Can You Handle the Truth?

So....We had Jeris' boss (Russ) for dinner a few night ago. This was our beginning conversation.

Russ: So Holly tell me what you think about Marianna. You can tell me the truth.

Maddox: You can't handle the truth.

I swear he has not seen A Few Good Men. He has an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie that does a take off on the Jack Nicholson scene.

More Pirate Pics

Maddox's 3rd Birthday

This being the first birthday Maddox has celebrated in a town where he wasn't surrounded by his cute little friends, we decided to hold a much more intimate event with just his cousins (that live two hours away). We really missed all of our Gainesville friends but we still had a blast.
The party started Thursday night when the Emerson crew arrived just before bed time. Maddox had his first slumber party which started with three cousins in the bed and ended with only two. Owen gave up on bunking up with Maddox and Dawson pretty early and opted for the floor in the play room.
We were all up bright and early on Friday morning. (If you know Bets you know that her crew is up at the break of dawn and has eaten half the groceries in the house by 8 am). We packed a yummy picnic lunch and headed out to Caverns State Park only to discover it was closed for recent flooding. We went with plan B and took our picnic to Citizens park which had been covered in flood water for a week but was now reopen. The boys had a blast....I can't say the same for Betsy and I......we couldn't distract ourselves from the overwhelming fishy smell that remained on the playground from the recent flooding.
We brought the boys home,threw them all in the bath tub (as we were sure they had all sorts of microscopic fungus growing on them from the fishy playground), and dressed them up in their easter duds for their Easter photo shoot. (pics soon to be posted on Betsy's blog)
We ended Friday with pizza, cake, and ice cream. We didn't want to take the cake to the Pirate Ship for the real party the next day.

Saturday we got out the door with amazing speed considering the crew we were corralling and were on our way to Panama City Beach to ride the Sea Dragon Pirate ship.
Tickets bought, we boarded the ship with no idea of the excellent investment we had made in the 15 dollar ticket.
The crew of the ship entertained the little guys with water gun fights, swabbing the deck, shooting a cannon, dolphin watching, a treasure hunt, and a pirate dance party, complete with limbo and a congo line. We loved it.....Cullen excluded. He was no fan of the Pirate Adventure and repeatedly clarified on the way home "No like pirate ship."
Fun times with family. We only wish it would have been complete with our two Canadian cousins.

....and just a few more

Maddox had an accident at dinner.....that's why he doesn't have pants on in the bottom picture. It is a little chilly when you loose your pants in Canada . Not quite as bearable as losing your pants in Florida!

More pics

Here are a few more pics from our trip.

Canada, Cousins, and Cold Weather

We just returned from our fun two week trip to Canada. Maddox had sooo much fun playing with his cousins. He got to play in 6 inches of snow, ride a ferry boat to Vancouver Island to visit Gi Gi and Grandpa, feed Auntie Poops' horses, and go ice skating. It was quite an adventure.

I didn't drop off the planet.....it just feels like it.

Friends,
If you haven't given up on me ever blogging again and still stop by here every once in awhile.....only to notice there are no new updates......I am trying to get back in the blogging game. Our boxes are officially unpacked. Our pictures are hung. We have a little routine and are settling into small town life. I have found myself trying to focus on the positives of life in Marianna...so here are a few.

1. I use very little gas which is good for the environment and our budget.
2. I am home with Maddox again for the time being.
3. There are virtually no restaurants in town that tempt me which is good for the budget and my health.
4. I met a friend at the park....forgot to get her number....but don't worry the same girl was at a play group I was invited to the next week. No, it is not that big of a coincidence. It really is that small of a town.
5. I am 40 miles from the beach and have been 4 times in the two months I have lived here.
6. I think I am so close to my sister (130 miles) that I have seen her 4 times since I have lived here.

There you have it..... the positives for now. I'll update you as I think of more. Hopefully that won't be too long.

Here is a completely unrelated picture for those of you who haven't seen Maddox in awhile.