Labor of Love

For Christmas Jeff had the backyard landscaped for me. I say "had" lightly because he actually did all the gritty work to get the yard prepared for the plants. He used a sod cutter to remove the grass, tilled the thick, sticky mud & then dug a 2 foot trench around the whole thing (with a shovel) for the water to runoff. As I watched him work tirelessly to get everything ready I thought to myself...Going to Victoria Secret & buying a soft, fluffy robe would have been a lot less trouble...but Jeff's heart is as big as he is tall & this labor of love is just his way.

After looking the project over I decided the new yard just wouldn't be complete without a swing. Growing up I remember my great-grandparents had a swing at their house in Cottonport. My grandparents have a swing that my grandfather sits on to read his book and my mom has a swing on her deck. So how could my yard NOT have a swing? We picked out the perfect swing at Cotile Trade Days as my Mother's Day gift & Jeff agreed to BUILD an arbor for it to hang from. With Mr. Bob's guidance Jeff completed this very special project (sweat & sawdust in his eyes and all) and it obviously means more to me than anything he could have picked up at the mall. What a man!!!

Wedding Bells

We went to Magnolia, TX a couple of weekends ago for my cousin Jason's wedding. It was wonderful to see everyone especially all my mom's siblings together. As usual when we get together we laughed so hard we cried. Congratulations Jason & Shelley!!

Sunday at "The Box"

From terrible to terrific

What a day...what a day!!! I have a whole new understanding of where the expression of "terrible two's" comes from. As I picked Addy up from daycare today her teacher politely told me that Addy had spit at her friend, stuck her tongue out at Mrs. Tausha and stomped her foot at Mrs. Amanda when asked to do something. It was snack time as I'm picking her up...so we were walking out with her cup of cookies and she drops them. Three cookies hit the floor and the other two stayed in her cup. As I reached down & picked up the "dirty" cookies & threw them away Addy began having a melt down and screams "I WANT 4 COOKIES!" The two left in her cup were just not good enough. "I WANT 4 COOKIES!!!" Well the crying quickly progressed to screaming and crying. I mean SCREAMING, whaling at the top of her lungs...red face & all. Strapping her into her carseat was like a professional wrestling match. This tantrum continued as we arrived at Home Depot. Now why would I think that putting her in a buggy & taking her into public would help matters? All eyes were on us. Still screaming...still whaling, except now we have the whole echo phenomenon working in the store. Finally I came to my senses & decided maybe it would be best to....hellooooo...just go home!! We got home & I sat down with Addy & started discussing the events of the day. I am holding her on my lap, looking eye to eye explaining how important good manners are and that we don't spit or stick our tongue out. She was very attentive and then let out a loooooong sigh & said in her sweet little voice "We done???" It was priceless... All I could say was, "Yes, my love, we are done.

Jeff played guitar & serenaded Addy in the bath tub tonight then she got out & started her sprints up & down the hallway. After a few laps she ran over to me sitting here at the computer & looked up with her head full of wet curls and lips puckered and said, (again in her sweet, little, angelic voice) "Mommy I love you soooo much!" I'm mush...

She's sound asleep on Jeff's chest now and has grown another day older.

Mommyhood is a challenge like I've never known. What a day, what a day...

2 little monkeys

Addy , Cohen & Nanny at the zoo this weekend.

A few more from Easter

Of all the pictures I took over Easter weekend this was my favorite
Addy finding an egg filled with Fruit Loops as Da-Da & Tauntie look
on. My photography skills leave a lot to be desired but this was a
cool shot if I do say so myself...and the coolest thing is that it was
totally by accident :)

Suds & Kisses

Southern Breakfast

Pancakes on the porch! Thank ya'll for a fun-filled weekend. We look forward to our next trip up and another 5-star dining experience at the Waffle House. XXXOOO

Good Luck Nanny

I hope you run fast, fast this weekend.

Good luck in the race. We love you!

Dear Parrain,

ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttihcjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj09oooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooioloooooommxscdjnjdhur4[u7][]\][][][][][=]uu7\u\i8\u\yu\u7yu\y

love, addy

Mardi Gras 2008

Krewe of Medea Krewe of Medea...our lovely Host & Hostess (Clint & Heather)
Snooks & Bandy...our guests at Krewe of Boogaloo
Mardi Gras New Orleans style...Pop-Pop, MiMi & a tired Addy
Emma & Addy waiting for the parade

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin'...

Proud Mary Keep on Burnin'
Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on the River

We BECAME Tina Turner not once but twice this Mardi Gras season. Snooks had a nice bruised leg from the tamborine at Boogaloo & I think Heather stole the show at Krewe of Medea's Ball. You can't help but shake your tail feather with that song!!!

Goin' to the Rodeo

Big Girl Haircut

My sweet, bald baby-girl has grown so quickly into a sweet, sassy toddler-girl. She has grown SOOO quickly but her hair has taken its sweet time. She is getting some new growth underneath and around her little face...it is curly right out of the bath & on humid days...it is dark brown just like Da-Da's with a few kisses from the sun. This hair of hers was growing a "duck tail" that was 3 times as long as the rest of her hair and it reminded me of my boy cousins that grew long "duck tails" back in the early 80's. No, no, no...We just couldn't have a "duck-tail"!!!

Adean's Salon in Pineville is located right next to a Holsom Bakery store so needless to say while we waited for our appointment we dropped into the bakery store for a bag of butter cookies & cold, chocolate milk. Adean has birds in her salon and Addy gave them kisses through the glass.

What a big girl!! Addy sat right up on the little booster seat, wore her smock and let Adean snip away...hello bangs, goodbye ducktail!!! Adean saved those snips and sealed them in a bag for us. I will never forget this day...so much to say about just a little haircut. Ohhhh how I love every last soft, wavy, brown hair on her head.

Life's a Dance

Gramps & Grandma cuttin' a rug at Kyle & Amanda's wedding

Addy & Aunt Kathy doin' the Cotton Eyed Joe

Addy & Cohen with a style all their own....out in front of a store on Front Street in Natchitoches. If we would have had an empty jar or an old hat we would have made $5,000!!!

Judge Jeff

Jeff is judging a chili cook-off tomorrow at Roosters. Dr. Morrison (GI) will be on standby.

Some oldies but goodies

Tauntie, whatcha think? Swimming or softball?

" Whatchoo talkin' 'bout Willis?"

Its a girl thing!