The Pollard Family

New Year's Eve

2012-01-16T17:31:00.002-06:00

For New Year's Eve we were invited to Martin & Kristyn's. We were all excited for a fun evening and couldn't wait to get to their new place. Well...our bad luck struck again. Halfway down our street the transmission decided to go out of my Trailblazer. What a sour way to end 2011! After we switched everything to the truck, we made our way to Centralia {as I prayed the entire way that the truck safely made the trip and didn't die, as well}. Martin made his awesome grilled pizza and we had lots of other snacks, too. Rhett attempted to play Mario Kart while the girls played Scrabble Soup. Once the kids settled down and began to watch a movie, we played Phase 10. We did see midnight and shortly after headed back home, where again I prayed the entire way. Thankfully, the Trailblazer is now fixed. Instead of a New Year's resolution, we hope and pray for our family and friends {our family included} to have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2012!

Looks like a pretty intense game of Mario Kart!

"Is this how, Uncle Martin?"

Rhett wasn't the best driver!

Allison is really good at this game and tends to whoop everyone that plays against her!

More Fun in St. Louis!

2011-12-31T16:20:00.000-06:00

Our extra days in St. Louis were spent by hanging out with family, shopping, and going to Jilly's Cupcake Bar. I surprised Allison by taking her to Jilly's. Jilly's was on Cupcake Wars and won! Allison adores Cupcake Wars and now wants to be a cupcake designer. She even got real cupcake stuff from Santa. When we got to the store, I told the workers about Allison and her love of cupcakes. They had Chef Dana come out and talk to us! SO COOL! Then, he took Allison, Rhett, and me back into the kitchen. She got to pick out several kinds of sprinkles to bring home and use to decorate her own cupcake creations! Their cupcakes were DELICIOUS! We are now HUGE fans of Jilly's and can't wait to go back for more!

Allison & Rhett "fixed" Kristyn's hair. Their use of straws makes a beautiful abstract piece of art! LOL! :)

Allison at Jilly's

So many choices!

Mom & Elissa's cupcakes

Allison and her choice, Chocolate Thunder. She kept saying, "This chocolate ganache is AMAZING!" Seriously! What 6 year old says that!?

Chef Dana chattin' it up with the family

Even Rhett got to pick out some sprinkles.

Allison & Chef Dana

Love it!

Rhett always loves to help grandpa cook. This time he was "helping" make spaghetti.

Grandpa & his biggest helper

Christmas in St. Louis

2011-12-31T15:50:00.000-06:00

Christmas day is always spent in St. Louis. We arrived in the afternoon and right away started opening gifts. We all received wonderful gifts and were very grateful for all of them. We had a fantastic dinner and spent the rest of the night playing games. Justin & dad drove back home since they both had to work in the morning. The kids and I stayed until Wednesday so that we could spend more time with our family.

Dad got mom a Kindle!

Dad LOVES his redneck wine glass & can't wait to use it at the fair!

While the adults were visiting in the living room, the kid were playing in the family room. They were pretending they were puppies and took turns putting each other in the cage. Too funny!

Arthur, Lisa, Kat, Lauren

Elissa & Joshua

Grandpa, Grandma, & Princess

Kat, Allison, & Lauren

Martin & Kristyn

Mom & Dad...Love this picture!

Pollard Family ~ Christmas Day 2011

Snell Family

Hogg Family ~ Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-31T15:33:00.000-06:00

Christmas was SO much fun this year as the kids were very excited about everything! Rhett couldn't quit talking about Santa leaving candy canes on the tree and Allison would tell him where Santa would leave the stockings and how he would get into the house. It was so cute! Needless to say, the kids were THRILLED when they woke up on Christmas morning! After each gift Rhett would say, "Yeah! It's just what I wanted!" Allison was very pleased with all her gifts, too. We all thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas morning at home! :)

Santa has been here!

Silly Santa! He left donuts, again!

Rhett quickly pointed out all the candy canes on the tree!

Santa has a pretty funny sense of humor. Justin asked for a truck and Santa put a matchbox truck in his stocking. I guess Justin will have to be a little more specific next year! LOL!

The kids picked out a desk name plate for Justin's office. They literally picked it out, as I had no say and it was everything they wanted. So sweet!

The kids {and Justin} did a great job picking out a few things for mommy. I was very happy with a candle, Beverly Lewis book, and the new Eric Church cd! :)

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T14:21:00.000-06:00

As soon as we got home on Christmas Eve, the kids wrote their letters to Santa. They put out 3 cookies and white milk with their letters. Then, we all opened our 1 gift on Christmas Eve. The kids loved their new pajamas and books. Justin's pajamas were Grinch boxer shorts {rather appropriate}. The kids quickly went to bed so that Santa could come visit. They were so full of excitement, I'm surprised how quickly they fell asleep!

Rhett's letter to Santa

Allison's letter to Santa

Hunolt Christmas

2011-12-31T14:03:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve was spent with the Lola's side of the family ~ the Hunolts. Most everyone went to the Christmas Eve church service together. Then, we went back to Ed & Lola's for a delicious meal and spending time visiting with one another. I was asked to have some games for the kids and they all really enjoyed them. A new tradition began this year, which was reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Allison & Rhett ~ Christmas Eve 2011

Pollard Family ~ Christmas Eve 2011

Time for games!

Hunolt {little} great-grandkids

Hunolt great-grandkids

Leslie & me

Karen & Cara Sue

Hunolt grandkids {COUSINS!}

Billy Joe & Debbie

Stiefel Family

Hendrix Family

Pollard Family

Hunolt Sisters

The new tradition

The little ones even enjoyed a few gifts!

Pollard Christmas

2011-12-31T13:49:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Pollard family Christmas on December 23rd. Again, it was nice spending time with family. We all received many nice gifts and those receiving gifts from us seemed to enjoy theirs. The lil' kids had a lot of fun playing together...we really need to get together more often so they can enjoy that. Besides gift giving and gift opening, we spent the night watching movies, playing games, and munching on great food! :)

Our family ~ Pollard Christmas 2011

Jason, Gina, Kale, & Lane

Chelsey, Leslie, & Chase

Ed & Lola

Pollard Family Christmas 2011

Pollard Family with Grandma Cile

Cousins!

The boys and their camo vests and orange stocking hats

My 2 favorite guys!

Here's one of my gifts...a thirty-one bag! Since I was behind the camera, this is as good as it gets!

Hmm...I think the orange & black is better! ;)

I'm working on it!

2011-12-30T09:11:00.003-06:00

My title says it all, "I'm working on it!" And, yes, this is in reference to updating the blog. I realized last week I had over 23, now 27, blog posts to do. Let's just say our fall has been VERY busy and my blog updates have taken a back burner to Justin's real estate business. (That's exactly how it should be anyway!) So, I will be working on the posts and trying to get them updated. It would be awesome to start the new year completely up-to-date...but we'll see about that! I am back-dating all the posts so they'll at least be in the right month in which they happened. And, as always, I will only be selecting a few (I'll try anyway) pictures for each post. All the pictures are usually on Facebook and they all are definitely uploaded to my Walgreens photo account. So, if you want a picture let me know! Now, wish me luck...I'm off to posting!

Cookie Time!

2011-12-23T15:37:00.000-06:00

The kids and I did our annual Christmas cookie baking just in time for Santa's visit. The kids always enjoy this and anxiously await the time to make the Christmas cookies.

Christmas Praise Dance

2011-12-18T15:31:00.000-06:00

This year for Christmas the Praise Dancers danced to Josh Groban's Angels We Have Heard On High. The girls worked very hard and it definitely showed! The dance was beautiful {as always} and many were touched by their praise to God through dance. This ministry has been a blessing for so many reasons and I am continually thankful for the support and encouragement from our church family.

Christmas Dance Recital

2011-12-18T15:25:00.000-06:00

Allison's Christmas dance recital was great! She did many dances and nailed each and every one of them. She's becoming more polished on the ballet and is really getting into giving more stage presence. It's so neat to see her improve and it brings great joy watching her do something she loves.

My beautiful ballerina!

I'm not sure why, but I love this picture.

Latchford's Lights

2011-12-16T22:27:00.001-06:00

We met Grandpa Ed, Grandma Lola, Jason, Gina, Kale, and Lane for dinner and an evening looking at Christmas lights. First, we had dinner at Pizza Hut. Then, we went to Callao to look at Latchford's lights. As always, they were a great display. The kids were excited as they ran from one thing to the next. Although it was a bit chilly, it was a fun time together.

Rhett wanted his picture with Snoopy.

Allison and Rhett with Santa

Allison & Mickey Mouse

A sleigh full of cousins

Checking things out...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-16T16:32:00.000-06:00

2011 Christmas card

AWESOME News!!!

2011-12-15T21:25:00.000-06:00

Mom had her final pet scan and it was all clear!!! She's now deemed 100% cancer free! Praise God! So many prayed for this and we can thank God our prayers were answered! :D

A Lamb's Tale

2011-12-14T22:21:00.000-06:00

The children at church put on a Christmas program called, "A Lamb's Tale." Before the program a dinner was held. It was free-will donations and all proceeds went toward camp fees for the 2012 year. The kids did a great job and it was very much enjoyed by everyone.

A visit to Hazel Creek

2011-12-13T23:08:00.000-06:00

We made a trip up to Hazel Creek Taxidermy to take Allison's buck to get mounted. Cally and Annetta invited us for dinner and it was wonderful! Rhett and Allison really enjoyed looking at all the mounts. After dinner, Allison {and Justin} got to pick out how her buck would be mounted. Cally had Allison fill out some of the paperwork and it was really cute. We are looking forward to coming back and seeing the work in progress...and the finished product on our wall!

Cally told Allison she had to write down everything he said. It started with, "I...

"...love..." {notice the surprised look on Allison's face}

"...deer hunting!"

Hmm...decisions, decisions!

Family Pics

2011-12-04T22:02:00.000-06:00

Before church, I thought it would be a good idea to snap a few pictures of our family in our Sunday best. Enjoy!

Baptist Church Christmas Pageant

2011-12-04T21:55:00.000-06:00

Allison was asked to dance in the Baptist Church's Christmas Pageant again this year. It was a beautiful program and a wonderful opportunity for Allison. The Dance Studio's talented dancers, the wonderful actors, and the heavenly choir reminded everyone the true meaning of Christmas. What an awesome way to get into the holiday spirit!

Behold that star!

The lil' Macon dancers
Aubrey, Morgan, Delaney, Allison, Macey, Dakota

Allison, Delaney, & Morgan strike a pose!

Santa

2011-12-03T15:50:00.000-06:00

We heard Santa would be visiting Sydenstricker's, so we thought we better go so the kids could tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Allison jumped right up on Santa's lap and told him what she wanted and then what Rhett wanted. Good thing she did, because Rhett didn't want to have anything to do with Santa. The kids each got a John Deere toy, too!

Allison giving Santa her wish list

"I'm not so sure about this, mom."

After a bit of coaxing, Rhett did say a few words to Santa.

Allison & Rhett with Santa & Mrs. Claus

Cardinals are Dome-bound!

2011-11-30T22:37:00.000-06:00

The South Shelby Cardinal football team made it to the State Championship game! They played at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. We, along with Billy Joe, made the trip to St. Louis for the game. It was a neat experience and my football-loving kids {and hubby} enjoyed the day. We would have enjoyed it more if the game had been better, but it still was fun. The Cardinals ended up losing 49-7, but at least they got one touchdown!

Now buddies...Rhett & Billy Joe

Allison wore Justin's old football jersey to the game and Rhett wore his Pollard 11 Cardinals shirt.

Lovin' on Chelsey Brooke!

Rhett had a blast at the game!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T22:26:00.000-06:00

We had Thanksgiving in Shelbina on Saturday evening. It was great to spend time with family and enjoy a delicious meal. On Thursday, we went to Kansas City for Thanksgiving. The meal was great, too. However, my black Friday shopping was dampened by me getting the flu. That made things very interesting, but I still managed to get what I needed and get back home on Friday night so we could go to the state football game on Saturday. Thank goodness the flu didn't last long and no one else got it! All in all, great times spent with family.

Allison & Rhett
Thanksgiving 2011

Pollard Family ~ Thanksgiving 2011

The annual decorating of the gingerbread house

The finished product! Cute!

Deer Season

2011-11-23T15:14:00.000-06:00

The rest of the deer season was successful for all of us. I shot a doe and Justin got a buck. I was thrilled to get a doe (it was my first doe) and the kids were happy to have meat for jerky. Justin's buck is really nice and will be mounted, as well. 2011 was definitely a memorable deer season...and expensive, too!

Me with my doe

Justin's buck

Daddy and his kiddos

Sleepy Rhett

2011-11-07T20:10:00.000-06:00

Rhett has quite the nighttime ritual. He has to have both green blankets, Sheepie, Wilbur, his zebra, little puppy, and any other stuffed animal he feels has to sleep with him. Sometimes, Rhett even feels the need to sleep with his hat on. This kid cracks me up!

Allison's 1st Youth Hunt

2011-11-06T21:04:00.000-06:00

Since Allison was born, Justin has been anxiously awaiting her sixth birthday so that he could take her hunting. Once deer season was just around the corner, Justin decided to get Allison a new gun. After a little fiasco, Allison {actually Grandpa Rayburn} became the proud owner of a youth model Rossi .223. Justin took Allison to the gun range a couple times before the big hunt. On her first shot, she "center-punched" it. We then went shopping for the rest of Allison's hunting gear: pants, coat, gloves, stocking cap, boots, and, of course, snack food! Grandpa Rayburn spent the night so he could watch Rhett and so that both Justin and I could go with Allison. She was a real trooper and never once complained about being tired or cold. After an uneventful morning, we came back in for lunch. Grandpa Rayburn and Rhett made homemade vegetable soup and it was {shockingly} delicious! We rested up and went back to the woods. We went to a different spot and things went from uneventful to VERY eventful! Not long after we got set, deer started moving in...lots of deer. Everything happened so fast, I kinda lost control of the video camera and focused on the deer, Allison, and the digital camera. There were two shooters on the field, but one was closer. In a whirlwind, the shot was made and the buck went down. Once we got up close, we realized Allison had broken the buck's shoulder. So, after a bit of convincing, she had to make the "kill" shot. Allison had scored an amazing 11 point buck! I'm pretty sure Justin the most excited of all of us. It really didn't sink in to Allison what she had gotten until the next morning. After a few pictures in the field, we headed home to show off Allison's trophy buck. Many texts and phone calls were made to family and friends to share the big news. The next day we took the buck to Shelbina to show family and friends and to have Grandpa Ed cape out the deer. Allison's 11 point buck is being mounted by Hazel Creek Taxidermy. I know when we look at the buck on the wall, we'll all have many memories of Allison's amazing first hunt.

Allison's clothes all laid out for her by her daddy

November 5, 2011
Allison's 1st Deer Youth Hunt

Daddy & Allison

Walking back to the truck after the uneventful morning

Waiting for the big ones

Scanning the field

Buck is on the field...time to shoot!!!

Allison's first deer...an 11 point buck!

Grandpa Rayburn and Rhett were right down the road when Allison shot the buck. We were happy they got to be in on all the excitement!

Proud daddy and his lil' hunter

Family pic

It definitely surprised Grandpa Ed!

High five for an awesome hunt!

Looking for hunting properties? Call Justin Pollard!

Grandpa Ed caping out Allison's deer

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:24:00.000-05:00

Along with our fun-filled wedding and birthday party weekend, we had to gear up for Halloween. Earlier in the week we carved our pumpkins and the kids tried on their awesome costumes that my mom made. They are so spoiled! Allison was Rapunzel and Rhett was Max (the horse from Tangled). They had a lot of fun, especially since they got to spend Halloween day with Chelsey! They both received way too much candy, but I don't think they really care about the candy. They just loved dressing up. In fact, they both still wear their costumes around the house for dress-up! :)

Pumpkin carving

Watching the pumpkin carving master

Our awesome pumpkins!

Max & Rapunzel

Rhett as Max

Allison as Rapunzel

Trick or treat!

Rhett was got really into ringing the door bells!

Lane's 1st Birthday

2011-10-30T23:22:00.000-05:00

After Martin & Kristyn opened gifts on Sunday, we made a quick trip back to Shelbyville to celebrate Lane's 1st birthday. Once he figured out the cake, he really enjoyed it! Lane received lots of nice gifts that I'm sure he and his brother will enjoy. :)

Happy 1st birthday, Lane Robert!

Yummy cake!

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!

Getting some help from daddy opening cards and gifts

Martin & Kristyn's Wedding!!!

2011-10-30T22:55:00.001-05:00

One of the best things of the year was my brother's wedding. We absolutely love Kristyn and couldn't wait to "officially" have her as part of our family. The wedding was beautiful and very memorable. I took over 400 pictures from the weekend, so it was pretty hard to narrow it down. We were so happy to be a part of the wedding and wish Martin and Kristyn a life full of happiness, love, and laughter!

Love this picture! I wonder what Martin is thinking...or praying...or asking God! ;)

Rehearsal

Rehearsal dinner at D'Rowe's...we watched the Cardinals win the World Series, too! :)

Rhett's gift from Uncle Martin...a Mt. Dew delivery shirt. Rhett kept saying, "It says Mountain Dew!"

The fathers of the lucky couple

The morning of the wedding...Allison got to play with Mikah!

And Justin got to entertain Rhett and Quade

Playing under a makeshift tent in our hotel room

Justin did a GREAT job entertaining all the kids! :)

Playing a little basketball before the ceremony

Me & my brother on his big day

Minutes away from being sisters-in-laws! :)

Martin & Kristyn with her parents

Martin & Kristyn with his parents

Kristyn and her bridesmaids

Allison was a junior bridesmaid and Rhett was the ring bearer

So sweet!

A quick family pic

Martin & his groomsmen

Too funny not to include!

Not sure what exactly happened here, but I think it's a super cute picture!

Martin & Kristyn with their {adorable} niece and nephew

It's official...AUNT KRISTYN! :D

Sweet kisses for the beautiful bride

The whole wedding party

Entering the reception

The groom's cake

The sweet, sweet candy table!!!

Jordan's toast to the bride and groom

Hubbard's toast to the bride and groom...

and now Carlson and Hubbard's toast to the bride and groom!

Cake cutting time!

First dance

Father-daughter dance

Mother-son dance

Rather than a bouquet toss, Kristyn had each married couple dance. When the number of years you had been married was called, you had to sit down. The couple that was still dancing at the end, won. Grandma and Grandpa were the winners having 62 years of wedded bliss! :D

Me & my {handsome} hubby

Beautiful girls!

Allison and Rhett dancing together

The Reyolds sisters (I'm the 5th one...by association!)

Allison dancing with Bella

Me & Brooke

Allison dancing with Martin during the dollar dance

Allison dancing with her daddy

Singing with the dj

Me & my dad

Rhett was a dancing machine! He was even break dancing! It was hilarious!!!

Then, Uncle Martin had to show Rhett how it's done.

Me & my mom

Rhett was completely worn out! Allison was asleep shortly after this.

Kristyn and her famous "black & yellow" moves

Dad & Hubbard dancing and singing {more like stomping and screaming} to "Hey, Jude!"

Opening gifts on Sunday morning

CONGRATULATIONS, MARTIN & KRISTYN!!! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!!!

Allison's 1st Grade Program

2011-10-18T22:32:00.002-05:00

Allison's 1st grade program was so cute! She was recommended by her classroom teacher to have a speaking role. Then, the music teacher, Ms. Chorvat, asked Allison to be the lead role!!! She had over 10 lines that she practiced and memorized. (We may have a little one who will do theater and musicals one day!) She read with so much expression, that I told her she needed to show my class how to do it correctly! :) We were so proud of her and it was such a delight watching her shine.

All smiles and ready for the program to begin

Singing one of the many songs of the evening

I LOVE this one! This was right before one of her lines.

Dancin' in October

2011-10-16T22:15:00.000-05:00

Allison had the opportunity to dance with her dance company, People in Motion, twice in October. She danced in the Truman Homecoming parade and at halftime of the Truman men's soccer game. Allison had a great time dancing and she has improved so much! We love watching her dance!

All smiles before the parade

Dancing while walking is a bit tricky

Time to dance!

Shake that!

Showin' some attitude!

Run for the Ribbon 5k

2011-10-16T22:14:00.000-05:00

My friend, Emily, and I began walking this summer. Then, we decided to try running. We started the couch to 5k in 9 weeks program. In the beginning, I never thought I would be able to run for over 30 minutes straight. Let's be honest, I never have before so why at 30 years old should I be able to now? Well, I was very determined not to quit the program and I finished it. I finished it even with going to the state fair, not having a running partner for a week, and starting school. So, to top it off, I decided to do a 5k. I entered Hannibal's Run for the Ribbon. All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society. As hard hit as our family has been with cancer, I thought it was a very appropriate race. To me it was more than just running a race. It was doing something for all those I love who have fought a battle against cancer. The day of the race came and it was rather chilly. Justin, Allison, Rhett, mom, dad, Ed, and Lola came to show their support. Earlier in the week I made a hair bow for my hair and Allison's. It had every color of cancer our family has had in the bow...hence, Run for the Ribbon. I admit, I was nervous. I had talked to several friends about what to do, how to do it, etc. Everyone had the same response, just run your own race. So I did exactly that. My goals were simple: run the entire race, finish the race, and don't fall down. The course had more hills than I was used to, but I kept going. When I thought about walking, I thought about all the times my loved ones wanted to give up fighting their battle against cancer and I dug deeper and kept running. When I saw the finish line, I was thrilled and I knew I had met all my goals. I crossed the finish line with a time of 34:11...four minutes faster than I had ever practiced! Yes, it was nice to be #11 in my age division and #49 overall. However, I was proud of myself for sticking with it and now I do consider myself a runner. I'm not an avid runner (yet) as I have taken a break since it is cold and I don't have a treadmill. I can't wait for warmer weather and for my feet to hit the pavement once again!

Ready to run!

Kisses from 2 of my biggest supporters

Off I go!

*As Justin went to take the picture of me crossing the finish line, someone walked in front of him. Hopefully, he'll have another chance to take a picture of me crossing a finish line. ;)

Ribbons for all of the cancers our family has battled (brain, colon, skin, ovarian, prostate, squamous cell carcinoma)

The results!

Kristyn's Bachelorette Party

2011-10-09T21:18:00.002-05:00

Kristyn's bachelorette party was in Kansas City. We all started out at the hotel with Kristyn opening gifts and then playing a game. After that we headed to the Power & Light District for dinner and then a night out. The night was a lot fun, especially since Kristyn was the center of attention. We danced, we mingled, Kristyn did funny dares, we rode the mechanical bull, and we closed the place down at 3 am! It definitely was a fun bachelorette party for Kristyn.

Group picture at the hotel

Group picture at dinner

Kristyn and me

Macon Homecoming

2011-10-07T21:38:00.002-05:00

Since we've lived in Macon, we've always gone to the Homecoming parade. This year, I got to experience Macon Homecoming as a teacher. Even though the day was crazy, it was an awesome experience! Everyone is just bursting with Tiger pride and I love it! The band came through the hallways and played music and the cheerleaders and Senior football players followed. It was so fun to see all the kids so excited! Then, we went home for a bit before the parade. We had a perfect spot for the parade under a nice shade tree at the very beginning of the parade. It was a very nice parade and a good time was had by all! For dinner we enjoyed the Optimist's "world famous" tenderloins. YUM! To top off the day, the Macon Tigers remain undefeated!!! What an awesome Homecoming!

The Mitchells and the Pollards are ready for the parade.

Allison, mommy, & Rhett at the parade

Allison and Mac

The AWESOME Macon Tiger football team!

The kids were very happy to see the cat in the hat!

And Rhett was excited to see a John Deere tractor.

The kids came home with two bags FULL of candy and other goodies!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-07T20:09:00.003-05:00

The Pollard family made their annual trip to Totten's Pumpkin Patch earlier in the week. It's so hard to believe that it's fall with the temperatures in the 80s! The kids had fun feeding the deer, going through the maze, and picking out their pumpkins. After the pumpkin patch we went back to Ed & Lola's for dinner and visiting.

Feeding the deer

Rhett coming down the slide

Justin crawling out of the maze. Justin & Jason thought it would be funny to scare the kids. ;)

Rhett and his pumpkin pick

Allison & Rhett

Lane, Chelsey, Allison, Kale, & Rhett
Pumpkin Patch 2011

St. Louis Weekend

2011-10-07T19:42:00.004-05:00

The kids, mom, and I went to St. Louis last weekend. We needed to do some shopping for the wedding and we had a very special delivery for grandma and grandpa. Mom, Arthur, and Elissa decided to get grandma and grandpa a new puppy. She is a registered miniature black poodle. She's very sweet and my kids love her, too. Grandma was very happy and the puppy never left her side. I think the 3 of them will be very happy together. :) We did a lot of shopping and went out to eat Saturday night. Sunday we did a bit more shopping and came home. It was a very nice weekend away.

Mom giving the puppy to grandma and grandma instantly fell in love!

A new companion...they'll be perfect together.

Grandma, Grandpa, Rhett, & Allison

Elissa, Grandma, Rhett, Grandpa, Mom, Allison, & me

We went to dinner to celebrate Grandpa's birthday, mom's birthday, Elissa's birthday, and mom being cancer-free. The blue candles were for the birthdays and the pink was for the cancer-free news. Very cool!

And very yummy!

Kylee's Wedding

2011-09-29T19:32:00.000-05:00

We went to Iowa for Kylee and Jared's wedding. They had a beautiful wedding and a wonderful reception. I'm so happy that she's found such a great guy for a husband and the father of her boys. Here's wishing Kylee and Jared a lifetime of love and happiness! We were happy to share your day with you!

A last minute picture ended up blurry, but you get the idea.

Kylee's cousin, Tyler, and her brother, Jake, were ushers. They were thrilled can't you tell?

Aiden (Kylee's son) and Allison. Allison helped hand out programs and bubbles.

Mr. & Mrs. Kray

Yummy cupcakes!

Rhett & Allison having fun at the reception

Mommy & her kiddos

Mom & Tami (Kylee's mom)

Kylee & Jared

Time to cut the cake!

Kylee & me

Tami & Kylee

TJ and Tyler (Kylee's aunt and cousin)

Kristyn's Rocheport Wedding Shower

2011-09-28T19:26:00.000-05:00

Kristyn's bridesmaids hosted a wedding shower for her at the winery at Rocheport. It was a gorgeous afternoon, the view was awesome, and the snacks were very tastey! They started with a few games, then it was on to gifts. Again, they received many nice things. Another lovely shower, which means the wedding is getting closer!!! :D

Kristyn, her mom, and soon-to-be mother-in-law

She got a set of crystal things from all of us

A nice basket full of goodies

So cute!

Kristyn and one of her bow bouquets. She has enough bows for her bouquet and the bridesmaids at the rehearsal!

Fall Party

2011-09-28T19:22:00.000-05:00

I was once again asked to be a golf cart driver for Orscheln's Fall Party. Of course I said yes! It was so much fun last year, I was happy to do it again. I was even more excited when I found out who the entertainment was...Dierks Bentley! I drove the early shift and we dealt with rain for a while. Thankfully, that cleared out. Justin went with me this time. My dad also drove a cart & had a blast. In fact, he said to sign him up for next year! It was a definitely a fun Saturday night!

Farmers' Day

2011-09-28T19:18:00.000-05:00

We made it to Shelbina for the annual Farmers' Day festivities. Of course for my kids, the highlight was the parade. They caught lots of candy and had fun watching all the entries. Later on they went back up with Grandma Lola to watch more of the things going on. It was a beautiful day for the event!

Waiting for the next toss of candy!

Rhett HATES loud noises. Lately he's been doing this to his ears to lessen the loudness. It cracks me up!

Rhett's hands got tired, so Aunt Beth took over! :)

Bethel Sheep Fest

2011-09-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

Over Labor Day weeked, we went to Bethel for the World Sheep and Fiber Arts Festival. We really love going here for many reasons: supporting a local group, it's close to home, Allison & Rhett get real experience in the show ring, family can come and watch, it's something I did growing up. First up was lead line. Rhett went first and did a very nice job. He loves being in the show ring. Then it was Allison's turn. Allison had a little bit of a challenge. Somehow, the halter came undone and the sheep was not on the lead anymore. She didn't even notice for a while! It's pretty funny to watch the video. Anyway, after we caught the lamb I couldn't get the halter back on, so she just lead it around the ring by the head. I was proud of her that she didn't get upset and just went with the flow. Later in the afternoon was the sheep show. Allison did a very good job showing Mia. Boo Boo, on the other hand, grew so much and really was too much for Allison to hold onto. Thankfully, she had some help from a friend. It was a great family day and we were so thankful for this experience for both the kids.

Rhett showing Mia

Allison really was the Bo Peep that lost her sheep!

Trying to get the halter back on...it didn't work.

Allison showing Mia like a market lamb in the lead line class. Way to go, girl!

Rhett & Mia

Rhett is such a lover when it comes to his animals!

All the pee wee Lead Line kids

Allison showing Mia in the commercial ewe lamb class

Headed to the ring with Boo Boo

Allison setting up Boo Boo

Boo Boo in the market lamb class

Uncle Martin helping Allison with Boo Boo

Northwest Game

2011-09-28T18:58:00.000-05:00

The first game for Northwest was the Hickory Stick game at Truman. It was a night game and was on a Thursday. There was no way we'd miss it! We tailgated beforehand and then made our way to the game. It was a bit different, as our head coach had retired and then new Coach Scott Bostwick passed away from a massive heart attack during the summer. Although the Bearcats had to have been playing with very heavy hearts, it didn't stop them. They were on FIRE! The game ended up being pretty pathetic, but we stayed until the end to support our Bearcats. Man, we love football...especially Northwest football!

We sat on the front row and the kids really got to enjoy the game from our seats.

Like I said, a pretty pathetic game in the end.

What a game! Coach Bostwick would have been proud!

Kristyn's Slater Wedding Shower

2011-09-27T18:54:00.000-05:00

Kristyn's family in Slater hosted a wedding shower for her. Mom, Allison, and I went to the shower. We played a few games, which were very fun. Kristyn (and Martin) got a lot of great gifts! It was a lovely afternoon!

The SUPER cute cake!

Oooo...Ahhh....

Kristyn opening the gift from us. We got them 2 sets of the everyday dishes they registered for. They were so cute...I'd take them! ;)

Happy 90th, Grandma Cile!

2011-09-27T18:52:00.002-05:00

Grandma Cile celebrated her 90th birthday in August. Her family hosted an open house and then we had family dinner. It was a very nice celebration. HAPPY 90TH, GRANDMA CILE!!!

Allison, Grandma Cile, & Rhett

School Days

2011-09-27T18:44:00.003-05:00

The first days of school were very exciting for all of us. Allison was starting 1st grade with the teacher she wanted. She was beyond excited when she found out she got Mrs. Lewis! I was excited about beginning a new adventure as a 5th grade Comm. Arts teacher at Macon. Rhett was excited to be with his friends again. Although the summer flew by (as it always does), we were all ready to get back into the swing of things.

My new classroom

It's so much bigger than both of the classrooms I've had before! I worked hard to get things ready before my official first day. I wanted the room taken care of so that I could focus on the many other important things.

Allison and Mrs. Lewis at Open House

Allison on her first day of 1st grade

Rhett was all smiles even though he knew Allison wouldn't be going with him to Miss Karen's. He didn't even cry when I left him. My baby is growing up!

Mommy & Allison

This was on my desk the first day of school. It was a nice surprise and I hope the same!

Another first day pic

On the first Friday Allison and I proudly displayed our Tiger pride! :)

Someday...

2011-09-18T19:20:00.002-05:00

Someday, I will get the pictures of my camera, downloaded, saved to disc, uploaded to Walgreens, and compressed for the blog and Facebook.

Someday, I will have time to post pictures on Facebook and update the blog from August and September.

Someday, I will have access to the computer since Justin is constantly using it for his real estate business.

Someday, I will not feel overwhelmed by a new job and Justin working two jobs.

Someday, hopefully very soon, this will all happen.

MO State Fair

2011-08-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

We all had a blast at the MO State Fair this year! We went down on Tuesday night. Wednesday was spent getting everything together and grilling for the MO Club Lamb Breeders' dinner for exhibitors and families. On Thursday, we watched the market lamb show. The kids spent most of the day walking around with Grandpa Rayburn. Thursday evening I showed a lamb in the carcass class. Then, Allison and I booked it to the grandstand for the Jerrod Niemann concert! We had decent seats and were having a good time, but I ended up getting Allison on the front row!!! Needless to say, I won the "best mom of the year" title! Friday we walked the grounds and just enjoyed what the fair had to offer. Some people enjoyed the wine tent a little more than others! Saturday we met up with Brooke and the kids. The big news on Saturday was that Justin came down! Brooke, Shaun, Justin, and I went to the Jason Aldean concert and had a TON of fun! :) Sunday was Lead Line. Allison and Rhett did awesome! We were all worn out, but that was a sure sign of a great time had by all!

Haleigh showing her market lamb

Grandpa and the kids

Brady showing his Reserve Champion FFA and Overall market lamb

Getting ready to show

Allison and the carcass lamb

Rhett giving the lamb one last hug

Show time!

Allison and Jerrod Niemann WAY in the background

Allison and mommy enjoying another concert!

Allison and Jerrod Niemann CLOSE in the background!

Love this one!

Allison, Haleigh, Rhett

Allison and Ronald McDonald

The Minears with State Troopers. Brady's champion lamb "disappeared" while in the barn. The lamb was no where to be found. Turns out, someone accidentally loaded his sheep and took it home. Thankfully, the lamb returned safe and sound.

Weston showing his pig

Weston showing his other pig. One is Lightning McQueen and one is Dirty Bit...I just can't remember which is which.

Allison and Mikah

Rhett and Quade

Quade and Brooke in the Conservation Building

Allison, Mikah, and Rhett making animal tracks in the sand

Rhett petting the snake

Allison petting the snake

Pollard and Edwards kids

Daddy and the kids on a big tractor

Me, Justin, Brooke, Shaun before the Jason Aldean concert

Thompson Square

BFFs

Chris Young

Jason Aldean!!!

Havin' a good time!

We definitely need to do this more often! We all had so much fun! :)

Don't you wanna stay here...

Andi, TJ, Rhett, Allison, & Kale

Allison in 2011 MO State Fair Lead Line

Rhett in 2011 MO State Fair Lead Line

Love my sheep showin' kiddos!

Allison in the ring

Rhett loving on Strawberry (Thanks, Aunt Gina, for letting us borrow a lamb!)

Rhett's turn in the ring

He did a GREAT job!

Martin & Kristyn's Kirksville Shower

2011-08-16T10:46:00.000-05:00

Martin & Krisytn's wedding shower/engagement party was held the last Sunday in July. It was, again, super hot but still an enjoyable day. We started with a few engagment pictures, then the real fun began. Mom and dad, with the help of mom's family, hosted an awesome barbecue lunch. After lunch, it was time for some games. I was in charge of that. ;) Martin & Kristyn played the almost newlywed game, which proved to be rather funny. They both did very well answering the questions, and even had some matches! Then, they opened gifts. They received a lot of great things and were very surprised with the case of wine and wine fridge. The rest of the afternoon consisted of visiting, a bit of "swimming", and even some barts (a highly dangerous game involving darts, beer, and two people facing one another). Kristyn has two more showers, one in Slater and one at the winery in Rocheport. I'm sure they're all going to be fabulous!

Pretty decorations

The canopy over the patio was made by mom and was pink. Very cool!

The happy couple

So sweet!

Um, what do I do with my hands? Love this one, too!

Awww!

Martin has always wanted a nacho cheese fountain, so at his wedding shower he got his wish!

The almost newlywed game

The question was, "What is your favorite restaurant?" They both answered, "Taco Bell." It's a match!

If you read Martin's board it says, "I'm the total package." I'm pretty sure this was in reference to why Kristyn fell in love with him. He thinks he's so funny!

Time for gifts!

A trash can? I'd take it! It was FULL of things from Viviano's...a cookbook, spices, pasta, olive oil, etc.

Opening the case of wine

A wine cooler! Sweet!

Rhett and Allison decided it was too hot and went for a swim in the fountain. Oh well, it kept them cool and entertained!

Justin playing "barts"

Hubbard's turn at "barts"

One last pic of the soon-to-be-married couple. The pitchfork was from Kristyn's parents and the wine from Martin's.

Pollard Family Vacation

2011-08-07T18:36:00.007-05:00

The whole Pollard clan decided to take an another Pollard family vacation. This time we went to the Lake of the Ozarks for the weekend. Our first stop (after meeting at the hotel) was to Miner Mike's. We ate lunch and then spent the afternoon playing. We all played arcade games, some rode the indoor roller coaster, some rode the wagon ferris wheel, and others just watched everyone have a great time. After Miner Mike's, we went back to the hotel to swim. We stayed in a very family friendly hotel. Our swim got cut short because of some rain, so we opted for naps instead. After naps, we went to a wonderful restaurant that Gina picked...needless to say, she's not allowed to pick restaurants anymore! Then, we went go-kart racing, where Allison and I smoked everyone else! Next up was bumper boats. We got soaked!!! That was a lot of fun! Our evening concluded with a swim-in movie. We went swimming at night, while they played Tangled on a big screen. It was pretty cool!

Sunday morning we played putt-putt golf and had breakfast at 54 diner. We did a little shopping, but headed home soon after. We had a blast spending time with family and I hope we can do it again! :)

Riding the wagon ferris wheel

Allison and Grandma getting ready to ride the roller coaster

Game time! Allison was lucky enough to win several tickets!

The boys playing bumper cars

Cheese!

Rhett shootin' some hoops.

Vroom, vroom!

Chase helping Rhett swim

Pool party!

Goofy Chase!

Papa Ed just chillin'

Swim buddies

Allison and I winning at the go-kart race! Gina could have won...if she didn't wipe out! ;)

Bumper boats!!!

Yep, we're soaked!

The Pollard girls

Allison and Rhett all wet from the bumper boats.

Jason on the slick track.

Chase on the slick track.

Swim-in movie time!

Kale & Lane

Chelsey & Chase

Daddy helping Allison with her golf swing.

Family pic!

Rhett made a hole in one!

Pollard grandkids

Christian Dance Camp

2011-08-04T18:31:00.000-05:00

Allison's dance instructor, Miss Marcia, and her daughter, Skyler, hosted a Christian dance camp early in August. Not only was it awesome that it was Christian-based, but it was held in Macon. Bonus! They met for a total of 5 hours during the week and they learned a ton! We were pleased when Miss Marcia announced that it would be an annual event. :)

The Landing!

2011-07-31T10:37:00.001-05:00

A couple of my friends thought it would be fun to take the kids to the Landing. We had an absolutely perfect day! The weather was great and the crowd was minimal, which meant not waiting in long lines for the water slides! Yay! We had a wonderful afternoon and I'm hoping this is the first of many trips together. :)

Payton, Brooke, Anna, Allison, Rhett

Allison and Rhett saying, "Come on, mom! Enough with the pictures, it's time to SWIM!!!"

VBS - Bethlehem Village

2011-07-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

This year our VBS was similar to last years, except this was about Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. I helped with organization, but my help was directed toward t-shirts. I helped within a tribe, so that Rhett could go. As a tribe, we had some challenges but in the end it was all very rewarding for everyone. Allison and Rhett did a very good job memorizing Bible verses. Rhett was scared to death of the Roman Guard, and still is. What I love is that both kids continue to sing the songs and recite the verses. :) Although a long week (especially since it was right after NEMO Fair), we had a fun time growing closer to God.

Allison and Rhett...members of Gad Tribe

Rhett and his buddy, Jacque

Allison and Sophia singing one of the songs

Allison riding in the chariot as part of one of the games

Rhett at his favorite shop...the pottery shop where they could work with clay and play dough. The sticker on his head is actually supposed to be on his headband, but he insisted on his forehead. They got stickers when they recited the Bible verse of the day to a Wise One.

NEMO Fair

2011-07-27T09:56:00.006-05:00

NEMO Fair this year had super hot weather, compared to last year's rainy, muddy mess. The heat index was around 110 degrees, which made things downright miserable. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time chillin' in the camper! Sunday, Allison and I went to the queen contest. Two of our Macon girls won queen and teen miss! On Monday, Allison entered her Clover Kids projects in the 4-H building. We also entered a few things from our garden and flower bed in the multi-purpose room. Monday night was Trailer Choir and the concert was ok. Tuesday was the sheep show. Allison did lead line and both the kids did the dress your sheep. Allison got first in lead line and 2nd (to her brother) in dress your sheep. Both kids were happy with their prizes. Tuesday was the Three Dog Night concert and my mother knew every single word! Wednesday we worked on the t-shirts for VBS. Wednesday night was Tracy Lawrence and the fireworks show. That was the best night for entertainment! On Thursday we watched Weston show his pigs and it was the bull buck-out. Friday Allison did the pee wee show. She did great! She answered all the questions and was pretty funny, too. :) Then, we watched Haleigh show her goats. Friday night was the tractor pull...grandpa took them to that. Saturday was the livestock sale and the demo derby. Almost everyday, the kids rode rides. They definitley had fun doing that! Most importantly, Saturday is when Justin came up! The kids had a lot of fun, but missed their daddy. After a pretty bad windstorm moved in, Justin and the kids went home. I went "out" for a while with my friends, but was ready to get home on Sunday. The NEMO Fair was fun, but hopefully next year it will be much cooler!

Queen - Nancy Jackson
Teen Miss - Rebecca Helton

Rhett, Grandpa, me, Allison, guy from Trailer Choir

Allison's yummy trail mix

Allison's daylily won reserve champion!

Rhett and Boo Boo are ready for the huntin' season

Allison and Mia before lead line

Allison and Mia dressed up for Cupcake Wars. Rhett got a little help from Uncle Martin.

Rhett was super excited about getting money, a ribbon, and a lambie!

Haleigh and her Grand Champion Adair County market lamb

Two hot kiddos riding rides

Cooper, Allison, and Rhett riding one of the many rides

Paula, Cooper, and Allison after going down the slide

Rhett and I went down the slide...

Not sure if he liked it or not! ;) This was HILARIOUS!!!

Three Dog Night

Me, Tracy Lawrence, Dad (Dad is on fair board and was SUPER busy! I was his "assistant" during the fair.)

Tracy Lawrence

Weston showing his Grand Champion market hog

Allison and Mia in the pee wee show

Answering questions and making the crowd laugh

Haleigh and her Grand Champion meat goat

Shelby County Fair

2011-07-17T11:39:00.000-05:00

As if we weren't doing enough already with Macon Fair, we also attended 3 nights of the Shelby County Fair. We went to the cattle show, sheep show, and of course the demo derby. Allison also particpated in the talent show. There were over 15 competitors in her division. She did an OUTSTANDING job all by herself! She really put on a good show and the crowd loved it! Again, we were a bit disappointed she didn't get anything. But, she got to dance and show her family what she loves to do. Honestly, she could care less about winning. (I think her mommy needs to learn from her!) The demo derby was fun as always and Rhett loved every second. He was even more thrilled to get a demo derby movie! Allison telling the audience about herself and what she was going to be doing.

Shake it, girl!

The end!

Macon Fair

2011-07-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

This was Allison's first year to be able to exhibit at Macon Fair as a Clover Kid. Allison wanted to enter the Little Miss Macon County pageant again. She was FANTASTIC and even had several people comment on how well she did. Once again, she did not win (I really have no clue what they judge it on!), but she had a lot of fun. The day she entered her projects, she even had a woman tell her that they had number 14 picked out hands down! Next up for the fair was entering her projects at the Expo Center. She worked very hard on her projects and took in 3 things: a tile whiteboard slate, trail mix, and vegetables from her garden. She was not shy at all when she described her projects to the judge and even got a high-five! Allison was very proud of her ribbons, as were all of us. Then, Allison participated in Lead Line and the pee wee sheep show. I was so proud of her for getting the sheep ready the day before, even though she locked the keys in my Trailblazer. She really took full responsiblity and worked very hard. The day of the show, she did everything by herself. She got ribbons for participating and she was very excited that the judge clapped for her when she showed her sheep. I think the coolest thing for Allison was getting asked by an older showman, Leah Fuller, to help show her sheep. Out of all the kids in the barn, she picked Allison. How awesome was that?! She did a very nice job showing and I was very proud of her. The last thing Allison did for Macon Fair was particpate in the talent show. She and her friend, Trista, did their Broadway Banana routine. There were several great performers and the girls were THRILLED when they won 2nd place...that meant $25 a piece! I would say our first Macon Fair was a huge success! :)

My lil' pageant girl

Big jazz hand finish on the dance

Answering questions from Lois

Telling the judge all about her Clover Kids projects

Great work, Allison!

Washing sheep at grandma's house
Rhett kept saying, "This is so fun, right?!"

Allison ahd her lambs at her 1st Macon Fair

Time to wash Mia

Allison is ready for Lead Line. This year's Lead Line outfit is very special. It was brought back from Scotland from my grandparents and was my first Lead Line outfit.

Now it's time for the pee wee show!

Telling the judge all about Mia

Yay for blue ribbons!

Great job showing, Allison!!!

We ate dinner with the Ratliffs the night of the sheep show. Weston had a special chocolate chip cookie made for him. And win Grand Champion, he did! :)

Allison helping Leah show in the pair of market lambs class.

This is exactly what it's all about!

Allison and Trista before their Broadway Banana debut!

Top Banana!

Two very excited lil' girls!

Hannibal "Daycation"

2011-07-10T15:53:00.001-05:00

We decided to take a "daycation" to Hannibal for the main purpose of camping in our tent. When Allison heard that I took my class to the cave this year, she became interested and wanted to go. So, we planned a Hannibal getaway. Before we got to our camping spot, we took the kids to Lover's Leap. We camped at Mark Twain Cave and picked the spot closest to the playground. After setting up the tent and a picnic lunch, we went to tour the cave. We had a little wait, so we settled for ice cream to pass the time. The cave tour was good and Allison really enjoyed it. About 3/4 of the way through, Rhett decided the cave was pretty cool. After the cave, the kids panned for gemstones and dipped candles. Then, we went to the lighthouse and toured Ayer's pottery. Before going back to the campsite, we went to Sawyer's Creek. We played balloon wars and bumper boats. Once back at the campsite, the kids played for a while. We ended the evening by roasting hotdogs for dinner and making s'mores for dessert. The kids were thrilled to sleep in the tent! The next morning we went to breakfast at Country Kitchen, then went to grandma Lola's for lunch and a pool party. We all enjoyed our time away!

Rhett being a little goofy on our way to Hannibal.

Allison being goofy, too.

At Lover's Leap

Justin explaining the legend of Lover's Leap to the kids

Allison and Rhett at Lover's Leap

Time to play on the jungle gym!

Rhett had fun climbing the wall

Thumbs up for camping!

Sibling love

Rhett's face shows his enthusiasm for the cave in the beginning

Checking out the cave

I'm not scared! I'm not scared!

Pollard family inside Mark Twain Cave ~ Hannibal, MO

Panning for gemstones

Allison made a lamb candle

Rhett made a train candle

Rhett standing in front of the lighthouse

Riding an alligator at Sawyer's Creek

Allison guiding Santa's sleigh

Daddy and the kids roasting hotdogs for dinner

Mommy helping the kids with their marshmallows for s'mores...the camping essential!

Two zonked out kiddos!

Justin's 1st Listing

2011-07-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

Justin got his first listing!!! He's very excited, as are all of us. When he went to take pictures, it began raining which ended the picture taking...except for this one. ;)

4th of July

2011-07-05T15:26:00.004-05:00

We spent the 4th of July weekend in Kirksville. On Saturday, we played games, barbecued, and just spent time with friends and family. On Sunday, it rained for most of the day. So, we decided to go to the movies. Allison wanted to see Monte Carlo and Rhett wanted to see Cars 2. In order to make them both happy, I went with Allison to Monte Carlo and Grandpa Rayburn took Rhett to see Cars 2. That night, Martin & Kristyn treated the kids to fireworks. They had a blast! On Monday, we played more games and visited with family and friends. Of course, we watched fireworks, too. :)

Cooper & Rhett

Mom & Elissa

Justin helping Weston with his fireworks

Allison retrieving a streamer

Confetti poppers!

Don and dad grilling

Mark & Rhett

Watching the fireworks display

Working with Sheep

2011-06-28T15:30:00.002-05:00

Allison had done a good job of working with her sheep that she'll be showing this year. Rhett is adamant about helping, too. They both love the sheep! :)

Allison and Mia

Rhett and Boo Boo

Storm Damage

2011-06-27T15:29:00.002-05:00

We had a horrendous storm come through Macon and actually turned in to 2 F1 tornadoes by the time it hit Shelbina. We had large branches come down in our yard, nothing major. A church friend lost her house and husband's business. Justin went to Shelbina to help. The kids and I took dinner to everyone. Once you got to Shelbina, it looked like a war zone. It was awful! By the grace of God, no one was injured. It really makes you count your blessings because things could have very easily been a lot worse.

A large branch in our driveway

Chinn Feed Mill in Clarence

The porch roof ripped off Grandma Cile's house

Trampoline wrapped around a tree

One of many uprooted trees

Teddy Bear Extreme Camp

2011-06-26T15:29:00.005-05:00

Allison and I attended Teddy Bear Extreme Camp at Camp Jo-Ota. It was a two-night camp and was a ton of fun! The director was our children's director at church, Rhonda Linsley. She did an awesome job planning. We did so many great activities, but the best part was spending time with Allison while both of us were growing closer to God. It doesn't get much better than that! Allison learned new Bible stories, made new friends, and had so much fun. :)

Mommy & Allison

Teddy Bear Extreme 2011

Swimming on day 1...the only time we got to swim thanks to chilly temps and looming rain.

One of Allison's favorite things...the mud pit!

Literally covered from head to toe!

Allison going through part of the challenge course

Craft time!

Allison and I showing off our pretty tissue paper flowers

Allison in her bunk

Paddleboating in our free time

Allison fishing...mom caught a snapping turtle!

Another activity on the challenge course

Shaving cream wiffle ball

Tug-of-war

Friends for ever (Allison is the "extra Butner")

Signing to a song. It was beautiful!

All the kids under the sign that they made during craft time.

Swimming!

2011-06-20T15:28:00.002-05:00

What's a great way to spend a warm June afternoon? By going to grandma's house to swim, of course!

PEO State Convention

2011-06-18T15:28:00.003-05:00

I attended the annual PEO state convention that was held this year in Kansas City. Many members of our chapter made the trip because our chapter (BN) was being recognized for our 100th year! We all carpooled to Kansas City, had a nice luncheon, and watched a great slideshow. It was really a great time! After the luncheon, the car I was in decided we'd go to the Plaza for a while, which was a great idea. Then, we stopped at Starbucks before coming home. It was a wonderful ladies day!

How many PEOs can you fit in an elevator?

The PEO Chapter BN members that attended the honorary luncheon

Clarence Homecoming

2011-06-17T15:28:00.002-05:00

Of course we made it to Clarence Homecoming for one night. On Friday night, we watched the McClymonts in concert and then the kids spent the rest of the night putting their carnival wristbands to good use. We had a fun family night out. :)

Rhett waiting for the concert to begin

One of the many rides enjoyed by the kids

Family Fun Fest

2011-06-12T15:27:00.002-05:00

We attended our church's annual Family Fun Fest the day after Allison's birthday party. The praise dancers performed and did GREAT! The rest of the day was spent by playing games and fellowshipping with other church members and guests. Another fantastic fun fest!

Praise dancers dancing to "I Will Rise"

Rhett bowling

Allison doing the ring toss

I was SHOCKED when Rhett came back and had his face painted by Jacque! What a cute lil' half spiderman!

Allison's girlie face paint

Allison's Birthday Party

2011-06-11T15:27:00.005-05:00

The theme for Allison's birthday this year was Macon Tiger Cheerleader. Everything was orange and black. We made cupcakes that spelled out Go Tigers! and the rest had megaphones, pom poms, tiger paws, and footballs. To make things easier, we combined the kid party and family party and we had it at the church. Allison and I went early to decorate and she got an early birthday present from the Mitchells since they wouldn't be able to come. Allison had a lot of friends and family come celebrate her 6th birthday. Allison also wanted to play Minute to Win It games. We played several and the kids had a blast! After cake & ice cream and opening presents, there was an impromptu dance party. The two hour party went very quickly, but most importantly Allison had a GREAT time with her friends and family.

Macon Tiger cupcakes

Allison's early gift from the Mitchells. I'm pretty sure we listened to the cd 10 times before the party. She definitely has Bieber fever!

Allison and Ellie

Junk in your trunk game

This game was hilarious! We put vaseline on the kids' nose and they had to pick up a cotton ball and then shake it off into the bowl. Too funny!

Allison and her friends {brother and cousin Kale, too}

Make a wish...again!

Now that Allison is reading, she thought it was very important to read all the cards by herself. Let's just say opening gifts took a while...

Cute shirt from Aunt Gina & the rest of the gang

A blinged out Macon Tiger sweatshirt from Grandma Lola

The impromptu dance party to, you guessed it, Justin Bieber music!

Rhett and Kale trying to keep the balloons in the air.

A fun day had by all! I love this family picture! Once again, mom, Allison, and Rhett are sporting the orange & black and daddy just can't handle it...so he wears Cardinal red! ;)

Allison Turns 6!

2011-06-09T15:27:00.003-05:00

Allison's 6th birthday, for the most part, was spent in Columbia. Before we left, Allison had chocolate chip pancakes for her birthday breakfast. Then, we went to Columbia for some of mom's doctor's appointments and then mom was headed to Indianapolis for a convention. Mom received AWESOME news at the doctor's that the scans were clear and the cancer was GONE!!! What a great birthday gift for Allison! In between appointments, Allison got to pick where to have lunch and she chose Red Lobster. It was a very delicious lunch and she got to open her gift from grandma and grandpa. After lunch, we did some more shopping and called it a day. Allison requested spaghetti for dinner, so that's what we had. Instead of making a special dessert, we had more of Justin's cake. She opened her gift from us and then spent the rest of the night playing with her new toy. All in all, Allison had a great 6th birthday!

Birthday Girl

Reading the card from grandma and grandpa

A Macon Tiger cheerleader outfit for Ellie, Allison's American Girl doll!!! Allison also got another outfit for Ellie and rhinestone flip-flops. Perfect!

Special dessert for the birthday girl

Yay!!! Allison got a Barbie house...just what she wanted! :)

A heart-shaped piece of daddy's cake for her birthday.

Make a wish!

Setting up the Barbie house.

Congratulations, Justin!

2011-06-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

After Justin passed his real estate test, he went to his first meeting as an official agent.
Much to his surprise, the office had a celebratory cake for him. :) I knew about it ahead of time, but kept the secret. When he got home, I was able to get a picture of the cake...for the most part. We're SO incredibly proud of Justin and we know that great things are in store for him and our family in the future.

The Big 3-0

2011-06-01T14:34:00.002-05:00

On my 30th birthday, I actually got to spend the day with Justin and the kids. We all went to Jeff City so Justin could take his real estate test. We ate lunch at Steak and Shake and then did a little shopping before it was time for his test. While he took his test, the kids and I did some more shopping. I even got my dress and shoes for Martin's wedding! :) Then, I took the kids to Runge Conservation Center. They had a blast! We toured the building and then did a nature walk. Justin called us to come pick him up and shared with us the great news that he passed both sections! WAY TO GO, JUSTIN!!! We were very excited, so we celebrated my birthday and Justin passing his test at Jazz in Columbia. Once the we got home and the kids to bed, my neighbor and awesome friend, Emily, planned a margarita night for me. We had a pretty eventful evening, but it was great sharing my birthday with friends. All in all, a pretty fabulous 30th birthday! *I snapped some pics of the kids during the day, but never did get one of me on my birthday. Hah! Oh, well!

Posing with the turtle at Runge

Checking things out

Allison looking at the snake...good thing it was contained!

Looking at the animals in the prairie

Exploring on the nature walk

Last Day!

2011-05-30T14:36:00.002-05:00

On Allison's last day of school, I had the bright idea of walking to school to pick her up. It's a mile to the school and a mile back. The walk there was just fine and Rhett and I made it in good time. The walk back was much slower and much harder. She was surprised and it was a fun time. :)

Allison and Rhett on Allison's last day of Kindergarten

Dance Recital

2011-05-30T14:35:00.003-05:00

Allison's dance recital was an outstanding showcase of Miss Marica's Dance Studio. It was a special recital because it was the 25th anniversary of The Dance Studio. There were special performances from past dancers, in addition to the many numbers by current dance students. The entire recital last almost 4 hours! Although long, it was quite enjoyable and our little dancer did an excellent job!

Allison was ready to go!

Mommy & Allison

A beautiful arabesque in Princess Doll (ballet).

Jazz pose!

Tap dance to Duck Tales

Jazz dance to Broadway Banana

Final company dance to Chocolate (it's super fun and makes me want to dance anytime I hear the song!).

Beautiful bouquets for our dancing star!

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-05-30T14:34:00.006-05:00

It's so incredibly hard to believe that we already have a graduate from Kindergarten! Allison absolutely LOVED her first year of school, especially her teacher, Mrs. King. We couldn't have asked for a better year. She learned so much and continuously impressed us with her skills (she must get it from her mother...lol!). She ended the year well-above average, scoring a 3.9 (third year, ninth month) on the reading test and a 2.6 (second year, sixth month) on the math test. Her grade card also reflected her outstanding abilities. We are SUPER proud of Allison and her accomplishments, and she's only finished 1 year of school! We know that awesome things are in store for our super smart, big-hearted lil' girl!

Allison before her Kindergarten graduation

Allison and her one of her biggest fans, Rhett

Zoie, Trista, Allison, Morgan...dance buddies

Allison and Mrs. King

Allison's class

Singing one of the songs

Getting her diploma from Mrs. King

Two thumbs up for finishing Kindergarten!

Allison and Grandma Janina

Mommy and daddy with our graduate

Hugs from Grandma Lola

Following the graduation ceremony, we had a little reception at our house.

Allison and her grandparents

Allison with Aunt Gina and Uncle Jason

Time for gifts!

Field Trip

2011-05-30T14:32:00.002-05:00

Allison's Kindergarten field trip was to Columbia. The plan was to visit a dairy farm, Buck's ice cream, and have a picnic lunch at Cosmo Park. Due to heavy rains and looming threats of tornados, the plans changed. We visited Buck's ice cream for a tour and of course a tasty treat of ice cream. Then, we headed straight back to Macon for lunch in the classroom. I was so happy to be able to go on the field trip and thoroughly enjoyed my day with Allison and her classmates.

Listening to how the ice cream is made at Buck's

Yummy ice cream!

Enjoying a mid-morning snack

Mommy & her favorite girl

Rhett's Preschool Program

2011-05-29T19:55:00.000-05:00

Rhett was all ready for his preschool program...so we thought. He told me on the way home he was going to sing and dance and be a big boy. His reward would be ice cream. Well, when it came time for Rhett to go on stage, he absolutely refused. He sat in his chair on the front row and wouldn't even move. No bribe would get him out of that chair. Oh well, maybe next year.

Mr. Rhett

All Rhett's preschool buddies

Rhett stayed in this position for the entire program

Rhett's handprint flowers

This is as good as it gets of a picture of Rhett and his certificate

WOF Dance Competition

2011-05-28T13:42:00.000-05:00

Allison's dance studio competed in the annual Worlds of Fun Festival of Dance Competition in Kansas City. Much to Allison's surprise, I had planned a girls-only weekend. We went to KC with Buffy and Trista. We had an absolute blast!!! We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse, a quick shopping trip at Target, and then the girls spent the rest of the night swimming. It was after 11:00 before the girls settled down and went to sleep. We tried to sleep in, but Allison is an early-riser. The weather was perfect, which made for a great day. First up, was the dance competition. The girls did AWESOME!!! They performed two numbers: Broadway Banana (jazz) and Princess Doll (ballet). After dancing it was time for rides! While waiting in line for the first ride, Allison got her leg stuck in the fence. Her leg ended up bruising really badly and it was very sore. We had fun riding rides...for the most part. Allison had a small meltdown in the middle of the afternoon, but after a slushie and an old-time photo session, she was fine. Early in the evening, it was time for awards. The dance studio did very well, especially Allison's group. The took home 1st and Platinum in Princess Doll and 1st and Gold in Broadway Banana. We were SO proud of them! We went for a couple more rides and then started home. It was such a fun weekend! :)

Allison & Trista swimming at the hotel

Our lil' dancers

Getting last minute instructions from Miss Marcia

Allison's beautiful arabesque in Princess Doll

Dancing in Broadway Banana

Miss Allison

Allison, Trista, Morgan

Banana Split!

Allison wanted her picture with the characters from Wizard of Oz.

Allison was SUPER excited that Uncle A and Aunt Lisa came to watch her dance and spend the day with her. We were glad they came, too! :)

The girls showing us some "attitude".

Buffy, me, and our girls. I'm so sad they're moving to KC...we're really going to miss them.

One of the MANY rides the girls rode at WOF

Trista and Allison with the Peanuts characters

Allison getting one of the medals

1st time at competition and 1st in both dances...Way To Go!!!

Garden

2011-05-27T14:56:00.002-05:00

Well, the garden grew again. Each year it keeps getting bigger and bigger. Who knows how big our garden will be 10 years from now! Allison planted it all, with help from Papa Rayburn, of course. She even pre-entered vegetables from her garden as her Clover Kids fair entry. Now, we just wait for those awesome summer veggies!