Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Friday, October 27, 2006

LM '06

The Little Move 06 has been scheduled for Saturday, November 4th! We've reserved the U-Haul and we've been busy packing boxes! Thank goodness it will not be as intense as BM '06, but at least we've all got enough practice! Updates soon to follow!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Engagement Celebration in Belzoni


Here's a picture of us at the party in Belzoni last Friday!

Room to Room Shower in Jackson

Last weekend some of my friends and bridesmaids hosted a Room to Room shower. It was held at Anna Haskins' house (she's one of my friends from work). Abbey came down from Nashville to help host the shower and to cook all of the desserts (see below). My Mom and Brookie's Mom, his Aunt, and his Grandmother all came to Jackson for it too.

The picture below is of me and Anna-Haskins.



This picture was taken when I was opening my gift from all the hostesses! It was a set of mixing bowls in my Gail Pittman pattern.




Look at all those gifts!





These strawberrys were so good (and pretty!) Abbey made this chocolate covered strawberries for the shower and she drew the little A's on each one! She is known as the Amazing Dessertista! :)

This is a picture of me with two of the hostesses. On the left is Rebecca (one of my bridesmaids) and on the right is Lisa (she is the registry attendant).

The shower was wonderful, all the food was yummy, we received some wonderful gifts and I loved getting to see everybody!

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Batesville Miscellaneous Shower

We had our Batesville shower this past weekend. It went so well! My mom and I got to see a lot of people that we haven't seen in awhile. Brookie and I received so many great gifts from everyone and greatly appreciate everyone's generosity. We're now in the running for the most Peter's Pottery in the family!

Here are a few pictures from the shower:


Tangea (Brookie's Mom), Me, Linda (my mom) and Miss Katie (my stand-in grandmother!)











This picture is of me, Erin (a high school friend), and Chaeli (also a high school friend and a bridesmaid!). We all live in Jackson, but we have to come to Batesville to see each other!















Brookie comes in at the end to meet the hostesses and to help pack up all the gifts!

Thursday, October 05, 2006

This Time of Year

There is something purely magical about this time of year. Autumn is a time for harvest and gathering and for me it is a time of reflection and thankfulness. As the days grow shorter and the nights turn cooler, it takes me back to the days of Friday night lights and the smell of hamburgers cooking on the charcoal grill at Rebel Field. It takes me back to Mom at the pep rallies and her coordinating our homecoming floats. I can recall gametime and the snap of the chip strap buckling just after the Nathional Anthem as I take my place as the man in the middle. The nervous anticipation just before opening kickoff and the overwhelming sense of invincibility before the initial crack of the pads. The way there was only one voice in the crowd that proved to be a perpetual source of inspiration for the 48 minute trench war and the feeling of respect you receive from many of the weekly "enemies" that eventually become friends for life .

This time of year brings back the moans of cotton pickers harvesting a bumper crop and the smell of the cotton being dumped into the module builders before being hauled to the gin. From checking the cotton for Second Generation Bollworms to putting down and "attempting" to effectively utilize Polypipe reminds me of the hard work and perserverence it takes to be successful in life. This time of year reminds me of the dedication of my parents to shape me into the type of man who by faith can overcome any obstacle that life may place in front of me. It also reminds me that no matter where your feet may be planted, you are never far from your roots.

As the cool becomes cold, the annual migration commences and the brotherhood begins. There is no way for a person to be more connected to God than to hear the whistling of wings at daybreak and looking above to see the cupped wings and the dropped landing gear of a flock of mallard ducks. My memories take me back to my most favorite duck hunt. My dad, brother, and I departed on what turned out to be a three hour tour. We broke from the house around 3:00 a.m. to one of our past hot spots. Charting a john boat and three paddles, we set off into a pitch black lake bottom with a hundred pounds of gear and eight dollar Walmart head lamps. Using my unequaled Eagle Scout navigation skills, we paddled around in circles for the next several hours. Thanks to Dad, we finally found our way out to the location that was a mere hundred yards from shore. Embarrassment being understated, we came up bird free. However, I cannot recall a moment where I have enjoyed the company of my two favorite men any more than our disaster duck hunt.


Finally, the afternoons bring back opening day and the anticipation of the first deer of the season. From the trials of Shelton getting his first deer to Dad's bobcat buck, the thoughts are too numerous to recall. From Magna Vista to Shiloh, the best memories of my life are buried in a place that now no longer exists.

As I now look forward to making new memories with the most amazing young lady I have ever met, I cherish the positive experiences in my life that happened in these same very months. It almost seems fitting that my most memorable day is only weeks away. I am thankful for all that God has bestowed upon my life and the examples that I have been provided. Indeed, there is something truly special about this time of year.


















Third times a charm...

This is now the third attempt at writing this post!
The first time the weather cut the internet connection
out last night, and then the second time it just mysteriously
disappeared.















We received our first official wedding gift last
week. It is a Good Earth square platter in the
Blue Bird pattern. We both love it! Good Earth
pottery is made in Starkville, MS (home of the
Mississippi State Bulldogs). The platter was
given to us by one of the producers at the
Tupelo office of Ross and Yerger.















This is our second official wedding gift and no
we aren't going to post each one! We're just
both so excited! It is a dinner plate from our
Waterford fine china. The band appears gold,
but it is actually platinum, not chrome like
the Ford Special Edition truck! It came from
Brookie's boss at work.





















This is our Guest and Gift box we purchased
to help us stay organized! It has a card for each
one of our guest so we can keep up with our
invitations sent, gifts received and thank you notes
written!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Our Engagement Pictures...

We had our engagement pictures made on a HOT August afternoon.
Here's a few of the good ones- He took over 180 pictures!



But then we get a little sweaty...







But, I'm still not real sure what the photographer was trying to "capture" right here.


Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Our Wedding Countdown!

Daisypath Ticker

Our Engagement Announcement

Mr. and Mrs. Roy Fisher Drake of Bartlett, Tennessee, formerly of Batesville, Mississippi, announce the engagement of their daughter, Ava Elizabeth to Mr. Clinton Brooks Aycock, IV of Madison, Mississippi. Mr. Aycock is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Brooks Aycock, III of Belzoni, Mississippi.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Mary Louise Drake and the late Mr. Alton C. Drake of Batesville, Mississippi and Mrs. Alice Burks and the late Mr. Cleve E. Burks, Jr. of Dyersburg, Tennessee.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Clinton Brooks Aycock, Jr. and the late Mr. Clinton Brooks Aycock, Jr. of Belzoni, Mississippi and Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Grimbsley Hendrick of Tupelo, Mississippi.

Miss Drake was a 2001 honor graduate of South Panola High School in Batesville, Mississippi. She graduated cum laude from Mississippi College in 2005 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing. She is an Employee Benefits Marketing Specialist with Ross and Yerger Insurance of Jackson, Mississippi.

Mr. Aycock was a 1998 honor graduate of Humphreys Academy in Belzoni, Mississippi. He graduated cum laude from Delta State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance. He received his Masters degree in Management in 2004 from Delta State University. He is an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager with BankPlus of Madison, Mississippi.

The couple will be married Saturday, November 11, 2006, at 4 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Batesville, Mississippi. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony at The Veranda on the square in Batesville. All family and friends are invited to attend.