Our Blog

This blog spot is primarily a photo/memory album for our family. It also serves as a way for us to share what is going on in our lives with our friends and family that don't see us on a regular basis. Ashley, Worth, Ellie, Emma, and Mack

Feb 20, 2024

January 2024

We rang in the New Year in Utah (on Eastern time) and had so much fun skiing Deer Valley to start the year off. We flew out there on NYE and barely were able to stay up for the east coast new year's celebrations. Unfortunately, they didn't show any east coast celebrations on the tv stations there. We were switching channels constantly and they stopped airing The Dick Clark celebration around 11pm EST. Flying all day had worn us all out though,  and thankfully everyone preferred going to bed over trying to stay up to celebrate the MST NYE. (The fireworks did wake us all up however a couple hours after we went to bed.)

The pictures are always slim for January usually, but I think I got quite a few this new year of 2024. 


Utah was a lot colder than Valdosta! We had a cozy fire for a few minutes every night. It was an actual wood burning fire place and the fire wood was wet, so it would only burn for a few minutes, but it was great while it lasted. Thankfully, the heat worked well in our unit. 

Mack bought me Reece's socks for Christmas and bought himself Cheezit socks. I had to get a picture of our feet together. It won't be too long before that little cheezit foot is twice the size of mine. 

Cookie and Water break on the slopes. Mack never disappoints with his helmet head. 


The weather was warmer than usual and the sky was beautifully clear our first couple of days there. 

I forced them into this picture. They will appreciate it one day. 



Emma was being so sweet helping Mack and holding his hand. 

10 year old Mack


The sky was so clear the first few days and the views were spectacular. This picure doesn't even do it justice. 

Such a beautiful backdrop to glide down the mountain looking at. 

The pictures are out of order and these are back from the ice skating trip. Mack only embarrassed Ellie slightly on the city bus ride to and from the skating rink

Emma taking a minute to warm up

Mack starting to get the hang of it. 

Emma was the only child that would stop and smile for the camera. 

Ellie has gotten good with the ice skating. 


Worth and the girls did a double blue and rode a gondola back up. 


Ellie was very impressed with the warm gondola. 




We started our first golf tournaments for the year with Mack and Emma playing right here at Stone Creek. This is Mack with Eli Tillman on their second day of play. 






Emma putting


This is the face of a happy teenager that just got her braces off! She had Invisalign so she could technically take them on and off as much as she wanted. She typically left them off and needed us CONSTANTLY reminding her to put them back on. Somehow, she got the all clear from the orthodontist this month that she is good to go! 



This is Mack imitating Ellie dancing. 


Mack got to acolyte for the first time! 






He did so good. Even though he fought me on signing him up for this. The girls gave me no choice. They said if they had to be acolytes, Mack did too. 



I don't know why they despise acolyting so much. I loved it when I was a kid. It was a little different in the Episcopal church I grew up in. The acolyting tasks were tiered by years of experience, so it was an honor to move up to the next task each year.


Emma made sorghum flour pancakes for a Social Studies class assignment. She had to make a video of her research on sorghum and its relation to Africa. She did a great job and made and A! The pancakes turned out delicious as well! 

Ellie had her first go round with auditioning for 3 summer ballet intensives this month. She and I spent 3 weekends this month traveling to auditions for the Orlando Ballet, USC Summer Dance Conservatory, and FSU. She made it into the Orlando ballet and The South Carolina Summer Dance Conservatory. Orlando Ballet was the company she chose to spend 2 weeks with this summer and she is so excited! We couldn't be more proud of her! Those auditions were stressful and intense, It was tough to choose which one to go to, but I think God helped her make the best decision for her and her ballet work at this time. 
















Jan 21, 2024

December 2023

We made our way through December finishing out 2023! It was a wild and crazy month but oh so fun! Picture overload on this post. 

We started the month off with Ellie's Nutcracker performances. This year she was in the mouse army, Arabian, Spanish, and Snow. These pictures are all mixed up, but this is a fraction of what I actually took: 











Ellie loves being in Spanish. This was her last year in that cast and she was so sad to say good bye to this costume. 




Ellie and her friends Sarah and Nadia. 




Next up was a Mack haircut, Kkids performance, Worth's 44th birthday and Elf shenanigans: 


Mack goes into the barber shop knowing exactly what he wants now. It's so funny. 

This is the best picture I could get from the Kkids peformance for Mack. He told me to sit on the wrong side of the church. 


I didn't get a lot of pictures on his birthday. But this was his 46th! 

Mack gets excited about giving his gifts. 


Obviously the girls were interested in what was going on. 



The Elf made quite a few interesting appearances this year. This says, "Hiding from Dad's farts" 


Mack tends to hide in his performances. This is the schoools Christmas concert. It was so cute! 






Basketball is in full swing! Mack had a few games in December and Emma's team finished up their season as 6-7th grade girls REGION CHAMPS!!!!



Emma working hard on defense in the championship game. 


Emma missed this free throw but made the next one. She was excited to have scored in the Championship game. 

This was one excited team.


Hahira Middle 6-7th grade girls basketball team. Undefeated Region Champs! 



Final Score! 


We love this sweet #5! 


That crazy Red. He was at it again. "Thanks for letting me use your butt brush" 


The annual puzzle was completed. Mainly by Worth and Emma. 


Next up is our trip to Tifton for the Bowers Christmas! Ellie was our chauffeur.  



Silly string for the win. Mia bought a huge box of silly string cans for the grandkids and it was the best gift she could have given them! 



It was a mad dash to get as many cans as they could. 


The war was on!


Ellie's hair was COVERED!



Sweet Emma enjoying the chaos



Silly String hair




Look closely and you will see Ellie making a sneak attack during the picture. 


Next up was the annual reading from Luke before dinner. All of the kids did so good reading their parts. It is such a sweet tradition! These picrures are out of order as well. 









Then the kids were able to get into what they had been waiting for - gift opening! 




Ellie earned the award as having the best excited face when opening her gifts. 





This is the best we can do with cousin crew pics now: 



We celebrated Christmas Eve at Park Ave. 

I'm so glad they posed up for me. 

The Bowers Christmas Eve golf match was a little cool, but fun! 


Ellie and I were golf cart drivers

These two were serious


Silly Bowers babies

    
Once golf was over, we headed outside to watch Christmas movies on the back porch by the fire. 
                                                           


We were all cozied up in blankets. I even took a little nap. 




They got the reindeer food scattered. 



Mack got Santa's treats out! Milk and cookies are his favorite. 


Ellie has officially taken over my reading of the "Night Before Christmas" 


Emma and Mack were sweetly listening. 

Such a sweet moment. 


Looks like Santa came! 






They were awake calling us on Alexa, but Worth made them wait until he went upstairs to get them. 



Pretty sure that is the only moment Mack's feet hit the stairs. 


Emma and Ellie weren't too far behind hime. 


Squeals all around
















Mack's hoverboard cart and Emma's electric bike were a hit. 


Ellie loved the make up. 


Leonard even loved his new scratch board 

Opening gifts from each other and grandma and papa



They do love each other! 


Grandma and Papa came to have Christmas morning brunch and open gifts. 


These pictures are all out of order also, but we had a quick Christmas with Amos and Anna. We stopped by Jefferson when we headed up for Chancey Christmas and exchanged gifts with the Jefferson Tifts before heading to Monroe for the Cowboy Chancey Christmas!



Amos and Anna made Emma's day with Buff City supplies. 

Amos gave Mack a megaphone. I see payback in the future. 

Hardy was excited about his gifts. 


Sweet Ford was a little shy opening his gifts. 




My Cowgirls and Boy ready for some family fun! 



Chancey Christmas was hosted by Haley and Matt this year and Haley outdid herself. 

Matthew Chancey grazing the food. 



This board of past Christmases and old family pictures was my favorite. 


Y'all, Haley really went all out. 

She even hot glued Saloon doors up. 


We weren't short of BBQ sauce options




Molly Grace was not afraid of the bug sucker gag gift. She ate it. 

All of the kids were REALLY into it this year, and you know mama (Serita) was right there with them. 


Mack looking all official cowboy picking out his white elephant gift. 



Then it was the adult's turn for gag gifts. 


Matt got some priceless art work. 




Ellie got some love from all of her little girl cousins.

Chancey and Maddy were there with their sweet and brand new little Brynleigh. 

After the crazy gift time and eating, it was time to eat more and watch the Dawgs play FSU. 

The boys braving some cold outside temps to watch football

That's all for December. I didn't take 1 picture on New Year's Eve. We were traveling to Utah most of the day and attempting to stay up to celebrate NYE in 2 time zones (we didn't make it to either - LOL! )