The Pickens Family

Meet Biscuit!!!

2009-02-09T21:50:00.000-06:00

We've been thinking of getting another dog for about a month now. I started looking at bassett hounds, had made an attempt to adopt one and never heard back for the group that I was wanting to adopt from. Adam's father-in-law, John, recues dogs and he had two bassetts at his house. He told us we could come and look at "Big'N." When we got there we LOVED him so we brought him home with us. It was odd calling him Big'N so John Michael decided to change his name to Biscuit... because his paws are as big as biscuits! :) So now we are the proud owners of a 60lbs bassett hound, Biscuit!

Playing with Biscuit

2009-02-09T21:41:00.001-06:00

Adam and Jessica came over to visit Biscuit... JMP had to have a picture of everyone with Biscuit! :)

Imagination Movers

2009-02-09T21:38:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, Michael took John Michael down to the Alabama Theatre to see the Imagination Movers. John Michael watches the Disney Channel all the time so it was awesome that he got to see the Movers live.

Walking Around Birmingham

2009-02-09T21:31:00.002-06:00

So I've been talking to Michael about how much I would like to take John Michael down to Morris Ave and have his picture made. So after Imagination Movers Michael took JMP for a mini photo shoot... and the battery died!!! He got a few GREAT shots though.

Jump Rope for Heart

2009-02-09T21:27:00.000-06:00

John Michael did a great job during his Jump Rope for Heart. He raised $50! Here are some pictures of the fun John Michael had jumping with his teachers and friends.

Good Citizen for December

2009-02-08T21:59:00.000-06:00

John Michael was honored as Good Citizen in his class for the month of December. He received a certificate and a medal from the Principal , Ms. Hendrix and the Vice Principal, Mr. Henderson. Also for the month of January he received a special prize each Tuesday. We are so proud of our little man!!

Ready to Go in My Camo

2009-02-08T21:43:00.003-06:00

John Michael LOVES going to the Bass Pro Shop. This is the outfit his Nana got for him on trip out there. He's already told Jason he's ready for his hunting trip! :)

Spending Time with Sam and Claire

2009-02-08T21:40:00.002-06:00

Sam and Claire came over on a Saturday to spend some time with John Michael. They had fun playing some music together and playing down in the basement.

Happy New Year from All of Us!!

2009-02-08T21:33:00.000-06:00

Our entire family went to mom and dad's house to ring in the new year. We had some visitors, all the boys came over to ring in the new year with a few fireworks.

Fireworks!!

2009-02-08T21:25:00.003-06:00

Our family always loves any reason to shoot fireworks.... and that is exactly what we did on New Year's.

Mimi and Pop's House

2008-12-27T00:10:00.002-06:00

We finished up our Christmas day with presents and lunch at Mimi and Pop's house.

The Christmas Morning Madness

2008-12-27T00:09:00.001-06:00

For us, Christmas morning was PERFECT!! The grandparents and aunts/ uncles showed up at 7:30. Right after that we went and woke John Michael up to come and see what Santa brought him. The whole family was here to watch him open his gifts. We ate breakfast together and watched him play. My grandparents even came up from the river to see what Santa had brought. We really enjoyed this awesome time with our family.

Cookies for Santa

2008-12-27T00:00:00.002-06:00

Mommy heard on t.v. that Santa really enjoys brownies and Moutain Dew... or so that is what I told John Michael. So we prepared a couple of chocolate chip cookies, a brownie and a Mnt. Dew for Santa. He only left us some crumbs!

Christmas at Nana and Big Daddy's

2008-12-26T23:52:00.000-06:00

We went to church for the Lord's supper service and then on to Nana and Big Daddy's house for Christmas Eve.

Who Needs Santa... I have Aunts and Uncles!

2008-12-26T23:19:00.002-06:00

When it comes to Mommy's side of the family, John Michael is definitely spoiled rotten. He was covered up with presents on Christmas Eve... Santa really could have skipped over us and we would have never noticed.

Christmas at the Stevens'

2008-12-26T23:14:00.002-06:00

We started off the week on Monday with Christmas at my grandparents house. John Michael and Skyler always love being the center of attention down there. We got my grandparents a throw with an awesome picture of all the grandkids, their spouses and the two little ones on it. They loved it!!

Pumpkin Patch at Allison Bonnett Ballpark

2008-10-26T22:34:00.004-05:00

Nana and Mommy took John Michael and Ryan to the Pumpkin Patch hosted by the Allison Bonnett Ballpark. The boys had a great time going from one thing to the next spending their tickets.

We Had a Blast

2008-10-26T22:34:00.000-05:00

John Michael and Ryan had a blast spending all of their tickets at the pumpkin patch.

Roll Tide!!

2008-10-26T22:28:00.002-05:00

This kind of makes Mommy sad... she so wishes these colors where orange and blue instead. Oh well, whatever pays the tuition! :)

Our Future Football Star

2008-10-26T22:24:00.003-05:00

Daddy worked with John Michael on his football moves; future moves that he can use when he ends up playing for the Tide one day.

Swinging in the Backyard

2008-10-26T22:20:00.002-05:00

We took a break from all of the football for a little swing on the swing set.

Auburn vs. LSU

2008-10-26T22:16:00.003-05:00

We went down to the plains for AU vs. LSU. We met up with Brad and Alison a little while before we went into the end of the stadium.

War Eagle

2008-10-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

We had a great time even though we lost the game in the second half... maybe next year!

Washing the Truck with Daddy

2008-10-26T22:05:00.002-05:00

Daddy asked John Michael for some help washing the truck. I'm not sure how well the truck got washed however, both boys were squeaky clean! And they had a blast doing it.

War Eagle!!!

2008-09-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

We had a blast kicking off football season down on the plains. Glad we could kick it off with a win!

Ready for Some Football

2008-09-03T22:34:00.002-05:00

I'm so glad football season is here. And more than that I'm glad we could begin the season sitting in the stands down in Auburn. I have to give my hubby some credit... he must REALLY love me; since we've been married he's been to more AU games than AL games without complaint. Thank you sweetie for going with me!

A Little Confused

2008-09-03T22:29:00.002-05:00

Mommy and Daddy have confused our little one just a tad bit... Instead of choosing sides he has split his decision. He says War Eagle and Roll Tide!!!

Welcome to Preschool!

2008-09-03T22:26:00.002-05:00

When we got to school he walked right in and made a new friend. This is him with his friend Ella. My little man is growing up so fast!

John Michael's First Day of School

2008-09-03T22:20:00.002-05:00

John Michael started PreK-3 at Hueytown Elementary this year. He was so excited to start his new "big boy school." This is a new program and has offered our little man an awesome opportunity to get a head start on his education. I think it was a wonderful opportunity and I look forward to seeing what all he learns this year.

Preparing for Our First Day of School

2008-09-03T22:14:00.004-05:00

We went to meet the teacher the Monday before school started and we came home with homework! John Michael had to draw his face on a cut out and on the back we had to write some of his favorite things down. I'm not sure I'm ready for homework again...

John Michael at the Beach

2008-08-16T22:28:00.001-05:00

Daddy and Mom

2008-08-16T22:23:00.001-05:00

Nana and Big Daddy

2008-08-16T22:19:00.002-05:00

Lulu's

2008-08-16T22:13:00.003-05:00

The whole family went to Lulu's on Saturday to eat dinner. This was a special weekend for our family... it was the first time that we had ALL been on vacation together in 20 years! Our last trip was in 1988 to Disney World... wow we've grown!

Crab Hunting

2008-08-16T22:06:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday night we went crab hunting. John Michael really had fun looking for crabs. We saw a lot of crabs on the beach. Brought back great memories for me of crab hunting with my cousins, Ashleigh and Katey and my Uncle Robby when I was a little girl. It was always my favorite night of the trip. I miss those nights greatly; however, shooting stars over the ocean and crab hunting on the beach let me know that I am remembered, loved and watched over by two precious angels!!!

Got to Go!!

2008-08-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

While we were crab hunting John Michael had to tee tee. We knew there was no way we would make it back so we just let him drop his drawers and tee tee in the ocean. He thought it was the funniest thing... it wasn't so funny when a wave came up and soaked his pants and underware.

Fun at the Beach and the Pool

2008-08-16T21:54:00.000-05:00

We had really good weather while we were at the beach. John Michael enjoyed playing in the sand and getting into the ocean. However, his favorite part was of course the time he spent in the pool. He started swimming with head under water... he's getting pretty good!

Naval Aviation Center

2008-08-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

While we were at the beach Daddy and Big Daddy took John Michael to the Naval Aviation Center. He had a blast! Mom and Nana were shopping so they missed out on all the fun; however, John Michael told the all about it. You could tell he really enjoyed going there.

It's a Wiggles World

2008-08-16T21:29:00.001-05:00

We took John Michael to see the Wiggles when they came through Birmingham. From since he was tiny tiny he has LOVED watching the Wiggles on t.v. so Michael and I could not pass up the opportunity to take him. He loved it and we had a great time!!!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!

2008-08-16T21:24:00.001-05:00

Party Time

2008-08-16T21:23:00.001-05:00

Ryan had a baseball birthday party at Hueytown Baptist. We had a great time helping him celebrate big #7!!

Happy Birthday Skyler!

2008-08-05T08:34:00.003-05:00

We went to Skyler's house to celebrate his 4th Birthday. They had a blow up train to celebrate in true Thomas style. The boys had a great time playing in the bouncy and hanging out.

Birthday Fun with Skyler and Friends

2008-08-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

Baths and Popcicles for the Boys

2008-08-05T08:24:00.002-05:00

After the party we got the boys a bath and a popsicles to finish off the night!

Happy Birthday Cassidy!

2008-08-05T08:19:00.003-05:00

We went and helped Cassidy celebrate her 7th birthday at the Vestavia bowling alley. This was John Michael's first time to bowl. He had a great time.

My First Time to Bowl

2008-08-05T08:13:00.002-05:00

Camping with the Moody's

2008-07-09T20:59:00.002-05:00

For the 4th of July we went camping with the Moody's. We stayed the weekend in Lee's parents camper on a lake in Pinson at the Zamora campground. We had a great time and got to see some cool fireworks for the 4th.

Flying a Kite

2008-07-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

Swimming in the Big Pool

2008-07-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

The campground had a big pool so we took the kids up there and let them swim.

Future HYT firefighter

2008-07-09T20:48:00.003-05:00

John Michael loves to play in his firefighter uniform so a couple of weeks ago Michael took him up to the fire station so he could "practice" his skills. The firefighters were so nice to him; they let him "drive" the truck, ring the bell and stand on the back. I think this whole firefighter thing may work out! :)

Happy Birthday Marina!

2008-07-09T20:41:00.003-05:00

We had Marina's birthday party at our house at the end of June. She turned the big 1-3; offically a teenager now! Jamie and I made the cake :)

Sleeping Beauties

2008-07-09T20:34:00.002-05:00

So we had a house full of company spending the night. The next morning we woke up and found this on the couch. John Michael was sleeping very peacefully on the couch with his "big brother" Eric, and Ryan. So cute!

John Michael and Annabelle

2008-07-09T20:30:00.003-05:00

These are the last pictures that we took of John Michael and Annabelle together. With our busy schedule we were just not able to pay as much attention to Annabelle as we would have liked to. So a lady from our church found her a new home. From what we hear she is doing great and loving her new life as a "princess!"

John Michael and Skyler

2008-07-09T20:26:00.003-05:00

We went and ate dinner with my cousin Brad, Alison and Skyler one night. John Michael and Skyler had fun playing while the grown ups sat around chatting.

Having Fun with My Ball Buddies!

2008-07-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

The Stanford Cardinals had a blast at their end-of-the-year team party. We had it at Coach Tommy's family farm. There was a tractor ride and they got to ride on the Alligator and there was a slip n slide, and a water balloon fight. It was a great way to end the year.

Thank You Coach Tommy!

2008-07-08T22:05:00.002-05:00

Coach Tommy gave John Michael the honorary award for "Always Having a Smile on His Face." John Michael would always run by the crowd, looking at the stands and smiling at all of us that were there to watch him. It was so funny!

Best Buds!

2008-07-08T22:04:00.000-05:00

Playing in the Water

2008-07-08T22:00:00.002-05:00

Ryan spent the night with John Michael one Friday night. They needed something to do when they got up the next morning so we went downstairs and turned on the hose. That kept them occupied for at least an hour... they had a blast!

Closing Ceremonies

2008-07-08T21:52:00.002-05:00

So the first year of baseball is over for John Michael. He had a great time and maybe we'll do it again next year!

My Precious Family

2008-07-08T21:49:00.003-05:00

Thank you Kim!

2008-07-08T20:59:00.005-05:00

We met Kim at Botanical Gardens in April for a photo shoot. I have some great pictures of my precious family that I can enjoy for a long time. Thank you so much Kim!

Look What I Won!

2008-04-06T23:09:00.002-05:00

They were drawing for door prizes at opening day and this is the one that John Michael won; yes it is a new bicycle! They had drawn for several small prizes and then they were ending with the larger ones. His name was the second won that they drew and he got a new bicycle.

John Michael and "The Coach"

2008-04-06T23:08:00.002-05:00

The Stanford Cardinal Tee Ball Team

2008-04-06T23:05:00.002-05:00

Opening Day Parade

2008-04-06T22:58:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday was John Michael's opening day parade. He is playing tee ball this year at the Hueytown Baseball park. He is a Stanford Cardinal. Daddy is helping coach this year and Mommy is sitting quitely on the sidelines... yeah right! He has not gotten to play yet... they were supposed to play yesterday and it got rained out so our first game is this next Saturday at 11 AM.

Police Work

2008-04-06T22:54:00.002-05:00

John Michael has a small obcession with police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. I think this is a sign of an occupation to come. This is a small glimpse of his crime fighting in our living room. "10-4"

Snow Day

2008-02-20T22:32:00.002-06:00

John Michael had such a great time in the snow. Mommy was in Gatlinburg on a youth trip so Daddy was in charge of the camera. Daddy got some GREAT pictures for Mommy to see when she got home. Nana and Big Daddy came over to play with John Michael in the snow too.

I'm a Cowboy!

2008-02-20T22:28:00.003-06:00

After John Michael and Daddy got in from playing in the snow, Daddy gave JMP a bath to warm him up. After he got out Daddy was finding some clothes and so John Michael decided to play cowboy. He HAD TO have his gloves on to ride the horse! These are some of the cutest, most hilarious pictures we've ever gotten of him. This will be great when he starts dating!!!

Happy Birthday Allie B!

2008-02-20T22:19:00.003-06:00

John Michael's girlfriend, Allie turned one in January. We went to her party... Mommy even made the cakes for Allie's party. Allie was born with pulmonary artresia meaning the right side of her heart was not developed and fully functioning when she was born. She has to have a second open heart surgery on March 11. Please keep Allie and here mommy and daddy, Leslie and Josh, in your prayers.

John Michael's New Bicycle

2008-02-20T22:15:00.002-06:00

We went to eat dinner with the George's so we could exchange Christmas presents. When we pulled up in the parking lot Allison couldn't wait until after dinner to give JMP his present so she opened up the back of the car and there was his new bicycle. He absolutely loves it! He rides it around the basement all the time. He even went for a ride on the street with big brother Eric.

Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus... John Michael's First Trip to the Circus!

2008-02-20T22:11:00.006-06:00

We took John Michael to see the circus. He had a great time and paid such close attention to EVERYTHING! We had great seats so it was cool to see things up close. The tigers and the motorcycles in the steel ball were his favorites.

Tigers and Elephants

2008-02-20T22:04:00.002-06:00

John Michael and Piper

2008-02-20T22:00:00.002-06:00

Piper is the granddaughter of the preacher at our church. She and her mom, Christie, came over one night and we all ate dinner and let the kids play. John Michael and Piper had a blast together playing with all the toys and watching movies.

Happy New Year... 2008!

2008-02-20T21:58:00.003-06:00

Everyone got together over at Nana and Big Daddy's house for soup and fireworks to celebrate 2008.

Firecrackers

2008-02-20T21:51:00.005-06:00

All the boys came to Nana and Big Daddy's house to shoot fireworks with John Michael.

Happy 3rd Birthday John Michael!

2008-01-02T22:49:00.000-06:00

On December 6th John Michael turned 3 years old. On Saturday, Dec. 8th we had a fireman birthday to celebrate. It's hard to believe my baby has grown up so fast. He is so precious and so much fun to have around, I can't imagine life without him. I can't remember what in the world we did before we had him. It's funny how God can use such a little person to change your whole entire outlook on life... thank you Lord for sending me John Michael so I can know what its really all about!

The Fireman Birthday Cake

2008-01-02T22:42:00.000-06:00

Mommy and Ms. Jamie worked really hard on the cake for John Michael's fireman birhtday party.

We even had a little one for him to have on his own. This is him blowing out his "3" candle. Make a good wish buddy!!!

Some of Our Birthday Guests

2008-01-02T22:41:00.000-06:00

We had a great turn out to the party... thank you to all of John Michael's family and friends that came to help us celebrate!

Hueytown Christmas Parade

2008-01-02T22:31:00.001-06:00

This year Daddy had a real treat... John Michael rode in the parade with him! Mommy opted out to let the boys have some fun on their own. She went to watch them from RiteAid with Kevin, Eric and Jason. John Michael had an awesome time throwing candy to everyone!

Having Fun at the Parade

2008-01-02T22:31:00.000-06:00

While Michael and John Michael were riding in the parade, I was being entertained by the boys and Marina. We stood at Rite Aid and watched the parade go by. It was a really nice place to stand; the boys were able to run across the street and grab us breakfast before the parade started at McDonald's. Loved my "chicken biscuit!"

The Polar Express

2008-01-02T22:23:00.002-06:00

Michael and I along with my cousin, Brad and his wife, Alison, took the boys, Skyler and John Michael to ride the Polar Express in Calera. We had a wonderful time riding the train and we got to see Santa Clause! They gave us cookies and milk and a silver bell to take home with us.

We See the North Pole!

2008-01-02T22:23:00.000-06:00

The Polar Express took us for a ride to the North Pole. When we got there Santa and Ms. Clause were standing outside waving to everyone on the train.

Having a Talk With Santa

2008-01-02T21:40:00.000-06:00

John Michael and Skyler had a talk with Santa about what all they wanted on Christmas. Of course Santa asked if they had been good little boys... the jury is still out on that one!

Hiding from Daddy

2008-01-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

John Michael was being really quite so Michael went to check and see what he was up to. He had pulled all of the extra blankets out of the hall closet and was hiding under them. Silly little boy!

John Michael's Fall Pictures

2007-11-27T21:14:00.000-06:00

Adamsville Elementary had a fundraiser for their school and we had some old time pictures made. They turned out sooo good so Mommy spent ALOT of money on ALL his pictures!

Our Little Cowboy

2007-11-27T21:00:00.000-06:00

Riding on the Tricycle

2007-11-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

Can I a Piece of Gum Please?

2007-11-27T20:56:00.001-06:00

Gone Fishing

2007-11-27T20:53:00.001-06:00

Chuck E. Cheese

2007-11-13T21:11:00.000-06:00

Friday night Jessica and Mommy took John Michael and Ryan to Chuck E. Cheese. We had some good pizza and a lot of fun!

John Michael and Jessica

2007-11-13T21:06:00.000-06:00

Having Fun, Playing Some Games

2007-11-13T21:02:00.000-06:00

John Michael and Ryan had a lot of fun playing some games at Chuck E. Cheese!

John Michael "The Firefighter"

2007-11-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

So here we are... John Michael was a firefighter for Halloween. He looked so cute... and so real! It made Mommy very nervous and very proud to think about her baby boy fighting fires one day!

John Michael and Savanna

2007-11-13T20:50:00.000-06:00

This is John Michael's girlfriend Savanna. She was in his class but she is a tad bit older so she moved up. Hopefully after his birthday in December they will get to be in class together again. When they were in class together they would have to hug each other every day before they left. It was so cute! She's not smiling because she has in her vampire teeth!

Daycare Halloween Party

2007-11-13T20:49:00.000-06:00

John Michael's class had a party at school. In the morning they all came to school dressed up, this gave everyone a great picture opportunity! Then they had a party in the afternoon. The kids had so much fun!

HBC Trunk-Or-Treat

2007-11-13T20:36:00.000-06:00

John Michael went around to all the cars at Trunk or Treat and got his candy but then he found Big Daddy's bus and would not get off. He spent the rest of the night sitting on the bus until he went home with Mimi and Pop.

Trick-Or-Treat

2007-11-13T20:32:00.001-06:00

Pop, Mimi and KK took John Michael trick-or-treating at Granny and Pawpaw's house and Gill and Jessie's house while Mommy and Daddy were working at Trunk-Or-Treat.

Jesus Loves Me

2007-10-09T11:12:00.001-05:00

So Mommy broke down and bought Daddy and John Michael a drum set. Daddy has played for years and John Michael is working on it. Its something they both enjoy and something they can do together! Here is a video of our up and coming drummer... excuse the messy basement in the background!

John 3:16

2007-10-09T11:06:00.000-05:00

Sunday School Party at Tannehill

2007-10-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

We had a Sunday School picnic at Tannehill. This was John Michael's first time to go to Tannehill. He had a blast throwing rocks in the creek and riding the train.