We want to welcome Price Parsons into the world! Congratulations to Jessica and Josh! Photos are forthcoming, I’m sure.

UPDATE: Not sure what happened, but my filters caught it! Post is back!

Photos from our Branson vacation: Click HERE.

View photos in a slideshow: Click HERE.

Apologies to everyone (if you were waiting) for taking so long to get these up. Keep in mind, there is a TON of pics in our wedding photo album. Without further adieu…

Click HERE to visit Sean & Thea’s Wedding photos on Flickr.com.

Click HERE to see a slideshow of our wedding photos.

Yep, it happened. Sean is officially off the market (as if he wasn’t already). Thea and I were engaged on Saturday March 17, 2007.

Caleb endorses our engagement and wants to go straight to babies.

No dates or plans set yet. We’ll keep everyone updated.

 Hannah is moving up the ranks in field goal percentage.  As of 02/12/2007, she is ranked second with a 68% field goal percentage.  Right now, Ozark is 19-5 with only two games left in the regular season.

Here’s a photo of Hannah defending a player from Republic on 01/29/2007:

I forgot my camera before heading out on the roadtrip to Grandma Deaver’s Funeral.  So I borrowed Mark’s camera to take photos.  This photo album is a mix of my and his photos.

Scott and I rode up to our cousin Bruce Deaver’s house in Wichita where we met up with Mark.  It was nice to meet Bruce again.  I say meet again because the last time I saw him I think I was 12.  His family is real fun to be around.  I hope we can get together more in the future.  Wichita is only up the road from Oklahoma City.  Bruce had a nice pot of chili waiting for us when we got there.

We would grow to regret having chili at 10PM the night before an 8-hour road trip.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the “Chili Drive” as it has been dubbed, was topped off by lunch at Taco John’s and strong coffee at Starbucks in York, Nebraska.  I feel really bad because Mark borrowed the car from the father-in-law.  Sorry!

Considering the circumstances, it was nice seeing everyone.  All of the surviving kids were there.  Lots of photos were taken.  The funeral was very peaceful.  Seeing the cemetary brought back some memories.  I remember during the summers in Sidney when I stayed with Grandma, we used to come out to the cemetary after church on Sundays.  For some reason it never really dawned on me that we were at Grandpa Don’s grave.  Either that or I’ve forgotten.  Probably forgotten.

St. Patrick’s has had an overhaul.  They did real justice to the original architecture as I’m sure you will see in the photos.  The masonry, handpainted detail, just excellent.  The front stairs are gone, replaced by an enclosed entry with stairs leading up from both sides.  It really is beautiful.

Cabela’s has brought a lot to the town.  Near the interstate there is lots of development.  A Walmart Supercenter, multiple restaurants, hotels, and shops all dot the area.

Right after the funeral, the entire family went out to the farm to spread some of Grandma’s ashes.  First we went out to the land near the interstate where I have fond memories of Uncle Vic and Uncle Dan harvesting wheat, where I drove a wheat truck at the age of 13, and where I ran laps around the field to stifle boredom.  We spread some of Grandma’s ashes there.

Then we went to the farm and we spread some of her ashes at the entrance in what used to be Spooks’ pasture.  When we pulled up jackrabbits bolted from their hiding spots.  Mmmm… good eatin’.  Then we took a trip up the lane to the farmhouse.  The whole farm has been repainted white.  It used to be red.  There was lots of farm junk laying around.  There was always farm junk laying around.  This just wasn’t our farm junk.  The new owners of the farm also tore the porch off the front.  I think it was Kelli that told me they completely rearranged the interior too.  I used to run down to the mailbox every day to get the mail.  Back then, that was a long, LONG way.  I took this opportunity, after a nudge from Kelli, to take one last run down the lane.  Well, it wasn’t as far as I remember it being when I was a kid.  This time, though, I was hurting more than when I was a kid.  Go figure.

The family spent a memorable night at the Holiday Inn bar on Saturday night.  Leah, Chris Wolff’s little girl, is a budding artist, and as we found out, also an entrepreneur.  Dana got it right when he said Steve had the funniest line of the weekend.

Glad I got see so much family.  Grandma will be missed.

Click HERE to see the photo album.

Margaret Elizabeth Deaver (Parker) was born in Randolph, Missouri to Harvey Parker and Gladys Elizabeth Parker on March 8, 1922.  She was married to Donald James Deaver and had 10 children, almost countless grandchildren and great grandchildren, and even a couple great-great grandchildren.

She passed away on January 3, 2007 at the age of 84.

We love you and we already miss you.

Katie and Rich had their baby on (to be edited). Here are some nice photos courtesy of Nancy Grabowski, proud grandmother.

Hannah Gomez apparently had a great first round in the Pink and White Tournament:

From Springfield News-Leader:

“(1) Ozark 64, (16) Greenwood 18
Hannah Gomez has 12 points to lead top-seeded Ozark. She was one of 11 Tigers to score. Also, the Ozark defense did not allow a 2-point field goal the entire game.”

No, Hannah doesn’t play football. That’s basketball.

UPDATE: By way of Natalie, another update from Christain County Headliner News:

“Coach Yancey Little’s club began the game on an 8-1 run before Greenwood’s Sarah Jonston hit a 3-pointer for the team’s first field goal of the game. Ozark’s Courtney Gimlin answered right back, hitting the first of two Lady Tiger 3-pointers to start a 9-0 run. Ozark finished the first half leading 37-9, spearheaded by a second-quarter outburst by a late addition, Hannah Gomez. The freshman guard scored 10 points in a 12-0 Ozark run in the quarter, finishing with 12 points on the day.

“Gomez is amazing right now,” Bond said. “She’s a good player.”

Ummm.  Wow.  Way to go Hannah!

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year.  Thea’s parents came as well as the Scott and Jackie clan.  A good time was seemingly had by all.  Per my anti-buffet Thanksgiving preference, we passed around each dish at the table. 

Scott won the Gomez Golf Challenge 2006 and proudly gets to keep the trophy in a closet where it can stay dust-free.  With only one hole to go, the round was rained out.  Good thing for Scott.  I only needed to beat him by 20 strokes on the last hole to tie it up.

For Christmas we’ll be heading over to Tony and Denise’s house.  We’re going to try a gift exchange experiment to add a little fun to the festivities this year.  No, not dirty santa.  I’ll post an update on how it goes.