My how time flies!  I can't believe it's been over a year since last I blogged!  Well, no more.  For those few of you who are my current and faithful followers, thanks!  For those of you who are often telling me I should write a book...this will be better than nothing, and for those of you who might just be discovering my blog, Welcome!  No matter what brings you to my blog, I hope you enjoy the things to come.  I am planning to post about some things besides my crazy boys and their shenanigans, but as they are a part of the very air I breathe, they will never be far from a post!  Check back often, tell your friends, bookmark me, follow me, etc.  I'm going to make some changes in 2016 and I'd welcome your input, suggestions and criticisms...just be gentle and bear with me.  In the meantime, here's a much needed fix of some crazy cuteness!

See you soon!
Carie

Playing Catch Up

What a summer it has been!  Let's just say that, since my last post, lots has happened.  Some great, some sad, some just wild and crazy and HOT days...some of the hottest days of my life.  I used to say I didn't sweat, I just sparkled.  Well if I stand by that statement, it's been a long summer on the glitter aisle at Hobby Lobby! Needless to say, there's no way I'm going to give you a moment by moment snapshot of everything these two yahoos have done since March, but you should definitely have your Hatmaker fix by the end.

Jax's spring team was the Mariners. I couldn't get on board with the navy, but wore this shade of green to most of the games.  He even made me buy sunglasses that color.  It was a wonderful experience even though they never won a game...bless their hearts.

Swinging for the fences.

Tagged up and ready to run

Sliding into second.

Rounding third.

Headed home to score a run!!

Of course Jax's number one fan was at every game.

In the midst of baseball season, we had our annual miniature horse show in Shelbyville.  We had it at a different facility this year than in the past, and our accommodations were on the show grounds.  We had a blast exploring on the golf cart and seeing all the horses that lived there as well as the ones being shown.  There is a pond there and Jax was so excited to go fishing.  So Granddaddy went early one morning and got Jax some bait and GrNanny and Vince took him fishing.  I was busy keeping Little Toot a safe distance from the above mentioned pond, safely tucked in for a nap.  I may or may not have also caught a few winks....

Who says you can't bait a hook and still be glamorous?  Not this GrNanny!

Serious.  Fishin' is Serious Business. No Grinning!

Until you catch one!

The last day we were there, Jax wanted to go fishing one more time.  He drove his four wheeler to the pond and his Daddy helped him this time.  GrNanny and I were entertaining Hoss on the golf cart.  All was going well until a little girl about Jax's age got through showing and wanted to play with him.   This is how he fished on that last day...

That's right, both Daddy and 4 wheeler abandoned for a little girl...and so it begins.

Easter came next and we dyed eggs.  GrNanny thought it would be fun to buy lots of craft supplies and let Jax get wild and crazy decorating the eggs.  Here's the results.

We took the boys to the egg hunt at Woodland Park. It was sprinkling, we were late.  Vince went with Jax's age group and I went with Hoss.  He only got a couple of eggs, but he didn't care.  

He was so glad to be on the loose.  

The Easter Bunny went overboard as usual.  It seems that in his effort to spread the expense of baskets out over the course of a month or two, he forgets what all he has for the boys baskets until it's time to fill them.  Santa has the same problem with the boys stockings.  

So much sugar...so little maternal energy to keep up with boys on so much sugar.

This sleepy head dimpled face must be why the Easter Bunny and Santa get so carried away.

 Or maybe it's this curly headed cool dude that causes the exuberance?

Easter Sunday Brunch was wonderful as usual.  We had the whole gang there and, try as we might, we could not get a family picture with everyone looking at the camera.  Could it have been the sugar?  

Vinnie was able to capture both boys long enough to get a cute picture with their Momma.  It only took 19 pictures to get this one.  19 y'all!!  I need a nap!

The afternoon turned out to be lovely. We did get a nap, and then we did something Jax Hatmaker loves to do.  We (and by we, I mean Granddaddy) got out the firepit, gathered up some firewood, went to the grocery and got all the fixin's for a weenie roast.  While he was doing that, GrNanny got out on her little yellow golf cart and hid 48 Easter eggs.  It took us about 30 minutes of hunting and 2 trips around the yard on the golf cart to find them all, but we did!

Jax is just the best big brother and when he realized Hoss only had a few eggs (again, he didn't care about the eggs, just the freedom) he sneaked some of his into Hoss' bucket.

Busted!!  Egg thief  thought nobody was watching him steal Bubba's bucket!

Three generations of Hatmaker men and one Granddaddy supervisor!  In case you're wondering, the bases of the orange cones are spaced just so that Hoss can't get his walker between them to get to the fire pit.  Safety 1st!!

Jax's last day of Kindergarten.  The sillies have taken over.

At Jax's school, the kids have promotion, not graduation.  They all wear white and are on their best behavior.  The teachers must threaten them with all of the horrors in their arsenal to make them behave.  Whatever it takes!

Until the teachers aren't looking, then you can see the mischief beginning to form.  Y'all, this is only 8 of the boys in Jax's class.  There are 33 kids in his class. 19 are boys.  19!!  There is so much testosterone in this class you can just watch their beards grow!

I don't know what I was thinking when I put Hoss in squeaky shoes for such an occassion.  I did think to pack enough snacks for an NFL team to keep his mouth full so he couldn't talk the whole time.  Before the ceremony even started he was shoeless  and already into the snacks.

And halfway through promotion, when all the snacks were gone?  Yep, that's a Lightning McQueen lunchbox on his head and banana on his face.

Bubba got his certificate! First Grade here he comes!

Mom had double knee replacement surgery in May, so Hoss' actual birthday was low key.  We went to Outback (Jax's choice since Hoss is non discriminatory when it comes to food).  We had a yummy dinner and cupcakes!  Y'all know how this boy feels about cake.

We did have a big birthday party for him in July, but I will do a separate post about that.

Jax went to camp again this summer.  First he went to Baylor soccer camp.  It was fun, he learned a lot and made some new friends.  It worked out that his Daddy was able to take him across town at 8:00 every morning, so I didn't get any pictures.  Mommy fail...

The next week he went to Camp Hidden Hollow.  It was a rainy, muddy week.  He came home with mud from his head to his toes.  Our beloved GG has gone there since she was a little girl and now she is a counselor.  Well, between GG and the activities of the camp, he had a blast!  The time of his life!  Almost as much fun as Disney World. Almost.

That's Jax riding on the back of one of his counselors.

 GG's grandmother and Miss Sally's Daddy enjoying some watermelon on family day.

 Jax and the camp mascot.

 Jax photo bombing the counselors picture 

 Jax and Charlie (the one who he was riding in the first picture).

I'm told it's a guy thing. Refer to the above mentioned testosterone?

We always try to get together for the 4th of July and this year was no exception.  We went to Uncle Bubba and Aunt Audi's house for a cookout and then off to their church for fireworks.  Yes, I am that mom.  Yes, I realize they will hate me when they are teenagers for this picture.  Yes, I know deep down they will be glad when they are grown ups.

The fireworks were beautiful.

Vince and Hoss were too full and tired to get real excited.

Jax still isn't a fan of loud noises, so he watched from inside the car with his glow necklace and hunter's ear muffs on and yes, his face is smashed up against the windshield so he can see the fireworks.

We also had our family reunion this summer.  It's my Dad's mother's side of the family...The Yorks.

It's never dull, and there is always tons of good food.  JR used to say we should play the "guess how many jelly beans are in the jar" game only it would have to be "guess how many pounds of cheese are on the table".  Let's just say the York's love a good casserole or dip, or a good casserole AND a good dip!

This is Sam.  She's the newest member of the York's.  She was engaged to my cousin for a year and they dated for a long time before that, so she can never say she didn't know what she was getting into!  She's so sweet and set up this table for the kids to have something to do.  It's a good thing she and Chris were already married or I believe Hoss would have brought her home! 

It's always a party when the York men are safely tucked into garbage bags and shower caps covered with shaving cream and their wives prepared to throw things at them. Y'all, this was a fun game!  The men were great sports, the women had a blast and the spectators thoroughly enjoyed it!

There is much more to share, but it will have to wait for later posts.  We will finish catching up soon!

Love y'all!