I Mean It

My words are coming back to bite me.

Matthew will look at me directly in the eyes, point his finger at me and say, "I mean it." Sometimes he doesn't preface the statement. Other times he will tell me exactly what he is trying to emphasize and follow it up with "and I mean it." Obviously I am doomed...

A Hospital Stay Was Not In the Plans

We were in Atlanta last week to visit family and watch some football. I was not planning on adding a visit to the hospital to our agenda, but I got a stomach virus. Thankfully, the baby and I are just fine now, but it was one hell of a week.

Precious, Matthew and I drove to Atlanta Sunday, Sept. 9. Tuesday night around 6:00 PM I started to feel nauseated, but I dismissed it as hunger pains. By 10:00 PM I was in full stomach virus mode. After a wretched night, I woke Precious up at 6:30 AM and asked her to take me to the hospital. We checked in Dekalb Medical Center where they pumped me up with IV fluids and anti-nausea meds. I was seriously dehydrated, but the baby was just fine. Steve was scheduled to fly to Atlanta Wednesday anyway. He just caught an earlier flight.

They kept me in the hospital until Friday late afternoon. Steve went to the Georgia Tech game Saturday night while I stayed at Mags house resting. We drove home Sunday.

It is so good to be home. I had a scheduled appointment with Dr. Balthrop Monday afternoon. Baby and I are just fine. However the doctor has clipped my wings. She told me Memphis is the farthest I may travel. So I no more trips for me.

The count down to baby has seriously begun. Only 9 more weeks to reach 40. Let's hope the rest of the pregnancy is less eventful.

To the Zoo!

We went to the Memphis Zoo! Much to our surprise it is a great zoo. All three of us had a wonderful time. It was definitely worth the trip up north.

It May Be Empty Now...

We bought an empty lot on the country club golf course, and we are in the process finding a home plan to put on it. Yes, after two years of waiting and praying for a house, the Lord made it clear we need to build. Perhaps God wants to test our marriage. :)

So, drum roll please, here's the lot:

The lot is a corner lot. This is a view of the middle right.


View to the corner.


View from across the street.

Click here to view the lot from a satellite.

Neckie Poo

Matthew was procrastinating before bed. Steve and I thought he looked too cute to disturb him, so we took pictures instead. Check out that tan line!

"New" Toys

We are the proud new owners of a four-wheeler and trailer!

The Myers Farm

Our dear friend, Kathy Myers, and her parents invited us to their farm for a tour and dinner. Matthew had his pick of farm equipment to drive. His choices were a combine, a crop sprayer, and a tractor. Since he has driven a combine and a tractor, he went with the crop sprayer. Our camera was set on video mode, so instead of stills there are mostly videos.











After the farm tour Matthew spent most of his time on the small four-wheeler in the Myers backyard. I think the day was probably one of the best im his two and a half years.

Mate, Joni and Uncle Glyn's Visit

Mate, Joni, and Uncle Glyn came to Clarksdale to celebrate Glyn's birthday. Lots of fun was had by all. We went to Wildwood Hunting Camp to check out the "lodge", ate dinner at Madidi, and enjoyed having family in town. Thank y'all for making the trek and keeping your camera around so we have pictures!


Steve and Mate are enjoying the lounge chairs at Wildwood.


A backhoe is still on the property at the hunting camp. Uncle Glyn kept a close eye on our little construction guru.








All my Downing mens!

1-2-3 Jump!

Matthew is loving the pool. Yesterday we went to the Dulaney's pool. He played around in the water without his swimmies for a while and would jump to me from the steps, go under, and swim up a little. The real fun was when he (in his swimmies)jumped off the diving board. At first I would wait for him in the water and he would jump to me. By the end of the day, I had moved to the side of the pool, and he was jumping off the diving board all by himself and kicking his way to the ladder.

Today we went to the Club. They do not have diving boards but he jumped off the side of the pool so well. Here are pictures from today.

Moving On Up

Steve's hunting camp, Wildwood, has its first home on site. Steve and three other members purchased a mobile home (single-wide) months ago, but until now the site at the hunting camp was not ready for such a wonderful hunk of junk, I mean lovely home. Moving day was yesterday, and the boys are hard at work trying to make it a place where the wives will occasionally come hang out, i.e. cook dinner. It now has electricity from a propane powered generator. A well will be dug soon to provide water, and I am told they are working on some sort of septic tank. I never thought my city-raised Brit would be so excited about a mobile home. Obviously he is fitting into rural life in Mississippi quite well.

Camp Clarksdale Pictures

Whiff! This is what I look like playing golf. Oh no, I hope Matthew inherits his Daddy's swing instead of mine. Matthew is playing golf on the course Papa made in the front yard.


This is the swing!


Matthew wanted to do a "big one."


Papa made Sam's swing out of an old milk crate. He sawed off one side, sanded down the rough edges, rigged it up with some chain, and added a safety board to keep Sam inside. It was something else!

Fun Week with the Neal Boys

What a week! Pete and Sam were here for almost one full week. We all loved having them here. The adults did a fair amount of refereeing the boys, but overall the boys got along well. My hat goes off to Precious, Papa, and Steve for a job well done.

The hard work for some adults began Thursday and Friday when Mary Margaret and I abandoned our children, parents, and Steve and headed to New York and Montgomery, respectively. Sister met up with Dave for a much needed break from children, and I ran off to be with Caroline and party at her baby shower. Poor Steve, Precious, and Papa were left with all the boys. Good thing is there was only one casualty.

Bob Junior, a gift from our neighbors after Bob Sr. died in their care, did not make it through the weekend. Thankfully, all boys were fed each meal. It was just Bob Junior who suffered.

Pete, Matthew and Sam didn't suffer a bit. Their week consisted of a trip to the Aquatic Center in Tunica, playing golf on a three hole course in Papa's front yard, swinging on a Papa-made swing, driving the little John Deere tractor, a trip to Wal-Mart, watching airplanes at the Coahoma County airport, multiple laps around the neighborhood on bike or tricycle or tractor or on foot, hours playing with matchbox tractors, front end loaders, dump trucks, etc. etc. Again I say, what a week!

Hopefully, I will post pictures of their adventures soon.

We Love Visitors!

In May, Steve and I were looking at the calendar for July. We thought, hmm, not a lot going on. Well, the month is shaping up to be incredibly fun-filled thanks to visitors.

Grammy and Maxine were here last week. Matthew was absolutely beside himself. He had so much fun playing with them he didn't want to eat or sleep. He had a blast. Since Maxine and Grammy had their cameras out, I saw no need to take pictures with my camera. (Maxine and/or Grammy, when you get a chance, could you please send some pictures to me and I will post them on the blog.) Maxine and Grammy were just the first wave of visitors for us.

Mags, Pete, and Sam should arrive within the next few hours! We haven't pumped Matthew up too much for their arrival. I was hoping he would take a good nap today so he would have lots of energy to play with his cousins. After the Neals leave Monday, we have more visitors knocking on the door Friday.

Mate, Joni and Uncle Glyn are coming in town to celebrate Glyn's birthday and get some good time with the little boy. We are really looking forward to seeing them!

Thanks so much to all of our visitors for making the trek to Mississippi. We adore seeing each and every one of you!!! If anyone else would like to come, please, bring it on!!

The Fourth

We had a fabulous Fourth of July! The day began with the fishing rodeo at the country club. Matthew and his daddy caught three brim! Technically, Steve did the casting and waiting, then Matthew reeled them in. That was just the start of the day. After nap time we went to Moon Lake. First we played at the Mohead's, then we had dinner at the Tyner's. Surprisingly, I did not forget my camera! Remember, if you click on a picture it will pop up bigger.


Here are the great fishermen! I never said they were big brim!


Matthew won 5 bucks for his fishing expertise!


Mary Thomas and Ellie Tucker; Matthew; Jack Mohead


Matthew is sitting in the chair watching the fireworks. The wind took an unexpected turn and blew smoke in his eyes.


Matthew and Hannah Mullens on Mike Tyner's boat. Hannah and Matthew love each other. Hannah is incredibly sweet to him. I wish I could say Matthew was sweet to Hannah. Hopefully that will come with age!

ABCs in Shower

I am sorry the video is sideways in the beginning and a little short of "X, Y, and Z".

My Sunshine

Steve took these photos while I was at a family wedding this past weekend. Matthew found my headband I use when I wash my face.

Oh, my little prima donna.


He is blowing you a kiss!

Kiawah Videos

At last, here are the videos from Kiawah!


Kindness to Nephew Sam


Disaster. The bucket of sticks fell over. My favorite part is Steve's sigh at the end! That sigh sums up how we feel sometimes.


Matthew can only take so much. Poor kid would get afraid of the waves. To make matters worse, Steve and I were in hysterics. Mean parents.


Steve is more supportive in this one.


As each wave crashes Matthew and Steve it also gets me. The first wave was a little chilly for me.


In between waves, Matthew said hello to the pelican.

Watching Barney

Exhaustion

Crab