4th of July

Here are some shots I took before it got too dark. We started lighting fun things like parachutes and smoke bombs at dusk. I think the kids loved the smoke bombs more than anything else. They combined various colors at the same time. It was very pretty. Our neighbors the Beggs and the Mitchells came over to help celebrate the holiday. The flowers are from Trish's garden. We enjoyed ice cream sundaes and homemade cobbler. Mom and Dad stopped by to watch the big finale. Mike and Jamie put on quite the show. It was fun for the adults to visit and the kids had the best time together. I made the kids little goodie bags to put their stash in. Even Jamie joined in the badminton game.

Creating

A 2 page layout from our trip to the Memphis Zoo.


A patriotic layout from our Branson trip.



A mini book I am making for Sarah. It will have all of her dance pictures and recital stuff. Very cute and very fun!!!

Toyota Celica GT

Jamie has a new ride. Months of searching the car lots and internet have finally yielded a result. The winner of the exhaustive search is a very cute and sporty Celica. Mike is so good at this stuff. I would never have brought this thing home. It was nasty dirty. A solid week of elbow grease from the boys resulted in a very nice car. Jamie is practicing his driving every day and gearing up for his test in August. He will still have a restricted license until February. Jamie specifically wanted something small and easy to drive. The gas mileage is fabulous. Mike tried very hard to convince him he needed a truck but no go. Older cars were looked at but the newer models have more safety features. He debuted his new ride at the 4th of July picnic at the grandparents house.

Oulaw Fishfry/Reunion 2010

The family reunion was a huge success. It was hot and humid but also a rare opportunity to visit with loved ones. I loved it. It was so sun to see faces I have not seen for 8 to 10 years. That is way tooo long. I met family members for the first time. I had the great pleasure of taking everyones picture. I fell in love with the kids' sweet smiles. Cindy worked very hard to prepare a feast. She is amazing and I can't thank her enough for her efforts. I posted different pictures on facebook so check those out also. I tried to post a slideshow here but could not get it to work. I put it in dropbox to share with family and friends.

Random thoughts on the event: Children are so much more happy to have their picture taken. I am not sure who declared it red t'shirt/hat day but we did not get the memo. I have not seen that many smokers in one place ever. The air was so hot and humid my lens instantly fogged when I stepped one foot out of the door. I love, love, love my family and my hobby. The two together are perfection.

He's growing up fast.

He is going to high school in a matter of weeks. He is practicing driving. He is becoming so grown up. Here is a little digital layout to try to capture the moment a little.

Segway Layout

Cool scrapbook page of a very cool kid. No, I will not buy you a segway. I just want to take pictures. It's too bad Daddy wasn't there to ride with you. That really would have been a photo op.

Branson Fun

The Hollywood Wax Museum was a big hit with the kids. I was impressed with the variety of exhibits. Some looked amazingly real and some not so much.

Jamie is a huge movie fan. All of the big hits were on display here.


I love this photo op. Jamie is ready to beam up with Kirk and Spock.


"Who is she?" I thought my kids saw way too much tv. Maybe not as much as I believed.


Both kids thought the mirror maze was a fun challenge. I am just glad they were there with me. I probably would have never made it out.

Jamie's big opportunity to ride a Segway. He cruised around the park like an expert and loved it.


There was so much to do and see. We barely scratched the surface. The kids can't wait to go back. We also enjoyed some shopping. I was too busy to stop and take pictures at the scrapbook store.