This past 4th of July we went Camping down @ Table Rock Lake near Branson. I think camping is a bit like childbirth. (without the great gift you get at the end and the excruciating pain.) What I mean is while your doing it, your thinking..."ugh! This really sucks!" (more or less) and then when it is over and everything is cleaned up for some reason, you want to do it again. ????
But we had a lot of fun! Our friends, Paul & Teralee Aaron and their 2 sweet little girls came with us. It was so much fun. We spent a day on a pontoon boat complete with a grill. Although I forgot the tongs, so when we went to cook the hamburger and Hot Dogs we had nothing to flip them with. We improvised and Warren was a grill master! We all got a little sun, a little smoke on our clothes and A LOT of Chigger bits. Yeah Missouri!!! Here are a few photos of the kids "driving" the boat!




This last one is just for proof. Proof that every now and then Aubrey and Andrew get along! LOL!! Even though Andrew isn't really smiling, deep down I know he is.

Few up dated photos

Andrew and our Good Friend Wes Johnson playing ball.


Aubrey doing her "I am Woman" softball pitch!
Aubrey had a great first season and learned quite a bit.



These were taken down in NM while at my sister Julie's Wedding!!



Here is "Granpa's girl" and Grandpa Jim, home from TX for Father's day.

Aubrey Graduates from Shoal Creek Elementry

I can hardly believe that my daughter is going into Middle School. Here in Liberty they have this big "graduation" if you will. Big presentation. Refreshments the works. I suppose because Aubrey is my first and only daughter that it is a little sad. They put on this slide of show and as I stood there that night and watched her baby picture and then a current photo flash across the screen, I was transported into the future. And I saw her High school graduation and going on to college and then getting married and starting a family of her own.... And yes, I started to get a little teary-eyed. It just seems like yesterday that Warren and I brought her home from the hospital. People always tell you to enjoy the time that you have with your kids, lots of people told me that but I realized I never really believed them. And sure enough I look at my kids and miss those days of diapers and feedings and going to playgroups and all the first that they have. But at the same time I realize that we are going to have so many different kinds of first now......First day of Middle School, First broken heart, First day of YM/YM, getting Driving License, the first time they really test their faith on their own........
And I am truly excited to see my children's life unfold but I will relish each and every day with them or at least that is my goal.

My Mother's Day gift.

I was trying to think of THE best mother's day gift last week. Something that I could give my mom but something that I would really want. I happen to be 'thinking' this over as I was running between taking Aubrey to piano lessons and taking Andrew to a friends house, all the while dealing with a hungry Adam, which if you know him, is NOT a good thing. But let me back up, I love working. I love being in an office environment, getting dressed up and interacting with people. But for a lot of different reasons I decided to Stay at home full-time. So with that decision running through my head and with all the running around I thought to myself "I wonder if my kids will ever know what I gave up for them. Will they ever know how much I love them and how much I did for them?"
DING-DING!!! I had my answer for the perfect Mother's Day gift. And so I told my mom that her gift was the fact that... I know. Not only do I know but I am so thankful. I finally see what my mom did for me. What she taught me and what she gave me. And I am thankful for all the things I never said thank-you for.
And THAT would be the best Mother's day gift I could ever receive.

Start of a Blog.

Well, I have jumped on the 'blog-wagon.' Not that that means I have ANY idea what I am doing or that I know how to "blog" but I am going to give it a try. I am not really sure why I decided to give in, so to speak. I don't really think that my life is too exciting or that what I say would be of some significance. I guess I am doing it more for me, something to perserve my thoughts and the day-to-dayness of my life. And no, I don't think "dayness" is really a word, well the spell check says it is not a word but it IS a Nancy word. I think I should create my own dictionary or perhaps a guide as to how I speak and what I say. LOL!! Just so you have some clue what I am talking about:) Anyway, raise a glass (of cranberry and club soda-my personal fav) to the start if a long and happy blogging life!