Birthday boy

the birthday boy

I met Anthony for the first time when I moved to Tennessee and joined his 5th grade class after the Christmas break. 

As the saying goes "that was many moons ago."

Fast forward to high school and we started dating our senior year. 

So I counted it up and that means I've been celebrating his birthday with him for the last 20 birthdays. 

Mercy.... that makes me feel old!

This man makes my life a whole lot better. And I'm glad he keeps on havin birthdays. Because I love doin life with him & I think he's pretty cool. And I love him a whole bunch.

He's one of those fellas who's the same anywhere you see him - whether it's in church or out at a ballgame, he's the same guy. No fake stuff here.

He loves riding the swings at the fair... 
maybe even twice in the same night. 

And he loves music. 

Playing it, listening to it and going to concerts... yeah, all of that. 

And here's some more stuff he loves - 

• sports
• the beach
• going to the movies & eating popcorn
• breakfast, fried chicken, mac n cheese
• hangin out with family
• laughing with friends
• sittin on the porch just chillin'
• me ;-) 

And I'm most thankful he loves God. It's so awesome to serve and worship along with him.   

I'm soooooo thankful God put this man in my path. Every year gets sweeter. It sounds cliche but it's true. 

I'm glad I married my soul mate. 

My best friend. 

Our 14th anniversary....at Loveless Cafe

Even though we’re fairly convenient to Nashville, we don’t go very often. We do typically end up somewhere in Nashville for our anniversary dinner though. And that’s just what we did last week when we celebrated our 14^th anniversary.

We’ve wanted to try out Loveless Café for a while now. Even though it’s kinda a touristy place…. We’ve heard they have really good food. And we’re all about some good ole comfort food, served up the Southern way. Is there any other way? ;-)

So off we went.

Took us an hour and 10 minutes but it was totally worth it!

They say weekends are busy so we went on a weeknight. We didn’t have to wait for a table. We had called ahead but would’ve been fine without doing that.

Everything about it screams nostalgia. It’s like being at your grandma’s house. It’s so quaint and homey inside. From the checkered table cloths to the wood floors, I was smitten!

We were seated near the kitchen and this shot is looking toward the front of the restaurant – notice the doors?

Our server greeted us immediately and asked what we wanted. Of course we needed a minute. We always do, no matter where we’re eating. When she came back she said haven’t I waited on you before? We said no…this is our first time. She welcomed us and said we looked like a couple she had waited on before. Lol Anthony asked if that couple was nice. HA! So apparently we have a twin couple out there roamin around somewhere. Oh me.

Of course Loveless is known for the homemade biscuits and jams/jellies/preserves (whatever ya wanna call it) they serve up. And let me tell ya, these things were scrumptious! I wanted to eat 100 of em.

Anthony went for the fried chicken and I went for the BBQ. Loveless is also known for their hashbrown casserole so I went for that and it was awesome I do say. And I also had the skillet fried corn. MMM so good! Anthony went with his standard sides - mashed potatoes with gravy and mac 'n cheese.

We were both stuffed and happy by this point. All our food was delicious! But our sweet server told us Loveless has the best banana pudding around. And that just happens to be my man's #1 fave. And he never orders dessert… N E V E R… but he did that night! The server said they even make their own wafers for the pudding. 

It was a cold pudding in case you were wonderin. Anth said it was amazing. I didn’t try any. I’m not a banana person…

After we ate we browsed in the gift shop and picked up a jar of strawberry preserves. And they taste homemade by the way. DELISH!

Next time we go I’m gonna rent a second stomach. And I’m not gonna eat 3 days prior so I can have one of everything LOL

I hear they have an awesome breakfast… so maybe we’ll get back there soon for that. We both have birthdays coming up. (ahem)

Anyway, the anniversary was lovely and I’m glad I got to stuff my face next to this guy. He’s a keeper. I love him a bunch. And doing life with him sure is peachy!

xxoo

Charlie Brown DIY Halloween costume

Tossin’ it back to Halloween yall…

Yeah, I'm the one on the right ;-) 

This year Halloween was on a Thursday. On Tuesday morning while I was at work I decided I wanted to dress up.

We weren’t having a Halloween party at work (they quit doing that a couple years ago BOOO) and Anthony and I weren’t even going to a party or anything. I just like dressing up and feelin like a kid again. Don’t judge.

So anyway, thanks to good ole Pinterest I found a super cute idea for a Charlie Brown costume. My Inspiration I love me some DIY!

This is the stuff it takes to make the costume - -

Stuff I bought –

$4.99 Yellow polo style shirt (Goodwill)

$3.67 Spray paint (Walmart)

$1.66 Black fabric (Joann’s)

$5.99 Mod Podge (Joann’s – I had a 40% off coupon)

Stuff I already had –

Beach ball

Black craft paint

Newspaper (cut into strips)

Black shorts

*Special note for people OCD like me {ahem} Yes, I should have worn yellow socks but I didn't realize Charlie Brown wore yellow socks until it was too late to run out and purchase any. So Charlie wore white socks on Halloween. Oh well. Life goes on.

For the head:

1.  Blow up beach ball and place in a bowl

2.  Dip newspaper strips in Mod Podge and lay on the beach ball one at a time, slightly overlapping the strips (as I dipped the strips, I’d “squeeze out” the excess by running my fingers along each side so they wouldn’t be drenched with the Mod Podge and thus take longer to dry… remember I was on a tight time frame)

3.  Allow to D R Y completely *VERY IMPORTANT* most will say let it dry overnight but a few hours seemed to do the trick for me; I only let one of my layers dry overnight.

4.  Repeat with a second layer of paper strips, allow to DRY, and then a third layer – On my third layer I started using plain paper instead of newspaper so I wouldn’t have to use primer once I was ready to spray paint my head. I had only bought one can of spray paint too so… 

oh and ALSO I left my beach ball inside my head form which made it plenty sturdy with just three layers of paper… it didn’t seem to want to come loose from the Mod Podged strips so I just went with it. Sometimes ya gotta improvise!

5.  Cut an opening in the bottom that your head will fit through (remember, you’re gonna be wearing this head so make sure it’ll go over your ears)

6.  Make ears from cardstock and attach with glue. Allow to dry.

7.  Spray paint the head a flesh tone color *it’s best to do this in a well ventilated area or OUTSIDE if possible

8.  Once DRY you can cut your eye openings and mouth opening if you decide to have an open mouthed Charlie Brown. I used a box cutter. Fancy stuff.

9.  Draw your eyebrows and nose with a Sharpie. I went back over mine with black paint to make it more distinct.

10.  Glue some thin black fabric inside the head so you’ll be able to see where you’re walking while wearing the head. I used a Mono Adhesive glue pen, a scrapbooking supply I had handy.

VOILA! ! ! 

You've just transformed some paper and a beach ball into a fabulous Charlie Brown head. And ya know… this could be so many other cartoon characters if you wanted to get creative… but anyway.. we still have a shirt to make people. Stay focused!

For the shirt:

1. If your shirt is from Goodwill you’re gonna want to wash it. lol

2. Lay flat and put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding.

3. Trace your design lightly with a Sharpie

4. Paint one side. Allow to dry!

5. Paint the other side (Yes, Charlie’s shirt is chevron-y all the way around) Allow to dry.

Tada!!! 

You can now sport a Charlie Brown shirt. Woo hoo look at you!

For extra cuteness I made a little “Good Grief” sign since Charlie is known for that phrase. And I carried a football. People were diggin it. Some of the little bitty kids I saw didn’t know who Charlie Brown was. I give their parents an F on parenting for not exposing them to this classic cartoon. But anyway.

Here are some pics along the crafty way in case you're a visual learner. 

Mod Podge kinda looks like thick milk, but I thinned mine out a bit with water to stretch it farther.

This is how it looked once I had put a layer of plain paper strips on

 Remember, I added the ears before I painted the head...

And here's the shirt painting...

that top line was my Sharpie outline to guide me

Annnnnd....

     the finished product!

Hope you enjoyed this little crafty costume. 

It’s fun being someone else for a day. ;-) 

And it was under $20. BOOM!

Running...racing...friend time

If you stop by here often, you know I love to run for exercise. Last year I ran 2 half marathons and a 5K. The first half marathon was a personal goal. The second half I blame on my friend Angela.

I met Angela for the first time at church camp in 1987. 
And I just happen to have a picture of us from that camp... I know you're shocked. 

I'm the one givin the stink eye to the person taking the pic. Shocked, right?

Angela is the cute one in the background with the white tank on. 

She’s what I’d call a generally quiet person. Not one to wanna be the center of attention. Super sweet. A friend you can definitely depend on.

Well… last year when I did the April half marathon Angela mentioned that she may want to do one, too. I was still kinda on that runner’s high so I told her I’d do it with her.

The part I didn’t think through was the part where we’d be training in the hot summer heat. The humid, bone-melting, awful heat of Tennessee. Yeah. That.

But anyway, we did it and we both finished the half marathon. And we ran the whole 13.1 miles with no walking breaks. Yay us!

Anyway.

I don’t think I ever blogged about it last year but Angela and I ALSO did a 5K in October of last year.

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

Oct 2012

If you were wondering, 5K is 3.1 miles. 

It was a chilly 43 degrees that morning in Brentwood, and spitting rain. Brr… But sometime in the first half mile I was shedding the hoodie and sweating. We ran the whole thing side by side and I remember when we finished we said we could easily run the route again. We were just a few weeks out from the half so we were still in prime running condition from all our training.

This year we ran the 5K again and thankfully it wasn’t raining. It was in the mid 40s that morning but by noon that day it was in the 60s, so it was a much nicer day this year than last year. 

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

Oct 2013

However, this year we did NOT say we wanted to run the route again. Lol  After the race we did a little shopping and grabbed some lunch. 

Fun times. No doubt.

Glad to have Angela as a friend and a running buddy. It's so cool to know someone more than half your life and still enjoy hangin out with em. 

Ahhhh... blessings. Blessings indeed.

friends I love

Life is funny, isn't it? 

I'll give you an example I'm sure you'll identify with. 

Are you still close with all the girls who were in your wedding? 

I mean close as in you talk every week, you hang out on a regular basis... 

I didn't think so. 

And that's not necessarily somethin you should feel bad about. People float in and out of your life for a hundred different reasons. That's just life. 

Even the Bible refers to this in Ecclesiastes 3: 
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the Heavens."

A few weeks ago I had some gals over to hang out at my house. Some gals I adore.

A few years ago I was in church with all these ladies every Sunday and every Wednesday night. 

But now, I don't attend the same church as any of em. So I don't even see em every week. And that's a bummer. Cuz I love em all like family. Ok, well two of em technically ARE family but anyway.

It takes more effort to get em all together now. There are jobs, babies, sports and all kinds of other stuff that make it tricky, but I absolutely TREASURE the moments we do get to spend together. 

Each of these chics invested in ME in some way. And I'm so thankful for that.

Girls, if you're reading this just know you've all been there for me in ways I'll never forget. 

Thanks for....
~encouraging me
~being a shoulder to cry on
~laughin with me (or at me, let's be honest)
~tellin me to shut up
~inspiring me
~celebrating with me
~being honest with me
~trusting me
~having my back
~challenging me
and most of all, THANKS FOR LOVING ME (especially when I wasn't all that lovable)

You're some of the best gals I know and I love ya a bunch!  xxoo

::F A L L F U N::

I just love F A L L !

Don't you?! 

I love puttin this cute stuff in my front yard... 

happy little pumpkins, happy little mums

And there are just so many fun activities in the fall. And don't you just looooove the beautiful colors God paints on all the trees?! 

AHHHHHHH

For the past few years my inlaws have hosted a fall cookout at their house and it's ALWAYS loads of fun. There's always an abundance of yummy food. And the kids run around a lot chasin' each other, throwing football or kicking the soccer ball. If the grown ups get dibs, they dominate the corn hole boards. This year it seemed like the kids played more than the big folks. 

And there's always plenty of laughin' and talkin' 

This year I took mostly candids. In a world of selfies and posed shots of everyone tryin' to look their best, I'm still a big ole fan of candids... 

~~~ E N J O Y ~~~

 Sawyer, 20 months

laughin' at something my mother-in-law was doing

 Evelyse is lookin' serious about somethin... not sure what... she's 2 and is about to be a big sister

 little Haley is 7 months old and she might have tried to eat grass... and a bug... 

 Every year these two cousins end up chatting away

 My hubby was cuttin' up and carryin' on pretty fierce 

with my father-in-law's brother Wendall...

 nom nom burgers, dogs, chili... 

 these little ones were kinda fighting over who could throw the bags down in the hole... 

not the usual method of play but hey, it kept them pretty happy 

this is what happens when a C L O W N like Tony sees you're about to take his pic... Fake candid LOL 

Hay riiiiiiide !!! 

 Me & the hub rode in the bed of the truck

cuz we're cool like that 

Roasted marshmallows are just THEEEEEE best yall !!!!

If you haven't done somethin FALL-Y yet there's still time... but hurry! 

The passing of my grandmother

On Sunday morning, October 6th, my 91 year old grandmother breathed her last breath.

Let me tell ya about this little lady me & my brothers called Ma Ma.

See, my oldest brother Jonathan was the first grandkid. And he was the one who tagged her "Ma Ma." Her husband (our grandfather) was our Pa Pa (not Poppa, but Pah-Pah). They were married in 1946. Then, 17 months after their union my crazy daddy was their firstborn. He was joined by a baby brother 7 years later. And that was their family. A momma, a daddy and two little wild boys.

They were really poor. My dad tells stories about dirt floors in the house, a “straw tick” bed, homemade clothes and putting cardboard in the bottom of his shoes. He even tells of bread sacks tied around their shoes because they couldn't afford rain boots.

Even though they didn’t have a lot of “stuff” my dad says his momma was always able to I M P R O V I S E ! He also says she was quite the marble player. And she taught daddy how to sing and play the guitar. 

But the most important thing Ma Ma did was take my daddy to church and talk to him about his soul. When he was really young she’d ask him if he died whether he'd go to Heaven. Many times he says he'd snicker in response. Because he didn’t understand. But one day he did and he felt that tug in his heart we Christians call conviction. He knew he needed Jesus in his heart. And one night at church Ma Ma's brother (Uncle Bill) came and asked Dad if he needed to pray and that night Dad became a Christian. 

Fast forward a bit and you'll hear of some rambunctious shenanigans of a teenage boy. Pretty sure my dad (and his brother) were the cause of Ma Ma's gray hair ;-) 

But my dad tells a story of one night when he was out really late and when he came home he heard his mom talking. He asked her who she was talking to and she said I was praying. Dad knew why... 

Thankfully my daddy came back around to the kind of living his momma taught him about all his life. 

Sidebar -- I sure am thankful for that because if God hadn't intervened I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been born. But that's a story for another time.

Dad remembers the conversation he had with Ma Ma when he told her he was going to be a preacher. She cried. She was so proud. 

When I was a kid I spent a week every summer at Ma Ma's house while my parents were away at an annual church convention. I didn't spend as much time at Ma Ma's house as my brothers did when we were growin up. But I do have a lot of cool memories with Ma Ma. Going to pick blackberries, playing in the garden, doing seek a word puzzles and watching tv together. She wasn't one for spoiling me. ha 

Ma Ma lost the love of her life 29 years ago so she spent a long time as a widow. But she filled her time helping with grandkids and great grandkids and spending lots of time with her sister, who was also her best friend. 

She'll be missed, but my goodness who can complain about getting to live 91 years on this earth? Oh, Ma Ma that's who... 

a couple years ago I had a conversation with this feisty little woman that went somethin like this - 

Ma Ma, how old are you? 

89

Oh wow! Well next year when you turn 90 we'll have to have a party for ya. 

I'll probably be dead.

Oh...now don't say that. 

Well I don't know why I've lived so long. Nobody oughta live this long. I didn't want to.

And that folks, is just a tiny glimpse into my spunky little grandmother. ha!

At the funeral, my brother joked that if complaining is allowed in Heaven he's pretty sure that Ma Ma went straight to Jesus and said WHAT TOOK SO LONG?  

This lady was one of a kind for sure! 

Our family is definitely gonna miss her, but one day we'll see her again ... in Heaven... and what a beautiful promise that is! 

a post about movies

My man loves movies. 

That's what we did on our first date - went to the movies. Saw Forrest Gump as a matter of fact. While we were dating, we watched a lot of movies. 

Doesn't seem like movies are as good as they used to be. But once in a while, we still run up on a good one. 

One of our most recent faves is Safe Haven with Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. The movie is set in a small coastal town in North Carolina. It has a couple twists and turns and is a really great movie. It has a little suspense and some romance as well. And as rom-coms go, some humor in there. One of the things I was impressed by was how they really made Julianne Hough look like a young girl. Amazing what makeup, lighting & wardrobe can do. 

Anyway. 
You should watch it. 

Another good one I recently watched at the behest of my coworker Cindy - Driving Miss Daisy

I know, I know. You're shocked that I missed this one for the last 20 years. It came on cable here and there but I just never stopped and watched it. 

It's really a great movie!!! 

Morgan Freeman plays his character so well. And that little old lady - she is a hoot! Jessica Tandy sure did a piece of acting in this movie. The folks that hand out the little statues agreed. Gave em F O U R ! 

Tonight my hub is out at a football game with a buddy and I'm sitting here watching Julie & Julia when I should be editing pictures. 

Ohhh this one, this is a superb movie. 

It came out in 2009 and it'll have ya laughin' and cryin' throughout the story. Amy Adams really is great as the young girl who decides to go through Julia Child's cookbook and blog about it. But the show thief here is Meryl Streep as Julia Child. She nails Julia Child in every way. 

Watch it but know you might get hungry seeing all that yummy food. 

Go to redbox, Target or click up Netflix - however you do movie night, I promise these three deliver! 

Labor Day looked kinda like this>>>>

My parents had a cookout. 
We ate food. 
We played basketball and badminton. 
We talked. 
We laughed. 
And we played with those cute baby boys... 

See for yourself!

 the gkids are all gettin so big & grown up... sigh.... 

me and muh bros

Don't you just wanna give him sugars right nowwww?!  

This is Conner, not that I knew on my own. I had to text my niece. Cuz I'm a crappy aunt.

 Conversatin' and laughin' 

Not sure what the convo was here

  

Apparently one must lay on the grass to determine whether the birdie was in or out...

 Cheerleader stunts? 

Yeah, we got em!

A certain couple fellas mighta got most of the attention though...

Blue bib ->Brady 

Phil was makin him giggle aww 

The twins were probably like HEYYYY, there's my brother. Geez, why have we been separated all night?! 

We passed em around like salt & pepper shakers. Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Movin on...

Kerby has a winning smile, doesn't he?!

Kerlandy and Camden built some stuff with Legos but Cam was too quick for me. He hates pics. You can see Kerlandy doesn't mind. (tryin to be cute cuz she knew I was shooting a pic) 

I'll leave ya with this one because Conner's expression just amuses me. 

I sure do love this crazy bunch! 

Thanks for indulging me. I know it was a lotta pics. If you didn't smile at least once, you may need to seek medical attention cuz yo face muscles must be broke!
;-)