Father's Day Weekend in Rison

I'm trying to make more of an effort in this blogging thing so I can purposefully take pictures at events and write about it. This weekend B & I loaded up the spaniels, dropped off the bigger dogs with a pet sitter and make the short drive to Buie's hometown of Rison, Arkansas. I'm embarrassed to say this, but we hadn't seen my in-laws since Christmas! (I know, shameful, right?) Being right in the middle of wedding season, it's so hard to take off. We jumped on the opportunity to see them on our first free weekend and spent a good 48 hours of family time. 

Lady and Conner love their big backyard and spent most of their outside side chasing squirrels and making sure they had sniffed every corner of their yard. 

We slept in late on Saturday morning which was glorious. We sipped our coffee in our pjs and snuggled with the dogs, watched the news and relaxed. Saturday afternoon we hopped in the car and got the $5 tour from Buie's dad. Mr. Rufus has lived in Rison his whole life. Their family owned The Buie Funeral Home for many years until he retired. If you are not familiar with Rison, it is a town of about 1,300. I always thought I was from a small town...until I went to Rison. Mr. Rufus drove us around and showed us the home where he first lived as a young boy and the home where he and Mrs. Carole lived. He showed us the original funeral home where he and his family lived in a one bedroom apartment in the back for many years. 

We stopped by Rison High School and I begged them to take a photo in front of the football field where they both played football for the Rison Wildcats. I know these are the little things that one day we'll be so thankful we took the time to do. I cherish this time we get to spend with our parents. 

Saturday evening the boys cleaned off the grilled. Buie's brother picked up some steaks. I made some potatoes and B cooked the steaks. We filled our bellies and then piled in the living room and watched a movie. The Buies are movie experts. It's kind of a family tradition to watch movies when we're all together. That's where B gets his love of movies from. 

 Back in Louisiana, my parents went out to eat with my both of my brothers' families and their six kiddos. I called my dad on the phone to wish him a happy Father's Day. I'm sure their dinner was a bit more lively than ours since it's just the 5 of us, but it was a just the relaxing weekend we needed.

Sunday morning we put on our fancy clothes and drove the 200 yards down Main Street to Rison Methodist Church where we were introduced by the pastor and welcomed by the whole church. Nothing like a small town church, where literally everyone knows your name. ;)

Thanks for a great weekend in Rison! We love you guys! B & I are so blessed to have two amazing father's in our lives. They have taught us what real men are! We love y'all! 

My days in Minden: ThFS

downtown Minden

I had such a full week in Minden last week that I had to split it up into 2 posts. These posts are most likely boring to most of my readers. For the purpose of journaling I like to write about what I did with my time in Minden, otherwise I'll forget.

If you missed the first part of my week, click here:

Thursday was all about mom day! I slept in a little late & then ate a yummy chicken salad that my mom made topped with blueberries, strawberries, cranberries and walnuts! I could eat one everyday! After lunch we went downtown for a little antique shopping. We found a couple of pieces on sale!

I helped mom with a little gardening Thursday afternoon. A few of her container gardens needed sprucing up. In return, she took me to her bunko group where I won a prize! Thursday was a good day.

Friday morning I had my third & last shoot of the week in downtown Minden. There are so many neat buildings with old doors & windows; the alleys make for a great shoot location! Late Friday afternoon, my brother, Chris, came into town with his wife, Amanda, and baby Makalan. Chris thinks she looks a little like me when I was a baby. :) This, of course, makes me happy.

Craig, Nicole & Landon joined the fun shortly after they did & for the first time since Christmas our whole family was together...well, almost all of us. Unfortunately Buie didn't make this trip because of his work schedule I'm so glad we got a group pic! When I suggested we go outside for this picture, my vote got vetoed FAST! I was 100 degrees!

Saturday we celebrated the dads of the family: Chris, Craig, Charlie and Dad. The Lechners came over also to help celebrate. Dad was showered with gifts and kind words and cards. The night ended with a nice serenade by Coleson. I need to take guitar lessons from him. My guitar has been sitting in my closet unused for years. Coleson is the oldest of the Lechner kids and I'm pumped that he has chosen

Ouachita as his college choice. Not only is it our alma matter but he will be so close to us!

I also had a nice visit from an old friend, Brocky! I love seeing my old highschool buddies while I'm in town. I graduated from a class of 20 so we were all pretty close. I think this past week I saw at least 25 % of my class. :) I'm looking forward to our class reunion this fall.

I love you dad because...

This year for Father's Day, my 2 brothers and I made a list of things we love about our dad and shared it with him yesterday - his 2 daughter in laws contributed as well. I thought I'd share this list with y'all.

I love you, dad, because...

I love dad because... he never questioned his love for mom.

I love dad because... he is an honest businessman.

I love dad because... he’s always even keel... except for the time we stepped on his foot after surgery. :)

I love dad because... he coached me in baseball.

I love dad because... he never allowed us to wear shorts on Sunday nights. -

He taught us how to dress respectably.

I love dad because... he never bought a new car. (we buy 'em used in our family!)

I love dad because... he has always been there for me & I know he always will be.

I love dad because... he led our family in devotionals at breakfast every morning.

I love dad because... he is a hardworker.

I love dad because... he is always happy to see us.

I love dad because... he set a wonderful example of a loving, kind, and godly husband & father that my husband now imitates.

I love dad because... he is “Mr. Safety Man” - He taught me the importance of driving safely.

I love dad because.. he is a great father in law & a great Pop.

I love dad because.. of his kind eyes & how they light up when he sees his children & grandchildren.

I love dad because... he gets excited over the “simple” things.

I love dad because... he is loyal to his family & also to his sports teams.

I love dad because... of his contagious laugh. :)

I love you, dad, just because.

One thing I realized that I left off the list (among many other things) is my dad's great sense of humor. I love you, dad because... you send me great text messages like this one:

And because of that great sense of humor, I'm posting this video I found today while surfing the web. I think he'll appreciate it. :)

Also, I have to give a shout out to my two brothers who both became fathers this year. It is a truly neat thing to watch my brothers become dads. The way they protect and love their children is amazing to watch. I love you Chris & Craig and I LOVE being an aunt to Landon & Makaylan. I can't wait to watch them grow into amazing people! :)

And to the daddy of our furry animals & the future father of our children, I love you! You are the best daddy to Scooter, Conner & Hazel. I can't wait to see you as a daddy to our human children one day. I know you will be the best dad ever!