Anniversary Celebration!

Can you believe it's been 8 years? I guess time really does fly when you are having fun because it seems like just yesterday I was walking down the aisle at FBC Winnfield to marry the love of my LIFE!
Bacause Jeff was already in Baton Rouge for LSU's Graduate School of Banking we decided to make a quick trip to New Orleans during his weekend break from classes. We were both very grateful that Gran-Gran and Grandfather offered to keep Preston so we could share this time together. We truly had a whirlwind trip...but it sure was a fun time :)
We stayed at the beautiful Windsor Court hotel, and dined Saturday night with friends from Ruston that also were down south for Banking School, Maryanne and Brian Smith. We greatly enjoyed our meal at August, even though we had to wait til 11:30 to start eating. The excellent bottle of champagne we were given to enjoy while we waited helped a little.....
Lastly, Jeff talked the celebrity chef John Besh into taking a picture with us...too bac we also couldn't get one with Paula Deen who was also there that night...
Happy Memorial Day!

I LOVE my Aunt K-K!!!

Aunt K-K,

Thank you so much for keeping me Saturday night! You are so much fun to play with, and I am so happy you are my AUNT!

Love,
Paky

Down by the Cool of the Pool......

It was really hard for me to pick just a few pictures to post from the Parker Family trip to the Squire Creek pool today! We had a great time, and Preston was MUCH easier this year than last. Don't get me wrong, he is still supervised every SECOND, but with his swim shoes and his floaties I am not just a nervous wreck the WHOLE time :)
Some of you may think I am cruel, but I have not gotten Preston an ICEE until today. I mean, he just started drinking from a sippy cup a few short months ago....but let me tell you he figured out the peach ICEE like a CHAMP! And I know you would not be surprised he drank every last drop of it. I hope I have not set up a dangerous precedent for EVERY trip to the pool....
Hope you had a great weekend!

Say "CHEESE!"

Our little Paky has learned how to "say cheese" for the camera!! I am so excited! Of course, it helps when he is especially pleased with himself and hamming it up like he is here in his cool shades...

Mom's Day Lunch

I have blogged before about how blessed I feel to have been raised in a Christian home and most importantly was taught to love God by my Christian mother. I know Jeff feels the same way about his upbringing, and for that reason we just wanted to say a huge THANKS today! Now that I am a Mom, I feel like I have some pretty big shoes to fill in order to do even HALF as good a job with Preston as my Mom did with me and Jeff's Mom did with him. All I can do is look to the Lord, and pray daily for wisdom (ok and some patience!!).
Resa kept Preston overnight Saturday so Jeff and I slept in and skipped Sunday School but of course went to Worship and then to a yummy lunch at Squire Creek. Would you believe Preston Luke was using a rather large fork to spear his food and doing a pretty good job at it. Just another milestone met....I don't know that I will offer a fork with all finger food though, as he did make QUITE the mess :)
Much love to my Mom, Resa and to all ourGrandmothers-one living and three in Heaven-for providing such a shining example and for giving us so much LOVE over our years...

Congratulations Rachel and Cole!

Jeff and I had a great time last night catching up with family and celebrating the upcoming marriage of Rachel Morgan and my cousin on my Dad's side Cole Farr. We were all guests at the BEAUTIFUL Perry home last night for the fete, and enjoyed yummy Thurmans Food Factory and of course cocktails by the pool...
Kendal is the only one that could talk her guy into a picture--had to add it because I thought it was a great one of both of them :)
On a more somber note, my Aunt Kristy (Cole's mom) has been diagnosed with a rare lung disease called LAM. She just got the diagnosis Friday, so the details are still forthcoming, but I KNOW we would all appreciate your prayers for her.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
PS: THANKS Resa for keeping Paky last night so we could enjoy our evening and sleep in this morning :)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Davis!

Preston may have had the time of his 20 month old life yesterday at the DeMoss farm to celebrate Davis' second birthday! Going through my pics, I realized I didn't get a good one of Preston and Davis playing togeter, but they are definitely big buddies :) First pic is Preston and George Smith petting the duck...QUITE a hit! Next is Preston, Georgia Dugdale and George essentially dumping all the sand out of the sandbox. Lastly, I added the pic of Preston sliding out of the bounce house....he LOVED the bounce house yesterday. Usually he won't get in them but I think that is a thing of the past....
Happy Weekend!

SOCA Sprint 5k

Sorry this isn't so clear but I just HAD to document Preston Luke's SECOND newspaper picture :) This one was even on the FRONT PAGE! We were participating in Uncle Kevin's 5K held in an impoverished area of Ruston South of California Avenue. The article says the race doesn't raise much money, but that it's purpose is to raise awareness of how much renovation needs to be done in this area just a stones throw away that most of us never even drive through. Kevin is very passionate about this cause, and I am so proud of him for taking it on. Oh, and if EVERYONE in Ruston didn't know Preston's wrist is fractured....I guess they do now :) Happy Day!

Wounded Warrior

Well, I have said before that I wanted to use this blog to chronicle our lives, and sometimes that means having to post news that is less than celebratory. As you can see from the picture, Preston Luke is today sporting a wrist stabilizer device to aid in healing a fractured wrist. Wednesday afternoon, while I was on my hands and knees retrieving pajamas he had thrown underneath his changing table, he decided to kamikaze off his changing table. Almost immediately, I knew this wasn't an ordinary fall. I mean, if Wonder Pets doesn't work, and food doesn't work and a SIPPY CUP of JUICE is turned down...something is WRONG. Also, he was holding his left arm very close to his body, not using it and telling me, "Hurt, Mommy." Sooooo, we spent two and a half hours at the NLMC ER, and after an X-Ray and everything they basically sent us on our way and told us nothing was wrong, that it was all mental, but they did want us to follow up with an orthopaedic. Sooo, yesterday aftenoon I took him and who knows HOW the ER missed it but his wrist has a buckle fracture. Basically, they said it would heal just fine without the brace, but its purpose is to prevent further injury. We have a follow up appt in two weeks and the hope is that all will be healed.....Thanks for going on this journey with me....sometimes this blog is almost therapeutic :)

*addendum: WHY do I put Preston's food on a plate when he just takes it off?????