Memorial Day weekend camping trip

This is not our "annual" camping trip that we take. We actually planned this one kind of at the last minute. Our neighbors go to Lake Chicot every year on Memorial Day weekend camping and invited us to go this year. Since we were so late reserving, we didn't get a spot close to them...the "good" spots. You'll see what I mean as you look at the pictures. Anyway, it rained, rained, rained, and rained some more that weekend. This picture was taken the Friday night that we got there. Of course, as you can see, it was raining and the girls were loving it. I'm not so sure about Tiger loving it, but he had no choice. The other little girl in the picture is our neighbors' granddaughter. Now when I say our neighbors, I'm also referring to the people who built the house we bought here in Monticello. Morgan and Lauren doing what they love in our camper...playing on the top bunk.

Here they are roasting marshmallows with the Selman's. Mr. Andy is helping Lauren roast hers. I'm sure it was raining here too. We just stayed pretty wet that weekend. You don't really care when you're camping if you're wet, have make-up on, hair fixed, or any of that stuff.

Mr. Andy and Lauren checking out her marshmallows. Sydney is making a smores for David.

Ok...this is what I mean when I say our camping spot was not the greatest. This is the view from our camper door. We have a brown piece of outdoor carpet that we put out for people to take their shoes off on or wipe their feet. As you can see here, it didn't matter...when you stepped on it your feet would just sink right into the mud. We had Tiger's kennel under our awning to halfway keep him dry. It rained so much, I was afraid he would float away in his kennel. We only keep him in it at night while we're camping. David and the girls are coming back from taking Tiger on his morning walk. Tiger doesn't know what to think about all the water and mud. Neither does Lauren!! I finally told David on Sunday that I was ready to pull the camper home and call it quits. It was kind of depressing with all the rain and being in a mudhole on top of it. We rode the golf cart around the campground and saw a few empty spots close to Andy and Nancy. We were able to get one of them and it was like moving to first class. No mess, no mud...much better. We moved the camper that Sunday and the rain, believe it or not, stopped. It was actually pretty the last two days we were there.

Here's Libby and Nancy making tamales. We had an assembly line going. It was actually fun!! I think we made over 100 tamales. Here's the rest of the assembly line. Sydney is tying them up!!Here's the whole tamale crew!!! Morgan even helped by separating the coffee filters for me. Clean up time! Andy and I were washing up dishes after supper!!

We had a great time camping with the Selman's this year and have already reserved spots for Memorial Day weekend next year. Only this time, we're first class baby!!! We have all 4 spots in the cull-de-sac reserved (there were two other couples with their campers too). Until next year....

Oops...

I thought I was doing good...today is actually our "10 year" anniversary...not yesterday. I got the post all ready last night with engagement and wedding pictures...saved it to my drafts and thought if I published it today that it would show today's date. Well, it didn't...lesson learned. So much for waiting. Anyway, today, May 29th, is our anniversary. Happy Anniversary David!!!

Happy 10 year Anniversary, David

Ten years ago today, I married the person who completes me. I don't know who or where I'd be without him. He has made me the happiest person in the world and has given me the two most beautiful, precious girls that I could ask for. I wish I had met him sooner than I did, but as the saying goes, "better late than never." Thank you David for making the past 10 years the happiest of my life. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you and making memories with our girls that will last forever. I love you!!!

This picture was taken about 4 months before we got married. David was trying to look "sexy" for the camera! I was 26 and he was 23. This is one of our engagement pictures taken in March of 1999. This was a picture taken at my bridal session at the Biedenharn Home in Monroe, Louisiana in April of 1999. Another bridal session picture. Mom took this one...that's why I was laughing!!This is the sign outside the church the day of our wedding. No, that's not the church behind it...you can't see it in this picture. The actual church we got married in is no longer there. They tore the building down and built a brand new one. It's gorgeous!!!
Cutting the cake...I was starving to death!!! I think that was all we did get to eat was cake because we were too busy walking around visiting with everyone and taking pictures. This is us now...10 years later! Here we are wearing our favorite colors...purple and gold!!!!!!! Here we are with our beautiful girls. GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!
I love you, David and hope we have many more wonderful years together!!!

Our little Morgan...

I'm not posting pictures this time...but will soon! I just have to share this good news and am ashamed I haven't done it sooner. One week ago today, Morgan accepted Jesus as her Savior right here in our living room. Morgan has been asking lots of questions about being saved and going to Heaven for about a year now. My fear was that she was too young. She first started really inquiring about it last school year when David had already moved over here to work and me and the girls stayed in Prescott. I was just concerned because she had seen a lot of young kids being baptized at our church in Prescott and I thought maybe that's all she wanted to do...be baptized. She turned 8 in February and the questions have not let up. She's always asking about Heaven...what's it like...wanting to meet Jesus face to face and just hug him and tell him how much she loves him...not wanting to go "down there"...just so much to be going through a child's mind. Last Tuesday night (May 19th...I won't ever forget the date), we took the girls to Pizza Hut to eat (their favorite place). As soon as David and Morgan got in the truck, here comes the questions. When Lauren and I got in, he told me that she was asking more questions about being saved. I just looked at him and said, "we don't need to keep putting this off." He asked her if she wanted to go talk to our preacher and she said yes. We drove to his house, but he wasn't home...out of town for the week. So we named a couple others that she may want to talk to and David even suggested trying to call them the next night or so. She insisted she had to talk to someone that night. So as soon as we got home, he started calling around trying to get someone. Ryan called us back (AWANA commander) and was at our house in a short time. He was here for over an hour...talking to her, questioning her...David and I just sat back and listened. He told her that she could pray and ask Jesus into her heart at any time and it didn't have to be right then...but she wanted to do it "right then". It was so precious...we all bowed our heads and waited for her to pray, but never heard her say a word...she was praying quietly and I know the Lord heard every word she said. When she was finished, Ryan asked her if she would share with us what she prayed...and she did. God has been speaking to her little heart for a long time now and she knew it was time. Ryan told David and me that he was very impressed with what she knew and he said "hats off to you guys for answering all of her questions and teaching her about Jesus." I'm so thankful that God has blessed me with such a wonderful family...I could not ask for a better husband or for two more precious girls than ours. Thank you God for your many blessings.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there. I've had a great Mother's Day. David cooked our usual Sunday morning breakfast for me...cinnamon rolls...love 'em! He got me the most beautiful card...he does know how to pick them. The girls just couldn't wait to give me my gifts. Mom took them Friday to pick out something for me. Morgan picked out a Willow Tree figurine (I've started collecting them) that's an angel holding a rose. They also got me a monogrammed flag with a "C" on it to go in my flower beds with the matching Fleur De Lis flag stand. We had a wonderful church service this morning and topped it off with lunch at Ameca. Now the girls are playing and I think I may take a little nap before I start on some school work.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Long time, no posting...

I know it's been a while since I last posted. It's been busy around here. Let's see...the last time I posted was when we went to LSU spring football. Ok...the next weekend (25th), we had Lauren's b-day party at city park. Her theme was Hello Kitty...she had a beautiful b-day cake (and I forgot to have the lady put Happy 5th Birthday Lauren on it...it just said Happy Birthday). Anyway, Mom and Dad came up for it. She had a few of her friends there and they had a blast. I do have pictures, I just haven't uploaded them yet. Two days after her party, she got an ear infection and I had to miss work Monday (27th) to take her to the doctor. He put her on a med she's never taken before and wants to see her back in 2 weeks to see if she needs to see her ENT again or not. I just pray we don't need tubes AGAIN...she's had 3 sets already.

The next weekend (May 2nd) we went to Fayetteville for LSU/Arkansas baseball. We stayed with David's brother. We haven't been to Fayetteville in 2 years. I didn't take any pictures that weekend...the weather was nasty, BUT LSU did win the series against Arkansas...GEAUX TIGERS!!! I only went to one game and didn't stay for the whole thing. Melanie's nieces were keeping my girls and two others and their dad came back to pick them up before the game was over. That was ok with me though. It was cold, wet, and I was ready to get inside and get in my p.j.'s. The guys were after midnight getting in.

This week has been rather interesting. Lauren noticed something on her arm Tuesday morning while we were in my classroom. She said it was a mosquito bite, but it wasn't itching. OK...I didn't think anymore about it. That night when I was bathing her, I noticed a few more red spots on her leg, but was in such a hurry I didn't really inspect them. When she got out of the tub, she came in the living room and said, "Look". Her legs were covered in red spots. So, we planned for David to stay home and take her to the doctor because I had a workshop the next day and didn't need to miss.

Well, I woke up around 4:45 the next morning because our ceiling fan was off and I was getting hot. I looked around (still half asleep) and realized the electricity was off...then I heard it. The wind was blowing so hard it sounded like it was literally going to blow the roof off, it was lightening so much it almost looked like it was daytime, and raining so hard!!! Then came the sound...yep, you guessed it...the sound of a tornado...then came the hail and it was hailing so hard...I've never been so scared in my life. I punched David twice...once when the wind was blowing so hard and the rain was so loud...then again when it started hailing...I guess a freight train would have to come through to wake him up. I laid there with my eyes WIDE open wondering what was happening. I've always heard that a tornado never lasts more than 10 minutes or so and would you believe at 5, it was so calm! I could hear the thunder in a distance...it was still raining, but not as hard...still lightening, but not as bad...and no wind! Eerie is not the word. Morgan came in our room crying about the time it had passed. I got up and had to get ready holding a lantern with one hand and applying make-up with the other. I let David and Lauren sleep in because he was taking her to the doctor. I got Morgan up and got her ready, then Elizabeth called me only to tell me that school had been cancelled due to lots of trees down and lots of people without electricity. So, I had to wake David up and tell him he now had to go to work :-) It was starting to storm a little again, but nothing like it was earlier. I took Lauren to the doctor only to find out she's now allergic to sulfa drugs. She's highly allergic to penicillin too. He put her on Prednisolone and Benedryl.

Come to find out, it was an F1 tornado that came through Monticello that morning. Mom came up Thursday night (7th) because David went to Fairfield Bay on a golf retreat with our church. He just got back today and she left today. I took her out to eat last night at Cowboy's and we rode around and assessed the damage. There is so much damage so close to our house...it went right by us...trees down EVERYWHERE...big trees completely uprooted. Lots of damage to the buildings at the fairgrounds. God was protecting us that morning...I truly believe that!!!

Mom helped me clean house this morning...so glad she did or I would probably still be cleaning. Now at least I can rest tomorrow...with the exception of some school work that I need to get done. I know this post was long, but I had a lot to tell. I hope everyone has a very Happy Mother's Day tomorrow. Maybe I'll get some pictures uploaded to share. Oh, I forgot to mention, I went to Muffins for Moms Friday morning with Morgan. We had a good time!

More LSU pics...

I know, I know...we were in Baton Rouge a couple of weeks ago and I'm just now finishing up posting pictures. Better late than never! I'll call this one...a day at Perkins Row. Perkins Row is like Branson Landing. It's not complete, but is so nice. A few of the stores there so far are Guess, BCBG, Anthropology, Urban Outfitters (I can't think of any more, but there were more). Here's the girls striking a pose outside at Perkins Row. Lauren loves water and has to touch it...no matter where it is. I just knew at any minute, I would be fishing her out of the water.

This was taken in front of one of the water fountains there.

Posin' for the camera again...they're good at that...especially Morgan. She's my photogenic child.

See what I mean??? Morgan wanted to take a few pictures too. She took this one of me and Uncle Mel. She did a pretty good job if I must say so myself.

On our way to the football game...you would've thought there was a fire as fast as the guys were walking!!! See how far behind Mel and I were? Look at all the purple and gold :-) Of course, I always have to have a picture of us with the football field in the background. Lauren was ready to go back to the RV already and we hadn't been there 30 minutes yet at this point. She wouldn't survive a "real" football game.