Well today is Sunday, July 12. This is a special day for many reasons, one Sundays are always good days, two it is July - SUMMERTIME, and three most importantly it is Tracy's birthday.
About 9 years ago I happened to be at Marcus & Rob's apartment when a young woman (whom I had only met briefly once before at a Bama ballgame) wondered if she could use their washing machine. She had subleased the apartment across from them - a bug infested, scary people surrounded apartment. Of course since their apartment was where I did laundry, another Tracy (Tracy Carpenter), and Regina did laundry - who were they to say no to yet another gorgeous girl who wanted to spend time at their place!?
The guys would come home from class or work and find girls on the couch, in the kitchen, nail polish on the tables, fashion magazines scattered everywhere, supper or snacks almost ready and loads of laughter. They were college guys - they didn't mind. :o) But what we all had no idea of is that there were bonds being formed that would withstand the college years, that would flow over into marriages and vacations. In particular one friendship that I now consider to be more of a family relationship than just friends. I have said before that I have more than just Nina as a sister. Stacie has been there from the get go and we are lucky to realize that our sisterly connection continues to grow even stronger.
Then there is Tracy. (Mclees-Pulley) I was surprised when this Seattle girl slipped into my heart but not at all upset. Her quick wit, vivacious smile, strong faith and love of life are hard to resist. During those college years new apartments & houses were found, love was discovered & lost, time & distance created challenges - yet this was the girl I looked to when I needed someone to listen or cook sausage balls with, this was the girl I immediately knew I wanted standing beside Marcus & I when we said our vows; this girl is special. She is the friend I never knew I needed & the sister I thank God for sending me.
Tracy - I am so glad to be able to send these Birthday wishes into the universe. There is no one who deserves every wish when blowing out the candles more than you. Your beautiful daughter already shows signs of harnessing some of your wonderful traits & that crazy hubby of yours I know recognizes his great catch! Thank you for being there whenever I have needed you - for loving Marcus & I no matter what and for being the Seattle girl whose heart is all South.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - WE LOVE YOU - TRACY!!!!
Showing posts with label Birthdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birthdays. Show all posts
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
WILD & WACKY TIMES WITH THE FAM!
Well the last two weekends have been crazy. The very last weekend in June I slipped over to Atlanta to see Nina for her birthday weekend. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! Friday night we enjoyed dinner & a movie at the house. Saturday morning Christian had an early morning baseball game. I really love watching coach pitch. The kids are so adorable. You can really see how much fun they are having!
Don't be afraid - the knife is just to ward everyone off from her yummy cake.
After the game Nina & I went for lunch by the marina & then went shopping. I LOVE the store Honey Butter in Woodstock. Then there is FoxTales - a precious locally run bookstore. Ooohhh also Christine's! The little community around Nina is quite charming. We always have fun. A little bit of trampoline time on the couch too....
The kids & I whipped up a yummy cake! Then Keith grilled some great steaks for dinner. The day was all about Nina... which I think she liked :)
Sunday was a different day - Nina and I worked on a home project of hers and it took a few hours to get everything pulled together but by the time I was headed home, we felt content with the project. ;o)
Aren't all "my" children adorable??
Mom & Dad graciously hosted this crazy clan of family! Pray for their sanity :o) We all really appreciate all the time & effort they put in so that we can all be together. The pool was sparkling & the food was sensational. We love you!
The pool is rarely this calm - we were all sitting at the picnic tables eating lunch. I thought it interesting that the water was just calmly waiting for our return. The volleyball net was probably breathing easier since no child or adult was dodging its threads! :)
Don't be fooled, this grin is full of mischief!
Don't be afraid - the knife is just to ward everyone off from her yummy cake.
After the game Nina & I went for lunch by the marina & then went shopping. I LOVE the store Honey Butter in Woodstock. Then there is FoxTales - a precious locally run bookstore. Ooohhh also Christine's! The little community around Nina is quite charming. We always have fun. A little bit of trampoline time on the couch too....The kids & I whipped up a yummy cake! Then Keith grilled some great steaks for dinner. The day was all about Nina... which I think she liked :)Sunday was a different day - Nina and I worked on a home project of hers and it took a few hours to get everything pulled together but by the time I was headed home, we felt content with the project. ;o)Last weekend we headed to the big city of Camden for a few days of food, fireworks & fun!
Aren't all "my" children adorable?? Mom & Dad graciously hosted this crazy clan of family! Pray for their sanity :o) We all really appreciate all the time & effort they put in so that we can all be together. The pool was sparkling & the food was sensational. We love you!The pool is rarely this calm - we were all sitting at the picnic tables eating lunch. I thought it interesting that the water was just calmly waiting for our return. The volleyball net was probably breathing easier since no child or adult was dodging its threads! :)Don't be fooled, this grin is full of mischief! My husband's eyes are cutting to the side due to the food that is passing him by... yeah.
Jon's birthday happens to be July 4th so along with the typical homemade ice cream & barbecue we blew out some birthday candles! LONG hours in the pool made the weekend perfect. We also had this yummy punch that was, well... YUMMY!
My big brother Jeremy was able to stop by for some yummy dessert & to wish Jon a Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mothers Day, Birthday, Swimming, = FUN!
This past weekend was Mother's Day & my father's birthday. We headed to Camden of course - both moms are there. My sister & her family were coming in from Atlanta & wouldn't you know we each arrived about 15 minutes apart.
Yep so rather than getting us in two chunks where the kids might calm down a bit or we get settled.... we all arrived together. Mom & Dad were a bit flustered after about 5 minutes of 3 dogs, 4 kids & 4 more adults infiltrating their home. :o) But they love us so no biggie... right mom? *wink*wink*
After we all got settled, fed our faces and shipped the kids over to my brother Eric's house; Nina & I began to make Dad's birthday cake. It was a strawberry cake recipe I got from Paula Deen's show. OME! This cake is so yummy. It is real strawberries, no food coloring, yummy cream cheese/strawberry icing and just plain good!!
You have to puree a lot of strawberries & well we were missing some rum or else we would have had some awesome daiquiris! No sprite either so the virgin kind was out the door as well. Bummer.
Nina & I proceeded to peruse the internet for a bit then we both began reading on some books I had brought home. It was late into the night that we switched off the lights and all crawled into beds.
Saturday a.m. came bright and early. Earlier than I expected really... Nina had lost a crown on her tooth on Friday & happened to have called her childhood dentist (the one my mom still sees) and he VERY nicely agreed to meet us in Selma to put it back on - no charge and the office is closed. It is so great to be from rural Alabama. :o)
So we scooted about an hour above Camden and in 10 minutes her tooth was fixed and we headed to the mall for some last minute shopping. I had fun because I would just bring Nina dresses and make her try them on - it was like Life Size Dress Up Barbie. I loved it! lol We found 3 dresses on the clearance rack - $25 each. These are $100 or more dresses!! She got two I got one. IT WAS GREAT. We also found some last minute birthday/mother's day gifts.
Once we got back to Camden around 11:30 a.m. it was: LET'S GO SWIMMING TIME. So everyone slipped into bathing suits, we got the kids back from Eric, and dove into crystal clear water in my parents' back yard. The sun beat down and we played & played. Dad, Eric, Keith, Marcus, Jeremy - all the guys fixed Cajun Blackened Catfish & Fried Catfish for lunch. IT WAS SO YUMMY! Dad was thrilled with all of his presents and the cake went over beautifully. Erica & John even made it out to swim and eat. The 23 of us had a wonderful time.
Saturday night Marcus & I headed to his mom's to spend the night. We sat up talking for quite sometime, catching up on all the Camden news. Then on Sunday we fixed a big elaborate lunch: Steak, Salmon, Grilled Onions & Squash, Green Beans, Salad, Corn on the Cob & Coconut Custard Pie. OME! Just relisting all this stuff makes me gain 5 pounds!!! lol
The weekend was wonderful. I am so glad that we were able to spend it with family. I was surrounded by mothers. My mother is one of my closest friends. My sister - an amazing mother - is another of my closest friends. Their guidance, their generosity to their families, their view of life is so precious to me. I see my nieces/nephews and am proud everyday that they are mine. I cannot imagine if they were my actual children.
My brothers, my sister and I were raised by a mother who allowed us to be curious, to explore our own interests, to understand that differences do not define you and that love is the most important emotion in life. She gave us a reason to want hugs and a need for companionship. She instilled in us that lessons are learned from mistakes so don't fault yourself into thinking that regrets can control you or should be allowed to influence your decisions. She taught us that a switch/tree limb is not just for fruit or leaves to hang off of. She taught us that closing doors while the air conditioning is running means she won't be hollering at you later. She taught us that when you are married you do things for your spouse - not because HE/SHE is your spouse & it is expected of you but because if you love someone you do the little things for them without question, without reservation. You do it because you want to. Life often puts us into categories, little slots, but mom never did. I am thankful everyday for her and I pray that more people are as lucky as I am. This world needs more mothers like mine.....
Yep so rather than getting us in two chunks where the kids might calm down a bit or we get settled.... we all arrived together. Mom & Dad were a bit flustered after about 5 minutes of 3 dogs, 4 kids & 4 more adults infiltrating their home. :o) But they love us so no biggie... right mom? *wink*wink*
After we all got settled, fed our faces and shipped the kids over to my brother Eric's house; Nina & I began to make Dad's birthday cake. It was a strawberry cake recipe I got from Paula Deen's show. OME! This cake is so yummy. It is real strawberries, no food coloring, yummy cream cheese/strawberry icing and just plain good!!
You have to puree a lot of strawberries & well we were missing some rum or else we would have had some awesome daiquiris! No sprite either so the virgin kind was out the door as well. Bummer.
Nina & I proceeded to peruse the internet for a bit then we both began reading on some books I had brought home. It was late into the night that we switched off the lights and all crawled into beds.
Saturday a.m. came bright and early. Earlier than I expected really... Nina had lost a crown on her tooth on Friday & happened to have called her childhood dentist (the one my mom still sees) and he VERY nicely agreed to meet us in Selma to put it back on - no charge and the office is closed. It is so great to be from rural Alabama. :o)
So we scooted about an hour above Camden and in 10 minutes her tooth was fixed and we headed to the mall for some last minute shopping. I had fun because I would just bring Nina dresses and make her try them on - it was like Life Size Dress Up Barbie. I loved it! lol We found 3 dresses on the clearance rack - $25 each. These are $100 or more dresses!! She got two I got one. IT WAS GREAT. We also found some last minute birthday/mother's day gifts.
Once we got back to Camden around 11:30 a.m. it was: LET'S GO SWIMMING TIME. So everyone slipped into bathing suits, we got the kids back from Eric, and dove into crystal clear water in my parents' back yard. The sun beat down and we played & played. Dad, Eric, Keith, Marcus, Jeremy - all the guys fixed Cajun Blackened Catfish & Fried Catfish for lunch. IT WAS SO YUMMY! Dad was thrilled with all of his presents and the cake went over beautifully. Erica & John even made it out to swim and eat. The 23 of us had a wonderful time.
Saturday night Marcus & I headed to his mom's to spend the night. We sat up talking for quite sometime, catching up on all the Camden news. Then on Sunday we fixed a big elaborate lunch: Steak, Salmon, Grilled Onions & Squash, Green Beans, Salad, Corn on the Cob & Coconut Custard Pie. OME! Just relisting all this stuff makes me gain 5 pounds!!! lol
The weekend was wonderful. I am so glad that we were able to spend it with family. I was surrounded by mothers. My mother is one of my closest friends. My sister - an amazing mother - is another of my closest friends. Their guidance, their generosity to their families, their view of life is so precious to me. I see my nieces/nephews and am proud everyday that they are mine. I cannot imagine if they were my actual children.
My brothers, my sister and I were raised by a mother who allowed us to be curious, to explore our own interests, to understand that differences do not define you and that love is the most important emotion in life. She gave us a reason to want hugs and a need for companionship. She instilled in us that lessons are learned from mistakes so don't fault yourself into thinking that regrets can control you or should be allowed to influence your decisions. She taught us that a switch/tree limb is not just for fruit or leaves to hang off of. She taught us that closing doors while the air conditioning is running means she won't be hollering at you later. She taught us that when you are married you do things for your spouse - not because HE/SHE is your spouse & it is expected of you but because if you love someone you do the little things for them without question, without reservation. You do it because you want to. Life often puts us into categories, little slots, but mom never did. I am thankful everyday for her and I pray that more people are as lucky as I am. This world needs more mothers like mine.....
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