Family Trip to Many

I am so horrible for just now getting to this! I had to write about our trip last weekend to Many, La. For those of you that are unaware, this is the small town (hour south of Shreveport) that Jeff grew up in. And I guess saying that we were in Many is a bit of a stretch. We were actually in Shuteye....the country area of Many. Jeff and I have been visiting there since we met, but I must say that I had one of the best times ever last weekend!

We left on Thursday night...easier for the kids to sleep. It was Jeff, Carolyn (his mom), Avery, Kendall, me and Jake (Dad, Phil, had to work in Chicago). We weren't sure how Jake would do on his first road trip. We were in Carolyn's mini-van so the girls could watch movies and Jake would have room. Needless to say, all handled the trip great! We made a stop in Shreveport on the way down to my favorite pizza place EVER ~ Johnny's Pizza!!! Oh, how I miss that. While I was there, and about to leave, I ran into a mother of a friend from elementary school ~ Tiffany Loden. We went to Calvary Baptist Academy together from K4-3rd grade. It was so great seeing her and showing off my amazing family to her. We made it to Many in less than 5 hours which is GREAT time!! Less than 10 minutes after being there, I started getting a headache. That is so rare for me now that I have been getting adjusted for so long. I knew that it was probably the pollen that was everywhere!

Molly, Kendall & Avery on the front porch swing.

Me & Tracie (with the ear plugs in our ears) out shooting

Friday morning we were up and at 'em pretty early. First thing on the agenda was going fishing. Wouldn't you know, Avery caught the first fish in less than 5 minutes...at the time she was the only one fishing! I wonder if she's getting the good luck the Trohas seem to have? ;) This was her first time and she was so excited. It reminded me of when I used to fish at my grandparents' in Waskom, TX. Only I fished with a cane pole instead of a rod and reel. We all ended up catching something...Jeff and Barney had the biggest ones.

Avery bringing in her first fish!!

Avery and Uncle Barney taking their picture with her first fish...a catfish!

A pro (Aunt Tracie) teaching a novice (Kendall) how it's done outside! ;)

Later in the day, as my headache kept getting stronger, we went playing in a creek that was up the road. Then we went to the pasture right by it and started playing a game of baseball. Tracie had bought a plastic bat and ball at Walmart. The ball was small like a baseball and the bat was really wide at the end. Avery had never played anything like this before. Let me tell you, she knocked that ball FAR!! We were so proud. You forget that baseball has rules until you have to teach your child how to play. Apparently, running the bases isn't something that we're all born knowing. While we were out there Kendall had to potty several times and LOVED getting to potty outside.

That night Megan, Brandy, Rodney and baby Kami came by. Megan and Brandy are Jeff's cousins. We all started visiting but I could barely focus because my head was still killing me. I knew that if I went to bed it would go away, but I didn't want to miss seeing everyone!! Jeff ended up carrying me to bed since I wouldn't do it myself! Have I mentioned that I LOVE my husband?!?

Saturday I woke up feeling SO much better. After we ate lunch, we put the girls down for a nap and left them with Carolyn. The rest of us "went into town" to Many to play. We went to a house that belongs to one of Barney's cousins. We went riding the 4-wheeler and the dirt bikes. I have never driven a motorcycle before. I drove a dirtbike that belongs to Molly, my 10 year old niece, but used to be Jeb's (14 year old nephew). It was fun, but a little scary I will say. Then came the real fun. We went to the back of the property that was all woods with a creek in it. We were about 10-12 feet above the creek...more like a tiny ravine. We threw empty aluminum cans in the creek and used them as targets. I fired my first pistol ever....and I hit the target!!! I shot a .22 pistol, 20-guage and 12-guage shot gun!!! I hit the target with every gun!! It was so much fun. I was so excited that I actually hit the cans!! After that, we went a little further down the road to another cousin's house where they were skeet shooting. That's where the girls and Carolyn joined us. Let's just say that Kendall wasn't a big fans of the guns. The sound really freaked her out. She was also mortified of the 4-wheeler too..probably because of the sound too. Tracie, mom and I left to go get dinner and up drive Avery, Kendall and Jeff on the 4-wheeler!! I was so proud of Kendall doing that!

Me and the tiny dirt-bike...when I was riding I had a helmet on. ;)

My sexy man shooting a gun. Look at those guns in his arms!! :)

Avery, Daddy & Kendall on the 4-wheeler (look at the joy on Kendall's face)

It was such a great weekend for all of us. We didn't watch the TV once and hardly spoke on our phones at all. Jeff so needed to get away and it did him so good to be with all of us! We're planning on going back to Many ~ Shuteye, really ~ for Easter now. Woo hoo!! We were out playing with Jake in the front yard not long after we got home. I was playing with Jake when Kendall started saying "Tee tee! Tee tee!" I went to go get her to bring inside to see her with her pants and panties down at the ankles and squatting in my front yard!! I cracked up! We've been trying to re-training her to indoor pottying! I must say that I could never imagine how blessed I would be from being in the Troha family! God is SO good!! :)