Beauty and Brains.....

My daughter Grace, is an amazing little girl. Everything comes easy to Grace and combined with her personality, competitiveness, and lack of fear, she is quite the achiever. In the picture below she is being recognized as one of the two students in the second grade to earn more than 300 Reading Points for the school year. The librarian, Mrs. Matzat, spoke highly of Grace and then presented her and her friend, Ben (the other student to achieve 300 points) with a $30 gift card to Books a Million. Grace was also on the A honor roll all 4 quarters and was recognized as the very first MVP award winner in the second grade class at the West building. Did I mention that she is also a fun-loving free spirit? You can always find Grace with a smile on her face and ready for action. Softball, water balloon fights, golf lessons, reading, and swimming have been on her agenda this summer. In the picture below she is having fun in the mud at her friend Lexie's house.
Smart, beautiful, funny, and not afraid to "mix-it-up", Grace is also one of a kind...

Owen the Great

I am very proud of my son, Owen. He had a great Kindergarten year. He has become an amazing student, an aspiring athlete, and an amateur zoologist. Here he is with his current infatuation--his baby turtle, "Cougar". He found him in the yard and he is now living in our home. I am OK with it--beats the dog. Right below that picture is Owen with his snake he found in the yard about a month ago.

He has been playing baseball all summer on an 8 and under team and he is getting better every game. He puts the ball in play at the plate, gets in front of the ball and knocks it down when it comes his way, and throws it like a champ. I think he looks pretty grown up in his ball uniform.

Owen is truly one of a kind.

Better Days Ahead

In light of the recent woes--Michele's broken arm and subsequent hospitalization followed up by us becoming one of the biggest charity cases in the area--I felt that it was appropriate to post some "happy" pictures of the family. We could all use a few more smiles lately.....

Pierson is growing up fast. His big brother is a great influence on him. He plays with him and is patient with him. This is a picture of them hanging out on the loveseat with the other "boy" in the family, Ethan.

Grace just completed another successful basketball season. She is a tenacious defender and serious competitor. You can tell that looking at this sweet picture, right?

OK. I get it. Blogging sounded like a great idea. My sisters do it with ease. I haven't found the commitment that I need to make it worth everyone's time to log on....Let's start by making it easy. In honor of the forecasted snow this Thursday. How about a pic of our last snow....

The Sun Sets on Summer....

My attempts to blog were well intentioned. Jenny and Cary make it look so easy. Here I go with my next post--4 months later. Summer flew by. We did not go to the beach for the first time since we have been married, but it would be unfair to say that we didn't have quite a time.... Here are some pictures that sum up some of the things we have done since last we blogged.....

I traveled with my Mom and Dad in August to Fort Benning, Georgia, to attend my Grandfather's induction into the Army Ranger Hall of Fame. My Aunt Patsy and Uncle Chuck also drove down. It was an amazing experience. My Dad accepted a medal on my Grandfather's behalf and my Aunt Patsy gave a speech for the ages. Over this past summer I have come to realize that my Grandfather--who has always been a hero to me--is in fact a hero to an entire country.

We took a mini-vacation to the Lake of the Ozarks with our friends, the Davi's. The kids love the Resort at Port Arrowhead.

A big shout out to my friend, Tim. He has lost almost 70 lbs. over the course of the past year. Recognize him, Mom, Jenny, Cary?

We welcomed a new member to our family. Baby Rush came to visit us in July. You can find more pictures (updated) at my sister's blog--winniegray.blogspot.com

More posts to come. For now I am out of time. These darn pictures take so long to upload. Jenny and Cary, I don't know how you do it. Coming up soon on my blog: weekend trips to Grandpa's, Owen starts school, and some pictures of my food the next time we eat out.

Cabin Fever

Hey, I'm doing the one thing that I know my blog-skilled sisters thought I would never do--create another post. Sure, it took four weeks, but hey......

Summer always brings tidings of joy around here. Dad's work slows down a bit, the kids are out of school, and Mom can focus on all the local theme parks, Lori's pool, and fun with the kids.

One of the most enjoyable things we do as a family in the summer is travel just over the Arkansas border to Justin and Sara's cabin. The kids have a blast playing with a number of their friends and taking rides on one of the many 4 wheelers and bicycles available. They really enjoy getting a ride on Jason's Razor. Jason is somewhat of a "Crocodile Hunter meets Evil Knievel".

Mom is giving Owen and Clara a ride in this picture.

I have no idea what issue Clara is addressing in this picture but she appears to possess a definitive opinion on the matter!Owen and his good friend Gavin share, well, something. Once again, I would love to know what they are thinking.....or even saying sometimes.

Boudreaux was his typical self....working the crowd.

Gigi may have the best time of anyone when we venture outdoors. She is adventurous and fearless.

Gracey at the Bat......

Softball and T-Ball are a pretty big part of our lives in the summer. GiGi won her most recent game and she did a terrific job--even donned the catcher's gear for a turn behind the plate.

The rest of the crew participated in the following activities: Owen rode his bike around the field, Clara re-landscaped a mulch bed for the parks dept. (oops), Pierson was passed around as usual, and Mom and Dad had healthy discourse as to how much a parent should coach from the stands.