Last Weekend's Fun...(better late then never!)

(I just realized I never posted this from last weekend.  Better late than never!)

The weekend started off with an hour off early from work!  Woohoo!  Thank you Trudy!  When I got off work, I ran out to JoAnn Fabrics to find some stamps and stamp pads for letterboxing.  I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, but did come out of there with some great new scrapbooking stuff to work on Gavin's albums :o)  With a strikeout there, I headed over to Hobby Lobby and found exactly what I wanted!

A dinosaur stamp for Gavin with a green stamp pad.  Green is his favorite color ;)

And a camera stamp with a pink stamp pad for me.  Pink is my favorite color ;)

After that, I headed to Rockport to pick up Gavin and then Nan for a fun-filled weekend.  On our way back home, we stopped at Boner Bridge to get our first Letterbox.

After that we picked up Shawn and headed to Sandy's in Ft. Branch for some delicious pizza, salad, and ice cream cones!

Obviously I'm no ice cream cone maker, but it was still yummy!

No to the pictures Aunt Stace!

Saturday morning we got up and was lazy around the house, then got ready and went to the movies and watched Planes.

It was Gavin's first time in a movie theater.  He did pretty good, but we did have to make a few bathroom trips and an attempt or two at trying to get into the arcade to play some games.  Gavin had the kids snack tray with popcorn, a candy bar, and a kids coke in a fun Planes cup!  Nan had popcorn and I had nachos.  No trip to the movies is complete without a coke and nachos!

After the movies, we headed home for a little nap and then went to the Refuge Christian Church Launch Event.  You can read all about that here.

Sunday we got up and went to church and then had lunch at Olive Garden with Angie the girls. After lunch, I took Shawn and Nan back home and then took Gavin home. 

On my way home from Rockport, I stopped and found a geocache and a letterbox. :)  You can read all about that letterboxing experience here. It was a good day :)

The New Mr. & Mrs.

Shawn and I had the honor to attend the wedding of my little cousin Ashley and her new husband DeWayne  on Saturday afternoon.  It was an outside wedding at Scales Lake and while the weather was a little warm, it was a beautiful wedding and we truly enjoyed visiting with family and friends we hadn't seen in a while.

This first picture below is one of my absolute favorite pictures of all times.  Ashley looked truly stunning on her wedding day and as she approached the area where the wedding was taking place I caught a glimpse of her crying and as she was turning her head to hide her tears I was able to capture this photograph.  The second I saw her crying, I immediately started crying.  My heart was hurting for her because her momma wasn't able to be there on her special day.  See, her momma is up in heaven.  I truly know the hurt that I'm sure she was feeling on this day because on my wedding day, my daddy was up in heaven.  Her grandpa and brother were there to walk her down the isle, and that made the tears flow even more.  Her grandpa is my Uncle Bob and I remember spending many, many summer days and special holidays at their house in Richland with my dad.

And when I saw this special table in honor of her momma, there were more tears. I have so many fond memories as a child growing up with this part of my family. 

Pictured below is Ashley with her brother Shane, her grandpa Bob and her Uncle Greg, his wife Lyndell and Lyndell's mother.

And a little special surprise at the wedding...Ashley and DeWayne are expecting...

A Baby Girl!!

Congratulations Ashley & DeWayne, not only on your marriage, but on your new little bundle of joy that will be here before you know it.  I know that your momma was up in heaven celebrating with you, and I know that she was with your Nana and my daddy.  Love you sweetie :)

Letterboxing: Bates Cemetery

I went on my second letterboxing excursion Sunday evening after I took Gavin home.  It was located in the Bates Hill Cemetery out by Aloca.  

The letterbox was placed in memory of the planter's friend Justin...the following was taken from the letterbox description "During my senior year of high school my friend Justin was killed in a car vs. deer wreck. He was an amazing person and artist. His life ended too soon. He joined his younger brother in heaven who was also taken in a car accident. The tombstones are beautifully done if you'd like to stroll by and tell Justin hi. This spot overlooks railroad tracks. At Justin's funeral the Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" was read. Looking over those tracks I can only wonder where Justin would be now. I know he would have gone far in life."

It was a simple one to find, just getting it proved a bit tricky for this fraidy-cat girl!  LOL!!  It was in a hole in a tree.  A deep hole.  A deep, dark hole.  And from reading about people's experiences with tree holes from geocaching, I knew I wasn't just going to stick my arm in that tree!  

I peered into the whole as best as I could, but I couldn't really see anything.  I went back to the car and got my camera.  I tried a couple pictures and finally got something in the picture.  But I still wasn't convinced about sticking my arm in there.  I found a little stick to see if I could scoop it out.  Nope, that didn't work.  I went back to the car and got Shawn's car keys.  He had a little, not very bright, flashlight on his key chain.  I shined it into the hole as best as I could and didn't see anything other than the letterbox.  I figured if nothing came out of the hole with all that activity, I would be safe.  Here goes nothing.  I stuck my arm in the tree and had to go deep to get that letterbox out.  Thankfully nothing else was in there other than the letterbox!!

Inside the letter box was the stamp and another hitchhiker called "Pucker Up"!  Score!

 

Fun @ the Refuge Christian Church Launch Party

Saturday evening we went to the launch party for the Refuge Christian Church fka Soul's Harvest Church. We know some people that pastor there and go there and thought it would be an afternoon of fun!  They had face painting, a dunking booth, sack races, bounce houses, fireman with water hose demonstrations, food, Christian music, giveaways, and even a little kid "portel" potty!

Mom, Gavin and I got there first; Uncle Shawn was out working on his day off :/  Then later that evening he joined us.  We ran into lots of old friends that we used to go to church with....Wes & Paula, Jimmy & Brenda, Jimmy & Sarah & their kids, Jason & Christina & their kids, Cindy & her son, Carrie & her kids, and Eddie Carroll. It was great seeing them and reminded me of the old times at church :(

First up was face painting and then the boy took off!  He did the bounce house slide "fifty sixty thousand" times.  He loved dunking people in the dunking booth and stood around and watched them forever getting dunked, he played basketball, he tossed bean bags, and he jumped around in a potato sack.  By the end of the evening, Gavin was wore out and his socks were as black as his Incredible Hulk eyebrows!  

Nan won a prize...a gift certificate to Riveria Grill.  Hello yummy Mexican food!

 We definitely had a great time and I'm glad we went!