Wy Is My Guy

He's the best piece of my heart.
He's kind, easy and almost always content with whatever.
Even if every now and again I see smidges of adolescents that terrify me,
I know we will weather this together.
He loves me fiercely and is super protective of me.
He takes his role as oldest seriously.
If Travis is gone he is the consummate"man of the house."

He puts others ahead of himself.
He loves learning.
He shivers with pent up energy when he gets into something.
He reads voraciously. 
(Like a book a day on weekends or snow days, every two days otherwise.)
He's sweet and kind. 
He embraces old fashion manners and opens doors for others,
waits for everyone to be served before starting to eat,
lets girls in front of him in lines.

He is thoughtful and intuitive.
He is snugglable and loving.
I'm so happy to have him.
Happy Birthday, kid.  I'll keep you - forever!

Wy is My Guy

What's your favorite thing to do?
Read

What do you want to be when you grow up? 
Physicists or a Nano Technician

What is your favorite food?
N/A - there are a few that I like

Who do you like to hang out with?
My friends - Bailey and Sophia

What do you do really well? 
School

What makes you laugh?
I'm not sure, nothing in specific, just funny things make me laugh.

What is the best time of day?
Wyatt: Like 9 o'clock
Me:  At night???  When you're sleeping.
Wyatt:  Yeah, when I'm supposed to be sleeping.  (sheepish smile)

What are you afraid of?
I'm claustrophobic and I'm kind of afraid of the dark.

What do you like to do with your family?
Go on trips, hikes and vacations.

What do you like to learn about?
Math

Where do you like to go?
To my room, to be alone.

What is your favorite book?
The Noble Warrior Series or The Magyk Series or The Alchemist

If you could have one wish, what would it be?
To have a million more wishes.

Blizzard '16

I guess this is the new thing.  For years everyone compared every snow or potential snow to the blizzard of '93 or '96.  But this past snow dumped even more impressive record amounts.  How much?  Well about 32" in 30ish hours. 

Our family loves snow.  We were in heaven.  Our friend - I need a new word that English doesn't have yet:  it should be a friend that is considered family - Candela was visiting from Spain.  She doesn't see snow.  She loved the novelty of it all.  So it was just a lot of child-like innocence and excitement.

Lots of outdoor play, tons of hot chocolate and countless nights watching movies snuggled under blankets with the fireplace going and some missed school days are what blizzards bring.  Sounds good to me.  How can people not like winter and snow?

Out With the Old in With the New

Each year at the turn of the year, Facebook posts seem filled with people's reflections about the year - whether it was good or bad and their hopes for the next year to be a better one.  Each year when I see people's farewell wishes to a year gone by with good riddance tacked on, I can't help but wonder what happened to them throughout the year that was so bad.

Normally for me, the end of year is filled with nostalgia, longing and hope.   Transitions are always a time where my normally bubbly self takes on a more solemn note as I turn more introspective and thoughtful.  Each year feels wonderfully fabulous to me.  I feel so blessed that I remember with fondness all that has happened and worry a little, and hope, that the next year is even better.  I feel like I may not deserve so many continuous years of such happiness and abundance in my life, which even as I write makes me realize what a crazy person I am. 

Well this year was a first for me in that I felt a freedom from the year as it ended.  It was a fabulous year.  It was filled with many blessings and opportunities.  It was filled with enormous amounts of changes and readjustments.  It was mostly happy, but it wasn't until I observed the finale that I realized there was less of the longing and more of the hope.  This year although great may have just been a dip in the happiness scale for me.

So as I consciously pondered why it wasn't a "to the moon" year, I considered more thoughtfully my life.  It didn't take me long to realize where I had hopes that this year would be better.  And it wasn't for me, although I guess it somewhat selfishly is, but it was for my husband.  His year is not what he would have wanted or wished or hoped for.  His year was fraught with more challenges and changes than most others and he wasn't necessarily as excited about those changes.  And so since he is always number one in my life, my happiness is somewhat dependent on his happiness.  And his frustrations were enough of a source of consternation to me, that I feel the need to solve those things which I know I can't.

So this year as New Year's Eve approached, our family turned to the thing we have most control over. We turned to the simple truths and priorities of our values.  They are centered around family.  So we scheduled a trip to my sister and brother-in-law's cabin.  There were there are no distractions.  Electricity is a blessing and outhouses and springs in the front yard will do.  Where the focus can be on family and bonding and love and reaffirming the ties that bind us for eternity.  It was the perfect way to start a new year of hope, re-centering ourselves on what matters most.

 

Pork and Sauerkraut for a prosperous new year - here's hoping!

Christmas, Christmas Time Was Here

Our Christmas was very traditional, with our annual Christmas Eve Shepard's Dinner,

 Books and pj's for their Christmas Eve gifts,

 the Christmas morning stairwell wait and picture,

 and then for the good stuff.  I love this day!

Happy Birthday - Let's Grow Old Together

He is the best dad,

tells the best bedtime stories,

has the greatest imagination ever. 

Is the perfect combination of tender and playful.
 

He is the greatest teacher,

teaching the kids his every skill set

while they are young and interested.

He has taught the kids

how to make cookies

how to change the oil in the car

and properly clean from top to bottom.
 

He's the most patient man ever.

Clearly as he deals with me on a regular basis.

He's the father to four kids

and a host of others through foster care.

He's a great puppy trainer.
 

He's the best employee.

The ultimate peacemaker with no ego.

He builds everyone around him up,

works hard and is innovative.

He's the best husband.

He makes me feel loved, treasured and like royalty.

He compares me to his favorite role model

calling me "Josephina".
 

He is Mr. Fix it.

He can fix anything under the sun.

And has with no prior knowledge.

Our garage door, our cars, anything!!!
 

He's brilliant.

His mind can comprehend things

I'll never understand.

He can figure out how anything works

by taking it apart.
 

He is a hard worker.

Whether working for other an employer

or running our own business,

he works hard enough to make anything a success.
 

He is service minded.

He helps volunteer in a million ways

at our church officially and non officially.

He helps in the community

and is the first to help another person.
 

He's fiercely handsome.

Beyond his sexy cleft chin and amazing jawline,

he has magnificent green eyes

and cheekbones that make me jealous.
 

Travis, you meet and exceed

my every expectation.

I'll love you forever.

Let's grow old together.

Happy Birthday!

Thanksgiving Home

His home is my home, so even if his parents couldn't be there the whole time for Thanksgiving vacation, we were still headed home.  Our time was filled with all of our Texas favorites: hunting, arrowhead digging, playing, ranching, eating both Thanksgiving and all around town, butchering meat to take home, games with cousins and 2nd cousins and going to the peak.

And some new fun things: tracking down the name of this plant, swimming in the swimming hole even if it was cold, Emma coming from Fort Worth for a visit, this awesome moon, and some fierce games of capture the flag in the fields.

 

 

 

And just an overwhelming sense of gratitude to these two lookers for not only giving me the most handsome husband, but for making him a husband I feel lucky every day to have.  You sure raised him right.  

 

November Highlights Include:

6th Grade Heroe Wax Museum - Meet J.S. Bach

Middle School Dances - Isa and her posse

WCM Fundraiser - I'm surprisingly good at this!

After 5ish years, I finished this scarf.  Trixie modeled it.

Free tickets, if I would write a review.  Yes, please!

Middle School Clothing Drive - it was awesomely intense.