CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRAZY COX CLAN
Okay, here is my chance to do my annual Christmas card and brag about my family….
Jim was arrested last week for DWI and since this is his 3rd offense he will spend Christmas in county lock up.
Jonathan got sick and tired of getting up every morning and having to live within the confines of “school rules” so we let him drop out and will be getting a job in three years when he turns 16.
Ryan also dropped out of school and joined a rock band and his touring around with the fly by night fairs…you know the ones that set up on Friday and tear down on Sunday…Not getting paid much is really learning “life skills.”
Just kidding…Jim would NEVER drive under the influence….
Seriously, we have so much to be Thankful for….I have three wonderful boys, two hairy pets (no not Jonathan and Jim) and who ever Jim drags in off the streets with a story….
We FINALLY finished our house after 10 long months!!! I could have had a baby in that length of time…Many days while dealing with most of the criminals that worked in our home, I felt like I was in labor…..Oh, yes, how I miss those guys…the smell of smoke in my house, the yelling from the back room because they screwed something else up, and the many “down on your luck” stories we heard….I find comfort in Smith County Judicial Records where I can look each and everyone of them up, including our contractor…So, Jim and I took hammer and nails into our own hands and finished….
Jonathan is about to turn 13 and was kidnapped….oh…around three weeks ago and was replaced by a stinky GIRL CRAZY texting machine…I say to him quite often, what happened to my Jonathan and when is he coming back? It used to be all about me…now it’s all about texting……..girls….He is in the 7th grade at Brook Hill. He played football again this year. He made the Basketball team…I gotta tell you, I wasn’t real crazy about him trying out, but let him because all his friends were..none of them thought they would make it, including Joanthan..he has never played Basketball….He made the team….are you kidding me?!? He has to be at practice every morning at 7:30 am and…we live 30 minutes away!!! NOOOOOO. He made National Junior Honor Society this year. I don’t say that lightly. He worked very hard for that…..If you know Jonathan at all, you know at what costs that honor came….All in all he is GREAT, stinky, but great!! Jonathan has adopted a new word from his Spanish dictionary…Zapata…The problem is…he says it ALL THE TIME….when he is in trouble…”Zapata”. When you call his name, he says, “Zapata” Which means “shoe” in Spanish…Only in the life of a 7th grader….
Ryan….Oh my, what can I say about Ryan…oh sorry, SEXY Ryan….That is his name now. He is ALL about style…His hair has to be done just right…with lots and lots of product, and no longer do athelic shorts and T-shirt work…Oh no, that is for nerds..Yes, we are all nerds to him…..(such a 7th grade word).
He made All-Stars in baseball this summer…totally against his brothers wishes…We were not well received from the parents on Ryan’s team, because he screamed at the top of his lungs every time the OTHER team scored….As much as he was ready for it to end, Ryan’s team made it to the State Play-offs and WON!!! Oh Jonathan was happier than Ryan….When asked why, he said, NO MORE WATCHING HIM PLAY BALL…as if Ryan has NEVER watched you play football, baseball, basketball….etc…
Ryan will be graduating this year…from Elementary School…He will then be at Brook Hill with his older brother…Oh my, Not sure I am ready for that….
Jim is working so very much…and has gone back to school at night….7th grade at Brook Hill…..Yes, he is Jonathan’s teacher at night with the tons and tons of homework he has…Thank the Lord Jim was a math major with minor in Chemistry…Makes my job a lot easier…The saying are you smarter than a 5th grader….umm, no I’m not….Makes me wish I really would have listened to my parents when they told me in school, trust me, you will wish you studied harder!! What did they know….They were nerds…..
As for me….After 38 years, I am working. Jim made my dream come true and officially made me, a housewife of Smith County. Just kidding, I am flipping a house….It is a lot of fun. I love to watch the changes…We should have it ready to sell by Spring….
All in all we are truly blessed with a wonderful family, and great friends…If you are reading this, you are in this category, or you owe us money and we need it or you will be the next face on Judical Records!!!
Hope you all have a Blessed Christmas and remember Jesus is truly the reason for the season..especially when you don’t like the gift I got you…
See you all next year for the continuation of the Crazy Cox Clan Story…
We love you all very much,
Jim, Nessa, Jonathan, Ryan, Buddy, Kishka, and the homeless guy that lost his shopping cart last week in a drive by
ZAPATA!!!!

Christmas Shows

Well, to keep with tradition, I got the Christmas trees down along with the 3,000 boxes of decoration to go around the house and was ready to turn on the Christmas music and decorate with my boys eager to help..not....only I woke up and found myself all alone with the sound of a loud football game on T.V. okay, no Christmas music today...So, I thought I would go get my C.D.'s and put them on my Ipod..only, I packed the music away in the attic...WOW, I am not off to a good start....My trees didn't disappoint...as usual, half of the tree lights didn't work...Luckly, on our way home from Florida last year I bought several boxes of lights for 75% off....Put the tree up, fixed the lights, put the bizillion decorations on the tree to the tune of "first down".....I stood back and noticed my tree leans...A LOT!!! Now, to fix this, I would have to take the breakable decorations off...Orrr, just leave it...I love leaning....Makes people think something isn't right...But won't dare say anything...well, unless you are my sisters....

I worked all day and decided to watch a Christmas show....I just love these shows...It doesn't matter how bad everything is in the character's lives, around Christmas time everything works out...Tonight I decided to watch "Christmas Shoes" because Jim's son and whole family is in the musical in Lubbock and we are going...Now, why in the world would I ever even start this movie...I know how this ends...I even lived that show...But I guess I'm a little like the person that would drive up on an accident and someone says, "Don't Look" (and,of course, I do) soooo....I sat there and cried harder than I have in a long time....my boys and Jim cried...

The one thing that stuck out in that show was at the end where the son is at his Mother's grave and he is all grown up....All I could think is how was he changed the day his Mother died...because you are (and rarely, for the good)....I know my life would have been so different if Mother were still here with me....Mainly, I wouldn't have a leaning Christmas Tree..she would have helped me take everything off and fixed it...she was like that....I miss her so much....

I think this time of the year is and always will be so very hard. Because when you watch movies you know can't happen....a little part of you wishes that could happen to you....I guess that is why I liked Christmas Shoes so much....It didn't end up being a dream where everyone is happy and together...It deals with death...Real life situations....

My hope this Christmas season is that my boys and Jim and I really can slow down long enough to enjoy each other....not be so busy stressing over that one gift that will so be forgotten.....Because all too soon, our lives will be over and we will have to say goodbye....But will have many memories to help us smile through the hardest parts of missing each other....

May you have a Blessed Christmas and Happy Leaning Tree......