I haven't been a very good blogger so I am going to do a recap of 2010 and try to catch up....ha
I'm going to start with December of 09 since I never blogged about it.DECEMBER 2009
We were home Christmas morning and Santa brought Jessie an Xbox, Joshua some Razorback things, and Noah some Cars toys. Then we got ready to head to Cabot to go eat lunch with Andy's family. That Christmas we had a TON of ran and there was a lot of flooding. I remember trying to drive to Cabot and having to go on a long detour b/c the highway was flooded. We had a nice visit with Andy's family. His Aunt Rhonda and cousins Calvin and Joel came to visit for Christmas and they were a lot of fun. Here are some pics of that day....
Christmas Eve
Andy reading the story of Jesus' birth
JANUARY 2010
We had friends over for New Years eve and played rock band and some board games...it was a lot of fun...
For Joshua's 6th birthday we went to Andy's parents house to celebrate...and apparently I didn't take any pictures :( Joshua's birthday party was for him and his uncles and aunt....there are 4 birthdays in a row...the 25th - 28th of January...crazy!
Jessie and Joshua also played basketball for the first time with Upward and there both really liked it and were pretty good at it.
FEBRUARY 2010
The boys signed up for baseball and we celebrated Grandpa's 89th birthday. Andy also surprised me and took me to Graceland during Valentine's weekend. And our precious nephew was born on Valentine's day!
MARCH 2010
We took the boys to Pinnacle Mountain. I don't remember that it was that rough of a climb when I was younger but OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I thought I was going to die!! I would stop so "other people could pass" or so I could "take in the beautiful view" when really I thought my heart was going to pop out of my chest and start flopping back down the mountain. My 3 year old pretty much climbed up and down the mountain himself!! Of course going down isn't near as difficult as going up. I said at the end I was never doing it again but I'm sure I will...ha Andy had to stop by Sonic on the way home so I could recover... The boys were able to pet an alligator before we climbed the mountain, so that was a neat experience.
APRIL 2010
The first weekend in April we took the boys to Petit Jean to see the waterfall and to have a picnic lunch. It was a lot of fun. It wasn't near as bad as climbing Pinnacle..ha. Andy and I took turns going with Jessie under the waterfall. The other 2 boys were too little to climb to it. Andy and I tried to find the spot he proposed to me at but we couldn't find it....makes me think the whole thing never happened...haha Here are a few pics..
The next weekend we took the boys to Caddo River to go camping and canoeing for the first time. We had a lot of fun! Andy and I use to go camping and canoeing a lot when we were dating. But then when the kids came along it made it to hard to go. I don't have any pictures of that weekend. I kayaked while Andy had the boys in the canoe. Noah was scared at first but Andy stood up in the water to show Noah that it was at his ankles and he calmed down. The ironic part of the trip is that we camped next to a couple and their daughter that just moved to Tyler and my sister, Jennifer, and her family had just moved to Tyler too. So I shared their contact info with each other and they ended up having some play dates together.
For Noah's 4th birthday party we went to see Disney on Ice with Andy's parents, sister and our nephew Bayliss. Noah LOVED it especially when the Toy Story characters come out. Afterwards we went to Outback to eat and have some cake. Here are a few pictures of that day.
MAY 2010
Joshua graduated from Kindergarten. He had an awesome Kindergarten teacher and really enjoyed school.
Joshua was asked to play on a the Wally Hall tournament team during Memorial Day weekend...which is practically the kids they want for All-Stars in his age group for baseball. We let him be in the tournament but after we saw how the coaches where we opted to not let him tryout for All-Stars. And every kid that was on the tournament team and tried out for All-Stars ended up making it. Here is my 2 cents on that. We got a call about Joshua being on this team before he even played one baseball game. It was based on his tryout. So pretty much the 6 year old All-Star team is picked before any games are played. How do you know if someone had a bad tryout or that they won't get better over the season. And where we live once you are on the team as a 6 year old they rarely change the players from year to year. They do not base it on how you did that current year like they say they do. I don't know where parents who coach these kids think it is only about their kids and putting them in the "better" positions. I want my child to have fun and learn how to play ball...which means that he could play outfield or infield at any point and time b/c the coaches practice everyone at every position and help develop these boys to be an all around player. I will toot Andy's horn and say he is a great coach. He wants the kids to learn and enjoy playing whatever sport he is coaching. And it has never been about putting our kids in the best position. He wants ever player to make a basket in basketball or let them run the ball, if they are eligible, in football. In fact Andy was hesitant to let Jessie play defense and offense in football one year b/c he didn't want to seem like he was favoring his child but the other 2 coaches over ruled him b/c Jessie was a good player. He would also play the older kids both ways since it was their last year even if some of the younger kids where just as good or better players. He wants to win but he wants the boys to enjoy what they are doing and he wants to be fair to them. I really wish people would get their perspectives right...no telling how many kids give up or get discouraged b/c of coaching. Or parents get frustrated because it is obvious that their kids aren't giving a fair shake and they are playing favorites. I am tired of the politics in kids sports...it's time for it to STOP! Okay I'm off my soap box now...ha... BTW I don't think all coaches are like that....ha
During the regular baseball season Joshua played 1st base for the most part and one game he got 5 outs at first and even made a double play. He definitely caught on to the game of baseball a lot faster then Jessie did. He instinctively knew what to do with the ball. For Mother's day Andy cooked for me, his mom, and my mom. It was delicious and I was really glad to not have to worry about cooking...ha
JUNE 2010
Jessie participated in the Bryant Football Camp at the High School. He got the Quarterback and the Defensive player of the week award.
Showing Grandpa the shirt he got...
Showing him the certificates. Grandpa was so proud of him.
Jessie played with a Utrip baseball team when his regular baseball season was over. It got started by a friend who wanted to keep playing baseball but also be able to choose who played on the team. He wanted a team of good parents...preferable drama free...and talented kids who had good attitudes. One or the other wouldn't work it had to be both. We enjoyed playing those few weeks with them even though we didn't win much. They did lead off pick off for that age group and our boys had never played that before....so it was definitely an adjustment. He played first base. Here are a few pics of Jessie playing...
Andy's grandma Martin and cousin Reed from Ohio came to visit Andy's parents. So we went to see them and go swimming. I can't remember if we celebrated Father's Day then too or not.
All the grandsons
Noah and his cousin Reed
Andy and his grandma
JULY 2010
Andy and his dad took the boys to Wisconsin for the Oshkosh Air Show and to go to see the Milwaukee Brewers play. Every year Andy and his dad take the boys to a baseball game. They camped out at the air show and got to participate in different actives like getting to see how an engine works by putting parts together, make a wooden propeller, make a wooden airplane, make a wing rib, and put rivets in a wing. They got to the baseball game early and was selected to go out on the field and watch the Brewers batting practice. They said it was their favorite trip yet.
Andy and I celebrated our 7th anniversary this month and my nephew, Bayliss, turned 7 two days later.
AUGUST 2010
I turned 30 this month. It was such a hectic month with Andy and I trying to get things done at work before school started that we didn't get to celebrate. But the overtime check was really nice...ha. School started this month and Jessie entered 4th grade and Joshua 1st. The boys got awesome teachers this year. We signed the boys up for football. It will be Joshua's first year to play. Andy is assistant coaching Jessie's team this year.
SEPTEMBER 2010
Andy turned 32 this month. We got him an Xbox game he had been wanting and a subscriptions to Netflix which he uses ALL the time. We fixed him one of his favorite meals. September was full of football practices and between both boys. Sunday was the only day we didn't have football.
OCTOBER 2010
October we finished up our football season. Both boys teams came in 1st place. Joshua who is my most aggressive child was really passive when he played football. I was rather shocked that he was like that. I hope that when Andy coaches him next year he can put that aggressiveness to good use..ha He played tight end on offense and a few times he played defensive end. Jessie played quarterback and safety. He had 1255 rushing yards, 93 carries, 20 touchdowns/extra points, 47 tackles and 5 fumble recoveries. Andy makes a video every year for the football players and this year he made football cards on the video that had all their stats but he only did it on Jessie's team which is how I know what Jessie's stats are. He ran out of time to do the same for Joshua's team. :(
For Halloween we went to Cabot and trick - or - treated in our brother - in - laws neighborhood. It was also Nana's birthday on the 30th and all the siblings cooked food for their momma. It was really good!!
NOVEMBER 2010
Andy's parents took Joshua and Noah to the circus. It was pretty neat and they really enjoyed it!
Joshua, Noah, and some other people they tried to get to fit on the elephant.
We went and ate with the boys for their Thanksgiving meal at school.
Jessie turned 10 this month and we had a birthday party at my mom's house for him. And we taught him how to play Cansata the week of Thanksgiving and he is pretty good. He actually was the quickest to catch on to the game out of all the people I ever taught!
My sister's family came down for Thanksgiving and we all stayed at mom's and cooked a Thanksgiving meal together. The cousins had a lot of fun playing together. Mom had Jennifer and I go through some of our things in her attic and we found all our baby and barbie dolls. Ainsley was having a good ole time playing with them. I didn't have my camera to take pics that week.
DECEMBER 2010
Our office had a Christmas lunch and everyone brought food. Oh my goodness it was so good!!!!! Our office should totally celebrate a Christmas meal more often...ha Then we took a Christmas photo...
My mom came down on the 23rd so we could have our Christmas together and we cooked a yummy meal and played games. She bought the boys a Kinect for Christmas and it is really cool! She left Christmas Eve and took Jessie to his dad's. Christmas morning the younger 2 boys got left a note from Santa and 2 small pillow pets because they hadn't been very good. If it was up to momma they would have gotten coal. But they were on the naught list! Santa also left them an Elf on the Shelf that will keep a special eye on them next year. I think they thought the could behave however they wanted and would still get what they wanted from Santa. They were disappointed but have calmed down since then. (Don't let their cute face fool you...they were little stinkers) We got ready and left to go to Andy's parents house for Christmas lunch. We had a lot of fun and ended up staying the night because Andy and I stayed up late playing Euchre and Dominoes with his parents.
After Christmas we went to stay with mom for a few days, while Andy had work to do in Cabot. We went to see our cousins play basketball and stopped by to see grandpa. He wanted to see Jessie's football video and we told him we would bring it. But he was on pain medicine and we couldn't wake him up. In fact I never did see him awake after that day, in fact the time before I went to see him he was asleep and we couldn't wake him up then either.
January 2011
So I'm going to get myself caught up here and go ahead and cover January.
We went back to school after our Christmas break but because of snow we got out a couple days and one day early. We ended up having a neighborhood snowball fight and made a snow woman together. We aren't the best group for making snowmen.
I started a free aerobics class at work that is 3 days a week and I actually like it. I do not like working out but it is fun to do with a group of people.
Noah ended up getting a stomach virus that lasted a week and the day he felt better Joshua got a 101 temperature. And during that same week they told me that my grandpa was giving days to live so I drive to Cabot to be at his bedside. They moved him to the hospice room right after I got there at 9 AM and was prepared to be there all night until I needed to be home for Jessie's TOTS performance the next day. When Grandma was in that room it was 5 days that we took rotations to be by her side because it is required when they move them to the hospice room but we would have done it whether it was required or not. My mom was going to take the night rotation with me and we left to go get her things that she need from the house right before 5 and right when we left the nurses went to change his bedding. We got a call half way home to turn around and he was gone when we got there. Apparently he was gone right after they changed his bed.
I must say that the nurses at Cabot Manor were great to him. There were many of them that said they try not to get attached to the patients there but they couldn't help but get attached to my grandpa. He was a character! His nurse even came in on her day off to see him in case he was gone before she came back to work. Just seeing them crying and upset broke my heart. But my family was glad we got to see how much they cared about him. His funeral was different in the sense that all his children spoke and shared a story about Grandpa. I really enjoyed hearing it! And some of the grandchildren wrote memories that the pastor read for us. It was really special! But I don't want to have to experience a funeral for a long, long, long, long time! This is the 3rd death in my family in 3 years; my uncle Bill, grandma, and grandpa. So I am not up for giving up any more family members!!
Grandpa passed on the 26th, and Joshua's 7th birthday and his cousin Jade's 16th birthday is on the 27th, and Joshua's cousin Sydney's 10th birthday is on the 28th. I am not happy grandpa passed away but I am so thankful he didn't pass on either of their birthdays! Since grandma passed on Christmas Eve...Christmas Eve doesn't seem the same now. It doesn't bring the excitement it used to and I didn't want these kids to have that feeling about their birthday!
Speaking of birthdays....sweet Joshua got shafted this year on his. He had basketball practice on his birthday and Noah was sick and Grandpa passed away so we had the visitation and funeral that weekend and he didn't get to have a party. And I got sick this weekend with a high fever, body aches, and congestion so we still haven't had his party.
But on Wednesday the 26th, he, unknowingly to Andy or I, made a party invitation to his "birthday party" that was to take place on Thursday at 3:20 when school got out for Playtime Pizza....haha Joshua and his friend delivered it to his friends mom who works at the school. I got an email from her asking about it and I was like...um...no party...we haven't made any plans. So then we tell him not to go planning a party that there is a lot going on so he goes back the next day and says it is for that weekend. The first time it was hilarious and gave me a very much needed laugh. The second time was enough for me to not ever give him a party....ha Hopefully we will get him his birthday party at Playtime Pizza.
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