Happy Birthday, Nanny!

This evening we had a get-together at our house in celebration of Bronson's Mom's birthday. Bronson grilled burgers and brats and I was in charge of the sides. It was our first big party in our new house, so it was kind of a milestone for us. I think it went pretty well and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Jack and Nanny had fun playing around the house....as always!



Jack had to take some time out for a little dinner.



Bronson also had a little fun at Jack's expense....but it made for some pretty funny pictures.





Jack has also learned to climb in his walker by himself. Although he never gets in facing the right way. Wouldn't it just be easier to walk, son?



With all the practice Jack has gotten, he should be an expert at blowing out candles by his birthday.



The gang, smiling for a picture.



Jack was in heaven with all the people to chase him around the house!!



And Jack got Nanny a Flowering Pear tree for her backyard. It was a very appropriate gift, considering they lost all theirs in the storm. But a tree is still a great gift regardless. When I was younger we got my grandparents a tree and we were able to watch it grow as I also grew. I always thought it was neat to think the tree was as old as me and see how tall it grew throughout the years!

Party Planning

It is t-minus 30 days until Jack's first birthday, so I felt like I needed to get on the ball and get down to some serious party planning. I have to say that I knew Barney was no longer as popular as he once was, but I had no idea it would be this impossible to find Barney party stuff.

So, like any great mother would do for her Barney-loving son, I have finally found some stuff on the Internet and done some improvising as well. I will make it work and he will have the most fabulous Barney party ever!

We were also true to the Parrish, do-it-yourself fashion, and designed this invitation. I think they turned out pretty cute considering that there is only so much you can do with purple, green, yellow, and of course, Barney!



These are pictures I included, because my original idea was to include a picture of Jack in his "1" t-shirt on the invitation. I decided not to include a picture, but I still think they turned out pretty cute and wanted to share them. We went to the park to take the pictures and it was hard for me to do it by myself, so he wasn't looking at me in any of them :( But nevertheless....still adorable!

HHS Class of 1999 Reunion (Part 2)

Saturday night was the more formal affair and a lot of our friends came from all over the country to attend. Bronson's cousin and my friend, Cam, came all the way from L.A. with his wife, Jenna...I think he won the award for furthest traveled!! We ate, drank, and danced, and needless to say, had a wonderful time!

Bronson and I don't get a chance to dress up and go out very often, so we really lived it up! Jack stayed both Friday and Saturday nights with my parents.


My best friend, Melissa also attended. She actually graduated in '98, but she married one of my good friends from high school, Ryan Farley.


Miranda and I have been good friends since junior high and we still keep in touch!


And the night wouldn't have been complete with out a little dancing for old times sake.

Herrin Festa Parade

Saturday we took Jack to his first parade. However, it was VERY hot and he was VERY tired, so it wasn't the most enjoyable experience. He did like the little Shriner cars and the loud firetrucks, but other than that...he was pretty exhausted.



My mom, Jack, and I met Melissa and her mom there. Courtney (Church) Dunning and her mom and baby also met us there too. Courtney, Melissa, and I have known each other forever and took dance lessons together in grade school. It is great that we have all become such great friends after all this time!



It was sooooo hot, but at least the hat helped to keep a little sun off Jack.



Mommy trying to steal a kiss :)



Jack just wanted to hold Madalyn's hand, but I don't think she cared too much for it.

HHS Class of 1999 Reunion (Part I)

My ten year class reunion was a two-night party. The more informal social was on Friday night at the KCs in Herrin. There weren't a lot of people there on Friday night, but we had a GREAT time. It was really great to see some people that I haven't seen in quite awhile. After a few drink at the KCs, we headed down to Herrin Fest to hear Kansas.

My best friend through grade school and high school that now lives in Louisville, Kentucky made it for the festivities. We also met up with some of her friends from college....and had a great time together.

A Weekend in St. Louis

This weekend my mom, Jack, and I went to St. Louis. Saturday we went to the mall for a little shopping and dinner and then went back to the hotel for a little play time in the room.

Bath time was fun as always.


...and then we did some jumping on the bed!


I thought his face in this picture was hilarious. He takes his crawling VERY seriously.


So we saved the zoo trip for today and I'm glad we did because the weather was perfect. One of our first stops was the penguins.


Then Grammy took him for a carousel ride.


And he always has time to pause for a kiss!


Nothing makes mommy melt like those baby blues :)


We tried to visit all the larger animals so Jack could see something, although I must say, I don't think he really cared a thing about any of it. He was more concerned with watching the other little kids. He LOVES watching other children.


Finally we made a stop at Build-A-Bear to make Jack this adorable little turtle...and yes, he gave the turtle a kiss too! Nothing or no one is safe from his slobbery little kisses!

My Boys are the BEST!!!

So needless to say, I didn't have much of a first Mother's Day amidst all the post-storm chaos. But, I can always count on Bronson to be a thoughtful gift giver and this Mother's Day was no exception. He got me a Canon Rebel XSI complete with several lenses, lens hoods, batteries, and the rest of the essentials!!! So you can fully expect professional quality pictures from here on out. I know the camera does make a difference, but I'm also reading up on photography basics as well. Great pictures are PRICELESS!!



Jack and I also undertook a little Mother's Day project of our own. We made these hand print pictures for Grandma Suzanne, Grandma Dawes, and Nanny.



Here is a more close up shot minus the frame. I was pretty proud of the finished product. I don't consider myself to be too creative, but I think they turned out pretty cute!



Also for Mother's Day, my Mom, Jack and myself are going to St. Louis for the weekend and we are taking Jack to the zoo. I'll be sure to post lots of great pictures. I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

Our Storm Damage

As promised, I am posting pictures of damage that was done to our house as a result of the storm last Friday. All of the damage was cosmetic, with no structural problems. I guess if it had to happen, I'm glad it did before we actually finished the outside of the house.

Our poor grill was blown off the porch and smashed in the driveway. This was a wedding gift from a close friend of the family and needless to say, I was pretty sad to see it go. But on the lighter side, I guess we are getting a new Weber!



We also had some soffit damage as well.



Our heating and cooling unit was also damaged and it's being replaced, so we have been enjoying the fresh air :)



And finally we had some siding blown off as well. Maybe we will be motivated to actually paint it sometime soon!



So despite the damage, we consider ourselves quite lucky. However, my mother-in-law was not as lucky.

They had two huge oak trees in their backyard that were both uprooted and fell. One fell on their pool and the other toward their house, partially on their screened in back porch.



Yep...that would be the pool under the tree!


We worked all weekend clearing out the backyard and it does look better, but there is still a long way to go. It will be a long while before our lives are completely normal again.

A Post-Storm Reflection

I have to apologize for not posting sooner, but we have been without power since Friday afternoon. In case you haven't heard, Southern Illinois was hit by an "Inland Hurricane" on Friday afternoon. I use the "Inland Hurricane" term loosely because it is my understanding that the National Weather Service doesn't recognize that term, but I think that anyone who actually went through it would agree.....it was a hurricane. So, I'm going with it. The storm had all the characteristics of a hurricane including 106 mph winds and from a radar perspective the storm had wide rotation, complete with an eye!!

Local schools have cancelled for the entire week and some have called off the rest of the semester. Roads are still debris covered with power lines down and poles snapped in half. Ameren trucks are EVERYWHERE and the Governor is coming today to assess the damage. We are still under curfew, although some restaurants and business are open. The only sounds we heard for three days were the buzzing of chainsaws and humming of generators.

So, to give an update to all the friends and family living out of the area, I have posted some pictures of the devastation. It is very difficult to sum up the situation into a few words, so I’ll just say, things are BAD!! Below are just a few pictures that are pretty representative of the aftermath.

I will post pictures of our personal damage and Mother’s Day as soon as I get a chance, but the most important thing is that we are all safe and sound!!


This is what's left of the huge Absher sign on Route 13. The sign fell on cars in the lot and miraculously, no one was injured.



This is part of Midwest Waste's building on Skyline Drive in Marion.


A tree in Tracie's neighborhood, off Skyline in Marion.


WinnAir in Carterville can consider this building a total loss.


And Mackie's Pizza in Marion summed it all up.....