2 months...over a week late.

I forgot to post Kimber's 2 months old post.  Hmm. Well. She has turned into a little butter ball. She is really a chunk. She is holding her head up very well. She is full of smiles and in general a very happy baby. Tyrel still really loves her. I have made it a rule for now that he can't mess with her hands. At least not unless I am holding her. He wants to pry her fingers apart and look between them. I am not sure why. I don't think he realises that it hurts her. She only nurses once, maybe twice at night. Unlike Tyrel who would nurse almost all night long, until he was a year old. Other than that she sleeps like a brick at night. She is starting to stay awake for several hours at a time during the day though.

Well that is all I can think of for her. 2 month olds don't do a whole lot. Other than being so darn cute! I guess that takes a lot of work too.  I don't have many recent pictures, because I am lazy and have not charged my camera battery. So the one at the top will have to do for now.

Oh yes, about the picture I posted without even a title. I was trying to send it to another computer so I could print it off, because the printer wasn't connected to this one. Well my email wouldn't let me attach it without downloading something, and this isn't my computer, so I don't download things to it. So I put it on my blog, and went and 'stole' it from my blog on the other computer. It is from about 3 or 4 years ago.

A Day With My Man.

On this past Wednesday, Kimber and I got to go to work with Daddy. I really miss getting to work with Stephen. Before Tyrel was born, I always worked with Stephen. Whether it was day working for a rancher or even once he started working for his brother and then starting their own business. Up until I had Tyrel I was climbing the side of that bull wagon in the picture, helping Stephen unload. Making men watching feel bad for a pregnant lady being up there, hanging on with one arm so she could use the other for the hot shot. And they would have taken my place if I'd let them, and occasionally I would. But it went faster if I did it. Not because I was better at it or anything. Stephen and I just work well together. We can usually get things done faster if we work together, than if we work with anyone else.

ANYWAYS. Just rambling, because, as much as I LOVE my kids. I do miss working with Stephen. A lot. So yes, Kimber and I went with Stephen. Unfortunatly there wasn't room for Tyrel. So he spent the day with Granola. I don't like leaving my babies behind.

 

We were taking a load of goats to the DFW area. Stephen picked us up at the county road, after he had already loaded. So even though I got to spend the day with him, I didn't really get to help.

"So this is what you do all day Papa." This was Kimber's first ride in Daddy's big truck. Tyrel and I went with Daddy all the time, from when he was a little younger than Kimber, up until I got pregnant with Kimber. Then we still went sometimes, just not as much. Can you tell I miss being with Stephen all the time? :) But getting to spend all day with our kids is worth it.

Once we got to where we were unloading, they had so many people helping unload that Stephen didn't even have to get in the trailer. And didn't need my help either. So Kimber and I watched and took pictures.

"Hey Sweetie, want me to climb up there for you?....didn't think so."

There was a beautiful sunset. But Kimber got hungry while I was taking pictures.

So I took some from inside the truck. Through the rearview mirror, while she ate. I'm multi talented like that.

On the way home, we met up with Stephen's aunt and uncle for supper, since we were going through the town they live near anyways. Hi Tic. Hi Dusty.

So yeah, that was fun huh?

What We Did Today

Well, first thing this morning my children and I headed to town. The above picture is technically from on the way home, but you can pretend that it is on the way to town. We went to produce. Not to produce anything but to pick up produce...as in fruit and vegetables. We have a produce co-op with some friend where we get produce for cheap. I forgot to take pictures there though. I had meant to. Anyways, we call it "going to produce". Wow, when you type produce several times it starts looking weird.

After produce we went to the grocery store with some friends to get some non perishable food items for something we are doing on Sunday. I had to take a picture of us taking up the whole isle. And that is not even all of us, Patty and I were not on the isle.

Hi Patty. Don't shoot me for this. :) Oh and Happy Birthday tomorrow!

On the way home I meandered down the backroads and took pictures. Mostly because Tyrel had fallen asleep and I wanted him to get at least an hour long nap. It is hard to get him in and in bed still asleep anymore.

I love the contrast of the green wheat next to the brown-gold of the whatever it is grass.

I love this creek. It is purty. Most of the "creeks" we cross around here are dry most of the time.

A field of pasture maggots. I mean sheep. Tommy's best friend EJ always called them pasture maggots and it amused me.

Some of my MIL's sheep between the second gate and home.

It is so pretty out today. The chillin's and I had to go sit on the porch and enjoy it. Tyrel is still playing in the yard as I type this, and I will probably go back out to enjoy the nice weather once I am finished posting this. Kimber says it was bright out there.

Because I am indecisive love all of them, I am posting 3 pictures of Ty. Even though they are nearly identical.

A little more of a smile there.

My little man. I can hardly believe how big he is getting. He is talking so well also. And is so helpful and polite. Unless he is busy shoving his cousin Kyle over, or taking toys away from kids at church.

My little lady and I.

I really do like Stephen and taking his picture. He just doesn't like me to, so I don't get many. I do have some to post of him later though. From when he and I went to Mansfield on my birthday with a load of goats.

I'll get around to posting part 4 of our love story eventually. :)

So Yesterday Was My Birthday.

I'm 24 now. Wow. I know that isn't old, but I can't believe I am already 24. Married. With 2 kids! So...how is my 25 before 25 coming along? I still only have 24 on my list though...

1) Learn to quilt...Well, I've started one. About a year ago actually. And still have barely started. Really need to pick up the pace.


2) Be a good housekeeper . Better than I used to be, but not as good as I'd like

3) Learn to play the guitar . Started. Just haven't got far.
4) Grow my own garden . Failed this year. Maybe in 2010

5) Can things from my garden

6) Learn to "tan hides" .Did some last year.

7) Get good at sewing . Well I've been practicing. But I wouldn't say I'm "good" yet.

8) Get my CHL. Probably need to retake the class by now. I never got my stuff sent off. It got coffee spilled on it.

9) Quit being lazy . Work in progress

10) If I can't say something nice....don't say it. I do believe I am doing much better at this as well.

11) Get Trevor his antlers. Hopefully before the season is over

12) Learn to bow hunt

13) Run a trap line all winter . We did last year. It hasn't got cold enough this year.

14) Learn to cook healthy and GOOD food (like Julie) Doing better at this as well...no complaints from husband or brother anyway.

15) Go fly fishing in the mountains (learn to fly fish also. haha)

16) Learn decent photography I work on this one all the time.

17) Send the book I wrote in 6th grade to a publisher

18) Learn carpentry (and make Stephen and I a bedframe) Well Stephen and Tommy made one for Tyrel, but I can't say I've learned any carpentry yet.

19) Learn to do a backbend/walkover

20) Learn to crochet or knit, maybe both. does the Knifty Knitter count?

21) Finish the crosstitch thing I started almost 3 years ago...Hmm, not sure where that is anymore.

22) Go to Alaska again...with Stephen and Ty and Kimber(and other chillin's we may have by then)

23) Move into a "real" house with our own property. (I am very thankful for what we have now, but hopefully by the time I am 25, we won't be here anymore) Don't think that will happen

24) Learn to clog...Started last January, but quit going in June when we didn't have enough vehicles to go around and so I couln't make it to town. I may start going again soon.

Here is a more updated one.

We invite you ….


H.O.M.E.
Heart of Motherhood Enrichment
Friday, February 5, 2010- Sunday, February 7, 2010

1 Thessalonians 2:7 “…we cared for you the way a mother
cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just
pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. (The Message Bible)

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest Walk with me and work with me, watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message Bible)

If you occasionally need a “pick-me-up and “fill-my-cup Lord” weekend, then join us as we look to God to give us a clearer, burden free path of raising and discipling our families. God desires for us to have peace, joy, and even rest on our motherhood journey! The Heart of Motherhood Enrichment retreat is a retreat for moms that need to be encouraged, inspired and uplifted by the Word of God. Join us this year as we welcome a group of Godly women as our speakers: Elaine Russo, Kristi McClellan, Molly Criner, Cindy McCloy, and Nola Jones.

Where: Heart of Texas Bible Camp, Brownwood Texas

Cost: $99.00 This cost includes: your lodging, 6 meals (Dinner Fri. evening through Lunch Sun. ) many blessings and a retreat packet. Registration deadline is January 22nd .

As a part of our ministry we believe in feeding your body with God given healthful foods. Our meals will be served with whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, preservative free, home-baked, nutritious and delicious!!!
What to Bring: Bedding, toiletries, free time projects, ears to hear, a heart to receive and your Bible.
Friday:
5:00 to 6:00 Arrival
6:00 Welcome
6:15 Dinner
7:00 Praise and Worship
7:30 Session#1
9:00 Pajama Tea Party!
(Bring your favorite tea cup)

Saturday:
8:00 A.M. Breakfast
9:00 Praise and Worship
9:20 Session#2
10:30 potty break
10:45 Session #3
12:00 Lunch
Free Time
3:00 Electives
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Praise and worship
7:20 Session#3
9:00 Prayer and candle lighting

Sunday:
8:00 Breakfast
9:00 Praise and Worship
9:30 Session #5
10:30 Testimonies and sharing
12:00 Lunch
Pack up and head home!

We will have a selection of helpful books and nutritional supplements available for purchase!
Registration Information:
Please e- mail your registration information to heartofmotherhood@gmail.com
include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. You have several payment options. If you would like to pay on line let us know and we will send you an invoice where you can use your pay pal account, credit card, or debit card.

We do have a scholarship fund. Our desire is for anyone wanting to attend to be able to. Contact Julie for scholarship information.

If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund you can when you register. If 10 ladies contribute $10.00 you will bless someone with a full scholarship to retreat.

My Camera is Working!

Okay, maybe I'm weird...but I prayed for it. Seriously. Not like on my knees begging God to fix my camera or anything. But after not touching it for a few months. I prayed for it today, picked it up, and it has worked fine since.

So I feel like posting most of the pictures I have taken since then so this will likely be long with lots of pictures. Unless I get tired of waiting for them to upload. Then there will just be a few. So we will see.

Above our door. You never know when some varmint might need taken care of...but I can't reach it without a chair! I can barely get his hat down.

My mom got me this magnet right before I had Kimber. It is pretty accurate! Hehe, I love you Stephen! (In case you didn't know, Stephen hauls livestock quite a bit, so he is usually filthy and stinkin. And certainly not rich.)

This is how Ty got to run home earlier...because he had peed his pants and I didn't bring extras. Don't worry, it isn't a long walk, and I don't think he even noticed. It was about 40* out.

Awww, pretty sleeping girl.

 "Oh look, there's Mama. Maybe she'll hold me."

"Oh nooooo, she has the camera out!"

"Mama, put down that camera and come hold me!"

Hey there handsome.

Sister and Brother (with spaghetti on his face again!)

Pretty Girl

Nap time

Even for big boys with spaghetti still on their face.

An accidental on purpose picture. Tyrel wanted to see me on the view finder. So while he was looking at me with it, I hit the picture take button.

In the mirror.

You Should Come...

Unless of course, You're a guy. Most of you who read my blog probably also read my MIL's, and have already seen this. But if you don't, I'm posting this for you then. lol.


Mark Your Calendars for Heart of Motherhood Retreat February 5Th -7Th , 2010

Heart of Texas Bible Camp on Lake Brownwood

"Are you tired? Worn Out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11: 28-30 Message translation

We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass of the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 Message translation


Hello Everyone, We are so excited about retreat. Time is drawing close. We have a few changes this year. We're changing locations. The Heart of Texas Bible Camp looks very inviting and I think we will all enjoy it. We're bringing a variety of speakers in this year who will encourage us, challenge us, grow us, and build us up on our motherhood journey. The cost is still $99.00.  We're looking forward to seeing you all!!! We're praying for God's abundant outpouring on all of us during retreat this year. We'll be sending out registration forms in Dec
.Blessings to you all, Julie

I Thought This Was Cool.

This is an ad from the Dockers website. I saw it on another blog. If Docker's were Wranglers instead of city boy stuff, I might have to get Stephen some, just because I like this ad.

Part Three.

"Go say hi to Stephen." Nola prompted.
So mustering my courage, I walked from the kitchen in to the dining room. (Hmmm, not sure why we called it the dining room. We never had a table big enough to fit all of us, and so it really was the computer room/school room.)
Anyways, There he was talking to my dad, wearing a cowboy hat, a blue button up shirt, jeans and some lace up boots. He looked up from talking to my dad and smiled. He had blue eyes.
"Hi, I'm Stephen." He said as he stuck out his hand to shake mine. Just being honest here, I thought "Well duh, who else would you be?" But I didn't say it. (Stephen has told me as we talked about it later in time, that he had thought up something funny/witty to say when he met me, but his mind went blank when he saw me. He felt pretty dumb at saying something as obvious as Hi, I'm Stephen.)
I smiled back and shook his hand. "I know." I said. "It's nice to meet you, well, in person, since I kind of already know you."

We went into the kitchen where Nola was apologizing if Stephen smelled like a skunk (he didn't) and had him explain WHY he might smell like skunk.
That morning before they headed our way, Stephen had to chase the neighbors bull off of their property, and patch the fence where theirs and the neighbors bulls had been fighting. On his way back to the house he saw a skunk. He didn't have his gun on him (this still shocks me, as Stephen ALWAYS has a gun on if he is home, and has since he was about 14.) So instead of shooting it, he picked up a stick and threw it at the skunk. The skunk sprayed, but Stephen was far enough away, with the wind in his favor to not get a direct spray. But he did walk through the wet grass where the skunk had sprayed.

"That's why I have these ugly boots on." He said. "Mom wouldn't let me wear my skunked ones in the pickup. They didn't stink THAT bad though."

We visited for a while, and then they went to their other friend's house for the night.

The next morning Mom told me that we had been invited over to the friend's house, if we wanted to go. Well of course we did.

We all sat around in the dining room of Brenda's parents house. Everyone had funny stories to tell. Ones about Nola and Brenda as girls, about Stephen and his brother James. My mom even told ones about my brothers and I. I stood over against the wall and studied Stephen the whole time the talking was going on. He hardly even glanced in my direction. After a while he got up and went out the front door. The conversation kinda got boring for me after that. After a few minutes he Mom said "You ought to go outside with Stephen. He just can't stand being indoors for too long at a time. Ask him to show you his bull whip."

So I slowly went to the front door. I decided to pretend I needed something out of the car. I felt weird just following him outside. When I got out on the porch he was digging in the back of the pickup. I went to the car and messed around for a second, then went on over to where he was. Just because I had nothing better to do. Right.
He was getting his other boots out. I laughed. "I thought that cowboy's wore cowboy boots."
He smiled. "Well I would like to, but combat boots are comfortable, and I can't or won't afford to buy any cowboy boots that won't tear my feet up." That worked for me. I'm cheap. (He has really sensitive skin on his feet and they really do look terrible if he wears cheap boots.)

"Your mom told me to ask about your whip. She said you can pop it loud enough that it sounds like a gunshot. Will you show me?"

"Sure." He grabbed a bullwhip from the back of the pickup and hopped down. He walked over away from the vehicles. He spun the whip over his head and brought it down by his side, fast. POP. That was pretty loud. POP Pop Pop. He rolled it up and asked if I wanted to try.

"No thanks. I don't like embarrassing myself." I replied.

"Aww come on. You couldn't do any worse than my brother." Sure I could. I'd never even picked up a whip before. "Here is an easier way to pop it. Drag it on the ground til it is straight out behind you, the just bring it forward and pop it back." It is and isn't as easy as it sounds. It takes a while to get the technique down. I never could make it pop. And didn't try long. I did manage to hit myself a few times.
"Everybody does." He told me. "The worst I ever popped myself was when I got the back of my ear." Ow.

When we went back in , our moms said we could take the pickup over to my family's house. Dad was there with the boys. It was about a 15 minute drive. Brenda lived in a direction from our house that we didn't often travel often. In other words I didn't know the roads real well. As we came over a hill, there was a stop sign, right there. He hit the brakes and the stuff on the console went sliding forward, towards the floorboard. We both automatically reached to stop the stuff from falling. I won. His hand landed on top of mine. We both jerked our hands back and stared out our respective windows. He was prolly as red as I was. I felt like I was in a Disney movie. Something sliding off the console, they both reach to stop it and his hand lands on hers. They look sheepish and act like nothing happened.

When we got to the house we were swarmed by my 4 little brothers. I told them about his bullwhip and they wanted him to show off for them. So he had them line some sticks up on the ground. They were stabbed in so that they stood up straight-ish. Then he would flick the end of the whip towards them, the end would wrap around one, and he'd jerk it out of the ground and towards himself. I was impressed.

Then we decided to go shooting. I ran in to get my Ruger .22 and when I came back out he was holding a gun almost identical. His stock was slightly different, and his had a blued barrel, and mine was stainless. He also had a western type gun belt around his hips with a revolver in it.
We all headed down to the pond, where I usually did my shooting. I usually shot at targets bought at Wal Mart, but he just shot at things he found lying around. He shot to break things. I always shot to see how good I could group the bullets. So after shooting at some sticks to knock them over and such for a while. I said I was used to shooting paper targets. So he asked my brother for one of those little heart shaped candies with sayings on them yhat they had been eating all morning, and got out his electrical tape. (He carries it in his back pocket...it looks like a dip can.) He taped it to a board and put it about 30 yards out. "Can you hit that?" He asked.

I shot all ten rounds in my magazine at it. I did terrible. Compared to usual. I only hit it twice and the rest of the bullet holes could have been covered with a silver dollar, instead of a quarter like I was used to. ( I can't shoot that well anymore, as I don't practice often anymore. And I could only do it with MY gun.)
"Pretty good." He said. Then he threw a small log in the air with his left hand. With his right he pulled out his revolver and shot the log 3 or 4 times before it hit the ground. ( He also does not shoot as often or as well as he did then....but he's still pretty darn good. Not that you'd ever get him to say that. He acts like he couldn't shoot the broad side of a barn from the inside.)

I think that was about the time we decided we were gonna marry each other. LOL.
The thing is...we aren't show offs. I don't like to shoot in front of other people, I am embarrassed if I do bad and embarrassed if I do well. But you wouldn't think so the way we were acting that day. I think we knew each other well enough from talking online that it had just turned to a contest.

Once again, to be continued. I'm tired of typing :)

Part Two

"I am so mad at myself" Kyla said to me on Yahoo. She and I often talked to one another also.
"What for?" I asked.

"I let my friend talk me into breaking up with Stephen".

Oh wow, why was my heart racing so fast? He was just an internet friend. I had a boyfriend. Man, I was feeling dizzy, my legs were shaking.

"Oh really? I didn't even know ya'll were going out" I was glad you can't hear a voice when typing to someone, because I'm sure I wouldn't have sounded as casual as I intended.

"Yeah, we did all this summer, but now that I'm back home I broke up with him. I kinda wish I hadn't", she replied.

I was talking to Stephen on another screen.
"Hey, you didn't tell me that Kyla and you were going out this summer" I said.
"It wasn't a big deal, she asked me out, and I didn't want to say 'no'. "He said back.

That sounded familiar. A lot like my own boyfriend relationship.

"Not a big deal?" I said, " c'mon, I'm one of your best friends, your supposed to tell me these things, so I can be happy for you". Yeah right, happy. I felt like crying, and they weren't even going out anymore.

"Well you didn't tell me Gerald was your boyfriend, HE had to tell me."

"Maybe I just forgot!"

"Right".

Well, now I couldn't deny to myself that I liked him. The thought of him being with another girl made me sick. Even if she was a friend of mine. He was quite literally my best friend, and I still had never even met him in person.

So I immediately called Gerald and broke up with him right? No. As far as I knew, Stephen only thought of me as a friend on the internet. Besides, Gerald really liked me (I assume). I didn't want to break his heart. I'm sure I would eventually feel the same way about him. Or maybe not. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy talking to Gerald. But I had more fun teasing him, or trying to change him into someone I would like like. Not just like. (How's that for teenager talk?)
Gerald had come to stay a week with my family that summer, and pretty much confirmed to me that I liked the image of him in my mind, while talking from 3000 miles away, a lot more than I liked him in person. He was a nice guy, just not the one for me.

Yet I still didn't break up with him.

Then finally one day Nola said she was coming up to visit a friend of hers that had recently moved to our area. They had known each other since they were girls. My mom and Brenda (the friend) worked at the same Wal-Mart and had also become friends. (It's a small world huh?)

Since we lived so close they would come see us also.

So Nola and Stephen were trekking up from West Texas to Southwest Oklahoma.

They day they were to arrive, I must have changed clothes 15 times. I wanted to look nice, but not dressed up, lest he think me city girl, pretending to be country. I finally settled on my favorite jeans, one of the only pair I had that weren't boys jeans, and a shirt that had Elmer Fudd on it and said "Wabbit Hunter". Mom had to chase me back to the kitchen to finish my chores countless times that day, as I kept finding myself in front of the mirror. Just in case they were about to pull up.

Then finally, finally that afternoon they showed up. It was an overcast October day. Kinda cool outside. I leaned over the sink to look out the window. Wow, I loved their pickup. I went back to washing the dishes. I didn't want to rush out to the pickup, seeming too eager to meet him, and scare him off.
I heard Mom open the front door and invite Nola in. Stephen was still digging around in the pickup. They came into the kitchen, and I was still leaning over the sink trying to catch a glimpse of Stephen out in the truck. I had never even seen a picture of him...well okay, one. But it was dark, out in the barn, and you couldn't see his face.( This was back before everyone had a digital camera.) Nola came over and said " I see you like Doug's new pickup." Oh yes I did. But that wasn't what I was looking at anymore, but I didn't say that.

I heard Stephen knock on the front door, and Dad invited him in. I was still in the kitchen and couldn't see him. I heard him talking to Dad though. He had a deep voice for his age and a slow West Texas drawl. I only hoped he looked as good as he sounded.

To be continued....muhuhahahahaha.

Part one...The beginning.

"Is that Nola?" I asked, sitting down next to my mom. I always read over her shoulder as she 'talked' to her internet friends on Yahoo. She had met Nola on a parenting board called 'Raising Kids in a Rural Area'. I was about 13 years old.

Many years went by with them talking almost daily.

When I was 15 or so my mom would wake me every morning by yelling "Stephen says hi". I would hop out of bed and groggily sit in my spot as her 'parrot' as she referred to me, since I always sat reading over her shoulder. I would say ''tell him I said hi back''. That was the extent of it for a while. When his mom and my mom got tired of us telling them to "tell him this" and "tell her that", they made us get our own Yahoo accounts.

The first time I 'talked' to him, we talked about guns and library books. He suggested some westerns to me that he likes (which are still some of our favorites.) We didn't talk long, but I had fun. I didn't know any other homeschoolers, and didn't see my public school friends very often anymore.

After that we would usually talk for about an hour a day after our moms got off. Usually about guns, hunting, or other such things.

When I was 16 my grandparents took my brother Ben and I on a 3 month long trip to Alaska. The trip of a lifetime. It was amazing. I wrote Stephen a happy birthday letter and sent him an Alaskan keyring with is name on it that I got in Tok for his present.

When we were in Anchorage we got to meet another family that my mom had met on one of her parenting boards. They had a son about my age. He came to our camping park and hung out with Ben and I one afternoon.

Once we started getting close to being home, I was in a hurry. I knew from talking to my mom that Stephen and his family were going to be stopping to see them, as they came through on vacation. I was really excited to meet them. When we got home one of the first things I asked...after being gone for 3 months....was, "Has Stephen already been here?"
"Yes, they left yesterday", said Tommy. Man....so close.

Stephen and I went back to talking online, but now I was also talking to the guy from Alaska. Stephen often talked to his mom's friends daughter, as he would refer to his friend Kyla (Kayla). She would come and stay the summers with Stephen's family. He said she was like a sister to him, but I thought he 'liked' her. (She is one of my good friends now, by the way.)
So when the guy in Alaska asked if I wanted to be his 'girlfriend', I agreed. I thought I liked him. But looking back I liked what I WANTED him to be...Stephen. No really, I was always trying to change him. Make him more 'country'.
I tried to get Stephen and him to be friends online. They talked a few times, but never hit it off. Gerald was into cars, Stephen was into guns, and had never even drove a car, only pickups. I went a very long time without telling Stephen that Gerald was my boyfriend. I told myself over and over that I didn't like Stephen...besides, he probably had brown eyes, and I liked blue eyes.

To be continued........eventually!

Back from Arkansas

I was in Arkansas visiting family for Thanksgiving. I got to see all of my brothers over Thanksgiving week. Plus one set of grandparents, and various nieces and nephews.

It was really nice to be with my family. Stephen is pretty close with my brothers and they spent a lot of time outside building explosives and beating each other up....not in a mad way, but in a hey we are guys and like seeing if we can beat each other up sort of way.

I just love hanging out with my brothers. I never knew we would like each other so much as "grown ups" with as much fighting as we did as kids. I don't even remember the fighting that much, just the good times. Which there were plenty of them also. It is just so cool to be so comfortable around and be such good friends with my siblings. When we get together it is like we were never apart, we get right back to the fun so fast.
I am slightly jealous...well that is not the right word I don't think, but anyways, because Chris and Bill have each other, then Ben and Tommy, and of course the twins. Whereas I am close with all of them, I don't have a sister to hang out with. It was so sweet seeing Ben and Tommy together. Ben got home from work and he and Tommy were all smiles from then on. Laughing, joking, talking and just catching up in general.

Tyrel had a lot of fun playing with Alana, Connor and Nickole. He has never really spent a lot of time with his cousins on my side of the family. A lot of times when we would go visit, they wouldn't be home. So I am glad he got to play with them.

I got out my dad's guitar and practiced some, and he played some also. I have always loved listening to and watching my Daddy play guitar. I have only recently started to play, and can't really even play one song well yet. I have always wanted to play, but was intimidated to start.

So anyways.

We went ice skating at the Jones Center in Springdale. I had never been ice skating before. It was really fun. Tyrel loved it. If we lived near someplace like that we might have signed him up for hockey when he was older.

We also went to visit some friends who live about an hour and a half from my parents. Stephen has known them since he was 13 or 14. They used to live around here. It was great getting to see them. They are building a dome house, so we got to see that. It is really coming along. The kids are already sleeping over in it. The kitchen is/will be beautiful. I hope that Laurie and my Mom can come down for a Motherhood retreat together this coming up February.

While I was there I was thinking about when Stephen and I got engaged. It was about this time of year (November 27th 2004 to be exact) and we lived up there at the time. I still lived at home, and Stephen lived in a little camper trailer park in one of their cabins. So anyways, I was thinking of maybe writing a series of posts on how Stephen and I met. Probably not as interesting as Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man's story, but I like it. Stephen and I did not do things like I would like our kids to, but it was a lot closer to it than most of my friends from growing up did things. At least we were both still umm "innocent" when we got married. So if you are reading it going, hey wow, that doesn't sound like Becky....I have grown up a lot and learned a lot of things about true purity since then. SO If I get around to it, you can read our love story of the next couple days/ weeks, depending on how long it takes me to get around to it.

Already?

Kimber Ann is a month old already? Where does the time go? How is it that it seems like she just got here, yet in some ways like she has always been here?
She sure has plumped up in this past month. She has started smiling at me the past few days. It is so cute. Just melts my heart :).
She and Tyrel like to tag team it with naps. She is awake for awhile in the mornings, while we get dressed,eat breakfast etc. Then she will nap til we are fixing lunch usually. After lunch is Ty's nap, and she stays awake through most of that. Then when he wakes up, she goes back to sleep for a while.
Hmmm. She still hasn't got to meet her Grumpa, or 4 of her uncles. But she will meet them over Thanksgiving. She, like Tyrel, is a very 'easy' baby. Generally happy, or easy to get happy.
I guess there isn't much else to say. She eats, sleeps, smiles, and lets Tyrel kiss her and hold her hand, and 'burp' her (he thinks patting her, any time, is burping her). He holds her.... with help, and runs and gets me diapers, or throws them away. He has made it his job to empty the bucket I put diapers in over night, every morning. Well, thats about all I can think of for her one month post.

Best Friends....Whether they like it or not.

So can you tell who is who? This is Kimber and Amy. Amy is about 2 weeks younger than Kimber. Her name is Amy Grace, so I call her Amyzing Grace.

Well I have a crying Kimber, so I will not write any more on this right now.

Having Fun With My Kids

I need to start getting more pictures of Stephen with the kids also. I am usually visiting with him when he is home and don't think to take pictures, so you will have to just see me with my cute chillins again. It is such a joy to be a Mama.Kimber and I, while I was cooking supper :)

And again...Tyrel helping me make spaghetti. Kimber wasn't any too happy that I stopped bouncing/swaying long enough to have my picture taken. I just LOVE Tyrel's smile, He really has just started smiling like that really recently. He is almost always happy, just wasn't SMILEY. He has been getting a little more smiley lately though :).See? Sooo adorable. If he wasn't napping, I'd go hug and kiss on him right now just for being so cute in this picture!

See my trailer Mama?

After supper, with 'sketty' still on his face...

I love the way they are looking at each other here. It is going to be so much fun watching them grow up together. Remind me of that Mom, when they are fighting ;)

That smile again....and Kimber's pretty cute too!I finally noticed his face was messy and cleaned him up.

I love how he looks mad and she looks frightened in this picture...I think he was getting tired of me telling him to smile, when all he wanted to do was hold his sister's hand and kiss on her.

Tyrel looks a little goofy in this one, but Kimber is really cute.