Pumpkin Time!

We have been enjoying the fall weather! We took the boys to October Fest at Desoto Caverns. They had a hay ride, free root beer, popcorn and pumpkin fudge. Tim bought my boys tomahawks there, so they have been cutting down tree's every since! LOL! :)

Our favorite thing about October is going to the pumpkin patch at Old Bakers Farm. This year they had a birthday party for Mr. Baker celebrating his 100th birthday. There he was sitting in his rocking chair just as content and happy as anyone could be. (It reminded me of my Pappy and all his stories of his days on the farm.) Tim's sister & family met us there. The boys enjoyed spending time with Konner & Kooper. They showed Konner around like they owned the place. LOL!

My boys enjoyed all the farm animals. They got to ride a BIG horse as they called it. We watched the civil war re-enactment then later they had a shoot out on the street that seemed like you were in a old western movie. That was great! We RAN through the hay maze. My boys and their Daddy slid down the huge slide made from many bales of hay, over and over again! Picking out their pumpkins was my favorite thing. Brycen wanted the first one he saw, a pumpkin is a pumpkin to him.:) Brayden on the other hand couldn't decide? Big or small? Orange or green (or both)? Lumps or no lumps? Stem or no stem? After we walked the entire field he finally found the perfect one. :) He was happy and so was I! Of course the wagon and hay rides were a lot of fun for them too! Tim made friends with the blacksmith and he made both of my boys horse shoes with their names for free.

We loved the folk and blue grass music. Tim bought the boys harmonica's and they tried to play along with the people. LOL!

We had a great day on the farm and...I didn't have to clean any stales or bale the hay or feed the animals. *GRIN* Really though, I hope to get a place out in the country one day where my boys can run free all day because they sure did sleep good after a day at the pumpkin patch!!!

"Don't blink"...4 years goes faster than you think!

It's hard to believe my little man turned 4 a couple weeks ago! His birthday party was last Saturday. (He had been asking for a Auburn football party for about the last 6 months.) He loves football and so does Daddy. So Auburn it was!!! Turned out pretty cute and was cheap on the budget because we used the Auburn stuff we already had to decorate. :) Also I got some plain football stuff from Target $1.00 bins. (I love those bins!)

Pa , Granna, Austin & Anthony came up for the weekend. (We had revival too.) Brayden was born during a revival and every year since, revival has been on his birthday. Guess that is what happens when both your Grandpa's are preachers. LOL! Works good for my family because they love to have more than one thing going on at a time. I was just glad that they got to be here for the party!

We had the party @ Desoto Caverns, our favorite park. Dad and Mom fixed the pigs-n-blankets and hot dogs, while Tim, Anthony & I went early to decorate. We ended up having 12 kids. We had a couple football games for them to play and we all got to go on a FREE hayride. The hayride of course was my boys favorite thing!!! Brayden got lots of cool presents! (Now if I could just find room to put them away.)

It seems almost like yesterday I was planning his first birthday! I hope the next four years goes a lot slower...

Alaina & Rolands Wedding

Our trip to Indiana was awesome. A week that will not soon be forgotten!!! Spending time with all of our families and some great friends and the wedding preparation was a blast. :)

My boys loved spending time with Papaw Stringer...playing ball and riding his John Deere tractor with him was right up their alley.

We had some good meals which included Ind. sweet corn, and Top Hat pizza which is 2 of my favorite foods. If you go hungry there it is not from lack of food! Mamaw still makes the best homemade dressing. Aunt Gale made quite the feast for us on Thursday. (YUMMY!) Aunt Linda cooked a breakfast brunch on Friday for us girls and what fun we had there with the bridesmaids, Melody, Aunt Brenda & Aunt Joy. Some of which is recorded on video!!! LOL! Many thanks to everyone who feed us, and for letting us crash your houses!

One of my favorite things was Girls Night Out the night before the wedding! Amy did a great job planning that! (I almost didn't go because I didn't know if Tim could get my boys in bed. They did fine with out me and I am proud of that!) We all crowded up together and went to the Melting Pot in Indianapolis for desert. Which was delicious! We talked of old memories, lots of girl things and MELTED away some stress! This too is on video but not for everyone to see...!

Of course the favorite part of the whole weekend was THE WEDDING!

The Arts Garden Park is beautiful. I loved the flowers, lily pond, the bridge into the ivy covered gazebo. Pretty much loved it all. It was the perfect place for a wedding.

Us girls got ready at Aunt Wanda's. We had our hair fixed there and all the pre-wedding jitters and excitement. Amy picked up Top Hat pizza and bread sticks for us. Alaina received a special delivery, a dozen red roses and a card from the Groom. How sweet is that? After getting ready we went to the park for pre-wedding pictures. My sweet husband bought the bride and all the bridesmaids 20oz Diet Dr. Pepper's and we were sipping these in between pics and goofed off some. After we were done with the pics Blane Ridenbaugh slipped Alaina away before the Groom and Groomsmen showed up for their picture's. A few last min. touches back at Wanda's house before the wedding. Uncle Dave showed up to escort Alaina and the bridesmaids to the wedding in his antique wagon. (Sweet ride!) When we arrived at the park there was lots and lots of people there.

A little before 5:00pm a harp started playing. Followed by violins played by Roland's sisters. The Groom and groomsmen walked down and the wedding started. Roland's nephews walked through the garden and down the aisle ringing bells. Then the bridesmaids, followed by flower girls (Roland's nieces), Then the Bride (Alaina) and Dad walked with Brayden and Carter carrying her train and Brycen tagged along behind them. One by one we walked through the garden and down the aisle. (I am proud of my boys for walking down the aisle, I didn't know if they would but they did just fine.) Brycen saw the flower girls throwing the petals down and so he got his out of his pocket and threw it down too! LOL! Then he told Brayden to throw his down too. Boys will be boys!!!

All eyes on Alaina, as her and Dad walked down the aisle. She was a beautiful bride and Daddy's baby girl. (There was a few tears.) Then Dad and Andrew sang "I loved her first". (More tears.) Then Dad gave her away...(I'm still not sure why they do that. For real, how can you just give your daughter away.) Just kidding, I know it's tradition. Then the Fathers of the Bride and Groom took turns doing the sermons, prayers and vows. The singing was by: Anna V., Aaron, Erica, Lorine and Randy. All the music was beautiful!

Roland had eyes only for Alaina, and she looked so happy. The unity sand was cool. Pink for Alaina, Brown for Roland. A sweet first kiss as Man & Wife. Congrats to Mr. & Mrs Roland Stagmeier!!!

After the wedding there was lots more pictures to take. Dad & Mom rented a horse and carriage as a surprise. So the newly married couple went on the first ride. The reception was under the pavilion. (Thanks to each and every family member and friend who pitched in and helped decorate.) It all looked awesome! My parents fixed a full course meal and there was lots of salad, pasta, snacks, and a chocolate fountain with all kinds of goodies and a punch table. The wedding cake was square's stacked up with brown ribbon and pink flowers. The grooms cake was a football. The cakes were really neat. Everyone seemed to enjoy visiting with music playing. Roland's brother in-law and Amy both gave speeches that brought tears to my eyes! Then there was the bouquet and garter toss. Watch out folks because Aaron caught the garter!!! :)

The marriage license was signed and the Groom & Bride were off in a Orange Mustang. I am so happy that they had a beautiful wedding day! I wish them the best marriage and a happy life together! I love my little sister and my new brother in-law!!!

Late night ramblings...

This was a busy week & weekend for us. I made plans to go to Indiana to my cousins wedding with my Mom. Then Mom wasn't feeling well, and since Alaina's wedding is only 2 weeks away we decided not to go. I already had my bags packed so then I had to turn around and unpack them. Bummer!
My sister in-laws decided to have a yard sell. So I stayed busy cleaning out and getting things priced for that. Cleaning out and organizing then re-organizing seems like a never ending job at this house!!! My Hubby helped by cleaning out our storage building. You gotta love it when He decides to clean out and go through stuff because that doesn't happen very often! :) Friday we had a good yard sell day. Busy but good. Imagine having a 5 family yard sell while watching 6 kids ages 3 and under (with 4 of them being 2 yr. old)! Actually you probably couldn't imagine but it is a site to see! Saturday we got rained out so we are planing on having yard sell this coming weekend also. More time to go through junk. *JOY*
Also Sis. Ruby Thrower age 99 passed away this weekend. So we went to her viewing tonight. What a long blessed life she had. Wish I could have got a few more secrets of life from her!!!
This afternoon after lunch at my in-laws, I came home and laid my boys down for a nap. Tim had a computer to work on so I slipped away for a couple hours. I don't hardly ever do that but needed to get stuff to make pies for the Thrower family and I was looking for a shirt. I really enjoyed having 2 hours to spend in town by myself. I think I might slip away more often on Sunday but I sure wished for my sisters and cousin Melody's company for a half price drink during happy hour! I miss you girls!!! Anyway I have a busy day tomorrow. I am baby sitting my nephews. So I am gone for now.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!!

We picked my parents up at the airport Wednesday night from the Bhm airport. (They flew back in from Oregon.) We ate at Kobe's with them, my boys wore their new chef hats. They were just too cute! My parents stayed a few days with us and we really had a good visit!
We went to Anniston Friday afternoon to the park. We took some bread to feed the ducks. The boys really enjoyed that. I had their picture's taken at Sears and they did really good. (I was proud of that!) We went out to eat at Longhorn with Tim's family. Afterwards we went to Wal-mart and that is where the surprise came from...
Amy, Amanda, Michael and Carter showed up at Wal-Mart! What a surprise! I had no idea they were coming!!! (My husband planned the whole thing and kept it a secret!) So the Labor Day weekend turned into a big party for us!!!:)
Saturday we went to the McWane Science Museum. We love that place and have enjoyed our membership this year. Supper was at our favorite local restaurant Old Town Grill...Yummy! Sunday afternoon Amanda, Amy & I went to town for a bit. We took our bridesmaid dresses to my mother in-law to alter for Alaina's wedding. Then we went to Sonic for 1/2 price hour... 3 diet dr. peppers with vanilla. :) Then we went to Burkes...Amanda got a awesome shirt there. I will let her share that later.:) Monday we slept in a little because our lack of sleep caught up with us. We went to Desoto Caverns to play for a while this afternoon. Amy & Aaron racing in the bath tubs was def. my favorite!!!:) We came home and grilled out before they left town.
This was def. a fun weekend...laughter echoed off these walls!!! These are the good times, don't ever forget that!

Vacation (Part 2)

Okay...yes, so I am way far behind on my blogging!
So the rest of the story is...Pigeon Forge was a blast!
We rented a condo instead of a cabin this time, (we got a really good deal on the price). The condo was awesome. Michael, Amanda, Carter & my family arrived on Tuesday. Amy & Austin came on the weekend.
We spent 1 1/2 days at Dollywood, which was a blast! We had a lot of fun there and my boys and Carter could ride most of the rides. The boys LOVED the Veggie Tales show and the all the rides. Michael, Tim and I rode all the roller coasters, while Amanda watched the boys. We are definitely planning on going back to Dollywood during kids fest next summer again!!!
We took my boys to the Dixie Stampede for their first time. Of course they loved it! Brayden and Carter got to chase the chickens for the SOUTH and they won!:) They were so cute in their cowboy clothes, and I was proud of them for winning! The show and food was awesome as usual. We did spill 3 drinks, Brycen & Carter both took a tumble, also Michael broke the fence outside. To say the least it was an unforgettable experience...!!! :)
We went to the Track one evening, played miniature golf, ate lots of good food and relaxed at the pool and the condo.
"My boys still ask almost every day can we go back to our Motel, Dollywood and to the Dixie Stampede!" I loved our Vacation and can't wait till the next one!!!
For now back to the real world.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

~Vacation~ (Part 1) To say the least...I kinda got the feeling Vacation is over!:( I just wanted to share a few things, memories of our Vacation!
~Amy's~ We spent 4 nights with Amy at her apartment. She made us feel right at home! My boys loved the apartment, the steps are their FAVORITE thing. Brayden actually named that as one of the highlights of vacation. LOL! Thankful they didn't get hurt in all the climbing up and down. Also Amy has the coolest patio, we spent a lot of time out there. It's cool because you are outside, but the brick walls surround you so you have privacy. Another plus is the boys were fenced in for the most part we didn't have to chase them.:) We used a lot of sidewalk chalk, set up a kiddie pool and had the bubble machine. So they played while we relaxed.
~Swimming~ Then there is the POOL!:) Loved it! Kids loved it! Husbands (Tim & Michael) seemed to enjoy it too! In one of my blogs earlier I stated how Brycen was content to sit in the baby float. Well...not any more! He learned to swim with the swim vest and is doing awesome. He is getting to be such a big boy and growing out of the baby stage (a little). Brayden, Brycen & Carter also learned how to do cannonballs. I have this on video, I watched it tonight and it is very funny.
~Fireworks~ We were a little undecided where we were going to watch the fireworks but finally decided or rather Amy decided to just watch them in Hickory by the Crawdads stadium. We parked and then walked a little and actually found a great spot to watch from. We spread the blanket and had a cooler of snacks, drinks, glow sticks & camera's. Most of all we had a awesome time together! The fireworks were LOUD, VERY FAST but really GOOD!!! Brayden, Carter & Brycen really enjoyed watching them this year! Michael and Tim were cracking up the whole time, they are def. worse than giggly school girls sometimes.:)
~Museum~ We went to the science museum. (By the way we all got in without paying. We have a membership and Amy got in with her Corning badge.) The kids really enjoyed this and us adults had a good time too. We found out how over weight we were, how strong we were and we were even on the news and in the paper. LOL!
~Shopping~ After the museum we went back to the apartment and put the boys down for a nap. Then Amy, Amanda and I went shopping for a little bit. Had a little sister time together and Alaina we missed you!!! Wish you were not so far away!!!
~Baseball~ Take me out to the ball game...Hickory Crawdads! The Wilson's got a special welcome to the game (thanks to Amanda). ROFL! My boys enjoyed the game. Tim bought all the boys a wooden bat, they are still playing with them. Brayden ate pop-corn and Brycen & Carter ate lots of cotton-candy! Of course what is a ball game with out a rain shower so we got a little wet. We watched the fire-works after the game. All in all it was a blast!
~Walgreens~ Hmm...got you thinking about that one? Well, I just couldn't leave it out because it was a eventful trip there and back after the game. Michael & Amanda decided to stay after the game and they needed some necessities and we needed milk, juice and stuff. Amanda tripped and fell in the parking lot and all of us in the car missed it...but it was late, we were sleep deprived and I am still laughing about it!!! Guess you just had to be there.
~Carters party~
Carter had a really cute Thomas birthday party. I still can't believe he is 4 yrs. old!!! All the kids seemed to have fun and really enjoyed the party. (It stormed really bad right before the party, but it cleared up just in time.) The sun was shining the whole time and of course the kids enjoyed the puddles! After the party Carter, Brayden, Brycen & Ayden played in the creek for a while. They were real muddy but hey what else do you expect from BOYS!:)
~Bradshaws~ We spent Monday night with Michael, Amanda & Carter. The boys enjoyed going through all of Carters toys! (Sorry for dragging everything out Amanda.)
Tuesday about lunch time we headed for Pigeon Forge. I was sad to see this part of the trip end because it meant Vacation was half way over.:(
~Vacation~ (Part 2) Coming soon...

Kids in my bed...

Since we have came back from vacation I am having a hard time getting the boys to sleep in their beds. While we were gone for 11 days Tim & I took turns laying down with them at nap and bed times. So of course they got spoiled to that real fast!
We always put them to bed in their room but if they wake up during the night they are allowed to climb in bed with us. Usually one or both of them end up in our room before morning.
So the first night home we put them in bed and we went strait to bed , about 15 min. later here they both came. So I told them they had to go back to bed and tried to explain that vacation was over. They said they didn't want vacation to be over! LOL! Neither did I, so we let them stay.
Last night Tim was already asleep as well as Brycen. I was up waiting for Brayden to go to sleep so I could go to bed. Finally Brayden came sneaking out the hallway and when I looked at him, he said "What are you doing up"? My reply was, I am waiting for you to go to sleep! He said "Well, I am waiting for you to go to bed and go to sleep, so I can get in bed with my Daddy"! All I could do was laugh!!!

Watching the fireworks!!!
Coloring Amy's bricks together!
Amy on the patio.
Carter Michael Bradshaw
Don't even ask!

Our 4th of July!

We headed to North Carolina on Thursday before the 4th! Carter Michael had stayed with us after youth camp for 5 days. He was such a big boy and we had a blast together!I am sooooo thankful for the time the boys all got to spend together. Carter was ready to see his Daddy & Mommy and boy were they glad to have him back in their arms again. I can't really say that I blame them but I sure enjoyed my nephew!
We spent the 4th with Michael, Amanda, Carter & Amy. We went swimming at Amy's pool. My boys and Carter loved the BIG POOL as they called it! The men grilled out for us, or Tim grilled and Michael was his moral support! LOL! The food was good and that is all that matters. We spent a lot of time out on Amy's patio, I love her patio! We used sidewalk chalk to color her bricks and just hung out together. We all went to watch the fireworks in Hickory. They were good but we had never seen any fireworks that were set off so FAST! Michael & Tim were laughing their heads off, what else is new? All the boys loved the fireworks and we pretty much had a front row seat.
I have always loved 4th of July, and there is no better way to spend it than to be with family!!! I wish our whole family could have been together...but we had a awesome time!

Summer is here!

I love summer time and so does my boys! We spend most of the day outside, the boys go from the sandbox, to the water table, to the swing set, to the pool and the sprinkler. Hopefully Tim will not have a stroke when the water bill comes...because not only are we using all that water outside: every time I turn around the boys need a bath and the ....laundry! WHEW!
My in laws got their 4 ft. pool put up and we have been taken advantage of that in this blazing heat!:) Brayden is learning to swim and he is doing awesome! I am very proud of him! Brycen is content to sit in a swim boat for now, he is not quite ready to be in the water without support. His Aunts tried to get him to let them hold him and he very matter of fact told them that his mommy said he would drown if he got in the water! LOL! What I said when I have cautioned them about water is that you never get in the water unless Daddy & Mommy are in the water or you will drown! I guess they do listen sometimes.
This is a very busy month for us, we are trying to get ready for our youth camp and trying to make plans to go to Newark, Ohio for camp meeting.
All in all, Life Is Good! I am looking forward to a wonderful summer!!!

Our First Date (After Kids) LOL!

My Hubby & I went on a date...
A couple weekends ago we made plans to go to Mississippi for a extended weekend visit. Tim took off on Monday so the trip would not be as rushed. My Mom offered (hmm... lets see) decided we needed a break from the boys and that Pa & Granna would watch them on Saturday. So the day was ours to spend however we wanted to. A day with no kids, what on earth do you do??? LOL!
So off we went in my parents little car just the two of us. The ride was pretty quiet with no one asking for a sipy cup, snacks, pirate song and no whining!:) We drove down to Gulf Shores. We went shopping at the Outlet Stores. Enjoyed holding hands instead of pushing strollers. We bought a few things for each other, mainly we bought the boys clothes, toys and some do-dad things for their new croc's I had ordered. Shopping with out children is a breeze, this I had forgotten! Shopping with children is more than a challenge, keeping them happy in their strollers and not grabbing stuff,well if you have kids you know the scene and if you don't have children this a real talent you will learn if you ever have them!!! Also we did not make very many bathroom stops which is another thing we do a lot seeing as both of my boys are potty trained!
Later we drove on down to the beach and I put my toes in the sand for a few min. all the while feeling guilty thinking about our much those boys love the beach! We walked in and out of a beach shop and then decided to grab a bite to eat.
We ate at the Mellow Mushroom. It was awesome! We had never ate there and the meal was very relaxing. It seemed that everyone around us had kids and we were missing those little guys pretty bad by this time so we decided to head back to my parents.
We had a wonderful time together and I did enjoy having some US time so I will do it again sometime! Laugh if you want to but our boys mean the world to us, and we talked about how we felt like something was missing when they were not with us! This was the first time I have ever left them for a whole day. They had fun with their Pa & Granna and Brayden seemed to miss us a little but my Brycen baby didn't even seem to notice (Much to Granna's delight)!
Thanks to Dad & Mom for babysitting!!!

March & April update!

I am a little (okay, a lot) behind on my blogging! So here is a little update on the past couple months...March was busy cleaning out and getting ready for yard sale, we sold most of our junk. LOL!:) Then it was off to the beach with the whole Dishman clan!:) We had a wonderful time together and made lots of memories! Played on the beach, built sand castle's, got a tan, ate lots of good food (thanks to Dad & Mom), watched TV, played games, celebrated 4 birthdays,went shopping and passed the flu around! We got to spend Easter with my family and the only complaint I have was our time together was too short!
Then after we came home on Monday...my parents, Austin & Anthony came here for revival on Wednesday. My boys had the flu... then they gave it to Anthony. My family brought the pony, Rocky (their dog) and a Rabbit w/ 8 babies to my house to visit! Yes my Dad should get the Grandpa of the year award!!! I enjoyed having them here with my boys & I! This is just a little bit of the month of March in our lives.
Now I still am not sure where April went but it seemed to fly by. Our weather has been awesome this month! I love the leaves on our trees again and the GREEN grass. My boys want to spend every waking moment outside playing or going to the park. I love it, because they play so hard they fall right to sleep for their naps and again at bedtime.:) Brayden is enjoying his home-based preschool and went on his first field trip last week. We went on a tour of the local ice-cream plant. He really seems to be learning a lot and Brycen who is never more than a couple steps behind big brother is learning a lot also!
Tim has been swamped with side jobs and staying very busy! He has been working very late every night, we miss him but are thankful for a little extra money!!! Also the Lord provided us with a second car last month and we are so thankful for that! We have not had a second car in almost 3 years and I have enjoyed having a vehicle again!!!!!!!!!
Other than that I am staying busy just being Mommy with a 2 & 3 year old that is enough said!:) I love them both so much!
Also last but not least I am still dieting and have lost 41 pounds since Jan., I am hoping to lose about 14 more.
Later~Angie

Feb. Update!

My sister Amy has been after me for this months update...So here it goes.
This months has kept us busy. I have still been working on cleaning out and reorganizing stuff (junk). :-) Tim did help with a few items on my list which was great! He goes through mail, papers and all that stuff that piles up. Also we have started getting ready for our annual March yard sale that we have with all my inlaws. They live in a great location and we usually have a good sale. Then I will take the money I make and buy the boys spring & summer clothes and if I am lucky I will get to pick up a few things for Tim & I as well!:)
Andrew came up for the weekend about a week ago, also Austin & Anthony came and spent 6 days with us. Austin & Anthony watched my boys while Tim & I went to the couples dinner @ our church. (Am I brave or what?) They took my boys to KFC and got ice-cream. It was nice to go out for a few hours!!!
While Austin & Anthony were here we did a lot of fun stuff! We watched a BMX bike race @ the park, went to Chuckie Cheese, went to McWane Science Museam, and Blue Bell's ice cream parlor. Needless to say when my brothers were getting ready to leave my boys laid down in the floor and cried because they didn't want their uncles to leave!!!
We have been to the park several times since we have had several spring like days! Spring can not arrive fast enough for me! Also we have spent quite a lot of time @ Papaw & Mamaw Wilson's! My boys love playing with thier cousin's and us adults have been playing UNO & SKIPBO. Last Friday Kim and her 2 boys, my boys and I went shopping for the day and we always have a great time!
Last but not least I am still dieting. I have lost 24 pounds now. Yay for me!:) I just wish that I would have started this diet a long time ago, but glad that I found something that is working.
So I just wanted to say Thank you to South Beach Diet!!!
~LATER~

My Valentines!

I had a special Valentines day, thanks to my sweetheart who is the love of my life! We have been together for almost 8 years now; married for a little over 7!:) WOW! It seems like time does fly by! So I just thought I would give a little update on our past.
In Jan. 2008 he came up to Athens, Tn with his family for a revival. I didn't pay a lot of attention to him at the time because I had a boyfriend. He said he didn't pay a lot of attention to me because he figured my sister's Amy, Alaina & I were probably stuck up! Imagine that! LOL!:0) We have always been fun loving girls and I guess we were shy and also busy serving and so he took that as stuck up.
Then his dad had my dad down for a revival in Alabama. I didn't come with my family because I had stayed home to work. My sisters came back and told me about this guy named Tim who they called "Virgil" ( I despised that name by the way). In Feb. my long time on and off boyfriend Scott Boggs and I had broke up. I was not interested in anyone named Virgil, but I listened to their stories about this church in Alabama and their new found friends. To top it off my parents wanted me to meet this Virgil guy also, which annoyed me greatly because the last thing I wanted them to do was to pick out my boyfriend! Normal teenage stuff I guess.
My dad was going back to Alabama in March for revival and all day meeting and he said he wanted me to go with them. I told him no thanks I need to work and we kept going back and forth about it. So I went to town with my sisters the night before they were going to leave and my dad called my boss at home and got me off work for the rest of the week. He told me this with a big grin too. To say the least I was very angry at him. I was stubborn, and that was a hard one for me to take. So I packed my bags and we headed Alabama the next day.
I was determined not to like this Virgil guy with all of my heart because I knew my parents wanted me too. Well, the first night we got there just in time for church and my sisters pointed him out for me in the choir. Later that night we ate in the living room with him and his sisters and began to chat some. I don't remember much that was said except when he went to bed he stopped in the doorway and said see ya tomorrow. I replied with "Yeah, If you are lucky"!:) He later said that really got his attention. I guess he wasn't used to girls being independent. I did have a good time, we played volleyball and all of our usual "Dishman" games! Before we left he asked for my email address and I gave it to him. By the time I got home Tim had already sent me a email, so that is how it all begin.
Tim tells me now how he knew that first weekend I was the one he wanted to marry. I guess I made a good first impression. Now it took him until the end of July to convince me to marry him!:) During those months we spent every weekend together. I came to Alabama a few times but mostly he drove to Tennessee to be with me. My grandparents Pappy and Vertie Mae were our chaperone's most weekends because my parents were gone to revivals most of the time. I could never even begin to describe those weekends, but we had so much fun. We cooked for my grandparents, played lots of games and Pap told us many stories. Pappie and Vertie Mae were the first people we told about our engagement! They were overjoyed that Sunday morning and said they knew that was coming and they enjoyed keeping our secret until the next weekend when Tim & I traveled to Ohio so he could ask my dad for his approval.
I wanted to get married in the spring but Tim said he couldn't wait that long. So we settled on November 4, 2000 to be our wedding day. The next few months were busy trying to get ready for the wedding, finding a house, and all that fun stuff! 4 months later we were married. "It was the best day of my life"!
So that is the short version of how we got together!
I am thankful everyday for my sweetheart! He always goes the extra mile for me and my boys and makes everyday special for us. So when I got up this Valentines and saw my beautiful card and a dozen roses, I was reminded again of how wonderful true love really is! I love my hubby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jan. update...

Well, here it is the last day of January 2008. I can't beleive the first month of this year is gone already!
So as this year begin I didn't make new years resolution, so that way I couldn't break them!!!:) I did start a diet though 3 weeks ago. I have lost 14 pounds. Painfully I have given up my Dr. Peppers, Whole Chocolate Milk, and Cookies ! It really hasn't been too bad and I do cheat once or twice on the weekend, and I look forward to that!
My other projects have been to clean out and organize my house because every year it seems to be smaller especially after Christmas. So far I have rearranged my living room, cleaned out the laudry room cabinets, and 4 of the kitchen cabinets, cleaned out both toy boxes, organized the boys bedroom. I have made a project list for Tim, he hasn't started on it yet but I have high hopes that he will!:)
Other than that we have just been here not up to much but keeping busy every day. I am looking forward to next month hoping for a special Valentines day. So that is my update for January.

Reflection...

I am just here at home today, with my two little boys. They are playing, dragging toys out everywhere. Our life is pretty normal and kind of routine. Get up, potty breaks, baths, getting dressed, breakfast, make the beds, laundry going, a few phone calls and playtime for the boys. Husband at work. Mommy taking a afternoon break.
I got a knock at the door, it was the mailman. Wondering what Tim might have ordered I stare at the package. "Similac Welcome Addition Club". Oh it is for me, the only problem is there is no baby to welcome...*sigh*! You see I was pregnant and my baby would be due in 3 weeks. I had a miscarriage on July 18,2007. I was 10 1/2 weeks pregnant.
There seems to be a constant reminder to me that there is a void in my heart. No it can not be seen but it is very deeply felt. At first there was pain and confusion, then the deep overwhelming sadness, and now time has passed and it doesn't hurt and that shadow of sadness has passed, but I have come to realize that the void will stay forever.
So life goes on each day, I am even more thankful for Brayden and Brycen because I couldn't imagine my life without them! So I will pick up the endless stream of toys across my floor, I will clean the floor after lunch when Brycen has made a mess again even though I just mopped last night, I will put all the DVDs Brayden has got out in the right cases and I will not complain (At least I will try harder) !:) Because they give so much joy to me.
Although they do not fill the void of my baby that is gone. They are the ones I got up for in the days following my miscarriage. They helped me through it like no adult ever could. If I was crying Brayden would say "Mommy" are you sad about our baby"? Yes, I would reply, then Brayden would say"I am sad too". They would give me a hug and a smile and go on about what they were doing. Brayden asked so many questions "like were did my baby go"? We told him the baby went to be with Jesus. Okay he said "I don't want to go with Jesus yet, I just want to stay with Daddy and Mommy"!
Brayden is still talking about the baby, it gives me comfort now though. When my Pappie died 2 months ago. I was so sad and Brayden of course was asking a lot of questions. Like what happened to Pappie and where did he go? To be with Jesus I replied, Oh he said "Like our baby"? Yes I said like our baby. A little later Brayden said "Mommy don't cry, me and daddy will get you a new baby, but I can't get you another Pappie"! Kids are so funny sometimes, especially the way their little minds work and the things that they say.
So as I reflect back on last year and the loss of the baby, I realize we can't always find a reason for what happens in our lives, but time does heal a sad heart. I am glad to have so much Joy surrounding me!

Saturday @ the flea market...

This Saturday night it was late. My boys are in bed asleep, hubby also asleep. Church clothes laid out, bags packed, juice, chocolate milk sippy cups fixed and pop tarts for breakfast. All is quiet except for the swish of the washer, the clothes tumbling in the dryer and the steady whisper of the dishwasher. Yes, I am tired but my mind begins to drift...back to another Saturday many years ago!
I would imagine it was about this time of year, when winter is just upon us. About 5:30am, not yet daylight in a girls bedroom a alarm clock goes off. Yes it is me. I hit the snooze button and cover my head trying to get a few more minute's of sleep. Alarm going off again, this time mom walks in the door saying come on girls you got to get up Pappie will be here soon and you need to be ready to go. Slowly we climb out of bed and began to get dressed putting on clothes that already smell like pork skins and lard.:) Many layers I might add, first a tshirt, then long sleeves, a sweatshirt,jean skirt and maybe even leggings. Brush our teeth, wash our face, and of course pull that hair back into a ponytail! About this time a horn starts honking outside, there's Pap we say as we slip on our coats and tennis shoes. Grab a cooler mom has packed waiting by the door and we are off out the door. Opening the car door it squeaks and there is my Pappie with a smile and "good morning "!
Then we head off to the Sweetwater Flea market! Pappie would say something like, how are you doing this morning? I am fine just a little tired I reply. He would then say something like this "Early to bed, early to rise; late to bed, late to rise" then he would chuckle a little. As we ride along a little quietly he would began to whistle, the sun would began to rise. After a few minute's my sisters or I would say, Pappie tell us a story? Always eager to tell us a story he would start right in telling us how as a boy they walked everywhere, some about the war, some about his brothers and sisters and what they got for Christmas, about making slingshots with his cousin Vade, he had sooooo many stories!
There was just something about those stories! Laughter, trouble, sadness, but they were true, real life experiences! When Pappie told a story it was if you were in the story with him, everything came to life right before your eyes, and more often than not there was a lesson to be learned at the end of each story. Pappie taught us, through what he had experienced and learned all down through life. Well, before you knew it there we were at the flea market.
"We have a lot of work to do today girls" Pap would say. Each one hurried to do their jobs, so we could get the day started. First Pap got the grease turned on so it could get hot. We would put up the awnings and heat some water for our hot chocolate.:) Pretty soon he would start popping and sending pork skins down the homemade shoot from his building to ours. "Girls start bagging" , and we did. Next he would say "I want you to stack them high." Yes Pappie, we know (Stack them high and watch them buy, stack them low and sell them low!) We would all chime together. As we bagged pork skins we would eat a few of course. Hot salted pork skins and hot chocolate sounds gross to some but it was really good! "Eat all you want he would always say"! Next we did BBQ pork skins, then a few cracklins, then boiled and roasted peanuts. About then it would be lunch time and Pappie would come sit and take a break, and tell us a few more stories while we took turns going to lunch.
Walking into the flea market we knew almost everyone or so we thought at the time. One thing for sure they knew who we were; we were and always will Mr.Dishman's granddaughters! How proud that makes us feel even today. After a long hard day of work we would close up shop. Clean and put everything away. Pappie would count the money and pay us girls. He paid us good too, no matter how much business he had that day. Riding home I would slip my hand in Pappie's and it was so soft; I guess it was from all the grease he had used over the years. We begged for more stories, tell us about the "Monkey Ranch (Wrench)", or about our Daddy when he was a little boy? Before we knew it we were home again, it had slowly began to turn dark outside. As we got out we turned and said bye Pappie we love you; love you girls too and be good!
We walk into the house with tired feet and some money in our pockets, there was a good happy feeling deep inside. Many things we learned on a Saturday at the flea market with Pappie. Hard work really pays off because I have all these memories to cherish now. I realize now that life has speed by and my Pappie is gone, but never forgotten. So on Saturday I went out and shot BB guns with my boys and tomorrow I will try to tell them one of Pappies stories. He would be so proud of them, I hope I can pass some of his lessons down to them.
So if one Saturday you have nothing to do, think of who you might spend time with and pass something special on to them.