Finger Bling

Here's my unwanted finger bling that I'm wearing post latching my finger in the car door. UGH!

























You can't really tell how swollen it is, but it is I promise.

Southern Fried

I was a GRIT. A GIRL RAISED IN THE SOUTH!

Steak and potatoes with backyard veggies made for a good healthy raising, not veggie burgers and tofu salad.

The 30 minute drive to town was garnished with trees and wildlife, not brake lights and horns

Your backyard was yours (all 3+ acres of it), no one could just peak over the fence or out the window and see what was going on

You visited your neighbors instead of saying hi in the driveways

Thank you notes. PERIOD.

Grits, fried okra and sweet tea could be ordered almost anywhere

Everyone is a Ma'am or a Sir and its all in the form of respect

Manners, Manners, Manners. PERIOD.

There are so many great things that come from being a Southern Fried kid and I hope to instill as much of that as possible with sweet Madison.

Happy 36th Sissy!

It would have been your 36th birthday! HAHAHA! Oh goodness how we celebrated the number 36, something I plan to do as well. My daughter will be just as confused as I was about the age of our moms.

You are probably very upset with me for shedding tears today, but today through the next 2 weeks are and have always been pretty rough for me. I try not to remember the end, your last birthday or the day you left your giant shoe collection to me (btw my feet aren't as small as yours). :) I always try to remember your glow, your smile that lit up rooms and how you always had everyone in tears of laughter after a huge meal of course. :) But sometimes remembering makes it harder not to cry, especially holding your granddaughter. But luckily her smile lights up a room too and she constantly has us in rolls of laughter so I beleive naming her Madison Olivia was perfect.

The one question that lingers in my mind is "What would you have wanted to be called?" Grandma - definitely not, Sissy - thats for me, Gigi - thats for great grandma, so there inlies my dilemma. I have no idea what to tell Madison to call you. Maybe we can say Meme..I had a meme and its less grandma-ish, something you would definitely have preferred at the ripe old age of 36. We will have to see.

And what in the world would we have done if you were still her on earth celebrating your 36th birthday and here I come creeping up on 36. We can't both keep having 36th birthdays...one of us would have to move on. And if you were here it would be me moving on...thats just how it worked. :)

I love you Sissy! Thanks for brightening the world with your smile, thanks for showing me what it is to be a good mom, thanks for the laughter, thanks for the yummy banana pudding and thanks for being so loving to everyone around you. Your raising molded me into the person I am and I thank you for that every day.

Happy Birthday Sissy! I love you all the grains of sand in the world!

"Aunts and Cousins"

Madison has an ever growing family of "Aunts" and "Cousins" all over the states. No these are not true family, but they may become her family as she grows older. Today was a day of baby joy and laughter with Madison, Peyton and Nya. These three little angels were just peas in our pods when us mommy's met. Oh the stories we told then were about kicking and the conversations revolved around "Where are you going to deliver?" and "Are you having an epidural?" WOW how fast things change. From our uncomfortable big bellies came 3 absolute angels.

Madison and Peyton share the same birthday...Justine, aka Peytons mommy, was actually going to visit Jamie and soon to arrive baby Madison when...UH OH..she had to drive herself to the emergency room and SURPRISE SURPRISE.. Madison is only about 45 minutes older. Isn't it crazy how things work out. Mommy Justine and Mommy Jamie were texting their crazy stories to each other like teenagers the next day. Oh the joys of babies.

Shuntay, aka Nya's mommy, was a few weeks behind Justine and Jamie.But you would never know it today. Nya sure acted all grown up like the other girls. :)

Here are some pics from the first of many play dates with these joyous little angels. I'm calling it the baby board meeting.

Pre-meeting handshake...




Board meeting discussions



Meeting adjourned

Character

"Men, sit down and ask your wives to point out things in your character that you can improve on. Then sit and listen as she goes on and on (laughter consumes all), seriously...do this and don't get defensive." ..."Ladies, you too."

This was something our pastor asked us all to do as a church today. As much as this may seem like a good idea, I disagree. I think there are always things about someone that you wish to make better and maybe over time those things do become better because as a married couple you sharpen each other and help each other grow into better people. Attacking or pointing out flaws in ones character (just to do it)doesn't seem to be the way to go. Not to me anyway.

You marry someone that you love, that helps you be better, someone you enjoy silent time with as well as family, laughter, etc. You also marry someone that has flaws, you know what they are before you even get to that part of the relationship and if you can't handle the flaws then you leave, its not going to work.

So Jeff and I start discussing this on the way home and it made me realize that I'm not so sure searching your brain to nitpick your partner in life's character is a good thing.

Maybe its because I'm way to honest in that I always tend to say what I think and feel at the moment it needs to be said or the moment I feel it, so if there is anything about Jeff that I see as an imperfection, he knows it already, no need to point it out again. :)

I'd have to say we can all sit around and nitpick each other, but why not sit around and do the opposite...that makes for a much better night and no one looks back with irritation or that "I wish I hadn't said that" feeling.

Cheers to character flaws and imperfections.