TRACE'S PLACE: Playing catch up on a snow day

Today, we're taking it back, way back to October. Never mind that it's the middle of January. I wanted to catch up on our fall and Christmas. Just in the last few weeks, I've found myself referring back to the blog for certain things and loved looking down memory lane. These kiddos are growing up WAY too fast and I don't want to miss a minute.

The family went to McDonald Farm one Saturday in October while Jimmy was fishing a tournament. It was such a fun day and we loved making new memories with Roman.

This was a crowd favorite. They played forever in this thing...

Love Kadi's face, and then Roman's at the end!

So, although we swore we were going to make her wait until she was 7, the third time (or maybe the fourth, I've lost count) was the charm for my girl. She declared one random Sunday morning in October she wanted her ears pierced. We were in the mall anyway looking for Trace's new shoes, so we popped into Claires. She jumped up in that chair and 2 minutes later, it was done. No tears, no hand holding :( She was ready. And so proud once it was over.

I was a little too traumatized to take pictures a month and a half later when she ripped one of her new earrings out going under the volleyball net on the four wheeler in Papaw's backyard. YIKES! That could have been SO bad. Luckily, it came straight out and away to Claire's we went again to get a new set before they grew back up.

Bowling with Jack during Fall Break...

Sweet Marilyn came in October and was with us to celebrate Nanny's 89th birthday. She may be the only one left that still reads my blog so... shout out to Marilyn! XOXO

Trace was actually old enough to cut his own pumpkin this year. It's moments like this you realize just how fast they are growing and changing...

Slenderman, a colorful skeleton and...

Axl Rose.

Axl wasn't too sure what to think of Slenderman...

The Doty's joined us for trick or treating this year along with the Dierks. Love this sweet tradition!

Flag Football season was so much fun!

Cristin and I took our Elsa's to Frozens Disney on Ice. It was amazing!

The boys got a little hunting in this fall. Trace hasn't exactly gotten the bug yet, but Jimmy is still hoping. Sitting in a tree stand for hours on end isn't exactly his thing. Baby steps...

So Jimmy and I didn't know each other until I was 25 and he was ~~old~~ 30. But if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's his love of music, especially music from his "glory days." So when I heard that Guns N Roses were coming back together for a tour and coming to Nashville, I got him tickets for his birthday in August. The concert wasn't until November so we made a night of it. Dinner downtown...

and then the concert at Bridgestone.

There were so many songs that I didn't know but I loved watching him enjoy them all. Five years is a lifetime when talking about music. A song that came out in high school for him while he was learning to drive, was one I remember making up a dance to on the playground in elementary school. Lol!

These guys are almost 60 years old and played for 3.5 hours non stop. I was exhausted just watching them. And the entire arena stood up The. Entire. Time.

Grandparents day at CCS...

The weekend of Thanksgiving, Jimmy killed a deer. A big deer, that required help getting it out of the woods. His friend, Jason, came to help and brought his wife and 3 boys. We all got an education that afternoon on tracking and gutting a deer. It was one I won't soon forget.

After we got it out of the woods, we drove it to Tunnel Hill to be processed (shew, another learning experience ;) and then later the kids and I took some to the Community Kitchen to donate. We bought some gloves, gators, toboggans and blankets to take and some of the homeless people outside the Community Kitchen stopped us and asked us for them before we even made it in the door. It was heartbreaking and real life all at the same time. Trace got it. You could tell he was shaken and moved by what he saw. I think it kinda scared Keatyn but it was so good for her to see. We "need" for nothing and there are people just miles from where we live and go to school that have no idea where their next meal will come from. So many who will sleep on that cold sidewalk we stood on. I want them to know that, and I want them to be people that try and help. We will be back, I pray many, many times.

I had LASIK eye surgery on November 28th and I can see!! I'm trying to talk Jimmy into doing it.

Taking T and his buddies to see Justice League...

On December 5th, we celebrated Timber's 3rd birthday and on the 6th was our 14th anniversary.

Eating crab legs (topless) for our anniversary dinner...

Getting ready for their Christmas show...

Keatyn at her winter dance recital. She absolutely loves these things!

Lesley and I took the girls to see Charlotte's Web...

And my girls and I got the kids together for our annual Christmas tradition. Jill and Misty missed it this year. We took the kids to lunch at Taco Mamacita and then to the pottery place. I love these people.

You never know what you're gonna find at Nana's...

So, Cheeky showed up a little early to bring the kids an early Christmas present to take to the Dominican Republic. He brought Trace a kindle and Keatyn a new mermaid tail.

And then the morning we were leaving for Atlanta, he begged to go with us. So, of course, we packed him with salad tongs (so we didn't touch him and spoil the magic ;) in our suitcase.

I'll keep this brief because it's just too sad to relive again. Ugh... we had been planning a family trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic since May. We were SO excited! Our plan was to stay at the Royalton, an all inclusive resort with a water park and gorgeous beaches. However, it wasn't meant to be. :( On our way down to Atlanta, the Sunday before, we got a text from Jason about the Atlanta airport blackout. Huh... never happened before, may never happen again. We got to Atlanta in the dark to find the airport also in the dark. Thousands and thousands were trapped in the airport without electricity and many planes were parked with people stuck on board for hours. It was insane.

Our hotel was all abuzz and one pilot declared in the elevator that after 26 years with Delta he had never seen anything like it. He said we needed to arrive about 6 hours before our flight tomorrow and expect chaos. And that our flight may very well be cancelled. Then to top it off, Trace started running a 102 degree fever with body aches that night. Oh boy... things were not looking good when we went to bed.

We awoke the next morning to Trace still running a fever and then realized Sisty left her rescue inhaler at home. It was like God was trying to tell us something. Granddaddy and Sisty declared they were out. The chaos at the airport (and with 400 flights already cancelled for the day) led to a 3 hour call to Expedia to attempt to get a flight out for the next day. When the lady from Expedia came back with the only option of flying to Toronto, Canada on Tuesday night (it was Monday morning, mind you) then after an 8 hour layover in Canada, flying all the way down through the US and arriving Wednesday at noon in the DR, we politely said no thank you. And the dream was officially dead. We sadly packed up our suitcases and made the trek back to Chattanooga. I couldn't believe it. There are FAR worse things, I know, but I was a little heartbroken. I refused to unpack my suitcase for a week. I didn't cook a meal for the 5 days we were to be gone. We were supposed to arrive back home on the 23rd, just in time for Christmas. The presents were already bought and wrapped, the food for Christmas was already in the fridge, we had no school and no plans for 6 days, yet here we were back at home. I had a little pitty party for myself if I'm being honest. So the next morning I thought... " If we can't wait up in warm Punta Cana on the beach, we can at least wake up to donuts."

We tried to make the most of our unexpected week at home, with a fun family day out to visit Santa, go make glass ornaments at Ignis, followed with dinner at Blue Water and looking at Christmas lights.