{These are my people, this is where I come from}

As most families in the south, mine are really close. Some people may see this as a bad thing, but I personally love it. We get together for all holidays, birthdays, and sometimes just for Sunday dinner. Even though I live about 8 hours away, I still speak to pretty much everyone- everyday. My grandparents had three daughters, Suzy, Tracey (my mom) & Michelle.. Papa may of wanted a boy and he came pretty close, none of them are girly by any means. They grew up camping, picking tobacco, and you better believe papa taught all of us how to change a tire.

These are the people who started it all. 

 This is who I came from :)

My mother was the first to have a child (which was me), and then Michelle had Ethan about 6 years later. It was just Ethan and I for a while, we would always go on vacation to the mountains with Nana and Papa for two weeks in the summer. Maybe one day I could post some videos, there are some FUNNY ones. In 1999, Suzy finally had a baby boy named Harrison "Gage" Griffin. She didn't want to know the sex of the baby, which we all thought was plum crazy! But after about 24 hrs of labor, a 10 lb 8 oz baby boy arrived. A year later Ethan got a little sister, McKenzie (she was named after my Nana's dad, Jesse McKenzie Mattox. Mattox is also Ethan's middle name). Everyone was growing up and there were no more "babies" around...but then my mom came home with a little girl, Sydnee Jewel. She was a blessing, mom tried for years and finally was able to have another child. So that was it.. we got Nana Christmas presents with all 5 grand kids names on it and we all thought that five was the final number. We were wrong... Michelle announces that SHE is pregnant. In the words of my Nana, "again?" Nine months later, Cooper Hays Strickland arrived with a head full of jet black hair. Michelle's husband, Chris, is a mechanic and he chose the name (Cooper after Cooper tires and Hayes after the transmission- just kidding, although the idea was still there.) We had a cousin and his last name was Cooper, he passed away a few years before Cooper was born and that's who he was named after. 

So then there were six...

(I told everyone to get in "age" order.. And I'm on the other side of Ethan?)

No family can go through life without dealing with tragedies..... the one that was thrown at us was unrecognizable. On January 21, 2010 my aunt Suzy was sent to Heaven. This was not something anyone in our family was prepared to face. We all firmly believe in God and know that she is in a much better place but sometimes its hard to not ask why? I'm very proud of my family for being able to remember all the good times we've shared with her, we talk about her all the time and think about her daily. 

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”

 

 

In my family, the girls are much more photogenic than the boys.. Here are a few pictures of McKenzie & Sydnee.

Now with the two younger kids, this shoot was far from easy. Sydnee doesn't  understand the concept of looking AT the camera and Cooper can't sit still or get his thumb out of his mouth :)

I love this picture because it really shows their relationship! Sydnee just lets him do whatever to her.. laughing it off and Cooper torturers her!

This is BOYS -vs- GIRLS

Growing up, my grandparents NEVER had pets. They had cats outside that just came into the yard.. but never dogs and never EVER an inside dog. You guessed it, Milton has gotten himself a YORKIE!! Of all dogs, a yapping little yorkie. I never thought I would see the day.

Meet Karley!

Yes, Ethan is my little cousin.. although he now stands 6 foot 4 and weights about 280. I always picked on Ethan.. needless to say- I don't do that anymore. He turned 15 in September, and after 3 tries- he finally got his learners permit. Check out his ride!

GET OFF THE ROADS WHEN YOU SEE THIS COMING!!