Our Family Blog

Timber Trace

2012-04-04T20:39:00.003-07:00

So we are all packed up and move over the mountain and through the woods to Overbrooke Forest. We have always loved the privacy of this subdivision and couldn't resist this beautiful foreclosed home that sits on over an acre lot surrounded by trees and wildlife. It was quite the challenge to seal the deal; it took aver 4 months to finalize the details and over 6 months to get moved in. A year later we still love the subdivision and have been blessed to get another set of terrific neighbors whom have also become dear friends. As far as the house and myself are concerned...I'm so over it. Its a great house and I feel we made a good investment, its nice having all my clothes stored in one closet instead of 3, it's fabulous having more than one shower, and I truly love watching the boys run and play in the wide open space. However, there are things I really miss... old neighbors, cleaning the floors by hand, the Koi pond, a front porch, and the weeping willow I planted in memory of my Dad. I do have plans to plant a Willow tree here. I hope to one day return to a much smaller house; keeping a large house clean is for the birds! I've lost the outside pics and the before and after pictures. I will post those eventually! Oh yeah, I almost forgot...buying a foreclosed house shouldn't be taken lightly!

They could not wait to use the "big jacuzzi tub." (me either)

Our first dinner guests, Nanny and Paw Paw.

Playing Catch Up!

2012-04-04T19:52:00.005-07:00

Okay, so here's the deal...I'm not a very good blogger, surprise! I can't believe I've missed an entire year, but it is true. Ive debated on how to start over. Do I try to make up the lost year? Do I skip a year? It overwhelms me just thinking about trying to play catch up. I think I'll start with January 2011 skipping Christmas 2010 mainly because I've lost those pictures. If I find them, I'll just post out of order, I suppose. The reason I haven't been keeping up is because we moved in January 2011 and I was quite busy for the first few months, then came Summer, then came the new school year, then it just went down hill from there. Not to mention my laptop went to computer heaven and getting on the old Dell desktop just wasn't convenient...which leads to why I am just now attempting to catch up....I have a new laptop!!! I was given it as a gift and was able to pick out exactly what I wanted, a Mac Book Pro; I absolutely love it!

So here goes the attempt to catch up. I will begin with the big move which took place at the very end of January 2011. Below are some of the last pics I took of our old house right before we moved. Enjoy!

Foyer

Dining Area

Packing the Uhaul! Not sure what we would have done without the help of the Harcrows, my Mom, and my brother, Adam.

Packing up on Seminole Drive...we sure do miss that place.

The neighbors whom became dear friends are missed more than anything!!

We have yet to sell this darling house, had we known it would take this long...We probably would have stayed put.

My Mom was a lifesaver during the move!

December..Our elf arrives!

2010-12-27T14:50:00.000-08:00

Meet Ejay Marco, our elf that arrived in December.

Patrick chose his first name and Chase quickly added to it with his last name.

He has a sneaky look, doesn't he?

"At least it wasn't the freezer!" said Patrick

"There he is...wayyyyyy up there!"

Swinging away!

It was fun to watch the kids look for Ejay every morning and we always got a chuckle out of the strange places he would hide. It was just as much fun for the grown ups ( =

Chase turns 4 and Soccer! September 2010

2010-09-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our baby boy is already 4! He is a funny lil character and keeps us on our toes!

1...2...3....4!!!

Celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese!

Chase loves all things Star Wars, especially Yoda!

Trying out for soccer!

Chase asked to play soccer this year so we signed him up and he was super excited to go to his first practice. After the first practice, he said "I'm done with soccer." We made him finish what he started and I am almost positive he will not want to play next year. Although he complained before every practice and before every game, he seemed to have fun once he got there. He was the youngest player on his team and it showed! The entire last game consisted of one hour of watching Chase run from his very own shadow. He could have cared less. We were so glad to see the season end!

Back To School for Patrick and Flag Football!

2010-09-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Summer went by quickly and school is off to a great start! Patrick enjoys school and he is learning so much! I am amazed at how quickly he is growing up. He is now in the second grade and had all A's on his first report card. He played flag football at Oxford and absolutely loved it. We had so much fun and even though it's called "flag" football...the boys seem to have a built in "tackle" instinct, it was really hard for them to remember NOT to tackle! Patrick learned alot this year and has decided that football is now the only sport he wants to play. I think it was just a year ago that he said he would never play football....never say never!

Patrick is beginning to shift from a silly little boy to a not so silly little boy. Of course when he is with friends or around girls he is still very silly but I am seeing a glimpse of something different. Just a couple of days ago both boys had acted out while at Lowes and they were told to go straight to their room when we got home. I put away my things, fixed dinner...you know, giving them time to think about how many licks they were going to get. As I walked down the hall I heard them discussing the events that led to this. As I walked in, I was surprised to see them calmly sitting next to one another reading. Patrick had found the following bible verse and was talking to Chase about it. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Eph. 6:11 Wow! I'm not sure if he thought this would get him a free pass or if he really, finally "got it", but it was very encouraging for me to see! By the way, they both still got spankings, 2 licks each. Chase cried before it was even his turn. Which brings me to a another funny thought. Randy was out of town and the boys had been in bed for awhile, Chase had gotten up several times already when I warned him with "if you get up again, I will spank your tail." He quickly informs me, "Mommy, I don't have a tail, I only have bones." It quickly became one of those moments where you scoop 'em up and tickle them all the way back to bed because they are so dang cute and you can't help but love 'em!

Hilton Head 2010

2010-07-26T08:24:00.001-07:00

We love Hilton Head! This our first year to go somewhere other than the gulf and though we missed the crystal clear waters, we enjoyed the natural beauty of Hilton Head. The island is so pretty and because of tight restrictions it feels so private and not as commercialized as Florida and Gulf Shores. Buildings cannot be built taller than the tallest tree on the island and all businesses must be painted certain colors and kept within a natural setting. It was extremely difficult to find McDonald's and WalMart, they were hidden amongst palm trees and Spanish moss! The beach was quite different as the sand is darker and more compact. The water was extremely clean but hard to see through because of the darker sand. People rode bikes on the sand and played all sorts of games such as kickball and croquet. We saw a lot of sea creatures including a shark, alligator, sting ray, eel, a huge jellyfish, sand dollars, star fish...all of these things were alive! The first day, we collected a few sand dollars, dried them out and bleached them...they turned out beautiful! The next day, we found out we had broken the law! It is illegal to take any living sea life from the beach...oops!
We had a great time riding bikes, playing putt putt and eating a ton of yummy food!
We will return to Hilton Head in the future, but only after a trip to our beautiful Gulf!

View of the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean.

Lovely view of the lagoons and the ocean....ohhhhhhh......I am ready to go back!

Randy doesn't like my camera..or any camera for that matter ( =

Mama's beach feet! I love summer!

Chase enjoying a cherry-topped smoothie poolside.

Patrick lovin' the beach.

Taking a short walk with Daddy after dinner.

Chase's beach feet.

Having lots o' fun.

Linda and Roger ( Randy's Mom and Step-Dad)

Patch and Chase with their cousin, Kolton.

All three wanted a different TV channel / =

First grade...check!

2010-07-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Patrick has officially completed first grade, the year went by extremely fast! He received a medal at awards day for all A's and received the "stick to it" award in his class. I am not really sure what the award means other than they all get one of some kind and I guess maybe he got this one because his grades stayed consistent all year? Who knows? Anyway, we are pleased with his progress, he absolutely loves to read, loves math, and is really good at spelling. He talks most about playing football during recess and bible drills. It amazes me at how fast he can find a specific verse in the bible. We are very happy with FCS and the past two years have been a breeze mainly because of how hard the teachers worked to prepare us! They told us exactly what to expect and exactly what they expected. Patrick has learned so much not only academically but emotionally and spiritually. I love how the school turns every single thing it does back to Jesus Christ. I mean, everything! The children repeated after Mrs.Huie as she prayed this prayer one day before we all loaded up for a field trip and it reminded me of how blessed we are to have a school as this in our county!

"Dear Lord ...thank you for this day, thank you for allowing us to go on this cool trip. Please keep us safe. Lord, help us to be like you, so that others may want to know you. We love you. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Below are a few pictures from the year. Enjoy!

Kindergarten picture....He was just a baby.

2008/2009

First grade picture...where did my baby go?
2009/2010

Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Huie...wonderful teachers and two groups of sweet children!

Class of 2021?? OH MY!

Farm Day at Del Ray Ranch

End of the year Concert

Final Day.

One more from Farm Day!

Second grade...Here we come!!!

May 2010

2010-07-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

Family Pictures by Abigail

Just a few of my favorites....

Don't know about anyone else but I can totally picture a little girl poking her head in between mine and Randy's...sigh.

My sweet boys!

Chase calls this a wish flower.

I love, love, love this because it's such a fleeting image. Most kids look like this for just a few days. Patrick was no exception, he now has lost the other front tooth and two brand new ones are almost all the way in.

This is another fleeting image I am glad we have. I mean really, how long will he let me swing with him?

Another fleeting image? HaHa....probably! Although, this sweetness looks so genuine ( =

Ah! Abigail snapped this picture and had no idea what she had captured. Patrick has a habit of walking with his hands behind his back....as did my sweet Daddy. Patrick has many gestures that remind me of his Paw Paw, this one is my favorite.

APRIL 2010

2010-07-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Easter

We were so happy to have Tonja and Dwight visiting from Maine for the week, it went by way too fast, we always enjoy their company! We all went to church together and then back to our house for our annual egg hunt. The kids had a lot of fun with their cousins and always enjoy seeing who gets the most eggs. I always make a point to tell the kids the reason eggs are involved in our celebration of our risen Savior! I know there are different versions but I use the "new life" version and the fact that Christ died and rose again giving us a new life. We must earnestly seek Him everyday somewhat like we look for the eggs, hoping we get the prize. The difference is that when we receive new life in Christ, we have faith that we will receive His promise of eternal life!

At some point Captain America and a Bakugan battle brawler joined us!

(somebody has been in the dress up box) ( =

Birthday Boy!!

Patrick turned 7 just 2 weeks after Easter and celebrated with a party at the arcade in the mall. We all had a great time and his gift from us was a trampoline!! I have always wanted a trampoline and I am enjoying it with him! His birthday theme was Bakugan...I still dont understand what they are or how the game actually works and I am not convinced he does either but he loves collecting the bakugans and the cards, it keeps him busy for hours. Since he turned 7, I am going to list 7 interesting things you may not know about Patrick.

1. His favorite food is sushi...yes, raw fish. He chose Ono Grill for his birthday dinner and ate 12 pieces of sushi.

2. He hates it when he can feel his sock seams while wearing shoes. We have been through so many socks and he will not wear them if he feels the seams, but he refuses to go sockless.

3. He hates taking baths...he doesn't understand why he needs more than 1 a week. I have often wondered how long he would go without taking one if I did not insist.

4. He is very sentimental. So much that he saved the firework cartridges after July 4th, would rather keep his lost teeth than surrender them for money, and the older his clothes and shoes are..the better he likes them.

5. He loves to read and I am so thankful because I don't like to read and I blame it on a lack of reading when I was younger.

6. He is by far the slowest 7 year old in the world...I am willing to bet on that one! I can't figure it out and I can't seem to make him go any faster, I promise I have tried!

7. He wants to be an exchange student one day...oh me ) =

sushi lover!

Snow Day 2010

2010-02-14T22:01:00.000-08:00

Neighborly snow ball fight.

Pretty snow angel.

Mommy and Chase...Chase kept saying " I loooovvvveeeee snow days!

Randy trying to hit Patrick.

Ha Ha..Patrick is running from his Daddy.

We had a fun day but would rather have been in Maine.

Daddy helping Patrick with his first real snowman!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I thought they did a pretty good job on their first snowman...they named him Henry.

Tonja and Dwight...we miss them!!!

Snow in the South rarely occurs and even more rare is more than a dusting but we actually got a decent snow! The kids had begged for us to visit my sister and brother in law in Maine so they could see all the snow. This is the first winter my sister has lived in Maine and she sends us a lot of snow pictures. Patrick has always wanted to go sledding so we decided to take a winter trip to get the best chance of snow. We were on our way to the airport when Delta called and reported our flight had been cancelled because of the threat of snow in the southern states. The shuttle dropped us off at the curbside check in and it was confirmed.. delta had cancelled over 400 flights beginning at 9 A.M. Our flight was scheduled for 10:15. Seriously!! It was 40 degrees, clear and sunny in Maine and we, Alabamians that is, were expecting snow. We headed home with two very disappointed boys. We took our time and stopped to eat breakfast and did some grocery shopping in Atlanta. When we reached Villa Rica, GA...the snow started and whatya know...it continued for hours! By the time we reached home we were covered in snow. It was the most I had seen since '93 and the boys have never seen this much. I didn't measure it but it was maybe 3". We had a blast with snowball fights, building snowmen, and eating snow cream! We were still pretty bummed about missing our trip to Maine but we got our snow fix for the year. We are hoping to plan another trip to Maine soon to see two of our favorite people, Tonja and Dwight.

Meet Jake!

2010-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

The boys finally talked Randy into letting them have a dog! We chose a short legged Jack Russell and can't wait to take him camping with us!!

His first night home and already spoiled!

8 weeks old... he is growing fast. He loves to play fetch.

He likes taking a bath and thinks he should be invited to all baths!

He likes Chase better when he is sleeping.

Christmas 2009

2010-02-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Chase found the Target toy catalog and circled everything he wanted for Christmas. He wouldn't put it down as you can see.

Patrick's wish list was the Wii and a WWE wrestling ring.

Chase loves any and all instruments especially his "tooooba" which is actually a trumpet. He loves to play with guitars, pianos, and of course drums. His wish list this year was simply drums that have "a bunch of parts" and a Yo Gabba Gabba! boom box.

We took a trip to Bass Pro Shops and made a day out of it. It's a really neat place but I recommend not going while Santa is there. We had lunch, coffee and ice cream while we browsed.

Patrick thought it was rather silly to take a picture with the snowman (note the forced grin).

This is the first and probably last time we were able to get a picture with both boys willing to sit with Santa.

Although Chase would not speak a word to the strange man in the red suit... he had no problem chillin' with Frosty!

Those sweet lil sneaky grins. I love 'em!

Tree in the playroom. This is the first tree that went up and the one that took the longest. I let the kids pick the lights, garland and topper. As you can see, they chose red lights, real popcorn garland and a traditional star for the topper. The popcorn took 3 days to string but actually is my favorite thing we did this year and will more than likely become a family tradition. The ornaments on this tree belong to the boys. They made some of them, were given some of them, found some at yard sales, and they each pick out a new one every year. It will be interesting to look back and see how their interests changed every year.
This year Patrick picked out a Nascar ornament and Chase chose Sesame Street. We also have added one Alabama ornament and one Auburn ornament. Patrick set up his Thomas train set around the tree and surprisingly it has stayed there.

November 2009 In Memory Of Daddy

2010-02-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Lee Thacker

June 20, 1946-Nov.6, 2008

Tonja and Dwight

Nov. 8, 2008

Mama and Daddy on their wedding day

July 1, 1971

The Thacker Family
Mama, Daddy, Tonja, Jami, Jeremy, and Adam
1980

Group shot at the museum
Dec. 2007

Daddy helping Chase with his sunglasses
Christmas 2007

Mama and Daddy
Christmas 2007

Daddy, Patrick, and Chase at the airport headed to Maine
June 2008

Daddy burying Patrick in the sand
Old Orchard Beach
June 2008

Daddy in Rehab after spending 7 weeks in the hospital
August 2008

Tonja and Dwight's wedding
November 8, 2008

I started this post on Nov.6, 2009 and have went back and forth for a couple of months journaling a little each time. This is a private post about my Daddy mostly and the feelings I have for him. He was a precious man who was not perfect by any means but is missed terribly by his family. He was 62 when Amyloidosis claimed his body. Amyloidosis is a rare disease affecting 8 in 1 million people. It occurs when abnormal proteins form in the blood that damage vital organs. The first organ affected was his kidneys which is one of the better options because dialysis is available. Had his heart been the organ affected his time would have been much shorter. There are 3 types of Amyloidosis. Primary which occurs alone and for no known reason, Secondary which is a result of another condition, and Familial which is caused by a inheredited gene. He was diagnosed with Primary Amyloidosis in March 2007. At his age, chemo was the only chance of remission and it failed three times. The prognosis was unknown because of the experimental chemo. There was no actual cause of death but we assume the dialysis just wasn't enough to make up for the damage caused by the abnormal proteins.

My Mom become a young widow at 55. He had 2 daughters, 2 sons, 5 grandsons, and 2 son-in laws that loved him dearly. We talk of him often and laugh and cry equally the same because...well, you'll get that part after reading the post. Our lives will never be the same..never. However, we would do it all over again.

When A Year Flies By...Slowly

Yeah, time flies when your having fun but what about when you're not having so much fun? The last year has been mostly fun but today marks the anniversary of my daddy leaving us which makes for a loooonnnngggg year. I think I will forever remember the last year he was with us, the last holidays and birthday and all those lasts, but the truth is...memories indeed fade and I fear that. I am not posting this for sympathy or for any other reason other than to admit I miss my daddy and I want to remember him for the moment. This will be lengthy and even though I don't mind others reading it, obviously, I am doing this for myself and for my children. This is the first time I have put my thoughts down so feel free to skip this post, I have no outline, no deadline, no minimum requirements and will write as time allows and as the memories come to me. You know, when thinking of my daddy, it's hard to laugh without crying and hard to cry without laughing. That's my feelings of him in a nutshell.
Now, crack that shell and there's a whole lot of Daddy going on.

The week he passed is somewhat of a blur and it helps just recounting my steps, it feels like I missed something. He had been in the hospital for a few days, it was the third time in 3 months but he was only there for 4 days and it was a breeze compared to the previous stays. The doctors were baffled and all seemed well, I mean the disease of course was still there but nothing new was discovered. This was the third time he had went into respiratory distress but no one knew what had triggered it and it was so mild that he didn't have to be put on the ventilator...again. It's a good thing too, because he told my mom on the way to the hospital "no more ventilator, if I can't talk when we get there, you'll have to tell them, no more." He could talk when they arrived and he told them himself. However, he only needed oxygen this time and recovered easily. I remember walking in to see him, coffee in hand, and he looked disappointed to me. This was the first time I realized, he was ready, waiting, and actually anticipating his departure from this world. I stood there thinking "he thought this was it." Then he blurted out "you gonna give me my coffee or stand there and hold it?" Hahaha, he loved his coffee and I miss getting it for him. I remember growing up there was never a cold coffee pot at our house if daddy was home and we hated to make coffee, day after day we made coffee, over and over we fussed whose turn it was. To this day, I don't like making coffee, actually, I like to pretend I don't know how.

Well, he came home on Friday, October 31, just in time for Halloween ( this is where I get my love for candy). We visited him for the last time on Sunday, Nov.2. What did we do? Laughed, ate candy, played with the kids, ate candy, others came to visit, ate candy, moved a refrigerator, ate candy, played with Lincoln logs, ate candy....we dug through halloween candy picking out all the good stuff like a bunch of kids. I remember my dad was complaining about the time change and Obama. He was not an Obama fan, no siree. It was getting dark and he gathered some movies for the kids to take home and we hugged and kissed everyone bye. He always, always said "I love you." Even though that was the last time we saw him, it wasn't the last time we talked. Nope, ever since he was diagnosed I called him and my mom twice a day, once ion the morning and once at night. That Wednesday was no different. I called and talked to my mom first, she was making chicken enchiladas, a recipe my dad had torn out of a magazine the day before. I chatted with her a bit and then she handed the phone to him and immediately I realized he was short of breath. I asked if he was OK and he straightened up and acted as if everything was fine. This was normal for him, he hid his sickness well from the kids and grandkids, he would always act fine when we were around. We talked about the upcoming weekend which was scheduled to the max as it was, little did we know it would become much busier. My sister was getting married on Saturday at 2:00 and
Alabama was playing LSU at 2:30...see this was the problem we had at the time..."What are we gonna do?"...I asked. "Well, we can't put a ballgame before a wedding."...my dad said. "Uh, no...we aren't, just 30 minutes later..the wedding will be over but we still got the reception...can you bring a TV?"...I asked. "Oh, yeah...that's right...yeah, I can bring a TV."...he chuckled. Then we talked about a boat, he was thinking about buying a fishing boat...he wanted to take the kids fishing. I remember he was so chatty about random things and I had a migraine coming on. Most of the time, he didn't feel like talking but he was in an unusually talkative mood and we talked for 20 minutes before i told him I was getting a migraine and needed to go...I had to say it like 3 times before he finally said "Ok, I'll let you go get rid of your headache, but mama wants to talk at you again for a minute. I love you and take care of the boys." Then he handed the phone to my mom as he told her to make it short, I had a headache. That was it. My migraine hit me hard at about 8 that night and during the pain I thought of my dads sickness and how I could understand that at some point the pain gets unbearable, as my migraines do, and you just want to go....go home. After the migraine passed, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned and every time I dozed off...my dads face came to me and I would jump and wake up remembering that I was telling him something, the same thing over and over, I kept repeating something to him but couldn't remember the words. This happened at least 4 times, then the phone rang. I knew it. "That's daddy." I jumped up, grabbed the phone but it wasn't daddy, it was a lady that lived down the road from them. "Jami? This is Linda. Your dad is bad and we have called the ambulance...you need to get here." "Let me talk to mama." "She's upset, honey." "LET ME TALK TO MAMA!" She handed her the phone and I said.."tell me"..."he's gone, Jami, he's gone." So calm as a cucumber, I called a sitter and we were on our way within minutes...I knew it...all night...I knew it...now what was I telling him? I told Randy all the way to Ashville, I was telling him something...what was I telling him!! He was still in the car when we got there. See, he couldn't sleep either and was actually hooking a new microwave up over the stove at 1:00 a.m. My mom woke up and told him he was crazy and needed to get some sleep, they had to leave in a few hours to go to dialysis. He said he couldn't sleep and would finish hanging the microwave if someone would help him, hinting her way. She got tickled at him and said she was going back to bed and he needed to get some rest. She says she can still seeing him standing in the kitchen grinning when she realized what he was doing at 1:00 a.m. It was 3:00 a.m. when he went to wake her and said "We gotta go, I can't breathe again." she jumped up, got dressed, grabbed a few things, and headed out the door ( this was the 4th time, they had become pros). He was sitting on the doorsteps and asked if she would pull the car closer and he walked to the car. She was nervous and couldn't get the car in gear, he put his hand on top of hers and put the car in reverse. She asked him twice if he was OK and he said yes but for her to hurry. He laid his head back and was looking out the window when she asked for the last time... "Honey, are you OK?" This time he simply said..."yes". 10 seconds later she stopped at a stop sign and his head fell forward. That was it. He was gone...gone home. She pulled over at the next house and they never got a pulse or any signs of life. They called the ambulance and offered resuscitation but my mom said "no, he didn't want that...let him go." He was still in the car when we arrived, I went inside and saw my mom first. All she could say was "I am sorry", all I could do was assure her that he was ready. But still, it bothered me that I couldn't recall what I had said to him in my dream. I walked to the car, opened the door, saw his face. and it came out..."It's OK daddy, go, go. It will be so peaceful, daddy, go, you can go." THAT WAS IT! I had told him that same thing over and over every time I dozed off and his face came to me. I smiled, kissed his forehead, and said "Told you!" Oh, he looked so peaceful...I know it sounds trite but he looked like he had fallen asleep...Praise the Lord! The disease he had was horrible and increased suffering was to come, bad suffering, then hospice, then waiting. He was spared all of this and simply fell asleep.

All of a sudden we realized...there was a wedding in 2 days, family members were at the airport headed for Alabama, there was a baptism on Sunday. Now, a funeral. That's pretty much where the blur began and lasted through the weekend.

So, home was the next stop. Home meaning the place I grew up...the place my Mom and Dad built before kids...the place I know best...the place where Mama and Daddy always were...the place that would never be the same. That was an unexpected blow. Simply walking in the house literally took my breath away. I couldn't breathe. I felt better outside and would go there just to get air. That part has gotten better, I mean it will never be the same but it gets easier. At least a year later I don't forget he won't be there. A couple of months after he passed I remember driving quietly, absorbed in my thoughts, looking forward to seeing my Mom and Dad because it had been awhile...then I remembered. "Shit!" is what I said out loud and that is what I meant. For a few short seconds I thought I would see him there again. It really ticked me off that my mind had tricked me like that. Daddy would find that amusing. He had such a witty sense of humor.

Next was the funeral home. Ugh. It was no fun but it was nice to shop for him...I guess. Do your kids a favor and plan your funeral before you go. I know it's hard and no one enjoys it but it has to be done and no better time than NOW. This is one thing I could have totally skipped. I mean who cares really at this point what songs are played or what order things are done in. We were in no condition to make decisions and honestly I don't remember but maybe 5 minutes of the entire funeral process, for real. I have no idea who was there or who spoke to me or what was said. I have no idea.

Next stop, the dry cleaners. Yep. See, my Mom had her mother of the bride dress and my Dad's father of the bride suit pressed for my sister's wedding. It was to be ready that day. No, we didn't have to figure out what he would wear...it was pressed and ready.

Next stop. Florist. This part literally made me sick. The smell of funeral flowers. That smell. You know. It's a distinctive smell. I hate it. "Do you want a boutineer?" asked the lady. No, he has one. He wore the one ordered for him for the wedding....it was ordered and ready.

Next stop. Home. Home meaning where I live now. Where my two kids are. Where my two of my Daddy's granchildren were. This was not easy and something you don't get to practice beforehand. Of course Chase was fairly simple. "Paw Paw went to be with Jesus." He said "OK" and never once asked anything but still talks about Paw Paw and remembers his laugh. Chase can laugh just like him. I don't know exactly how but something amazing goes on with kids when someone close dies. Chase just acted like it was no big deal. He loved his Paw Paw and asked for him and called him on the phone and ran to him when we visited. The first thing he would say is " Where's PawPaw?" But never again. He has never asked where he is but if you ask him he says " He is with Jesus!" Patrick on the otherhand. Oh, dear. He adored his Paw Paw. We waited as long as we could wanting normal to remain as long as it could for him. We told him. He thought we were joking and laughed. He refused to believe us until I broke down and in my tears promised him I would never joke about that. He never onced cried in front of us. He did the same as I did and at times would forget he was gone. He asked a lot of questions and I think he went through a normal grieving process. He asked to sing a song at the funeral. This shocked the stew out of me but I wasn't about to tell him no. He wanted to sing a song he had sang to Paw Paw a couple of months earlier that he had learned at VBS. Paw Paw had told him he liked this one particular song the best. This was one last thing Patrick could do for his Paw Paw and he did it. How brave. How sweet. Below is a short version of the song he sang.

Jesus made a promise to always be my friend. To be with me forever with love that never ends. So I will believe with all of my heart. I will believe will all of my soul. I will believe, I will believe, wherever I go.

you ask me how much does God love me..I'll say...deeper than the ocean, wider than the sea.

So I will believe with all of my heart. I will believe with all of my soul. I will believe, I will believe wherever I go

Next stop. Wedding. Now this was quite the blur. I do remember taking our first family picture and thinking how different it felt standing around Mama sitting alone in a chair instead of paired with her husband of 37 years. And what it must look like through the camera lense...it looked as it felt..Daddy wasn't there. Instead, his picture was framed on a table to the side of us, barely visible to most. It was the first thing we noticed when the wedding pictures came back. Sneaky thing got in some of the wedding pictures afterall. You can't cry without laughing and can't laugh without crying. Daddy had planned and been given permission to skip his usual Sat. dyalisis the day of the wedding so he wouldn't be so drained afterwards. We truly think had he made it to the wedding and skipped the dyalisis as planned he would have passed shortly after the wedding or maybe the next day and that...oh, that would have been heart wrenching especially for my sister knowing it was because of her wedding that he skipped a much needed dyalisis. We believe we were granted favor that day and are so thankful. Our Daddy would have refused his death to play out like that if he had a say so.

Next. The funeral and two baptisms. No, I don't think these things collided by accident. My sister and her new husband, Tonja and Dwight, were saved after attending a church they had been visiting. The visiting was a result of an invitation by a coworker at Dwight's new job in Trussville. The new job was the result of filling out an application at a business he passed on the way to visit my Dad in the hospital. Do you get it? Some may call it far fetched but it's clear to me that my Dad's sickness was possibly directly involved in the events that led to two souls being saved. Call me nuts...I don't care. Anyway, I think it's pretty awesome that the day my Dad was honored and his body laid to rest is the same day his oldest daughter and her husband publically professed Jesus Christ as their savior. The baptisms had been planned for weeks. They chose it to be one of the first things they did as husband and wife. Nope, no accident here.

The funeral was just that... a funeral. I do not remember much and my Mom had done most of the planning. I remember being really calm and cloudy. The grave site was the same. Surreal is the best way to describe it.

The next few days and weeks were tough as Thanksgiving approached and Chistmas right behind it. We again laughed while eating cornbread dressing when we remembered back to June. It was his 62nd birthday and Patrick had decorated the whole house with a pirate theme, made goody bags, and had party favors. We had planned dinner for him and since his appetite wasn't good we let him tell us what he wanted to eat and whatever he wanted that's what we would have. Well, wouldn't you know it. He wanted cornbread dressing and butterbeans. He had his Thanksgiving in June...we just didn't know it then. Also, my parents have almost always waited until the last minute to buy Chrismas but no this year. They started in October and all the grandchildren received a gift on Chrismas Eve that PawPaw had chosen.

Next. Seeing his name in stone. This was by far the worst and still is the worst thing for me. I put it off for as long as I could but my Mom wanted me to see if it was OK, otherwise I may have never seen it. I had to force myself to look at it. I glanced quickly , then cried harder than ever. I haven't went back and don't care to. That was it for me. I refuse to think of him as there and when I go I feel as if I am confirming he is. My Mom feels the same way and neither of us feel guilty about it. I will go back, eventually, to aknowledge his passing from this life to life eternal but not anytime soon.

As anyone who has lost a loved one knows, some days are OK and some days really stink. I don't pretend to be the only one who has ever lost a dear Daddy, there are many who have lost family members in a lot more tragic ways than I have and I can't imagine their pain. It is a sad thing and even sadder is watching my mother who has lost her mate after so long and at such a young age. Time does teach one how to handle the changes more appropriately but the ache to me increases with each day. I am grateful to have experienced a loss such as this and do not count it grief but a blessing. I had a great relationship with my Daddy and through his life and death I have become closer to Christ and I can now genuinely sympathize with those experiencing loss and I am much better equipped for service to the Lord and others.

Thank you, my sweet Daddy.

2009-11-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009

We had a great time trick or treating with our lil "Woody" and our "Bakugan Battle Brawler". My kids prefer the old fashion door to door so we stayed in our neighborhood and went to many, many doors except for one....the one with every sign that points to "welcome" with the exception of the fake blood on the door! Patrick said, "nope, they can keep their candy, let's go." Gotta have one in the bunch, I guess. Our down the road neighbors Mr.and Mrs. Smith more than made up for the scary neighbors. They not only gave out candy but invited us in and made hot chocolate for the kids and even let them roast marshmallows over candlelight!! Now, that's what I'm talking about! We will see them again next year! Enjoy the pictures!

"Woody"

"Woody" and the "Bakugan Brawler" having a chat.

Roasting marshmallows by candlelight.

I held my breath as the sweet but clueless Mrs. Smith handed CHASE a flaming marshmallow!!

"Oh dear, please Lord, don't let him burn this nice lady's house down."

Check out the modified pumpkin...apparently he needed shades!

"See ya next year, partner!"

Where does the time go?

2009-10-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my! It has been 3 months since I posted last. Seriously, where does the time go? Well, let's see...what have we done in the past quarter of the year?

I'll start in August and try to play catch up.

Patrick started first grade and is doing very well. He had all A's on his first report card and loves going to school. Just recently we were looking over his spelling test and he had missed one word. Initially, he was concerned and said "Oh man, I missed one!" Then in the very next breath he said, "Oh well, at least I'm alive." WHAT? Where did that come from? I have no idea but at least he has priorities, I suppose. :/

There is a girl in his class that has started calling our house, not to talk to him but to leave me messages...that go something like this. "Hello, Patrick's Mom? Uh, hey, uh I just want to tell you, uh, that, uh, ummm, I just want to tell you that I looovvvveee Patrick (giggles, giggles and more giggles). I also want to tell you that, uh, ummm, I am gonna um marry him and please, please whatever you do, please Patrick's Mom, please don't tell him I said that because then he may not like me, ok? Ok, Patrick's Mom, uh, ok, I'll talk to you later. Ok, I love Patrick, just remember that, ok? And don't forget, don't tell him. Ok? Ok, bye." I mean, for real! She leaves that message all the time and of course Patrick heard it the first time. I asked him if he liked her and he replied..."if I did, I don't now." Haha...my good boy!

Patrick's final inspection before leaving the house for his 1st day of 1st grade.

We finally bought a camper and I can truthfully say it's one of the best things we have ever done. We absolutely can not wait for the next opportunity to go camping. I grew up camping so naturally, I love it. Randy, on the other hand did not and only signed up because he loves me and I begged him. We did compromise...he had to approve the camper. I just need a tent and a fire, but oh no..Randy needs a comfortable bed and decent, convenient cooking appliances. So, the camper makes us both happy and actually, I do like it better than a tent when the rain comes! Randy has taken to this new hobby and seems to enjoy it as much as we do. We have been camping three times, twice to Windcreek and once to Guntersville. We have had so much fun skiing, tubing, fishing and making s'mores, of course. The boys have a blast every single time...rain or shine. The last time we went they stayed on their bikes daylight til dark We are waiting patiently for summer, if you can't find us...we'll be camping!

September was another busy month and we celebrated Chase's 3rd birthday while camping. Since we weren't having a planned party with invites and all, I took him to Winn Dixie and told him to pick out any cake he wanted and he picked Spongebob. UGH, I HATE SPONGEBOB. Seriously, I can't stand the lil character. But, I obliged. It turned out to be the cutest cake. It even had a whole built in pineapple house with all Spongebob's lil friends. It was by far his favorite toy and kept him entertained for days. We invited a few kids around the campsite to join us for cake and the pinata. It was simple and Chase loved his "pombob" party. Not long after he turned 3 he decided that he needed a haircut and gave himself a good one, two big chunks right in the front exactly where his cow lick resides. Boing! We had no other choice than to go short and spike it in the front, half of it was gonna spike regardless so...go with it, I said. I actually like it so much better, it suits his little spunky, sneaky nature. Recently, a lady at the grocery checkout greeted him with "Hey there, wild man." If she only knew....

Our baby turns 3!!!!!!

Which takes us into October.

I'll go ahead and tell you about Chase's next "stunt" since we are on the subject. I will make it short since this is quite a lengthy post. Zyrtec. Whole bottle. Just opened. He drank it. All of it. The WHOLE bottle. Yep, turned it up, gulped it down. Safety top, my butter! I shouldn't blame the top or him...I left it in his reach I guess? Honestly, I have no idea where he got it or how he got it or how he opened it or when he drank it...I don't have a clue. All I know is one morning I found the empty bottle on the toy box with the lid neatly next to it. Frozen in time, somehow I heard Chase say "mommy, my drank it all gone!" I said "huh, wha, why....di di did you spill this medicine, honey?" "Nope, my drank it all gone." Oh dear. Poison control. Must. Call. Poison control. Of course the first question stumped me...when? I don't know! Oh my goodness, he just woke up, he had to have drank it .....last night? The lady laughed at my new realization. She said extreme drowsiness or extreme hyperactivity would be the main concerns at the time of ingestion. Nope. Nada. Nothing. He drank a whole bottle of Zyrtec and it did not phase him. Oh, this child of mine. I will share one more Chase story just for the sake of recording it. We now have a lock on the back patio door that he can't reach...yet. The reason is because at 7:30 a.m. one morning I was awakened by the door bell. Randy had taken Patrick to school just 15 minutes earlier and I had dozed off again. I wondered if he had forgotten something as I went to the door and was SHOCKED to see my "across the street" neighbor holding Chase's hand who was wearing nothing but a pull up. I seriously thought I was dreaming, I must have looked so stunned. See, Chase woke up looking for his Daddy and when he couldn't find him in the house he unlocked the backdoor and went outside, through the back gate, around the house, down the driveway, and was standing at the end of the driveway looking down the road when Mr. Frank looked out his kitchen window. Mr.Frank said "I couldn't get to him fast enough, I knew it wasn't right." Oh, thank you Lord for good neighbors...and good locks! I promise ya'll, I watch my kids...most of the time. ) : These are "not funny at the time" stories that could have ended differently, so learn from my "stories" and keep scissors, medicine, and locks up HIGH!

Ahhh, the memories of our children ...being made now... as the time flies by.

Enjoy the pictures and Happy Fall!

Patrick loves to cast his line over and over.

Chase's new hairdo!

Our Two Boys...A Mama's View

2009-07-22T07:28:00.001-07:00

The next two posts are all about our two boys, Patrick and Chase. These two kiddos are absolute opposites in every way possible and I love that about them. Because this blog serves as a scrapbook I wanted to talk about each of them separately as I have experienced them through the years thus far. Their ways are different but my love is the same. Hope you enjoy a glimpse into my view of our two boys.

Our first born, Patrick Randall

2009-07-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Patrick was born mid April just a few days before Easter and just three days after I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. Oh, how different things would have been. What a blessing it was to bring a new life into this world under a whole new view based on a whole new set of priorities and values. Timing was perfect and I was ready to be a mama! Randy and I decided to not know the gender of our first born and we were both convinced we were having a girl!! HaHaHa. No, it was NOT funny when he came as a HE...not to me anyway. Randy was thrilled!! I, on the other hand, was mad at the world for about 24 hrs then of course I was forever in love.

Patrick aka "Patch" definitely has a first born nature. He is calm and laid back and has been since birth. He is independent and has a mind of his own...you will not change his mind...he knows all things! He is a sweet boy, very thoughtful and gets his feelings hurt easily. He is generous to a fault. Last Christmas after opening his three presents from Santa, he put one aside (a $45 power ranger helmet, by the way, that "Santa" had to go all over to find because every store was sold out and he just happened to find one on the very top shelf behind other toys at the last minute!) He had asked Santa to bring this gift for his cousin...not for him. We didn't have a clue because Patrick is also very secretive. He has inner thoughts he shares with no one until the time is right. This way no one can interfere with his plans until it is too late. See, we tried to explain to him that Santa spent a lot of money on that gift and he should keep it for himself. "Nope, I got it for Jayden and Santa doesn't care or he wouldn't have brought it." Oh, well...Jayden got a power ranger helmet!
Patrick is very giving. If someone brings him something...he has to also give something in return. This is OK until he starts going through my jewelry because he needs a gift for a girl. Yes, he has tried giving away my diamond earrings and my class ring! He is also very observant. He pays attention to detail and this is one trait I definitely want him to keep. This causes him to be a perfectionist but also he notices the small things, like when I get a pedicure or a new shirt. Seriously, he is genuinely happy when I get new stuff and comments on it. He is usually the one who picks out my nail color! He loves to color and draw. He is good at it because he is so detailed.

Patch also likes things to be clean, especially bathrooms. Sometime during our first t-ball game this year, Patrick went missing. We looked everywhere and finally I found him hiding ; his pants were wet. Yes, my 6 yr old peed in his pants. I was shocked because he never had accidents even at 3! I asked "Patch... baby...why did you pee in your pants?" His response.." Mommy, I looked and looked and looked and could not find a clean bathroom anywhere ...so...I had to pee in my pants." He was serious as a heart attack and could have cared less that he now had wet pants...nope...he walked right out to the field and finished the game. From then on, he used the bathroom before leaving home. And yes, I explained to him that he stands up, but that did not matter to him. "Those bathrooms are gross" he said.

On the other hand, he loves to dig in the dirt and pull bark off trees...he has done this for hours! He is fascinated with nature...bugs, worms, birds, frogs, lizards, flowers, rocks, stars, moon, sun, grass, etc., etc. He asks a thousand questions that I usually have to google to answer. He values all life! This child will pitch a fit ( I have seen this many times) if you even think about killing any living creature, even spiders and ants! We kill nothing! Well, when he is around, we kill nothing. I'll squish a spider in a split second and smile about it.

Patrick decided he wanted to try soccer, basketball, and t-ball this year and yes, we did all three. He wanted to quit all three after 2 wks in but we forced him to finish what he started. He hated all of it. We got our soccer sign up in the mail a few days ago and I asked.." Patrick, do you want to play soccer, basketball, or t-ball this year? You can pick just one if you want." He responded with " Uh, mommy, I don't want to play sports this year." I said " OK, well what do you want to do, want to take art or play piano?' He said "Uh, no mommy, I think I just want to be one of those people who don't do anything." Well then, OK...on to other things. He makes me laugh because he knows what he wants, he doesn't flinch! There is no talking this kid into anything.

Patrick is not a very affectionate child to anyone other than his mommy and daddy. His Nanny will offer money to get a hug! He doesn't give out hugs freely and I have never seen him kiss anyone but me and his daddy. He is very modest and doesn't like to bring attention to himself. He will not have anything to do with strangers or even people he somewhat knows. He is very cautious and if there is ever a fire...don't worry about Patrick...he will be the first outside! He takes no chances on safety and he watches his little brother better than I do. He doesn't have any favorite toys and never has really. He takes very good care of his things and keeps anything important to him in a safe place. He has a safe, a treasure box and a drawer full of special things. I have a mason jar full of things he has picked up for me in various places. The jar has rocks, feathers, a milk jug ring, pony tail holders, two nails twisted to form a cross, sequins, beads, single earrings, scraps of paper, marbles, etc., etc. He started bringing me "gifts" when he was 2, he would find these things throughout his day at daycare and for the first year I threw the "gifts" away. I know, I know, I should have kept them all but I didn't until one day. Patrick came home and as soon as we walked in he quickly took his shoes off and handed me the prettiest 2 pebbles. I said "why are they in your shoes?" I'll never forget it..he said " because the teacher said I couldn't put pebbles in my pockets anymore, so I put these in my shoes...for you." That sweet 3 yr old boy had walked around all day with two pebbles in his shoe that he had picked out for his mama. From that day on, I have saved everything he brings me but guess what? He rarely brings me things now but I love, love, love getting that mason jar out of the cabinet and looking at all my "gifts"!

This is our first born. This is Patrick. We couldn't possibly love him more!

Our second born, Joseph Chase

2009-07-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Chase arrived on the first day of Sept. two weeks early and almost 9 lbs! Right from the start we knew Chase would be different. He was born with red hair and a temper to go with it! I once again was convinced he would be a she even though the sonogram clearly showed boy parts. I was in denial, I had cried for a week after I found out we were having another boy. But this time I was prepared and fell in love instantly!

Chase is completely the opposite of his big brother. You could reverse everything about Patrick...and voila...have Chase! Chase looks a lot like Patrick and they can share most clothes now but their ways are, oh, so different. Chase is a sneaky, brave, mischievous, funny, 100% boy! He loves balls of any kind and is tough as nails, he is fearless. He gets hurt all the time doing crazy stuff. He jumps off the couch but forgets about the table that is in front of the couch. He climbs to the top of the monkey bars and lets go. He swings upside down on the swing and lets go. He loves strangers! This is scary but he will give almost anyone a hug or kiss without bribery. He fights like a 6 yr old and is not intimidated by a 12 yr old. I watched my 10 yr old nephew pick on him for about 5 seconds then I waited and watched as Chase picked up a bat and chased that 10 yr old all over the place. I let it go for about 5 minutes knowing the older one could out run the younger then I took the bat away. That nephew now completely respects Chase in a new way. Chase's first sentence was "HE HIT ME!" talking about Patrick and acting as if 'how dare he'.

Chase was a terrible baby, he had colic for 4 months! He cried almost every night from 9p-2a from the day after we brought him home until Dec.10....yes, I remember it clearly. Colic is not for the weak and no, your baby doesn't have colic if he is "fussy". Believe me, fussy is great...colic is horror!! I seriously could relate to moms that harm their children, thank God I didn't hurt him but it took all I had to keep from it and I had to break down and tell the doctor that before he would help me. He tried, but nothing took it away. It was BAD! So, from the beginning Chase was different.This child has a sense of humor and uses it often...to his advantage. He has so many different faces and voices he uses to match his mood. He picks things up easily and can imitate others well. After he spends the day with his friend, Cash, he talks just like him for days, on purpose! He says, "My talk like Cash!" He thinks it's funny and so do we.

We have to watch Chase like a hawk. I think he plans his next adventure before finishing the first. We were outside one day recently and I darted in to grab my cell phone and came right back out. He was behind me on the way in but apparently got side tracked in the laundry room. I came out and saw him walking towards our koi pond with something in his hand. As I got closer, he stopped on the bridge and held out his hand. OMG! He had a full scoop of Gain washing powders, slowly tilting his hand toward the pond. I screamed, "NO, NO, NO". Staring right at me with a look that says " you are there, I am here..whatcha gonna do?"..he dumped the WHOLE scoop in the pond and shyly smiled. I wore his butt out! I mean, I beat that child! We have 20 fish, some are 16 inches long! He cried, he did. Then said " mommy, it mells good." then he ran to play. Randy had to come home from work to drain 1200 gallons of water and wait to see if any fish were gonna die. They didn't. We had bubbles for days and the backyard did 'mell' good.

Chase destroys all things and eats all things. He rips pages out of books ( this causes Patrick to go ballistic) and he eats the eraser off every pencil he comes across. He breaks every crayon in half and says "see, we have two" and he doesn't like order...he destroys order! He can sniff out candy or gum within a mile radius. Doesn't matter where we hide it, Chase will eventually find it and eat it. This is a good thing at supper time, he will try anything and usually likes it.

Chase still doesn't sleep through the night. He is almost 3 and I can probably count on 2 hands how many times he has slept straight through the night. We have tried it all and will try anything else anyone suggests. He goes to sleep in his bed and does so easily but he always wakes up by 3 a.m. In the beginning, we would check on him, settle him back in and he would go back to sleep only for another hour or so then back awake screaming out. We would do this over and over. Then we ignored him...that lasted a total of one hour...no sleep for anyone! Now that he is in a toddler bed, when he screams out for us we simply say "come on". He crawls in the bed with us but he is back awake in less than an hour most nights. We pat him and say its OK...off to sleep we go. I have no idea why he does this and I really don't care at this point. Eventually he will grow out of it, we hope!

Chase is very independent and wants to do whatever it is you are doing. I have posted a picture I took of him imitating his Paw Paw smoking a cigar. He had found a piece of Lincoln logs and we were all outside, my Dad was smoking a cigar and the next thing we knew Chase was imitating him with the Lincoln log! This was less than one week before my Dad passed and I remember my Dad laughing and saying "I don't know if we should be laughing...I am proud he wants to be like me but I hope he doesn't pick up smoking from me". We laughed so hard watching Chase trying to be like Paw Paw and Chase was in his own world oblivious to anyone around him. He was concentrating so hard on holding his hands right and blowing smoke. I snapped a few pictures with my phone and I am so glad I did! Chase will most likely remember nothing about his Paw Paw but the picture is worth a thousand words!

This is our second born. This is Chase. We couldn't possibly love him more!

Put it off for as long as I could....

2009-06-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

O.K...here goes...I am an official blogger! After reading many,many blogs and wondering how I could ever find the time to blog..I have given in to the temptation of opening up our private lives and to began journaling the lives of our children for no other reason than to keep precious memories at our fingertips. I must say I regret not doing it sooner. Yes, I am sure it will require some attention, but surely this blog will not end up in the drawer with all those pictures and funny stories of the past 8 years. It's really sad, I had good intentions of sorting, scrap booking and journaling...but who am I kidding? It will most likely never happen. Hopefully, this will be a more realistic way to share our lives with family and friends. Enjoy!