Kindergarten Graduation and Trips to the Beach

Tyler is moving on up to Big School!

On Thursday, May 14, 2009, our grandson, Tyler graduated from Kindergarten. The program was great. The graduates sang many Christian songs they learned in school and played the bells. We were very impressed with how much Tyler has learned and were touched by the level of love and concern that the teachers and administrators expressed for the kids.

Brianne "enjoying" the kids playing the bells

Tyler receiving his diploma


Bebe and Granddaddy with Tyler and Brianne

After graduation, we all headed to the beach. When I say "we all", I mean WE ALL headed to the beach. For the first time, we were able to get all of the kids and grandkids together at the beach at one time! We had so much fun!

We started out by doing a Country Boil Down, which is potatoes, corn, Conecuh sausage, and shrimp all cooked together in a big pot with crab boil. It is delicious and seems to have become a tradition of sorts for us. After dinner, the kids got in the boat, which was in the yard, by the way, and played until 10:00pm. They had so much fun. They laughed and squealed for hours. Nicholas was the official driver of the boat, while Tyler was the pumper of the gas when they needed a refill and the one to do the count down as they blasted off to their next imaginary destination. Even some of us "kids at heart" got in the boat for a couple of the trips. Oh to be young again.......

Merrill wondering why she can't play in the boat

Pilot, Nicholas, and co-pilot, Tyler

Hey, Tyler, it's time for a refill!

Hang on, Brianne. Here we go!

I'm going to sit here and be the backseat driver.

On Saturday, we headed out on the boat, in the water this time, to the island to do some hermit crab hunting. Brianne and Tyler are now pro's at this. They found LOTS of hermit crabs. So many they kept escaping from the buckets! Last year Tyler wouldn't touch the hermit crab. This year it was not a problem. The weather was great, and the water was crystal clear. Thank goodness there were no jellyfish. Last year we couldn't even get in the water there were so many jellyfish. We took a picnic lunch with us, and the ice cream boat (Yes, I said ice cream boat) came by just in time for dessert. What a way to finish out a day on the water.

The hermit crab hunters

Only part of the hermit crabs that were captured

Found another one!

Is there a sand crab in here?

Playing in the sand

Come on in. The water is fine!

Lunch time!

Say cheese!

Saturday night, Michael, Jessica, and Merrill came back to the beach to eat dinner with us. We grilled hamburgers and hung out and played with the kids again. What a way to spend a weekend. With family.... at the beach.......

Merrill and Pawpaw hanging out

Next year I'm going to be driving that boat!

Our Visit with Merrill, Jessica, and Michael

Before going to Nicholas's party on Saturday, we went to visit Merril, Jessica, and Michael. If you remember, we helped them move into their new house a few weeks ago. We wanted to check out the house, now that they are all settled in, and spend a little time with Merrill.

Merrill is growing up so quickly and is the cutest thing. We got to watch Michael give her a bath, and then I gave her a bottle, after which she promptly fell asleep and took a nap on my shoulder while we visited with Jessica and Michael. Before we left, Merrill gave me the sweetest Mother's Day gift, a silver elephant that is a music box. With it, she gave me a precious card that has a picture of me holding Merrill along with a sweet note. I will always cherish this gift.

Our visit was short, as we all had a birthday party to attend, but we really enjoyed it. The house is beautiful, and it seems that everyone is settling in nicely.

Sleeping Beauty

My Mother's Day gift from Merrill

Happy Birthday, Nicholas!

Our grandson, Nicholas, turned 4 years old on Tuesday, May 6. On Saturday, he had a pirate birthday party for friends and family. The birthday attraction was a huge pirate blow up. The kids had a great time jumping. After cake and ice cream, Nicholas opened his gifts after which a golf game broke out. Nicholas had been wanting a set of golf clubs, and he received two sets for his birthday! We hope that he is the next Tiger Woods. :)

Nicholas, Bebe and Pawpaw Bo had a great time at your party. We love you!

Ahhhhh, Jamaica......

Bo and I just returned from a week long trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was the first time we have ever visited the island, and we certainly intend to go back. We went on a couple of excursions while in Jamaica. One day we took a tubing trip down the Great River in Montego Bay, which runs through the mountains, and on another day, we took a trip to Ocho Rios where we shopped and climbed Dunn's River Falls. This is a limestone waterfall that tumbles into the ocean. It was a tough climb, but it was beautiful and a lot of fun. One thing we did not do, that we regret, is not taking the zip line through the canopy of the rain forest. We saw others doing it, and it looked like so much fun. We have put this on the list of things to do when we go back to Jamaica, and I'm sure we will add others.

This is the view from the beach at the resort where we stayed. Can you believe how beautiful the water is? It rained every day, but only in short showers, so we were able to still get plenty of sun and relax at length on the beach or by the pool. Who wouldn't want to spend as much time as possible by this beautiful ocean?

The next few pictures are of the resort where we stayed, the Riu Montego Bay. It opened last Fall and is spectacular. The staff is great and the food delicious. If you go hungry here, it is your own fault because food was readily available almost all of the time.



There are 4 restaurants here, 3 of which lie along this corridor. Three require reservations, an Asian, an Italian, and a steakhouse, and one is a buffet. We tried the steakhouse and Italian place, and they were both delicious. All of our other dinners and breakfasts were eaten at the buffet. The food in the buffet restaurant was very good.


The grounds were beautiful.





And the views spectacular.

A couple of nights during the week, these gentleman came and seranaded everyone during dinner. They were very talented, and we loved listening to them.

A couple of photos of Bo and me after dinner a couple of nights.

Our week flew by, but we had so much fun. We can't wait to go back. If you've never been to Jamaica, we highly recommend it!

Family Day 2009

This past weekend was a busy, but fun one. It was full of cleaning, moving, unpacking, and playing.

We started out the weekend with a quick meeting with our social worker to update our homestudy. It has been two years since our last update, and we hope it's our last update before we travel to China.

On Saturday, we helped Michael and Jessica move into their new house. The weather was perfect, and things went very smoothly. We love their new house and know that they will enjoy all of the extra room they have now. Merrill will especially enjoy the swingset in the backyard. Nicholas and Anna Kay tried it out, just to make sure it worked okay.

After the move was complete, we loaded up and headed to the Family Day celebration that our company has every year. This was the first year any of our grandchildren were able to go with us to family day, and Nicholas had a blast. He jumped in the air jumpy things, rode the bumper cars twice, the roller coaster, the bumble bees, the ponies, and slid down the really big slide with me and Pawpaw Bo. Anna Kay and Nicholas both rode the carousel and the train. The food was great, and we all went home completely pooped!

It was a really fun weekend, and we look forward to many more Family Day celebrations with all of our grandchildren.

Happy Easter!

This year's Easter celebration has covered a couple of weeks. It first began last Sunday with our grandkids', Tyler and Brianne, second annual Easter party. Bo was working and unable to go with me, but we had fun just the same. We had lots of good food and a really cute Easter bunny cake with ice cream. After lunch, the kids hunted eggs. Due to inclement weather, the easter egg hunt was held in the garage, but plenty of eggs were found by everyone.

Let's go find some eggs!

Tyler finds some eggs

Brianne finding her share of eggs

Look what was inside my egg!

The next part of our Easter celebration came on Thursday when my mother went to Birmingham for CT scans to see if the cancer treatment is working. We were told in February that it could take up to a year to see any change in her tumors and to not be disappointed if we did not see any improvement, since my mom just started the treatment in January. Well, on Thursday, the CT scans showed that the lesions on her pancreas are shrinking and that the other areas the doctors are watching are still stable. We are so thankful for this good news and answered prayers. What a better reminder that Jesus rose from the dead and is with us everyday, where ever we are.

The third part of our Easter celebration took place over the weekend. On Saturday, Tim, Michele, Nicholas and Anna Kay came to spend the weekend with us. We had so much fun! We played with Playdough, drove the golf cart, drew on the sidewalk with chalk, planted flowers, and hunted Easter eggs. On Saturday night, Michael, Jessica, and Merrill came to have dinner with all of us. Merrill is growing up so quickly and is just adorable.

Nicholas with his sweet little smile


Pawpaw Bo and Merrill~Look how big she is getting!

Anna Kay, Pawpaw Bo, Merrill, and Nicholas

(This one will look great on Pawpaw's desk, don't you think?)

Did the Easter Bunny come visit everyone on Saturday night? He knew exactly where to find Anna Kay and Nicholas, although they were not at home. He came to Pawpaw and Bebe's house! Nicholas and Anna Kay got lots of great stuff, especially the chocolate candy :)

Look at all of the loot that the Easter Bunny brought to Nicholas and Anna Kay

Mmmmm.....Reese's Peanut Butter egg

The breakfast of champions!

After breakfast, no we didn't all eat Reese's peanut butter eggs for breakfast, we all got ready and went to church. It was the first time any of our grandchildren have ever been to church with us, which was very special. Nicholas was so handsome in his Easter outfit, and Anna Kay so pretty in hers. After church, my parents, sisters, and family came over to have an Easter/Birthday lunch with us and to hunt Easter eggs. The birthday celebration was for my mom, whose birthday is tomorrow, April 13, and my niece, Amy, whose birthday is April 23, and for Nicholas, whose birthday is May 6. We really enjoyed having everyone over this weekend and hope to do it again very soon!

Waiting to go to church~How sweet is this picture?

Did anyone see which way that bunny went?

Anna Kay found some eggs!

The new way to hunt Easter eggs

- have Pawpaw carry you to the eggs

Found an orange egg!

Basket is getting full!

Wonder what is in this egg

Found another one!

Come on Pawpaw! It's my turn to drive!

Amy, Emily, Beth, Mom, myself, and Brenda

(nieces, sisters, and my mom)

Anna Kay, Tim, Nicholas, and Michele resting

after the weekend festivities

It's Finally Spring!

It seems like forever since I've updated last. We have had lots of things going on and are so glad that Spring is finally here. This weekend was beautiful, and we were so glad to be able to enjoy some of it with Tim, Michele, Nicholas, and Anna Kay. Nicholas had fun driving Pawpaw Bo and Anna Kay on the golf cart, while the rest of us looked on. In the collage below you will see pictures of our newest granddaughter, Merrill, along with Anna Kay and Nicholas. Merrill is almost 3 months old now. She is growing and changing every day. We can't wait to have all of our grandkids at our house at one time. It will be a house full of joy!

Enjoy some pics from yesterday and the last few months.

Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Husband

Today is Bo's birthday. Unfortunately, we had to work today, but we are planning to go to dinner with some of his siblings tonight.

Thank you, Bo, for the life that you have given me and for being such a wonderful and loving husband and father. Sophie is going to be one lucky little girl. I love with all of my heart!