Archive for April, 2009

Our Camping Adventure

We said we wouldn’t do it again the last time we got rained out, but one of our friends talked us into trying it one more time . . . tent camping.  This time, we loaded up our truck, Pa’s truck, and the Taylor van with way too much food and boxes of camping supplies, and drove across the great state of Mississippi to Piney Grove Campground, where we pitched our tents, fired up the grill, and baited the kids’ fishing rods.  After a fun day of fishing, playing cards, devouring some smoked chicken and veggies, roasting marshmallows to make S’mores, and visiting around the campfire, we finally laid our heads to rest in our tents under a clear starry sky.  We woke the next morning only to find a cloudy sky which promised to bring us showers later in the day; however, it held off for the biggest part of the day, allowing time to meet our neighbors, play more games, hang out at the playground, and fish some more.  Just in time for supper, the inevitable happened. . . the bottom fell out and down came the rain.  Thankfully, we had already packed up the majority of our camping gear and tents, and just had to scarf down our burgers and load up the food.  We were also thankful for the cabin Ma and Pa had reserved, where we ended up crashing for the night . . . all 11 of us!  Since we were a little more prepared this time, we didn’t get miserably wet like our last camping adventure.  Still, I think this put the icing on the cake.  No more tent camping for us.  Anyone know of a good camper for sale?

First things first . . . we had to have our own makeshift bathroom in case we needed to take care of business in the middle of the night.  Thanks Austin for taking care of us gals!  I’m really glad I never had to utilize this facility. 

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Levi had fun in his mini-Moonbounce.  It kept him contained . . .

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. . . for a while.

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He liked sitting in Bailey’s little chair, too.

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And, of course, Ma’s lap was pretty comfy!

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All the kids had fun fishing.  We were glad our campsite was right on the lake.

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Aaron’s was the first catch of the day.

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Then Caleb reeled one in.

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Bailey caught lots of little purple fish.

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And she even caught a real one!

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The boys fished . . .

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. . . and fished . . .

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. . . and fished . . .

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. . . and Jonathan started getting frustrated . . .

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. . . until he finally got one!

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And then a few more!  He wore himself out and had to relax.

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Camping wouldn’t be fun without a campfire, marshmallow roasting, . . .

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 and S’mores!

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Chalk It Up

Levi, just like his big brothers, loves playing outside.  Here he is with Aaron and Caleb playing with . . . um, eating . . . some good, ol’ sidewalk chalk.

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Fun for the Boys . . . and the Girls

Our Spring Break trip back home to Louisiana was extremely busy, as usual.  Of course, we had birthday parties for Levi (see this post); but we also had other exciting plans in the midst of them.

The guys took off in the woods with Pepaw’s Jeep, a four-wheeler, and a dirt bike; and somehow managed to get the Jeep stuck in a big mudhole.

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Even Levi took his first ride on a four-wheeler with his Daddy.

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Dana, Ma, Aunt Cathy, Mammaw, and I joined some other ladies for an afternoon of Pokino-playing.  Lots of food, prizes, and laughs!

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One night, Jeff and I left the boys with Nana & Pepaw (thanks!) and met Dana and her date for the evening, Ma, Mammaw, and my cousins Jessica and Katie, for a night of karaoke at a local restaurant.  Good food, but even better entertainment!

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Skater Dudes. . .

. . . or should I say duds? Skating is just not their sport. We better stick with baseball.

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Cakes, and Presents, and Games, Oh My!

Levi didn’t let a bad case of strep throat ruin his fun during Spring Break in Louisiana.  With his birthday just a week before, we celebrated with more parties at Mama Nance and Daddy Wayne’s house and at the park.  He unwrapped even more presents and ate a lot more cake.  By the time that last party rolled around, Levi knew the drill and tore into his cake!  For the other boys, Aunt Dana planned a fun game of Hot Potato and a really exciting relay race that ended with a Diet Coke explosion.  Here are the last pictures of Levi’s first birthday.  This boy knows how to party. 

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A picture of Aunt Dana and her four nephews

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Levi is so ready to grab a handful of his birthday cake.

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Mission Accomplished

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Plus one more bite

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Hot Potato!

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Jonathan and Carson crabwalking to win the race

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Jessica and Caleb’s turn to jump-rope

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Aaron and Katie hula-hooping for the win

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and the big finish!

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Levi chillin’ in his new car

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Mama Nance and Daddy Wayne with their great-grandsons

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And lots more presents to unwrap and play with

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Shoe Store Buddy & Other Levi Stories

Levi is growing up, walking and babbling, and keeping us smiling!  Here are a few sweet pictures of our baby boy.

Jeff, Levi, and I were shoe-shopping the other day, and Levi was excited to meet a new friend!  Check out the picture below . . .

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Notice how much his new pal looks just like him.  No wonder Levi likes him so much.  They enjoyed an occasional game of “peek-a-boo”, but mostly just grinned at each other.

Here he is not quite so thrilled to take a ride through the car wash.  As he watched out the window, he screamed and cried.  Just look at that pitiful face.

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A trip to Wal-Mart with Ma and Mammaw Mary wore Levi completely out.  We fixed him up a bed with towels and washcloths in the front of the buggy.

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And here he is enjoying the pretty Spring blooms in our flowerbeds.  He tried to pick a few, but then the bees scared him.

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Still There?

If you’re still keeping up with our blog, thanks!  Sorry it’s been sooo long.  I’m working right now uploading pics to my computer, so check back with us to see them and read about our most recent developments.  Lots of news and fun stories about our family coming soon:

  • Easter and Passover
  • Camping
  • Baseball
  • Spring Break
  • Field Trips
  • Skating

. . . and a new addition to our little family!  Stay tuned!

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