James Family Takes On Telluride

Right at the end of Cotton harvest Tyler was beat. He claims with farming there is a busy season and then he gets vacation. The truth of the matter is that the busy season is...... well, all year. It starts with planing (on my birthday, April 19th), then into watering season, then harvest starts full swing in August or early September. They don't finish until all the cotton is out of the ground which is sometime in December. Needless to say, our falls are CRAZY! It starts in October with our anniversary and then the ball just keeps rolling.

As they were finishing up harvest, Tyler and I decided that we wanted to get the heck out of dodge, and I really wanted to go to the mountains. Living in the flatlands, you forget what scenery looks like. We knew a couple of things. First, we knew we wanted to spend time as just our family of 4. Second, we knew we wanted to leave either on Christmas day, or the day after. And last but not least the mountains were a must. I stressed a little about going to a snow ridden location with a, just turned, four year old, and a fast approaching one year old. BUT, with the criteria we had created for ourselves, Tyler knew just the place.

Tyler grew up with some of the coolest brothers ever. The Taylor brothers. These guys are the most free spirited, talented, and intelligent men you will ever meet. They experience some of the coolest travel adventures, have the neatest paid jobs, and are the most caring and loving dudes ever. Carson the middle brother lives with his AMAZING wife Hilary and their son Vaughn in Telluride. TELLURIDE COLORADO! Let me just say, we fell IN LOVE with Telluride when they hitched in September of 2012. It is the most beautiful place you will ever experience. I can't tell you which is more beautiful about Telluride, the scenery or the people. Telluride is home of some of the most wealthy people in the world, yet there everybody is nobody. You could ride the gondola from town up to the Village, and be sitting next to a billionaire yet, they are the most caring and kind and unpretentious people you will every meet. Everyone is welcoming and loving. It. is. beautiful.

Earlier I mentioned I was a little weary about a cold vacation with small children, but the more I thought about it, that was ridiculous. People live in cold climates and have small children, I just needed to purchase and pack the correct essentials. Well, guess what came in handy? AMAZON PRIME! If you don't have an Amazon Prime membership, bite the bullet and get it TODAY! Seriously, don't walk, run to the computer and sign up. I didn't have Sloane a ski suit. Check, got one on Amazon for $60, Columbia full suit (looks like it is more expensive now then when I purchased it. Still a great deal!), free shipping, had it 2 days later. Boots? What the heck do you put on small peoples feet that is uber warm? Baby Boggs! Do I have accessibility to those in Plainview, or Lubbock, or even Amarillo? NOPE! Amazon Prime nailed it again. They were as cheap as Ebay, and they were new, free 2 day shipping. The list goes on, I can't say enough great things about Amazon Prime. I want to kiss the face of the team that pulled that one off.

San Miguel River, Telluride Colorado

Sloane in her Ski Suit

Sloane and I! My favorite Big Sister.

So, back to our trip. Tyler called Carson, who was able to pull a hailmary and find us a great place to stay. We stayed at Mountainside Inn Telluride. The room was perfect, both in accommodations, and location. The room had a queen bed, a twin bed, room for the pack and play, a kitchenette, and a bathroom with stand up shower and separate toilet. Its location was a quick 5-8 minute walk to the gondola, Clark's grocery, and main street. We took all our food, and purchased sleds the day we arrived to pull our little ones around in. Sloane was obsessed, and Sterlee was amused for bits at a time and then the Ergo came in super handy. It was a PERFECT trip!

My baby wearing Daddy! The best dad ever! 

My handsome man. He is even cuter when he is baby wearing!

With everything in walking distance we were able to experience so much while keeping the girls on their "schedule" and everyone happy. We took them sledding at Firecracker Hill on the edge of town, Tyler went to the Telluride Historical museum (which he is obsessed with), Sloane participated in her first every ski school, and we went ice skating in Mountain Village. Our goal was to drink coffee and watch the girls play in the snow, and we accomplished so much more than that. It was fantastic to get away and enjoy time with each other.

Sterlee (left) Sloane (right) in their mode of transportation....sleds!

My instantly professional ice skater and I! Mountain Village, Colorado

Sloane ready for Ski School!

As our trip came to the end it was Sterlee's 1st Birthday. There will be another blog post about that little shindig and how I will have to work a little harder being prepared with a "Christmas time" birthday. I had a shirt made for the girls before we left knowing that we would be celebrating in Telluride by my friend Taylor Walters owner of White Picket Romance. They were so cute! And I ordered her a beautiful and delicious cake from The Butcher & Baker in Telluride when we arrived. It was a perfect celebration with the Taylor's concluding our trip.

Sterlee Mae "I'm Onederful" shirt by White Picket Romance

Delicious chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting
by The Butcher & Baker

Best family picture we could get!

Thank you Carson, Hilary and Vaughn for the fun times, and being beautiful hostesses!

Tyler, Terra, Sloane & Sterlee

Where has the time gone? Jeeze.... we may not be good at this.

Where has the time gone? I guess that is life, it flies by. Everyone is a year older and hopefully wiser..... hopefully is the key word.

Here is a wrap up of the last year for the James Family:

Tyler finished his first year of farming. WE DID IT! It was exciting, stressful, and educational. Sloane has learned that she loves the crops and the dirt. It is fun watching her run free and wild when we go out to visit Tyler and the crew. Terra finished up her year teaching at Plainview High School as the Fashion Design, Interior Design and Cheerleading coach. At the end of the year we found out Sloane was going to be a big sister and Tyler and I decided that we could cut back in some areas so that I could stay home with the two girls. Tyler Planted his new crops, we were blessed with moisture, lost some crops, replanted and now we are in full swing of finishing up harvest for 2014. Sloane celebrated her 3rd Birthday in style with a Sheriff Callie party encompassing of Pony Rides and all. It was a huge success. Now to wait eagerly for Thanksgiving so I can put up my Christmas decorations. Here are some photo flash backs of 2013-14 for the James Family.

Heacock Family Christmas-2013 Johnson City Christmas Lights

Easter 2014

Sloane hanging out with her Great Grandpa PawPaw and El (Jack Heacock)

Sloane had and announcement-Big Sister Jan 2015

Fearless Sloane trying to feed one of Daddy Bill's Calves

Playing in the water at Hickory Pass Ranch

Father's Day 2014-Sloane Caught her fish with Daddy Bill.

Then she Bill Dance'd the fish by kissing it.

Praise the Lord for Rain. We love the mud.

This sweet face melts us.

After we shut off a pivot. Love this sweet thing, and she loves her daddy.

Gender Reveal..... It's a GIRL. Sterlee Mae coming January 2015

Photos in the Sunflowers A MUST!

First Day of Mother's Day out 2014 at First Baptist Church Plainview.

Halloween 2014-Meet Molly from Bubble Guppies.

Halloween 2014-Sloane and her Best Friend James or should I say Curious George. It was epic to go trick or treating in a battery powered vehicle. 

Here we are Happy 3rd Birthday Sloane! Sheriff Callie Style. Cake and cupcakes by Kimberly's Cakes in Amarillo Texas. IT WAS AMAZING!

Ponies in the backyard...... YES it happened.

She was so excited and now wants one of her own.

Sloane and her life long friend Bailee.

The Sheriff and her Deputies.

James Family 2014-I love this man. Credits to Alex Blair Photography. She is now in Georgia so check her out. She travels!!!
http://alexblairphotography.zenfolio.com/

Soon we will be a family of 4.

In the last year I feel like I (Terra) have become a tad bit wiser with time and age. I learned that while I love a challenge and want to work hard to prove to myself that I am a successful young adult and the ability to contribute to my family isn't worth the time that I sacrificed away as a mother to Sloane. I am excited to start my adventure as a stay at home mom of 2, and a farmers wife. Neither are easy, but those titles are real jobs in our house.

Peace out!
Terra

Introducing Terra & Tyler James and Family

Howdy!

Here is a little bit about my wild family. Tyler and I met in College at Texas A&M University, got married, lived in San Antonio Texas, moved to Amarillo Texas and found out we were going to be a +1 family. When we lived in Amarillo Tyler worked for a truck sales company and I was a Culinary Arts Teacher at Caprock High School. In November of 2011 we welcomed Sloane JoeLee (Joe-Tyler's Grandpa, and Dorothy Lee my grandmother) James into the world and our family. In January of 2013 our family made a commitment to make lifestyle change and move to Plainview Texas where Tyler grew up to embark on the adventure of becoming a farming family. Both sides of Tyler's family farm, and he knew that this was the type of up brining he wanted our growing family to have. I accepted a teaching position at the one and only high school in town (where Tyler graduated from and was his student body/class president) teaching Interior Design, Fashion Design and Human Services all the while also wrangling the Cheerleaders. We bought an amazing home and are enjoying the community.

To this day I am not sure what Tyler thought he was getting his self into when he asked me to marry him, but he sure does bring a fun and humorous addition to our cousins friendship. Tyler is a farmer thru and thru, wears your jeans, gets dirty, cowboy hat, boots, and cowboy vest but he loves to listen to rap, and old country and Frank Sinatra. He is a very caring and loving human and sweet husband. You will see a lot of his music videos and comical advise/phrases throughout this blog. He keeps The Heacock Clan on our toes.

Sloane, sweet, sweet, Sloane. We are so smitten by this sweet girl. She is a pistol and full of independence and at the age of 22 months she thinks she is 22 years old. She request to drive to see "her cows", or tells us to "get up", and "come on". We are at her beckon call. We love every minute of being a family and being parents!

I will leave you with Tyler's latest music video!

 

I love this man, he definitely keeps my life interesting.

The people you can call family!

When you grow up and play or hang out with your family you never realize how wild and crazy your future will be or where it will take you. The Heacock Clan is by far the most bonded group of cousins you could imagine. We are strange, unique, weird, loving, fun, energetic, but we love our family. This blog is to document our cousins bond and life experience so those of you that wish can follow us and our daily adventures or for our future family members that can look back and realize what kind of eccentric family they are entering by choice or fate. We felt there was a need to document our daily humorous experience and some of our conversations that make us laugh at times so hard we might accidentally have wet our pants. This blog is a family blog so there will be updates from numerous family members. I want to tell you who we are. Pretty much we have every aspect of the occupation spectrum covered. Within this group we have a farmer want to be vocal artist (lip singer, performer) , Engineer, Stay at home mom, Artist, fortune 500 cubical professional, Teacher, Student, mother, father, friend, care giver, and seamstress and cook. Our parents, are business owners, A Beer man, managers, nurses, rancher and business professionals. Here is a break down!

Cousins-Jonathan (31), Terra (me)(28), Hattie (25) and Blake (24) (for this blog update purposes, there are more of us, Wesley, Ben, Jack, Kathryn, David Bruce).



Jonathan-Father of son Logan and married to Meryl. Jonathan is an Engineer and Meryl is a stay at home mom but also a radiologist.  Graduate of St. Edwards University and enrolled in a MBA program at the University of Texas at Austin. They live in Austin Texas close to a majority of our family. Jonathan has a brother named David Bruce who is also our cousin and you will hear mentioned in our blog. Their dad is David the oldest of the Jack Heacock children.




Meryl and Logan at the Austin Rodeo

Jonathan and Logan


















Terra-Mother to Sloane and married to Tyler. Both Terra and Tyler are graduates of Texas A&M University in College Station. Terra is a high school teacher and Tyler is a new Farmer. They live in Plainview Texas, at the other end of Texas from our family. Terra has a sister, Blake and their dad is Bill the youngest boy of the Jack Heacock children.

Blake, Terra & Sloane at their house in Amarillo

Tyler, Terra & Sloane on their First Tractor Ride as a Family on the New Farm in Plainview Texas.
 

Hattie-Recent graduate from University of North Texas in Denton Texas and Graduate student at the Art Institute in Philadelphia. Moving as we speak. She is an artist and amazing at that. She has a serious boyfriend and possibly very close addition to the Heacock Clan. Hattie has 2 brothers that are both younger, Ben (21), Jack (19). Hattie's mom Shari is the oldest female of the Jack Heacock children.

 
 



Blake-Fortune 500 company cubical professional, graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station and resides in Marble Falls, Texas. Blake likes shoes, hunting, fishing, dancing and Fighting Texas Aggie Football. Blake is Terra's little sister and aunt to Sloane.

                                                  Our crazy family, the Heacock Clan!

From left to right: Tyler, Terra, Sloane, Shannon, Robert, David Bruce, El, Jack (PawPaw), Ben, Hattie, Donna, Blake, Jonathan, Meryl, ?, ?, Bill, Wilson, Jack, Wesley, Hope, ?, ?, Kathryn, Dorothy (Dottie), Monty, Derry, Bart, Shari.

Family tree:
Grandparents-
Jack & Eleanor Heacock
Dorothy Butler

Jack and Dorothy had 4 children:
David, Shari, Bill and Derryan

David Heacock and Jan Woolsey had 2 children:
David Bruce and Jonathan Heacock

Shari & Bart Sloane had 3 children:
Hattie, Ben, Jack

Bill & Donna Heacock had 2 children:
Terra & Blake

Derryan & Monty Magill had 3 children:
Wesley, Audrey and Kathryn

 

 

Be prepared for a wild ride, laughter, crudeness, and interesting yet mind-blowing documentation of our family!

Enjoy!