A "Poker Face" New Year's Eve!

This year our supper club decided to have one of it's 3 yearly gatherings on New Year's Eve or aka the "holiday" party for our supper club. The festivities took place at Lisa and Steven Cookston's house. The karaoke machine was in full force with the most requested song of the night being what else.....Poker Face by Lady Ga Ga
"The hostess with the mostest" of....jello shots that is

Me and Patsy

Mary Haley Flautt, Don and Romney

Floyd, Jay Rose, Michael McCool and Bill Burrus

Cindy Tyler, Frances, me and Cindy Wilson

Reese and Allison

Cyndi, Henry, Jody, Kim and Lyn

"Karaoke Meistro" Tim

NO DANCING PLEASE! Do as it says...or else...

But you CAN sing

Take it away with Lisa and Millie

Sing it boy! P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P-Poker Face....

Good Times! Happy 2010!!

Cotton Bowl in Cowboy Stadium 2010...Yeeee Haw!

Floyd IV got to ring in the New Year Dallas style! For Christmas Papa and Jane gave Floyd a trip with them to the Cotton Bowl to watch the Ole Miss Rebels pull out a great football victory. They left Belzoni New Year's Eve "west bound and down...loaded up and truckin.." on to Dallas, Texas. This trip was right up Floyd's alley. Floyd is a football nut. He loves the sport in every way. He loves to play it, watch it, study the stats on it, you name it...if it has to do with football he's GAME especially Ole Miss! If he's not blessed size wise to be a strong player one day he'll make a heck of a commentator, writer or manager that is for sure. They stayed at the hotel where the team was staying, the Hilton Anatole. Here they are in the lobby! Let's Go Rebels!!

When Floyd called home to say "Hey" he proceeded to tell us that everyone he ran into either knew me or Moms! Funny, I thought to myself that the Chi Omega alums of all ages must have had a pretty good representation at the Cotton Bowl this year if that was the case. Then from looking at this picture that was taken I see Mary Ann Fruge' with her back to the camera! So there ya go!

Floyd said he ran into lots of folks that "knew who he was" and "where he was from". He even ran into Jimmy Davis, one of husband Floyd's old accounting professors and good family friend. Let's just hope Dr. Davis is still around when Floyd enters Ole Miss!
Love me some Kettle Chips! Thanks Jane!

Outside Cowboy Stadium headin' in!

Inside Cowboy Stadium...pretty impressive indeed!

My good friend, Kelly Connell, sent me a text from Dallas saying she saw Floyd smiling ear to ear and that his entire Cotton Bowl T-shirt was COVERED with autographs from the Ole Miss players...these pictures tell the tale for sure.
getting Brandon Bolden's autograph "Tshirt style" that is...

Johnny Brown....

and Marcus Temple just to show, list, or name a few of the autographs he collected

I think Floyd was wined and dined pretty good and apparantly held his own even dining out with the adults. He even brought back his Mediterranean sea bass bones to show us and give to Tom Stacy.
Thanks Papa and Jane for the great trip! Floyd had a BLAST! HOTTY TODDY!

Christmas Day Recollections

Christmas Day this year was so much fun. I mean I guess it helps that Floyd and Anne Craig are at such great ages. They are not babies and they are not too old for the magic that Christmas brings. You could feel the excitement as the day inched closer. A few questions were starting to emerge but cute, simple ones that are just plain fun to answer such as, "What will happen if Santa comes down while the fire is still burning?" or "Do you think Santa will really drink that entire glass of milk?"

Christmas morning didn't start too too early so that was nice. My kids leisurely get up knowing that they have to wait for the Grandparents to all come over and watch them find in amazement what Santa left. My my my what patience they must have. I feel certain that did not come from my side of the gene pool. I surely never had that kind of patience as a kid (and still don't)...probably knowing my grandparents lived an hour away and there was no way we were waiting on them to come to Belzoni to see what Santa brought. Besides we usually trekked up their way to Greenwood after Santa anyway. Fortunately for my kiddos their in town grandparents have a travel time of 3-5 minutes to get to our house.

Waiting patiently for the doors to open!!

Wow!! Santa really did come to town!!
The LOOT!!

Stacy taking in the loot too!

OH wait!! What is that I see on the front lawn??? A TRAMPOLINE!! woo hoo!!


After enjoying all the goodies Santa brought we went over to Moms' and Grandaddy's house to open presents followed by Christmas Dinner and total exhaustion.
Wow, look at all these presents we have to open!

Shannon, Salter, Ainsley and Moss

Mac, Blewett and Grace

Yea! new sweatbands!

Anne Craig gets Krissa from Moms and Grandaddy

Anne Craig and Ainsley

Ainsley likes her new stroller!

Awesome!! Vibrating NFL Football!! "Thank You"

Anne Craig and her dolls

Sweet Salter

Group Shot!! Merry Christmas 2009!!

Ice Ice Baby

Yep, that's a 4 inch thick slab of ice standing strong from our frozen solid goldfish pond! The goldfish are nestled underneath and swimming about doing fine thank goodness. Floyd punctured a big hole to be sure enough oxygen was getting down to the fish. The temps have been sooooo cold and have dipped into the teens and twenties for the past week or more! We have burned so much firewood it's crazy! But it's been nice and cozy having a roaring fire almost every night. As you can see from the picture of the kids above.... the ice is pretty thick. Our cat, Tom Stacy, gets on the ice and chases the fish under the ice and tries to paw at them. I wish we could have gotten a pic of that. Whose ready for Spring?

Trotter Family Christmas 2009

The celebrations were never ending as you can see from this Christmas Season. (yep and there's still more to come...haven't even gotten to Christmas day yet!!) I will say how nice it was for everyone to travel to our house to see us. It made the time when Lisa and McLean were here so much easier and less chaotic. We enjoyed such wonderful foods from Jane, Beverly and Melinda who were so sweet to let me and Floyd just provide the location. I don't think anyone left hungry that is for sure. Here are a few pics from the fun day! Germaine and Beverly where were yall?? Camera shy?? Lisa D?? You too!! kidding....you were behind the camera taking all the great pics! Thank you!!

It was great fun to just be together and visit for the afternoon. Here are a few pics.
McLean, Dad and me (yes that is an actual apron I have on but no I did not cook)

Floyd, Mary McLean, Addie, Patten and Anne Craig

me and sweet Addie

McLean, Dad, Grandaddy Bill, Ike,and Floyd. Doing the guy thing!

Me with all the girls

Bryant and Ann Christopher

Grandaddy Bill and Grandmother Sally

Addie and Jane

Daniel and Melinda

Yard ball of course...with Daniel and McLean

Craig Family Gathering

Those pictured this year are:
Front Row: Floyd, Annie, Lark, Bill, William, Craig, Anne Craig and Cary
Back Row: Pierce, Meredith, Hayes, Lisa, Floyd, Amy and Richard

Each year the Craig Family cousins (aka: The Milners and Browns) get together for a little Holiday Cheer. See, my Great Grandparents, W.L. Craig and Anne Louise Hamilton Craig had 3 girls. Mary Norman Craig Brown, Anne Louise Craig Milner and Carol Craig Catlett. Carol lives in Delaware and we do not see her often but the rest of us try to stay in touch and at least "officially" get together at Christmas time. It's hard to get EVERYBODY together b/c a few cousins have moved away from the Delta but most trickle home from time to time and it's good to see everyone when we can. OK, back to family tree. Please keep in mind that my blog is now a album/journal of sort that I hope to pass on to my children so they can look back and enjoy one day and maybe even find an answer or two to questions when needed....The oldest daughter, Mary Norman Craig, married Bill Brown had 2 boys Bill and Craig Brown. Bill married Lark Johnson and they had 3 children: Pierce, Hope and Mary Cecil. Pierce is married to Meredith Stainback. Hope is single and Mary Cecil is married to Carroll Patton. Pierce and Meredith have 2 boys William and Hayes. Craig Brown married Kim Moss and they had 3 children: Richard, Mary Hayes and Hamilton. Richard married Amy Springfield and Mary Hayes and Hamilton are single. The second daughter, (my grandmother "Gamba"), Anne Louise Craig, married John Henry Milner and they had 3 children: Johnny, Anne Hamilton and Craig. Johnny is deceased now but he has 2 boys, Chris and Jason Milner who live in California and we have only seen them a few times in our lives. Anne Hamilton married Cham Trotter and they had me and McLean. Craig is married to Cary Karlson and they do not have any children. I'm married to Floyd Melton and we have 2 children, Floyd and Anne Craig. McLean married Lisa DeLoach and they have 2 (about to be 3) children, Patten and Mary McLean and Baby Stephen will be born in a few weeks. So....there's the breakdown in a nutshell. Sorry so drawn out but I needed to get it written down....!! We missed those who were not able to make it for the get together. But there's always next year to try for!! Happy New Year 2010!!

Milner Family Gathering

McLean and his family came to Greenwood this Christmas Season for a weekend to share a little early Christmas Cheer! We had a great time catching up during their visit and the 4 adults were even able to get away for a yummy Lusco's dinner before they left town while the cousins were able to enjoy playing dolls, Barbie's, Playstations and the Wii. It was just fun to simply be together and for that I am grateful.
Cary, Gooddaddy and Craig soaking it all in....

May May in her new cute purple vest.

Anne Craig in her new vest. (tilt head to the side please to view...sorry!!)

Me, Floyd, Patten and Lisa D.

Awesome!! Football Fanatic book!

Thanks Patten!

Here are some gifts for you Gooddaddy!

The Legend of the Goat Continues...

Craigie!!

Annie!

Goodaddy and McLean

It's not a Holiday at the Melton house without a little game of yardball with the Swayze and McLemore boys