Same Snow Story. Different Snow Day

Our first major snow of 2011 rolled in pretty quickly after the new year. I'm not going to lie.....I was pretty much over the snow before it even came. If I had wanted to see this much snow in a year's time I would've packed it up and moved to Michigan. Of course school was canceled and the night before the snow brought much planning for snow day festivities.

We had our usual inclement weather crew over to frolic in the frozen precipitation.
This snowfall was particularly great for making awesome snowballs. We had a serious adults vs. kids snowball fight that made for many sore arms the next morning.
Snow days are always great for Rhett because a) his brothers are home and b) he gets to hang with Silas who is normally in kindergarten.

The little people got to get in on the action a tiny bit this year.
Cruz did some sledding and I think he liked it although his face is a bit unsure in this picture.
Grant and snow-eating Cavin.
The half finished clubhouse served as the "base" for the kiddos during our snowball war. It was quite the safe haven until Mr. Jason dumped sleds full of snow through the unfinished roof.
And, a snow day just isn't a snow day unless Brent brings the 4 wheeler and pulls us through the field!


Cruz hung pretty good in the cold weather riding on that sled!
Carris even braved the cold for a few minutes.

Looks like all the Ashmans like to eat the snow!
Little Lanie came out for a bit but she wasn't about to smile about it. She kept her stone face on the entire time. Her baby bunting kept her toasty warm so I don't know what she was so smug about.

Jason and some of the boys spent time making an army guy snowman. Once he was finished he had snow arms holding a stick gun and a stick crew cut for hair. I didn't get a pic of the finished product. :(
You wouldn't have been able to pick tiny Eliza out in a lineup with her snow playing get-up on. Her clothes added at least 15 pounds and 45 inches to her frame. It didn't stop her from keeping up with the boys though!
Callan fashioning a snowball
This snow go-around I made it a point to catch a picture of Baylor. Last snow he evaded my camera.
More friends came over as the day progressed but by that time I had put my camera away. I did happen to catch a snapshot of this man pile. Someone was smashing someone's face into the snow. I am not, however, going to name names in the hope of protecting the dignity of the bottom of the pile. brent jones

Snow days can be a lot of fun but I'm going to be honest people. My kids need to head back to la escuela. This global warming thing is killing my schedule.

Be Afraid

Bobby and Grant had a little father/son QT the other day supposedly spent running a couple errands. The next thing I know, Grant comes in the door yelling for his brothers with this box tucked under his arm:

No he didn't. Yes. Yes he did. Bobby got the boys a real, live, working bb gun. Did he forget about this kid?? Had he already forgotten that we just watched him nearly shoot his eye out just as his mother had predicted??

Grant has been lugging that gun around like he's in the army infantry or something. He ate dinner and then I noted from under the table came, you guessed it, the bb gun.

Then I heard marching footsteps through the house. It was Grant. With the gun.
And if anything EVER evoked fear in one's heart, it should be this next picture.
Rhett holding a bonafide gun and Cade whacking wood with a rusty ax. I tell you. It doesn't get much scarier than that. I am proud to say that all of our family came out alive with all the danger that loomed. But I must add, if there were ever a time that you were considering praying for our family, now would be the time.
Lord help us. Lord help us all. And our neighbors. Luckily for all in the surrounding area, the bb gun is bb-less. As soon as I get my shipment of eyepatches in I'll let Bobby purchase the metal balls that will surely be the death of an eye.....or an unsuspecting squirrel.

365 Down

Another 365 days have passed and I find it hard to believe! I must say, without a doubt, that 2010 will most assuredly go down in my book as one of the best years ever. It's not really hard to figure out why:

May finally brought a face to the little girl that had plagued my mind for nearly 3 years and Bobby got to cradle a tiny piece of pink all his own for the very first time.
Then we got to sit back and watch her grow for 7 and a half months....and man, I know I'm biased, but she just keeps getting cuter!! Having this little Hondurican added to our family overshadowed pretty much everything in 2010. God is faithful!
My boys have grown so much in one short year as well. Cade and Grant are coming up on one full year of sharing a room and most days it works well. The other days......well, not so much.
Grant ended the year with a new do. I was hesitant at first but now I really, really love it.
And Little Buddy. My five year old Little Buddy. I could do a year long blog based upon his antics alone. I have had more laughs this year due to this child and I'm hoping he cracks me up even more in 2011.
So here's to one more year down. One more year full of celebrity mishaps (I'm talking to you Jesse James). One more year of great concert happenings (Thank you Carrie Underwood!) And one more year filled with great friends, happiness, and good health. I couldn't ask for anything more! As for resolutions: I got none. I don't feel the need to impose unwanted and unneeded pressure on myself. I hope everyone has had a beautiful Twenty-ten!

Officially Official

Our Wednesday morning was spent in court. It wasn't for speeding tickets, domestic abuse, or child trafficking. Instead, it was the long awaited day of adoption finalization! We got there early as instructed and had to sit and wait for quite a while.

After waiting outside the courtroom, we proceeded to wait inside the courtroom. If there is one thing I've learned through this adoption process it's that you better know how to wait. And like it.
Finally our name was called and we were able to enter the informal "chambers" of the judge. I was thankful that my dad thought to bring his flip camera to video the proceedings. It will be a piece of film I'll treasure for sure.
This is a pic of the intense questioning by our attorney and the Judge. (It really wasn't intense. The questions were all no-brainers unless you're that crazy woman that put her kid on an airplane to Russia to send him back.)
The Judge was asking the boys some questions too and Cade ended up answering for everyone. It was so funny because eventually the Judge said, "So, are you the official family spokesperson or something?" and Cade shrugged his shoulders and giggled a little and said, "Well, Idunno."
Thank goodness for the distracting pink folder that kept Lanie entertained. It was well into the hour of her naptime and the last thing I wanted was to have to spank her bottom in front of the Judge for acting out of turn.
Rhett thought she needed to be smiling more for her big day in court so he tried to help her out.
Do you hear the angels singing?? The Big Moment had arrived....The signage of the documents. Lanie is now officially a Morgan and she has all the rights of any child that has been naturally born to us. Sniff, sniff, sniffle...
A shot with the man whose pen holds much power.
And another with our extended family spectators.
Somebody was just tickled pink to be getting a new birth certificate!
Others were just crazy but that's nothing new.
Bobby was one happy daddy knowing official was officially official!
And one pic with a happy mommy, albeit not a good one.
After all was signed and sealed we headed across the street for a little lunch at Puckett's. We had never been there before and I've always heard it's a good place for eatin'.

Grant ordered his usual.....cheeseburger. They didn't have a child sized portion so he ordered the adult meal. To my surprise he nearly finished the head sized burger!
It was my mom and dad's first time at Puckett's too.
The atmosphere was great and the boys were having fun.
Rhett was in good camera form. He gave me lots of photogenic moments.
Then there are the not so photogenic but "SO Rhett" photo moments.
To top off the day we headed down the street for a little celebration sweetness.
And really, what says "Waahooo!!! Our baby girl's officially a Morgan!!" better than a little IveyCake? Nothing.
So with our bellies full and our hearts even fuller, we thanked God for a beautiful end to our adoption journey. I now can pack away my little pink folder and relish in the blessing that is Elaina Marie Morgan! Yea for happy endings!

It's Here!!

The boys were so excited that Santa had dropped off gifts that they hardly even noticed that for the first time in their lifetimes we had a white(ish) Christmas! It was a nice thick dusting that continued to sprinkle snowflakes throughout the day. We had our usual meeting, (this year in Elaina's room), to read the story of Jesus' birth. Then we said our prayers, sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and headed down to see what was awaiting on the hearth.

I actually didn't even get a picture coming down the stairs or seeing their Santa presents because I was manning the new little flip video cam we got. Our lives are well documented via still shots but from now on I'm going to try to be better about catching the live film.

The boys all got a big present from us that was the same:
Baseball and football cards! Bobby has gotten them crazy over collecting these and he couldn't be happier about it. Rhett got several packs and some Wii games. He also got a huge lego set from Mr. Claus.
Cade got some signed cards from our friend Daniel and he nearly flipped his lid! I LOVE to see pure excitement on their faces. There's nothing better! He also bebopped to the music on his ipod shuffle that Santa left.
Tee-Tiny did exactly what I thought she'd do: Eat ribbon.
She got some help from her big brother to get her presents opened. She got a toy from Santa and some cutie patootie clothes from her mommy. That's what she's going to get for every gift giving occasion until she's old enough to complain about it.
Cade and Bobby literally spent the entire Christmas day opening up packs of cards and looking them up in the Beckett price guides. Grant was the winner winner chicken dinner when he turned out an $80 card! When I looked into the living room I swear I saw an eight year old and a twelve year old ripping through those packs. It would be an understatement to say that Bobby was in his element.
Grant stayed busy putting together Knex and legos. He had gotten a remote control helicopter from Santa but his elves don't make things like they used to and after one crash into the fireplace the thing was history. It's a good thing Wal-mart takes things back that were made in Santa's shop.
We had a very blessed day of Christmas and thankfully I was on the mend. We spent the entire day in our pajamas and it was a day of rest and relaxation we all needed. Alrighty! Now that that is over and we've had family time, can these kids go back to school?? Merry Christmas!

Morgan Christmas!

Our family generally spends Christmas Eve with Bobby's family. We usually go to Zion for the candlelight service but this year we decided to forgo. The service was at the same time as LanieBug's dinner time and while she doesn't make much noise, dinner time is an exception. Girl likes to eat when she wants to eat. Here she is getting smiles from her Great Nannie. Nannie gives the smile, Elaina gives the stare. She's good at that.

Apparently there were some smiles from the babe but I wouldn't know being that my Christmas Eve gift was a meeting staring into the porcelain throne. I hadn't had that meeting in eight years and I'm convinced that it was the breaking of my own rules (never let unclean hands come above the shoulders, and never eat without washing hands) that caused my ultimate viral inoculation.
I missed out on the cuteness of "twin" cousins. I'm sure Elaina was thrilled to be Amelia's look-a-like, she just doesn't freely hand out her excitement.
I'm glad Wendy was there with her camera so that I could have a least a little documentation. I'm pretty sure Bobby made it there with my other kids but I think it would suffice to say that they were buried knee deep in wrapping paper shooting one another with the enormous nerf guns their cousins gave them.
Well, here's proof that they were definitely there. All the cousins make for a motley crew!
I'm sure next year I'll be back to hit the Morgan Family Christmas Celebration....at least Bobby's praying for such. Merry Christmas number two! The real one is only one day away!