This picture was taken shortly after we arrived. Brian commented that I looked like that guy...um...what's his name? Eddie Van Halen. Um...ok. Then he said let me take your picture so you can see yourself. Um...ok. Then he said it was more like a cross between Eddie and David Lee Roth! Since I happen to love Van Halen I am pretty ok with that. I mean hello...Panama? Who didn't love that song?
Speaking of music the entertainment at the festivities this year was great! No Turkish Elvis Impersonators. The band played a great mix of songs from almost every genre. And then between sets they blasted songs from Maroon 5, Def Leppard, Evanescence, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams, Newsboys, Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Eagles among others.
Brian and Will enjoyed a game of basketball with a few other people.
There were Starbucks employees walking around giving out free coffee. That would have been nice if it hadn't been stinkin' hot outside. Oh well...it was the thought that counted.
Will and I enjoyed throwing the ol' pigskin around. Now let me say this before everyone else does. I throw like a girl. Most of the time. But keep in mind that this picture is of me in motion. I am not holding the ball at the end. It is beginning to move away from my hand at this point. Adam took this picture. He took it because he and Brian want to show the football guys that "even Brian's wife has good form. She is throwing off her front foot. She has her elbow up. Come on guys even Natalie can do it." I will confess that I am totally weak. If Will had been much further away there is no way I could have thrown the football hard enough to reach him. Later we changed to a Nerf football, and then my throwing ability improved dramatically. I may not be good, but I am willing.
Jacob hurt his leg climbing on some rocks so he was sitting out for a bit. We took this opportunity to get some pictures with him.
Notice the crime scene tape in the background. There really wasn't a crime directly behind us. That area was set aside for important people. We sat as close to the important people as we could. It didn't make us feel more important though. Actually it reminded us of how unimportant we really were. Oh well...we were having fun! And that is what counted.
Will doing what he does best. Entertain the little kids. Seriously...they all love him, and he loves it. He would be an awesome babysitter. He wants to babysit. He doesn't think it's fair that the girls in his class get all the babysitting calls. He thinks he is being sexually discriminated against. Call him!
Hope your day was awesome.
13 comments:
Glad you got to celebrate the 4th - looks like a lot of fun!
I just found your site by accident and had to respond. I retired to Haynesville LA and my daughter-in-law is from Emerson! My parents had the adventure bug and I was raised in Beirut, Lebanon. We used to have fabulous July 4th celebrations there but that was 50 years ago.
Reading about your grandmother's funeral really made me reminisce.
Nothing like good country cooking.
I am looking forward to reading more of your blog, take care, Denise Harman Haynesville.
Looks like you had a fun-filled day! We always love the 4th because it's also our wedding anniversary. This year was #27! Man! We are getting OLD!
Mamadallama
Natalie
Tell Brian he looks like Woody Harrelson in White Men Can't Jump in the basketball court picture!! I think all of your siblings will make Will the babysitter a happy young man when you all come back to the states AND Denise Harman goes to Granny's church!! I don't know if she realizes you are Mary Lynn's great-niece!
Glad you all had a great 4th. We had all of our families over and did the whole Hamburger and ice cream thing. I made Wendy's frosty. I'll get you the recipe, EASY!!
Love Christy
I'm back again. Turns out I know a lot of people in your story about Emerson/Haynesville.
Your Aunt Mary Lynn and my Mom are very good friends. Sherry (your cousin) and I have known each other forever. Her daughter Christy and my son were friends.
It's a small world after all!
Glad to see you and the clan had a good time.... But where is the food review? What about the food Natalie?
It is so unlike you to not have something to say about the food~
{grin}
Love the pictures!
this post was hillarious, especially the van halen and sitting by the "important" people parts....i think you had a better 4th in Turkey then here in new york!
Such a great way to celebrate Independence Day! Looks like your family had a lot of fun.
And I don't think you look like Eddie Van Halen or David Lee Roth!
If you guys didn't live, you know, in Turkey I totally would hire him. Oh, except for he doesn't look much older the my kids. That could go terribly wrong. :-)
Looks like you had a great day! (How glad were you to have Cheetos and Dr. Pepper?)
HAPPY 4th! And although you do look a bit like Eddie Van Halen in that photo (good eye, Brian) (but you are MUCH prettier than Eddie), it looks like you had a fantastic day. Did I mention that I spent the 4th cleaning my apartment? HUZZAH! :)
I think you look more like Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls, although in that particular picture I can see the resemblance to Eddie. My husband has often resembled Eddie too (when he had longer hiar, that is). I wish I could find a good picture showing it, but I would have to dig around...maybe later. Eddie Van Halen is one of his favorite guitarists...to the point of ridiculous fanatic. For his 40th, I threw him a Van Halen party, complete with red, white and black striped cake. I got him a red white and black striped pair of high tops. He owns a replica guitar, etc. etc. etc....
But enough about me, this post is supposed to be about YOU!
Now why couldn't the Starbucks people serve ICED coffee????
Hey Eddie, I mean, David, err... Natalie, I'm glad you guys had a great celebration all the way out there.
That's a great picture of the Starbucks guy looking chastened for his existence in such weather. Did they at least have any iced coffee??
I hope your son has better luck in the babysitting market when you guys move back here. But he may just need to settle for coaching or mentoring, or something.
michele - thanks! we did have fun.
denise - wow! it is a small world! i love going back to arkansas to visit but don't get to do it as much as i used to. driving through emerson and haynesville this last time was so surreal. it had been 7 years and things looked so different. welcome and thanks for visiting my blog!
mamadallama - 27? wow! that is a long time...but old...never. hope you had fun celebrating!
christy - brian loved that! so funny and so true! and yes...will has already claimed the babysitting duties of the cousins. he and erica may have to share! denise figured it out. that is so random that she found the blog! wow. and i would love the recipe! sounds great!
charlie girl - i know! what was i thinking? no pictures of food. i didn't take any pictures of food! but it was all good. believe me!
peachy - we did have fun! i will never forget my first thanksgiving back in the states after being in turkey for 4 years. it seemed like the turkish thanksgiving was so much more celebrated! maybe because we made such a big deal about it...thinking and talking about the food for weeks ahead of time! i missed celebrating american thanksgiving in turkey. crazy!
missnightowl - we did have fun. yeah...now brian is saying that maybe ozzy osbourne would be a better description. definitely not earning points for that!
jennifer h - well...he is 12, but he is little. he will be 13 in december and wants a growth spurt for his birthday. he is the shortest kid in his class. including all the girls!
and the cheetos, dr. pepper, mountain dew, grape soda, and pork sandwich i ate might have been a little much, but i had to take the chance when i had it!
over-thinker - see...now brian loves you. someone to validate him. i totally should have spent the 4th cleaning my apartment. it is looking nasty!
nanny goats - lauren graham i can accept. actually that is totally a compliment! and well...i actually always kinda liked eddie van halen so i didn't mind it so much. and my 39th birthday is coming up. i think i need a 80's hair bands birthday party! that would be so cool!
nope...no iced coffee. people were drinking it though. not me! give me the dr. pepper!
literaldan - hahahahahohoho...you are so funny. brian has continued to point out guys that i looked like...ozzy osbourne, wayne from waynes world, and the list goes on.
no iced coffee...this is turkey...the drinks are served hot! unless it is ayran...a salty yogurt drink similar to buttermilk and every kids' dream. seriously...they love that stuff here!
coaching...he would love to do something like that! he does have 7 cousins who are all younger than him fairly close to where we will be living in the states. i'm sure he will get work!
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