Gifts for me...they're awesome

This picture...

Came to live at my house on Christmas day. I love it so much it made me cry. It's a gift born out of an idea by Olivia and pursued by my girls. It's very special to me. 

A couple years ago my girls went to New Orleans for a basketball game and while there, Olivia got sick and had to make it home just surviving. It was an awful trip for her. BUT. before she got sick, they found these paintings done by a local artist and each of them got one. 

I wanted all of them! 

Fast forward to Christmas 2015 and Olivia suggested to her sisters they get one for me. The idea was to send the artist a picture of my Dad's family home in Corsicana, the one we call 212 and see if he would paint it. He said he would. So they emailed and sent him pictures and then he made it happen in the best way possible.

It's the perfect mix of Louisiana with some Texas roots mixed in. 

Olivia sent him these pictures of the house.

This is the first sketch sent for their approval.

After some tweeking, he painted an heirloom for my family. I actually want this test sketch as well!

Then....

Back in the fall a limb fell out of the tree in Corsicana.

 John took one of these limbs from it.

It looked like this.

And he made it into this.

I don't know how he did it, but he has the patience and determination that still escapes me on a daily basis. I now have two new very precious gifts from my family and I love them both. All in all it was a good Christmas for me. I hope my peeps Christmas was as good as mine, but I don't see how. Cause they hit this one outta the park for me. 

In the meantime after Christmas the fireplace mantle was finished and hung, made out of Louisiana Cypress. 

Looks so cozy. I'm happy with this as well. Very very...

Christmas 2015 goes down as my best ever I think. 

In another meantime. I've been trying to back up my blog. I think I did, but I'm not sure. Also, I'm thinking about moving my blog. But I think in order to have enough space for it, I'm gonna have to buy a domain name and spend some money to make it happen. SO the jury's still out on the whole thing. And besides, I'm a Major part time blogger right now. I mean lets face it, my consistency has been less than stellar. 

I'll keep people posted on my decision. 

It's taken me multi days to finish this, and now I have.

Good night to me, cause everyone else is asleep. 

Starting to try to catch up...it'll never happen...

In the last few months I feel like I've met myself coming and going on the highway. In December it was like this....left for Dallas on a Tuesday after work to fly to New York on Wednesday morning. Spent from Wednesday to Sunday in New York. Got back to Dallas Sunday night, drove home that night. Worked the week and then left for Dallas on Thursday after work to shop and pick Emma up for the holidays. Came home Sunday night. If there is such a thing as car lag, I think I had it. 

In the meantime, Christmas is coming and the goose is soo overweight. But we don't eat goose, so I guess it doesn't matter. In the meantime...it's now Christmas Eve and the girls have been busy baking lots of delicious things to eat in the next few days. We shall have a fabulous time, even though there will be some missing faces.

But there's a new face in the family and it's scrumptious. 

It will never get better than this....ever.

Jack Reviere is the perfect addition to our wild and crazy bunch. He'll be a delight to watch grow up and become himself. I can't wait to see how he fits in. 

Santa baby.

He'll be baby brother to Lucas and I expect the Turner boys to take the world by storm...in a good way.

In closing for now, I'm going back to New York (not really) to post a few of the many sights I saw while there. We covered a lot of ground in five days....28 walking miles that is. I'd say that's pretty good for someone who just got up off the couch and decided to walk a marathon. I've never hurt so much in my life. BUT. There was so much to see and I had to see it.

I'll start with my first time on an airplane in 41 years. It's not my fave way to travel, but it got the job done way faster than in a car! But I still say humans above clouds just isn't normal. And no one needs to know we are flying at 36,000 feet. That information just isn't necessary. 

But I'm happy to say I made it there and home safe and sound. Lets see what I saw.   

Just before airplane mode. There was no getting off the plane at this point. 

A few months ago we were taking a short cut through DFW and I saw a plane crossing over a highway. I missed getting the picture. Who knew I'd later be IN a plane on my way to New York crossing over that highway! Certainly not me. 

Still in Texas at this point in the trip.

Not normal.

Buttermilk sky from a very different perspective. 

My first glimpse of Lady Liberty. She was my favorite. 

My first sight of the city.

Freedom tower in this picture. It was a hazy day, but I still saw lots.

Empire State Building.

Yankee Stadium.

That's a start to our December trip to New York City. It was pretty great for sure.

By now we're 2 hours into Christmas Eve. 

Merry Christmas Eve to all.

And to all a good night....

A little news and our Thanksgiving pics

For a really long time I've been terrible at blogging. After looking through my old posts I realize I never posted about last Thanksgiving and now this one is over!

You'd think I would feel bad about it, but I don't. And while people are very kind to say they aren't tired of my blogging, I've been over myself for quite a long time. You can only say things a certain way, just SO many times. But, in spite of that, this is me trying to kick start this thing again. Even though I'm leaving today to fly away for the first time in 41 years. My eyes are in a constant state of wide eyed, what the heck were you thinking when you agreed to this trip.

In the meantime, Christmas is very close and I've made some progress on buying gifts. 

Also, we're adjusting nicely to Caitlin living elsewhere, even though we don't like it. The same with Emma. This past year has seen many changes in our lives. Moving, marrying, pregnanting? Not a word. Baby Jack is coming soon and we will see baby Swander in the spring. Lots of fun things to look forward to.  

School's flying by, but not without its challenges. There are multiple kids under the age of six who don't really see the point in listening to an adult. That don't play with me. The other day Olivia was working with me and I said to her, "What must it be like to have me as a parent?" Olivia replied, "These kids are getting a good look at it." Some might think that an insult, but not me. I really really really want the kids in my charge to behave. It's a daily goal/struggle.
  
Owen's closing in on his finals and looks like something the cat dragged in. He's been studying round the clock and will unceremoniously collapse into his bed sometime tomorrow after his last final. 

That's all I have time for now!

I'm closing this out with last year's and this year's Thanksgiving photos.

This year, pink was our color. 

Peace on earth, good will towards all men.

We really need that.

God bless us everyone and safe travels and good reports for people and animals. 

Be back soon!

The giggles are gone

The other night I heard William giggle. It was the most lyrically delightful sound. I can still hear it in my memory. And I knew in an instant it would stay with me forever. I knew it was one of those moments I'll never forget. A treasure I can show no one. 

I have many of those. 

So many from my children. 

But my children don't giggle anymore. They're adults and one by one they are leaving. John and I see it happening and there's nothing we can do to stop it. It's just as it should be. And yet, our hearts are in a fight over letting go and holding on. Holding on is impossible, because life happens and children grow up. But currently we seem to be stuck in the middle of watching it happen. There's no other choice. 

John and I hadn't quite adjusted to Emma living in Washington, and now Caitlin has moved. Just a short mile away from us, but still. The look of our lives is changing, I don't recognize what I see these days. But as Lindsey said the other day, "the days are long but the years are short." I can attest to the short. 

I became a mother 27 years ago, and the natural progression of life happened. All my kids grew up. Not a big shocker, and I know I've said it so many times before, but I can't believe so much is over. 

So don't forget to sneak the snuggles for as long as you can. It goes by so fast. 

I'm posting some of my favorite photos of my kids back in the day in Corsicana. 

This is one of my all time favorites of my kiddos. It's adorable factor is off the charts, and it's in Corsicana. That's smack dab in the middle of my wheel house.  

After rereading this multiple times, I promise I'm not nearly as morose as it may come across. I really am adjusting to the new normal, and it sucks and is fine all at the same time. And while I get that it's the way life works, it was much easier when I was the young one leaving and making a different kind of life for myself. Call me selfish, I will answer.  

There's really no good way to end this post so I'll just be signing off for now. 

My plan is to blog more often in the coming days. 

It remains to be seen if that happens.

In the meantime...

Turkeys beware, it's the least wonderful time of the year....for you. 

This just happened

And it's all John's fault. On Saturday I bought a box mix of cinnamon streusel muffins. Little did I know what it would lead to. 

This morning I thought I'd make the muffins, so I got my bowl, mixed it up...had to get the muffin pan. The pan was at the very top of the cabinet. So lazy is what got me.

I decided to try to retrieve the muffin pan by using my broom handle to skewer a muffin hole to pull it out and grab it before it hit me in the face. It was a good plan in theory. I went to grab my broom and felt something weird on the handle. Then I moved my hand. Then I looked down and saw a lizard SITTING ON MY CHEST. ON MY CHEST PEOPLE!!!!! We could have kissed it was so close to my face!!!!!

To say I screamed isn't even close to describing how bad I screamed. Not one scream, not two screams. Three were needed and necessary. The lizard, clearly ears still ringing, jumped off of me and onto the floor. It must have been the equivalent of jumping off the Empire State building.  

He was then on the floor breathing heavy. My lizard catching go to is always a clear plastic container with a lid. But why should I have to have a lizard catching go to anyway?! That's John's fault!!  

Then the race was on...me screaming, him running. Screaming, running, screaming, running...

He seems to be saying, "Let me be freeeeeee!" 

So I did, even though I know he's somewhere outside trying to get back in. 

The last lizard was found in the house by me and caught by John on September 17th. 

Today is October 20th.

Why lizards why?!?!?!?