Jeb's family awards

Jeb's Awards

Jeb’s Family Awards!  (He requested that I type his misspelled words correctly. If there was any confusion on his paper I asked him to clarify, so this is totally HIS doing!). One fun thing about having a kid this age is that you never know what he'll come up with!

Best cook—Ashley

Best Nursing—Nana

Best Sporty-Ben

Best Worker-Daddy

Best Worker Also-Papa D

Best Crafting-Jenny

Best Guns-Jess

Best biscuits-Bob0

Most Generous-Nana Mac

Good Uncle Award-Jacob

Good Mom Award-Abby

Most Country-Caleb

Best Princes-Carson

Super Mario Queen-Kristen

Best Aunt-Great Aunt Jeanie

Best Husband-Dave

Most Smart-Noah

Best pincher-Molly

Best Dentist-Paul

Best USC Fan-Libby

Calmest award-Sarah

Rough award-Kyler

Most Demanding-Meggie (originally spelled “amaning”)

Most Sharer-er—Samuel

Best Artist-Bradley

Big brother 

Cay and I built this hotel with garden and pool atop. 

Daddy's helpers

Jeb's Farm house with pool, garden, garage and many more features! Of course, Bailey is always right with the kids!

Winter...the blogging blues

I have been so buys with #3 that I have not been blogging for publishing.  I do have some drafts written as I have been journaling  through our adoption journey each month and all the fun things I am learning to love about our new little one.  It is also hard to find pictures that she is not in as I just don't have peace about putting her mug on the world wide web quite yet!  Still, the boys have been busy playing around the farm and in their new sandbox, so I thought I would add some shots of them growing up and some with Little Miss (I can't resist since she feels SO MUCH a part of our family!)!

Fishing with Daddy

Put on his on worm this year1  

Getting ready for the rodeo!

Redneck Tennis

"Valentino" was our first calf of the season born 2/14/12.   

My hubby loved this sight.

J says I should be ashamed to allow my kids to make this much mess. I am not proud, but it was worth documenting how trashed this place was.  

He has always slept in strange places.

Little Miss Farm Finger Painting.

This guys ALWAYS has on his hats...either coonskin or cowboy--everyday!

Riding on his own.

Little teacher Jebbers with his typical students that are not paying a bit of attention to his reading.  

When we asked Cay if he'd want another little sister (no worries--no time soon), he replied, "If she is just like __________ (Skeeter girl, yes we are calling her Skeeter some). " Melted my heart! And Jeb replied, "well, she won't be...no two people are the same." Oh the logic.  Why Skeeter?  She is such a tom-\boy!  More about her in many other blogs I have been writing, but am not ready to publish.  We are blessed and she is so loved.

50 Things that Matter

Part of the reason I keep this blog...besides that I love to write and don't have time to keep a real journal anymore ...is so that my kids can always have a record of some of my thoughts!
I found a little book at a store called 50 Things that Matter and it got me thinking...

50 Things that Matter to me in the day-day life I live:

1.  Jesus' Resurrection.  Christmas is fine and all, but without the living part...well, Christianity could just be another religion.
2.  My husband's unconditional love
3. The fun my family has together
4.  My children laughing

He watched this for weeks and finally got to ride!

5.  Being able to play outside mid-morning on warm days with my kids and  not a being stuck in a classroom with kids that aren't mine
6.  summer nights out late playing in the yard
7. traveling anywhere you can, as much as you can
8.  letting the kids run wild
9.  camping out
10.  hiking to waterfalls
11.  throwing rocks (I have learned to really enjoy this pastime with the boys).
12.  cool nights on the porch swing
13.  walking with J on the driveway even if is short bursts
14.  laughing with girlfriends
15.  having friends who don't judge me when I mess up
16.  loving children that aren't mine
17.  petting animals of any sort
18.  getting lots of good exercise
19. my mom not giving us sugary cereals, soft drinks, cheese puffs, and spaghetti o's growing up!--so thankful!

20.  compassion

first tennis lesson!

21.  having a dad who played sports with me
22.  tennis
23.  encouraging people when I can
24. giving compliments
25.  Popsicles
26.  dancing for fun and silliness
27.  learning new things
28.  good books
29.  Bible verses that change my life, convict me and inspire me.
30.  missionaries
31.  feeling cool river water run through my toes
32. smelling mtn laurel

33.  jumping waves in the ocean
34.  sun therapy after a mid-mo winter
35.  snuggling up with the kids in bed with a book
36.  kissing Cay's cheeks
37. playing sports with Jeb
38.  singing with Molly and her sweet, sweet voice.
39.  a mother in law who will help me keep the babies and really acts like she always enjoys it!
40.  late night chats in the dark with J about all kinds of things important and silly
41.  watching my children learn
42.  enjoying and respecting college students, even though I don't get paid much to teach them
43.  walking to the waterfall
44.  getting muddy in the creek
45.  hearing the river and digging in the sand on the shore
46.  reorganizing things and throwing out junk (I do get in trouble for getting rid of stuff sometimes though)
47.  a husband who is happy to keep the kids for shopping, girls night, etc.
48.  good pictures that make you laugh and weep, too
49.  telling people what you think (yes, I do go too far sometimes  but at least folks know where I stand)
50.  a church that focuses on all the right things (not perfect, but focused)
so I could not stop at 50 and I just left this blog open for days as I thought of them...
51. frappucino
52.  getaway adventures with J
53. going out of your way to invite new people to things and plug them in to friends!
54. try new things...don't be so close-minded towards other experiences/food...or too afraid!
55. good college friends who make you a better person even though they were only with you for a season
56.  making smores
57.  swimming all the time in the summer
58.  saying thank you often and much for big and small things
59.  going to church and loving it ...not just when it is convenient or special
60.  going for a walk
61.  seeing a little baby smile
62.  having a sister who is a friend
63.  my flowers blooming each spring  esp. the ones from Granny's
64.   snow days when school is cancelled
65.  a good find at a thrift store
66.  my mom cooking good meals and having us all sit down together usually

Mildred almost froze in our freezer, sneaks in my car, and has been rescued off the roof.  If he did not love this cat so much, she would be GONE.

Happy New Year family!

Wow, it has been so long since I have written! Still, I have good excuse.  After two years of waiting, we have a new child to love here...and then there is Christmas!  I can't blog about Little Miss yet since nothing is final, but the transition has been semi-easy (considering) and it seems like she's been here much longer than a month!  I can't wait to share pics of her first month in our family, but now is not the time!  

digger from Santa

BIG soccer goals Daddy built-game on!

Caleb really did belt it out at his Christmas program.

the boy did not miss a syllable and he really did have some volume!

his fans

This boy is nothing but a joy!

but all boy!

What a handsome man on the inside and out!  

I have to share though, that the timing of all this is always purely God's.  On a Monday in the fall, I had the first melt-down over our adoption journey that I have really had in almost 2 years. I questioned God's call on my life to do this, I questioned not birthing another child, I questioned how old I was getting and how God seemed to be not moving here, I questioned God about what else I could DO, I told him I was mad, had fasted/prayed/served, had others pray, and just could not figure out what I was doing wrong that he could not use me/our family to love a child?? I just did NOT get it.  On Tuesday, I had the first ever cry with our small group over WHY God had not answered OUR prayers.  Little did I know, that he already was (For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10).  On Wednesday, THAT call came that we'd been "chosen."  She said they'd been looking at our file since Monday...well, I had no idea that my hissy fit was pointless, but I guess that God knew it was coming and he better get movin' on me before I gave up on Him.  Within 2 weeks, we heard about our one-day child and within another 2 weeks she was in our arms and our house was turned upside down--in a good way!  Then, on the exact date of our acceptance letter two years ago we signed a pre-adoptive agreement (and they set that date).  WOW!

Since you've been here "sister":
We've remembered how fun tub baths are and how fun it is to run around naked after them (well, at least the boys do anyway), how fun jumping on beds can be, how fun acting crazy on the trampoline is, how fun it is to scare people, and how fun it can be to snack 24/7.  You are such a sassy little tom-boy--just perfect for us!

This just about sums things us nowadays…and family sports league!

Cay likes to hunt.  Jeb is playing soccer.  

 I can pretty much eat what I want right now due to all the soccer running I am doing  to keep up with Jebbers.  We decided that we would not do b-ball this winter, but instead of parents being on the road and sitting on the sidelines we’d commit to a soccer game each Saturday morning.  Also, I am working Jeb out with the tennis regimen these days.  He loves for me to pitch them pretty quickly like in a real tennis drill and he runs back and forth from forehand to backhand to hit them.  I am amazed at out little time I have invested (and no money) for him to be improving. 

I am seriously considering starting a “family sports league.”  In this league, families would meet somewhere about once or twice a month to play sports…no fees, no rec coaches to like/dislike, no long-term commitment, and the best part is that the coaches/players are all parents and siblings who need exercise, want to improve their skills, and want to play and have fun with each other! 

 I still think that my parents had a point when they did sign us up for anything (except for some tennis lessons with our cousin here and there and mostly in the summer) really until middle school.  Instead of paying someone else to teach us, THEY played with us themselves.   I have such great memories of my dad hitting me pop flies and some of my family playing tennis together over the years.  Still, mostly my Dad was the only coach I ever had and I only went to camp  twice in my life.  Nevertheless, I excelled in my chosen sports and still have a passion for playing today!  I still believe the best place for a kid to learn skills, teamwork, that life is not fair, and that losing happens is in the family!

random pretty yellow fall tree in our yard.

...and I still love tennis…especially, when I  can put a whooping on my little brother.