One Whole Year Old Already!!

Is this not the cutest first birthday cake a little boy could have....and his Mom made it!

It is crazy that a whole year has passed since grandson, Frazier entered the world! Really, the older a person gets the faster the time seems to fly by. I told Josh that before he knows it he'll be helping Frazier find his first apartment. Josh looked at me like I was a nut (what else is new!), but I really feel like that some days and I want him to savor every precious moment he has with his first son. I think he and Randi celebrate the small things and really are stowing this moments away in their hearts.

Randi and Josh really know how to throw a beautiful birthday party with yummy burgers and delicious cup cakes. Randi has been planning and working on making this the perfect party for weeks and it really showed. If Frazier could voice his opinion he would chime in with an AMEN! He had a blast and enjoyed all the hub bub. I would know this because I watched his reaction to everything. You can't pay for entertainment like this.

Randi wrote a wonderful story of Frazier's first b. day on her blog http://www.obladida.blogspot.com/ . Check out her pictures! She has the eye of an artist.

Down on the (Gator) Farm

This is Lucky, Papa Bob and the boys. Lucky steals the eggs from the mama gators! Lucky is a good guy to pick purchase your power ball ticket.

Gator Dundee

Gator wrangler, Wes.

Sandra and Landry keeping their distance.

Very smart Moo Cows staying very far away from the gators.

What you can't see here is the decomposed body of a gator near the fence who obviously had found his way out of the fence. They don't fare well outside the water so this fella didn't make it. Guess that is why the donkeys and the cows in the upper pasteure didn't look all that scird.

Camp co-director, Papa Bob enlightens us with facts about the gators we are trying to stare down as Mama Lu Lu is thinking it is about time to go home and make bacon sandwiches for the boys.

Lots of pics were taken for all posterity. Hopefully this is the closest they will ever be to another real live gator!

We were glad it was not super hot....sorta cloudy and about 87 out. Jim has his hands on the fence like a little kid on his first visit to the zoo....awwwwww.

Alligator soup......yikes!

Oh look, Pa, more fools coming to see those stupid gators.

Okay, these goobers were inside the fence....and when Jim started to walk to the edge of the gator FILLEd pond....I got rather feisty and had to "put my foot down". He was not really planning to go down that close, but he succeeded in making me truly believe he was just going down for a minute to take a closer look and he was perfectly safe. Another "gotcha" for Deb.

Why would birds find a gator pond a great place to put down roots. The phrase "bird brain" comes to mind.

Arch nemesis, Cadillac himself.

I actually had a dream that night featuring ol' Cadillac. (this is one of his honeys in the pic above) I was in a swimming pool and he was bent on catching me! This gal was being a good Mama and making sure nobody messed with her nest.

Okay, I just thought a terrible thought....what if folks think I have changed the background of my blog to camo!! I didn't think of this until just now when I signed in. I just liked the tree leaves and the summer feel of this background.....SOOOOO let me just clarify this is not camo. I just am not a camo kind of girl, although if I were hiding from some critter I might change my mind.....but so far I am not hiding and Iam right out here in the open with nothing to hide.

Now for my post.....since returning from PA/New England/North Carolina and our trip to Jefferson for the Fourth of July we have been lying low and taking care of a very sick puppy (she is so much better, thanks!) and trust me, you don't wanna hear about that ordeal, let alone see pictures! Also, I have been doing quite a bit of reading/research type stuff. I know, "BORING", but one adventure we had was thanks to friend, Lora, who hosts her grandsons to Mama Lulu and Papa Bob's camp each year for a week.

The adventure I am talking about was the second annual visit to the alligator farm. We were not lucky enough to make the first visit as we were out of town, but we were determined to make this one.

Last year's visit has been told and retold and I have imagined every terrifying leap (or attempted leap) of the fence surrounding the farm. I knew I wanted to go the next time, but I planned to stay my distance and I hung pretty close to my plan. I didn't get the nick name, "Miss Worse Case Scenario" for nothing!!

We approached the alligator farm in a an suv and first thing we saw were donkeys strolling down the same path we were driving on and I was thankful to see they were ambling about without fear of scaly creatures with pointy teeth chasing them.

Gators, just as most things in life, are not all they appear to be. From my vantage point.....way up on the hill behind the fence these creatures appear to barely alive let alone a threat to anyone or anything. Floating in the pond in the pond scum like big ol' logs waiting to decompose, they barely moved.....UNTIL someone threw a rock into the pond and they decided to check it out. Let me just go on the record and let you know those critters can scramble!

Call me crazy, but what in the world would happen if something with some meat on it were thrown into that water. If they will snap at a rock like it was their only chance at food today.....well, can you even imagine?! I was sorta wishing we'd stopped at Super 1 for a chicken just to see what it would have been like. Jim kept saying, "those guys look mighty hungry!"

There were several little children in our party, so everyone was very careful and one of our daring members was even packing just in case! I am happy to report it was a very uneventful visit, but as one of our crew observed.....if you were trying to hide a body, this surely would be the perfect dumping ground. That person has been forewarned that if anyone they know comes up missing we will know what happened to them!

4th of July Texas Style

Pre 4th activities included mowing the carpets.

If you ever want an old time 4th of July head for Jefferson, TX. It is charming and we all had a great time!! Old Glory galore and the fire works were great.

Grampa Jim and Frazier hanging out at the Silver Fox B & B playing with toys.

Chairs were getting filled in. It wasn't too hot in the shade.

Lunch! We were all hungry for burgers and bottlecaps. Frazier wanted a bottlecap, but I kept showing him how much yummier his fruit bar was....but he didn't believe me.

Grammy Deb marveling at how well he feeds himself....and yes, this is his preference. I did get some yogurt into him, but he eventually took the spoon from me and gave me a very serious look....I can do this myself, look.

Frazier: It is awfully hot here. Is there any chance we can get back to Belgium anytime soon!?

Josh said, "Lady Justice just crashed her bike". We did crack up at idea of Lady Justice riding a bike....just seemed timely somehow. (This little girl never crashed and she ended up being one of the winners.)

Loved these chairs!

Mae Mae, Randi and Frazier strolling around the Catholic Church.

It was sprinkling and we were trying to keep up with Randi who was really booking it down the road.

Ready for the kiddie parade, Sweet Adalines and the band concert.

Keeping things moving....

Hanging out at The General Store in Jefferson with my Dad.

Just in case, but the noises didn't phase this little trooper. Unlike his Dad who screamed at about the same age and we had to take him home. Randi didn't like the noise when she was little either.

Doing the ooooos and ahhhhhhhs.

I think Frazier was thinking.....Bright lights, loud noises.....so what is the big deal? What's for supper?