Welcome 2015

As you can tell, I've been catching up on the blog.  I don't seem to have time or energy here lately to write a novel about our lives, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.  

Brent and I had a date night to the Rep.  

Jackson and Gamma hung out. 

Jackson is in full superhero mode. 

He spent the weekend with Mimi and Pops and got to use his Lightening McQueen backpack.

Got some good cousin time in with Lucy.  

Went to the library with mom and read books.  

Played with our friends during the Super Bowl. 

Enjoyed playing outside at a birthday party (before the Eternal Winter set in). 

Barefoot in February?  We were just living the dream and didn't know it.  

Mimi and Pops went to Honduras.  We prayed for them every night and it was so sweet to hear Jackson say, "When I get bigger, I will go to Honduras."  

We had Valentine's Day.  

Enjoyed a trampoline picnic in the sunshine. 

And then winter hit us upside the head.  This was snow #1.

Me, Mom, and Dad went to see the Lion King in Memphis.  

We did a lot of working from home.  My helper did his work too - coloring, cutting, and watching videos. 

Snow #2

We got desperate for things to do, so we decided to paint.  

Little did we know that snow #3 was just around the corner. 

Christmas Eve and Day 2014

The older Jackson gets, the more fun Christmas is.  On Christmas Eve, we drove to Bryant to have dinner and presents with my parents and sister and her in-laws.  We also had Gamma with us, so it was a big party.  

Mimi had gotten Lucy and Jackson matching outfits.  They looked so cute, but I know I'm biased.  

Jackson was teasing L with the monkey, but he really didn't want her to play with it.  Guess we will have lots of sharing to do in the future.  

Pops and Lucy. 

Aunt Laura and the litle elf.  She had her Christmas jammies on. 

Opening presents was so much fun! 

But before we got too deep in wrapping paper, Mimi and Gamma had a special present to open from Jackson.  

We had waited for a couple of months to tell everyone while we were all together on Christmas eve that Jackson was going to be a big brother!  They were all shocked and excited.  It was a really fun moment to share with everyone.  

When we got back home, we got ready for Santa to come.  And sure enough, he came.  Jackson was a good boy this year!  He got a work bench that went in his room, and a Lighting McQueen backpack and Monster Truck Mater.  That's what he said he wanted since November and was pretty consistent with the request.  

He also got a trampoline as a collective gift from the grandparents.  That afternoon it was very nice outside, so he got to jump for a little while.  

Love this picture - he sure does love his daddy. 

Christmas night we drove across town to play with our Gardner and Oxner cousins.  Jackson is the youngest cousin, but some of the older ones were good to play with him. 

Connie, Wyn, and Dianne

and of course we couldn't forget Uncle Junior.  

And if you don't know us by now, then you don't know that we change clothes after dinner and get ready to throw fire at each other....literaly.  This is Brent's "fireball" clothes.  

By this time, Jackson was tired and was not interested in watching the fun.  

See  - literally there is fire thrown in a ball form to each other.  It's a 90-year-old tradition that is so fun.  

And of course when it's over, everyone has sooty hands that smell like kerosene.  As they say "smells like Christmas".