Auntie Moosie and Payton's Graduation Party

Presley and I made the trek back to Arkansas for a long weekend because it was Payton's Graduation from the U of A annnnddd, Auntie Moosie and Gram were in town!!! The last time I saw Auntie Moosie was at our wedding...2 years ago. This was Presley's first time meeting her GREAT Auntie Moosie :) She loved it!

See, I told you! I should find a baby pic of Auntie Moosie holding me like this when I was Presley's age and see how much we look a like. I always like comparing :)

Of course a certain someone remembered the steps from her last visit! She made a bee line for them right when we got there...

Are you comfy Pres?

Because Bubka kept most of our baby toys, Presley was able to play on the same rocky thing I used to play on...pretty cool. I remember having that little thing in my bedroom in the house on Hill Drive. Aww...memories.

And I'm pretty sure there is this exact picture with my mom squatted down next to me when I was this age just like she is here with Presley. Next trip home, I am going to have to raid the photo albums and do a fun post with old pics!

Auntie La La had to get some hugs in before the little tornado was off getting into something else...

Our first night home and my awesome Dad is making his famous BBQ pork steaks. My mouth is watering just looking at this pic.

Auntie Moosie and Mom getting ready to shuck some corn! I have to admit, it is nice when I get to use the excuse that I have to chase my kid around and I can't shuck corn anymore...

They are pros...

Ok, so I guess I can't use that excuse when Bubka is holding my child...

Thanks Presley...now I had to actually do some work.

Hanging out on the patio watching Uncle Ben, Auntie Annye and Auntie La La play out in the yard. Wanting to go play with them but just isn't quite sure enough just yet....

So the next best thing is having your favorite Uncle bring things to you! Uncle Ben was practicing his putting so he would let Presley play with his plastic golf balls...

She loved it..."look Uncle Ben, I have your balls!" lol

They both look like they have the same expression on their face...silly kids.

typical DeGrand BBQ...a little football

a little golf...

Ben was trying to explain to Annye she had to "cock" her arm...

and Annye gettin her game on!

and of course the girls were tossing grapes in the air and they were trying to catch them in their mouths...

not quite girls, but good college try!

Saturday was Payton's and Spencer's graduation from the U of A. Spencer walked because he was getting some special awards but Payton decided he didn't want to. I can't blame him. I would of done the same thing. So instead of sitting in an auditorium waiting to hear Payton's name called we stayed home and of course, had a party! Spencer's parents came over from Mauemelle and hung out at the house with us, and John (Payton's other roommate) came over. It was so much fun to just lay back and do nothing but eat!

The guys played a couple games of Bags...

I think it was parent and kid vs parent and kid...

sat around and had some good laughs

and Presley left me to hang out with Dalton! Presley was having her first talk about Botchy Ball...We take that game very seriously in our family, and Dalton was not going to let Presley slack at all!

You can tell how impressed she is...

"Hey Dolphin, how bout we skip this whole Botchy Ball thing and go straight for the football?"

They guys had their "man patio" and smoked their cigars...

Uncle Tom and Auntie Jill ordered some yummy BBQ from a local restaurant and it was soooo good. It was time to dig in...I definitely ate way to much

After we all shoved our faces full of yummy BBQ, Crab dip, fruit, and Potato Salad it was time to let it all settle before we dug into the cake!

The good lookin graduate, himself! So proud of you Payt! Now onto the next chapter of your life...it will be a blast, I'm sure :)

Mom wasn't impressed with the cake as far as the decoration, but it was sure tasty so that made up for it looking like a 5 year old designed it!

Payton and his roomies...John (guy in the middle) has another semester left at the U of A, and Spencer (guy on the right) is headed to Boston to attend M.I.T. A bunch of smarty pants.

On Sunday, it was Uncle Tom's birthday. So before all the Carlson's headed out of town we HAD to have cheesecake with fresh strawberries on top!

Group pic with his boys...we were missing one :( Jacob stayed home to study (he is going to do my plastic surgery one day for me:)) but he was there in spirit!

Now every time all four of us kids are home at one time, my Dad always wants a group pic taken of us. And usually it never fails that we don't do the pic until Sunday right after my brother announces he wants to leave. So then all of us girls are trying to look presentable for a picture while my brother is yelling at us to hurry so he can get on the road and mom is searching the house for her camera...talk about an ordeal...

P.s. This will probably be my parents Christmas card for this Christmas, lol.

One with the parents. Now of course I told them not to get from my waste down because I was wearing sweatpants. But oh well. And I notice Mom in her slippers...man we are classy!

 Back in the day, before digital cameras it was horrible. Mom would take us all to a park or find a place in the house and we would have to stand for about a roll and a half of film. It took forever! I remember when we bought mom her first digital camera, we all thought it would make our picture taking time so much easier...not really! Cause now us girls look at the pictures after their taken and critique them. lol.