Feeding the Cattle-Chloe and Chi's favorite outing

I have been blogsick, but I'm back!

Life has been a roller coaster lately. Something had to go, and blogging it was! (along with several other things). Really it has been tough for several weeks. Not to bore anyone, but several big decisions have been on the table, as well as just tough days. Raising kids (teenagers) in a tough world, and knowing how much to let them grow through hard times and how much to jump in and fight like mama bear is a challenging feat. Also economic times and knowing just what to keep and what to cut has been heavy. Figuring out the future for Cason's college path is no easy task. Screaming toddlers adds to the confusion. We are at the crossroad for their future as well. Do we home school, put them in a christian school, or stay the course we have used with our other children. I just don't know!!!! I do know I don't want to miss the right answer in all this. So, I've been taking time off from my regular time consumers and trying to figure all this out. No answers yet. Come on God haven't I suffered enough just tell me what to do!!! Ha, I do feel this way though.

So anyway on to a lighter note. We went on a nature walk Saturday. It started out awesome! BEAUTIFUL doesn't describe the day. Chloe and Chi are both unusually afraid of things. So this was the day to send them forward in conquering their fears.

Frolicking down the path.

AND it was working so well. After several hundred yards into the nature trails, I talked both of them out of their stroller and got them walking along, not even holding my hand. Things were going good. We even climbed rocks mind you, and Chi fell without crying! This is just going too well. We picked wild flowers, picked up sticks, stepped in mud, walked through weeds, and even saw a butterfly without panicking!

Before the lizard was spotted.

Then came the biggest test, (ever since the zoo trip, they are petrified of snakes and lizards, we got trapped in the herpateriam) so we are sitting on this big rock about twelve feet up and this lizard crawls out,

Lizard was just spotted!!!!Look at Chloe's face.

immediate screams and shrieks ensue. Ok, the lizard is between me and the ground and I have two toddlers in my lap on top of this rock so we just sit there and I explain over and over how this is a nice lizard.

Here's that gigantic evil creature!


It likes little boys and girls, it won't hurt you, it's tiny, (you get the point)

Chi is screaming and Chloe is whining.

Finally it worked. The cries stopped and we actually got down with smiles. This was a huge accomplishment and I'm feeling like a master at motherhood so we walk on down the nature trail. After going another 300 yards or so we lost phone service and since the boys were all mountain climbing we turned around to head back. So now comes the bad part of the trip. We make our way back to the big rock with the lizard on it. We stop to make a quick relearning moment with the babies. They still understand the lizard is nice so we start to leave. THEN it happened, leaves started rustling behind the big rock. At first Kelissa and I think it's the boys trying to scare us, then we think it's a wild animal, then we decide we just don't know..... Chloe starts chanting mean...mean.... mean.... Kelissa and I look at each other, then both grab a baby and scream RRRRUUUUNNNNN!!!!!
We are at least a mile into these nature trails and have no phone service and we think a stalker is on our heels!!! We ran the whole way carrying the 35 pound babies and spelling out every word. Kelissa grab a S-t-i-c-k! I think a M-a-n is chasing us! Try not to S-c-r-e-a-m. Everything turned out fine. We got to the car, the boys got there about the same time, Kelissa and I were about the faint. We don't know what was back there but an old nasty car that had not been there when we arrived was now parked a few feet away so who knows. Bottom line..... all the work we did to get them over their fears is now multiplied by who knows how much. I guess we'll try again sometime. My poor babies.

Updates

Wow, once again it has been busy! Yesterday I was at Dallas (right at morning rush) wow, this farm girl does not like traffic! Today Kelissa and I are packing to go to Tulsa for the weekend for contestant's day for Miss Oklahoma. We have been getting ads ready to take as well. Thanks to those who sponsored Kelissa with an ad! My mother-in-law Helen, left yesterday only to get to Dallas and all planes were grounded because wind! She does not get to leave there until tomorrow! Bad luck, but she is staying with her brother Eddie, so it's all Ok! We had a great time. Softball is going good. Kade is working out and running trying to get in shape. I don't know what has come over him, it is all he thinks about! Cason is doing well with college. He is trying to decide whether he wants to go to OSU or OU next year. Chloe's collar bone in not hurting much now. She and Chi are talking up a storm. This is the age Jeff really enjoys so things are getting a lot of fun around our house. He is not a 'baby' person the way I am. The thing I hate is when they start talking and get potty trained, he steals them from me! Chi has been going a lot to work with Jeff, and he is getting rather big for his breeches! Chloe has a new found love for coloring and has been carrying a coloring book and crayons around ever since Granny Helen left. I had them hid ever since my encounters with crayon marks all over the house! She is more careful now but the dog is eating every crayon she leaves out! All in all life is good, God is good and we feel more blessed than ever!
I am doing a blog for our busines now as well. Here it is http://www.hollislivestock.blogspot.com/

Granny Helen Came for a Visit

Jeff's mom came from Daphne, Al for a visit this week. We had a wonderful time just relaxing. Chloe and Chi instantly bonded and played her down! We had a great time. Visits are just too few and far between. We hope we can go see Granny this summer and stay at the beach!!!!!