Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas

Hello everyone! We had such a blessed Christmas here in Columbia. Olivia and Jackson both had a full day of fun and arguments. I felt like my mother this year. I was spending my time cleaning up and breaking up arguments over whose toy belongs to who. I was constantly saying Jack that is sissy's baby alive or Sissy give Jackson his bulldozer back. Olivia spent the better part of our dinner on the stairs crying. She did eventually come down and actually have dinner. I will never forget her expression when she saw what santa had left. My little man did not get it. He just wanted to play with everything and you better believe Olivia was informing him what belonged to her. Michael made a yummy dinner and Olivia and Jackson hopefully will have many memories. (Even if it is only with pictures)

All finished with presents and just relaxing under the tree.
Olivia seeing her doll house for the first time.

Preparing for santa

Reading the Night before Christmas on Christmas eve

Jackson Stole a cookie how funny is that

Playing with Jack

Hugs from Olivia

Throwing one in from Olivia's actual birthday

What a wild weekend

Olivia's 4th birthday party!

Jackson after his first haircut!






So much has been going on. We have been very busy preparing for all the Holidays. We were lucky and got to go home, West Memphis, for Thanksgiving. The very next weekend we celebrated Olivia's birthday. I cannot believe she is turning 4. I have been very weepy about it. I look at her and think where oh where does the time go. I don't remember the late night fights to get her to sleep through the night or the painful nursing experience. Oh who am I kidding I do remember those things and believe it or not I miss them. I look at Jackson and think...Oh my goodness you are the same age Olivia was when we moved to Columbia. Jackson will be 4 when we leave Columbia. Isn't that wild. Olivia had a blast at her birthday party. She is confused when she ask how old she is and I still say 3. She told me uhhh mom I think your wrong remember I had a birthday party yesterday this morning. She still has no concept of time. Michael and I were blessed with wonderful family who were able to travel up for the party. Our little ballerina was exhausted by then end of it all. She actually took a nap today. Now we have been trying to get her to lay down and stay down for about an hour and a half. But what can I say you win some and you loose some. The other part of my wild weekend was Jackson got his first big boy hair CUT. I was so sad to see his curls go. I have to admit he does look very handsome. I don't even think he noticed at all. I felt extremely blessed this weekend to see all our family and friends. Gods love was shining this weekend. I know that I have vented and cried while blogging before and that is why I wanted to take a minute and just praise the lord for all the blessings He has bestoed upon my family. Have a blessed and happy week.

Self doubt

Sometimes I wonder why raising two kids is so hard. I wonder if I am doing more damage than good. I doubt that my kids are getting enough of my attention. I doubt my ability to raise my kids and be a working mom. Why do you ask that a very funny and very confident Ketrina, I am refering to myself in 3rd person for dramatics, is starting to doubt my abilities? I have a very activie and tantrum throwing 17 month old. My 3 year old likes to sing loudly during these tantrums. Isn't that enough to make anybody doubt. Right? I just want to be the best mom that I can be. I kinda drive my family a little batty because I always call home, west memphis home. I just get over whelmed and want to be grounded. I think it is funny that I spent most of my childhood wanting to be an adult and now that I am an adult who has to be very responsible all I want is my carefree childhood back. Crazy right. Now don't get me wrong. I love Olivia and Jackson. Watching them play and listening to them laugh makes me very happy. I love when Jack is being sweet and Olivia is being so loving. I keep praying that I will make all the right choices. I want to teach them the values that I hold true. I want Olivia and Jackson to grow up loving God and making good choices. But right now I guess I will have to settle for food on the floor and hearing twinkle twinkle little star sung at the top of Olivia's lungs. When I start doubting I am always reminded that I really do have good normal children. All kids through tantrums, if yours don't I don't want to know. I am very blessed with a husband that loves me and our children who happen to be the two coolest kids I know. Thanks this was a good chat:)

Halloween

Halloween 2008 Olivia was Mary and Jackson was my sweet little lamb. We heard that song over and over. She is so sweet and got completely into character by calling Jackson little lamb. She was so excited to have her cousins Mackenzie and Kendall come to Columbia to go trick or treating with her.

The most precious pumpkin in the patch. Kendall Rhea 9 months.

Ta Da Introducing Mackenzie and Olivia...who knew Barbie cheerleaders and Mary were friends.

We had a fun Halloween night and enjoyed our first real trick or treating experience. The neighbors all loved our little ones.

Grant's Farm

Michael and Jack having fun at the Farm. Aren't my men so cute.

Watching the train pull up at Grants Farm.

Olivia and Jack at her friends birthday party. Go Cowboys!!!!

Olivia talking to her Pop Pop on the phone. She looked like a teenager sitting in the chair with her feet kicked up. What another gorgeous fall day. Olivia had her last soccer "game" today. I am happy to have it done for a while. We all know how hectic it gets this time of year. Now we just have ballet on Tuesday and Jack's gymnastics on Saturday. We also had a birthday party today. It was a costume party and Olivia was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and Jack was a football player. They had fun hangin out with their friends. It is so interesting watching them with their development. Olivia is starting to want to play with other kids more and Jack still likes to play by himself. The only person he wants to play with is Olivia. After the party we went to Grants farm. Oh my...It was so much fun. We got there an hour before they closed the park and so it was all ours. Olivia got to feed pygmy goats. At first she was scared because they all rushed her at the same time. One was even trying to eat her dress. Once Michael got her into the pen she was happy to feed the one goat. Then one rushed at her and it scared her. She was ready to leave the pen. She looked so pitiful standing in the pen crying. We walked around the rest of the farm looking at all the animals. It was such a long and happy day. Sometimes I just think...Thank you God for blessing me with so much. I mean can you believe it. I have more treasures than any king or billionaire.

Pumpkin Patch

Happy Fall From the Hood's! We went to Peach Tree Farms today and had a blast. Michael was funny when we first got there. The first thing he noticed was they raised their prices. He was making jokes like...Well Olivia I guess you will have to just look at the pumpkins because we don't have enough money to buy pumpkins too...Olivia was clueless. She was just like...la, la, la, la,...daddy I want to feed the goats, daddy I want to see the sunflowers, daddy I want to ... It was so funny. Jack was so curious about everything. The first picture is of him trying to find his pumpkin. He did many thourough test to make sure he chose just the right one. He didn't have time to smile for ANY pictures. I tried so hard to get a cute picture of my two pumpkins...but I just couldn't snap my camera fast enough. Jack was so fast and just on the move. When I got Jack to just stand there Olivia would decide to do something wierd. Oh well. They are my cuties and I love them no matter how silly the together shots turned out. Jack said this pumpkin did not pass the test!
What do you think...Does Olivia just love her daddy? I wonder what my little man is thinking?
Jack was not sure about feeding this goat...Is this just a big dog dad?
Olivia wanted to take this picture...I think it is pretty cute.

This was one of the first pictures we took. She just loves the pumpkins!

Our MAD House

Well not much has been going on here in Columbia. I have taken up some light crafting. I even have made a few embelishments to Olivia's soccer shorts. I made my little niece Lillie a Dora outfit. I am teaching first grade and Michael is still heavy into his residency. Olivia is 3 and Jack is 16 months. Olivia has started sharpening her tounge. She actually ask me "What the hell"? The only thing is I can't be mad at anyone but myself. To hear my sweet angel say a naughty word. She also has started standing on the scale and says uhhh I weigh 4o fricken pounds...Which is so funny because she only weighs 35 pounds. I guess numbers aren't for her yet:P Maybe she takes after me more than I want to admit. She complains about having to go to preschool because she doesn't like to have to work all day. Believe me I wish I had to spend all day with my friends. That is my sweet little girl. A carbon copy of her mommy. I have another little kiddo. Jackson will be my last. He makes me so tired. I wouldn't change him for anything. He loves to get into everything. His new activity envolves pushing a big chair over to my couch, climbing up onto the chair, jumping onto the couch and then yelling...momma, momma to get my attention. I will tell him to stop and sit down. He will then tell me to stop it. I will walk over to him and he tucks his head and starts to fake cry. It is pitiful.:) My little rough and tough boy also has developed a shoe fetish. He is so funny. He doesn't care whose shoes they are as long as they are shoes. He could be throwing a humongous fit and all you have to say is "Jackson want to put on shoes" and he is up saying sooes...bye bye. I am going to try and figure out how to up load photos. Hopefully I can figure it out so you guys can see my cutie batooties. I think I figured it out. Be sure and scroll all the way down to the bottom to see a preview of their Halloween costumes. Olivia loves it and Jack is still unsure. I just have to keep working on it.