Because writing makes me feel better...

   Family is important to me.  You should be able to tell because my blog (since 2008) has been about my peeps.  The older I get (I'm pushing 34) the more important family becomes to me.  I am at my best when I am around those I love.

    Last Friday, Dad, aka BoomPa, the kids, and me loaded up for Sebastopol.  Yes, it's a town... in Mississippi and I have roots there.  Sebastopol is in the east-central part of the state, and my dad was born and raised there.  It was family reunion time...Anthony style.  (Anthony would be my maiden name for anyone who might be confused).

    A little bit of history for those of you.... My dad graduated high school in 1969, went to junior college for 2 years, and to Ole Miss for 3 years.  My mom graduated high school in 1971 and went straight to Ole Miss.  Some years later the small town Sebastopol boy met the big city Jackson girl and well, the rest is history.  Honestly, you have taken two people from very different backgrounds and tied them together.  

     So, dad and I, along with the kids set out early (Fancy got there at night) for some family time.  Ken and his crew came and the noise level went up a lot of notches.  Those 6 cousins have a large time together.  One of my uncles had his antique car and the kids have fun riding in it.

                                                  
We all went to the steak house to eat Friday night.

I did really bad at picture taking this year at the reunion, but we had a fun time and my kids didn't want to leave.

When you make a chocolate cake and the kiddos lick the bowl before Fancy....

Two years ago, June 26, 2014, I found out I was pregnant with this firecracker.

Puddin and Pops have a pool which we rarely swim in.  I'm not sure why we don't take advantage of this more.  Sunday night after we did some yard work and such we hopped right in.  Annie needed her biggest Bubba to tote her around.

So, I was watching a commercial on PBS when I was walking through the living room.  It said something about summer break can put a child up to two months behind in school if they don't stay actively engaged.  In true Jill fashion I panicked.  Bitty already isn't into the learning thing and I need him to step it up.  I grabbed the ABC flashcards and we painfully went over those.  I saw some regression.  Then we practiced his name and I made him do puzzles.  Lord give me patience!

Uncle Vance, that would be Fancy's brother, is tying the knot in August.  The children are all in the wedding, so we headed to get fitted for our tuxes.  For starters, the kids acted like wild hooligans in that store and Bitty told the old lady woman in there he'd pull down her pink underwear.  I seriously doubt pink was her color of choice, but I did calmly walk him into the next room and wear him out.  Next, he told me he wasn't wearing that, rather he was wearing his Paw Patrol shirt and black shorts.  Lastly, he said he wasn't even going to the wedding.  Again, patience for me.

Sister and I went to Wal-Mart late yesterday afternoon.  When we were walking in the store I noticed the blackness in the sky, but I went in anyway.  I thought if I went speedy quick grabbing my items that I would beat the storm.  WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!  All the old folks were piled at the door watching the storm, but not me.  I held Annie down in that cart and ran like a bullet to my car.  IT WAS POURING!!!!!!!  I mean soaked doesn't even cut it.  Annie was beyond upset and all I could do was laugh.  I promise I felt like someone threw us in the pool.  I chunked her in the floorboard of the back seat and grabbed all the bags and jumped in the car.  We needed towels.

Bitty organized my bathroom stuff.

You get the "stink eye" when you tell him he can't play with a stapler.

It's as hot as blazes in Mississippi.  If we aren't inside I want to be at the pool.  Today we went after lunch.  When did we go?  After lunch!  My kids think I am an ATM machine and needed 75 snacks each.   Look at those two eyeing his nachos. 

Our friends, Seth and Julie, and their kiddos came by today.  Normally, Annie favors women, but she was all about some Uncle Seth today!

Thanks for weeding my monkey grass, Bitty.

That face...

Y'all, moms of small children, I found a good website on Facebook- Southern Frills Boutique.  Check it out.  Cute cute cute cheap kids clothes!! (No that dress didn't come from there... it's a Wal-Mart special).

Lately this little guy's favorite phrase is: "I'm jealous".  Whoever taught him that should be shot.  He's jealous if I play a game with Ford.  He's jealous if I play trucks with him and one of the other two acts interested.  He's jealous if we read Ford's Bible and not his.  He's jealous if Annie eats his purple cereal.  The list goes on and on....

And this guy needs constant entertainment.  He asks if a friend can come over daily.  When he gets asked to go play somewhere then...Bitty gets jealous!!!!!!!!!!

The boys love to go "check on Gran".  I love that they still think about her.  I know her memory will fade little by little over time and it's painful to think about.  July 5 she will have been gone 6 months.  That's half a year.  It's crazy to think that it's been that long.  I think of ALL she's missed.  I promise I want to call her numerous times a day.  It was much harder that first month not to call.  It's not like I have anything important to say... just small talk.  Like today I would have called to tell her about the awesome website "Southern Frills Boutique" that I found and what I ordered for Annie.  She would have been just as excited as me.

I was definitely a "momma's girl" which the way I spell "momma" drove her crazy.  She said I needed to spell it "mama".  Since she's been gone Dad and I and Ken and I have become much closer.  I was close to Dad, but we're lots closer now.  I wouldn't say Ken and I were ever super close growing up, but her sickness and death have brought us closer for sure.  I feel like Dad knows me and my children so much better now.  For over two years he was taking care of mom and they rarely came down here.  He visits often now and knows their schedules, likes and dislikes.

Soon we will have our annual family vacation except mom won't be there.  She won't be in the beach picture.  She won't be in on the memories, the jokes, the dinners, the meals, the cuddles, and much more.  She will miss my birthday.  For some reason her missing my birthday hurts.  People say that time makes things easier or better, and I hope they're right.  The hurt won't ever go away.  I'll never stop missing her.  I still have and will continue to have the nights that I cry myself to sleep.  It's just truly unbelievable that she's gone and I won't see her until I go to Heaven.

I didn't mean for this to end on a sad note.  I don't want my blogs to all be about my feelings toward mom, but some will be because writing things makes me feel better.

Nashville and sweet 16 months

Sometimes Trey has to work out of town on different cases at the law office.  Two weeks ago he had to be in Nashville.  This week he had to go back and requested that we join him.   Let me be honest, I can be realistic or he says pessimistic about stuff.  I saw this 4 hour tour to Nashville as a small disaster.  I can predict the future, so I think, and #1 Knew we wouldn't get to Nashville until Sunday night, #2 Knew that Trey would be gone all day Monday in depositions, #3 Knew sleeping would be tough 5 deep in a hotel, and #4 Knew that ride to and from wouldn't be fun.  Guess what.... I was RIGHT!!!!  But we went, I sucked it up, we survived, and made it home in one piece.

Less than and hour out of town and Fancy put on the muffs...

The Omni Hotel

They apparently aim to please the little folks at this hotel, because the kids got backpacks full of good junk.

We got checked in about 6:30 and then headed for some Mexican food.

Happy Father's Day!!!!

Fortunately, we got a room with two queen sized beds.  We brought sister a pack n play.

Daddy had depositions in that big Regions building.

Looking for Daddy...

The children and I headed out for breakfast about 8:00.  Little did I know we'd be walking 3/4 of a mile and Bitty couldn't hang.  We found breakfast though...

Annie grabbed a chicken wing.  Yes, they had chicken wings on the breakfast buffet at 8:00 AM.

My kids acted like the Beverly Hillbillies.  You'd think they never leave home.  They loved a hotel.

After breakfast we went to the Adventure Science Museum.

I think she bit him after this picture...

And what luck... When we left the place a radio station called Mix 92.9 was giving away FREE sno-cones.

Ford thought his was nasty.

After the museum we headed back to the room so Annie could nap.  Please for the love of Pete, that was a 40 minute struggle.  Finally she slept.  Then we headed to the pool.

I sat in this chair for 13 seconds.  Then I chased Annie for 45 minutes.  Then we left.

Friday afternoon we went to see my college roommate and her family.  Sadly, I didn't get a picture.  Afterwards we visited one of Trey's friends, then got ice cream.  By 9:30 Annie was OUT!

Tuesday she woke up at 5:58.  I raced to grab her before she woke everyone else up.  I decided I'd go ahead and shower.  What do you do with a 16 month old in a hotel room when you need to shower?  You lock her in the stroller with a sucker.  That results in a sticky mess and a morning bath.

After I (yes, I said I, not we) packed the stuff we headed to Trey's favorite place in Nashville.  Please go there and get the sweet potato pancakes.  You can thank me later.

Big two days wears a woman out...

Trips can be fun, but it's so nice to get home.  This was my vantage point from the kitchen window.

Today (6/23) Annie is 16 months old!!!!
She's around 23-24 pounds.
Wears a size 18-24 month clothes and a size 4 shoe.
She has 12 teeth and HATES whole milk.  Yes, I still breast feed.
She takes two naps a day anywhere from 1-2.5 hours.

She's excited about life all day long.  She jabbers and squeals.  She holds her own when Bitty interferes with her activities.  She loves bath time, outside, animals, suckers, juice, pizza, french fries, swimming, ice, balls, to be held, ice cream, golf cart rides, etc.

Our first babysitter, Samantha, who started keeping Ford when he was tiny had a baby.  Acklen is teeny.  Bitty has been about to have a duck to go see him, but refused to hold the baby.

Ford loved holding him.

Here's to more summer fun....