GUESS WHAT I FOUND????

I was getting the guest bedroom ready for Cody, a guy that works with Chris, when I found it. Yes, I found it!!! I had washed the sheets and was making the bed when I kicked something under the bed. It was a gun box. For some reason Chris is saving some gun and bow boxes under the bed, I guess in case we need to ship something sometime. Anyway, I was going to straighten them a little because I also store some big floor cushions under there and the kids had been playing with them and I was about to put them up. I got down on my knees and looked under the bed and I saw it!!!! We lost it about 6 months ago and I had searched the house up and down on two different occasions. I just knew that it was here somewhere, but the last time we saw it was coming home from Arkansas and we just concluded that it must have gotten kicked out at a gas station somewhere. So, it was Brooks' and he was devastated so we gave it a couple months and then we bought him a new one for his birthday in September! I still cannot believe that we found it. He gave his new one to his daddy and his daddy is so happy! He can entertain himself on plane rides now!! So what did we find?????

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The PSP

Brooks feeds the family

Chris finally went and got Brooks' deer meat from the processor. He is one happy boy. He was so excited to eat his deer meat. We had spaghetti last night and deer burgers tonight. Yummy! I had to laugh because he said, "mom, do you like my deer meat?" I said, "yes!" He said, "that is why I shot the biggest doe I could find, so I could feed the family!" Cracked us up! Who knows who he heard that from. Maybe his daddy, or Billy, or quite possibly Michael Waddell. Still funny. He is so proud!

Holidays in Tampa

I guess you probably are wondering if we had a good Christmas and a happy new year? Well, yes we did!! Unfortunately, I only have two pictures to prove it. From my blackberry! What a shame. I always get mad at myself for not taking lots of pictures, but I am going to say I was too busy having a good time. I think my mom took some, so maybe she will send them to me....wink, wink!

We did a lot of eating and played A LOT of poker. Oh, and exercised some and chased kids quite a bit too. I have to say, it was wild and crazy with all four boys under one roof! It was quite cold about half the time we were in Tampa! We managed to keep them somewhat entertained though.

I have to mention how proud of Jax I was. We went one night to hand out sleeping bags, blankets, backpacks and toiletries to the homeless. My Mom, Dad, Jeff and Jami had done a BBQ fundraiser a few months ago and raised money to buy those items. So Mom, Dad, Jami, Jax and I went to hand them out. My SHY Jax stepped up and wanted a job. He was put on toiletries duty. He handed out big Ziplocs and didn't want any help. I so wish I had a picture, but it just wasn't appropriate. He enjoyed it so much that he was asking to go back and help with the dinners that they do on Monday nights. It was a real blessing!!!!


Luke and Lane are just so precious. Lane wouldn't let me take his picture but I got one of Luke. Luke is...........well, I really don't think I can quite describe him. He is just a mixture of ornery and sweet. I was cutting his hair on the back porch, just the two of us, and I was right up in his face cutting the front of his hair and he looked up at me and said "Aunt Jenn, I,I,I,I love you, I do!" It was soooooo sweet and in the sweetest little voice. I about cried! I can still hear him saying it! He is only 2 (almost three) but he really meant it and knew what he was saying! So precious.

Oh, there is a picture of Lane sitting by Uncle Chris. That little stinker didn't want his picture taken but joke is on him. Got one!

We had Christmas at home a few days early because we were leaving for Florida. We did a scavenger hunt with the presents. The boys were so cute but my video was not. Horrible. It was so dark that half the time you cannot see their faces. Sorry, I would have shared!!

We have been home a few days now and all is back on track. The laundry is done, stocked up on groceries and Jax went back to school today.

Mrs. Dillon's class

Jax's first grade class. He is wearing an ivory shirt and is standing in front of Mrs. Dillon.

I AM SO BLESSED!!!

Chris got home today. He has been hunting in Iowa for 4 days with his friend Grant. He didn't kill anything and is disappointed but had a lot of fun. There is a blizzard hitting there right now. Chris got the last flight out of there this morning at 6:00 AM! I feel very blessed because he wasn't supposed to fly out until tomorrow!!! I don't think I could take another day as a single parent.

This very second, Lea (Grant's wife) sent me a text saying that she and Grant were snuggled up by the fireplace riding out the blizzard. So glad Chris is home with me and not snuggled up with them.

Donuts with Dad

Cute little picture from "donuts with Dad" at Brooks' preschool. Brooks ate his donut and his daddy's. Just a little special moment to share with you all!!!

Let's catch up!

My last post was mostly about packing up to go to Arkansas for Thanksgiving. We had a little change of plans. My Grandmother, my Mom's mom, passed away late the night before we left. So we drove to Arkansas stayed a day and a half and then drove to Illinois. We got there about the same time my Mom, Dad, Jeff, Jami, Luke and Lane got there from Florida. All 10 of us in a small house with one bathroom! It went remarkably well. Anyway, my Grandmother had had a pretty rough 3 months. Toe amputated, broken hip, and then leg amputated and even at 89 she was in rehab and was determined to go home. Something changed and she just gave up. She was tired but is now no longer in pain. We all consider that a blessing. It is also a blessing everyone was able to be there. I am so thankful Chris didn't have anything going and we could just up and leave. It is tough losing a loved one and I am so proud of my Mom, she is awesome!!!!!! My Grandmother was a wonderful woman that will be missed. It still hasn't sunk in that she is gone.

So we are home and back in the swing of things. For some reason it seemed to take awhile to get back in the groove. We are good now and looking forward to the weekend!

Today I took Brooks and we worked at Jax's school all day. It was a good day. Jax had a grin from ear to ear every time he saw us. I really tried to stay away from his classroom because I felt like I was disrupting the class. Jax and Ivy couldn't focus. Anyway, while we were there we ate lunch with Jax. The cafeteria has one whole wall of windows to the outside and it was SNOWING!!! Yes, SNOWING!!! The kids were out of control. During Jax's lunch there are also 4th and 5th graders eating. They couldn't get them to settle down and eat. It was so funny. Not to mention how a lot of people around here are freaking out. The office was full of people checking out their kids early. Seriously, it was very little snow and none of it stuck. We may be getting more but I doubt it will be very much. This is two years in a row for snow around here!