Our Christmas

Our Christmas was a crazy fun one. It started by Lexie's school program and party. It is always fun to see the preschoolers sing! Next we went to Mimi's and went to ICE at the Opryland Hotel. Ice is the Grinch who stole Christmas carved out of actual ice. You put on parkas because it is like 8 degrees in there and walk through the story. Then at the end they have an actual slide made out of ice that you slide down. It was fun. Next we tried to go shopping at Opry Mills but that is a hard task with a 3yr old and a 11 month old!

Kim and Brandon came for Christmas and we spent Christmas eve and christmas morning with them. We also went to Chad's parents for Christmas eve and by the time we opened presents there and went to my parent's and opened presents Santa coming was no big deal because they already had a load of toys!

Chad surprised me with a new pair of boots, a new ring, and necklace and earrings. Lexie got lots of puppies. Puppies that grow and know her name, puppies that cry, puppies that you play on the computer with, and even a puppy that pees. She also got a roller racer and it was a big hit.

JD got tractors and trucks and balls. He got a roller racer too but will have to grow into it.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a great christmas and got lots of toys! Lexie was very excited and got lots of puppies which is what she wanted. JD was so excited he started walking so I will post a video of his first long walk. By the time we started taping he had already walked about 5 steps!

Coon Hunting

As you can tell I have stolen Katie's idea and changed my blog to Christmas colors too.

Lexie has been asking Chad to take her coon hunting with him for a while now. So, the other night he decided we all should go.

So we put on all our warm clothes, our lights, loaded up the dog, and went way far away in the backyard! Well in our little woods behind our pasture.

Lexie had so much fun she said she wanted to do it again, again, and again.

I'm ready just as soon as I grow into my hat!

JD wasn't as happy as his big sister because it was getting close to his bedtime

Chad took our puppy Bozo to see what he would do but all Lexie wanted to do was pet him. Chad kept telling her not to pet him because that was making him stay with us instead of hunting. The next day Little Mama and Papa D asked her how she liked hunting and she said she loved it but you don't pet the dog!

Toofers

Well after many days, weeks, months, years, (well not years), of teething we finally have a tooth!!!! Only 23 more!!

We had a good thanksgiving this year and are getting ready for Santa. It has taken me all week and two babysitters to get my christmas tree up and decorated but we are ready!! Lexie asked yesterday morning when she woke up, "Has Santa come yet!"

Happy Turkey Time

Chad took this picture this weekend riding the kids around in Chic. There was about 20 turkeys that crossed in front of us. He told Lexie he could shoot one right then if we needed one for Thanksgiving Dinner. She said "Yeah, then we can cut their heads off and put them in the oven!"

Halloween

Finally, here are some pictures from Halloween. The kids and I went to several parties last week and we went to the church for our Fall Festival.

This is us going to Granny's house for her party. Katie and Anna do you recoginze Lily and Mama's costumes. Those are the outfits we used to dress up in!!

Pictures from the Wedding

JD cried through the wedding so Chad had to take him riding in the car. Then he slept through the reception.
Kim and Brandon

Lexie and Brandon's nephew Hunter and Kate the other flower girl.

Kim's new sister-n-laws Keri and Katie. Katie, the one in the middle, is Brandon's twin that got married at the same time.

Married

Well Kim is officially married. We are back from the wedding. We all had a good time. It is early in the morning. I will post pictures later.

Roadhouse, Paper Eater, and Coon Club

What is it about Roadhouse? Just about every guy I know loves the movie Roadhouse. You know the one with Patrick Swayze and the bar and all the fighting. Well it was on today and JD in true manly fashion lunged at the TV like it was his new best friend. He saw the big monster truck in it and crawled as fast as he could over to the TV and pulled up and started talking to and patting the TV.



Also, JD has turned into a paper eater. He can find paper anywhere no matter how small it is. He will quickly put it in his mouth and try to eat it. I always know what he is doing because he acts sneaky. He will sit with his back to me and shove it in his mouth as fast as he can before I see him. If I say anything he will scream, laugh, and try to crawl away from me before I can pull it out of his mouth.



Chad and Corey Jeffries are starting a coon club in Dyersburg. There used to be one a long time ago and Chad has many fond memories of it. His dad was the president. This is a place where the hunters can get together and tell tales, show off their dogs, and hunt together. Sometimes they even have coon suppers. Chad tried to start it back when we first dating but he got tired of doing all the work. He even got me and Anna to eat some BBQ coon.

Oh, that reminds me about a month ago we went to homecoming at the church in Chic. They were having a potluck dinner. As I was filling up my plate Chad's sister pointed to her roast she brought and said, "Cindy, you might want to get some of mine because you never know what the other dishes are made out of!" Meaning??? I wonder this as I stare at my plate. Coon?? Squirrel?? Deer??

Ode to Trigger

Trigger how I love you. Let me count the ways. As most of you know Trigger is my horse and really really old. She is somewhere around 30 years old. If she had papers we would know! Trigger has been around longer than almost everyone Chad, Anna, Katie and has outlived many pets Frisky, Major, Scout. I could go on. We bought her 21 years ago. Can you believe that! To me it is amazing that my children are learning to ride on my childhood horse. It just makes me teary eyed to think about it.

Working at the Pumpkin Patch

Well we have worked the pumpkin patch several times at the church. After buying everything the first time Lexie has gotten bored with it and now wants to stay with Little Mama. JD is still loving it and wants to crawl around everywhere if you do not keep him in his car. Then her proceeds to try to eat everything in site. He is just an outdoor baby, he loves it. Yesterday, JD and I manned the pumpkin patch alone

This was the tractor that almost gave JD whiplash trying to look at it!

This is JD trying to eat straw. He looks at it first and talks to it like he is saying, "Get in my belly!"

Trip to Mimi's house and her Shower

This weekend Little Mama, Lexie, JD, and I went to Mimi's house for her wedding shower. We got there Saturday and went shopping with Kim to get some things for a party for her backyard. I also needed to get an outfit for JD to wear because we were getting our pictures made. Let me tell you if you have never been shopping with a 3 year old and an 8 month old it is pure chaos. To tell you the truth I think chaos follows us around. Nothing is easy! I'm not saying that is bad because we have alot of fun.

Sunday we got ready and went to her shower which was a double shower because Katie (Brandon's twin sister) is getting married too. It is a double wedding. Lexie met two girls and tried to play with them, they were 4 and 7, but the 4 year old (the one on the right) was very mean and snotty to Lexie. Think girls in middle school. She would run to the couch and tell Lexie she couldn't get on it or try to hide from her. I gave her a dirty look well not dirty but stern and she just said, "Yeah, we're mean." I said to her, "Well, she is my daughter so you better be nice." This did not faze her because later mama caught her hitting Lexie on the head. What is it in girls makeup that makes them snotty? I hope hope hope Lexie does not act like that. Oh her mom never said anything!! Kim said she is adopted and they never say anything to her.

After the shower, we went and got Kim's bridal portraits done. Mom wanted us and the kids together so we took some of them too. JD wasn't very happy and Lexie acted awful and got a trip to the bathroom with mom ( if you know what I mean) but we got them done and they turned out good. I will try to post one on here if I can later.

Monday we bought mums for Kim's house and helped her put them out. Then it was time to come home.

Fall Break

Well today is officially the first day of our fall break. I can't believe it is that time of year. Our pumpkin have arrived at the church! I have been staying up late sewing Lexie and my 3 little nieces halloween outfits. This is my first attempt at sewing. My mom could not believe that I didn't know how to sew my sister knows how but she asked me where I was when she was teaching Kim. I told her that me and Anna were probably out back playing in creek or riding something. Anyways she taught me so I am getting the hang of it. It helps that she has a good sewing machine too. Here is a picture of the outfits all the girls got that look alike and Lexie's other outfit.

More pictures

Mimi's visit and the fair

We had Mimi here last weekend for the fair and Little Mama's birthday. She went with us and rode all the rides with Lexie at the fair and coached her on her fair day games. Do ya'll remember the games jump rope, hula hoop, and the big one tug of war! We used to get trophies they now get money and get to chase livestock around and eat gross things. Lexie got her name called for the fear factor game and they put tuna fish and ketchup in front of her and called it fish guts. There was no way that she was going to eat that!! Next chased a goat and had to pull the ribbon off its tail and run to the circle in the middle. Well with Mimi's coaching she won! She got two dollars. Then she got all greased up for the pig chase and won two dollars for that too! Mimi is a very good coach as of us swim teamers know. She told Lexie what to do and then would drill her by asking, "Now when you get out there what are you going to do?" Lexie would say "Pull the ribbon off the goat's tail." Mimi would say, "Then what? " Lexie would answer, "Run to the circle!" Lexie also got $6.50 for her artwork for a grand total of $10.50 won at the fair! We caught up with Lexie's cousin Emma on thursday night and Lexie got to ride several rides with her too before it was JD's bedtime.

JD loved the cars and the big trucks but unfortunately he was too little to ride so maybe next year. But JD loved the sweet tea his Uncle Chuck fed him!!

On Little Mama's birthday we went to Lupo's our new Italian resturant in town. We had a crazy time trying to keep both kids for the hour wait to get our food!! Lets say there was crying and lots of walking inside and out! But we did it and didn't have to clean up any dishes.

And They're Off!

Well it is official JD is crawling! It is nowhere near the speeds Lexie accomplished yet but we are moving. I have more to blog about the fair and Mimi being here but I just wanted to document that.

The Fair

Yesterday was the first day of the fair and if any of you know me you know that I love the fair! I begin to look forward to it months in advance. Things start smelling and tasting like corn dogs and funnell cakes. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Little Mama, Papa D and I took the kids to the fair last night. Oh it was so much fun!! Lexie loved all the rides and even rode the super trampoline you have to pay extra for. She said her favorite was the Nascar ride because it slung you around the corners really fast. I rode several with her and screamed along with her. It is amazing how even a kiddy ride will make you laugh and holler! JD had a good time looking at the tractors and the big trucks! He had a fit to have my corn dog but had to settle for cheerios and a bottle.

Chad and His Mountain of Grain

This is a picture of Chad at work. This is what he has been doing since the middle of August. This was in the paper this week. Here is a link to the article http://www.stategazette.com/story/1251052.html

Dresses

Here is a picture of Lexie and Kim's dresses for the wedding.

Lexie loved hers and didn't want to take it off.

Wagon Sledding

We have started a new sport. Wagon sledding. We went to a birthday party friday and the kids were pulling their wagon up a hill and were climbing in and riding it down the hill. Lexie had the best time so when we got home we had to get our wagon out and find a hill! It is a lot of fun if you can keep the wagon straight and not tip over.

JD did not ride down the hill but loved being pulled around.

Harvest Time

Well harvest time is here in full force which means that Chad is working very very long hours and I feel like a single mom. They are having a record breaking year for many reasons, heat ,drought, and the amount of corn brought in. Chad dumped over 225 trucks yesterday. He has practically moved in. He took Lexie's blow up bed and is sleeping in his office because they are working 24 hours a day! He only comes home to shake off all his dust, dump the corn kernels out of his pockets and shoes, and take a shower! Luckily the boom will only last a little longer and then he will only work until 8 every night.

Our Kids Are Going to be Famous

Well in Troy anyway. Mom and Dad are putting up a billboard to sell golf course lots there! Anna you will get to see them everyday.

Update

Wow it has been busy around here! I really need to update. Lexie has started preschool again and is loving it as always. Her teacher is wonderful and they are the puppy class which pleases Lexie to no end. She tells me she is going to puppy school and her teacher actually calls them her puppies!

On our puppy front we had to give away Sassy. She was just too rough with Lexie and the other new puppy which I will get to in a minute. Sassy has snapped and bit Lexie several times on the face and her daddy was not going to have that! It was not the usual puppy type of biting more of the dominate type. Lexie got to the point where she didn't want to get her out of the pen.

In other news we have a new coondog puppy. His name is Bozo and is so cute. Chad and Lexie have been getting him out at night and training him! He loves Lexie and will let her carry him everywhere and do anything with him. That was the problem with Sassy she didn't want to do what Lexie wanted her to do!

JD has been eating like a horse. He loves almost anything you give him. He is also trying to say his da da da sounds. He is becoming scared of strangers and will cry when they try to talk to him. He is still not crawling but will be very soon. He can get on his hands and knees but can't go anywhere. He has also started pulling up on things. I turned around the other day and he had pulled up on one of his toys and was just standing there!!

Lexie and Fred

I could write a book on the sayings of Lexie. The other day we were at the pool and if you know us you know that me and Kim have always called the little brown butterflies that are always around pools Fred. We would always say that it was the same butterfly and he loved us and always came back to visit. Well, Fred was there at the Farms pool and Lexie wanted to catch him really bad. Instead of being still and letting him come to her, she, in true 3yr old fashion was chasing him around. As she was chasing him she was saying, "Please come here butterfly. I will love you and take a bath with you. Just let me catch you."

Last night I was telling her that eating carrots make your eyesight better. We went outside where it was getting dark and Lexie exclaimed, "Mama, I can see in the dark. You know why, because I have carrots in my eyes."

Also Mimi is the root of all evil. If she does something wrong or says something she is not supposed to she always blames it on Mimi. We will ask her where did you hear that...Mimi. Lexie is fascinated by Mimi's tattoos. I keep catching Lexie giving herself tattoos with an ink pen or any thing she can find to write on herself. She even watched the show Miami ink with us and was totally absorbed in it. I finally broke down and told her how you get a tattoo, big needles and all, and it didn't faze her. This is the child who is scared to death of the doctor. Who screams her head off when she gets shots, who has kicked the doctor repeatedly. All she said was, "When I get big I'm going to get a Scooby doo one!"

Almost Crawling

Well our big man is trying his best to get mobile. He sees things, wants to go after them, rocks back and forth and falls on his face! But, it won't be too long before he figures it out. Then what are we going to do? Is our house baby proof? It used to be. Now Lexie has lots of toys with little parts. Most of the little things that stick in the plug-ins are pulled out and who knows where. Our cabinet locks are broken. We have lots to do!

JD also had his first homemade meal tonight mashed potatoes and pureed carrots. He loved them! He is our eater. He will eat and eat until you just get tired of feeding him. Mrs. Deborah has been telling me that boys are bottomless pits and I better be ready. She tells a story about her son colapsing a bottle once from sucking so hard. JD also loves sweet potatoes and if you have ice cream you better watch out. He will fight you for it!!

My Little Ones

I was sitting tonight after I put the kids to bed watching them sleep and was amazed at the blessings that God gives us. There they were my two perfect little ones so innocent and peaceful. I write a lot about Lexie because she is three and goes nonstop and has a lot to say but then there is JD. I look at him and know that I am blessed. I was remembering today the days we spent in the hospital with him and how scared we were. I remember picking up my bible and it opened up to a verse that I had underlined. It was Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart"

It was then that I knew he was ours, that God had purposely put him into our lives and that we would be blessed beyond measure.

MiMi's Getting Married!

Well Kim is getting married again and guess what I get to be at the wedding. I am even going to be in it!! For those of you who don't know my sister got married the first time in New York and gave us two weeks notice. It was during my exams for college and it would have been like $1000 for a plane ticket up there. This was a sore spot for me for a long time. But she has found Brandon and we all love him especially Lexie. He is the ying to her yang and he can put up with her!! Just kidding Mimi!

We went to David's Bridal today and tried on dresses. Hers in a size 4 and she preceded to tell me she still wants to lose some pounds before the wedding! I pulled up my shirt and showed her my baby flab and battle scars and told her she had nothing to worry about. We had a fun time and Lexie is getting a dress to match Kim's. It is so cute.

New Family Member

The Smith household has a new member, a boxer puppy! You might think we are crazy getting a puppy with a baby. Maybe we are, but she is so cute!! Lexie has named her Sassy after the cat on The Incredible Journey. If she was a boy it was going to be Scooby Doo. Lexie is a movie buff. As it is looking right now she might just be the next big movie critic or a race car driver like she says. I am serious, she has a movie problem. She already has every movie out and is working on filling up our Tivo!

Ok back to Sassy, she has fit in great. She leaves us lots of presents and chews on JD's toys. I even caught her sucking one of his pasifiers! There is no better life than growing up with a dog!

"She said what!?"

Isn't this the cutest picture. This is JD and his new friend Kennedy. My good friend Katie and her husband Greg came to visit the other weekend and this is their daughter. The had a blast with each other talking and sharing toys. Also that weekend JD started sitting up. He is now mastering the art of sitting and grabbing for toys! I can tell it won't be long until he is on the move. It is funny how with the first one you look forward to that day and can't wait but the next one comes along and you dread it!! It means two going strong usually on opposite directions.

Lexie has discovered something very fun at her Mimi's. It is called Jump Zone.http://www.jumpzoneparty.com/index.php It was so much fun even for me!

Memorial Weekend

We had a great weekend. We went to the cabin. Lexie rode the bullet with Little Mama and JD and Papa D drove the boat. It was just a fun relaxing time.