Some may consider this a Christmas Miracle...

...I decided to sit down and update the blog.

I've been a little busy these past few weeks. But now that all the storage units are clean, rental #2 is clean and keys are turned in, Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten, Christmas pageants/recitals/concerts enjoyed, school & work parties over with, Christmas cards mailed (two days before Christmas-ouch), gifts bought, wrapped and mailed and so on and so forth - I want to relax and enjoy the Christmas Season. But the one last thing nagging on my brain is to update the blog. So here we go.

                             ~~Home Sweet Home~~

I can't seem to get a day with sun to take a good picture.
Those days are kind of far and few between here during the winter.

I'm not putting these next pictures in any order.  Some of them are after we got a few things unpacked.  Others are from while we were moving in.  I just wanted to get a few on here for my patient family that has wanted to see where we live now.



Layne's going to love that I posted a pic of him chillen.  Ha! 
These two are glued to a football game and didn't even notice
that I had the camera out.  



This is in the front foyer.

Josie on the computer in the office.

Front door.

The back hall.

Empty office.



Living room window looking out back.



Layne's love...the fire place.  He is his mother's son.  Some nights
our house is 80°.  I like it about 69°.  So.....ya.  Layne plans on building
the mantel soon.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with.  I know
it will be beautiful.

We are happy (most of us) to have our cat back.
She had to live at some friends house for six months because
we couldn't have her at the last rental.

I guess Todd didn't want to be in this picture.





So that is most of the house.  A few things/rooms missing, but you get a good idea.  We feel like we are home again, and that feels good.  We've been very blessed and we now have made some new friends & some not so good friends  during the past year through all of our experiences.  We've learned a lot about ourselves, we've surprised ourselves, and we are worn out but happy. 

We love you all. 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! 

Let's Catch Up

Happy Fall Everyone!  It is WAY past time for a new post.  Life got real crazy these past few weeks with football, show choir, marching band, last details on our house, etc.  So here is a very quick catch up. 

Sadly, I don't seem to have any pics of Justin's birthday.  We took some so I'll have to look harder for them.  But he is now six. 

A little update for him and going to school -

Bribery is good and he was willing to go to school for 15 days without

crying to earn a Double Barrel Nerf Shotgun. 

At the end of the 15 days he decided that he really likes school.  So life got easier after that.

School also started the same week that my dad got so sick.  So when we could see that he was going to get better my stress level went down.  This all happened all around the same time so I'm not sure what really helped him, but the good news is that going to school isn't bad anymore.

 Todd played football this year.  He really seemed to enjoy it.  He really stunk when I picked him up from practice everyday.  gag   The season just got over last week.  They did pretty good this year.  He made a couple interceptions this season.  Those were fun to see.  Next year high school?  YIKES

 My dear Layne.  He has been putting the floors down in our house.  He got done a couple weeks ago, but has yet gotten feeling back in his finger tips.  I guess 1200 sq ft of tile can do that to a guys fingers.  Todd was awesome help too.  I'd dump him off after football and they'd work and work.  It looks beautiful and one of the subcontractors asked Layne if he used lay tile for a living.  That was a nice compliment.

  

Here are the boys on the wood floor Layne put down.

Mitch was sent out to rake leaves. This is what I found. A Santa hat? Really?

At some point this past month Justin needed some money so he set up his table and cash register and was trying to sell all the 'extra' scriptures we have, to us.  I think Josie and I are the only ones that bought some.  Not too bad of a deal.  $1.00 a book.  I'm glad to know that he figured out a way to make money on his own.  He even combed his hair nice and got a button shirt on.  What a guy. 

Sorry mom, this isn't the best picture. I took it on the way to school yesterday morning and it looks like I need to try again. I'll get a new one up soon.

 

We had fun with the camera a couple Sunday's ago.  The last time we did a laying down picture was years ago when the kids were little.  I'll have to find it somehow, somewhere, someday and compare the two.



Here is the kitchen floor.  Now the molding is up and it looks nice and finished.
I can't get this up where I want it.  Sorry.



Today I Ask For ...

Your Vote!

My Brother-In-Law, Jason, is up for a great scholarship. 

To get it he must get lots of votes. 

I know you don't all know Jason, but you'd love him to pieces.

So if you have about a minute, click here to read my sissy's post about the program, and about 30 seconds more to vote,

PLEASE VOTE FOR JASON!

The Best Thing I Heard Today

My Papa's Voice!

It almost made me cry (again? really?).  He sounded so great.  He said he wasn't in much pain.  Only has three more tubes hanging out of his body.  Funny as ever.  He has the greatest sense of humor.

This has been a long & emotional week and a half.  But I've learned a lot.

*Miracles happen.

*Fasting & Prayer bring blessings.

*Many people love my family.

*A lot of things really don't matter.

*Some thing really do matter.

*Don't miss a chance to tell your dad you love him.

(If you wish you knew what happened, my sister Geri posted about the ordeal here.)

This is pretty much what it's like...

...getting Justin to school in the mornings.

I Hate School

These are the lovely words I get to hear out of my soon to be six year old sons mouth.

I've never had a child hate school.

Especially five days into it.

But as I type these words I realize that I say that a lot about Justin.

"None of my other kids ever....."

"I don't know how to ..... with this kid."

"The other kids didn't......"

"Everyone did .... except for Judd."

"Who's kid is this?!"

(FYI-Layne confessed tonight that he had the same problem when he first went to school.)

Today the school nurse called me and said that Justin wasn't feeling good and couldn't stop crying.

Last night when I was putting him to be bed he told me that he cried a little at school.  I asked why and he just said, "Cause I was missing you".

So today when they called me I was going to tell him that he was going to have to stay at school, but he was crying so hard I couldn't even talk to him.  I couldn't imagine leaving him there for them to deal with.  So off I went. 

When we got in the car he asked if we could go to Taco Bell for lunch.

hummmm

Then he started singing the Months of the Year song.

hummmm

He pulled out his papers and showed me the paper he colored.

hummmm

I ask:

Justin, why did you tell me you were sick?

Judd:

I hate school.  I'm never going again.

I say:

Yes you are and why do you hate it?

Judd:

Quiet for a minute...because Mrs. Johns is mean.

I say:

No she isn't.  I know her and she is nice.

Judd:

Well, I just hate school and can you home school me?

**Sigh**

Even as we were going to bed tonight I realized we still have a problem.  Layne was having a discussion with him about how he needed to be a big boy and not call to come home from school and I got done telling him that I can't come get him tomorrow because I have a doctors apt (I get to have my first mammogram...now that could be an experience worthy of a post) and I wont be able to go get him.  He said that was okay because he wasn't going anyway.

**Grrrrr**

This child has always been determined and strong willed.  He has also always been a mamma's boy and a homebody.  But this isn't something he can win.  He's going to have to get used to going to school.  I've arranged things so that I'll be there a couple days a week for a couple hours to help out.  That way he would know that I wasn't too far away.  I'm guessing in about six years I'll wish I still had this problem with my Juddy-Bear.

Wish him luck.

Wish us all luck.