More Christmas Pics!

It's rare I post two times in one day, I just have so many pics! So scroll down to see some Christmas Eve pics with Jason's family. I'll post more tomorrow since we had Christmas tonight with my family and then lots more activities going on tomorrow too! We went to church tonight as well, for the first time on Christmas Eve. It's definitely going to be something we do every year. It was amazing! Happy Birthday Jesus, I'm so glad you came.

Christmas Eve at the Carney's

He opened this hat and said, "Uncle Marty's hat!"

The first thing he did was go to the window so he could see Grandad's tractors!

Okay, you're going to see a lot of this fake smile going on! This is automatic once he sees the camera!

Playing with the log skidder, which he LOVES!

Much concentration!

Uncle Daniel tuned the guitar for him!

He's gonna have a blast playing this!

He also got a cool tool set that I'm pretty sure we're going to have to be changing the batteries out on soon because he really likes the drill.

Most of the gang playing cards. Pretty sure Daniel and Robert were doing Hudson's "Cheesey" face!

We did lunch this year at the Carney's and it was wonderful! I love breakfast any time of the day except breakfast time! I enjoyed having it at lunch this year because we weren't rushed to have to hurry off to Meemaw's. Plus this year we get to go the Christmas Eve service at church! Hudson racked up and can't seem to decide which toy he wants to play with next. He got a little, okay, a lot cranky and so me and him came home early so he could take a nap. For some reason he was up an hour early this morning so I guess to him it felt really past his nap time. Besides the crankiness it was so much fun getting to watch him open his gifts. I think being able to watch him may make this Christmas the best one yet. Afterall, I've waited for almost 4 years for this! And I'm taking a million pictures and going to try to remember every bit of it!

So thanks Grandmom, Grandad, Uncle Daniel, Aunt Jeanna, Robert, Loretta, Uncle Marty, DeLisa, and Brian for starting this Christmas off with a bang. Not because of the cool gifts but because you are wonderful to my baby and the best in-laws a girl could ask for! You gave me the second best gift, Jason (Jesus #1, of course). I love you guys!

Merry Christmas!

I had professional pictures taken earlier this fall, some with the only intention for Christmas cards and the photographer just mailed them out at the end of last week :( So if you normally get a Christmas card from us and didn't this year, consider this post your card!

So to everyone out there, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas! And may we all be so thankful for the wonderful gift God sent over 2,000 years ago who would save our souls! If you don't know my Jesus, He's the best gift you'll ever receive, PROMISE!

Our Weekend

I think Hudson looks like Aunt Jeanna, look at the hair and eyes!

We had a pretty laid back weekend. I didn't get finished riding horses until after 7 p.m. on Friday night so Jason and Hudson hung out at the barn with me until I was finished. Then Saturday was a little busier with having to go grocery shopping at Kroger's and run into Wal-Mart for some last minute gifts. Then put Hudson down for an early nap so we could make it to Jenny's (Jason's Aunt) house for Christmas with Grandmom's side of the family. Hudson had a good time playing and opening some gifts. I think he's going to get the hang of ripping the paper off real quickly :) We ended up leaving earlier than planned because Jason is very allergic to cats and was having trouble breathing and his eyes were watering badly. So then we drove around and looked at lights and finally made it back home. Sunday morning was the children's play which Hudson will be old enough to be in next year. He enjoyed watching it, though. It was too funny and cute!

Today Jordin, Hudson's best bud, is hanging out with us. Right now they are both sleeping! They get along so well, and I'm thinking they'll both be worn out by tonight!

I am eagerly awaiting our family from Texas. Our Uncle David, Aunt Tracie, Cody, and Courtney should be here in several hours. I love it when they are home for Christmas. We have some fun things planned while they are here. Opryland Hotel, movies, etc. And Hudson really enjoyed them this summer when they were home for Casey's wedding.

We are starting to see some of the two year old stuff come out! Hudson has gotten a little attitude over the past few weeks but he does it very discretely. I'm trying to nip it in the bud real quickly so that it doesn't escalade into fits. I know we have a good child and the reason he is that way is because we require him to listen and be respectful and I don't plan on that changing so their will be a few extra time out's and switchings (no one turn me into DCHS :) going on in the Carney house until this stage is over with. But I still say I love this age. He's still way too much fun, cracks me up, and insists he's my baby!

Last night in the nursery I had to hold a baby that was crying while they went and got his mother and Hudson did not like it at all. He insisted I hold him and when I tried to explain that the baby was upset and they were getting his mom, he didn't seem to care, all he cared about was "My Mommy"! Then this morning he was still talking about it. He said, "Mommy hold baby, no, no, baby, Mommy hold Hudson!" I'll remind him of this when he's a teenager!

Let Me Tell You 'Bout My Man!

These are pictures from the PV Christmas parade, it was very cold! Hudson's favorite part of the parade was passing a road grader (sp?), he shouted it at the top of his lungs!

I don't do it as often as I should but I just want to tell y'all about my man, a.k.a Hudson's Daddy! He is so wonderful. If I searched the world, I'd never find another like him. It's almost been a year since we became parents. And what a big change that was after being just us two for 5 1/2 years. I remember the first 3 months it seemed we didn't see each other much. We had been used to talking on the phone quite a bit throughout the day and then being together once work was over. Those first 3 months it felt like our heads hit the pillow at night and that's when we said Hi! He would get up and feed my horses so me and Hudson didn't have to get out in the cold and then work all day and come home and spend time with Hudson. Finally after those 3 months we seemed to find a routine and things just fell into place. Spring came and went and he worked very hard as usual, he's a very hard worker and provider. Then summer showed up and God began calling him to preach. After several months Jason decided this was God's call on his life and God began to move our family in a direction I never saw us heading. Exciting yet the unknown being scary all at the same time. So mid-August we decided he needed to go to school and a few weeks later he started school. And for this past semester he has went to school 2 days per week, continued to work and run his business, be involved with visitation, trustee, and anything else at church, and yes, he's finally started taking out the trash without me having to ask him, all while still playing the role of husband and Daddy. It hasn't been easy but he's done a wonderful job at it. He amazes me how he seems to put his heart into everything he does even when it seems he's being pulled in 1,000 different directions. We received his grades today and he has a 4.0. Now I know what you're thinking, with grades like that, I must have done the work for him (ha!) but no, this is just another example of how when he does something he wants to do it to the best of his ability. So I'm thankful for my man and all that he is for us. But mostly I'm thankful that he loves Jesus with all his heart and that Hudson is going to have a wonderful father to point him to the true Father!

Growing up so fast!

My child makes me belly laugh daily, he just cracks me up! The other night he found it so funny to put Andy's bone on his head and Andy, well, he just couldn't figure out what was going on!

He thinks his mom is quite goofy and he, too, belly laughs daily!

He's growing up so fast. Thankfully, though, he still lays his head on me everyday and says "Mommy's baby!" A year ago we would have been in Russia and at this exact time we would have been up and anxiously awaiting getting back to orphanage #20 to see our boy who we hadn't seen in almost 2 months. You have know idea how much joy it brings me to know that we are home, Someone should have told me last year at this time that a year ahead I would be sitting on my couch typing while our Christmas tree is aglow, my little man, big man, and 2 dogs are all fast asleep, and I'd be planning another great day of being wife, mom, trainer, and instructor!

On another note, I have found this website that has free workouts on it and I've been trying to double up on cardio. I'm trying my best to get down to single digits and with the holidays coming on I know it could make me or break me so I've been kicking my tail the past week and a half. Anyways, my sister, little fitness queen, came to work out with me. I had been on the elliptical for 20 min. then was going to do a 30 min. cardio then weights. So I picked a dance/cardio video. I don't know if we got such a good workout because of the dancing or because we were laughing so hard and dancing at the same time. It was hilarious because it ended up being like a cheerleader dance routine. And us two are the farthest from cheerleaders. We were swinging our hips and doing our arms all while trying not to die from laughing at each other. If you could have been a fly on the wall, you would have died laughing too! So glad she's home!

Jason is so sure he's going to be the best guitar player ever!

We have spent all night cleaning this house getting ready for our one year post placement visit. I don't think the house was very dirty before but when a social worker is coming to your house you see every speck of dirt. And it was good for us to go through some of the clutter. Our house is so small it easy piles up.

Next week is my last week to teach before we take our annual break from lessons. I'm ready for the break. I will continue to ride training horses, which I LOVE! This is my favorite time of year to ride. Sounds crazy, I know, but I love riding in the cold!

Hudson knows all of his abc's except q, u, j, n, v, and g! The other day we were singing Jesus loves me and then he sang the last part of it on his own, "The Bible tells me so!" It was the sweetest thing ever! He's growing up so fast, it doesn't seem like it's almost been a year since we became a family of 3.

Jon & Janice you made our night...

We told Hudson to pretend he was eating the candy, it was so funny!

Holding up the Russian Christmas ornaments!

He loved looking through all of the candy!

We received a big suprise package from Jon and Janice today. To all of you newer blog readers, Jon and Janice were the sweet sweet folks that took us under their wings while we were in Russia last year and let us live in their home for a month. They took the best care of us, God orchestrated it all :)

Tonight we opened up a package from them that was full of Russian candy and 5 handpainted Russian ornaments! Casey kept asking me what flavor the different pieces of candy were and finally I said, "I don't know, I can't read Russian, just open them and we'll taste!" And we did!

I'll be thinking of you guys this Christmas more than you will ever know as I remember our Christmas last year. Thanks so much Jon and Janice we love you guys and hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving and Birthdays!

The grandkids, Robert, H, and Loretta (you should hear Hudson say her name, he really sounds it out, it's cute!)

The whole gang!

If you could see the pictures on the fridge behind them you would be able to see how Robert has grown SOOOO much in the past few years.

Mixing mashed potatoes at Meemaw's.

We had a nice Thanksgiving, just taking it easy. Jason and Hudson spent the morning with Uncle Will riding the 4 wheeler and moving a deer stand while me, Casey, and Hoss rode horses. Then we had lunch at Meemaw's and were still stuffed that night but ate it all over again, anyways!

On Friday Casey and I were up at 4:00 and headed to Cool Springs, it was awesome! Those rich folks didn't roll out of bed until around 9:30 so us pofolk got the black Friday deals and it wasn't busy! Definitely going back there next year!

We spent Friday afternoon at the Carney's where we once again, ate like crazy and played cards. Let me just say that Aunt Jeanna did go down as Robert and I ended up being on the highest phase of phase 10 before everyone tired out.

I am also very late wishing Uncle Daniel whose birthday was Nov. 19th, Uncle Marty whose was the 22nd, and Grandad whose birthday was the 21st very happy belated birthdays!

Hudson is my little wiz as he easily knows the letters W L C O R A B S H we are adding more daily and he seems to really enjoy learning all of it. I think he likes to see me act like a cheerleader! After he pottied yesterday I said, "wow" and his response was "W" then he made the noise for w and said WOW.