The McCoys

Bailey's 4th Birthday

2011-03-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

How quickly time passes. It's hard to believe Bailey is 4. Enjoy the pictures.

A few more silly Pictures

2010-12-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Besides doing silly faces she also likes to pose like a princess.

Our silly Bailey

2010-12-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Bailey's new thing is she always wants people to take pictures of her with their cell phones. She also like to make silly faces. These are just some Random pictures from my cell phone.

Riding Nascar style

2010-11-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Matt got a ride along gift certificate last year to go out to the Charlotte Motor speedway to ride along in a Nascar. We went out to the track with some friends and he finally got to use it. He had so much fun. He got to ride in the Petty Motorsports A.J. Almendinger #43 car. They ran speeds of 165 MPH. We bought him a plaque afterwords to hang in his Nascar room to remember the moment. Now he wants to do the next level which is drive one of the cars around the track himself.

Vacation 2010

2010-09-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

The girls love "Joe mama"

We had a great time on our vacation. It was great spending time with the family and seeing my dad, Rox, Kevin, Bambi and little Leilani. For those of you that don't know her she is so cute. She has a great personally. She gets so excited when she see you and say 'Hi' so loud. Bailey and Leilani were so cute together. From the first minute they seen each other it was like they had always known each other. The power of a computer, pictures, and blogs I would guess. The whole 10 days the two of them played so nicely together. No fighting over toys and they both shared so nicely. When we left Bailey and Leilani both cried. They did not want the vacation to end. For me and Matt we loved that Leilani was calling us Nama Tammy and Poppa Matt. It was so cute. She wasn't sure what our name were since Bailey calls and Poppa and nama so she gave us our own names.

The cruise was perfect. Did not like Belize the crime there was worst then Mexico. We had 3 different groups of people on the shipped that were mugged there. The kids walked through the gates at the Port and came right back in as they did not feel safe. My most favorite port was Roatan. I want to take a week and go there. I'm sure Matt's favorite thing was the monkey!!!

For those of you that have not heard Megan and Joe got enggaged on the trip. Congrats to them - they are planning to get married in Oregon.

Thanks to everyone that went on vacation with us we had a great time

A little late but 4th of July

2010-08-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

The kids had a great time.

New Pictures of Bailey

2010-08-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

She is getting so big!!!!

Joseph is engaged

2010-08-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

Just when Joe wasn't looking he found the love of his life.

Joe and Candi got engaged yesterday.

They are planning on getting married 09/10/11 at the beach.

Candi is from South Carolina and has a beautiful 4 year old daughter named Aaliyah.

Our Mom and Grams

2010-07-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a year since we lost Mom to an illness. We miss her so much. They say as time passes it will get easier and we often wonder when that will start happening. We are all much better people for knowing her. She loved her family and couldn't get enough of the kids. We all are lucky to have had her in our lives. The pain we feel when we think about her and miss her shows how much of a special person she was in our lives. While we are saddened today about our loss we will also celebrate the special times we had with her and be Gratefull we shared our lives with her. We all love and miss you Mom/Grams...............

We Miss You Grams

2010-07-27T07:39:00.001-07:00

Storms in SC

2010-07-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Mom and dad had the pleasure of being here during a couple good storms. They left just in time to avoid this one. The rain was pretty heavy and the thunder and lightening was crazy. The storms moved through pretty fast even though the wind was calm. They believe a tornado touched down in Pageland which is just a little southeast of us. I've attached a couple videos. Look for the daylight lightening and listen to the thunder. The thunder was shaking the house and they said the storm was producing over 700 sky to ground hits per hour.

Bailey loves to dress up and poses for pictures

2010-06-19T13:40:00.001-07:00

Awful storm

2010-06-15T06:02:00.001-07:00

We had an awful storm on Sunday night. We were sitting on the front porch watching when all of a sudden the wind sped up and the rain was pouring down in sheets. We all ran into the house and watched from the back window. The trees looked like they were bending in half. The pop up, that we have in the back yard, was lifted on off the ground and turning in circles. We were watching it until the pop up starting blowing to the windows so Matt ran out there and was trying to hold it down but it was lifting him off the ground. The leaves on some of the trees are turned upside down and the wind shredded the ends. If it was not a tornado it was darn close.

Last week we had our front yard reseeded and the storm made a mess of the front yard. Hopefully we can save most of the yard. The back yard was a mess. We had broken trees and tree lims everywhere. Some of the were stuck in the trees so Matt and his Dad worked all day trying to get them down. Then we cleaned the yard up and finished around 9 last night. Yesterday the temp was 95 and the humity was at 75% so needless to say we were all sweating and gross. Good thing it is great for losing weight!!!!

Matt, Mom and Dad went for a drive to look at the damage and we did better then some of our neighbors.

short video of Bailey on a coaster

2010-05-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

I didn't think this video was taping very good so I stopped. After watching it I wished I would of kept going.

video of Bailey when she sees the theme park

2010-05-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

She gets so excited when she sees the park. She even recognizes the exit before we even get to it. It works out great. We usually take her to the park on Sundays as we have season passes. She rides the rides for a couple of hours then she is tired and ready for lunch and a nap. A couple of weeks ago she was riding and told Tammy that she was tired and wanted to rest. She climbed into her stroller and went to sleep. She gets so excited that i think it wears her out.

Sorry it has been awhile

2010-05-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hello fans of our blog. Sorry it has been awhile since we updated. I've been on the road alot. Tammy started a new job at her work and has been working 12 & 13 hour days doing two jobs during the transition. We have been doing alot of yardwork, landscaping, etc early so we can enjoy the pool this summer. Sorry Candy and Dave, We know how much you look forward to seeing the pictures. We put lots on here to make up for the delay. We hope you enjoy!

Bailey loves going to carowinds theme park. She is now big enough to ride the kids rides. She is a daredevil and holds her hands up when riding. The Earnhardt picture is for you Frank. They have a new rollercoaster at the park called The Intimidator. It's the fastest, longest, and highest in the south. It's an awesome ride! Notice she is holding up one finger for #1!

This one is for Candy and Dave

2010-05-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Bailey having fun

2010-05-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Matt's bike

2010-05-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

I bought a new toy about a month ago. I bought a motorcycle. It's 2007 Yamaha V-Twin Silverado Classic. It's pearl black & pearl blue with silver pinstripe. It has everything on it for cruising. It's a very nice bike to ride. I felt very comfortable the first time out on it. It's loaded with chrome options which looks very nice. I can't wait until Tammy can ride along with me. Joseph and I go riding whenever we can. Unfortunately we have been real busy lately or the weather has not cooperated so we have been limited these last couple of weeks.

Easter in SC

2010-04-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Doesn't Joe H look like his having fun. I guess when you are in the pool at 4am the water feels warmer.

Since it was Easter Joe was praying in the pool.

Megan and Joseph were just having a great time.

Our little princess!!!

Uncle and Bailey having a blast

We had a good Easter. Michelle and James took Bailey to the beach in VA and come home late in the afternoon on Sunday. They had a great time. It is great to see Michelle making time to do fun things not always just working. So with no Bailey the big kids had time to have some fun. Needless to say I was in bed by midnight but Matt, Joe, Megan and Joe finally went to bed around 5 or 6 in the morning. They went swimming in the pool at 4 and again a bit later. Crazy!!! And yes there are pictures. After Michelle, Bailey and James made it back from the beach we had an egg hunt for Bailey. Then a nice dinner. A lot different then being at mom's house but we still had a good time.

The weather here has been great. Today I think it made it to almost 90. Thank godness for A/C. Uncle Joe is loving the weather. He took Bailey swimming tonight. She had a great time!!!!

Bailey Loves to swing. We push her for hours. But there is light at the end of the tunnel!! She is trying to swing by herself now.

Happy and Peacefull pictures of Bailey

2010-03-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Bailey looked so cute while taking her nap today that i had to get a picture. Notice her hands. She also loves to help Pappa & Namma. She helped Pappa put her kitchen together. She thinks she is a big girl now and that she can hold babies. We love her soooo much!

Happy 3rd Birthday Bailey

2010-03-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Bailey took time out to say a quick Hello to Uncle Dave and Aunt Candy.

Bailey had a great day. We had a BBQ and enjoyed spending time with friends. Her cake was so cute. It was a castle. Bailey got so many gifts. She was very excited. I called her tonight to tell her one more time Happy birthday and to asked if she had a good birthday she said a "really good birthday" That said it all. Thanks to everyone that was here to share her special day with us and for everyone that called to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Andy

2010-03-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

We wish you a very happy birthday. We love you!

Happy Birthday Ron.

2010-03-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing Ron a very happy Birthday.

Oregon Family and Fun

2010-03-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

More pictures of the great time in Oregon. We also managed to get a picture of Mom at her best.

More family moments in Oregon

2010-03-02T18:06:00.001-08:00

Oregon

2010-03-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

Tammy, Bailey, and Myself went back to Oregon for a week. We helped Andy get alot of stuff done as well as spend precious time with family and friends. Thank you all, we had a great time. Bailey got to see her Dad and his Family. Dave and Candy were great with working around our schedule and giving rides to and from the airport. Bailey had a great time seeing everybody as well. She was so good during the flights and drives and was an Angel the whole time we were there. She enjoyed playing with all the kids.

Welcome back to South Carolina!

2010-03-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

After our fast week in Oregon we were excited to get back home to the kids, the house, and our dog. Now we don't know why we were excited. Normally it is 60 degrees this time of year. Today it was 34 degrees and snowed most of the day. It is now below freezing and still snowing. You can see by the video that it snowed fairly hard and the flakes were huge.

Storm Pictures

2010-01-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

We caught just the edge of the storm but most of what we got has been ice. They are saying it will most likely be Monday before it starts thawing out. It's 24 degrees right now and expected to drop to 11 degrees overnight.

SNOW

2010-01-30T06:59:00.001-08:00

We are getting hit with the storm that has been hitting the US - all the way from OK to SC. If you think people don't know how to drive in the NW, with bad weather, it is 10 times worst here. The picture is at Megan's house we got a little bit of snow but lots of ice. They say we are going to stay below freezing all day and in the teens tonight so no chance of melting.

Watch out here we come!!!!!

2010-01-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

We are coming for a visit!!!

Matt, Bailey, and I will be in Oregon the end of February

See you then!!!

Bailey's new car

2010-01-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Bailey riding her new car

2010-01-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

Bailey got a car from her Mommy, Aunt Candy, and Uncle Dave for Christmas. At first she got on it and liked it but then got scared of it. So this afternoon Bailey said she wanted to take it outside and ride it. Mind you - the weather is the coldest it has been in 10 years here but we have been trying to get her to ride the car so we all bundled up and braved the cold. And it was worth it!!!! She loved it.

Christmas Pictures of Bailey

2009-12-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

A lady at Bailey's school is a photographer and she came in and took all the kids pictures. Bailey's turned out great. We did not send out Christmas cards this year but will be mailing pictures out this week.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. We had a good Christmas. It was great having all the kids here this year. Bailey was a lot of fun although, she was not to thrilled when Santa come to our house. She liked him fine as long as Uncle was holding her. Santa was great. Michelle, Megan and Tammy were in tears laughing at Santa but it was a lot of fun. Nanma and Bailey made cookies for Santa.

More fun

2009-12-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

Bath time fun

2009-12-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Michelle and Bailey's tree trimming

2009-12-08T18:27:00.001-08:00

Michelle and Bailey hosted their very first tree trimming party. Michelle was very excited to have her brother Joe and her good friend Ashley join them in decorating their tree. As you can see Bailey was very excited.

Loves to Dance

2009-12-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

Bailey loves to dance and Uncle is getting a work out. What a life.

Happy Birthday Tammy, Mom, Namma.

2009-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Tammy. We all love you very much and hope you have a great birthday! For all of you that don't know Tammy will be turning 21. :) You are a beautiful woman and we are glad we have you in our lives.

Lowes Motor Speedway

2009-11-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Tammy, Bailey, Joe Hyatt, Doron( his friend from Oregon ), and Myself went to Lowes Motor Speedway for their black Friday sale. We went last year and they had a lot of good sales. This year was a real dissapointment compared to last year. Even though it was a dissapointment Tammy still managed to get some shopping done. If you go on black friday and spend a certain amount of money they will let you take your personal vehicles around the track for 3 laps at 70 MPH. We got to go for 9 laps around the track. I took my truck as i have been waiting since last year to take it out there. We got up to 90 MPH on the straightaways and took the corners at 80-85 MPH. It was so much fun! Joe , Doron, and myself took the laps while Tammy and Bailey watched fron the stands. My next adventure will be 3 laps in a nascar at speeds of 175 early next year. The kids all pitched in and bought me the ride along for my birthday. I'm so excited about that as well and can't wait. We had so much fun in my truck today as you can hear in the videos. I also posted a picture of my truck for those of you that have never seen it. I bought it brand new in 2001 and still love it as if it was brand new. I take very good care of it.

Track Videos

2009-11-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Video for my brother Frank.

2009-11-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

I recently bought bunch of Nascar stuff from a lady at Bailey's daycare. Most of it is Dale Earnhardt JR and SR stuff of which Frank is a big fan. I thought i would shoot a video of the stuff to show him. Hope you enjoy it Frank. Can't wait until you can make it out for a race and see my room. I'm not sure why the video keeps stopping. It was fine when downloaded but started being jumpy after posting.

Happy Birthday Matt (25 again)

2009-11-21T06:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Matt, We all love you very much. Hope you have a great day!!!

Bailey having fun playing ball

2009-11-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Washington DC

2009-11-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

This week Matt, Joe, Bailey and Me all headed off to Washington DC. We had a blast. It rained almost the whole time but that did not stop us. We walked all over town and seen all the sites. It is amazing there. So much to do and we were not there nearly long enough. We walked miles everyday and Bailey was great. Next time you talk to Matt you need to ask him about the Pentagon Police. He has a wonderful story on what not to do when you go to the Pentagon.

Back yard

2009-11-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

Our back yard is finally starting to take shape. We have done a lot of work this summer and it's looking good. We still have a lot to do. Learning how to grow grass in red clay is very challenging but we will get it. If any one has ideas let us know.

Happy Fall

2009-11-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it is already November. The weather here is great around 70. Bailey was helping doing yard work today.

Happy 26th Birthday Joseph

2009-11-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

Tinkerbell

2009-10-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

We went to the mall for the harvest fest. By the time we got there most of the stores were out of candy but we still had a great time We rode on a train and watched a lot of kids. Bailey loved being Tinkerbell. T-Pa is here visiting and took us to dinner tonight. Bailey loves to tease him.

For Aunt Candy

2009-10-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

Aunt Candy was sad that she could not see me trick or treating so this is for Aunt Candy

Love Bailey

This is what happens after I eat candy

2009-10-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

First Try ( I can't believe it)

2009-10-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Bailey drew a blank when she was trying to sing and she can not believe it!

Twinkle, Twinkle, little star.

2009-10-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Bailey singing her ABC's

2009-10-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Note: Click on any photo to enlarge photo

2009-10-25T07:23:00.001-07:00

Bailey

2009-10-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

Bailey is getting so big. Everyday she does something that makes us laugh. Her new thing is "you are my best friend". School has taught her so much and she loves it. She can say her ABC's and counts to 12, She blesses her food before she eats and somethings that she says, she sounds like she lives in the South. She loves to play with her babies and swing on her swing set. She is amazing and very sweet little girl.

More pictures from the race

2009-10-24T08:24:00.001-07:00

Nascar Race

2009-10-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the Banking 500 at Lowes Motor Speedway. Although the weather was a little cool we had a lot of fun. We arrived at the speedway for tailgating about noon for the 7:30 PM race. You have to arrive at least 4-5 hours before the race or you get stuck in very heavy traffic and have to park 3-4 miles away. We took the BBQ and all kinds of refreshments and snacks. They have lots to do before the race. We all had a really great time together. We have been to every major race at Lowes since we have moved here and it is a blast every time. We all picked up memorabilia for the race. A good time was had by all. We can't wait until Bailey is old enough to go. Pappa is already training her. She spends alot of her time in Pappa's nascar room watching movies and she knows Dale JR very well. We can show her a car or something and ask her who it is and she loudly says Dale JR! It is soooo cute.

Race Day

2009-10-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Race Day.

We are all so excited. Both of the girls got the day off so it's going to be the first time in a very long time that we are all going to go and do something together. Today has been planning and cooking for tailgating. The race starts at 7:30 and we are planning on being there around 12:00. There is so much to do there that the time will fly by. With the traffic we should finally make it home around 2 or 3. A friend from work is going to be watching Bailey. They have a 5 year old so Bailey will be in heaven.

Rock Star

2009-10-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

Bailey wants to be on American Idol when she gets older. She is already practicing her routine. She is a very happy baby and loves to play. She loves playing with her Poppa and playing outside.

Bailey

2009-10-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Bailey had a flashback of being a little baby again. Unfortunately with her being bigger it didn't work out too well for her.

2009-09-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

September 29

2009-09-29T12:28:00.001-07:00

Last night walking by the card section, at the store, the tears started to fall. Why did it effect me like that? Mom passed away in July - I thought to myself it should be getting easier but it only seems to be getting harder.
I knew today would be hard but, I had know idea how hard it would be.
Today is the day mom would be sitting by the phone waiting for everyone in the family to call and to wish her Happy Birthday. It wasn’t like she was happy to be turning another year older it was more that everyone she loved would be calling her. Getting the latest gossip and latest family happenings. Hearing what everyone is up too and planning going to Uncle Vinney’s for her lobster dinner with everyone dear to her heart.
I was not done learning from her. I still need to hear reassuring voice. I still need her advise and wisdom. I still need to know that she is there when I needed a “pick me-up”. I still need her to tell me when I’m wrong and ask me how I was going to make it right.
This year is different - there will be no phone calls, there will be no updates, there will only be sadness and thoughts of what could have been or what should be. She was way to young to go and she is missed more and more everyday.
Happy Birthday Mom we miss you

2009-09-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Bailey

2009-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Michelle had to take Bailey to the Doctor today, she was not feeling well. The doctor came in and took her oxygen level and it was low so they had to give her a breathing treatment. As you can tell it was pretty scaring for her. Michelle was trying to have her keep the mask on so Michelle told her she wanted to take a picture and send it to nama. nama. The doctor said she has asthma and have put her on steroids and an inhalter. When I got home she went and got the mask and had me put it on, and I did, then we put it on Bailey and she said it helps her breathe.

A little more done

2009-09-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to put some things in the memory area and some more grass is coming in. We still have more work to do and only have a certain amount of time in a day to water the new areas for the grass. We have much more grass to plant and some rock to put in but it is coming along. We lit the tikki torches the other night and it looks great down there with the torches lit. As you can see we got the flowers planted, the hummingbird feeder hung, the swing in, as well as yard decorations. The picture of the bare area is where we are planning on adding a volleyball/badminton court and a horseshoe pit. More soon.

Thanks Mom & Dad McCoy

2009-09-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad had thought about sending Tammy some flowers after our return from Oregon from the services to cheer her up. After talking about the memory area for Grams they decided to send her $100.00 to spend on items for the memeory area instead. Tammy and I went to Lowes yesterday and found some great deals on items they were clearing out and Tammy was able to buy alot of stuff for the memory area. She bought some flowers, only a few since it is late in the year. She also bought 6 hanging baskets, 8 post top baskets that mount on top of the retaining wall posts, 8 Tikki lamps, a hummingbird feeder, soil, and a mulch ring to place around the Magnolia tree that Kevin, Bambi, and Leilani sent. I took some pictures for Mom and Dad to see what she bought with the kind gift they sent. We need to wait a few more days before wal;king on the newly planted grass but it is going to look great. It will be a great spot not only for Bailey and the kids but Tammy as well. Thanks guys we love you all.

Bailey helping Papa put sand around the pool

2009-09-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Bailey helped Papa put sand around the base of the pool. We are getting it ready for the material and grass to be put in. Bailey worked very hard helping Papa get it done before he had to leave for Jacksonville. If it was not for her help Papa probably would not have got it done.

Pools in & Grass is growing

2009-08-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

We got our pool installed today. Now that it is installed we can start working on the area around it. We are also starting to see the grass grow in the memory area. It is looking good. unfortunately i will be in Jacksonville Florida all next week for work. Tammy is planning on getting some of the work done while I'm gone. More pictures coming soon.

Memory tree for Grams

2009-08-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

We put down the seed and straw for the grass and planted the memory tree. You will be able to see the tree from Baileys play set, from the pool, from the deck, the house, and from the area itself. We wanted it placed so you can see it anywhere from the back. It will look great. Once the grass comes in we will go down and buy plants and yard decoratioons to put in the area.

Memory area for Grams & Pool

2009-08-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

We decided to make a memory area for Gail (Grams) in our backyard. We had been talking about making one for Tammys grandma Tess for awhile since Michelle used to go to her gravesite in Oregon often to talk to her. We will make the area for both so the kids can go talk to them when they feel they need to and Bailey can have an area to remember her Grams. Kevin, Bambi, & Leilani sent a memory tree for us to plant for Bailey. (Thank you so much) Needless to say the project expanded to putting in a pool that we wanted to do for awhile since we were going to have the tractor anyway. Then it seemed silly not to do something with the area in between. Then we decided we should go ahead and clear the area for a volleyball court since we were going to have the tractor. The project blossomed into a huge backyard makeover. We are very happy with how it is turning out and it will be great when it is done. Thanks Kevin and Bambi for blowing my budget out of the water. Seriously, just kidding. You guys gave us the encouragement to get it done and kicked it off very nicely with the beautiful tree. Mom and Dad encouraged us more by sending us a check to spend on the memory area. They were going to send Tammy some flowers to cheer her up after we got back from Oregon but decided it would be better to make the contribution to the area with the check for plants and flowers. Thank you so much! We love you guys for thinking about making everything easier on the family after the loss. I think you guys motivated us to get going on this project and because of that it has kept us busy and kept our minds distracted. The project is not done but we are off to a great start. we have been working non-stop since last friday and working 12+ hours a day on it.

A big loss

2009-08-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Tammy's Mom passed away last week. We will be having her service on Wednesday August 5th. The family is flying back to Oregon to lay her to rest. After battling cancer two years ago and having complications from pnuemonia and spending 9 weeks in the hospitals in the Carolinas she has lost her battle. She is the strongest woman we have ever known. She fought long and hard but the complications were too much for her to overcome. She will be missed very much. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle with this huge loss to the family. A special thanks to Kevin, Bambi, and Leilani for the Beautiful plant and memory tree they sent for us to plant for Bailey.

Bailey sending wishes to grams

2009-07-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Bailey has been saying "Grams in hospital" quite a bit as she hears many of us talking about her. They have Gail off the vent now and feeding her through a feeding tube in her stomache. She has had a few good days in a row now and we all hope she continues to improve. She has been stuck out here in the Carolinas hospitals for over two months now and is probably looking forward to getting back home. Tim came out for a few days and lifted her spirits. Connie and Andy are currently out here visiting as well and hopefully this is the motivation she needs to move forward. We attached a couple of pictures of bailey sending her wishes and love to Grams.

Mom & Dad enjoying Nascar

2009-07-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Mom and dad had a great time enjoying all the Nascar activities and shops while they were out here. They have been huge Nascar fans for years and finally got to go to a Nascar race when they were here. We bought them tickets to the 50th running of the Coca Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway. We also surprised them by getting tickets to the Nationwide series as well. It was a first for them to see both. Although we had to deal with rain the whole weekend and it took three days to get the two races in we had a blast! They also got to tour over a dozen race shops while they were here. They got to see many of the drivers cars and shops as well as get autographs and memorabilia. They also got to take a tour of darlington on our way to Myrtle Beach.Mom got to tour the Shop of Darryl Waltrip Racing (her all time fovorite) and walked out with his autograph. Dad also got to see his favorite Carl Edwards. By the time they left we had over 400 Nascar related pictures.

More of Bailey

2009-06-28T13:11:00.001-07:00

Baileys summer fun

2009-06-28T13:04:00.001-07:00

Bailey is having so much fun this summer. She is growing so fast. She now takes naps and goes to bed on her first shot everytime. She even asks to take naps and to go to bed sometimes. She loves their apartment and loves to come see her Papa & Nama.

Michelles birthday party

2009-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Michelle had her birthday party at her apartment this year. She has achieved so much in the year she has been here. She has made many new friends and much better friends. She is so proud of her new life and the people around her. She has come a long way since we have been here and it shows with her relationship with Bailey. Bailey is the most important thing in her life and she shows it everyday by doing whatever she needs to do to improve their lives together. Michelle was so excited that she had so many friends coming to her house for her birthday. That is something she has not expierienced since she was in grade school.

Thanks Tammy, Mom, & Dad

2009-06-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile since we updated our blog. With the illness of Tammy's mom and the visits of family to give her support as well as My Mom & Dad we have been very busy. Gail is holding her own and trying to rehab her legs and arms so she can walk again. She has been having a long struggle with occasional set backs but she is a very strong woman and we plan on seeing her up and around soon. Although we have been dealing with her illness while my parents have been visiting they have been great and we still have managed to do some things with them and still have alot of fun. They have got to see many races while they were here as well as tour many tracks and shops. Tammy, Mom & Dad helped me get my Nascar room started and it is looking great. It was alot of fun doing it. Tammy bought me all my furniture for Fathers day and mom and dad have been buying me stuff for my room. Thanks to them and the kids buying me stuff I'm off to a great start.

Bailey's first circus

2009-03-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

We went to the circus last night. They had one in the parking lot of the knights stadium. Bailey was so excited. When we were driving up she seen the tent and started yelling "circus" which was pretty funny as she had never been to one before and had no idea what it was. We went with a family from my work so Bailey had a friend to play with. She had her first pony ride, and loved it!!!! She loved all the action and sat and watched the whole show. For a two year old to sit still is pretty amazing. She also had her first taste of cotton candy. At first she would not eat it but was feeding it to Kayla finally I had to just push a piece in her mouth then she wanted more. Since she never gets candy about 30 minutes later she was full of energy. Good thing they had a break so she was able to run around for 10 minutes.

Megan and Joe's New House

2009-03-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you that do not know Joe and Megan bought a house last week. They are moving about 45 minutes NW of us in North Carolina. It is a very nice house. It has a small yard but, that is perfect for them. The house is 1900 sq ft. 3 Bedroom 2.5 bath. They should be moving in within the next 30 days. They are very excited about their house.

Happy 24th Birthday joe!

2009-03-19T18:57:00.001-07:00

Today is Joe's (Megan's Boyfriends) Birthday. We went out to dinner to a fish camp, all fish restaurant are call fish camps back here. Not the same as Oregon with Cod but we did find Alaska White Fish which is a lot like Cod. Then we came home and are watching the Blazer game so it is the perfect day for Joe.

On Sunday Joe and Megan are meeting with their real estate agent to look at some houses. They found one that they like and hopefully they can make an offer on the house this weekend.

Joe likes living in SC but, he is misses his family. It's hard for him to be so far away from his mom.

Bailey is 2

2009-03-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

Auntie and Daddy are having a hard time getting to the top of the rock wall

Bailey and her friends

Bailey turned two on Saturday. We went out to dinner on Saturday. Then we came home and had cupcakes. Bailey loved putting the cupcake in her mommy's face. She was laughing so hard. Then on Sunday we all went to Monkey Joe's. It was so much fun. For all of you with little ones you need to check to see if you have one in your area. We all had a blast!!!! Since Bailey was under four we were able to play with her.

It has been a long time!!!

2009-03-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time!!!

2009-03-02T18:54:00.001-08:00

It has been a long time!!!

2009-03-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time

2009-03-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time

2009-03-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

Well, We have been told that we are not updating our blog enough. It has been a busy 5 weeks. Nikki and Andrew came and seen us. We had a great time - We had a BBQ and lots of stuff to talk about. We had never met Andrew before and truly enjoyed his company. It is amazing how much Nikki has grown up since the last time we seen her. She is very happy she it shows. Hopefully we can spend more time with them since we only live an hour away from each other.

There is so much going on around here that it is hard to find the time to write. For those of you that do not know Michelle, Tyler, and Bailey moved into their own apartment in January. They love living on their own. Michelle still works lots of hours but she gets off around noon, Tyler is now working so that will help them out a lot. And course Bailey is perfect. She talks very well and everyday she is learning new things.

Megan and Joe are still living with us but ---- they have just been approved for a home loan - so let the fun begin. Their days are filled with working and looking online at houses.

Our Joe is still in Portland going to school. He is doing good but - having a hard time finding a job. He is working part-time for Homestead which is a in home heath care program. He seems to like it but with todays work there are not a lot of males in the program - most family members are saving money and taking care of their own family members. His girlfriend Lora is great. She is working at Red Lobster. And they have a great apartment in Salem.

Matt is great. He LOVES his job. He just got the biggest account for his company so right now he is the star at work.

As for me working lots - but was able, last week, to take a week off and I took Bailey to Portland. She was perfect on the planes. We went to Uncle Joes in Salem, then down to Medford to visit everyone. I had not seen Amanda's baby and had not seen the twins for a long time. It was great to visit them. Mom and Dad made a dinner and everyone came to visit. Frank and Cathy even made it over. The house was full and I enjoyed visiting with everyone. It was too bad that Matt could not come. Then we headed back to Portland to see my family - again everyone came to visit. It was great to see everyone and all the little ones are getting so big. Bailey also was able to visit with Tylers family. Needless to say there was not enough time. So if we did not see you we will be back in July.

I have attached a picture of Bailey and Payton (bailey's sister) I took them to go and get there pictures together. As you can see Bailey misses her sister. I will post more pictures later.

Love to everyone

Fun times in Oregon

2009-01-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

Some of our favorite pictures. The top two pictures are from when Michelle, Tyler and Bailey met everyone for pizza. The picture on the side is Bailey at Seaside she is wearing Payton's Oregon duck shirt (This one is for Mark, Deann, Ashley and Nick)

Group at the game

2009-01-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

The group at the game

2009-01-21T17:29:00.001-08:00

Michelle came over to share a picture of the game. She made friends with a bobcat fan that wanted to take a picture of the Portland fans. It was amazing - one picture lead to a group of people that had to take pictures with the group.

Update

2009-01-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone - We have been very busy for the last month. My mom came out on Christmas Day and stayed for three weeks. She had a lot of fun with Bailey. And yes - Bailey got very spoiled by Grams. We really did not do anything but enjoyed seeing each other. Then a few days after my mom left Joe came for a long weekend. It took Bailey all of 10 minutes to remember Joe, then the rest of the weekend Joe had a little buddy. One time Joe went outside to play darts and Bailey laid on the floor and just said uncle uncle until Joe came back in. Last Saturday we all went to the Blazer game although, they lost we had a great time. Bailey was all decked out on her Blazer jersey that she got a lot of attention. Joe left this afternoon so we are sad. We had a great time visiting with my mom and Joe so it made the holidays a little easier.

2009-01-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New year

2009-01-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since we updated the blog. We have been very busy. We had a wonderful Christmas. Bailey loved opening her present from Santa, although is was more interested in handing out the present to everyone. She made she her mommy and daddy always had a present. Then Christmas evening my mom came. Her plane landed around 6:30 so waited to have dinner with her. It was great to see her and Bailey has loved being spoiled. Grams and Bailey love to go to the mall to play in the play area. My mom leaves here on Monday she will be here for almost three weeks. It is great that she can come and spend so much time with us.

Michelle, Tyler and Bailey moved into their first apartment last Friday. They are very happy to be on their own. They have grown up so much over that last few months. We are very proud of how they have improved.

Megan and Joe are still perfect. They are planning on purchasing a house in the next few months. They are saving their pay checks for a down payment.

Matt is great. Working a lot but loving his new job and being a papa to Bailey. As for me just work, with all the new employees there is never enough time to get my job done but, hopefully it will all get resolved within the next few months. I still love living here. The weather is great and the people for very nice.

Nikki (Matt's cousin) moved to Columbia, SC a few weeks ago. We have not seen her yet but have spoken to her and can not wait to see her in the next couple of weeks.

Our Joe is coming to visit a week from Thursday. He is coming to see us and we all are going to the Blazer game. We will have a great time.

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Year.

Christmas at our new house;

2008-12-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

Now that we live in a new house it was fun figuring how to decorate this year. We have had many compliments on our house. (It is a little hard to see with the picture so dark) While it was fun decorating, it is just not the same when you can't share it with the loved ones back home. Posting a picture on the blog is the next best way we can share it. Joe's Mom sent us a beautifull wreath that she made and sent it to us from Oregon. She done an outstanding job on it and it looks awesome on our door. It was a great addition to our decorations and it will be Joe and Megans first decoration for their first house they are hoping to purchase before next Christmas. Christmas will be a little hard this year without all the family to share it with. It has already been a little emotionable for some of us. We will be lucky enough to have Tammy's mom for christmas. She is flying out to be here Christmas day to carry on the tradition of watching us open our gifts. While we will have to start new traditions we are thankfull we will have her here to celebrate with us. We Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and we love you all.

Moments with Bailey

2008-12-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

Bailey is starting to talk very well now. She gets very serious about some of her conversations. She loves to talk on the phone as well. Attached is her talking to Uncle Joe and Grams on the phone just before bed. It's amazing how much she has grown since last Christmas.

Life in SC.

2008-11-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Things in SC are going OK. We have had a hard week. Buddy (our dog) was hit by a car a week ago. He's still trying to recover. Tammy took a week off work as he can not be alone. We have to feed him every two hours and turn him about every hour. The care he needs is worst then a new born. Today he started walking a little straight. He goes back to the vet on the 11th and hopefully he will be walking good by then.

Tyler went back to Portland earlier this week. It was just too hard being so far away from Payton and his family. He has wrote Bailey two letters since he has been gone. Bailey loves walking out to the mailbox and gets very excited when she gets mail.

Since Tyler left Michelle had to do some rearranging of her work schedule. She had to quit one of her jobs and changed her hours to nights at her other job so we can help watch Bailey in the evenings. Since she starts work before we get off work, Michelle and one of her friends have decided that they will swap daycare so both of them can work and not just work to pay for daycare.

Yesterday was Joe's birthday. It was hard being so far away from him and not taking him out to dinner.

That is all the bad news. Now for the good.

Matt's new job is really starting to boom. The company is very excited about the things he has been doing.

Megan started her new job as Assit. Manager for Radio Shack. Friday they opened her new store and it is very nice. It is the upper class area of SC so needless to say the store is state of the art.

Joe (Megans boyfriend) has started working at Matt's work. He is really enjoying it. He works at Matt's work during the day and works nights at the movie theater. Megan and Joe are really doing well. They are planning (hopefully) on buying a house within the next 6 months.

Bailey - well I can not say enough about her. Everyday is a new adventure she is really learning on how to talk. She is so happy and a joy to watch grow. Everyday we get on everyone's blog and look at the pictures. She loves looking at all the babies. When Michelle, Tyler and Bailey went to Portland my mom gave Bailey some grapes. Now whenever my mom calls or Bailey sees her on the computer Bailey says " grams grape" it is really cute.

It's hard to believe it is November already. It is going to be a tough holiday season for all of us being so far away from everyone but, we will be thinking of everyone. Hopefully everyone will be nice to each other and enjoy seeing and spending time with each other as you never know where you will end up in life.

Happy 25th Birthday joe!

2008-11-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Joe. Hope you have a great birthday. Wish we were with you to celebrate. We are so proud of you and your accomplishments. Hope you have a great time at the game.We are all looking forward to going to the Blazer game with you when you get out here. We know you have had a rough month. Stay strong, keep your chin up and focus on the goal.

Happy Birthday Uncle Joe.

2008-11-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JOE!!! I miss you and can't wait to see you again. I LOVE YOU!

Bailey on Halloween.

2008-11-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Bailey was dressed as one of the girls in High School Musical. She looked very cute and had lots of fun. We took her to the local mall for trick or treating. Most of you know the little strut she gets going when walking. She had that strut, She walked as if she owned the mall! Many people chuckled and laughed as she made her way through the mall. We enjoyed sharing this day with her.