I Know, This is Long Overdue

I have seriously tried to make this post 6 different times. I get started and walk away and someone (including myself) close the browser. I try again and World War III breaks out in my home and I have to save it for another day. Well.........here it is!!!

Jaron and Keats had a fabulous time passing out Christmas gifts at Nana and Papa's. Jaron got a truck load of dinosaurs and Jordan got some stuff she has been wanting for a while....SCORE!

It was so good to see Keats and Kemper....Brandon and Kelly drove to Lubbock Friday night just to see us. We had the best time eating tacos and watching the kids play. You have no idea how much I love those boys!!!

They were adorable "doctoring" Jordan. Keats decided he wanted his shirt off, and Kemper wanted his jammies on since J and J had theirs on, but he didn't have any with him!!! So he put on some of Jaron's!!!!! Little mess!




Jordan just carried Josie around like she was a little baby :) Josie loves Jordan :)

Saturday for lunch we all met at Taco Villa (halleluia) to see some more family.

Keats and Jaron just crack me up. When they get together, they shut the world out and play. All you hear are various animal and fighting noises, and laughing!

Kemper-doodle wouldn't let Aunt Marcy take his picture, but I did end up sneaking a few :)



The kids with Uncle Chad and Aunt Janice.

Uncle John and Aunt Linda......a miracle story. John recently had a stroke and has just about completely recovered. We were SO thankful to see him and hug his neck!

The kids with Great-Grandaddy and Joyce (Steve's dad).

We were so blessed to see all of these precious people we love so much. I still have Lubbock pictures....I am REALLY going to try to get them posted by the end of the week...wish me luck!

West Texas!

After the Dinosaur Valley, Nana and Papa (Steve and Sherri) picked us up at Dad and Debbie's and we headed to Lubbock. It was a beautiful day, and that long drive was somewhat tolerable only because we were with people we loved!! We got to meet N and P's new dog, Josie. She is an adorable papillon. We made a couple of pit stops, and got to Lubbock around 7. The last time we were in TX, the wind turbines stretched from Abilene to Snyder. Now they are pretty much up the entire way to Lubbock! It is quite a sight.....they stretch as far as the eye can see.

I do miss the West Texas sky. ONLY when it is not filled with dust.

Some of the turbines send energy all the way to our neighbor, Pennsylvania!!!!


Look at that blue sky. No smog, no haze. Just blue.

We went straight to Mom's when we arrived in Lubbock, she and the McNutts were there waiting for us!! She left up her Christmas decorations and we had Christmas in February! Mom cooked a roast and then we tore into the gifts. It was a Christmas filled with wonderful homemade things. Candace made me a gorgeous turquoise scarf and they gave me a jelly watch, which I had never heard of, but are obviously all the rage now. Mom made me the most adorable pot holders/trivets. I made everyone a scarf, even Wesley, and the first thing he did was tie it around his head. Dork. The kids were drowning in toys and dollar bin goodies :) It was wonderful.....just to be there together, making a mess and having a great time!

So in the frenzy of packing for the trip and making sure I had head phones and chargers for the iPods and cell phones, I left the camera battery charger behind :/ I was only able to take a few pictures with our camera and had to borrow Candace's for the rest of the trip. So I am not really sure when these pics were taken!

All I know is we were shocked with the difference in temperature between there and here. The kids were running around in shorts and Tshirts all week!! I didn't even pack shorts! We had to borrow some!!!! It was great!

I cannot explain how much I love my niece and nephew. They(and Keats and Kemper) are the sweetest kids on the planet, besides my own.


Mom continued to give us plenty to laugh about. One day while we were hanging at the McNutt house, she fell asleep on the couch. Instead of grabbing the blanket that was in the basket next to her, she gathered up all of our jackets and used them to cover up with. She is a mess!

My hero!!!! Actually, he is a pain. Wesley Maynard sent me a thousand text messages while we were driving to Lubbock, asking where we were, claiming I did the same to him when they came up here last summer. I would NEVER do such a thing. Don't tell him or Candace, but they have no idea how proud I am of them. They are a miracle. I am so incredibly thankful that we all got to spend time together. There was a time when they were facing the fight of their lives, fighting FOR Wes's life. I love them so very much.

And this really is my hero. My precious, wonderful, angel with a yucky snake on his shirt!!!

Where Do I Begin?

I know, I know. It's taken me too long to post our pictures from our trip back to Texas. We have just been soooooo busy! We stepped off the plane in Philly on the 22nd and were back at school and work the next day. And we haven't stopped since then!! It's amazing how busy school, work and Girl Scouts can keep us! Jordan participated in her first "Thinking Day" festivities for Girl Scouts. It was at the high school down the street, all of the troops in our area were there, each representing a different country....it was fun :)

And since we have been back I have been cramming for the New Jersey Teacher Certification test I took Saturday. Since I am already certified in Texas, all I had to do was take this test, but I didn't realize how much I had forgotten since my college days! I took my TX certification test ELEVEN years ago. Then I taught elementary music and forgot anything I had learned about instrumental music. So, I have been a little overwhelmed and, needless to say, worried. The test was pretty challenging, so I am really hoping for good results.

To the good stuff......our trip to Texas started in Dallas with Grandad and Dee Dee. Dad picked us up at Love Field and we also got to meet Nana and Papa, Uncle B and Aunt K, and Grandpa Small and Jeanette at Rosa's for supper. It was so exciting to see everyone! AND to be eating Mexican food!!!!

We spent the night at GD and DD's and had a little Christmas gift exchange and just enjoyed hanging out. The first thing Jaron did was find any and all toys in the house, and he also came across a dinosaur book. Sweetness!!



The kids have always enjoyed playing outside with Cooper and Rowdy :)

The next day we got up and Dad took us to Dinosaur Valley in Glen Rose. It was great!!

We saw real dino footprints. Jaron was beside himself.



Yes, he is being a dinosaur in all of the above pictures. Jordan designated herself as the "reader" of all the information boards throughout the park.

We got to walk across the river.......



to see more dino footprints in the water.


The pictures don't do justice. It really was cool.

Jaron was able to tell us what kind of dino left this print because of the three toes....I forget now what it was!!









Before we left the kids got to go on a Fossil Dig!

They sifted through sand for real fossils. They got to keep their favorite three. Jaron kept telling Grandad it was the best day ever :)

So.....in a few days I will add some more pictures from our wonderful time in Lubbock. We love all of you sooooooooo much!