Tractors, Trucks, Trains, Lots of Love and Boy Things: Mix Mash!

Roy and I started dating at the first of summer. It’s been six months and we have slowly worked our kids into the picture as well. We all knew each other because of church, our bible study group and Divorce Care – so I think that made it an easy and safe in their eyes. Roy even asked Nolan if it would be okay for him to ask me out on a date. So he totally felt a part of the whole relationship from the start. All through the summer we would see Roy and his boys once every other weekend and then at church stuff occasionally. I worried at first how the boys would all do together. Four boys, all three years a part is a big span in ages! But it has gone remarkably smooth!

Ross and Reese are both more quiet and kinda reserved and Nolan and Hudson are hyper and loud – it’s a funny mix of personalities and family dynamics. Of course they are older and do older kid things but when the boys and I come over to the house they are so good about keeping it all “safe” (for lack of a better word) for all ages. Ross is such a good sport and honestly seems to enjoy when we plan kid stuff to do. It’s been so much fun – almost like all of us are dating each other! LOL. Nolan and Hudson really love spending time with Roy and the boys. They are of course the epitome of “cool” in their little minds. When we are all together, there is a lot of wrestling, video games and playing different sports. Nolan and Reese have the hardest spots in the mix. Reese is used to being the baby and where I can tell he totally likes playing the big brother role – it’s hard when you’re no longer the baby. For Nolan, he is used to being the big brother and telling Hud what to do and basically just running the show. When there are four kids in the mix – he is definitely not in that role anymore either and it’s been the cause of a few conflicts but nothing too crazy. Reese and Ross are really sweet and patient with my boys; I am so thankful for how well they all get along.

Once school started we started seeing Roy and the boys on Thursday nights for dinner since it was our only real free night without football practice and then a few times on each of my weekends. For the past month though, we have really started spending a lot more time all together. Football is over and the boys beg every night to hang out. It’s hard to find a balance. Of course it’s nice to all hang out – but it’s not like we can spend every night together. It’s turned into Nolan actually throwing fits on the nights we don’t see them. Ugh. I have tried to explain that we all have homework, errands and other responsibilities and it’s just not possible to always see each other. It’s becoming increasingly harder to keep our families separate. Just trying to keep it slow and let things happen naturally.

I know why my boys want to be them – it’s not just about Ross and Reese - it’s about their time with Roy too. Roy is so easy going and fun loving – just one of those people that you can’t help but instantly love. He loves kids and is such a kid at heart – I know the boys see this in him. He is happy and positive all the time (almost to a fault!) and together we just have this spark that I think all four of our boys see and are drawn to. We really all have so much fun together – even when something gets stressful we both handle it in the same kinds of ways and are able to resolve it quickly. I get a lot of one on one time with Reese and Ross when I don’t have the boys since they rarely go to their mom’s house. I love them and I am truly beginning to feel like a mother figure to them. They are great kids and I feel lucky to not only have an amazing boyfriend but amazing kiddos too. I could have never dreamed of all of this for myself – it is definitely God led in every sense. His boys also constantly ask when the boys will be back over. When we are all together it really does feel like a whole family. (maybe a crazy, loud and over the top family – but still a complete family) I think that it is something that all of them have missed for the past few years. Scott and I didn’t really do much as a family after March of last year and for Roy’s family it was six months before that. It’s been a long time coming and something we all really enjoy. I think we can appreciate family time in a different way than families that have never gone through divorce. Roy and I talked a lot about it in the beginning and we never wanted any of the boys to feel overwhelmed or rushed into this relationship but luckily that hasn’t even remotely been an issue.

Raeven and Roy Anthony are also amazing young adults. I know I will never have the same type of relationship with them as I will with the boys but I love the relationship I do have with them. They are funny and loving just like their dad and when they are home we spend the weekend cutting up and joking like old friends.

I haven’t written much about Roy or our relationship on this blog because for a while I wasn’t sure how to. This blog was created as a place to document Nolan and Hudson’s lives through my eyes. I just kept thinking of Roy and I’s relationship as “our” thing – not a kid thing. But now, especially in the last month or so though – that has shifted. This has become a much bigger part of their lives and hopefully a permanent part of their lives. As we make this shift, I want to write about it and share all of the fun we are having together. Below are a bunch of random pictures from the past few months - not in order and randomly mixed. Too much to blog about individually but still a slice of life I wanted to share!

Pics from a trip out to Catfish Plantation before Halloween - they had so much fun trying to snap a picture of a ghost.

Cheeseball day at Granny's house!

Tannie's Birthday at Louie Louie Piano Bar

Reese in his morph suit - though he was so funny!

Hudson with Hot Chocolate before one of Nolan's football games!

Four boys...Baskin Robins...Happy Campers!

Pics from Denton's birthday party!

Hudson with his Batman Gloves that he had to wear everywhere for a few weeks straight.

Nolan after church at Daddy Abuelos - best Mexican food ever!

Giant pumpkin we found at Kroger!

Nolan's sweet football picture - so big!

The boys at Roy's neighborhood park.

My first attempt ever at mum making for Ross' girlfriend Bailee!

Hudson throwing a fit because I would not let him wear socks and flip flops to Nolan's football practice.

My sweet babies with their babies.

Making s'mores in the fireplace at Roy's.

Morning coffee - they thought they were SO big.

Best buds!

Date night!

A few pics from our trip to Corpus - this is a "Sno-Ball" - something I had heard about for months and finally got to try. YUMMO!

The Great Turkey Take Away at church - such a neat and fun service project!

Our helpers for delivering the turkey dinners!

Roy and I's first attempt at a turkey for Thanksgiving - I bought this special dry brine to rub on the turkey the day before you cook it from William Sonoma. Roy got stuck with the lovely job of rubbing it down and putting in the brine bag - he sent me a pic over IM to show me it was done. Cracked me up! He said it was sooooo gross...glad he did the hard part - it came out perfect!

Thanksgiving morning at Starbucks!

My trunk on Black Friday - Mom and Becca's stuff was in here too!

Dinner at Pluckers - table for 8! LOL

My broken toe - ugh.

Nolan's end of season football party!

Morning date with Ryleigh and Christi!

Shopping day with Kimmie - best friends for 30 years!

Baking day over at Grandma's house - love this tradition!

Toe two week later - still bruised all on top of my foot but looking a lot better.

Nana's Birthday Dinner

Aunt B picks the boys up from school once a week and they are always into something fun when I get there to pick them up.

Our trees...love them!

Sweet Nolan before his first Spelling Bee - he did great! I was so proud that he was in the top 12 spellers of his grade! (he did NOT get that from me!)