Weekend Wrap-Up

, 0 comments

We spent our Saturday out on the lake with my parents, riding the jet ski, cruising in the boat, jumping off rocks and stuff.  My girls are absolute river rats, but the lake version.  Come to think of it, they love any form of water–ocean, lake, river, pool–it doesn’t matter.      

Cruising around with Daddy.



A fun ride for Mom.

Super fun boat ride.

She SO wanted to drive by herself.  Not sure the water patrol would have liked that….

And Saturday night, as if our day on the water wasn’t exhausting enough, we went to the Rodeo.  The girls loved watching the cowboys and cowgirls do their thing.  My favorite part is always the bullriding and watching the bull fighters.  Those guys are insane!! No fear.  Kyndall really loved watching the girls barrell race.  She even decided she wanted to do that one day.  You know, along with an entire list of other things she wants to do one day! =)

Enraptured by the cowboys (with our cousin Bryson)

Riding the mechanical bull…. Libby wasn’t quite big enough for this!

Oakley’s Spa Day

, 0 comments

About once a year, I take Oakley for a “spa day.”  I call it that because if I say that awful ‘g’ word (you know….”groomer”), he runs and hides under the bed and will not come out.  So on his annual spa day, Oakley gets his hair washed, cut, and styled (with a bow that he despises);  his nails trimmed;  his teeth cleaned;  and something I will not talk about done to his anal glands.  He comes back feeling like a brand new man dog.  This year, his poor hair had gotten REALLY bad.  Here is the before photo:

He is so ashamed, he’s hiding his face.  Sad, I know.

And here is the after: 

Oh, I do believe he found his swagger.

Rodeo Street Dance

, 0 comments

This is what we do for fun on the Thursday night before a big rodeo. The county blocks off the street and we have an old-fashioned ho-down. OK, it’s not quite as redneck as that. They do block off the street and one of the local bands played while everyone danced. There were some country line dances going on, as well as a little of the cha-cha slide. The girls LOVED it and can’t wait to go out to the rodeo tomorrow night!

25 Things You Never Wanted to Know About Me.

in Life, Unscripted, 2 comments

As I’ve read through some of my favorite blogs, I have come across several of the ’25 things about me’ lists.  Here is my list of 25 things you probably have no interest in knowing about me.  Please still love me afterwards. 🙂

1.       I am a sucker for magazines.  Seriously.  I can NOT walk through the checkout aisle at Wal-Mart, Target, anywhere actually, without picking one up.  Southern Living, Scrapbooks, Etc., Country Living, Women’s Running Magazine… anything with a glossy cover. 
2.       Before becoming an education major, I was planning to be a nurse anesthetist.  Even worked nightshift in the ICU at Decatur General Hospital.  Loved it.  REALLY loved it.  Hated the hours.  REALLY hated the hours.
3.       I worked for a photographer for a while, took photography classes, and really wanted to pursue that as a side-career.  I still have a very close relationship with my camera.  Justin understands.
4.       Ballpark nachos are my absolute favorite food in the entire world.
5.       My name is Courtney and I am addicted to Mt. Dew.  Completely.  As in, I have around 5 20-oz Dews, just during the school day.
6.       In addition to the Mt. Dew addiction, I really love coffee.  Three sugars, 2 creams.  Maybe this abundance of caffeine is why I am so high-strung.
7.       Green.  It’s the best color in the world. 
8.       I am a music junkie.  Country, Christian, Hard rock, rap, R&B……. all kinds.
9.       I really, really, really hate being late.
10.   I still wear scrunchies.  Don’t judge.
11.   I have a tattoo.  On my stomach.  It is the Japanese Kanji meaning ‘blessed.’  (Yes, I know that is says ‘blessed’ and not something crazy like ‘eggroll’.)
12.   Right next to my tattoo, I have a 5-inch vertical scar from a really scary surgery that I had in November of 2011. 
13.   I would really like to author a book.  Probably a children’s book.
14.   I cannot sit still to watch tv or a movie.  I am constantly moving or fidgeting.  Maybe this has something to do with my caffeine intake.
15.   I am directionally-impaired.  My 8-year old can get us to more places than I can.  It’s sad.
16.   I love sports—I did just about everything in high school except basketball or soccer.  
17.   I am a fast runner.  And I like to run.  I try to run in several 5K races a year.
18.   I am really bad at math.  Seriously, I have to think hard about 6 times 7.  42, right?
19.   I broke two of my fingers playing touch football in 6th grade.  I forgot it was ‘touch’ football.
20.   I’m pretty good with a shotgun.
21.   The Fast and Furious movies are my favorites—all of them.
22.   I am deeply in lust with Vin Diesel.
23.   I truly hope my blog becomes as popular as The Pioneer Woman.
24.   I only eat blue M&M’s.
25.   I don’t like talking on the phone.  I’d rather text, email, or talk to you in person. 
Feel free to create your own list and share it with me!

Camping Out

, 0 comments

Last night we took the girls camping out behind the house.  Remember that we live on about 400 acres of farm land, so when I say behind the house, take that loosely.  Justin worked most of the afternoon finding the perfect spot, bringing rocks from the creek to circle the fire, cutting wood for the fire, etc.  The result was a perfect camping spot overlooking our pond.  We grilled hot dogs, roasted marshmallows (regular, chocolate, AND strawberry ones), and drank lots of capri suns and Mt Dews.  Our sweet friends Jason, Cassie and their little man Sam came for a while to visit and so did Bean and Mollie.  I think we can check ‘camping’ off our summer manifesto!

The girls posing with Sam by the fire.

My man getting the fire started.



Grilling our dogs.

Telling ghost stories. =)

The Never-Ending Farm To-Do List

, 0 comments

With summer in full swing, and me home to get things done around this place, I stopped to make a list of the major things I wanted to get accomplished.  Here they are, in no particular order:

1.  House.  In a perfect world, this would mean BUILD the house.  In my world, it just means finalizing the plans, talking to builders and bankers, etc.  All the things that have to be done in order for the actual building to begin.

2.  Trees.  Down with them.  Most of them, anyways. 

These trees are tall and skinny and just ugly and need to be gone.

These trees are ugly too, but they also block my view of a gorgeous pond.

3.  This fence.  Either it needs to be moved or it needs to be cleaned up.  This fence used to hold our goats, and since the goats have gone, the weeds have just taken over. 

4.  This is our newly constructed storm shelter that still lacks steps going down into the actual shelter.  If a tornado came today, we’d be jumping.  Steps, please.

5.  Move dirt pile that is left over from building storm shelter.  See #4.  This is self explanatory.

6.  This is our run-down chicken coop.  Not sure what needs to be done about it, but something.  Probably repainted and restocked with some hens and a few roosters.

7.  Driveway.  A lot needs to be done here.  Trees have to go (refer to #2) and then the ground needs to be tilled up and grass planted so that we can move the cows over into this pasture.


 **Whew.  A lot I know.  Good thing I have this hunky guy to help me with it all!!

 And just so I can end this post on a super positive note, here is a part of my home that I love.  My view out my kitchen window is just perfect as is.  See for yourself:

Okaloosa Island… In pictures

in Travel, 0 comments

To kick off our summer, we took a trip down to the beach with my mom and sister.  We left the boys at home, so we were a little worried about how all our stuff (beach chairs, toys, nets, etc.) was going to make it down to the beach, but we managed.  Okaloosa island is a small stretch of beach between Destin and Fort Walton and it was beautiful.  Libby improved her swimming drastically from last year (see video below) and Kyndall was so intrigued by catching fish in her net that she hardly even came up for air.  We also went out to Destin Commons one night and Libby played on the big bouncy slide while Kyndall climbed the rock wall.  So glad we got to spend this time together!
 

<div style=’text-align:center;font-size:11px;font-family:arial;font-weight:normal;margin:10px;padding:0;line-height:normal’><a href=’http://www.dwellable.com/a/1655/Florida/Florida-Panhandle/Fort-Walton-Beach/Okaloosa-Island/Vacation-Rentals’ style=’border:none’><img src=’http://www.dwellable.com/dwellback/1655.jpg’ style=’width:102px;height:20px;border:none;margin:0;padding:0′><br>Okaloosa Island on Dwellable</a></div>

So peaceful

in Family, 0 comments

“Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains.”
I love looking at my sweet girls sleeping.  When they are awake, they are little balls of energy and I can hardly get a good look at them.  But like this, still and sleeping, it’s just peaceful.  Watching them sleep, I know that they will wake up at any minute and be off again, ready to conquer anything.  But for now, I can just let them dream.

Congrats to the Class of 2012… and most importantly, to my little sis.

, 0 comments

Tonight, my little sister graduated from high school.  Tonight she is beginning a whole new chapter of her life.  Watching her walk across that stage and accept her diploma, I thought about the past 13 years of her life.  Yea, I’m sure it could have been better and I’m sure she has regrets, but it also could have been much, much worse.

Mallory, I am so proud of the woman you have become.  Starting today, everything is fresh.  New friends, new opportunities, new experiences.  You have the abilities and the talents to do whatever you want to do, be whoever you want to be.  And you have the love of family backing you up all the way.  I am so excited for you to embrace this phase of your life.  Learn from your past–both the achievements and the mistakes.  Have fun, work hard, and enjoy every single minute.  I am in your corner, your loudest cheerleader, and the proudest sister ever.  Congratulations on this milestone sis….. the world awaits you!