We ARE Nashville ...

Total Devastation and Disaster declared in "our" Nashville ...

We had a wonderful trip to Los Angeles ... didn't get back until Monday afternoon due to airport closure on Sunday ... and what we came home to was utterly ... well, words fail me ...

As I began "hearing" what was happening in Nashville (and it was VERY weird to be sitting in a hotel room in LA and seeing "Bellevue, TN" and pics on national news) it was very hard for me to comprehend what was actually happening here ... as we started approaching the area in the air, the entire plane sort of hushed to a few whispers as people strained to see out every window on the plane ... we couldn't believe what we were seeing ... it just didn't make sense and was very hard to wrap my head around what had happened ... then as we started driving toward town away from the airport, actually "eye" witnessing it then, made me speechless ... what in the world?!?!?! I just kept saying this is CRAZY!!!!

We had a WONDERFUL time in Hollywood and I will share and post pics later ... but for now, with much to do in one week before surgery - and hoping I get it all done ... and for the simple fact that our trip is not important right now with all that's going on ... I will post this tribute that I thought was VERY noteworthy to post ...

By Patten Fuqua Published: May 4, 2010

Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website.
What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.
If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.
The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.
Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.
But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.
Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.
Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.
And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.

Because we are Nashville.

Happy Day ... tammy

A 2nd Opinion ...

2nd opinions usually get you the same answer as the 1st opinion, but with LOTS more detail ... some you didn't really care to know ...

Today I had a 2nd opinion with another surgeon in the same office ... he concurred with the 1st opinion that surgery would be my best option ...

debatable I guess ...

SO many pros ... SO many cons ... it's a toss up in my mind at the moment ...

So ... on May 13th ... I'm having a Vitrectomy, membrane peel, and more laser.

NOT exactly jumping up and down ... it's major surgery and recovery is not fun!

They will be inserting a gas bubble inside my eye, which means I will be face down 23 hours out of the day for the first 3-4 days, then the time will get less ... the gas bubble will take anywhere from weeks to a couple of months to dissipate ... AND I see it ... they described it like the bubble in a level ... which I will be able to see floating around in my eye until it goes away ... YIPEE!!!!

Also found out ... that all the laser surgery I have been having over the last few years as a preventative measure to having hemorrhages has actually got me to this point and caused the problem I have, which requires this surgery! WHAT?!?!?!?!!?

wanting to use not nice words in regards to this ... however, I'll refrain ...

So ... there are some good "pros" with high percentage rates to having this surgery but there are also major "cons" that go along with it ... (like permanent blindness if they "accidentally" clip too much scar tissue - risk you take they explained)

at this point ... either way ... I'm going to feel like I can't win for losing (and hopefully not my eyesight)

I'm very nervous ... VERY ... EXTREMELY nervous about this surgery ... there are enough "good chances" of "some" improvement that I've decided surgery is the best option ... however, knowing I'm causing other things to happen, inevitably, much faster than anticipated at my age ... namely, cataracts ... they are a given with this surgery! Which means more surgery ...

NOT so much liking that ...

anyhoo ... surgery on the 13th ... out of commission for a while ... hoping to report back GOOD news afterwards ...

and in the middle of it all ... yes, while still on my face ... I turn 40!

Wasn't looking forward to this anyway... so maybe being face down on that day is a good thing! ha!

On a better note ... we leave for California next Wednesday ... pretty excited about that ... and just getting away for our "girls trip"!

I'll post with pictures when we return!

I covet all prayers - mainly for the sanity of my mind! Seeing as how I also found out that the surgeon decided to not put me all the way out ... just in the beginning and then bring me back to drift, so I can move for him if I need to and to hear them talk, and to see instruments coming out of my eyeball while they do microsurgery ... yeah ... maybe this is why I'm having panic attacks!

Oh my dear God in heaven ... tammy

A New Bundle ...

LeAnna's friend/cousin (Aunt Judy and Unc Dean's great granddaughter) Lexi had a baby sister last week ...

she was SO excited to go visit at the hospital!!!

I'm doing her newborn session next week ... she'll be 12 days old ... aaahhhh the sweet newness!!!

She is a cutie!!!

I did Lexi's pictures when she was born and 6 1/2 years later it's so cool to welcome a little sister that looks JUST like her!!!

Annelise Hope Tyler

happy day ... tammy

We're Going P-U-R-P-L-E ...

LeAnna's room is turning purple!

She has had some type of "pink" room since birth ... and she was ready for a color change ... so we asked her what she wanted ...

we went to Lowes and she went through every color chip they had ... narrowed it down to some shade of blue, green, purple ... or keep the pink and add brown ...

I thought we had it settled to just adding brown ... MUCH easier ... however ... at the last minute ... she went with ... Purple!

And actually ... it turned out very nice!

I haven't taken "finished" pics yet, because I think it's going to need one more coat ... but here are a few taken during the process ...

she rolled her sleeves up, put on her pj's and jumped right into helping!

going from pink to purple ...

I'm excited to finish up and see how it's all going to look! MAINLY, because my house is in disarray with all her furniture out! The not so favorite part of doing a room make-over!

One thing about it though ... I guess since her "rooms" have always been a shade of pink, walking into her room and seeing purple makes it look SO grown up! And ... the decor we're planning on using will definitely make it look like a much older room ... (blink, with falling tear)

happy day ... tammy

Aahhhh ... Spa ....

On the way to a Spa Party this afternoon ...

New friend at school ... and she's excited about going to her birthday party!

Nice day to be pampered, outside by the pool =0)

happy day ... tammy

We're Going To Hollywood !!!!!

explaining the details ...

showing her airline tickets ...

LeAnna is beside herself!!!

Very cool opportunity and we are all very excited!

We'll leave Wednesday, the 28th and return Sunday, May 2nd ...

Sylvia is sending us all to LA for a mini vacation ... while we're there, LeAnna is going to a live taping of Hannah Montana's last episode of her new show.

We've known for a while, but LeAnna just found out! Sylvia told her today and she was so shocked that she said she might faint, and then pretending, she fell in the floor!

We've got a few things planned while we're there, so I'll update when we return.

I'm excited too! Mom and I are looking forward to a "girls trip"!!!

This will be a well needed trip right before my "looming" major eye surgery scheduled in May.

.... "leaving on a jet plane ... "

happy day ... tammy

My Cardboard Testimony ...

We had an Easter Musical/Drama this last weekend ... it was a lot of hard work for a lot of people ... but was so worth the effort to see lives touched/changed!

The last song was "He Loves Us" and we did cardboard testimonies during the song ... it took a lot of courage for some to get up and walk across the platform with their cardboard - for some, revealing a past that no one knew about ... one side showed what they had been through, the other side their testimony of deliverance ... there were many things represented ... alcohol addiction, drug addiction, gang banger, child abuse, cancer, near death accidents, ... and on and on ...

LeAnna was asked to do a cardboard ... wasn't sure if she would do it or not, but she obliged ... and was proud to hold her sign ...

I was singing during this time and tears flowed both performances ... YIKES!!! But they were tears of JOY - I am SO thankful that God saw fit to bless us with LeAnna Rachel ...

SUCH a Blessing to us, and many ...

... love this baby girl!

happy day ... tammy

One Hundred ... 100 ... 1 Hundred ...

Today ... my Mama Neely would have been 100 years old! She passed away 4 years ago ... We miss her so much! She was such an inspiration to everyone who met her ... I have so many happy memories of my Mama Neely ... I was her "sugar wad" ... she also loved LeAnna very much ... LeAnna was very special to her and I am SO thankful that LeAnna was able to enjoy her for the first 4 1/2 years of her life ... I'm also very thankful for a camera and that I took lots of pictures of them together ...

Just sitting here typing this, the memories are flooding my mind of special times together ... I know heaven is a better place because of her being there.

I found it very ironic that LeAnna brought home her "when I'm 100 years old" project today ... on what would have been Mama Neely's 100th birthday.

It reads:

When I am 100 years old my life will be very good. I will get to spend time with my grandchildren. I will have a chair that will automatically go down the stairs. Also, I live in Alabama, so that means I go to the beach alot. I will buy nice toys for my grandchildren at Christmas. This is why I will have a very good life. by: LeAnna

... so sweet ... tears, tears, and more tears ...

happy day ... tammy

Everyone Needs a "DAYCATION" every once in a while ...

It's so nice to stop the 'routine' of life even for just one day ... Nate took off today ... and for 24 hours from Sunday afternoon until this afternoon, we had a "daycation" ...

It was so nice to not have an agenda, no place to be, not rushed ... just spending quality time together ...

We got a room downtown and went to Flemings for dinner (one of our favorite "special" spots to eat) ... the food is incredible!!! Then today we met DJ and Karla for lunch at Cheesecake Factory ... which was the perfect thing to do ... celebrate with one of our Best Men and Matron of Honor in our wedding ... then some shopping ... it was a very nice day!

Happy 18th Anniversary to my awesome boyfriend of 22 years! Here's to many more!!!

Happy Day ... tammy

18 Years Ago Today ...

with the girls ...

What A Day To Remember ...

Happy Day ... tammy

Easter 2010 ...

Grandparents Day at NCS ...

Thursday was Grandparents Day at school ... Nana, Granny and Papaw all came and LeAnna was so excited! She showed them all around her room and gave them special things she made for them. The program was very nice and was over by 10:20 or so and then she got to leave for the day! Nana had to go to work, so she went with Granny and Papaw ... spent the day and then spent the night! No school today due to Good Friday! I know she had a blast! Dawson was there ... and anytime she's with Dawson she's happy!

LeAnna and Nana ...


LeAnna with Granny and Papaw...


"When I'm 100 Years Old ..."

"LeAnna's Buck Tooth Catapiller"

"Flat LeAnna"

Happy Day ... tammy

Be ... Tangible

Do you ever wish you could go back in time ... and talk to yourself as a kid, teenager, or even younger adult?

... knowing YOU are probably the ONLY one YOU would listen to! - ha

hmmm ... I know I have weird thoughts ...

but man ... if only ... yeah, some days I wish I could go back and talk to myself as a kid ... tell myself it's okay to feel what you're feeling, but you're going to be okay ... yep ...

well, the more I thought about this ... and the more I thought about what I would say "to me" ... I realized that I did have someone that gave me those little talks ... probably not everything I wanted to hear, but there were some things "I actually heard" that I needed and stuck with me ...

however, she's gone ... she died in 1992 ... 18 years ago ... 1 month after Nate and I married ... and even after all these years, sometimes I miss her ... miss talking to her ...

she was someone who really understood where I was at and what I was dealing with ... she had been down the same road herself and was facing some of the same things ... although she never paved a smooth ride - she told me about the bumps in the road ... about the people who would never really understand ... she prepared me ...

and days like today ... I just wish I had her to talk to again ...

I probably know exactly what she would say ... however, just sitting beside someone, leaning on their shoulder, and knowing without them saying a word that they understand ...

she was lovingly known to "most" as "Squirt" ... aunt Squirt ... that side of my family is known for nick-names ... not sure I would want mine to be "Squirt" ... however, I had plenty growing up!

... shortcake, short britches, doodlebug ... you would think I was short or something - ha!

oh well ... just a fleeting moment of time ... "and this too shall pass" ...

Saddened today for friends of ours... we had two deaths associated with our church this weekend ... which meant two different funeral homes, two different families on Sunday ... and the funerals yesterday ... heavy hearts for them ... because I know all too well, that after all the friends and family members have gone back home, and the food is just about all eaten that was brought by caring people, and the flowers that were sent have all wilted ... there you are ... alone ... in your mourning ... and it takes a very long time for it to "get better" as we're all told... "it will get better, easier, etc." ... and it does ... but it's the LAST thing you want to hear at that moment ...

so yes ... heavy heart for our friends today ... no deaths are easy, but tragic ones somehow seem worse ... not just the deaths this weekend ... but my own loved ones on my mind today ... and a dear friend who lost her bff one year ago today ... feeling heavy for her too ...

you're left with questions in your mind like ... what were the last words we spoke? did they know how I really felt? did I ever get around to really telling them what they meant to me? what were their thoughts? were they scared? did they feel alone?

...sometimes these questions can drive you insane ...

... you just have to Trust a GREAT big God that "all is well" and that He will help soothe your aching mind.

As I hear the birds chirping outside ... and the sun shining ... I know there is a powerful calm I feel knowing that God does care and understand how I feel at every moment in my life ... just as he cares for my friends ...

... He commissions us to be His hands, His feet, His voice, His arms ... and to just "be there" in His place, so we as humans can feel the tangible ... because most of us NEED the tangible for it to be real ... it's hard sometimes having that "blind faith" ... it's there ... but sometimes you just need "tangible" ...

in thinking of this Easter week ... because Christ did what He did for us ... we CAN be His tangible ...

so ... have you been "tangible" today yet?

happy day ... tammy

Chew Your Way To "Smart"?

so ... testing begins at school today ...

this morning ... LeAnna is in the shower, coughing her head off ... so I took her a piece of Orbit Wintermint gum ... (totally opens you up - really helps) ... anyhoo ... handed it to her ... she says, "thanks Mom" ...then she says ... the teacher will be giving us gum during our tests today ...

really? why?

well ... she said it will help us be smarter while we're taking our tests ...

ok ... cool?

I walked out of the bathroom, went to fix breakfast and Nate came into the kitchen and said ... LeAnna just explained the "gum thing" that's going to happen today at school and told me you just gave her gum in the shower ... he said, "she told me that she felt smarter in the shower this morning because Mom gave her gum" ...

alrighty then ...

so ... after they left ... I googled ...

found this ... http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/04/chewing-gum-raises-kids-math-scores.html

very intersting ...

hmmm ...oh well ... if it works! that's great! ;0)

happy chewing ... tammy

Spring Break ... 2010

Spring Break ... wow! It's over ... and it's back to "routine" ...

I'm just so thankful LeAnna got to go somewhere for Spring Break ...

THANKS Granny and Papaw!!!

Nate got sick on Sunday, Mom got sick on Monday and I got sick on Tuesday ... all the while - LeAnna was on a trip with Granny and Papaw!

Then when she returned on Wednesday ... she came in the door saying, "I don't feel good" ...

yep ... we got the "family bug" ... as her doc described it on Thursday morning ...

oh well ... much better now ... and SO glad!!!

Sick is NOT my idea of a break ... I would much rather lay in bed because I felt like being lazy and NOT because I couldn't lift my head off the pillow!!!

anyhoo ... here's a few pics that Granny sent ... thanks Granny!

Spring Break 2010 ... Atlanta - Georgia Aquarium ... and Chattanooga - Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls ...

Happy Day ... tammy

L I F E in Pictures ...

P I C T U R E S ... "usually" when you take a picture it's because of a "good moment" you want to remember ... happy times ...

that's when I want to take pictures ... when something interests me, gets my attention, makes me happy ... I love capturing those moments I can recall later ... moments you wish wouldn't end, and you know they will ... and even though you know that pictures would never do the actual moment justice ... you take them anyway because you know that it will jog your memory and take you back to that moment in time.

Most of us do not take pictures of times that make us not happy, because if we did, every time we looked at those pictures, the same would happen, it would jog a memory and take you back to that moment in time.

So it is in L I F E.

There are times when things happen, moments happen that are not all happy times, ... tough times ... rough times ... don't know how you'll make it times ... that you really don't like talking about and can hardly wait for the sun to shine again so to speak ...

these times, just like happy times, are "life pictures" ... we take snapshots in our mind everyday ... but some of them... well, you don't really care to have those kind of pictures laying around to recall the not so happy times ...

well ... life happens right?!

So I guess what I'm trying to say is ... my blog is my journal and I have made it a point to "try" and not note the bad times, but to focus on the good ...

times are tough ... economy is not good ...life can be rough at times ...

I lost my job in February and Nate's work is not doing so good ... and times like these are not the appropriate time to have the "camera out" taking snapshots!

I really don't want to look back years from now and recall the not so good times ...

However ... God is good to us and I know everything will be ok!

I just don't feel like journaling about it ... =0)

So ... that's where I'm at ... not that I fell off the "blog bandwagon" ... just not much to say ...

And I've been busy, trying to do things to help us out ... so ... I'm still here ...

I actually didn't even want to type this, but to "note it" in my journal - I did.

Busy weekend ... I did a Spring Session and I'm tired today ... have more sessions this week ... which is a good thing ...

LeAnna is on Spring Break this week ... we had made plans to go to Florida this week and cancelled it a few weeks ago - this made us all very say, but necessary.

Granny and Papaw are taking the grandkids to Atlanta for a couple of days and LeAnna is very excited! I'm very excited for her ... she was so looking forward to a trip this week ... =0)

I've got REALLY exciting news that I can't share just yet ... don't want to let the cat out of the bag too soon ... but I will definitely be journaling about it in the very near future! Stay tuned ... ;0)

As for me ... I've got lots of pics to edit ... which will keep me busy for a while ...

Happy Day ... tammy

Spring Session ...

Giving My Heart ...

Today ... my baby said she wanted to give her heart to Jesus on Valentine's Day ...

I couldn't think of a better thing to do ...

So ...today ... LeAnna got baptized!

Love it!!!! So excited!!!

Happy Day ... tammy

I'm about to POP I'm so happy to find these ...

I am so excited about these ...

These are SO much better than regular potato chips and even MORE better than Baked chips ... yep ... I can diet if I can eat these!

You should try them too ...

Many flavors, but BBQ is my fav!

man ... if Popchips knew I was promoting, I just might get some free ones! ha!

I even ordered some online today because they offered an online coupon ... ;0)

happy day ... tammy

S N O W ...

W O W ! ! ! !

loving this SNOW!!!!

It hasn't snowed like this in a long time!

LeAnna had a BLAST out this morning ...

We don't have snowsuits, snow boots, sleds, etc ... haven't ever felt the need to purchase things like this since we usually don't get much ...

SO ... we improvised ... 3 layers of clothes and rain boots and a cardboard box! ha!

After about 45 minutes she was FROZEN and although she loved it and said she had the best time this morning, she did NOT want to go back out there this afternoon!

oh well ... she's "been there done that" I guess and ... well ... I'm ready for Spring Break! ha!

I love the beautiful snow ... but I'm ready for warmer weather already ...

it's funny though ... as I was looking out my kitchen window ... I did something I'm known to do at different times ... I had a quick recall of my "moments" in front of that window ... and I saw snow covered ground, I saw bare limbs and no grass on the ground, I saw spring happening and flowers starting to bloom, I saw very green grass, I saw beautiful colors of orange, red, and yellow fall colors, and Christmas lights lit throughout the neighbor hood ... all of this out my window ... it's funny how quickly time comes and goes ... we've been in this house almost 3 years ... will be 3 years in March ... we actually took possession of it on February 16th 3 years ago ... whew! Time flies ... which reminds me to stop and take some time to enjoy the little things in life ...

and here are a few ...

Happy Day ... tammy