Straight from the pits of Dwell

A new tradition!!

2010-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

So if you read my blog last year, you know I am into adding new traditions to our family during the holidays. Well I am happy to welcome a new one this year courtesy of my sweet mother-in-law!! She sent the kids an advent calendar with prizes for each day!

It's so cute - it has little drawers & everything. Since they live in New York & we don't get to see them as often, I thought this was such a good idea.

My plan is to post a picture of them with their daily prize every day, so hopefully I can stay on top of it.

Day 1: Chapstick!

Cali-CO

2010-12-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Introducing....drum roll please..... CALI-CO!!! Meet the newest member of our family. That's right. A CAT! Who would have ever imagined the king of this castle would have allowed it??? Not me, I can assure you.

So here's how it happened. While we were on a visit to Cleburne, Jeff & I decided to load up the kids for a little trip to Lowe's to look at some new Christmas lights for the house. We pulled up and parked next to us was a Z-71 truck. When we hopped out of the car, we could hear frantic meowing, and after searching for a few seconds, we found this sweet little thing lodged in between the bed of the pickup and the gas tank. She was STUCK! Jeff & I both laid on our backs trying to get her out with no luck. After a few minutes of trying to coax her, pull, push, etc., Jeff hops up and says, "Well, let's go!" Ummm...are you SERIOUS?! I look at him and with Reese by my side as ammunition (it's the brown eyes) I say "I don't THINK SO buddy! We're not going ANYWHERE till we get that cat out!" So down he went on his back for another rescue session, and off I went inside to find the owner of the truck. To make a long story short (I'm not very good at that I realize), I come outside with the owner (who advised me to just shoot the cat..really dude?) to two young Lowes employees laying on their backs under the truck pushing and prodding...they were as determined as I was! So after about 20 minutes of this, out she came...the sweetest, most adorable little cat. We all just kind of looked at each other like, NOW WHAT? We couldn't just let her go right there in the middle of town!

Hence the new family member. Jeff said Reese & I "broke" him. Yep. Just like an untame horse, honey. You didn't stand a chance.

Mase Funnies

2010-11-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Tonight as we were getting ready for bed, Mase & I had some interesting conversations. The kid always cracks me up!

Scenario #1:
Mason was complaining that his big toe was hurting because he got it slammed in the door earlier in the night.

Me: "Mason, let mamma kiss your toe." *smoooooch* There, does that feel better?"

Mase: Pause. Looks up for a minute as if to be thinking..."MO-OM!!!! Your kisses are MAGIC! Can they kill bigfoot?"

Ummmm.....maybe?

Scenario #2:
Putting Mason to bed tonight after a day full of spankings for him and way too much mean mom voice for me.

Me: "Mason, let's try to have a better day tomorrow, ok?"

Mase: "Whyyyy?"

Me: "Well, because you were pretty naughty today."

Mase: "Pretty? Like a girl dancing with sparkly pants pretty?"

Aaaaaghhhh!!! What am I gonna do with that kid????

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Although the actual celebration of Halloween doesn't make my Top 3 list for favorite holidays, I am all about any excuse to wear and/or decorate with the colors orange and black. Apparently, Reese has been ~~brainwashed~~ influenced to do the same, as she picked out this festive orange & black butterfly outfit. Enjoy the pics.

Soccer...Again.

2010-11-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

This was the first season both kids played soccer, and WE SURVIVED!! We were so fortunate that the kids had their practices at the same time on the same days of the week. I'm not sure we would have made it through, otherwise. Jeff & his cousin, Joey, coached Mase's team, and Reese had a new coach this year who we really liked. It was a great season, and we learned that Mason really emjoys soccer and Reese is ready to move on to tumbling. WAH! Don't get me wrong, I'm pumped about the tumbling choice, but she really is pretty good at soccer and I would love for her to stick with it at least one more season. We shall see.

Here are a few pics of the season.

Reese in action!

The "Crazy" Giants.

HE SCOOOORRRRES!!!

Reese getting some good kicks in.

I love how she's just sitting back smiling in this pic. It's still all about havin fun.

Run Reese, RUN!!

These were our "Aces"...Case, Mase & Ace.

There is that tongue-in-cheek thing again. I hear it's a Weyers trait. ;-)

Mason made lots of new friends on his soccer team.
We just loved this little guy!

Mason's Masterpieces

2010-11-08T18:54:00.001-08:00

It's been fun watching Mason's personality develop into a bright, creative, fun little boy over the past couple years. He always amazes us with his treasure hunting abilities - usually consisting of some sort of nut, leaf, stick, nails or bolts. I have learned to just carry a stash of ziploc baggies with me because you never know when he might get the urge to go scrounging around a nearby parking lot. He's also shown potential as an artist/architect/engineer or sorts with a few of his latest projects. It's fun to dream up what career path he may choose in life. Anyway, here are a few pics of some cool projects Little Manny has come up with all on his own in the past few months. They really do amaze me! Sorry...only partial shameless bragging. Just kidding! No I'm not. Yes I am. No I'm not. Yes I am. ha ha Rachel!.

Here is the most recent invention. He hammered a bunch of nails into this tree in our backyard and created "nut holders" so he can feed the squirrels. LOVE IT!

So duper proud.

This was a water balloon Mase blew up and used a "bad pen" (permanent marker) to make a face on it.

This was all Mason's idea. He had painted a bunch of artwork and decided he'd like to display it for the neighborhood to see, so he took it upon himself to once again find some nails & a hammer and went to town posting his art collection on the tree in the front yard. Awesome.

Reese made a funny!

2010-10-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Reese: Momma, today when we were sitting on the ground in a circle at soccer practice, someone tooted.

Me: Really? Ewwww...

Reese: Yeah...it was SO RANCHY!

He's got crazy skillz...

2010-10-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Last year, Mason stared practicing the hulu hoop. He had seen Reese do it and of course wanted to be like his big sister. And he may have seen his mamma sneak in an occasional hula move, of which you'll see NO video footage.

Anyway, this video shows his progression over the last year and there is actually a noticable improvement! I bet in a couple months he will be a Hula Hooping Pro! But for now, maybe we should just focus on soccer... Check it out. And by the way, I am completely ashamed of myself and they way I am laughing at Mason's expense. But it's still funny!

Jumping Jack Flash

2010-10-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

In an effort to crack down on all the annoying bickering at our house lately, I started a new way to discipline my kids when they are disrespectful to me or to each other. I make them do either 10 push-ups, or 10 jumping jacks, and I add more in increments of 5's if they whine about it. Works like a charm and they even get in a little extra exercise! Plus it's waaaaaaaay more fun than spanking. When I asked Mase to do 10 jumping jacks earlier, he looked and me and said "I don't know how!". So I had him give me a demonstration, and he was right! Check out his sweet little video.

Soccer Stars

2010-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

YAY for soccer season! This is Reese's 5th season to play, and Mason's 1st. Reese moved up a league this year and is now playing on a larger field. Lots of running! Jeff and Joey (Jeff's cousin) are coaching Mason's team and doing a great job. We have such great kids on our team!

Both Reese & Mason had their first games this past weekend and all I can say is that it was very entertaining. Seriously...like I'm pretty sure all of you would have paid good money to watch the 4 year old boys. One of the highlights for me (although I shouldn't admit it) was when one of Mason's little teammates grabbed his shirt and knocked him down right when Mase was about to score. Mason then proceeded to jump up, push the teammate down and with the look of pure rage in his eyes, yell "You are MEAN!!" at him. I promise we don't teach him to do those things at home... But there is a possibility his grandad does. ha!

So here are just a few pictures that highlight the day. I have a few more pics of Mason probably because during Reese's game, I was preoccupied with chasing him around! I was soooo proud of both kids and the way they played and just had a good time.

The coolest #4 players I know with Coach Joey.

Reese getting a little action.

Look at that fancy footwork!

Mason making a break for it.

Ummmm....not sure what this move is.

Notice the pure tongue-in-cheek concentration.

These kids were like dominoes!

And this is how we ended the game...still mad.

First Day of School

2010-08-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

Again, I've been MIA on the bloggie blog. I just can't seem to find the time to sit down, collect my thoughts, and then actually type them in a comprehendible format. What can I say...it's been a crazy year. Anyhoo, the blog is (hopefully) back and I am really going to try to have more frequent posts.

So what better way to (re)debut than with the first day of school? Looking forward to an awesome year!!

Mason on his first day of preschool for this year.

Love this little guy!

Ms. Sarah & Mrs. Janet, you better watch out for this one!!

Sweet Reese. First day of 1st Grade!!!

Daddy walking Reese to her classroom.

Yippeee for Mrs. Stasey!!

I can do this, I can do this....

Big girl sitting at her desk on the first day. No tears!

Girls ONLY day trip!

2010-08-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

So Reese got an American Girl Doll for her birthday this year. My many attempts at shielding her from the AGD craze failed miserably when she recieved a catalog right before Christmas last year. She was smitten. We held out and did not get one for Christmas in hopes she would forget about it, but when her birthday rolled around this past May, it was at the top of her list. Luckily, both sets of grandparents went in together and bought what is now one of Reese's most prized possesions - Emily. She is an AGD that looks just like Reese.

Of all the things Reese wanted to do this summer, going to the AG store in Dallas was a big one. And not just going. She had specific criteria. She wanted her best friend Aubrey, Aubrey's mom Traca, Mimi, and Mommy to go too! Days went by and time got away and before we knew it, it was time to go back to school! So I frantically scheduled a day trip for the 5 of us a few days before school started. With Traca's mad navigation skills and Mimi's gasping from the back of the car at my "big city" driving, we finally made it.

We had a great time, and just kind of stood in awe at all the doll clothes that were WAY too expensive and all on the cutting edge of style. There was no way WE (people with such frugal and rational budgeting minds) were going to buy ANY of it. An hour later I walked out of the store with Reese decked out with outfits to match not only her AGD, but also Big Baby. Traca took the bait as well. Needless to say, don't go to that evil store unless you are prepared to drop some cash on completely cute but overpriced clothes. Here are some pics of our day.

Gotta love the cheesy quote, but LOOK! - I'm taller than someone!!

Posers.

Mimi & Reese

Mom & Reese

Two of my favorite girls.

Reese with her babies.

The infamous Big Baby & Emily enjoying their lunch.

Two happy girls ready to go back home with all their overpriced loot!

NY Trip Summer 2010

2010-07-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to get back to NY this year for a little summer vacation and to visit Jeff's family. It had been 5 years since we'd been back (BAD KIDS!), so we had a week jam-packed full of seeing family and experiencing everything Jeff loves from his hometown. Reid's hot dog anyone??? Here are a few pics of our fabulous week.

The Fam at Niagara Falls.

Mom & Reese at Niagara Falls

BREATHTAKING!!!! Thank you God for your majesty!

I'm pretty sure Mason found his true love on this trip. Fishing. The kid can't get enough. And he's really good at it! He can cast a line like nobody's business.

Brothers & BFF's Craigy and Jeffy

Aunt Ginny & Reeso. Awwwww...we love you Aunt Ginny!

Mason & Uncle Craig

Reese, being the animal lover she is, found an instant love connection with Boone Dog. She asked if we could bring her home with us. If it wasn't for that little inconvenience of packing a dog in a suitcase, I probably would have agreed. I love that dog!

Reese & Mase at Lake Ontario

One of the HUGE old trees at the Lake. The trees were A-MAZING!

It doesn't get much better than this for Reesie. Meet Bitsy. When these two met, it was all over. Morning, noon & night Reese wanted to ride Bitsy. I'm thinking horse riding lessons are in our future.

Reese & her cousin, Haley.

The Raymondjack side!

Strong's National Museum of Play. The Bomb.

2010-07-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so even though this post is part of our NY trip, it had to stand alone. We discovered the most awesome place ever - Strong's National Museum of Play. A Museum. For Play. I'm in!! It is located in Rochester, and has so many ways to "play", you can't hardly do it all in one day! Here are some pics of our (very tiring) day. And let me warn you - there are A LOT Of pictures, but you just have to see how many cool things there were! And this really just skims the surface.

Here we go, about to enter into childhood mania...

This was a really cool tubular thing that makes music. I'm sure there is a very technical name for it, but excuse me for not taking the time to do the research.

Suuuuunny days, sweepin the - clouds away...can you guess where we are????

Everyone's favorite fish, Dorothy. Unless you have 2 pet betas and then your favorite fish are Jett and Bella.

Who doesn't LOVE Mama Bear???

Making words.

The wooden building blocks center. Mason could have stayed here ALL day.

Hopscotchin

Daddy & his friend Jason could have had a mean game of chess on this bad boy! But for Reese & Mason it's just fun to play on the cool checkerboard.

These next few pics are of the coolest thing ever - a little-bittie-miniature-real life-pretend grocery store for kids! It was definitely the fave on Mason's list. Reese - not so much. She thinks she is getting too big for pretend play. Unless, of course, it includes her dolls, then she's all about it. But that's really not pretend. Because they're real. Just ask her.

Browsing the vegetable aisle.

Hmmmm...what shall I choose....the salmon, or the halibut?

Waiting in the check-out line. I fight nearly broke out when a little girl tried to cut. Another lesson for real life.

Check-out time!

This was really cool - it looks like a sand pit, but it was really millions of tiny little beads! YAY for no sand in our shoes!

Look at Jeff & G-Ma Weyers. Can you tell it's the end of the day? Whew! We were worn out!

The Hulk.

Ask and you will find, Seek and it will be given to you.

2010-01-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

Ok. So maybe the Lord wasn't SPECIFICALLY talking about Christmas decor when he breathed that scripture into His Word, but hey - it worked in this case.

Some of you may have seen my entry on Facebook about these delightful stockings. Well...I have been looking for cute stockings for about 3 years now, and when I came across these little jewels in our local Ace Hardware right after Christmas for HALF OFF I was so excited! $10 people. That's a steal! I was disappointed that our little store only had 1 initial I needed, which was an "R". I just figured it would be as easy as running home & jumpin on the pute pute, doin a little ebay or Craig's list search, and KACHOW - there would be the initials I needed, right? Oh, contrar. After a short time (on my iphone in the parking lot of the pet store, mind you) of scouring the internet and finding only a small trace of these stockings (but not the initials I needed), I decided to call a couple specialty stores in Cleburne where my parents live who I know carry Mud Pie merchandise to see if maybe THEY had the initials I needed. After calling 2 stores in Cleburne, and at least 3 in Granbury, who all had these stockings but did not have the initials I needed, I was starting to panic. What the heck? I mean...you can find EVERYTHING you would ever want or need online, so what is the problem? These can't be that hard to find...or can they? Hmmmmm...I was officially on a mission. A Mud Pie stocking mission. Letters M. J. and J.

After sensing the urgency in my voice, a nice girl from one of the stores in Granbury gave me the name and cell phone number of the retail distributor from our region. I call her and she's like, "Well...actually, I'm on vacation right now, so good luck sister." Great. Thanks for nothin. So I get BACK online & go to the Mud Pie website and email their customer service rep. This lady saved my life. She was very upfront and informed me these stockings were VERY difficult to find because the company only made a limited amount and certain initials (R & J apparently) were hard to come by. Ya think? So, to make a long story short, she gave me the names of several stores in areas where I have loved ones (including Buffalo, NY, Wichita, Ponca City, Hereford, TX, Austin, Houston) who would be willing to seize these oh-so-hard-to-find stockings. BINGO! After speaking with a very non-helpful Buffalonian who informed me she did have an "M" in stock, but would absolutely NOT be willing to hold it for me, I nearly came unglued. I heard my voice get very shaky as I begged her, pleaded with her to HOLD THAT FREAKING STOCKING LADY! I was gonna beg my mother-in-law to drive the 30 miles to Buffalo to snag it up for me. Finally, after much southern "I'm not taking no for an answer" pressure, she caved. She committed to hold the stocking for ONE DAY. Great. How much do you love me, Colette?

Ok. So "M" is down, two J's to go. So the next day, I get this very nonchalant text from my lifelong friend Dawn who I grew up with in Blackwell, informing me that she was just in the little Hallmark store in Ponca City (where my brother lives) and they had MY stockings - a D for Dawn & a J for Jodi. What the? And you left it there? Oh my gosh, Dawn. GO BACK, GO BACK! She had no idea I had nearly fallen off the deep edge of sanity trying to find these blasted stockings. So I speed dial my brother who just happens to be coming for a visit the following weekend and beg him to go to the Hallmark store and snatch up that J. Mission 2 accomplished.

One more phone call to make. Hereford, TX. Ok...really? Really do you think I'm going to find these prized stockings in the Beef Capital of the World? I'm thinking my chances are pretty slim. THe name of the store? Inkahoots. Yeah baby. I'm lovin it. So I pick up the phone for one last ditch effort and on the other line is the owner who is the most gracious, kind, understanding southern woman you have ever met. I tell her my story and she says, "Honey, I have an M AND a J with your name on it. You just come on in when you can." Booya! I literally did the happy dance in my little kitchen. Screaming, jumping up and down, the whole bit. Yeah, I do still realize these are stockings we're talking about. But it was the thrill of the chase that excited me! And the fact that I hate to be told no. So I schedule Jeff to pick the stockings up from the angel at Inkahoots on a Monday afternoon. This mission doesn't go off without a hitch. Oh no. It can't be that easy. Jeff's schedule is so packed that week that he wasn't going to be able to make it by the store during business hours. So guess what that precious angel whom I have never met offered to do? She offered to just take those stockings right home with her and have Jeff come by anytime he wanted! Can you believe that? I can. Because she was a woman who understood my insane mission and wasn't about to stand in my way.

Long story short (didn't I say that like 2 paragraphs before?), Jeff got the stockings, I hung them on my chimney on January 1st and kept them there for a week. And I can't WAIT to put em up next year! Mission completion. Stinkin Mud Pie. And here they are for you to see.

Out with the Old, In with the New

2009-12-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. We made it. The holidays are over, my house is back in order, I've officially gained a couple pounds...life is good. We had a WONDERFUL experience for the 1st Annual Weyers Christmas Extravagazna! We were even fortunate enough to get a couple inches of snow on Christmas Eve to make it a beautiful, white Christmas. Doesn't get any better than that. Except for one little thing...poor Uncle Benji was stranded in Ponca City by himself because of the nasty blizzard in Oklahoma. Mom actually held up pretty well under the circumstances. As a mom myself, I know it must have broken her heart to know he was by himself for Christmas. We'll be ready to see him this weekend and finally get to celebrate!

Since this was the first Christmas for us to be in our own home, we decided to implement a few new traditions. Below are some pics of a few of them. Merry Christmas everyone!

Meet Rocky, the Elf. Rocky mysteriously showed up at our house when we returned from Mimi & Grandad's after Thanksgiving. Rocky is magic and flies back to the North Pole each night to tell Santa if Reese & Mason have been naughty or nice that day. Then he shows up the next morning in a new spot. The kids LOVED looking for Rocky every morning.

Giving Santa their wish lists. Mase wasn't so sure...

Reese pouring the milk to go with Santa's cookies on Christmas Eve.

Reese & Mason got to open 2 gifts on Christmas Eve. One was their pajamas, the other was a Hallmark ornament. This will definitely be something we do every year.

Decorating gingerbread houses.

Jeff's not so sure this is something we'll add to our new traditions list...he got stuck doing most of the work!

Reese at her school Christmas program. Very sweet.

Mason at the Christmas program. So cute!

Turning over a new um, pine tree

2009-11-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

No doubt the year of 2009 has brought about many changes for our family. And just for poops and giggles, we're going to add a few more. Just to fill you in, I have spent the last 32 Christmas holidays (Christmas Eve and morning) at my Grandparent's house in Kansas. I have soooo many precious memories of those times. If you are a close friend of mine, you have surely heard a few. Over the course of those 32 years, there were many traditions started - a few intentional, most by accident. One example of a tradition that has started with my own kids is that on Christmas Eve at Grandiddy's house, "Santa Claus" i.e. Mike VanCampen (neighbor of Grandiddy's and long-time family friend) comes for a nice little visit. This is no ordinary merry and bright Santa visit, let me just tell you. This particular Santa has a bit of a fire under his shiny black belt. He usually comes bearing gifts of flatulence, crude humor and a few jabs at whoever is the closest target. He never fails to make everyone in the room laugh until they cry, and usually succeeds at making my cheeks turn a certain pinkish color. The children just stare in awe...completely CONFUSED but loving it.

So since we're going to be spending our very first ever Christmas at HOME in Texas this year, I've been trying to think up some new traditions for our family. I hadn't even considered having Santa come to our house on Christmas Eve like the kids have become accustomed to (ok, they totally expect it) until Mason asked me this morning, "Momma, where is Santa Claus gonna sit?" Crap. Really? You're telling me I have to find someone who is willing to come dressed in a big red Santa suit on Christmas Eve? You've GOT to be kidding me. And it can't be just anyone. The only people I know who would do something like that for me are Jeff's amazing guy friends (hint hint) but my kids would totally catch on to that, so I'm thinking it needs to be someone they don't know - at least not well.

All that to say, it is November 23rd and I have less than a month to find someone who can pull this off. It's either that, or come up with a really good excuse why Santa ditched us this year. Yeah...I'm not seeing that one happen. Any volunteers????

And by the way, if you would like to share your favorite Christmas traditions (please, please, please, please, please), just leave a comment. I would love to hear them! Just don't be surprised if we steal it for the 1st annual Weyers Family Christmas Extravaganza. To be continued....

Tribute to my favorite dog in the world

2009-11-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Gosh. Sitting down to hash this out again just about kills me. It's been almost 2 weeks ago now that the end to an era arrived. The Rocky Era. It was 13 great, hilarious, frustrating, entertaining, and love-filled years with that silly dog. We woke up on that last Sunday morning to a very sick, tired dog. I was so not expececting it. He had just been barking at our cows the night before. When I held that little guy in my arms and realized the decision that was ahead of me, I could have just melted into the soil of this earth. It happened so fast. There was no time to just sit and hold him for hours like I wanted. Of course I look back on the days leading up to this and wish so much I would have just STOPPED the busy course of my life and just held him for even a few minutes without interruption. I'm sure I was too busy doing laundry, picking up after someone, doing paperwork or some other "meaningful" task. Dang it. I don't want to live my life that way.

Anyway, I am so thankful for the chance to have had Rocky Dog in our family. Isn't it funny how God can use a little dog of all things to bring a family together? Rocky was definitely a tool used by God. We know that and we were so blessed to have him for 13 years.

So to you, the BEST little dog I've ever known: Thank you for making us laugh, being such a good sport with the kids and just brightening our days. I know the squirrels miss you chasing them, buddy. You were so good at that game. I miss your bark. I miss the sound of your collar clanking back and forth when you walk through the house. You always had such a little kick in your step. Happy Dog. You will ALWAYS be loved and NEVER be forgotten. I love you Rocky Top. See ya soon.

The pinky saga continues...

2009-10-20T17:21:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been faithfully following Jeff's pinky progress, I thought I would post some pics of the outcome of the most recent surgery, which was yesterday. The good news is the doctor DID find and remove the 2 stitches that were left in his pinky from the surgery 3 years ago (don't ask if you don't already know). The bad news is that the doctor still isn't convinced Jeff will get to keep the tip of his finger. We should know more about that in a few weeks. We're praying that everything heals nicely and that he isn't reduced to "The man with 9 and 3/4 fingers". Not that there's anything wrong with that.... ;-)

Happy Birthday Jeffy!

2009-10-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

34 Reasons I love you more today:

1) You are an amazing husband and daddy.

2) You taught Reese how to ride her bike, tie her shoes AND whistle. Oh, and YOU were the one there when she took her first steps.

3) You humor me when I do my tour de Blackwell and reminisce about the good ole days.

4) You fake it with me and dance like a "Real Texan" at out of state weddings. ;-)

5) You cry at my Grandad's funeral and drive around the country to be there like it's no big deal.

6) You drive around the country like it's no big deal.

7) You love church.

8) You sing all the words to Ice Ice Baby without skipping a beat.

9) You love OSU almost as much as I do and you're from New York.

10) My family is Your family.

11) You let me keep the dogs and even let them sleep with us when I'm feeling sorry for them.

12) You gave Rocky his IV fluids when I couldn't stand to do it. (You're my hero)

13) You know everything about everything. (how do you DO that?)

14) You know just how to cook my steak.

15) You finally sing in the choir!

16) You look HOT in your Carhartt.

17) You make friends, then you make them family.

18) You read the bible to Mason at night.

19) You still give me a hard time when you get in bed first because I'm scared of the dark. "watch it..."

20) You know the significance of George W. Buuuush, Joseffi's, Fazzio's, and "chipot-el".(Sorry Mom...couldn't resist)

21) When you hear the song "Fly" by Sugar Ray, it takes you back to the black truck.

22) You read the instructions.

23) You work HARD. You hate to sit. Thanks for all you do.

24) You get excited about the future.

25) You want to travel the Big 12 with me in a motor home someday... ahhhh...

26) You LOVE cows. Not dairy cows necessarily...just cows in general.

27) You gave me a clean house (and new kitchen!) to come home to after my girls trip.

28) You listened to me cry when I wanted to come home from the girls trip...then you told me to go have fun and I was all better.

29) You watch DWTS with me and sometimes even the Bachelorette if you're being really nice.

30) You love to yell at hotel managers and you take care of "biness" when necessary.

31) You never stop learning.

32) You have integrity.

33) You take care of all things rodent, furry, scaly, creepy, crawly, and slimy. Ummm..thanks.

34) You LOVE ME!

Happy Birthday to you. I pray for you this year will be full of happiness, adventure, exciting change, and abundant success. I love you babe!

2009-09-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

OK....so I've been MIA in the blogging world for quite some time. And there just HAS to be an explanation, right? Of course!

Reason #1: BUSY. Summers are crazy with two kiddos and I just flat out did not put my computer time at the top (or even near the middle) of my priority list.

Reason #2: I was sad. We received news on July 13th - the day before my 33rd birthday that my Grandad Evans had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer that had already metastasized to the brain. YIKES. Not exactly the kind of news you expect to be delivered when you go to your family doctor because you've been short of breath lately. Needless to say, it took us all by shock when we lost our beloved Grandiddy. Even though I had prayed that the Lord would not allow him to suffer, I still begged to have him back for even just a day when I found out we no longer had him. You see, we were scheduled to go for a visit that very next weekend. I could not wrap my mind around the idea that I would not see him again on this earth. Get to hug his neck. Give him a hard time about whatever it was I came up with that day. Watch him hug on Reese and Mason. I was so not ready for him to go. To this day, I cannot accept that I can't pick up the phone to see which football game he is watching. But you know what is so cool? The weekend after Grandad went home to be with the Lord and Grammy, there was a "Perfect Trifecta". And he had front row seats to all 3. OSU beats Georgia, K-STATE beats Massachusetts and OU loses to BYU. I don't know if I could have beat him to the phone on that day! He would have been pumped and I would have answered the phone to the sound of his boisterous laughter! And Dawn...I apologize now and you know I love you! ;-)

All that to say, I finally decided to publish the post I wrote the morning I found out about Grandad passing away. For some reason, it gave me comfort to write. I just couldn't share it until now. And I couldn't continue to blog knowing this post was just sitting out there hiding in cyberspace without being included in my journey. So here's to you Grandad. I love you so.

A Tribute to the Greatest Man of the Greatest Generation

2009-08-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

To my Grandad Evans: I celebrated your reunion with Grammy the second I heard you had passed away this morning. She has been waiting for 5 years to see your face again and I can only imagine the joy, laughter and tears the two of you had when you hugged her in your arms. I can just picture it! Your laugh still rings in my mind as I type this - it is SO YOU! We can all hear your voice telling us "Now kids, stop your cryin and don't make a fuss over me. Oh, and don't make too much food either, cause it will just go to waste." "Now don't change your plans for me, you kids have your own lives too". But you know what Grandad? You are our lives. You mean everything to us. Even though we are far away, there is not a day that goes by that we don't think of you and wonder what kind of trouble you've been causing that day in Turon. What kind of bad jokes you've been telling at the coffee shop. If you're getting along ok. I hope you know how much of an example you have been in my life personally. I will never see the color purple without thinking about you and your love for those K-State Wildcats. Even when they're playing OSU, there is still a part of me that roots for them just to see you smile. ;-) Thank you for instilling in me the love for sports. Take a look down your family tree and it is obvious that you may have had some influence there, don't ya think? We are all nuts! In a good, healthy way of course. ha!

You are loved, you will be missed, and I thank you so much for the things you have taught me - even when you thought I wasn't looking. Watch over me Grandad...

I took this picture on my way up to see you for what was not knowingly the last time. I will think of you everytime I see a beautiful sunset from now on. I wish so much I could hug your neck again...

Growing and growing and growing...

2009-08-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Reese lost her first tooth! Another big milestone to add to her year of turing 5. She has also learned how to ride her bike without training wheels, blow a bubble with gum, tie her shoes and smart off to her Mommy like a teenager. WOW. My baby is growing up. Check out the pics below.

Showing off the hole in her mouth where the tooth used to be.

Getting ready for bed and to put her tooth under her pillow.

So super excited that the tooth fairy is going to come visit.

Putting the tooth under her pillow.

Showing little brother how it's done. Such a good big sissy.

Little Manny is 3!

2009-06-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Three years. Three long, hard years. No, just kidding. Actually, maybe only half kidding. Three years ago my precious, high maintenance bundle of joy of a boy came into this world and he hasn't stopped tearing it up since. Mason is finally THREE! He has been telling people for the last few months he is "almost three" and now he can just say "I'm THREE!" And guess what happened the day he turned three? He gave up his "pie pie" (pacifier) cold turkey. That's right people. That thing nearly sent Mimi to her grave and I can't tell you how many times I was woken up right smack dab in the middle of REM sleep to go retrieve it in the middle of the night. And Little Manny literally gave it up cold turkey. I am so proud of you, Mase! And so ever thankful...

I am so proud of the little man you are becoming. I love the little things about you. How you love to open doors for "the ladies". You look at mommy and tell her she is sooooo pretty. You hold both of my cheeks in the palms of your hands when you give me a kiss. How you know how to scream like a man. How you insist on eating breakfast the second your feet hit the floor in the morning. How you dream about flying a batman rocket up to the stars when you become a daddy. How you can belt out the words to I'll Fly Away in the backseat. Your absolute LOVE for anything Superheros, especially Batman. The way you hold big frogs. All these things are wrapped up in the package that is Mason and I love every bit of it. Even the days we have that are rough, I can sit and watch you sleep and know everything is going to be ok. Thank you Lord, for giving me this strong, hilarious, smart and driven child. I can't wait to see all the gifts and talents God gives you to use on this earth. I can already see you have a very determined mind like your Daddy. You can do anything you set your heart to little buddy! Here are a few pics of the last three years of Mason's life. Happy Birthday Little Manny!

Summer, Summer, Summertiiiiime Baby

2009-06-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...my favorite time of year is finally here! Wait a minute, I'm pretty sure I say that about every season, but it's just because I love them ALL so much! Here are a few pics from the last couple weeks that show we are enjoying our summer so far. Swimming, eating popsicles, riding bikes, swimming...it's been great! Now we're just waiting for our summer vacationers to get here and we'll be all set. Can't wait!

Reese Through the Years & Turning 5

2009-05-28T12:02:00.001-07:00

May 28th, 2004 11:11 pm. The very moment my life was changed forever and I was given the beloved title of MOM. 5 years ago today Reese entered our lives and she has continued to bless us with her smile, her laugh, her notorious scream, her love for animals, and her nurturing way of taking care of her little babies. All these things were discovered at such a young age and continue to blossom into what is now Reese's personality. I love it. I cherish every little thing about that girl. I love to see how independent she is becoming, yet I want her to stay little. She is growing up before my eyes and becoming such a precious human being. Thank you, Lord, for chosing ME to be her Mom. I am blessed beyond measure...

Happy Birthday baby girl!

2009-05-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

WOW. The whole "ask and you shall receive" thing apparently really works. If you read my last post, you know I had shared my desires about a stranger complimenting my precious, perfect, well-behaved children. har har. Weird, I know. WELL...it actually happened! It wasn't at a restaurant, it was on a bus, but hey - beggars can't be choosers, right? We were sitting on a bus on our way to one of the theme parks at Disney World, and for about 15 minutes I had been ~~discretely~~ staring at this really well put together lady who appeared to be in her late 50's that was sitting across from me. She was dressed very preppy with perfect creases in her nicely ironed khaki shorts, had red toenail polish, a french manicure and super cute hair. Yeah, I'm shallow. I totally notice those things. ;-) Anyhoo, after sitting there with the kids for the entire time without a fight breaking out between the two of them, she looked over at us and said "You have the most well behaved children!" I couldn't believe it! Seriously y'all...I have been waiting for that moment for 5 years and I blogged about it before we left and it happened! Coincidence, or are you with me and think God just has a really witty sense of humor? Uh-huh. He likes to see us smile and know it was Him all along.

All that to say, I have to tell you they were really well behaved on that bus trip but I'm pretty sure it was because we were on day 5 and they were completely worn out! Hey - whatever works. I'll take it.

Oh how I long for the day...

2009-05-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

There is this one moment in my life that I can still recall from my childhood. Actually, there is more than one, but this one is very vivid. I was in Colorado with Mom, Dad and Benji and I'm not sure how hold we were, but we were pretty young. I bet Benji was 5, which would have made me 9. We were sitting in a restaurant and out of nowhere a man walks over to our table and tells mom and dad that he has been watching our family and just wanted to tell them what well-mannered kids we were and what a nice family we had. I can still remember how genuinely kind he was. And how proud my parents were when he came over.

So that is my new goal in life. Someday I want a stranger to come over to our table at a restaurant and compliment us on what well-mannered children we have. Lofty life goal, I know. Ok...you can stop laughing now. ;-) Apparently, this happened with my own children one time when I was not present (they were with Mimi & Grandad) so that totally doesn't count. My kids turn into angels when they go visit the Grandparents! At least I know they have it in them....sweet little souls!

Another Mason Funny

2009-05-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Mason got his hair cut this morning and when we got in the car to leave he said, "She was pretty girl", referring to the girl who cut his hair. And she was! So I said, "Mason, do you like pretty girls?" and he said "Yeah, I like pretty girls and Batman". That's my boy!

Mason Funny

2009-05-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Setting: The car

Mason: Ta Dum!!! (super proud)

Mommy: Ta Dum!! (not knowing what I was ta-dumming)

Mason: My boogie is on me!

Mommy: Sigh...

Just another day in the life of the mother of a little boy.

My friend, the Sun

2009-05-02T20:06:00.001-07:00

Suuuuuunnnn???? Suuuuuunnnnnn???? Where arrrrrreee youuuuuuu???? Are you ever going to come visit us again? We want you back! And quick...I'm starting to feel deficient in Vitamin D. Big Time. Not to mention how I long for you to come dry up the piles of MUD in my yard. I'm getting very weary of washing muddy little shoes. Suuuuuuuunnn????? Suuuuuuunnnnn?????

Let the Chocolate Frenzy Begin!

2009-04-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

O. M. G. Why didn't someone tell me not to buy the candy that I like for stuffing the easter eggs for my children? I'm so writing that on the calendar for next year. Apparently my memory failed me from last year...I do not remember being so out of control in the chocolate department! WOW. If I eat one more pastel chocolate easter egg I'm going to break out with acne like a 14 year old. Yep, pretty sure of it. And what's up with all the new flavors of jelly beans? Sweetarts, starburst, jolly rancher, etc. Not that I'm complaining, but I think we all know Jelly Bellies rule in this category hands down. I mean, who can resist a good tutti frutti jelly belly? You know - the ones that taste dead on like a piece of Juicy Fruit gum? Oh, you know you look for that one every time. Or maybe the popcorn flavored ones just so you can taste how much it REALLY does taste like popcorn...how in the heck do they DO that? I'm not sure but as much as I dislike the flavor of that jelly bean, I continue to try it time after time.

Anyhoo...back to the real reason I'm posting tonight, which is really just to share a few photos of Easter weekend with ya. Peace out.

They're heeeeeeeere!!!

2009-04-09T12:31:00.001-07:00

This one is for you, Dawn.

Flower Power!!!

2009-04-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

The day is finally here when I can start filling my calendar up with practices, games, team pictures and parties!! Wooo hoooo!!!! Some of my favorite memories growing up revolve around going to sporting events with my family. Whether it was traveling to watch Benji play baseball, or going as a family to a Royals, WSU or OSU baseball game in the summertime, I love, love, love the memories. If you grew up in Blackwell, do you remember going to DQ after a game so the coach could treat you to an ice cream cone? The parking lot (if that's what you want to call it) would be full of kids riding in the backs of pick-up trucks sweating to death waiting for ice cream or a grape push-up if you were me. Man, I am having a hankering for one of those babies right now....

Anyway, I thought I would share a few photos of Reese's soccer game last weekend. Mimi & Grandad were able to come watch and she did a great job! She saved THREE whole goals from going in...I was so proud! Considering the first time she was goalie, she just stood there with her fingers in her mouth and watched the ball go right smack into the net like there was nothing she could (or would) do about it. Oh, what a month of practice will do! Let the games begin!!!

Reese saved a goal and is throwing the ball back to her team.

Giving Daddy "knuckles" for a job well done.

Celebrating a fun day of soccer with Mimi & Grandad.

Reese & Daddy watching her team.

You get what you pay for...

2009-03-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so yesterday we were at Walmart making our weekly grocery run and I decided to be 'Nice Mom' and let the kids get a treat. They chose kites. I was trying to keep the grocery bill down, so I encouraged them to pick the $1 kites instead of the $5 kites. Apparently in this case you get what you pay for. Check out the big blob of a mess the string from the two kites made when they collided. Seriously, I don't even know how that happened. One minute I was running down our street with all the grace and elegance of a ballroom dancer in an effort to launch Reese's kite, and the next thing I know Mason crosses my path and all heck breaks loose as the kites start spinning out of control - twisting, turning, all the while tangling into a giant knot. I'm not exaggerating, that's really what happened! It was all in less than like 10 seconds or something. Anyway, just don't buy the $1 kites unless you can space your children far, far away from each other.

Just the right amount of wind
2 cheapo Kites
2 overly excited kids

SO NOT PRICELESS

Fishin' the day away

2009-03-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

We went to check on our cows the other day and Jeff just happened to have the kids' fishing poles in the back of the truck. Oh, and he "conveniently" slipped some worms in there too...I guess a guy can never be too prepared for a spur of the moment opportunity to catch a big one. Reese had fun casting her line a few times. She's actually getting pretty good at it. Here is a picture of her enjoying a good moment of serenity. Thank you Lord for these rare moments caught on film (or digitally, whatever).

Superheroes and Princesses

2009-03-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering what to get Reese or Mason for their upcoming birthdays, I thought these pictures from the last week might give you a hint.

The Superhero stage. We are there.

And Reese is getting more comfortable with the whole idea of dressing up... but only if she has to or is with other friends who are into that. Now, that could change here in a couple months when we go to Disney World and she gets to see all the real princesses. In this picture she was attending a Princess themed birthday party. What I love about her is that she loves getting dirty, playing with frogs, and could go without brushing her hair for days. But she can clean up and do the princess thing too. I wonder which direction she'll go??? I LOVE that girl.

2009-03-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

I've gotta say, I have found my two least favorite words when put together are: "Uh-oh Mommy". What I discover after that usually requires fixing, cleaning up, deodorizing, washing, sanitizing, throwing away, capturing, spanking, lecturing, and/or a little time-out for Mommy. Who knew 2 little innocent words could mean so many different things and throw moms around the world into panic mode?

My little bruiser

2009-03-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

"Congratulations Reese!!" That's what Uncle Benji told her when he heard Reese got her first set of stitches today. 6 stitches to be exact. I must say, I really thought Mase would be the one to send me into a frenzy to the ER first, but Reese takes that trophy. Actually, as luck would have it (the day AFTER St. Patrick's Day, mind you) Mimi and Grandad happen to be very good friends with their family doctor in Cleburne who had us come to the BACK DOOR - that's right, people - of his clinic for prime time, first class treatment. Oh yeah baby...that's what living in a small town will do for ya and I'm so ever grateful! I'm not above taking advantage of the 'ole "friends in high places" adage. Sign me up! And thank you again Grandad for making that phone call. You saved us from the wrath of the Cleburne ER. Shiver.

We were at Mimi & Grandad's for a couple days while Jeff was gone this week, and they had so sweetly placed a ladder on their back porch for the kids to hop up on to peek into the hanging basket above for a little looksey at two tiny dove eggs. The kids had both been up & down that ladder several times in the last 2 days, but somehow this afternoon Reese missed the bottom step on her way down and went head first to the concrete. OUCH. I had just stepped inside for a second (isn't that the way it always happens) and I heard her scream super loud, and when I walked outside all I saw was a big, huge GOUGE on her chin and lots & lots of blood. I knew immediately it would require stitches. And can I just tell you how proud I was when Reese didn't cry when she was getting her stitches? That amazes me. I guess I must be a big fat wimp or something, but I'm pretty sure I would want to cry TODAY if I got stitches and I'm 32. I did learn one thing about myself today, and that is that apparently when I see a big 4 inch long needle going into my precious baby's open wound, it is beneficial for everyone involved if I just go ahead and find myself a seat, put my head between my knees and take really huge calculated breaths. Huh. Didn't know that about myself until a few hours ago. Evidently I don't have the stomach of steel I've so prided myself on my whole life. Interesting find.

Anyhoo, thought I would grace you with a very graphic picture of our little bruiser and her battle wound. Stinkin' ladder. Oh, and I also included a picture of my little shadow, Adrienne, perched where she sits and keeps me company while I blog. I love you little chubby dog.

No, I did not ask Adrienne to stick her tongue out at
you in this picture...she did that on her own accord.

My child

2009-03-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

During Reese's rest time and my "work time" on the computer, she got creative on me. She put together teams. That's right. Teams. I've listed the teams as she told me below. Can you find them all in the picture???? Ready. Set. GO!

Dog Team
Dora Team
Princess Dresses Team
Winnie the Pooh Team
Elmo Team
Cow Team
Ring Team
Worm Team
Kitty Cat Team
Cow Team
Boy Team

Flyin with Daddy

2009-03-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

So I got brave last weekend and decided it was time for Jeff to take the kids up for a little flying action. It was the perfect day for it, so we took off for our little airport up the road. Before I even knew what happened, Jeff had Reeso in the air. I think he knew he better act fast before I changed my mind. Here are a few pics from their very first flights with Daddy. Both kids absolutely loved it and Jeff said it was priceless getting to hear them talk on the headsets. These are the days...

Out at the Ranch

2009-03-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

The girls and I took all our kiddos out to Traca's family ranch this past Tuesday. Thankfully we were able to stay a few hours and let the kids run off some energy since the last few days we've all pretty much been stuck inside because of the rain. They had a blast finding "seashells" aka snails, a very large and stinky turtle shell, plenty of ladybugs, all kinds of rocks, dinosaur tracks, and looking (unsuccessfully) for arrowheads. Thanks, Traca for sharing your beautiful place with us!

Mason & Sophie holding hands on our hike.
They did not stop talking the whole time.

Mason driving June Bug all around town.

Here they come...

There they go...

Oh, how I love these girls!!!

The "Big Girls"

Aubrey & Reese posing for a pretty picture.

All the kiddos sans June Bug & Brooks...where were they???

JUST THE GIRLS

Playing around

2009-03-12T11:55:00.001-07:00

I've been playing around with editing a few pics, and here is one I really like of Mase Man.

Fun at Babe's

2009-03-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

We met Mimi & Grandad over at Babe's in Granbury one night last week and had a great time. The kids were actually brave enough to get up and boogie to the Hokey Pokey. There is hope for Reese and her shyness...I NEVER would have done that in a MILLION years at her age! I was so proud. Anyway, here are a few pics of them having fun.

Shake it sister!!

A Day at the Rim

2009-03-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

While Grandma Weyers was here visiting, we made the trek over to Glen Rose to Fossil Rim. This was her first time to experience one of our favorite places, and it did not disappoint! The animals were all hungry and weren't hesitant about letting us know. Just ask Jeff about the ostrich that wanted a piece of him. SCARY PSYCHO OSTRICH. Go peck at someone your own size.

2009-03-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

Reese & Grandma Weyers coloring some pretty pictures

Mason & Grandma Weyers feeding the stinky animal at Fossil Rim

Mimi & GW at Babe's in Granbury

Three of my favorite girls

Grandparents Unite!

It's even better than Santa!! We were so glad to have Grandma Weyers come for a visit this past week. She is such an easy house guest. She is not the type of mother-in-law that meddles or throws little punches in about my parenting (although I'm sure there are times she would like to!). I actually felt better about myself and how at times I complain that Mason is a handful when she was here for about a day and added on her own accord that "WOW! Mason is a stinker!". She didn't exactly use that word, but the word she did use shouldn't be repeated on my blog. ha ha! I love you for that, Grandma Weyers. She just laughs at all of Mason's antics because she knows it is SERIOUS paybacks for Jeff being the onery toddler he was. And I'm sure I'll get mine when Reese turns about 13-14. From what I hear, I was no angel. ;-) Anyway, here are a few pics from the week.

Some things are just meant to be...

2009-03-02T12:08:00.001-08:00

Do you know the story of how Jeff & I met? It was in mid-October 1996. I was living at the coolest apartment complex in Stillwater - Maple 400. Good times, good times. I had met a girl named Karly in one of my classes at OSU who continued to pester me to come to dinner at her house so she could introduce me to one of her husband's new friends who was single and lookin'. Apparently the dude was from New York and a really nice guy according to her. I really wasn't in the mood for dating...I had been out with a couple different guys in Stillwater and for sure wasn't interested in settling down! I was having way too much fun! So fast forward a few weeks...

...I'm sitting on the living room floor of my apartment studying for Nutrition (maybe that's why I had to take that class over...I should have been at the libary) and my good friend runs into the room saying "Jodi! You HAVE to come outside to see this adorable little puppy!" Remember that, Deachi? ;-) So being the complete animal lover that I am, I ditched the Nutrition book and skipped outside to see what all the fuss was about. I spotted the puppy first and totally didn't even notice the guy walking him. I ooooohed and aaaaaahed over the puppy for a bit before I looked up to speak to the dog walker, and I will never forget the look on his face. About that time the dog walker said, "Do you know Karly?" Holy MOLY! It's THE GUY! The guy she's been trying to hook me up with for weeks! What the? Oh my gosh, what am I wearing? Do I have any makeup on? What the? Ok...collect yourself, Jodi. "Oh, hi". "Yeah...I know Karly. Are you JEFF?". And the rest is history. That was a Tuesday afternoon and we went out that Thursday night and never looked back. This picture was taken at Lance & Karly's house on our 2nd date. Don't we look like kids??? It cracks me up. And in case you haven't guessed already, the little dog he was walking was our very own Rocky!

Anyway, we're celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary tomorrow, March 3rd. I'm so glad God sent you to me, Jeff! I know it was divine intervention that brought us together and I'm thankful every day. And by the way, you WERE stalking me, weren't you? Uh huh...thought so. I love you!

2009-02-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Want a good laugh? Put your very talkative toddler on the phone when the next telemarketer calls your house. I had tears. Seriously. Funny stuff right there. I'm SO doing that again.

I Go Back

2009-02-14T11:46:00.001-08:00

A few months ago, I started a playlist from my past. If you grew up in the 80's or 90's, a few of these songs might take you back. I'd love to hear song suggestions if anybody has any - just leave a comment! Enjoy and ROCK ON!

**Playlist deleted.

GIRL POWER!

2009-02-12T19:38:00.001-08:00

Ok. So the consensus from all my girls is to go buy a new camera. I love it. And my mother-in-law had a very good point...CATTLE PURCHASE = NEW CAMERA. Niiiice. I learn from the best. ;-)

2009-02-11T19:27:00.001-08:00

**THIS IS YOUR WARNING - - Read at your own risk! I'm feeling a bit sappy tonight. (The first 10 or so songs on my playlist should tell you that).

Lately I've had a few people ask me if I'm still alive because I've had a severe halt in my blog activity. Yes, I'm still here! I haven't blogged in awhile because of obvious reason #1 - I still have not purchased a camera. Simple. I love to blog about pictures. It just makes everything real.

And the harder to admit Reason #2 - I haven't blogged lately because quite frankly I don't think I could have and stayed positive. And heaven knows I don't want to be the downer in your day! Those of you who have young children or have had at some point in your life might be able to relate. Let me just cut to the chase. I am a mom to two fabulous, beautiful children who are close to sending me to the funny farm! No, really...I'm ok...seriously. It's just that when you have days when your 13 year old dog "runny poops" all over one of two carpeted rooms in your house, your son tips over an entire humidifier with dirty water on the second carpeted room in your house (as you're cleaning up mess #1), your favorite brown shag area rug is at the carpet cleaners already this week because you and your kids tracked in dog poop from outside, and once again a half roll of toilet paper clogs up the toilet...you start wondering, "Am I really making a difference here?" That's really what this is all about, after all. I want to make a difference. I want to raise kids who love the Lord, who love others, know how to treat people with respect, know that we don't run in the house or call each other "poopy face" or "poopy clock" (Mason's newest coined phrase)...you know, the normal things in life. I just realized today that I have been a stay-at-home mom for almost 5 years. I can't hardly believe it. I have ALWAYS known I wanted to be a mom. ALWAYS. That was my life's passion. So now that I'm here, I want to enjoy it. That sounds so cliche, but it's a lot harder than you might think. Sure, there are days when I enjoy my children, but more days show up where I feel like all I'm doing is correcting them, discipling, putting tabasco in their mouths for talking back (thanks Mom & Anna!) or just plain losing it! I am going to freak out when Reese is in school all day every day next year, so why is it that when she asks me to play Candy Land or doll house with her that I want to run far, far away? I should WANT to do that stuff, right? What is wrong with me? So my prayer this week is to S-L-O-W down and enjoy my sweet, precious babies. I love them more than life and they deserve that. So if you're a mom reading this, be encouraged as I have been this week by so many. These years go by way too fast and we really do need to enjoy every single minute. After all, they are only gifts that can be taken away at any time. Let's not have any regrets. No regrets. Now, go give your kid a hug. GO!

Nehemiah 8:10 ...For the Joy of the Lord is your strength

Ages & Stages

2009-01-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh...the potty training stage. Yep. We're there. I have to say, I am overly impressed with how Mason has taken to the whole pottyin' in the toilet idea. Notice I said IDEA. He understands that when it's time to go, the goal is to go in the toilet. It's just that our aim isn't that great yet. And judging from what I hear from other moms who have been through this stage, it takes awhile before that gets a whole lot better. He has peed on the wall, in the trashcan, on the floor, down the side of the toilet, on the lid of the toilet and no telling where else. Bless his little heart. And bless my little heart for having to clean it! And all this while he's standing in front of it genuinely trying to aim at the little hole INSIDE the toilet! I just need to buy stock in Clorox wipes. And that wouldn't be a bad idea for the rest of you either.

So he's got the potty in the toilet thing down, but as of yesterday had yet to perform #2 on the toilet (except for the one exception at Traca's house which I am starting to believe was an accident!). So....while Mason was visiting Mimi this past week I ventured off to WallyMart to purchase a brand spankin new seventeen dollar potty chair. And guess what? It worked! I gave him the pep talk yesterday morning and he did it! He poopied in the potty chair. I was pumped. Obviously, I must have been if I am blogging about it. Mason is going to KILL me when he is a teenager. ;-) Anyhoo..we dumped his duty in the toilet, and I left the room while he was going to flush it. I neglected to realize he decided to throw some (and when I say some, I mean a roll) of toilet paper in there with it. Uh-huh. The result: $70 dollars worth of plumbing repair this afternoon. Gotta love it. I could have put that money toward a new pair of jeans I've been lusting over at the Fancy Pheasant! Darn it. Stinkin (literally) plumbing system.

So, not to be completely disgusting, I took a little picture of our clogged toilet. I finally got a memory card reader that is compatible with the SD card in my ancient camera that takes fuzzy pictures. I just like to have pictures of proof of my stories so someday I can look back and laugh. Not today. But soon.

Perspective

2009-01-09T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was just about to sit down and tell you about our morning when I read this.
Thanks for the new fresh perspective this morning, Trisha!

In case you were wondering though...it is 10:00 am and so far Mason has had to change his shirt 3 times, pooped his pants (we're potty training) and had to take a bath. 10:00 am. We've only been awake for 3 hours! What is it with boys??? Oh, the joys...

A Breakthrough

2009-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, guess what? Guess what I found in my hall closet yesterday while we were baking cookies? AN OLD DIGITAL CAMERA! Oh yeah baby. I'm back. It is an old, old, old, old, old, Kodak EasyShare. I'm talkin' the kind where you snap the picture and then it takes it like 2 whole seconds later. It is SWEET. Probably the first one they came out with. I know it was our very first digital camera and we were oh so proud of it. Anyway, I popped in some fresh new batteries and holy cow - IT WORKED! But wait a minute...where is the cord...you know, that cord that attaches to the camera and the computer so you can download pictures? Awwww man!!! I need the cord! Where could it be? As organized as I am (usually) I cannot for the life of me locate the cord. I take pictures on the camera of the kids being hilarious while we make cookies, but I can't share them with you because I have NO CORD. Wait a minute. Jeff will know what to do. I'll call him.

Ok..so apparently there is this thing at Walmart called a memory card reader that you stick the memory card from your camera into, hook it up to your computer, then you can get all your photos! Awesome! That will work. But that means I have to make another trip to Walmart. I was just there today. I have a very strick rule about not visiting that store more than once a day. Just a personal thing. Hmmm...I guess I'll have to wait then. Pictures of Cookie Making Day to come...

Held Hostage

2009-01-06T11:35:00.001-08:00

If you could have been at our house yesterday afternoon, you would have wondered how in the world I am capable of caring for and sustaining the lives of two little human beings. Seriously...I hate to admit it, but it was my first time EVER - at least that my memory serves me of making....wait....here it comes....you won't believe it...homemade sugar cookies! Yep. That's right. I know. It's not possible you are saying. But it's true. I know my many domestic friends (you know who you are) are all abhorred by this confession, but wow,...I somehow feel a huge relief just for saying it. Thanks.

Anyway, as I was saying, the kids and I were stuck inside the house yesterday for most of the day due to the frigid temps and freezing rain we enjoyed all day long. (That's me having a positive attitude). We ran a few of our errands early in the morning so we could get it over with, not realizing that meant we would be in the house the ENTIRE rest of the day. I'm cool. I can handle this. I started to feel guilty about letting Reese watch yet Care Bear movie, so I started thinking, "What would I be doing right now with my kids to keep them occupied on a not so beautiful day like today if I was a really cool mom"? So...I drug out June Shepherd's sugar cookie recipe (sorry Colette - yours has to chill overnight and I wanted cookies in an hour) and slapped the kids up on the kitchen counter and told them it was TIME TO HAVE FUN! They looked at me like I was nuts. We got all the ingredients out, started throwing them all together, (meanwhile Mason found out that pure Crisco - as appealing as it looks, does not taste so good) and started mixing. After all our hard labor and teaching Reese to use a mixer all by herself (I feel like mom of the year!), we were finished with the cookie part and onto the next step of making the frosting. I didn't have a frosting recipe, so I was going to go into the other room to look for one online. As I surveyed the situation I was about to leave the kids in, I realize that
1) They are both up on the countertop TOGETHER which can't be a good thing
2) Reese has her little turtle on the countertop with them in a baby bassinet (yeah, I know...real sanitary. Don't eat any of our cookies. That's your warning.)
3) There is flour, sugar, crisco, and a breakable bottle of vanilla all within their reach
4) There is an entire batch of sugar cookie dough they would be more than happy to devour should I turn my head for one teeny second.

As I was reluctantly walking away, knowing all these things mentioned above, I said, "I'll be right back - don't do anything stupid!" Reese gasps and says "Mommy! We don't SAY that word!" And without skipping a beat, Mason yells, "STUPID!" Nice, Jodi. Real nice. You spend countless hours teaching your kids the "naughty word list" and then you drop the bomb. C'mon now.

So, I come back with my handy dandy new recipe for butter frosting, and go to roll out my dough. What the heck? Why is it so sticky? It's sticking to everything! My countertop, rolling pin, fingers. Should I have chilled it like Colette's recipe? But it didn't SAY that in June's recipe in the Gamma Phi cookbook. And I KNOW June would not let me down like that...or would she? June Shepherd probably thinks EVERYONE - especially any domesticated young lady such as myself would know that you have to chill the dough first, so why would she need to include that in her recipe? Ahhh...gotcha. So everyone knows that, huh? Ok...so I go back online and google "how to roll out sugar cookie dough". Pretty much everything I find says to chill overnight. Dang it! I want a cookie and I want it now! Ok...here is one that says chill 4 hours...I can handle that. So we chill the dough, eat dinner, make the cookies, frost the cookies, and all is well. And you know what? They were pretty darn amazing! And we even had fun...

Catching up

2008-12-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

Ever notice on days when you're just a little behind and trying to play catch up on laundry someone always wets the bed? Does that happen to anyone else? It can't happen on those rare days when you are already caught up and have nothing to do anyway besides wash a set of sheets, mattress pad, top blanket and heating pad...nooooooo. That would be way too easy.

Stuck without Pictures

2008-12-29T19:37:00.001-08:00

Not to be a downer, but I sure do wish I had some pictures to post of the kids all googly-eyed and happy on Christmas morning. Oh yeah, I forgot..no camera. Yes, that's me whining. Still, I want to blog. Blogging really isn't that fun when you don't have pictures to back your story up. After all, you might think I was making my stories up out of nowhere if I didn't have the pics as proof, right? Right. So I decided to keep my Christmas memories to myself this year for now and just post a few pics that make me happy from years gone by. Happy Holidays.

Reese meeting Santa for the first time.

Two sweet little babies.

Happy Santa Mason

Happy Santa Reese

Mason having a conversation with Rudolph.

Good luck/bad luck

2008-12-22T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm really not a person who believes in good luck or bad luck. I know when things are going well, those are pure blessings from God. When things are going not so well...well, I'm not sure what that is. I have to tell you a story about the latter.

It was last Friday morning, less than a week away from Christmas when I was running late getting Reese to school. I'm usually not super early to events, but I'm certainly not late either. I'm really a "right on time" kind of girl. Anyway, I needed to be there early this particular day as I had set up parent volunteers from Reese's school to help set up tables and decorate for the school-wide Christmas lunch that day. My plan was to drop Reese off at about 8:45, get her situated, then go back to help get everyone set up - Mason in tow. Needless to say, I'm pretty sure we finally left the house at 8:59 and the school is about a 10 minute drive. Since we were late and I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, I poured some cereal(Lucky Charms to be exact) and milk into my trusty pink hypercolored (yeah baby) Eskimo Joes cup, along with a cup of coffee and we tore out the door. Getting into the car was a chore itself, as I had to load a box full of garland (for the table decorations, of course!), a pasta salad I had made the day before, snacks for Mason, my cereal, coffee, coats for the kids, purse, etc. And believe it or not, I felt like I had done all the pre-planning the night before! WRONG! So we pull up to the church, I reach down to the passenger's side floorboard where my camera was (I had to take pics of Reese at her Christmas program like a good Mommy) and since I was in a hurry and already feeling a bit flustered, instead of gently grabbing my camera with grace and dexterity, I sort of flung it up, lost control of it, threw it in the air, and guess where it landed? Uh-huh...right smack in the middle of my Eskimo Joes cup full of milk! I'm not kidding. I know what you're thinking...I am a complete irresponsible excuse for a person, right? Yep. I'm thinking the same thing actually. Because not only have I drenched my several hundred dollar camera into a cup of milk, I had also done something similar with one of my cell phones a few months ago. I'm not going to get into that story right now. SO...long story short, I am 4 days from Christmas and cameraless. Don't you want to cry for me? I want to cry for myself, but I'm too mad to do that. It took me 3 days to tell Jeff...I dropped the bomb on him this morning. I figured I couldn't hide the fact much longer that I hadn't been shoving the camera in the kid's faces all weekend long like usual. So good luck, or bad luck...that is the question. Maybe it's just God's way of letting me know I'm human like everyone else. Like Jeff said, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Jodi...we all throw cameras in a cup of milk at some time in our lives". Thank you my sweet husband. You rock.

Jesus the Big Guy

2008-12-17T19:39:00.001-08:00

Tonight we're getting in the car after church and Mason hadn't stopped talking from the time we left his classroom until we reached the car. I notice he is carrying his little Gideon's bible with him, and here is our convo:

Me: So Mase, it that your bible?

Mase: Yeah...

Me: Are you reading about Jesus?

Mase: Yeah. I read 'bout Jesus. He BIG, BIG guy. Jesus cool.

Me: Hmmm...you're right. You are so right.

Thank you Jesus for being BIG and cool indeed.

Crashed Out

2008-12-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today was brrrrrrr cold! I am a big fan of seasons changing, but c'mon...do you have to take us from 75 to 25 in one day? Sheesh! Even I - the cold weather lover that I am - can't handle that drastic change. Needless to say, we stayed inside most of the day except for our little jaunt to the movie theater for a matinee this afternoon. Here is a cute pic of Mason after he woke up from his nap and decided to join me in the living room to finish it. He fell asleep in this position and stayed that way for a good half hour. SO sweet. I couldn't resist snapping a pic! I included a couple other pics from the week as well.

Mason getting ready for a ride in the Gator.

Notice the blue diamond "stick on" earrings Reese is wearing. She put them on & said, "Mom, go grab your camera. I look so cute!".

Yeah..I'm that person. I dress my dogs up in cute little sweaters when it gets cold. They're not really happy with me here.

Celebrate!!!!!!!!

2008-12-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

YAY!!!! I just finished my defensive driving course! WOOOO HOOOO!!!! Did you realize that sucker takes 6 hours to complete? SIX HOURS! Who has time for that? Apparently I do since I'm finished, I'm finished, ha ha ha ha ha! I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank my husband, Jeff for having complete faith in me. My children, Reese and Mason for the incredible support they gave me while on the computer every time they thought I was hiding from them. Oh, and who could forget my little Adrienne who watched helplessly from the futon as I slaved day after day, week after week on this treacherous journey. Thank you, www.getdefensive.com for humoring me with your countless grammatical errors and endless spelling mistakes...your poor excuse for narration and your cheesy one-liners. Yet none of that matters now. It's behind me and I have learned that men have 3 times more accidents than women, there is such a thing as a "weave lane", and you should always turn your blinker on at least 150 feet before turning or changing lanes. Surely I'm a better person for having this knowledge. Now onto more important things, like finishing my online Christmas shopping! CELEBRATE!

Tough Loss

2008-12-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I (along with hundreds of other loyal Yellowjacket fans) traveled to Waco last weekend for our 4th playoff game against our latest rival Everman. When we played Everman earlier in the season, they beat us an ugly 3-56. Since the day after that game, Joseph has been telling Jeff he wanted a rematch. He did not feel like our best team showed up that day, and the score certainly showed that. Everything had to work out just right for it to happen, but we did get a rematch. After 4 quarters of some of the best high school football I've ever seen (and a handful of questionable calls), our Yellowjackets finished their 2008 season with a great, great game that resulted in a loss of 24-27. Words cannot express how proud we are of those boys...the coaches...their families. Jeff & I gained a whole new perspective on what those coaches and their families sacrifice during the season. There are many, many late nights, missed events, early mornings, weekends at work, stress, dealing with parents, etc. We are so proud of what Joseph and his staff did with this team and even more proud of the boys and how much heart they played with every single game. It was a tough loss, but we couldn't be more proud! Here are some pictures from the game.

Our team praying right after the game.

Jeff & Joseph after the game.

Joseph and Josh Graves (senior)

This is a picture of the team at the game at the Odessa-Permian stadium where they filmed the movie Friday Night Lights. Pretty cool!

Trip to West Texas

2008-12-09T12:32:00.001-08:00

Speed racers

Both kids crashed out hard on the way home.

The whole family ventured to West Texas the day after Thanksgiving for the Yellowjacket playoff game. We left a day early so Jeff could see one of his dairies in San Angelo on Friday. Not even thinking about it being Black Friday, the kids and I headed to the mall to kill some time. I was without a stroller because Jeff had taken it out of my car when he packed us up not thinking I might need it. So I'm thinking, "no big deal, I'll just rent one at the mall". So I've got both kids, it's naptime, and they both want to take their special blankies in. We walk in and find the stroller rental station & guess what? They're all rented out! I nearly had a stroke. There must have been a bijillion people there and I've got two sleepy kids, 2 special blankies, and about 3 hours to waste. The Lord was with us....about the time panic was setting in, a nice little old white headed lady strolls up with none other than a beautiful sparkly blue SEARS shopping buggy! She was just going to leave it at the mall entrance when I raced in and politely snatched it out of her hands. Saved by the Sears buggy! So if you can picture this, the kids and I strolled around the insanely crowded mall in San Angelo in a Sears buggy. Worked perfectly. I highly recommend it in a pinch.

Anyhoo...we met up with Brandon & Cindy Carrell for dinner that night. We were all hoping for a nice juicy steak, but we had the kids with us so we ended up at Chuck E Cheese. Yep. Fun, Yes. Nutritious, No. Pretty sure I had 3 pieces of pizza and I was feelin' it later. Yummy.

The next morning we met up with the Cowan's for breakfast at IHOP, or as Reese now calls it, I-H-O-P. We headed to the mall with them and ended up finding an ice skating rink. We ALL (even Mason) rented ice skates and attempted to be graceful while braving the ice. Bobby & Jeff thought they were 19 again and even had a race! It was too funny. And Jeff would get me if I neglected to say he won. Sorry Bobby... ha!

The game was super fun and we came away with a win. Well worth the trip. Go Jackets!

Big Bellies & Good Neighbors

2008-12-09T12:31:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving morning started with a big breakfast prepared by none other than Cheffrey himself and his trusty sidekick MaseMan. It was french toast all around topped off with a nice side of bacon. After our coffee and showers, we had just enough time to let our tummies settle before it was lunchtime.

We were so thankful this Thanksgiving to share it with our new friends and neighbors, Nick & Jill Heupel, their kids Maddie & Seth and the rest of their extended family. It was so nice of them to invite us and the feast was incredible! The weather was beautiful, so a few of us sat outside and ate out on the backporch which was super fun for the kiddos.

After a big afternoon nap, we had a great afternoon of playing outside and burning leaves (yes, again!) before we headed up to the Gillespie's to have round 2 of Thanksgiving dinner. I'm pretty sure we all gained at least 5 pounds just on this one day alone! Treadmill here I come...

So her mother's daughter

2008-12-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

So if you're reading this blog and you knew me when I was a child, this is not going to surprise you one bit. Reese's preschool class had a program for us on Thanksgiving. They learned 3 of the cutest little songs, which Reese had been singing at the top of her lungs for at least a month. The time came for her to get up on stage and shine, and what does she do but stand up there like a frozen turkey! Little toot. Jeff & I just cracked up. Fortunately, I understand her pain and can remember doing the EXACT same thing until at least middle school (so my mom says). Anyway, I stole this video from my friend Ashley's blog, so I hope she doesn't sue me for plajarism or illegally copying her material. Notice her sweet little non-shy Blair belting out the words (in the pink headband), then Reese on the very left in the brown. Enjoy!
Click here for the adorable video!

101 Things I'm Thankful For (in no particular order)

2008-11-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

1. God’s Grace
2. My kids
3. An amazing husband
4. FAMILY
5. a selfless brother who cares about the less fortunate
6. my rock star girlfriends
7. breakfast made by my husband on Thanksgiving morning
8. My Oklahoma State Cowboys
9. my sweet little hometown in Oklahoma
10. The Stephenville YellowJackets
11. our church
12. Reese’s brown eyes & contagious laugh
13. Mason’s blue eyes & big ole smile
14. Bedlam weekend - GO POKES!
15. the fact that Adrienne follows me everywhere I go
16. Baby Kate and her mamma, daddy and big brothers
17. the remote
18. the smell of Clinique perfume
19. women’s bible study
20. pumpkin spice coffee creamer
21. baby wipes
22. Hubbard Road
23. my new treadmill
24. my bible
25. 2 sets of Grandparents who love my kids
26. friends to spend Thanksgiving with
27. John & Kate Plus 8
28. SMILE mom’s night out
29. Blogs
30. the smell of pine during the holidays
31. my furry leopard pajama bottoms
32. really good eye cream
33. hot chocolate
34. The Crab Trap in Destin
35. sushi
36. Bruce Springstein
37. the cabin & it's memories
38. the Garmin GPS
39. My super comfy yoga pants
40. Clorox
41. Turon, KS
42. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
43. dirt roads
44. The Today Show
45. hunting season
46. Ashley’s beach house
47. worship music
48. my electric leaf blower
49. cough medicine
50. ChapStick – regular flavor
51. Cypress Street
52. Sonic ice
53. my old worn out slippers
54. SMILE book club
55. Old hymns
56. a nice crackly fire in our fireplace
57. flip flops
58. our ice maker
59. fire sauce
60. a good photograph of the kids
61. that Brooks says my name over & over when he sees me
62. Monday night football
63. Friday night football
64. Saturday afternoon football
65. that college basketball has started
66. Maple 400 apartment complex
67. Hideaway Pizza
68. Holly @ the Bijou
69. Jivago 24K
70. The GAP
71. The sound of the garage door opening when Jeff comes home
72. 1 hour photo processing
73. every time my daughter sings
74. Chocolate almond ice cream
75. Vicks Vaporizer
76. DVD player in the car
77. instant oatmeal
78. Steel Magnolias
79. My house cleaner and her sense of humor
80. The Wizard of Oz
81. Seat warmers in my car
82. Listerine cinnamon breath strips
83. Chicken E Sweet Tea
84. My favorite pair of jeans
85. Nachos and lots of jalepenos
86. Infusium 25 shampoo & conditioner
87. pedicures
88. sunset driving down Hwy 177
89. Eskimo Joes t-shirts
90. My swiffer sweeper
91. drive thru car washes
92. drive thru dry cleaners
93. drive thru pharmacy
94. drive thru fast food
95. mini sized hand sanitizer
96. radar detectors
97. my wooden spoon
98. cul-de-sacs
99. “big rogs”
100. Christmas music
101. YOU!

Grandma Weyers comes to visit!!!!!

2008-11-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

We were so happy to have Grandma Weyers and GG (Great Grandma Raymondjack) to come for a visit all the way from New York. Even though they were only able to stay for a few days, it was a wonderful visit and the kids had an absolute blast. Reese got used to having Grandma Weyers sleep in her room, so the night they left she was really sad to have to sleep in there all by herself. Grandma Weyers made the best roommate!! We can't wait to see you both again very soon!

Laugh out Loud

2008-11-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Reese made another funny tonight during bathtime. We only have a few rules to follow for bathtime and they include but are not limited to: 1) No spitting water at each other's faces; 2) no pouring water on each other's heads; and 3) no peeing in the bathtub. Pretty simple you would think. So here is how the conversation went down.

Me: Mason! DO NOT spit at Reese.

Reese: Mommy, I didn't spit (this after I thought I saw her spit out of the corner of my eye before Mason did it).

Me: Oh really, Reese? Remember Mommy has eyes in the back of her head and she sees EVERYTHING.

Reese: Oh. I don't think I spit. Now I can't remember.

Me: Well...don't provoke him.

Reese: I actually didn't provoke him, I coughed. (This is her way of saying I spit at him because I coughed and to provoke must mean to spit, which I definitely DID NOT do...not that I remember after 1.5 seconds anyway).

Me: Uh-huh.

Good one Reese. Nice try sister.

Another big win for the Jackets!

2008-11-22T15:47:00.001-08:00

We were so excited Friday night for another Yellowjacket WIN! Here are a few pics from the game.

Hakuna Matata

2008-11-19T19:45:00.001-08:00

What an awesome day! Reese, Mason and I headed out the door this morning on a mission to the Ft. Worth Zoo. We had a BLAST! They are at such a great age for stuff like that. They had so much fun being in the double stroller, hopping out together at every exhibit then seeing who could get back in the fastest. It's amazing someone didn't come home with a bloody nose after all the elbows that were flyin' trying to get into that stroller. We had no agenda...we could stop for potty breaks as often as we wanted, take our time seeing our favorite animals. It was great. We got to eat our disgusting, I mean super healthy Burger King lunch outside on the picnic tables which was fun. (Being outside..not the lunch). It was just an overall wonderful day with no worries. We even had time to stop by the mall on our way home. Bonus!

I do have to say...did you realize it was already time for Santa to be on his perch at the mall? What the? We haven't even celebrated Turkey Day yet! Maybe it just doesn't feel right because it was 75 degrees today. There were people running around in shorts and flip flops at the zoo for crying out loud! Santa...sheesh. Needless to say, Mr. Claus was rapidly fanning himself as he paced around the North Pole set-up. Hot flashes??? Maybe. Maybe next year he will wait until AFTER Thanksgiving to spread the jolly joy. We can only hope.

Mason was really good about "reading" the map
and telling us where to go next.

Reese & Mason waiting for the train.

Still waiting for the choo-choo train.

I think this was Mason's favorite part of the day - the train ride!

My glamorous career as a mom

2008-11-17T18:55:00.000-08:00

So today we're dropping off this huge pile of Jeff's clothes at the dry cleaners and as we're pulling out, here is the conversation we had:

Reese: Mommy, does the dry cleaners clean girl clothes too?

Me: Yes, Reese they sure do.

Reese: Oh. Silence...thinking...pondering...

Apparently she has never witnessed me dropping off any of MY clothes, as the dry cleaners don't usually accept cotton workout pants or windpants for pressing. Yeah...I'm guilty of being a little too comfortable these last few weeks as the weather is cooling off. Glad I have that option! But sometimes it's nice to dress up and feel fancy too. Maybe tomorrow I'll be super adventurous and wear my MATCHING windsuit... ha!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Ok...very rarely will I sit down at my computer and have the time (or peace and quiet for that matter) to post not one, not two, but THREE blog posts in one evening! I have been sitting here in my computer chair for the last 2 hours listening to the Stephenville vs. Ft Worth Dunbar first round playoff football game. Our family has only missed a couple games this year, but it was just too cold and windy to take the kids tonight, so Jeff headed over by himself.

Anyway...it was the first season for our friend Joseph to be head coach and not only did he make it to the playoffs, but he led his team to win their first post-season game! We're so proud! I cannot tell you how happy my heart is right now. Without giving you the play-by-play details, you have to know the game was completely awesome. Double overtime and we won. WE WON! DOUBLE OVERTIME! Jeff called right after the victory, and all I could hear was cheering and celebrating. I so wish I was there, but I'm going to savor sitting here in my bare feet living in the moment of hearing it all go down over the internet. Thank you Lord for live radio. Oh, and I apologize Mom and Dad for calling you at 11:00 pm to share the good news. Thank you for putting up with me and my insane love for football. GO JACKETS!

First prayer

2008-11-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Mason said his first prayer by himself tonight. All I understood from it was something about Isaac (his friend who has a birthday party tomorrow), followed by a lot of 2 year old babble, and then a big robust AMEN! A memory made. Gotta love those moments. What a great way to end the day. Thank you Lord.

No holding back

2008-11-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

As I was putting Reese to bed tonight, I think I hear her say "Mom, you're fat." I pause for a minute and say "what was that?"....she then says "Mom, you have a fat bottom." And this after two weeks of starting to work out again. Thank goodness the Halloween chocolate is almost gone. Maybe that's why I have a fat bottom. Very observant Reese...very observant.

Food Picture Contest

2008-11-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting a food picture contest and this is our entry. The winner receives a $500 grocery card! Finalists will be revealed on Monday, Nov. 17th. Wish us luck!

OSU Game

2008-11-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I had the opportunity to attend the OSU-Texas Tech game on Saturday. This was the first game we'd ever been to at Tech and we had been warned by several people (mostly other Tech friends of ours) to watch out for their fans because they can get pretty nasty. We did not have that experience at all! Although we were in our bright orange sitting in a sea of red, we sat to a lot of nice people. Jeff thinks had we won the game it might have been different, but I have to say, we were pleasantly surprised. With that said, had I known the outcome of this game in advance, I would have saved my gas money and stayed home. Now if we can just beat those Sooners...GO POKES!

This guy was actually more entertaining than the game.

This was the look on our faces pretty much the whole game.
What the?

Paige, this one is for you! ;-)

Burn Baby Burn

2008-11-07T11:58:00.001-08:00

Exciting times around our house last night. Jeff had some extra time on his hands and decided to burn a bunch of leaves. What is it with men and fire? I'm bored...let's see...what needs to be burned??? Cavemen. Anyway, though I'm thankful for the decreased amount of leaves, I'm not so sure what do with the thick stinky black ash pile we now have in the kids' favorite play area. Hopefully it will rain soon....

Defensive Driving

2008-11-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I took the most fabulous trip to Florida with 4 of my closest girlfriends (see earlier post) in September. On our way home from 5 days of pure bliss, we were on the last leg of our trip with only 1 hour left and I'm in the drivers seat. We get to the outskirts of a small little Texas town called Keene and BAMMM!!! I see red and blue flashing lights in my rearview mirror. I think I was mid-sentence about something oh so important (I'm sure you girls remember what we were discussing!) and I blurted out "We're getting pulled over!" To make a long story short, even with 5 of the most beautiful girls you've ever seen in your life in the car (ha ha!) we, or should I say I got a nice hefty speeding ticket for going something like 20 mph over the speed limit. What can I say? Without sounding like I'm not taking full responsibility, it was a TOTAL SPEED TRAP! No lie, my dad had even warned me about that little stretch many times before, as it is right outside of Cleburne. That was at the beginning of September. I paid part of the fine and decided to take Defensive Driving to cover the rest. So....now it's the beginning of November and I just logged on today to start the fun. And the MOST frustrating part is that as I was on the phone with my precious husband a couple weeks ago, he got pulled over. AS WE WERE ON THE PHONE! Sweet victory...I just knew I was going to get to rag on him for his ticket just like he did when I got mine. I texted him something like, "Care to join me for some defensive driving?" He called a couple minutes later and said he must be way cuter than the 5 of us girls because he only got a warning. A WARNING! No fair! To rub it in a little more, he just called 5 minutes ago and said he got pulled over yet again and got a what? ANOTHER WARNING! Seriously. He reminded me nicely that I should go ahead & just log on to www.getdefensive.com and start my joyous stint of learning how to drive again. This should be interesting.... I'm going the speed limit from now on.

Trick-or-Treating at its best

2008-10-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

So this year we did something a little bit different for the night of Halloween. Our neighborhood put together a hayride for the kids. And boy were there a lot of KIDS! I think the last head count I heard was 61. Of course it ended up that not all the kids were from our neighborhood, but they were welcome to hitch a ride anyway! ;-) The hayride stopped at each intersection of our neighborhood (which I think there are 4-5) and it took 2 hours to get through it all. If you are familiar with our neighborhood, you know that can't possibly be accurate, right? Wrong! If you saw us get all those kids on and off the trailer with their oh so precious costumes on, you would understand! It was crazy. By the end of the night both Reese & Mason were asking "Is this the last house yet????" in their most whiney voices. Note to self: next stop the trick-or-treating experience while it is still exciting!

Bob the Tomato from VeggiTales and Cinderella

Twas the Night Before Halloween

2008-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Although Halloween isn't my very most favorite holiday of the year, it does have a bit of nostalgia for me. I have so many great memories of Halloween night in the old "hood" on Saralyn Drive where I grew up. Everything from dressing up as a colored hobo (nice one, mom), to rescueing "kitty" who later went through the remaining 8 lives she had left after that night (thanks Justin!), to the yearly tradition of gourging on "Witches Brew", i.e. Vegetable Beef Stew. And who could forget the annual super scary Jaycee Haunted House? Memories of egging people, getting egged, toilet papering, bottle rocket wars at Bagby Park and dumping dish soap in the fountains at the museum. Remember that night, Hollie & Dawn? Wasn't there some incident with Adam, oh what's his last name? One of you will remember before I have time to bust out the Class of '94 yearbook. I believe there was a set of handcuffs involved before it was all said & done. Good times. Pretty sure he took one for the team on that one. Anyway, we started our own tradition of carving pumpkins the night before Halloween and enjoying a nice bowl of Witches Brew. The kids had fun and everyone was covered in pumpkin guts before the night was over. Memories...ah the memories...

Reese & Mase using spoons to gut the pumpkins.

Oops. I think Mase got a little taste of pumpkin insides. Yummy.

Reese wasn't so sure about removing the slimy guts inside.

Jeff was brave and let Reese take a stab at using the ever so sharp pumpkin carving AXE on her own. Yikes.

Jeff thought it would be humorous to start a pumpkin gut war. Notice the orange goop in her hair. Guess who got to wash that out later????

Nice shot little one. Nice shot.

Reese chasing Jeff with a big handful of pumpkin guts. She just had to get the last punch...not sure where she gets that one from. eh hmm...

This is Reese's finished product. Not bad for a first timer!

Mason is trying to scare his jack-o-lantern back.

Leaves! They are a fallin'.

2008-10-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is a nice action shot of Reese. Too bad I didn't have my camera programmed for "action shot". Sure am glad they made that function.

Jeff got ambitious and decided to rake some leaves in the side yard the other day. I'm not sure if he did it to actually clean up the yard or just provide some good crunchy outdoor fun for the kids! Either way, they had a blast and the leaves were all cleaned up...until the next day when twice as many fell...and then twice as many the next day...and on and on and on. We have been overtaken by LEAVES at our house! Thank you Lord, for the trees. Amen.

2008-10-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Jeff & the kids looking for UFO's...I mean, the Big Dipper.

Nothing fits better with a cool, fall evening than a little backyard wrestling!

Life is Short

2008-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Give your loved ones a hug this morning. We were reminded this weekend by the loss of a friend that life is short and you never know if you have one day, one week, or one year left on this earth. My wise friend from church, Mrs. Wanda, reminded me just last week that I better be ready for the day the Lord comes to get me because in her words, "There ain't no time to pack!" I love that. Are you ready?

Our exotic day

2008-10-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fun trip to Fossil Rim today. The weather was perfect for it - I think the highs today were around 67. I was lovin' it! I love days like this when there is nothing on our agenda except to HAVE FUN! The kids enjoyed it so much.

Reese's friend, Aubrey, was able to join us. There was a lot of giggling going on between these two girlies!

Mason enjoyed feeding the giraffes more than anyone. He had no fear!

This guy was a little too close for comfort and I'm pretty sure he's the one that snotted up something nice & green on my leg. Yummy...won't be wearing those pants to church tonight.

OSU Weekend

2008-10-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun weekend full of orange & black - not because of Halloween, but because of Homecoming at OSU! I forget how many people there are in this world who actually LOVE OSU as much as we do until I go back for a weekend like that. There was orange everywhere you turned. It was awesome! We felt right at home just like always. We had the chance to run into several friends from college and were able to meet their spouses & children, which was definitely the highlight from the trip.

Aunt Sis and Grandiddy, Mimi & Grandad and Jeff & the kids and I were able to spend the weekend at Uncle Benji's house in Ponca City which was wonderful. Lots of good food and memories all weekend long! Now if the Pokes can just surprise Texas this weekend with a big win we'll be 8-0! GO COWBOYS!!

2008-10-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

YEAH BABY!!!! GO POKES!

A night to remember

2008-10-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

You know how they say all little girls dream about their wedding day from the time they are little bitty until that day actually arrives? Well....it is SO TRUE! Last night when I was tucking Reese into bed we were talking about this little boy, Lane, who she says is her boyfriend. She said, "Mommy, I'm going to have a wedding. I'm going to have a pretty dress and Mommy...can I wear high heels???" It was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. And as soon as she said it, I realized we had just made a precious memory. I said, "Of course, Reese! You can absolutely wear high heels!" Then she said, "Maybe I'll wear my slippers, or maybe my tennis shoes!" Then we just started giggling about how funny her pink tennis shoes would look with her pretty wedding dress. I came out to the living room and told her Daddy, well..our little girl is already dreaming of her big day! When I explained, he looked like a ton of bricks hit him. Makes me think of that song Butterfly Kisses, which by the way, I heard this past week and balled! Man, that one is a toughie. I only got emotional because I knew my own dad had listened to it the week before and mom said before the first few words started on the song, he was already crying. There is something so special, so irreplaceable about that daughter/daddy relationship. Priceless.

Rainy Days

2008-10-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

We actually got some rain yesterday and last night. It was wonderful! Now we have nice cool temps, which if you know me at all, makes me a very happy girl. Monday morning we didn't have to go anywhere (which is rare) so the kids wanted to play in the "mud peddles" as Reese calls them. Off they went jumping and bouncing and having fun. The thunderstorms started again last night right before bedtime, so BOTH kids got to sleep with me - Jeff was out west. We have rules at our house about them sleeping in our bed, and they are:

#1) they must be sick OR
#2) it has to be thundering.

Reese was quick to point out the thunder when she heard the slightest rumble. It used to be just Reese that was scared of thunder, but Mason will join in on any excuse to sleep with me, so he got to snuggle up too. Surprisingly, we all got a good night's rest! There is nothing better than waking up to your warm, snuggly kiddos in the morning. Oh, except for waking up next to you, Jeff, of course! ;-) hee hee!

Fun Times

2008-10-05T13:22:00.001-07:00

What a fun weekend! First of all, our beloved Yellowjackets beat Mansfield Timberview, which was supposedly going to be our toughest game this season. GO JACKETS and good job Coach Gillespie! THEN...our Cowboys remain undefeated after whoopin' up on the Aggies 56-28. It doesn't get much better than that. Oooohh..that just reminded me...Jeff & I need to get our tickets to the OSU Homecoming game on the 18th. Jeeeefffff...where are you????? Mimi and Grandad have thankfully offered to keep the kiddos during the game so Jeff & I can enjoy it together. We get to stay in Ponca City at Uncle Benji's and I'm expecting some good down home cookin' from him. Not only that, but Aunt Sis and Grandiddy will be there all weekend too so we can all catch up! So fun & something to look forward to.

Saturday night we had a fun time eating dinner and catching up with our friends Robyn & Tanner and Traca & Brodie and all the kids. It was a great time, but no doubt the house looked like a tornado after 6 kids all under the age of 5 pretty much had free reign to play for a couple hours. It was SO worth it! Of course Traca, Robyn & I snuck away for a little girl time and peaceful conversation on the back porch for a little bit while the guys cleaned up dinner and supervised inside. (Can you believe we did that to them?????!!!) It's always nice to hash out all the high & low points of motherhood with your bestest buds. We missed you, Ashley & Rachel!

We had an awesome sunday school & church service this morning, then naps for all this afternoon. Blessings all around!

Girls Trip

2008-10-01T10:27:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture from my latest adventure - a GIRLS ONLY trip to Destin, FL! I went with 4 of my girlfriends who are all from Stephenville and each of us have 2 kids the same age - within a few months - of Reese & Mason. We definitely all could use a few days away to relax on the beach. We had the most amazing time and decided this will be an annual trip for us. I cannot tell you how much we laughed, cried and laughed some more. It was enough to revitalize me for at least the next year. We're already counting the days until we get to go back!

2008-09-30T20:41:00.001-07:00

In between breaths

2008-09-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so looking back on my great idea to become a blogger, I realized it has been since MAY that I first (and last I might add) posted a little snipit of our lives. But the good news is that I am now the proud owner of an ipod shuffle! Woo hooo!! Movin' on up...to the east side..movin' on up... So Jeff must have felt really sorry for me because he bought an ipod for me for my 32nd birthday. I absolutely love it and have all kinds of random songs. It makes me smile.

This week has consisted of a baby shower for 3 friends of mine on Monday night, bible study Tuesday morning, and Tumbleweed BBQ for dinner tonight. YUMMY! Jeff gets home tomorrow night, so we will have a fun day of getting ready for daddy to be home. It cannot come soon enough. He is well loved and terribly missed when he is gone!

Trying to Stay With It

2008-05-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so all my friends have been talking about this "blogging" thing. What in the world? I feel so out of touch with technology I'm just about ready to submit. I don't have an MP3 player, ipod, or laptop. In fact, I don't even know the difference between an Mp3 player and ipod, and wouldn't have a clue where to download the songs. That is my mission for 2008....to become the proud owner of a technologically advanced musical device. Technologically advanced???? Yeah right...I'm sure my 4 year old could tell me what an ipod is and probably what website to go to download the songs.

Anyway...I've decided to try out this blogging thing mostly to have a way to document these precious years raising our kiddos. So many things go unwritten and I just know I'm going to forget them if I don't start keeping a record!