Boxley Valley: The Hike in Lost Valley

It was a beautiful walk through the woods, to the natural bridge, crawling up over huge rocks, up to the waterfall that with recent drought provided just a trickle, on to the cave at the end...and back down.

Heather and Marty walking the trail:





All the gals paused along the trail on a fallen log over the creek:




An old hollow tree that appears to have been burned. Each of the kids took turns standing inside the remains for a photo. Heather:




My niece Nicole:





Heather, my sister Lacey, my niece Nicole and my mom walking together:





My cousin's daughter Lea looks so tiny below the massive rocks!





Heading up over the natural bridge to the waterfall on the other side.




Just too funny not to snap



Up up and up the trail climbed





Just outside of the natural bridge the view was stunning. Straight up rock bluffs all around.

Picnic in Boxley Valley

Reminiscent of childhood days and road trips through Arkansas with my family, on our trip to Boxley Valley we took picnic food and supplies for lunch. Upon arrival we chose a spot (all picnic tables had washed away in a previous flood) and unpacked coolers, boxes and blankets.

My niece Nicole was very curious about the contents in everyone's coolers and boxes.





My brother in law Greg cooked hot dogs for any who didn't want sandwiches.

My brother Davy just chillin' waiting for his food.



After lunch we hit the trail (Lost Valley). Can you see that the love of photography kinda runs in the family??

Happy Sweet 16

Today is my sweet niece's 16th birthday! Happy Sweet 16 Danielle!




Danielle is a sweet beautiful girl. I'm proud of her, proud of her morals and values, and proud of who she is. Danielle plans to one day attend ORU in Oklahoma and carry her love of music into a ministry of music. I have confidence she will do well and I believe in her 100%!

Sights and Sounds of Summer

A Day at the Park

My sister Lacey wanted to spend an afternoon at Mammoth Springs, Arkansas while I was home for the weekend. The plan was to go the afternoon we arrived and take a picnic lunch. That day turned out to be too windy to take the baby out so we didn't go. Saturday turned out much nicer so after I delivered some paintings I had sold we decided it would be a great afternoon for an outing.

All the gals posed for a photo below the dam. From left to right, my sister in law Lis, my niece's friend Rachel, my sister Regina, my niece Danielle, my sister Lacey, my niece (the baby) Nicole, my mom, my niece CeCe, me, and my daughter Heather.

Mom said someone needs to have their photo taken with the water in the background so I obliged!

Regina and Lacey getting Nicole settled into her stroller for her day in the park

While all the girls enjoyed walking around the park the boys all went downstream and went fishing! My husband Marty:

My brother Levi:

My brother in law Greg:

My hunny and me!

Levi and me

what a couple of goofballs!

Only ONE MORE POST until the giveaway! Be watching for it!!!

 

Mini Me

Meet CeCe:

CeCe is one of my nieces in Missouri. Her biological father is my baby brother Levi. I think it was 2007 the first time I met CeCe, and it wasn't much time before that I even knew of her existence. As soon as we met there was a connection. Mom told me then that CeCe doesn't often have much to do with people she doesn't know. The first time I met her a bunch of us took one of our family road trips to go exploring and taking photos. She came along and even hiked next to me for much of the way.

Easter weekend my family spent one afternoon at Mammoth Springs, Arkansas.

Levi and CeCe:

I loved that Levi spent the WHOLE day with us! He was so much fun and what a goofball!

Some of my family tell me CeCe is a mini me, only with red hair. I tend to agree with them!

My mom and CeCe:

CeCe absolutely adores my mom! Who can blame her??!!!!

And of course this "mini-me" likes to borrow Mema's camera!!!

I am sure enjoying getting to know this little girl bit by bit on my visits back home!

PS, only 2 more posts until the big giveaway!!!

We Are Family

Easter Sunday was the first time since Thanksgiving 2007 when ALL my siblings and mom were together for a holiday. My brothers bailed shortly after lunch, before the cameras were launched so all us girls had group photos taken.

What a bunch of goofiness! With all the cameras going off we were never sure which direction to look!

Oh look! We finally got it right! What a gorgeous family we are! lol

Be watching closely! This is blog post #696 for me. In honor of my 700th blog post and my 3rd year of blogging I'll be announcing my first giveaway very soon! Don't miss out!

Meet Nicole

Easter weekend we drove to Missouri to have Easter with my family and to meet the newest member of the family. My sister Lacey had baby Nicole on March 11. Oh what a precious tiny bundle she is!!! We stayed with Mom for the weekend and Lacey and Nicole spent one night there with us too. The next morning gave me lots of photo ops!!! Here are a few of my faves:

"Nanny nanny boo boo!"

 

What a precious, precious baby!!! It is going to be so hard to live so far from her! Thankfully we will be seeing the family again in June. God sure did bless Lacey and Casey with a beautiful baby girl!

Christmas Day 2009

I hope you and yours had a blessed Christmas Day! I know we did. Tradition at our house has us waking on Christmas morning to find what Santa left in our stockings. Anyone can grab his/her stocking as they wake and it is not necessary to wait upon the rest of the household to awaken to do so. The wrapped Christmas gifts are another story. Those have to wait until everyone is up and ready.

When Heather was little she'd wake at the crack of dawn, (or earlier!)and want to open gifts. Now that she's a teenager she's usually the last to get up.




Heather wrapped one of my gifts with so much tape scissors were necessary!

Marty as he unwrapped his gift from Heather:


Digging in to my box from Missouri!



We added some notes to some of Heather's gifts so she had some reading to do!



Marty and I searched and searched until we found the perfect gift we had in mind for Heather. We wanted her very first diamond to come from us:






Marty's family joined us for Christmas dinner and more gifts:



Marty's twin brother Mike joined us from Iraq via skype on the computer. The highlight of our Christmas day was listening to Mike read us the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke:



My sister in law Debbie, my niece Cheyene, and my nephew Tony:



My mother in law began a tradition a few years ago in which each Christmas day she draws the name of a family member to receive next year's "Gifts from Granny." She lavishes that person with many gifts, most of which are gag gifts that must be opened as they make their way to the big gift. This year was my niece Cheyenne's turn:






Cheyenne and Heather cleaning up:



I made everyone an ornament. Here is Billie with hers:



I think Tony loves his gift from Granny! She folded money into the shape of shirts so he could choose some new shirts for himself:



Merry Christmas Everyone!