Our Favorite Crazy Uncle

We love him ... no matter how many things he kills.

Granny's 80th Birthday in Review

Urban Camping

Marc tells me on Saturday that we're going to pick up Austen at a piece of property his great-grandfather owns off of 441 in Hollywood. Austen was playing paintball with his cousins, while their dad, Tommy, prepared to cook and camp out on this 1/2 acre piece of land in the middle of concrete city.

So, Marc, Dalton, Ashton and I pile into Marc's car and head over to this lot the boys constantly beg to go to.

"What the hell is this place?" I asked Marc as he drove into this place.
"A boy's wet dream," he replied as he laughed at my question. As if to say,
"You're a girl. It's a boy thing."







Several huge dirt piles for the boys to ride their dirt bikes, quads and place paintball on. Lots of wood to burn in the home made pit. A beat up trailer to sleep in without needing to take a bath (not that there is a bathroom anywhere in this place ... if you got to pee, there's the tree).

I wasn't prepared to spend the day among dirt. Dressed casually, but wearing flip-flops I choose not the make this a barrier to me experiencing a little of what the boys talk so much about.



So we spent the day with the boys, Tommy, Marc, the property's owner, his wife and a few friends who stopped by to hang out, talk, drink a beat (or two, or three), watch some football (Go GATORS!) and eat hamburgers off of another home made pit.



Night time came and we enjoyed the cool air by a big fire pit as the kids played in the dark, Man Hunt.



We all got dirty ... the boys more than anyone else. And, I now have a better understanding of this place ... and the boys.

Evergreen, Alabama

Road to Greg and Nina's cattle ranch in Evergreen, Al. where every year we go to slow down, enjoy nature and family during the holidays. ... Lots of eating as well.

Larry last year was in the spirit of Christmas.

The ladies in red, (left) Wendy and (right) Peggy, enjoy a fest.

Every December, Marc, the boys and I make the 10 or so hour drive to the small town where Marc's father, Larry, was born and raised. This is one of my favorite trips we try to make every year. Larry and Peggy make the trip as well. We all gather to spend quality time with the House clan of Evergreen.

Ashton's favorite gift last year was this train that moved and even had smoke come out of it's.

We usually stay at Marc's aunt's home, a cattle ranch with land about the size of the city of Weston. Greg and Nina always take us in with a smile and big hug. Their house is great. Lots of rooms, a great kitchen always filled with something to eat, great land for the kids to ride quads and play on ..... plus, Ashton's favorite part, the cows. He's scared of the bulls, as he should be.

Greg shows off what he got for Christmas. "I open my house to all these city folks, they pig out and make a mess .. and this is all I get."

Left overs.

Let them eat cake ... and lots of it.

Lets me give you a few facts about Evergreen:

Population: The estimated population, in 2003, was 3,530.

Median household income
Local

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$20,979National

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$41,994
Source: 2000 census, U.S. Census Bureau

Former and merged names include: Cosey's Old Field

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 15. The number of murders and homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 4.2 per 1,000 people.

Ancestry & family history: 3% of Evergreen residents report German ancestry, and 4% report Irish.

Larry's brother, Wayne.

Ashton's Sick

Mama's Boy

Ashton is a "Mama's Boy".

At least that's what Marc says. I don't see anything wrong with it.

I definitely see it being a problem if he's a mama's boy at 30.
Society sometimes sees a mother-bonded man as a sign of weakness. It has a social stigma attached.
But, Ashton is only 4-years-old, of course he's excessively attached to me.

It warms my heart when he wants to be with me, holds my hand and, out of the blue, says "Mami, I love you."

My heart melts.

I hope his love for me grows and our bond gets stronger. But, I want our relationship to evolve like all relationships do.

Evolve into one filled with love, respect, independent of one another, but still knowing that if either one is in need, we'll be there for each other no matter what.

I sometimes imagine Ashton as a man. I model him often after my cousin, Mandy, who has grown up to be a man of honor, respectful, loving, a good son, husband, father, and family member.

I want Ashton to grow up to be like Mandy.

I'm very proud of him and it makes me very happy to see him successful in everything he works hard and puts his efforts in doing. That's the kind of man I want Ashton to grow up as.