Thursday, December 17, 2009

merry Christmas





"why was santa's little helper so sad and discouraged?"

"he suffers from low "elf" esteem"

hope your holiday week is flying by with as much fun as mine and you are all doing well!

blessings and plenty of Christmas cheer,

nicole

these pics are from our night out christmas light watching and visiting "the north pole".

Monday, December 7, 2009

happy birthday to me


today is my birthday and i am older.

my children all woke me up with kisses and singing and promises to clean their rooms tonight "all by themselves" as my present. which actually a clean house is the best present i think any mother could ever get.

my husband woke me with kisses, snuggling, and a promise to eventually celebrate my birthday some time this week between basketball games, one-act play practice, music practice, church, and friends graduating from college as well as my sister and bro-in-law coming in for a visit.

it's busy but it's my life. we actually went out for drinks and appetizers friday night together and celebrated a smidge which was quite nice. i like hanging out with mr. mccurdy all by myself. he's cute and really sweet :)

i thought about pondering my birthday for a few minutes, but honestly my life is too busy right now to even think for a minute about how much time has passed, i'm way to focused on the future.

but

i think that's a good thing, maybe a sign of maturity. who knows? i still need to lose 35 pounds, i still need to clean out all the closets again, i still need to be more consistent in my daily devotions, i still need to be more patient, i still need to be more kind. looks like i've got another year to shoot for those things again.

life is good, even at its most hurried extreme pace it's good.

life is for the living and i'm living my life the best i can with no real complaints along with five incredibly beautiful children and one wonderfully perfect for me husband.

amen

blessings and christmas cheer,

cole

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

we survived!






well we are home and safe and sound from this past week's thanksgiving adventures! i have to say that i am extremely glad to be home and done with all that driving and sleeping in other beds (in the same room with a 17 month old). i am thankful for our family but am quite glad that it is just "us" again.

we put up our tree and decorated it together this weekend and discussed our plans for Christmas. we are still knee deep in paperwork for the house (jere is sick and tired of sending yet again another copy of his current paystub or another copy of our bank statement) but all of our spirits remain high in the hopes that this new year God will bring us a new (and permanent) home!

here's a few pics i took this past week, hope you enjoyed your time with family as well.

blessings,

cole

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

UPDATE!


just a quick update for everyone.

we placed a bid on a house in anson, they accepted the bid, and we have now begun the incredibly long and tedious process of buying a house.

we are inspecting it tomorrow or friday (it is a HUGE fixer upper) and if there are too many problems we can still back out up until tuesday.

just a visual for you about our new home (prayfully)

remember the house in "It's a Wonderful Life," well just start calling Jere-George and me Mary. THAT'S how much love and attention this 3400 sq foot, 4 bed 3 bath, 3 fireplace home needs!

please pray, jere says if it comes down to any type of "hoop jumping" needed to get this house, we aren't going too. he believes that God's blessing means smooth sailing through this entire process.

hope your week is "sailing smoothly" as well.

blessings,

cole

Thursday, November 12, 2009

i can't be anything without you

my husband is amazing. he makes me laugh, cry, and feel good about myself. he is an excellent provider and an amazing friend and a super father. i cannot imagine any type of life without him, he fills in so many holes and gaps.

with that said, here's a little background. we are scrimping, saving, and praying for God to help us get a home in anson to help our lives be easier in all ways.

today i found out that my husband had secretly sold his beloved clarinet so we would have more money for our house fund.

i am rarely shocked or surprised by jere, he is pretty easy to read and very predictable. he's the kind of guy who can eat the same thing for breakfast every day and never get bored.

this floored me to my very core. jere's clarinet is like another appendage to him, it's part of him, it's the outlet for his inner creativity. i fall in love with him over and over every time i hear him play. when he told me what he had done i cried. i cried hard.

i cried because i would NEVER of ask him to do that, i cried because that was a sacrifice for him on many levels. i cried because once again he choose us, this motley family of too many kids, too many student loans, and too much work with very little pay over himself.

people tease him for marrying me. they ask him why. they ask him how he could have chosen me and those three kids; and he always answers them the same way.

because i love her.

i love you too.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

tuesday


uncle dustin's helmet has been on every niece or nephews head!
well there is absolutely nothing going on here and life is bustling about pretty normally for a change. football season ended friday and basketball started yesterday. (blythe lost, a first for her Clyde has a much better BB team than Anson:(

i thought we might see the girls and jere more now that marching season is over but that really isn't the case. he's having to hang out in anson because of basketball. bummer. either they have to be at school by 6 am three days a week or they have to stay late two days of the week. i am seriously getting tired of this.

we really need to move and have begun the steps necessary to get from A to B so to speak. we're either going to buy or rent, we can't decide. he wants to buy, i want to rent (there's a lot to be said for NOT having to pay taxes, insurance, and for repairs on a house) plus i love the freedom of being able to move and change jobs with ease if we needed too.

jere loves his job and loves the small town feel of anson with the knowledge that we can drive 20 min and be in abilene with ease.

anyway, just pray for God's guidance in our lives to make the right decision.

blessings,

cole

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Fall Festivals and Candy






tonight we were invited to our good friend's beau and melissa's church for their annual fall festival. after grabbing some candy and playing a few games we went back to their place for some pizza and orange and black cupcakes (i don't even wanna KNOW what they have to do to make black icing or what it is doing to my children's insides right now!)

the kids were a good fairy, a bad fairy (or to be PC, one that makes poor life choices), anakin skywalker, a ladybug, and a really really cute little tiny lion who was almost perfect from 6-9 (which after last weekend, she owed me)

anyway, hope everyone else had an excellent weekend. oh yeah BTW, jere and i were dressed as the parents of 5 children :)

blessings,

cole

Monday, October 26, 2009

"you're a good band anson high!"




well this weekend we went to north richland hills for the area marching band competition and long story (and long day) short, we came in 5th out of 22 bands and you need to be in the top 4 to continue on to state. we were devastated :(but jere did say the good news is that means we're alternates, "so if everyone on any of the other 4 bands dies or fails we get to go to state!!!"

everyone cried and like jere said i would have rather come in dead last than to know we missed it by 2 points. the good news is that they were awesome and incredible! and i know they say size doesn't matter but the top 4 bands were 100 plus students, we only have 50 so i think we held our own quite well. the kids were great, crushed but great. the biggest bummer is that this is kelsey's last year to compete. blythe however has 2 more chances (which she mentioned to kelsey about 5 bajillion times, don't you just love siblings?)

mom rode down with me for company and staci b showed up for support and we had a really great time. well great time once grandma showed up and REMOVED ella-sophie from the premises. she nor i were at our best saturday, she didn't want to be there, and i didn't want to be the mother of a bratty 16 month old. (yes i said bratty and if you had been there you'd have agreed with me!)

izzy and elle went home with grandma and papa for the afternoon after harry and vanessa had seen the kids march the first time. this was majorly HELPFUL AND APPRECIATED since the entire competition didn't end until midnight. we left at 9:15 to go and get the little ones from saginaw, but jere and the band didn't leave until midnight or even make it back to anson until 3:45 which meant my family didn't get home until 4:30 a.m. :( all and all it was a pretty long weekend.

but i can say this from this whole experience. i understand my husband's job a bit better and appreciate just how hard he works for not only his family but his school and those kids as well.

The cutest band director EVER!!!!



this was a t-shirt the his brass section got him to wear on saturday.




i love you jeremiah, kelsey, and blythe. you guys are awesome and i couldn't be prouder!!!

Monday, October 19, 2009

monday!!!!



okay on monday and tuesdays daddy and the girls stay in anson and don't usually get home before 10 because they have marching practice from 7-9 and since blythe has cheer practice until 5:30 there is really no reason for them to drive the 22 miles in and then back again. they usually eat something off the 99 cent menu at Sonic or with rob (the other band director) and his family.



wednesday night they meet us at church at 6 and of course we have church and come home around 8:30 everyone goes to a seperate class and since i teach jere and i don't even get to hang out. so we really don't spend much time this night either.

thursday night is game night for blythe. jere usually comes home and drops kelsey off to watch the other kids and he and i go to blythe's games til around 9 when they are over.



friday night is football and they don't bother coming home, depending on whether or not it is away or home determines if we will see them that night.

saturday are band or choir competition days and sunday is church.

so today i decided to suprise jere and the girls and have him "meet" me in hawley. hawley is a small town half way between abilene and anson. the suprise was i had made brisket and home-made potato salad and sweet tea and instead of meeting to grab food from me, we actually had a picnic at the elementary school playground.



it was awesome, the only downer was blythe had to stay and finish cheer practice, but the good news was the weather, food, and kids were perfect. we had a great time.



hope your monday's went just as well,

Blessings,

cole

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

I'M ALIVE!!!


well i have bravely stood in the trenches bathing hot heads, medicating yucky coughs, and serving up soup and saltines like nobody's business since last wednesday night after church.

my fear and motivation? my drive? THE FLU!!! we didn't want it and i was going to make sure we didn't get it and we DIDN'T!! all of my children (except for kelsey, i guess at 16 you really DO know how to cover a cough and wash your hands and not drink after others) has been sick but with nothing over 72 hours. they've all coughed or ran temp but no flu!!! dr. shah said izzy probably had pneumonia again and for me to medicate as usual (thank God we have a nebulizer at home!)

that was great until saturday night when my fever spiked and I was the one really sick :( but just like the kids i was back up and running by tuesday!

now here's the weird part. ella-sophie has run a fever off and on, never two days consecutively, since last wednesday and yesterday we ran her in to the peds (she is the only one of the kids who has not had the flu shot) to see when we could get one and she has been really, really, really, fussy for the past two nights and just really only wanted to be held. our ped looked at her and said, "well she seems fine to me, but let's just do the swab for flu and strep."

Ella-Sophie has the flu!!! he said she has probably had it since last week and is almost done, but that she is doing really well handling it. she is amazing!!!! today she has napped as usual and snuggled but she is doing pretty good, just wants to be held and i can totally handle that.

through this whole week though JACK has been amazing. jere and the big girls have been gone for games, school, and competitions but he has helped me every inch of the way and been such a BIG BOY!

HOORAY FOR JACKSON!!!! MOMMY LOVES YOU MISTER MAN!!!

hope your weeks are going alright,

cole

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Fun on the Tramp!




WHY!!! CAN'T I BE ON THE TRAMPOLINE!!!

well some of you may or may not know this but my mom was just recently diagnosed with diabetes. bam!!! no warning, not change your diet, just take a pill this is serious.

it's actually been an incredible blessing. mom was dragging her feet about getting back into shape and now she has absolutely no reason not too, in fact her life depends upon it. given everything wrong with my dad, he ALWAYS did what his doctor said and we still lost him 12 years ago (in 8 days actually) while this disease IS manageable and my mom will die one day, but not from diabetes. and like my mom said, she has 11 good reasons to comply with her doctors orders (i counted 14, but apparently her grand kids out rate her kids :)

anyway mom has been GREAT about watching what she eats and has started exercising again (she and frank hit the pavement every weeknight, that poor pug huffs and puffs the whole way, but he's dragging mom :) and with that new found spirit of energy we have also seen a wild and crazy marmee out and about with the grand kids giving them a real "what for."

here's some pics from this past weekend, we ran up for the day to hang out, watch satellite (jere and the oldest two are addicts), and have a good ol fashion shrimp boil, which was INCREDIBLE! (thanks mom and pawpaw)

hope your week is going great and everyone is enjoying the rain!!

blessings,

cole

Thursday, October 1, 2009

caution, there are actually more than 2 pics in this blog!

between staci, andrea, and danell i think you guys are rubbing off, i've never had this many pics in a post before :) it's just crazy!!!!

>
isabel wanted everyone to see her duck egg she found at the pond with uncle beau sunday. i just liked the shot :) what can i say, i'm partial.

i also wanted to thank you everyone for taking time out of your busy days to send me and my family good thoughts and prayers. i honestly can say that i felt each kind thought from everyone.

this weekend we are going to take it easy. saturday we are doing nothing except for sleeping and the park, sunday is our pastor's 10th anniversary at our church so we have a picnic, then i'm sure we'll have afternoon napping and finally, the girls have monday off so we are going to spend some "quality" time bonding over their closet :) i know they are looking forward to this just as much as me.

please continue to think of us daily as this battle is not over.

on a lighter note here is another cheesy family pic, this time you can actually see our faces :)


blessings and a great weekend,

cole

ps, this last pic was a disaster, but in a good way, that blury bit of camo is our good friend melissa (the kids faux auntie) who came with us to the pond to try to "help" with the baby. she did a great job! how much weight to you suppose jere is supporting :D



AND FINALLY! I THOUGHT I WOULD ALSO SEND A SHOUT OUT TO MY BEAUTIFUL 14 YEAR OLD BABY GIRL BLYTHE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEEPS! you arrived 4 weeks early and have not slowed down since. i admire your sense of style, determination, and your continual quest for justice and fairness for the little guy. you are an inspiration and a blessing to your mommy. i love you and am so proud of you baby girl.



Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Teen-ager



"clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right"

last night we were not the best parents, but considering the teenager's attitude maybe we didn't do so well.

long story short, cell phones and Internet privileges are suspended for now and even though punishment has been doled out NOBODY is happy. i am at a loss and do not know what i need to be doing.

i lost it last night and jere really lost it last night. please pray for some wisdom on our part because we are truly flying blind. we want to be the most capable parents we can be, we're not even shooting for best just okay would be nice.

blessings for your week,

cole

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Saturday



well our weekend was crazy, but kelsey's birthday party was a huge success! from the AWESOME and delicious chocolate fountain (which i have decided that every party from now on should have) to our guest singer! ( i "hired" a theater major to ring our doorbell and when kelsey opened it Metrostation song "kelsey" to her, she LOVED IT!)

we karaoked, ate, danced, and acted goofy til midnight. needless to say we were exhausted all day sunday.

she received all kinds of wonderful gifts but i have to mention one gift in particular. her grandma made her a blanket for her birthday, i know you're thinking AND? well this home made quilt had a lovely asian design on one side and (for those of you who don't know kelsey is a major anime nerd) InuYasha scenes on the other side. kelsey went wild for this unique and one of a kind gift. grandma trumped every gift card, t-shirt, and box set (of InuYasha of course) with kelsey's new blankie which she sleeps with every night.

now here's the bad news. i was so busy preparing food, cleaning house, and being a good hostess that i didn't take ANY pics. i know i know, bad mommy BUT my bestie took plenty of pics i just need to get them off of facebook.

anyway, i hope everyone is having a great week so far. a few shout outs before i go . . .

blythe is awesome!

peace to aunt staci, we love and miss you!

congratulations on your new baby girl and "HI, just cause" to andrea!

happy birthday JR, thanks for loaning me bear for the weekend, she was a tremendous help!

love you mom!!

mel, boo, and stacey b, you are the best EVER!

and finally . . .

i love you jeremiah, thank you for helping me, encouraging me, and funding all my insane ventures!

Friday, September 18, 2009

MY INTERNET IS BACK UP!!!

my internet has been down since sunday and it is finally up again. i will be commenting and posting some this weekend especially since saturday night is . . .

KELSEY'S SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

peace,


nicole

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

wacky weekend


well sarah got married this weekend, and everything went off without a hitch. she and jr looked very cute all weekend and we had fun at mom's as well.

i decorated the cake as well as made all the reception food (with the help of my two trusty sidekicks, blythe and kelsey) we had chicken salad and a modified version of my sister-in-law stacey's tuna pasta salad as well as fresh fruit and veggies. it was very good and i am so thankful to everyone that was able to come.

after our whirlwind weekend, we recovered all day monday by sleeping in and doing nothing. it was sooo totally worth it to not have to do anything for 24 solid hours. anywho, we are back to our regular week and hope everyone is having a great wednesday.

blessings,

nicole

Thursday, September 3, 2009

hope


i suppose it is the changing of the seasons or maybe just that stolen 15 minutes of light that has already begun as our world gets ready for fall, but i see so many of my family and friends already fighting that all too familiar melancholy feeling that seems to come this time of year.

1 Peter 3:15 says, "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

each night i study different scripture that i believe pertains to something or someone in my life.

i pray.

i listen.

i have hope.

i have been spending about two weeks in the old testament. it's so fasinating and there is so much to learn. jere thinks i'm a closet jew (which could never happen because i love BACON too much). but i think most Christians spend way too much time in the new testament and forget there is even anything at the beginning of their bible after moses. hey that's fine, but just remember that Jesus came to fulfill the law not destroy it. Christians should never forget their Jewish heritage :)

this is my scripture for any of you feeling just a little bit off here lately and need some encouragement. most people know verse 11, but to get the whole idea you really need to read through about 14.

Jeremiah 29:11-14
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart and I will be found by you," declares the Lord.


blessings as we each enter into this weekend.

a new season of bounty to you all.

love and prosperity,

nicole

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

it's only wednesday

physical therapy monday

doctors appt tuesday

2 doctors appts today

some bloodwork as well

one more appointment tonight complete with 2 shots.

this week has been too crazy so far

one wedding cake left to finish

hope your week is going slower

nicole

Friday, August 28, 2009

super fast post

yesterday was crazy. i felt like i never got anything done, (except the bills paid, and that's no fun) jere didn't even get home or get to eat supper til 9:30 and since he drove a bus yesterday morning at 6, he was the walking dead by then.

we were suppose to have grilled chicken fajitas a la dad and homemade guacamole for supper. during football season we do "friday night family favorite" dinner on thursdays. since this was our first one, i really wanted it to be special. i got all the yummy ingredients and then jere called around 1 to let me know he had forgotten that last night was instrument night for the band. the kids pick up, rent, or purchase instruments from the local music store and jere has to be there to advise and help out.

which meant i had to go pick up the girls from anson, take blythe to physical therapy, take blythe to the doctor, grab one more avocado, get home and get ready to start dinner with the kids and BAM!

thunder, lightning, wind, rain, and NO electricity! so no fajitas!!! i thought i could brave the weather and maybe grill the meat myself (jere grills in the rain, sleet, or snow :) but i just couldn't. besides it scared the kids every time i mentioned stepping outside into the storm.

i hope tonight is better. wish us luck. both girls are marching and daddy couldn't be prouder :D

blessings and happy friday,


nicole

I TOTALLY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED SEPTEMBER 5TH! CONGRATULATIONS SARAH AND JR. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

the day after

yesterday was the first day of school for 4 of my 5 children (though i think ella-sophie could have stayed on the playground all day). it went off without a HITCH! i could not believe it. no one forgot anything, no arguing, it was awesome.

jackson got isabel up and made her some cereal and helped her brush her hair and teeth. he even walked her to class and told her if she got scared he was right next door! he is the best brother ANYONE could ask for!

here's the wrap up:

kelsey-"it's high school and it's lame mom, how much longer til college?"

blythe- "if i can add and subtract and do multiplication/division what is the point of algebra?"

jackson- "the new boy loves star wars!"

isabel- "kindergarten was great! i played and i prayed and i sang and i read and i colored and i did puzzles and i was the weatherbug (james was the line leader but i get to be that on friday) and everyone is my friend!!!



i couldn't find isabel to give her her snack, this is her at 3:45 apparently she put her self down for nap. it's hard being 5 and putting in an eight hour day!

ella-sophie (where the heck did everybody go!)



ella-sophie refused to put that silly phone down all day long, even taking it to nap with her "talking" on it. she finally stopped playing with it when everyone was home for the day!

i organized jack's dresser and did some laundry. i was so bored by 10 it was crazy, but i know i should enjoy this semester because after Christmas i'm sure i'll just be begging for time once i start school again.

have a blessed week,

nicole

Sunday, August 16, 2009

busy week

this past week has been wicked busy. i can't seem to catch my breath. we are working at both jere's school and cornerstone getting them ready, getting some yard work done, hauling off junk, and we've had company twice this past week and jere's boss is coming over tomorrow night! (that's a pretty long sentence eh)

anyway, i don't feel like writing much about our busy schedules before school starts next monday so i thought i would mention the newest addition to our family.



LOU LOU

we named her after my mom (linda lou) who has always wanted a granddaughter to be named after her :D

she is a rescued half basenji half chihuahua, we call her a chisenji or a bahuahua! she is awesome very low key and exactly what blythe has been asking for for about a year. isabel has wanted one since the movie "beverly hills chihuahua". so everyone is happy, even molly who wasn't so sure in the beginning.

hope you had a great weekend.

miss and love everyone,

nicole

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

home again home again jiggedy jig





these are a few pics from the past week-end

we are finally home for the entire summer. we left friday afternoon to head for graham (to drop off blythe and the dogs at marmee's) then on to saginaw (to drop off jack and belle at grandma's) then on to waxahachie for our church state convention. jere and kelsey were singing/playing for the saturday morning program and we were super excited to get to go. we get to visit with friends we've met from camp and other church fun throughout the year. it was a nice visit.

we got home late and spent all day recovering. yesterday was spent working on jere's classroom (did i mention i REALLY miss teaching) and helping him get ready for the new school year. his new band hall is awesome but very plain (manly) so we jazzed it up with posters, borders, and all kinds of cool stuff he didn't even know existed (someone slept through his bulletin board class in college :)from Mardel's for his room. all in all jere said he was actually amazed at how great his room looked. i can't believe he even doubted me for a second :)

now we have spent all day cleaning out closets and making sure we have no clothes that do not fit/will not wear in our possession. those items are for the salvation army truck and i couldn't be happier. i have every one's closet organized except for the baby's, but hers is tricky you never know what might fit in the future.

i can't believe summer is almost over. jere is back at work full-time and i am so bummed. i am back at cornerstone again this year helping out and that makes me feel good. i have postponed grad school until the Spring, but am wondering if i should just spend the year getting certified. i don't know, jere really wants me to get the masters. he thinks it will be my springboard to other opportunities within the education field. we'll see. he's probably right

i'm feeling a little overwhelmed, but that's alright. i just need to get everything organized and i'll be fine. the kids are starting to get antsy about school and even though they don't want to go, you know they really kinda do.

i hope everyone else's weekend went well and they are starting to settle into the fall as the summer slowly fades away.

blessings,

cole

Summertime

Summertime
Beautiful batheing babes (and bubs)