1. These 2 are a given! My Reed-peeditis. That's his nickname. Did you know? He also goes by Gonzo, QM1, babe, Speedy or Dad. He's an amazing father and provider. Together, we love to watch movies and go out to eat...we're pretty simple like that! And then there's THE BELLE. I probably should stop calling her THE BELLE but it really does fit. She's beautiful inside and out even if we are starting that pre-teen angst. I love them equally but in different ways. There is no one I'd rather be with than these 2!
2. The boys. Bosco, aka B-boy, bubs, and bubby is so smart! He's too smart for his own good, actually. He loves to
escape er, explore, dig, and be in charge. Recently, he's been a bit of a momma's boy and that's usually Jack's job. He was a digger but hurt his shoulder this summer and has put the digging on hold. I think his hurt shoulder is saving his life. He's a lover but he has to be in the mood to cuddle. He loves cushy things. I think I hurt his feelings when I lost weight. ha! Then there's Jack, aka Jackie, Jacks, or Jack Attack. He's shy. PAINFULLY shy. He's at total momma's boy though. Every time he comes in the house, he comes to say hi to me first. He lets Bosco think he's in charge and he really does LOVE his brother. When B-boy gets out, Jack will bark and bark to let us know he's escaped. He loves to herd and has been known to herd dogs and children. He also loves to hunt. We know he's gotten a couple of birds and maybe one day he'll get a squirrel.
3. Have you met my mom and dad? They're pretty awesome! They bless us continually! They watch Anna for us almost every time I ask. They share their lake home with us and have us over for dinner. They give wise advice. Pretty much, they're just great parents! I think I'm a good mix of my mom and dad. I spend my spare time like my dad but love like my mom. That is where I get my strong momma bear skills from and I learned it from the best!
4. These guys... I mean next to Anna, these kiddos are my favorite in the entire world. I love them so much! Bray is smart, athletic, compassionate, and wise beyond his years. The way that Bray prays at such a young age can bring a tear to your eyes. Yes, he's wise and I can already say he's a 'Man of God'. Everything Bray does is 100%- from playing baseball to loving his family. Then there's Ems. Oh man. I love this girl to pieces! She is also smart, funny, compassionate and thoughtful! When Anna was scared to go to certain houses while trick or treating, Ems got candy for her anyway without being asked...at like 5 years old! And, compared to the other 3, she's the most likely to be a dare devil! I have a very special relationship with Ems because I would go hang out with her, my sister and Tay while Anna was at school. I get texts from her randomly just to let me know she's thinking of us. And Tay- (aka Tay-ter tot) is a spit fire! She is the most like Anna but Tab says she's just like me. hmmm... Tay is a free thinker. She loves all things sparkly. She is a good friend and a great helper! She's loads of fun to be with! And, these 4 kids LOVE each other so much! Just look at that picture! How can you not love kids like this?
5. Tab- AKA- my sister. Funny that I put up a fat picture of me so that there was an awesome picture of her up there. Apparently, I have no good pictures of her on this laptop. Awesome. Anyway, Tab is awesome! She is wise, dedicated, organized, a party planning guru, smart and just an all around awesome person! She's a great mom. She's an amazing wife. She's the best sister I could ask for! The world needs more women like Tab Hodges! She's also married to an amazing man! I love him too! He's the brother I never had and usually, I don't think of him as my brother in law but only as my brother. The 3 of us used to have all these wild and crazy adventures when they were poor and in seminary and I was poor and in college.
6. My Bestie and her awesome husband. I love them both! They are both so supportive and fun to be with. They helped so much while Reed was gone. They say they didn't do that much but the fact that they've watched my dogs every time I've gone out of town is amazing. And, they are wayyyy fun to be with! That, alone, was enough to help while Reed was gone. I didn't get bored or lonely because they wouldn't let me!
7. JJ and Ty- Do boys get cuter than this? I'm not sure. Next to the nieces and nephew, these might be my favorite kids in the world. I get more kisses and more I love yous from Ty than I do anyone else in the world. There is NO question what his love language is! NONE. He loves superheros, Jesus, his girl friends, power rangers, legos and Chick Fil A. And, me. He's a cuddle bug for sure and is also super funny. This week, he burped and said it was a miracle from Jesus. Okay, buddy...whatever you say. JJ is smart, sensitive, outgoing, and inquisitive. I swear, when I pick him up from school, he says hi to everyone he knows and it seems as if he knows half his school. He loves to learn and he loves it when I look stuff up online for him. Recently, there's been talk of ligers, tigons, and tape worms. JJ now knows what they look like! He's all boy and loves Star Wars, climbing trees, playing with swords and video games.
Their mom, Kristi is pretty awesome too! She is great at telling and showing me how appreciative she is for taking care of her boys. My love language is acts of service so it's nothing for me to do the dishes for her in the afternoon. And, I do it for the boys too because I know how much they miss her and I don't want her to have to deal with dishes. I'd rather her spend time with her awesome kids! She should get her own number but I'm trying to keep this list at 10. Her husband is pretty awesome too. What I love most about this family is that they are pretty easy to work for...so easy that it doesn't seem like work at all.
8. Paige and Madison- These 2 girls are Anna's best friends. Anna goes to school with them. These girls are easy. There's not a lot of drama going on with them like other girls there age. They just simply love Anna. It's been like a safe harbor for Anna after being in public school for so long. 1st and 2nd grade were very rough for her friend wise so to know that she is building friendships to last a lifetime with these 2 sweet girls makes my heart swell. Paige and Madison are sweet, kind, thoughtful and fun to be with. They love to explore and the 3 of them could get lost in a world of their own creation for hours if we'd let them. Every month, I give these kids a gift to show them that I love them! I love being able to bless them in that way.
9. Robin- Ok, I know it looks like another picture of the girls but honestly, it was the best picture I could find of the amazing Robin. Robin is Anna's teacher and my wonderful friend. She has taught Anna so much more than she could ever learn from a book! Anna now loves to read and *usually* does her best. That was something, no matter how hard I tried, just didn't happen. She's taught Anna to be grateful for what she has. And, she's taught me to rely more fully on a Heavenly Father. Putting Anna in the Robin Ball Academy was the single best choice I've ever made for Anna and I'm just so thankful that Robin is in both of our lives.
10. WEC- Yes, that looks like a building with a bunch of people in front of it. But, it's actually my church...or church staff rather. I LOVE MY CHURCH. I love that anyone can feel welcome there. I love that we are outward focused. I love that what I do on Sunday can make a difference in someone's life. I love that my church is dedicated to helping the community. I love that ordinary people don't feel like they have to clean up their lives before coming to church. I love that God's word is spoken here. Some may say that it's watered down...I say it's put on a level that is accessible to everyone I know. Love. Love. Love.
Honorable Mention- Carlyn- I met Carlyn several years ago. We did life together for awhile in Community Group. We worked together when I worked at Greg Garrett. In fact, she got me the job. We've been together for some pretty big events in our lives. Break ups, wedding dresses, cancer, deployments...you get the picture. And, through it all we've been able to smile with each other. Carlyn is crazy, funny, and giving. Now, she works at my church and she sends me on all these crazy errands... for impossible bins. We've had our ups and downs but my life is better because she is in it!
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