Some things I miss...

Bud Ward Jolley...

He was a wonderful father...

He was an awesome dad...

These 2 think he was the best at being their...

 "Poppy Bud."

It is obvious that he was loved very much!

As I visited my daddy's grave this Memorial Day weekend, it once again hit me like a ton of bricks:  I miss so many things about my sweet daddy.   Sometimes, along with my overwhelming sadness, I feel little twinges of anger about not only the things I am missing but all of the wonderful things my boys are missing out on by not having my daddy here with us.   I know that my daddy is in a wonderful place but I am just so, so sad that I cannot have him here with me to continue to watch these precious boys of mine grow up.   He loved them so much and when he played and talked with them, I would just stare and stare like I was trying to memorize every second.   I was so afraid of losing him before they grew up that I wanted to remember every move he made with them! They loved him so much and still talk about him daily.  When we were visiting the cemetery, they just kept rubbing the rock and saying they wish he could come back to us and how much they loved him.  Also, this weekend, my daddy's brother, Robin came down from Michigan.   We went over to my mom's house to see him while he was there.   Garrison drug out a box of toys and Robin started asking if they were his toys and Garrison THREW him some!   I told him not to be throwing but Robin said that he knew how to catch!   He played with my boys and said things to them that they thought were funny.   It reminded me of watching my daddy play with them.   It melted my heart and broke it all at the same time.   Robin is such a dear uncle to me.   He has so many of the same sweet, generous, and loving qualities that my daddy had.   I love when he comes home.  I remember that he didn't think he was going to get to come home when my daddy died and he was so upset over it.   His wife wasn't feeling well and he didn't know if she would want him to leave.   We were in the funeral home having the private family viewing when the doors opened.   I turned around to see him and I just ran to him and hugged him for so long.   I was so glad he was able to come.   A few months after, he called and wanted to know when both of the boys' birthdays were.   He said he wanted to write them down and remember to send them a card every year since they lost their grandpa.   He has never forgotten.   Tears fell down my cheeks when he told me this and they have with each birthday card they have received.   They are tears for my daddy and also for how sweet my uncle Robin is.  I have a great  deal to be thankful for and I am so very glad I had two great role models growing up!   My parents are awesome.   As this Memorial Day holiday comes to an end, I am still reflecting on memories of my daddy.   So, I thought I would make a small list of a FEW of the MANY MANY things I miss about this wonderful man.   I am the luckiest girl in the world to have been given the privilege to be his little girl!   I love you daddy!

Some things I miss about MY DADDY:

1.  I miss giving him "goodbye kisses" on his sweet cheeks.

2.  I miss being able to ask him questions about animals, birds, farming, gardening, or anything to do with nature.   He knew the answer to everything I ever asked him.

3.  I miss watching him play with my boys.

4.  I miss him aggravating Dana about things.   He love to do that!  Dana loved it too.   He would just smile at my daddy.

5.  I miss watching him watch the cattle.   He loved to sit in the yard and watch them.

6.  I miss him coming over to my house and exploring.   He loved it here and thought we had great views.   He was always walking around and looking at everything.

7.  I miss calling him to tell him something funny that the boys did.

8.  I miss him asking me about school.   

9.  I miss watching him fall asleep while watching TV.  

10.  I miss hearing him talk in his sleep.   He always got me tickled! I talked back to him to see what all he would say!

11.  I miss him telling me to be nice to everyone no matter how they treated me.   

12.  I miss seeing him get dressed up for church.   Sometimes I used to tell him he looked cute and he would smile that sneaky smile and say, "I know."   Then he would laugh and say he couldn't ever look cute.   He always looked cute to me.

13.  I miss watching him eat.   He loved food so much and he would eat for about an hour.   I loved to watch him eat.  

14.   I miss talking to him on the phone.  Sometimes I still want to call and tell him things.

15.  I miss him giving me good advice on everything.

16.  I miss him aggravating our dog PeeWee.   She loved my daddy so much and he was constantly trying to make her do tricks.   She died 3 months after he did.

17.  I miss him telling me not to spank Keyton.   Garrison was too little to be spanked when he died but I am sure he would have tried to protect him too.   

18.  I miss him aggravating my mom.   He used to say things to try to get her fired up and then he would laugh.   I loved watching this.   He was so proud of her.   He used to tell me he didn't know how he got so lucky that she picked him.   He said she should have had anyone but somehow she picked him.   I think she picked a winner!

19.  I miss him telling me to slow down when I talk.   He always thought I talked to fast. 

20.  I miss him calling me Misty Doodler.   I called him Daddy Doodler.   He started calling me this when I was a little girl.   I loved hearing him say it.

I miss so many more things about my daddy.   

I actually miss everything about him.  

 I hope he always knew how very much I loved him!

Sunday Afternoon Photo Shoot...

Just a pose in the yard before we headed out...

Brotherly Love in the hay field...

Posing on the hay...

I just love this one...

A candid one of them looking at cattle...

Hanging out on the gate...

Keyton & the lake...

Together in front of the lake...

Garrison & the lake...

I had to get in one shot with them...

This afternoon, Whitney came over to visit us.  The boys were SUPER EXCITED to see her!  They showed her a bunch of stuff they had "learned how to do!"  They love showing her new things!  I decided that while she was here, I would take the boys out around the farm and the neighborhood and take some pictures!   It is more fun when you have somebody else along! She is always ready to go an adventures with us!  We took some in the front yard, in the hay field, at "Uncle Jason's" gate, and some around the road at the property with the lake views.  It was a fun time and the boys were excited to get to wear their new overalls that they "just had to have!"   I am glad I got them for them though, because they do look pretty darn cute in them!   I LOVE LOVE LOVE taking pictures and these are my favorite two models!  

My Little Stinkers...

What GREAT shirts!!!

Keyton the mowing machine...

Garrison the mowing machine...

My Sweaty, Hard-Working, Adorable,

Super-Smart, Imaginative, Funny, 

Sweet Little Stinkers!!!

The boys have had such a good time so far this week because of all of the.....SUNSHINE!!!!  We love it!!!!   The week probably started out good because they wore their "Mommy knows EVERYTHING" shirts!   They get a kick out of wearing funny shirts about me and their daddy.   Garrison thinks every one of his shirts says: "I Love Mommy" or "Mommy Loves Me." We got home a late on Monday because we had to help "Uncle Jason" get his runaway cattle back home! Tuesday we got home late because we went with my mom for her LAST TREATMENT!   We celebrated by eating at Zaxby's and doing a little shopping!So they haven't had much chance to play outside together but they both got to enjoy the weather during the daytime.  Keyton has had extra outside time and Garrison and my mom are always out and about playing or working outside! This evening, we got home early and they enjoyed every minute of the sunshine.   They played like they were police, farming, mowing, working in hay, etc!!!   The list goes on and on...   They have great imaginations! I hope the rest of the week is equally as fun as the past three days!   It is always a barrel of laughs with my little stinkers!

Another School Year...Ending

My little ball player

Social Studies Sweetie

Keyton:  Self Portrait

Well...Keyton's first grade year is winding down.   I cannot believe how quickly he is growing up right before my eyes!   Wow...he will be in SECOND GRADE next year!?!   I can not believe this!!! The end of every school year brings plenty of happenings and chaos!!!  This past week, Keyton received a medal for playing in the Junior Pro Basketball League.   He was very proud of this! He also was selected to represent his classroom in the Social Studies category in our Achievement Day Contest.   He kept saying how funny it was because first grade didn't have social studies books!   He is so funny!  The day he competed, he told me that it was HARD.   He said it had stuff about the Presidents.  I asked him if he was the first one finished and he told me he was the very LAST one finished.   I had to smile, because he takes after my daddy so much...he takes his time at everything!!!  He was afraid I was mad.   I told him it was fine and that I didn't care at all.   When they announced the winners, I went up to the lobby to get a picture of him and I was surprised when I heard he placed SECOND!   He was so excited when he came to get his award!   I was very proud of my little guy!   And, finally last happening of the week was him bringing home his major art project of the year.   Poor Keyton...he hates to color!  His coloring sheets from kindergarten were so funny!   He has come a long way this year, but it is still evident that he does not really love it!   He LOVES LOVES LOVES art class though!  He truly thinks he is an artist!   I am afraid that he took his artistic abilities from me...POOR BOY! However, his art teacher laughs and tells me to keep encouraging him and she told me that if he thinks he is an artist...then he IS an artist!   Well, the first grade art project was a self portrait. Miz Patti cut out the figures and they had to design them!  I was a little nervous about seeing his!  It was great!   He did such a good job!   His coloring on this was the best work he has ever done!  I think this will definitely have to be framed!   Garrison has been getting to come to school and staying with me for the last 15-20 minutes in the evenings so my mom can go to her treatments.   I have planning last period, so this works out good.   He thinks he is really big to get to come to the big school!   I enjoy this time with him and he is always super excited to see Keyton walk in the door.   They play school together and Garrison said he has decided to be a teacher so we can work together!   He said we would take turns driving!   Am I a lucky Mommy or what?

First Grade Fun!

Garrison giving Keyton goodbye hug this morning...

Keyton spent most of the day under here in the sand...

One of the "great picture places"

More fun in the sand...

A pose with Mommy...

Today was Keyton's First Grade Field Trip!  I had planned on letting him go without me but he wanted me to go along.   I thought he might have more fun without me even though he would not admit it.   I know he is more outgoing with the kids and teachers when I am not around.  I have no idea why...but he just is.  However, yesterday he go a stomach virus and had to miss school.  He got better yesterday evening, but when I got home, he begged me again to please go along.   Since several other parents were going, I hated to tell him no.  I want him to have his independence and don't ever want to smother him, but then again, I do not want to ever want to look back and regret refusing to be with him when he wanted me.   The ride to Jamestown is always one that makes ME a little car sick so I thought he might get sick especially after how bad he felt yesterday.   I rode the bus with the other teachers. (a perk of being a teacher) Keyton climbed right on that bus and went all the way to the back!   Silly boy...he had said I had to ride the bus so he could sit where he could see me!   I was proud of him!   I was the one that got a little sick on the ride there. We watched the movie Monsters Vs. Aliens.   It was actually a pretty good movie.  And...Keyton didn't even ask me to sit with him.   As much as I want to be with him at all times, I was proud that he didn't stick with me all the time.   I had told him before agreeing to go that I wanted him to stay with his buddies and just pretend like I wasn't there.   He said he would NEVER ignore me because he loved me too much! Then, we headed to the city park to eat lunch and play! The park was a big hit!   It had swings, climbing toys, slides, shelters, and SAND GALORE!   I was taking a few pictures of Keyton and the other kids when Keyton said, "Follow me..I have found some great picture places!"  I have trained him well!   He is so used to me scouting for great picture settings that he does it too!   I got quite a kick out of that!  It was had alot of fun!  I am glad I went! When I told Keyton I got a little sick on the way up there, he even agreed to let me ride back with another parent that followed the bus. Garrison was super excited to see us and hear all about Keyton's trip.   He made me pack him a sack lunch to take to Aggie School today so he could be like Keyton.   My mom told me he ate every single bite of it!   It was such a pretty day and the boys couldn't wait to get home to play outside.   After I got their supper almost cooked, I walked out on the porch to get a couple flowers ready to plant.   That is when I saw them coming up from the yard close to the fence and they were holding hands and looking very nervous.   They started yelling and telling me the story.   It seems that Garrison fell off of his tractor and rolled around on the grass acting like he needed help from Keyton...Keyton played like the rescue worker and fell down too trying to rescue him...When they stood up...they were COVERED IN BUGS!!!   "Bugs?"  I asked.  When they got to the porch, I could not believe my eyes....there were HUNDREDS of ANTS all over them!  I yelled for assistance from Dana.   We dusted them off and finally he had to strip them down and shake their clothes.  I began to sweep the porch and pour hot water on them!   I HATE ANTS!   They boys were itchy all over and both had bites on the same spot on their bellies.   They came in and had supper in their underwear and decided they wanted to go ahead and get in the bathtub to "get rid of the "itchies."   Garrison told me after his bath, "Mommy, I will "definley" never roll in the grass again...EVER!" Keyton smiled and said, "Garrison, you are so sweet, did you know it?"  To which Garrison rolled his eyes and said, "Duh...I'm just like Mommy!"   Oh...what fun they are!   

I love being a MOMMY!!!

A card and a letter from Keyton!

He is SO proud of this!

One Lucky Mommy!!!

(left):Keyton  (right):Garrison

How sweet! =)

This Mother's Day weekend started off special because Friday evening, Keyton brought me home some things from school.   He had been telling me for a couple of weeks that he was making me something I was going to L O V E!!!  He was so excited that he didn't know if he could wait!   Well, Friday evening, he came down the hall grinning ear to ear...with a little cup with the beginning sprouts of flowers in it!   He was so happy because he had planted the seeds and they had sprouted! He told me they were in a really neat cup that you could plant in the ground!   It was very cute!   However, the best thing to me was the paper his teacher let him fill out.  Since he has learned how to read and write everything this year...it meant so much to me. The things he wrote were so sweet.  I had tears in my eyes just reading it.   Saturday, we just spent a lazy day at home until it was time to go to Keyton's favorite place...the auction!   =) Today, as we went to church, we stopped to buy a card to go with my mom's present.   The boys asked if they could pick out one for me so they could write in it at church.   They picked out the ones they wanted and off to church we went.   They were excited to take Aggie her present...a picture puzzle of them!   We got both grandmothers this!   They were a big hit! After church, we took my mom to Livingston to meet my brother and his family for some Mexican dining.   Dana had to work extra so he missed out on all of this.  We came back home and enjoyed the nice weather.   I cleaned out my nasty vehicle and they played in the yard.   It was a pretty relaxed weekend but those are my favorite.  Anything that lets me be with my precious boys...is perfect to me!   I am so very thankful that God chose me to be the one to be Keyton & Garrison's MOMMY!   I take this job very seriously.   It is the best job I have ever had in my life!!!! 

Polk Stalks...Pork Chops...

My little "hunter"

Little brother wanted in picture too...

Hold on!

Relaxing after the ride!

This evening when I was cooking supper, Keyton came strutting in liked a big man (my boys do this quite often) with a big polk stalk.   He plopped them down on the counter and said, "Here you go!"  I turned around and asked him what he wanted me to do.   He said, "Just figured you might want to cook some tonight!" He thinks it is a big deal to go out and get these.   Then Garrison came in with the same big man strut going on with a small polk stalk.   He said, "Here you go...it is a polk STICK!"  They left them there and went back out to play.   After a few minutes they came back in. They wondered if I was cooking them or not but I told them it probably wouldn't be on the menu for tonight, so they got them and took them back out.   After a couple of minutes, Garrison came back in and said, "Mommy, me and Keyton are right outside cleaning those PORK CHOPS for you, okay?"  I got so tickled!   But...I of course acted like I didn't hear him (just so I could hear it again) and asked him what he said.   He said it again.   It was absolutely precious!   They cleaned them real good and brought them back in "to save for later!" We decided to go over to Dana's parents and hang out with everyone for awhile. While we were there, Keyton had to take Dana and Garrison for a ride on Pa Pa's Gator.  He REALLY thinks he is big when he gets to DRIVE!   His Uncle David even chased them on his 4-wheeler.   When we got back home, they ate their supper. They started bragging and bragging about how good it was.   Keyton said, "Mommy, I don't know how in the world you know how to make up so many different things to eat!" I told him that I just throw stuff together like Rachael Ray and create new things.   He said, "If those TV people ever come here and eat, they will definitely put you on your own TV show!"  Garrison said, "Yeah, definitely!"  Oh, these funny boys of mine...they crack me up!   

Keyton's 1st Grade Program

What a handsome deputy!

Posing with little brother...

Pulling over the President...

Writing the historical ticket...

Hug for a job well-done...

The first graders were supposed to perform their class assemble program in February.   However, due to missing school for snow and sickness and having to prepare for TCAP tests, it got postponed until...today.  The theme was "The 44 Presidents."  Keyton was super excited about the part he was playing.   You see, Ulysses S. Grant was the only President to ever receive a speeding ticket!   He got it for speeding while riding a horse.   So, Keyton got to play the deputy that wrote him that historical ticket!!!   Yeah, it was right down his alley to get to dress up like his daddy! He went ALL OUT:  He wasn't allowed to take a toy gun to school, but that didn't stop him from wearing a REAL gun belt with all of the necessary equipment...including real handcuffs!   (He even tucked a little bottle of spray-on stain remover in the pepper-spray holder!)   Funny boy!   His daddy always has little  reminder notes tucked in his shirt pockets, so Keyton insisted I write him a note of some kind.   I wrote "Don't forget that your Mommy loves you very much!"   He had on one of his daddy's older badges, some SHERIFF lapel pins that were handed down to him by his Pa-Pa from when he was the sheriff, and some real patches that were sewn on his shirt for him by Aggie!   He looked so cute!   Now, it is usually very hard to get him out of bed in the mornings. (He is so much like I was!) This morning, I very gently touched his shoulder and told him he needed to get up and put on his uniform, and I swear it looked like he was a piece of toast that popped straight out of a toaster! He was so excited that he started putting his uniform on over his pajamas!   So funny!   He took this very serious! When we got to school, all of the students were checking him out!  They were very impressed with his attire!   He did a very good job in the program.   One thing funny was that in all of their practice sessions, they had him just "pretend" to write a ticket and the boy that got it just "pretended" to throw it down and stomp it.   Keyton took a little notepad with him and during the program, he ACTUALLY wrote something out on one of the pieces of paper and gave it to him!   Now, I thought that was how it was supposed to go down, but I guess it shocked his teacher.  She just didn't know how prepared he was going to be!  When it comes to law and order...there is no pretending in his mind! That made it even funnier when I found that out!   His part was a hit...everyone laughed.   Everyone kept telling him how good he looked and how much they liked his outfit.   He was very proud. Garrison was very excited to get to come and watch the program.   He could hardly wait to go hug Keyton when it was over!   He said Keyton was his favorite part!   Good job Keyton!   

Dana's Birthday Duties...

What's that on your nose?

The tears are welling up...

What a great quilt!!!!

None on his nose this time...

We started celebrating Dana's birthday on Thursday night since he was going to be working today on his birthday.   We took him to Livingston to eat Mexican.   Tammy had informed the waiters that it was his birthday.   So, after we finished with our meal, they came out and placed a very large sombrero on his head and served him up a whipped cream dessert!   You should have seen his face!   But, the best part was that after they finished singing, they picked up a spoon of dessert and acted like they were going to feed him!   He stuck his tongue out all ready to taste it...and they wiped it on his nose!!!   It was so funny!!!  They boys got a big laugh out of it!   We only had our cell phones to capture the image, but that is better than nothing!!!   I got sick in the middle of the night and ended up having to stay home today.   Poor Dana...had to get up and get both boys ready and take them like I usually do!   I think he realized just how big of a job that can really be!   He had already had a dinner planned for us at the Bobcat @ 6:30.   I finally felt like I could be able to go.   I was curious what it was about because he said it was something for MY birthday (which was almost a month ago).  So, we arrive and he tells me and the boys to sit at a table and wait for him to come back there.  We did, but then Jackie Pritchett and his family started coming out there and telling me we were supposed to be back in the private dining room.   It was very confusing!   We go back there and it is like a family reunion with Jackie & Cyndi's family, Jerry & Gail, JD & Jewell, Jeff & Joanna's family...and US!!!   Yes...I was confused!   Anyway...Gail got every one's attention and said she found something on her door this morning.   She had a box in her hand and said she couldn't believe what it was.   She asked Dana to open it.  I was nervous it was something alive!   He opened it and handed me the card that was inside.   It said "Surprise For Misty." It was a card from Gail telling how much she had enjoyed reading my blog and getting to know me and my family and that when I had asked her earlier to make a quilt for me with family pictures, she had the idea to try and sneak and get them for a surprise for me!!!!  Can you believe that?   HOW SWEET!!!!   I started crying as soon as I read the card!   It was a beautiful quilt!!!   And...my favorite color...Purple!!!   I could not believe she had done something so sweet for me.   It is filled with pictures of both me and Dana when we are little as well as more recent ones of our boys and family photos!   It is something I will cherish forever!   I will never be able to thank her enough for thinking of me and doing this!.   She is an amazing woman!   After we ate our meal, Dana ordered a hot fudge cake and Cyndi told the waitresses to sing!   They did and we once again, got Dana!   We had a really good time and Dana's birthday turned out to be great for ME as well!   Happy Birthday Honey!   We love you  very much!!!