Thanksgiving...

Yes, I know its Christmas time! I am a wee bit behind!

Reading stories with Grammy

She informed me this morning that he is her favorite! :)

Tea Party with Kendi!

Good pic....Without the arm! SORRY! some one decided it

was a great opportunity to walk right in front of the camera! :)

Cookies! MMMM

Looking for something in the classifieds!

Hope all ya'll have a great holiday!

For my Sister

Lying in bed last night I was reminiscing times with my sister. 

Right now we are in a spot of growth, treading on different paths in life. It really does break my heart as we used to be inseparable. We did NOTHING without each other. From our younger days of playing Vet with Lizards, pretending to do surgery, picking ticks off the dogs on a table in the yard, running away with our stuffed animals in our red wagon (we never made it past the sidewalk), playing like the staircase was our motor home, playing meeting and stalling on the bread and wine...until ALL the bread was eaten and ALL the grape juice was gone. To our teenage years, fighting in the car on the way to school because she had made us late, throwing fists and ugly words, driving home with the windows down and the radio up, laughing at jokes and why we had fought that morning. Shopping, Starbucks, and us, that was our typical Saturday (after we had taken care of our jobs, drawing out of a bowl to see who would clean the bathroom and who had to vacuum the living room AND the stairs, the whole time listening to Louis L'Amour dramatizations of Chic Bowdrie always finding the bad guy.) 

We are now each in a different chapter. I am HAPPILY married to my best friend, my confidant. He who in a way replaced my sister. I didn't realize how she felt while I was dating and I didn't realize I was putting her on the back burner. While it is ALL part of life, ALL part of growing into who we are, I am sorry Jennifer.I now understand how you felt! I am SO SO happy for you and for your love :) You guys are perfect for each other. You are each others missing piece. BUT I can say I miss our sister time :) I miss our days of just me and you and the road!  We will find each other once again when you are married and have kids! It will be different but I am looking forward to the times I keep your kids and you keep mine, for when we can call up each other and talk about wifely duties and mommy duties! I LOVE YOU SISTER! I admire you and love who you are becoming! 

Conductive Learning Center - 2008

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!

Mackenzie came into my life when my life was at its craziest. I had just graduated high school, broke up with a boyfriend, moved out and moved back home, worked 2 jobs, and just and the end of my rope not knowing WHAT to do.
One day I decided to look in the paper for a job. The first one I came to was a job working with special needs kids. I called and got an interview with Leslie, my old boss-my now friend, Mackenzie's mama. I got the job and met Mackenzie. I worked with other kiddos as well when I first started but Mackenzie & I struck a bond. At first I had NO clue what to do. I then became known as her secretary as I could read her eyes and know what she needed. We are now at the point of me not doing ANYTHING. Mackenzie shows me every day her motivation and determination. Yesterday I asked her if she wanted to go from doing 10 squats to 15 or 20? Her answer: lets go for 20. She never backs down from a challenge.
When I first started working with Mackenzie we helped her out of her wheelchair, helped her hold her legs still, helped her raise her arms above her head. Now she does it all...without the help! I can't take all the credit as I am just an aide. I have had 2 awesome mentors, 2 stubborn, hard working Hungarians :)  Orsi has been with Mackenzie since she was 5 and says Mackenzie is the face of Conductive Education* and Helga who came in the middle and now is in a different stage of her life. Both of them have helped Mackenzie reach her goals.

All I can say is that I hope EVERYONE of you can have a Mackenzie in your life. Today is her birthday and she gets so excited every year for it. I hope that it is what you want it to be Kenz. I love you and am so thankful that you are in my life!!

Remember what I said about having the best uncles? Clay Brett (Ashton's youngest bro) made Ty a kitchen.

This is how she plays with it

Reading books with Laytin

Ty and her best friend!

Tyleigh and Laytin

The best of buds since June 15,2008

Whenever we talk about going to Mima and Pepaw's house, "we see Laytin??!!"

At nap time or bed time, "Ty lets go to sleep." "Then we go get Laytin?"

They have a love,hate-brother, sister relationship,

bugging the tar out of each other but loving on each other too!

I had the four wheeler but they wanted to walk home!

Baxter,Tyleigh, and Laytin

All the way home...this wasn't posing!

...!

Oh the love! It gives me warm fuzzies inside!

My kiddo has the best uncles!

Lorin will do anything for Ty. Whether its a "fofoler" ride

or working on the dozer, or an "efarator" ride, she has him wrapped tight around her finger!

(Not to mention how tight she has daddy wrapped!)

Helping Noni dig

My bro...he is the best! Any girl that wants him has a picking panel to go through!

:)

Just for fun!

"Ocsar" is Grouchy

Tyleigh was helping with laundry. She goes mama, I "Ocsar an Grouch"

Country life

I used to want to live in the city, have a career, a cute studio apartment. I went as far as one day telling Jennifer I was NOT a country girl! HA who was I kidding??

One day I want to have a house on a hill over looking a farm with cows, chickens, ducks, couple of dogs, barn cats, sheep, goats, and 3 kids(human kids, not goat kids)! 

On the drive home from Grandpa's house, I took my time soaking in the peacefulness and the beauty.

The views are AMAZING, picture will NEVER do the real thing justice!

Barbed wire. There is something awesome about the way a barbed wire fence is built especially if the builder is like the one Red Steagall talks about in "The Fence that Me and Shorty Built" 

Neighbors. Ones you can go to ANYTIME you need sugar. Ones who like to talk over the fence!

Cows and NEW Babies!

Every old barn has a story! 

the fence me and Shorty built copy