Neil and Lindsey's Moritz Wedding

Saturday, after Uncle Donnie’s funeral I headed to Cuero to meet Trey and Kennedy at Neil and Lindsey’s Moritz wedding. Kennedy and Gracie danced the entire night, until finally Gracie shut her eyes for a bit(as seen in the adorable picture). Kennedy didn’t give up the fight for bed until we got back to the hotel. It was great seeing some of the guys we don’t normally get to visit with anymore. The boys sang a little karaoke and we danced the night away.










































On Sunday, we headed to Neil’s parents house and enjoyed a pancake breakfast with the wedding party. Trey and I headed down to Mathis to mow the yard and then went to Falfurrias to hook up a new deer feeder timer Trey had gotten. Uncle Tim took us riding around on the gator to hook up the new timer. Kennedy acted like the timer was a phone and was calling Domino(my mom’s dog), the conversation was short. While driving through the pasture, Tim noticed some buzzards flying over so we went and checked out what they had found. It was an aborted calf. Tim said that due to the lack of water down in South Texas (even though they have water troughs out). It didn’t faze Kennedy….she wanted to keep seeing more animals.
After our drive in the fields, Trey and Kennedy decide to take a dip in the pond. We forgot Kennedy’s suit in Mathis so she had to go in her birthday suit. She had so much fun playing with her dad in the water. They blew bubbles, picked items up from the sand, and swam.

Monday night we drove back to Lockhart so that we would be home in the morning. I wanted to make sure my cousins from New Jersey, Donna and Timmy, could meet Kennedy and Trey. We took them(or actually dad took them if you consider who paid) to Smitty’s so they could get a feel for what a barbeque restaurant was like. After eating and saying our goodbyes, we were back in the car and headed to San Antonio to stay the night at the Embassy Suites. Trey had been subpoena for his testimony for what he remembered about the airplane crash that Kenneth and he came upon in Pleasanton several years ago. We had a nice time at the hotel, Kenneth, Kylie, and Laura came over to the hotel and we took the girls swimming. Kylie really loved the water.

Congratulations, Frank Dodson on your Retirement!

Till we meet again, Donnie Underwood

My uneasiness this week about death came knocking on my door today.Today, I received the news that my Uncle Donnie died early this morning while sleeping probably due to a heart attack. Aunt Vickie said he had a great day on Wednesday, playing golf with my dad and his brother, stayed up till 12:00 reading a book, and then fell asleep. She heard him snoring and then realized it got very quite so she tried to wake him,but nothing. Uncle Donnie was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He participate in all of his grandchildren extra curricular activity, cheering them on every step of the way. He never spoke bad about people,he just accepted them for who they were. I'll miss his gentle voice, good conversations, and smile that he always had on his face. Till we meet again, we love you Uncle Donnie!

Carpe Diem!

When I was flipping through the radio stations this morning I heard the song “I Can Only Imagine”. We sing it a lot in church and I just think the words are thought provoking, hence ….the long jabber from me that will follow. Sorry, for the sappy thoughts ….but I always feel better after I write or express my feelings to someone (which is you).

The last couple of days I have had an uneasy feeling about death. Yes, call me weird, but periodically someone might say something that makes me start to think “How long do I really have?” and “Do I have everything in order so no one person has to guess what to do at the funeral?” I think this all stems from a conversation that Tracy and I had the other day regarding a friend of ours, Donna Monroe, who just lost her husband and is fighting for her own life as she battles cancer. Donna is always so positive despite the challenges that she faces each day. She always finds the beauty in nature and anything she does. I realize she has a different perception of life, which I’m trying to seize so that I appreciate every waking moment that I am here. I stop and wonder if I will be here to watch Kennedy start kindergarten, go on her first date, catch her first fish, dye her hair for the first time, drive a car, say some encouraging words when she has her first heart break from a boy, has a child, graduates from school, contemplates what she really wants to do in life, and so on... Will I see my husband grind his teeth as he meets the first boy who wants to drive Kennedy on a date, will I be here to watch Trey advance in his job, shoot all of the trophy animals that he dreams of getting, hear about his amazing bird hunt after going to Argentina, see him marvel when Kennedy goes on her first daddy’s fishing/hunting trip, and will I be able to kiss him before I go to bed tonight and let both of them know how much I love them, my family, and friends.

I still have way too many kites to fly, songs to dance to (like “I Will Survive” at Kennedy’s wedding), kisses and hugs to give, and trials to face in life. Despite the ups and downs…I love life, I love my family and friends God has blessed me with, I love the pimples on my face and the extra weight in my hips(not really) . Here is to more sunny days, the smell of fresh cut grass, getting together with family and friends, going home and hitting no red lights, standing in the rain, kissing the one you love, and for the ability to forgive, forget, and move on……Carpe Diem!

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day weekend we went down to Mathis. Clayton, Trey's cousin, purchased a new jet ski and wanted us all to get to enjoy it he also thought Mathis would be a great place for us to all gather for Mother's Day.

On Friday, Sherry and I went to the lake to clean the yard up since Trey wouldn't get off work until Saturday. As you can see, Kennedy helped mow with her mower....





























After mowing it was time to relax in her chair. She went to the store room and pulled out her frog chair .





























She worked up a sweat being outside.














She thinks "this yard work is hard!"














Oh.....I think I see a new branch that fell. Off we go again...
























Aunt Raydell, Uncle Time, and Kirk pose for the camera....























Aunt Raydell, had the wonderful idea to put bubble bath in the pool. Kennedy loved it!
























Swimming made Kennedy tired, so she kicks back in her chair like the adults.







































Now it's time to show what Kennedy has learned in swim. She loves to kick her feet.




























Honey and Papa enjoy the heat!





















Sherry and Kirk smile for the camera.




















In the bathtub Kennedy loves to pour the water in different cups. In her pool she likes to do the same thing. She used this empty bottle to wash some of the bubbles off her back.

















The boys played some washers and Kennedy helped her daddy by watching closely.






























I thought this was funny watching Kennedy eye the beer can to try to drink out of. Before anyone reports us to CPS, we filled the empty can up with water! It's just funny watching her facial expressions as she sneaks off thinking she has gotten away with something.



























On Sunday, we filled the pool up again so Kennedy could play. This time her Mimi got in it.