Merry Christmas !!!!!

I could not let this month go by without wishing all of you a Very Merry Christmas!
I hope that it is wonderful for you and your family!

My family is doing great, just growing daily. They just do not stay little.

Ashlynn is almost 5 months old and weighs almost 14 pounds (she is not missing too many meals). She has been sleeping through the night for a week now, so that is WONDERFUL!!! As a matter of fact she slept until 9 am on Saturday (of course I was awake at 7)!!!! She is laughing and getting her little "baby" personality. She is a real happy baby! I think she will be a hair twirler like her sister - when she eats she is constantly rubbing her head with her left hand. It is so cute.

Isabelle, well what can I say. She is so smart and cute but boy can she get into some stuff!!! Her favorite thing to do right now is to cut and tape paper. Any type of paper, and lots of it. It makes a huge mess but it keeps her occupied and so I just let her have at it. It drives Clint crazy, though. He asked her yesterday what she wanted for Christmas and she said tape and scissors. She is also my inquisitive child. She has begun asking about Santa. "Why do they look different?" "Why do they wear different clothes and shoes?" "They can't be Santa's elves because they are too tall." And of course, "how will Santa get into our house because there is no chimney?!!!"

Camon is doing GREAT in the first grade. He is reading so well. I can not believe it. He also has made straight A's on both report cards that he has had. He is getting so tall and of course is still so sensitive. Ashlynn had a fever last week and when I told him, he immediately teared up and wanted to see her right then. He was so worried about her.

And of course Clint is fine. We will be married 10 years this coming Friday. I can not believe that it has been that long. Time flies when you are in Love, I guess. I am still thankful everyday (well most days) that God gave him to me!!! He is truly my "soul mate" and I love him more today than ever before! He is the BEST! We will be leaving the Sunday after Christmas for New York City. I finally talked him into taking me!!! I am so excited!

Anyway, this is just a quick update on my family! I hope that yours is doing just as good. Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

JESUS is the reason for the CHRISTmas Season!!!

Trying to get back in the swing of things...

It has been a while since I have posted. There are some very good reasons: 1) I am constantly exhausted and growing larger by the day 2) Work has been hectic 3) It is t-ball season 4) The school year is winding down (that means field trips, field day, programs, and kindergarten graduation) 5) My mother-in-law has been in the hospital (just to name a few)

First, the new baby... Things seem to be going great. I really have not been sick, just extremely tired. Part of that comes from having 2 more children that I am trying to keep up with. She is kicking away, although Clint nor the kids have gotten to feel her. Every time I call them when she is kicking, she immediately stops. The doctor says that she is growing great and I will have another ultrasound at the end of May, so we will probably see more how much she has grown. I am about 26 weeks along (seems like I should be further). So far, we have not gotten her room together. I have however gotten some bedding that I will probably be using. I just have to get the room painted. Right now it is "Electric Blue". And yes, it matches it's name. I can only imagine how many coats of paint it will take to cover it up. I am getting really excited about her coming,though. So are the kids. They keep asking now when will it be August?? As you can see "she" is still her name - we have not agreed on a name yet.

Camon will be finishing Kindergarten in June and I can not believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was dropping him off for the first time and crying like a baby. Now, the year is almost over. He has learned so much this year. I look back at pictures and can not believe how much he has changed. In March, he was named "Student of the Month" for the whole kindergarten. What a far cry from that 2nd week when he almost got suspended for beating a kid up. I told Clint maybe he was the most improved from then and that is why they gave it to him. Of course you know men... Clint said, "Well, why did it take them so long to give it to him?" To which I explained that it was an honor, only 9 students the whole year get that honor. And, I told him that the kids before him did not have to prove anything, but Camon has shown them through a whole year how great he is. HA! Of course Clint was kidding. He will have graduation on June 4, and I am sure momma will shed a few more tears. He was recently enrolled in an Accelerated Reading program and can really read very good. I have really enjoyed the teacher that he has this year. She has taught him a lot. Last night, he lost his third tooth. This is the first one that he lost without there being another one already in behind it, so it looks so cute to me when he smiles and has that hole there.

Isabelle, well what can I say. She has not changed a bit. Well, I take that back...she is quite a bit sassier (is that a word???) She and Camon are playing t-ball this year (and Clint is coaching them). She did great the first game, until the last bat. She was running the bases and the other team headed into the dugout. When they did, about 4 of them trampled her. Then the 2nd game, she threw the bat when she was hitting and it came back and hit her elbow. Then for the next 2 games she refused to play, because she did not want to get hurt. I was so sad because she really was a good little ball player. Then her cousins, Katie and Lacie, got their ears pierced and she has been begging to get hers done. So, I told her that if she would play in the rest of her games, she could get them pierced. So, Monday night she went out in the field, put her hands on her knees like a pro, even chased some balls that were hit her way. I was so excited. The inning was over and she came into the dug-out. When it was her turn to hit, she refused. So naturally I told her no earrings. To which she replied, "You said I had to play. You never said I had to hit." Well, technically she was right. Boy is she smart. She has learned a lot in preschool this year, too. She amazes me how much she can do. She can write all her letters, numbers to 10, her first and last name (without help), and any other word she wants simply by asking you the letters. She can count to 30, say her months, knows all basic shapes and colors, and can spell most of her family and friends name. One of her favorite things to do (besides change clothes 20 times a day) is to paint. She got water colors for her birthday and I think she paints everyday. She insists on choosing her own clothes and shoes (and they must match, by the way). So, before Clint irons them at night, I must okay it with her or it will be a fight the next morning - sad isn't it? But, it makes the morning go much smoother. She informed me the other day that when her baby sister got here, she would be choosing her clothes. This could be a nightmare. I got some little silver shoes for the baby the other day and she slept with them and then carried them to school to show her friends. Clint says she has a shoe fetish... Ya think???? She has one whole armoire with nothing but shoes. I think I have created a monster. And, she will be a teenager one day!?!?!?!?!? Each day when she gets in from school, she changes clothes. Usually it is dress-up but not always. The other day she wanted to put on a dressy, expensive dress to go outside a play. I argued with her for about 10 minutes and finally said, "Go to your closet and you can wear any dress that you can reach (I have the nicer stuff on the top rack). So, she left and came walking down the hall in a 2t (she is a 4t) Halloween dress. Clint thought it was funny. He said, "well, you told her any dress." I think she knew it would drive me nuts. But, I kept my word and she went outside showing her panties, wearing an orange and black jack-o-lantern dress (in April). Then yesterday, she returned from her room in a bathing suit (it was about 70 outside). She is something else.

Clint is doing great. He is getting excited about the new baby. He has been designing our addition (although we agreed it would be several years before we built it). He is coaching the kids t-team, teaching the High School Sunday School class at church, and being a super help around the house. I am very fortunate to have him. He does all of the ironing (maybe his friends won't read this), most of the cooking, at least half of the kids bedtime routine, and is the bathroom appliance cleaner. He works four days a week, but I think works harder at home on Mondays. He has gone to an Orthodontist to see about braces and will probably be getting them sometime soon. I am not sure what to think about that. He will look different, but it is something he wants and so I am all for it. He has been helping his brother lay floors in his new house. I am still trying to get him to follow his passion - woodworking, but it is so hard to give up a steady income with 2 kids and another on the way. Maybe one day... Anyway, there is nothing major going on as far as he is concerned. Just being Clint.

And lastly... The tragedy of the past week. Clint's mom, Betty, went into the hospital last Sunday and they found a lemon-sized brain tumor. They removed it last Monday and believe that it is not cancerous (though we are still waiting for the biopsy results). We had a rough week, as her speech was messed up, short term memory was off, and she was out of it most of the time. They did another surgery on Friday to place a shunt to drain fluid off of her brain. That (along with her finally realizing that she was not dying) helped her to make a tremendous turn around. She got out of ICU on Saturday and then went home Monday. She has a nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech therapist who come to her house to work with her. They think she is making tremendous progress. I know that hundreds of prayers were and still are being answered. It will still be a long battle, but she is here and so, for that we are thankful. God is so good!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I am so blessed to have the perfect Valentine. I know that I give Clint a hard time, but days like this cause me to think about what he really means to me. I am so thankful that I have a person to share this undying love with. There is no one else like him and I am so thankful that God joined us together over 9 years ago. He has made me laugh, made me proud, made me happy, and yes at times made me mad and made me cry, but most of all "made" me love him unconditionally. And I know that it can only get better in the years to come. I love you Clint!!!!!

And the Winner IS...

Last night Camon had a PTO fundraiser at the local city park. They had a hayride, food, and games for the kids. They also had a pumpkin carving contest. This was for the kids of all ages, my 31 year old husband to be exact. He helped Camon carve a pumpkin that Camon described as a scarry boy with spiked hair. It was cute. However, the big kid went all out. He carved a very detailed LSU Tiger (or Wildcat if you go wanted it to be Camon's school mascot). He did this by looking at a tiger that he had on one of his hats. He is so talented and creative - too bad pumpkin carving wouldn't pay much! And, yes I know that Halloween has passed and wondered why in the world they would have a pumpkin carving contest AFTER Halloween. But, then I remembered that they pushed the time change back a week this year and if we would have ahd the contest last week, then it would not have been dark enough. I guess they knew what they were doing after all. Anyway, "they" won first place. Actually the LSU Tiger won, but Clint made sure that Camon was not upset about his daddy beating his masterpiece. It turned out pretty neat!!!!

It was really cold though (and we had not expected it) so we only stayed about and hour and a half. Camon is definitely a hit with the girls, though. Everwhere we went they were saying, "Heeeeeyyyyyy, Camon." And he was either chasing them or they were after him. What can I say, he has his daddy's charm. I remember chasing him in the 7th grade. Boy that was a long time ago!

My salute to Dad (my children's dad that is)

I was thinking today (actually it was sort of brought to my attention during a conversation with Clint this morning) that great dads (and husbands) are hard to come by. Moms get so much more attention than poor dads. (Mostly because mom's deserve more, ha!) But, my children and I are truly blessed to have such a terrific dad in our lives. (Hopefully he reads this, because I do have a Birthday coming up!!!!!)

When my kids are grown, I do not want them to remember the money that dad brought home, the career that he had, or even the gifts that he purchased. Rather, I want them to remember the simple things that made their dad so wonderful. Like the fact that he was first and foremost a Christian father, who not only made sure that the family was in church when the doors were opened, but more importantly lived the same way at home,work, on the ball field (and any where else that he might be) as he did when he was at church. A dad that was faithful in all things and loved his wife and kids without effort. A dad that was cool tempered and extremely witty (annoyingly so, sometimes). A dad that was a cook, seamstress, carpenter, toy mender, clothes folder, dish washer, housekeeper, clothes ironer (is that a word?), driver, lawn boy, trash man, electrician, plumber, barber, bug and snake killer, dentist, doctor, and yes all around Mr. Mom when need be. I am sure that there are many other things that I have left off that will come to me later.

Sometimes, I think that I need to be reminded (when I am wallowing in self-pity over all that I have to do) that I am blessed to have a husband that can and will do all these things for his family. Like, last night when I came in with the kids and he cooked, cleaned, and worked in the yard while I got in the pool to swim and play with the kids. And unfortunately, I need to do a better job of letting him know how I appreciate him and love him more everyday (even if the day to day lives we live do not always show this). My children and I are blessed beyond measure.

I am sure in the months to come, my blogs will go on and on about the kids and Clint will be swept under the rug again... but I wanted at least one set of thoughts to honor him. I love you, Clint. (Did I mention that I have a birthday coming up?)