Opening Weekend

So sad to say I don't have pictures of some monster buck - but I do have some great family shots (pictures) from our weekend at Aunt "Jennifer the Best" 's place close to Corsicana. We arrived Friday night to a nice little fire...

...and then Cannon and his cousin Dylan hit the ground running - I mean shooting.

We enjoyed a visit with Papa Joe and four of his daughters. From left to right, Aunt Jackie (Dylan's grandma), Aunt Jennifer the Best, Juju (Cannon's grandma), and Aunt Janet.

Saturday, Cannon and Dylan got started at 5:30 a.m. -

- and although they played hard, they thankfully stopped for 2 hour nap! And after our morning hunt, Lance and I got to enjoy that nap with them.

I had 6 hours all.to.my.self while sitting in the deer blind; so, while watching and waiting for that monster buck to sneak up outta the creek, I caught up on some much needed reading. It was very exciting, I must say. I read my camera owner's manual. After all - I've only had the thing 18 months. I had all the hands-on practice I could take until it was finally time to READ THE DIRECTIONS! It's amazing what reading the directions can do for you (I've never been a fan of that). I'm proud of how most of these pictures turned out.

Here's the view from my blind...

...and here's the amazing sun set I enjoyed.

After Aunt "Jennifer the Best" 's character pancakes on Sunday morning...

the boys enjoyed a little more play time...

...before we loaded the car and said good-bye. 'Till next time!

Not Me Monday

Okay - So I've seen several friends write these and always thought they were pretty cute. Although I'm a day late posting it - because, well, yesterday was that Monday - I still wanted to make sure I remembered yesterday the next time I needed to renew my drivers license.

For those of you who have not read a "Not Me Monday" post, here's how it goes.

Ohhhhhhh, noooooo.
I did NOT wait over two months to renew my drivers license (we'll refer to as DL).

I did NOT try to change my car insurance to another company and have to post pone the switch-over because my license was expired.

It did NOT take that happening to motivate me to renew my license.

I did NOT pick up Cannon at 4:30 pm and then drive an additional 10 minutes east to the DL office, hoping to get there and be finished by 5:00 pm.

I did NOT show up at the DL office at 4:40 pm with only a credit card and then read on the front doors "cash or check only".

I did NOT load my son back in the car at 4:42 pm and drive him to the closest ATM which happened to be in a "nasty and dirty" liquor store.

I did NOT tell Cannon before we went in to stay close to me and not touch anything because the store was "nasty and dirty".

Cannon did NOT walk in the store and loudly announce to a very inquisitive (and probably drunk, maybe even stoned) customer crowd "Mommy, this store is not nasty and dirty! Can we get a snack?"

I did NOT put my hand over his mouth and give him the mommy look while only pulsing out 20$. Good heavens? How much could a DL renewal be?

We did NOT get loaded in the car and then unloaded back at the DL office at 4:55 pm and then wait in line until 5:01 pm just to find out that a DL renewal cost not 20$ - but

24$.

What a bummer.

I really did simply smile at the lady, pack up my purse and slip my son's grubby little hand in mine and walk out. She looked at me as though she was ready to pull 4$ out of her purse. She was sweet.

Finally, I did NOT have to fight traffic at 5:00 pm on 380 from Hwy 5 all the way back to Custer Road. {For those of you not from here - that's about an 8 mile stretch, but at 5:00 pm it took me 25minutes.} I would NEVER put myself in this little mess because I would NOT wait until my license was expired to renew it. (You can't renew on-line when it's expired.) I have EVERYTHING together all.the.time - so this would NOT be MY Monday. Ha!

Today after school? Same story minus the "dirty, nasty" liquor store. Today I took 30$ cash with me. This will NOT be me again until 2014.

Award and Tag

I got an award! Thank you, Brittany!

Here are the rules:Use only one word, pass along to six favorite bloggers, and tell 'em you did so.

So, here we go:

1. Where is your cell phone? dresser

2. Your hair? down

5. Your favorite food? crapi

6. Your dream last night? short

7. Your favorite drink? Sonic

8. Your dream/goal? Eternity

9. What room are you in? bedroom

10. Your hobby? outdoors

11. Your fear? loss

12. Where do you want to be in six years? here

13. Where were you last night? home

14. Something that you aren't? lazy

15. Muffins? Panera

16. Wish list item? fridge

17. Where did you grow up? Sonora

18. Last thing you did? read

19. What are you wearing? flannels

20. Your TV? baseball

21. Your pets? asleep

22. Friends? close

23. Your life? clear

24. Your mood? content

25. Missing someone? usually

26. Vehicle? dependable

27. Something you're not wearing? socks

28. Your favorite store? Academy

29. Your favorite color? chocolate

30. When was the last time you laughed? now

31. Last time you cried? rarely

32. Your best friend? few

33. One place that I could go over and over? outdoors

34. One person who emails you regularly? Shelly

35. Favorite place to eat? mom's

And, I tag some fellow Sonora bloggers:

Shalayne - an amazing writer and brand new mommy

Michelle - mommy to three precious little angels

Kristi and Katie - sisters and my life long BFFs

Megan - a strong beautiful woman, mommy and mommy-to-be

Stacy - a fantastic fisher that keeps up-to-date on the hometown.

All the Updates

I'm (no longer) six posts behind and now that "Trick-or-Treats" is over and my wireless computer is fixed (thanks Rob) I was finally able to sit in bed tonight and finish up this post.

I posted each number and title a few days ago - so I'm just here tonight to add the pictures. Just a few for each title - there's too many to pick from !!!

1. The Big Orange Pumpkin Patch in Celina was great fun! Cannon loved feeding the goats and the longhorns. I think he was a little overwhelmed when we first arrived as there was so much to see. He rearranged the pumpkins in the field several times and enjoyed both the little train ride and the big hay ride...and the 2 1/2 hot dogs he inhaled.

2. Juju and Slim's - Last minutes trips are usually the best. At 7:50 am (still in jammies) last Sunday morning we decided to spend the day at Juju and Slim's; therefore, we had to be out of the house by 8:15 in order to make the 8:30 service. With a little tag team, we did it and we were out the door by 8:20 am. We had a great lunch and visit with Joe, Misty, and Juju and Slim and even carved a pumpkin.
3. We Didn't Even Have to Buy a Costume This Year - If you read very often you'll most likely find Cannon in a costume of some sort - for no reason other than pure pretend play! Therefore, he already had an assortment of choices for my school carnival, his school parade, a costume party at a friend's house, and then for the actual Halloween day.

So, he was a pirate for my school carnival... And for his freind's costume party (thanks Madeline!) and his school parade he was Wolverine...Madeline's brave mommy had all these crazy kids over for FUN! It was nooooobody's birthday. Just costumes, cupcakes, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and a pinate! This is the party he was "so happy to go to" (read below). And for Halloween night he slipped on his "Star Horse the Chloe Horse" costume, aka Star Wars the Clone Wars. I have to say though, after about 5 houses of trick-or-treating he was more excited to head back to his own house to pass candy out to others. He loves when we have visitors!

4. Record a brief history of how the science-fair-project-display-board-box became Cannon's new dirty clothes hamper. (Okay, so I'm not completely done with pictures. I'll post this one and his Star Horse costume tomorrow. I haven't downloaded them yet.)

5. Jot down the "Got-to-Remember" funnies he's said this week. WAIT. I better do that one now....otherwise the "got-to-remembers" will soon be forgotten.

*"Mommy, Gracie looked nice today. She dressed up like Short Berry Short Cake".

*"I don't like girls!"
I responded, "I'm going to tell Sarah {his little love} you said that."
Cannon replies, "I mean I don't like big girls. I only like little girls." Hmmmm.
"So Cannon. Who would you call a big girl?"
"You, mommy."
"Thanks Cannon."

*I often ask Cannon what "he's thinking about" if we're driving in the car and he seems extra quiet. His usual response is "I don't know." Last Saturday we were headed to a little costume party with some friends from his school and he was awfully quiet.
Of course, I asked. "Cannon, what are you thinking about?"
He says, in his sweetest voice, "I'm just so happy to be going to the party, mommy."
Cannon loves celebrations - and his friends - and laughing. He has to love those things more than most. I can't imagine him loving it any more.

*"Mommy, I want a baby brother to play with. I want a big sister and a baby brother."
"Well, Cannon, where do babies come from?"
{I thought he was supposed to ask this first????}
He unknowingly responds, "I don't know. Can we buy one?"
"Actually yes, Cannon we can." I truthfully answered.
He's so excited when he asks, "At Walmart?"
"No, not exactly."
"Then can we ask God for one?"
{Smiling} "Most certainly."

6. Share a short update on Cannon's latest favorites. It's so cool to see some of the "exacts" he's beginning to really attach to. It's neat to watch him pull away for all the things he's enjoyed trying and to see him gravitate towards some specifics.

**Okay, Cannon's latest favorites.**

He lllloooooovvveeesss to draw! He's all about creating his own pictures of what ever is in sight. He'll copy each and every detail and I'm tell'n you - I'm so very impressed of what he can do at 4. He loves to copy pictures out of magazines or pictures that we have already drawn. When he draws our family I'm always in a dress and he always includes Elsie. Super sweet!

Cannon is totally drawn to soccer. He's so excited about starting on a team this spring. If there's a ball around, he's work'n it with all the moves his daddy has taught him. At the little costume party at Madeline's house he played soccer with the fence at one point because everyone else was running around like crazy and he wanted to play soccer!

He's obsessed with all things doctor. A box of band aids and a willing patient are his favorite toys as well as his stethoscope.

That's a wrap for now! I'll finish up with a Star Horse and dirty clothes hamper pictures tomorrow evening.

I. HOPE.TO.NEVER. skip that many posts as such a busy time of year again! Wow!

Computer Failures

The #1 reason behind my week long vacation from posting is that my wireless computer is out of whack and it really bothers me to hide out in the front room on the not-so-wireless computer for hours at a time while my family does life with out me.

The #2 reason for my week long..wait a minute..I mean, week-and-a-half long vacation from posting is because I've taken a bajillion pictures that I'd love to post but I don't want to spend the time uploading them to both computers. I'd rather wait until the wireless is fixed and upload them there only.

Hmmmm, I guess the #3 reason is because the past two nights I've been in bed before 8 and actually asleep before 9. I know. But Cannon must have been dragg'n just as bad because he was right there with me. Many of my friends today said, "Girl - you just wait! We're not even getting home with kids from practice until 8 and then we're starting homework!". Guess that's why I'm crashing early while I can.

I miss recording simple, happy thoughts, thought out situations, and some not-so-thought-of life experiences and ideas. I like to write about things that have made me laugh, in hopes that someone else will too. All to often I speak before I think, but writing gives me the best opportunity to think before I speak. Blogging has become a hobby - for those reasons. I don't have the patience to "bling my blog" anymore than it's already been "blung". And I don't know a thing about the advertising that I'm sure would pay off in some way. I do like to share pictures of my favorite people and I enjoy printing my blog as a keep sake. But mostly, I just truly enjoy writing. It's therapeutic.

So. When it's been over a week since I sat down and organized my thoughts - just know, I've missed it. Hopefully "my computer friend" can come by soon and get mobile.

Picking Battles

If you've been married for very long...
If you've been in the same job for very long...
If you have children...
If you have family...
Ahem, sounds like just about everybody.
...then at some point you must learn when to pick your battles.
Hold on.
Back that buggy up. I
suppose first you must learn which battles are worth picking.

For me, the road to such a decision is never ending. It's another one of those "learning processes". I must of picked every battle (and fought some pri-tee hard) when I was younger - but the older (and hopefully wiser) I get, it all just gets to be a little too much.

It took me one failed marriage and about 3 years in to the second marriage to realize that picking battles was an option.

It took me one gigantic blow up to find out that family was family and they weren't going anywhere. It's better to pick your battles.

It's taken an inspirational father and a few good friends to demonstrate how not only picking your battles - but also choosing to walk away from all the battles - doesn't mean you are not "in control". Walking away from all battles can actually mean you're in complete control and fully free of the emotional baggage that goes with fighting a battle.

It's taking one very short, charming, funny red-headed little man to remind me daily that if you don't choose your battles you can sometimes create unnecessary chaos which can lead to a lengthy list of emotions.

Less is really so much more.

I read "Purpose Driven Life" when it was "big" - maybe 5 years ago - but it's surreal how now is when I feel that it totally makes sense. I want to glorify God with very single move I make - not only in "the big stuff" like my job and my relationships.

But again, I'm in a battle.

I die every day, many times a day, knowing that I want to glorify God, but don't. I see the ways that I haven't glorified Him and the second I "pep-rally" myself in to the next opportunity I get to glorify Him, it seems I fail again.

This is a battle I like being in. Because when I feel content, complacent with my actions, then I know I'm letting my relationship with Christ become stale. When I keep myself surrounded by Christian music, the Bible, when I talk to God daily...that is when the battle with the world begins. When I'm close to Jesus, I know when the world is trying to suck me in. This is when there is a battle going on with in me. I like that battle. The world can hold so strong, but the closer I stay to what is true...to Jesus...the further away I can keep "the world". That's definitely a battle I pick.

Looks like a game face to me. Wonder what he would consider a battle?

I Am Second

Click here "I Am Second". You'll love it.
And we love him. Such a role model.