Caroline's Nail Salon

Somehow, Caroline talked her Uncle Stephen into letting her do his nails. Since he works on a cattle ranch in Texas, this was quite a task for such a little girl. During his manicure, the conversation went something like this:

Caroline: Now be still, and don't move.
Stephen: Okay
Caroline: Oh no, you messed them up. Mommy won't be happy.
Stephen: Sorry.
Caroline: I'll have to do them again, now don't move.
She then proceeded to blow on them to ensure they would get dry.

In case you are wondering, she found some sort of fur ball and was pretending it was a cotton ball and polish.

They Do

This weekend we traveled to Philly to attend Rachel's, my 1st cousin's, wedding. On Friday night, we went to the rehearsal dinner where one of the groom's family members made, in my opinion, a wonderful toast. Summed up, it went something like this: "In the years to come, when you look back on your wedding day, may you say to each other that on that day we loved each other the least." That really struck a chord with me and got me to thinking about my marriage, and I thought it might resonate with others as well. Remembering back to my wedding day, I thought I could never love Matt more, but as time has passed, I have realized that I had just started loving Matt on that day. Over the years we have faced lots of different things...some happy, some sad and some challenging. Having your best friend by your side makes the happy times happier and the difficult times manageable.
Okay....enough food for thought and now back to the wedding festivities. My grandmother suprised us all by going to both to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. On the day of the wedding, you would have thought she was the bride with all of the pampering she received. Ms. Brenda came out to do her hair, my mom did her makeup, I did her nails and my sister helped her get ready. Once she was all dolled up, she was absolutely beautiful! Of course, Caroline had to get in on the action as well and had her hair done as well. Once she was done with that, she challenged Pappaw to a water gun fight outside.



The wedding was beautiful, the food was delicious and the bride was stunning. I was glad to see some of our out of town family members at the wedding and even got to visit with Gary, Stephanie and Leslie at Mommaw and Pappaw's house afterwards.

Of course I didn't dare take my kids to the wedding, so Pop and Mimi kept them and brought them to the reception afterwards. Caroline's favorite part was throwing the roses at the bride and groom as they departed. Once they were on the ground, she started picking them all up again to throw on everyone else that came by. Since everyone was all dressed up, we took several family pictures to remember the occasion.

First day of Fall

Today marks the first day of Fall! Yeah...maybe that means cooler weather is here for a while. It was so nice outside that we spent most of the day enjoying it. Miss Priss is finally warming up to the camera and Will the Thrill keeps me on my toes. This time, he decided to see why cows like to eat grass.

Coon Country

Ever since Matt and I began dating, when people would ask me where he was from I would jokingly respond, "Coon Country". Well, it is no longer a joke! Nope, I now have proof!Meet Mr. Coon, whom we met this weekend at the park near Matt's parents' house. I can now say that my kids have played where the coons play. Not only did the kids play with the coons, but they also played with Mamaw Kat, Pappaw, Aunt Erin and Ben. And, of course along with the playing came a little spoiling too, as you can see in the pictures.

As for my husband...he decided he would have a little fun at the park as well. Obviously he didn't think that the slide has a weight limit and better yet forgot that a toddler was watching him. I should have a lot of fun telling Caroline that she cannot go down the slide like her Daddy does the next time we got to the park.

Making biscuits

If you've never had the chance to taste my Daddy's biscuits, then you are missing out. My Daddy's biscuits are just like the ones his Dad and Mom used to make for us that would melt in your mouth. On Tuesday night, Pop and Mimi served as babysitters while I took care of a few things. According to Caroline, she learned how to make biscuits during her visit. Personally, I hope she did because my biscuits never turn out quite like my Daddy's.

While they were on the farm, the kids made sure they got to see the horses and play on the tractor. When I picked them up, they were fed, bathed and ready for bed. Who can complain about that? Pop and Mimi....when are you available to babysit again?

Happy Birthday Mammaw!

Today the kids and I helped my grandmother celebrate her 84th birthday. Since we spent the night with them last night, Caroline was the first person to wish Mammaw a happy birthday. While still in the bed, my little cutie stood beside Mammaw's bed and sang her the most beautiful little birthday song ever.

In her younger years, my grandmother was a force to be reckoned with (in a good way) and would work from sun up to sun down. Looking back now that I'm a mom, I am amazed that when she kept all five of her grandkids on Saturdays, she would get us all fed, bathed and ready for bed with ease before our parents would pick us up. If that was not enough, she would then prepare a feast for Sunday dinner and still be on time for Sunday School and church. I can now truly appreciate all of her hard work in caring for our family, all the while never complaining about what she had to do or how tired she was.In recent years my grandmother's health has been deteriorating. It has been very difficult for me to watch as my once very active and hard working grandmother slowly lose the ability to not only care for those around her (something she has always done cheerfully) but also care for herself as she would like. However, I am so thankful that I live much closer to home and can visit her more often. I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to know my grandmother so well and consider her one of my best friends.

As for the party, we did not have to worry about our entertainment because the youngest guest made sure we had a few laughs. Will decided he would try a little bit of the cake his sister made and ended up wearing it once all was said and done. When the festivities were coming to an end, he plopped his feet on the table and began to pout. What a character!

Our 1st football game

On Friday night, Caroline and Will went to their first football game. My dad's high school alma mater, Neshoba Central (and my high school's #1 rival), was in town playing Ridgeland High. Since Uncle A plays the drums in the band for Neshoba Central, we figured it was a great chance to watch some football and hear Uncle A play. Before the game, we had a little time to kill so we all loaded up and made a trip to the Bass Prop Shop. While this store is not my favorite, it is a big hit with the rest of my family. Caroline and Will love looking at the fish and this trip had fun trying on raccoon hats and pretending to be hunters. However, I must mention that Caroline's favorite thing about the Bass Pro Shop are the boats. Once we look at the fish, she immediately begins her never ceasing request to get in a boat. Granted, she's been in a boat that is actually in water plenty of times, but there is just something about the boats at the store that she can't resist.

Once Friday night rolled around, the kids were ready to go! They had a blast watching everything that was going on around them at the game...cheerleaders turning back flips, football players tackling each other, the bright lights, the beat of the band, and our favorite....a drummer named Uncle A. Personally, I think they were a little overwhelmed because neither seemed to be able to wind down afterwards and go to sleep despite it being WAY past their bedtime. Oh, I should probably mention that Neshoba Central won the game easily...they are now 3-0.

It's funny how the weather always seems to dampen our plans, because once again we planned a trip out of town when another hurricane decided to come our way. (This is not to make light of the thousands of individuals who have lost so much as a result of the storm....they are definitely in our thoughts and prayers.) The plan was to get up early Saturday morning and head to Louisiana to visit Matt's parents. Mamaw Kat's employer was having a big family picnic and she wanted to show off the grandkids. Well, as luck would have it...we got a call early Saturday morning from Mamaw Kat advising us not to come after all because the weather report was suspect. Luckily for us, our weekend wasn't spoiled because Pop and Mimi had spent the night and were ready to take us to brunch at Pop's favorite place...Cracker Barrell. Afterwards we went shopping a bit before returning home for a much needed nap!

Watch me go!

Well, it has become very obvious that my little man is going to be a climber. Just check him out!

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Going to the Chapel

On September 27th, my cousin Rachel will be headed to the chapel to marry her sweetheart, Claude. To help her get ready for the big event, I (along with a few other ladies) hosted a lingerie shower at my home. It is so hard to believe that Rachel is old enough to be getting married. I am the eldest of the 5 grandchildren and I can vividly recall how we all used to play together at my grandparents when we were kids. We loved playing school, and since I was the oldest, I usually was the teacher. Hmmm....perhaps that is where I get my take charge nature at times. Anyway, Rachel is a wonderful girl, or shall I say young woman, and Claude is fortunate to be marrying her. I only hope they can have as much fun together as Matt and I have over the past 6 1/2 years. Best wishes, Rachel!

The Circus

This past Friday night, Matt and I took the kiddos to The Greatest Show on Earth...the Barnum and Bailey Circus. When we told Caroline we were going, she was very excited but I think she was just as excited that Kevin, Mecie, Hunter and Helen were going with us. Matt, however, was not so excited about the circus because the last one we went to was in Dothan and it was by no means the greatest show on earth. It was a tent in the middle of a parking lot with no air conditioning. The heat, combined with a terrible smell and me being 8 months pregnant with Will, made for a not so pleasant experience.











This circus, however, proved to be a lot of fun for everyone. We went early for the preshow which allowed the kids to get up close and personal to the entertainers. They even got to try on some circus clothes, walk the tight rope and hang from the swing. Once the show started, I believe it was the only time in their lives that all four children were still and attentive for a long period of time. Mecie and I looked at each other and agreed that we could do this everyday if it meant the kids would be still and quiet for once! I believe the elephants were Caroline's favorite although while they were doing their tricks she asked me when the pigs were coming out. Who knows where that came from. Anyway, when the daredevil guys started running inside and outside of the circular cage, she informed me that she was going to do that when she got a little bigger. I told her I didn't think she would really want to do that and she quickly corrected me and said, "Mommy, when I'm bigger I sure can." I hate to bust her little bubble, but if she inherits her surefootedness from my side of the family, she's in trouble! In case you were wondering, Matt enjoyed this circus...well, except for being robbed at the concession stand. I still can't believe he actually paid that much for popcorn and a coke. Maybe he is loosening up or was just really hungry!

A visit from Eden (and her parents)

On Thursday evening, we were so excited to have "Baby Eden" as Caroline fondly calls her, come for a visit. Eden is the precious baby girl of my college roommate, Ashley Jones Bodie, and her husband, Graham. Of course, Matt and I were glad to be able to catch up with Graham and Ashley as well, but you know how it goes with babies...they steal the show. The Bodie family came to Jackson for a visit with Ashley's parents for Labor Day and ended up staying the entire week as a result of Hurricane Gustov. Ashley and Graham just moved to Baton Rouge to begin teaching in the Communication department at LSU. Thankfully, the hurricane did not cause much damage to their new home, but it did wipe out their electricity for a while. Since their classes were canceled, we benefited from the ordeal and got to spend some fun time with them. Bodie family...we can't wait to have you visit us again and hopefully next time it won't be because a hurricane came your way!

My little Picasso

Well, since Hurricane Gustov seemed to like hanging around our house (it rained almost all week), we weren't able to play outside. That being the case, I had to find something to keep the kids occupied. I had seen a cute little art project on the internet and decided I would give it a try. If you are like me, you wonder why people pay so much money for a piece of art that resembles nothing to hang on their wall. Since I needed a big piece of artwork to hang above the couch in our new house, I thought I would let my little Picasso paint a little something. As it turns out, I think it looks a lot like something you might find in an art gallery up North that you'd have to take a second mortgage out on your home to afford. Hmmm....maybe Caroline should start her own business!
When I asked her what she drew, she quickly informed me that it was Mommy, Daddy, Will, Nana, Pop Buddy, Pop, Mimi, Mammaw Kat, Pappaw...the list goes on and on. Obviously, I should have guessed that because it resembles all of us, don't you think? Anyway, the plan is that when Will gets a little bigger, he'll get to add another color to the painting. I will then have a masterpiece to cherish for years to come.