It's Been Way Too Long!

Wow! I knew it had been a long time since I had blogged, but I had no idea it had been such a long time! I really do want to get back into blogging, although I'm sure I will never be able to keep up with it the way I want to. I am barely able to keep up with Facebook, and it requires little to no time or thought. =)

So much has happened since the last time I blogged. I won't try to write everything here. I'll just post the highlights for anybody who is interested. I really do want to be more consistent in blogging, so keep me accountable.


***We started our 3rd year of homeschooling in August. How can that be?? It is going great, and as of this week we are half-way through the school year. Tyler consistently makes A's and B's on all of his tests and quizzes. He seems to do especially well in math. Jackson is doing well in K4 as well. He is working mostly on his fine motor skills, which seems to be a weakness for him. He does very well with letter sounds and recognition, as well as counting and number recognition. He is even learning to sound out easy words such as cat, dog, bat, etc.


***My mom's husband passed away suddenly in early September. It was a very hard time for her, but thankfully the boys and I were able to travel to Tennessee and stay with her for about 6 weeks. I am so thankful that we were able to be there with her! She is doing ok, just taking each day as it comes. Some days are harder than others, of course.

***When Keith came to pick us up to bring us back from TN, we took a quick 2-day trip to Huntsville, AL to check out the area and look at houses. As of right now, that is where we feel led to retire. It is not definite yet, but we are certainly praying about it and both have complete peace about it if it is the Lord's will for us.

***In December, Keith had rotator cuff surgery and 3 days later we were on the road again to Tennessee. It was a quick trip to see our families for Christmas and then to bring my mom back out here with us for a few weeks.

***Speaking of retiring, Keith "pushed the button" this week and officially requested retirement from the Air Force effective 1 October. He should be through working in early June, and we expect to be leaving Missouri around that time.


We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in 2013. It is already looking to be a very busy year!

First Day of School Interviews

Yesterday was the first day of school here at the Lawhon Schoolhouse. I decided to do a little video interview with the boys on their first day of school, so I could look back at the end of the year and see how much they have grown and changed.

Tyler is now in First Grade. I cannot believe how much he is growing and learning. He definitely is not a baby anymore...much to my dismay. But, I do love him so much. He is funny, energetic, imaginative, kind, and a great big brother.

Jackson is in K4 this year. I am looking forward to see him grow and learn this year as well.
He is sweet, caring, funny, and a little on the quiet side. He still wants to be our baby very much, but is also transitioning into a "big boy" before our eyes!

Hello, Goodbye.

Goodbye Old House

Hello, New (temporary) House


I am about two months late writing this, but we have moved! We put our house on the market in late February, and by the middle of April we were in our new house. God truly was in all the details of the sale. We received a full price offer from the second people who looked at the house, and everything else went as smooth as possible. We feel truly blessed to have such a quick and easy sell, especially in this housing market. God is good!

We are now living in Base Housing until Keith retires from the military. This is by far the nicest base housing we have ever been in. It is a brand new 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath two story home with huge windows and more closets than I know what to do with. =) It is a beautiful house, and we are thankful for it, but it is not "home" for us. We don't know how long we'll be here, but no more than a year. We have hung a few pictures and a few curtains, but that is it. I plan to spend our time here cleaning, organizing, and purging what we do have and getting ready for our next *big* move.

Over the course of our marriage, we have lived in one room "apartments", tiny houses, big houses, really old houses, and brand new houses. None of those things really matter though. As long as we have the Lord and each other, we have all we need.

He Walks!

It doesn't seem possible that my baby boy is walking already. But, at 13 months I guess it's about time. He just recently started, but he seems to have mastered it. He is also wearing shoes now, occasionally, which is a huge accomplishment. I love watching little babies when they first learn to waddle/walk.

My Hands Are Full...But So Is My Heart

It seems like every time we go out somewhere, I always get at least one "You've got your hands full" comment. Maybe it's because of a certain little one year old, who is a handful all by himself. Or maybe it's the 3 young boys thing. Or maybe it's because I never look rested. I don't know. But whatever the reason is, it's true. My hands are full. My days are full. Life is busy, and crazy, and loud, and messy. But, I love it! Every single second of it.

Life doesn't seem to leave much time for blogging anymore, but I did want to post some pictures just so I wouldn't forget these wild and crazy days later.

A mess I found after the boys played "Car Wash" with their trucks

This is what happens when I try to get a picture of the 3 of them

A little better

Mr. Handful

Jackson showing off his Spiderman skills

My baby is 1 now!!

I just don't even know...

Homeschool Play Date

Both boys are enjoying their new bikes

After a crash

And, not to be outdone by big brother

My funny little man

I LOVE this picture! He is just so precious!

At the playground

Mr. Fearless keeps Mommy on her toes =)

Hey Hey

Anybody still reading this thing???

9 months

Dear Cole,

You are 9 months old now. 9 months!!! I cannot believe it will be your first birthday before we know it. Time has certainly flown by since you were born. Seems like just yesterday when I was calling Daddy telling him to "Come home now!" But look at you now. You are fun, energetic, and full of life! You keep me on my toes like your brothers never did. You are a black-belt crawler, a wanna-be walker, cabinet door slammer, toilet bowl player, big brother wrestler, and world's worst napper. You weigh 21 pounds, wear size 3 diapers, 12 month clothes, are continue our family history of gigantic feet. You think baby food is for sissies, and that Coke must surely be from heaven. You have a skill for mess making that rivals a tornado. We all love you so very, very much and are so thankful you are part of our family. Happy 9 months, Little Bit.

Love, Mommy

Homeschool Half-time Report

We are now halfway through our first official year of homeschooling. Praise the Lord! Things are going pretty well, and we are right on track, despite several interruptions already. Tyler is in Kindergarten this year, and Jackson is doing preschool. We are using the ABeka curriculum, because it was the only one I felt comfortable starting with, and so far it has worked out really well for Tyler. For Jackson, I am just using books picked up from ChinaMart and T@rget along with some Leap Frog videos.

Half way through Kindergarten, Tyler can:
identify all numbers through 100
read one syllable words and recognize several sight words
recognize blends within words
count by 10's
recognizes coins and value
recite most books of the Bible
identify a few states and countries on map


Halfway through K3, Jackson can:
identify colors and most shapes
recognize letters and sounds
identify right and left
count to 10
recite Old Testament books
aggravate his older brother =)

Praise the Lord for getting us through this far. There have been a few tears shed, a few days I wanted to set them on the curb for the bus to take, and a few laughs along the way. We have also enjoyed a few field trips with our church group along the way.

I know there are lots of mixed feelings about homeschool: love, hate, confusion, and everything in between. I also know that some of our biggest challenges will come from within our own families. That's okay though. We feel we are doing what God has called our family to, empowered by Him, and owe no explanation or apology to anyone else. If God be for us, who can be against us? Maybe that should be the motto of our little basement school.

I'll leave you with this short video clip of Voddie Baucham about homeschool. While I don't know much about this man or his ministry, I like what he says here.

Arithmetic of Life

1 tiny hospital room + 3 little kids x 3 days = 1 husband - gallbladder + 1 tired momma

Birthday Fun, Part II

Present time with Gramms and Papa

Mater and Lightnin Pillow Pets

Coley got in on the fun too

Checking out the new toys

It looks like a toy store exploded in the living room =)

Daddy--still a kid at heart

Oh yeah, Daddy got a new toy too. Most Mothers-In-Law only want to shoot their Son-In-Law. His actually bought him a gun. He is over the moon excited!!

My Future Song Leader

Jackson singing "Sound the Battle Cry." One of his favorites. =)

Birthday Fun, Part I

In his PJ's on the way to TN. We left EARLY in the morning.

Getting ready for party #1

Checking out the new toys

Jonathan and Jonathan (Cole)

Getting ready to whack the pinata

Waiting for a turn

Papaw and Coley Bug

A birthday ride

October Review

I know October isn't completely over yet, but it feels like it should be. This month has worn me out! And honestly, I am ready for it to be over with. I have some birthday pictures to post later (when I have time to download them), but for now here is a recap of our busy month.

-Prepare for trip to TN
-10 day trip to TN (4 days driving)
-2 Birthdays
-2 Birthday parties
-Missions conference
-Base Exercise (12 hour shifts, no off days)
-Stomach bug x 4
-Cold/cough/fever/congestion/headache x 5
-Minor surgery

Yeah, that about sums it up. Except for the usual...cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, church, family time, etc. Those were in there too. =)

I am also soooo looking forward to my neighbors removing their less-than-innocent Hallowevil decorations.

Hurry, November.

Birthday Boys



Tyler age 5, Jackson age 3, Cole age 1/2



22 Down, 2 To Go

Today is just another ordinary day for most...and truth be told, nothing is out of the ordinary here at home either. But today is a special day for us. Today marks 22 years of active duty Air Force service from my husband. Today he also reenlists for 2 more years...his last two.

B2 dropping missiles

It's kind of a bittersweet feeling. Part of me is so ready for this journey to be over, and for us to start a new chapter. A chapter where (hopefully) we won't be wondering when the next time Daddy will be leaving. A chapter where Daddy can be more involved in our day-to-day lives. A chapter where we can learn what it is to be a "normal" family.

But, there is a (big) part of me that will be sad to see it all end. The military has been Keith's only job...ever. In the end he will have given 24 years of service to his country. It has, in many ways, been his life. And it has become mine too. When we got married almost 10 years ago, I had no clue what military life was and it was quite the adjustment in the first few years. But, after the adjustment phase came a deep love for this life of ours! I can't explain it, except to say that I feel like I have been woven in to this military family. I feel as much a part of it, in many ways, as I do my own biological family. And when it comes to an end, I feel I will mourn the loss of it. Yes, we will always be a part of the military family. But the everyday-ness of it all will come to an end. It must. And it's only two short years away.

I'm feeling very reflective today. And very thankful as well. I hope you all have a blessed day in the Lord!

(P.S.- The significance of the picture is that my husband is assigned to a B2 base, and his job is to build the bombs that they drop. Pretty neat picture, I think.)

What I Did This Summer

You remember writing those essays at the beginning of the school year? Well, he is the mom version.

This summer we tried to purposely take it easy, tried not to be too busy, and to enjoy the simple life. I told Keith a few months ago that we spend so much a month on our mortgage, yet spent so little time at home. Such as waste! It just didn't make sense. We also renewed our fervor to save money (after replacing our completely dead A/C unit during a heat wave), so simple inexpensive fun was on our agenda this summer. We enjoyed lots of backyard fun using the swing set, trampoline, slip and slide, and kiddie pool. We also did a few other things, such as fishing, a few trips to the big pool in town, and a few trips to Burger King for their indoor play area when it was just too hot to be outside, and camping at the state park.

 My baby trying out the big-kid swing set

 They LOVE to swing

 Cheap entertainment-pouring water on the back porch

 Riding the "camel" that Tyler made. Very creative!

 A friendly game of chase your brother with the water hose

 Watching Dora on Netflix

 Early morning tickle sessions

 Chilling out with our green friends at BK

It wouldn't be summer without the big shades! =D