My "Little" Projects...BIG Work

So with all the nice weather we've been having, I've been getting the gardening itch. And, since the dogs had pretty much destroyed my whole gated pond garden area, I am starting from scratch on everything! I got the wild hair to take down the fence around the pond and put that fencing around my garden which I've also decided to extend a bit. Fix up the front flower beds and the back bed are also on the list. And I need to clean out the pond.

Oh, and then one day, after growing tired of sifting dirt in the garden extension one day I looked over and caught a glimpse of our sad, sad looking garden bench and decided that it needed a makeover. Hey, while I'm at it I'll also refinish the old plant stand I'd gotten for free a few years ago.

Needless to say, there is a LOT going on...or will be going on... in our yard this spring. Let's see how much I actually accomplish and how long it takes me. Even my littlest projects on my gardening to-do list are resulting in MUCH prep work. I just keep telling myself that the end result is going to make all this work worth it.... at least I HOPE so.

What a Long Day

After being up a good part of the night sounding like a wounded seal, we took little Reese in to see the doc. Turns out he had the croup. The doc checked his oxygen level and he was just good enough that, if I promised to drive directly to the Children's Hospital with him, not passing Go or collecting $200, that she'd allow me to take him rather than send him via the ambulance. Praise the Lord for that cause I had the other kids with me and I would have not done well with sending my baby off alone.

Off we went to the ER. Called Ray at work and he met us there. The docs got us in immediately and after a breathing treatment, some tests, shots, and x-rays, we finally got to go home that evening. It was so pitiful seeing Reese get his chest x-rays. They set him in a little plastic tube with his arms up over his head and clamped him in to keep him still for the pix. He didn't like it one bit. He also looked so helpless in his tiny hospital gown.

Thankfully, he got better fairly quickly and we didn't have to end up being the 1 in 4 that have to go back.

I guess Reese just didn't want to be the odd kid out. Hadley went to ER her 2nd day home from the hospital cause she was hungry (nursing wasn't working well enough for her unfortunately), Ryan went in with a febrile seizure when he was just a few months old...Reese just wanted his turn at the ER experience, I suppose. There... All 3 kids have had their ER trip. Let's hope we don't have any more for a very long time.

Happy Bday..He's FOUR!

I can't believe it has already been four years since my, now oldest, little guy came into our lives. He's very much into bugs and destruction these days...typical boy. The other day, he stomped on a pill bug after tormenting it for some time (I mean "playing" with it) and said, "Mommy, I just sent that bug to see Jesus!" LOL... I was ROLLING with laughter.

We had a wonderful birthday celebration. Mom & Dad (aka Granddad and Nanny) made the trek to join us as did my brother and his family. We were SO thrilled that they all came down and we had a WONDERFUL visit. Also attending were B-Ma and B-Pa as well as other family and friends. Ryan got TONS of goodies for his birthday and everyone enjoyed eating ice cream and his "crayon" cake.

They're Arriving!

All my seed catalogs, that is. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Pajama Day at the Library!

Just when I thought the kids couldn't get more excited about our weekly visit to the library for story time, the library hosts Pajama Day! The kids have been squealing with glee over the fact that they are going to wear their pajamas to the library. I don't know why, but that cracks me up! We love story time with Miss Jane.

White Christmas w/ the Family

The kids and I drove to Flower Mound to spend Christmas with my family. My brother and SIL graciously opened their home for the get together this year as they, with a one month old and me with a 3 month old, were unable to make the trek to our parents house for the holidays this year, and I with a 3 month old wasn't up for the long drive by myself much either.

It was a GLORIOUS time! We made it there without any incident - unlike Mom and Dad, for whom it took 12 hours and 15 minutes to make the trip this time due to the snowstorm. We were SO thankful they made it safely. 287 was closing down the line, right behind them it turns out and so many were stranded on the highway for Christmas Eve. We later learned that the road was closed anywhere from 8 to 13 hours, depending on the location. It was a MEGA long trip for them but thankfully, those 35+ years driving in that sort of mess for the highway department made Dad able to make the drive.

There was still snow on the ground when we arrived. We enjoyed a scrumptious Christmas dinner and many other yummies during our visit. The kids got to enjoy playing out in the snow - building a snow man and having snow ball fights and "skating" on the ice. We received many wonderful gifts and I think Dad really enjoyed his clock I made.

With five children ages 5 and under the house was FULL of fun and laughter. Hadley and Ryan SO enjoyed playing with their cousin Court and I think he took a real liking to Hadley, or HI-EE as he called her.

Some of the things I enjoyed most about the trip
- seeing/spending time with my family and meeting the newest Patterson, Beckham
- watching all the kiddos play
- having a snowball fight with my bro. Actually, I just threw ONE NEAR him but he decked me with several good ones. I complained at the time about the lack of fairness but I loved "being a kid" with my baby bro.
- laughing at the yellow snowman. Tucker decided to treat it like a fire hydrant and that cracked me up. He did it not once, but twice!

Had Ourselves a Merry Little Christmas

...and we hope that you did as well.

Our first Christmas "home" in our current abode was a great one. In years past, we've been able to travel up to my parents' home in the Texas Panhandle for the holidays (and let me just say that there is NOTHING like my parents for Christmas!) but this year, with Ray having to work and with a 3 month old, it was just no doable. We hung lights on the house and, for the second year, got a live tree to decorate. Everything was festive for the holidays.

Ray had to work Christmas Eve at work and then spent all afternoon/evening working at the Christmas Eve services at church. The kids and I headed over to some friends home for a bit to celebrate and then went to the late service at church. After the Christmas Eve service, we met up with Ray and drove around looking at some spectacular Christmas lights! After returning home, we set out brownies and milk, hung the stockings by the chimney with care and the kids went to bed... well, they were SUPPOSED to be in bed. Around 11, Ray went outside and shook the jingle bells and upon coming back inside, overheard our oldest son tell his sister, "I heard him!! I think he's here!" and then all went silent and the kids went to sleep so "Santa" could visit.

Christmas morning found the children thrilled with all their gifts.

After enjoying some of their gifts, the kids and I packed up to head to Flower Mound to spend Christmas with my brother's family and my parents. Unfortunately, Ray had to work over the weekend so he was unable to join us. He spent the rest of Christmas visiting some of his family, then having dinner and catching Avatar in 3D. He thought the movie was pretty cool but, personally, I think he enjoyed having a coke and popcorn sitting in peace more.

It was a blessed Christmas for us this year, despite not being a great year financially for anyone. We hope that you and yours were as blessed as we were.