I can't believe my little boy is 18...

An 18 year old...yes, he is!!! Time to open your present. What could it be? When he got home, first thing he said as he walked in the house was, "well, I didn't see that truck in the driveway". Sorry Boo, maybe next time. ☺

But he did get something he has been wanting for awhile. He got a droid. I think he was quite pleased with his present.With VBS going on this week, Shea and I didn't have time to make him a cake so I bought one. Notice though, that Shea had to put her own personally touches on it. She was a little disappointed that she didn't get to decorate the entire cake.

Grant, Zach, Courtney and Shea. Courtney is going to have to learn she can't hid from the camera around me.

Everybody now...♪♫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ♪♫, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, ♪♫, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ZACH, ♪♫, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫ !!! AND MANY MORE!!!Look at all that smoke from all those candles. Now, on to the really important stuff, to figure out how to operate that phone.I reminded him that turning 18 didn't mean you were grown...his response, "nope, but I'm one year closer", with a big ol' smile on his face. (Man, you gotta love that kid) Happy birthday, Zach. I love you!!

Keep smiling,

Charlene

P.S. If you aren't smiling, start

It's a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" party

We went to a surprise birthday party for Sylvia, one of my best friends, Saturday. Jon, her husband, and her kids cooked and invited some friends and family over to celebrate. Jon and Colton were cooking up some great tasting food.They told Sylvia they wanted to cook lunch for her so she had to go stay at Amanda's house for awhile. I think she was surprised when she got home and found all those people in her house. She got a walking cane, with a mirror, horn, and support hose. Sylvia's sister, Sandra and her mom, Jane, just wishing they had one of those. heheheSylvia, Hunter, her nephew, and Sandra.Grant was outside helping Jon.The guys suffered through the heat to get the food cooked. Colton, Jon, Clinton, Grant and Perry. Perry, why aren't you looking at the camera like everyone else is? Hello, Perry???? Some people just don't take instruction well from the photographer.Oh, wait, there you are!! Sylvia's mom, Jane, and her mother-in-law, Anita.Look, it's me and Sylvia...I love this lady and have for a looooong time now. Besides she gave me three beautiful non-biological children. I let her raise them and take care of them and pay for their vehicles, college, etc. but I still consider them mine...hahaha

Who is that trying to mess up my picture? Clinton, don't you have some food to cook or something?Sisters, can you tell?
You the man, Colton. Just look at your Aunt Paula cleaning up after you guys.

One thing I know for sure about Clinton and Colton...they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their mother!!See, I told you Sylvia has beautiful children. Clinton, Sylvia, Amanda, her grandbaby Maddie, and Colton. Sorry Jon, you were outside. I meant to get a picture of the whole family when Jon came back inside but well, they brought the food in and I had other things on my mind. Maddie looks like a little angel. Absolutely beautiful!!

The boys are waiting for lunch.Can you believe all that food? It was all so good.

Maddie found her a place to play. Lolly's cabinets are full of fun stuff to play with.Jon and his mother, Anita, and sister,Paula.She may be 50 but not over the hill yet!

Kim and Perry came and enjoyed the celebration. Oh no, its a spider, and Perry hates spiders...just kidding, it's not really a spider. Mr. Perry was trying to show Maddie he wasn't going to get her if she walked past him.

Jon is getting the candles lite.Maddie couldn't take her eyes off the candles, or was it the cake??? Blowing out the candles on cake #1.Now cake #2.And here is somebody else that loves Sylvia, that would be Grant.Mr. Perry loves playing with babies. This is Will, he belongs to one of Jon's cousin.Time to open up the presents.Happy, Happy Birthday my beautiful friend. I love you dearly!!!

Charlene

Snow Day in February

A real snow day, finally!!! Randy made this picture of our house. Pretty, don't you think?
Ginger wasn't to sure about that cold, wet stuff on the ground.

That sweet puppy wasn't even sure if she could get off the sidewalk at first. She did get out there though.

This is Brandon's measurement of the snow that morning. Wow, now that's a lot of snow.

This is the real measurement from that morning. Brandon put the measuring stick behind the wood pile in the other picture, looks real to me. haha Still, almost 4 inches of snow is a lot to us in north Louisiana.
My usual snowman building buddy, Zach, was in New Orleans at the Mardi Gras parades, so I called out my other helpers. I called Brandon and Jake and told them I needed some help and in no time, they were there. Such good nephews I have. Brandon and Shea were trying to get that snowman bottom shaped up a little. He looks a little lumpy here.Shea and Jake having a snowball fight. You can't have this much snow without a snowball fight.Mr. Snowman is coming right along, still a little lumpy though. I don't think Shea was helping to much. I guess her nose was cold.

And just so you know, I was helping too, just had to stop every now and then to take a few pictures.

Since Zach wasn't home and couldn't protest, we borrowed his hat. I don't know if hell froze over when the Saints won the Superbowl but I know Louisiana did.

Because I knew we better not get that Saints hat dirty, we found the next best thing, a Fred Smith & Sons hat.

Brandon with his new bff. You did a good job Brandon, thanks for helping.
Flash in the snow.

After the snowman was built it was time to pull out the sled. Jake pulled Shea all around the pasture.

Our horses, Gus and Flash, didn't seem to mind the snow.

I wish I had a picture of the look on Jake's face when I told to spin out on the four wheeler. He couldn't believe that was coming out of my mouth. Bless his heart, Leenie is a little over protective when they are riding. The first thing I tell him when he ask to ride is, "if I see you driving to fast you are going to park it". So you see why he was surprised? He had a blast out there on it.

I love the snow.

Charlene