Mirror, Mirror on the Wall..

.. River is the cutest of them all.

Dressing up for her Halloween Party at School. 

A Day in the Park

A few photos of River at Riverfront Park in Warsaw, KY...



Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

"As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years farther into life; that eminence will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from our sight."  - Thomas Paine

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - Ronald Reagan

You Know it's Spring..

.. when the bumblebees come out. 

Old Fashioned Photo Shoot

Ah, the life of a model is a difficult one.  Having to wake up at the crack of 1pm.. the constant hounding of fans and admirers.. fashion designers always begging you to wear their latest creations.. etc.

It's a burden but River manages.  Somehow.

Here are the results of her latest photo shoot.

Photos taken by

 The Portrait Cafe

550 Idustrial Dr. Suite 2

Cleveland, Tennesee 37311

1.877.896.9667

http://www.theportraitcafe.com/

Thanksgiving 2010

River enjoyed another Thanksgiving in Paintsville, Ky.  It has become a tradition to start the holiday season in Eastern Kentucky.  She is becoming more and more aware of the meaning and importance of this time of year and it is heartwarming to see her making the connections and putting the pieces together of what will become a lifetime of memories.

Of course the turkey and all the yummy desserts are a plus too.





"If they don't serve the food soon, I may have to consider eating these ducks."

 

Thanksgiving Dinner is occupying someones usually scheduled nap time.  Can you tell?

"Ahhhh!  That's the stuff!"

River and her Pepaw deep in discussion of the origins of age-old holiday traditions. 

Helping to decorate Mammaw Ann's Christmas tree.

Decorating with the help of cousin Tracee.

Tired and relaxing on cousin Erin's lap. 

Basking in the sunshine with Mommy.

Trick-or-Treating for the First Time

She took to it like a fish to water.  Her expression when Jo explained it to her seemed to say "Free candy!!!  And all I have to do is put on a fun costume?  Wow!  I'm in!"  She was even more amazed when Jo told her that afterward, for one night only, she could eat all she wanted.

She started out strong but after five houses said "Daddy, I'm tired. Can I go home now and eat my candy?"

And that is exactly what we did.  The first year of trick-or-treating was over and done.  She was easy on me.. as she always is. 

Halloween Fashion Show

River needs help choosing which costume to wear to her school's Halloween party.  Which do you like better?  Batgirl or Pirate?

Wool Fest '10

For the third year in a row River made the journey to the Wool Festival.  Once again we enjoyed cool, crisp Fall weather, yummy food and the sound of Bluegrass Music echoing across the countryside.  River also enjoyed getting a close up look at farm animals.  As always, a fine way to spend an Autumn day.
 




Striking a sassy pose by the wagon.

Wide-eyed in the petting zoo.

Hugging a goat.

"Hello Ms. Porkchop."

"Quack!"

Staring me down with her pop-gun in her lap.



"I'm your Huckleberry."

 

Enjoying a Happy Meal Sleepy Meal.

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See how she has grown!  Click on the links below to see her previous visits to The Wool Festival:

Wool Fest '09
Wool Fest '08

By the Fountain

A quick, candid photo taken a few weeks ago by Memaw at the fountain of Belterra.

Virginia Beach

We took River on her first vacation last week away from home. It felt like our first vacation as well since it had been eleven years since we have taken one. Simply put; the wait was worth it. We all had a wonderful time.
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Naturally we were concerned how River would take the long ride in her car seat but she traveled the distance like a pro. On the way home we stopped only once in nine hours for River to enjoy a Happy Meal. Perhaps the next time I will ask her to drive.

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Don't let the Surfer Girl image fool you; River didn't really care for the ocean itself but she LOVED the beach. It was all about the sand as far as she was concerned. The boogie board saw more action in the hotel room with me dragging her back and forth on the carpet while she giggled uncontrollably.

. You don't always know at the time when you are making a cherished memory.. but sometimes you do. This is one of those times when we knew for certain.

. River was lucky enough to have her picture taken with a good lookin' lifeguard. Oh, wait a minute.. that's me.

. One of the many seagulls who either wanted you to give them food or just get the h#ll off of their beach.
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We kept hearing an odd thumping sound in the trunk for the first 200 miles but it eventually faded away. We had originally thought that the luggage was uneven but, much to our surprise, Memaw Marti popped out of the trunk at a rest stop in West Virginia. As it turned out, she was a godsend and a blast to vacation with. (She rode in the backseat on the way back home.)

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Jo: The Planner, The Budget Maker, The Navigator. The.. Everything. Thank you Sweetheart.

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She worked really hard to get those toes in the sand.
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River took her sand construction work very seriously.

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Naval vessels were always just offshore and military jets always overhead. Virginia Beach must be one of the safest stretches of American coastline. God Bless America.

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There is nothing more comfortable.

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Hurricane River destroys a beachfront town! News at Eleven!

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Sunrise on Virginia Beach, 09/09/10, 06:44am.

It is easy to forget how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful country. Remind yourself once in a while and just get in the car and drive. Our land is a treasure that I hope River never takes for granted.

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