You Might Be a Redneck if...

You pull your baby around in a cooler...and she loves it!!!

(I have a video but blogger isn't cooperating so I will try again later)

We were outside playing on the back porch...and Andy was just about to put the cooler back in the shed. Jolea chased him down just in time to "hitch a ride" around the backyard!!! She was loving it!!! When you don't have a Radio Flyer Wagon...just use the Ole' Igloo Cooler. I don't recommend taking it to the park or anything like that...but it was a very funny moment.

Margarita's are one of my very favorite drinks. I enjoyed a refreshing margarita out on my back porch tonite...and I want to share this recipe with you :) Its beautifully easy and very tasty. I got a plunger pitcher from pampered chef when we got married...and its PERFECT for mixing these rita's.

Chuck Wagon Margarita's:

1 can of lemon/lime from the frozen section (thawed)

Fill the lemon/lime can about 3/4 of tequila (your choice)

Add 1 can full of water

1 can of beer (your choice)

a pinch of salt

**add ice, then taste...if it's too strong add water or a bit of sprite till you get the perfect Rita**

I love that its quick and easy and its relatively inexpensive too. Great for serving at your backyard get-togethers...or girls night!!! Speaking of margarita's and back yard get-togethers...its a sweet reminder that summer is right around the corner. Some might even say its already here with this weather we have been having. I love the summer time...going to the lake, playing in the water, wearing flip flops and bermuda shorts. I love going on vacation and the smell of sunscreen on my sweet baby girl. I love being able to wear a tank top and not get cold...or drive around with my windows down and the sunroof open. I love sitting on the back porch with my hubby or my friends just talking the night away...I love getting pedicures with my Mom and having a little sunburn on my shoulders and the end of my nose...I LOVE SUMMER!!!

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3 Shots in 1 day :-(

Well my sweet baby girl went to the doctor today...and she had to get not 1, not 2, but 3 shots in her sweet little leg. She did very well and didn't even cry until the 2ND shot. I'm so happy that we are all caught up on our shots till she is 2 but at the same time its sad because I know that means she is growing up...VERY fast. Considering that she is already 18 months old, she will be 2 before I know it. Mom and I are hitting Fort Worth for some shopping this weekend...and I CANT wait. It grates on my nerves that our Abilene mall stinks so bad. I mean in all reality...our mall should be a booming little place. Just look at all the surrounding smaller towns that we service. I cant even believe that Ricks Collectibles can stay in business and they get rid of the Gap. Our Gap really wasn't a good Gap, but at least there were a few things I could find. So basically even the Abileneians are driving 150 miles to get some decent shopping. Thank Goodness they are bringing the Children's Place to town. It should do really well here because for anyone who has young children, you know there are no KID friendly stores in Abilene. They really should think about bringing some businesses to all the vacant shopping centers they are building...or better yet lets build another one and let it waste space and remain empty too. Goodness...I just realized I sound a little grumpy don't I??? O well its my soapbox and I guess it was on my mind!!! I will sound a lot less grumpy next week after I buy some bargains and get finals out of the way!!!

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Long Trip -on a- Short Weekend

This weekend we made a "surprise" trip down to Fort Worth to see Andy's family. Originally they were going to come spend the weekend with us, but then the motorcycle accident happened, so we had to re-arrange the plan a little bit. Andy and I decided if they couldn't come party with us, we would take the party to them. I had already bought all the stuff to do a Perini Ranch brisket, scalloped taters, green beans, taters...and of course banana puddin'. So we just loaded up the cooler and the car and headed down on Saturday morning. I think we pulled it off...and everyone was surprised when we got there. Andy's dad is doing okay, however he was experiencing some breathing difficulties while we were there. Its so common that people who are "laid up in bed" to come down with pneumonia, so specific prayers that he doesn't get that are much appreciated. I have also heard that anytime you undergo anesthesia your chances for catching pneumonia are increased. He was moved to a private room on a more specialized floor. His surgeries haven't taken place yet because the knee cap is too swollen still to operate. Its going to be a long road to recovery...but I think everything is going to be okay. Thanks to Jay and Chrissy for letting us stay at their beautiful home and just taking us right in. The boys stayed up way to late playing a game of poker and the ladies soaked it up in the hot-tub!!! We had a good time and we sincerely appreciate their kindness. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Jolea and Aunt Sissy eatin nanner' puddin

The Girls: Chrissy, Erin and Me

All the kids...a picture just for Andy's Mom

(Brandon, Andy, Me, Erin, Jansen and Jolea)

Erin and Jolea

Daddy and Jolea gigglin...

Exhausted baby...(she really is asleep like this)

This is a very busy week for me on the school front...but If I can manage to get this week out of the way I will have about 3 weeks of rest before vacation and before summer school starts. I am really really looking forward to a little down time before heading into the summer sessions. This has by far been the hardest semester...and there are so many other things going on in our lives too (Andy finding a job, selling the house, where we are going to move, finances etc) the list goes on and on. I am really going to focus on peace...during my time off...not hurrying from second to second making sure everything is perfect. Sometimes imperfection is perfect. Happy Monday to everyone!!!

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Total Randomness....

Not much going on around the Ward house on this windy Friday night. Andy is gone coaching the LAST baseball game of the season...can I get a whoop-whoop!!! Jolea and I did take a trip to the Mall (it barely qualifies as a mall if you ask me) to each at Chic-Fil-A and to take a few things back to JC. Penny's. She was such a good girl and she ate 4 whole nuggets and 2 waffle fries!!! That's a lot of food for that little belly. On our way out I let her ride one of the little rides for the very first time and here is a clip.

Here she is being Poppy's Little Helper...she is taking all of his clean laundry and putting it in the dryer...she LOVES doing this...it makes her feel like such a big girl. She also must have seen one of us taking things out of the dryer and "fluffing" them because if you watch closely, she is trying to fluff the "wet" sock...so funny!!!

My little girl is back to normal after her little accident last night. She has a nice big knot that probably wont be going away anytime soon, but she is acting just fine...like it never happened. Thank goodness God is so good.

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Jolea's First Trip to the Minor Emergency Room...

I guess I still have the "New Mommy" syndrome in my blood and when my sweet baby turned one of the kitchen chairs over on herself...Mommy totally freaked out. Now I know what you are thinking...how heavy can a kitchen chair be? Well our table is really a little indoor/outdoor bistro table, so its HEAVY...very HEAVY. My curious little Jolea thought it would be a great idea to try and pull the chair out so she could sit at the table, but that's not the way it worked out. The whole chair knocked her over and landed right on her forehead. Her forehead immediately swelled to the size of at least a golf ball, turned purplish-yellowish and filled with blood. Not to mention the knot that is on the back of her head where she hit it on the tile kitchen floor. I have never heard her cry so hard in my life, and my guts were in knots with worry about her having a concussion, or a serious head injury. It's amazing how you become paralyzed with fear when you think something horrible has happened to your child. Her daddy scooped her up off the ground and I could feel myself just wanting to take her from him, to hold her myself, but I had to get my self together and figure out what had just happened. I called Grammy to get her advice and of course we both agreed its better to be safe than sorry, so I made the call to go ahead and take her to the minor emergency room in Anson and I am glad I did. The doctor on call said we did the right thing and that it would be best for her to get an X-ray to check for any kind of skull fracture. Everything looked fine and we are home safe and sound, but my little darling will be wearing a Big Ole' Goose-egg for a few days I'm sure. The pictures don't come close to showing you what it really looks like, but I posted them anyway. She is asleep right now and I get the pleasure of waking her up every 2 hours for the next 12 hours, just to be on the safe side.

On a different and more serious note, Andy's dad was in a motorcycle accident this morning. God is so good and he is so lucky to be alive. He broke both wrists/hands and one leg and knee cap. He is expected to have surgery in the early morning. I am so happy he was wearing a helmet!!! I get so angry when I see a motorcyclist that isn't wearing a helmet...to me that is like signing your own death certificate. Andy has wanted a bike for a long long time and I am never going to be okay with him having one. I am terrified of those stupid things and I don't even think they should be allowed on the streets. A motorcycle is never going to win against a car or truck...that's all there is too it. So please keep Andy's mother and his siblings in your prayers as they help his dad with recovery.

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Happy 18 Months Jolea Dru Ward

HAPPY 18 MONTHS JOLEA

Can you believe my sweet Jolea Dru is 18 months old tomorrow? I can’t! I can remember all too clearly the feeling of Jolea kicking and swirling in my belly. How did we get from there to here in what feels like the blink of an eye? My little Miss Independent thinks she is a very big girl these days. I wont realize how much I love doing the "little" things for her until she does not need me to do them for her anymore. She already doesn’t need help getting on or off the couch. She knows when she is hungry that there is yogurt or ice cream in the fridge and if she were just a little stronger and a little bit taller she would be able to get it herself. I realize I have a very short time frame to enjoy watching her pulling on the refrigerator door handle and saying, “More" or "Bite"! In a few more months she will be getting it herself. And right now she is so sweet! She is always climbing into mine or Grammy's lap for hugs and kisses. Its so cute when I tell her I love her, although she cant say "I love you" back to me she has gotten into the habit of responding with, "Awww" and patting me on the back which just melts my heart. The personality that Jolea has is such a blessing. She is this little character in my life that always has a way of making me smile...even when she is getting into trouble. When she knows she is in trouble, she comes running at me full force, she clings to my leg starts patting me and saying "Awww!" Now is that acting or what? She is a stubborn little mess sometimes and I am afraid that she might learn many lessons the "hard way" but it sure is fun watching her learn. This little child has brought me so much joy in such a short time that I cant imagine all the joy she will bring me in her lifetime. I know it wont always be roses, but she has a way of taking hold of my heart. I cannot remember what life was like before she got here, and I can only imagine that her Daddy and I mush have been terribly bored...ha ha ha. We love her so very much and for me, its an honor to be her Mommy!

(click on collage to view larger image)

~XOXO~

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Blogger's Withdrawal...

I have been waiting all week for a spare moment or two to update my blog and here we are late Sunday evening before I could find the time. This past week was totally out-of-control crazy. I had school work out the wazoo and it felt like everything kept piling on top of each other. Luckily this is Andy's last week of baseball and I know that we are both very excited about that.

On Friday night we went to the Abilene Cage Fights (kinda ungirly I know) but I have actually enjoyed MMA (mixed martial arts) for several years now. I even have my very own favorite fighter that I follow. Anyway, my dad got us the best seats in the house, and we had a great time. It was a little freaky to watch it live and hear the punches and see the blood, but I managed to stick it out. When you watch it on TV, at least the sound effects are slightly muted. It was fun to have something a little different to do in Abilene. Of course you will notice that Andy is absent from all of these photos and that is because he had to coach 2 baseball games and miss out on all the fun!!! Boo Hoo!!!

Speaking of Andy, I am so proud of him and my dad. They woke up super early on Saturday morning to go run in the Mayor's Roundup. It was the first time either of them have ever run a 5K (3.1 miles) and they did a super job. Andy finished in 27 minutes and Poppy finished in 28 minutes. 3 miles in 28 minutes isn't too shabby for a 50 year old man...so "Way To Go Poppy!"

Saturday afternoon the weather was beautiful...and that means my little darling wanted to be outside for as long as she possibly could. We doused her in sunscreen and tried to make her wear one of those big floppy hats, but that didn't work out so well. I did manage to snap a few sweet pictures. My little darling is going to be turning 18 months old this week, so I will try and dedicate a special post just for her!!! I cannot believe she is getting so big and so grown up. She learns something new every single day it seems like. Since we are talking about how "grown-up" she is, I have to brag on her behavior at church today. She was so GOOD!!! She sat there and said her prayers and she listened to the singing. She wasn't her typical "bouncing off the walls" self crawling under and over the pews or bouncing from Grammy to Poppy, then to Mommy and then Grammy again (you get the point) this morning. Church was very nice and a lot less stressful!!! Thank You Jolea...Mama and Daddy were very proud of you.

There was a big ticket UFC fight on this weekend, so we hung out with some great friends to watch it. We had a great time!!! Here are some pictures from the evening...and then a collage of all the sweet kiddos that were there!!! Too cute!!! Grammy was nice enough to let Andy and I go without Jolea...and it was really nice to have some grown up time!!!

Good Lordy its the start of a new week already which means that with each day that passes I am one day closer to the summer. Considering that I am taking a full load this summer its not going to be much of a break...ha ha ha. This weekend we are having Andy's parents come to our house to visit. I plan on making a really great meal...so wish me luck that it all turns out. Sometimes when I cook its rather eventful...and I don't mean in a good way.

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Scrapblog.com

I have found "another" website that I am totally addicted to. Go visit scrapblog.com and make the sweetest creations you can imagine. Its a virtual scrap-booking website and you can order the pages that you create or you can print them at home! Talk about creativity. As always it's "free" and you do have the option to upgrade if you wish. The quality of my pictures isn't as good as I would like them to be, but I am going to keep playing to see what I can come up with! I love playing with things like this and I wish I could make a job out of it like some people.

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Happy Easter...

Today has been such a nice day...we woke up early and got ready for church, but the "family" picture that I was talking about earlier this week DID NOT happen. Just because my little darling looked so cute this morning does not mean she was acting very cute this morning. Just take a look at our attempted family photo.

Even though we couldn't get a nice family picture, I did manage to get Andy to cooperate long enough to snap at least one good picture of the two of us. (and please notice how handsome he looks in pink :)

We came home from church and had a delicious lunch of ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, carrot souffle and yummy dinner rolls. I am so stuffed...and we haven't even touched dessert.

When we got home, Jolea found the Easter basket that the Easter bunny had left for her. She was entertained for a whole 60 seconds and then she completely lost interest. Among her favorite items were the sour lifesaver gummies and bubbles!!! Its the simple things that matter the most.

Grammy and Poppy have a showing on the house today at 5...so everyone say a prayer that this is "the one" and that they get an offer. How crazy would that be if we both sell our houses in the same week?!? I hope that everyone had a day filled with blessings and happy memories...I know my family did.

(as always to see larger images, just click on the collages)

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Super Saturday...

We had so much to do today...and we got started early. First thing this morning, we got up and ate Grammy's famous biscuits and chocolate gravy for breakfast (sounds gross, but its delicious)! Then Jolea and I made strawberry cupcakes for the Easter Egg hunt we had today. She was such a big helper and as you can see from the pictures, she was very focused. We put them in the oven and they turned out YUMMY!!!

Everyone came over and we had a GREAT time!!! It was a little colder than I would have liked it to be, but at least it wasn't raining or snowing. Our babies had a good time hunting eggs and the adults got a kick out of watching them. I have lots of pictures and video to post, but that will have to come tomorrow because I am pooped and I still have an Easter basket to put together. Congratulations to The Camp's for winning the Easter Trivia game that we played...it was hilarious!!! Alison and Scott South gave them a real run for their money but it came down to a tie breaker and the Camps were the Champs!!! That's all for now...I cant wait to post more tomorrow!!! Happy Easter Everyone!!!

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Thursday's Tid-Bits...

There wasn't too much going on last night at the Ward house, but as always our daughter managed to entertain us as she attempted to feed herself with her very own fork and spoon set that Grammy bought for her. She is "totally" into trying to feed herself...which leads to a big mess and lots of laughs. We had soft taco's and by the end of dinner she had completely given up on spooning her refried beans, so she just decided it was easier to put her whole face in the bowl.

I had kitchen clean up duty and daddy had bath duty...little did I know he was going to take his turn at bath duty "literally!" I heard a lot of commotion and when I walked into the bathroom to check things out...this is what I saw!

Andy had actually crawled into the bath with Jolea and they were hoopin' and hollering' having a great time! I'm not to sure he is thrilled about me posting his near naked body on the internet, but he should have known I was going to be taking pictures of something like that! Sorry Honey!

I am off of work today and I don't have school so we are taking it easy at home. Its Easter weekend and the egg hunt is tomorrow so we will be getting ready for that later. Speaking of Easter...what kinds of things should the Easter Bunny put in Jolea's basket? She doesn't have enough teeth to eat most candy...and its hard to find soft stuff that she will be able to eat. What do you put in your kiddo's baskets? Feel free to share! I cant wait to take this years family Easter picture and compare it to last years family picture...what a difference a year makes.

(by the way if you click on the collages, you can see a larger image)

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Pictures At The Park...

Yesterday on the way home I decided to pull off at a small park in Anson and snap a few pictures of my little darling. I just love this time of the year and the bluebonnets make for the perfect picture setting. I put this collage together on picnik...and I love the way it turned out. I should have more pictures and video after this weekends big Easter Egg Hunt. I cant wait to see all the kids dressed in their sweet outfits carrying around their baskets and looking for eggs. So Sweet!

(I am hoping if you click on one of the pictures you may see a larger image)

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Easter Is Comin...

Easter is 5 days away and my sweet Jolea is "practicing" hunting her eggs. She is a "natural" and caught on very quickly. She was so proud of herself and wanted a "round of applause" for each egg she put in her basket...Hilarious!!! You need to turn up the volume...the sound is a bit muffled.

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Weekend Recap...

Well this weekend is a blur just like the rest of them have been. We have been so busy lately and I am ready for a much needed vacation in May.

On Friday night, Jolea and I went on a date with Grammy to the Olive Garden. Poppy was out of town at the Nascar races and my hubby was coaching baseball in Cisco. Its our tradition to eat there when our "men" are busy doing other things. We enjoyed sharing our favorite Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo...Salad...and Bread sticks dipped in Alfredo sauce...it was delicious.

Friday night I got to spend time with two of my girlfriends...Jen and Cherie. We just sat out on the back porch, built us a little fire in the fire-pit, turned on the country music, had a few drinks and talked the night away. It was so nice to have some "grown-up" time after I got Jolea to bed for the night.

Saturday morning I woke up early to clean house...when your house is on the market it "always" has to be tidy. Speaking of the house...no real bites yet. We have printed off tons of fliers and have gotten several calls, but no serious lookers yet. I think I am going to place an add in the Abilene Reporter News, I just hope I don't have a coronary when they tell me that I owe them about 80 dollars for running an add for only 1 month...highway robbery if you ask me, but that's a whole other story. Grammy and Poppy have their house on the market too so when I got done cleaning my own, I headed to Abilene to clean Grammy's. I love having EXTRA money in my pocket...and Grammy loves having a Merry Maid...so we are both winners.

Andy and I went on a date last night to see the movie "He's Just Not That Into You!" Of course I thought it was a great movie and although I did catch him chuckle a couple of times...he says I should have seen that one with some girlfriends! We had a good time and it's the first movie we have been to in a long long time. A very special "Thanks" to Grammy for keeping Jolea while we were gone.

Today we went to Sam's (one of my favorite places on this earth) and of course I found a few things I WISH I could have. My sweet Jolea and all the kids in the neighborhood would love these awesome toys. I really like the water slide thingy...it looks like so much fun. Maybe we can save up some extra money and get one of these things for Christmas this year. A girl can dream...

I tried to get a cute picture of Jolea in her Easter dress tonite...but she really made that a difficult task. I miss those days when she would just sit there and smile at me. I have some of the BEST pictures of her when she was just a baby...and now it takes an act of congress to snap a good one. She is as fast as lighting...or at least I think so. Here are a few that I did manage to snap. I am going to try to get an Easter card out, but I better get a move-on-it or else I am going to run out of time. "Thanks" to my sweet friend Whitney for the Easter dress that she passed down to us...she had a garage sale and let me come and look at all her goodies "pre-sale!" Thanks Whitney!

It started off pretty good...

Still going well...

Bam...this is how Jolea feels about getting her picture taken

Speaking of Easter I will be gearing up for an Easter Egg hunt this weekend with our small group at church. I am really excited about this event...and I really love to play host. We are going to have hamburgers and hotdogs. I hope the weather is just perfect for the hunt, and that all the kids have fun! Wish me luck!

Tomorrow is the start of a new week, and I hope I have lots of good "blog worthy" things going on...we shall wait and see!

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