Hudson's 3rd Birthday(s)

Call me a horrible mom, but I didn't have the want to throw a big birthday party for my baby's 3rd birthday. So he got to have a week of birthdays. We had a birthday lunch on the Sunday before with our "Sunday Lunch" pals. It was complete with a United cake and a candle of the wrong number. I can't find the "3" so we opted for the "2". Hudson didn't know or care about the difference. On his birthday, all he wanted was his friend Keldon to come out and ride his donkey. I didn't post pictures of the ride, that will be it's own post. So that is what happened and all three kids helped open his gifts and play with those for a bit after supper. Hudson, Kaylor and Keldon deciding how 2 trucks will be split between 3 kids.

"Whoa! Hudson, that is so cool!"


How made from scratch (wink, wink) cake with the wrong candle.

Can you believe he is this big and so handsome in is Sunday best to eat red icing in.

Then to end his week, he got to have cupcakes at Miss Sanchez's house on wednesday with his friends, Jeshua, Israel, Anaiah and Judah. How will I top that for next year. It will have to be BIG!!!!

There's Snow time like time with Snow

My kids love the snow. First sign of flake

and the boots are on and they stand at the door begging.

We have had a few great chances to get out in the white stuff and enjoy ourselves.

Kaylor loves to make snow angels. I don't have a picture of the one she made on the patio in last weeks -20 degree weather of a snow angel that is more dirt than snow.

She didn't care it was beautiful. But, the picture posted is a great one of the event on another day.

Hudson tries to be angelic, but likes to destroy what Kaylor makes more than create.

AJ had hunters in and Hudson was so excited to see the Pheasant come home dead and pull feathers. Kaylor was pure girl and thought that was gross. We did get her to hold a feather and that was as close as she got to them. Give her daddy some time and he will have her toting her own pink rifle and becoming Annie Oakley.

Loving the Unlovely

Oh my, how my heart has hurt this week. But, oh how excited I am that the Lord has made something like the events of the week turn into a lesson of His LOVE. People, we have to stand up and stop saying we are Christians and then brush things (people, situations, etc.) aside because they are not what we want to deal with.

I am blessed to have a circle of "lovely" friends and family, but man can we do some unlovely things to those we don't think fit in our circle. MYSELF INCLUDED. I would bend over backwards for any of my friends, but would I do the same for someone not in my circle of trust? I have had to really look inside for that answer. Can I be honest, the answer was "NO" for many who the Lord placed in my path.

I am ashamed. And I want to do better. The Lord was gracious enough to put a person in my life that was "unlovely" to me for many years. And through the gritting of my teeth, I allowed that person to work their way into my life. What lessons I have learned. What a friendship I have gained. What great amount of God's love have I experienced.

So people, let's get off our high horse and get to the ground where the hurting people who need Him are. You may want to bring a pair of gloves with you, whether they be rubber gloves or boxing gloves. Get them dirty and and then gasp at the beauty that comes from it. And give the Praise to our Father, who loves us no matter what we do.

Dear Lord, Please hold me to the higher standard set by you. When I feel to good for one of your beautifully made children, please pull me back down. Help me to see those that need You and provide me with the gloves that I need to get in the dirt. I thank You for all the people who have put in my life who were willing to get dirty for my soul. Amen.

My Single Verbal Follower

3 months since the last post. And then today someone told me I need to post another. I didn't know anyone else looked at this site. So I am dedicating this post to that follower.

In fact, I am going to write about her...
This person, who made me smile when I got to see her today, is a person that I would love to get to know more. She is a person that until you get into her circle of trust, is very elusive. Each time I get to be in her presence, I learn something else about her and she opens a bit more.

I love that she is a lot like myself and is guarded. Not openly, here is my life and everything that is going on in it. She has very few close friends, who I know she would do anything for.

She loves her family and is a dedicated wife. She sacrifices so much to preserve the things of her family. She is a great mother, who strives to raise her children in the ways of God and having a strong faith in all things of Him.

I am honored to know her and her family and look forward to getting more into her circle of trust.

I pray many blessings upon her and her family.

Azebra

We recently broke down and got Kaylor the one thing she has begged for. Azebra...and that is said together, not as two words. Azebra the cat. The cat is the most patient and tolerable of all types of carrying methods. She prefers to sleep with Ashley, which doesn't go too well. As I write this she is climbing up my mother's day gift (a chair from Pier 1). Makes for a lot of entertainment each day.

My guel

Both kids, especially Kaylor, have a very deep attachment to Ashley's right hand man, Miguel (My guel).

And the feelings are mutual. There are many days that I have to force the kids to come in when he is around the yard.


These are pictures of the throne Miguel

made Kaylor so she could watch them finish the porch. This occured the two days that they were working on it. And yes, she wore the same outfit both days as she watched what they were doing.

Ashley is so blessed to have such great help and the kids are blessed to have another person to love them. And I am so blessed by the smile and way Miguel's eyes light up as the kids are running across the yard to him.

2010 Harvest has Begun

Harvest Has Begun!!The kids and I went out last night to help Ashley break in his new John Deere 9660 Combine on our dryland corn crop. A much smoother ride with more room. We all 4 fit in as nice as can with 2 toddlers jumping around.

The new combine has a full glass window behind cab and you can watch the holding tank fill. That was really neat.

Hudson is in there with his daddy. He may not need a sitter for the rest of harvest. He wakes up asking to drive the combine.

Kaylor looking out the window watching the action.

I still haven't learned to drive the grain cart or get my CDL, so I am safe to continue running the household, working 3 mornings a week while Kaylor is at preschool, overseeing the church nursery amd selling Pampered Chef. But if I had any free time, I know I would be practicing for my CDL. NOT!! :)

May everyone have a safe and blessed harvest season.

The GARDEN!!

Okay, I posted last on June 27th and promised a post on the Garden. Well, I haven't been back before now because of the Garden. That weed infested, goat-head and sandbur full, nothing but hard work piece of land has conquered me. I did good for first month. Kept it clean, watched the sweet seedling pop out of the dirt and begin to grow. Harvested first 50 yellow squash (that I really don't like), and shredded a number of zucinni. Then, the Garden took over. I gave up and always found something more fun that weeding it when outside. So I won't embaress myself with a picture of the Garden. Just know that I will not be tackling another one next year. Well.....maybe a small container garden.

Why are you sleeping!?!

Why are you sleeping? This what I hear from the bathroom as I am in my room and kids are bathing. I go in to find that Kaylor snuck a ziploc into the bathtub, has filled it with water and place our plastic Nemo in it. If you are a fan of the movie "Finding Nemo", you will want to call Kaylor "Darla". She was even shaking the bag with an upside down fish in it. She was only missing the braces and headgear. I love what thier minds remember and how they process.

So all you little fishes, watch out for my Darla.

This was also our 3rd bath of the day. A rather normal occurance during the summer and playing outside in the dirt/mud.

Next posting...THE GARDEN!!!

Sleep, Sleep and more Sleep

My kids will sleep just about anywhere. As shown in the pictures, when it's time IT'S TIME!

Hudson just couldn't make it to his bed.

Kaylor fell asleep waiting for her princess dress to dry. Please note she was fully clothed when she went in there to watch it dry.

Sleep is needed after a hard day working on the farm.

This is how I found Kaylor once it got quiet in her room. She had been in there talking about how jelly is bad for girls, only boys eat it. Note: I don't think she has had but 2 tbsp of jelly in her life.

And to have this many pictures of sleeping children is fasinating to me, because it is a fight everytime we try to go down for nap or bed. But when they do, I love to watch them. SWEET DREAMS!

Spring 2010

Kaylor at marmee and doodad's "swimming pool"
Yeah! Our favorite thing

at the park.

Well Spring has sprung! I know this because I haven't posted in so long.

We have been outside as much as possible. Our weather has been cooler than normal and we have LOVED it! However, how do my kids get a tan when we are in the same place and amount of time. I am Casper. UNFAIR!!!

Handsome Hudson is 2 now and Kaylor will turn 3 on Friday!
Another post sooner than the last!

Sunny California!!

Ashley and I made our trip to California the first week of March. I will admit it, it was nice to get away from the kids for a little while. While there, we attended a few banquets, went whale watching, ate, hit Disneyland, ate, shopped, ate and ate. We met up with Ashley's baby sister, Autumn and her husband Jason. I lost my camera, due to battery failure, and most of the pictures are on a disposable. We both made it back and noone was wounded. So I do know that we can make it 4 days with each other in a small room. Pioneer seed took such great care of us, that we are going to make it a yearly try to win the trip. Tampa, Florida next year.

Pioneer Woman

We lost power for two days last week and I embraced my Pioneer spirit. I learned to cook on the fireplace. Pictured are the turtles I made and ate pretty much by myself.(Boo!) I also made chicken tacos with refried beans for supper the night before. I attempted a large cookie, but burned the sugar out of it. I even boiled water to take sink baths and clean. Watch out Caroline Ingles, I am giving you a run for your money. HAHA! Two days was quite enough.

Hudson's 2nd

Okay, so it has been a long while since posting. I am going to try to make it up in the next few days.

Today, HUDSON TURNED TWO!

My little guy turned 2 on February 28th. The weather was yucky the week before and his party had to be cancelled due to impassable roads. So he got to have 2 parties. The pictures are from Papa and Grandma's house. I tried to make an ice cream cake and, well, it didn't. Tasted good but, UGLY. As you can see, he decided to eat with his shovel.

The 2nd party for his 2nd birthday was with our dear friends the Allen's. Pizza and fun with Hudson's friend Keldon. He got a great remote control tractor.

Hudson also got a bag of outdoor goodies from the Crosby's. We have been using them every day in the dirt pile. Good choices everyone.

So he is now arounf 27lbs. as tall as his sister and follows everything she does. He is 100% BOY. Dirty and destructive. Loves to sit in the corner quiet and read books. A true blessing to us.

WE LOVE YOU HUDSON BOY!

Anticipation

No pictures to post today. No that we haven't had lots of time INDOORS to take pictures. Hence the title of the post, I am so ready to not see snow on the ground. Unfairly, I will get to next week as we make our trip to California. Although, from looking at the weather in Anaheim, it isn't always Sunny California. Rain forecasted for most days we are there. But, at least there is no SNOW! And I loved snow before this past month. Now I can't wait for it to go.

I am also anticipating more details on the message that God has placed in my heart. The word "UNITY" has been with me for the last few days. I have begun looking up verses in the Word about it. When I have a better handle on it, I will give you details. But, at our Tuesday night group we prayed for each other and I received a big glimpse into what I am supposed to get from this Word. My unity has to start in my marriage. Biting of lip...We were not unified this morning going over financial issues. So as you can read, I needed the message.

Which I guess is why the good Lord enables Ashley to grow 309 bushel corn and win a trip for it. We will have 4 days, without kids, in an unknown city with each other. Unity will either come or we will kill each other. Ask and ye shall receive. I wanted to dig deeper, and the Lord handed me a shovel.

After the trip...(and I am confident if someone doesn't make it back, it won't be me)

Look at me!

The kids got cameras for Christmas, and I downloaded the pictures. There are some great ones. And, Kaylor is very gifted in taking pictures of herself.

They can add Disney characters to the pictures, as seen below. We ran the batteries out once already. But they patiently waited for me to get to town to buy more and fix the cameras. We are back in business.

What I really loved as I looked at the pictures taken, was the perception of the taker. The kids see things that I wouldn't. They love to take pictures of the dogs, their toys, or even the TV. Made me remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Many around me, myself included, are trying to accomplish the usual New Year's resolution of weight loss. I was talking with a friend recently and she said, I have lost 10 pounds and am still a size (bigger than she wants). I replied, the size doesn't matter, it is how healthy and toned you are. But, then I added, and that you feel good about where you are.

My question is...Who out there feels good about where they are body image wise? NOT ME!! I try to put it into my head that God thinks I am beautiful as I am. Easier said than believed. Then I look at the fact that my inside person is not as beautiful as I want her to be. I believe that if I get her looking like I want, then my outside appearence will follow. Whether that be, I lose weight, get healthy and toned or my perception is changed. Something to strive for.

Just remember, we sometimes have to look through the lens with another's eyes to see a different side of ourselves.

The Reason for the Season

Well 2010 (Two thousand and ten) is upon us. We had a nice Christmas. Very quiet. My sister's for Christmas morning and Papa and grandma came out for the evening. The kids favorite gifts were cameras. There are great pictures on them. Will get them on another post.


We put our Christmas decor up and Kaylor was so upset that Baby Jesus was gone. Grandma, who has over 200 nativity sets, has loaned one that the kids can play with. So Baby Jesus, Mary & the donkey will get to grace the stable(barn) all year at our house.
She makes Joseph stay outside with the wise men and the animals. But she loves to play with it. And I can't complain when that is what she wants. Hudson loves the camel and building the fence. Which I just had to do for him.
Kaylor even loves to dress up as Mary. She puts her blanket over her head like a shaw. We did a lot of explaining about Jesus birthday being on Christmas and not much about Santa. It was a fun season.

These two pictures of my back yard torn up are for the purpose of putting in a septic system. There was not one when we bought the place. Don't ask where it went. But it is now installed and planning a patio.

The kids helped daddy put the dirt back in with a kitchen spoon and kids rake. They enjoyed the piles of dirt. Mommy enjoyed knowing they weren't going to fall in the "hole."

Here is a shot of the two. Kaylor is slinking down. They are the same heigth and Hudson weighs about 3 pounds more.

KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS! HEEHEE!

Highlights of Last Week

Okay, I said there was nothing else for the rest of the year, but I had a few moments. Yes, I should be down on the eliptical. But, I can't make myself do it. This past week we had Keldon for 2 afternoons, went to the Craft Bazaar, did a Christmas craft and caught up on house cleaning from the last 3 weeks while I covered the nursery at church. We had a group of hunters come in for Pheasant Season and spent an evening with them. We even got to go to dinner with Aunt Cat, Kyky & Garrard (haven't done that in a long time). We are trying to decide what to do for Christmas, if anything.

Which brings a subject I have been pondering on. As I am trying to decide what I want my children to learn and what if not important, I have really had some feeling about holidays come up.

I so often get weird looks when I don't feel that it is a big deal if our family(ies) get together on the legal day of a holiday. Do we really need a specific day to get with family?

Santa...oh a hard one. I have been asking friends who gets the glory at Christmas. Santa, parents or Jesus. When it comes to gifts...Santa. Why does he get to give the most exciting, most wanted, most expensive gifts? So backwards. I feel this distorts children's thinking on so many subjects (money, respect, behavior) So we have decided that only one gift will be from Santa, and it will not be the expensive one. I want to begin to grow a Christmas Legacy about the real reason we celebrate this holiday. And a fictisous(sp) character is not getting a spot in it. The only reason we have decided to do any gifts from Santa is so that when other children ask if Santa came and what they got, they can truthfully say that they got something with a "From Santa" on the package.

Well, that should be enough for today. I am thanking the Lord for the double stroller I used this morning at the Bazaar. Kids did not want to be there, so the stroller was great for purchases. I have also never got thru that thing as fast as I did. Will try again next year.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells! Jingle all the way! This is Kaylor's new favorite song. Learned it from Boz the Green Bear.

Catching Up!

Well the kids got to go see there favorite show LIVE! Seasame Street, Elmo Grows Up at the Civic Center in Amarillo. We even got daddy to go. The kids sat in awe through most of it. Hudson finally crashed and slept through the last 30 minutes. We had to spend the extra $$ and get the Elmo toy that the seat vendor was selling. A huge hit, still playing with it. I, myself, really enjoyed the show. Definitely something that will be repeated.

I took this picture today, December 5th, to show how much my baby has grown. In the last year we have STRUGGLED to get the potty training part of life complete. And I do say STRUGGLED. She didn't care if she was wet, just leave me in a diaper to enjoy life. Well, the light clicked 2 days ago. I had finally given up and didn't care if she was 12 when we got it accomplished. (OK, 9 would have been my top age) Kaylor has been doing great and only wears a diaper during nap and bedtime. She prefers commando, but I have explained that we have to wear panties. Hopefully a few family and friends doesn't chime in on this subject. :) So in the picture Kaylor does not have the diaper hiney. The white poking out of her pants are her BIG GIRL PANTIES!!!! Yeah!

This is however a great lesson in God's timing. I wanted her done when I wanted her done. She had to do this for herself. When I decided to back off and chill out, she decided that it was time. Oh control! I have had to give up so much of it lately. And I look at it now and realize that I have survived.

I have been reading Ecclesiastes to verify that control is not mine to have and joy in what God has given is in order. I love the NLT for 3:22 "No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die." Man that hurt me. Poke. Poke. Jab. Jab.

Finally, our family picture from Thanksgiving Day at Papa and Grandma's. Finally got the kids to smile and Ashley sour. This is it for the year. No Christmas cards. Will do a picture in the Spring.

Be blessed and remember the true reason for the season.

Fall Is In The Air

Fall has arrived and then will leave for a day or two and then return again. We went to the Meyer's Pumpkin Patch and chose our favorites. The kids, along with our bestest friend Keldon, had a blast seeing all the pumpkins. But, the really loved riding and climbing on the Ranger ATV. I had to think back to last year when it was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing 20 miles per hour and the kids were bundled up and miserable. This year, almost to the day, they only wore pants so that they didn't scratch thier legs. It was 75-80 degrees, the wind was even warmer. They did enjoy it a bit more this time around. Then 2 weeks later, we are playing in the leaves at Grandma and Papa's house with a chill in the air. I always used to love fall, however that has changed. Now, I have 2 toddlers who want to be outside and you bundle them warm in the morning and by the end of the day, they are down to the lightest layer they can go. And since the wind blows here all the time, I can't get them outside without heavy coat and they get to wobble around and try to play. But is still the most beautiful time of the year. Harvest has been good and Ashley is ready to be done after the rain delay this last week. HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!