Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Special Day with Mema

Mema invented a "special day" for each of Eddie and Melissa's kids. They went shopping, dining at their favorite restaruant (in all cases, Chucky Cheese) and generally made to feel extra special.


Here Cammie chats with a friend in Tasmania or somewhere.

Cammie helps Mema with a meal.

Tanner invented a really special drink called "cocoatea." You probably don't want to know the recipe.

While out catching bugs, Tanner came upon this unlucky toad. We tried to persuade Tanner to let it go citing the usual "well, you know it will die if you keep it too long" argument. Tanner said that he was OK with that because he had a pet fish die once and that hadn't been too hard to get over. Mommy and Daddy were finally able to get Tanner to let the fish go in their back yard.
Clay had her special day too but we weren't able to capture any of her adventures on the camera.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Black Hills

Mema had a workshop in a little town called Upton in eastern Wyoming. As it was close to the Black Hills, Mema and Papa did a little touristy stuff. For example, we visited the Mammoth Place in Hot Springs, SD. Here they have excavated lots of Columbian Mammoth bones that were deposited over 25,000 years ago. Columbian Mammoths, as you surely recall from school, were much larger than the Wooly Mammoths made famous by Ray Romano in "Ice Age."

This is the "dig" where the bones are excavated. Apparently a lot of these not-too-bright critters fell into this ancient watering hole.

Here, a couple of kids we don't know and will never see again, heft a replica of a mammoth femur.
Mema carefully circles her prey.
Mema listens attentively to the guide.

If you were to get gored by this animal, you by golly stayed gored!

While Mema worked in Upton, Papa took a drive into the Black Hills. Deadwood, where Wild Bill Hickcock was shot, is a tourist trap featuring casinos, saloons, etc. This saloon had maniquins dressed as ladies of the evening in the second floor windows.

On the way to the Bad Lands, driving on I-90 (doing the limit, of course) we were suddenly hit by a large flying piece of tire. Fortunately for us, the tire hit the bumper and not the windshield or we would have been toast. And, fortunately for us, Mema insisted that we buy the rental insurance or we would still be in Wyoming filling out paper work.

If you ever go the Bad Lands National Park you will find it hard to avoid Wall Drugs. Its kind of like South Carolina's South of the Border but with more class.

Oh yes, then there are the Bad Lands. The brochure reveals that they are so called because, well, they were just very bad lands to cross. They are very beautiful and worth the drive.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Hilton Head Island - 2009

We had our annual trek to Hilton Head, SC in August. All of Judy's boys and their families were able to come. Even Scott and Kari made the trip. It was hot and humid as only SC can be in late summer but beautiful as only the Low Country can be. Here are a few of our memories.







Monday, July 13, 2009

Caribbean Cruise

Mema and Papa went for a cruise last week in the Caribbean. Mema had been before but this was Papa's first big boat cruise. We visited St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, and St. Kitts

Here is our little vessel, the 895 ft. Carnival Victory in port in Dominica, the Appalachia of the Caribbean.

We went kayaking while in St. Lucia. Mema was the better paddler.

We took a little hike up a hill to get a great view of the island.

This gentleman very kindly but very firmly told Papa that he couldn't wear his camo shorts on Barbados because he could be seen to be impersonating a soldier.Here is a waterfall in the rain forest of Dominica

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Hayden Turns the Big O-One

Hayden is just about the cutest little boy! Just want to eat him up! He had his first birthday party Saturday and sister, Rylan, his cousins, Cayden, Cammie, Tanner, and Clay turned up to show him how to party hardy.

Any proper first birthday party has to start off with a proper Fish Cake, courtesy of Mom and Aunt Janet. It actually tasted a lot better than it looked.

Then there is the obligatory hanging sign and helium balloon.


Tanner and friend Victor out cruising for chicks.

Here is the Birthday Boy himself, the finest pitcher in the Pee Wee T-Ball league.

Mema shows Hayden how to raise that old batting average.
Clay, Cammie, and Rylan contemplate a spin in the old convertable.

Friday, June 12, 2009

It Must Be Friday

If its Friday, it must mean Mema's Day Care and Grandbaby Spoiling Center is open for operation.

Here is Hayden enjoying an ear of corn. He also prefers peas over watermelon. But grapes seem to be his favorite.

Tanner carefully works on another of Ginny's art projects.

Cammie mugs for the camera.
As we start the evening, and it is far from over, all the Wood kids minus Hayden are having a sleep-over. Whether or not they all make it through the night remains to be seen.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Twins Turn Five

The "Big OH-Five for Tanner and Cammie was combined with a little late Memorial Day cook-out in our back yard. The rain held off so the kids could play in the back yard.

Tanner holds at first in a rousing game of kick ball.




Ruben thinks he is the short stop.

Alert base runner Clay
Relief pitcher Hayden
Score-keepers Nora, Cammie and Rylan

"Hey! Wasn't there supposed to be cake?"

She looks in. She gets the sign. She checks the runner at first. Here's the windup and here comes the heat!

Finlay Turns 10

Finlay hit the "Big Oh-9" this year. Double digits - almost!

If he keeps his nose clean, he might live to see the "Big One-O."

What a great kid!!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

The Biltmore Estate

Judy worked near Asheville, NC this last week and we took the opportunity to tour the Biltmore Mansion - a nice little starter cottage nestled in the mountains of western NC. We learned that George Vanderbilt had this four-acre house constructed as a bachelor! The official party line is that he wanted to experiment with crops and such but my take is that he was kind of a nerd and built it to attract women. I mean, the house is a chick magnet.


Just a fraction of the fabulous flower gardensThis is just the estate's greenhouse!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Selma Goes to State

Using up more band width than we should be allowed to use, here is granddaughter Selma at the State Meet where she placed overall 5th in level 7 competition. We are so proud of her accomplishments!

Floor Exercise


Uneven Bars


Balance Beam

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Right Wing Nut Jobs

We attended the Richmond Tea Party this year and in so doing, made the department of HLS's list of potential terrorists. Should we be concerned that, when we leave the house, we are followed by a black Navigator SUV with tinted windows and a black stealth helicopter?