THE HOWELLS

WLE Most Beautiful

2009-03-07T20:32:00.000-06:00

The Howells had a great day! Mallory was chosen Most Beautiful and her classmate Branson was Most Handsome! Woohoo ;~)

WLE 2nd grade Beauty Review

2009-03-07T20:21:00.001-06:00

This afternoon, Mallory was chosen as West Lauderdale Elementary 2nd grade Most Beautiful! Her lucky number was 18! We were so excited when they called her number/name! We're proud of our baby!

"Snake Charmer" guitar designed by Mackenzie

2009-03-02T21:29:00.000-06:00

Mackenzie's guitar design for Peavey's won 1st place today! We are so proud of her! Her tie dyed design is called "snake charmer". She won a Peavey guitar and amp. Now, she has to learn to play it! Hope Uncle Rob and Harrison can teach her!

Jamfest Nationals cheer competition

2009-03-02T21:15:00.000-06:00

Mallory's cheer squad did great in Mobile! She is pictured as a base in middle pyramid and with her friends Katie, Brooke and Makenzie. Also pictured is Mackenzie and Hallie (future cheerleader!) We enjoyed visiting with the Downings while in Mobile.

Disney trip 2009

2009-01-29T21:10:00.001-06:00

Mt. Everest at Animal Kingdom is the #1 "must see" at Disney World. It was the scariest roller coaster ride I've ever been on! One time is enough for me. In the picture they're showing how many times they rode it!! River raft ride was fun...the dads and kids rode it over and over and over. They had fun but got SOAKED! Mackenzie and Mallory's "must have" at Disney was to get their hair wrapped. $2 per inch!! The last day was warm and sunny (upper 70s)...perfect for a swim.

Disney Trip

2009-01-29T20:44:00.002-06:00

Here are pictures taken at Magic Kingdom, with Buzz and Woody at Disney's Hollywood Studios (the Toy Story ride was fun!), Hallie enjoying music during the parade and view of Pop Century.

Disney World trip

2009-01-29T19:16:00.001-06:00

The Howells, Downings and Santiagos went down to sunny Florida to see Mickey Mouse and friends. We had a fun time at Disney World. There is so much to see and do at the 4 parks. Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios. We also went to Downtown Disney where we had a great dinner at Rainforest Cafe. It was nice staying at the Pop Century resort...heated pools, food court, arcade, Disney store, and bus transportation. I took tons of pictures (over 200) so I picked a few to post. Enjoy!

SSA Frostbite Challenge DII

2009-01-28T20:23:00.002-06:00

MYSO Boomers did great in Starkville! SSA picked the perfect name for the tournament...it was the coldest Saturday ever! The Boomers were finalists with a record of 4-1 for the two day tournament.

SSA Frostbite Challenge

2009-01-27T22:31:00.002-06:00

Mallory's team, the MYSO Mystics, played well in Starkville. They played 2 girls teams and 2 boys teams in one day...a lot for 7 & 8 year olds! It was a freezing cold day (rainy at times too!) but the girls bundled up and played tough.

Deep South Cheer competition

2009-01-27T22:10:00.001-06:00

EMC competed at the Deep South Cheer competition in Jackson, MS Jan. 10th & 11th. Mallory's squad did a great job. All 3 squads from EMC placed at the competition. Way to go girls!

Fil-Am Christmas party

2008-12-30T21:02:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday we enjoyed dinner and dancing at the Filipino-American Christmas party. Harrison lead his mom in a waltz. He's learned a lot from his ballroom dancing class. The kids joined in a few games. See how large Hayden and Mackenzie's paper is? Both partners had to have their feet on the paper in the beginning and by the end of the game there was just enough space for one partner's feet. See how small Harrison and Mallory's paper is? They won! Lolo leads the men in a "Stayin' Alive" routine. May, Hallie, Mallory and Ashley join in the electric slide. It was a fun night!

Cute cousins...

2008-12-30T20:43:00.001-06:00

The Downings came up for a visit Dec 26-29th. Billy, Rob, Harrison and Mackenzie went duck hunting a couple mornings. Hayden and Mallory joined them when they shot clays while May and I went shopping. Lolo and Lola enjoyed playing with Hallie. She's such a cutie!! We had fun shooting fire works too. Next time we get together it will be for our trip to Disney World...just 3 more weeks!!

Christmas day

2008-12-30T20:19:00.001-06:00

We had lunch with Lolo and Lola on Christmas day. Afterward, we went to see Marley and Me. It was a good movie...not exactly what we expected though. Very few dry eyes by the end of the movie!!

Playdoh display

2008-12-30T20:06:00.002-06:00

Mackenzie and Mallory had fun making their playdoh desserts for their "bake off". They made chocolate chip cookies, apple streudel, cookie cake, and different shaped cookies. The playdoh was a gift Mallory wanted for Christmas and got from Uncle Brody, Auntie Lorrie and Mikaela.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-30T19:18:00.002-06:00

The girls woke us up about 6am. They were excited to see what Santa brought them...Mallory got a scooter, new Bully, a dress, basketball and an I touch...Mackenzie got a basketball goal, basketball and an I touch. They opened presents from Mommy and Daddy too. Our family present is a trip to Disney World January 19-26th! We're so excited!!

Getting ready for Santa

2008-12-30T19:09:00.002-06:00

Mallory sprinkled her reindeer food in the front yard so Santa's reindeer could find us in our new house. The girls baked chocolate chip cookies and left a cup of milk for Santa.

The Howells and Perrys

2008-12-29T20:28:00.001-06:00

Everyone is all smiles for the camera :~)

Christmas in Carthage

2008-12-29T20:12:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed visiting with family in Carthage on Christmas Eve. The kids (big and small) had fun on the scooters. Brody and Billy raced and Mac showed off her jumps. Everyone had fun opening gifts, the girls baked cookies for Santa and we enjoyed a delicious meal.

Toy Bowl champs!

2008-12-17T20:57:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we went to Mobile to see Harrison's football team (St. Luke's Wildcats 6th grade) in the 61st annual Toy Bowl. They defeated the All Star team 16-0. St. Luke's went undefeated for the season! Way to go Harrison #97!

Season's Greetings!

2008-12-15T22:27:00.000-06:00

Our tradition continues...this is the 36th edition of the Santiago family Christmas picture! We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy fall :~)

2008-11-30T18:59:00.001-06:00

We hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Here are a few pictures of the kids. Mac and Mal started raking leaves a couple weeks ago...pile still there! On Thanksgiving night we put up our Christmas decorations. They had fun dressing up afterward and rockin' with Billy while playing Rock Band. Harrison, Hayden and Hallie say Roll Tide! They had fun in Tuscaloosa cheering on Alabama as they beat Auburn!

Happy Anniversary to us...today!

2008-11-23T21:35:00.002-06:00

Billy and I celebrated our 12th anniversary yesterday! We had a nice dinner at Saki Sushi. Billy's a pro with the stix and sushi selection. The sushi and habatchi dinner were delicious! This year we weren't able to take a trip because I'm on call this week and Billy left at 6am for LABSCO meetings in Jacksonville, FL. His territory has grown from Louisiana, Miss, Alabama and now Florida panhandle to Ft. Walton Beach. He'll be back Wed. night. Maybe next year we'll have a weekend getaway for our anniversary!

2008 Coaches Cup CHAMPIONS!

2008-11-11T22:35:00.001-06:00

Mackenzie's team had a great weekend in Tupelo at the 2008 Coaches Cup tournament. They were 5-0 for the tournament. The semi final and final on Sunday were tough games against teams from Starkville. The final ended in a tie 3-3 to send it into overtime. After two 5 min quarters it was still tied 4-4. Our girls WON on PKs (penalty kicks) 3-2. Mackenzie was put in the goal for the PKs. She had some great saves!! She also scored a PK to help her team win. It was one of the most (if not the most) exciting finishes ever! Congrats to Coach Billy, Mac and the Lightning!

Good call ref!

2008-11-11T22:27:00.000-06:00

Billy's first experience as a referee was at the Coaches Cup tournament. They get exercise too running up and down the sidelines!

2008 Coaches Cup

2008-11-11T22:11:00.002-06:00

Mallory's team played awesome at the Coaches Cup tournament in Tupelo last weekend. Their team won all 3 of their games. The girls had a fun time on and off the field! Way to go Mystics!

Guitar Hero cake

2008-11-02T19:19:00.002-06:00

Mackenzie's cake turned out really cute. See her on the right side playing with the band. She had a fun time with her friends.

Mackenzie's birthday party

2008-11-02T18:26:00.002-06:00

Mackenzie had her 10th birthday party at The Park. The kids played Guitar Hero and other video/fun games too. The guitars were made by Peavey's...much different from the guitars for the Xbox game. Everyone had a good time!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T21:04:00.001-05:00

We stopped by to see Anna Kate and Parker before we went trick or treating at Lolo and Lola's neighborhood. There were hundreds of people walking the streets! The girls picked "skele-rockers" for their costumes. Eddie's in town visiting too. He and Billy will probably have an "all nighter" playing Halo3 on the Xbox!

Boomers are "TOP GUNS" in Pensacola

2008-10-27T17:18:00.004-05:00

We traveled to Pensacola, FL for the Top Gun Invitational over the weekend. The girls had fun and played great. See Billy's perfect form playing bowling on the Wii. Our suite was the "hang out" for the weekend.

The Boomers went undefeated and won 4-0 in the finals over Mobile Soccer Club. This was our first DII soccer tournament for the season and will be traveling about one weekend a month through June 2009. We're off to a great start!

Mallory's team (MYSTICS) also played in a soccer tournament in Laurel, MS on Saturday. They won both their games! Lolo and Lola were there to cheer her on. She's pictured in the middle. She spent the weekend with Anna Kate and family. She had a fun time going to see High School Musical 3 and hayride/fall party at the Culpeppers.

Mac is 10!

2008-10-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday MACKENZIE! This evening we celebrated Mac's 10th birthday at the restaurant of her choice. She chose Saki Sushi a new Japanese restaurant (with habachi grill) in Meridian. Billy and I had sushi...the salmon and crunchy shrimp rolls...mmm good! They came and sang happy birthday to Mac and our server sang it in Japanese too. It was fun and food was delicious!

Smile Mal :~)

2008-10-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

The St. Patrick 10th anniversary Dinner/Show/Belk's Fashion show was last Saturday. Dad did a great job organizing the event. Everyone enjoyed the dinner and show as well. Mallory was awesome on the runway! Our next top model! Here she and Lauren smile for the cameras. Lauren is a wonderful pianist and special guest for the show. Take a close look at Mallory, guess what she wants for Christmas...yep, her 2 front teeth! :~)

More cheer pictures

2008-10-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

Here are pictures of our family, Mallory with friend Makenzie and EMC coaches Lara Boles Posey (left, former head cheerleader at Miss. State) and Carrie McElroy. Somehow we were able to get all 3 squads to pose for a group picture. Mallory is in the middle on 3rd row.

This competition was a great experience for the girls. Now they know what it's like to be on the mat with the LOUD music, lights, judges, and hundreds of people watching. The squad Mallory is on had 10 members last year and now have 26. They have about 3 months to polish their routine for the BIG competions. We'll be travelling back to Jackson in January, then Mobile, AL in February and Pensacola, FL in March.

Go E M C!!

2008-10-14T15:51:00.000-05:00

Mallory had her first cheerleading competition at the Coliseum in Jackson on Sunday. We were told this was a "small" competition but was a bit overwhelmed when we got there. East Miss. Cheerleading has 3 squads. All 3 squads took home 1st place trophies! There were squads from all over the state. Categories range from mini (age 5-8), middle school, junior high and high school. Squads competed in dance, hip-hop, cheerleading (girls, co-ed, and all-stars).

This was my first time to roll Mallory's hair. It turned out really cute. She was proud of her curls! Here are a few pictures: with friends, getting make up, with Anna Kate and Mackenzie, on the mat for their routine.

Happy 1st Birthday HALLIE!

2008-10-05T20:47:00.000-05:00

After the Bama game on Saturday, the Downings came over to visit. Hallie showed us how quick she is on her feet...she started walking last month. Once she starts, it's full speed ahead! It was funny watching her dig into her cake. The little princess was center of attention and loved every minute! :~)

Mikaela's birthday party

2008-10-05T20:38:00.000-05:00

After Mallory's soccer game on Saturday, we drove to Carthage for Mikaela's 3rd birthday party. The kids enjoyed coloring and making an ocean scene, fishing, and cake/ice cream.

Go Bama!

2008-10-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

Harrison, Hayden and Hallie say ROLL TIDE...all over Univ. of Georgia! Hallie turns 1 on Sunday! :~)

The Windsor Tea Place

2008-09-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

My Uncle Rom and Auntie Josie in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, will celebrate the opening of the Windsor Tea Place on Fri. Oct. 10th! Hopefully some day, we'll get to visit and have afternoon tea with them! Take a look at their website. www.thewindsorteaplace.com

Decorating pumkins

2008-09-28T20:25:00.001-05:00

Instead of carving pumpkins, which can get quite messy, the girls painted theirs. They turned out really cute!

Mikaela is 3!

2008-09-28T19:34:00.001-05:00

After taking Billy to the airport in Jackson on Sat. 9/27 Mallory and I drove over to Carthage to surprise Mikaela (Lorrie and Brody too) on her 3rd birthday. We arrived just in time as she was opening gifts. She will have her birthday party next Sat. at McMillan park with family and friends.

Rain or shine...soccer goes on!

2008-09-28T14:37:00.003-05:00

The girls had fun playing soccer in the rain! They got all muddy but didn't seem to mind a bit!

"Mac attack"

2008-09-08T22:42:00.001-05:00

Mackenzie's team (Lightning) had their first game of the season tonight. Despite the late start (7:30pm) and humidity, the girls hustled and played tough. They won 9-0. Mac had a great game and scored 4 goals. She was tired (was kicked in the knee too) but managed to smile for the camera :~) Billy's glad the girls got their first game jitters out the way. He has a young team this year. Hopefully they'll continue to do well.

Happy Birthday Billy!

2008-09-07T21:58:00.002-05:00

Today Billy turned 30 something! The girls had fun making and decorating Daddy's Hershey bar pie. They especially liked scraping the bowl and licking the wooden spoon! We celebrated with Lolo and Lola this evening. Lolo's steaks were the best!!

Soccer time

2008-09-07T14:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Mallory had her first soccer game for the fall season. Her team is the Mystics. She played well and scored 4 goals. Unfortunately, her team was outscored by their opponent. They'll be ready next time!

Afterward, we went to Starkville to see Miss. State play. It was a good win for the Bulldogs! Sorry, no pictures...I forgot my camera!! Can you believe that?! Hopefully we'll have another opportunity to see them play again this season.

Go Knights!

2008-09-01T18:43:00.001-05:00

West Lauderdale Knights are off to a great start this football season with a big win against Southeast. The girls had fun...see Mallory showing off her blue slushy smile :~)

Howell summer games

2008-08-21T21:50:00.002-05:00

As the world is watching the Olympics, we had our own last weekend. Billy was surprised that Lolo could play table tennis! Mackenzie and Mallory practiced golf in the front yard...don't worry...they used plastic practice balls. Mackenzie and Anna Kate vs Mallory and Parker in a race...not exactly an even match though. Lastly, cooling off in the pool on a warm and sunny day. :~) We've had a great summer in our new home.

School is in full swing and the girls are getting back to their after school activities. Both play soccer, Mackenzie takes piano and tennis and Mallory is on her first competition cheer squad at East MS Cheer. The Howells have a busy schedule!

Back to school

2008-08-08T23:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for the girls. Their summer vacation went by too quickily!! Mallory has Mrs. Hull (2nd grade) and Mackenzie has Mrs. Pace (4th grade). Mallory said her first day was awesome and her teacher was really nice. Mackenzie had a good first day as well. This is Mackenzie's last year at the elementary school. Our babies are growing up too fast!

Stone Mountain park

2008-08-03T20:35:00.005-05:00

At Stone Mt. Park we played mini golf, the girls played games at the Great Barn, did activities (rope swing, obstacle course, rock climb) at Highland Outpost and watched a Tales of the South 4D movie. There was a thunderstorm around 7pm and the park closed early. We, along with thousands of others, waited for the laser show at 930pm. The lawn was crowded. The laser show and fireworks were great! We made it home this afternoon and visited with Lolo and Lola. We enjoyed our family trip to Atlanta! Now it's time to buckle down...school starts on Thursday, Aug. 7th!!!! http://www.stonemountainpark.com/

Stone Mountain

2008-08-03T19:41:00.003-05:00

We went to Stone Mountain on Saturday. We took the Sky Ride up to the top...what a view. As for me, I couldn't look out while riding up but I did from the top. The 3 figures carved in the granite mountain are Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jefferson.

Rascal Flatts...Bob That Head tour

2008-08-03T19:19:00.002-05:00

Wow, what an awesome concert! I have always enjoyed Rascal Flatts' music but after seeing them in concert I am a HUGE fan! They took the stage with a big bang (literally). The pyrotechnics were great and the big bang was so loud it scared us! We sang and danced to all their songs. Taylor Swift came back on stage for a duet with the group before the curtain came down. The girls and I want to see them again next year!! :~)

Concert night

2008-08-03T19:10:00.002-05:00

Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts played at Lakewood Ampitheatre. A big thanks to Daddy for getting us tickets! We walked right up to the gate and waited about 5 minutes to enter...you can't beat that! All the other thousands and thousands of people waited and waited. Taylor put on a great show. The girls (mommy and daddy too) sang all her songs.

Yummy sodas

2008-08-03T18:59:00.003-05:00

The girls enjoyed sampling drinks...they had to be patient since it was the last part of the tour!

World of Coca Cola

2008-08-03T18:48:00.001-05:00

While in Atlanta, we toured the World of Coca Cola museum. We learned about the history of Coke, watched a 4D movie, watched the bottling process and tasted different Coca Cola products from all over the world. There were 64 to choose from!

One last trip before school...

2008-07-31T08:14:00.002-05:00

We will be leaving later this morning for a fun trip to Atlanta and be back on Sunday evening. One of our highlights is a concert with Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts Friday night. Everyone is excited! Hope the weather will be nice...definitely more pictures later!

Hi!

2008-07-31T08:04:00.002-05:00

The Santiagos, Downings and Howells didn't make it to the beach this year so everyone "vacationed" at the Howells resort in Meridian, MS! :~) Rob, May, Harrison, Hayden and Hallie came up from Mobile on Friday and left Wednesday morning. Lolo and Lola also stayed here too. It was nice having everyone together. The guys were able to do some fishing, they took the kids to Geyser Falls waterpark, and everyone had fun swimming in the pool. Our next big family trip will be Disney World in January!

2009 Mississippi Jr Miss

2008-07-31T07:45:00.002-05:00

Sidney Anthony (center) from Madison County is congratulated by Haleigh Huddleston (left, 1st alternate) and Sarah Margaret Huff (right, 3rd alternate) as she is announced 2009 Mississippi Jr Miss. She will compete in Mobile, AL for America's Jr Miss. There were 43 young ladies in the program. All 3 nights of competition were tough. Our area was well represented as Lauren Rogers and Meridian's Jr Miss, Sarah Margaret Huff, were top 10 contestants.

We have 4 future Junior Misses in our family...Mackenzie, Mallory, Mikaela and Hallie!

Mississippi Jr Miss program

2008-07-26T13:53:00.003-05:00

We are supporting Lauren as she participates in this year's Mississippi Jr Miss program. She is the current Lauderdale County Jr. Miss. Mackenzie and Mallory were excited to see their picture with Lauren in an ad in the program book. Thursday and Friday were preliminary nights where contestants showed off their talents, physical fitness and self expression. Scholastics and judges interview also count for a large portion of final score. Lauren did great in all 3 categories. She has been playing piano for 9 years under Mrs. Debbie Hermetz. (Mackenzie will be studying piano under Mrs. Hermetz starting next month. This will be Mackenzie's 3 yr of piano) Last night Lauren received awards for talent and self expression.

We will be cheering for her tonight and hope to hear her name as a top 10 finalist and maybe, just maybe she might be the next Mississippi Jr. Miss!

Ole Miss soccer camp 7/13-7/17

2008-07-17T20:59:00.001-05:00

Mackenzie, Madeleine, Mary Love and Jordan were in Oxford, MS for the Ole Miss soccer camp. Yes, I said Ole Miss... :~) The girls had morning, afternoon and evening sessions. They learned a lot, made new friends, and had a great time! Stacey Emmonds (#11, senior from England) coached their team this week.

More birthday party pictures

2008-07-14T10:40:00.001-05:00

Mallory's birthday party

2008-07-14T10:22:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Mallory's birthday party. She had a great time with her friends.

ALOHA from the Howells

2008-07-13T19:16:00.002-05:00

We had a Luau/swimming birthday party for Mallory yesterday. The forecast...sunny and hot! A typical summer day in the South. Everyone had a nice time in the pool and enjoyed lots of delicious food. Lolo and Lola prepared Filipino favorites (lumpia, pancit, BBQ pork on a stick, brazo for dessert). Papa's video was great too! Thanks to both sets of grandparents for helping with the party.

fun in the sun

2008-07-07T17:09:00.002-05:00

Billy and Mackenzie had a great time kayaking down the Okatoma in Seminary, MS (near Hattiesburg). They did the 8 mile route twice...enjoyed a picnic lunch and swimming too. It was Mackenzie's first true kayaking experience (other than a test ride at Okatibee Lake). Maybe next time mommy and Mallory can join too! www.okatoma.com

Happy Birthday Mallory!

2008-07-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Our baby is growing up so fast! Mallory turned 7 years old on July 5th. Lolo and Lola came over for a birthday dinner and cupcakes (Mackenzie baked and decorated).

Family reunion

2008-07-06T16:53:00.000-05:00

The Howells gathered in Carthage for our annual 4th of July family reunion. Everyone enjoyed visiting and eating lots of good food. We also honored Papa and Mimi as they will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on July 12th. We hope to continue this tradition for many years!

New pets...

2008-07-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Last week Billy and Mackenzie found 2 kittens and brought them home. Their names are Twix and Snickers. Mackenzie and Mallory's favorite candy bars. The vet said they are about 7 wks old. The kittens have adjusted to their new home in the backyard...yep, they're outdoor pets. They have lots of room to roam. The girls are doing well taking care of them. Hopefully the newness doesn't wear off!

Last night Mallory finally lost one of her top teeth (the right one). She wiggled and wiggled it until it started bleeding! Billy was able to pull it and she didn't cry. She was too excited! Mackenzie also lost a tooth. She has pulled all her loose teeth by herself (15!). It was a first for them to loose teeth on the same day. They were all smiles this morning when they saw what the tooth fairy left them...$2...each. :~) I remember getting a quarter or two growing up!

Boomers Celebration

2008-07-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

Last Fri. we had Mackenzie's soccer team at our house for a big party to celebrate their soccer season. The girls swam a while until the rain came down...it was actually a thunderstorm! Everyone came indoors...the girls had fun playing Rock Band...had the medal presentation to the girls (thanks to Jen and Greg for getting them engraved)...and enjoyed the video recapping the Boomers' season. As usual, Papa did a fantastic job on the video. All the girls sang along to their favorite songs. Afterwards they all got back in the pool for more fun. Way to go Boomers!

Pretty in pink

2008-06-23T22:00:00.004-05:00

Somehow I got the pictures out of order...ugh! Mallory and her teamates are proud to show their medals. All the girls played tough and had a fun time during their first State Games. Hope this is the first of many! :~)

Way to go BOOMERS!

2008-06-23T20:25:00.001-05:00

The whole family wears the BOOMERS Blue with pride! Congratulations to Mackenzie and her team on a great soccer season and capturing the gold medal in the State Games of Miss! We are so proud of all the girls!

State Games of Mississippi

2008-06-22T22:03:00.002-05:00

The Boomers had a great State Games. There were 16 teams in their age division. They played tough in the heat. On Saturday they won 2 games. Mackenzie had a rainbow shot from almost midfield over the goalies head into the net! (Heard all about it but missed it since I was on the other side of town with Mallory) On Sunday they won their first game and advanced to the semi finals where they played Vicksburg. They won 3-1 and headed into the championship game to face JFC White. This one was an intense game for players, coaches and families on the sidelines. It was a nail biter! The game was tied 1-1 with about 10 seconds in the game, then we scored the go ahead goal to win the GOLD MEDAL! What a fantastic way to end the season. GO BOOMERS!

State Games of Mississippi

2008-06-22T12:47:00.001-05:00

Mallory participated in her first State Games of Mississippi. She played on the Trustmark Divas, a girls U8 soccer team. They played well and had a lot of fun. The State Games have been held in Meridian for 17 years. It's the largest sporting event for amateur athletes...a statewide "mini Olympics". There were thousands of athletes (and their families) in town over the past 2 weekends. It's great Mallory was able to participate. Their team played 4 games yesterday. Mallory had a rough start yesterday. She's NOT a "morning person". They had games at 7am, 10am, 2pm and 5pm. She stepped it up with each game and had 4 goals by the end of the day. Their team ended their State Games with a big win, 8-4. Way to go Divas!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-22T06:25:00.000-05:00

We spent Father's Day weekend in Carthage visiting. We enjoyed swimming at the country club until the thunderstorm came and Billy, Brody and Mallory had fun catching some big fish at the neighbor's place. Mallory may turn out to be an outdoor person like her daddy and big sis after all! :~) See how tanned they are!

Celebration time!

2008-06-22T06:16:00.001-05:00

Family and friends celebrated Karen and Dave's wedding at Ridgeland Pointe. Here's a group of our Meridian High School friends. It's hard to believe our 20 year high school reunion is next year! Everyone still looks the same! :~)

Outrigger Island

2008-06-21T21:28:00.000-05:00

The kids enjoyed VBS at First Baptist Church with their friends Anna Kate and Parker.

State Games bound...

2008-06-21T21:16:00.002-05:00

The Boomers placed 2nd in the State Games Central District Qualifying tournament to secure a place for the team in the upcoming State Games of Mississippi in Meridian. Way to go girls!

Dunn's falls

2008-06-02T20:14:00.003-05:00

We drove down to Dunn's falls on Memorial day...it rained as we arrived but after a while it cleared up and we were able have fun in the sun. Billy, Al, Noah and Mac went fishing too.
We enjoyed having our friends up for a visit and hope to have them come again later this summer.

Fun time fishing

2008-06-01T17:49:00.001-05:00

Our friends Al, Val, Noah and Mia from Lafayette, LA visited us over Memorial weekend. We had a full weekend...swimming, fishing and eating! We fished at a friend's place and caught about 100 bream (kept 22). That's Noah helping Billy bring in a big catfish. It was 10 1/2 pounds. Mallory was the fishing champ, she caught about 30 that evening!

WOKK conert

2008-05-27T21:39:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed a concert last week featuring Kellie Pickler and other guests Bucky Covington and Nash Street. The concert was part of a local country radio station's 50th anniversary. Kellie and Bucky got into the country music scene after being on American Idol. The thunder/lightning and rain didn't stop us from having fun! :~)

Last day of school

2008-05-21T23:32:00.002-05:00

School's out for summer! Mallory missed out on her class party last Friday and Fun Day on Monday since we were in California. Ms. Clay presented her class awards to her yesterday: Spelling Award, Most Improved Handwriting, and A.R. Reading award. Mallory also received a certificate for all A's in each grading period for 1st grade.

Mackenzie also received a certificate for all A's in each grading period for 3rd grade. Three students received all A's. She was the only girl in her class to have all A's. Mrs. Lantz was sick yesterday so Mac wasn't able to take a picture with her.

Girls are looking forward to a fun summer.

Fun day at the park

2008-05-21T22:46:00.001-05:00

Family picnic with lots of food, games, and fun. Above is picture of lechon (Filipino roasted pig), Mallory and cousin Melina, MJ and Mal, family taking advantage of shade, Battle of the Beatles game. It was a great family reunion. Plans for next reunion in Canada 2010! :~)

More pictures from dinner

2008-05-21T22:31:00.002-05:00

Dancing the night away...no dance is complete without the YMCA! Group picture of dad's first cousins and the next generation. We had family travel from Canada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Mississippi, Alabama, and California.

Santiago reunion dinner

2008-05-21T22:16:00.001-05:00

Thanks to our family from California for hosting this reunion. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, program and dancing. It was great meeting so many family members...about 100+ in attendance! Photo ops with family...top pic with Tina...Mallory and Sierra...family picture with relatives from Canada...Marijoy and Mallory...Romina and Andre

Santa Monica beach

2008-05-21T22:00:00.003-05:00

Sunny days...record temps (100+)...cold water at the beach...traffic on way back to Burbank

Beverly Hills

2008-05-21T21:20:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed our stroll down Rodeo Drive...window shopping :~) So many designer boutiques and fancy cars.

Hollywood

2008-05-21T20:47:00.003-05:00

Pictures from Hollywood...kids said the sign was small...Adam Sandler and Tom Hanks shoes/hand prints...Chinese theater...Hollywood Walk of Fame.

California here we come...

2008-05-21T19:58:00.006-05:00

Our family (minus Billy and Mackenzie) went to California for the Santiago family reunion. Mackenzie's D2 soccer team competed in the MS State D2 tournament and Billy was coach.
We flew from Jackson to Houston to Los Angeles. We had an Expedition big enough for all 8 of us and squeezed in our luggage. I was the designated driver from LAX to our hotel in Burbank. Traffic on the freeway was terrible (especially for a gal from little Meridian, MS with NO traffic at all!!). We had lunch at In-N-Out...the best burgers and fries ever!

Our first day was a lucky day. We planned for a tour through the hotel and to our surprise we were greeted by Sam and a Cadillac Escalade limo. Another first for us (limo ride). We toured LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills in style. I took almost 200 pictures so it was tough narrowing it down for the blog. Enjoy the pictures!

Dance Diva

2008-05-10T23:29:00.001-05:00

This year is Mallory's 4th year in dance at Suzie McCraw School of Dance. She's worked hard all year and it showed. Mallory was a star on stage! :~)

Dance Recital

2008-05-10T23:03:00.001-05:00

More pictures from Mallory's dance recital. We were glad to have Lorrie and Mikaela, Rob, May, Harrison, Hayden and Hallie come. Everyone survived the 4 hour plus recital!

Dance Recital 2008

2008-05-10T22:45:00.003-05:00

Mallory had her dance recital today. She was all smiles and did great! Photo op with Lolo and Lola. Backstage with her fairy friends Shelby and Leslie. Also pictured are Papa and Mimi.

30 something...

2008-05-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to me! Lolo and Lola prepared a delicious birthday dinner. It's a tradition to have pancit (Filipino noodles). We also had BBQ pork on a stick and BBQ chicken. Rather than a cake, I had a hot fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream...mmm good!

It's official...pool's ready...

2008-05-06T20:48:00.002-05:00

The pool's open so come on in! Billy, Mac, Mal tested the pool this afternoon. When Lolo and Lola came over to visit, Lola suprised everyone and jumped in with her clothes on!

Ready...OK...

2008-04-24T21:21:00.001-05:00

Mallory has been taking gym/cheer with Carrie McElroy since the fall. Today was her last class. Carrie spoke with me afterwards and wants Mallory to join her competition cheer squad (East MS cheerleading) . Mallory is so excited! She is always doing flips and jumps. She can do hand stands, cartwheels, round offs, backbends and back handspring (with someone spotting her). She is very limber and can do splits left and right...jump up into a split...makes me cringe when I see her do it! One day she may be wearing maroon and white and cheering on the sidelines for the Bulldogs...GO STATE! :~)

Central District tournament

2008-04-22T20:56:00.001-05:00

Mackenzie's U10 rec. team (MYSO Rage) played in Brandon over the weekend. They played tough, had fun and ended their season with a big win 8-1.

Gator time...

2008-04-21T17:38:00.003-05:00

Our trip also included a tour of an alligator ranch & hatchery. We learned that they gather all the alligator eggs from a nest, keep them at a constant temp of 89 degrees, raise them to 4ft and release them back in original location. If it weren't for these folks, there wouldn't be many alligators because only 6-8 eggs out of 100 would make it in their natural habitat. It was a neat experience.

1st grade field trip

2008-04-21T17:15:00.003-05:00

West Lauderdale Elementary 1st grade students went on a field trip to Louisiana. Our first stop was the Global Wildlife center. It was a bit chilly but it didn't stop the kids from having fun. There were so many animals (variety of deer, camels, giraffes, geese, ducks, bison...and more). They followed alongside the wagon trains to get food from the kids. Some animals even took the food cup out of the kids' hands!

WLE Art Show

2008-04-15T21:32:00.001-05:00

The West Lauderdale Gifted Art students (2nd-4th grade) had their art show at the Meridian Museum of Art. Mackenzie's man and woman dancing won 3rd place at Arts in the Park. We're so proud of her! She's a talented young lady! :~)

Mobile visit

2008-04-15T21:09:00.001-05:00

We had a great visit in Mobile. Hayden had his 8th birthday party at Flip Zone. All the kids had a blast! On Sunday Hayden had his 1st communion. The kids are growing up too fast!

Purple Parrots

2008-04-14T21:41:00.001-05:00

Spring soccer season comes to an end...Above is a picture with Anna Kate and Purple Parrots showing their trophies. It was Mallory's first year in this division and she did really well. The girls had a fun year.

Crowning the winner

2008-04-05T21:20:00.002-05:00

Brandon Andreachio and Mallory were the winners in the kindergarten beauty review last year. They were recognized on stage and Mallory crowned Harper Bryan most beautiful. Her twin brother Eli won most handsome.

WLE Beauty Review

2008-04-05T19:53:00.001-05:00

Lolo and Lola, Papa and Mimi, Lorrie and Mikaela were all on hand to support Mallory today. We're proud fo our little princess! Maybe next year Mackenzie will join the beauty review too! :~)

West Lauderdale Elementary Beauty Review

2008-04-05T19:38:00.005-05:00

Mallory participated in the WLE 1st grade beauty review.
1st picture: Mallory and Kenleigh show their pretty smiles while waiting backstage.
2nd picture: Mallory during judging
3rd picture: top 10 girls
We were excited when contestant #17 Mallory Howell was named 2nd Alternate. There were 28 girls and 10 boys in this year's beauty review.

Downings visit

2008-04-05T19:25:00.002-05:00

Spring break in Meridian :~) May, Harrison, Hayden and Hallie visited us a couple weeks ago. They got to see Mac and Mal play soccer. Hallie turned 6 months old today (4/5).