The five Ward brothers...left to right: Frank, John, Pat, Robert and Dan.
We were evacuated for a hurricane and had to head north and fly home from their. We only stayed a few days and I don't have many pictures. I was planning on more pics later in the week :(
P.S. I am changing my music player to Dean Martin's "Little Ole Wine Drinker" for the weekend. Enjoy!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Beach and Baby Shower
It was so nice to see them all. Three of them I hadn't seen since graduation, Amie I haven't seen since Maddie was still riding in her infant carrier carseat and I talk to Mickie at least once a week, but don't get to see her near enough.
On Saturday, we went to Crystal Beach. The last time we had been there was when I wrote this post about the damage from Hurricane Ike. It has improved so much. I was really impressed with the progress that they have made. There are still lots of things that are gone that we missed (especially the water slide) and lots of destruction, but lots of cabins are repaired or rebuilt and there were several resteraunts back open.
Anyway we went with Laurie, Nat, Sarah and Linh, Michael and Caleb. Everyone had a great time except Maycee. She wasn't herself all day. She got sand in her eyes and cried for a long time, fell on the skim board and skinned her booty all up on the shells and fell asleep. Later she came down with a high fever. I felt really bad for her because she would have had so much fun if she had been feeling better. She turned out to have a virus. :(
Maddie and Maycee
Sarah and Laurie
Nat, Caleb, Maddie and Maycee. They went over to look at the shark head and were yelling "Dead Fish" when Guy was taking their picture. So Silly!
The kids loved grabbing the bait fish that Michael and Nat were catching and throwing them in the bucket.
Enjoying the water.
Maddie on the skim board. I have no idea why the picture looks this way, it is kinda creepy though. Almost like you can see through her???
Maycee falling off the skim board. This is when she skinned up her booty.
Nat on the skim board. He didn't fall. It looks like he is falling, but he was able to catch himself and stay on his feet :)
Linh and Michael. They are expecting a new baby also.
Maycee sleeping on the beach. It looks like her head is laying on the sand, but it wasn't when I laid her down??
Maycee with her silly goggles.
Uncle Nat buying the kids any ice cream.
Caleb and Michael fishing.
Maddie eating her tomato that she brought with her from Nana and Papa's garden.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What We Did This Summer!
We had a pretty busy summer. It was Maddie's last summer as a preschooler. I was really dreading it being over. I just wasn't ready for her to go to Kindergarten. Maddie on the other hand couldn't wait for it to end. She wanted to start school so bad. She was ready to go last year, but she just missed the cutoff.
The summer started off with a visit to my friend from highschool Mickie and her husband Pat in Galveston. They were having a crawfish boil for Mickie's Birthday. Maddie loved the crawfish, Maycee on the other hand wasn't interested in tasting them. She just wanted some birthday cake. It was fun weekend and great way to start off the summer.
Mickie enjoying the crawfish. 
Maycee found a dog to have fun with. 
Guy enjoying the crawfish. They were very good!
We also spent some time at the beach and met Laurie and Nat for breakfast one morning.
Maddie and Maycee playing in the sand. 
Guy and the girls on the seawall.
Nat and the girls at a gift shop built out over the gulf. I think it was Murdoch's. Anyway it's probably not there any more. :(
The girls on the beach. Aren't they sweet?
Maddie, Maycee and Laurie. Nat and Laurie bought them the purses they are carrying. They were using them to hold their seashells. 
A couple of weeks later the girls and I went to meet Laurie and Leigh and some of Laurie's friends at Crystal Beach. Guy had to work. :( We had a great time there two other little girls there that were the perfect age for Maddie and Maycee and they had a great time playing in the sand and water together. I am glad we were able to spend some time a Crystal Beach this year. I just wish Guy would have had a chance also. It has always been a favorite hangout of Guy and I , it's were we met after all, and I'm afraid it will never be the same again after Hurrican Ike.
Maycee being silly. 
Shelley,Leigh and Sara
Maycee, Brianna, Maddie and Maura 
Maddie having fun.
Laurie helping the girls in the kayak.
Oops!
At the beginning of June we went to the Dallas Zoo. We had planned to go in the spring so that it wouldn't be so hot, but that didn't happen. It was very hot the day we went. Maddie wasn't that impressed. Evidently the zoo isn't her thing, but Maycee really enjoyed it. I was excited because they were able to wear the Animal Kingdom outfits that I made for Disney last year again! Next time we will go back to the Fort Worth Zoo. It is a longer drive, but worth it!
Taking it easy in the wagon!
Towards the middle of June we had the girls recital. It was exciting. Maycee's first ever and Maddie's second recital. They were both taking a combo ballet/tap class at EncoreCentreforDance. They have really enjoyed it. Nana and Papa gave them the classes for their birthday's last year. Maddie performed a ballet routine to Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and Maycee performed a tap routine to Blue Suede Shoes .
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At the end of June the company Guy works for had a trip for all the Managers and families. We stayed a couple of extra days and had a good time even though it rained ALOT. There was flooding everywhere. When it wasn't raining the weather was beautiful. The temp. was perfect and there was always a breeze. We went to a show, Silver Dollar City, and Celebration City. There is quite a bit to do in Branson, but the traffic is a bit tough.
Crazy Flooding
Silver Dollar City
At our hotel....wearing sunglasses inside??
Celebration City
Leaving the Hotel 
For July 4th Weekend we went to Lake Travis in Austin. It was our first chance to stay in our new camper that we bought with my parents and Ashley and Adam.
Guy, Maycee, Maddie and Kaleigh on the boat. 
Watching Fireworks
Addison sleeping on the boat.
Ashley and Adam
Swimming in the lake before the boat started sinking on us. We had been riding on my Uncle Dan's boat all day when we decided to get out and swim a little. Maycee, Me, my Dad, Ashley and Adam were all in the water. Guy, Kaleigh, & Addison were on the boat. Maddie and my Mom had decided not to go. Long story short they noticed the back end of the boat was sinking (we were in 100 ft of water) and took off to try and get the pump to pump the water out and ended it having to bank the boat accross the lake. That left us in the water that was starting to get very rough. Thankfully, my Uncle Frank was there with his boat, but he already had other people riding with him. We all had to pile on his boat. It made for an interesting day. The boat turned out to have a factory problem that caused the leak and it is fine now and everyone made it home safe. To this day Maycee swears that nothing happened to the boat that day. She just had fun swimming and riding in any boat.
Maycee took swimming lessons for the first time this summer. She is turning into a little fish. She can swim the length of the pool, back float, roll over to take breaths and go to the bottom of the pool to find rings.
In July, my niece Addison turned 2. I guess she's not a baby anymore!!
The Birthday Girl!
My Mom and Addison
Maycee
Maddie
More Fun for Addison's Birthday...
Maddie, Addison, Adam, Maycee and Ryland 
Papa and Maddie
Kaleigh and Addison
Mom, Addison and Dad
Maycee adn Guy
Silly Maycee
In August we went to Beaumont to visit. We went to Orange to see Laurie and Nat's baby chicks and goats. The girls loved playing with the animals.
Maddie, Maycee and Leigh
Maycee
Leigh
Maycee
Maddie
Guy
Maycee
Maddie
Nat, Maycee and Maddie
Nat and Laurie
Laurie and Maddie
For Labor Day, we went to Gulf Shores Alabama for a Ward Family Reunion/Fantasy Football Draft. It was gorgeaus there. The beach, the condo, the weather.
My mom had set up for a photographer to come and take pictures of our family on Friday afternoon and then the whole Ward Family and the 5 brothers on Saturday. The Saturday pictures never happened, but the ones of our family turned out great.
Pictures from the Photographer
Kaleigh helping Guy try to cover up his lines from his sunglasses. He wasn't as willing as he looks in the picture to wear the makeup. He had just finally given in that we weren't going to give up. Look at those raccoon eyes they had to be camoflauged.
Maddie
There was a little carnival set up for the kids with a petting zoo, train, face painting, bounce house water slide and pony rides.
Madison and Maycee
We were having a great time soaking up the sun and enjoying the great company until Hurricane Gustave chased us out of town. The security guards came and knocked on the doors Saturday morning about 8am and said we had to be out by 11am. They were evacuating the whole area. We ended up in Birminham, Alabama and we caught a fight home from there. But not before we ran down to the beach around 10 am Saturday Morning for just a few more pictures. It was starting to get windy. You can see their hair flying in the pictures.
Red Flag and nearly abandoned beach. Sadly, it was time to go home.
In the end it was a very short trip. 3 days instead of 7, but it was 3 days of solid fun, perfect weather and wonderful memories.
