Starting the New Year with Old Friends

I had many things set up for my visit back home. I wanted to see a few of my friends grab lunch and catch up on each other. The first day out I hooked up with my old friends from highschool. Some of them I've know even longer. Melcia and I have been friends at least since the third grade. (I won't even add up the number of years. You do the math.) Melcia and I brought our kids. Keisha left her two kids at home and Sasha is still running around scot free or should I say kid free. Melcia's younger sister, Sarika, came too. We all meet up at the Olive Garden that Sarika works at in Orange Park while she attends shcool. Might I add that she has a 3.4 GPA? Sarika, you know I had to add that in there. (Don't think she's the only smart one in the fam. There little brother C.O. also has a 3.4 GPA in high school and was just inducted in the National Honor Society.)Wait a minute, I just noticed. Why do I have the most kids of all of us? Oh, yeah I caught that two for one special that they were running last March.

(L to R) Keisha, Sasha, Me, and Melcia (I look horrible in this picture. One of ya'll send me a new one to post!)

Sarika

Tieona (Melcia's daughter) and Alisiya

Later on we just chilled at home with Mema and Pepa. Aunt Donna, Uncle Donnie, Joy and Nana were all nice enough to come visit us at my parents later.

Dad and Sebastian

Sebastian and Haillee(2 1/2 months)

(Me and the twins)

My kids

Nana holding Sebastian

Sebastian crying to get off of his floor mat. He looks like he's being held hostage in the jungle doesn't he?

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The Bonfire

The beautiful road that leads to our family

My mom w/ all of her Grands

We went to my mom's hometown of Monticello,FL for a bonfire. My mother grew up here and many of her relatives are still there. I love going to visit the country (Monticello). It so good for the kds b/c there is a section of the main road were it seems that nothing but my relatives live on. The kids can run around as they wish running from one house to the next without a care in the world.
Aunt Mildred and my mom w/ Sebastian

My Uncle Dutt (Joe Herring) hosted the event and this was my first time going. It was so much fun! I had no idea so many things were involved witht he bondfire. There was food galore, a really good fireworks show, a mashmellow roast, a DJ, plenty of dancing and good conversation.

The bonfire

Alisiya roasting marshmellows

Watching the fireworks by the four wheeler

It was offically voted on after the bonfire that Alisiya had the most fun out of everyone there as reported by my cousin Gwen. First of all I barely saw Alisiya the entire time. She was running from my Aunt Mildred's to my Uncle Dutt's all day long. She had so many cousins to play with that she didn't know what do first. She told me later that her cousin (Or as she said, 'My oldest cousin, Shawn.') rode her on the four wheeler. Thanks Shawn, now we only trust you to ride her.

Krystal was Alisiya's offical party partner. She was dragging Krystal everywhere. And I might add that Krystal was very happily dragged. Alisiya and Krystal danced the night away. She didn't leave the party until midnight, and I had to make her come in.

The next morning after breakfast she said that she was going to see what her cousins were doing. She ended up going down to Uncle Dutt's house and eating some of that good country sausage from the grill. Yummy! (I missed it. I was still dealing with a lack of sleep from Haillee wailing until about 4AM.) After her cousins left she went to find something to do.

She ended up talking to my Aunt Mildred's husband, Uncle Tommy, while he was washing his work truck. The next thing I know, she is hanging from the truck and washing it and having what I beleive was the longest conversation that Uncle Tommy has had in the last 10 years, if not the longest of his life.

Alisiya cleaning off Uncle Tommy's truck

My cousin Gwen, holding Haillee

My cousins. (L to R) Krystal (Aunt Mildred's daughter) Keyon and Tasha (Kendall's kids, Krystal's nephew and neice)

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