Winter Storm '09

This is my first post since the beginning and the end of the ice storm. We woke up that Tuesday morning to no power. After several hours of seeing how bad it really was, Jessica and I got hotel rooms down in Union City. Matthew stayed with Michael, who still had chickens, down in the shop. After three nights in the hotel we knew it was going to take a while for power to get back on. Cailin and I knew we had a nice warm place to go so to Southwest Arkansas we went to Nana and Papa's house. I hated to leave but then again, not really. Our power was off for 13 days. Matthew stayed with his brother, who got his power on pretty quick. Cailin and I got back home on Friday. Here is a series of picks of before, during, and after.

Cailin and Papa had a great time while we were home. She could not reach the sink in the bathroom so, first on the list was to build her a stool. They checked the cows several times a day to make sure they were all still there. Checking the cows means riding Dad's Kawasawki Mule. They spent lots of time in the shop on the days when it was really windy and the last day we were there was cow sale day. We wasn't sure if Cailin would like going to the Sale Barn, but she loved it. She was upset and didn't want to leave when it was over (it only lasted 17 minutes). Nana had to work most days, but to catch Cailin, she had to come outside. But now we are home and have a mess to clean up. It will take us a very long time. If you have a chain saw and want to help, come on over!!!!

New pink boots and sore muscles

I bet you thought that Cailin got new boots. Not this time. I got new pink boots. If you don't have a pair, I highly suggest you get one, if you do any kind of work outside. They are so comfortable. Go here to Muck Boots and check them out. They also have some cool purple ones.

The sore muscles come from wearing my new boots yesterday and helping my B-I-Law in the chicken houses. I picked up three houses of chickens myself and them helped him with the other three. I haven't done that much manual labor in a while. I'll be better in a few days. I still need to clean up my pink boots. It's been to cold to get back outside and wash them off real good,

Randomness at 3am

Cailin cried out at 1:30. I got up to check on her and now I can't go back to sleep. I had started a prayer when I went to bed at 10:30 and I fell asleep in the middle. So I finished my prayer and here I am. Things I was praying about:

• Our troops that are protecting us while we sleep in our nice warm bed or sit at our computers at 3 am
• A job. I am sending in my resume to two different companies and I pray that I can get one of them. Both of them sound like I would really enjoy them.
• I was praying and continue to pray for a fellow blogger. She had a baby yesterday evening and the baby has pneumonia in her lungs. Please pray for Harper and her family.
• Praying for friends, new ones to come into my life. It has been difficult being in a new place. It has been hard to find new friends since I am staying home. I miss the days at the big blue house when our home was full of folks over for that latest BBQ that was going on. I seem to have taken those days for granted and now not having them is hard. I continue to miss everyone back in Arkansas and some days wish we were back. We have only been in KY for 4.5 months and being home with Cailin is something I never thought possible. It has been wonderful. I guess I have a bad case of the winter blues. It has been so cold here that we have not been able to get outside and it is all catching up with me. I enjoy the fact that we are so close to Matthew's brother, SIL, and their son. Our nephew and Cailin are only 3 months apart and they have become so close. It is really great to see them playing and growing up together.
• For my family. Since the loss of my Pa, I continue to pray for strength for my Nanny. They were married for 63 years and she misses him so. Pa was such a wonderful man to all who knew him. If he liked you, you knew it. If he didn't, well you knew that too.
• And to end all the randomness and by no means was this a prayer but I was thinking about how badly I need a hair cut!!!

Good morning to you all. I'm going to try and catch a couple hours before Cailin is ready to start her day. Love to all.

Hello 2009!!

2009 started with us in bed, as usual. I have had a cold all week and not felt like much at all. Matthew went duck hunting New Years morning. They had a good shoot. I was glad to hear because he has not filled his buck tag and the ducks had been hanging out on the refuge. The Mississippi River is full and causing lots of back water and ducks like back water. We went driving yesterday evening and I snapped this picuture of the Mississippi River at Sunset.

Here are the pictures of the Birthday boy and his cake from Sunday. All of his family came over for cake and ice cream.

Cailin helped her Dad blow out the candles.

I wish each of you a blessed new year. I'm hoping that ours is much more settled than 2008. All that moving wore me out.

Happy Birthday Matthew!!!

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Happy Birthday Matthew!! I love you and hope you have a wonderful day!!

Full Month of December!!

It has been a very busy few weeks. After Thanksgiving was very cold. But that doesn't stop us from riding the 4-wheeler, we just bundle up. You can't keep Belle off. She will be the first one on soon as it is out of the shop.


Deer season has been open and since Thanksgiving, duck season is open. The Duck Buggy is loaded and ready to go.

We had our nephew one morning. I wonder what these two are talking about?

Cailin started decorating the tree before we got it up.

Cailin loves Charlotte's Web and Wilbur the pig. All pigs are named Wilbur. So it was fitting to get her ornament a pig. Here is her and Matthew putting Wilbur on the tree.

Here are our 2008 ornaments. I was really pleased with them. This year they came from Anythingdoughs.com. They have a really goo selection.

Here is my attempt at taking her picture in front of our tree.

We even managed to get Belle in one of the pictures, even though she does not look very thrilled.

There is the smile I was trying to capture!!

In the midst of the Christmas season, our family had a big loss. On December 8th, we lost my Pa. He had battled cancer for some time and it just overtook him. So, we made a trip to Oklahoma. It was a very hard trip. This was the first loss on my Mom's side of the family. There are seven grandkids. 6 girls and 1 boy. We decided to all spend the night with our Nanny. We sent everyone home except us. Chris, the only boy, stayed with us until about 12:30am. There were only 2 full sized beds and we girls snuggled in like we did when we were much younger. The beds fit us when we were much younger too. That was the first time we all had stayed at Nanny's ever. And somehow, Nanny got a good nights sleep. We got a little loud at times. But I will tell you our story. Before we started the sleepover all of us went to the creek where we had spent our summers playing while at Nanny and Pa's. On the way down it was so dark and trying to stay out of the mud was fun. We all just stood there and told stories about our times with Pa and Nanny. It started to get cold so we all turned to head back up the hill and Chris stopped and said "Look". You could see each of our shadows on the hill. The full moon had risen and was shining to guide our way back home. We knew it was Pa showing us the way back home, because it has never been that bright down in the hollow. It was one of those feelings that we will always have to share. The seven of us are all in different places but we will always have the Moon!!

Our friends Craig, Cathy, and Avery, sent Cailin this cash register for Christmas. She has scanned everything in the house. I have to watch the plastic bags, cause she will get a bag and put her scanned items in them.

Christmas Eve!!!

Christmas eve was fun. We went to my Brother-in-law and Sister-in-law's house for dinner. Everyone was there for dinner and presents. When we got back home, there was a package for Cailin on our front steps. It was pajamas that had fallen out of Santa's sleigh. After we put out the Reindeer food,

we went in and got our cookies and milk ready for Santa!!

New PJs from Santa!





Christmas Morning!!

A pig named Wilbur from Santa!!

Someone always gets underwear for Christmas!! This year it was Cailin.

Playdough--what was Santa thinking???!!

Her very own PINK computer

Uncle Michael, Aunt Jessica, and Jaden got Cailin a trunk of princess dresses, tiaras, slippers, and necklaces. She barely got all of her gifts opened from us and was ready to open the trunk. She has been wearing dresses every day since Christmas.

Cailin also got a play blow dryer that blows air. Here she is chasing Belle around the living room with it on. It was quiet funny. I hope all of you had a great Christmas season. This was a very fun Christmas for us. Cailin was really into everything. Santa, reindeer, presents, the whole nine yards. IT was wonderful!! Here's wishing you all a blessed and happy new year!!

Chopstick and Santa Claus

Wow!! IT has been a long time since I was here and updated. Things have been pretty quite on the home front. Saturday we went to see Santa Claus. This is the first year she would get close to him. She was really excited to go and wanted to wear her dress. How could a mother say no to that request. She said she did not want to sit in his lap, but would stand beside him. It was very sweet. She told him she wanted a baby doll, which was not on the original list. Guess I'm shopping for a baby doll now.

Saturday evening we met my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and nephew at the Japanese place where they cook your food in front of you. The kids really enjoyed it. Cailin was asking for no more big fire and my nephew was asking "Again, Again". Cailin did master the art of chopsticks. She tried using mine, but that was not working. Our waitress brought out a pair for her with a rubber band tied around the end and that is all she needed. She was eating salad with them. The only time she put them down was for the rice. She was not getting very far on the rice and she picked up her fork. But when it was time for the meat, she picked up the chopsticks again. The couple next to me was very impressed. I was to. I didn't even attempt the chopsticks. Of course, none of us had a camera, but I brought the chopsticks home. We'll try to get a picture. It was quite impressive.

It has been a hunting season ever since we moved to KY. Now, deer season and duck season have overlapped. Matthew is hunting both. I am trying to do our Christmas shopping, but I have a "teller". We bought Matthew a little stocking stuffer and she told him. She can not be involved in the shopping any more!!LOL!

I would also like to ask for your prayers. My Pa (Mom's dad) is about to lose his battle with cancer. I just ask that you pray for him and all of our family. It is so hard to let go but he has suffered long enough. It is time for him to go home. Please remember all of us.

Good luck in all your Christmas shopping!