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SLACKER

I am a total slacker!!!!! I have no excuse for not updating. I have so many things to talk about. I have managed to fill every free minute since the end of the Elite Series season. Both my kiddos are in school and I have been using most of my free time training for the Ragnar Relay. I have also done a few 5Ks, my first 1oK and my first triathlon since my last post. I will try to get some photos and do a good post soon.

Brent’s 10th Classic!

OK…I am a total slacker and it has been a few weeks since my last blog entry. Sorry people. Believe it or not, I am a busy girl. I am really trying to keep posts up to date. SOOO, Brent made the BASS Master Classic. This will be his 10th Classic. Quite an accomplishment. There are only a hand full of people in the world that can boast 10 BASS Master Classic Qualifications. I am very proud of him and very excited to head back to New Orleans. I have a feeling we will have some serious Chapmaniacs in New Orleans!!!!!
We are ready for some time at home. I started my training for the Ragnar Race and I am going to enjoy the rest of the summer by running, hanging with my kiddos, spending time with my nieces and nephews and working around the house. I know, I know…I am boring right now. I will post how the Vegas trip goes to spice up my next blog!!!!

In the mean time..The past few weeks have been great. Here's the quick version----

We came home and the kids have been doing swim team and summer rec and LQ. Went back to Oklahoma for the final BASS Elite event and had a BLAST! My mom went with us this time. We went to visit my grandpa, had an epic water balloon fight, went to a water park, played at the weigh-ins, enjoyed playing with all our fishing friends, MADE THE CLASSIC, Brent and I enjoyed a dinner out with the Martens and Lanes while Gigi babysat, came back and had Makayla and Kiki's birthday celebrations, had another birthday celebration for Makayla and Clare, Mason rocked the freestyle in swimming, met Dave Ramsey, went Cliff jumping with kids, Mason shot his first bow, went to Cherokee Lake in Tennessee and that's about it.

Believe me, I could write an entire story about each of these fun days...and I will when I have a little more free time. For now, I am an athlete in training and a mom on the run!

Are we there yet?

I went back to Kentucky Lake and got Brent moved and set up in Oklahoma. I must really like to drive. Thursday I drove 8 hours, Saturday drove 8 hours, Monday drove 5 hours and will drive 4 1/2 hours today. I'm kinda over this whole driving thing.Brent and I stopped at BassPro in Memphis and Penny had her first shopping trip. We looked like complete dorks---but it was 95 degrees out and we could cook the dog in the truck!!!

Then on to Muskogee, OK. Brent was having a good practice, but BASS had to move the tournament due to the flooding in Oklahoma. The tournament is now on Ft. Gibson Lake and Brent NEEDS to finish in the top 40 to qualify for the Classic. Pressures on. I will keep you posted.

The kids and I are headed back to the tournament today and Gigi is going with us. Plans for water balloon fights, water park, visiting my grandpa and AWESOME tournament for Brent.

Back to Guntersville, KY Lake and LQ

Back to reality. We had a great vacation in Biloxi...but now it's back to work.

We spent a few days at Guntersville Lake and had some fun with our friends. Robin and Randy Howell hosted a little BBQ with us and the Martens family. We have such good friends and all our kids had a blast.

I have the best memories of my childhood friends and hope my kids remember these days and maintain these friendships. I think back to the Gray/Rackley/Myers hay days and smile ear to ear. No matter how many years pass----these childhood friends are deep in my heart!! I hope Mason and Makayla feel the same way about Laker, Oakley, Jordan, Spencer...plus the Jones, Faircloth, Lanes and all the other kiddos of professional bass fishing.

We took the boats out one night and parked in front of the bat cave. The TVA said that over 40,000 bats emerge form the cave at dusk every night. It was incredible and a little disgusting.

Next we headed back to Paris, Tennessee and started the Kentucky Lake tournament. We stopped by Financial Peace Plaza and got to meet Dave Ramsey. It was so cool and surreal to meet him.

The kids and I got Brent set up and headed back to Lake Quivira for summer rec and swim team. Going home is crazy and NOT relaxing at all. It was good to see my friends and family--but I had to get back to Kentucky Lake after 3 days at home.

So, as most of you know, I have created a co-dependant husband. I don't want to toot my own horn...but he really does depend on me for a lot of help. I have created this problem by being such a wonderful, selfless, giving, nurturing, supportive, helpful wife. (too much???) OK, I may be exaggerating just a little. But Brent survived the few days without me thanks to my Leslie, Robin and Jimmye Sue.

Oh-

Did I mention that he got a hook stuck in his thumb and had to go to an urgent care to have it removed????? UUUHHH, I think he did it to prove he cannot manage to take care of himself without me.

So now I am back at the tournament and Brent is doing great in the competition. Hopefully he can have a top 12 finish and head to the last event with a little wiggle room for Classic Qualification.

I left the kids at home with grandparents...What does a mom do when her kids aren't around and she can goof off????? She babysits the Martens kids. They are awesome kids and now I have to go play "Go Fish" before Jordan yells at me.

PS----- Training for the Ragnar Relay Race in Central Florida. We have 6 confirmed for our team and need a few more girls to join us. I don't know why everyone is so hesitant to commit...It's not like it's a 200 mile relay race across Florida!! Oh!! Yes it is!!!

Family Vacation in Biloxi, MS

It seems I am always starting my blog with ‘this past week was great….But this past week WAS great!
We finished Brent’s tournament at Clarks Hill Reservoir in Augusta Georgia and headed to our family vacation. We sent Penny (the pooch) home with Leslie and Aaron Marten. They’re wonderful friends and we appreciate this soooo much. Penny doesn’t exactly love people, so this was very generous and just shows how great they are.
We dropped the camper is storage and headed to Biloxi, MS.
We got in late and started the next day with a dip in the pool and walk on the beach. Brent took Mason out on the rock jetty to check out the water and day one of vacation--- let’s start with an injury! Mason slipped and cut his hand on the oysters. It was nasty and probably needed stitches… but he is fine. Now he can tell stories to his friends about his scar from the oyster bed. It's Cool Man!
So what did we do all week---?
Most of the time was spent swimming in the pool, shopping at the outlet mall, playing at the beach, catching hermit crabs at low tide, playing board games and eating lots of junk food. You know…the staples of family vacationing. We did squeeze in a few touristy activities.

(Is touristy a word? Spell check thinks it’s OK.)
Brent arranged a fishing trip and took Mason, Ron, Chris and Emma. They got aboard the boat named ‘Jig-A-Low’ and headed out to catch some shark. They caught over 50!!!! Mason landed 6 and Emma landed 5. Not bad for a couple of 6-year-olds on their first deep see fishing trip. I am so glad they had a good time. Emma was pretty tough to hang out with all those boys for the entire day. Now, I know what you’re thinking… Why name a boat Jig-A-Low? I have no answer. Men are crazy. If a woman ran this charter service it would have a much better name. Fish Tale, Crazy Bait (my spin on crazy eight), Marvin Marlin. OK, OK. There is no way to give a boat a good name. Just call it what it is. Bobbi’s Boat, Brent’s boat…whatever people!!!
We also took an excursion to Ship Island. This was cool. There is an old fort on the barrier islands off Biloxi that was built in 1868. We took an hour long boat ride out to the island and the kids swam and played and we loved it. It was the perfect way to spend our last day of vacation.
My family rocks….I’m just sayin’!!!!
Biloxi was pretty cool. The area has not completely rebuilt after hurricane Katrina, but what a fantastic family vacation!!!!

Ragnar Relay Tennessee

Sometimes I wake up in the morning and just feel good. That content feeling of happiness!!!
It's great to wake up and feel grateful... peaceful... happy. (This feeling will probably dissipate after a few hours of home school with Mason and keeping Makayla in check. But it will resurface as I remember how much I love my kiddos.)
SOOOO, Robin, Leslie and I decided to take the plunge. We are putting together a 12 person racing team. We are doing a relay race that runs almost 200 miles. I keep telling myself that I will look back when I am old and gray with pride that I did something so challenging and amazing. (uuuuu-- I mean older and grayer.) We are trying to put a fisherman's wives team together. Team name suggestions are welcome. The Fishnets, Elite BASS wives, Team Running Fish. The training program will be incredible, but I am up for it. Who says when you break you foot you can't run anymore (Oh yeah, that was my orthopedic surgeon.) I'm fine running 200 miles---It's those pesky moonwalks that injure me!!! I really love my fishnet friends (fisherman's wives on the trail will be referred to as fishnets from now on.) Although I am tormented by home school vs public school....I am truly enjoying myself and my kids are too. We will keep walking the path and see how it goes.
Next subject---- Biloxi!!!! I am so excited to see my family and hang out together. I have the best in laws and cannot wait till vacation!!!!! One condo. Three bedrooms. 6 adults and 5 kids. I am probably the only one who thinks this sounds awesome...As long as no little tarballs pop-up on my beach.
Gotta get back to work...But my gem quote is a gem story today.
I decided to clean out the pantry in the camper before vacation. I don't want to leave lots of food in here while it is in storage for the week. So I have a can a tuna and box of tuna noodle helper. Now I know you all think I am an expert chef and it's probably a little disappointing that I have this junk in our kitchen. Sometimes a girl only has ten minutes. Sorry.
So I make Tuna Helper. Makayla eats it all (WHAT?!?) Mason eats five noodles as he desperately scrapes every little spec of tuna off. I stomach a small portion. Then after my hubby has been out on the boat from 6am-6pm and worked on tackle till 8pm---he finally sits down to eat. (The kids and I are watching a rerun of Survivorman from a deserted Pacific Island.) Now Brent is high-maintenance... but he is very easy to please with dinner. He is always grateful that I make his breakfast, lunch and dinner.
So as he is barely choking down my gourmet cuisine, I say that dinner wasn't really that bad. He politely smiles and says,
"No it's not that bad. It would be great if I were stranded on that island."
I guess I will not buy anymore Tuna Helper. (I will still buy Hamburger Helper. DEAL!!)

Birmingham/Guntersville pics

Birmingham---AGAIN!

Back in Birmingham. Yes, back in Birmingham.

Brent is doing a charity tournament on Lay Lake this weekend. Mark's Outdoors does the event every year and it draws a huge crowd.

So, what's been goin' on???

Lots. We stayed at Guntersville after the tournament. I had a great Mothers' Day. I got up and made breakfast before we headed out for a 2 hour hike. It was a gorgeous day to be in the woods and we had a great morning. I did get a quick run in before I resumed normal duties (made lunch, cleaned camper, went to weigh-in, made dinner, cleaned kids, got kids to bed.) EXCITING stuff here people!

Brent took Mason out fishing the on Monday and Tuesday. He is his father's son. He has mastered his baitcaster and hooked a 6 1/2 pounder Tuesday. We chilled for a few days before heading over to Birmingham.

So, Today we went to the zoo. Brent, Mason, Makayla and I met Leslie Martens, Jordan and Spencer for some fishin' family bonding at the Birmingham Zoo. We had so much fun. We fed giraffes, fed lorokeets and got tooted on by a rhino. Awesome. I have pics form the feedings...not the toot incident. I have never laughed so hard on a zoo trip. What can I say. Life is good. We will play at desoto caverns tomorrow while Brent does a public appearance. Saturday the kids and I will load the camper and head to Augusta, Georgia while Brent fishes his tournament. On to Clarks Hill.

Did I mention that in 10 days we will be on the oil spilt beaches of Biloxi? Let's hope our vacation isn't ruined by tiny tar balls!!! Or big oil.

Gem Quotes:

Makayla- "Daddy, You need to shave. It looks like you have sand on your face."

Jordan-"We don't have family time...You should come to our camper." (after I tell Makayla to come home for the night because it's 'family time.'

Makayla- "I'm gonna live with tigers, cheetahs and parrots." (good mix)

Robin- "Stop hitting that Laker...You are knocking all the stink out!"

Spencer- "He's got a big butt." Spencer says while giggling and pointing at the tooting rhino!

Guntersville AL and Mother's Day Pics

Few Pickwick Picture