Front page story!!

THE NEW 2010 MISS JIM BOWIE QUEEN!!!

Well, she DID IT!!! She finally got her crown!!! After three failed attempts; we were so THRILLED!!! And the little girls came home with rabbits from the rodeo too, so they couldn't be happier either!!!

Miss Jim Bowie Queen Competition '10

I took a vacation day yesterday, and I went to be pampered...I had my very first professional pedicure in about ten years, it was LOVELY!!! Then I went to watch Madison give her speech for the 2010 Miss Jim Bowie Queen's contest. Afterwards, it was time for the parade, but we had a HUGE lightning storm, and horses and lightning don't really mix, so they had to cancel it. The rodeo started at 7:30, and they announced the contestants. Tonight they pick the winner!!! This is Madi's 4th time to enter this contest, but she did that at the age of 10, 11, and 12. Keep your fingers CROSSED!!! I don't care what happens, she is already my rodeo queen!!! I am so PROUD of her!!!

Weekend Update...

Friday I took a vacation day, thank goodness, because I ended up having to go to church camp to pick up Madi & her friend, Tori; 6.5 hours in the car!!! UGH! It was fun though; then Friday night, Sofie and Victoria both had play-off games; VERY exciting and nerve-wracking... Sofie's team got 2nd place, and V's team got 3rd; Victoria was up to bat, and the ball (coming out of the pitching machine) hit her thumb and SMASHED it, blood was seeping out of all sides of her fingernail...she tried really hard to finish her batting, but just couldn't...so we had to take an out... Saturday I cooked on the grill (all by myself), it's usually Mark's job, I made steaks and corn-on-the-cob, and garlic/cheese smashed potatoes; we invited Mamu over, and it was a GIRL'S NIGHT!!! I sent that pic of the food on the grill to Mark (he was at work), and said 'wish you were here', he got offended we were having fun without him, but my PLAN was to make that dinner so he could have a steak dinner for Father's Day when he got home at 6:30 A.M. Sunday... poor thang... he enjoyed it, along with 3 hand-made Father's Day cards from his girls; after dinner Madi wanted to have a guitar lesson, so I LET her play mine, and I taught her 4 chords, and she ROCKED them!!! She learned how to play 'Jesus Loves the Little Children', and now she's HOOKED!! Sunday after the girls came back from Brad's, we went to PawPaw's house for swimming!!!
Oh yea, and Paige came back to Bowie, just not in our house anymore...

Our new pitcher!!!

A song for Step-Daddy...

This a song that Victoria wrote for me, Mark. It really moved me in a way that is hard to describe. I wanted to share it with all of you. If you can see in the pic, there is a line about 1/3 down the page. The writing above the line was her brainstorming ideas for her song. The portion below the line is the actual song. I will write on here what is on the paper for easier reading.

Above the line(brainstorming):
HE GOT ME INTO SINGING
FUNNY
I LOVE HIM
Below the line(the actual song):
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT GOT ME INTO SINGING AND HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I LOVE YOU AND YOU'RE THE FUNNIEST "SMILEY FACE"(think she meant man or guy or person) THAT I EVER KNEW AND YOU MAKE ME FEEL THAT I'M ALWAYS IN YOUR DREAMS AND YOU'RE ALWAYS IN MY HEART. THAT'S WHY I LOVE YOU SO AND YOU'RE THE ONLY REASON WHY.

I just can't put into words how deeply this touched me. It is one of my most prized possessions! Thank you V.

p.s. Awhile back Sofie wrote a note to me and I will quote that now also:

I am so glad that God put you on this earth and that you're married to my mom. I love you so much. Love, Sofie Butler

Have you ever heard of such pure sweetness from two little angels like that before?

PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPINESS
MARK