Our July 4th weekend sure went out with a BANG!

Bricen and I went with my parents, grandparents and my great aunt to Boone on Thursday. My aunt, uncle and two cousins were already there. We got there for lunch on Thursday. Bricen took his nap and GeorgeAnna, Ellen and I went shopping. We got back later that afternoon. We had a great dinner for my grandparents 56th anniversary. We headed home on Friday morning. We had a great time!
We had supper at home on Friday the 4th and then Albert, Bricen, GeorgeAnna, Ellen and I went to Lake Wylie to see the fireworks. Albert was a fireman that night so we got a front row seat to the fireworks and it was great. We had a great time.
Saturday afternoon we went to PawPaw Neil's house (Amy's dad). Bricen is calling him PawPaw Neil now. We had a cookout and a waterslide for the kids. Bricen had a great time and he was wore out.
We woke up on Sunday morning and someone has stolen one of our 4-wheelers that we had chained up in our yard for sale. They have been there since the end of May and havent been touched and they took it out of our yard while we were sleeping. $6,800 gone and we will probably not see it again. Homeowners insurance won't cover it. If you want to learn a lesson from this check your policy and make sure it covers everything you need for it to. We are re-evaluating our policy and making changes and adding more insurance. We have a lot in our yard that isn't covered. If you want to know the truth insurance is crazy. It's ours and in our yard but won't cover it. We have been very upset and what upsets me the most we were home asleep.
Hope everyone had a great and safe 4th!

Blogging Anniversary!

I had my one year anniversary for blogging in June! I have blogged 93 times since last June. I love being able to blog about our family. I wish I could update it more often and I am making that a goal for the second year of blogging. Happy Blogging!

Our Family

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Bricen's Swim Lessons

Bricen has just finished his first swim lessons. He has done great and has learned a lot. We were really pleased with what he has learned. He was the youngest one in his class. The other 4 children had already taken swim lessons last year with Betsy. Today was parents day and we got to go in and watch. I have two videos that I am going to post. Bricen has not gotten on the diving board all week and he did today and he turned back and jumped off the side. Then with a little of daddys help he did it and we were so proud!

Happy Father's Day!

We have had a great Father's Day weekend! We went to Ebenezer Park in Rock Hill camping. We left Friday evening after work and headed right down the road to our destination. It was great not going far. We got there and set everything up. We camp in our enclosed trailer that we normally haul our 4-wheelers and Rhino in. Once we get where we are camping we roll the stuff out and we set up camp. It's a great set-up. We have heat and air and we have a lot of great stuff that makes camping great. (Cots, Microwave, Crock-pot, refridgerator, portable grill etc.)The only thing we don't have is a bathroom and I would love to have one of those so we don't have to use the bathhouse. Hopefully before long we will be able to upgrade and get a small toy camper or small RV that we can pull a trailer behind with our Rhino. I know you are thing whats the use in going camp if you have everything you have at home. Here it is..... FAMILY QUALITY TIME! I love it! We get to spend time together and relax all at the same time.
We went with some friends Derrick and April Gillespie and their two kids Champ and Chloe. The kids were great and for the most part we stayed around our campsite for the majority of the trip. Albert, Bricen and I had to go to a family reunion on Saturday for lunch so we left for a few hours.
There was a lot for the kids to do. Swim in the lake, they have a playground, we rode our Rhino and what they did the most you aren't going to believe. We took two monster trucks, 2 4-wheelers and 1 Ford truck with a trailer and they played with that the whole weekend along with some rocks and leaves. You would not believe how entertained they were. I think there was a conversation about how we needed to go home and clean out since they were so entertained with so little.
We had a very laid back relaxing weekend. Something about sitting around a campfire you get so relaxed.
We came home today and I got everything put up and we all took a shower in our nice clean bathroom and we all took a great nap. One of my favorite Sunday afternoon rituals.
I cooked Albert a nice Father's Day supper and we watched the movie RV. Bricen loved it. He thought it was as funny as Albert and I did. He is a great movie watcher. It doesn't have to be a cartoon for him to watch it.
As we were all on the couch Albert said, " I had a great Father's Day weekend spending time with my family away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life."

I will post pictures of the cute plate that Bricen made for Albert for Father's Day! He also got a refrigerator for the 4-wheeler trailer and a shirt that is smaller than all the rest of his shirts. He lost a lot of weight and he hasn't gone shopping so everything is still so big. He has lost 2 sizes and he looks great. I wonder what he will get for his birthday? Um..... Clothes that fit? Well I think thats a great idea.

Happy Father's Day!

Clover High School Class of 98'

It's so hard to believe but it has been 10 years today that I graduated. We are having our 10 year class reunion Saturday October 11, 2008. We are planning it and I am really excited. I think we are going to have a blast. There are so many people in my graduating class that I still hang out with and their husbands graduated with Albert so they all know each other.




Class of 1998






Albert and I my graduation night!




Senior Picture

Back to dieting!

I guess I will spend the rest of my life dieting but I am excited to know that one day I will be skinny again. There is hope that one day it won't matter how big I will be because GOD wont care. LOL I started yesterday and I am determined. Those are my famous words started a diet yesterday and I am determined. I am doing no carbs for a month and then adding them back in a new way. After this month is up I will be eating a lot healthier. Not as many carbs and better carbs like whole wheat breads. I know no carb diets are not good for the average person but I have IBS and carbs do not agree with my body and I have been praying really hard with my weight issue and I had a horrible weekend and I knew he was speaking to me through that so I would start my diet yesterday with no looking back. So I have faith that he is going to help me throught this and hopefully I can come out a winner! Please add me to your prayers that I can accomplish this. You know the prayer: Lord if I can't be skinny please make my friends fat. So if you are skinny and you want to stay that way pray that I will have will power and I can get this weight off.

BOY DOES THE TIME FLY!

IT'S BEEN A MONTH AND A DAY SINCE I LAST BLOGGED. WOW! THERE IS NO WAY I CAN POSSIBLY REMEMBER EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST MONTH BUT I WILL TRY TO REMEMBER A LITTLE SO I CAN CAPTURE SOMETHING FOR THE MEMORIES.
WE HAD JOSH AND ALICIA'S WEDDING! WE HAD A GREAT TIME SETTING UP AND GETTING READY FOR THE WEDDING ON FRIDAY. THEN WE WENT TO SUPPER AT MARKET STREET AND THEN TO THE CHURCH FOR EVERYONE TO PRACTICE AND I WAS BUSY TAKING PICTURES. WE HAD THE WEDDING ON SATURDAY AND BRICEN STAYED WITH MY MOM SO WE DIDNT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CHASING AFTER HIM SINCE I WAS TAKING PICTURES AND ALBERT WAS AN USHER. WE WENT TO NEIL'S FOR THE AFTER PARTY AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME! WE DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING AND THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME GREAT PICTURES SINCE I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TAKING PICTURES AND I TOOK AROUND 800 BETWEEN FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.
MOTHER'S DAY WAS THE SECOND WEEKEND. I HAD TO WORK ON SATURDAY AT OUR SUBDIVISION LAUREN PINES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO PROMOTE AND MY BOYS TREATED ME TO DINNER AT THE LONG HORN AND MY PARENTS WENT WITH US TOO. THATS MY FAVORITE PLACE TO GO. I LOVE IT!
SUNDAY WE WENT TO CHURCH AND THEN TO MY MOMS FOR LUNCH. WE WENT HOME AND RESTED AND WE HAD OUR FAMILIES OVER AFTER SUPPER FOR ICE CREAM AND DESSERT. IT WAS A GREAT MOTHER'S DAY! IT WILL BE ONE I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER. BRICEN HAD A LITTLE ARRANGMENT OF FLOWERS FOR ME AT CHURCH THAT HE GAVE ME. SITTING AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE HE GAVE ME HIS PRESENT HE MADE FROM SCHOOL. IT WAS THE BEST PRESENT EVER. HE MADE ME A NECKLACE, AND HAD PLANTED ME A LITTLE FLOWER AT SCHOOL, HE HAD MY HANDPRINTS AND HIS HANDPRINTS THAT THEY HAD MADE AT SCHOOL WITH A CUTE MOTHER'S DAY SAYING AND THEY HAD HIM ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS MOMMY AND THAT PIECE OF PINK PAPER WAS THE BEST!!!! IT WAS ADORABLE. HE ALSO GAVE ME SOME AZALEAS FOR THE YARD. ALBERT SAID WE WANTED TO GET YOU FLOWERS BUT THOUGHT THESE WOULD LAST A LOT LONGER. SUITED ME IT WASNT A WASTE OF MONEY. THEY ALSO GOT ME SOME OTHER FLOWERS FOR THE YARD AS WELL. ALBERT HAD TO MAKE SURE HE REMINDED ME THAT I GOT AN EXENSIVE GIFT FOR VALENTINES DAY THAT NEEDED TO CARRY OVER. IF YOU DONT REMEMBER IT WAS THE FLASH AND THE SMALL CAMERA BAG FOR MY CAMERA. I WAS TICKLED PINK WITH WHAT I GOT AND COULD HAVE CARED LESS IF THEY HADN'T BOUGHT ME A THING. HONESTLY WHAT BRICEN GAVE ME FROM WHAT HE MADE AT SCHOOL WAS THE BEST GIFT I HAD EVER GOTTEN! IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE SO MEANINGFUL. I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE GOTTEN BUT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW MEANINGFUL THIS MOTHER'S DAY WAS NOW THAT HE HAS GOTTEN OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.
THE THIRD WEEKEND ALBERT AND I WENT TO GEORGIA FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY TRIP. WE GOT A NEW RHINO FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY AND WE LEFT BRICEN WITH MY PARENTS AND WE WENT CAMPING AND TO RIDE THE RHINO. WE LEFT ON FRIDAY AND CAME BACK ON SUNDAY. WE HAD A BLAST AND WE HAD A COUPLE OF FRIENDS COME JOIN US JUST FOR THE DAY ON SATURDAY AND THEY RODE THEIR 4-WHEELERS. IT WAS NICE TO GET AWAY SO WE HAD SOME ALONE TIME THAT WE GOT TO ENJOY WITH EACH OTHER WITHOUT BRICEN GETTING JEALOUS.
THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. WE WENT TO CHURCH AND THEN TO MY PARENTS FOR LUNCH FOR MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY. THAT AFTERNOON WE WENT TO OUR OLD HOUSE AND RODE 4-WHEELERS WITH OUR FRIENDS AND THE KIDS AND WE GRILLED HOTDOGS. WE HAD A CAMPFIRE AND ALBERT, BRICEN AND I CAMPED IN THE TRAILER THAT NIGHT. IT WAS BRICEN'S FIRST CAMPING EXPERIENCE AND HE REALLY ENJOYED IT. HE KEEPS ASKING IF WE CAN GO AGAIN. (WE ARE FOR FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND AND WE CAN'T WAIT!)WE GOT UP ON MONDAY MORNING AND HAD PANCAKES AND BACON AND THEN WE RODE THE RHINO FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND WE TOOK HIM OVER TO THE SCHOOL TO PLAY. WE PACKED UP AND HEADED HOME AROUND LUNCH TIME. IT WAS A GREAT RELAXING WEEKEND!
MONDAY WAS OUR 7TH ANNIVERSARY. TIMES REALLY GOES BY SO FAST. WE ENJOYED OUR DAY AT HOME AND WE WENT OVER TO THE GILLESPIES FOR SUPPER AND TO SWIM.
TODAY THURSDAY MAY 29TH- WE HAD BRICEN'S LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL PROGRAM. ALBERT AND I WENT AND ATE LUNCH WITH HIM AND THEY GOT THEIR CERTIFICATES. IT WAS A LITTLE SAD FOR ME THAT THE YEAR WENT BY SO FAST. IT SEEMS LIKE THEY JUST STARTED YESTERDAY AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW FAST IT GOES BY HE WILL BE STARTING KINDERGARTEN BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.
I WILL ADD PICTURES LATER ON FOR THE PAST MONTH. SO THIS ONE WAS A LONG ONE JUST TRYING TO CATCH UP!