Thankful Thinking

During the month of November, everyone starts to really ponder what they are thankful for. I am no different. Although, I try to count my blessings each day and recognize all that I have been blessed with. November just has that thankful spirit about it. This year at Thanksgiving, I sat at "The Big Table" in three different homes. My Granny's, Bradley's Grandma's and Bradley's Nanny's. It seems that almost all families have this hallowed tradition of banishing the children to a separate table while the adults eat together. As a child, I did not understand this tradition. I was even confused by it and maybe even a little annoyed. I also coudn't understand why it took the grownups so dang long to eat their lunch. Did they have trouble chewing? Is digestion a problem when you are old? I didn't know. Now that I am a rightful sitter of the "Big Table", I get it. You send the kids to the little table because you want to eat in peace. You want to enjoy the comraderie of other adults. You want to be thankful that you have kids, but that they are in the other room. And, just as my parents did, I sit for hours around the table eating. It's not that it takes a long time to eat, it's just nice to sit and talk. At my Granny's house, I remember, not only sitting at the little table, but also drinking out of the little glasses. The adults got the tall glasses brimming with Granny's yummy sweet tea, while the kids got these short, squat glasses with a handle. I recall the first year I was given a glass without a handle. My cousins and I still joke about that tradition to this day, at the "Big Table" of course.

This Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for. I would fill up my entire blog page if I tried to list them all. Top on my lists would definitely be my family and my church with friends coming in right behind. For a different twist, though. I will make some different kinds of Thankful lists.

Things I am Most Thankful For about Bradley

1. He thinks I am beautiful

2. He kisses me goodbye every single morning (even when he thinks I am asleep.)

3. He laughs with me

4. He is a great Daddy

5. His intelligence

6. He dreams with me

Things I am Most Thankful for about Tucker

1. His salvation

2. His compassion for others

3. That he has always been such a great big brother

4. His tender heart

5. His obedience

Things I am Most Thankful for about Sawyer

1. His competetive spirit

2. His athletic ability

3. His sense of humor

4. His drive to succeed

5. His hugs (although they are few)

Things I am Most Thankful for about Carter

1. That he loves to sit and snuggle

2. His lovingness

3. His sweet spirit

4. His laid back personality

5. His giggles

Things I am Most Thankful for about my Childhood

1. I was sheltered from the world

2. My Mama waking me up with "Rise and Shine!"

3. Going with my Daddy on Sunday mornings to get donuts

4. Playing in the creek with Jeffrey and Jamie

5. That I saw my parents love each other

Other Things I am Thankful for

1. Rainy days

2. Camping with my boys

3. Dishwashers

4. Clean sheets and freshly shaven legs

5. That I have the greatest job in the world

6. Going for a jog

7. My life

Clash of the 10 year olds

There is something just not right about giving permission for your son to bang heads and bodies with other boys, whose Moms have also givien this same permission. I sat at the first football practice, with my full body tensed. Form tackling. That's what they call it. They match up one kid against another and they clash away at each other until one goes down. I am sorry to the other mothers, but I was downright giddy inside when your son went down. Although it makes me nervous that something bad will happen, football is fun to watch. We have dabbled in every other sport, but this was our first year for football. After I accustomed myself to the clashing at practices and withdrew from my ball of tension, I learned to enjoy it. And I also learned that Tucker is not half bad at it. I also really enjoyed the fact that Bradley was beaming with pride as he was able to teach Tucker about form, position, plays, and all that stuff. While I tried desperately to follow along in their lingo. I didn't always understand all the calls or the plays, but I did understand when Tucker carried the ball across the goal line for the first time. I think I'm gonna like this sport!

Back to School

Starting back to school was always fun for me as a child. I was so ready to show off my new clothes, see my friends, use my new pointy crayons, and write in those fresh unwritten in notebooks. I was a good student as a child, a studious, rule follower. I have fond memories of my childhood school years. I guess that is part of the reason I chose to go into education, and I kind of still get those same feelings each year in August. It's a new year, a new group of kids to love, and another fresh start. This August was no different. I was excited about another new beginning. This year, as a Mom, I was starting the year with a 5th grader, a first grader, and a preschooler. 5th grade seems so old! First graders are no longer babies. And I only have one year left with a preschooler. My boys are growing too fast! It's like someone turned the clock on "full speed ahead". Although I lament about how old they are getting, it was still exciting starting the new year. Tucker was especially thrilled when he found out his homeroom class after seeing that most of his guy friends would be in class with him. Sawyer was happy when he found out that he would have Mrs. Posey, Tucker's former 1st grade teacher. Carter was happy as well, that he would be in preschool with his buddies, Caden and Jaxon. Although, he was a bit sad that Maggie wouldn't be in his class this year. (Maggie is Carter's "girlfriend") Another new school year was started sucessfully and everyone was all smiles.

15 years together and still in love!

   I am just now getting back to blogging trying to catch up on some major events. On July 2, 2009, Bradley and I celebrated 15 years of marriage together. Thinking back to 15 years ago, we started our marriage on less than promising circumstances. I was 18 years old and he was 20. I was just out of high school and way too young to know what I was doing. All I knew was that I loved Bradley and I didn't understand the point in prolonging the inevitable. I was going to marry him and I didn't want to wait. Our meager income was enough to place us in the "poverty" level on any government chart. We lived in a trailer next door to my parents and I was in school full time. Bradley worked as a counter clerk in a parts store and we barely made enough money to get by. But we were in love!

I look back on those days with fond memories. Although those days were the rocky days of our marriage, we defied the odds and made it through. I believe that our marriage is stronger and blooms beautifully today and that is largely due to the fact that we have built our lives together from such a young age. In 15 years we have overcome any obstacles and delighted in many more joys. We bought our first house together, lovingly referred to as "the little house".

The 900 square foot house in downdown Blountsville was a labor of love and made a great home.  We lived here for 4 years. 

We built our current house together, our personal dream house. Almost the entire house was built overseen by me and most of it completed with our own hands.


We have experienced the greatest joy any person could experience by seeing the birth of our 3 sons, Tucker, Sawyer, and Carter. We also grieved the loss of a child together, lost to miscarriage in 2001. We have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, taken trips, watched school plays, and grown in love. Our life over the last 15 years together as a couple has been a wonderful ride.

To celebrate the life we live together and to cherish each other even more as a couple, we decided that we would take a trip together for just the two of us. This was not a decision we made lightly, since taking a trip with just the two of us meant that we would have to leave our boys behind. We enjoy traveling together as a family, but on this occasion, we decided to invest in our marriage and celebrate US.

We journeyed together to the Dominican Republic on July 1-6. We made memories together that we will recall for the rest of our lives. We truly enjoyed each other's company. We felt like we were in a tropical paradise being pampered. We loved every minute of it. Highlights of the trip were laying on the beach, watching the ocean, eating at the awesome restaurants, taking a boat trip, getting a couple massage and snorkling. We loved it so much and hope that maybe in 15 more years, we can do it again.

His friend has an armpit hair!

My oldest son went to one of his best friends' birthday party yesterday. The friend is a girl whom we have been friends with all our lives. The party was a boy/girl party and there was some serious flirting going on. The boys were trying to throw the girls in the pool and the girls were doing the high pitched squeals. It was hilarious to watch....until I realized that I was watching MY ten year old flirt. TEN! When did he start flirting with girls? It was so distressing! Then, one of his buddies came home with us to spend the night. They rough-housed, rode the go-cart, played with Nerf guns, all the things you expect ten-year old boys to do. UNTIL....the moment his friend casually mentioned to us that he had an armpit hair. You've gotta be kidding me! And he really did. He named it "Bob". He even showed it to us. It was ligitimate. We all laughed and joked with him and I pretended it was funny, but in my mind I was mortified! Could my sweet, innocent ten year old Tucker be old enough to get armpit hairs too? I do realize that it was just ONE hair and it wasn't even on my own child. I am afraid when my own child gets an arpit hair of his own, I may have to take a nerve pill. I can tell, I am not prepared.

I Think I'm a Blogger

As I sat folding laundy this morning, I was thinking back on some fun memories from my 3 boys. I wish I had written them down as they happened. I am certain that my memory has already lost so many adorable moments. I heard some other guys' words of wisdom play in my mind..."It's never too late to start something new." So, I thought, why not now? I guess blogging is kind of like keeping a diary. Only, you give away the key to whomever wants it. I'm not much of a writer. Actually, I am the only one of the 3 siblings in my family who seem to have missed out on that gift. My brother and sister are both quite eloquent in their writing ability. Not me. I can successfully write an excuse to send to school, a grocery list, and I can certainly write out checks to those who force me to pay my bills each month, but creative writing. Not so much. So, I guess this "blogspot" or whatever it's called is mostly for me. If someone else stumbles across the key and wants to read my diary, be my guest. And so begins...."memoirs of a mom".