The Cleary Crew

We Wish You A Merry Christmas...........

2008-12-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

Oh, what a wonderful day! When we woke up around 7:30am for Corbin's "Ba-Ba" (bottle), we found Tucker laying on the floor asleep beside the chair where his gifts were laying. Nolan was sitting on the couch watching television. He got up at 4am and somehow managed to bring Tucker along. They didn't mess with any of the presents. They simply looked at them and then Tucker passed out and Nolan watched t.v. until we woke up. What children would actually wait for their parents to wake up. I know I didn't as a child! We began our day by discussing with the boys the TRUE meaning of Christmas in which Nolan quickly said, "Jesus was born!" and then Tucker replied, "Yeah, Happy Birthday Jesus!" We are so thankful they have such wonderful Sunday school teachers to help us guide them in the right direction. The boys enjoyed all of their gifts from Santa. Tucker got a Smart Cycle video game system. Corbin was content with his Reese Peanut Butter Cups. Nolan enjoyed lots and lots of clothes, his very own colonge, and some new movies. We went over to Ted and Gloria's for a wonderful Christmas dinner and a little more Guitar Hero. We ventured over to my family's Christmas gathering with Mama, Brad, Daniel, Andrea, Granny, B.F., and Darryl. We had a great time watching and playing with the boys and their new stuff. This was a wonderful Christmas for our family. We are so greatful to have all of our friends and family in our lives. We are thankful for all that God as provided for us.

...........And a Happy New Year!! From our home to yours!

Twas the Night Before Christmas....

2008-12-25T21:15:00.000-08:00

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. YEAH, RIGHT! Not in this house! Christmas Eve~We started our afternoon by letting the boys open their presents from Richie and I. We gave them Bible's. Nolan had one but it was becoming pretty ragged so we got him a new one. Tucker had been asking for one to take to "his" church. He'd been taking his bedtime Bible with him to Sunday School. He was very proud of his new one. Santa would later bring them covers for their new bibles. We ventured over to Nanny and Paw-Paw's house for some chili and lots of treats. The boys were anxious to get to their presents. Nanny bought them Guitar Hero: World Tour. It has two guitars, a drum set, and a microphone. I think Richie, Tracy, Ken, Bebe, and myself had more fun with it than the boys! Probably because we kind of took over! Grandma, Aunt Barbara, and Jerry came and really got a kick out of the kids. I'm sure they wanted to take them home at the end of the evening. :) In all we had a great time with the family. Once we got back home and put the kids in bed, Richie and I settled in to watch A Christmas Story. This is Richie's favorite Christmas movie. I guess he is still hoping to get his Red Ryder BB Gun! Santa made his visit earlier enough that mom and dad actually got a decent night of sleep. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

Corbin posing with one of his presents.

Tucker always likes to stop and smile for a picture.

Nolan playing the drums for "the band."

Tucker striking his rock star pose at the end of the song.

Grandmama and Aunt Barbara with all the kids.

Our New Birth

2008-12-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Richie and I were baptized Sunday, December 21. We are so excited about this new journey we are on in our lives. We were so happy that our families were there to witness our special moment. Richie and I have grown so much as Christians and have been surrounded by so many great people at First Baptist Church. We have had some strong influences in our lives that will help us to continue to grow. We are so thankful for the people God has intentionally put in our lives and we look forward to our spiritual growth. We wish you all could have been there to witness this occasion but since you all could not be there, we have pictures to share. God Bless!

Richie and I waiting to be baptized.

Jason, our preacher, leading us in prayer.

Listening to our testamonies.

Richie taking his dip!

Me taking my dip!

Nolan's D.A.R.E. Graduation

2008-12-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

The fifth graders at Nolan's school took part in a 9 week program called D.A.R.E. It stands for Drug Abuse and Resistance Education. The program was led by Deputy Benton from the Newton County Sheriff's office. She spent 9 weeks with these kids a couple of days per week teaching them about drugs and the effects of using drugs. They also learned about peer pressure and how to say no. They completed various activities related to self esteem and other things. They had to write an essay in order to graduate from the program. Nolan really learned a lot during this time and enjoyed every minute of it. We attended his graduation and listened to some great essay's written by some of Nolan's peers. Each student was presented with a certificate. Deputy Benton put together a slide show of pictures of the students during the program and the students enjoyed watching it. We are very proud of Nolan and we pledge to help him stay drug-free and trouble-free.

Our speed walker going across the stage.

Darren the mascot.

Nolan with his best buddy Trey.

Our trip to Bama-Bama!

2008-11-25T17:43:00.000-08:00

Richie and his daddy have taken a trip to Alabama for the past 16 years. They visit their friends, well I guess I should say family, the Salters every year during the Thanksgiving season to go deer hunting. Richie started taking Nolan on the trip last year. This year we made it a family affair. Gloria, Ted, Nolan, Brayden, and Tucker left Friday morning and Richie, Corbin, and I left Friday evening. The guys went out hunting Saturday morning and Nolan shot a doe and Richie shot a spike. Saturday evening, Nolan shot another doe. Sunday morning Nolan decided to sleep in so Brayden went with Richie. Brayden shot his first Alabama deer with Richie. Sunday evening Brayden came back in and told Nanny and I he shot two more. In all the boys shot 5 and Richie shot 1. We should be set on deer meat for a good, long while. Tucker didn't care much for hunting. He'd rather stay inside with Nanny and I so he could eat, watch television, and play his DS. We had a great dinner at Butch and Stephanie's house Saturday night. We were able to visit with Johnny, Shannon, Hunter, Ansley, Drew, and Anden. It has been a while since we have seen them. We enjoyed making S'mores on the back deck of Butch's house around the fire pit. The kids had a great time playing. We were able to visit with Joey, Lark, Conner, and Bailey also. They came by the cabin for a visit. I can't believe how much the kids have grown. Bailey is the cutest, sassiest little girl I have been around. We wrapped up our trip grilling hamburgers with the Salters on Monday night. We enjoyed getting to visit with the extended family and look forward to next year. Gloria took a view more pictures than I did. When I get a chance to upload hers, I will post again.

The boys playing at Butch's and Stephanie's.

Butch and Ted grilling pork chops and telling lies!

Corbin enjoying his 1st S'mores!

Tucker and Corbin taking a bath and loving their new Mohawks. Tucker says he wants to wear his hair like this "EVERYDAY!"

The Birthday Boy!

2008-11-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

Nolan celebrated his 11th birthday on November 12. I can't believe he is already 11! It seems like just yesterday he was starting Pre-K and now he is about to enter middle school. Where does the time go? We haven't had the opportunity for him to celebrate with friends yet. The weekend of his birthday he was playing in a football tournament and the next weekend we were in Alabama. We did manage to get Richie's family and my family together for dinner and cake and ice cream. Since Tucker got a Nintendo DS for his birthday, that is all Nolan has talked about. Nanny made that wish come true! We got him a little something special as well. You can see that in the picture below. Grandmama and Brad gave Nolan money so he was able to buy the new Indiana Jones game for his DS. He got some other goodies from aunt Tracy and the family and aunt Teresa. In all, I think he enjoyed celebrating his birthday with his wonderful family!

The birthday boy blowing out the candles.

The birthday cake.

Corbin enjoyed sticking his finger in the cake over and over and over again.

Nolan with the new Indiana Jones movie he got for his birthday.

Nolan's favorite present his new Georgia Tech jersey!

Our Allstars!

2008-11-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

BUSY is the key word in our lives right now. I am about 5 weeks into my first course of my Master's program, Nolan has wrapped up his football season, and we are gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nolan and Brayden both made the allstar teams for their divisions in football. We played in a tournament in Jones County last weekend. Nolan's team took 2nd place in their bracket of the tournament. They played against some BIG guys. In all, he had a great time playing and we are thankful he has found a sport he really enjoys. Who knows, maybe we will be watching him play for Georgia Tech one of these days!

Brayden getting a pat on the back from one of his coaches.

Nolan and his teammates getting a congratulatory speech from their coach.

Nolan on the sidelines waiting for the kickoff.

Nolan going in for the block on the opponent.

One of the BIG teams we played. Just an idea of how big they were, the guy in the white shirt is their coach. Richie says the picture doesn't do justice. They actually had some kids over 200lbs.

Goooooooooo Jackets! Sting 'em!

2008-11-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

We have been to a few more Tech games since our last post. We took Nolan to a game with us, Ken and Tracy took Brayden, and Chad Mobley took his son Cameron. We went up a little early to eat at the Varsity, which the boys loved! We went to the Georgia Tech bookstore. Nolan and Brayden enjoyed riding the escalators the whole time. We also took the boys to the Jacket walk to watch the players enter the stadium and to see if we could get a pic with BUZZ! Nolan and Brayden got a kick out of posing as statues with the statues. Brayden was really good at it too. I think he might of actually fooled some people if he didn't look so real. In all we had a great time at the game. On Saturday, November 1st, Richie and I went to Tech's last Saturday home game. We tailgated with the usual crew and journeyed down for the Jacket walk. Richie actually managed to snag a pic of Coach Johnson, Josh Nesbitt, and Michael Johnson. The game was incredible as was the atmosphere. If you watched the game then you know it came down to the last 45 seconds. I think we were all holding our breath and when FSU fumbled in the end zone and we recovered the ball, we were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. What a game, what an amazing atmosphere, and what a rush of emotions! All I can say is, Watch out Dawgs, Here we come!!

Nolan sitting in the stands waiting on the game to begin.

The band

Cameron greeting the players.

Nolan, Brayden, Buzz, and Cameron.

Cameron, Nolan, Brayden posing with a statue on the campus.

Richie and Andy

Coach Johnson during the Jacket walk.

Michael Johnson

Josh Nesbitt

Some of the crew - Andy, Richard, Chad, and Richie. Ken was sick and missed the game.

The fans getting ready to welcome the players.

The fans rushing down to the field after the win over Florida State.

Trick-or-Treat!

2008-11-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Halloween this year. We went to our friends, the Cawthon's, for hot dogs, chilli, and yummy sweets. Along with LaTrelle's family, Lance's mom, April and Britt Mask, Jennifer and Jeremy Lilly and Jennifer's family, and the Harper's, we had a nice group. We took the kids trick-or-treating through through the neighborhood and had a great time. The boys have really enjoyed all of their candy. Nanny took the boys a few weeks ago to pick out their costumes. Nolan decided he wanted to be Indiana Jones, Tucker decided he wanted to be Spiderman AGAIN even though he has 3 spiderman costumes already, Brayden was the scary character from scream, and Corbin was a pirate. I wasn't exactly sure how Corbin would feel about dressing up but he did really well and seemed to enjoy it. Check out the pictures below of our trick-or-treaters.

Our Little Pirate

The boys spent the night with Grandmama Halloween night so when we got to her house they rang her doorbell. They get a kick out of trick-or-treating at Nanny's and Grandmama's house.

Nolan as Indiana Jones with Officer Will Cawthon.

LaTrelle Cawthon with Pirate Corbin.

Tucker as FLASH!

Wrapping up the season

2008-11-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Nolan's football team ended their football season with one loss! The boys played extremely hard. They made it to the playoffs but lost in the final seconds of the game. We thought football season was over until Coach Jimmy asked for Nolan to play on the South Walton Allstar team. They will have a tournament on the 15th of November. Nolan was so excited about being chosen to play on the allstar team. I will post pictures from the tournament later. Below I have posted a few pics from his last season game and his banquet.

Coach Richie deciding on the next play.

The team sitting on the bench waiting for the game to begin.

Busting through the sign.

Nolan blocking

Georgia Tech Game Days

2008-10-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

We have had so much fun at the Tech games this year. The team is off to a great start. The new coach, Paul Johnson, seems to be proving he is "The Perfect Option" for the GT Football program. The first game this year against Jacksonville State was on my birthday, so it was great to get to enjoy the game on my 30th b'day. We have enjoyed tailgating with the usual crew and look forward to many more good times. Below are just a few pics from the season so far.

Buzz doing his push-ups after another GT touchdown! I think this is Nolan's favorite part of the game. He spends most of his time looking for Buzz.

Chad, is there something I should know?

Ken mocking the current generation.

Richie welcoming the players during the Jacket walk. I just missed a picture of him with Coach Paul Johnson.The band playing in front of the stadium as the players walk in.
The band playing before the game.

The players coming out of the tunnel for their first home game.

The Birthday Boy

2008-10-03T19:15:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted. Since school started back, it hasn't left much time to blog. I would really like to go back to school for my Master's and eventually my Specialist, but I'm afraid I won't be able to fit it in either. We celebrated Tucker's 5th birthday last a couple of weekends ago. We started to have his party at the bowling alley but he wanted to invite more friends than we were willing to pay for, so we decided to just have it at the house with a blow-up castle the kids could jump in and slide down. This way we were able to allow all of his friends to join in the fun rather than trying to select only a few. The only two things Tucker really wanted this year for his birthday were a Nintendo DS (like his friend Jackson Millwood-this line always comes after, "I want a DS") and an Optimus Prime (Transformers-for those of you who don't know or don't have little boys) transformer that converts into a gun that lights up and makes noises. He was so excited to see he got both, plus several games for the DS. He savored every moment of opening each gift. See the pictures below of his big day!

Tucker with his friends Dawson and Justice

Tucker blowing out his trick candles. He couldn't figure out why they kept relighting.

The Castle

The prized present - "The DS"

29 and Holding!

2008-08-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

30 is banging on Stacy's door! I used to think I would have a hard time with 30, but now that it's closer than ever, it doesn't seem so bad after all. I never thought Richie would be able to pull off a surprise, but oh, did he ever. This past weekend, the weekend before my birthday, Richie concoted a surprise cook-out with family and some close friends. Nolan and Brayden both had football games that day. Tracy had asked me if I wanted to go and get a pedicure because she didn't really want to go by herself and Brittany had already made plans with a friend. We didn't really have anything planned so I went along with her, not knowing it was only a ploy to get me away from the house. We had even discussed picking up some Chinese food on the way home but Tracy, being the quick-witted person that she is, always had an answer to cover up everything. She dropped me off at my house and was going to "go get some money from Ken for our Chinese food". When I came in the house, Richie and the boys were not there. This was no surprise. If I'm not home, they will go to Nanny's and Paw-Paw's house. I called over and told him about our "Chinese" plans and he said Tracy was over there getting the money for Ken and I needed to just walk over there. I grabbed my purse and headed next door, smelling hamburgers the whole way and still not having a clue. As I went through the gate, I could see a gift sitting on the edge of the bar and I then knew what was going on. It was a nice surprise. My closest friends were there as well as my family. We enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs, chips and dip, and ice cream cake. We played some outdoor games and listened to music. At the end of the night the Cawthon's, Richie, and I went inside to bowl a few games on the Wii. I beat them, and of course they said it was only because I was the birthday girl. I beg to differ, I think it was pure skill (or luck, if you wish!). Thanks so much to April and Britt and LaTrelle and Lance for helping Richie pull of a special occasion. Thanks for all you contributed. You guys are the best. Thanks Tracy for being so quick-witted and picking such a great ploy! The massage and pedi were the best! Thanks Nanny for watching the kids. Thanks momma, Brad, Daniel and Andrea and everyone else who was able to make it. I love you guys! Richie, thank you so much! I loved the surprise. You are such a thoughtful husband. I love you! Check out the pics below.

Down, Set, Hike!

2008-08-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Nolan just began his 4th year playing football. We began playing in a different county this year and the program and atmosphere is a lot better than what we had been used to. Nolan plays Center for the Titans. He does very well at this position. He has always done a good job when it comes to a specific job or task, so being the center is a good position for him to play. He has become more aggressive this year, which is a good thing for him. I took a few pictures from his first game as well as his second game. Check them out below. He is #55. You can't miss him. He's the hoss on the team. He's almost as tall as me now and weighs about 120lbs. at 10 years old. I still can't believe how much he has grown over the years. Boy, how time flies!

School's In Session

2008-08-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the summer is already gone! As a teacher, I love the frequent breaks our school system has in place but I sure do miss those long summers. We officially have two Cleary children in school. Nolan began 5th grade this year and my little Tucker started Pre-K this year. He was such a big boy on his first day of school. I was so proud of him! Since I have to be at work on the first day of school at the same time the boys leave for school, I was not able to walk him in and down to his classroom. I tried to convince his daddy to do it and to take a couple of pictures for me, but you know how men are. Nolan and Brayden took care of him and got him to the room. When he got home that afternoon we asked him what all he did. He said, "I played, I ate, and I took a nap." I guess that's pretty much the extent of Pre-K. He really seems to enjoy his teachers. On Monday of the 2nd or 3rd week of school, Richie received a phone call from the school nurse stating that Tucker had gotten sick and threw up. Most of us who know Tucker very well have discovered over the past year that he has an extremely weak stomach when it comes to looking at certain things. He gags at the oddest things sometimes. Well, Richie went to check on him at the school where he found Tucker walking around the office. He asked him what made him so sick, in which Tucker replied, "That brown girl had a big, huge, booger hanging out of her nose." All Richie could do was turn his head away. The secretary was laughing so hard she couldn't control herself. A couple of plumbers walked by and overheard and laughed histerically as well. He is so animated and you never know what will come out of his mouth. So far, we are all off to a good start. Very busy, but doing well. Check out the pics below of the boys on their first day of school (at the house before they left for school, of course. Thanks, Richie!).

The House That Babe Built

2008-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

One of the things Richie has said he wants to do before his time comes is to visit all of the Major League Baseball stadiums. Of course, he's been to Turner Field, home of our Atlanta Braves. He has also been to Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Angels (formally known as Anaheim Angels), and the San Diego Padres old stadium, all of which are in California. After church Sunday, Richie and one of his friends, Casey, were talking about Casey's upcoming business trip to New Jersey. Casey's family is from the New York area and Casey has been a long time FANatic of the Yankees. He used to spend his summers in N.Y. Casey mentioned to Richie that he and his cousin were going to try to catch a game while he was there and that Richie should try to fly up to watch the game with them. After many phone conversations and flight help from Casey's dad, Richie set off for N.Y. Tuesday morning. His flight left at 6:15am. He rented a car to drive (YES, he actually drove in N.Y.) from the airport to Casey's hotel in New Jersey. He got a little lost in Queens. He also said that their road construction was horrible and makes Atlanta look great. I am so glad he got the opportunity to go to Yankee stadium. This was one of the stadiums he wanted to visit the most and was bummed when he found out it would be torn down after this season and he wouldn't get to visit. Yankee stadium is one of the oldest and most historical ball parks of our time. After all, it is "the house that Babe built". Check out the pics below of Yankee stadium.

These two pictures were of Monument Park. This is where they have history of some of the Yankee's greatest baseball players such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Don Mattingly, and many more.

Future Pilot

2008-07-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you already know, Richie's dad has been taking flying lessons at the Oxford Airport for some time now. He has actually flown solo a few times. After his first solo flight they cut out the back of his shirt to hang up on the board. We laughed when he first told us about the lessons. Richie asked him if was working on a bucket list. By the way, if you haven't seen the movie, The Bucket List, go rent it. It was very good. Get ready to cry a little though. Well, Ted has really gotten into this flying thing. He even has a simulator for the computer so he can "fly" when he's not "flying". He tried to teach the grand boys this weekend but I heard he doesn't have a lot of patience! While we were over there tonight for hot wings, he decided he would let Corbin fly with him. Corbin didn't have much success on his own. I think Paw Paw said he crashed a couple of times and had a pretty bumpy landing. I happened to have my camera with me so I was able to get a pic of the two flying.

Paw Paw and Corbin flying using the simulator.

Our Weekend Away

2008-07-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Richie planned a post anniversary/pre-birthday weekend getaway for the two of us. We went to Helen, Georgia this past weekend and we had a great time. Our cabin was about 7 miles outside of Helen in Cleveland, GA. The cabin was really nice. Our bedroom had a jacuzzi tub by a big window overlooking the mountains. Downstairs had a separate living room area with a pool table and a hot tub on the deck. Saturday we slept in, which we rarely get to do with 3 boys in the house, and then we went tubing down the Chattahoochee River. If you have never been tubing you should try it sometime. It is very relaxing. Our friends Britt and April ended up driving up early Saturday afternoon on whim and staying with us Saturday night. The couch downstairs had a pull out bed so there was plenty of room. We went out to eat and then went to a Margarita bar on the river and listened to a live band. They played lots of old rock and country hits. Several of the songs they played reminded me of my dad. I can remember him always playing his guitar and singing "Family Tradition", "You Never Even Called Me By My Name", and "A Country Boy Can Survive." OK, a little off subject there. We also went to Hansel and Gretel's candy shop. I bought some freshly made pralines. They were really good but not as good as River Street Sweets. (Thanks to Tonya Coe for introducing me to pralines a couple of years ago at the beach. I am now completely addicted to them. And, they do not go well with dieting.) I also did something that I thought I would never have the courage to do. I got a tattoo. Yes, I know it doesn't sound like something I would do, but I did. I guess I needed to be a little adventurous. It's above my right ankle and it is an outline of a pink heart with the number 14. The number 14 has some sentimental value for Richie and I and our family. On Sunday we got up and went to a pottery painting place. Richie and I painted a plate to display in our kitchen. Once they fire it they will ship it to us. I'll take a pic of it when we get it and post it later. I thought we did a great job. We also visited the Nora Mills Granary. They still actually stone grind grains using water powered by the Chattahoochee to make grits, cornmeal, flour, and waffle and pancake mixes. They even had samples to try. Of course we brought some things back with us. In all, we had a great time and can't wait to do it again.

Richie and I standing on the front porch of the cabin.

This was the view from the upper deck outside of our bedroom.

This was a sign we passed on the road. I just thought it was pretty funny.

This is a sign outside of the Nudist Park that Richie and I visited. JUST KIDDING! We passed this sign, which was right around the corner from our cabin. We weren't sure what it was. Richie thought it may have been some type of park with animals. I am so glad we decided to look it up on the Internet BEFORE just venturing over to find out. For those who don't know -- AANR stands for American Association for Nude Recreation.

Fishing, Fireworks, & Fun!

2008-07-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

We spent Thursday through Sunday at the Cleary Compound on Jackson Lake. We had such a good time. We played Ladder Ball and Corn Hole in the evenings. The boys enjoyed riding Paw Paw's "fast" boat, fishing, and riding in the paddle boats. Tucker was only sweating swimming in Benji's pool. He is so excited that he knows how to swim without his floaties. He is such a big boy now, or at least he thinks he is. Friday our friends Lance and LaTrelle and their two kids, Will and Chan, came up on their boat for a little visit. The boys swam in the lake and rode the paddle boats. Friday night we took the boys out on the boat to watch the different firework shows going on from different houses on the lake. Everywhere we turned our heads we saw fireworks. Corbin was only interested in helping daddy drive the boat. Saturday afternoon, once the storms blew over, Paw Paw took the boys out on his boat for a little fishing. Nolan is finally baiting his on hook and touching the fish. He is making some strides in trying new things. Tracy, Brittany, and I went out on the paddle boats to where Richie and Ken were fishing. Brittany and I decided to fish a little. I think I spent more time retrieving my line from the bushes near the bank and casting the line than I did actually catching fish. I did manage to catch 3 or 4 small ones. In all, we had a wonderful time. The boys really enjoy going to the lake house and are constantly asking when we can go back.

Some of the fireworks we saw from the deck of the lake house.

Tucker, Brayden, and Nolan getting ready to ride the boat.

Brittany and Tucker

Corbin helping daddy drive the boat.

While it was raining, the boys decided to "float" in the house.

Corbin's Busy Week

2008-07-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to see how quickly children pick on things, especially when they have older siblings. Corbin has been very busy this past week. He ate with a fork for the first time when we were at the beach. I managed to get a picture, but I don't think the quality of the picture was great so I took another one the other day. He also climbed the stairs in our house this week. We had an ottoman blocking the stairs but he scaled it this week and made it all the way to the top. Luckily his brothers were right behind him. He was so proud of himself. He came to the balcony and peered down and grinned at his daddy and I. Richie has maneuvered the ottoman in a different position and Corbin hasn't figured out how to get over it yet. We'll see how long it takes him. Corbin also climbed up on the wooden rocking horse and rode it this week. Richie's father, Ted, made a wooden rocking horse sometime after Nolan was born. So far, it has weathered Nolan, Brayden, and Tucker. Now it's time for Corbin. Gloria and Ted actually saw him do it his first time and Gloria was able to get pictures. Yesterday, while the boys were swimming, Corbin and I went up on the porch and he spent about 20 minutes getting on the horse, rocking, and then getting back off. He has had a blast on that rocking horse.

This is the picture of Corbin at the beach trying to use a real fork.

Here's Corbin using his own little fork eating a Kid Cuisine meal or

as Tucker calls them, "My Cusine".

Yeah, I finally made it to the top! Mommy and daddy are really going to be busy now!!

Here I go, climbing up.

Rocking Away!

Okay, I'm done for now!

Splish, Splash!

2008-06-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday, June 27, we got together with some friends of ours, Britt and April, and their two children Sydney and Gavin. Nolan and Sydney have been friends since they were about two years old. It is so hard to believe how much they have grown since then. We grilled hamburgers and the kids went swimming and we had a great time. Tucker and Gavin enjoyed playing some poolside golf while Nolan and Sydney enjoyed aggravating them! Check out the pictures below of the kids enjoying some time with their friends.

Nolan and Sydney

Gavin and Tucker - Future Pro Golfers

Gavin watches as Tucker takes his shot.

MYRTLE BEACH 2008

2008-06-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Since this is our first blog post I thought I would start with our most recent adventure. We recently had our annual trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. We had a great time this year! There were so many of our friends visiting Myrtle Beach with us this year. The first night we ate at The Crabhouse we had a party of 28!! All of the families are from our church. We enjoyed spending time with the Cawthon's, the Zittrouer's, the Coe's, the White's, and the Taylor's. We stayed at the Island Vista Resort. It was a very nice resort. The best part about this resort is that it was located more on the residential end of myrtle beach so the beach was not crowded at all. Nolan was extremely excited about the beach this year because his friend Mason would be there as well. This is the first time Nolan has actually had someone his age to play with at the beach. He and Mason pretty much spent every waking moment together. I am so glad the White's were able to vacation the same week. Tucker always enjoys going on vacation. He could literally live in the pool. Whether playing with Carter or Will or playing by himself he had the best time. Although Corbin was able to go to the beach last year, he was only 4 months old so he really only sat there or slept. This year he was full force on the beach. He absolutely loved the sand and the ocean. He was covered from head to toe in sand and loved every minute of it. He would run and plop down in the water and then jump up and waddle back up the beach. Although we had a great time at the beach, we were definitely ready to get back home. There's nothing like sleeping in your own bed. I have posted pictures below. I hope you all enjoy the pictures and our first blog entry. Until later, God Bless!

On our first night we went to a Myrtle Beach Pelicans

baseball game with the Cawthon's. This is a picture of Chan and Nolan.

Jackson and Tucker riding the cars.

Mason and Nolan playing ladder ball on the beach.

The resort had a kids club that had different activites planned throughout the day. During this activity they brought the kids out to the beach to search for sharks teeth. Corbin took it upon himself to plant himself in the middle of the group. I guess he wanted to find a shark's tooth also.

Corbin napping after a long day of playing at the beach.

We took the boys to the Ripley's Aquarium. They had a pirate exhibit that was really neat. This is a picture of one of the big tanks that they do live dive shows in. The boys enjoyed viewing the sharks and sting rays while riding the moving sidewalk.

Me and Corbin relaxing in one of the pools at the resort.

Most of the crew hanging out on the beach.