Our First Cookout at the farm - May 2007

May 12th, 2007 was a really great day for us. We had our first family cookout at the farm. To be honest this is actually the first family or any other type of get together Bobby and I have ever had together at our home so it meant alot to us.

I think everyone had a great time and I look forward to doing it again soon. I think there was sixteen of us total although Stacy and Renada left early because they had a luncheon to go to. Renada - Nadie was a really big help to me, they were the first ones to get there and if it hadn't been for her helping me with the food I'd never got it done for sure. Thanks Nadie! Nadie and I have had a hard road, I guess its probably not easy being "the other wife"...hehe and most don't get along but we've come a long way and she's a good person and good to the kids, heck we get along real good now....she's really like my brother's wife...haha since Stacy is more like my brother than my ex-husband so I guess that makes her almost like my sister in law! Anyway, were all family! What I consider my family may seem messed up to some but if ya know me you understand that history and those who have shared my life with me tend to become family to me. I was married to my first ex husband Stacy for over 15 yrs. and to be honest his family is my family....While I love my own family equally as much his family is right there with them so it is natural that I would invite them to my shindig. Of course Bobby's family probably thought it was a bit odd but you know Bobby thinks of Stacy's family as his family too. Sue, Stacy's Mom has always been like a Mom to me and more so since my Mom's passing. In times when I struggled with my own Mom, Sue seemed to understand and be there, she never passed or passes judgement and always offers good sound advice. Mom must have had such a hard life growing up because she just didn't trust many people, she use to tell us that we couldn't trust anyone but family....As much as I love my Mom I found out the hard way that that isn't always true, sometimes family hurts you, sometimes they don't always love you and sometimes they are harder judges on you than others are. God blessed me when Sue became apart of my life because she showed me that there are people in the world who you can trust completely and who don't have it out to get ya, and is always there no matter what... she helped shaped me into a better person I like to think one that doesn't pass judgement if at all possible and one that does try to see the good in everyone.

Anyway, I only said all that because you will see people that are not my biological family in here. Of course Stacy and Nadie had to leave early so I wasn't able to get pics of them together but hopefully next time I will. Stacy did manage to leave a surprise pic on my camera though! My new family, Bobby's family is in my pics as well and they are all wonderful people too that I am enjoying getting close too.

So here goes...heres my pics:

Of course we have such a nice pond so it was a great day for fishing!!





And even the babies were out to play....we found this baby turtle swimming around the island.

And of course it would be no fun if we couldn't take pictures of each other...hehehe


Verna thought it was a great day to catch some rays!

I never realized how much Gayle's son Tom looks like her until I seen this pic...the smile gave it away!

And Sweet Sheila, I'm not sure what that face meant...lol

Mary, Sue, Verna, and Elizabeth sure made sure that A/C was doing it's job!

Gayle and Sheila posing for my camera!


Well thats all for now. I wish I had taken more pictures but I was slow to get out there and take them but we sure had a good time.

Oh I forgot one....Here's one of my beloved hubby and his brother trying to sneak away behind the Rose of Sharon bush before I got his picture!

Though, I didn't get one of Frank which is Bobby's brother well rather I got him sneaking away, I did get a couple shots of his wife Debbie fishing, course they were not close up, one of these days I will have to get one of them together. Bobby's Mom, Mary wasn't feeling well though she was a trooper and made sure to show for the shindig! Bobby and I took turns spending time in the house with her so she wouldn't feel left out.... it's sad to say though there is always someone who is left out...I don't feel like I got to spend much time with anybody because I was so busy doing all this stuff. As far as Mary being sick, Bobby finally got her to go to the doctor this week and she has bronchitis....please keep her in your prayers! We didn't have the rest of Bobby's family down but I hope we will be able to sometime. We were missing Richie, Shautana, and the kids from my family as well and of course too...John, Linda, and their kids. My son's girlfriend, Torie had to work so he came without her. It's hard to believe they have been dating now for over a year!

Well that's it! Peace out!