water fun

Chelsey always says she isn't getting in the water, but Ellie always talks her into splashing around!

Ellie is still a little scared to ride the tube, but Mathew and Mikayla convinced her to get on with them. Of course, once she realized that they had a good hold on her and she wasn't going to fall off, she loved it!

Treven's a maniac on the water. He doesn't like to ride the tube much, but he gets out there and wants to fish and fish and fish! Some of our family want to tube, some want to swim, some want to fish, and then there is me...I just want to sit and relax and watch the kids have a good time!

The captain of the boat! Still as good lookin' as the day I met him!

More splashing and playing around shots. We have an old foam football on the boat, so we would throw it and they would have a swimming race to see who could get it first. Only problem was when they threw it back to me on the boat; it was so full of water I would get soaked!

Braquel's Bridal Shower

We did Braquel's bridal shower in a cupcake theme. I rented the Senior Citizen center since I didn't want to deal with bugs, lack of a kitchen, and the heat at the local park. Everything was black, white, and hot pink and polka dots. The tables were set with black tablecloths, white square plates, polka dot napkins, and black silverware. We used doilies in the center and the wrapped cupcakes and black, white, and hot pink polka dot confetti in the middles. We also served Shirley Temples for the pink drink.

I covered an old hot cocoa container with polka dot paper and a doily for a date night canister. I bought large popsicle sticks and we had the guests write date night ideas on them. On one side, we used a pink pen and wrote ideas for dates that cost nothing. On the other side, we used a black pen and wrote ideas for dates that did cost money.

We individually wrapped cupcakes (notice the polka dot cupcake liners!)for all of the guests. They took some time, but they were really cute and we could send some home with the guests without them getting too messy.

These were the party favors that we set by each plate. You can't really see the tag but it says something about it being sweet of the guest to come share her day with her. We filled them with Hershey kisses and raspberry bliss chocolate. Again, the black white and pink! I also made about twenty tissue paper pom pom flower things to hang all over. I didn't get any pictures of them, but they turned out awesome. There were all different sizes and I even found black polka dot tissue paper for some. We hung two or three at various lengths above each table so it kind of looked liked chandeliers.

Braquel got very spoiled! It was great of so many family members and friends to come and support her.

My niece, Mackenzee came down with her mom for the shower. Her and Ellie were so cute; they walked around holding hands and just grinning at each other. They play together so cute!

Some other fun things we did at the shower that I didn't get pictures of was a 20 question game about Braquel. It was fun to see who knew her the best; however, I have to say that Keven was asked the same questions and he would have beat everyone at the shower! He answered 17 out of 20 correctly! We also did a game with candy bars. I would say something like "the Honeymoon night" and guests had to answer it with a candy bar name. The answer to that one is "Skor". It was really fun and then I gave a basket with each of the candy bars in it to the winner. We also did tee-shirts for the bride, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, and the bridesmaids that all had titles written in rhinestones on them. We also made tulle tu-tus for the flower girls to wear. We had lots of fun planning the shower and I thought it turned out really cute!

Lake Cleveland

We went fishing with Victor and Michelle and their kids at the lake. Treven and Victor were the only two that actually caught a fish, but hey...fishing's not really about the fish. Right?

Chelsey rarely lets me take pictures of her, so to catch her in a camera ready mood was pretty amazing. I guess the mountain air is good for all of us!

It got kind of hot around the middle of the day, so the girls got in the water and splashed around. (Might be part of the reason we were basically fishless!)

One of my favorite things about the lake is the abundance of wildlife. There are usually chipmunks and birds and all kinds of fun things to watch. Today, we had a butterfly that kept flying right by us. It landed in Ellie's hair and she was fascinated to hold it and let it tickle her!

The girls thought is was hot, until they got into the freezing cold water! Didn't take long for them to cool off. Mikayla actually swam across the lake and back. I wasn't sure she was going to make it back, she got really worn out, but she was a trooper! Our friend, Scott, said he was a lifeguard and he could rescue her if she needed it. Made me feel better until I asked if he really was a lifeguard and he said NO!

I think I feel closer to God in nature than in church! It's so beautiful at the lake and so peaceful. It's always nice to have some quiet time to think and reflect on God's grace and all of my blessings.

Treven walked around the lake so he wouldn't snag all of our lines. It's fun to watch how serious he is about fishing and cars and boy stuff!

Apparently, Ellie has been listening to her dad because this is how big the fish she was going to catch is!

4th of July

I didn't get very many pictures of the 4th this year because I was on the 4th of July committee and all I did was run, run, run all day. There was literally no time for taking pictures! Because my husband has a really cool car, I was asked to drive our 90-something year old grand marshall in the parade. It was so hot and there was some sort of hold up for 10 minutes and I felt really bad she was out there in the sun. She was really fun to talk to and I was sad that she passed away just a few months later!

Gary got a few pictures of the parade and more importantly, Ellie picking up candy! She loves all of the candy they get here!

We didn't buy very many extra fireworks this year, but we did get a few for the kids to play with. Obviously, the poppers are always a big hit...unless they are aimed right at you!

Father's Day

On our way to spend Father's Day with Gary's family, he decided to stop and buy water balloons and squirt guns for the kids. Treven and Ian spent most of the afternoon filling them with water, but only a few minutes actually throwing them at each other. I think it was the first water balloon fight I've ever been close to and not gotten wet!

Gary's sister, Sheila cooked steaks for all of the dads. We all brought side dishes so there was definitely no lack of food!

Mikayla stole one of the comfortable chairs and took to relaxing. For the last several years, she hasn't had any Sundays off, so she took full advantage of this one!

Our nephew, Ian, preparing his water balloons! Sure wish Craig and Jackie and their kids lived closer. The kids love spending time together!

Grandpa and Grandma Jones have a wonderful tire swing and the little ones love to take turns swinging on it. The only hard part; finding someone willing to push it all day!

I brought Ellie's little pool out, too so they would have somewhere to get wet. Ellie and Mackenzee loved playing with the cups and water. Not sure either of them ever actually sat in the pool; mostly they just dumped water on themselves and giggled!

Braquel and Keven came out after she got off work. Not too many more family events before the big day!

Two of the fathers doing what they're suppose to do on Father's Day; relax! These are two of the best dads I know and I'm so grateful for them! They both love their children with all of their hearts and would do anything for them!

Wood Family Reunion 2012

The Woods always have their reunion at North Heglar. Last year, it rained and rained, but this year was really nice. Grandma and Grandpa took their four-wheelers and I brought Treven's little motorcycle up. The older kids were really good about giving the younger kids rides all afternoon! My two speed demons together was probably not a good idea! Amazing they stopped long enough for me to get a picture.

Great grandma and grandpa Wood. When my mom married Jeff, we inherited a new set of grandparents. And boy am I glad we did! They are both the most generous, loving people! Every time we see them, they are quick with their hugs and they are always genuinely interested in what the kids have been doing. They are certainly a blessing in our lives!

Love this shot! Jason was sitting in a chair and leaned back a bit too much! The whole back of the chair broke off and about scared him to death! So funny! Glad it was him and not me!

Ellie and Whitney loved playing in my mom's 5th wheel. They thought it was just hilarious to peek out the screen door. It sure kept them entertained when they weren't riding!

We made beef and chicken fajitas for dinner...OMGosh! Talk about delicious!

Check out Treven's hair! I guess it's a sign he was having too much fun! Or going too fast...or maybe both!

Treven tried giving Mikayla a ride, but I think they mostly walked the bike over!

Declo Softball 2012

Mikayla played softball for the Declo Hornets again this year and I am amazed at how awesome she played. I'm not just being the proud mother, either! She actually won several games by batting in the winning run. Several games, she hit EVERY time she batted. She was on fire!

The lady Hornets posing for a team picture after winning districts.

To help cheer Mikayla on and give her all of our support at state, we all decorated our car windows. They came in 4th at state, but we are so proud of how hard these girls fought. The teams that took 1st and 2nd were really good! It's hard to lose your first game and come back and take 4th! No easy thing!

Mikayla was trying to steal home here, but about halfway, she knew she wasn't going to make it! She slid anyway! Points for guts, sis!

One of the coaches, Krissy Darrington, passing out medals for winning districts.

At the "D" Club awards, Mikayla won Best Offensive Player for her excellent betting average this year! The coach said that somewhere in the 300 range is good, but Mikayla had a 612! She has decided not to play next year and it breaks my heart to see her give up a sport that she loves so much! However, I have her back and will support her in whatever decision she makes. Love you, Mikayla (aka #4)!