A Colson Christmas

We arrived in Tulia Wednesday evening just in time to decorate Grandmom's tree.

She used the ornaments from my Grandmother and some from when I was a little kid.

Cole played a few Christmas songs for us.

Granddad read "Twas the Night before Christmas." A tradition since Cole was 1 yr. old.

We had all 5 kids sit down together. They each received a small bag to open. In this bag was a small airplane. We then gave them another package to open. It was a Mickey Mouse pez dispenser. Hmmmm...what could these have to do with each other. The next gift was a backpack that had personalized with their name and WDW '09. Cole said "widow 09?" Melissa asked Aidan "What is WDW?" He replied, "Walt Disney World"

You got it...the CNC(Colson-Nash-Culwell) Crew is headed to Disney World in June. Jaxon was beside himself. He is the only one that has not been on an airplane. He would come up to me every little bit and just hug me and say, "We are going to Disney World!" What joy I could see in his eyes. WDW does not what is coming!

It was an amazing evening...the adults sat and visited for about 2 hours and kids came in and out. After while it got unusually quiet. This is what we found in the den. Five angelic children. Heehee.


This morning the boys were up and ready to go at 8:00 a.m. Santa knew about the trip and brought both boys a Nintendo DS. Jaxon had to hurry to call his cousin Aidan. It was fun to listen to their conversation and how excited they were for each other.



We ended the day with going to see "Bedtime Stories." Now it is bedtime and I think we are all ready! Goodnight!

Spelling Bee

Cole participated in the spelling bee today at school. We are very proud of him for winning in his class and making it to the school wide bee. His first word was a hard word "diplomat." He replaced the o with an a.
The coolest thing I saw today was my boys interacting with each other without knowing I was there. Cole was sitting on stage and Jaxon's class came in and sat down. Cole waved like crazy at Jaxon and Jaxon's chest got 10 times the size because he was so proud of his brother. They just smiled at each other. It was so neat to see how excited they were to see each other. I keep praying that they will always have a great relationship like I have with my sister.

A Change

This is Cole at the beginning of the evening...





This is Cole at the end of the evening...





He decided that he wanted to go for a new look for the spelling bee tomorrow. The haircut makes him look taller!
He loves it...

PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE FIRST.
THEN I'LL TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF IT!!

Hey Everybody! This is Justin writing and posting this...

When Tammy and Melissa see this..well, it will probably be my demise. I couldn't help it though. You as family and friends should know what these two are up to, and just how very nuts they are. Now the one unknown here is that Irita was with them at 3:00 AM and ran interference for these two and who knows what else. The slide show is the same three photos just going through several times so that you can really appreciate the craziness that Cody and I put up with. I particularly enjoy the third shot. which seems to be some kind of sexy/"I'm freezing!" shot of Melissa. These were shot by the girls, not by me.

If I get up that early, I intend to be shooting something - which is probably why I wasn't invited!!

Well, I've done it..hacked into the wife's phone for the pictures, and her blog for the laugh!

PRAY FOR ME,
Justin

Thankful

I love Thanksgiving! I am sitting in my Mother's kitchen drinking coffee, going through the ads, and watching my Mom cook a wonderful meal. The boys are playing and waiting on their cousins to come down to the house. Dad is putting hard tops on his jeep and Mercedes. Justin is playing on the computer. The weather is beautiful and I can't wait to watch all of the boys play football in the backyard.
What a great day to remember how truly blessed we are this year.
I am thankful for:

• Justin, who reminds me to laugh and enjoy the moments
• Cole, who is the smartest and kindest 11 year old I know
• Jaxon, who makes me laugh all of the time
• My parents, who only see good in all of us
• Melissa, who is my dearest friend
• Cody, who loves my boys and is the best uncle
• Aidan, Josh, Maude, who make me feel like the best aunt in the world
• Justin's family, who loves me and gave me the love of my life
• My dear friends, who love me just the way I am

Most of all I am thankful to our Father that has blessed me with everything!

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good.
His love continues forever.
Give thanks to the God over all gods.
His love continues forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of all lords.
His love continues forever.
Psalm 136

The Square Dance

This week Jaxon participated in a program at school. The 1st and 2nd graders did some square dancing for us. It was great. I was very impressed that they could remember all of the steps. Jaxon and his partner were funny to watch. They were very embarrassed that they had to hold hands. We made sure to take pictures so that one day we could remind him that he once did not like to hold hands with girls.

Outdoor Ed

I missed blogging about Cole's Birthday a few weeks ago, so I will let you know about his most recent adventure. The 5th graders at his school go for an overnight trip every year to Ceta Canyon Christian Camp. They learned to shoot guns and bows, made up skits, and went hiking. The parents got to go to the camp from 7pm to 11pm. We sat around the campfire and listened to an Indian storyteller, made smores, watched skits, and put the kids to bed. I was in charge of a small girls cabin. I just need to say God knew what he was doing giving me boys. Wow, those girls can talk. :) Cole had a blast and had a great time with his dear friends.



Cole playing Frisbie Golf



Cole and his awesome teacher.



Cole in his skit...he was getting in trouble by the teacher.

Growing and Pumpkins

We are in Tulia this weekend to see Justin's parents from Wyoming. This morning before we went to the pumpkin patch we measured the boys on a door that Mom lets us write on so that we can keep up with their growth. Oh My! Cole better watch out...Jaxon is moving in quickly. Cole is measuring at 5'3 1/2" Jaxon is just a head shorter. Jaxon is the height Cole was at 9 years old. Cole is at the height that Aunt Mac was at as a freshmen in high school. I sure hope I have my bluff in on them now, because I will not be bigger for long.

We went to the pumpkin field to cut our own pumpkins this morning. They have every shape and size you can imagine. No two pumpkins are the same. Isn't our God amazing! Here are a few pictures from the morning.

Happy Birthday Jaxon

Well, our baby boy turned 8 today! Jaxon has added so much color to our life. What a fun kid. He sure does keep us on our toes. He fits his role of little brother and 2nd child well.
Jaxon, we love you to infinity and beyond and think you are perfect for our family. I thank God for you daily and pray for your protection and heart. You are awesome and God made you perfect!

Crazy Day

What a day...it is 9:30 and I have just sat down with a computer and notebook in my lap. I am presenting some information tomorrow to our entire faculty(150 teachers). My whole day at work was consumed with getting ready and now I have another hour or two to study.
I say all of that to let you know that I have felt a little scattered today. I came home at lunch to grab something to eat and get back to work. I was impressed that it had only taken me about 20 minutes and I pulled back into the school parking lot. I stepped out of the suburban and felt the pavement with my feet. There I stood with no shoes. I thought to myself, "I wonder if I took my shoes off while I was driving?" I looked all over and couldn't find them. Yes, I left them at the house!!! I got back in and drove home... My 20 minute lunch now has gone to 40 minutes. I talked to Melissa on the phone on the way home and back...made the 2nd trip worth it.
Hope tomorrow is not crazy. :)

Quirks

Ok, Melissa has tagged me. I am suppose to list 6 of my quirks. I guess I am pretty boring, because I am really having trouble with this. I will list a few and then have to come back and add some. I am sure that my dear sweet sister could name several.

1. I cannot look at a digital clock without reducing the ratio. For instance, if it is 11:33 p.m. I think in my mind that is 1:3.
2. At the beginning of my meal I designate one bite of food to be my "last bite." One time Justin got in big trouble for eating the piece of bacon on the side of my plate. He thought I didn't want it. Little did he know that it was the last thing I wanted to eat.
3. This is crazy, but I really don't like ice cream either and I didn't know that Melissa didn't like it.
4. I must get a shower EVERY morning. I can get a bath at night, but I must have a shower in the morning.
5. If we are sleeping in the same room, you must tell me goodnight. Melissa used to drive me crazy when we were growing up. She would not tell goodnight just to make me mad. I was worried if either of us died during the morning that the one left would feel really bad.
6. This is related to the clock thing, but it will work. I change my alarm time by a minute or two so that I can count by nines in the morning. For instance, if my alarm goes off at 6:02 then I can hit snooze and it will go off again at 6:11, 6:20, and 6:29. A few days later I change it so the times are different.

Okay well I guess I have more quirks than I thought...that is a little creepy.

A Little Fun

Okay...so much for the rest and relaxation. I went shopping with my mom, sister, and niece.


Just so you know, she decided against the snake skin pants.

The Boy's Weekend

I guess you can call it a tradition after 3 years. It is one that I think we all really enjoy. The boys (Justin, Cole, and Jaxon) left yesterday afternoon for the mountains. They met Justin's dad and brother for a family reunion. This is a camping family reunion. My boys get to be real boys without their mother constantly cleaning them and making sure they don't get too close to the water. They absolutely love it. I think it is great they get a chance to spend quality time with each other. Justin always comes back very refreshed and after the past few weeks he is in great need for it.

As for me, I go to my parents house for rest and relaxation. I say that because it is 11:00 in the morning and I am still in my pajamas. There is not a sound in this house. Mom and Dad went to play golf and I am all by myself. I read a book until late last night, got up late this morning, and plan for a facial sometime today. Wow, this maybe my favorite weekend of the whole year. By Monday I will be more than ready to see my 3 boys.

Have a blessed day!

School

Everybody ready for a new start.

Our boys


Ok...this is really more like it.

Well, we have all made it safely home and today was a success. Cole started the 5th grade. His teacher touched my heart the first 5 minutes we met her. She knows how much Cole loves to read and has books ready for him in her cabinet. Jaxon started the 2nd grade. He is in the same class as his best friend and some of his girlfriends. They couldn't put them all in the same class. We have done homework and piano lessons and we are ready for another day. We absolutely love their school. I realized last night that this will be the last time the boys are in the same school until Cole is a Senior and Jaxon is a freshmen. Jaxon is worried that will be a long time away. Oh, I wished that were true. I can't believe that my baby boy is only a year away from middle school and we are about an inch from looking eye to eye.

Today was my first day without students. I had a great mask on and was hiding my feeling until my sweet husband checked on me. I know that this is God's plan. I just have a hard time understanding or wanting that plan. The past few weeks have been fun. I have been able to completely devote my time to the teachers. I have had some great conversations and got to observe some amazing teaching.

Old Times

Well, Justin is away at school for 2 weeks and I have moved home to Tulia. Mom and Dad may move out soon. Hee, Hee Melissa and I have been making jewelry and decided to sell it every evening downtown on the square. Last night was our first night and we both sold some of our pieces. Our husbands are hoping that we cover our expenses. I asked Melissa what we were going to do if it doesn't sell and she said that we would just have a bunch of pretty necklaces to wear.

Today I am working at my Dad's office. I have not done that in 13 years. I still could remember some of the stuff. Mostly I could remember how to take a really good message. This reminds me of Melissa working or should I say not working in the office. When I was in high school, I would work in the summer for my Dad. One summer his secretary took off for the entire summer and I worked. I learned so many valuable lessons about working with people. I still use that experience to work with teachers now. Melissa on the other hand learned quickly if you did a bad job that they wouldn't make you work. I believe they started her filing papers. They would find papers in the wrong folder all of the time. Then they decided to let her answer the phone. She kept hanging up on people. She would put them on hold and then when Dad went to pick it up they were gone. Imagine that. I think she is the smarter of the two of us.

As for Justin, he is having to study quiet a bit. I think he is excited about coming home to get to work. We talk to him every night using a webcam. It is good for the boys to see him and not just hear his voice. Jaxon has had the hardest time out of the two of them. He has a high need for things to be routine and this week is so not routine. Cole on the other hand forgot that he was gone. It is not that he never sees Justin...it is that well, you know that is Cole.

Strength

My sister is probably one of the strongest women I know. She is also very positive. She always seems calm, cool, and collected. Right now it seems like that is being tested. Please pray for her...she had another kidney stone today. She has had 2 stones in one week. Now she is down to 20 of them. She will see a doctor on Wednesday and we will be praying for answers. Love you, sis.

The Colson Red River Trip

We had a great time in Red River this year. The weather was perfect and the kids got along really well. It is so much fun to watch them play together. We asked the boys what their favorite part was about this year's trip. Jaxon - my cousins and Cole - fishing
I tried to put together a slide show. I hope it works. You will be able to tell that these are my pictures not Justin's. The boys had a camera this year. In a few days I will post their pictures.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

New Jobs

Justin has had his first few days of his new job and I am back from a meeting in Austin. This was my third meeting this summer and my mind is swimming with all of the information. I am also trying to read a few books that pertain to my new job. Hmmm...where do I start?

Justin has enjoyed the last few days. I commented tonight that I could already see less stress on his face. I am sure there will be days that are difficult...you get that with any job, but this environment seems to be much more positive. The test will be tomorrow. He usually worked M,T,W on 12 hour shifts. I am wondering what he will do when he works five days a week now. :)

We leave for our annual Colson Red River trip on Friday. Our boys cannot wait to be in the jeep with their Granddad. I wonder how many fish will be caught this year. I love watching Dad with the kids, shopping with Mom and Melissa, and dragging our sweet husbands into EVERY store to show them the same things over and over. Last year I won the "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game against Melissa for the king size bed...I wonder who will win this year? Red River here we come!

Living by Faith

My first reason to start blogging was so that I could share with the boys one day. I have told of many Nash events, but am not very good at sharing my thoughts. This one is really for them later, so that they have an inside view of me. :)

I did not realize how much I live in dread and worry of things to come until yesterday. During the sermon and bible class, I felt God pulling at my heart. I think these feelings are especially strong right now during our job changes. Instead of being excited and feeling renewed, I instantly think of all of the things that could go wrong or bad times we may have. All the while, I am completely missing the joy of God doing great things in our lives. I am missing the fun ride that has been planned for us. I have come to realize that I live with expectations not expectancy. Meaning, I predict what is going to happen whether good or bad and then sometimes am disappointed by the real outcome. I would love to walk into a situation eager to see what God is going to do. Funny thing is...God has always gone above and beyond my expectations.

My prayer this week will be that I live completely by faith and joy that He is in control. I WILL enjoy these changes and dive in to see what He has planned. God is good ALL the time!

A Pedorthist or Pedorkus

Justin and I will have our 13th wedding anniversary this summer. I have been teaching for 13 years and Justin has been in the emergency medical profession for about 15 years. We both really enjoy our jobs and are very content. I like routine and predictability. Well, things are about to really change.

A few weeks ago Justin received a phone call from a doctor's office asking if Justin would be interested in working for him. After one week of conversations, we decided we could not pass up this opportunity. I prayed that God would help keep our eyes open to every part of this job so that it didn't seem so sugar-coated and we could make a good decision for our family. There was never a time that we doubted that this was a blessing completely given to us without us asking...which is pretty overwhelming.

Justin will finish with the ambulance service here on the 11th of June and begin to work for Dr. Bullard, a podiatrist, on the 16th. Justin will spend most of July at OSU going to school to become a pedorthist. Cole likes to call him a pedorkus. :) The doctor has been unbelievably gracious to us and seems like an amazing man to work for.

Justin will work from 8-5 Monday through Thursday and 8-12 on Friday. He will have patients and appointments. That is weird to say...hee, hee. He will fit people for special insoles and shoes. He will actually make the insoles in the office in the lab.

This month marks 17 years that Justin and I went on our first date. All but about 2 of those years Justin has worked shift work. Every six months his schedule would change. It was either go in very early or come home very late. Many holidays have been celebrated on other dates so that we could celebrate them with Justin. He now has holidays with us.

I pray that we use these new experiences to praise Him and use the new time we have with the boys wisely.

Tagged

My sweet sister tagged me...so here it goes:

What I was doing 10 years ago:
Finishing school and anxious to be at home for the 1st summer with Cole

Five things on my ToDo list today:
1. Pack up my school room
2. Cole's awards assembly
3. Fold Laundry
4. Make dinner
5. Teach Bible class

5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Finish the boy's college fund and travel



3 of my bad habits:
1. Putting things off
2. never saying "No"
3. eating out too much

5 places I have lived:
Amarillo until I was 6
Tulia until I was 18
Canyon until I was 22
Amarillo until present

5 jobs I have had:
1st job for Dad (I don't know if you can call that a real job)
Math Teacher
Mom

Shocking

I know that my sister will be shocked that I am blogging two days in a row. But part of it is for her. Hee,Hee

Happy Birthday Melissa!!!
Thank you for being the best little sister in the whole world. I am so grateful that we get to raise our families so close to each other. I love you!

Well, it became official today. I will not be teaching next year. I have been asked to become the full time department head at AHS. I will step out of the classroom for a few years and then back into my classroom. There have been many names played with from math coach to learning leader. Whatever the title, I will be working one on one with teachers in the math department and working on our department as a team. It has been very hard for me to decide that it will be okay for me to not be in a classroom full of kids that are mine. I love my kids and enjoy every minute of my time with them. I look at this as a new challenge and part of the plan that was made for me before I was born.

Apricot Fried Pies

The other day we drove by a resturant called Original Fried Pies. Since then I have been hungry for an apricot fried pie. My Granny made the best fried pies and she always had them stocked in her deep freeze.
Well tonight I made some. I totally cheated...store bought pie crust and apricot jam. I was so hungry for them that I burned my tongue eating them way before they cooled inside. I don't know how she did it, but mine don't taste like hers. Sitting down eating them still brings back great memories of a super meek and gentle woman. God sure knew what he was doing when he created grandparents. I never think of mine without smiling. Thanks Granny for the fried pies and the smiles!

Mother's Day Quiz

Cole gave me a card that included a Mother's Day quiz that he answered. So today we asked Jaxon the same questions and here are the answers:

1. Her favorite color is ___
C-blue J-Blue

2. Her favorite television show is ___
C-As the World Turns J-Everybody loves Raymond

3. She likes movies about ___
C-comedy J-Comedy

4. My mother's favorite outfit to wear is ___
C-jeans and t-shirt J-long skirts

5. The outfit that I like her to wear is ___
C-jeans and t-shirt J-jeans and t-shirt

6. An expression or saying that my mom always uses is ___
C-"because I said so" J-"bad boy"

7. My mother always gets angry when ___
C-I disobey a direct order J-I beat my brother up

8. My mother's favorite sport is ___
C-basketball J-baseball and football

9. My mother's favorite foods are ___
C-taco's and meatloaf J-African breakfast

10. I like my mom to cook ___
C-Brownies J-spaghetti

11. My mother's favorite restaurant ___
C-Johnny Carino's J-Olive Garden

12. Her favorite vacation ____
C-Hawaii J-Denver Broncos game

13. My mom has a funny habit of ___
C-simplifying things

14. My mom really looked beautiful on the day she ____
C-got a haircut J-got married

15. My mom really looked funny on the day that she ___
C-when she was in the haunted house J-she tripped at a wedding

16. My mom doesn't know about the time I ___
C-licked my birthday cake J-"there is too much"

17. My mother's best friend is ____
C-Katye J-Katye

18. My mom's pet name for me is ____
C-Honey J-Jax or Andrew

19. Do you like that pet name?
C-yes J-yes


How fun to see what my boys think of me...We had the best day. We spent 4 hours at the park with my parents and sister's family. Hope you had a great one as well!

A Hug

My sweet sister deleted my comment on her blog, so I decided I would just go ahead and write my story here. :)

A few years ago Melissa, Mom, and I took a girls trip to the Austin area. Our first stop was in Dallas at the Gaylord hotel. We had spent the first night eating at a wonderful restaurant (thanks Dad!) and then laughing all night like silly high school girls. The next morning we called and had our luggage taken down to the suburban and then the suburban pulled to the door. We were doing a good job playing the part of staying in such a fancy hotel until it was time to get into the suburban. Mom asked Melissa to drive since she had lived in the metroplex and Mom sat up front to navigate. I sat in the back to sleep and watch a movie. We walked to the suburban and Mom and I got in. Melissa went around to the drivers side and the valet guy opened the door for Melissa and then stretched out his arm to say after you. Melissa thought that he was just a very friendly person and had stretched out his arm for a hug. So she gave him a big hug!! You should have seen his face. Wow...she was really appreciative.

Memphis or Kansas?

What a trip! I left early Saturday morning to fly to San Antonio to meet my family. When we got there and drove to our hotel, all I could see were people in blue. I had not realized that all four teams were blue. We dropped my stuff off and put on our tennis shoes and headed a few blocks to the craziness. I have never seen anything like it. Melissa said that Disney World is not this crazy. About two hours before the game we headed to the Alamodome. The games were amazing! How about those Jayhawks? The North Carolina fans were speechless. Dad, Melissa, Aidan, and I enjoyed our 3rd tier seats. Thank goodness Dad has good binoculars. :) Oh yeah, did I mention Cody was there too. He was seating on the 14th row in the Kansas section. Two men in the hotel had the ticket to sell. Dad got to go down for a half during Kansas' amazing beginning.
When the games were all over, we headed to the elevators to go down. It could only hold one more person so we sent Dad. Melissa, Aidan, and I ran down three flights of stairs to catch up with him. He beat us...we looked for a minute and could not find him. I was trying to figure out how to tell Mom that we had lost Dad. Luckily we had a meeting spot and we found both Cody and Dad waiting on us. I think Cody had been there awhile because he did not have as far to walk. :)
Then we began the walk back to the riverwalk with all 43,187 people. Wow! We heard over and over, "KU---JAYHAWKS"
The riverwalk was crowded and crazy with people everywhere. We got to see the ESPN show live from about 20 yards. We tried to be on TV but we are not as crazy as some of the fans! I know that is hard to believe.

It was awesome!!!!!! Can't wait to see the game tonight!

Zimbabwe

Recently a lady found one of Justin's photos from Zimbabwe on the internet. She contacted Justin and asked if she could paint it for a book. It is finished and the book is about to go to print. Here it is...



Please pray for the people of Zimbabwe. They are in the middle of a horrible election for their government. Conditions there are worsening. The feeding centers there are still being taken care of through all of this. Our hope is that the centers will remain unharmed.

Day Three and Home

Sorry about the delay of posting. Our internet connection in Ruidoso was not good. On Wednesday we went to White Sands, NM. Some families ski during spring break, but we decided to do something a little warmer. The boys went sledding for three hours on the sand. Their jeans pockets were completely full when we finished. It was great to watch them and very relaxing. Almost like sitting on a beach without the water and the heat. We did experience the sunburn! Lunch was the Nash picnic that we had been enjoying all week.

We went back to Ruidoso for the afternoon. Justin wanted to take us up to a fire lookout. We headed towards the road only to find out that it was closed. So we decided to show the kids where the ski area was only to find out that that road was closed also. So we did the next best thing...swimming at the hotel.

We left Ruidoso this morning headed for home and we now have arrived. It was a great day. We stopped in Clovis to eat lunch with Justin's Dad. We then traveled to Muleshoe to visit with my great Aunt. We headed on to Tulia to visit with Mom and Dad and pick up our dog. We are now more than ready for our own beds!

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to show some more pictures.

Goodnight!

Day Two

We started this morning just like Rachel Ray...checking out where the locals eat. I will have pictures of it tomorrow. I am too tired to figure out which camera the pictures are in.

We went back to the caverns right after breakfast. The boys had completed the Junior Badge program and we needed to get their badges. We decided to walk down the natural entrance. I should have done some stretching exercises to start the walk...wow. It took over an hour to get to the bottom. Watching the boys was worth every minute.

We stopped by Walmart and to get sandwich items and headed out of town. Lunch was sandwiches made by me going down the road. This has become sort of a tradition for us when we travel. At this point we knew that we were not going to make it to White Sands today, so we took the scenic route to Ruidoso through Cloudcroft. We saw many turkeys and deer. By the way, have you ever heard my dad make a turkey call. Pretty impressive. We were all trying it in the car and have decided that he is the best at it. We also saw two huge elk. They look so strong and beautiful. They were too quick for me to count the points.

This evening we went swimming at the hotel and sat in the hot tub for our not so young legs. The boys are watching Myth Busters and I am going to bed.

More tomorrow...Goodnight!

Day One

We have always laughed that my mom finds the hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Some of them have worked out for us and some of the have not. (Dad, Mom, and Melissa: do you remember the restaurant in Trinidad, CO...home of the sex change hospital.) Well, Justin says that I am my mother and I proved it today. We stopped in Hobbs, NM for lunch at a great small barbecue pit. Tonight we ate in Carlsbad at Lucy's...amazing red chili.

We went to the Caverns this afternoon. We did about half of it today and will finish it tomorrow morning. It was so much fun to watch the boys get off the elevator 700 ft below the ground and walk into the cave. Granddad asked the boys to find out about stalagmites and Stalactites. We now know and so much more.

Justin loved taking pictures and there was a lot of time to take it all in. I couldn't help but sing the song "How great is our God." Don't you know when he created the caverns he thought "now they are going to love this." Yes, we do.

We are headed to White Sands tomorrow after finishing the caverns. Oh yeah mom, I have already picked out the local bakery for breakfast.

Goodnight!

SPRING BREAK

It has finally arrived. We already feel much more rested after the weekend. We are headed to Carlsbad, NM in the morning to see the Caverns. Then we will go to White Sands to do a little sledding. We are all very excited about the time away.

Don't forget to wear your green to tomorrow. I think my niece Maude has it covered.
Check it out at www.culwellcrew.blogspot.com

Hope to tell you some great stories in a few days!

Pizza Trunks or Bones

This evening we were eating at Jason's Deli with Justin sister and niece. Emma(the niece that calls Justin, Juncle. You know Uncle Justin) was finished eating her pizza and explained to her mom that she did not want any more. She told us that she not like the pizza trunks (the outer crust of the pizza). It made me remember that the boys call the crust the pizza bones.

Another one of my favorite is remembering Jaxon praying..."Gear Dod," Cole would try to correct him and would tell him not to, because God knew that he was talking to him.

A little push...

I noticed that I have had a few comments on my last blog from my dear old sister. So this one is for you, Melissa!

Life here at the Nash House has been crazy for a few weeks. We are definitely ready for a break. On Saturday we finished basketball at 12:00 and we were at baseball tryouts at 12:30. Cole had a great basketball season and it was fun to see if he had any interest. I think he might. He scored in almost every game and had some great rebounds. Why do tall kids not jump? We were noticing that all of the really tall kids just stand with their hands over everyone, but they are not aggressive at all. It sure would be fun if he finds that he really likes the game.

The boys were both going to play baseball, but Cole decided at the last minute to not play. He would like to try soccer. Hmmm, have you ever seen a soccer player that is really really tall? We took Jaxon to tryouts and waited in line for over an hour. I was just glad that I was in the upper 1/3 of the line. I didn't realize how serious some parents are about their child's baseball. These kids had their own helmets and they were dressed and ready to play the part. Poor Jaxon he wore his basketball shoes and had a glove. We had to borrow a bat. I told him to watch the other kids to see how they were trying out. When he got a few away from going on the field, I asked him if he had any questions. He said, "No, I think I have it. It looks like to me that I will try to hit 2 balls...which no one is hitting. I will run to 2nd, pick up my glove, catch a fly ball, and 2 ground balls. I will then run to 1st and catch a couple of balls." Jaxon took the field and went to home plate. He then asked the pitcher to wait while he took a couple of practice swings. He nodded to the pitcher and was ready. Yes, he is a very serious child. He then hits both balls to outfield. I think he knew what was going on. Meanwhile, I think Cole was calculating the speed of balls while standing next to me. :)

Tulips and a date

Tulips are my favorite flower and I got some this year! Poor Justin can never remember if I like carnations or tulips. I walked into the house Thursday evening and there they were. He remembered!!!

Justin got called into work Thursday evening, so we had to postpone my date with the boys until the next night. Cole took me to Chili's and thought this was very awkward. Oops...I think we waited to late to try this with him. Justin explained that we were not trying to make this like a boyfriend/girlfriend thing, but it was an opportunity for the boys to learn how to treat their mother. Jaxon on the other hand loved it. He tried all of his best moves on me. "Hey honey, how about going to get dessert with me." When we sat at Barnes and Nobles coffee shop, he made sure we sat away from his Dad and Brother. I turned and made eyes at Justin and Jaxon told me that I was HIS date not Dad's. Thank you Justin for teaching our boys to love and honor me...what a great gift!

Jaxon and I are home sick today. We just broke our fever again. We are going to take Cole to school and then get back in bed. Jaxon is very excited to eat Ramen noodles and stay in bed all day. He just told me, "If it wasn't for the fever, this would be a great day. We get to eat Ramen noodles and stay in bed all day."

Happy Valentine's Day

Life has been crazy here with work, kids, and weddings. Cole has had strep throat, Justin has been working very late, work for me has been interesting, and we had a wedding last weekend.

I have to confess that I really do not like Valentine's Day. It seems so cheesy, but I am actually looking forward to this one. Justin and the boys are taking me out. I get to have a date with 3 of my favorite men. (Yes, Dad you are still in my list of favorite men and you will always be my first Valentine!) Justin is going to use tomorrow night to teach the boys to date their mother. He is going to give them the money to pay for dinner and ice cream. It could be one of my very best dates ever and definitely the best Valentine's gift ever.

I will let you know how it goes...

Rejuvenated

This weekend I went to Lubbock with my Mom, sister, and niece. Justin took the boys to the Nash farm. The boys are not back yet, but I can't wait to hear their stories. Two little boys on a farm without a mother to watch after them. There has to be some stories!

Friday night the girls went to Lubbock to eat at place called Stella's. It was a very nice Italian restaurant. As the waiter was going through his list of the night's specials, Maude announced that she would like Pizza with a P! He was so busy going through his list that he must not have heard her, because she kept repeating it! We also learned if you have any secrets do not take her to the dressing room with you. She will announce everything in there...it is strange how dressing rooms seem to echo and get louder. She was precious and every bit worth going on the girls ship (trip)! Oh yeah, Mom and Melissa were great also. I am so blessed to have such amazing relationships with both of them. They just don't have the same little laugh Maude does. I love you girls!!


Okay, this is my favorite part of this whole blog. I get to go the Final Four!!!!! My parents have invited me to come and go in my mom's place for the first two games. Wow..what a Mom! She asked me if my family would be okay with me going. I told her that I would tell them I was going and their response would be, "the final what?" They will just be excited that they get another boys weekend. I can't wait! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Clever or Sneaky

We came home from school yesterday and I had about 1 hour to clean the house before I started dinner. I really needed the boys help, but didn't want to hear the whining. I made two list one that I could do and one that they could do. I made my list much longer. At the top of the paper I wrote "Team Boys and Team Mom." I called the boys in, "Calling all Nash boys!" They came in running. I told them that I had a contest. I would like to see which team could finish their list faster. I set a timer for 30 minutes. They had to clean the playroom, bedroom, and living room. I had the dishes, fold laundry, bathroom, and my bedroom. They were very sure they could finish first. I started the timer and we all scattered. In 10 minutes they were back grinning from ear to ear. They were finished and I was still in the kitchen. They were so proud of themselves and I had almost half of my list done! I went to inspect and those little stinkers didn't just stuff things here and there. Everything was put up. They didn't even ask for a prize for winning. They were satisfied in beating dear old Mom.

I am looking forward to this weekend...Justin and the boys are going to Justin's Dads house for a boys weekend on the farm. I am going to Lubbock for a girls weekend with my Mom, sister, and niece. Have a great one!

Hard Lessons

Last week Jaxon got in trouble for the usual fighting with Cole. I sent him to his room and went in a few minutes later to talk to him. We finished talking about it and I sat down beside him. I asked him how his day went at school. He said that he not been very good. I asked him to tell me more. He said with a trembling voice, "Mom, God has been telling me to tell you something for awhile, but I don't want to do it. But, he keeps on telling me to do it." Then he starts crying hard. Oh my, what could it be I was prepared for the worst. "I cheated on my spelling test last week. I am so sorry." I just sat there and held him telling him that it would be okay. I had remembered that he had made a 74 so in all of my brilliance I told him that he did not cheat off of someone very smart! He told me that if I would go back and look that he got the first 4 correct. That is when he got caught by the teacher. I told him that I would rather him miss them all than for him to cheat. I also told him that I pray that if he and Cole will always be caught if they are doing something wrong. He did not like that and will have to probably wait until he is a parent to understand that one.
Later that evening Justin and I asked him if he would like some input on his punishment. He thought that he should be grounded from the Wii, PS2, computer, and TV for 8 weeks!! We negotiated to one week!
I have learned my lesson also...working on spelling in the suburban on the way to school doesn't work.

Catching up to Mom

How is it that one minute you are holding a beautiful 8 lb 12 oz, 21 inches long baby and the very next minute you are almost looking eye to eye at your 10 year old? Crazy!
Cole is always trying to stretch and see if where he measures to on me. I wear heels quiet a bit...thank goodness. Today we were standing next to each other and I noticed that he was up to the height of my mouth. We went to measure him. Can you believe it...he has hit the 5 foot mark. We put this very same 10 year old in a 10 mens shoe a few weeks ago.
Even more amazing...Jaxon is only 7 inches shorter than Cole. I am going to have to get my bluff in now as Mom or I am doomed. I guess I can just take them out at their knees if I need to.

The phone call

The boys went to a friends house tonight for a sleepover. Justin and I had supper at home, played on the computer, listened to music, and went for ice cream. We came home and I put on my nice flannel pajamas, just like any old woman (so Justin says). I had just laid down on the couch to watch the news when the phone rang. Yes, it was Jaxon. "I think that I am ready to come home now." I handed the phone to Justin because I knew he would be much better at this than me. He tried to explain that if he could just hold on through the night that he would be proud of himself for being brave. It is something you need to do in the process of growing up, but if he wanted we could go get him. Well needless to say we went to get him. I even went in my flannel pj's. He walked down the sidewalk with Justin trying to still act sad and also trying to hide the grin. He was safe now!

Back in the swing...

We had an awesome Christmas. Watching the boys and spending them time with them is the very best gift of all. They are completely spoiled and blessed.

This is the year of the Wii. My shoulder is still hurting from all of the tennis and baseball we have been playing. I haven't tried the boxing yet. I am afraid I might like it too much!

This morning as we were driving to school, Jaxon asked why we only had two days of school this week. He has missed it so much that he would really like to go Saturday and Sunday. I remember loving it that much a long long time ago. Actually to be honest I still really love it...just glad I get paid to go now!

Cole finished the 7th and final Harry Potter book. Wow...I love to watch him read. He completely enters the world that he is reading about. I hope he always loves to read. What a great pastime.

Justin starts his new schedule next week. The boys and I are really looking forward to him being home EVERY night. It has been many years since he has the weekends off. Now he will be completely off on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We will not know what to think of how to act.

I am really excited about starting this semester. I am praying for amazing things to happen at our school. I can't wait to see what happens.