Alabama and Crooked

Every year we go up to Citronelle, Alabama. This is where my Mother's Father's Mother is from. We stay in my Granny Blackburn's house, which is over 100 years old. For the past 40 years the Blackburn's have had the Blackburn Reunion the Saturday after the 4th of July. I have been there every summer, except the past two year (We were in Kentucky & then the following summer Parker was born). Each summer we had to work on the house, and we are finally at the point where it doesn`t have much work. The whole house is "America" themed because my mother loves themes. We go up for a week, there is no cable, no internet. It really is fun.

Maysen in the kiddie pool

Parker in the kiddie pool, showing off those teeth

Love those blue eyes!

Every morning we sit on the front porch and drink our coffees

These two love sitting on the swing with Nene

Watching Aunt BB do her work out

Auburn always smiling

Back yard

Finley trying to drive the Horseshoe steak into the ground

Parker and Maysen on the 4th of July

We got peanuts and boiled peanuts and hung out on the porch

Tim cooked the steaks for everyone

Brannan & Mom did the rest of the cooking inside

We then walked down to the cemetery to see PaPaw's grave. My Mother's Father recently passed away.

My Mom's parents

Brannan (my 2nd sister's name) is Granny Blackburn's maiden name. 

Some of the old graves

Miss Auburn the day we went to Mobile

So sweet!

The day of the reunion it rained, and then the following day while everyone traveled and got home, we got sick. But other then that it was a pretty good trip.

My Mother won a silent bid for a local family's lake house on Crooked Lake. It was a very pretty and rustic house. It had a huge screened in back porch where we spent most of the time. Since they had it all weekend, we even got to stay the night. It was nice though to be able to run home if you forgot anything. 

Parker on the hammock

Parker on the swing

I love this photo of Parker. He loves himself some bubbles. 

Summer is going by WAY TOO FAST. I can`t believe it when I`m in stores and everything says "Back to School". I have already cried thinking about leaving him again once school starts. By the end of last year, I was use to it but I guess that is just part of being a teacher with small kids. I have to remember to appreciate it and think about the people who work year round. 

A Whole Year

On June 27th my little guy turned 1 year old! I can not believe how fast it went by. So we did his 1 year old photo shoot. We headed outside to the front yard and snapped some. They were working cows that day in the pins behind us so we had a little trouble staying focused on Mommy & not cows. So that explains the reason behind the puffs can in hand. 

Parker Facts:

Blonde hair & blue eyes (still think they gave me the wrong baby)

26 lbs (95%)

32 in (95%)

Crawling

Walking while holding on to things

4 teeth (2 top & 2 bottom)

Saying: Ma (which is for me or when he wants food haha) Da

He babbles a lot

Loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Loves the water, swinging, & music

He loves when Matt gets his guitar out, he tries to play it

He loves to dance and clap

He loves being chased

Still sucking his thumb

2 naps a day

On Whole Milk

Eats table food

Parker's First Birthday Party

Where does the time go? Tomorrow my little boy will be 1 year old! He was actually due June 24th but showed up 3 days later on the 27th. I was walking up and down the dirt driveway in front of the ranch house for hours, hoping something would start happening. If you would like to hear about Parker's birth story, here is the link.

This past Saturday we had Parker's birthday party here at the ranch. The theme was County Fair. When I was pregnant with Parker I thought of the theme Huckleberry Finn, but while looking around on Pinterest, County Fair caught my interest. So this party has been in the making a while, I tried to buy stuff here and there. Here are the photos from Saturday. A big thanks to Parker's God Mother, Jen. During the party she took all the photos for me with my camera.

Thank goodness it never rained! But we put up the tents just in case!

My Mom's Milk Jug and a chair I bought the other weekend for $6.50!

The fabric fans were really not that hard to do. I`ll do a post on how I made them later.

The kids took a goodie bag and some cracker jacks.

We used Mason Jars instead of plates, you just layered your food in it. I can not take credit for the writing on the chalkboard, again thanks Jen! If you have seen my handwriting you would know why I wouldn`t write it!

Ambrey & Maysen

Conner playing Horseshoes

Grady playing Horseshoes

The Brown Family

Miss Finley

Birthday Boy!

Matt

Parker in the pool with MaMaw (present from her & Bill). It was very usually later!

Grady modeling the games for Jen??? haha

Madison

Parker & his God Father, Kendal

Tim & Brannan with Miss Auburn

He later smacked me in the head with that Microphone while opening the other gifts

Singing Happy Birthday (Matt's Dad, Greg & Cousin, John)

He liked the attention! You may be wondering why he is wearing a Bama shirt at his first Birthday. Below you will see, Mama dressed him in clothes I didn`t care if they got ruined : ) War Eagle!

Smash cake time!

I just baked a sheet cake, then cut out a ribbon, then iced it blue.

He was trying to eat the candle and I took it away

No worries, the blue came off. We stripped him down and stuck him in his new pool his MaMaw gave him!

Madison & Hayley blowing bubbles

Parker & Kenzie

My mom has a little hat for the girls first birthdays and for the boys. Parker was not too happy about wearing it. 

When all was said and done, I think his party turned out nice. The before and after is a little stressful, my husband said if I get this stressed out, we shouldn`t do a big party again. I just stared at him....... I`m pretty sure at one point I said "my party". Now what to plan for his second birthday???