tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285112666236911192024-03-13T12:30:13.217-05:00Life in the TumbleweedsLiving life in the tumbleweeds of West TexasAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-47515517396620497572020-04-02T15:15:00.000-05:002020-04-02T15:15:19.554-05:00Write or DieA couple months ago I decided to enter a writing contest through the Chickasaw Nation. If that seems random, allow me to explain that through my mother's side each of us are citizens of the Chickasaw Nation and on the Dawes Rolls. Because the Chickasaws have been so, so good to me over the years I always try to vote in the elections and be as active as I can living outside of the nation's Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-52796423504497350642020-01-16T11:17:00.001-06:002020-01-16T11:23:13.693-06:00What Do You Say?As I sat down to write this morning, my cute little 4 year old popped his head into the dining room, "Mom, what does a sheep do when he gets dirty?"
"I have no idea."
"He takes a bath! HA HA HA HAHAHAHA!!!"
He is now on repeat with the joke that he made up. This has been our life lately, and it is absolutely amazing. Between binge watching Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the rad jokes our 4 year oldAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-21301271976342387982019-09-17T17:26:00.002-05:002019-09-17T17:28:39.125-05:00RootedSince I was a kid, I have always enjoyed genealogy and the family lore my grandmother whispered as if the whole county didn't already know. My grandmother Naomi made gossip an art. She often proudly reminisced that as a teenager she gently opened family letters above a kerosene lamp so that she could read the latest happenings. Then she would seal the envelope back together before being caught Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-72094303530439346402019-07-24T14:27:00.000-05:002019-07-24T14:27:53.243-05:00The Turkey Plant
The summer I graduated high school and turned 18, my dad forced me to get a job on the line at the local turkey processing plant. While I had looked for any other job in our small town, none were to be found. So I spent those summer months netting turkeys. Hard hat. Hair net. Smock. Gloves. Rubber Boots. Ear plugs. It was real cute.
My dad had worked at the turkey plant throughout high schoolAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-34345377833501194102019-07-15T15:49:00.001-05:002019-07-15T15:49:46.511-05:00And There She GrowsIn June I sat under my parents' pavilion with my teenage niece and nephew. I was staring a 600+ mile drive in the face the next day and longed for another set of arms in the front seat that could throw snacks and drinks at the kids as I kept it on 10 and 2ish. After some begging and promising of half my savings account, Addison decided she could in fact take 3 weeks out of her summer plans to Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-21108624151442496642019-05-13T11:26:00.001-05:002019-05-13T13:10:20.955-05:00Life and Lessons from the Pitcher's MoundLast September I wrote about our family hosting a minor league grinder. In April we were ecstatic that he was heading back to Midland. However, we knew our time was likely fleeting as he had had an awesome season last year and even started Spring Training at Major League camp. When time is limited but you don't know by how much, you try to make every moment count.
On Friday the kids were at Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-1145063734130909472019-01-15T14:34:00.000-06:002019-01-15T14:34:51.410-06:00Get Off My CoattailsLate last night I was scrolling through Twitter when I came across a public figure who declared 7 or 8 times that fetal tissue is not a person. She then signed it from those who have "abortions and miscarriages." Since planning my own unborn child's funeral over 2 years ago, I have not weighed in on this hot topic. Until now.
You see, for 2 years I've struggled. Something I once was staunchly Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-49882145724600852802019-01-04T10:39:00.001-06:002019-01-04T10:39:33.524-06:00ReflectionsI have a few minutes this morning before the running and screaming and chaos begins, and I wanted to share some thoughts that have been on my mind lately.
When I was single and a teacher, I didn't realize it then but I had grown a bit embarrassed of myself. How did I end up like this? How did I let myself become a teacher in this small town? I could've gone to this school or that if I had only Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-58705884423094195182018-09-18T21:26:00.001-05:002018-09-18T21:26:22.635-05:00Ol' Razorback Red's Maiden VoyageWe have hit our thirties. Officially. We bought a camper.
For a while we had been considering a camper since the kids are mobile and love using that mobility outside. So a few months ago we made a trip down to San Angelo to check out their selection. We went in knowing the basics of what we wanted: small enough we could be comfortable hauling it yet big enough we would actually be comfortable inAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-48279947808138664392018-09-03T20:12:00.000-05:002018-09-03T20:12:37.852-05:00That Ol' Ballpark, Man, Was Back in GearThe summer flew by. I have no idea how I went to sleep last night when it was Memorial Day yet today I woke up and it is Labor Day.
I love fall. I love winter. I love spring. I hate summer.
Every year as the temps begin to rise and shoot into triple digits and the grass starts turning brown and school is out I get into a rut of depression. In May Cash asked me what about summer makes me do thisAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-75792971682449675962018-04-13T21:23:00.000-05:002018-04-13T21:23:41.265-05:00Men of the MountainArkansas was as beautiful as you may imagine. If you're not from there or haven't traveled to Northwest Arkansas before, may I suggest you give it a shot? I'm totally biased and admittedly love the whole Arkansas Traveler image, but honest to goodness if you get off the beaten path and let yourself wander you will come across scenes you would never believe. In fact last weekend Cash got to Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-42524715368856668232018-04-06T11:27:00.001-05:002018-04-09T13:19:07.597-05:00Stories of Miracles and Hardships and LifeBack in March we went down to Houston for AL's checkups. We decided to make it a vacation of sorts, see family, and enjoy a week out of town together. In that we (me) wanted to take the kids to the Houston Rodeo. But come to find out the whole week was our own personal rodeo.
Cash's brother lives in San Antonio, and most of his extended family lives just south of there in these small Texas townsAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-72710102834593273182018-02-21T13:51:00.001-06:002018-02-21T13:51:39.110-06:00Taylor, 27, ArkansasThis is one of my favorite weeks of the year when Kelly over at Kelly's Korner hosts her Singles Day. As many of you who follow Kelly and read her updates on the 12 couples know, it was [seven] years ago when I met my man this way. So I'm always encouraging my single friends to JUST LOOK!! You never know!
Recently I wrote about our trip back to Arkansas and mentioned my long time Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-756604067814480462018-02-15T16:39:00.000-06:002018-02-15T16:39:21.121-06:00Momcation and GoodbyesOh, sweet week you are going so fast. Last Friday I met my parents in Frisco where I dropped the kids off to them for eight solid days. Blessed freedom! DFW is halfway between us and my parents--5 hours of driving for each of us. Needless to say it was another 5 AM start for my clan.
Let me explain what a trip like that looks like for us. I get up at 4:30 and get us all out the door by 5 so thatAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-89826937060759640762018-02-05T16:31:00.000-06:002018-02-05T16:34:13.364-06:00Sorry, KidsIn two weeks we will be celebrating in big style the birth of our wee one. One whole year of loving on this miracle of ours, and I can hardly believe it. It is no denying we have learned our way through life with Prune Belly Syndrome, but as I begin to reflect on this year I have realized I learned so much more than a rare condition. I have learned life with 2 kids under 2. So here is what the Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-4719004040091054492018-01-18T20:53:00.000-06:002018-01-18T20:53:02.093-06:00The Cowboy Rode AwayAfter Thanksgiving my Granny took my Pa to the VA. He had not been feeling well, even more so than his usual over the past few years. Sure enough he had pneumonia. After 2 weeks at the VA hospital, they decided it was time to put him in the nursing home.
Typically, this is probably a very hard decision. But my Pa really needed the extra care, and my Granny needed the help. Pa had always been a Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-31346806103530968372017-11-27T16:22:00.000-06:002017-11-27T16:22:16.460-06:00{7} Days in the Homeland
Oh, Monday.
Let's be honest. I'm a stay-at-home-mom, so Monday usually feels like Thursday or any other random day to me. But this Monday is the first back in Midland after a 7 day sabbatical in the beautiful backwoods of Arkansas.
Our trip "home" started the Friday before Thanksgiving. I say "home" because out of the 4 people in my little family, I am the only one who is actually Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-36825694640818921082017-10-14T09:47:00.000-05:002017-10-14T09:47:03.034-05:00Finding Our PurposeOn Thursday my Bible study group went to lunch together for the first time. While sitting in a little nook in Panera Bread we all shared how we met our husbands. Funny, warm memories abounded. I am sitting here laughing at my own memory now--meeting Cash on this little ol' blog. This blog has seen me through a lot of phases in life and has been my outlet when I Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-90898727817838982272017-09-14T15:20:00.002-05:002017-09-14T15:20:19.735-05:00Looking Back One Year LaterLast year on the first day of the Bible study I attend, we were just starting up when the doctor's office called and told me we were having a girl and thus our child would not survive. My world crashed around me with that one devastating blow.
Today was the first day of that same study. The entire time I thought through this day 1 year ago, the month of funeral planning that followed, Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-67367233211194056832017-08-02T23:05:00.000-05:002017-08-02T23:05:03.358-05:00The Irony of Prune Belly SyndromeWhen we decided that Houston was our best option for AnnLouise's delivery, it was bittersweet. I felt like we would be all alone in this big city. Of course I wanted the best care at our fingertips, but I didn't think I would be able to handle the emotion of being so far from comfort. But of course, as God always does, He provided comfort in numerous ways.
Since AL's birth, we have been Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-70331248008646759202017-07-04T11:38:00.001-05:002017-07-04T11:38:09.548-05:00The Heartbeat of AmericaOne of my favorite things in the entire universe is waking up at my parents' house and enjoying the picturesque view with a cup of coffee. Then I like to check cows.
My parents would be the first to tell you I probably wasn't much of a farmhand growing up. A set of knees and elbows don't lend themselves well to manual labor. But as I've gotten older I long for the days of working cattle and justAvery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-74840810911245952402017-06-08T22:21:00.000-05:002017-06-08T22:21:41.533-05:00The Greatest of These Is LoveY'all. I was cleaning up the house tonight and got into the nursery closet. I have all of the cards from both babies and kept saying I wanted to organize them, so tonight ended up being randomly selected.
As I dug into AL's side of the stash, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of love. I read through cards so many of you sent. I found contracts with the funeral home. I thumbed through books we Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-44232262738450705612017-06-02T15:33:00.000-05:002017-06-02T15:33:42.084-05:00Walking the Green MileFinally we are headed out of Houston. It was a busy few days, and although we are thankful for the care it is time to go home. (Well, actually on to Austin, but then HOME!)
We started Wednesday at the pediatric dentist as AL's physical therapist noticed she has a lip tie. The dentist confirmed this and also noticed a tongue tie. So I got to help hold her down while the dentist lasered them both.Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-44086613371514705232017-05-29T21:48:00.000-05:002017-05-30T07:41:38.032-05:00The Love of an 11 Year OldI'm sitting here tonight at a near loss for words. Eleven years ago today my niece Addison was born. I was excited to have my first niece...and not so secretly glad she missed my own birthday by a day. I had been sharing with her brother already, even though his birthday is 5 months after mine. To his Nana it would be my birthday but Braeson's 7 month birthday, so I got to share. You can imagine Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2428511266623691119.post-54819594862819043802017-05-10T16:25:00.000-05:002017-05-10T16:25:03.025-05:00The Truth About ThingsHenry is back!! My boy went to Arkansas with his grandparents for 8 long days. Oh, I missed him. It is nice to hear his giggle again. I could totally do without the whining, but the giggles sure are great.
Playing with the goats at Aunt Sherry and Uncle Roger's house
Trying to teach Bumpy how to drive the gator
Basketball with Tyce
Chillin' with Braeson
Making Mac clean up his Avery Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00968586627480336172noreply@blogger.com0