11th Annual Crawfish Boil and a Volleyball WIN

May 21st was a busy day for us! It was the 11th Annual Pool's Crawfish Boil AND Brenna's volleyball tournament. I was one torn Mama! Brenna's tournament didn't start until late afternoon, and the boil started at 4. So- I set up our awesome babysitter, Rachael, to come to the tournament at 3:30. I did get to watch the first game, and it was great. They came away with the win, as I assumed they would.
This tournament was kind of bitter sweet since it was her last one with the Peaster Pups, and her awesome coach, Jeff Butler. This team has meant so much to us over the last two years. We have formed friendships that will last a lifetime. And Brenna has gained a love for a sport that I now love as well. We started out as the under dogs. We won very few games in the beginning. BUT these girls did it with a smile on their faces and determination in their hearts. And they worked hard each season and got better and better! And finally at the end of their run as a team- they won two straight tournaments. I was so proud of each and every one of these girls!
Not being there for this last tournament was hard. Very hard! But I know that there will be many more opportunities to watch her play volleyball in the future- so I went ahead with my prior obligations and left my kiddos in great hands with Rachael. And I loved getting my text and picture updates. At one point I told her they could run to Chick Fil A between games, and she replied with this picture..

Great minds think alike! I'm so glad that I have someone like Rachael that I trust to leave my kids with!
And eventually, after about a zillion texts telling me the scores of the games....I got these pictures...

1st place CHAMPS!!!!!!

I love these girls so much. They played hard and never gave up. They played as a team and won as a team.

#1!!

And seeing this sight made it a little easier to be at the boil and not at the game...

I love me some mud bugs!!!!! Crawfish day ranks right up there with Christmas for me. I look forward to it for months. And while crawfish are one of my favorite foods..... it's mostly about the people. I get to see so many people that I rarely get to see. Friends come from near and far to fellowship and pig out with us!
This cousin right here came all the way from Oklahoma to hang out with us! I do love me some Taron.

Epic photo bomb, Dylan!

I'm so glad that all of the Abners got to come! There were so many people there that I love, but my picture taking was seriously lacking that night. Bad blogger! I was too busy visiting with Schaef and Sarah, Brandi, Steve and Jamie, Peter and Ashley, Danny and Ashli, and SO many more to stop for a photo op! We missed the ones that couldn't be there this year.
No party is complete without a Daddy/Daughter selfie!

A serious one....

And one that describes us a little better! We are seldom serious.

Dad did his usual duty of teaching the newbies how to properly eat crawfish...

Look at all of those mudbugs!

Taron even got a lesson in how to suck the head! hahaha!!!

As the night went on, the crowd dwindled down to the usual few who were left sitting around and visiting. Nothing brings back great memories quite like late night visits with my BFF.

Photo bombed by the sweet sleeping baby! Walker man made his debut appearance at the crawfish boil, just as did his cousin Macie 6 years ago as a newborn. But sorry kids, you only get to come once! You can rejoin the party when you turn 21!
Thank you to everyone that came out and made the 11th annual boil just as awesome as the 10 before! There have been several changes as the boil as evolved, but it is still just as awesome as it used to be! Last year's boil had a small gray cloud over it for me without Mom being there, but this year I was able to think about how much fun she used to have at the boils and smile knowing that we were doing just as she would want us to do- having fun! And we will continue to do just that, Mama!