A Great Easter Day

Yes, it was a great day. A day spent with family, old friends and new friends. I am never happier than when my family is making memories and traditions. I love setting a table with my china and deciding on a centerpiece. Even if my boys make fun of the Easter chick because the people on one side of the table have to look at the chick's backside. Someday when Emma, Abby Claire, John Brady, Lawson, and any other Grandchildren I may have, inherit my things I want them to have memories of eating on that china or laughing at the chick. The thought that they might all want that chick because of the memories makes me smile.

We started the day at church with the children having an Easter Parade. So sweet and cute. Emma didn't want to do the parade but did it anyway so that Lawson would feel more secure. What a great cousin!

After church we came to Berry, made pictures and then ate lunch. I ate way too much.....but that's what family holiday meals are about.....eating too much! Then the guys went outside and hid Easter eggs for the kids.

The Easter Parade at Central Church of Christ

Allie Albea

My boys

Josh and Meredith

Steve and John

Kim, Courtney and MeMe (we really were there) are in a family picture but I didn't get one with my camera. Look for that picture on Kim's blog and Meredith has one on facebook.

Lawson Family Easter Egg Hunt

The Lawson family tradition is to have an BIG family Easter egg hunt on the Saturday before Easter. My Grandchildren love this tradition. I think one of the solid rocks that make for a great family and a well rounded person is having family traditions. I think todays busy life makes it easy to give up family traditions.

This Easter we were missing several of the Great Grandchildren because of the birth of Miss Mollie Lawson. Yes, Mollie makes 17 Great Grandchildren. Congratulations, Jared and Cassie!

Granny Lawson's house is filled with a lot of food, kids and love.

We ended the day by giving Justin and Kayla their wedding gifts. The next Lawson family get together will be their wedding!

oops...we did it again

Yes we did. We liked line dancing at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville so much that we loaded up and went again last weekend.

I joked as we walked in that they said "here come those Alabama ladies......we go'na sell a lot of diet coke tonight!

Here's the group of my line dancing buddies.
Love em!

A Doggy Life Well Spent

Bama Lawson

1995 - 2011

Bama loved her family. I knew that I was safe if she was outside. Nothing to worry about. Bama considered it her life's work to protect her family. You did not come into our yard unless you were on her "list". She dearly loved my Mother, "GMama", and GMama rewarded her well for that love. If we had any leftover steak we had to hide it because GMama was giving it to Bama.

She was a loyal and faithful dog to the end.

Sunday, we gave her a bath and gave her a steak for supper. Today, I talked to her all day and got her a cheeseburger from F&G ( Bama's favorite ). I held her, as best I could, all the way to the vet's office and let her stick her nose out the window. She would lick my face and then lay her head on my arm.

What a way to go.... lived a long and full life, loved dearly and surrounded by the people who have cared and loved you.

Bama, I hope there is a "doggy heaven" so you can run high on that mountain!

Go find GMama....I am sure she is waiting on you....

I already miss her but I am at peace.

BAMA "Through the Years"

Brady and Kim gave me Bama as a Christmas surprise

Bama with Hannah Howell

Bama knew she was an important part of our family and wanted in every Christmas Card picture. She was not picky about which end was showing....she just wanted with her family!

Bama with Emma when she was a baby

Front and center...as always

Oh, how she loved a big ole mud puddle!

Not to sure about the new member of the family!!!

Sweet Memories

sigh

My Sweet Sweet Bama

Bailey will miss Bama. She always keeps Bama in her sight even if they aren't side by side. Bama loved to lay outside my kitchen door and watch what I was doing.

Karate Testing

John Brady had his Karate testing a week ago. All the Knight and Lawson family was there to cheer him on. He did great. This always makes me think of Uncle Josh. Josh loved Karate. I think it was the best thing he ever did.

So....I came across this picture of Josh after one of his belt tests. I am not sure how old he is but he should be close to the same age as JB3.

Ladies Retreat

A few weeks ago the ladies from Central Church of Christ loaded up their cars and the church van (lovingly nicknamed "the marshmallow") and headed to Smith Lake for a weekend Ladies Retreat. We had the most gorgeous home that we rented through VRBO. I love VRBO.

We had a great speaker, did a fun and cute craft and enjoyed some great food. One of the points that our speaker gave during one of her talks was that we needed to get to know each others story. We did a lot of getting to know each others story. We had a wide range of "women". I say it this way because we had "women" from middle school to in their 70s. I think it was so good for us to get to know each other and to do a lot of laughing and crying together. Us older ladies were so honored that the younger women were willing to spend time with us. The weekend was a great success and I can't wait for us to do it again!

The front of the house

Sarah packing the goodie bags This big guy was the center of attention

John came up before everybody arrived and cooked the chicken for our supper and then quietly slipped out the door and went home. Thanks, Baby!

This beautiful lab took to John the minute we got there. It wanted to play and kept carrying this piece of firewood around begging John to play fetch.

Supper

The pier

The same lab talked us into playing fetch while we were on the pier.

The water side

The fire pit. We made smores!

Loading up the marshmallow to go home