Memorial Day

We decided we wanted to spend Memorial Day with a crack of dawn fishing trip!

On the way to the fishing spot, we passed a turtle in the middle of the road. If you know me, you know that I am passionate about stopping and helping the turtles cross the road. And he was such a handsome turtle. Very shy.



We caught a bunch of fish.



Here's my catfish.



Jeremiah kept catching the trees.



Leon also caught a cat.



Teaching his boys how to unhook a mean cat.





Calvin's 2nd catch of the day.



Kelsea was mostly bored. Fishing is not her "thing".



But the rest of us had a blast.



We went home and took a nice long afternoon snooze. We decided to head out to another lake (one closer to home) and do some evening time fishing. We caught a bunch more fish. Unfortunately I did not have my camera. I enjoyed the evening fishing much more than the crack of smack fishing. Just sayin'.

Party at the Tippett's

Went to a friend's house today. We had SUCH a great time!



The food was so fantastic! Plenty to choose from. Matt grilled some squash and onions. JacLynn grilled some asparagus. Pretty much, if it could go on the grill, it did. HA! It was all so very delicious. Lots to drink too. Lots. haha! Stephanie knows how to make a mean margarita and a snazzy peach fuzzy navel-like thing. And one can not forget the jello.





The kids all had a great time together. They played, they fought, and best of all they mostly they kept themselves busy!









The cutest baby on the block!





I haven't had that much fun in a very long time!

Nightly Visitor

We have a new friend. He likes to visit us every evening. Once he even came in the house. This caused quite a stir. Especially since Darth Vader (our cat) was on the prowl. Thankfully we got him back outside and informed him that he is not an "inside guest".



Even if he is rather cute.

Birthday Card

I think someone has a birthday coming up.



Because they keep receiving cards in the mail.



Someone is thrilled that Nana sent his card a little early. "It's like I get 2 birthdays!"

Life just doesn't get any sweeter for a kid about to turn 8.

The Love Shack's Benefit for Matt Ellis

Matt Ellis was in a tragic car accident that left him paralyzed. The Love Shack threw a benefit in his name to raise money to help his family out during these hard times.

I have to say, when The Love Shack throws a benefit, they really throw it down! We had so much fun! The kids were running around. Food was excellent! The music was fantastic!

My friends Dorothy Morton and Stephanie Tippet (mom and daughter) own the Shack. It's this very cool little shack right of Hwy 56. I sing the B-52's song everytime I drive by. LOL!

Above you can see a band playing in front of the Shack. I don't know their name but they were a lot of fun!

A slammin' plate of spaghetti.

*picture by Dorothy Morton

The kids just roamed about and played. They had lots of fun. We didn't hear a peep of complaints from them.

I'm not sure why Calvin is getting the "shame fingers". lol

*Picture by Dorothy Morton

Dorothy does a lot of fun things with color on her pictures. I'm not sure what it is exactly but she has a very artistic eye. Here are some more pictures by Dorothy Morton from the event.

Stephanie herself.

 Stephanie's husband Matt on the left. 

Mach Ciabatta donated their time and talent for the cause.

You can hear a sample of their music here: http://www.myspace.com/MachCiabatta They are a cool group of young musicians. It was awesome of them to donate their time. 

My Fam. I was putting my hair back up. lol

New tat:

Baseball

I woke the kids up early this morning. Earlier than usual when we are on school break.

I told them I was taking them to the baseball field to play with them. They were up and ready faster than I think I've ever seen them move! Faster even than on Christmas morning!

Let me tell you, I love playing baseball. I was even in Little League as a kid, but the coach did not like having a girl on his team. He was mean, and never put me in for games. Anyway, I have great memories of throwing the ball around with my dad and my brother. My dad taught us both how to throw and catch the ball.

Now I love taking my own kids out to throw the ball around. We stopped for a while...I'm not sure why. The kids lost interest in the game or something.

But man did we have fun this morning!!

Long Beverage Family Picnic

Shade, Peace, and Happiness

My family bought me a patio chair for Mother's Day. It's the perfect addition to my Summer Classroom.

So here I am, outside, in my quiet little spot.



There is a gentle breeze blowing the scent of citronella my way. The temperature is a perfect 78deg. The sun is low in the sky.

I'm listening to Bob Marley, birds chirping, and my son waxing philosophical about life. "Mama, have you ever known you wanted to do something, you have it on your mind, but you just don't know what it is you want to do?"

All the time, son. All the time.