever movie you want now}
8. Matchbox car {I bought her one that said “Taxi” because all her car restrictions have been lifted}
9. You can change your name
10. You can Skydive
11. Sign yourself out of high school
12. Get a 10-year passport {I wrapped up her old one to remind us to get it done soon before her exchange}
13. Get a Costco card {but what 18-y-o needs THAT MUCH toilet paper?}
14. Drive a taxi {but still can’t rent a car 🙃}
15. Give blood or donate an organ
16. You can apply for credit cards {I pray we’ve given her enough financial sense for this one 🤞🏼}
17. Buy a car
18. Buy spray paint {odd but true}
19. Rent an Airbnb {but can’t rent a car here – have to head to Europe for the car + place}
20. Use a ride share scooter {Lime or Bird}
21. Give medical consent/docs office on your own
22. Move out of the house
23. Birthday cake {we’re NEVER too old for cake!} I’ve made a lot of cakes in her 18 birthday’s, but her Dear Evan Hansen request this year needed a professional {thank you Karen Keicher of Better with Sprinkles}.

I got an early start on this blog post because I like birthday’s and the 18th falls into that BIG NUTTER ONE category {quote by Emma at age two}. The birthday parties have changed over the years, but some type of celebration ALWAYS happens in my house because I want them to know that no matter how old they get…Their BIRTHday will ALWAYS be one of the best days {+ blessing} to me💖 The cake, gifts, playlist, and little surprises are all ready to go! More fun photos coming soon to the Instagram near you {if you follow @ShiningMomentsPhotography 😉}

Let’s Celebrate!

CHEERS & SPARKLES to your celebration!

💖-Andrea

And with all my posts, some ‘current’ events in case you’re looking for something new. {Since #readacrossamericaday was this week I asked for new suggestions over on Instagram. I have a whole new list coming soon😃

Loving:: Celebrating with the new adult in our house!

Reading:: Book three of the Red Queen Series by Victoria Averyard + Why We Can’t Sleep by Ada Calhoun

Watching:: Skinnytaste video recipes on Instagram {#obsessed for new recipes}