LA Fishing

We spent the afternoon fishing at a family friends' pond.  The children loved it, because the fish were biting like crazy.  It seemed like every time they casted, a fish was on the line immediately.  This wasn't fishing.  It was catching.  All three kids loved it!

The Wetlands

We finally got everything loaded, and we are on the road!  Here we come Louisiana!  

In the middle of packing and loading, Ryland smacked himself in the mouth.  It was pretty bad, and there was blood and screaming.  He did end up losing a top front tooth, so the Tooth Fairy had to find him way out at the Wetlands.  I don't know how she did it, but she found him and left a sweet surprise.  $20 bill!  The tooth fairy must not have had change for her unexpected trip.

We all enjoyed being outdoors and spent a little time fishing.  It was nice to be outside and ride around in the boat.  Ryland reeled in a fish, and we saw a pretty large snake in the water.  Ryland also lost his other top front tooth today, so we had to send a memo to the Tooth Fairy, again.

We had a ton of fun visiting and catching up with everyone.  It was nice to see how everyone is changing as more kiddos are born.  The corn hole, skeet shooting, and beer drinking are still in full effect, but there are some more yard toys and play pins.

Reed was the ultimate frog catcher.  He loved tracking and catching these frogs as they hopped across the porch and patio.  He was very stealth-like and grabbed them quickly.  He would play with them a little while, and then he would let them go.

The inflatable water slide was a huge hit again.  Reed wouldn't take a break for a picture, and I snapped this one of Ryland as he ran over for more sunscreen.  They loved it!  Ridley threw a fit to get on it, but it didn't go so well.  She slid down screaming one time, and that pretty much changed her mind about the slide.

Ridley had a blast at the Wetlands.  She was a trooper and went along with whatever we were doing.  I did have some long, wonderful naps with her in the cool bunk house.  I love those sweet still moments.  On the way home, I picked her up this Cinderella drink when they boys got ICEEs.  She was so excited and held the bottle like a baby.  Too funny!

Louisiana

We had a big weekend ahead of us and many miles to cover on the way to Trevor's wedding.  We left a few days prior, so we would have some time to stop in Louisiana on the way.  It was nice to see family and have some time out of the truck.  Lizee and Pops had a huge dirt pile for the boys to play in with their trucks.  They played for hours before it was time to call it a night.

Ridley visited with everyone and modeled the adorable outfit Aunt Emily had given her.  She is definitely filling it out these days, and I love the baby rolls she is getting.

Thanksgiving Take Two

Our second Thanksgiving celebration was in Ruston with the Allison side of the family.  We had a great time visiting with some family that we hadn't seen in a while and catching up.  Ryland had requested that they go hunting for brown or black animals, so the boys layered on the camo and headed to the woods.  They came back a short while later, and they hadn't see anything.

 

 

On the second trip to the woods, John Chris realized that the pressure to shoot something was pretty intense.  This time they came back with a squirrel, and the boys were so proud.  Ryland wouldn't touch it, but Reed had no problem showing off their kill. 

Now to skin and eat this prize kill.

Boys weekend

The boys headed to Louisiana to have some fun in the country.  I was a little shocked when I received the picture of their catch.  That is a big gator!

 

 

Ryland & Reed walked through some thick, yucky mud, and they loved every moment of it.

 

Showing off a snake.

 

Brotherly love.  Reed helps Ryland clean off his cap.

 

The camp has a huge tree that all the guys got inside just to see how many people would fit.  It held 15 guys.  The boys were amazed at the huge tree.

 

Lake Claiborne

It is summer, and time for the lake!  We spent the weekend playing on the water with the Owens crew.  Ryland and Reed loved riding on the boat right in the front.

 

One of the favorite things for the boys, was to swim between the pontoons.  This was a highlight for Reed.  Look how happy he was!  They also had fun jumping off the boat and riding on the tubes. 

 

Obviously, the fun wore these two completely out.  

 

Mardi Gras

We celebrated Mardi Gras in Shreveport with family, and we had a blast.  It was fun to show the boys a little Louisiana heritage.  Aunt Emily bought them Mardi Gras shirts and masks, and their dad purchased glowing swords/wands.

 

Once the parade arrived, it was party time.  Ryland and I staked out a spot on the front row, and we started yelling for beads.  Reed and John Chris stayed a few steps behind, and Reed enjoyed a spot on Dad's shoulders. 

We had so much fun and want to come back next year.  Thanks to Aunt Emily and Uncle Jeffery for letting us stay with them and showing us a great time!



Napping

Reed and Pops caught up on a little sleep before we headed home.

Ryland waited until we hit the road before completely crashing. He had so much fun, and he was completely worn out. He didn't even make it through Dora before nodding off to sleepy land.

Visiting Louisiana

We headed to Louisiana to visit family this weekend. While we were there, it rained and rained and rained.

Daddy, Mommy, and Reed played in the floor.

Ryland was thrilled that it was cooler and something different. We haven't had rain at home for months. He had a blast playing out in the yard and getting wet.

After a day of hard playing, Ryland enjoyed some tasty ice cream. He had to get every last drop.

Yummy!

Reed enjoyed playing and keeping us entertained.

Ryland jumped in on the picture fun and took over the camera. I think we have a budding photographer on our hands. He snapped a shot of Doodle and Cooper.

Pops relaxing.

Country fun

As soon as we got to Louisiana, Ryland was having a blast. He wanted to play with the dogs and go for a ride in the wagon.


Ryland took a brief little break to cool off in the rocking chair. He loves being outside!

Many hours have gone by, and Ryland is still playing outside.

After I pulled Ryland in the wagon, he decided he wanted to push it back to the garage. With a little steering assistance, he successfully backed into a great parking spot in the garage.

He is such a big boy. He sits and chats with all of the adults.

Ryland is staying with his grandparents this week, while John Chris and I get some things done. I am traveling to west Texas for a couple of days, and John Chris has a new employee starting and an old one leaving. I know the week will fly by, but I am going to miss my little man so much. I know he will have a blast and so will his grandparents.

Mommy time. All alone.

I was really behind with work, and I had several appointments on Saturday morning. John Chris needed to make a trip to Louisiana to help his parents with some home repairs. It was impossible to get everything done if I went to Louisiana or if he stayed at home. We decided that he would go to Louisiana and take Ryland and Cooper.
It was so weird being home without all the boys, and the house was way too quiet. I was able to get a ton of stuff accomplished. I am completely caught up with my paperwork. My appointments went fantastic. The house is picked up. I cleaned out my desk, my arts and crafts chest, the downstairs closet, and gathered everything for the taxes. I even had time for a facial. Wow, I can still be productive!
At the end of the weekend, I was very excited for my family to come back home. I know I got tons of stuff done, but all I really want to do is to hug and kiss my boys. This house is empty without them.

Louisiana family

On the road again....... We loaded up and headed to Ruston to see JC's family. Even though it is the day after Christmas, it is Christmas here.

Ryland, our little gift, thought the bow was funny. He smiled and laughed as he tore into his gift from Aunt Emily and Uncle Jeffery.

Spongebob Band-Aids. Just what every destructive boy needs.

Crazy chickens

We took a little look at the chickens as they were getting fed. They crack Ryland up. John Chris makes a chicken noise, and he just starts laughing. Now when he gets a little fussy, we both start clucking.

Happy 60th birthday

We traveled to Louisiana to celebrate Randy's 60th birthday. We had a great time visiting and catching up, and it was nice to slow down a little. I took a few shots of Ryland playing in the grass. He loved picking up the leaves and talking all about them.
I wish I could understand what he was saying.
"oh, you crunchy leaf. How do you taste?"

A kiss from Whody

Ryland's first 4wheeler ride.

Poor Doodle. Somehow he always gets mistaken for a pony or a horse. Ryland loves to ride on Doodle's back.

The boys like to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather!

Cooper loves to chase the frisbee. I swear you could never throw it enough times for him to give up. He is totally focused on fetching it over and over.