Day in Columbia at the Park

Austin patiently waiting for girls to get tired of playing.

Ella and Madison..getting a little hot!!

Audrey... "Hey look at me!"

We are ready for our lunch now.. thanks Emily!

"hm!...let me see.. I have one, two, three... fingers!"

As I mentioned earlier, Amber had a trip to Boston and was there over this past weekend. Their trip was a huge success and you can see updates to that on her blog at http://www.pittmanposts.blogspot.com/ or www.mastokids.org/blog. So as expected, this weekend, Grant had come to Columbia and Madison and Audrey were there to play with Ella and Austin. Rob and Grant had work to do in the woods on Saturday, so Emily (younger sis) and her husband, Jay, and I decided to go the park for a picnic lunch and a little playtime with the kids.

Ella's class trip to the Cotton Field and Park

Ella at the park

Ella with her cotton pickin bag.. she was stuffing it in!

Ella at the cotton field

Ella's class took a field trip to the cotton fields and to the park on Friday. We were so excited about going. I had planned to meet them there and spend the day with them. Of course, our plans can not ever be without a glitch. Austin woke up Friday morning with fever and complaining of a sore throat. I told Ella that he would have to stay home from school, and that I was going to have to stay with him.. which of course, threw her into a fall out fit on the floor of the kitchen. After a few fits of my own, and what to do, what to do moments.. I called Rob and we worked it out that he could come home from work and sit with Austin while I haul tailed it to Pelahatchie for a time and spend it with Ella. It worked out well. I wasn't able to stay with her the whole day..but was there just enough to make it count! She was pleased, so that is all that mattered. They did have a fun time. It was muddy because it had rained the day or two before. But, the kids didn't seem to mind. When I got there I had to locate her class in the cotton fields. Luckily, Ella was wearing a pink bow in her hair..so I could spot her a little more easily. All the kids were scattered throughout the field eagerly picking cotton. The teacher read a book to them..I Wish I was a Buzzard..at the end, which described what it was like to really pick cotton.

They all seemed to have a great time!

Amber's trip to Boston!

As some of you know, my sister, Amber, has a 2 year old daughter, Audrey, who was diagnosed with Mastocytosis, a very rare skin disorder, when she was 4 months old. Because the disorder is so rare, information is very limited and alot of doctors have not even seen any cases of it. Amber and a group of 3 other ladies are traveling to Boston for a conference to hopefully, bring awareness and offer more information about this disorder. Mastokids.org, the organization that she is apart of, was really a great help and source of information when Audrey was first diagnosed. The information about this condition is so limited, so really just speaking with other family members was a great source of comfort and relief. Amber serves on a board with mastokids.org, and their mission this weekend is to provide doctors and the medical community with resources that they themselves can use and also give to families to be of a help to them in the initial diagnosis. Amber is in the air right now as I type this.. and of course, had a hard time leaving Audrey and Madison and Grant. She will return on Monday. I am praying for her as she is gone that they all will have traveling safety, and that the weekend will bring them the outcome that they hope to achieve. As for Madison, Audrey, and Grant, they will, (I think) be going to Columbia for the weekend.. and me, Rob, Austin, and Ella, will be going to offer our help.
Austin and Ella can't wait to see Madison and Audrey. Please keep them all in your prayers over this weekend. Thanks.

Happy Birthday Pop Pop (October 7)

The Bourne siblings.. Damea, Jack, Blythe, Rob (sorry Rob, you should have opened your eyes)

All 8 of the grandchildren last year at Thanksgiving...so worth the work to get this picture!!

Pop Pop and Tee-Tah with all their grandchildren....

birthday greetings from Austin

Ella's birthday picture for you... if you can't tell it says.. "happy birthday pop pop love, ella"

The order in which it is written is just not quite right!

We hope you have a wonderful birthday. Have a great day celebrating and having fun!!

Love, All

Time Flies!

It's true what they say time flies when you are having fun! Rob and I went to Biloxi for the night and had a great time.. it just went by too FAST! We went shopping..yes..Rob, too, although he was lucky and didn't have to pretend to enjoy it too long, because we weren't there for too long..4 or 5 stores is all he had to endure. But, was a great sport about it!
We ate at a restaurant in the casino.. an asian restaurant..TIEN, I think was the name! It was very good, and we didn't have to help any one else with their meal before we ate our own. That in itself, was a plus!
Oh, the only disappointing thing... I went through the entire 24 hours and NEVER HAD TO SHOW MY ID!! I, at one point, asked Rob "where is the guy checking id's?" and his response was, "we have passed them a hundred times.." my first thought was, "WELL, he didn't ask for.. oh, he didn't ask for mine... BECAUSE HE DIDN'T NEED TOO" Oh well, I don't want to look 21 and under anymore!! JUST 22!
Anyways, we did have a great time.. And Rob's parents were so sweet to stay with Austin and Ella. Austin and Ella enjoyed spending time with them as well. We couldn't have done it without them...so thanks a million!

It's 57!

Daddy I didn't mean to age you more than you were! Ella and Austin were right to put the 5 and 7 on the page.. should have took a clue from them! although ella they really were just putting their ages. love you. have fun.
and, amber.. glad, you didn't feel threatened by my poem. they were equally great pieces of work.ha.!

Happy Birthday.. Sept 27

Ella drew this picture for you this morning.. before 6:20 am.. we had an early start.. (the 5 is for ella's age and the 7 is for Austin's age) Aren't you 58?

Well, Don't know if you read Amber's blog yet.. but let it be known that I came up with this idea for a birthday wish on our blog, and she COPIED!!! But, in order to ONE UP ME, she included a video. Since I am CLUELESS and don't know how to do that.. she got me! But she wrote a poem, and yes, she is great at that.. but I am not so bad myself..so here goes!

Bryan's Birthday Poem

There once was a man his name was Bryan,

he grew up great and really fine.

Now I might be biased, because he's my dad,

but I don't think he looks half-bad.

He's very savvy and bright as can be,

When I need a doctor He works on me.

If politics is the question that you seek,

he'll give you the straight of it, good or bleak.

Now let's get back to the point at hand, it's his day- he's the BIRTHDAY MAN.

He's doing his celebrating from afar,

no you couldn't get there from a car.

Mom, and Dad, Uncle Richard, Aunt Jane,

their gonna party- come sun or rain.

Keep in your mind their on a cruise,

there is no time for the blues.

If the boat gets rocky as they think it may,

JUST CELEBRATE CAUSE IT'S YOUR DAY!!!!!

written by.. abbey bourne aka "The NEW POET in the family"

Happy Birthday!