9/52

a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014, and a thoughtful response from each...

What's the best thing about your teacher this year?

Kaden: She's Nice (Bartles)

Kylie: She gives out Gifts (Metcalf)

Lenox-Scape

Too lazy to play too hard

Kaden's Birthday Follow-Up

Kaden had his friend, Zeke, over for his birthday Friday night.  They had a basketball game and scrimmage, so it was a little late by the time we got home.  We made sure to light candles and sing happy birthday, and then he opened the rest of his presents: a field dressing kit, rubber boots, MU basketball t-shirt, and new, accurate pellets for his gun.

He Zeke got to wear his boots right away when they went with Keane to feed the sheep while Kylie and I made supper (brats, fries, and mac & cheese) and took pictures of ourselves making funny faces.

(We finally had Kaden's actual birthday supper Sunday night!)

But on Saturday morning, we went to Keane's Aunt Jean's so she could give Kaden her birthday gift to him -- which was a signed birthday card from Saint Louis Cardinals' pitcher, Michael Wacha!  Jean works at the VA Home where the Cardinals Caravan came a few months ago, and Jean's friend, Hud, got the card signed!  Someone happened to take a picture of Hud getting the signature from Wacha.  Such a neat gift to frame and treasure forever!

(And this is just a picture of Aunt Jean's cat)

My Mom

I remember my mom laughing so hard she literally cried watching movies in the living room with my dad (and he said she still does).  She would have a tissue and would apologize for her laughter & tears, and I loved how she could get so involved in a movie that she would have such a strong reaction to the humor.  And at the same time, I remember my mom crying while watching movies.  I never understood how she could feel so much sadness from watching a movie.  I actually would feel sorry for her a little bit.  And I never could help but to keep peeking at her and her tears while she tried to sniffle them away.

I cried the other day.  I sat on the couch next to Keane, hoping he would not see my tears, as I watched the season finale of Sons of Anarchy.  "Are you crying?" he asked.  I felt a little like my momma right then, crying at a TV show, and after I knew that Keane knew I was crying, I felt better letting the tears roll down my cheek.  And I cried laughing the first time I watched Bridesmaids, so much so that I think I embarrassed Keane in the movie theater.  I am my mom.

My mom is the Suzy homemaker in our family.  Just the other morning, my sister was telling me the strap to a stocking cap I had bought McCoy for his birthday had broken off and she said, "...so I'm going to bring it home to have Mom fix it."  She sewed up the edges to a new blanket for McCoy in a quick twenty minutes.  Keane wanted me to patch up some overalls for him on the sewing machine he bought me, but I don't know how and I need to ask my Mom what the best way to do it is. 

I had a rash on my face -- "Mom, what do you think it could be?"  "Well, you were in the woods yesterday; it's probably poison ivy."  POISON IVY -- of course!!  My mom just always knows best.  She knows what medicine to take, how to treat each and every disease, condition, and sickness.  She knows how to mend any item of clothing, or rid of any type of stain or snag.  She even always thinks to put Kollin's name inside his coats.

I just hope that I will be half the mom that she is to me and my brother and sister.  She is beautiful to me.  The picture above is her senior picture, and it is truly my favorite picture ever.  I thank God for blessing me with a mother who loves me the way she does. 

Even though she used to buy me clothes from garage sales that I thought looked like boy clothes because the jeans were too dark or the shoes were blue, even though she would get onto us for running at exhilarating speeds back and forth across the living room from the couch to the loveseat, even though she wouldn't let us run and flip over the coach doing gymnastic-style leaps in the back room, and even though there were many times I thought that I knew best -- she has always been my hero, and she has always been there for me.

Lenox came into the kitchen last night where Kylie and I were working on supper.  I turned to point my finger at Lenox's nose (without much thought), and saw that Kylie was already doing that!  I loved seeing it.  I do it because my mom always did that to our cat, Mittens.  Sometimes it's the little things that you realize are the really big things, and the things that matter the most.

I love you, Momma!

8/52

a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014, and a thoughtful response from each...

What is one thing you would like to learn to do well?

Kaden: Play Sports

Kylie: Discovery Tests

Kaden at 10

Kaden's 10th birthday is today!  He is now in the double digits.

A little about Kaden at age 10:

 

He is tall (I'll get the exact height when I can locate our tape measure) and strong.  His wrestling days in the living room with his dad have gotten louder and more fierce.  He loves sports and in this order: baseball, basketball, football.  He wants to be a professional sports player when he grows up, although this morning she said he wasn't sure what he wanted to be anymore.   His teacher is Mrs. Bartles and he likes science the best.  He had to be separated from his friends in class, but he impresses his teacher with how willing he is to always attempt answers, even when he's not always sure.  Some of his good friends are Zeke, Drew, and Collin.  He is a very kind young man.

 

We decided to give him an early birthday present the night before his actual birthday, and we will celebrate again on the day after his actual birthday, when he has his friend, Zeke, spend the night.  He has asked for BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn for his birthday supper.  He also chose an apple crisp pie as his dessert (he takes after his father).  He got to open a Duck Commander duck (and frog and beaver) hunting game.

My mom made Kaden some awesome birthday cookies, a sweet card, and her, my dad, and brother gave him a Tim Tebow book! 

 

Wedding Planning - On the Ball

My girls.


My sister, Kimberly, has been with me since day one, literally.  I don't know what I would do without her.  I speak to her on the daily, send hundreds of texts monthly, and we can practically finish each other's sentences and thoughts.  She has been there to hear all of my ups and down, and has always been a supporter and encourager.  She's no doubt someone I couldn't live a day without.  I would be proud to have her as my maid of honor. 

My cousin, Lindsay, has been by my side since day 34, literally.  She was born 34 days after me, and we grew up seeing a lot of each other.  She was always my escape.  She showed me what fun and carefree were like.  She taught me to let loose and be brave.  She taught me to care less about what the world thinks of me, and spend more time having fun and enjoying life.  We have shared a lot of crazy endeavors, secrets, and promises.  She is someone who has moved states away, but has never left that special place in my heart.

Next, is my friend, Karla.  Karla came into my life at a time when I needed her the most.  She helped me get through some tough times, and as permanent as the tattoo on my foot that we got together, she is in my life and in my heart.  I may not ever laugh as hard and constantly as I do with her.  She lightens my mood and lightens my life.  She's a blessing to me, and I appreciate the unwavering support she has showed me these past few years. 

Last but not least is my stepdaughter-to-be, Kylie.  She is obviously a part of the family that will be marrying as one on our wedding day.  She deserves a place by my side.  As much as I know that Keane and I have her support, she also has ours in all her life adventures.  I know this wedding means a lot to her, and I can't wait for her to be a big part of it all.

Wedding Party:

Bridesmaids:

Kimberly (sister of the bride)

Lindsay (cousin of the bride)

Karla (friend of the bride)

Kylie (daughter of the groom)


Groomsmen:

Jared (friend of the groom)

Jon (friend of the groom)

Matt (friend of the groom)

Kaden (son of the groom)


Flower girl: Rylee (niece of the groom)

Ring bearer: McCoy (nephew of the bride)

Oh, and I'm still admiring this thing -- and the man who put it on my finger!

Happy Love Day

Happy Love Day, to my Valentine.

I'm the typical girl who loves everything romantic, hearts, and sweet.  And I really, really love my fiancé.  This will be the only Valentine's Day we celebrate as an engaged couple, and next Valentine's Day, we will be spending it married! 

Although you will probably pretend to gag when you read this, I want to share a little bit of my love for you, dear Keane.


I have seen the best of you, and the worst of you.  And I choose to love both.  I choose to love you when you get a tractor stuck and I'm the world's worst at helping on the farm and only irritate you more.  And I love you when you're tickling me and doing anything to make me laugh.  I love that you have a cold beer waiting for me, and that you knew I would like feeding the sheep and said that you could hear my laugh already -- and that I did love feeding the sheep, even though it was really cold. 


I love when you hold me extra tight in the morning, right when I need to get out of bed -- as much as I hate getting out of your arms into the cool bedroom air.  I love that you are impressed with the way I fry your breakfast eggs.  I love the sweet texts I get from you.  I love that I always have your support.  And I love that you love me.

"I love you..."

"I love you, too!"

"...pillow."

I even love when I find your dirty socks that I asked you to pick up laid nicely on my pillow.  Because that, my dear, is love from you -- and to me, that's the best kind of love there is.

We have a date tonight -- dinner and a concert (Reckless Kelly and Whiskey Myers).  I cannot wait!


I sure love you.


Love,
Your Fiancé

My Dad

I love my Dad's laughter.  The way he closes his eyes and tilts his head back.  He has a snicker laughter, and he also has an outburst of happiness in a belly laugh.  He has a wonderful sense of humor and it makes me happy to see him happy.

He is playful.  When I was little and he would take out the trash, he would remove the trash bag from our large kitchen trash can and he would put my sister and I inside the trash can and spin us around, up and down, and around, and around, in the kitchen.  Oh what fun.  He would help Kimberly and I play hide-and-seek, and he would hide us on top of the entertainment center, or on top of the refrigerator.  He would bring large boxes home from work just for us to play in.

He is so kind and so selfless.  Always.  He goes out of his way for others, at any given time.  There are countless times he has driven different distances to bring me something that I have forgotten, or locked myself out of my car.  Even though he's my dad and he's supposed to do those things, he always makes me feel like it isn't an inconvenience at all, even when I know that it is.  I think his love language is Acts of Service.  If it's not, then it's Quality Time. 

I used to go to airshows with him, and spend all day long sitting in a lawn chair, in the scorching summer heat, just to be there with him, and watch the Blue Angels of course.  His love for airplanes and aircrafts is deep.  In a different life, he would have been a pilot, no doubt.  Most of our home videos have at least one airplane in the sky.  On any given family trip, we would always, somehow, find an airport, and we would sit alongside the road watching airplanes take off and land.  He bought a powered parachute and I love the flights I have taken with him.  There is such a sense of peace when you're flying over the treetops through the fresh air.  It's a feeling that cannot be understood unless you experience it yourself.

There were times growing up that he was stern and put his foot down and showed me when he was upset and disappointed.  But, he was always loving.  I never saw him fly off the handle, I never saw him get really, really angry or lose his patience, I never saw him jealous, and I never saw him cause any pain to me or others. 

Happy Birthday to the man I am thankful for every single day.  Happy Birthday, Dad!

Where I Grew Up

In the country music world, there are oftentimes songs about hometowns and where we grew up.  As much as I talked down the small town that I grew up in, there's something about that piece of your growing up that is so deeply rooted in you that you know it will always be a part of you.
 

The town I grew up in contains the streets that I walked on many times with my friends, and later where we rode around because that was the only thing there was to do.  There's the town swimming pool where I spent many summers and got really tan.  There are the houses of friends that I used to visit, the two restaurants (who have since switched owners), one of the two convenience stores, the now-closed grocery store, the old store front I spent many hours at church, as well as the old KC building where I did the same, which was next to the field where I saw my first fight take place with practically the entire high school there to watch. The memories that town hold will never leave me. 

Sometimes, I compare myself to the girl I was growing up.  I used to be more carefree and full of spirit and laughter.  I know that responsibilities, adulthood, and everyday stressors affect our youthfulness, but sometimes I long to laugh so freely, talk as carefree, and live a little more worry-free like I did back then.

I didn't always have the most easy-going, perfect youth.  Like most other teenagers, I battled rebellion, depression, drama, trauma, breakups, fights, punishment, strict curfews, trouble, and even acne.  But when I think back, those troubling or harder times are not the memories that stand out to me.  Instead...


I remember riding my bike with my cousin for hours on end, making it from my house to hers all the way across town without ever touching my handle bars.
I remember collecting as much change we could find in and under her family's couch and pouring the change onto the counter at Casey's to purchase snacks. 
I remember making prank phone calls. 
I remember collecting tadpoles from the puddles by the flea market and taking them home to grow in a fish tank. 
I remember laughing so hard with my friends in school that I would literally hurt. 
I remember where I sat at the school lunch table.
I remember the night swims when the air was cool but the water was warm. 
I remember sitting on the front porch swing with my little brother teaching him things a big sister knows and singing songs together. 
I remember the walks home from school. 
I remember my friends.


I know why we like to talk about our growing up years -- because those years are what shaped us, what built us.  I wouldn't be the same me I am today without those experiences.  I learned a lot during those years and I take those learned lessons with me every day. 


I learned from the fights, how to stand up for myself and how to love even through the ugly times. 
I learned how to lean on others when things got really, really hard. 
I later learned to respect my parents and the limits they set on me as a young girl. 
I learned to pump my own gas and take care of my belongings. 
I learned to be careful with the feelings of those closest to me. 
I learned that who I am is something to be proud of. 
I learned that my best is good enough.

My hometown -- as boring, little, rundown, and old as it may seem -- will always be a part of me.  I am thankful for the friends and the people in my life who were there for me, made me laugh, and helped shape me into the woman I am proud to be today.

I made a senior video during my senior year which was played after my speech on graduation day.  You can check that out here:

http://youtu.be/njSBlTWfS8I

It's where I grew up...

7/52

a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014, and a thoughtful response from each...

What are you the most proud of yourself for?

Kaden: My Patience probably.  I don't know if I have that much patience, but especially in hunting, I have patience.

Kylie: I'm proud of myself most because I was born in this Family.

I saw this on her desk before bed --

"I am thankful for the people God gave me in my family." 

She really is thankful for her family.

McCoy Lately.

I really miss this little guy.  I talk to him on the phone here and there, but lately I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to catch up with him.  And when we do talk on the phone, it is really hard to interpret his little boy jabber, but hearing his voice say hi to me is all that it takes to make the conversation worth it. 

I haven't seen him in months (1 1/2 months to be more exact), since he was here for Christmas.  I was talking to my sister on the phone while she was in the store the other day and McCoy was telling her to, "Get me out of here!" (talking about the cart).  And he embarrassed her the other day when she was looking at bras in the store and he was saying out loud, "Mommy like pink?  Mommy bra?"  Maybe she was embarrassing him too, haha.

I love any Snapchat or photo I get that includes this little guy.  I told him on the phone that when I see him next, I'm going to give him a really big hug!  And I can't wait to do that.  Living 3 1/2 hours away is really far when it's a sister and nephew that I love with all my heart!