Meg & Bradley

Of course there is a story behind these 2 pics. The rule is that Meg's phone and facebook are off at 9pm on school nights. No need to visit after those hours b/c we don't unless it's an emergency. Plus it gives us time to all 3 visit after the boys go to bed and watch tv together.

Soooo...after 9pm that night...phone was on the desk charging for the next day and the computer was shut off. Megan announced..."o yay now I get to snuggle with Coach Smith on the couch!"

And this was his reaction...they have a funny relationship...I love it!

This man really cares for this girl and this girl really looks up this man! I just smile... :)
God is Good...All the Time!

Eight Years Ago...

Eight years ago in 2002...a really sweet wedding ceremony took place in the backyard of Brad's parents house. Lots of friends and family were there. My mom made the most wonderful cakes and the most beautiful floral decorations. Perry Lee cooked the best chicken and hamburgers. It was such a fun evening. The next day we flew out to a destination we still talk and reminise about today...Juneau, Alaska. We dream about what we will do when we return...

Lots has happened in eight years...we both became teachers/coaches at Mendenhall High.
Built a house, had a baby in 2003, another one in 2006, and another one in 2008...

We ventured in the world of chickens, built a man-shed, and a chicken barn. We love each and every moment we get to spend outside doing lot of "farm" things as a family.

Prayed about having a 4th baby. Thought are crew was complete. God had other plans in 2010 we got guardianship of Megan. Lots has happened in 8 years and I have loved sharing this adventure with this guy...can't wait to see what the future holds.

awe how sweet

Carson is still so proud of his little flower in my wine glass. He made Brad and I take a picture with it the other day. So here it is! Look in the background...thanks Bradley for all of your bad habits that you instill in our children. Gage and Carson do this with the apple juice and koolaid containers...I guess you pick your battles. Life is WAY too short to yell, scream, and fuss all the time...I pick my battles and this is not one I care about fighting!

Family Photos

I am all about taking cheesy group family pictures each Christmas...so here are this years! I cherish every one that I have. Just fun to have them up during the year to look at.

My Crew...

Brad's Bunch!

chick-fil-a party

We decided to have Carson's birthday along with Brad's and my Papa Johns at Chick-Fil-A. We had a great time. A lot of friends and family were able to come.

Carson and his YaYa... opening presents....

Carson and Gage being of great assistance to Daddy opening his gifts!

everyone had a good time visiting with one another...

Meme

All 3 of my boys love their Meme. It is so awesome to me that my boys have a great-grandmother. We got to spend a little time with Meme and Papa before we went up to visit Bradley's side of the family later in the day on Thanksgiving.

Meme letting Carson drink his white milk out of a fancy cup.

Gage and Meme with her Christmas tree that my mama put up for them.
And last but now least...Toby with Meme!

No Big Mac Here!

I got the opportunity to visit my little nephew last night...MAC! He is still so very tiny. He has gained a few pounds the 3 weeks he here but he is still so cute and wrinkly. I love it. So I brought my camera up and took a few pictures of him because in another week or two all the wrinkles will be gone. I have pictures of mine this little and wrinkly and they are priceless pictures to me! So here are Mac's (not so Big Mac) 3 weeks pictures...

I had to get a naked booty shot. I'm sure he will kill me for it in 15 years. But I love it!

I'm a proud Aunt Amy. Love him, eat him up...

Meet Mac

Welcome to the world McCaslin Ward

September 12, 6lbs 15 ozs, 19 1/2 inches long.

My sister, Carla, and Baby Mac are doing great!

Fun with First Cousins

Our cousins came down this weekend for a long visit and one last hoorah before the summer ended. We had a great time visiting with great food. The kids had so much fun all together. There are 6 of them age 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9! There is not a dull moment.

Lacey, Charley, Toby, and I rode into town with Slick yesterday to get the newspaper and run by the hardware store. Charley went into the hardware store with Slick and out they came with suckers for her and Toby. They were both in hog heaven! They had a lot of fun playing together over the weekend. At one point though I found Charley feeding Toby fish food pellets.

Carson, Gage, Chase, and Morgan Claire played outside for the most part of the weekend. They transformed the playyard into a clubhouse/fort. It was great! They would find stuff out in the pool house and around the house and take them to the fort. They had decorations everywhere, chairs, a couch, license plates, and tons of other "treasures." They had the best time all playing together this weekend.

the best 7 years...

Yep...today marks 7 years that we have spent together. We have had a fun 7 years too! Never thought 10 years ago God would have given me this man and we would have 3 little boys together. Nothing too exciting happened today. Brad did tell the office staff that it was our anniversary so this morning when I ran to the office during break to get some copies made several of them said "happy anniversary". I said "yep it was the best move that boy made asking me to marry him." They said "that's exactly what Coach Smith told us this morning but it was the best move you had ever made." Little do they know we are always joking about this around our anniversary time. We did go on a golfcart ride with all the boys of course looking for deer and rabbits. We asked Gage to take our picture so we could remember our 7th anniversary and how we spent it. He was so excited to get to take our picture...he was telling us..."say cheese mama and daddy!" The big excitement of the evening is that I went to the local grocery store today and bought 2 (yes 2) flavors of sherbert (we are trying to watch our weight that is why I did not get Blue Bell!)...pinapple and twisted cactus. We are wild and crazy huh? So I guess I need quit the blog tonight so I can go snuggle on the couch with Bradley, watch football (oh fun), and eat lots of sherbert! I love you so much Bradley...thank you for such a super fun 7 years and many more adventures to come...

Videos GG's 5 of 5

Here are several videos I took on our short trip to see GG and Top. I couldn't pick just one so I had to share many (5 in all)...enjoy!

Toby thought the sand on the beach was just great. It was his first time to ever see or be on the beach. He loved the texture of the sand and how it felt when it went through his fingers...

Gage walked out into the Gulf with GG where there were sandbars. He thought jumping over the waves was way too cool. He would also swim through my Mom's legs and just crash into the water!

My Mom has a big tub with jets. So she got some Mr. Bubble and we added some bubbles to the water...it wasn't enough...so I added MORE. Well then we turned on the jets and well...let's just say...we had WAY too many bubbles in our opinion...but to Gage and Toby it was just perfect!

Gage just being silly Gage...singing in the tub!

When we were at Cindy and Sam's farm, we got to play in their pool and Gage got to slide for the first time and had a blast doing it! Such a fun ending to such a fun trip!

The Farm GG's 4 of 5

After we went to the beach that Saturday morning we were coming back to wash off our legs and feet. Gage was about to have a stroke to take a picture of Mom and I...so here it is! He is such a mess.

Then...we headed out to visit some friends at their farm. Cindy, Sam, and Jeannie have a great tropical farm. Sam has a 1 yr old long horn bull named "stingray." We got to watch him feed him a bottle...and then Gage got to sit on Stringray for just a minute. Sam says he is going to ride him in the Mardi Gras parade...

They had a great pool that we got to enjoy. They even had a slide...Gage really loved it and I have a great video of him in Part 5. Lincoln their dog would run around the pool in circles when my boys were in the pool because he was just so excited that we all were there.

My boys felt right at home...they have free roaming chickens just like we do!

They even have rabbits! Gage really loved the rabbits especially this little bitty one!

Thanks Sam, Cindy, and Jeannie for such a fun afternoon at your house. If anyone hasn't tried the Which Wich, an awesome sub shop, do so! They even make their own potato chips.

Fun at GG's 3 of 5

When we went to Chick Fil A, Top took "lighting mcqueen" his little red sports car. Gage is big enough to ride now and he was so excited. He kept telling Top "go faster!"

Gage and I getting ready to watch Kung Fu Panda and eat ice cream and popcorn...YUMMY!

Mom got lots of "berries" for the boys to eat. Toby was the first to find the bowl and ate lots of "berries" for breakfast. Gage started some time ago calling grapes - berries...and so it just stuck! So you have green berries and purple berries!

Gage is my puzzle man. Mom found the perfect puzzle for him...a scenry puzzle and then you stick dinosaurs cut our pieces all around in the different areas. Gage wanted most of his dinosaurs to be in the water!

This is General Jubal! Yep...a new poodle! He was a cute little guy that loved to play with my boys.

Bubbles GG's 2 of 5

Ok...well after the beach then to Chick Fil A to eat...bathtime was the next order of business! Mom has a big tub with jets...and when you add bubbles...oh so much more FUN! Mounds of bubbles appeared when we turned on the jets and we would have to turn them off periodically to let the bubbles die down before starting them up again. At one point Toby dissappeared into the mound of bubbles and when he came up was covered in them! I have posted to videos of bubble time on the part 5 section...so check those out too!

Bubbles everywhere...

Priceless look on Toby's face!

Yep, this was after Toby came up for air after being submerged in the bubbles!

Gage could have stayed in the tub forever!

Toby getting good loving from GG!

Jubal (the new poodle) thought the boys in the tub were too much fun and really would have like to have joined them I think...He and Toby really hit it off as good buddies!

As if bubble bath was NOT enough, GG pulled out real bubbles...oh fun!

Silly Gage-Man!

THEN if those real bubbles were not enough...she pulled out the HUGE bubble maker! Going back to our bathtub with just a normal tub and bubbles will be not so interesting now...oh well...I guess that what it is all about...memories of bubbles in GG's tub!