MaMaw & PaPaw's Birthday Celebrations

Our "Usual" Christmas/Mother-in-law birthday party includes going to Silver Dollar City to see the lights on the last Sunday before Christmas. My mom and I usually host a quiche, salad, and soup lunch for Karen's special day after church then head to the city. 

However due to Will's upper respiratory infection and several schedule conflicts we hosted her birthday and my father-in-laws very belated birthday on Tuesday Dec 20th.  I can't remember the reason know but my sister, brother-in-law, Elliott and Jerrytt were unable to come. This was sad for all of us because we were also going to make our annual gingerbread houses.  But like I tell Zachary all the time....plans change and we can't get upset. We have to go with the flow. 

Kevin's Aunt Judy (Karen's sister) sent Will this Santa Claus suit the week before Christmas.  Because he was so under the weather he really did not get to wear it very much so I made sure he had it on for MaMaw's birthday.

 Instead of a birthday cake I made Pumpkin Crunch Cake from my sweet friend Lori Naylor.  It was a hit! 

 Kevin with his Mama!  Can you tell he had just got home from work?

 Here's Z with his final creation.

I felt bad the night was thrown together and so last minute but at least we got to celebrate, make our houses, and have a night with our family. Happy Birthday Karen & Marvin!

Memorial Day Weekend

On Sunday of our Memorial Day weekend we all went out to my in-laws house for dinner and family time.  It was so nice to be able to sit down together as a family and eat dinner together.  When we arrived we quickly realized that Zachary & Jerrytt had the same outfit on. Z thought it was the coolest thing ever!

 After a yummy dinner we headed down to my in-laws neighbor (Mr. John) pond to fish for catfish.  I loved this pic of the boys with their poles walking together. If you could only hear the gabbering that was coming out of their mouths. They were discussing who was going to catch the first fish.

 Here are the fisherman getting ready to get started. I've said this before but they truly are best buddies and they really enjoy their time together.

 Z showing you his worm

 Kevin caught the first fish which Z reeled in.  This is the best picture I got because as soon as Kevin took it off the line he tossed it back in.  I couldn't even get a pic fast enough.

 Here's pops with his catch....a twig

 Z, Pops, & Pawpa (in background) fishing together.

 Here's Uncle Matt's catch with the boys

 I love this one....it was time to go back for dessert.  Z started crying and throwing a huge fit.  ***Disclaimer:  Zachary has gone at least a year or so without having a huge meltdown. Just this week we have had 2-3 major crying melt downs.  Not sure if it is just a stage, if it is the fact that Baby Brother is to be arriving in 14 weeks, our summer schedule or what?  Kevin and I are praying that it only last a week or so.  Pray for us :)
Zachary was upset because he techincally did not catch a fish.  I was trying to get a group shot and this is how it went.

 Finally one with everyone but Z having a good time.

We had a great night...minus the mosquitoes, runny noses, and itchy eyes.  Happy Memorial Day!

The Perfect Day!

Last weekend Kevin, Zachary, and I decided to take a day road trip to Arkansas. One of Kevin's friends from Iowa has an practice in Fayetteville, Arkansas and we had not seen him in over 5 years so we decided to hop in the car and drive to see Jesse. It was a perfect excuse to spend time together and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Zachary was PERFECT! He was so excited to go on a trip with his parents that he barely made a peep in the car. Once we arrived to the University of Arkansas he was thrilled. He kept calling the pigs....as Razorback fans call it. We visited the stadium, Hog Heaven (aka the bookstore), had lunch at Hugos (a local underground sandwich joint), visited Dr. Gray's office, stopped at two adorable stores for me, had Sonic slushes, and then headed home. The weather was BEE-U-TI-FUL!

Zach by the Razorbacks!
Daddy and Zachary by the football stadium
Zachary and Mommy....Zachary wanted a picture of the "pig" on the field.
SOOOOie!


I had to take a pic of our dessert at Hugos...It was called the Grasshopper. It was mint chip ice cream in crepes covered in chocolate sauce. All three of us LOVED it!

Zachary playing video games at Jesse's office, while Kevin and Jesse shared practicing tips.


On our way home we stopped in at Roaring River (a trout park) for Kevin and Zachary to fish. Kevin brought Zachary's fishing pole (minus a hook) and he purchased two day fishing passes. Zachary thought he was big stuff but could not figure out why the fish were not biting :). I often sing the christian song, "I want to be just like you" when Zachary follows right behind Kevin's shadow. This time at the trout park was priceless because Zachary wanted to do everything that his daddy did. Kevin was so patient with him. It brings a smile to my heart when Kevin shares his passions with Zachary. I think these pics are priceless!

* Please note, Kevin usually does not fish in his khaki's but he forgot his tennis shoes so he did not change his clothes.

Feeding the fish!

This was the ending to a PERFECT day!

Saying Goodbye to Aunt Sharon

Last Wednesday my parents, my sister, my nephew, Zachary, and I went drove to my Aunt Sharon and Uncle Charlies house. Our trip to see Aunt Sharon was bitter/sweet because we were going up there to take her to lunch for her birthday and to say goodbye to her. She is moving to Ill. to be closer to her sons, daughter-in-laws, and grandkids. As most of you know, my Aunt Sharon has been through the worst year of her life. My Uncle Charlie passed away May 2008 in Canada during a fishing trip. This past year she has taken care of their house, sold Uncle Charlie's vet clinic, worked, retired, sold her house, and purchased a new home. She has been a trooper and I am so proud of her. I would do anything to make Aunt Sharon happy. She deserves it. My prayer for her is that she will find peace and happiness. I am sure being closer to her family will help. We all miss Uncle Charlie, I don't think that will ever change.

Here are our photos from our visit with her.

Zachary taking a ride on Uncle Charlie's lawn mower
Aunt Sharon with Zachary and Elliott

Aunt Sharon with her nieces and great-nephews

Dad and Aunt Sharon on the front porch

Dad and the two Sharon's

Water Logged at Silver Dollar City

Knowing that Zachary was going to be out of commission for a few days after the ear tube surgery I decided I wanted for him to have a "special" day. When I was a kid, my mom would take me or my sister on a "special" day. On this day the child would have the entire day to themselves with thier mom. The child picked what to do, where to eat, and often times got a special toy. When Rachel and I were kids the toy was often selected for the other one who was at home. Mind you the child that stayed at home usually went to Ruey's and that person had a special day as well. So it was a win win for both children. Anyways, back to Monday. Zachary has been talking about the train at Silver Dollar City so I thought it would be perfect to head there. We invited Grammy to come with us being that she is on summer break and we want to maximize our time with Grams before school starts.

So we went to SDC. Z was thrilled. We rode the train, Lost River of the Ozarks, saw Veggie Tales, and ate at the Pizza Buffet. We were headed to the little kids rides when it started to sprinkle. Mom and I thought the storm would pass so we stuck around. Z rode the ladybugs and then BOOM! The storm hit hard. The rides were shut down. EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE started heading out of the park. For those of you who have been to SDC know that there are only so many trams and buses to take you back to your cars. So we waited and waited in the pouring rain for a shuttle. Once we got on a tram we were in the fron seat of it. Not too big of a deal except when the driver started driving the HEAVY RAIN pelted us in the face. WE were soaked. Zach thought it was a big adventure. Mom was cracking up and I was freezing. It was a memory that I will remember forever. It was hilarious. Needless to say we drove home with the heat on. Z had a change of clothes and blanket so he was happy. It was a fun, wet special day.

SOAKED...Zoom in and see the water dripping off my arms and face

Again zoom in for a good laugh. My mom has water dripping from her face and glasses. There was not a dry spot on her.

Two Boys and their Rue Rue

A couple weeks ago we got to celebrate my cousin, Lucas' college graduation. We had a wonderful dinner and had some great time together as a family. Zachary and Elliott spent most of the evening admiring "Rue Rue". My "grandmother" Ruey recently had a full knee replacement, but you would not know it by looking. She is still as spunky as before. The entire family has been so impressed with her recovery. Ruey calls Elliott and Zachary the "Greats" because they are "great-grandchildren". I think that is sweet. Both of the boys can't get enough of Ruey and Freddy. They love them and talk about them all the time. Cousins and Best Friends

Congrats Lucas! We are so proud of you. Here's a picture of Lucas heading out the door to med school....I mean to a graduation party. However he will be attending med school in the fall. CONGRATS!

Our first 5K!

About two weeks ago my mom asked me if I wanted to participate in a 5K with my dad, sister, and her. I was shocked. Then I learned that the elementary school that she works at, which happens to be the elementary school I attended was having a PTA fundraiser 5K run/walk. I said sure! Next thing you know, I am picking up registration packets, computerize microchips for our shoes, numbers for our shirts, and t-shirts for the big event. I immediately called my mom and said, "Mom, are you sure we are qualified to participate in this event?" I had no idea it was such a serious event. She reassured me that it was not a big deal and that we were supposed to be the "sweepers" of the 5K. Since she is the school nurse she had to stay at the back of the pack to watch for injured runners/walkers. Well, this morning was the BIG DAY. Unfortunately, my sis twisted her knee this week so she had to bow out. My dad and I started to get nervous when we arrived at the starting line because there were some SERIOUS runners/competitors out there. I felt like we were way out of our league. Here I was in my denim jacket while some of the other runners were in short shorts and tank tops. Have no fear we brought up the rear and had the best time. After we crossed the finish line we realized that there were over 330 registrants but probably 300ish competitors. I don't know what it was but it makes me want to do another 5K next weekend. I might have to do with the beautiful weather, the good company, or the fact that I am trying to become more active. I hope there are more 5K's for me in the future. It was so much fun!

At the finish line....look how proud Z is of his medal.
This is in the all-purpose room for the awards ceremony and door prizes. Z was in his own world cheering on the winners. I love this pic because you can see him checking out his medal.

He was so proud of himself!


This is Z cheering for the door prize winners.

Superbowl 2009

I am finally getting to post about the Superbowl. I am hoping to get the BLOG caught up this week.....so without further ado. We celebrated the Superbowl at my in-laws house. This was our 4th annual Superbowl at their house. To call it a tradition is an understatement. My family was super pumped that the Steelers were in the Superbowl because my mom is originally from Pennsylvania. My sister is probably the Steelers #1 fan. After stuffing our faces we celebrated their victory. E and Z were super good during the game. They are such good friends and cousins. We were all elated, (except a few Kurt Warner fans), that the Steelers won. Here are our highlights from the night.






This next section is kinda silly to post but this was a first for me to witness....EVER! Kevin was in the choir at church on Super Bowl Sunday. The Sunday of Superbowl is "official" Baptist Men's Day. So our church packs the choir loft with they guys. Since I always have my camera with me I shot a few photos of Kev in the choir loft to show my sister and family that he really sang in the choir. I knew they would not believe me if they did not have proof. To quote the bible....Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord. Way to Go Kevin!