There's No Place Like Home

(I don't know how to make this blog line up and look nice. Sorry.)

And Home Is Where Your Heart Is...My dad is going to Iraq for a year. A retired firefighter (he was a fireman for 23 years), he has decided to fire up his career again. He'll be fighting fires on our military bases. I haven't been back to Texas for quite some time; with work and school it hasn't been an option. However, when Mom emailed me, "Dad is leaving for Iraq on the 11th," I immediately bought a plane ticket out to their small little hicktown to spend some time with my family.


Brad and Jamee picked me up from the airport. I got to see their super super cute house and Jamee's new little furball dog. His name is Teddy Ruxpin but everyone calls him something different. I think Mom's name for him is most fitting: Furby. I'm not a dog lover (nor am I a hater), but this is one stinkin' cute little furball.

I also got to play with Brad's horse-of-a-dog, Baghera. I can't help but like that big dog either. She's just so HUGE and fun to play with. Some Things Never Change...

Growing up my family had family prayer every night. No exceptions. Almost every night played out the same way. It seemed there was ALWAYS a wrestling match either before or after the prayer. If it was before, it always took about fifteen minutes to actually get to the prayer and Mom would be getting frustrated with Dad because he "was keeping the kids up past their bedtime." So although every one is except Trevor has moved out, it still takes fifteen minutes to get prayer started. This time it wasn't a wrestling match, rather it was a pushup contest. I won! (Not really, but I didn't really try, I could have kicked some MAJOR Whitehead butt!)

RYLAN~KYLER~LANEY

I can't believe how big they are getting! Rylan is seven and no longer my baby nephew. He already comes up to my shoulder (I know, I know-not a hard thing to achieve). He probably thinks I'm such a dork because I still talk to him like he's four. I just can't get it through my head that my first nephew is all grown up.

Kyler has turned into the funniest little kid I know. The things that randomly come out of that kids mouth crack me up. For example, at one point I was asking my mom, "Where am I going?" Then Ky's little voice chimes in, "Mental." I looked at him and this adorable giggle erupts from his mouth. He totally knew he was making fun of me! He's FIVE! He's already to much like his dad and uncles.

Then there is Laneybug! She's no longer a little chumpalump! She's tall and thin and talks like crazy! Mom and Nikki do exercise videos after they run in the mornings and Laney will get right in there and exercise with them. She's actually pretty coordinated for a four-year old. And she's still such a little cuddlebug. She, by far, gave me the biggest and best hug of everyone when I went home.

My First Haircut...
Mom has always been the family barber. This time she taught me! I cut Kyler's hair first. His was a real haircut, complete with buzzers, scissors and a comb. Rylan's was just a buzz cutt, so he helped me with that one.

And Then There Is My Littlest Bro, Trevy...
He's not so little anymore... and he's so cute in his own little frumpy way. Poor kid is the only one left at home... but he's still a handful.