Family Protrait 2013

We had a professional family picture taken in November 2013. Getting 8 adults and 9 children together is quite challenging. I request this every year for my birthday, but this year we waited until the fall so it would be cooler. Good choice! It was still a little warm, but not like August heat.

I have not ordered any hard copies yet because I cannot decide which photo I like best. Hard decisions. Picking out my favorites for this blog is helping me decide.

I love my kids and grandkids so much! I love that they will take a day out of their busy schedule, dress up and go to a park and pose for these pictures!

 

 

Merry Christmas 2013

 

In years past, I purchased Christmas pajamas for the grandchildren and used the picture for our

Christmas cards. This year I purchased Kelly Kids and some Gap clothes for the pictures.

I have to say these are really cute. But I still miss the pajamas.

 

Either way, I feel very blessed that I have 9 grandchildren and that their Moms will dress the kids and

get them together and take pictures for me. They did these after school on a Wednesday before Awana! That makes for a busy day for Moms and kids.

I believe I have more pictures of my grandchildren than I do of my kids.

 

Parents, splurge and get the best camera you can and capture those

precious moments! You cannot recreate those experiences.

 

Grandparents Day 2013

 

Grandparent Day breakfast, Andrea and Brad met me at Subway for breakfast. Amanda and Josh are living with us while they are building their house, so Evie rode with me. Andrea took Jackson to school and we forgot to get a group photo.  I took Tucker, Violet and Evie to East End Elementary. Paula was there taking pictures for the year book and took our picture.

First we went to Tucker's class, Mrs Hicks. Karen Hicks was Andrea and Amanda's first grade teacher. So we are excited about the grand kids having her too.

Violet is in Mrs Summer Hill's class and Evie is in Mrs Janna McClain class. They are new to me, but I know they will have a great school year.

 

I picked up Veronika from Bryant Middle School. We ran through Chick Fil A, so we had a grandparent after school snack.

 

 

Friday, Ron and I met Jackson at East End Intermediate. We visited his class, with his teacher Mrs Hardin, or as we know her, Jennifer.

Jennifer and her family were are first friends in East End and specifically on our street.

Jennifer babysat our kids

 

Jackson and Jennifer Hardin

 

I am so blessed to be able to see all of my grand children any day and especially for grandparents day. They are all so special to me.

Labor Day 2013

We went to Baton Rouge for Labor Day. The Tripp family joined us. We went to our favorite lunch place Saturday afternoon. D'Angelos! I love their salads. After lunch the guys went to Bass Pro, girls to an antique store. I found another goat!

 

Sunday, we went to LapPlace LA, to Cajun Pride Swamp Tours. It was the beginning of alligator hunting season, so they had been feeding the alligators to keep them away from the trappers. That in itself was interesting information.

The alligators were not as hungry as usual but we still saw several alligators. I expected more birds for being in a swamp. We saw and egret and a tricolor heron. The raccoons were very cute!

 

 

  

Ron cannot take a picture!

 

 

Angie and Ann

Chad was sick and Stacey had the baby, but we were glad Caleb still was able to come.

Ann and Daniel

Ron and I

The Tripp family! Andrea is looking great!

On the boat ready to see some alligators.

Here he comes. The guide tossed giant marshmallows into the bayou to attract the gators.

 

 

They fed them chicken parts.

The egret. I did not get a good photo of the heron.

 

 

Not everyone wanted to hold the alligator.

We stopped at Middendorf's after the tour.

 

 Stuffed Crab

Crab Cakes

 

Ann's Jambalya, the best meal of the trip.

 

 



Happy 58th Birthday to Me!

I like to celebrate my birthday for several days. On Saturday we woke up to rain, so Ron and I drove to Clinton to visit the Pottery Shop. I found the store on Facebook. I wanted a pumpkin for the fall and found several cute things.

 

I went for one of these! I bought one of these and some more cute pumpkins!

 

 

I found these also. I had the biggest Billy Goat Gruff, now I have the middle Billy Goad Gruff and

the baby brother Billy Goat!

I love my yard trash! I have bought several cute shirts from there too.

 

On Sunday, I cooked spaghetti and meatballs for the kids. We ate, we swam! I didn't get enough pictures of the kids swimming. Evie really learned to swim this summer. She is swimming, diving, jumping off the diving board. Fiona can swim pretty good, but will not leave the shallow water. Violet can swim, turn a flip under water, but will not leave the shallow either. Phoenix had ear surgery earlier in the year, so he has to wear a swim cap. He is a little fearless in the water, but isn't quite swimming yet, but he will jump off the diving board, go down the slide, but wears a life jacket or one of the puddle jumpers.

 

 

My actual birthday was Monday. I had to work! And it was a very busy day at work too! I continued my celebration by taking Veronika for a pedicure and Wednesday and I had a brush massage on Thursday. I enjoyed turning 58.



Grandkids 2013

 

Tripp Kids

 

Thomas Kids

Dowler Kids

 

Veronika

Violet

 

Phoenix

Gwen

Evie

 

Fiona

Jackson

Tucker

Wyatt

 

Every year for my birthday, I like to have a family picture. This year, the adults said August is too hot! We may try again in October for a group picture with adults and kids.

Anyway, I love to watch year to year to see how big the kids have gotten.