a taste of farm life

The Baileys have a farm about 45 minutes northwest of us.  After hearing about it for years, we finally got to see it for ourselves!  It such beautiful land, full of big trees, cattle, ponds, and peace and quiet!

 

The newlyweds graced us with their presence!  Keri, Tanner, Cristina, and I stayed up until about 2 am talking about old times and current life.  Oh, the memories!

 

The Baileys really are like family.  We love spending uninterrupted time with them at their favorite place. 

 

There is no doubt in my mind that my kids could be country kids. 

 

They loved being outside and having room to roam. 

 

They all got so dirty!

 

Addie and Doak both caught fish in the pond.

 

We drove around the acreage and Brock was in heaven, sitting up front with me checking out the cows. 

 

The kids fed and petted the cattle.

 

Addie was like the cow whisperer!

 

I think we could get used to the simple life.  We can't wait to go back!

 

Nanna to the rescue / Tanner's wedding

Dianna came to visit the first weekend of June. Keri and I were invited to Tanner's wedding rehearsal and wedding and we thought it was the perfect opportunity for Nanna to come stay with us.  We were able to spend some time together and Nanna also got to have some time alone with the kids. We're so thankful she could come! Dianna drove in Friday afternoon just in time for Keri and I to leave for the rehearsal dinner at Maggianno's.


All dressed up and ready to go!


Tyler, Trey, Tanner, and Keri at Maggiano's.  We had the best time visiting with all the Bailey family plus their extended family.  We drove back to our house Friday night and were exhausted from such a fun night!



Saturday we took a walk to the duck pond and the park to show Nanna around our neighborhood.  The kids took their bikes and we loved that Nanna could see where we spend our days.





 






 


  



Saturday we made a last minute decision to spend the night in Houston after the wedding.  We left the house around noon, met some friends for lunch, and drove to our hotel near the Galleria.  After a nap, shopping, and a quick swim in the rooftop pool it was time to get ready for the wedding.  Here we are all dressed up and on the shuttle to the wedding.  The wedding was in a beautiful Catholic cathedral.  It was a sweet ceremony. 

 

After it was over we loaded back up on the shuttle to head to the River Oaks Country Club to eat and party!

 

This was really the most fun wedding I've ever attended.  There was an amazing band that played non stop from about 9-1am.  The songs varied from 60's music, to Journey covers, to current pop, country, and even rap!  All were perfect for dancing.  We stayed til the very end and had the best time dancing and chatting with the Bailey family.  What a fun celebration!

 
Meanwhile back at home the kids and Nanna played, read books, and Nanna even took all the kids to a birthday party.  She's super Nanna!

 
Keri and I had a great time on our little getaway but we were glad to be back to see our sweet kiddos!

 

We had a great wedding and are so grateful for Dianna's willingness to come down and wrangle the kids!  We love you Nanna!

 

Tyler's wedding

June 25th we drove to Gatesville for a very special occasion. Tyler Bailey got married! It's hard to believe the little boy who was about 13 when I first met him is old enough to be married. (read about our connection to the Bailey family here)



Tyler and Macie got married at Peacock River Ranch, a beautiful ranch with the coolest atmosphere. We arrived a little early and took advantage of the gorgeous scenery by having a little mini photo session before the wedding. (my favorites of each kid are already on the sidebar of my blog : )











The wedding was outdoors and it was hot, but it was beautiful!



I looked over during the prayer and saw this - I love these boys and their boots. And someday I'll have a picture like this with 3 pairs of boots!



Addie and Doak did great during the ceremony. It amazes me how well they listen and understand things!



I had the genius idea of buying the kids ring pops to keep them occupied during the wedding....should have thought more about what color I chose. Here's a family picture of us from that night, complete with Addie's blue teeth!



Tyler and Macie met at Tech. At each table setting was the story of how they met. Apparently Macie had drawn a mustache on her finger and Tyler started asking her about it, then she drew one on his finger. So that has always been their "thing". At the bottom of each place card was a stick-on mustache....it made for some cute pictures!







I wish I had taken a picture of the whole family....but here's Keri with Tyler. All the Bailey boys are so special to us!



Tyler and his bride Macie



At Peacock River Ranch, there are real peacocks roaming around the grounds. There were also peacock feathers used in the decorations and Addie loved them!



Tyler and Macie ran through a tunnel of sparklers on their way out



What a wonderful evening with wonderful friends and family. Tanner Bailey is getting married next summer and we are already looking forward to another Bailey celebration.

Forty Years of Blessings

June 5, 2011 Debby and Phil celebrated 40 years of marriage



June 17, 2011 we surprised them with a family party



Surprise!



Mom could not stop laughing at Mardi . . .



who was wearing her bridesmaid dress from 40 years before!



we celebrated with barbeque, watermelon, and cake and counted the many blessings of the past 40 years.

___________________________________________

Our family of five actually drove in a few days before the party. We had our first experience with driving at night-we left when Keri got off work at 11pm and arrived at my parents around 3am. It was so fun for the kids to wake up and play right away!



The littlest kids enjoyed a leisurely breakfast while checking each other out.



Addie and Ellery picked up right where they left off at Christmas



Doak and Kiran built some cars and played so well together



I love seeing our kids with their cousins!



Keri and Olivia had some early morning bonding time. Olivia is very serious and observes for a while before smiling or being playful. But Keri got her smiling right away!



Livvy loves babies and she was so sweet to Brock.



Our days together brought lots of reading time, as usual.



Jeff and his girls (girl #3 is due in August) He's such a great dad!



We had a cake and gifts for the two June birthday girls



more reading time, this time with Uncle Jeffy



It was over 100 every day so the kids kept cool by playing in the backyard pool.

___________________________________________

We took advantage of having most of the family together by having Reyna come take some family pictures.

my favorite!