I'm BAAACCCKKKKK!!

Surprise! You probably thought you'd never see another blog from me and I wasn't 100% you would either. But, alas, here I am. New year, new me, blah, blah, blah. Let's see if I can catch you up on the past 6 months of our lives before the sun makes its appearance. (insomnia yet again....)

So, I left y'all back in June and there's been so much since then. I've probably forgotten a lot of it, but I'll hit the highlights of each person.

Rob- He has taken up golf again. So, when he's not in pain or traveling for work (and sometimes when he is traveling for work), he tees up. He says he's not good, but he's lying. We went to a golf community for our annual get away in November and I got to golf with him on a couple of really nice courses. It was a lot of fun! 

He has traveled more than normal this Fall. He has had some big responsibilities with the company this year, which has taken him to some "new" places. He got to go to Washington, D.C. for a week and see some really cool things, which I was jealous of, of course! He is still around to do his 500 "Dad duties", but work has been more demanding than in the past couple years. Thankfully the boys are pretty self sufficient so it's not like it used to be when he was gone for work. The only struggle is the "Mom Taxi", trying to get both boys to different parts of town....on the same day...around the same time. I really need to get better about asking for help and I'm trying....

Me- I'm still teaching 6th grade. Our youngest is in 6th grade this year so I was nervous about being his teacher. But, it has actually been a real blessing. We have drawn closer than ever and I love talking to him about his friends because I teach all of them.

I have been more social lately. For a few years I lacked that "friend" component in life. Not that I didn't have any friends, but I didn't intentionally do things with them. I have 2 close friends that I get together with fairly regularly. It' nice to be something other than being a wife, a mom and a teacher.

P- Over the Summer, he got his driver's permit. I'm not going to say it's been easy being a backseat driver and I thank God regularly that I am not a driving instructor. But, he has gotten a lot better behind the wheel. I have come to enjoy his chauffeuring me around and will miss it come this Summer when he can drive solo.

Before the school year started, he told me that this was going to be his best year yet and he has proven that to be true. This is the first year, since 6th grade, that he has really thrived. He is on new sports teams (golf and tennis to go along with XC and Bass Fishing). He's earning good grades and he got himself his first real job. He works for a local taxidermist. The work is not glamorous, but he gets paid well and the husband/wife duo that runs the business seem to really like him.

He is involved in our youth group and has a good core group of friends. Some of those friends created a fantasy football league and P is currently battling for the championship. He has grown in so many ways this year (physically he's shot up to almost 6'0 and he's put on over 20lbs in the past few months!). We are so proud of the young man that he's becoming!

E- Fall has been busy for him. He started his last year of elementary school. With that came some new freedom and responsibility. He was inducted into the school's Beta Club and was elected by his peers as the Beta Club President. It has been a growing experience for the both of us (I am the Beta sponsor and work closely with our Beta "board") and it has not always been sunshine and rainbows. But, E is pretty easygoing and lets things go after we've discussed them.

He is still active in baseball. His team played a few Fall tournaments and then they took a much needed break. He starts back up again next weekend with practices. This Spring will be busy because he's got baseball and will also be trying out for Jr High school teams.

The biggest highlight of E's year is that he decided to make a public profession on faith and got baptized last month. This was so important to him (and us). I'm thankful that he takes his walk with God seriously and enjoys witnessing to others. He's got a big friend group and they text each other scripture and encouraging messages on a daily basis, which is fun to watch as a parent and as their teacher.

He celebrated a birthday earlier this week. He's to the age where he doesn't necessarily want to have a huge party. So he had 4 good friends come over for the night and then we went to a local "party" place the next day before finishing the celebration with steaks on the grill. He loved every sleep deprived, tween moment of it!

He also has his first "girlfriend". I don't know if I'm supposed to publicly announce that, but I want to look back on this blog and remember this time when he's married WAY IN the FUTURE. She is a sweet girl in my class. She is spunky, kindhearted and has a beautiful singing voice. Both boys have been blessed with such sweet first "girlfriends"!

The Whole Fam- We've had yet another busy Summer/Fall. My brother and his family came to visit us this past Summer for the first time since we moved away from the West Coast. It was fun to show them our world and we created a lot of fun memories. Then we went to Panama City for the World Series. Although it had a few fun moments, that will definitely be a "One and Done" experience for us. The highlight was running into some old friends from LA that we got to reconnect with. I also enjoyed our family time. The rest of the week was miserable to say the least. But, we survived it and came home to E's best friend being in town with his dad. His dad helped Rob lay the foundation for our new shop so the boys thoroughly enjoyed playing baseball and having a sleepover. 

The boys and I also went to Cali to visit my family in July. It wasn't as long of a trip as it usually is, but it was fun to go to a Padres game (E's favorite MLB team) and take the boys back to their hometown to show them where they were born and reminisce. 

In October my parents came to visit us. I never take their visits for granted and thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We went to a HUGE annual flea market and we got to celebrate my birthday together for the first time in over a decade. It made my heart happy to spend the week with them! 

In November we became official members of our church. I will not speak for anyone else in our family, but I will say that I have struggled with fitting into a church family for several years. When P wanted to go to the youth group at our church, it was too far for me to drop him off, go back home and then pick him up after the youth group. So, I started attending the Wednesday night Bible Study. That led to Rob and E coming to the Sunday morning service and enjoying it. From there, I joined the choir. And, as they say, that's all she wrote. It became our church family pretty quick and feels like home every time I walk through the doors. We adore the pastor and P has bonded with the youth pastor. We are so blessed to have found our church by way of invitation from a good friend. 

In between our parent duties, Rob and I have found time to do things with friends on a more regular basis. I really enjoy getting together with other couples and we have a lot of fun with a few people from the church/school that we do things with.

Like I said, I have no doubt that I am leaving some important events/things out. But, I am going to try to get a little shut eye before the day begins. It's our last couple days of Christmas break so I want to take advantage of sleeping in. We didn't do anything over the break, but it was relaxing and sometimes that's the best thing. I really enjoy our busy lifestyle, but it also makes me appreciate the slower months where we can just relax and enjoy family time. Until next time....

Insomnia Blog

 I’ve been awake for over 24 hours and, despite being sleep deprived, I feel like I could run a marathon right now. I got a steroid injection yesterday due to an allergic reaction to poison ivy and it has me WIRED. So, hold on, because this blog post may be my post random one yet…full of lots of typos.

A couple weeks ago (maybe even three weeks?), I closed out another school year. I’m not gonna lie and say it was an easy one…as a teacher or as a parent. But, it was still hard to say goodbye to another group of students. This group was a challenge. BUT, they were also a group that matured more in one year than any other group I’ve taught. Several of them went from having behavior issues to becoming natural leaders among their peers. They also grew leaps and bounds academically, which is saying a lot because they are already a very smart group. But, they were ready to move onto Jr High and I was ready for the lazy mornings of Summer break. So hugs were given, certificates were handed out and my classroom was packed up….

Summer break has not been as busy as usual, but has still kept us hopping. We started the break by going to a family farm in Alabama for Memorial Day weekend. We LOVE going there, spending time with Uncle Fred, eating good food and fishing from sun up to sun down. Over the course of about 36 hours at the farm, we caught over 100 fish! Some of them were giants, too! It was a great way to start out break.

We added a few additions to the family at the start of Summer. We adopted a bloodhound puppy, Rip. He is quite a needy little booger that keeps us laughing with his clumsiness and droopy ears. He does not replace Fetcha in any way, shape or form but he has helped with relieve the big loss we were feeling after her sudden death. He’s been a good addition to our family. We also added 2 more chickens because who doesn’t need more chickens in life??

During the weeks we’ve been busy with youth group, baseball practice, and spending time with friends. I’ve also planted my largest garden to date. Even though I still have a long way to go with learning the ins and outs of gardening, it is fun to see the produce starting to sprout. Yesterday I noticed 3 small watermelons growing on the vine and I’ve been picking cherry tomatoes almost daily this past week. P has started a side hustle of making soft plastic baits and already had a couple customers ordering custom baits from him. E decided he wanted to start taking gymnastic classes to help with speed and agility on the baseball field. Turns out, he really likes gymnastics and wants to continue taking classes. Fitting that into his busy schedule may prove challenging but we always seem to make it work.

We’ve been busy finishing up the Spring/Summer baseball season. At some point I may share the debacle of this travel ball season. But, for now, I’ll tell you it’s been like a Cinderella story. From March to May, the boys were so dejected and didn’t even seem to love playing in their tournaments. But, a change in our standings changed all of that last weekend. For the first time since February, they ended pool play as #1 seed. I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see them joking with each other, laughing, dancing and thoroughly enjoying the game of baseball! That meant more than a win in my book because at the end of the day they’re still 11-12 year old BOYS. Life is meant to have fun and the team bonding is what they’ll remember way more than the tournament wins/losses.

Although our Summer started out somewhat slow (ie not as much traveling), it’s starting to amp up. On Monday I told the boys that this would be our last boring week of the Summer. Ha! I’m so funny! We’ve had friends over, spent hours doing yard work, will be hosting a crawfish boil tonight and a baseball team fish fry tomorrow. And to top it all off, Rob and I are celebrating 16 years of marriage today.

I believe that this is only the 2nd anniversary that we haven’t gone on a trip or dressed up for a nice meal out. Instead we’re having friends over. But I’m thankful that we’ll be spending our anniversary fellowshipping with friends and family. That is what our life has become together and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We are so blessed and I try not to ever take that for granted. I am so thankful for the people that the Lord has brought into our life these past 16 years. I am thankful for the highs and lows that have drawn us closer together. I am thankful for the 2 best boys that the Lord could’ve blessed us with. So much has happened in the past 16 years and I can’t imagine sharing this life with anyone else!

Busy Spring, Busy Life

 I always have the best intentions to blog regularly. But time gets away from me. We have been nonstop the past few weeks and I fall into bed, exhausted, most days. Rob traveled for work more than half of April. He drove the company mobile command center to linemen rodeos all over the South. His last lineman rodeo to judge was at home so P got to help him with it and I got to get a snip-it of what it was all about. I am so proud to be his wife for so many reasons. But, some of the times I am most proud of him is when watching him do what he loves- coaching linemen.

We have been doing all kinds of home improvement projects around the house. We got the exterior painted and rotten frame boards replaced. We got new carpet. We got a vapor barrier put in the crawl space. We are in the process of tearing down the dilapidated greenhouse and replacing it with a shop. Rob tore down the rundown "barn" (ie trailer) in the back of the property and I turned part of the area into a large garden. When we are not busy with baseball and fishing tournaments, we spend the weekends doing house projects. It's been a lot but I love seeing all the progress!

Speaking of fishing tournaments, P had a great Spring with fishing tournaments! He and his HS fishing partner won some money and finished 17th out of over 50 teams for the Central MS High School Bass Fishing league. He then fished a large tournament the first weekend of May with my father in law and placed third, where he won more money. The other night he said he wanted fish for dinner and we didn't have any thawed out so he walked over to the neighborhood pond, caught a couple, cleaned them and fried some bass for his dinner. Yesterday we went to my friend's pond and caught a couple before heading off to the ball fields. He fishes every chance he gets!

We are nearing the end of baseball season. We have 2 tournaments left and then are headed to the World Series. I am not a competitive person, but it has been hard watching E's team go from winning tournaments to struggling to even win a game. Yesterday the boys lost every game and didn't even seem to be enjoying the games, which broke my heart. Yes, I would like to see them win. But, I would also like to watch them have fun and bond. It seems like a different team from Fall and I don't know why. I have learned that baseball is such a mental sport and I can see some of the boys getting in their head and beating themself up for an error made. The idea of playing 3-5 games within 36 hours is a lot too and I have no doubt that the boys are worn out by the end of each tournament. But, I also know that these boys are fighters so they'll learn from it, get out of their head and get back to winning games like before. 

In about a week we will be adding a new addition to our family....Rip. After Fetcha passed away we realized how much Rebel missed having another dog around. And, in reality, we are a 2 dog family. I miss having a second dog around. So we will be getting a bloodhound puppy since Rob has wanted one for years. We haven't done the puppy phase in 5+ years so I'm not looking forward to that part. But, I know Rob and the boys (especially P) are excited to add Rip to our crazy life.

The boys and I are finishing up another school year this week. It's always such a bittersweet time for me. It makes me realize that time is a thief and our boys are growing up right before our eyes. (But, both boys finished the year strong with their grades and that makes me so happy!) It's a busy time and I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction. The students are over it and ready for Jr high, making the discipline part challenging. On the flip side of that, so many of the students have blossomed, matured and have become natural leaders. So I know they are ready to fly the coup and I can't wait to watch them soar!

As always, we have some fun Summer plans in store and lots of traveling will be done. I am looking forward to lazy mornings, drinking HOT coffee out of a mug instead of lukewarm coffee out of a travel mug. I am looking forward to not being on an agenda and spending quality time with the boys. I am looking forward to seeing family and making memories. I am looking forward to working on more home improvement projects. I am looking forward to all things Summer!

That being said, it is time to get ready for church. Thankfully today will be a lazy day spent as a family, one we all need. So until next time....

More Goodbyes

Every year seems to have a theme. Last year was teenage challenges. 2024 seems to be about saying goodbyes too early. We went to Texas for a few days of our Spring Break. We were having so much fun that, on the way home, we discussed taking a detour and extending our vacation. I'm glad we decided against it. When we got home we noticed that our sweet princess, Fetcha, was acting off. She was drinking a TON of water. As the night progressed she started getting worse. But, if you know Fetcha, you know she's been a fighter since the day she adopted us about 10 years ago. She left an abusive house to come to ours. She was hit by a car shortly after she adopted us and lived to tell the story. She has dealt with arthritis from that accident but didn't let it slow her down.

But at 4am on March 13, P woke me up in a panic telling me that Fetcha's breathing was off. She has been his dog from Day 1 and he had been up with her most of the night, comforting her and assuring her that we would take her to the vet as soon as they opened. However, she didn't live long enough for that to happen. Shortly after I got to her she had a seizure. As P and I petted her and reminisced about various memories with her, telling her she was about as perfect of a dog as we could've had and that she was so loved, she took her last breath and crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 

She had been in our lives for 10 years and we deducted that she was 13-14 years old when she passed away. For 10 years we loved her and gave her the best life possible. We laughed that she was more like a cat than a dog. She kept to herself unless she wanted a slice of cheese while I was cooking. At our old house, her favorite place was the picture window, where she would lie for hours, watching the boys play in the front yard. She would go lay on the bathroom mat every night and put herself in her crate promptly at 8pm every night. You could set your clocks to her. She didn't tolerate many other dogs but loved her brother, Rebel, no matter how much he annoyed her. 

Rebel has really grieved since Fetch passed away. We have taken him on more walks, have let him go with us whenever possible in the car (his favorite past time) and have spoiled him with Pup Cups from local coffee venues. But he was not meant to be alone. We're discussing getting another dog because we are a 2 dog family and because Rebel really misses having a sibling. We would never replace Fetcha and I don't know how we could even if we wanted to. She was close to perfect for us and was about the most low maintenance dog ever. She is missed daily, especially by her boy. But I am so glad that we got to love her for the past 10 years! Rest in peace, our princess. You are missed.

Travels

I do a lot of things wrong as a parent, but the two things I feel I excel at are making God a priority in our lives and making priceless memories as a family. The first one is pretty self explanatory: go to church regularly, pray, teach them scripture, tithing (where they witness it). 

But the second one is two-fold: I love to travel and explore new places. I want the boys to experience new towns, new states, new fishing lakes, new universities, etc so when they become adults and move out they have an idea of what is out there. We have been blessed to show them more states under the age of 16 than most adults have seen in their entire life. I want the boys to make an educated decision about what place best suits them to pursue their dreams. I don't want to hold them back or limit them!

The other reason I want to create priceless memories with them is because when Rob and I pass away that is what they'll think about most. Yes, we hope they'll wisely use their inheritance to better their lives. But, the memories will last so much longer! I often think back on the memories of my Nana and Papa, what fun we had together. They didn't have an excess of money (My Papa was a preacher and my Nana was a SAHM.). But they made the most of our time together by taking us to the beach, driving around their little town, getting donuts at a local diner, hitting the after holiday sales (still one of my favorite things to do), going to my Papa's church where he played the guitar and piano for hours. When our boys are grown, I want them to say, "Remember when we...." or "Wasn't that so much fun when....." or "That was one of my favorite memories together." To me, every dollar spent on these memories is worth it. I want the boys to have the best childhood we can possibly give them!

The other night, E said, "Mom, why don't you ever sleep? Don't you get tired?" I didn't know how to explain to him that I am exhausted almost every day of my life but that I wouldn't trade it for anything. I absolutely love being a mom to these two boys of ours (even when they bicker and drive me crazy). It is a blessing to spend time with them. A blessing to drive them all over town to get to their activities. A blessing to spend my "breaks" going golfing or taking roadtrips or going to eat at our favorite restaurants or going fishing or tossing the ball in the front yard with them. I try to lead by example and instill in them the importance of my time spent with them. So that when they are grown and have a family of their own, they can be hands-on parents as well.