The Creation Of Lucy ...

We had several errands Monday ... grocery shopping, Target run, bank, etc. ... in between all that LeAnna mentioned like 4 times "I want to make a doll" ... my response, "ok" ... I didn't ask her questions ... just in my busyness of the day said ok ...

Monday evening after returning from tearing everything down from Sunday at church, I wasn't feeling my best ... had some eye issues today ... went to bed earlier than normal ...

I heard LeAnna rummaging around in the room and I turned over and found her with a pair of scissors just getting ready to cut out two circles she had drawn on one of her Daddy's t-shirts ... I said, "Stop!" "what are you doing?" ... she said, "I'm making me a doll!" ... (all day I thought, well, assumed she meant paper doll) ... she said, "I asked Daddy if I could borrow one of his shirts" - I said, "does he know you are cutting it up?" ... she laid down the scissors and went to seek permission ... came back and said, "he said ok, can you help me cut these circles out?" ... so I sat up in bed and proceeded to help her ... she left the room and came back with her box of sponge rollers ... she removed the sponges and started cutting them up in pieces ... I said, "what are you doing?" ... she said, "I'm making stuffing" ... I said - ok - hmmmm ... I got the circles cut out for her and I said, "why don't you call Nana - she's an expert at making dolls and I know she could help you ... she gathered all her stuff up and ran to Nana's ...

Nana was more than happy to help make a doll ... and this is what they came up with!

She named her "Lucy" and even made her a bible to take to church on Wednesday night ... =0) She has no hair (she was going to use pipe cleaners, but we didn't have any ... and of course Nana made her an outfit!)

I was quite proud of her and enjoyed watching her creativity spark without any help ... and she was proud of herself that it was all her idea and she accepted the help from Mommy and Nana on the cutting and sewing parts ...

... just one of those days that you sit back and enjoy every moment of it as it transpires ...

happy day ... tammy

Island Castaway ...

Today was Friendship Day at church and also our "Island Castaway" Super Church in the big church!!!


Everything went great! It was very exciting and I think the kids REALLY enjoyed themselves! Of course the focus was the kids ... so for offering, Zachary and Brayden played an instrumental - they did awesome!

Then as a special, LeAnna, Dawson and Kaitlyn sang "How Great Is Our God" ... tears came ... they did awesome too!

The puppets, the lesson ... everything was great!!! We also honored our Sunday School teachers ... our staff does such a great job!!! We have a great team!!!! I am so very proud of them!

We also gave out these mugs to everyone who attended today ...

The event was a great success!!! and I am VERY tired! Hopefully a restful week is ahead!

happy day ... tammy

A Moment In Time ...

What a day that will be ...

When I have nothing to do!

Man ... CRAZY busy this week! And the weekend is NO exception! I've got clients out my ears right now - which is a good problem ... just keeps me busy! On top of my other job and then getting ready for Friend Sunday and Super Church in the Big Church this Sunday!!! Been running around all day looking for props to decorate for it ... was at church all evening for the "beginning" stages of decorating ... will be there tomorrow and tomorrow evening and Saturday evening to decorate and get ready for the big event! "Island Castaway" is the theme and I think it's going to be GREAT!!! In the middle of all this - I have a client Saturday morning and an out of town client in Jackson, Tennessee Saturday afternoon ... AAAHHHHHH ...

and I know I've forgotten something I'm supposed to do ... I've got a list ... somewhere!!!

So ... Farrah passed away today ... then Michael ... Ed was yesterday ... wow! what in the world?! Lots of funerals to watch next week!

he is not my favorite, however, a legend - Michael Jackson - an Icon of "my days" ... yep ... hard to believe ... and is one of those that we'll look back on years from now and always remember where we were and what we were doing when we found out he passed ... it was quite a shock! unexpected! man ... you just never know ... I do recall one of my favorite songs of his ... "Man in the Mirror" ... very good song ...

But enough about him ... do you remember where you were when Princess Diana passed suddenly? Or 9/11 ... or Elvis (if you're old enough) ... what about when the space shuttle exploded right after take off in the 80's ... yep ... certain moments in time you can have "total recall" and go back to that very moment ...

I have several in my life ... some I replay over and over in my head at times ... some I care to remember ... some I don't ...

it's funny how your mind wanders back to those "moments" even when you don't want them to ... it just happens ... moments of life ending ... moments of life beginning ... moments of life hanging in the balance of life and death ... you just remember ... the feeling ... the chill ... the lump in your throat ... the palpitation in your chest ... you just do ...

I still remember the moment (and recall it often) of seeing LeAnna for the first time ... how odd it was to me to see her knowing I had nothing EVER to refer back to of seeing her before ... just that very first time and thinking, wow - she's really mine? Although she was hooked up to every tube they could find and a machine breathing for her ... she was still mine ... all mine and I couldn't believe it ... I still remember wiping tears and blinking continuously to clear my eyes enough just to focus on her ... its moments like these you just never forget ... the room, the smell, the lighting ... everything about it ...

yep ... moments ... and also knowing ... that in a "moment" you can be gone ... like those two icons today that has been the topic of every news channel out there ... Farrah probably didn't know much this morning, but Michael probably never dreamed that when he got up this morning that he was about to meet his maker in a few short hours ...

you just never know ...

makes you stop and think ...

and pray ... that in "my moment" I will be prepared and ready ... because you just never know ...

happy day ... tammy

Happy Father's Day ...

Today is Father's Day ... Nate told me this was one of his favorite days of the year ... He loves being a Daddy as much as I love being a Mommy!

Yesterday we had a yummy brunch at the Cheesecake Factory ... never had their breakfast - was SO good (they serve it all day) ... lesson learned though - buy one meal and split it! I knew that for entree's ... but breakfast?! yep ... very large portions!

today was rather busy at church ... lots of activities today ... we had the Most Outrageous Tie Contest ... CRAZY ties at church this morning! Trying to keep a straight face during worship service was a bit difficult ...

here are a few samples ...

Snowmen ...

not really sure what all is on here ... =0)

DNA ...

A 3-D Snake ... We had 14 participants ...

And ...

the winner ...

Oh my ... it was his wife, Lisa with her hands around his neck tie ... look closely - hair roller and fuzzy slippers!

It was truly OUTRAGEOUS!!!

LeAnna was in her first skit today ... she was a bit nervous, but was better when she found out she could keep notes in front of her to refer to ... she ended up reading most of it, well about all of it ... but she read well! =0)

the kids sang to the Dad's at the end of service ... very cute!

then we went to J. Alexander's for lunch!

It was a nice day ...

Happy Father's Day to my Nate ... the best Dad in the world to LeAnna!

Happy day ... tammy

A Bit Wacky ...

Yesterday was "Wacky Wednesday" for LeAnna ... card she drew for this week's activity ...

Today ended up being Wacky too!

the card said - "have supper for breakfast, breakfast for lunch at the park with friends in your pj's and eat cake for supper!"

Due to the weather yesterday - we postponed our "lunch" until today!

Well ... I'M the one who is "wacky" ...

what in this world was I on when I wrote these summer activities out?! ha! Obviously in my delirious state of planning this summer it was much cooler than it was today!

Oh my ... 96 and humid! And ... well ... hmmm ... let's just say I didn't pick the best day to be out in this heat!

AAHHHH ... oh well ...

We had fun ... the kids were VERY hot and seemed a little "confused" about the pj's in the park ... AND the fact that we were having cereal for lunch! But I think they had fun ...

Yep ... definitely wacky!

oh well ... a memory ... a wacky one ... but a memory!

(there are more pics on the 84 Moments blog)

Tonight we're doing Summer Fest in Ashland City ... SO NOT looking forward to the heat AGAIN ... but this is a Granny and Papaw tradition and they are taking the grandkids ...

This is just June and I'm already not looking forward to the heat of July and August ... I'm getting OLD!!!!

yep ...

happy HOT day ... tammy

Making Memories To Recall ...

Busy weekend - AGAIN!!! But a pleasant one ...

Today - LeAnna was actually home -- and ALONE!!! This is rare for her ... she LOVES her friends and loves to have them over and also loves going to Granny and Papaw's house on Sundays in between services ... but today ... she was home alone ...

She really didn't seem to mind though ... once she was home ... (another story while she was at church and we were having to coax her to come with us) ... She stayed in her room a lot (I was baking) and then it got quiet ... I happened to glance into the living room and she was laying on the floor looking at pictures of her friends from school ... she stared intently at one for so long (which prompted me to get my camera), it was a group shot of her class ... and I'm sure having "a moment" and thinking about each classmate as she studied each one in the picture ... she loves school so much and loves being around all her friends and I know misses them and probably wonders what their summers are consisting of ...

anyhoo ... a nice, quiet moment for a "memory" to recall ...

So glad I make these "moments" with pictures ... I can already tell that she will love all of the pictures and journaling when she is old ... and I am gone ... my heart jumps with pride and a smile comes to my lips as I imagine her ... one day ... pouring over the "books" of LeAnna's Mom's Moments, all her summer blog books, and all the many, many pictures that I have taken and will take ... all for her to enjoy ... on a quiet day, like today ... perhaps a Sunday ... when she just needs a "moment" to recall ...

My "other baby" Princess ... who was laying on the chair at the same time, watching LeAnna

happy day ... tammy

Happy Day Papaw!

I've had some interest in the book I had printed ... 81 Moments (last summer's blog) ...

Did I mention that I am SO glad I did this?! =0)

It gives me great joy to look at it and I can NOT wait to start on my others! I've been successful at a blog for 4 years now and if something should ever happen to my documentation I think I would just die.

So I'm very eager to get this project done! I'm printing year by year ... and then my summer blogs separately ... it's going to be expensive - but so worth it in the end - just to know that I have all my documentation in print!

LeAnna has been given special instruction on how to open the book and look at it! ha! I just don't want the pages ripping, etc. ... it's too expensive to replace often! Anyhoo ... I guess if a page gets ripped in about 6 months I won't be as upset! ha! Let the newness wear off a bit!

I posted some info about the book in the previous posts' comment section ...

well - another busy week ... my "appetizer" plate actually turned into a full course meal!!! And this weekend is no exception!

I had a great lunch with a friend on Wednesday at Monell's ... and lunch with LeAnna's Sunday School Teacher on Thursday in honor of "Thoughtful Thursday"- we had a great time - LeAnna made her a card and gave lots of hugs and appreciation!

Today was a very full day that included a client that took a little over 3 hours in the HOT sun!!! And I was so looking forward to the overcast!!! oh well ... Nashville weather - gotta love it and hate it all at the same time!

Then dinner with Papaw for his birthday this evening - HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPAW!!!!! WE LOVE YOU MUCHOS!!!!!

And lots to do this weekend!!!! Calgon??!!

happy day ... tammy

This Book Makes Me HAPPY !!!!!!!!

I am SO excited!!!!

I finally found a company to print my blog into book form ... I have searched and searched for well over a year ... entered info for months at a time, only for it to tell me that I had too many pictures, too much info ... narrow it down, etc. ... what?! Ah, no! The whole point in printing it is to print it ALL ... anyhoo ...

Found a company who will print ALL of my blog, no limits on pictures, info, etc. ... however, a bit more expensive than the other companies I've found ... and ... well ... paying a little more is worth it to me ... 1st, I get ALL of my info into one book, AND I don't have to do much - just give them my blog address and voila! A book!

Anyhoo ... I decided to "try them" ... and with that I sent my smallest thing, which would be least expensive ... and that was ... 81 Moments ... LeAnna's blog from last summer ...

Anyhoo ... I did it and it came today!!! W00-Hoo!!! So excited!

There are definitely things that I will do different with my next order, but overall I'm very happy and I can't tell you how it felt to sit down, flip through the pages and be so proud that I have actually stuck with something and made myself do it!

Now that I have this one book printed ... I'm starting my first year ... 2006 ... then on to 2007, 2008 and in a couple of months I can do 84 Moments and the end of the year 2009!!!

Aaahhhhh ... can't explain this feeling I have ... just to know that if "something should happen" to Blogger ... I would have EVERYTHING I have typed and pictures posted for the last 4 years in print!!! To keep!!!! Forever!!! yep ... makes me happy this day!

And ... looking through it ... makes every effort put forth to have blogs SO worth it in the end!!!!

Wow ... happy

tammy

Appetizer Busy ...

WHY do I always cry when I watch "A Baby Story" ...

I watched an episode while eating my lunch today and this particular one, just really got me today ... it totally took me to that very moment in time, while I was laying there like a beached whale with my belly almost touching the ceiling (not really - just felt like it) ... I remember Nate saying that he looked in the window at me, waiting to come in, and couldn't believe how big my belly looked laying there on the table! ha! oh well ... back to my moment ... I totally remember those moments ... waiting ... anticipating the very moment that I could see that little face that I longed for and had waited so long for ... just the idea of having a baby of my very own overtakes me sometimes ... it's one of those "life goals" that was on my mental check list and I didn't know if I would ever be able to put the "check in the box" ...

box is checked! And I have, and am enjoying every minute of it! Love my role as a Mommy ... I know some people think I'm crazy for all I do and try to do sometimes ... but ... when you wait, wonder and hope and a million times have said to yourself, "if I ever have my own child I'll ... " ... yeah, those type of thoughts invade my mind and I remember all too well those times in my life ... which in turn leads me to do what I do ...

Having fun though! It makes me SO Happy to see a smile on LeAnna's face ... and I probably have just as much fun as she does when we do all these little silly things we do!

anyhoo ... nothing like daytime media to invoke all these hormonal thoughts huh?!

We had errands to take care of for Nana today in her "absence" ... She's on a cruise in Alaska this week! Those errands included Cocoa ... he had a doc appointment today ... he got a good report and now happily weighs 6lbs ... they said he should get to about 10lbs ... he's been a really good boy so far!

Yesterday we had Sunday School Open House!!! It was a great success and all of the rooms look GREAT!!! I'll post some pics later ... I didn't get an opportunity to photo all the rooms ... it was a very busy weekend getting ready for this - but was worth it ... and the Sunday School Department looks GREAT!!!! Very proud of the group!!! The SS Dept. is being recognized all month and there are lots of exciting things we're doing ... very exciting month ahead - and busy!!! =0)

We had 200 Krispy Kreme "mini's" yesterday - and I must say they were poppin' em like tic tacs! ha! We found a sure fire way to get people not just "to church" but "early to church" ... serve doughnuts and coffee "pre-service" in the foyer!

After this weekend, my plate has downsized to about the size of an appetizer plate ... ha! but still busy ...

happy day ... tammy

Summer Party ...

What a week!

I know I say that a lot ... but you know ... it's just busy! Whew!

Today was LeAnna's Summer Party ... she invited some friends over for pizza and fun ...

too cute and a lot of fun on one of these hot days at the beginning of Summer ... I was SO glad it didn't rain today!

Took Mom, Judy and two friends to the airport this morning ... they are going to Alaska on a cruise ... on the way there, I had thoughts of jumping on the plane with them and worry about clothes later! ha!

However ... Cocoa must be tended to ... along with Nate, LeAnna, Princess and Daisy ...

just a fleeting thought ... oh well ...

We're having Sunday School Open House this Sunday at church ... so we're getting ready for that ... have a Drama at church tomorrow evening - gotta bake for that in the morning ... going out of town Sunday afternoon - Nate's speaking in Jackson Sunday afternoon ... AND ... we're building shelves and organizing the attic in the morning ...

yep ... maybe I should have jumped on that plane!

oh well - happy day ... tammy

Best Cousins ...

Last night Dawson spent the night at our house his first time ... LeAnna was so excited! He spent the day with us yesterday ... we had one service yesterday and after church our fellowship group met at Opry Mills Mall and ate - then we shopped!

They enjoy their time together ... and he takes such good care of her! Totally watches out for her ... and I knew this already, but yesterday there were a couple of times he was so very thoughtful in making sure she was ok and taken care of! We were having dinner last night and LeAnna has had a very loose tooth (again) and it started bleeding during dinner ... next thing I knew Dawson was under the table and gone ... I thought - he must need to really go to the bathroom ... he came right back ... he had gone to the bathroom and got paper towels, handed them to LeAnna and said, "this is in case your tooth comes out during dinner" ... how sweet is that?! Keep it up Dawson! You'll have the ladies swooning ... =0) ... we do like to be taken care of!

anyhoo ... a couple of times I noticed this ... how sweet ...

they ARE best cousins ... they have always said this ... but as they get older, you can see the bond developing ... and hopefully when LeAnna is of "dating" age he will be our "helper" in making sure she is STILL ok! ha!

This morning they had an appointment at Granny and Papaw's house! So on the way, we went to McDonalds for breakfast - we enjoyed our morning! Then they spent the day at Granny and Papaw's house ... and are spending the night there tonight!

Their summer has begun!

busy day for me and a busy week ahead!

happy day ... tammy