LA Fishing

We spent the afternoon fishing at a family friends' pond.  The children loved it, because the fish were biting like crazy.  It seemed like every time they casted, a fish was on the line immediately.  This wasn't fishing.  It was catching.  All three kids loved it!

Thanksgiving Take 2

We traveled to Ruston to share in some Thanksgiving festivities and celebrate Pops'  65th birthday.  We also spent a bit of time with the newest baby in our family, Ellison.  Before heading back home, we wanted to snap a picture of the cute cousins. 

Baby Shower

Emily and Jeffery are expecting a baby girl very soon.  We all celebrated the expected family addition with a baby shower in Ruston. We enjoyed seeing old friends and catching up with family.  The diaper cake came together nicely with the fantastic help I had.

We look forward to meeting Miss Ellison.

Thanksgiving Take Two

Our second Thanksgiving celebration was in Ruston with the Allison side of the family.  We had a great time visiting with some family that we hadn't seen in a while and catching up.  Ryland had requested that they go hunting for brown or black animals, so the boys layered on the camo and headed to the woods.  They came back a short while later, and they hadn't see anything.

 

 

On the second trip to the woods, John Chris realized that the pressure to shoot something was pretty intense.  This time they came back with a squirrel, and the boys were so proud.  Ryland wouldn't touch it, but Reed had no problem showing off their kill. 

Now to skin and eat this prize kill.

Fun with Lizee & Pops

Ryland and Reed had so much fun in Ruston while staying with Lizee and Pops.  They enjoyed riding the new mule and picking vegetables in the garden.

 

They gathered eggs and threw out scratch for the chickens.

 

Reed loves spaghetti!  He couldn't get enough in his mouth.

 

The big entertainment highlight was the huge dirt pile.  Both boys are still talking about where we can put a dirt pile at our house.

 

 

Reed helped Pops mow the yard.

 

Ryland the catcher.

 

 

I love this picture.  I know they had a great time, and I heard they spent about 10 hours playing in this dirt pile.  Simple joy!

Leaving the boys

Ryland and Reed are going to have a blast!  They are staying in Ruston for a few days and then heading to Texarkana to finish up the week.  John Chris and I packed the truck to head back home to Southlake.  We gave lots of kisses and hugs and said our goodbyes.  It is always hard to leave them, but I know they will have fun.  I also think the grandparents will really enjoy their time with the boys.

Saying goodbye to JP

Days before leaving for Anguilla, John Chris received word that his friend JP had passed.  He was in the Navy and deployed to Oman when the helicopter he was working in crashed.  Sadly, JP was one of two Americans that perished. 

When we arrived home from vacation, we re-packed and hit the road to Ruston.  It was an extremely hard weekend.  The funeral service was followed by a private burial.  As we rode to his final resting place, we were completely blown away.  The town had planned an absolutely amazing tribute.  People stood on the side of the road with flags, banners, and with their hands over their hearts.  For the approximately 15 mile journey, the streets were full of respectful mourners & patriots. 

We spent the rest of the weekend with family, friends, and JP's new wife, Jacquie.  I couldn't help but imagine what she was going through.  Only married about 3 weeks, before her husband was deployed and now not returning home alive.  Shocked, I can only imagine.  My mind keeps returning to one of the last conversations I had with her in February at their wedding reception.  She was talking about how her and JP were excited about starting a family and couldn't wait to started soon. 

My heart aches for her loss.

Relaxing with Pops

John Chris and I packed and loaded the truck with all our suitcases and the boys' new toys. It was time to hit the road for the trip back home. Reed was obviously worn out. I didn't think he would even make it to the truck before falling asleep. We had a great visit and hope to see everyone again soon.

Christmas in Ruston

After a couple days at home, he traveled to Ruston to see more family. The boys once again had a great time visiting and opening gifts. Gigi gave Ryland a set of four trucks, which he loved.
Reed got a baby doll and a piggy bank. We think he was a little confused about the baby doll at first. Maybe he thought it was a real baby?

Ryland couldn't wait to get the Hummer remote control truck out of the box. He was so excited.

Reed got his very own cars, so now he doesn't have to take Ryland's. Which we are sure won't happen any more. Haha.

Reed modeled his alligator hat.

Ryland and Lizie

Uncle Jeffery and Aunt Emily gave Ryland a camera. This is the perfect gift for our budding photographer.

Cooper was right in the middle of the fun. Reed loved the gift bows. He is such a "gift"!

Ryland helped Gigi open her gift. He loved to tear the wrapping paper off! Such a helper.

Louisiana family

On the road again....... We loaded up and headed to Ruston to see JC's family. Even though it is the day after Christmas, it is Christmas here.

Ryland, our little gift, thought the bow was funny. He smiled and laughed as he tore into his gift from Aunt Emily and Uncle Jeffery.

Spongebob Band-Aids. Just what every destructive boy needs.

Crazy chickens

We took a little look at the chickens as they were getting fed. They crack Ryland up. John Chris makes a chicken noise, and he just starts laughing. Now when he gets a little fussy, we both start clucking.

Happy 60th birthday

We traveled to Louisiana to celebrate Randy's 60th birthday. We had a great time visiting and catching up, and it was nice to slow down a little. I took a few shots of Ryland playing in the grass. He loved picking up the leaves and talking all about them.
I wish I could understand what he was saying.
"oh, you crunchy leaf. How do you taste?"

A kiss from Whody

Ryland's first 4wheeler ride.

Poor Doodle. Somehow he always gets mistaken for a pony or a horse. Ryland loves to ride on Doodle's back.

The boys like to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather!

Cooper loves to chase the frisbee. I swear you could never throw it enough times for him to give up. He is totally focused on fetching it over and over.

Missing my boys

John Chris and Ryland have gone to Louisiana for the weekend. John Chris was invited to go alligator hunting, and he could not pass it up. He took Ryland to the grandparents' house in Ruston for some country fun. I miss the boys, but I am sure they are having fun.
After I finished the weddings, I spent some me time. I decided to go shopping. Wouldn't you know that after a few hours I realized that I had only bought things for Ryland. I had to catch myself and redirect my looking. I did find a few new things for me, and I topped off my time with a much needed pedicure.
I miss my boys, and I can't wait until they come back home.

Hanging with Gigi

We spent some time with Gigi on this visit to Ruston. She loved to hug and hold Ryland, and he went right to sleep. We were sad that Ryland did not get to meet his Great Grandfather, but we know he is watching from above.

Jeffery graduates

We headed to Ruston to celebrate Jeffery's graduation from Tech. We are all really proud of him, and we know that he will be very successful! We had some nice and relaxing time by the pool and lots of delicious crawfish. The pool water was still a little cold, so Ryland just stuck his feet in to cool off.
What a way to end the day! Ryland snuggles with his grandparents, and they drift off to sleep.

Baby shower

John Chris and I headed to Louisiana for our couple's baby shower. We had such a great time visiting with family and friends. So many of the guests have known John Chris for most of his life, and it was cute to talk about old times and old stories. Our guests were very thoughtful and kind. We received so many nice gifts for our little man. We are very appreciative! Emily made an adorable diaper cake. She attached the cutest little bear and lots of Burt's Bees baby goodies. The Burt's Bees smells so good.
Emily and Liz were awesome hostesses. Pictured here wearing one of their hostess gifts. Thank you very much. Everything was delicious - the cakes, sandwiches, and fruit.

Christmas Day

Late Christmas eve night we drove to Ruston to see more family. We had an awesome visit, and our little boy bambino racked up. We had a baby Christmas! We were so excited to get our stroller/car seat system and swing. John Chris and I were like little kids. We had to open the boxes and put our new "toys" together.

It was cute when John Chris showed his grandparents the stroller. He looked so cute pushing the stroller around the house. He knows how to fold and unfold the stroller and also knows how to latch the car seat into the base. He is going to be a great dad!

Trip to Ruston

Cooper was so excited to go to Ruston. He hopped in the trunk when we were loading. Muddy feet and all. (Don't worry we didn't let him ride there.)

We went to Ruston to celebrate Jeffery and Emily's upcoming wedding.
Jeffery, Emily, and Liz greeting guests.


Candice & John Chris

The atmosphere was great at the TL James house. The party had a fall theme complete with pumpkin and fall leaves for decor. The food served was canjun! DELICIOUS! It was nice to see family and old friends again.