Happy Friday, friends! This weekend is a HUGE one in the Beucler house.

Tomorrow, November 7th, my sweet, precious little man turns 13! Cue all of the happy mama tears. He is taller than me, and his foot is GIANT compared to mine. BUT . . . he still snuggles with me, gives great hugs, thinks I am funny, and may even hold my hand for a second before realizing what he is doing! Ha! Love this kid!

Oh, how we prayed for this sweet boy. After struggling with infertility for quite some time, he was actually our first pregnancy! Looking back at the fact that since having him, I have had NINE miscarriages . . . well, he clearly is a miracle and God has something HUGE planned for my little man.

So, in honor of Harlan’s 13th birthday tomorrow . . . here is a little bit about this sweet boy of mine.

ONE

Harlan came five weeks early because he was ready to join the party. He spent 24 hours in the NICU and dealt with some minor (but scary) health issues early on, but he was not about to wait around five more weeks.

And, this is exactly the same today. He doesn’t like being the center of attention AT ALL, but loves any opportunity for a party, a fun outing, or just your overall family/friend craziness. Good thing we have a huge family!

TWO

As much as I have fought this, Harlan is OBSESSED with TCU. All things TCU, but especially their football team. His current goal is to play football for TCU, which is fine with me since it is 45 minutes away.

His first sporting even to ever attend was his Uncle Grant’s basketball game . . .

Now, Grant is one of the TCU quarterbacks, so I guess the obsession was inevitable! And, it has lead to situations such as this . . .

. . . and this . . .

Clearly, I have stopped fighting the obsession, and just joined in on the fun!

BUT, I still keep pictures like this around to prove that a long time ago he cheered for SMU! Sweet “framily” friends here in this memory!

THREE

He is such a sweet, big brother. And, yes, this is how our family pictures usually turn out. Boys!

One day, I will rock his world and tell him of all the brothers and sisters he has in Heaven. Let me say that he could have managed that football team with style.

Yes, he is (almost) a teenager, and can be sassy and mess with Jackson so very badly. But, he loves hard. He is truly a great role model. And, I love that he sets a great example. When he wants to. Ha!

FOUR

HE LOVES ALL THINGS FOOTBALL! Which is great for me since I love it as well! If we happen to be home on a Saturday or Sunday in the Fall, Harlan is watching football. And, I love it! He manages his own Fantasy Football team, and he helps Jackson manage his THREE teams!

I’ve also spent years teaching him that we love the Dallas Cowboys, but that they will break your heart. He gets it this year. Sadly.

FIVE

He loves his family deeply. If you are one of his people, then he is loyal and loving. He has a giant heart, that loves hard.

*******

Let me just say one last thing about this guy. He has been through a lot. As a mom, I want my children to learn resiliance. I am strong because of what I have overcome. I want my children to be strong, brave, and resiliant. Let me just say that when we lost Sophie, I was a little angry that God couldn’t teach him resiliancy by failing a math test. Instead, he had to lose his sister?!?! She was technically due on Harlan’s birthday (11/7), and losing her at five months rocked his world. It opened up the reality of pain and grief in a way that no nine-year-old should experience. He begged not to turn ten that year, and asked for only his sister to be his birthday present. Y’all. Heartbreaking. It was a rough time for our family, and especially for him.

I am so proud of the young man that he has become. He is sweet, sassy, loyal, funny, goofy . . . and, he is mine.

Happy Birthday to my sweet miracle of a little man.

Have a great weekend! If you need me, I will be celebrating a teenager! WOOHOO!