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THANKS!!!

My blog has a new home, with a new name and a new theme.

Please visit me at my new site

www.thereisaseason.net

I am excited about this move and hope you will continue to read at the new site!

PHOTO HUNTER BLOGROLL

This is my second post under the heading of Faithful Fridays and I'm 2 for 2. Yeah! There haven't been any big events this week to remark about or major decisions to make (other than the hardest one - WHAT TO COOK FOR DINNER????). The fact this week has been pretty non-eventful is a statement of God's faithfulness in itself. But as I type this, I am reflecting on some of the week's activities where I have seen and heard God's hand and voice in the "small things".

• Shelby had her K4 program this week and it happened to fall on the same night as Jessie's RLC class party. I was devastated a week earlier when I found this out. I discussed with Chad and my Mom and we decided Chad would go with Jessie and the rest of the family could be at Shelby's. Mom and I felt maybe she should also go with Jessie. So, later that evening I discussed with Jessie - as I told her the dilemma, she immediately said "it's ok, it's Shelby's first program and I'll have lots more RLC parties". I was so humbled by her willingness and unselfishness in this situation. Shelby learned that not "everyone of her family" was going to be at her program and she was being rather pouty on the night of her program. So, Mom discussed with Jessie and Granny came on to Shelby's. Chad and Jessie shared time together at the RLC party. God sure has a way to use our kids to show us the unselfish nature he desires in all of us - to give up what we want for what He wants....to not keep Him all to ourselves and share Him with others.

• I have been under the weather this week and last week for that matter. My husband has been very faithful to feed the horses, which he did not know were going to be a part of our lives when he married me. Also at a low point, the other night, he took care of getting the girls bathed and in bed. Our marriage and both household and parental roles continue to evolve. I see in him a man who wants everyone to be "happy" in how he deals with us and his own family. He is the "laid-back" one and I am the uptight one. Thank you God for balance - even though sometimes I feel like my end of the see-saw is stuck way up in the air!

• Lastly, I often joke with friends that we bought our house for the land and not for the "house".....however I will tell anyone that our home was a Gift from God in His uttermost perfect timing. I can relay all that later..... There are several things that we say, "oh we'll change that one day" or "Oh, I'd love to see this...." but I'm ok with having a "work in progress". I like projects.....I like to make things "my own" and I really am ok with all of it. I will say I was really excited that our home has a fireplace....I really wanted a fireplace in our next house. So, can I say I have been waiting for the night we would build a fire and snuggle in the living room? You can imagine my surprise when I came home Wednesday evening and Chad had built a fire!!!! After dinner, I curled up in the floor in front of the fireplace and that's where I stayed - yes I slept half the night on the floor in front of the fireplace! He also built a fire last night and I curled up down there again - but I did go to bed at a decent time. It's a silly little wish, a wish that came true...there may be a million others that don't and at least a dozen that didn't come true with this house....but this wish reminded me God cares about the small things....even a wood burning fireplace. Now if I could just change that green tile around it - LOL! I just had to say it..... Thank you God for showing me that in my love for projects, that I am a project of yours. I, too, am a work in progress. If my house were perfect, where would be the appreciation? If we had been created perfect, where would be the appreciation.....for what we were, what we are now and what we will be one day?

So, I'm reminded of another song from my childhood..... Hope you have a great weekend!

He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be.

It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.

How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.

There really ought to be a sign upon the heart,Don't judge her yet, there's an unfinished part.

But I'll be perfect just according to His plan

Fashioned by the Master's loving hands.

In the mirror of His Word reflections that I see

Make me wonder why He never gave up on me.

He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray

Remember He's the Potter, I'm the clay.

Strokes

We made it to church today, in spite of running later than normal. We made it to church in spite of both adults, er parental figures not feeling well. Once at church we made the drop-off rounds and settled in "our seats". "Our seats" is just a reference to general area of the balcony where we like to sit and is in close proximity to the door. Also, not chosen to enable us a faster exit at the first sign of boredom or our toes getting stepped on, but only to be close for when we leave to make the pickup rounds. Pastor Kevin began to speak from Proverbs and was speaking on relationships. Thru my stuffy head, I heard him say - "all relationships will have strokes" and he repeated it several times and asking the congregation to agree that all relationships will have strokes. I sat there trying to figure out what he meant by that and started quickly pondering the cause & affects of a stroke and was trying to sort out what relationships and strokes have to do with each other. Still puzzled, I conceded to move on and was shortly met with the fact that my stuffy head had muffled the sound of Pastor Kevin's voice. I soon realized he was saying "all relationships have struggles" NOT strokes. Ok so mystery solved - right? Well, while I was trying to sort out relationships having strokes - I came to a lot of conclusions about the impact a stroke would have on a relationship and decided to come home and look into it further. A stroke is defined as a blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel leading to the brain, causing inadequate oxygen supply and, depending on the extent and location of the abnormality, such symptoms as weakness, paralysis of parts of the body, speech difficulties, and, if severe, loss of consciousness or death. Step outside your own relationships with your friends or spouse for a moment and ponder with me if a "stroke" happened in that relationship. Something happens - a fuss, a fight, hurt feelings and they go unrecognized or untreated. The tension builds and builds with no where for the anxiety to go that is building inside you or between the two of you. This is creating a blockage in the relationship and preventing the relationship from flourishing. The blockage exists until one day you overflow with emotion, a hemorrhage of sorts..... The hemorrhagic event results in more hurt feelings, sometimes irreversible effects, sometimes side effects that will linger throughout the rest of the relationship....there may be weakness and vulnerability, there may now be an emotional paralysis or physical paralysis where you are unable to reach out or be reached, there may be speech difficulties making communication next to impossible.....there may even be death...death to the relationship. I'm sorry to say I've experienced a stroke before in a relationship....many of us may have. There's also a lesser form of stroke called TIA for Transient Ischemic Attack. This occurs when a blood clot clogs an artery for a short period of time. This is sometimes called a warning stroke. The symptoms are much like a major stroke, however, they last for a shorter period of time. Are you having TIA's in your relationships? Can you see any of these signs?.... Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body Do you find yourself growing numb to the fusses and fights? Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding Do you feel like the world is passing you by and no one cares or understands? Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes Having trouble seeing how things are going to get better? Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Just don't feel like you can go another day, take another step, go this alone? Sudden, severe headache with no known cause Pain just too great to bear any longer? Can you head off a major stroke by knowing these signs? What will you do? Sometimes a medical doctor will put a patient in therapy to recover from the effects of a stroke...sometimes prescriptive medicine is required which is usually a type of blood thinner to keep clots from reoccurring. If you've found yourself thinking about a relationship you are in or have been in, has it had a stroke? I'd ask you to think.... Do you see warning signs? Do you want to keep it from having a stroke? What course of treatment is right for your stroke? Will you make a full recovery or find yourself in the same situation again? Will therapy or counseling help you recover from your stroke? Can you be treated preventively with "blood thinners" - will you allow "blockages" to be removed, tear down the walls, open the veins of communication and let the flow resume? I know we serve a mighty God who in Him nothing is impossible (Matthew 19:26). Let him take control and be the great physician. Grab hold of your faith.....for with "faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain 'Move from here to there' and it will move'." and "NOTHING will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). God can give you the strength to make a full recovery, to be healed and fully restored, to make you a new creation in Him. His word also instructs that we are to "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18,19). With His commandments he provides us the tools to execute those commandments - not like buying an assembly required entertainment center from the discount store and opening the box to find no instructions and no idea on where to begin. In 2 Chronicles, chapter 7, we are simply told if we will humble ourselves, pray and seek His Face...He will heal our land....His eyes will be open and His ears attentive to prayer made in this place. How amazing is that ....we hold the key to our healing and restoration in our own minds, words and prayers? We have step by step instructions and know the end results....pretty simple or is it? Can you humble yourself to ask for help from the Great Physician? Can you swallow the medicine? Can you perform the therapy? The health of your relationship, your happiness and hope - depend on you!

Faithful Fridays

Won't promise I'll make this a weekly occurrence but will try if for no other reason than to remind myself of God's faithfulness, goodness and grace. So, here's my first log in the heading of Faithful Fridays.

• God has been extremely faithful to me and my family in many areas. Most recently is in the area of my employment. Went thru merger at one company and knew my job was going away, went to company down the road, struggled thru some initial hardships and now going thru another merger. Job is secure during this merger and have been given some assurances of that. Have seen friends come thru this triumphantly, as well, and we will stay a "team" for the most part while adding new faces to our teams.

Thank you for your unconditional love, even when I am not as loving. Thank you God for your mercy when I know I am not as merciful with others. Thank you God for your goodness when I am not so great. Thank you God for your faithfulness even when I am not as faithful. Thank you for bringing me up in a Christian home, where as I child I learned these words....

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me - Yes, Jesus loves me - Yes, Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so.

Thank you that not only does your word tell me of your love for me, but that you SHOW me all the time, in so many ways and in so many places.

Update on Condition

The black eye is more a purple eye today accompanied by a sore throat and stuffy head. However the new symptoms are typical of this time of year and crazy weather we have here. Was really puffy this morning and made it hard to see when I first got up this morning. This aggravation resulted in me applying a bag of frozen peas to it while I fixed the girls breakfast. My mother in law got me in with the Dr. she works for and I am going to see them this afternoon after lunch. I will update if they find anything wrong with me - ha ha, we know there is plenty wrong, I mean medically!

Down For the Count.....

Sunday evening I started feeling less than "well"..... I had eaten a late lunch (no supper) and felt like it was just settling heavy on me. I took some Pepto and curled up on the couch with a blanket. I finally drifted off but not for long....I kept waking having cold chills and overall discomfort. I decided to go to our bedroom about 2:00 a.m. and the symptoms persisted. I woke up every hour or so for the next three hours and then it was time to get up to begin getting myself ready for work. I shuffled into the kitchen and decided to take my temperature since I had wrestled with cold chills all night long. I finally found the thermometer and started taking my temperature. I didn't think the thing was ever going to beep and it wasn't doing it's thing fast enough....I was feeling so lightheaded and knew I needed to get back in bed (fever or no fever). So, I headed back down the hall to our bedroom. I got to the first bedroom on the left which still has unpacked boxes in it and didn't feel I could make it much further. For a point of reference, ours is last door on the right and there is another bedroom door across and just slightly past ours (kinda diagonally- I call it the second bedroom and it will ultimately be our "office" when we get a desk for in there!). Can you see where this is headed? At that point in my "trek" down the hallway to make it to my bed, I braced myself against the wall. My head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and was pulling me downward. I tried calling for Chad but I am not sure I got it out of my mouth or if I just felt like I was calling for him.....but I knew I was going down and quick. The next thing I knew I was "waking up" in the floor". I called for Chad in between crying and shaking.....he was asleep and he told me last night he wasn't sure if he was "dreaming" or not when he heard me calling. He called back to me "where are you" and he said I said "I don't know". I don't remember answering him but I do remember him asking me where I was and I wasn't sure so I guess I did say that. He found me in the doorway to the second bedroom/one-day office room. I was face down and in pain. I could tell I must have hit my head / face when I went down....we still aren't sure on what except for maybe the door casing(???) So he helped me up and to the bed where we were discussing what happened and what my symptoms are/were. I was aching in places I didn't know could ache and my head was just throbbing....as if it weren't throbbing before the impact with the doorway. The morning routine was now all on him as he had the task to get the girls ready and off to school. Thankfully we had laid out clothes on Sunday evening so that part was taken care of....they were a little wrinkled but could pass for the day. I could hear the events of the morning and they all seemed to be doing fine. The girls did come to my bedside to get their hair brushed and fixed and we managed that just fine. At some point I needed to go to the bathroom and almost fell off the facilities due to my lightheadedness. In going back to my bed, I went down again and the girls and I found myself being shaken by Chad and girls at his side. I know that had to worry the girls...poor babies. I found out later that Jessie told Mrs. Kim (our neighbor, who took she and their daughter Emilee to school) all about it! Kim is an R.N. so she has seen and heard it all.....her husband told me they thought I should have gone to the hospital. He cracked me up - he said "Tonya, that's not normal to just pass out. I drink and don't even pass out. You don't even drink...you shouldn't be passing out like that!" I spent the day under the blankets and then out from the blankets as the chills persisted and body aches continued. Sipped on a glass of water to keep from getting dehydrated and monitored the swelling on my face. Also, got in a hot tub of water which did wonders for the aches even if only temporary. Last night, I was feeling some better and we snapped this shot to memorialize the day's events. And this was the view this morning.....can't wait to see if it turns worse tomorrow, especially since I anticipate going back to work tomorrow.

My 1st MEME

I have been reading / following a blog by a Mom called Everyday Mommy. Her blog caught my eye when I read the following on her site "It is my passion to encourage Moms to see the mission field who sleep in the bunkbeds in the room down the hall." That truly hit home for me as I thought about my two girls who not long ago were sleeping in bunkbeds down the hall and thought about where we were and how far we've come. So, this morning she posted a meme 5 Things You Don't Know About Me and here are my responses: 1) I used to skydive....lived for it...but I was young and crazy (now I'm just older and crazy). 2) I share my birthday with my dad and my parent's anniversary....and my best friend's daughter was born on same day. 3) I used to own a pot belly pig. 4) I was a week away from owning a motorcycle when my husband passed away.....kinda made me re-think the whole thing even though his untimely death was not motor related. 5) I was double promoted in school....where did the "smarts" go? TAG - you're it; post a reply here or on your own site and let me know! Have a great day! PS - While we're at it - if you can post without fear of a family member reading it, what's the most outrageous item on someone's list this year or from year's past? Mine isn't all that bad but it's that my 8 yr old wants memory foam pillows and memory foam mattress topper. She wanted the mattress until I explained to her how much mattresses cost in relation to other things (i.e. horses) and that her mattress is very new therefore not going anywhere! She never ceases to amaze me with what she comes up with!

In Thanksgiving....

• Monday was full of funeral activities, glad it's over - was thinking about how he's gone and how I don't have any grandparents any longer. I will always have the memories of better days!
• I have a JOB!
• Reconciled with a family member
• Had dinner last night with Chad's Family
• "Paid it forward"
• I love my kids, husband and our horses!
• We have our health.
• Will have Thanksgiving time with our families tomorrow
• Am off work on Friday and will get to spend time with my girls!
• Plan to ride some this weekend.

and baby makes 3......

Did that title get your attention? NO, we aren't expecting an addition to the family....but this past weekend we kept my 11 month old nephew as my brother and his wife went to Atlanta for a wedding. He's a good baby and goes to sleep without a lot of fanfare and sleeps pretty well. We also took him to the Hitchin Post for the trail ride on Saturday. Mom got to ride Goldie and Goldie didn't try any of her usual tricks. I took Shelby on a "trail ride" where I walked her on Blackie thru the woods and made a loop on a nice little portion of the trail. When we got back I let Shelby have the reins and she and Blackie and I went to the outside arena and we played around weaving in and out of some barrels for a bit. Then Jessie and I went for a ride on the same loop with me on Hannah and her on Blackie. He got lazy halfway thru the loop and I had to take Hannah behind him and prod him along. He is a great "speed" for Jessie right now but she will be back up to full speed in good time. She is asking me let her ride Blackie with me on a real trail. I may take her to Oak Mountain for a little ride and change of scenery for us both. Also, the arrangements were made for my Grandfather and the funeral was set for Monday the 20th with viewing and graveside services all in one. We also had to secure pallbearers. On Sunday, Callie - Richard and Allison came over for us to take each other's pictures for our family CHRISTmas cards. We picked the coldest day of the year - brrrr! We took their photo using Blackie and got a cute picture of Allison on Blackie. I really need to take more pictures of the girls with the horses - the one of Allison turned out so cute! My brother and his wife came to get James and soon we were back to our family of 4. He's a great baby but it's such an eye opener to what life would be like if we added another. Chad missed a part of our time of having James at our house as he wasn't home Saturday night to go hunting with his Uncle and didn't get home until almost 11:00 on Sunday afternoon. He needs to have the full weekend to really understand the impact! I think we will give it a few months before we "pretend" again!

For Whom the Bells Toll.......

At lunch, I visited a local mall to make a few purchases. As I left, I stopped outside the store's exit and fumbled in my purse for my keys. As I stood there fumbling for my key's the Salvation Army bell ringer was ringing his bell. I was not even paying attention to it until I was stopped to find my keys. As I stood there the bell's ring, seemed to resonate in my head and I was totally distracted from finding my keys. My focus kept drifting to those that have lost loved ones and those that are going thru difficult times as we approach the "holidays". The bell was ringing so methodically and my head was almost spinning. In such a brief moment, I thought of so many families and their situations....many of the families listed in my "Praying For" list located on the left of my blog. I couldn't believe how my mind was racing....couldn't find my keys....wanted to find a dollar bill to put in the kettle and wanted to run....all at the same time. As I walked to the kettle, I thought specifically of the wife lost today in Tennessee - BJ Kilpatrick and of little Jake Raborn and how his family continues to turn his death into opportunities to "pay it forward" and of Hannah Sobeski's family "carrying the torch". I pushed my dollar in firmly and hoped it would find a way to "pay it forward". The ringer smiled, wished me a nice day and I thanked him and told him "you too". It was as if the bell stopped but I know it didn't....I know he was still ringing it and with the same methodicalness that was there a few moments ago....it just didn't have the same resonance that it seemed to have just moments earlier when I fumbled for my keys and was going to pass it by. I know a dollar isn't an impactful amount.....at this moment I don't think that ordeal was about the amount but about the recognition and the reflection that took place for me. Little did I know I would get back to my office and receive a message from my dad about 20 minutes later. That message was that I needed to call him and that it was very important. You never know with my dad...important can have varying scales with him but that's another one for another day. I called him to have him tell me my grandfather had passed away this morning. He is my Mom's Dad and she is an only child. There have been extenuating circumstances that have placed a strain on the relationships we all shared with he and his wife (not my grandmother, she passed away in 99). Nonetheless, it met me with a swell of mixed emotions and will cause some angst for us in the days to come. So the bells have tolled and continue to toll....life must go on, even when others have passed on. To quote James 4:14, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." How small that truly makes our life yet so important that we live it while we can. So, I will persevere thru the next few days and close another chapter in my life. As the next chapter begins for me and for you...I'd ask you: Are you living your life - truly living it? Can you take the time to hear the bells and really hear them? Can you pay it forward? Can you carry the torch? In my prayers - Tonya

Trails to Ride.......

This past Saturday lived up to all my expectations and much much more! I awoke earlier than I do for work during the week and began getting my stuff out to the truck and trailer. Chad got up with me and was a huge help also. A big thanks to Nee Nee (Chad's Mom) for keeping the girls on Friday night so we had no little ones to contend with - but they probably would have slept right thru me leaving as early as it was. I didn't leave or get up quite as early as Chad does for fishing tournaments but I had a little drive ahead of me similar to some of his fishing trips. (Our exit was actually the Lay Dam exit!) At any rate, Chad helped me load Hannah up and I think the high temperature on Saturday had been reached when we were loading up at 6:00 a.m....with the humidity and 65 degree temperature, I was "glistening" (HA!) as I left for the first leg of the drive. The temperature would only continue to drop as the day passed and it dropped rapidly. The first leg of the drive meant a quick detour off of 65 South onto 459 North to pick up Kristan and her horse Foxy, who I had "met" on an MSN message board, AL/GA Horse Lovers. I have jokingly called it my "blind date"...now I have told everyone that my blind date went well and I think we may "go out again". She was super nice, so easy to talk to and not a "weirdo"! That's just a joke...since her husband had asked her how did she know I'm not a total weirdo? and she said, how does SHE know I'm not a total weirdo! I told Chad he ends up in his boat with a total stranger everytime he fishes a BFL tournament as they have to draw for a partner and is most always someone he doesn't know....then they are in a boat from daybreak to 3:00pm fishing together. In my case and his, you are at least with someone you know you share one common interest with and for both of us those "interests" are something we are very passionate about. With that in mind, it's easy to make friends in those settings that you might not make in a different setting. So, I had a great time meeting Kristan and was glad to have some company for the ride to Clanton. Kristan and I headed to Clanton and got there with time to spare! The place was absolutely beautiful. It's called Creek Valley and the owner, Les Hope, was a super host. You can see my day's pictures in my shutterfly album. Take a look, Creek Valley was a beautiful place to take in and spend the morning....the Outback Riders gathered for a quick meeting and then they split up into a couple of groups. We went with the slow group and started our trip. I was quickly in my "la la land" as it has jokingly been referred to.....when I get on the trails, it's like nothing else is going on. It's so peaceful and just a great time to clear your head. But we were in a good size group and I stayed in check as much as possible. Hannah was doing great and wasn't letting anything bother her other than she was playing with her bit for most of the ride. Pretty soon, we found ourselves at one of the first hills on the trail. The next thing I knew the riders in front were all-out running their horses up this hill. I am totally not accustomed to that because the guided trail rides at the barn do not allow people to run their horses. I have to say, the first time up was a little shocking and I was wide awake by the time we got to the top....but I couldn't wait to do it again.....and we did - again and again and again! Poor Hannah will probably never want to get back on the trailer again. She and I are so out of shape and several others were commenting that their horses weren't ready for that either. Well, I want to keep Hannah and shape and I can't wait to do it again. When we got back to camp, we ate lunch and they were going out again. Kristan and I had decided our morning ride would be it for that day and we were going to load up. Several others were going to call it a day as well. The temperature was rapidly dropping from the morning temperatures we met when we first began. Earlier that morning, I was SWEATING as we loaded up and suddenly we were freezing! Back at camp, I saw the owner again and he asked me what trail we went on.....I told him that I thought we went out on the yellow trail and came back on the red trail. In a questioning tone, he said "I don't know how y'all did that....well, if you did you would have been up and down, up and down (doing his hands like a roller coaster and shaking his head)" I said - We Were! and I just laughed. It was absolutely the most fun I have ever had riding. I am looking forward to going back as soon as possible. This weekend we have a ride at our old barn where we used to board. I am keeping my 11 month old nephew this weekend so my Mom is going to go with us so we can all ride and keep James Adam. Next weekend, I plan on going to KC Ranch in Double Springs with the Outback Riders Club and am shooting to ride on Dec 2 back at Creek Valley. A view of the pavilion and one of the ponds My trailer and Yukon on the right and miles to ride out in front! Me and my dirty but good girl Hannah! Group taking a break on the trail!

Looking Ahead.....

This weekend is approaching with the excitement mounting inside me. I am so excited that I am going on a trail ride with some girls from the horse lovers message board. So, while our last few weekends have been busy with doing things for others and with others - I am getting some "me" time and getting to spend it with my horse Hannah. The only thing that would be any better is if Jessie were at a point that she could go.....she'll get there again one day and Shelby will too! This week our elections have made headlines and provided abundant fodder for the analysts, journalists and other interested parties. It's not that I'm not interested but I'm just not very politically motivated. This campaign season tried to pull me in whether I wanted to or not. Our democratic candidate for State Supreme Court was running an ad which contained a song running in the background. The song was the oh-so-well-known children's church song "This Little Light of Mine". Her ad's focused on her experience as a judge as well as her personal life as a church pianist. My daughter's would hear the ad and immediately begin singing...it was kinda cute but then snap back to reality that it was a campaign ad that had them lulled into singing their church song. Kind of an oxymoron - dontcha think? Anyway, this same ad had a blurb in it about her house being firebombed at one point in her career as a judge. My oldest daughter has a heart of gold and was truly concerned about the fate of the judge's family and her home after this "fire bombing". She asked me numerous times if I could "find out what happened"....I did a quick search of the internet and came up pretty empty. So, I went to the candidate's website. (You might be asking why I keep saying "her" and "candidate"??? It's just that if anyone is searching for this person on the web, I don't want my blog to be a hit for them in the search.....not interested in any political ties or torture as a result of this post) The website was a dead end as well...so I e-mailed the campaign office and did not hear anything back. Some time passed and my Mom and I happened to be discussing the candidate's and this whole series of events came up. My Mom was a little miffed that I had not heard anything back from the campaign office.....and just as luck would have it, she had a little free time on her hands that day. She began making some calls and was running into dead ends and even "butt ends" as she relayed that someone in the campaign office was less than cordial when she inquired. Next thing I knew she was asking me to look up the library number to the candidate's hometown. Apparently there was an article in the candidate's hometown paper and the library there should be able to provide it. She relayed to me later the librarian was a little hesitant to discuss the life and times of the towns seemingly favorite daughter. It's a small town, they are family friends, they go to church together and I know that in small towns you live and die by the garden club, your church and the beauty shop! So, Lord bless the librarian for her loyalty to her friend and town but also for her dutifulness as she sent us the article which she had to retype into an e-mail to be able to send to us. The article explained no one was home at the time and the damage was minimal. They felt the suspect was probably someone who had been in her court however I don't believe anyone was ever charged. I will say I'm not sure that this firebombing was as sensational of a headline once the details were unearthed but it sure sounded good in the ad and got your attention (at least my daughter's and in turn ours). At any rate, I am glad my Mom didn't have to have the interview with the B'ham reporter who was chomping at the bit to interview her and find out why no one would divulge the details of this firebombing...I'm glad Jessie got her answer....I'm glad the good librarian helped us all.....I'm glad the candidate only donated $300 to John Kerry instead of several thousands and Dear Lord I'm glad the ads are over. May "This Little Light of Mine" never be exploited again! PS - she won the election....may her values and hometown roots guide her in her decisions and in the relationships she is about to cultivate.

Horsey Scare!

On Monday of this week, Chad called me and told me that Goldie was not getting up. Goldie is Jessie's horse who is her "dream horse" - a Palomino! He said he could get her up but she would go back down and for any non-horsey people, that is not a good sign for horses! He called me several times with updates and I was on the phone with vet and a few friends of ours getting advice. I also called my Mom to head that way to help Chad since he works from home and needed to be "working". He also didn't want to leave to go get Shelby from Kindergarten. I finally couldn't take it anymore and asked to leave work. I picked up Shelby and my Mom headed to the Hitchin' Post Stables to get the medicine that the vet said we needed. I made it to the house a little before her and headed out to see about Goldie. It was not good! When Mom arrived we gave her the medicine and kept her up walking. All speculations were that Goldie was colicing. An hour after giving her the medicine she was acting very sleepy and almost drunk. Spoke with the vet again and concluded with needing to keep a close eye on her and use a little salt on the tongue to encourage her to drink. She went down again one more time but then gradually improved over the remainder of the afternoon. We put her under the "almost finished" stalls and used our round pen panels to make an enclosure. There she would stay dry from the approaching rain. The other horses were staying close by and it seemed as though they knew something was going on. We were trying to keep the severity of this from Jessie. She was supposed to have lessons and when Courtney arrived she asked if Goldie was colicing? Jessie's radar went up because she knew colicing is what killed her friend's horse last year. We were going to do lessons on Sparkle but she was feeling way too frisky for Jessie to ride. We used the lesson time to talk with Courtney about where Jessie is and what she needs to be working on as well as Courtney rode Sparkle. Courtney really liked Sparkle and told Jessie that Sparkle would be her barrel horse if she gets to that point. I stood close to Goldie's temporary stall and kept an eye on her. Throughout the evening I kept tabs on Goldie and when we fed the other horses, she was very vocal with us that she was there too and obviously wanted feed. She couldn't have any yet, Dr's orders. But it was a good sign that she was whinnying to us. I was instructed to give her a half dose of the Banamine at bedtime and so I did (in the rain and mud!). As I went to sleep, I asked God for peace of mind through the night about Goldie. I didn't wake again until 4 a.m and got up a little later and headed out to check on her. She craned her neck over the top of the stall and whinnied at me. That was the best sound I could have ever heard!!! As I log this, she is doing great and we are all happy we made it thru this scare. But we only made it thru with the help of a few great friends, each other, our vet and lots of prayer!

Trick or Treat - we had them both !

With having the Fall Ball "bash" at our house, the girls and I discussed not buying costumes this year or going to any other fall festivals. But, they are my girls and in that they are resourceful! So they came up with things we had at home to make costumes out of and twisted our arms to take them to Nee Nee and Big Ron's neighborhood like we did last year. (Sidenote - last year, was the first time we skipped the church fall festival and took them to their neighborhood. We only took them to houses that Chad and his family have known forever. They loved going to the doors and then coming back to dump all of it in the living room floor of Nee Nee and Big Ron's.) Jessie decided she would be Ellie Mae and knew exactly what she wanted to wear to achieve this look. Shelby wanted to be a princess and we have plenty of apparel to accomodate that! Jeannie aka Nee Nee had us all over for supper and invited my parents as well. My parents brought my nephew James Adam as my sister-in-law and brother had to be at the funeral home for her step-father's visitation. My parents visited the funeral home and then brought James over with a monkey suit in tow. Jessie poses with her "costume", note the hay string she chose to adorn her hair with! Shelby poses in Jessie's first pageant dress AND in a real crown that Shelby won in her first pageant. I had out a play crown and she would have nothing to do with it. Slightly out of focus picture of James in his monkey suit AND he has the hat still on his head. He hated the hat. There are better pictures below but no more with the hat on..... To add to the excitement, Sandi and Ryan got their wedding pics and had a gazillion pictures to look at. We "oohed and aahed" over those as Jeannie called us all to the table. It was hard to put those down as we relived that day....Sandi could be the cover of a bridal magazine and Ryan could be a model as well. Then I saw pictures of my girls.....they are soooo pretty and I can't wait to order some of those for myself. We also had Tiffany and Mark with us for dinner. Last year, Mark had fun tormenting trick or treaters and the "fun" was about to begin again. However, in the torment last year Shelby was petrified of a mask that Uncle Ryan had brought out. She asked Chad a million times yesterday if "that mask" was still there. Chad promised her "no mask"! We were posing the girls and James on the stairs for pictures (see first picture below) when she looked up shortly after I took the pictures and she saw Ryan in "THE mask"....she frieked out.....see next picture. Chad admonished everyone involved. Bless her heart...she has been sick this week and almost didn't even get to go and then this!

she had not seen the mask yet

now she's seen it!

Chad, Nee Nee and the kids left to go hit a few houses....before they could get down to the sidewalk - "Ellie Mae" had a fight with the stairs and the stairs won. Chad carried her in the house crying and we had to doctor a skinned shin and arm before they could continue. While they were gone, Mark and Ryan tormented our trick or treaters with jumping out of the shrubs with power tools and masks on. They crack me up!

The kids came back with candy in tow and they sorted thru their loot in the living room. We took a few more pictures during this time (all can be seen in our online albums in the Halloween album at http://tonyahall.shutterfly.com). We had a great time having everyone together, minus Big Ron who had taken his parents to the beach.

The girls are in a wedding this weekend - YES, I do rent them out for weddings to earn extra money for my horse habit!

I am sure I will have more pictures from that event to post later.

Thanks for reading about us. hug your kids or a family member and live life to the fullest in God's Grace!

Fun Pictures....Fun People

Pictures from the Rodeo

The girls look on at the action.....we'll have fun next year! Jessie rides a mechanical bull. She has asked could she have this at her birthday party next year, since they rent it out. Look out parents, we'll be having a rodeo at our house!

Work and Rodeo's......

Guess in some ways they have a lot of similarities....I mean in both there are clowns, bulls, thrills and spills! No this is not some profound analogy of the two - that's just the only title I could think of that describes my week and weekend, then when I got to thinking about how funny the two sounded together - I started thinking maybe they aren't so different after all. So, this week in the midst of the M word (that's merger - for those new to my blog)...we found out who our manager will be. The old Regions comp manager will be the new manager in the new Regions - makes perfect sense doesn't it? Ok - when Regions m'd with Union Planters - the Comp Manager came over from UP...so the Regions Comp Mgr moved to another position in HR. Then, the Exec Comp Mgr, who was from UP, was "displaced" so that Comp Mgr came back into Comp doing Exec Comp. So, he has a lot of COMP experience and will be the new mgr over Base/Variable Comp in the new Regions. I know him, like him and feel things will be fine. He was actually part of my decision to come to Regions in the first place even though I knew I would not be working for him...he was instrumental in helping me make my decision. So, I feel good about him and the fact that he will be working for a former SouthTrust manager who has been at Amsouth. So, that's one less unknown in this cake we are baking......now if we can get the rest of the ingredients we might know what kind of cake we are making....until now I've just been worried about pre-heating the oven! I say that to say that we know we have a job just not doing what or working for whom and it's like knowing you've got to make a cake but not what kind or how....so you're just standing there at the oven waiting to start it pre-heating!!! I know - I'm goofy....but that's the way I feel. I just hope our cake doesn't go flat and personally I prefer carrot cake to german chocolate; so let's just keep the coco"nuts" out of this recipe! So, next on the agenda is I got my Yukon back - yeah! I am no longer in the racecar, I mean Grand Prix and the new has worn off the girls and they were ready to have our car back. So, I'm on my way home later than usual last night because I had to go to Trussville to pick up my car. I pass by a home which has a few horses and one of them is out, grazing by the side of the road. I called my sweet hubby and asked him to bring a lead line - to which he replied "you're kidding - right?" and I said "no, I don't want this horse to get hit and no one is at home here"...so off he comes, kids in tow and I try to play Roy Rogers (just kidding). It was dark and this guy was not thru grazing....pinned back his ears and took off. I got his halter briefly and he immediately pulled back and went up with his head, so I let go. I am not into playing "cowgirl" especially with strange horses...so I called the Sherriff's Dept and left it in their hands. I did find the number for house thru freeality.com and called later. The horse had been captured and was safe and sound. I was relieved! I am also very thankful to my husband for coming down there for me....he didn't have to do it and I know he was getting ready for a tournament (by the way he came in 2nd - whoo hoo!) So, with that rodeo behind us....we were off to a "real rodeo" on Saturday. We got up bright and early Saturday morning to head to Hidden Creek Ranch near Vincent / Vandiver. Jessie went to horse camp there this summer and LOVED it. They were holding their 2nd Annual Dusty Bottoms Rodeo for kids ages 2 - 15. We did not pre-register and weren't exactly sure what all it involved. When we got there, I made an executive decision that we would not participate or compete this year but watch for a little while and then embark on other activities. The lineup showed it would be a long day at the Dusty Bottoms Rodeo and it was MUDDY....so the two combined did not seem appealing for an entire day. But we watched long enough to know that we will be back next year and with horses in tow for them to participate. While we were there, Jessie got to ride a mechanical bull - well you can only imagine what that has led to....I got pictures and will have them posted later. She also enjoyed watching the roping events and told me how she wanted to practice roping! We were heading to The Hitchin' Post for a b'day party and she told me she wanted to look at the roping dummies when we got there and the ropes! Lord - help us, I can just see Shelby being roped, Reed being roped, Blackie being roped and heaven forbid I make her mad! Once at Hitchin' Post, we checked out the roping dummies and ropes. Mr Cedar was there and he advised us on that aspect and he is going to let her borrow a rope for calf roping and give her some pointers. She also tried on a really cool pair of new boots from the John Deere line which have brown bottoms with pink uppers and are toooooo cute. We are going to see if she can get those for Christmas! We had a great time at Hitchin' Post and they are in full swing for their rodeo next weekend. We were worried we weren't going to get to see too much of their 1st Annual Rodeo because the girls are in a wedding next weekend....but the rodeo doesn't start until 8:00 each night so we will probably get to see plenty of action. If you are looking for some fun, come out to Kimberly, Alabama to the rodeo OR you could just go to work for a company in the middle of merger - it's all about the same!

Photo Link for the Fall Ball

I hope this link will take you to pics of the Fall Ball...be warned there are a ton as I am collecting them from everyone who took pictures. http://tonyahall.shutterfly.com Let me know if it doesn't work!

The Fall Ball has come and gone...

The much planned for "Fall Ball" has come and gone. I had hesitated to call it our "first annual" because I just knew after my husband missed a day of fishing and all the work that went into it...he would say NO WAY to another Fall Ball. But last night he surprised me and said something to the effect of we know things we will do different for next year and I said, "so that means there is a 'next year' ?" and he said "yeah - I had fun and we can do it again". Yippeeee- I just knew he would be wanting to kill me by the time the day was over but he was a real trooper in all the prep work, setting up, saddling the pony and running the hay ride....which was a huge hit. I told one of the mom's that I was going to owe him big time for this one and that he would want to fish every Saturday for six months after this day!!!! But I truly think he had a good time. We certainly would not have pulled it off without the help of our families who all pitched in to set up and keep things going. I think at times I felt things were a little more chaotic and less organized than I had 'planned' for them to be....but I think everyone had a great time. One of the dad's said he thinks this will be talked about for a long time. Shelby's pony, Blackie, was also a real trooper as I walked him probably 200 times around the round pen. He has not been ridden in at least a month and when Shelby does ride him - it is not for very long. I should have had a step stool out there to help the bigger kids get on him....I did not know I could lift that much weight....my back is telling me today that I shouldn't have. I am so glad Blackie is not spooky....because a baby was on him with her Mom holding her to pose for a picture. Someone outside the round pen decided it would be cute for the baby to put on a cowboy hat and threw it in to us....it landed right on Blackie's head and slid down his nose. There are many horses that would have flipped them out so I am so thankful for that not happening and safety for us all! The games were fun as all the kids enjoyed the cake walk, bobbing for apples, hunting thru the hay for candy, a ball toss and a duck pond. I had a great time even though I didn't get to mingle too much. I am just so thankful God has blessed us with the setting, the friends and the means to do something like this.....I will post pics as soon as I have them. Looks like I can safely call it our "First Annual Fall Ball"......

Well this weekend we will be hosting our "Fall Ball" at our home. This was my "brainchild" that I dreamed up last year but had to put on hold until we actually had a place to host it. So, we have invited the girls classmates, ball team, family friends and our extended families to our home for the Fall Ball. This "ball" will consist of games, hay ride, wienie roast, smores, pony rides, etc. Also, my friend Kim is going to hold Micah's one year old b'day party at the same time....with her own guest list. We will know a lot of people on her guest list from church and from knowing her family. So, the crowds should mingle well. For me and my family, we are doing this in lieu of other fall festivals, halloween costumes, etc. The invites told everyone to put on their best "western duds" so we are attending in western attire....maybe others will follow suit. I did help Kim get Micah a cute overall outfit with a broncing horse embroidered on the front and we got her daughter, Maggie, some overalls off of ebay as well. We have been having Crafts 101 as we adorn her overalls with some horsey fabrick and fringe on the pockets. Maybe this will be an annual event for our family. At any rate, wish us luck - I will update and post pictures later!

Pics from Chattanooga

this is of "the girls" outside the aquarium: this is "the girls" and their "Chaddy" after he weighed in: that's my girls!: this is Shelby and Chad on stage:

It's the Little Things....

Thanks to my boss, I was able to get off half a day and get a headstart on our drive to Chattanooga. The girls and I were heading up there for Chad's weigh in on Friday. The first weigh in was Thursday but Jessie wasn't out of school until Friday. So, we loaded up and were on our way. The girls were really excited - they love 'quick trips' and act like we've really gone somewhere. We went to Chad's Triton Gold tournament this summer in Florence, AL and the hotel had a great pool...the girls were in heaven and you'd have thought we really went some where. The girls and I made a day trip to Chattanooga two years ago so Shelby was 2 1/2 and she really didn't remember a lot of details from that trip. We arrived at Chad's hotel Thursday evening and settled in. Chad was laughing at how giddy the girls were and commented you'd think they were in Disney World - told ya - it's the little things! Chad had a decent day of fishing on Thursday and weighed in at approx 9.15 with four fish. This placed him around 22nd place out of 146 boaters. This is the Regional tournament for the BFL and he had a nice showing in the points this season. It was a nice follow up to him winning the points in the Mississippi Division on basically unknown waters to him. He got up bright and early for the tournament this morning and I told him bye, love ya, get 'em in the boat, all the loving things a fisherman's wife says.....and got directions to the weigh in before I turned over to try and sleep in some more!!!! The girls did actually sleep in but then were pestering me about going to eat breakfast. I told my little hoggly wogglies (jk) that we were not going to make the 10:30 cutoff and that we would get them something for lunch on the way to the aquarium. Got directions from front desk to the aquarium and made it there with no problems. Got great parking and headed in. Shelby was much more interested in the exhibits this time and at one point looked up at me with those big brown eyes and said "this is the BEST day of my life"....she can really melt me! Again, she showed me 'it's the little things'. She was dying to get to the "sharks" but at the first sight of one...she was thru! Hate we couldn't squeeze in the IMax Shark movie - she would have really had a fit! I took plenty of pics of the girls and will post later. After leaving the aquarium complex, we headed across the river to North Shore. Chad and I visited Chattanooga on a quick weekend trip when we were dating and I gave him a hat as a 'souvenir' from the trip from a store called Choo Choo Fish and Fly. It was well worn and has been retired. I was hoping I could replace it...but no luck, the store is closed! The girls and I browsed the shop windows and got ice cream from Clumpies. We then headed to the pedestrian bridge over the river and the girls loved that. After that trip, we went down to the riverside park and rode the indoor carousel, then walked around the park. They had a blast and I had fun just watching them....it's the little things. We got to the weigh in site and waited for a glimpse of Chad. When we finally saw him, he shook his head and I knew that wasn't good. He weighed in one fish and I knew that would not put him in line for a check that would pay to the 24th place. I was disappointed for him but as I would tell his parents later....all the guys there fishing this weekend had to qualify and fish well all season to get there, so they are all good if not great fisherman and it's a tough tournament when they are all this good. Several of his friends got checks and in his usual style he was very happy for them! We left to head out and grab a bite to eat before hitting 59 south to the Ham. One parting thing about the tournament, was that Shelby and Jessie ran to see him when he was getting ready to weigh in and much to my surprise, Shelby had already decided she was going to weigh in on stage with him. Jessie sat next to me and said "I wish Chaddy had more fish...I wish he had made the cut" and I could tell she meant every word......at the same time I watched Shelby go on stage with him and his one fish. She could have cared less one fish or five as he held her up there and told the weighmaster her name.....she was with her Chaddy and that was all that mattered......I was glad we were there....it's the little things! We love Chaddy and I love my girls!

Get Rid of a Bad Cold?

We've all heard someone talking about the cold they just can't seem to get rid of.....just can't shake. We've probably even been there, done that ourselves. I will have to say I have a case of the "cold I just can't get rid of"......but my ailment is in the form of some people in my life. A few of these have seemed to pop up when I least expect them to...in some of these cases I try to get out the chicken soup and go on.....while there's another who I don't think I will ever be rid of for matters beyond my control. Chicken soup doesn't seem to work on one of my colds....I would say I'd try something toxic but that wouldn't be very Christian like, so I digress - I'm sure there's a lesson in here somewhere but I keep asking God what part of the lesson have I missed in all this time. Let's see, so far I've studied bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, love thy enemies, pray for your enemies and finished with passing grades. Guess I am going for my Master's now? I am currently studying that I am a new creation in Christ and that old things have passed away (2 Cor 5:17)....... We all know even when someone passes away there is a memory that is left.....so the scripture doesn't say it's going to kill the memory it just says those things are gone when we are new in Christ. I struggle with that because I want to rid myself of the cold, the virus, the bug and even the memory of being "sick". However, I am realizing that if I never remember being sick, I won't appreciate being "well".....and that if I forget about the sickness, I won't pray for it to stay away or pray for a "cure to be found". So, I'll struggle on with my various colds that won't go away.....the ones that seem so resistant to antibiotics....I'll pray that my attitude I discussed in a previous post will become "more contagious" as I said and that my attitude and Christ like mind will be the cure and the antibiotics for these colds!

Accomplishments

So far this week I have: ~Collected more items for the class basket for the fall festival ~Committed myself to work a booth for an hour at the school's fall festival ~Submitted our volunteer interest form for the Ronald McDonald House ~Worked on scheduling dinner for the families there ~Sent out invitations to over 50 kids for our Fall Ball ~Attended the company's shareholder meeting where merger was approved ~Introduced myself to the CEO to thank him for his genuine compassion and concern for an issue near and dear to my heart (no sarcasm behind this, true story) I will never hear the name Jack Moore and just think of a CEO...I will always think of someone who took the time for me and a family he didn't even know! ~Made the appointment to get my Yukon fixed ~Made Dr's appts for the girls ~Met Shelby's former preschool teacher for lunch with Shelby ~Met up with my bestest friend from high school thru myspace (see honey - all that nighttime computer time is not in vain?) ~Scoured the internet and sent out numerous e-mails to secure assistance for an issue "near and dear to my heart". Paid off - YEAH! ~Had at length discussion with my 8 yr old on why bad things happen and about her worries over people possibly dying, people being sick, animals dying, God's role or no role in Hurrican Katrina, discussed her question of did her Daddy know Jesus, how good things can come out of seemingly bad things and how I am struggling with kids being sick when they haven't even begun to live. Not too much going on..............Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the plans I have for you".........

and They Lived Happily Ever After......

We’ve heard that famous closing to many fairy tales before.....this weekend we were part of our own little fairy tale as Sandy and Ryan (my husband's brother) got married. They were high school sweethearts and tied the knot this weekend in a beautiful outdoor wedding. The locale was perfect and the weather could not have been better. The wedding took place at the lake home and private lake of Temple and Lucy Tutwiler. Additionally, Lucy's parents - The Brower's - opened up their newly built home on the lake for the bride and bridal party to get dressed in. They could not have been more gracious hosts! On Friday evening we had rehearsal and dinner by Sal's Restaurant. YUMMY! Then on Saturday, we arrived at the Brower house shortly after noon and I began dressing both my girls for their roles in the wedding. Shelby was one of two flower girls and Jessie was one of eight honorary bridesmaids. Chad was one of 8 groomsmen and there were 7 or 8 traditional bridesmaids. The Brower house was a flurry of activity with makeup artists on hand from MAC and Aware Cosmetics doing makeup and finishing touches and bridal party running around preparing for pictures. Once we were all dressed we shuttled up to the Tutwilers house where we would make pictures. The former tennis courts would be the site of the wedding, which was now adorned with white chairs, mums, tulle and a great arbor built by Mark and Ryan. Pictures began with a planned point where Ryan and Sandy would see each other for the first time. At this point we all gathered outside the home under the portico....Ryan's back was turned and the front doors were opened for Sandy to step outside. Ryan was told to turn around and see his bride to be. She was absolutely beautiful and Ryan's face told everyone he thought the same thing. Pictures began and then drama began.....I mean, what's a picture perfect day for a wedding going to be like without a little drama? We were in the back yard, with the lake serving as the backdrop, taking more group photos. The photographer was posing some groomsmen and she stepped into a hole....when she did just about everyone heard snapping like twigs cracking under her feet....except it was not twigs...but her foot. SIDE NOTE: In true professional style, she pulled herself together and took as many pictures as she could until backups could arrive. Additionally her husband and mother arrived to take her to the hospital. Even after back-ups were there she was still taking pictures and left the reception totally in the hands of the back up. With my prior stints as a wedding photographer, my husband was wanting me to let her know so I could help as needed. I conceded and told her and was handed a camera to go take candid shots! They eventually needed that camera back and needed me for some family photos so my stint as photographer was over - whew. I know weddings are work and I felt so badly for her! Back to the wedding, to prepare for the beginning of the wedding we had to shuttle back down to the Brower house where a true Cinderella carriage was waiting to carry Sandy and the flower girls to the wedding site. This was the moment Shelby had been waiting for - she was beside herself. The carriage was being pulled by a smokey Percheron and knowing the size of our horses, she could not get over the size of his "feet"....quoting Shelby! I got back up to the house to await their arrival....the director cued them to make their way to the house - Sandy's dad, Chuck, took the radio and told Sandy he had a full tank of gas and could get her out of there (joking of course) but he was breaking my heart as I watched him knowing he was about to send his baby down the aisle. So everyone could see the carriage coming and began to stand for the bride. They made their entrance in grand style and I took my seat up front by slipping down the side. Shelby lasted most of the wedding but her feet had hurt her all day and she came to sit with me near the end of the ceremony. I took her ballet shoes off of her and she exited the ceremony with Chad and with her shoes in her basket! The reception was filled with BBQ, dancing, fruit and wonderful cakes. Shelby's feet must not have been hurting too badly at this point because she danced with several people....her favorite partner was Charlie, Sandy's brother. She told us it was supposed to be a secret that she was dancing with him! In true Jessie style, she acted like a perfect young lady throughout the day.....her long blonde hair had slight curls, those big blue eyes and her pretty pink dress...she made a great honorary bridesmaid and made me so proud to be her mama! A few pictures are below. I left a post on Sandy's myspace site and told her how she did look like a princess who was marrying her prince...carriage and all...but that I hope they always keep Christ as King over their lives. They have a great start and I certainly do hope they live happily ever after! ps. even though they did miss their flight on Sunday morning!

Pics from the Wedding

Wildfires...

Before you skip this boring intro and statistics, please read thru: On October 25 of 2003 a flammable shrub called chaparral was dry, in abundance and ignited by a "hunter". Strong 40 mile-per-hour Santa Ana winds made for extremely dry conditions in and around San Diego County and Lakeside. Daytime temperatures were above 90°F and the humidity was in the single-digits. With all elements of the fire triangle present and at high levels, the Cedar Fire rapidly turned into a dangerous firestorm. Government reports support a final conclusion that nothing could have prevented major destruction after ignition. The Cedar Fire was the second largest wildfire in the history of the state of California. San Diego County's Cedar Fire burned over 280,000 acres destroying 2,232 homes and killing 14 (including one firefighter). Most of the victims were killed on the first day of the fire as they tried to escape their homes by foot and in vehicles. One hundred and four firefighters were injured. If you read thru it - you're probably wondering why I would be writing about wildfires in California. It's to make a point.... A single shrub set on fire destroyed 280,000 acres and destroyed 2,232 homes and killed 14 (including one firefighter). There is a familiar saying "Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?"...I know I have not always had the most desirable attitude and it is something I struggle with. Regardless, I want you to know that one person can make a difference...one person can start a revolution....one person can start a revival....one person can start an epidemic...make your life count!

Update....

Dad's arteriogram went great! The Dr told my Mom that he did not see "enough change" to warrant any more stints at this time. He did say that based on what he was seeing he still feels like surgery will be indicated in the next five yrs.....we will just pray against that! I also got another blessing yesterday......in our search for hay! I know to some of you HAY does not seem like a big deal but with four horses, NO GRASS, and a hay shortage - it is a HUGE DEAL. So, we were supposed to go to Springville and pick up some hay but with Dad going in the hospital and last minute things to take care of for the wedding, there was no way we could get to Springville. Then I got a call that a man in Gardendale was going to be baling on Thursday. I was expecting that Chad would be able to go get it when he got home from work.....we had some bad looking clouds over the Gardendale area at lunchtime and the hay man was worried about leaving this in the field. Chad couldn't leave work at the moment and I didn't know what we would do. So, I ran by the hay field with Shelby in tow.....they were there still baling. He told me I could load on it on his utility trailer and they would help load it.....for me to just drive the truck thru the field. So, Shelby and I hopped in their old pickup and began driving thru the field. I have to say I think this is the funniest and most liberating thing I have ever done! Who would have thought I would have my four year old in some strange pick up driving thru a hay field (in our normal street clothes - clogs included) while some man is throwing and stacking hay behind us. I have always been seen as "Miss Priss" and was the pageant girl, cheerleader, etc.....this new way of life is shocking a whole lot of people - including me sometimes. Then they told me they would take it to my house for $35....can't beat that! So, I left to go pick up Jessie and Emilee (the neighbor) from school. They said they would meet me at my house. When I got back in my truck, Chad had called and was trying to meet me to get the hay. I was so proud to tell him it was on its way to our house. When I got home from the school pickup line (which I do not get to do everyday, so I am green at it), they were thru loading the hay in our workshop! Thank God for our blessings big and small, he cares about them all!

Hump Day - Part Two

Well, you know the saying "it can't get any worse".....of course you do and we all know better than to utter that phrase when a day has started out less than perfect. I didn't even have to utter that phrase for my hump day to get worse.... I left work at 3:00 to go by the hospital to check on my Dad. On the way there, my Mom called me to tell me that they were going to do another arteriogram on my Dad tomorrow (which is today). She was trying to leave the hospital for a bit to go home and get necessities as well as pick up her van which had been in the shop. I was letting her know that I was in the parking lot of the hospital. This particular hospital does not have any parking decks...so I was scanning the lot for a space and spotted one. As I approached it, a truck pulled into a parking space in front of me...which was on my passenger side. I was slowing down to pull into the one on my driver side. As I got even with that truck's bumper in the parking space, he decided to straighten up in the space and BACKED UP RIGHT INTO ME! My Mom heard all of it on the phone and came rushing down to the parking lot. We surveyed the damage which was a badly dented section on my passenger door....waited on police to come and then we were on our way. So, I am off work today since my Mom was scheduled to help with kiddo pickup today and obviously she won't be able to. Keep us in your prayers. Hope today is a better today and that Dad gets good news from his arteriogram!

Hump Day

Well here it is "hump day" and what is this hump day bringing: Last night I took Jessie to have her dress fitted for the WEDDING this weekend. While at home on the range, Norman and Chad worked on the stalls. These things are going to be tall! I said we needed the clearance in case a horse rared up....thinking back to my days with Shorty....God love him! and We are on the hunt for hay...trying to figure out how and when we can squeeze in going to get some! Fun - huh? It gets better..... So this morning at work, my Mom calls me and tells me that they are taking my Dad to the ER. FTTDNK (for those that do not know)- Dad had a heart attack the day before my late husband's funeral. Like we needed more drama? He has had several stints put in place following that "epsiode". So, he had been having some nagging neck and arm pain which escalated this morning to the point he called his dr. on his own. They said he needed to go in to the ER. After getting to the ER, they began monitoring him and told Mom they were admitting him. At the time of this writing, I am still not sure what they saw or felt to cause the admission. We will see! On to more fun things, tonight we will go see our neighbor's - the Mcinvale's. Their daughter, Angie has been home for almost two months from Honduras where she serves as a missionary and runs an orphanage Hogar Esperanza. Angie is probably a few yrs younger than me (if you don't know my age, you don't need to LOL) I am so impressed by the tenacity and fortitude it must take to walk in her shoes. Anyway, we are sending back some gifts for the kids, the orphanage and Angie. So, we are dropping those off tonight. We bought the house a new DVD player (they had one and it broke)....we have two DVD's...and a game for their gamecube system. For Angie, I purchased some Estee Lauder face powder and perfume in her favorite selections. A little birdie told me what I could get her! We are sad to see Angie go but she has work left to do in Honduras! We will be praying for God to let her know when her work there is done and she can come back home to her family and friends. Her parents have been wonderful to us since moving out there and have helped us with letting us use their land and stalls when we had a need, wonderful Christian people and family that I thank God for! So, Hump Day is not over and it has had a bump in it's hump already but I am praying they will decide Dad can go home after all. Keep us in your prayers! PLEASE KEEP THIS FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS - THEY ARE FACING DIFFICULT TIMES http://www.caringbridge.org/la/jakeowen/

Barn Raising

Ok - not really a barn raising but more like a stall raising began this weekend.... On Saturday- Chad, Norman (aka Paw Paw) and Steve all worked on the site for our stalls. We will have a row of three walk in stalls and then a section that will "L" off of that with two walk in stalls. The short end of the "L" will meet the back of our workshop and create a "corral type" area in the middle of those structures. They did as much as they could with marking everything off and digging the holes on Saturday. Sunday morning Jessie woke up with what appeared to be the starts of PINK EYE. I had some drops and gave her those. As the day progressed, her eye got better - thankfully! With that event, it knockeed us out of going to church so Chad took the girls to get lumber. When he came back it began to drizzle. Norman and he barely got the truck unloaded and had to get inside. So, no progress was made on our STALL RAISING! However, I did get the afternoon to myself and went and piddled at the flea market and bought a few things from Goody's to wear to the upcoming rehearsal dinner and wedding this weekend. Pray that Shelby will go down the aisle since she vehemently refused at my own wedding last year....anyone remember my Mom carrying her down the aisle and then when she got up there with us she announced to EVERYONE that she had to go POTTY! Gotta love 'em! Jessie and I have made progress on helping the families at the Ronald McDonald house. We are trying to schedule taking dinner down there and completing the volunteer interest form. We are excited about helping the kids and families!

Why can't I (fill in the blank)?

Get a phone number who the previous owners are not running from their creditors? I even asked Bellsouth when they issued our number in February, how long it had been since someone had the number. I don't know the Butler's who had my home number before us - but obviously a lot of collection agencies would like to. Even my Nextel, which I have had for almost three years, still gets calls to a Yashica so and so who must owe a lot of people. So, here's to getting a phone number that used to belong to the all-american, bill paying, God loving family that moved and gave everybody they knew their forwarding info.

Life Lessons

Well, what is day without "living and learning".....lately I find myself immersed in it. Whether it's kids, husband, horses, work or even self reflection. I also have this hope that my girls in their "living and learning" can also learn some personal lessons and form respectable values and humble character in the process. I want to give them the benefit of "things" yet try to not spoil them in the process. There is a real fine line there! This weekend we had a discussion about their Christmas "wants". After my oldest rattled on and on....she even said, "well if I get a go-cart - I can't get an American Girl doll and I just don't really know!". So, I quickly reminded both of them the REAL REASON we celebrate Christmas is - what? who? and they were immediately quiet and reflective on what they had just been saying and doing. They both said very humbly....you can get us whatever. On Sunday evening, Jessie and I were in the kitchen and I took the opportunity to bring up our "blessings" in a different way. Some of you may not agree with what I did....but that's ok....I know Jessie's nature and I knew how impactful this would be. I took her to a Caring Bridge website and showed her a beautiful little girl and her two sisters...this beautiful little girl is missing the curls and long locks she once had as she is going thru treatment for cancer or neuroblastoma. I showed her another picture of this little girl in her cheerleading outfit and I began to let Jessie scroll thru pictures and read Madison's story. Jessie's eyes began tearing up and she said "Mama can't they help her?" and I told her "they are trying". I took her to a few more sites and she was stunned. Finally, I took her to a few final ones. These were children who have "earned their angel wings" (see previous posts for more on those children). I let her look thru their sites and then told her they were in Heaven. If you don't know, Jessie's Dad and my husband passed away 3 yrs ago when she was 5. She knows all too well the finality of death and sickness....and I knew she would understand these stories and where I was headed. What I wasn't prepared for was her response....she began making a list of "goodies" she wants to sell to help the kids and families. She put down her goal was $1000.00 and she was writing intensely. She showed it to Chad and took it with her to bed. The next morning she got up and brought it upstairs with her...she took it to school and she solicited her friends. Yesterday she told me that a few of her friends are going to help and some have to ask their parents. I'm not quite sure yet what our business strategy is going to be on achieving this or executing this but we will see what we can do to help her with her goal! She has a huge heart and I knew this "check" in her life would help her put some things in perspective. So, that was a life lesson for both of us. But on a different note, my horses continue to be a huge part of my life lessons. I had such a bad experience with Shorty that it's amazing we still have horses. Seemingly overnight he just "snapped" and it was all down hill from there. But, luckily with the help of our friends we have horses that are providing us with renewed confidence. In a previous post, I told about selling Sonny. As I mentioned, it was hard but we got him to sell him and once I got to the point that I "could" part with him...I knew it was time. I don't like being vulnerable or confrontational and horse selling is not my thing. Let's just say I didn't know how much I would mean it when I wrote below that I hope I never have to sell another one! Another one of life's lessons! Be Blessed!

Where did the Weekend go?

FRIDAY: Chad left Friday morning to go practice at Logan Martin for a BFL tournament he had this weekend. I took Jessie to ball practice Friday night and we finally saw the house after practice. SATURDAY: We made the decision to not go to the barrel race in Nauvoo and go to Chad's weigh in. Before we could go, we had to make a few stops. Once down I-20 we went to the Pants Store to look at some bibs and jacket for Jessie. She wanted a Carhartt pair! We had to run in the Pants Store because we were cutting it close to get to the weigh in at Riverside Marina. While we were in there, we saw that Crocs are now making rain boots. However, we couldn't get their sizes in the colors they wanted - pink and purple. So, we left with bibs and jacket - no croc rain boots. Also, they don't make them for adults and I wanted a pair! We barely made it to the weigh in but saw Chad weigh in five fish - a little over 10 lbs. After he weighed in he was going to take his boat to the other marina he launched from and he would be gone for a while. So, we decided to go looking around in Pell City. Some of you know I graduated from there, but it has changed a lot since I lived there. It's funny to see places and sights and remember how it used to look versus now and in some cases not even remember how it used to look. While we were out, I took the girls to the house I lived in my last few years of high school. The neighborhood has kinda gone down and the house we lived in was ugly! Jessie's comment was she couldn't believe I remembered where I lived....that made me feel really old! We also stopped by Little Lambs clothing and made a few purchases. The lady there was really nice and gave me a coupon for a sale which would have been starting on Monday....so I got some cute things. Jessie got a shirt that says "Rodeo Queen" and I got Shelby and James Adam matching Bailey Boys outfits for pictures. They are chocolate brown checked with a Paint Horse on the front! Toooooo Cuuuuute! While we were there Chad called and he had made the cut for Sunday. We were excited but sad because we knew we wouldn't be there on Sunday since Jessie had a ball game. We left to go meet him to eat at Sammy's Touch and Go at the PC Airport. While there Jessie and Shelby got to see the skydivers. Jessie promptly told two guys who were eating and then going back to the hangar for more skydiving that I used to jump. I was a little embarrassed but she was about to bust to tell them. I had even made two jumps right there where we were standing. It was fun to watch them jump and brought back some fun memories. I won't deny that I think that is probably the "coolest" thing I ever did and did it close to 100 times but given where I am at in my life....I also think it's the dumbest thing I ever did. I'll stay a "whuffo" forever and be content to watch those other "cool" people do it....and hug my girls while I'm at it. We followed Chad back to the trailer he was staying at which belongs to the Sexton's. The girls went down to the pier and then inside to "check it out"....quick potty break and we were on the road back to Corner. Before we could get to Corner, we had to detour thru Trussville. We HAD to get Savanna Hill a birthday present for her party on Sunday and I had told Jeannie that we would drop some silver trays off for her to use at Ryan's rehearsal dinner. So, we went to Academy at Jessie's suggestion thinking we would get Savanna some type of Girl's Rule shirt or something!!!! We immediately spotted some pink, black and white pajama pants with horses all over them for Jessie to give and then found a chocolate John Deere shirt with Cowboy boots on them for Shelby to give. We also went to check out the rain boots. Jessie found a pair completely shaped like pointed toe western boots but they are rubber rain boots and Shelby found a pair in true Shelby style that had a kitty cat face on the toes of them. Finally, Mom found a pair that were chocolate with hot pink trim around the edges. We finished that up and ran by Ron and Jeannie's. They weren't home but we left the dishes and headed home over the back roads. We pulled in the driveway a few minutes shy of 10:00 and STILL had horses to feed. SUNDAY: I didn't want to kill myself Sunday morning or the girls (ha ha ha) trying to get to church so we hung around the house and got ready for Jessie's 1:30 game. Of course, I was still late getting ready so Jessie rode with the Tanner's. My parents got there before I did! The game went great and Jessie had a good time. Chad called after the game and he didn't have a big enough sack of fish to win but still got a check for over $400. Yeah for him! With that tourney, he finished in the top five for the points in the division. The girls and I headed to the Birthday party and they had a blast there as well. I was tired and ready to get back home...had not eaten and was ready to have something on my stomach. Got home and immediately began fixing dinner...the girls went to ride go carts. Chad got home and things began to return to normal. After they all went to bed, I mopped - cleaned up the kitchen - and did some laundry. AGAIN, I ask where did the weekend go?

Letter to the new owners of Sonny:

Below is the letter I wrote to Sonny's new family. Thank you for buying Sonny. He will be missed. I have learned so much this past year in having the horses. I am thankful for every minute I have had with everyone of them…even my crazy horse that I traded for Sonny. I am so thankful that Sonny has shown me the “childlike” side of a horse that wants attention, loves to be groomed and won’t stay out from underneath you like a toddler. He has brought a renewed confidence to me and my family. I am “selling my husband’s dog” as we have referred to it…..hopefully we can get an actual dog and not something that is a horse masquerading as a “dog”. I hope you and your family enjoy Sonny and learn things you might not yet have learned or see a different side to horses because of your experience with him. I hope all your experiences with horses are positive but even if they aren’t, and they probably won’t be all positive, I hope you will see those as I have – as learning experiences and grow thru them. I hope Hayden’s confidence increases daily and her love for horses is immeasurable. I’ve been told there’s something special between a girl and her horse. I’m not a “young girl” anymore but I remember my first horse like it was yesterday and that love for horses has never faded. I see the same twinkle in both my daughter’s eyes and am so glad we have this opportunity. I never intended to be writing up a bill of sale or seeing a horse leave my property to go to someone else. I know he will have a good home and I am hopeful that I won’t be doing this again. They become a part of your life and routine, even in a short while. So, tomorrow morning when I fill four buckets instead of five – I know there will be an empty place, but am glad to know I helped fill a place in someone else’s life. Happy Trails and Clean Stalls to you all!

Photos of Sparkle

We got Sonny and Sparkle together in the trade for Shorty (see previous posts). When they came, we drew names out of a hat to choose Sparkle's name. Since they came to us as a "pair", I would sometimes refer to them as Sparkle and Shine or Sonny and Cher. Now there's just her and our cornerstone horses! She is a 12 yr old grade mare with the cutest white star spots on her body. She is a great horse and I really don't want to sell her. We showed her in Costume Leadline and won first place (see pictures)! Jess showed her in Walk-Trot and took home 4th place! They did great considering it was Jessie's first time in the arena and probably Sparkle's first time too.

My FAQ's

Many websites will have a FAQ section, so you can easily find the answer to the questions they have obviously been asked one million other times. Almost seems lame if it's been asked that many times why is the answer not more obvious? Maybe we secretly need those FAQ sections to confirm we aren't so different after all..... and that there is some common thread of thinking between me and the other end user of the site who by all appearances is my total opposite. Anyway, as the mother of two small girls I feel like I am their walking FAQ at times. They drill me on things that I am supposed to have the answers to and should be able to spout them out in record time....if not answered in their timing, they will ask me again and again, 'til I feel like the Calgon commercial posterchild. Well, I have my own FAQ's and doubt someone will have the answers to these. If you do, you may just win the Nobel Prize! 1) How do you explain a full term 11 day old baby dying from a heart defect? In Memory of Owen Bryant Nelson: http://obits.al.com/birmingham/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=19161408&PageNo=1 2) How do those parents ever get over that? 3) How do I explain to Shelby that her Daddy, she never really knew, is really ok now and that he is not bleeding inside his head anymore? 4) How do you dry the tears of children when their Granny's baby kitty dies? 5) How do I let my child ride a horse again after reading this story? http://www.barrelhorseworld.com/contribute/topstories/brianna/brianna.asp 6) How did that Mom ever write that story? 7) How do the parents blogging on CaringBridge.org go thru each day? My heart aches for the families of Bailey Warr, Cassidy Tierce. When I saw Bailey Warr's pictures and read her story - I thought how she could be any of Jessie's friends, then the hemorrhage on the brain stem was too close to home. One look at Cassidy Tierce picture and I was struck at how much she looked like Shelby. My heart aches equally for the parents going thru treatments daily with their children...God give them strength. www.caringbridge.org/visit/godsjourneywithbailey http://www.caringbridge.org/al/cassidytierce/ 8) Why do these things happen to these families and not the atheist down the street? I think I know the answer to that one.....the Atheist down the street wouldn't be able to stand on God's word during such a time of adversity and share their testimony with others. Do I get a Nobel? Probably not - I mean I can't even win the war with my husband over loading and unloading the dishwasher on his own. 9) What is the deal with parents when it comes to their kids competing? I think I'm going to come up with a Ball Park Parent's Prayer, a Saddle Club Parent's Prayer, a Dancer's Parent's Prayer etc and post it all the events. 10) And for my last FAQ of the day...yes there will be more, who invented the word MERGER?

Sellin' Horses.....

Well, the two people that e-mailed about Sonny were very interested. Really strange how he has been listed for a while and no bites and then in one evening I had two e-mails about him. I know everything happens for a reason and in God's perfect timing....we had just gotten to the point that we knew we needed to sell the "spare horses" and we really felt ok with it. If someone would ride Sonny regularly then it would be different but since he's not being ridden regularly he really needs to be sold. I am less inclined to sell Sparkle because she is small and older. I'd like to have her for other kids to ride and for costume leadline. But I know we got both of them to sell, so if the right buyer came along for her, I would have to consider it now as well. So, one of the interested parties was a family and they wanted to come down as soon as possible to look at him. They came down Sunday evening and then called once they got home to say they wanted him. They thought they wouldn't be able to get him until Wednesday. Then on Monday afternoon, they called and said they could come that evening. So, I rushed home to get everything pulled together - Coggins, Shots, Bill of Sale and my parting note to the family and Sonny. I will post the note later..... I cried at work knowing they were coming and cried when I called my Mom to tell her. Once home I was busy and couldn't think about it. When they loaded him up my girls were boo-hoo'ing and then I started. Chad thinks we are all nuts! The mom that bought him said she couldn't watch us cry. I told her about the note and told her my husband thinks I am a real dork. She said she writes letters about lots of things and I think she will appreciate what I wrote. Turns out her husband used to work with Paw Paw Waid's company and knows Paw Paw. She is a nurse in the Neuro ICU in Huntsville....so I told her my experience in the NICU. They have a 7 yr old daughter and they are all so excited to have a horse. It is not their first experience with horses...Mom and Dad used to have horses, Dad used to train - break horses and the daughter is in lessons. I know Sonny is going to a great home and I am glad I was a part of making that happen for them. It is hard to not get attached! I have now sold a part of "Shorty" and that was hard too. But, Shorty is still doing well at Cathy's.

Lesson Day

Jessie had a friend come over this weekend and we had lessons. Her friend, Kara, rode with us to lessons in Haleyville. Lessons went good. Jessie told me before we left that she wanted to ride Jack...Ms Cathy's horse. She started out timid and then loosened up. They had a good ride. On the way home we stopped by the livestock auction where a man was selling tack. Browsed thru his stuff and then stopped at Cowboy Way in Jasper. Got Shelby some new boots and headed home. After getting home, the neighbor and a friend of hers came over so I had five girls at the house! Whew! I rode Sonny that night - because I had two e-mails from people inquiring about him. He rode just as good as the last time I rode him....really better since I had an O-ring snaffle on him this time! So, I responded to all the e-mails and waited to hear back from them. Chad fished a tournament in Demopolis and got in after 6:00...no payout from this trip!

Horses on the Loose - PART TWO !!!!!

So, in the past week our horses have now gotten out twice. The last time was the straw that broke the camels back. Went out to feed them as part of our normal morning routine and it was eerily quiet. Goldie was the only one to be seen and that was because she was in the round pen with her hurt hoof (thanks to yet another roofing nail!) We milled around doing our normal gathering of buckets and such and still no horses. I caught a quick glimpse of the gate and noticed the "perfectly fine chain" that has to be wrappped two or three times hanging down the gate. My horror of all horrors was unfolding before my eyes and with my 8 yr old standing there. I screamed "they're gone"! She was screaming - crying and neither one of us could think straight. I got my wits about me and went into action. Grabbed 4 lead ropes, 4 halters, two buckets of feed and headed to the house. Went in and told Chad "the horses were gone". He got up - we both knew he was the last one to open / close the gate and knew where the blame lay this time. But blame or no blame we had to find our babies. I went to our dead end and no sign of them. I was even looking for horse poop! But figured they wouldn't be walking on the road and that they would be in the grass, eating grass and all of it they could! Heaven's, if they had been out all night they would be about to explode by now. I went to the other end of the road and went to the right. I felt strongly my husband headed to the McInvale's to see if the horses were there...since two of ours that were out were very familiar with there place. So, I headed the opposite direction knowing there were several fields that they could be grazing. As I passed the first field, I was disappointed to not find them in there. Immediately after that field, there is a house and then a trailer. As I passed the house and came even with the trailer's driveway - I saw my black and white spotted horse. I pulled into the driveway and said "Hannah"! She raised her head at the sound of my voice and then I saw a man standing with her. He said "you missing some horses"....I said "yes sir - FOUR of them, you got FOUR"...he hollered back "Yep, got four!" I was never so relieved in all my life. Thank goodness for herdbound horses sometimes! As I approached the driveway, with two halters, ropes, and a bucket of feed, I was met by my babies. I got Blackie haltered quickly and tied him to a tree. Then tried Sonny - the big puppy dog! Got him in a halter and the man tied him to the back porch. So, I took the feed and lured Hannah and Sparkle back to the back yard to keep them out of the driveway. Tried to call my husband and he had not turned his cell phone on - found out later he thought he had but it never powered up. Chad came down the road shortly and saw my truck. He came back with lead ropes and halters in hand to get the other two tied up. Then he left to go get the horse trailer. He came back with the horse trailer and loaded all up but Blackie and then made another trip to get Blackie. Needless to say, I bought a NEW CHAIN and latch that day as part of my errands and hopefully this will not happen again. Our neighbor had poop in his yard and the neighbor down the road with a garden paid us a visit because they visited his garden. Luckily they didn't do too much damage or else I would have been paying for his lost profits from his collard greens.

Horses on the Loose!

On Tuesday, the day following Labor Day, Chad was taking the girls to school and the neighbor (Emily) told Chad that two of our horses got out while we were gone to Sipsey. Luckily she was in the driveway playing and ran in to get her Dad before they got too far. So, her dad - aka Tanner - came over and did his best at horse rustling. The two that were out were Blackie, Shelby's pony, and Hannah - my horse. Tanner said that Blackie went back into the fence with ease. But Hannah didn't want to go back in so easily...think she even raised her leg to kick at him! I had soaked Goldie's hoof that morning so I know I probably didn't have the chain secured. I told Chad I wanted us to get something less cumbersome and he chided me telling me there was nothing wrong with that chain. Sure, there's nothing wrong with trying to hold a lead rope, open a gate, lead it out, close the gate, hold the lead rope with horse and wrap a looooooong chain two or three times then clip it to itself. Sounds perfectly fine doesn't it?

Labor Day Weekend

Chad wanted to get the Alabama game on pay-per-view so we lined everything up to have family and friends over on Saturday evening to watch the game. Before that could happen, we had to straighten up and Chad had to go get hay. We did not know until Friday night that we were going to be getting it from the hay field. So, he had his first experience with loading it from the field and he was ALONE. I would have never had him do that by himself under different circumstances but I had to go to the store to get our food for the evening. When I got home he was home with the hay and he said he would not be unloading it until family was there and could help. He said it was tough and that he continues to show how green we are to all of this....when he was loading it into the trailer he borrowed, Mr Fuqua told him that stacking pattern would never work...so he helped him reconfigure it and Chad resumed loading. One day we will have all of this down to a science! Family began arriving shortly and the house began to fill with the buzz of the girls running in and out to see Granny and Nanny and the men going out back to talk about the things men talk about outside! We had Nanny, Paw Paw, Granny, Pops, Ryan, Sandi, NeNe and Big Ron all gathered round the tv's eating burgers, dogs, dips and sweets to cheer Bama on to a victory over the wooly booly hairy Hawaiians. (Did you see those guys? They were scary?) The men got the hay unloaded and heard a few complaints about how itchy the hay was. Itchy hay in my shirts, shorts and even my unmentionables just seems normal these days to me. Although I can use every minute I have in the mornings to get me and the girls dressed.....I am truly cherishing the moments we have out there in the mornings feeding the horses and putting out hay. I can see the pictures in my mind throughout the day of Jessie in her PJ's or a Barbie gown and her tennis shoes, shoving hay into the wagon or her walking up to turn on the water. Then there's Shelby who inevitably comes out after us and runs off the back porch hollering "I wanna help"....and "I'll feed Blackie". I see her with her wavy hair falling into her face as she picks up the biggest handful of hay she can. She will walk a little handful of hay over to Blackie and puts it down next to him - talking to him in that cute little voice...say "Hey Baby - that's my boy". Jessie will go out and put some hay in the round pen for Sonny and open the round pen gate back up and then she sees to it that Sparkle and Goldie get their share of hay. The next sight I see is Jessie trying to interven between Sparkle and Goldie and it is always a sight as she stomps her foot and get so mad but she can't do anything about it. I laugh and think how things have changed from one year ago! Ok - so back to the game night....Jessie had a meltdown when Nanny and Paw Paw were leaving because she has really been missing them. She had decided she wanted to try Fall Ball with Emily but realizing that practice on Friday evenings would keep her from spending the night with Nanny made her fall apart. It was awful seeing her cry like that and be so torn. I know she misses them more than she can express and I can't seem to get that thru to anyone. On Sunday, we played hookie from church and went to the river for a boat ride and caught a few fish. We had a good time and stayed 'till dark. Then for Labor Day, we rode to Sipsey which is near Northport to watch a barrel race. It was a great time...got to see Cathy ride and it was action packed. I know Chad probably can't imagine why I would enjoy watching perfect strangers run a horse around three cans!

One Year Anniversary

On Aug 27, Chad and I celebrated our one year anniversary. We are going to celebrate it officially when it is cooler weather by going deep sea fishing. So, for this day we went to church at Gardendale First Baptist and Chad liked it - he really liked it. Yeah! While at church, we saw old friends and saw baby dedication. During that time, we got to see Bet Bet and Jordan's baby Jonah be dedicated and Philip and Rachel Hatcher's little girl. I didn't get to see Philip and Rachel but Jordan ended up sitting in the balcony right by us. I got to hold sweet baby Jonah and he is adorable. It is so hard to believe they are parents. But as good as Bet Bet and Jordan were with my girls - I know they are unbelievable parents. After church, we grabbed a burger and took the girls to my parents for them to keep while we had some time together that afternoon. Sandi had a tea that afternoon in Trussville so Chad took me to it and dropped me off. Sandi is marrying Chad's brother on 9/30. Then Chad picked me up and we headed back to Hoover to find someplace to eat. We milled around in Dick's Sporting goods before heading over to the Cajun Steamer to eat. The food and service were great. We were going to go see a movie but they had all just started and we needed to get the girls home and get ready for school on Monday. Happy Anniversay to us!

August End

On Saturday the 26th, we attended a little fun gathering at Colt 45 arena. Well, it was supposed to be fun anyway. We took Sparkle and Hannah. We took Sparkle for Jessie because Goldie was missing a shoe and still recovering from a nail in her hoof. The grounds were pretty empty so we let Jessie make a lap outside the arena on Sparkle. On the far side of the arena from where we were, Sparkle trotted off with Jessie and she began to panic. She was 50 yds away before she stopped her and we were headed that way and hollering to her at the top of our lungs. So, this little scene led to us putting her in the arena and it happened again. By this time Jessie was a wreck and so was I. So, I went in to walk her around and we did that for a few minutes. Then when I left, Jessie tried to take her around and she balked at something....Sparkle's balking panicked Jessie again. Every panic attack drew more attention from others there and more advice, opinions, etc. By this time I was sick of it all and just wanted to load up and go home. So, I told them to take her off....I just didn't feel she was thinking clearly and I felt her safety was an issue at this point. Then, I said I wanted to go.....and I said it loudly. I know everyone thinks I was mad about the whole scene but I was just a wreck and wanted to go. What was supposed to be fun turned into DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA. Chad coaxed me into saddling Hannah and I rode her for a little bit. A friend's teenager son, Matt, was ribbing me about taking her around the barrels. I told him I wouldn't but he could. He really couldn't because she was long-toed but I told him to ride her. He kept asking me what was wrong with her, was she spooky, etc. I kept laughing him telling him NO, NO and NO and assuring him I had gotten rid of the crazy one. He rode her and had fun on her as do I every time I ride her. Glad Chad talked me into riding her and calming down. Funny how Hannah helps me calm down and Shorty did just the opposite!

Another Child Needs Your Prayers

Owen Nelson was born this week in Birmingham to Steve and Amy Nelson. He was born with a heart abnormality. I am told Owen’s defect is called Hypo Plastic Left Heart Syndrome; basically the left side of his heart did not form completely. Rather than two valves, he has only the valve on the right side. The surgery will entail using artificial parts to re-route the blood through the left side of his heart. He was scheduled for surgery this morning at UAB at 7:30. The surgery may take 6 hours. The Dr and family are Christians. I pray they will rely on their faith to guide them all thru this. Please keep this family in your prayers.

These Children Need Your Prayers

CAMPBELL EATON, 7 yrs old from the Calhoun County area http://prayforcampbell.com/default.aspx EVAN THOMASON, Kindergarten age from Riverchase http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/evanthomason MADISON BECK, www.caringbridge.com/visit/madisonbeck

Catchin' Up...

Well, I had a post out here that I have "hidden" so if you saw it and now you don't....NO you aren't going crazy. That's my job and no one else can have it. Anyway, I took it off because I was really venting when I wrote it and really should have thought before I posted it for the world to see. So, to catch up.....still have five horses and trying to sell Sonny. Probably could have sold Sparkle a dozen times but Jessie wanted to show her and she did. They did great. However we seem to take 5 steps forward and 10 steps backwards. Jessie rode her this weekend at a cook-out with the saddle club and panicked. Sparkle totally ran away with her and it was a bad scene. No one was hurt but she was crying and it was just awful. I have asked her if this is really what she wants to do and she insists it is. Sometimes she rides like she has done it all her life and then other times she acts like she has never been on one. But, I have a responsibility as her mother to only allow her to do this safely and that is my main concern right now. With the way she panics, it is not safe and I worry about that aspect. We are going to stick to lessons for now and going to the SAME person for consistency and hopefully we can get her past this. We are trying to get back with Ms Cathy for this weekend sometime when she can see us and start work again. Chad and I celebrated one year yesterday ! It was a busy day as we had a tea for his brother's fiance but after I made my appearance there we went to eat. We ate at a small but happenin' place at Patton Creek called Cajun Steamer. It was awesome. I couldn't eat half of what I had and Chad was in the same boat. It was really good! Can't wait to go back there. We also attended church at Gardendale First Baptist yesterday. I used to go there for four years prior to my husband passing away - however he did not go there, maybe he went once and then when we had baby dedication. Anyway, we had heard the new pastor was really good and so we went. I enjoyed it but was skeptical Chad would or did. He surprised me and really enjoyed it and says he thinks we should go there from now on. I am glad we can agree on someplace and hopefully can get plugged in somewhere for us and the girls. Well, break time is over! Will update more later!

Wrapping up the Weekend....

Sunday morning woke me with the realization that I set the alarm clock for a.m time while the clock was set for p.m. time....so no alarm went off except my internal alarm. We were trying to attend CrossLife Church in Homewood but there was no way we would make it. So, we got dressed and went to Sumiton Church of God. The girls like it there - we just haven't reached a 100% concensus on it. Keep praying we will find a home! After church, we were going home to get ready to go to Haleyville and do some lesson time with Cathy West. She is who we have bought Hannah and Goldie from and also traded Shorty to her for Sparkle and Sunny. Goldie stepped on Jessie's foot in the pasture so we had to do a quick exam before we could go any further. She had a nice bruise that came up instantly but was walking good. I felt for her because I know it throbs...but I told her it probably won't be the last time. Goldie loaded great with Jessie standing watch with her crop. I think Goldie knows Jessie means business with that crop! ha ha ha Off to Haleyville...we got there right at our desired time of 5:00 and got Jessie saddled up. She and Cathy went to the arena to work on a few things. In the meantime, Shelby and I made several trips to our porta-potty housed in our trailer's dressing room. Thank god for the makers of that thing! We settled in to watch Cathy work with Jessie and Goldie. It was a shining moment for a horse loving Mom. Cathy remarked that Jessie was much further along than she expected and was really "quite an accomplished little rider". She said she was truly impressed. We know we have lost some of the fundamentals along the way but her desire is still there and she was there to show Ms Cathy she could ride AND ride she did. It was hot but they rode so well! We made plans to go back in two weeks. Jessie was beaming and asking me when could we go back. It is an hour and fifteen minute drive...but her instruction and guidance is truly worth it! Next time we may take a horse for all of us!

How The Weekend Began.....

Ok so everything didn't go as planned.... This weekend was interesting having a "little one" in the mix...I had almost forgotten what that was like. James is a great baby but a baby nonetheless! So, you are solely responsible for their care, cleanliness, hunger and entertainment! Jessie and Shelby were a great help caring for their cousin! We had a good night Friday night. At bedtime, both girls bedded down in the living room to sleep near the pack and play and keep watch over baby James. He slept until 3:00'ish a.m. Chad was getting ready to leave for his tournament and came to tell me James was up. I asked him to do a pacifier check and that worked! Yeah, a few more hours sleep. At 6'ish, he was up again so we did bottle and he dozed back off. He was up shortly thereafter and we embarked on our day. After our morning activities were complete, we were all going to take a dip in the pool.....so we headed out. James was out in his float about 15 minutes and got sleepy. So back in we went.....I kept an eye on the girls and got him happy. He went back to sleep which was around 10:00 so I seized the moment to start getting ready for the day. Had the girls come in and they started getting ready also. We left to meet my brother, aka Uncle John, aka James' daddy (boy that sound scary) and we were leaving in a huge rainstorm. We got soaked trying to load everything up. Had forgotten that part of having little ones too! We met him under a bank drive thru which was closed for the day and left to go to WalMart and buy a birthday present for Caitlin's party. In Wal-Mart, Shelby experienced a first - she asked for something and Jessie was asking for something also. Jessie was told yes and Shelby was told no. The difference here is Shelby refuses to help clean up or put toys away. So, Jessie will pull double duty and I will reward Jessie with "allowance". I told Jessie she could use her allowance for this and showed Shelby if she would help out and pick up then she could have also. It was hard for me..as I am not sure Shelby truly understands the concept. But I know she understands she is telling me "NO" when she says she doesn't want to pick up so maybe she understood my "NO" also! Left Wal Mart going to the feed store.....five bags of feed should get us a week...we will see. Then to the b'day party. Horse show was cancelled because of rain....whew we couldn't have made it anyway. Chad and Ryan didn't get a check but had a good showing anyway.

Week in Review 7-17 thru 7-21

This week we.......... Rode the horses down to the Mcinvale's (Goldie and Hannah) and 'played' with the barrels. Chad followed behind us to keep traffic off of us and then we rode back home. We had fun or at least I did. Got our above ground 'swimming hole' put up and last night and chemicals put in. So we should be good to go swim this weekend. Did some stuff around the house - refocusing my attention on the inside now that the outside is settling down some. Bought a few lamps, accessories, etc. Baby James is coming over to spend the night tonight to spend the night. The weekend holds...... Saturday we will play around the house, with horses and pool time.....Jessie has a birthday party to attend and there is a horse show Saturday night. Chad has a tournament tomorrow with Ryan and they are fishing for a $20,000 first place payout. Sunday we are supposed to head up to Cathy West's house with a few horses and do some riding / lesson time with her. Catch you up after the weekend! Have a blessed day and weekend!

Back to "Normal"

Well, as I said in my previous post things quickly returned to 'normal' after returning home. Friday night Chad had a tournament meeting to attend, my parents came out with some things to deliver out here - we were going to ride over to the Mcinvale's to ride in the arena but Jessie said it was 'too hot'. So, we stayed around here and called in some dinner to a local restaurant. Jessie was spending the night with Emily and much to Shelby's dismay. So, Granny offered to take Shelby home with her and meet us the next day so Shelby could go to her friend GiGi's birthday party. Saturday led to Jessie staying with Emily most of the day and they went swimming. Shelby got to swim at the birthday party she attended. So both girls had fun during the day on Saturday. The evening ended with friends and family coming together for a horse show at Colt 45. The stables where we boarded had brought several horses so we had lots of friends there, Nanny and Paw Paw came, Kim brought Jessie - Emily and Reed as well as a former co-worker and her daughter came by. We tried to stay late to watch our friends from the Hitchin' Post show in their classes - so Shelby went to sleep in the car but at 11:00 we called it a night and headed home. I had to go home and use my headlights to feed the horses. Then I got Shelby in the laundry room door and she proceeded to 'pass out' right inside the door with her head halfway up on the dining room floor and her body in the laundry room - now that is tired! I got her up and she went on to bed. We woke Sunday morning - later than we needed to - and were trying to get to Cathedral in Centerpoint to hear guest speaker Randy Ruiz. He delivered a great message, as expected and I was glad we made it! After church I took the girls to our favorite restaurant - Konomi in Trussville and then after we ate we went to Kohl's to shop for some new school clothes. A fun time was had by all as we enjoyed our afternoon out. When we got home, we started working around the house - the usual night time activities and so here we are! PS - my frog is gone!

Back at Home

On Wednesday, I took my California acquaintance to the airport with me. Her flight home was an hour earlier than mine but I didn't mind getting there early....better safe than sorry. It paid off because I was able to get on standby for an earlier flight home and successfully made it on that plane. It only got me home an hour earlier but it was worth it. I was so glad to see Chad and the girls. Houston was not some place I will miss and am glad the course is over. The course, instructor and exam weren't exactly on the same page - so my score is yet to be seen. We immediately resumed normal activities...went and bought feed, went to Pizza Hut, went home and fed my equine babies and started straightening up. Some things never change! But again, it was good to be back home. We will be setting up our little above ground pool for this weekend. Hopefully it will help relieve some of the heat! I know Chad is ready for our 'projects' to die down.

Posting from Houston, TX

Friday night we moved all the horses to our house....they have had a time getting the pecking order down. Goldie has always been the alpha mare and our new mare, Sparkle, is really ruling the roost with Sunny running a close second. Feeding time has been interesting to say the least. Saturday, I took Hannah for a little ride around the neighborhood and into the woods behind the Tanner's house. When I took her out of the woods, I took her up on the ridge behind our house. Goldie and Blackie saw her up there and whinnied to her....they began talking furiously and Goldie and Blackie took out running down our pasture at full speed. I was really worried they would fall! I took Hannah back into the woods and could still hear them calling out to her. On Sunday, I prepared to go on my trip to Houston, TX for work. My flight was leaving around 4:30 from B'ham. We ate lunch at the White House restaurant and left shortly for the airport. Shelby was so sad at the airport and really made me feel bad leaving her. She cried and looked just awful....my heart was breaking! I called the car and she was still crying. When I got to Houston, the car rental agency gave me directions to the wrong hotel - couple that with a few wrong turns I made and it took me two hours to get to my hotel. By the time I got there, I was almost having one of my meltdowns! Conference started today and at lunch today, Chad took the girls to Nanny's so he could fish a tournament tonight. We got out of class today around 4:00....so I went to a little outside mall and found Chad two shirts at Gap and a few things for the girls at Children's Place. Went back to the hotel and met a girl from class for dinner. She is from California and has two kids same age as mine. We went to a little seafood place by our hotel. I took her back to the hotel so I could go find Cavendar's Western Wear. I fulfilled both their requests at the western wear store - it was a really nice store with super nice people in it. Tonight when I called to talk to the girls - Shelby was still upset and really wanting me and her Chaddy. After talking to Chad tonight, I think the plans for tomorrow night are changing and he will have them back at home. Back to class tomorrow and studying tomorrow night!

New Pictures

Running Free

We let the two new babies go in our FINISHED pasture yesterday morning. Well, it was truly a Kodak moment. They were absolutely beautiful going out thru there! Sparkle is going to see someone today that may be interested in buying her. I will get a picture so I will have one for the memory book in case she sells. My frog is still there....I am glad he feels safe on our porch. I feel the same way...it's just a good feeling here! It's a feeling like putting on that favorite pair of jeans or slipping into really good sheets! Lastly, I have developed a strong dislike for little junebugs, red crunchy bugs that fly in to my fountain and hang around our door! Anyone know what will get rid of them besides my little frog? They way outnumber him! I am going to try to get a picture of him so he can be included!

Holiday

We had plans to go to Norman and Irene's for lunch and to swim. Before we could do that, we had to get some hay for the new horses. So, Chad went to the Walker's and bought some hay. Also, before we ever left the house a small 4th of July parade came down our small dead end road. It consisted of several decorated tractors, flatbed trailers, trucks and golf carts. It was the funniest site but we loved it. After enjoying that we were able to head over to the Waid's. We had some great food and homemade ice cream. Then we left to go home and have Ron and Jeannie (Chad's parents) over. They brought over ribs, bbq meat, beans and bread! So we continued to pig out. They brought Jordan over with them (aka baby Jordan) and the girls played for hours. We had to go feed the horses at the Mcinvale's, so Jeannie and the girls rode with me down there. Chad and his Dad stayed at home and worked on the fence and burned some old hay in our small pen so we could move the new horses to our small pen. In the ride to Norman and Irene's, we were debating names for the new black mare. So each of us put a name in the hat for her. Her black coat and faint white spots all played into the name selection. I put in Twinkle since her faint white spots look like stars across a nighttime sky. Chad put in Sparkle for similar reasons as mine. Jessie put in Midnight and Shelby put in Starry. We let Shelby draw and Sparkle was the chosen name. So - Sparkle it is! Steve said this morning he may have Sparkle sold...he is taking it to someone to see either Thursday or Friday. We will see! When we got back to our house from feeding the regular crew, we went out to water Sparkle and Sunny. Sunny is the first to meet you and is sooo sweet. They are both really sweet but Sunny is so calm. He let Chad squirt him with the hose and never flinched. Our other horses are a little less fond of the hosepipe. After finishing up those chores, we settled in the front yard to watch the fireworks going off all around our house. I love our piece of the country, the nighttime sky, horses in my backyard, kids playing in our backyard (and even kids running in and out)....I love my fountain on my front porch and the little green frog who has come to visit for the past three nights. I even love the big frogs that hop around in our yard when we walk around at there at night. I love little country parades and the people that think of doing something like that, I love spending time with those we love and raising our kids in such a wholesome environment, most of all I love the God that gave me all of this and continues to make the sun rise and set each day on our faces! (P.S. I also found out details on the wreck that kept us held up on hwy 78 on Monday night. A lady was going the wrong way up highway 78 and had a head on collision with a man from Dora. She was ejected from her car, hence Lifesaver landed for her.)

Well, we finally finalized things with the trainer in Haleyville last night. We went up to see if she really wanted to keep my first paint, Shorty, for herself or if we were going to bring him home. Apparently she really wanted to keep him - because she traded us two real sweet horses for him. So, I guess I'm a "horse trader" now....ha ha The difficult thing will be to not get attached. They are both really cute. One is a 6yo paint gelding and the other is a black mare 12 yo. I rode both and they ride really good. I will miss Shorty and what he taught me. It was a lesson learned. I hope to see Cathy riding him on barrels in the near future. I told her she better call us so she will have a cheering section to watch her and Shorty run! It took us forever to get home because there was some wreck on 78 Hwy that involved Lifesaver helicopter coming - so we sat for over an hour! Glad to be home - Happy 4th!

No Go to the Horse Show

We were supposed to go Saturday to the horse show in Cullman. Due to my youngest child totally revolting, we never made it. I was in meltdown mode by the time my parents got here as they were coming to go to the show with us. So, we changed directions and got my fountain put together for the front deck. Things seemed to only go downhill! Shortly after getting the fountain put together, all the water was draining out. There was a huge crack in the bottom. This finding only perpetuated the meltdown that had began earlier in the day. At least this time I had a support system here. So, Paw Paw, my dad and mom helped me load it up and we made a trip to Lowe's. While we there, we bought the landscaping blocks to raise it up and flowers / ferns to go around it. It looked really pretty once all put together...even though I do have to go back and buy a few more blocks to complete it. Chad thinks having a fountain on the front deck is crazy but with our swing and wicker out there, the water feature is a nice accessory. It can also be seen from inside my keeping room window and can be heard slightly. So, we didn't make the horse show but we had a productive afternoon in spite of it. By the way, Shelby didn't get to play with anyone or anything at all for the rest of the day due to her behavior!

Day at Home

I got to work from home today and the girls had spent the night with Chad's mom. I did some projects around the house in between returning e-mails and checking voice mail. I started sanding my Salvation Army bookshelf and got my fountain put together for my front porch. Then our new rug was delivered and I was soooo excited to see how it looked in the living room. I needed to go to Hitchin Post to buy some hoof dressing for the horse's hooves, so on the way there I went by the furniture store in Warrior. I found a great sofa table and had it loaded up! They let me take it to see if I liked it but I had a feeling I was going to love it. Got home and we brought it in - it looked great! We went to feed the horses and rode the four wheeler over there. On the way there we ran out of gas and a car was coming. We had to jump off and push out of the road. Then Chad switched to reserve and we were on our way. While we were there I tried a stencil on Goldie for the Patriotic Costume Leadline we are going to do tomorrow night at the Cullman Horse Show. Shelby and I have matching flag shirts and I bought her some new red boots. I will try and post pictures of it! Later on Ryan and Sandi came over and brought the girls home. The girls went straight to the neighbor's....they have been gone to Disney World and the girls have been lonesome! We have tried to keep them occupied this week. Ryan and Sandi are staying since the guys are fishing together tomorrow.

Progress on all Fronts

Jessie had lessons last night. She was riding really well. The farrier was coming to shoe Goldie and Hannah. When he got there she was loping and looked absolutely beautiful loping around the arena. Later I mentioned to him that we were doing costume leadline this weekend and he said "she looks like she is ready for more than costume leadline"! I told him it was Shelby and I that were doing costume leadline.....he said Jess looked really good and looked like such a natural. She really does when she is in her groove riding well. We had a house guest last night...Tiffany, Chad's sister stayed with us as Mark (her husband) is exploring Europe for the next couple of weeks. What a life! ha ha ha..... She kept Jessie company last night while I think Jessie kept a foot in her ribs all night. The girls went to his Mom and Dad's today to swim and spend the night. So, Chad and I had dinner at the famous Green Top. Gotta love those BBQ salads. We came back, fed the horsies and then put clamps on the fence.

6/27

Got home today and fencing was in full swing with t-posts being put in place. Three sides have t-posts in place. Took Shelby with me to the McInvale's to feed the horses and we saddled Blackie for her. She donned her new helmet and we went to the arena. I held Blackie on the lead line and got him to trot around....Shelby loves to trot. She is now wanting to see if Blackie can run Pony Barrels! She helped me feed all the horses and we headed home.

6/26

Friday night we took the girls to Cullman to see Cars, the movie. It was great. The best part was probably hearing Shelby sing "Life is a Highway" with Rascal Flatts - at the top of her lungs. She has developed a huge crush on the lead singer, who she describes as having "prickly hair". Saturday, Chad and his brother fished a tournament at Neely Henry. The girls and I ran some errands and took Shelby to a birthday party / swimming party. Sunday came and I overslept so we didn't make church. Later on, Norman - Irene and Steve came over. Norman, Steve and Chad made significant progress on the fence and we were almost completely under fence when they finished. The girls spent the night with Nanny and PawPaw. Chad went today and bought the rest of the fencing materials. Steve came over and they got the gates hung up and the last bit of fencing up. We are officially UNDER FENCE! I had to go buy horse feed before coming home....saw people at the Hitchin' Post where we used to board our horses. We took the feed to the Mcinvale's and then rode for a little while tonight.

Family Picture

Taken in November at Gatlinburg Aquarium.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Or maybe it's the other way around - Good Neighbors Make Good Fences ! I know very few people can relate to the excitement a fence can bring...but this is one fence that is certainly building excitement daily. Chad and Steve (my niece's boyfriend and resident horse expert) made the trip to Tractor Supply yesterday to buy the fencing. When I got home, they and our neighbor, Tanner, had almost one roll of fencing up around the perimeter....two more rolls to go, as we are putting up three rows of fencing. Steve thinks a few more days of that kind of progress and we will have it up. I can't thank Steve enough for his guidance, work and assistance. It was a blessing to see Chad, Steve and Tanner out there putting up the fence and I am so thankful!

Closer to Home.....

Before we went on vacation, we put our horses at our neighbors who had offered to take care of them while we were on vacation. We had also arranged with them to leave them at their house and property until our fence is finished. This couple is a wonderful Christian couple who own property completely designed for horses. They have two horses themselves but have plenty of room for more. They have a son who is a Major in the Army and a daughter who is a Missionary to Honduras. We feel blessed to have met them and to have this arrangement. Their house is exactly half a mile from our house so we are very excited to be closer to home. Last night we had lessons in their outside arena. We had a great time riding. Jessie rode her horse and rode great! She has been riding my horse in the past few lessons to get more used to riding other horses....so this was her first time back on her horse in a while. One of the owner's horses was trotting along side the arena railing on the outside and Jessie's horse was irritated by him being there so her horse decided to jump around a little bit (she was bucking!). Jessie stayed on for the ride and maintained her composure! I was proud of her for not getting rattled by it and we went on to ride for a while. She trotted figure eights with precision and then worked up to loping. She rides so pretty! Chad saddled up Shelby's pony, Blackie, and took them for a "walk". Now Shelby wants to take lessons! I love the fact we can do this as a family and am so thankful for the opportunities and blessings God has provided.

Where to Begin....

Well, it's not been quite a year since my last post so better late than never. I'll try to recap from last July....since that time....I got married, I bought a horse, then bought another horse for Jessie, decided my horse was too much horse and sent him to a trainer, bought another one from her (so technically at that point I own three), put our home on the market and it sold the first week it was on the market, bought another house with land to move the horses to our house but have to get the stumps cleared first, Shelby turned four, bought Shelby a pony - now we own four, got the land cleared and Chad has started the fence, Jessie turned eight, Jessie went to horse camp, then we just returned from the beach, Shelby is in zoo camp this week and Jessie is going to VBS, we have riding lessons tonight for Jessie, WHEW - what a year! Oh, did I mention my employer decided to merge with another bank? As if I didn't have enough going on.....oh well, nothing like CHANGE to keep your ticker ticking (really fast)!

Day in the Life

Friday morning was a great morning....the girls had been given a stern talk by Granny about how they have been behaving (er...misbehaving) in the mornings when we are trying to leave. This week was zoo camp and the girls had to be there at 8:30, so our normal routine was a little hurried this week as we tried to have everything done for them to be there at 8:30. We experienced some very frazzled mornings this week but Friday was a different morning and things were going great. I asked Jessie to run downstairs to the dryer to get their zoo camp shirts out. She came back with shorts and shirts in hand....but had a wide eyed look on her face. With all the drama she could possibly muster, she said "I have a tip for you....if you think you're claustrophobic, don't stick your head in the dryer!" It may be one of those times when "you just had to be there"....but the look on her face and the tone in her voice was hilarious....to think -all this drama from a 7 year old! We were taking the girls to eat and were trying to take them somewhere they haven't been versus our regular chain establishments. We were sitting at the Hall's, who live near Trussville, trying to decide where to go....and Shelby was asking to go to "Nomi"...keep in mind Shelby is three and "Nomi" meant she wanted to go to Konome, the Japanese Steakhouse in Trussville. The girls love going there and we just ate there this past Sunday...but we went again. We got Shelby her own dinner this time and she almost cleaned her plate of shrimp and rice. She knows all the chef's jokes and can say them before he does. Still she laughs and laughs like she has never been there before! So much for someplace new.....but it won't ever be old watching her next to me eating the little bowl of soup, waiting for her rice to cool off and laughing with a smile covering her entire face!

Life Notes

~One day I'll learn to trust myself more than others. ~One day I'll learn that despite my best desires to find the good in most everyone...that most everyone is human and will let you down, can be capable of hurting you and can be entirely capable of being phony. ~One day I'll learn that true friends come along only once in a true blue moon therefore everyone is not a friend. ~One day I'll learn deception knows no age limits or boundaries. ~One day I'll learn why I've lived my life in the the way I have and why I didn't lower myself to their standards or lack thereof. ~One day I'll learn that the "good guys don't always finish last"!

Music "un"-Appreciation 101

I learned Friday evening that age is truly just a number and can be a state of mind as well. This lesson was learned as I watched old and very young sway and scream to the sounds of Gretchen Wilson followed by Kenny Chesney. We were offered free tickets last week and I thought it could be fun. I'll preface the rest of this with the fact that I don't listen to much country music these days but remember Kenny Chesney's music from five or six years ago and I liked him then. However, my thoughts on Gretchen Wilson are much different. She is newer to the mainstream scene and I don't share quite the fondness for her that others do. While all her claims to being the real down to earth person she is and wanting to make her hometown proud (as noted in the song Pocahontas Proud, which refers to her hometown Pocahontas, Illinois) could be commended by some, you won't find it from me. I am not here to bash her or any other star and at the risk of sounding holier than thou, I have no desire for her lyrics to be in my house or car. In her song "Here for the Party" she sings about being "an eight ball shooting double fisted drinking son of a gun" and goes on to say.... "I wear My jeans a little tight Just to watch the little boys come undone Im here for the beer and the ball busting band Gonna get a little crazy just because I can" While she sings about "kickin the butt" of a homewrecker and about being a proud redneck woman she elaborates by saying "Well, I ain't never been the Barbie doll type No, I can't swig that sweet Champagne, I'd rather drink beer all night In a tavern or in a honky tonk or on a four-wheel drive tailgate" she provides an emotional pull to every Mom with a video intro to her song "Holdin You" with clips of her daughter Grace and audio clips of baby laughter. I know it takes all types to "make the world go round" but I can't honestly condone her lyrics anymore than I can the lyrics of some rappers. The messages may be different but if we're after impact of the message then it's all the same to me. I felt so out of place as I sat during most of her performance and listened to a sold out crowd sing and chant with her. When I watched her video clip of her daughter, I felt proud...I felt proud that my daughters know I am "real" without having to hear me sing of my roots, my drinking preferences and my ability to "take it outside" with someone. They know I am real when we pray about something, they know I am real when they hear Chad and me argue and see us "kiss and make up", they know I am real when I get mad at someone and cry and hurt about it but can forgive and forget, they know I am real when I get mad and scream and shout and apologize for my actions, they know I am real when they see me hurt and they come give me a hug and I know they want to make it all better for me. So, while I felt so out of place I am so thankful for the lesson I learned and to say that I am proud of who I am too! PS - the eBay dress came in and I LOVE IT....also booked photography team of Mark Lawley and Associates on Thursday night (http://www.marklawleyphotography.com).

Wedding Plans

Well, I was beginning to get nervous about finding a dress....now I have two! I bought one on clearance at Southern Bride and then won one off of eBay (good ole' eBay!) So, if I hate the one from eBay - I have the other one to fall back on from Southern Bride (but it is definitely second choice just based on appearances). My eBay seller was a little slow in shipping as they moved their store, but I was told it shipped Wednesday the 29th. So, I am anxiously waiting on the eBay dress. Earlier this month we purchased a dress for Jessie from David's Bridal. It is Blush Pink and it is from their Junior Bridesmaid line. We also completed our pre-marital counseling questionnaire's and are waiting to get our counseling started with Pastor Mark. Also, two of my friends told me this week that they wanted to do something for us / me...so they are hosting a lingerie shower...it will be fun! I have lined up people to sing and play: my friends Ted Stricklin, Katanya Langford and Wendy Thomaston will sing as well as my favorite praise and worship minister, Pastor Tommy Connor will play and hold Praise and Worship at the reception. We want to have a really fun time at the reception and we are sure to have good music with Pastor Tommy at the microphone! It was recently announced he will be leaving the church in Centerpoint to be full time Pastor of our Homewood church and I was crushed. I know God will continue to use he and his wife and grow the Homewood church, but I will definitely miss my favorite praise and worship minister and his wife on Sunday mornings at Centerpoint Cathedral! Working on decorations and picking out invitations. Things seem to be "falling into place"!

Catchin' Up.....

BIG NEWS FROM MAY.... May 22, 2005 Our much needed beach trip turned into a bigger trip than I could imagine.....We took the girls to Mom and Dad for church and headed towards Destin. We arrived at where we were scheduled to stay and found it was too far from the beach for our taste. So, we went to find other accomodations. We quickly found a place to stay at Sun Destin Condominiums, through Resort Quest properties. We got to our unit and changed to go down to the beach for what was left of the afternoon. Getting down to the beach, I found it to be a little breezy, so of course I was a little whiney. Chad and I were playing "hangman" in the sand and he offered to go back to the room to get my jacket so we could stay til sunset. When he came back, he didn't have my jacket and I was so confused how he could forget it? Shortly I found out that he had other things on his mind....when he pulled out a beautiful solitaire and asked me to marry him! I was crying and he said I took forever to answer him...but of course I said yes. We went back to the room and got dressed to go out to eat and decided to call everyone the next day to tell them. MAY 23, 2005 We called everyone that morning to tell them and I told Jessie by asking her if she wanted to be my flower girl? She SQUEALED and was so excited. Shelby was a little less enthused about being a flower girls....but was excited about us getting married. Chad called his family and they were excited as well. We began discussing wedding dates and he was hoping for August...while I was hoping for November or December to give me more time to plan. Eventually, I conceded that if things would really fall into place, that I would shoot towards an August date - so off we went.

Thoughts on children....

The other night while tucking the girls into bed, I decided to be silly so I waited until they asked for their normal "hug and a kiss" which is a part of the nightly routine. Sometimes we even have to do it twice so they are sure they got it. Anyway, I was being silly with them and told them that I had decided to start charging for my hugs and kisses. I expected fussing and whining and got just the opposite. Shelby started scrambling out of the bed looking for her purse..she said she had money in her purse! Jessie knew she had tooth fairy money and was ready to get it. I was almost in tears to know they would pay for my "hugs and kisses". It actually made me feel bad. But, then I started thinking what an eye opener things can be...that they would pay for my silly old hugs and kisses as I tuck them in bed at night. One day they may not want me tucking them in....just like Jessie decided one day to not wear hair bows anymore....and just one day she didn't say "sippy tup" for "sippy cup"....and one day she didn't say "Dranny" for "Granny". It seemed like overnight those changes occurred. Chad and I discussed this weekend, that we wonder when Shelby will quit saying "underbrella" for "umbrella" or "pannicakes" for "pancakes".... I wonder when they won't need me to supervise baths or supervise pouring drinks or fix Shelby's strawberry milk in the morning. NO matter when all those things happen, I hope they will always want or need my hugs and kisses. I know their hugs and kisses can always make me feel better and yes, there are times when I would pay for them!

Readying for the Weekend

Chad and I get to take a much needed trip to the beach on Sunday and come back on Tuesday afternoon. I am involved in a big project at work and it's "debut" was moved to this Monday.....I'll try to not wonder what is going on back in B'ham. Jessie's last day of first grade is tomorrow. It's hard to believe that she is soon starting second grade. I have vivid memories of my second grade year and it causes me to realize that she is at an age where things become more and more memorable in your conscious mind. I also went to New York City when I was seven, which was very memorable, so I hope to offer her some very memorable events this year and in years to come. It seems like yesterday her nursery was being painted with a mural of the Sun, Moon and Stars and an image of the earth which read "He's got the whole world in his hands". Her nursery was so peaceful and exactly like I wanted it to be. Pretty soon that same nursey and decor may be used by my brother and his wife as they await a December arrival and addition to our family. It would be great if they could benefit from the decor in that room, but I will understand if she wants to do her own decor. It was painted by a friend of the family who has recently had a baby and is having health problems following delivery. Keep them in your prayers! I will update after our trip to Destin!

Pageant Update

Jessie had 12 girls in her division. She did great and we were very proud! We were very pleased when they crowned her Little Miss Encore! I think she was in shock...she didn't even move. I'm not sure she even realized she won right away. We went out to eat afterwards and had a great time with our family and made lots of phone calls! I mentioned that she didn't have to do another one since she got "a crown" and she has wanted one so badly! She quickly replied that "just because she won didn't mean she wasn't going to do anymore". She is too funny! I will post pictures as soon as I get them scanned...Wal-Mart's digital system was down, so I will have to scan and upload!

Potty Training!!!!

Last Thursday, the 5th, we had a major breakthrough with Shelby and the potty training. She saw a preschool playground and wanted to go there. I told her about her preschool she would be going to in September. I also "fibbed" a little and told her she had to be going to the potty and if not, they would send her home. She resisted momentarily and then reluctantly gave in and said "Ok, I'll go to the potty". With that statement, she resolved herself to going to the potty and we have been in "big girl panties" ever since. We use the pullups at night but I have a feeling she will be out of those soon! It was so nice to take them out ALL DAY last Saturday and not have a pullup to deal with. Although, it did mean finding a potty whenever, wherever she felt the urge! But we had a great time shopping together and picking out Mother's Day presents. Jessie is in another pageant tomorrow at Bragg Middle School in Gardendale. This one is the Encore Pageant, that her dance studio's dance team is doing as a fundraiser. I will try to get a picture posted from the last pageant that she did on April 22, Little Miss North Jefferson County. Well, I will update after the pageant!

Up to speed....

Been a while since I got on here, I was really motivated about doing this at first and then I got behind on it and didn't feel like doing it. But, here I am and will just update you on recent and "sorta" interesting events. I had to go to Memphis last week for work. So, we had planned that I would take the girls and Mom with me. I would be in meetings in the afternoon on Thursday the 28th and the first half of Friday the 29th. I also knew Mom could use my car and take the girls around while I was in meetings. So, we left early Thursday morning and headed up Hwy 78 to Memphis. APRIL 28 Got up there in good time, but missed the turn to the meeting site / hotel and spent another 30-45 minutes trying to get back due to a train and road being blocked. I called the hotel to inquire about early check in and she told me she would hold a room for us, so I could get changed. I walked into the meeting and they were just about to introduce the team from Human Resources. I made it in the nick of time! When the meetings adjourned, our hosts - the Trust Department, took us to a Redbirds game and then to Beale Street. We had BBQ from Rendezvous served up in a private area and we watched the Redbirds beat the Cubs. The stadium, the facilities and staff were all great. I loved the downtown atmosphere of the stadium and the design was great also. It turned out to be a much colder night than most of us expected. I was glad for closed toe shoes and my North Face Rain Jacket that Chad gave me for Christmas! We all left and walked to Beale Street. I did my usual people watching and walked on with the group. They chose a small bar to go into and do some dancing.....I opted for the souveneir shop next door. Soon, Richard, from the group and who is also a Memphis native, came looking for me. So, I joined them next door and entertained myself by people watching. We left to join others at the end of Beale by 10:00, so we could board our charter bus to take us back to the hotel. Most had boarded the bus and were waiting for the last ones to board....one of the ladies boarded the bus and she proceeded to do a "flight attendants demonstration of what to do in case of emergency" at the front of the bus. It was pretty funny and very spontaneous. I am sure she was "feeling good" after her time on Beale Street. We leave the area heading back and have been riding for about ten minutes when that same lady starts shrieking "my bag....my bag".....we think she must have lost her purse and start trying to figure out what she is screaming about. She says thru panicked breaths that she must have laid her bag of souveneirs down when she did her flight attendant demonstration. People are laughing and trying to calm her down....while others are looking to see if the bag is up in the front of the bus. She heads to the front and the driver barks at her to sit down. It was pretty funny! I was almost embarrassed for her. People were still talking about it the next day.....we later found out her bag was at Pat O'Brien's and some of the group that stayed behind found it and brought it back with them. APRIL 29 TRIP TO THE PEABODY: Mom took the girls to the breakfast buffet and I went to my meeting. They headed to the Memphis Zoo. We were glad to know the B'ham zoo membership transferred there to a discount and they got in half price. They made sure to see the Panda exhibit and took a shuttle around the zoo to take in other sites. They met me back at the hotel after lunch as my meetings were over. We headed to the Peabody to stake out the Duck's and so I could see the shops that I had passed the night before. I was so excited about seeing the ducks. I know everyone will be glad to know that I finally got to see the ducks! We bought Jessie two books related to the ducks and the hotel's history. She was wanting us to check out of our hotel and stay at the Peabody. We bought Shelby a little rubber duck for the bathtub fashioned after the Peabody mallards. We took some pictures while the ducks were still in the fountain and headed to Peabody Place. Killed some time in there and headed back to get a good spot to watch the ducks stroll down the red carpet. We got a great spot and watched the crowd start to pile in. The Duckmaster, Daniel Fox, was a great host for the viewing and moved all the children right down on the floor alongside the red carpet. We were more excited to learn that the walk that day was the first day on the job for that set of ducks. I cautioned (threatened-ha ha ha) the girls to not touch or reach for the ducks. Three ducks came out with ease and stalled halfway down the carpet, while two more were content in the fountain. Duckmaster Fox coaxed those out and they all headed onto the elevator. It was fun and after 12+ years of wanting to see those ducks - I DID! We headed up to the duck palace on the roof, enjoyed the view thru the misting rain and headed down. Down in the lobby, I wanted to check the remaining stores. I went into Lansky Brothers to see the guitars and pictures from celebrities that have paid them a visit. I was promptly greeted by Mr. Lansky himself, who used to be the tailor for Elvis. Mom took the girls out so I could look around. I thought about buying my Dad a tie because he would like to know it came from the store and man that personally outfitted Elvis. However, I decided against it when the ties were 95.00 and Dad would only wear a tie on special occasions. BRUSH WITH CELEBRITIES: The Memphis music festival was about to get underway and downtown was brimming with excitement and activity. Limo's were pulling up at the Peabody with great frequency and we saw several groups unload with instrument cases and musical apparatus in tow. While in Lansky Brothers, two guys came in to look at some hats. I was making my way thru the store and heard one say to Mr. Lansky that he was a songwriter, the other was on his cell phone seemingly talking to his girlfriend. I was looking at some shirts that caught my eye for Chad and the "songwriter" walked past me and asked me if I saw anything I liked - I said "yeah - lots" and thought nothing of it. When I left the store, I noticed several "younger girls" than me, who seemed very excited. I realized they were pointing at the two guys in the store and I asked who they were. One of them looked at me like I came straight from Neptune and said "uhhhh - that is Gavin Degraw and the other is his drummer" I was clueless and had to ask her who that was...thinking he might be a local singer....she looked at me like I had grown another head and told me he was from New York. So, I made matters worse and asked her what he sang....oh well....I felt really old! I #2 BRUSH WITH CELEBRITIES: Left Lansky Bros. and went into Lansky 126. Greeted by a super nice guy, who loved my outfit! We were laughing about my "killer shoes" as he called them and I told him how they were truly killing my feet. We stood there talking while I looked at shirts. There were two other guys in there shopping and I heard one say he was going to wear the jeans he was trying on when he was on stage that night. The guy helping me told me that guy was from Phish and he thought his name was Trey. I was still clueless! Thank goodness for the internet, so I could look up all these people when I got back to my room! RAINED OUT! We went on a carriage ride and then headed to Pancho's to eat. While in Pancho's it began to pour buckets....so that ruined any chance of getting to Beale before it got dark. I was going to get them to Beale before dark so Mom could say she had been there. I assured her she wasn't missing anything...but I know she would have found some street people to minister to! She had spotted plenty while we were on our carriage ride! Headed back to the hotel to get ready to leave the next day. IS ELVIS REALLY DEAD? Not that we were really wondering, but thought it seemed appropriate since we made our way to Graceland on Saturday. We booked the VIP tour and had the first run of the day. The house was much smaller than I ever expected and Mom said the same thing. It wasn't quite as outlandish as I expected and some of the rooms were strangely reminiscent of recent makeovers on Trading Space (ala Hildy!) Jessie enjoyed the trip much more than Shelby! We had the girls picture made with Elvis - digitally of course and it turned out really cute! I'll try and post it later. BASS PRO SHOPS Left Graceland and went to the Bass Pro Shops. I've never been to one and wanted to see how much stuff one store could have to sell to fisherman and hunters under one roof. Well, we got to see it and we even bought some stuff - imagine that! NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM: I really wanted Jessie to see the Civil Rights Museum as she is very interested in history. She also had a lof interest in Dr King after studying him in Black History Month. I was also very interested to see the museum after learning the Lorraine Motel was now the site of the museum. It was a very moving experience. It was very surreal to realize I was standing less than 10 feet away from the exact spot he stood and where his life was ended. I am glad to know it didn't end the work he started. Jessie has remarked since then that she can't believe she was standing there. We headed home and got home about 10:00 to Chad and Pops waiting for us! They helped us unload and Granny and Pops were on their way.

Jessie's 2nd Pageant 4/22/2005

Chad wins Pickwick BFL!!!

href="http://bfl.flwoutdoors.com/tournament.cfm?cid=2&tid=3961"> Click the link above and it will take to you the FLW website, which has a picture of Chad and his trophy as well as a full write up of the win. Chad was really excited to win this as he had never fished there before. Additionally, the waters were really rough like no other rough water he has ever been on. He called me from a friends cell phone to tell me of his tourney win and big bass. He is always playing jokes on me, so I thought he was kidding. I was glad to know he was not kidding and couldn't wait for him to get back to B'ham to his biggest fans. I hate we couldn't be there....but he knows we are always cheering him on and praying for him wherever he is!

Dance Pictures - 2005

Almost Friday....

Nanny came over before I left work and got the girls so they could spend the night with her. Jessie was saddened to know they were only spending Thursday night with Nanny and not Friday also. I told Nanny they could stay another night if she wanted, because otherwise they will be spending Friday night with my mom since we have a Guys & Dolls Tournament on Saturday. Jessie was also very concerned if Nanny knew what she could eat and could not eat since she has had the stomach bug. She also informed us that it was not fair for us to eat stuff in front of her that she could not eat! Today I had lunch with my friend and former co-worker, Rhena. She is studying to sell real estate, when her days with SouthTrust / Wachovia are over. After work, I met Chad at Academy where I shopped for things for the tournament. I bought a new reel, like the one he has that I fish with already - an el cheapo, Shimano Syncopate Quickfire 2000. Cheap, but I like it! Headed home shortly to get packed and get laundry done!

Hump Day

Jessie stayed well today - Yeah! Also, heard good news about one of my former co-workers at SouthTrust, Monique got a job in HR at St. Vincent's Hospital. Chad went to Weiss Lake today to scout out the fish for our Guys & Dolls Tournament there this Saturday. He came over tonight and brought my new Costa Del Mar sunglasses with polarized lenses. I am so excited about having those! Shelby has been in a mood tonight. In the car, on the way home, she called Jessie "stupid" and has been very demanding tonight. She is still refusing to go to the potty. The girls will be spending the day and night tomorrow with the Waid's. Then spending Friday night with my family, since we will have an early start on Saturday morning.

The Trouble with "tummies".........

My oldest daughter Jessie has had a "tummy issue" since Friday. It has flared it's ugly head with infrequency over the weekend and into Monday. Monday night turned into a full blown ordeal and we were in for the long haul Monday night all the way into this morning. I found myself up and down all night with her, almost every hour with precision which culminated with an early morning series of every 30 minutes going to her side. I soon found myself faced with having to call and cancel dental appointments for the girls that were scheduled for today. I also decided to call in the reinforcements to our house, so I could try to go in to work for some meetings I had scheduled today. The more I watched her, I knew I needed to be with her and knew I needed to contact the pediatrician. The fact that she had not anything of real substance in the past four days, combined with the fact that she could now not keep down liquids was very concerning. They agreed she needed to be seen, so now I was faced with calling the company that I have only been with since January and telling them my dilemma. Additionally, I had to contact the meeting participants and cancel on them....who by the way, are people I've never met and have tried to arrange this meeting for almost two weeks. I know my children are my priority but the situation still left me feeling very torn. I have felt from the beginning that the new group I work with is a very family oriented group and that was confirmed even further today. Thank the Lord! So, here we sit with persistent "tummy troubles" with one and the other one bawling over the sound of thunder as we wait for the next wave of storms to roll through our area. Praying the medicine kicks in before bedtime and that we can get a peaceful nights sleep....unless the storms have other plans! p.s - in spite of the tummy trouble this weekend, we celebrated Shelby's Third Birthday at Pump It Up in Trussville. We had a great time with our family and friends on Sunday. It looks like Christmas In March has come to our house with all the toys and clothes she received. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Introductory Blog

I have seen these for a while now and thought it would be fun to journal our lives. Not that I think we are so interesting, but I am more interested in it for the girls and how it could benefit them later. Hence, the name "forusthreegirls" in the web address. I also chose the name "One Day At a Time"...because that is truly how I want us to live - as a family.....one day at a time, walking with God! Hope you get some enjoyment out of our posts and gain some insight into our lives and who we are! Love to all! Tonya, Jessie and Shelby