ok, so crazy busy week...i'm exhausted tonite and hope to update tomorrow...until then, here's a few pix of 2 of the reasons i'm so tired :)

enjoying the sunshine...

here's our trip to centinneal park yesterday...it was absolutly beautiful out & brock happened to be off so we loaded up, ate lunch at this awesome persian place in frankling..as we talked to the owner she tells us that her husband is mohammad and is the "mo" in "fat mo's"...those of you from the area will know its the next big burger chain...great little lady, great food...spent the rest of the afternoon at the park, feeding the ducks...i was suprised to see mia as brave as she was with the ducks & pigeons... they certainly weren't shy & hardly polite as we fed them, but she didn't flip out, although brax was a little timid..they adored getting to throw food and watch them eat it...such a cool place...so many interesting people everywhere...spread out enough to have your space but still feel part of a community...i would choose to go there anyday...c'mon spring!!!

christmas flashback....

here are a few that didn't make it from christmas time...meg meg (aka santa) brought the kids some gifts up...after the fun of unwrapping and the 2 days it took to put it all together (we're a product of the public school system :) they had a great time playing with them and her!

...and here is yet another year with the cantrell clan...our by default tradition of the gap jammy exchange...usually it involves a little chevy chase, but we let him off the hook this nite..

'smuckers' woman of the day...

last sunday we suprised my nanny for her 74th birthday....we all showed up at her rehab place and waited for the nurse to bring her in...unfortunatly she saw brock thru the window as he went to the car for something, but she still cried as they wheeled her in. she said in 74 years it was her first suprise party...she is a great lady who was lived alot of heartache and we all admire her for her love for each of us...i tell her she has another 20 good years left, but she rolls her eyes and puffs at me as if the thought wears her out...as i watch her, i hope for her honesty and generous heart (she never lets us leave without sending us home with something-usually canned goods...?? if you ever eat canned potatoes when you come to our house, you'll now know where they came from :) what i've also learned is that bitterness inside of you never goes away unless you choose forgiveness...after years of an unfaithful husband who abandoned her many times, unfortunatly she is still resentful...i think we all could find many reasons to feel wronged or taken advantage of, but one important thing that i've learned in my young life is to let it go. when i'm 74, i hope my attitude will be grateful and my outlook will be hopeful...there are many challenges ahead, i know, but with God's grace, i hope to face them with a happy heart.

white wednesday....

ok, so our computer got some kinda crazy virus...ok like 20 of them...just don't quite understand the gratification people get from sending those...? anyway, thanks to mr. gossett, it's all cleaned up and we're back in business! we were on the edge of the ice storm the past couple of days, so after buying bottled water, batteries, and sandwich stuff we found it all totally useless... we only lost power for an hour or so at 5 am...i've got tons of pix to upload, so here's a few....

we woke up yesterday to SNOW! not sure who was more excited...brock & i or the kids...brax looked outside and said "NOse!" (he meant snow) so before 8:30 that morning we were out there with all the other kids...brock hopped in on a snowball fight with some 10 year olds- i conveniently dissapeared on that one...oddly enough, i think the kids favorite part was just walking thru it and tasting it. i'd say by about 10 we retreated back inside and we were back out there by 11...some hot chocolate and a game of phase 10 with some friends made for a great snow day! and the best thing about it..it's all still out there! isn't there a strange resmblance between brax and the kid from 'christmas story?' :)

here's brax 'helping' brock with some of his work :)

mr. president....

1:30pm. well, mr. bush...we love you and are grateful for your 8 years. here they are leaving washington. & a pic (as he posed :) with the kids last week to give his final address to the nation. i thought it was a great moment- a graceful exit. and i must admit i applauded and cheered as he finished his speech. what a great response he had to a nation that has constantly trashed his efforts. i certainly recognize that mistakes were made, but in which job are they not? i admire his character. i can't imagine having a job in which i put my life on the line & worked endlessly, yet received mostly critisism and little praise.

with this being the first election i took part in, i have suprisingly found myself very emotional about it. like most conservatives, i'm nervous. i think many of mr. obama's fundamental beliefs are not right. it is scary to be lead by someone with questionable morals (compared to the bible)

HOWEVER...as i watch each ceremony that i know is planned to evoke emotion out of us...i gladly surrender it...what a moment. i am by no way a political analyst, simply a young adult trying to make sense of the future, the process, and the leaders involved...

i gladly rejoice with each african american. i am grateful that you finally have proof of your 'given' equality. i understand that many people gave their lives for this victory and i gladly celebrate with them. i wish mr. obama success in his efforts, wisdom inside of him, and humility as he attempts to conquer the challenges ahead. i stand with him and not against him. and pray that his family will be near to God, because without that, they will certainly crumble.

i am amazed at the sense of tradition we still hold in america. with the speeches, parades, and the respect that each demands, to me it is hopeful that the hearts of our country are still able to offer reverence. the history engulfing the white house and those that have lived there amazes me. i am very grateful to be part of this country. i am holding my breath as i watch it all unfold....

bathtub & bulldogs...

ok, uncle brianey, this one's for you! :) sorry...couldn't get a "bull", nor a "dog" out of his mouth though. and if you ask me, his smile looks kinda forced...msu might miss out on big brix lillis!

here's brax having way too much fun in the tub....you can imagine what the floor looked like when he was finished!

"school daze, school daze, dear ole golden rule days..."

here's mia with a few little buddies...& HER FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!...after MUCH hesitation on my part, there came an opening at the local baptist church for the 3 year old class so we signed her up! it's only 2 days/week & what is great about this little program is the ratio of teacher to student and it always seems so well organized. both her teachers seem wonderful. ms. sheree has 2 small daughters in the school also and ms. stephanie has practically been a nanny for her nephew. she loved it...i, of course, was an emotional basketcase...i cried the entire way to nashville..fortunatly i was meeting a girlfriend for brunch so i didn't just sit at home and mope all day!when i picked her up, mia's only complaint was that she dropped her hershey kiss and didn't want to eat it because it was dirty. not bad. i really think what swayed me to let her go was getting to pick out her supercute lunch box in mississippi. :)

here's brax yelling Go GATORS!

christmas in dixie.....

braxton's cool whip hat...looks omish
mia's 1st 'my little pony'...sleeps with it every nite


brax 1st 4 wheeler & mia's only request from papoo-"em-ee-m's"

a proud daddy! she can now make it to darcy's house on it!

the most beautiful wrapped gift! & kids going thru mamoo's stocking

mia exhausted from throwing up & brax helping himself to some coconut cake

362 days left till christmas! as we watched the countdown till the ball dropped, at about 20 seconds till, i got really sentimental...started thinking how another year was just a memory...i started thinking about new years eve 1999...when everyone was afraid of what would happen at midnite...i was too young and wild to care...i can still remember clearly being at bonfire with and being so drunk that we called my mom to take us somewhere else...that was 9 years ago...alot has changed in almost this decade...my mom is now gone...i try to stick to only a glass of wine...and i'd really rather be on the couch under a blanket than in the wilderness by a fire...my life has literally been transformed from a carefree, reckless teenager that avoided the thought of consequences to a somewhat responsible (semi) adult who understands that a man named jesus came to give me abundant life...i cry as i write this because i understand that my life didn't have to be spared by Him...but what a great Love that He would rescue my life from destruction...now what a beautiful thing He has made out of a train wreck....i am so grateful and as i watch my children and know that 10 years from now, many more memories will be made- ones that they will be able to remember- my hope for each of them is that they will be filled with wisdom and joy and extreme gratitude for the life that God has for them, should they make the choice to accept it.