Fishing with Fam & Friends

Rah & Ronnie in the lake

We took a wonderful trip to Toledo Bend and had some fun fishing with The Jarden Family. Mr. Jarden is one of my closest friends here in DeRidder and also happens to be the paraeducator who works alongside me in The Swann Class. As we get along so well at work, why not start getting our families together? It took some strategic planning as the families were originally trying to get cabins and stay for a couple days, but we couldn't seem to coordinate the schedules of everyone involved with the cabin availability in addition to the upcoming school year. We settled on a day trip, and what a trip it was...

Heading out super early (7am) and staying well into early evening: the men grilled, Darryl showed everyone who was interested in fishing about fishing, the little ones played in the lake, and I laid out on the sand and soaked up some much needed sun.

We just had fun, talking as friends and families and enjoying each others company. It was a great day and I look forward to the next Swann/Jarden or Jarden/Swann collaboration - (I guess who ever hosts can put their name first, LOL )

Check out the pics...

Davaughn fishing in the river

The boys play in the lake

Mr. Jarden setting up the tent,, The Jarden's don't like sun! LOL

Mr. Jarden taunts his wife, LaDonna with the water gun

Garr & Davaughn are far out there...

The Jarden girls (Infinity & Cekret) head down to the lake to fish

Ronnie (the Jarden's youngest son)

Hey, It's Robbie!!!

Mr. Jarden helps Rah

The Jarden girls are determined to get some fish

Dae strikes a pose with his fishing pole

Rah has his very own pole, too! (cute, eh?)

Garr wouldn't stand, he just has to be difficult.

Rah & Mr. Jarden strike a pose

I was trying to make a watermelon smile, it's more of a straight face!

Winding down and just having fun...

Garr Got Glasses

Garr got his new glasses and boy did he need them! Unfortunately he got his vision from me and has been squinting to see for the last two years. I got him glasses a couple years back while he was here for the summer but when he decided to go to school in MD and let someone else wear the glasses (as glasses are cool now) he never saw them again. I only found out about this at the end of the school year when he told me his "declining grades were a result of his diminished sight." I told his father to contact to contact the school and make arrangements with that parent to get them back or have them replaced, I had spent over $250 on those glasses and he had wore them for less than 3 months, Sheesh. Needless to say as I am here in LA and the issue in MD the next time I saw him there were still no glasses, although the parent had provided the money for a replacement pair.

Fast forward to this past school year, with the knowledge that the dang boy can't see and that it impacts his grades AND the promise that glasses would be purchased - well he's here and there are still no glasses, BUT there was braces! I was informed that the "need to correct bad teeth outweighed the current vision dilemma"....arrrgggghhh.

So we are currently working towards straight beautiful and teeth, but he won't be able to see to brush them.... Hmmmmm.

Well being a person that is "sight disabled" and knowing how frustrating it can be to constantly squint and well just plain having common sense - I promptly scheduled an optometrist appointment to again purchase more glasses with the threat (nay promise) that I will power drill the handles into his dang temples if he even thinks of "loaning" them to anyone! I think he fully understands my meaning...

OK, I'm done venting, Thanks for listening via reading

On our way home from the optometrist you should have seen Garr: smiling from ear to ear, looking around at everything, sliding  his glasses down and comparing his vision with/without the them as he read street signs, marquees, and license plates. He was like "the world is like in 3D now" and "I want to read everything". To which I quickly replied "well make sure you maintain that mindset over the next 9 months as school starts on the 12th of August and you can read plenty of textbooks!" HA

He's truly a mess, but my mess.
My baby...

Family Reunion Weekend on the Mississippi

Fireworks over the Mississippi

The Swann Family Spent 4th of July Weekend on the Mississippi River with the kids in the Good ole' NOLA. We had a blast! This year EMF (Essence Music Festival) dedicated a full day Thursday, July 4th to that of Family and held a day for family fun on the waterfront. It was called Family Reunion Block Party or something of the like.We arrived around 3pm Thursday and promptly were treated to dance competitions, goodie bags by sponsors like McDonald's,Walmart and Tonka, wonderful foods, and concerts, and photo ops with kids characters. Biz Markie dee jayed the events and we danced and sang all night until the sky rang with a splendid array of fireworks timed to music that lasted about 15-minutes long out on two massive barges in the middle of the Mississippi. Finally the self-proclaimed "Dance Hall King" himself Cupid came out and led us all in a myriad of line dances until we felt as if we did one more coordinated step we may have died, it was awesome!

We ended out "kid friendly" night with a walk down Bourbon Street to give the boys the Ultimate experience, it was only 10pm so we figured it couldn't be that bad - well that wasn't until I looked down and saw Robbie showing his tummy to some strangers on balconies throwing him beads to which he immediately caught!!!! I instantly snapped a pic and scooped him up and high-tailed it to Canal Street for the nearest trolley to the Garden District to the B & B where we always stay for the most reasonable rates; close enough to walk but far enough for piece of mind on those rowdy nights. Nonetheless we never caught our trolley home as they were all full and simply continued to pass us with standing room only like Metro buses that can't accommodate and the 10-block walk wasn't gonna cut it so we caught a cab back to the rooms, bathed the baby who had developed a new found fright of "The Voo Doo Woman" thanks to the boys and the local attractions and put him to bed.

We then promptly headed back out to the Howling Wolf to catch an 11pm comedy show with the Legendary Mr. Paul Mooney! It was awesome, the closest you could possibly get to the comedic genius of Richard Prior himself...and if your wondering where all of my photos are, well remember that cab ride I spoke of ..... (I think that's where I last can trace it too)! Paul Mooney had me laughing soooo hard, you know he's 80? And still has every bit of whit about him. Darryl said he must be the angriest black man ever! HA!!! Love it!

So besides some candid phone snapshots that were taken by Davaughn (Ebby's son who comes down each summer, I have no pics besides that taken by Darryl at the Howling Wolf). And I had soooooo many - I like to have cried once the reality hit - I would really like to offer the camera for the pics! Man what a shame, my next camera will have automatic WiFi upload for this reason.

But Alas....the next day we visited the NOLA Audubon Museum, Butterfly Gardens, Insectarium,   and IMAX theater.  It was a great day. Although the aquarium is not as massive as that of the Georgia Aquarium it is extremely nice and quite a good one in comparison - we did not have a chance to visit the zoo as it was raining but at a $120 total admission for 5 people (with the military discount it was well worth it). If you have never had a family friendly day in NOLA it is possible during daylight hours - even though Garrett had the impression that we were going to "club" like he is old enough #1 and like we are friends #2! That boy is really delusional...

I did allow them to get ONE set of beads however after Robbie took the lead and showed his tummy and caught some and they began to pout as if they, 14 and 16 were toddlers...hey it is Bourbon Street!

The pics we did manage to get with the phones.....

Rah had his face painted - RAAAAARRRRR; the boys experienced in a hurricane simulator

Darryl and I outside the Howling Wolf after seeing Mr. Paul Mooney

The flash was too bright - after the concert

NOLA Audubon

NOLA Aquarium

A NTCC Anniversary Celebration

Pastor & First Lady Bailey

In celebration of our Pastor and First Lady's pastorial anniversary in the Leesville, LA area the congregation planned a wonderful 50's themed party and welcomed in "Happy Days". All dressed in the best rendition of 50's era apparral everyone had a ball and simply honored our religious leadership. We didn't leave the fellowship hall until late that evening; conversating, watching skits and films, drinking soda pop from the bottle, eating burgers and hot dogs, and everyone just simply having a good time in the company of our Pastor & First Lady.

Check out a few of the pics....

Me working @ Bailey's Diner



Dae & Garr enjoying soda pop

Dae & Garr @ the Jukebox





Sis. Rhonda in her poodle skirt





Sis Switzerland in the diner



The Bros. pose for a pic



Dae & Garr man the ice cream counter

Rah enjoys his ice cream sunday



and so does Sis. Krissy



Two First Ladies

A pair of Pastors