Rednecks

We might like to get dressed up every now and then and enjoy a fine meal, but really, our family has got plenty of red on our necks.  Well, most of that comes from my side of the family.  As Jared says, "you can take the girl out of Pleasant Valley, but you can't take the PV out of the girl."  So true. 

And we like it that way!

 

We love us a good tire swing.

And a little fourwheeling action always makes for a good time.

But Boom Pa really takes the cake in this category.  Like my mom pointed out, "if your mode of transportation on the ranch is a Cheetah lawnmower, YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK!"  Boom drove this riding lawnmower all over the ranch while we went to check out the animals.  Cracked me up every time he went flying by.  Every now and then he'd see an area that needing mowing, so he'd cruise over, get those weeds, and then rejoin our group. 

Not sure if all rednecks love seeing three baby calves as much as us, but we think it's pretty stinkin' cool.

Baby Redneck loved watching all of the action...

especially when two of the llamas started playing tag!

Llama meeting of the minds

Real rednecks would have remembered to bring their tackle boxes and fishing poles...we were just content with walking out onto the dock:)

Ok, so maybe my neck's not all THAT red.  I love me a pretty country scene, though.

And my little girly loves her some good horse time. 

The big kids rode horses and then J man was back on the fourwheeler.  He and his Boom Pa went for a spin...

and then he came back and picked up Maddie.  Just give these two mini-rednecks a gravel road and some helmets--that's all they need.

As long as Lulu has her horsey swing, she's content to watch the others.  Unfortunately, allergies got the best of our fam this weekend.  By the time we left the dusty ranch, Jared was in full shut-down mode, Jackson was sneezing, Lila's nose was running like crazy and Cami's eyes and nose were dripping.  We were a mess!  It was time to get these folks back to the big city of Murphy.  But you can bet your bottom dollar that we'll be back to the ranch as soon as we get the chance!

Saturday morning cartoons?

Nah!  You can find us at the soccer fields!  First, we got to Maddie's game in time to see the Cheetah Girls kick off at 9am.

 

They played well and won 10-0.  They are by far the best team in their league!

Then we ran home and changed this little cutie out of her jammies and into some clothes.  Somehow she forgot this cute headband was on and actually wore it for 20 minutes.  Score for mom!

She and I strolled up to Lila's game just in time to see the Bumblebees in their pregame huddle.

#12 was all smiles and feeling confident about her second game.

She got to play the second quarter and immediately went after the kid with the neon cleats.  This kid was fast and good!  Like Jared said, "if you're gonna wear those shoes, you better be able to back it up."  And he did!  Lila stayed with him, though, and didn't give up.

She got right in on the action and took that ball.

Go, Lila, go!

The goal was in her sights...

and she got so close to scoring...with only one defender in the way...but no such luck.

She didn't let that keep her down, though, and kept hustling after the ball.

And she even got to do two kickoffs and loved that, too! 

The Bumblebees fell a little short and didn't come up with the win, but we could not have been more proud of our littlest soccer star.  Way to go, little bee!

Wild World of Sports

On any given day, we will more than likely be at a soccer or baseball game.  If we're not at a game, then we'll probably be at practice!

And you know what?  I wouldn't have it any other way.  We are loving cheering on this Cheetah Girl in her 7th season of soccer.  She has learned so much and has evolved into a fierce little player.  She's really good!

Maddie's fanclub rolls deep, too.  Goooo Maddie!

J man started playing for a new baseball team this fall and they've got the cutest little cheerleader.

Oh my goodness--love her so much:)

There are lots of little sisters who come to watch their brothers play twice a week.  These boys have an awesome fan base!  They won big last night, too--16 to 1.  Way to go, Wildcats!

Even though Lila does make a good cheerleader, she also has the skills to be a sweet little soccer player, too.  All of us had a blast watching her last Saturday and can't wait to do it again this weekend.  Go Lila!

And finally, if it happens to be a rare night off from sports, my fam still can't get enough.  What do they do?  Go watch the Rangers, of course!  It was Lila's first time and she was so excited to finally get to watch them in person.  They met their daddy, Poppi, aunts and uncles at the ballpark last Friday night and tried to cheer the Rangers on to a win.  That part didn't work out, but I know they'll remember the night for a long time.

Buzz on Bumblebees!

Saturday morning was SO MUCH FUN!

Meet our favorite Murphy Bumblebee--#12 Lila Lou!

 

Her daddy was so happy that his girly girl was all about playing soccer this fall.

Her team did their warm-ups and then had a pep talk from Coach Clay.

Maddie was so into the whole game and kept giving Lila pointers while she was waiting with Henlee for the second quarter.  So cute!

 

We told Lila that she had to be aggressive and go get the ball.  She's been really timid at their practices, so we had no idea what to expect at the game.  No need to worry, though!  This little girl was all over the ball!  She played good offense...

and defense, too.

Then she took that ball the length of the field...



and scored her VERY FIRST GOAL!!!

She was so proud and there was lots of "Go Lila!" from the stands!

That was all she needed to keep up the hard work:)

The Bumblebees have some work to do, like not tackling your own teammates, but they did so good!  Thank goodness Lila's used to wrestling with her brother so she stood her ground with this kid.  I think he must have wanted to score a goal, too.  Teamwork, dude!

High fives from her daddy for a job well done.

After resting during the third quarter, she went back in for the fourth.  Our #12 cut this little girl off and got the ball away from her.

Then she dribbled it down the field and scored a second time!

Her whole team came over and high-fived her.  Way to go, Lila!

She was the first one to run through the tunnel and was grinning from ear to ear.  The Bumblebees won big, too.  A very successful start to their season.

Thanks, Lila, for putting on a great show for your fanclub!  We love you, little Bee.

Happy Birthday, Meme!

We celebrated Meme's 84th birthday last week.

 

Say It With Sugar did the cake and it was so pretty.

Gigi took Meme to lunch and then to get their nails painted.  After school, we all met at Gigi's house for cake and presents.

Happiness all around--I love this.

Meme always likes when she gets some snuggles from her youngest great-grandchild:)

First, she opened her cards and then her presents.  Cami was a big help.

This is about as close to crawling as Cami has gotten--we've got a ways to go!



Say cheese!

Surprisingly, this little girl didn't mind wearing her party hat.  She'll yank a bow or hairband out in 2 seconds flat, but she kept this hat on for 10 minutes.  Go figure!

We sang, Meme made a wish and then blew out the candles on her chocolate cake with cookies and cream icing. 

There's a chance that her oldest great-grandchild will be taller then her by the time she turns 85 next year.  He's getting close already. 

Happy Birthday, Meme!  We love you!