Meet The New Mr. & Mrs. Allen

Brianne getting ready for her reception pictures.

Our beautiful baby girl is no longer a Goode...

Her sisters had this t-shirt made especially for the party and added a little more bling to make it just right!

...she is now an Allen.

And I think they make the cutest couple!

 She loves him...

...and he loves her. 

'Nuff said!

I'll be posting more pictures from the ceremony and the party this week, so come back and visit again real soon!

Here Comes Our Last Bride

Well, yesterday was the big day. Jim and I watched as our youngest daughter repeated the marital vows that signified the 'leaving' of mother and father for the 'cleaving' to her beloved husband and best friend.  It was beautiful and full of hope, yet I could not ignore the bittersweetness that filled my very lungs.  Bri has been quite the sprite since she entered our lives that early July morning in 1989 and her 'bubbly' personality will certainly be missed around our home. 

Okay, okay...enough of my melancholy.  On to the bridal portraits.  Brian is currently editing the wedding photos, so I will try and post those before the weekend is over.  He also has some beautifully edited photos from the bridal portraits that I will try to get up as well.  These are just a few of the near 600 photos taken on Sunday afternoon...unedited!

Our Country Girl, sitting on the front of her Daddy's antique tractor

Doesn't she look stunning?

This one was her idea.  I love the way the sun hits her face.  She seems to be looking off into a beautiful future.

I never thought my sitting room chair would be found sitting in the middle of the pond island...but these pictures turned out cute.

A picture with the veil. 

As I have said to anyone that will listen, Brianne's wedding attire was so very 'Bri'.  The short lace dress was just what she wanted (though we had to have it altered from floor length).  The boots with turquoise cut outs and that gorgeous brooch bouquet (lovingly made by her sister, Meagan).

We had to sit Jim far away while taking these final two.  We didn't want him to cry!

Yep, our baby girl is leaving home.  Oh, she will always be a part of us and the family ties will always run deep.  But now it is time for her and Josh to strike their own path.

Here's to a future filled with great happiness, hope, peace and a man who loves you well...just as your father has loved me, Baby Girl

Bridal Portrait Sneak Peek

We spent most of the day on Sunday preparing for, staging and taking Bridal Portraits of Bri. Wanna see 'em?

What a tease I am!!

As you are reading this post, we are out enjoying a Girls Day at the spa before tomorrow's Big Day! Once the Groom has laid eyes on the Bride for himself, I'll post some pictures of her in the wedding dress.

Y'all don't know how hard it is not to spill the beans over here!

It's Crawfish Time Again!

Last Saturday was our annual Custom Fire Protection Family Crawfish Boil.   And, boy, did we have day full of fun!  There was a bounce house, sand box, coloring pages, puzzles, washers, darts, poker and a LOT of crawfish -- 225 pounds to be exact.  And that's not counting all the corn and potatoes and mushrooms and sausage. 

I didn't take nearly enough pictures...not a single one of the Custom Family or of our own family, of which EVERY SINGLE PERSON was present.thank.you.very.much!  But here are a few to share the overall feel of the day with us.

The Custom Crew gathering around the washers pit

2012 Washers Champions
Ezequiel & Joseph (two in a row for Joseph)

Miss Kathy was trying to stir up some trouble in that Alabama shirt...but, hey, how can you smack talk the reigning National Champs!

And these are just various pictures taken of our family throughout the day:

Derrick and Josh

Bri...on the phone as usual

Davin turned the dolly for the folding chairs into his own personal ride-on toy

Kelli chilling in front of the bounce house

Matt

Brian's girlfriend...Princess Jasmin

Maddux riding an airplane

Sorry, there were no pictures of Meagan (she was busy setting up), Brooke,Brian, Will or Cali. Really, I am horrible at taking pictures during an event! I tried to visit with everyone for at least a few minutes and totally forgot to man the camera too!

"Wedding, wedding, wedding, wedding..."

...Wedding, wedding, wedding"

That is the most often heard phrase that falls from my husband's lips these days.

He says it hurriedly and high pitched...because that is all we talk about around our house these days whenever Bri is home.

My Favorite Picture Of The Happy Couple
Taken a few years back during Rodeo

This wedding may be taking place at the courthouse in front of a judge and a few family members, but it is still one of the most important days in our 'baby' girl's life.  And that means planning is in order. 

She picked up her dress from having the alterations last week and you don't know how badly I wanted to snap pictures while she stood in our closet trying it on with her boots and jewelry.  All I can say right now is, "It is soooo her!" and she beams in it.  (I can't wait to show you all, but as the groom-to-be reads this blog...no pictures yet!)

So, if things get really quiet on here from time to time over the next week, you will know what is going on.

"Wedding, wedding, wedding, wedding, wedding, wedding..."

What I Did With My Weekend

• Had dinner and a nice, long conversation with my dear friend, Robin
• Came home to a house that was emptied of everyone EXCEPT my Hero and best friend
• Slept in with My Hero and best friend on Saturday morning
• Ate a hearty breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy prepared by My Hero and best friend
• Caught up on three months worth of home office filing
• Finished the laundry in the laundry room
• Deep cleaned my kitchen
• Made a delicious dinner of Ham, Tortellini and Broccoli using a recipe I found in a magazine
• Planted four rows of purple hull peas with My Hero and best friend
• Had a quiet dinner with My Hero and best friend on the back deck when suddenly all the kids had plans for the night (which meant plenty of left overs!)
• Treated to another great breakfast of biscuits, eggs and bacon
• Went to church
• Watched an old Sandra Bullock movie ALL BY MYSELF
• Read
• Met our dear friends, the Lozano's, for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant
• Stayed up way too late on a work night chatting and catching up
• Slept like a baby

It was pretty close to a perfect weekend!  Hope yours was too.

Egg Hunt 2012: Part (Big Kids) Too!

What the 'Big Kids' didn't know on Saturday, was that while Jim and I were hiding eggs for the grandchildren...we also hid some for them.  Jim laughed at me when I told him what I was doing, but as soon as I announced that there were more eggs to be found...they were OFF!

Meagan, Derrick and Kelli headed to the Egg Hunt Forest

No baskets.  No plastic bags. Nothing!  There were only 44 eggs...so they used whatever they had to gather them.  Their blouses...

Kelli

...their 'man hands'...

Matt

...their dress...

Cowgirl Bri

...their t-shirts and their Polo's.

Derrick and Will

These were not as easy to find as the ones for the grands!

"Look!  I found one!"
Will would have never posed like that for me...but Brian can always convince him some way or another.

It was time for counting.

Brooke and I helped Bri hold on to hers

Meagan and Derrick getting ready to crack them open.

Kelli and Matt investigating the contents of their eggs.

Was it just the sheer fun of hunting eggs that motivated my children to such activity.

Will with his prize!

Maybe...or maybe it was the cold hard cash inside!  Kelli and Matt walked away with the big bucks.  She proclaimed the money to be for Nursery preparations.  Poor Derrick found an "extra" egg that had to have been hidden by the previous land owners -- four years ago -- filled with candy!  Yuck!  That was a surprise to all of us. 

And I think I told them we only had forty eggs out there...so there should be four more waiting on me.  I really need to get down there this weekend and look for them!

After the egg hunts, we spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out and enjoying one another's company.   Here are a few of my favorites from that afternoon.

Meagan and the butterfly.
This was such a special moment, as butterflies are Meagan's 'Desi Reminders'.  This little guy and his friends were floating around us all afternoon and landing on the table while the grand babies were waiting on their prizes.  After the egg hunts, he decided to land in Meagan's hair.

Derrick, Bri, Kelli, Matt, Meagan, Will and Maddux...just chillin'!

Brian was our official photographer for the day...but I did find this photo of him from later in the day.

The Gun Show...Matt and Will comparing muscles.

Okay, that is it for the Easter pictures from me this year. Thanks for joining us as we try and savor the memories of another holiday spent TOGETHER!

Egg Hunt 2012

Our family gathered to celebrate Easter a day early this year.  For the FIRST time since Christmas, every single family member was present and accounted for along with every spouse and every child. (Note: the exception being Josh, who will receive his official Goode certification in 12 days and counting!) 

After our delicious meal, Jim and I headed down to our other property to hide the eggs while the boys cleaned up the kitchen.  Twenty minutes later, the rest of the family joined us.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Brooke, Nonna, Maddux, Pappaw & Davin
I wanted a picture of the two of us with the grandchildren before the Egg Hunt madness began.  Maddux was sitting on my other knee until just before the pictures began to snap.  He looked up to say 'cheese' and noticed Jim beside us, so he quickly jumped ship and moved to sit on Pappaw's knee instead!

Time to hunt Easter Eggs!

Davin raced to the front of the group, yellow pail at the ready.

Maddux was a little more laid back, walking alongside his mom.

Once we all made it to the Easter Egg Patch...it was time to HUNT!

Davin was on a mission.

Brooke headed straight for the edge of the woods.

Maddux decided to take the ones strewn about the grass.

You may have noticed that all the kids have on their rain boots.  We have found that rain boots and crocs are the shoes of choice for country life...you don't have to worry about keeping them out of mud puddles or dirt.  There is one small draw back though, as evidenced above.

Brooke found the 'Pappaw Egg'!

Davin found the 'Nonna Egg'!

And Maddux found LOTS of eggs!

That is a picture of Maddux trying to save his eggs from his mother as she tried to count them.  He didn't like that at all!

Brooke with her spoils of the day.

I did things a little differently this year.  Instead of putting candy in the eggs, there were either prizes or pieces of paper with larger prizes written on them.  Texas is too hot for candy.  I don't care how quickly you hunt the eggs or what kind of candy you use...it melts and is not worth eating by the time you find the eggs.  I think the kids enjoyed the new format.

Davin is ready to get to the prizes.  He had his eye on the fishing game.

Brooke getting Uncle Derrick with a confetti egg. 
She later tried to get Davin with one only to find out that it was actually a hard boiled egg instead.

What a great time we had! 

I know the Real reason for Easter and try to honor it with all my heart.  But at the same time, it is great fun to enjoy the awe and wonder of the season through the eyes of little ones.