WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

Well this has been a great New Year's Eve so far. Jackson's basketball team was in the MAM Christmas Tournament and today was the Championship game. Our team is called Bolton Thunder and we played Briarcrest Saints. We have played this team once before and beat them by 4 at the end so we knew is was going to be a good, close game. And that it was!!! We were down by 8 in the first quarter but turned it around in the 2nd quarter!! The score from then on out was within 2-4 points each way, if not tied. All of the boys played an EXCELLENT game. It was very exciting, yet very nerve racking because we knew we just had to win. The game was played at such a high intensity and, at times most of the game, it was very aggressive. 4 of the boys on our team have played together the past um-teen seasons and are NOT used to losing and today was no different. Jackson absolutely LOVES the game but he also loves winning the game. If they lose, it is not taken well by him. And even if they win and he doesn't score, it still isn't good enough for him. He likes to score. I know you are probably thinking...the game should really be about having a good time. And that is also true as well but at the end of the game, it is about a W instead of a L. And today, they are CHAMPIONS!!! Here are a few pics from the game...

 Praying before the game. Love this!

 The Half-time Talk

 The end of the game.

The Champions...Bolton Thunder!! 

(minus 1 player that was out of town)

Upstairs is Finally Tidy ...for the Moment

A few posts back i was so excited about my entire house being clean. That, as i mentioned, was minus the upstairs room/playroom. We did get it cleaned and re-arranged and ready for Santa but then it was back to a natural disaster. So since i got off of work early yesterday (thanks to Bryan Jackson, MD), i thought it was the perfect chance to get things back in order. Not only did we clean it, we went through the bins and cleaned them out and also went through some things in the attic and cleaned those out too. We now have plenty of things to donate to the Vietnam Vets pick up on January 3 and also to either the Baptist Children's Home or Goodwill. It makes me so happy to be able to donate things that we used barely touched to such great causes. The room is still perfectly clean as we speak, but that is because we have been gone most of the day today. We shall see how long it lasts.

I know that you are probably looking at my craft table thinking....It's not painted?! Well, the frame could not be painted yet because it was pressure treated wood and had to "dry out" before it could be painted. We probably will be able to paint it in about 2ish months and boy will i be glad!!

~ Stocking Up ~

Ok, so i am trying to start the New Year right with eating right and exercising and i am also working on stocking up on things so i can learn how to coupon!! Will it work? I hope so. I have already purchased an ebook about saving $$ on groceries and i have also purchased a coupon binder. No, i didn't make my own. I tried that and i wasn't happy with it. So i decided to buy one that was already put together. I hope that i can do this. It is another one of my 2012 goals. I have a lot of coupons cut but need to organize them and get them all set in my binder. Then...i will look like a crazy woman going to the store. But, whatever works. We spend a LOT of money on groceries a month and it would be nice to save some of that. We made a trip to Sam's and also to Kroger to fill the cupboards. These wont last long, but we are hoping that we can learn how to stockpile!!

2012...Bring it On!

This picture pretty much describes what i want for ME in the New Year! My weight has fluctuated for about the past 5ish years and all of that is pretty much MY fault. I admit it. No one else can change things besides me and i have decided once and for all that change is what i have to do. Yes, we are busy with Jackson's sports and we run around a lot but i have to sit down and find time for me to exercise. PERIOD. END OF STORY. NO EXCUSES!!! As a family, we have done so much better on eating at home and not eating out every night of the week and weekend. I have purchased healthier things to eat and am learning to like new foods such as mushrooms and tomatoes. Yay for me!! And i will continue to add new foods that are healthier that i have not been very fond of in the past. I can do this...i know i can. I have been skinny my entire life and there is no reason that i shouldn't be skinny now.

I have already ordered my new running shoes and cannot wait to get them and get back to running.

Wish me luck!!

~ All About Jackson ~

Jackson is one of the most appreciative kids that i know. And i am not just saying that because he belongs to me. When i asked his 3 favorite gifts, it was difficult for him to choose. He loved everything that he got and i guess i should have just left it at that!! He contemplated for a little bit and he named three  4+ things but here are the pictures that show just what he couldn't live without...

 His xbox live headset and chatpad

 His new mountain bike from Mimi

 His Abercrombie sweatpants and toboggan from Tay Tay

Modern Warfare 3...this will be the argument between us! HA

It was one more than i asked him about but poor baby could't say just 3. Well, next post will be about stocking up and new things for the New Year!! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Day Festivities...

Christmas Day was a very busy day for us. We only had a little bit of time to spend Christmas morning together, so we made the best of it. And then at 11 am, we had to be at JJ's parent's for Christmas and then we were supposed to be at mom's at 1 pm to spend time with her and my sister and family. We were a little late but still had time to have a blast. And then Christmas night, we spent time together just the 4 of us!!

 Jackson & Chayton coming up to check out SANTA

 Peek a Boo!!

 Brothers watching a movie

 Jackson

 Me and my sweet boys

 Mimi and all of the Grandboys

 My FAVORITE Nephews...Hudson, Camden and Austin

 Sweet Cousins...Austin & Jackson

 Tay Tay opening her Waxing Poetic charm

 Jasmin & Jackson

Harper

Christmas Day was SO much fun, but after it is over- it is such a relief. We talked about our 3 favorite gifts last night and i will show you mine...if we do everyone's, it will take up too much space!! Here they are:

 LOVE my Waxing Poetic charms

 My HOG from my sister...it is perfect!

My new cookware!

Tomorrow i will  update more Christmas gift favorites with Jackson. Chayton did not open one gift so he really didnt have a preference on what he liked the most.

Christmas!!

Got a little catching up to do...Our Christmas was a little different this year. Jackson started not feeling well Friday morning 12/23, which was not a good thing. He refused to go to the doctor so i figured he was running fever due to exhaustion...which is exactly what happens to me. By Friday afternoon, he was complaining of "body aches," so i panicked and rushed him on to the doctor. When he got there his fever was 101.5 and he was crying because his body hurt. Good news was that his Flu test was - and bad news was that strep test was +. But strep had a quicker recovery than the flu.

Christmas Eve day was spent cleaning and tidying up the house for Santa's arrival. We had it spotless downstairs and then it was on to upstairs. I did not take a before pic because i was so embarassed. But we decided to totally re-arrange the room although we really didn't have the time to do so. So JJ and i worked pretty diligently and got it finished. And later on that afternoon, Jackson still wasn't feeling well so we decided it was best to stay home for Christmas Eve. The boys hugged Fitch, their Elf, as they were sad to see that he was flying back to the North Pole during the night.

None of us slept well as we were 4 deep in my queen size bed and Jackson still did not feel well!!! But, i just LOVE sleeping with both of my boys. I had to get up a few times in the middle of the night because Jackson was upset that he couldn't sleep and to also check on my sausage slow cooker breakfast that i decided to make as well.

BEFORE...

AFTER...

It actually tasted pretty good!! Especially because we usually do not eat breakfast Christmas morning because we are on the go from the time we get up until we go to bed.

When we finally got up Christmas morning, Fitch left a little surprise for the boys.

Jackson was very that sad that he was gone this am but pretty happy that Fitch left him a very sweet "see you later" note! We had such a blast with Fitch...we cannot wait until he returns next year. Ok...enough for today. I will share Christmas Day with you tomorrow. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The Countdown has Begun

It has been a few days since i have blogged and thought that i would catch you up on things. This week has been all out of sorts for me because our normal routine has changed. My mornings with the boys are pretty much on a timeline and things flow well because it is always the same. Jackson and JJ are out on Christmas Break and i have had to work and that just plain STINKS. And there is no morning routine (which is great for the boys) but totally gets me out of whack. Chayton also does not understand why he isn't leaving with me in the mornings when i leave for work. And that poor baby has gotten some of a break from daycare but has had to go for a little while everyday because JJ has had baseball practice.

Now that we are on the subject of baseball practice...here is a quick little story about that! JJ coaches high school baseball so the kids are TEENAGERS, right?! Yes. And my big boy Jackson is only 9 and he thinks that he is as big as these teenagers, right?! Yes!! Two of the baseball boys were playing around the other day at practice and one kid jerked the other kid's pants down a bit (great i know). Well, much to their surprise...the kid had on Superman underwear (whitey tightys). And Jackson thought those were just the coolest underwear he has ever seen. Side note...he wears boxers. Guess what Jackson thought he had to leave RIGHT THEN and go get?! You guessed it.

These were what he just HAD to HAVE!! So, JJ took him to Target after practice was over to look. They only had adult sizes and they were just huge on his little body so JJ didn't get them. BIG MISTAKE!!! Poor Jax pouted the rest of the day and after making me feel sorry for him, I talked to JJ and he was going to take him back to Target after baseball the next day and get them. Well here is the text that i received yesterday morning BEFORE baseball practice...

Yes...he put them on over his baseball sliding shorts in JJ's truck in the parking lot of Target! His is definitely MY son. HAHA!! I just ♥ that kid.

I am also happy to say that all of my gifts for everyone but Jackson and Chayton are wrapped and under the tree. And i only have 2 gifts to finish and wrap and i am DONE!!! What a great feeling that it will be to be completely finished and finally countdown the next few days.

~ Tying Up Loose Ends ~

 Well, today we got a few more things marked off of the TO-DO List and i am starting to feel better out seeing that light at the end of the tunnel.  A few posts back, i talked about Keyshawn and Jackson's plea to have him spend Christmas with us. Well, long story short- the application process is not quick in getting permission for Keyshawn to visit us outside the Baptist Children's Home. But the staff assured us that Keyshawn would not be spending Christmas alone. So yesterday, we took Jackson shopping and let him pick out things for Keyshawn for Christmas that he told Jackson at school that he would like to have. Jackson was just so excited about being able to do a very sweet thing for a child/classmate that doesn't live the life like you and i.

And i also finished the 4 teacher's gifts for Chayton to take to school. I thought they turned out pretty cute. I should have ordered extra cups and made myself one.