Carson's first deer

Well, it took quite a bit of patience.  Carson definitely has a story to tell.  The first weekend that he went to Nana and Papa's house, he had no luck.  Then, he went back.  This time, he had to battle flooding, a dead hog near the deer stand, and several other obstacles.  But, finally, Carson shot a great buck!  He was so excited!  Thank you Papa for the awesome experience!

Christmas with the Diamonds

This was a tough Christmas for the Diamond family.  Jennifer has been very ill battling cancer.  She is on hospice, but at Stacy's home. Stacy and Jason have been caring for her since just after Thanksgiving.  It has been very hard to watch her decline.  However, we are so thankful that she is still here with us on this day.  We are blessed to have one last Christmas with Jason's mom, Gram.  She is a huge part of our family and we will treasure every minute we have with her until God calls her home. 

Despite the difficult situation, we celebrated family today.  Makenzie, Lexi, Carson, Kennedi, and Cade played, opened gifts and we all ate.  It was meaningful and special.  For today we are together and as I have learned the past couple months, we must take one day at a time and live life to the fullest.

Merry Christmas

Blessed is an understatement.  I pray every day that Jason and the kids know how much I love them. I am SO thankful for our precious family.  We are super busy all the time.  We work hard, we play hard, and we love hard.  I treasure every single minute with these people, my tribe.  The holiday season has been somewhat different this year.  Jason's mom is on hospice and we are doing everything we can to keep her comfortable and relish in the days we have left with her on this earth.  The mood has been more somber, but the spirit definitely is still alive.  Christmas Eve service at church, cookies for Santa, and threats not to come down the stairs too early the next morning  commenced.  Christmas morning is a favorite in our house.  I love the smiles, giggles, hugs, thanks, and love that we share as a family.  This year was no different.  We are blessed and we are thankful.

Christmas Eve with the Haislers

It's a day we look forward to every year.  Celebrating Christmas with our family in Round Rock.  Kristy and John always host a wonderful afternoon of BBQ, snacks and more.  The kids love being around Chayse and Nana and Papa.  As usual, we laughed as we played several fun games and said our thanks as we opened gifts.  We are SO blessed to have an amazing family!

Cookies with K!

Kennedi and I may have started a new tradition of making homemade cookies for Christmas!  It was a first for me to roll out the dough and bake from scratch.  Kennedi had a great time decorating each cookie.  It was a great night for she and I!

Cade's first Deer

Oh..my..goodness!  I have never heard such a squeal!  This little boy has been dying to shoot a deer.  For months now, he has begged Papa to take him hunting.  Between football and school, there hasn't been many opportunities.  However, Papa made time a few weekends ago for Cade and Carson to practice their shooting at a ranch near Elgin.  The boys both did very well.  Finally, Cade got the chance to hunt "for real"!  Truthfully, I am not sure who was more excited, Cade or Papa!

It was the last day of school before the Christmas break.  The 3rd grade preformed their play for the school (another Santa showcase), then, I checked Cade out of school and headed to meet dad.  Both were completely giddy!  Cade was SOOOO excited!  Cade and Papa ran a few errands, had long talks about the possibility of not seeing a deer, and then got in a few practice shots.  Around 5:00, the pair headed to the deer stand.  It was only about an hour and a half, but per Cade, it seemed like an eternity!  A few deer emerged and then, this great looking buck walked out into the clearing.  Papa tells the story best, but apparently Cade was shaking like a leaf.  Excited, nervous, and scared all at once.  Papa finally gave the green light and Cade pulled the trigger.  He dropped the buck in his tracks.  Jason and I got the call about 5 minutes later.  Cade was ecstatic!!  I can't even describe the adrenaline I heard in his voice. Papa was overwhelmed with joy and pride!  I can't really put the emotions they described into words and certainly, Cade and Papa, can elaborate so much more, but I do know that it was a once in a lifetime experience for both! Thank you dad for making this little boys dream come true!

Cade plays Santa!

Cade played Santa in the 3rd grade play!  Elvis and the Sleighriders.  He rocked it!  Oh, my, goodness, we laughed until we cried!  It was a perfect role for our little ham!