Merry Merry Christmas (our year in review & pics)

CHRISTMAS 2013

WHAT A YEAR!  WHAT A YEAR!   WHAT A YEAR!  WHAT A YEAR!  WHAT A YEAR!  WHAT A YEAR!

January….. Celebrated Laynie’s birthday with our yearly memorial blood drive.  Lots of friends and family turned out to celebrate this monumental day with us…. I started my first full month at work back selling funerals.  Love love love my JOB. Lovely got baptized this month.

February…. We drove over 4 states, watching Hallie play club volleyball, and learned what a competitive sport looks like.  She was growing like a weed, and was about 5’10 at the beginning of the season.  Hallie also participated in her singing contest at school and made a superior rating.  She’s a singing volleyball queen.  

March…. Had our Team HOPE participate in the Wings to Fly run in El Reno, and it was so bittersweet, missing sweet Austin (who had competed in all of them with us before), and also, our last weekend before Kip moved to California to be closer to her love, Brandon.  At least he lives in Redding, where our beloved Aunt Nancy and Uncle Lavonne live, so she is close to family, and what an adventure she and Lacey had, driving out to California, to take her to her new home. 

  

April….After prayer and consideration, I took in my foster kids’ 3 year old brother, BB.     And then there were 5 (in the 1200 sq ft house).    Hallie performed for the 2^nd year in the Arts Festival Idol competition.  

May….Lacey GRADUATED with her Master’s degree.  Incredible thesis written, honors awarded, what an achievement.  My kid’s done growed up good.  And Learnt, too.   Hallie started playing Beach VOLLEYBALL, and had me driving 1 hour each way, every day, so she would practice 5 hours a day.  That’s a driven, dedicated kid.  And an exhausted, road weary mama.  Worst Tornado hit Moore, affected us all.  

June….. Grammie and Lacey flew out to Redding to go visit the Kipster, who, much to my dismay, instead of being homesick, was way upbeat, because she had just landed a phenomenal job with an ARCHITECT firm in Redding, and had found a roommate (that looks remarkably like her sister) to share an adorable apartment with.    That was a fateful trip, because I believe it was this trip that Kip told her sister that she needed, now that she was done with school, to quit making excuses and get it together and start DATING again.  After a couple of failed attempts, as she was resigning herself to become a foster lady(instead of cats) like her mom, her cousin Lindsay called her and told her she had found her a husband.  Turned out, she had.  1^st date in June, ON HER BIRTHDAY.  Forever, Tyler will be Lacey’s birthday present from Jesus.  

July….the lovelies first 4^th of July celebration.  Parades, fireworks, hot dogs, Tyler, swimming, just a full fun day.  As we were holding hands walking to the car, BB looks up to me and says, “Lolly, I happy”.  And my goodness…I happy, too.  Hallie tried out for Norman North Volleyball team, and landed on the JV team, a high honor for a kid playing volleyball less than a year.  Lovely attended her Loveworks camp and gained confidence and swag galore.  It’s amazing watching this kid bloom.  Then I done lost my mind and had both Lovely and LB’s tonsils/adenoids out the last week of July, and when the doc says they will need to lay down for 10 days straight, he ain’t kidding.  That put ole Lolly to the test, having two very pain-filled kiddos to nurse back to health.  But the upside, is after being sick non-stop and on antibiotics the entire winter (strep throat constant), they haven’t been sick once since.  Not even a cold.  It’s a Christmas miracle.  And Lovely doesn’t snore anymore, which makes the whole house a happier place. 

August….. Hallie and I flew to California to check out Kip’s new digs.  We flew into San Fran, rented a car and cruised up to see our girl.  What a great time, meeting Brandon’s parents, seeing Aunt Nancy and Uncle Lavonne, and getting to finally see Alison and Scott and all their tribe, after 16 years, we figured out.   It was awesome, and I even got asked out by Brandon’s 80 year old neighbor.  I still have it, people.  Hal started school ball, and killed it in JV.  Also, started her freshman year in HS.  How is that even possible?  Lovely lost 50 pounds, started 7^th grade, LB started 4^th, and BB sings, all the time. YAY.  

September…When Hal & I were in Cali, Brandon and Kip told us they were wanting to get a Great Dane puppy, but hadn’t had much luck finding one.  I got back home, put a notice on facebook, and within 12 minutes, had a Great Dane “puppy”.  She was the size of a small mountain, and thought she was a lapdog.  We decided that Gallup, NM was halfway enough, and on Labor Day weekend, took a “Balls to the Walls, Ladies” trip, with my cousin, Shannon, Hallie and Brielle, the wonder mutt, to meet Bree’s new parents.  It was a fast and furious 24 hours of driving in a 48 hour period.  It would have been less, but Kip decided to leave her purse in our hotel room and drive 3 hours before she realized it was missing, so that added 1 ½ hour each way to all parties involved.  But, hey, we got to see some of Arizona that way.  Hallie turned 15, and Lacey was so in love, she was ALL shook up.  Tyler asked her to marry him this month, and just like that we are planning a wedding.   Hallie got moved  up to Varsity!! in HS ball this month.  Grew to height of  6’1”. 

October….Lacey & Tyler got married Oct 4.  It was the most beautiful, wonderful, touching, love filled moment I have ever witnessed.  Makes me tear up thinking about it.  Carl & I snuck Kip home for the big event, and if you haven’t read my blog and watched the video of those two reuniting, you need to do that, because I promise you will tear up and laugh all at the same time.  It was SO SPECIAL!  BB turned 4 during all that excitement, even though he isn’t sure how old he is, he just knows he’s something. In spite of all these things, I qualified for our company trip..a one week cruise from LA to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta for next April.  Had to sell $700k to qualify, so that was a big accomplishment.  

November…kids met Santa at my work, and when Santa asked BB what he wants for Christmas, he tells him “A monkey”.  Lacey wants to know what his Plan B is, if Santa can’t bring him a monkey and he tells her “Two monkeys”.   Kip and Brandon come home for Thanksgiving, and we have a big Shindig at the Round Barn and celebrate our newlyweds with their friends and family.  Took some dandy pictures too and danced our faces off. Have had my fosters one year, and decide I can’t live without them, and make the decision to adopt when the courts terminate the parents’ rights.  Could be this March, could be a year from next March, but when the time comes, they will become Jacksons.  

December…. Ramping up to Club Volleyball season with Hallie, LB and Lovely getting ready to play Jammer Basketball with the Norman parks and rec department, BB speaking more and more English, though still peeing his pants.  Lacey married and happy, Tyler hilarious, like we’ve had him our whole lives,  Kip and Brandon doing the California thing, and they caught (were handed) the garter and bouquet in a not too subtle gesture from big sister.  

All you need is love, friends.  I’ve frantically searched for a happiness my entire life.  And right in this moment, is the most content, happy and loved I have ever felt.  God supplies our needs; He is our constant support and guide.  May love surround your family, and the peace you find ONLY through Jesus our Lord, be yours this upcoming year.