Update

Just a few hours ago Zach called me and told me something that has been making me think a lot. He was flying this morning and they flew over a house that was number 1 on our list to buy. I flew down to Mississippi this summer to look at this house. We really liked it, it had everything we wanted, but it seems like at the last minute they raised the price out of our price range. We were really sad and tried to get things so we could buy it, but nothing seemed to work out right. We decided that we should just move on and we found this one that we bought. Well, Zach told me that while he was flying we looked for the home we did not get and it was gone!! The tornado had come through right where it was and destroyed that home. He said it is completely gone!! I was sick to my stomach thinking about that could have been our home. I know that there have been many times in our lives that Zach and I have had something happen that was not what we wanted and it turned out better then we thought. I KNOW that when you are doing the things you need to and are listening, you will be guided in the right direction. We are so thankful that we found this home, and that our family is safe. We are so thankful for the knowledge that we have and that our Father in Heaven is looking out for our family. We will no longer take our family, friends, and the gospel for granted. We love you all!!!!!

We're Alive!!!!

Just yesterday I was thinking that I didn't have anything to add to our blog. Well, I do now. At about 1:30 p.m. this afternoon Zach called me from work and told me he was glad that he got off base and that he was on his way home. I didn't know what he was talking about and he told me to turn on the weather channel. I turned it on and guess what? Caledonia Mississippi had made the weather channel for a life threatening tornado coming our way. I thought it was just going to be another bad storm. I will be watching that channel a little more closely now. I called my mom and told her that I loved her if anything happened (just a call to let her know what was going on) well the power went out right then and I am sure my mom about died. Sorry mom, I didn't mean to freak you out!! We gathered all of our flashlights and blankets and ran to our closet in our bedroom. The saying "the calm before the storm" is very true. I kept asking Zach if it was really going to hit. Well, the rain came in sheets and the wind came and my dumb husband would not stay in the closet and had to go "check it out." Just as he got to the window the wind had picked up our poor trampoline and threw it over our neighbors fence. No damage was done to the fence, but our trampoline did not fair as well. All legs were ripped off and it was bent almost in half. That was a sad sight to see. We had a lot of water in our backyard, but that was all that happened to us. We didn't really think it was that bad until we had people coming to our home to check on us and people calling to see if we made it though. The storm had hit only 1 mile north of our home and ripped homes completely apart with it's 170 mph winds (I'm serious) and unfortunatly made its way to the school campus. (The Elementary, Junior High and High School are in one location) It ripped it apart and threw school buses on top of the High School and destoyed the town of Caledonia. They said that about 2000 people were on the school campus, but not one person was hurt. They know how to survive these things down here. The scarey thing is that 2 homes that we were really interested in buying were both in the direct path of the tornado. We feel so lucky to have bought this home and that the only casualty was the trampoline. We still love the south and as scarey as this sounds, it was a fun day and it really makes you count your many blessings and we are actually looking forward to the next big storm. You don't know what a storm is until you have lived through one in the south.

Our poor trampoline after we brought it back to our yard in pieces
You can't really see, but this is some of the water in our yard

This is a bad picture, but I felt bad taking a picture of someones home after it had been destroyed. This was only 1 mile from ours

Another one only 1 mile away. There was a tree that looked like it was 50 years old and it was ripped out and thrown across the street

The gross water after the storm. Our boys had to bathe in this green water.

Welcome to the family!!

This blog is dedicated to my baby (because she is the baby of the family and just a big baby) sister Sonnie Rae. It is official!!! Sonnie is engaged. She got engaged last week to Mitch Humpherys. I think I spelled that right???? I have yet to meet him, and will only meet him when I go home to see them married. She assures me that he is a great guy. They are planning on getting married in the Logan Temple on March 1st. Congrats guys, and I can't wait to meet you Mitch.

Christmas Day

Wow, what a whirlwind of a day!! Jax woke up at 6:00 a.m. and Shade woke up around 6:30 and they started yelling at us to come and get them. Zach went in and hung out with them until 7:00 getting them all crazy and way to excited. I don't know how they stayed in bed that long. They came running out and were very excited to see everything. Shade ran around the house looking for Santa. He was a little sad Santa had to go home. They started opening everything and of course were looking for their Ben 10 Omnitrix watches. That is all they have been talking about for months. Well, Santa was very good to them and they got them and about 6 different Ben 10 action figures. They got all kinds of good stuff, learning systems, clothes, books, transformers, WWF wrestling belts, light sabers...I could go on a long time. By the time they had opened everything Aynslee decided to wake up. Her favorite gift was her My little pony that Zach got her. I was excited that she got a Popple(remember those?). The very best part of Christmas morning was when I acted like I was taking the trash out and came back in to show the boys what Santa could not fit in the house. They ran out to see what it was and about fell over. They got a John Deere Gator power wheels. They both jumped right in and took it for a spin. I love to see their faces so happy. We are truly a spoiled rotten family. We have been blessed so much. We had a great day hanging out and playing with all of our stuff. The boys ran the battery out on the Gator and Ayns loved to chew on Minty (the pony). Now, we are just trying to clean everything up and find a home for it all. It will take a while, but we had a great time making the mess. Thank you to all of our family for the great gifts and money. We really missed you all on Christmas day, but thought of you often. We love you all!!!

Sugar Cookies

Christmas is almost here and I had a sudden panic attack this morning when I realized that this will be the first year that I would not have my Grandma Leaks mouth watering sugar cookies. I have gone home every year for Christmas and have always had at least one (usually 20). I even made them to send to Zach last year while he was deployed. I didn't want him to miss out. Well, I hate to make sugar cookies. They take way to long and for some reason they never turn out right. I had to try this year. I have to brag a little, they were good. Not Grandma Leak good, but not bad for Rikki good. I also had to send a picture of the cookies because Courtney and Sonnie told me last year that I was the worst froster they had ever met. I thought these looked dang good!! Good enough to eat sisters!! We took a plate to Jacksons friend Gavin and his family. Then a couple of plates to our neighbors. We love Christmas time and love the opportunity to share. We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and I hope your mouths are watering for these Grandma Leak sugar cookies. They are the best. Frosting his cookie for Gavin (For those of you who saw our Christmas card, he has the same look on his face. Like why are you making me do this.)
Shades cookie got LOTS of frosting on his

Aynslee was such a good girl. She hung out in her bouncer the whole time

My wonderful frosting job

Not bad Courtney and Sonnie!!

Getting one of the plates ready

Here is our tree and stockings. We are quickly adding to our stocking collection

Our newest addition

Last week Zachs parents flew down here for a visit, and we had a great time. Whenever Zach and his dad get together they always seem to find a project to do. Since we are trying to get our yard landscaped they decided that we needed a flag pole in our front yard. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical at first when they told me they were going to put it together from scratch. They thought the one at Lowes was to crappy for our yard. Go figure. They went to Lowes and looked around for about an hour grabbing things here and there that they thought would make a great flag pole. A few black poles, the top of a bed post, some silver spray paint, and various other weird things, 37 pieces to be exact. Well, with as unsure about it as I was, it actually turned out very well. I have to give them both props for there vision and putting it together the way they thought it would go. It also gave them something to keep them busy. Good job guys. We are now the most patriotic home on Wolfe Road. God bless America. The infamous flag pole ( sorry it is dark, they worked all day)
Our Christmas lights.

Shade rockin' like a true southerner. We are thinking of changing his name to Bubba

Zach, Jax and Rich. Checking out our property. This is a weekly ride for the boys. They love it.

Oh Christmas Tree

We, unlike most of the United States have waited until December to start celebrating Christmas. Today we decided that it would be ok to get our tree. We drove to a little tree farm not that far from our home. When we got there, we were reminded that this is not the west and we are in Mississippi. Not prime christmas tree country. There were about 50 little trees that cost about double what they were worth. It was a lot of fun though. The kids loved looking at all the trees and fire ants around the trees. Shade is a fire ant magnet, he can trip into one anytime. Jax has an eye for calling them out and Shade will come running to see it and trip right on it. We love our boys. Anyway, back to the tree, we found a great tree and cut it down and they wrapped it up and tied it on our car for us. The past few years we have gone in the great Black Hills of South Dakota to find our tree, but this was just about as fun. It was cold, but a lot less cold and not as much wind as South Dakota, and no snow. Grandpa and Grandma Stewart are here for a week and they got to come with us. It was a great day. I will post pictures of the decorated tree later. Trying to decide if this was the one. It was not.
It took 3 strong boys to cut down this monster

What a scary picture. Jax and Shade with saws!!!

Jax, Shade, Zach, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aynslee

Same picture, just me instead of Zach

Our family and our tree 2007