Proud....um yes!

It has been a while and now that school is out, I plan to get caught up.  But that will come next week (hopefully).

Tonight I have to post this so I won't forget it.

Today Austin hit an out of the park homerun during his game against the Ponca City Blue Sox.  There was a runner on so in baseball lingo it was a "2-run homer".  We went on to win 6-1!  As he hit it and was doing his "trot", the smile was from ear to ear!

Took a pic after he came in to the dugout after trotting around the bases!

After he hit it, I know the other team had no doubt who his mom was cause I was screaming, cheering, clapping and jumping up and down like I had won the lottery or something.  I was so happy for him and proud of him.  This was his second out of the parker but it has been a while....maybe 3 years? He has come close several times, but today he connected and I don't know when I had been more proud of him.....until bedtime!

When I went up to tuck him in, he was almost asleep but he wanted to say his prayers (just as he does every night).  When the boys were younger, I would say the prayer and they would repeat it.  As they grew older, they started saying them on their own, but after many years of saying the same similar prayer, they didn't waver much.  Over the last year or so, I have been enjoying listening to them pray from their heart.  And tonight, Austin's home run moment (though I was and am still very proud) paled in comparison to his prayer time moment.

He prayed and thanked God for the usual people, things, safety etc.  But he also said, " Keep us safe as we go to Your house tomorrow to sing songs and praise You."  I will say, I got a little teary eyed!  Praying he keeps this close all the days of his life!  Proud mama!

Fantastic February

I hate that I didn't post anything during the month of February! There were many great things that went on but with many activities going on, that leaves me very little time to sit and write.

My most favorite thing in February was celebrating my baby boy's 10th birthday. I am in awe that Austin is now 10! It truly seems like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital to complete our family. He is an amazing kid. He is full of life and he fills our home with so much laughter, life, and fun. When he is away at a friends house it is way too quiet!

He has a heart of gold that I am so proud of. He has come home from school several times to tell me that some kids are being unkind to other kids in his class. He goes on to tell me that he tries to take up for them and will sit with them when no one else will. I am so thankful for his sensitivity to those less fortunate or those who may seem different.

His birthday fell on a Saturday this year so we actually got to celebrate on his real birthday. He took 6 friends to the movies to watch Journey 2 Mysterious Island and then back to our house for cake and ice cream. The movie was great and all the boys seemed to really enjoy it.

Lots of gifts from family and friends!

February also brought us our first snow day.  It wasn't much of one, but one nonetheless.  It was nice to have a day off and the boys enjoyed the snow for most of the day.  It warmed up quickly so what started as snow, made quite a mess of mud when it was all said and done.  I am not sure how much I like snow days since I spend most of my day doing the laundry from the boys going out and playing and changing clothes multiple times.  But it is fun to have a day off to just play....and they are only kids once!

 They started on our little hill and eventually joined the rest of the neighborhood kids on the big hill across the street.  It wasn't super cold, so they spent a couple of hours out playing before coming in to eat....and then out again!

February also marked the end of Cole's basketball season. His team finished the year winning all the tournaments they entered and only had 3 losses. He played around 35 games. 

He played in the finals of the INBC tournament on the 25th. On the way I got very emotional as I realized we were going to his last non-school game or last "little-league" game. He will try out for the 7th grade team sometime in April. I have no doubt he will continue to play basketball well into high school but this was just another reminder that my babies are growing up.

For most of February we spent our time going back and forth between basketball and baseball.  It got very tricky for Cole but we are fully ready for baseball now!  It is funny how we all are ready for a change in sport as the current one comes to a close.  We are excited to get this baseball season underway.  We plan to go to McKinney, TX with Austin's team over Memorial Day weekend and then back to Grand Prairie, TX with Cole's team for a World Series in July.  

21 Days

School and basketball is back in full swing and so my time relaxing checking out Facebook, Pinterest, and my favorite blogs is very limited.  Not to mention, baseball has started up as well!  Some probably think we are crazy with all the busyness and yes sometimes it does drive me crazy, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  Last night we were talking while I cooked dinner and I asked the boys what they thought Dad and I were going to do after they were done playing sports.  Austin quickly shrugged his shoulders and said "Get a dog like Mamaw and sit and watch TV".  He makes us laugh so much!

Well, we are on day 17 of a 21 day fast that was spear headed by our churchwww.woodlakeag.org.  Larry and the boys gave up pop and I am doing the Daniel Fast.  We did this last year, but I guess I didn't do it with the right intentions last year because this year seems very different.  As a family we talked about what fasting was and as a family we decided on what we would be believing God for in our lives.  I also, shared with Larry what I was believing for.  And I can say that when the temptations come to break the fast, I just pray and believe God for what I am asking.  Then it becomes much easier.  And the temptations have come....baby shower at school with my favorite cake, cake pops for one of my student's birthdays, birthday dinner for my niece and brother-in-law that included my mother-in-laws yummy meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, homemade cinnamon rolls (that we only get a couple times a year) and of course Merrit's birthday cake. I was very good and only ate the green beans and carrots!  This next week I will endure our January birthday luncheon which always has such yummy desserts and casseroles.  This will come on day 19 or 21 days, so I will be strong and bring my lunch and stay out of the teacher's lounge!

My favorite part of this fast has been watching my boys.  We don't let them have a ton of pop, but they do enjoy it.  And they have been so great!  Austin went with my dad to get gas before Cole's game last week. My dad was so amazed when he asked him if he wanted a drink.  Austin's reply was "I am fasting pop, but I will take something else".  Cole came to me last week and informed me he would be going to the AR party on Friday for going above his reading goal.  He was concerned because it was a "pop and chip" party (6th graders' favorite things) and could he take a bottle of water  for it.  I quickly hugged him and said yes.  I did tell him that if he had a little bit of pop as a reward for his hard work, then it would be ok.  He said he would think about it.  Who knows what he decided, but I was thrilled he was willing to be different from others because of his commitment.

I have no pictures of us to post, so I will post some of the yummy things I have been eating on this fast.

 I made the broccoli with some yukon potatoes.  I put olive oil and garlic salt on them.  YUM!!!

And here is the first things I plan to make on Sunday!

I am ready to bake and eat cereal, but I know God will bring Breakthrough in my family's life....so I will be patient!

Christmas Eve Festivities

We spent Christmas Eve afternoon with Meme and Papa and the rest of Larry's family.  Since Ron has a big house we have gone over there for most family gatherings.  Lunch was wonderful as usual! And we topped it off with Meme's cinnamon rolls for tradition's sake! YUM!

Papaw and Meme tried to trick Larry with a train box holding his gift card to Academy!  Larry and Austin thought it was a good trick!

We didn't make it to Christmas Eve service due to festivities at Uncle Ron's but we went to Nana and Papa's for finger foods and presents!  It was great to have Dallas, Sarah and the boys with us for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!  I hate when they are gone but know they are enjoying time with Sarah's family. This year we took turns opening presents (at least the kids did) so Nana could watch her boys open presents.  This was a great lesson in patience but it was really fun that we all got to see everyone open all their gifts!

 Rhett was first and he was so fun to watch.  His facial expressions were priceless!

Rhett would throw the paper and sometimes the gift at Uncle Larry when he was done.

Jude went next....he was so busy it was hard to get a pic of him facing me!

Austin was 3rd and he loved everything.  Here he is sporting his new glove from Uncle Dave!

 Nana and Santa got them a Kinect to go with their XBOX!

 Last but not least....Cole!  Rhett did so good watching and helping!

Braves fan!

And Pokes fan too!  Thank you Aunt Sarah (and Uncle Dallas)!  And the hat was from Nana which he wore for the rest of the evening!

Pre-Christmas Activities

Amazingly we have celebrated another Christmas!  I am in awe of how quickly it comes and goes.  As I was boxing up my stuff (on December 26th), I was reminded that so many people box up Christmas literally and figuratively.  I hope to never find myself doing this.  My world would be so  different out of control without Christ.  I am thankful for his birth, death and resurrection so I can have direct access to the thrown of God whenever I want!

I haven't had a lot of time to do any entries so before I go back to work, I am going to post several over a couple of days!

It used to bug me that Larry wanted to put the tree and trimmings away the day after Christmas.  But I just start decorating a little earlier (before Thanksgiving!) and I have grown to love getting things back in order!

We Larry didn't do any outside lights this year, so Austin insisted that we buy the "hangy-down" lights for next year.  Being the bargain shopper that I am training him to be, he wanted to hit Wal-Mart on the 26th to get some for next year....and we did!

Larry is notorious for figuring out his gifts and I spent our first Christmas mad at him for opening his gifts while I was at work and then re-wrapping them.  If he would have just kept that to himself, I would have never known.  This is what makes Christmas fun for him....ugh! Well after almost 15 years, I have learned to just get over it!  This year was no different.  I had ordered him and the boys some new Nike's online and purposely ordered them separately so when the box came the boys' shoes would be there and not his.  Well that worked out but he got home before me the next day and found his on the porch.  He opened them, tried them on and informed me that evening that he loved them!  So, even though I told him he could go ahead and have them, he waited and let me wrap them so he could open them on Christmas.

He got the stomach bug a few days before Christmas and I finally got approval for specials on Oakley sunglasses since he is a police officer.  So, with our upcoming anniversary, I ordered him some.  I thought this might be good, cause he wouldn't expect that for our anniversary.  But once again, he figured it out.  We went out to dinner for my birthday (late due to Austin having stomach bug on my b-day) and he insisted we go pick me out something for Christmas.  I repeatedly told him I only got him the shoes and he eventually spills out that he saw an email that his sunglasses had shipped and he loved them!  He never checks emails!  But he did this time and once again spoiled the surprise.  Oh, well!  It's what makes him who he is....even though it makes me crazy!

Here they are....$180 sunglasses for $90!  Love good deals

We did an Advent calendar this year filled with activities to do as a family.  We tried to get them all in but that stomach bug tried to ruin some of our fun.  Some of my favorites were sharing your favorite Christmas memory, drinking hot cocoa together, watching a Christmas movie, going to see Christmas lights, buying gifts for kids in need (boys were most excited about this since it was for some needy kids they knew personally) and camping out all night in front of the Christmas tree!

CAMPING OUT!

Austin decorating sugar cookies to go in gifts for our neighbors!

 Can you ever have too many sprinkles?

Cole making his favorite....Chocolate chip cookies to add to our gift bags for the neighbors!

It was especially hard for Austing to not peek...he must get that from someone.  I think he did look because he couldn't wait til the 24th because it was "open 1 gift".

Here is the 1 gift...and I got to choose which one!

They were hoping for something fun....but new jammies are a tradition!

More to come!

Wow it's December!

On Wednesday, (Nov. 30th) I had to take Cole to the doctor because his ear was hurting.  He had an ear infection....first one in the last 10 years....strange!  Anyway, when the receptionist gave me his note to return to school then next day, I was completely shocked that it said "Cole can return to school on DECEMBER 1ST!"  What?  Where has this year gone?  I guess time flies when your havin' fun!

Thanksgiving this year started with the Hog Jog in Owasso.  Cole and I ran the 5K and I also ran the mile fun run with Austin.  I am proud of both of them!  Larry went for moral support and was the photographer.  It was a fun, new tradition we hope to continue!

Larry helping Austin get his race bib on.

At the starting line!

Ahead of me...big surprise!

Cole and I at the starting line for the 5K!

Believe it or not...this is the beginning of the 5K....my facial expression would tell otherwise!

Finishing...Cole was a couple of minutes ahead of me but I finished a personal best 27:47!

Both boys fell asleep in the car on the way home and then crashed on the couch and chair!

After the race we spent the rest of our Thanksgiving day at Jimmy and Joy's and then on to Ron's for 2 wonderful dinners!  We love spending time with our families.  And of course mom and I had to check out the Black Friday sales.  I wasn't that inspired so we went to Walmart at 9:00 for their 10:00 specials and after price matching from Target and Best Buy we were home by 11:00!  Larry and I then went out later on Friday to do some other shopping.  A great Thanksgiving and soooooo much to be thankful for.  God has blessed me beyond words!

Cole started basketball and has played 2 tournaments and one league game over the last 2 weeks.  They are 8 and 8 and have 2 1st place medals!  Great way to start the season!

1st Tournament and 1st Place!

Tip off Thanksgiving Hoopstarz Tourney 

Cole waits on the free-throw shot. 

 Thanksgiving Hoopstarz 1st Place!

Austin received the Awesome Reading Award in November.  I am proud of him for so many reasons but this makes his teacher mom very happy!

 He looks so happy!  He doesn't like to be up in front of people and the whole school was there!

Christmas is just around the corner and we are ready at home.  We put the tree up on Wednesday before Thanksgiving but got it all decorated on Friday after Thanksgiving.  I have found a new addiction in Pinterest, so who knows what other decorations may make their way into our home!

My mom made the comment "I can't believe you have a crimson and cream tree!"  I responded with it is burgundy and light gold!  It has inspired me to buy a tree after Christmas (hoping for 75% off) to put in our game room and decorate it in nothing but ORANGE and BLACK....Go Pokes! (Today is the Bedlam game so I had to get that in there!)

Our Advent Calendar inspired by Pinterest!  I plan to add pictures of some of our family activities as we do them this month!  Austin is so excited and it is rubbing off on Cole!