Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We started our Christmas weekend with candlelight service at The Brook Church last night. It was so good to see old friends from there. Pastor Mike did a great job of bringing together the Christmas story and Salvation.

Then we came home and the boys got to open their Christmas eve gift. They opened Papa and Grandma's gifts and Papa Jerry and Mama's cards.

Jon Michael doing the workbook grandma and papa sent.

Jalyn playing with his bible "super heros". Daniel and the lions, David and Goliath.

Jalyn "spearing" a lion...so violent!!!

Aunt Court found a great deal on a used ds for Jalyn b/c his old one was broken. Thank you Aunt Court! He loves it.

The boys got Nerf guns...this is the first picture frame....

second frame...David and Goliath facing off...Jon Michael is fixing to shoot past David and take Goliath out....I love how little boy brains work!

third frame...Daniel praying for victory!!!!!! So hilarious!!! Can you tell we go to a pentecostal church now from how Daniel is praying?!?!

Its just us at home for Christmas....its been great. Jon Michael fell asleep in our bed with us last night tracking Santa (no he does not believe but he thinks it fun to pretend), so when he tried to get up at 6 something to open presents I was able to make him go back to sleep for a little bit longer. Easy morning of opening gifts with the boys and me cooking while Jonathan helped the boys hook up all their video game systems to one tv box. Can't wait to eat and take a nap!!!

"Risen" Truck Show

This past weekend we went to Carthage, Texas for the "Risen" Truck Show. It was a show that benefited Court and the kids in Bob's memory. Bob and his friend, Shay Wiggins, had talked lots about putting on a family based show. Shay worked hard and made the first of these style shows happen and it was AWESOME!!!

You know me I don't post until I have a ton of pic's to go with it. I took almost 200 pic's but some of them are just to emotional to put on here so I just put the good times.

It was held at the baseball fields in Carthage.

This is Shay...he doesn't really have a "fro"!

You should have seen the little kids lovin' on Spongebob!


Ryan, Dakota and his wife came up for the day. We really enjoyed spending time with them just hanging out and catching up....and of course picking on Dakota!

The first of many sno cones!

They had a whole kids area with a joy jump and then puppets and bible story time with games.

All the trophies were donated and handmade. We all called this one the "Bob" trophy. It was fun to watch, it kinda had a bobble head that moved around, especially when the bands were playing....it was like Bob was headbanging!

There are to many pictures of trucks to post so I just chose a few. We love flat black on old trucks, there were a couple like this we liked.

This one was cool b/c of the crosses that held the hood open. There was also one with a huge guitar pick holding the hood open.

Ryan, Dakota and his wife enjoying the music. It was so good to have them there....pieces of Bob's life represented.

This is some of the youth group singing some of the songs that Bob wrote.

Shay owns a clothing line called "Whywear". He presented Dad with a jacket that was just like Bob's with the same pin stripe cross on the back and dads name on the front, like all the members of the truck club.

This man owns, "Texas Heatwave", a well known truck and car show in Texas. He was so touched by Bob's story that he wrote a poem and drove down from Austin to present Mom and Dad, Court and the kids, and Shay with a Heatwave plaque that had Bob's verse and info on it.

I love watching the boys together! They are so funny!

...and sweet sometimes too! Love that little man! He gives sweet hugs and kisses.

Shay presented Dakota with a guitar he had painted in memory of Bob.

Skull with dreads on one side.

The other side.

This is the trophy that Merch won for best bike.

Love seeing those two men together!

Merch and his Sucker Punch.

This truck won the "Bob" trophy.

He's actually from our area, Cleveland, Texas. He had met Bob at a show down here in Houston.

The base of the "Bob" trophy...

Ryan's "Why Wear" sticker on his car!

Sometimes I think Bob only liked friends with long hair!

Merch and the kiddo's....I think Zeke was off getting another snowcone! Merch and Bob were great friends, they were in Bikers for Christ together and took road trips and did ministry together.

Merch was injured in a work accident a few years ago and one of his hands doesn't work anymore. Dad and Jonathan bungee corded....YES, I said bungee corded, his trophy to his body so he could ride home to Tyler with it!

Oh my gosh, it was so funny! But Merch is so cool he pulled it off!

Dinner at Jalapeno Tree....so yummy! Look at all those cheeks! They are the exact same!

After church on Sunday they planted a Cedar of Lebonan tree in memory of Bob.

It was an emotionally draining weekend but also will be such good memories for us. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported Court and the family.

Oklahoma Trip

We spent last week in Oklahoma. We loaded up Saturday night and drove to Dallas to pick up the Fields cousins and then to Durant and spent the night. Got to see Aunt Tab and her family for a little bit and then headed to spend the day at Papa John and Renae's house. After that we headed to my parents house in Muldrow for the week, where the kids got to go to vbs at their church. It was a great trip. Enjoy all the pictures.

Renae dishing out the ribs, the kids waited all day for these. Jon Michael loved it.

The kids spent almost all day playing hide and seek, they had so much fun.

Jon Michael hiding under the coffee table.

Emma Leigh with her frozen yogurt face. I'm sure the kids ate them out of everything in their fridge while we were there.

Jon Michael had so much fun catching grasshoppers around the house. Papa John is giving him a jar to keep them in. They did try to go fishing with them later at the pond but the fish would nibble off pieces of the grasshoppers but not get hooked.

Papa showing them a storm cellar.

Picture at the park.

Bethen running the relay race at vbs.

Emma Leigh wouldn't rope the cow at vbs but she did the next day with Papa.

Zeke loved sleeping next to Jon Michael.

We would sit on the porch during vbs and watch the games. Zeke was taking a break and playing his "guitar".

Mr. Heith teaching the kids to rope.

This is Ms. Ashlee, Heith's sister, she was in charge of snacks....she quickly became Zeke's friend and we had to visit her every night once he figured that out!

Jalyn learning to rope.

This was the cutest thing I saw all week! Mr. Heith taking his time and showing Zeke how to rope. Zeke loved it!

Ok, well this was the 2nd cutest thing! Look how sweet! Cute little "mohawk" boy and cowboy just hanging out!

I told you! SO SWEET!!!!!!!!!!

On Thursday we went to Ft Smith, Ark. to walk part of the Trail of Tears and see where they had to cross the Ark. River.

They had a very cool museum of the fort. Jon Michael checking out the bedding in the jail.

The kids wanting to be let out of jail!

Jon Michael standing partly in Arkansas and partly in Indian Territory.

Zeke enjoying snacks from Ms. Ashlee! He had 4 swiss cake rolls that night, along with pond water (kool aid), he loved it!

In the afternoons we made lunch then the kids played on the slip n slide and had popsicles.

The kids had so much fun climbing trees and playing outside almost all day long. It was so good for them to just get outside and make up their own games and have fun together.

Friday morning we went to Sequoyah's cabin. He's the cherokee indian who created the first written cherokee alphabet.

It was a cowboy themed vbs. Dad was the "mascot" so he was a cowboy all week and Mom taught the missions class so every night she dressed up like whatever country they were learning about. This night happened to be about the missionaries to an indian reservation.

Dad "taught" the kids to drive the riding lawn mower.

So cute! Look at those little legs!

Bethen doing the stick horse relay in boots, so fun to watch!

Second time around they could wear their own shoes so they could run faster, the kids had so much fun racing.

During break Zeke had to give the boots and stick horse a try....he was so much fun to hang out with in the evenings and see him enjoying himself.

Friday night after vbs we hung out in the gym for awhile. The kids ran around like crazy and played ball and ping pong. Emma Leigh became a pro at playing frisbee with Papa and after just a short while was throwing and catching with one hand.

Papa worn out from the week and playing in the gym! Just kidding, he was just trying Zeke to lay down for the night.

We had such a good time. The kids were WONDERFUL, it really couldn't have gone any better. I'm hoping we can make it an annual trip for the kids.....that is if mom and dad have recovered from our visit in a year!