My Aunt Susan Rocks

Back when we were in Oklahoma for girls weekend in October, Aunt Susan got the call confirming that she had breast cancer. It was a hard thing to swallow for all of us. Our family has been hit by the C word too many times. We lost our precious Aunt Rosie to breast cancer in 2012, our Papaw to cancer in 2012, and Mom to cancer in 2015. I mean- loosing one person to the C word is too many! But knowing we had another person facing the fight- our hearts hurt. We were scared. Unfortunately we had all seen too much to NOT be scared. But as this amazing family of mine does, we put on our smiles and cheer leading suits and stepped up to the plate for our Aunt Susan.
After a long road of doctors appointments, tests, and scheduling nightmares...she got her surgery date set for the Monday after Thanksgiving. And in my heart, I knew I had to be there. I needed to be there for her. I needed to be there for Alisa. I needed to be there for Mimi. I needed to be there for ME. So with the help of my great husband and inlaws- I made it happen. And I even worked in a little something extra for ME.
Dad and Kathy were coming in on Sunday afternoon. Bit, Taron, and Nolan were coming in Sunday evening. And Alisa was coming in Saturday evening. SO- this girl beat them all there! I left on Saturday morning as soon as Josh got home from work and took myself to my Mimi's house-because Mimi time!!! I managed to score a one on one day with my Mimi. No kids allowed! haha! I can't tell you what that did for my heart. During the last almost 2 years, Mimi has provided the listening ear and open mind I needed many times. She gives advice without actually giving advice. If that makes sense at all. Adjusting to life without Mom involved many situations and trials that I didn't expect. And many times there was no one that could tell me just what I needed to hear. (or maybe I didn't want to hear what they were telling me). But there were two people who could consistently talk me down off of my ledge and help me understand and accept the "new normal". My Mimi and my Aunt Bit. They were there for me at a time when everyone else was there for me too- but thery were there for me in a different way. They never made me feel guilty, yet they helped me to see things in a new light. The only problem was that my Aunt Bit was a 14 hour car ride away. So our conversations were by phone. The 4 hour car ride to Mimi's was do-able. And it never took her long to get to the bottom of what was on my mind and heart. I have always enjoyed time with my Mimi, but over the last 2 years that time has become even more treasured. Time is a precious thing, and I treasure any amount of time I get to spend with my family.
So Mimi spent our day doing a little shopping, at my request, going out to dinner, visiting, laughing, and just being together. Best gift anyone could have given me. And by that night, Alisa had gotten in and she and Aunt Susan came to join us for a game of cards! Because CANASTA!

The only problem with this game was that Mimi and I were on the same team. I'm not used to that! My canasta game is based on a small level of knowledge and skill, and a large level of being "mean" to Taron and Mimi! But I was a good girl and was nice to her! It took concentration for sure!

Poor Alisa was SO tired! She had been traveling all day long!

I believe that Aunt Susan was a little tired too...

Or maybe she was just being "Crazy Aunt Susan". It's a title she wears well.
We ended our night a little early. Well, it was like 11pm- but that was early for the Johnson Card Clan! I'm pretty sure Alisa might have fallen asleep at the table if we had kept going much longer!
The next morning Mimi and I got up slowly, enjoyed our breakfast and coffee, and got started on preparations for dinner. And what was the most important part of dinner?

Cherry pie of course! As I watched Mimi make these pies, as I have many MANY times before, I began to wonder..How many pies have those hands made? Probably more than anyone could count. And the thing I love the most about watching her make those pies? The fact that she still gets out her trusty cookbook to do so! It's stained with cherry pie ingredients, and that only makes it more special.
Eventually (like as in about 1pm eventually) Mimi suggested that we get dressed. hhmmm. I was kind of enjoying my pajama day! But I agreed that we shouldn't probably be caught in our jommies when someone came over after NOON!
Aunt Bonnie arrived first, followed by Aunt Susan and Alisa eventually, then Dad and Kathy, and eventually Aunt Bit, Taron and Nolan (and then Uncle Dave in time for dinner!).
I introduced Aunt Bonnie to Snap Chat filters.... and laughed my tail off!

Everyone should have an Aunt Bonnie in their lives! Never a dull moment. Ever.
Many texts were exchanged through out the day about Cherry Pie and whether or not it would still be there when the Holt/Abner clan arrived. I MAY have hidden them in the laundry room to give the idea that they were in fact eaten. ha! Mimi also informed me that Taron and I could NOT eat out of the pie pan this round. She mentioned something about there being other people there and we shouldn't do that, and blah blah blah. Because honestly- I quit listening. Since when do Taron and I listen when there is pie involved?? So why would we start today??
This was the scene in the laundry room when we got caught!

We weren't scared. Much. (we WERE hiding in the laundry room though....) No worries- Mimi laughed (and maybe rolled her eyes at us..) and eventually Dad and Aunt Bit joined us and ate out of the pan....because they figured if Taron and I could get away with it, so could they!
After dinner there was mention of cards. But there were so many of us that we weren't sure how we could play cards and enjoy it. Then Alisa suggested we play spoons. I had never played spoons before.... but it's now my new favorite game!!!!
I am not sure when I have laughed so hard! I had no idea how crazy a game of spoons could get! But there were spoons flying all over that kitchen, under the table....

Fights broke out (uhhum Dad and Aunt Susan!!!)

Dad even pulled a spoon out of his own MOTHER's hand!!! Brutal I tell ya! I laughed especially hard when we had all picked up a spoon on the first or second round and Aunt Bonnie was still passing cards along! See?? I told you that everyone needs an Aunt Bonnie!
Who were the first 3 people out?

Yep- we are the cool kids!
But the laughter was still going strong as we watched everyone else!

Then Aunt Bit decided to join the cool kids club!

And then Dad's fool proof plan of just passing cards without looking proved to be less than fool PROOF! So he joined our club!

Next up to join the cool kids was Aunt Susan and Alisa!

Kathy hung in as long as she could! But eventually the desire to be a cool kid took over!

And then there were two....

And the last addition to our club was Taron!!

Which left Nolan as the spoons champ!

He's not boastful or anything....
Everyone finally wound down and found our beds for the night. I didn't say we used them...we just found them. Aunt Bit and Dad went to pick up something from the Abner's, and I could hear them in the garage...so I joined them and we visited out there until about midnight...
Then Bit and I continued our conversation until sometime around 3am! OOPS! But in our defense- we don't get to sit and visit nearly enough! So we seized the opportunity and talked until we could go no longer.... I always treasure my heart to heart talks with my Aunt Bit. She has an amazing heart, and I love that I can pour my heart out to her with no judgement. The sleep deprivation was totally worth it.
Morning came too soon- but it was so nice to be able to sit around Mimi's table with everyone and just enjoy being together. Kathy got to see why I enjoy my Mimi's kitchen table coffee time so much, and everyone enjoyed getting to know her a little better.
I sent this picture to my Aunt Susan and told her I was on my way to the hospital- but was going to swing by the Holiday Inn to check out the breakfast buffet first!

Eventually we did all manage to get dressed and head to the City to catch up with Uncle Dave and Aunt Susan. She was already prepped and ready when we got there, but we were lucky enough to get to go back and circle around her and pray over her. And I will tell you that the love we felt standing there was amazing. I felt a peace like no other, and I pray that Aunt Susan did too.
And no family moment is complete without a selfie!!!

They got her back pretty quickly and got surgery started. The rest of us hung out together in her room for the remainder of the day. Surgery took several hours. We passed the time by talking, laughing, playing on our phones, setting up our very own chicken buffet in her room, and praying for the doctors performing her surgery.
She didn't get back to her room until around 6. But we were all glad to see her! But knowing that we had a 3.5 hour trip ahead of us made Dad, Kathy and I a little anxious to get on the road. I felt so torn as I kissed her cheek while she slept. I wanted to stay there with her. I wanted to walk this road with her since I knew what lied ahead of her. But I also knew that I had to get home to my babies and Josh. It was HARD yall! But I just had to say my good byes, hide my tears, and get in my car....where I proceeded to cry most of the way home. The emotions that came flooding back while I waited for Aunt Susan's surgery to be over caught me off guard. As strange as it sounds...I longed to go back and do this again with Mom. Only because it would mean Mom was still here. And I still had more time with her. I managed to hold it together quite well- until I was in my safe place...alone in my car. Then it all came flooding over me. And I let the tears flow. Tears from missing Mom. Tears for Aunt Susan. Tears for Alisa- because I knew exactly how she felt as a daughter watching her Mama go through this. Selfish tears for me because I couldn't stay. It all flooded over me. And once I was done letting it all out- I felt better...a little.
But the best news we got of the day was that all of the lymph nodes looked clear, and we eventually found out that they were ALL in fact clear of cancer cells! HUGE PRAISE!
Now I am counting down the days until I can go back and hug her neck again!

Thanksgiving- the day after

Since we had spent most of Thanksgiving week getting the house ready to host company- I decided to take the girls for a fun afternoon the day after.
We started off with a trip to the fire station. They always want to go see Daddy at work. And it is such a long drive that we rarely make it happen. But on this day we did it!
And we got there just in time too! Time to help wash the truck!

Because little girls that go to the fire station to get treats (cookies, candy, ice cream... whatever can be found on any given day...) must earn their keep! And on this day- their prize was cookies! There is always something good to be found at the fire station! They enjoyed getting to see their daddy, and as an added bonus, he gave them each some money for our next stop...CHUCK E CHEESE! Because, yes, I had officially lost my mind.
In all honesty- I don't mind Chuck E Cheese. Really. Compared to other arcade places like Main Event, Chuck E Cheese is cheap! We don't ever eat there, so games is all it costs us. And their games are only .25 each play, as compared to 1000-1.50 at other places. So it's fairly cheap entertainment! And I'm not gonna lie....I got myself a game card too! ha!
The girls had a blast running around playing games.

And Macie Claire hit the jackpot!

Wanna know what she bought with ALL those tickets? Probably a tattoo. Or a sucker. Or a plastic ring that was long gone the next day. Oh well- it's all about the adventure, not the prize at the end!
After we left Chuck E Cheese, I told the girls they could pick our dinner destination. I told them we'd go anywhere they wanted. Well- anywhere except Chick Fil A that is. Mama's gotta draw the line somewhere. SO they picked Pappasitos! As I knew they would. My kids have good taste in food- what can I say!
I absolutely love the fact that they are old enough for us to go and do stuff like this now with no worries! I don't have to fret about getting one to the bathroom if needed or someone having a melt down. It is amazing! The freedom that ages 9 and 6 give us is a game changer! And the fact that we have great kids....that helps too! I love these two girls. And I love making these memories with them.

Thanksgiving 2016

As has been tradition the last couple years, Josh and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house. Kim had to host James' family, so Nina joined them. But the whole Jackson/Pool clan plus Dad, Kathy and Mrs. Jackie joined us for dinner at our house! Larry, Jeri, Katie and Dillon joined us for a while after dinner too! We had a FULL house!!! 26 people to be exact! But it was a blast, and we had plenty of room for all!

If only we had enough food... HOLY MOLY- there was SO MUCH FOOD!

I love watching all the groups gather to talk. You can walk through the house and everyone is deep in conversation and laughter.... and 15 minutes later, you walk through and the groups are all different! Warms my heart. Family is everything.

When the dessert options are plentiful... one might find it helpful to just sit AT the dessert table!

Oh how Josh Pool loves selfies... NOT!!

Luckily my Daddy is always a good sport!

I love this man. Always there for me, always supporting me, always encouraging me.

Poor Kathy... we really need to educate her about cherry pie! She tried to take a bite of Dad's pie to taste it, and she ALMOST drew back a bloody stub!!

This right here yall- This right here is what it is all about. Family that just enjoys being together. We are loud, slightly obnoxious to those who might not know us....and fun!!!! One thing you can count on at a Jackson family get together....laughter and fun! Both are always plentiful!

Especially when the Cowboys are on!!
The guys migrated to the fire pit on the back porch.

The girls made sure we got a picture in!

And Macie Claire made sure she got some Walker lovin!

I'd say it was a great day! Good food, great people, and many memories made!
But the Pool girls were wiped out by the time it was all said and done! I ended my day snuggling with my littlest love!

Doesn't get much sweeter than that!

November 2016

The month of November in one post?? Let's see if I can do it without it being a novel!

Nina kicked off the month of November with shoulder surgery. She was SO ready to get it over with and behind her, and I can't blame her. I went over to check on her before surgery. They were running behind- of course. And you wanna know what? 80 year old ladies with broken shoulders who haven't eaten in 12+ hours can get a little grumpy! I did my best to brighten her spirits with Snapchat filters and selfies. It didn't help a lit, but I did get her to smile a little bit.

 

This was the best I could get from her.....

Macie came home with this paper from school....

No instructions or explanation.... just this. I couldn't help but laugh at the last one...pot. hhhmmmm??Is it the kind you cook a turkey in? Or the other kind?? HAHA!

I took Macie, Maylee and Brenna to Landry Pryor's birthday party. It was a costume party! And once again- Macie chose a different costume! A girl after my own heart....can't be seen in the same outfit twice! LOL

Landry the pig, Maylee the bunny, and Macie the cat!

Sweet sweet friends!!

Hayride fun!

Brenna handed me this picture the night before the election.

I couldn't help but laugh! She was very in tune to everything she heard this year about the election. She was always asking questions and telling me what she heard at school. I liked her predictions- but was nervous about the actual election outcome.
On election night, we opted to go watch the Peaster Volleyball playoff game in Azle instead of watching the news all night long.

It helped pass the time for sure! Luckily- in the end it turned out in our favor! The game AND the election!
The kids had to come to school with me one afternoon when their school got out early. I happened to have two empty boxes in my room, so they enjoyed playing IN them and drawing on them! Simple entertainment- I love it!

My birthday weekend!
Josh and I started off on Friday night with a dinner date! Much thanks to Dad and Kathy who kept the girls so we could enjoy some adult time!

We had a wonderful steak dinner at Ruth's Chris. I had heard about it before, but we had never been there. The food and atmosphere was really good, and we enjoyed it a lot. But I think that if I am going to pay that much for dinner, I would rather go to Del Friscos.
They did bring this super cute dessert out for my birthday! Too bad we were so full we couldn't hardly take a bite of it!

Rule of thumb...always dot your I's and CROSS YOUR T's! haha!

The next day was volleyball tournament day! I was so proud of Brenna and her new team. They worked so hard this season to learn to play together. It was a rough start, but in the end, they left their hearts on that court and came in with a 3rd place win!

I love this girl.

After the tournament, we celebrated with ice cream at DQ!

Sunday morning started out quiet and slow. I captured this sweet moment of Macie reading to her babies.

Josh was working- so the kids and I headed to Dad and Kathy's for an afternoon of fun! Dad kept the girls while Kathy took me for a pedicure! It was heavenly!

We had a yummy grilled dinner and enjoyed just relaxing and visiting. It was a great time!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Monday was my birthday! I used to get excited about birthdays... but somehow after having 37 of them- they have lost their thrill. It's still nice to be spoiled and pampered by those who love me though!
Josh sent me these beautiful flowers to work!

Then he fixed me homemade lasagna for dinner. YUMMY!!! The girls gave me a gift card to buy new shoes...because new shoes are the way to my heart!! :) And Josh gave me tickets for us to see Reba and Brooks and Dunn when we are in Vegas in February! I can't wait!!!
Then they surprised me with turtle cheesecake for dessert!

I love these little people!!! And their amazing Daddy who made my birthday wonderful. While 37 feels a little too close to 40 for comfort... it feels good to be me at 37. I am blessed beyond belief!

I got to go up and surprise Macie at her Thanksgiving feast at school! I love that I have a schedule at work that allows me to be a part of these little things with my kiddos.

We were all looking to having the whole week off of work to just enjoy being together!
Macie started the break off with loosing her first tooth! (well- the first one that wasn't pulled by the dentist at least! She wasn't too thrilled about it, but she recovered quickly. The tears were short lived. :)

On Sunday night, we went to the Ft. Worth Parade of Lights! It never disappoints. And this year, the weather was amazing.

My loves.

A hug for our favorite Shriner in his little yellow Barbie car!

"Girls smile for a picture with Pops!"
I said WITH Pops! Not in front of Pops!

After the parade, we joined Pops and the other Shriners for dinner at Los Vaqueros. We were all starving!

THERE'S POPS!!

We spent most of the week just hanging out at home and getting our house ready to host Thanksgiving dinner. But in order to do that- I had one very important task to accomplish that I had been putting off for years... I had to learn to make the dressing. I'm not a big fan of turkey and dressing. But IF I am going to eat it- I want it to be my Mama's dressing. I was always the official taste tester when she was making it, but I never made it on my own. So I decided that it was time to learn, and asked Nina to teach me.
I bough all of the ingredients and headed to her house on Tuesday for my lesson.

I got it done! Not sure I will remember how to do it all next year- but this year- I nailed it. Macie Claire even helped!

She has become quite the little kitchen helper! And she's good too! She helped me slice all the bananas for her Daddy's blueberry Banana crème pie!

Next up....Thanksgiving!!!!