This, that and some other stuff...

Our week has been filled with so many "exciting" things...
As you know, Jim's birthday was yesterday...here are the lemon bars we had for dessert after a nice dinner over at the Fireside in Thayer...(when it was time to order...Case said "I want a steak"....yikes...this kid is really gonna cost us when we go out to eat...he ate 2/3 of Jim's steak!!)
The boys were so excited about the one candle we had to put on it (Case told me not to forget the "fire" on the candle after I put it in the dessert)...they sang to daddy and were all smiles...it was very cute!


They picked out some heartfelt gifts for daddy to open yesterday too...candy...and mechanical pencils and ink pens...more candy....and candy.... (they were very concerned to know if I thought daddy would share his birthday gifts with them?!?!?)

We have a few acres that we have cut to hay every summer...this is a BIG event at our house...the boys were consumed all week with this...
After cutting the "tall grass" per Case....Case loaded some of the leftover hay into the gator... he really wants to keep all the round bales...even though we have absolutely no use for them!! He's a little farmer/cowboy at heart. Those of you who are not around him, when he talks it's very "twangy", cowboy-ish, mumbling...

I was trying to clean out our HUGE pool and while I was spraying it out, Case was standing behind it...and of course I thought...ahhh, neat picture...so I had them both stand back there...Case was standing far away so it makes him look tiny...when in fact, he's almost as tall as Hayden...

We had to pose on the hay bales, right!!!

Friends, buddies, enemies, brothers, partners in crime...the list goes on and on

The garden's looking fantastic...Jim's going to pick all the beets today and cook and freeze them...he is determined to have some of his beets on Thanksgiving!!

Smoke bombs...we had leftover fire works from last year, and Jim being the kid he is at heart...can't wait...every morning now when the boys get up, they ask "Is it July yet?" They know the tents set up in town sell only when it's July!!!!

"Where's my lightening bug at?"

Sssssssnakes....

traci~momma

Happy Birthday Honey...

Today is Jim's birthday...37th birthday that is...hope you have a wonderful day honey...the boys and I love you so much. We are so lucky to have you in our lives...you're funny, witty, smart, hard-working, loving... and a real cuddle bug...just kidding on that one :)

We love you love you love you...

traci~momma

Round-up pictures

Last Wednesday, after swim lessons, the boys and I went back to Winfield for the Winfield Country Round-Up, which is a music festival...we had a great time...did a lot of sweating, singing and dancing!!


To get my free ticket for the event, I had to work Thursday and Friday from 8:00am to 1:00pm at the re-entry gate checking arm bands, parking passes, and checking in the bands...did get to check-in Charlie Daniels bus, but did not see Charlie...I guess he thinks someone else needs to drive him around...:)

Anyway, this is Courtney...she and I worked together both days...it was very hot, windy, and dusty...
This is where mom worked...inside the air conditioned building at the re-entry gate...thanks mom...I thought we were working together...

Case on Friday morning totally wiped out from the night before...

Crazy, I know...we bought these cute little egg candies that tasted like raspberries...weird huh!!

They had a race car track that could keep the boys' attention all day I think!!

This is Helen Cornelius...she is a singer from my grandma's era...really good...while we were on the side of the stage(free passes we were able to get), Hayden would blow kisses to her while she was back stage...we got to meet all the singers and she gave Hayden a real smooch and posed with the boys...nice lady...

Moe Bandy...

while we were on the side stage...

Jim Ed Brown...only my grandma's most favorite singer of all time...I got his autograph and picture for her and told him that she loved him!!!! She was tickled!!

Case told me his most favorite part of the Round-Up was the "dust"...great for making car tracks!!! I'm glad your momma worked two days in the heat so you could play in the dirt little boy!!!!!

T.G. Sheppard

Locash Cowboys...this was my first time seeing them...really enjoyed their show...very active and fun to watch...

the other Locash Cowboy...

See Case on granny's shoulders...brown striped shirt

Charlie Daniels was AWESOME....loved him...I have a couple videos of him I'll try to post later....

Hayden had to sit in the naughty lawn chair every night....

Just hangin' out

And of course they met a girl...at times Hayden and Case would fight over her...guess I should get used to that for the future...

Ronnie Milsap...sounds great in person

How disgusting...it was muddy the last night...I had to take Case in the bathrooms and make him sit in the gross sink with who know what's been in it, and rinse his shoes and feet off...we did clog the sink with mud chunks and gravel...oh well...

traci~momma

Happy Birthday GG (my lil' sis Jenni)...

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear GG, happy birthday to you!!

Today is my sister's birthday...she is 32 years young...she is such a sweetheart and I love her so much...she is so smart, successful, and I am so proud of her!!! She loves her 3 nephews more than anything in the world and would do absolutely anything for them at the drop of a hat!! We are all lucky to have her in our lives!!
Hope you have a fantastic birthday Jenni...we love you...and wish we were there to celebrate with you...

traci~momma

Photo contest...faces...

A Cowboys Wife is having another photo contest...this month is all about "faces". This was taken today at swim lessons...Case looks very serious about getting this water gun to work...go take a look at her website at all the other wonderful entries...deadline is June 20th.


"Say hello to my little friend"

traci~momma

Get your motor runnin'...

Never do you find a motorcycle in our drive-way...we don't own one, we don't have any close friends or family that ride one, it's just not common...until Saturday...Jim knows a guy through work that was going to be in our area while riding his "hog" and thought the boys would like to take a little spin in the yard on one of them!!
Don't I look so out of place on this bike!!! Hayden took my picture, because the whole entire time they were in our drive-way I was thinking "blog pictures, blog pictures"....

Did you know that this was called a "Harley David"?!?!?! According to Hayden, that's what they are, and he plans on having one when he gets big...I don't think so!!

This is when Hayden came back from his ride...I was okay with him toolin' around in the drive-way or front yard.............................................but when they took off down our road, which is the Parsons old highway and is very busy with lake traffic, I just about had a stroke and all I could do was say "oh my, oh lordy, oh wow..." secretly peeing my pants, just kidding, maybe...but just praying the guy drives 15mph...top speed...so they go to the corner which I can see standing in our yard and expect them to pull in the drive, NOPE, they whiz on past the house going the other direction....the guy said that about half way down the road Hayden tells him "take me home"...Hayden later told me he thought the guy was taking him to town!!!!!!!!!!!!

Case opted out of riding any of them........instead he made circles around them while riding the gator...literally making circles...we did get him to sit on one for about 2 seconds...I think he does look like a "hog" rider...don't you?!?!

traci~momma

Jumping off the deep end...literally...

traci~momma

tons and tons and tons of pictures...

Hello, we've been really busy with summer stuff!! Sorry for the thousand picture post, but I'm sure granny and GG will enjoy all of them!! We have started our 3rd year of swim lessons...the boys are all smiles the whole session...they love they're teacher Karen...I think she's been teaching at her home for probably 30 years and is FANTASTIC...

Case's class is first then we sit out a class, then it's Hayden's turn...it's right in the middle of nap time, so this is what Case does while Hayden's in the water...when I saw this picture, I was a little scared...you see, he doesn't wear underwear...well, you know that...since he likes to go naked most of the time...anyway, he was probably showing the world his "package" while laying like this...yikes!!!

This is what I make Hayden wear to hold the ear plugs in...dorky right...this swim band is so tight it pushes his face together...I was laughing so hard the first time he put this one...he got so mad at me...so this time I just smiled and said "you look handsome"!!

Case is THRILLED he can touch by himself!!

Hayden is the smallest in his class!!

We had an Ice Cream Social at church Sunday evening...it was a great time and the boys could not believe we were actually going to an ice cream party and listen to music at the same time...
this is his friend Jaiden...

One of the guys at church made homemade kettle corn...it was so delicious!!!

Case brought "ole blue" to the social...

Before the social, that afternoon we fished in our pond for a while...the fish weren't biting, but we had fun anyway...

Case and Molly...he loves dogs

This rope was here when we moved here...Jim and I swing out over the pond, but we've never let go over the water...

"Dirty Harry" (literally)...notice the leaf behind his ear...he never realized it was there...that's why I took the pic...these boys get filthy when they play... sometimes the dirt won't even come off in the tub...little piggy's

Peas and carrots from the garden...uummmm

This is momma's chair...I usually won't let anyone sit in it, so he was thrilled when I said he could...

traci~momma