Michael, Daniel and Ben being Michael, Daniel and Ben

This is from Christmas of this past year, but it is still definitely worth sharing. These are three out of my four nephews, just being themselves...I love my family!

Random Pictures from 2008...

Well, it is clearly too late to do a bunch of detailed posts for 2008, so I decided just to post a bunch of pictures from the year, and try to keep up with this after that. For the life of me I couldn't even figure out how to get these in the right order, so this isn't exactly chronological. I'm not the best at this...

Like father, like son...

With Maw and Paw (Alan's parents) at Easter.

My little Know-It-All telling another child how t-ball should be played.




Jacob showing off his new bat, glove and ball for t-ball.

Jacob playing soccer. Or just waiting to play soccer. The child in the middle is Kyler, Jacob's best friend. He and Jacob are like two peas in a pod.

See?

What did I tell you? Two peas in a pod.

Jacob and Kyler at Uncle John's Cider Farm in the fall.

Jacob eating popcorn cooked over the open fire while camping in our back yard. I desperately did not want to stay in the tent for the night, and shamefully kept trying to convince Jacob that it would be much nicer inside.

I kept looking longfully at the house from my viewpoint right by the fire. Doesn't it look inviting?

The dogs (one of them ours, one of them the neighbors') checking out our tent.

Alan helping Jacob roast hotdogs. (By the way, I ultimately convinced Jacob and he fell asleep with me in our bed while watching a movie. Score!)

Jacob on, what else, the first day of kindergarten, with his handmade sign. We did one for the last day of kindergarten, too, but I forgot to upload that picture and if I tried now it would be ridiculously out of order. Plus, that's 2009, so you'll need to wait another year for it.

He thought he was too cool for school.

But he indulged me and kept posing.

This is Alan and me at Christmastime in Memphis at my brother Jack's house. We have so few pictures of the two of us, because I usually take the pictures.

My sister-in-law, Tina (Jack's wife) and their youngest daughter, Anna.

Two of my sister Karla's kids, Kaitlyn and Michael.

Jacob investigating his Christmas booty as my brother, Jack, looks on.

My sister Karla and me, still at Jack's house.

My sister Karla and her baby Michael.

Karla stealing a kiss from Jacob as Anna looks on.

Anna, Jacob, Karla and Kaitlyn

This is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Deidre (as in our friendship is old, not her). She is so wonderful to try to make the trip from Searcy to see me whenever I am in Memphis. I am SO thankful for her.

Jacob with Deidre's daughter, Shelby. She kept trying to play house and calling him "Husband," and he did not like that at all. He is full force into the "girls, ewwwww" stage.

Hanging out with Maw.

Deidre's daughter, Shelby, posing as only she can. Too precious.

My nephew Michael. 'Nuff said.

Jacob, Kyler and Kyler's sister Jenna playing in the leaves.

They have so much fun together.

I think he was trying to make a leaf angel. Makes sense to me.

Chilling with Daddy on a lazy, cold Saturday afternoon.

Hanging out with Kyler, again. Rough life, to have your food served to you on a tray in front of the TV. I at least made them pull their own crusts off.

This is when Jacob was in the emergency room for breaking his arm by falling off the slide at school. SO pitiful. The bad thing is, we didn't have a coat that would fit over his cast, so we had to cut the sleeve off of a perfectly good jacket. No way he could go without one during the winters up here!

Another cold afternoon. Jacob got out a face painting kit he got from someone in my family the Christmas before, and of course he and Kyler picked the most complicated picture in the book. It took me over an hour to paint both of their faces. They are supposed to be snakes. Eh, I did my best.

This picture is from the front yard, facing our house. I just thought the sky looked cool.

Jacob helping Ashley (Alan's sister) put up her Christmas tree.

Getting an assist from Maw with the lights.

Helping Ashley put the beads on the Christmas tree.

He loves decorating the tree. Ashley had to go back and redo everything he "helped" her with!

The snow looks so pretty off our back deck.

Doesn't it look perfect for Christmastime? After that, as far as I'm concerned, bring on the heat!

Our Christmas tree.

Jacob bringing out Santa's cookies and milk.

Jacob in front of the tree, in his pjs, ready to try to go to sleep.

Jacob at Maw and Paw's house after Christmas.

Abby, Maw's dog, is a bit of a diva. She loves to dress up in different outfits and prance and pose.

See?

Maw and Jacob. He loves his Maw.

What did I tell you, out of order. Shelby and Jacob again.

Shelby and Jacob playing with a toy dog at my mother's house.

Jacob waking my nephew Michael to hug him goodbye before we head back up to the frozen tundra.

Jacob loving on Granny Honey.

Well, that's it for 2008. That's obviously not all we did, but hopefully that gives anyone who cares enough to forgive me for not posting anything sooner. I'll try to do better. I always have the best intentions...