Cure for the Monday blues...

My favorite. Chocolate. Delight. Mmmmm. You mix them up, bake what you want, store the rest in the fridge for future, warm yumminess. I love chocolate chip cookies. Mitchel likes nuts, I don't. Don't I compromise well?

Ghirardelli bittersweet chips make the best cookies. The Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookie recipe is what I make. Did I mention that these will be served in my house in Heaven?? I really would like some right now....at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Oh well...

Aunt Sha's Pontoon

Saturday, we got together with my mom's side of the family. My mom's sister....Aunt Sha:).....just got a new boat. And oh yes, we got to ride! Lake Ray Hubbard is now the playground for the Kulwicki/Rodgers/Certain family. Watch out boating world!

Mitchel and I have a thing about water, boats, and beach. Mmmmm. So good.

Yep, Parker got to go too. She LOVED it! She even enjoyed the life jacket, even though it came right up to her chin:). There's my mom (Grammie) in the background. She loves the water too...

Here's my Aunt Sha, driving away. With Kylie smiling on....that was before we hit a wake going 30 mph, and the whole front of the boat got soaked....still cracking up over that one. hehe 

Everyone recovering from the shock and rush of cold water:). LOL Water covered my dad's back, so he perched himself out of harm's way for the rest of the trip. hehe

Yep, Amber cracking up laughing at my wet family. Poor things. I did feel kind of bad for them, and really glad that I wasn't wet. I was wearing new shoes!

Parker and Daddy. She smiled and laughed and watched everything around her. Then Aunt Sha turned on the music. Now, my Mom, Dad, and Sherrie (Aunt Sha) have a love for "great" music. So, she turns on the Carpenter's, and Parker is now in love with their song, "Sing." Kids start singing "la, la, la, la, la..." and she starts begging for the song over and over. She's still asking for the song now....

Parker and Daddy looking out over the horizon. So happy.

One happy family. Out on the water. Peace, joy. Thanks Aunt Sha...and Uncle Billy for letting us invade your space! You're awesome. We're inviting ourselves out again, REAL SOON! We love you:).

Aunt Carolyn's

Last Saturday we went to my Aunt Carolyn's house to celebrate my Nana's birthday. She turned 81. She's my dad's mom, and sadly, here recently became my only grandmother. She's just an amazing woman, whom I love dearly. The day my mom called to tell her my Naw had passed away, she cried with my mom. That's just the kind of sweet spirit she is. She's had 6 kids, lost 2, lost her husband close to the same time she lost her 2nd child, and her oldest daughter, Aunt Kathy, is mentally challenged. She's a good hero to have, I think.

My Nana was raised on a farm in East Texas with her siblings. Her father passed away when she was 4, needless to say, life hasn't been an easy journey. Yet, her faith is unwavering. She has attended church as long as I've known her (& much, much longer), she loves Billy Graham, she has genuine love and respect for those she knows. She is very quiet, meek, and humble. My Nana loves Jesus, I think deeper than I'll ever know. Not too long ago I saw a book on her desk in her room about overcoming grief. It's been over 30 years since her husband passed away. It brings tears to my eyes to think about the horrible, awful pain she's endured. But now....now she has joy. And it's because of the Lord.....and Parker:).

My Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Bob's house is just outside Denison, TX. They have lots of land, and it is always immaculate. Just a beautiful, peaceful place, where we all love to go. I have so many memories of being there with Nana and Kathy as a little girl, and it was SO awesome watching Parker get her 1st real taste of Carolyn and Bob's. We all had a lot of fun on that cool day.

Just some of the scenery around the house. I told you:)....beautiful & peaceful.

Parker with the dogs. Bonnie & Sadie. They LOVED her. Just followed her wherever she went. It made her happy.

Nana and Parker. Nana was a little nervous with the dogs all over Parker. And, do you see Parker's pink knife in her hand? Carries that thing everywhere. Nana told her it was a good thing, because she might need to protect herself one of these days:). LOL

Here we are strolling down the road. Three of four generations.

Bob has a great "building" as he refers to it. It's full of all sorts of man goodies:). Here's Parker on one of them. The tractor. Getting a good rest from all the work it does all summer long!

Mitchel, playing some pool. He was beating my dad in this game;).

Parker and Aunt Carolyn "driving" the 4 wheeler. See the guns on front? They live in a bobcat, hog, coyote, anything else you can think of country:). Bob's very prepared...

Last shot on the 4 wheeler. She kept pushing the buttons. We really had a great day. It was nice to just hang out and celebrate a day of a lady we all love to pieces. Happy Birthday Nana:)!

Good Moments...

Found them reading to and hugging "people" together.

That's what Mitchel used to call his stuffed animals.

Now Parker points at her basket full of them, and yells "PEOPLE!"

He's the best Daddy.

Veggies!

Couple of weeks ago, Parker had the opportunity to meet some of her favorite friends...Bob & Wee-ree:). We went with her good friends Mikah and Skylar (her forced best friend- hehe).

Checking out Bob and Larry. She wasn't really sure about those big ol' guys...

She got brave, then when Larry bent down to shake her hand, she took off running back to mom. Poor Larry, he was really nice to her, but she was completely weirded out by the big veggie guys. From a distance, they were nice:). You can see Skylar in the background. She turned out to be the brave one of the group. Posing for pictures, giving high fives... it was great;).

Wanting a picture with them, I had to join in the fun. It was good for her, though, I think. Stretched her out of her comfort zone a little. We all need that every now and then...right?

She was ALL about the balloon afterward though. A green one with her friend Wee-ree on it. We bought the new Veggie Tale video too. She was one happy lady pulling out of LifeWay that day:).

Backyard Friends

Saturday, Mitchel and I spent most of the day in our yard. Correction, in our HIDEOUS yard. Poor Mitchel. He's feeling like he's failed his grass:). So together we agreed to spend our Saturday in the back pulling weeds (oh my goodness...) and in the front spending quality time with the few remaining blades of grass we have, and hoping to convince them to grow and spread. We'll see how that turns out.

In the meantime, Parker also got to spend some much anticipated time outside, something she loves. She's so much like me, though, its not even funny. She really does love being outside, but points out and yells at every bug, won't put her hands in the grass, and cries any time she falls, because that would require touching the grass:). Yep, that pretty much sums up my feelings. She'll get over it eventually, or at least learn that she has to, like I did. Ha! To all of my relatives out there laughing....stop it! They know me all too well.....

She really did have fun, though. Stepping in and running through all of our piles of weeds, playing with all of her toys, and running through the yard. As we were working, our neighbor that lives directly behind us came outside to play. She's probably around 3 or 4 years old, with not a shy bone in her body. My Parker does not have a shy bone in her body either, and they quickly hit it off.....through the fence:). Cracked me up. I had to get some pictures of Parker enjoying her first of many backyard antics that we all remember from being kids.

Peeking through trying to see who was calling her name, over and over....

I think the little girl really liked Parker's name. She just kept saying it and saying it. After a while, I don't think Parker knew what to say anymore. Lol.

It was so cute, she would crouch down, stand on her tip toes, yell back through little holes in the fence. She felt really big.

Whoops. There's a dog barking. Got a little distracted:).

Just realized she was being photographed. So, time to come check out the pictures.

She kept yelling, "Go Parker!" and "Yay, Parker!" She's such a nut. She had SOOO much fun. It was such a nice day. She ran and played for probably 2 hours. Then it was nap time. 3 hours of peace after lots of play. Thank you Lord for sunshine and silliness. Makes for the best days...

Happy Birthday Cora...

The Mac's

Thought you guys might want to swing by their site. I'm so sad for them. Sorry to keep bringing them up...just on my heart. Pray for them today if you think of them. What a hard day. Just not fair to not have your baby here. But God is good, and I know there is joy to come in the morning. Just so louzy to have to live through it. Poor things. 

Happy Birthday little Cora...

Cora

Today's the last day to buy for Cora's playground. Click on the pink button on the right, and see if you can find something you want or need:). Lots of cute stuff. Even Cora's mom has gotten in on the making- and her stuff is super cute. Head to her blog to see what she's got going. Of course, I think it's selling out like CRAZY.

Evidently, Etsy is going to post the big lump sum some time tonight. Then the family is meeting with the playground people:) (like my technical terms??) tomorrow to make the plans. 

Cora's birthday is tomorrow. If you think of them, pray for them. Ugh...I just don't even want to go there. But they had to. Makes my heart so sad. I'll go pray right now....