Joe. Thirty.

My absolutely wonderful hub turned 30 on January 2nd.

We have such a hard time celebrating his bday because it's so close to Christmas and (obviously) New Years.  But this birthday is a BIG one and I knew we had to have a great time!

So I made some calls and did some searching...and the least I can say was it was GREAT TIME!

First we went to dinner at Rooster's  (FABULOUS)

Best fried food EVER!

Good times and great friends...

R:Cheri, Drew, Joe, Leslie and Clint

L: Evva, Noah, Jay, Ashley and Sandy

Next we headed to BRIX for big screens and leather theatre chairs!

Evva made some friends while we were there.  This fun gentleman was wearing VT and you know EVVA!  She wasn't about to let that slide.  :)

For the entire night he walked around like he was saying the Pledge of Allegance to cover up the VT!

Then we headed to City Walk for some karaoke!

Listening was much more fun than doing!  It was so entertaining!

Check out all the lights! If you're here...you're a karaoke superstar!

After that our evening was complete.  We headed back to the Sheraton to SLEEP!! (we are old now, you know!)  It was cold and we almost ran, but it was the best night .

(Can't you tell?!?!)

Happy Birthday, Joe!  We all love you very much!

Here's to a big night out for the next BIG birthday you have!

JUMP ZONE!

My sweet friend Kea called the other day, it feels like forever since we've gotten together.  Our girls are a couple months apart and we wanted them to get together and play.

So, she invited us to go to JUMP ZONE!  We have been there only once, but I thought Ainsley would enjoy it much more now.  It wasn't very busy and she got to do everything she wanted.

Ainsley isn't a "go getter" so I think she actually liked watching Mea more than she liked doing anything.

But she did do a couple things...

Mea was jumping with her more...but I couldn't get pics of the two of them.  They were moving too much!

She just couldn't decide whether or not to slide...

Tire swing instead!

She wasn't really into the BIG slide...

So she just watched Mea!

Mea loved it!

Kea was showing Ainsley how to shoot a basket.

Miss Priss wasn't about to go down that slide!

We then had a snack...but Ainsley wasn't feeling so good.  She started to get a little fever.

We didn't want Mea to have to leave, so we just sat on the floor and watched her play for a little while longer.

We then went to Marble Slab and got some ice cream.  SO SO GOOD!

Ainsley had so much fun!  Thank you Kea and Mea for a great afternoon!  Until next time...

Children will be...well, children.

Nana and I were joking the other day...we talked about the kids could probably stay alone because Ainsley would take care of them.  She being the boss and all!

Well, this picture is worth a thousand words!

"AL!  Mammy!  She peed everywhere!!"

Yes, this is Ainsley holding KK's pants and toilet paper (to wipe her, of course. Even if she peed on the floor, she still has to be wiped!)

And then KK...just so worried she's going to get in trouble. 

When you're laughing and taking pictures, you just can't get on to them! 

I'm still laughing...

Then we took off to AL's the afternoon.

And no matter the weather, we DEF still have to drive the barbie beejit.

I love my little kiddos.

They make my life so much better every minute...

And then I walk in the living room to see Crew throwing the "tunnel" to the tent looking like this:

Hello...Single Ladies!!

I never knew letting the girls watch that video (from Glee not Beyonce) would have so much effect on him!

Isn't he a hottie?!?!

Whomever in this world cannot enjoy their children...cannot feel joy.

2011

In case you didn't know...I have another blog.  I have neglected it for a year, but I think I'm going to get back on it!  (I'll let you know for sure)

But last year I posted about the new year and how I spend new years 10 years before that...

So here I go again.

New Years 2001

T: Jeremy Davis, Ashlee Hammons, Maloree Hammons, Me, Will Trisciani

M: Rozy Ratliff, Blake Howell, Kassidy Jarnigan

B: JR Royal, Marcy Cunningham, Jay Alexander

I went to college with these boys and they were a couple of my best friends.  So many, many fun stories with them!  (COUSIN JAY!)  And look at how little Mal and Asha are!  Awww...

The funnest part about his night was the game we played.  We randomly paired up and played the Newlywed Game.  Remember some of us didn't know each other that well. 

Needless to say, to complete strangers won!  Rozy and Jay!  It made for some good laughs.

Oh, how life changes in 10 years.

All of the girls in that picture (except Roz) are married.  Maloree's bday is Jan 1st so in that picture she was 8 years old.  She is now 18 years old...

And when I see old pics of my mom's house, it's funny.  She changes it alot! 

And while we're at it...let's post five years ago, too!

New Years 2006

This is the crowd we've stuck with over the past 5 years. 

Blake and Emily Howell

Erica and Cody Alexander

Gardner and Tabetha Lockwood

Justin and Kasey Cole 

Noah and Sandy Willard

and of course, Dan and Su!

When this picture was taken...Blake & Em, Noah & Sandy and Justin & Kasey were married, the rest of us were not.  Joe and I would be married three weeks later, followed by Tab and Gardner in May and Erica and Cody in July of 2008. 

We don't spend every NYE with them, but it's fun when we do!

Ever since my mom and Dan got married, we spend NYE at their house.  Sometimes they weren't even there!  But since we've all had babies, we haven't done that.  It's moved to Noah's house.

We celebrated 2011 with Noah & Sandy, Justin & Kasey, Tab& Garnder, Jay & Ashley Neal (little baby, too), Mike and Whitney Ballard, Randall Johnson and Erin Ledford.

It was a GOOD TIME!

Here's to another good year!

I don't think I've changed, do you?

All the Christmas..es

Let's start by saying, we have a ginormous family!  My parents are divorced...and Joe's family is just BIG!

So we have LOTS of holiday gatherings. 

Our first was December 18th in Haskell, OK. (Happy Anniversary John and Stacy Neal)

Haskell is where Joe lived when he was little, before he came to Chickasha, OK.

We drove down Friday night and by the time we got there, I was sick!  This stomach bug that had plagued all my little babies had finally hit me...and it WAS NOT pleasant.

So I spent most of the time in bed or in the bathroom. (which it 10 times more fun when you're three year old comes with)

On Saturday, all of Grandma Janice's family came to celebrate.  I'm going to name them so you get the BIG picture...

Terry and Cindy-Tricia and son Colton-Caryn and children Bailey, Noah, Raigen, Taylor and Micah

Mike and Sherry-Sarah and Josh-Melanie (Carma couldn't make it)

Grandma Carmen and Uncle Doug

Papa Jumbo and Grandma Janice

John, Stacy, Brady and Baxter

Jay and Ashley (and doggy Bella)

Candice

And of course, me, Joe and Ainsley

(this is just the her siblings and their respective families...no more than immediate...with the one exclusion of her brother Charles who lives in Japan)

While they were at the house, I tried to stay in Brady's room so I didn't spread this horrible bug! So I missed the good Italian food...and the Dirty Santa game...but when everyone left, I ventured out to spend time with Joe's family.

The kids were having so much fun!

Ainsley and Baxter decided to play horsey with Papa...I sure hope he holds up for a couple more years!

Because it sure was entertaining.

Then it was time to jump on the air mattresses...

Bella, too!

But I think she got scared and ran away to hide...

...but we found her!

After the kiddo's got their pjs on...they were in the mood for pics. 

Aren't they too cute?!?!  And next year we're adding another cousin...Jay and Ashley are giving us another Neal baby!  YAY!

I had to work on Christmas Day, so Christmas Eve was our BIG DAY!

The day before, Mammy and the girls made cookies for Santa.  When we were getting ready for bed, Ainsley was COMPLETELY against Santa coming to her house.  We had visted him a few weeks before and she told him everything she wanted:

1) a Barbie "bejit" (pronouced bee-g-it AKA a jeep)

2) a Belle dress (which she changed her mind to Sleeping Beauty once KK said she wanted one too)

3)a skirt

I tried to explain to her that she already asked for these and there was no way to contact Santa now. She even said she could wait until next time for her barbie beejit.  I think maybe it took 2 hours to convince her it was ok if Santa came to her house.  So she put out the cookies...albiet a little worried.

After she FINALLY went to sleep...Santa worked hard and as quiet as could be.

Here is what was waiting for her in the morning...

When she woke up, the first thing she said was, "Do you think Santa brought me my barbie beejit?"

I knew she would change her mind about him!  :)

She was so excited to see it.  She didn't get in right away, but when she did, we could barely get her out of it!

Then it was on to her other presents...

I tried to make sure I got her everything she REALLY wanted.  Honestly, she like alot of things, but she only asked for a few.  So I made sure she was going to get them.  She got a Little Mermaid hair salon so she could cut and fix KK's hair and she got a baby doll that can really drink.  (simple requests, don't you think?)

After all the fun at our house...we headed to the Howell Christmas Brunch!

We got there just in time for Santa to make his appearance and bring all the kids their gifts.

At the Howell's we only buy for the children and play Dirty Santa with the adults.  (They get pretty vicious, so you better some with a stradegy)

After we left the Howell's...we went home for a quick nap.

Then on to Grandma Margaret Willard's house for our annual Christmas Eve!

Again, at her house we only buy for the children and they get SO EXCITED!

Ainsley had really gotten the hang of this present thing...and was READY to open, open, open!

We spent a little time visiting with my Gramma Margaret and my Dad (aka PaPa Steve) then off to Mammy's we went!

By the time we got there...they were READY for PRESENTS!

So they lined up and started!  I think we had 8 bags of wrapping paper! 

Please notice I was trying to hold all of her gifts so I could get them packed up and in the car before we had to open ALL of them! 

At Mammy's we draw names for the adults and just buy for the children...and every year afterwards we always say we need to tone it down a little.  And we never do!  Seeing their faces is so much fun!

The bad part is that they are still little..it's only beginning!

They spent the rest of the evening playing...

In their Belle dresses

Simon Says...with Uncle B  (they didn't really listen, though, which made them laugh even harder)

We had one more Christmas to go!  The Neal Family Christmas is always the week after...so we get to spend qualilty time with every family.

Grandma Janice made her cabbage and meatballs (my personal favorite so I ate enough for 6 people)

and we had so many presents.

The Neal kids draw names, but we still buy for Grandma and Papa and the kiddos.

The kids opened theirs first...and there were still enough presents for the adults I couldn't believe it!

The Neal family puts a lot of thought into their gifts.  And you always end up with more than you need!!

Ainsley, Brady and Baxter always get one BIG present from Papa Jumbo...and I think he's just as excited to give it to them as they are to get it!

I can tell you that this was the best Christmas I've ever had.  I can't tell you why or what happened different...but I was so happy the entire time!  All throughout the craziness of buying and wrapping and cleaning and cooking...

I got to see all the people I love in my life (minus a couple and plus a few surprises) and I got watch my daughter realize for the first time what happens on Christmas. 

I hope all of you out there had the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!