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

Lake Guntersville

This week has been sooo fun. We are camping at Lake Guntersville State Park with all of our friends close by. Mason and Makayla are livin' the dream. Everyday is spent fishing with Laker and Oakley or playing with Jordan and Spencer. We have been swimming at the Lodge Pool with the Jones, Martens, Howell, Davis and Lowen kiddos. These kids will look back someday and remember how amazing it is to play with all the fisherman families. Having friends from all across the country growing up like next door neighbors.
I hope they love it as much as I do. I really love my friends and appreciate them more everyday. As we progress through the season, I reflect at how blessed I am to have such wonderful women surrounding me. These moms are amazing and their kids are amazing...I love my life.
I do miss my family at LQ and miss being home...but there is a bond among fishing families that is hard to explain. We all experience highs and lows with our husbands careers. We all live side by side in campgrounds in strange little towns. We all pray for our hubbies to feel confident and accomplished on the tournament trail. We all pray for a 'check' and 'points'!!! We all feel sick and deflated when the fish don't cooperate with our plans and our hubbies don't get a check. We all live in a paycheck to paycheck type world... But we are close families. I love my friends and although I am feeling high because Brent got a check this week...I empathise with all my friends that are going home empty handed this week. We just have to give our men a big hug and tell them we love them. Better luck at the next one and put it behind you.

PS-- I love my man and I am grateful he had a good week.
PSS- pictures soon....got lots of good ones.

Pickwick Lake Event. Florence, Alabama

This has been a great week. There is way to much to write about in the small amount of time I have today.
Brent and I started the week by taking the kids to see "How to Train Your Dragon." It was great to be able to spend a day together goofing off. (Never mind the tornado sirens going off the whole time we were in the theater.)
Brent is fishing at Lake Pickwick for the 4th stop on the Elite Series. He did make the cut and is fishing today...Thank goodness. This is the halfway tourney and we need the check and the points toward Angler of the Year.
This week for me has been filled with fun. Robin and I have been rotating kiddos so we can run. It's worked great. Having 30-45 minutes alone to jog is (I can't find the words...) amazing, energizing, refreshing, awesome. I don't know how to explain it, but when you are on the road and are with the kids EVERY waking second---having this short time to run through the park in the fresh air just feels good! I have also been going to the local Gold's Gym with Leslie and Robin for some BodyPump, BodyFlow and RPM classes.
The Kids-
They are lovin' this campground. Mason and Laker and fishing at a little water inlet every free second. It is right across from the camper and the are catching some pretty good fish. Oakley and Makayla have been inseparable. They have been riding bikes, doing puzzles, watching spongebob---I mean educational children's programs.
These four are so well suited. They really enjoy each others company, get along well and are great friends. We have also been able to spend more time with Jordan and Spencer this week. Makayla always wants to play with Jordan...But I love to watch her and Mason together. They are so cute. Yesterday, they were sitting in the truck quizzing each other on how dinosaurs were killed and going over all the scientific points while looking at Mason's dinosaur encyclopedia.
Makalya has mastered doing 70 piece puzzles. She starts on the inside and works out. I can't even to that...I always start with the edges.
Anyway, we are off to Guntersville next.
Gem Quotes-
"Whats that on your arm?" I asked Makayla-----
"I don't know. Maybe it's poop," says Makayla as she LICKS the mystery goo from her arm!!!!

"Next time you cut my hair; Keep it so I can make a new fly," Mason.
"Hey Makayla, if you really wanna lose a tooth...Play football with mommy. She knocked mine waaaay loose." Mason. (and yes I did and Yes he did lose another tooth.)

"I drew a butterfly on my shirt. When it grows up you can wear it, mommy," Makayla.
"Is that gum on your necklace?" Oakley asked about my pretty costume jewelry.
Bonus---2 Gem conversations--
Mason and Makayla-
Makayla-"I'm gonna marry Laker when I grow up."
Mason-"You can't marry Laker. He's older than you."
Makayla-"OK. I will marry Oakley. He's 4. I'm 4. So I can marry him."
Mason-"Good idea. You should marry Oakley."

Mason and Laker-
Laker- "Oakley and Makayla are on a date."
Mason- "Yeah. She even tells him what to do...and he does it!" (that's my girl.)