Tuesday, May 22, 2012
happenings
Here are our latest happenings:
* The boys (Clayson, Trey, Matt and Joey) have been playing a lot of Yankee baseball. It's been such an exciting season. They have won all (13) games except one and we still have five to play. This seems to be the sport of choice for Clayson and Matt. Trey still wants to give middle school football a try but the other two are saying they don't want to play next year. As bad as I would love to see them play on a high school team, it's their choice to make. Maybe between now and August they will have a change of heart.
* The girls are just busy playing. Kayla is involved in karate and dance. Both girls are involved with friends. There are several girls in our neighborhood so Ashlyn and Kayla are here, there and everywhere when we have them. I am trying to teach Ashlyn the concept of coming in on time by the glow of the street light.
* Our garden is full of big, giant weeds but it is producing tomatoes, squash, radishes, jalapenos, onions and beans. My dad accidentally mowed over the watermelon and cantaloupe vines. Oopsie!
* The flower beds have gone to being a weed bed. I don't mind mowing all day long but I am not a weed puller. That makes me crazy. I'm looking for Round Up because I think the mulch will look better alone than with the grass growing in there. I never promised to be a landscaper/ gardener. Everyone will have clean clothes, clean dishes, dinner and a clean house but there will also be weeds among the flowers.
* Joey went to classes and became a certified open water scuba diver. He has been out of town quite a bit for work. I have been taking baseball team pictures for local teams. Our schedule has not included much free time lately but we did manage to get away for several hours and take a Sunset Cruise on Lake Ray Hubbard. This settled us both down from being so wound tight. We still cherish our date nights and quality time together.
* We've had shrimp boils, four -wheeling afternoons, a movie and pizza night, we celebrated our moms for Mother's Day, hunted eggs for Easter and enjoyed other random outings. Wherever we are, whatever we do -it's always fun.
With summer on the horizon, we look forward to a lot more fun where this came from.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
two years ago...
Two years ago I was in an extreme condition - fighting many emotional battles, knowing that I had no choice but to get on with my life. I knew that more than anything I needed to find myself again. I didn't know what made me happy, I didn't know what it would take to make me find confidence in an uncertain future. I knew what I had always wanted but never had. I knew what I had hoped for but had given up on. I knew what obstacles had to be overcome but was not sure how. When life as you know it is completely turned upside down, all at once, nothing seems clear anymore.The crossroads become confusing but the journey is inevitable.
Joey was what I considered a "risky" relationship. I had to make a choice which direction to go because I wasn't good at playing two decks of cards. In one hand I had safety and in the other hand I found risk. I'm always up for a challenge so I chose to take the risk. After all, I wasn't looking to get serious, just wanted to have fun. He seemed nice enough, cool enough and funny enough to bring this fun into my life. (He was also very persistent.) It was like being in high school again but with grown up knowledge. I was being given a second chance at living a happy life and I have never looked back. Our relationship has become more than I ever dreamed of. (You know life is good when reality is finally better than your dreams.)
Two years ago today...
Saturday: May 1st, 2010 - all baseball games canceled. Yay! This meant that I could sleep in a bit and get back to the grind of packing and moving, which had become part of my daily routine. My mom, dad and grandparents all came over to help me try to find the light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.
For the past month, Joey and I had been texting, talking and had even been seen in public together a few times (baseball games, Fat Dawgs, Braums) but tonight we were going to make it an official date, the kind where the boy picks the girl up and brings her home. (Home, by the way, would be at my mom and dad's house starting tonight.) Joey stopped by Saturday afternoon in the midst of blood, sweat and tears offering to help and bring me goodies (a refrigerator for my classroom, trash bags, and stickers for my students - all via Blockbuster clean out jobs). I was nervous for him to be there, around my family. I knew that this kind of change may be unwelcoming so I kept him at a distance (and outside). He graciously offered to help do anything that needed done. I just couldn't get past the "wall" that I was putting up. This wall was put up with the intentions of protecting my feelings and to prevent me from forgetting that I was ready to have fun, nothing more. He stuck around for a bit. When he left I told my Mamaw that we were going to be hanging out tonight and she said, "you just got rid of one". Ha! I would not have expected any other reaction. The day drug on with no end in sight. I finally just quit so that I could get ready for the night.
A friend was having a birthday party at one of her friend's houses. Thank goodness the forecasted rain stayed away and that the party wasn't canceled. Joey picked me up about 7:00 and we headed to Crandall. It had been many years since either of us had been on a date. I think we were both nervous and excited. He wouldn't know anyone at the party and I was looking forward to him meeting many of my friends.
We got there, got some crazy glances (some did not even know I was divorced). Joey fit right in and was probably more comfortable than I was. (Talk about me going from one extreme to the other - the ex never talked to anyone or even tried to have fun. Joey tends to bring the fun.) By the end of the night I could feel my "wall" slowly losing strength. I wanted to have fun and he was definitely someone that I could have fun with. Later I told him that he had gotten "two thumbs up" from all the friends. He said, that's cool, but what about you? That's what really matters. My response - of course I like you.
So, this is where our journey began. Two years later we are still deeply in love, we still have so much fun together, love to spend time together and get along as best friends/ people in love should. Our future is as bright as our past and we look forward to making many more great memories together and together with our kids. Within the past six months we have learned how to function as a family with five kids and we enjoy every minute. He makes me happier than I have ever been, my kids love him and laugh at him and I will always be thankful for the broken roads that led us to each other. Many people thought it was crazy, that we were complete opposites and that it wouldn't last. But, we couldn't be more perfect for each other and by keeping it real, keeping it simple and keeping it fun - we've built a relationship made to last.
I'll end by saying thank you to Joey for allowing me to get on with my life, making me happy, building my confidence in the future, being all I had ever hoped of having, helping me to overcome many obstacles and turning my world right side up. We are right where we need to be with an amazing past and a promising future. I love you, Joey Smith!
Monday, March 5, 2012
brought to you by the letter B
B is for bunch.
Every other weekend, we have our kiddos from Wednesday until Monday. Wednesdays are usually situational, getting everyone back in the groove. Thursday nights are filled with baseball and soccer practice. This has normally been our family game night but with two practices sneaking into the schedule, this may need to be moved to Wednesdays. Our current favorites are Farkle (a dice game) and dance off (random music and random dancing around the living room). Friday nights, there is no agenda to follow. It's sometimes nice to grab dinner and find an activity that everyone enjoys but with the start up of 8:00 Saturday morning baseball practices, I have a feeling this may turn into another semi-early night. That's okay with me, by this time I can barely function and the kids are tired, too. Saturdays include the early baseball practice and Ashlyn's soccer games. It is so great to have all three boys on the same baseball team and even better that Joey is the coach. I let him run the morning show while the girls and I get our beauty sleep. Sundays are currently becoming 'Sunday Fundays'. The only requirement is that everyone is in bed by 10:00. Usually, that is not a problem. -we have worn ourselves out by then.
When there are this many involved, it's trial and error, go with the flow, be spontaneous and don't sweat the small stuff. I like to plan and organize but I have also learned that it is okay to venture away from routine, and that is just keepin' it real.
B is for bowling.
A couple of weekends ago, we went to Ennis for bowling and pizza. I have to share our good deals with you because when you take this many out to entertain, B for budgeting, is a must. Pizza Hut offers box meals for $9.99 - this includes a large rectangle pizza, 5 breadsticks and 5 cinnamon sticks. We ordered two of these and had leftovers. Pizza Hut total for seven = $26. From there we went to the bowling alley. They had a special that we could play until 1:00am closing for $50 and this included shoes. We had two lanes for four hours. The girls were on one lane with bumpers and, because I am competitive, I played with the guys. By the end of the night, Ashlyn was sound asleep across two chairs and the boys were playing in her place- the bumpers gave them self-confidence. Most of them crashed out on the way home. We were excited about all of the fun that we had, especially the kids, and the fact that it only cost us $80. I am all about having fun and saving money. If only I could learn to be a couponer...
B is for baseball.
I have already mentioned the boys and their baseball but this baseball pertains to our most recent outing. Sunday morning, Joey cooked breakfast, we ate and then we all got busy doing different things. The girls printed off smoothie recipes and made them (they were good), Joey and I worked on organizing the garage, Clayson and Matt milled around - hoping not to be asked to do anything and Trey was with Mimi and Pawpaw. Around 4:15, we halted all activities, walked away from messes and loaded up in the vehicles for some family and friends baseball. We went up to the ball field for two hours of fun. The girls enjoyed batting, the boys, Joey, Billy, Lisa and I got in a little fielding and batting while my dad was the all-time pitcher. We had so much fun! It was great exercise for the grown ups, big fun for the kids and great bonding for the family.
Back at the house, we showered, chowed on some ramen noodles/ frozen pizza/ leftover Genghis Grill and played our third game of Farkle.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
away we went
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
days gone by
*Christmas
Christmas was good for all of us. It wasn't as "normal" as I would have liked (only having my kids for a couple of hours) but we made the best of the situation and will look forward to this Christmas when all will be right in our little world. We celebrated early, late and enjoyed all of the time inbetween.
*New Year's
Joey and I went out to dinner on New Year's Eve with Jason and Megan (my brother and sister-in-law). That is always a good time and with Joey, you never know what to expect. He entertained us throughout dinner. After dinner, we went to hang out with friends, mainly just so we would stay up until midnight. (They say what you are doing at midnight on New Year's Eve is what you will spend the rest of the year doing. Last year we were on the road (dodging deer) and Joey spent a lot of time out of town for work (and hunting) throughout the year.This year we were with friends and other random people, we'll see how that works out.)
We enjoyed a New Year's Day lunch at mom and dad's with Clayson, Trey, Ashlyn and Kayla and the fam. We all ate some black-eyed-peas for good measure. Joey wasn't feeling too hot, but we'll just leave it at that.
We started the year off right - with family, friends and each other. I'm hoping for great things to happen in 2012.
*Deer Lease
We spent a weekend in January at the deer lease. But, it wasn't just a typical hunting weekend. We brought my dad, Clayson and Trey along with us. They are all avid deer hunters, but never with me. It was my first time ever to hunt with my boys so I was excited about the adventure. (Truly, this is a blog in and of itself that has been started on paper but never transferred to this blog site. Hopefully soon with the pictures included.) It was a fun-filled weekend- full of memories, but no deer. (Clayson blames his missed opportunity on me for being "too loud". Um, if me turning my head is loud - this is not the "sport" for me. I can't sit THAT still or be THAT quiet.) We left for this trip on Friday afternoon and came home on Sunday evening with two trucks loaded down (with kids and supplies), bags full of laundry (not sure how when most of them chose to wear the same clothes for three days), all dirty and exhausted. It was one of those trips that we will never forget.
*Baseball
It's "unofficially" baseball season. All it took was the association meting to get Joey swinging on his coaching plans for the upcoming season. Due to numbers, he combined kids from three of our local teams to create his team for the year, three of the players are our own. Life is gonna be so much easier having Clayson, Trey and Matt on the same team. One practice schedule and one game schedule. One is way better than three. The calendar won't be near as colorful this spring. (We will be busy when it comes to my photography business - picking up teams from the three leagues from t-ball up to 14 years old. Joey says that he will help me. I wonder if he can edit...)
So, it's been busy. Seems like Christmas was ages ago. We move from one thing to another and there is NEVER a dull moment :)
Friday, December 23, 2011
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas! We hope this letter finds you enjoying the season and making memories with family and friends.
For us, this has been a big year. We've made big changes. We've carried out big plans. We've taken big vacations. (In our "bunch" there are six kids ranging from 8 years to 19 years old. So, when there are 7-10 people in your group at all times, nothing is ever small.)
Around the first of November, Joey and I made a life changing decision, one that was discussed and thoroughly thought out as to what would be best for us and the many young lives involved. We decided to merge my household into his. So, the entire month of November was spent rearragnging, reorganizing, replacing, redistributing, repainting and rethinking. His house became a six bedroom home overnight. (Well, not overnight, but in a hurry.) It's nice to be settled in a place where we can all enjoy being together all of the time.
After all of the craziness in November, we are truly enjoying December. It's been fun creating new traditions: the decorating, the shopping, the wrapping and the excitement, all under one roof. Most of the time we have a full house and those are the days and nights that we enjoy most.
The Earth may have just four seasons but our seasons included: karate, basketball, baseball/softball, summer vacation, football season and deer season. And seven months out of the year we celebrate birthdays. There 's always something to look forward to and events to plan.
Between the kids' sports, various activities, (and birthdays), we still managed to find time to get away with all of the kids. We set up camp twice. On Spring Break we spent a few nights in Glen Rose with friends. Here we enjoyed Big Rock Park across the street from our campsite, a one mile trek down the river and through the mud; Dinosaur Valley State Park where we thought we lost a kid and some truck keys in the river, took a four hour hike on the trails (only getting lost and for a very long time); and lost sleep the last night thanks to an all night long fiesta going on in another tent area. Our second camping trip was at Lake Whitney with just us and the five kids. We took the boat on this tip so we enjoyed time in the water - cliff jumping, swimming and a late night fishing trip. (We did lose a couple of kids on this trip when they thought their route back to camp was shorter. No worries, they eventually showed back up.) The late night fishing trip became even later when we realized that I had left the truck keys back in the tent and we couldn't load the boat on the trailer without them. All of the kids slept on the boat (except the one that got sick) while Joey made the long hike to camp and back. (Not sure what it is about kids, keys and camping.) Nevertheless, both trips were fun and broke me in to the "great outdoors" a little more. Our big "family" summer vacation was a trip to Panama City, Florida in a rental van. The bunch went coastal. It was a great time there spent with the kids and friends - on the beach, snorkeling, riding the waves, dodging the seaweed, multiple trips to the grocery store and souvenir shops, riding the go-carts and sending the boys crabbing with the kids at night. It was definitely an exciting and memorable trip from start to finish.
And then there were several mini-getaways that Joey and I enjoyed throughout the year. We made a day trip to Galveston, enjoying dessert on the beach. (It was a work trip for him, a road trip for me.) We spent a weekend going to San Angelo to pick up a boat and spent the night near the deer lease. We took a quick trip to San Antonio for a couple of days to unwind before the new school year started - walking along the Riverwalk, remembering the Alamo, taking a haunted tour through the wax museum and stopping in Gruene to enjoy the river and shops on our way home. Our big vacation was four days in Cozumel. We enjoyed the beauty, the beach, the buffets, the market shops, and touring the island in our rental jeep; the security guards coming in during the middle of the night and the rain - not so much. Our past year and a half together has been amazing and we have found complete happiness. We made the most of our time together and our time with the kids all year long.
As life is rolling along, we have definitely learned to go with the flow, take things one day at a time and to live each day to the fullest. We know that above everything else, time spent together is time well spent. May you find time together this Christmas season and all throughout the year. Make big plans and create big dreams with those you love most.
With love from our bunch to yours,
Joey and Stephanie
Thursday, December 22, 2011
a date to remember








