Bird on a Wire...

2007...My Year in Review

2011-10-18T10:56:00.000-04:00

My last post promised a copy/paste of this one.

2007-My Year in Review

Current mood:rockin

You know what's funny? By the end of January 2007 I couldn't wait for the year to come to an end. The first 31 days of it literally kicked my rear-end. December 31^stcouldn't come soon enough. In what was just 4 weeks and 3 days to everyone else, I had been tested to an obscene limit. My patience, my faith, my intelligence, my confidence, my ability, my health and immunity, and my motive for waking up had all been tested.

Now, here I am…it is December 31, 2007…and I'm a little sad to see the year go. While it was a trying 12 months, it has been a great lesson in patience, faith, intellect, confidence, ability, health, and why I really do wake up every morning! The events that once angered me bring me great peace now, and I am so thankful for them. God has a way of turning things around for the better if we just wait on Him…because He does everything in His own time. In the mean time, all that he asks of us is that we cast all of our cares (not just the small ones, not just the petty ones, not just the life altering ones, but ALL of our cares) on Him…because (this is good…get ready for it) He cares for us. How simple does that sound? It is humbling. But it is so reassuring to know that the things that are important to us (whether they be materialistic, petty, or a little bit selfish) are important to God, too. This lesson helped me tremendously…it also is a constant reminder to not put faith in worldly things or people, and to not expect things out of people in our lives. They are not required to provide these things for us. We are simply called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and to leave the rest of it up to God. He's faithful. Believe me.

Here are some things I learned this year, maybe you can learn from them too:

1. Always keep your house clean (the late Granny Eva)

2. Teach your children how to pray (the late Granny Eva)

3. Don't question God's timing

4. It is impossible to be in two places at once

5. A weekend retreat at St. Mary's might be the only way for you to be still…and know that He is God

6. Sobering conversations with God face down on the floor in a hospital chapel are some of the best conversations you'll ever have

7. You don't know what you're capable of until you find yourself face down on the floor of a chapel in a hospital

8. If you find yourself in the said situations of items 6 and 7, be prepared to not remember all of the deals you made

9. Your family is everything…do not take them for granted

10. Ask questions…lots of them

11. Trust your instincts

12. Sometimes your family is what you make it…I chose a great group of girlfriends and a few boys, too.

13. If you are in the hospital, take Allison so that she will write down all of the medicine they give you in the event you have an allergic reaction, or worse…redman syndrome

14. If your friends are sick, don't act like a freak who would rather live in a bubble

15. When your world falls apart, find someone stable like Allison to make sure your hair is washed, you've packed everything you or your family might need, and to drive you around. ***note: Allison is taken, find your own best friend

16. Frosted flakes make the world go 'round

17. If you're ever asked, Henry Ford was a great president

18. Tell your friends and family you love them…often

19. Skydiving is that much more fun with your sister…if she is Emily

20. Valentine's Day is best spent having sushi, chocolate waffles, and champagne with your best girls.

21. Do not go to St. Louis unless you drink Budweiser and Pepsi.

22. If you get bumped off your flight, seek out Brian, an independent CPA fromKnoxville, and Owenby from Texas who wrestles hogs. They will give you a ride home.

23. Do not carry more on to a flight than you are willing to carry around with you for a few days in the airport.

24. Be prepared with a comeback when someone says "that's like me throwing an orange shirt in the mud or something"…I prefer to say "Really? Do you want to do this now?" If you're lucky it will get the point across.

25. It is definitely not worth the effort of dating someone who is a fan of a big SEC rival of yours…if you give it a shot, do so at the beginning of the year, don't wait until June.

26. Hire my friends if you want to have a great birthday

27. Always go the extra mile for your friends on their birthdays

28. Strive to turn nights into memories…and take pictures

29. Quitting a job is fun

30. Quitting a job is scary

31. Quitting a job is one of the most stressful things I've ever done

32. Quitting a job is more fun if your best friend has recently quit a job too

33. Quitting a job gets creative when the money runs out

34. Do not drink and drive…you are not invincible

35. If you quit your job, you should probably go somewhere that pays you to get in

36. If you realize within 30 minutes of waking up (when you've already overslept) that your home is flooding and you're out of gas and it is Friday the 13th…get back in the bed…

37. Watch for nails that aren't hammered down completely on bridges

38. Don't fall off the bridge

39. If you do, go to the doctor immediately because you might have a blood clot

40. It sounds cool to tell people you have a 2^nd degree separation in your shoulder because football players get it too...until you realize how bad it hurts...for months to come

41. Go to the tanning bed!

42. Listen to Alice Peacock's song "Taught Me Well" (it goes a little something like this: "you taught me well, you were my teacher and I thank you for the hell you put me through, I'm very grateful 'cause I finally realized what was important in my life, and I thank my lucky stars every day I'm not your wife")

43. w:st="on">43. Don't watch a football game in Nashville…it is a melting pot of fans

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44. It is a great honor to be considered an Ambitious Woman of 2007

45. Have a friend that lives close by that can make good pancakes…you never can tell when you might need one…thanks Tara

46. Carefully screen the people you meet at the neighborhood pool

47. If you have a cheerleading accident in the 8^th grade, be prepared to fall for the rest of your life

48. Take as many weekend trips as possible

49. Listen to Will Hoge's song "washed by the water" (it's about hurricane Katrina and it will change your life…it says "we've been washed by the water but the water can't wash us away")

50. Visit the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN

51. Visit the gorge of the river at Nantahala Outdoor Center

52. The Hilton has the best mattresses

53. Take vitamins

54. Listen to Garrison Starr's song "unchangeable" (she said it's a song about someone who says they love you and they're *&%! lying)

55. Eat yogurt with live and active cultures or something like that

56. Take advantage of the wonderful things there are to do locally

57. See a movie alone

58. Find a church that you love

59. Find a group of people that you can't live without

60. Ask for prayer…you can use all of it that you can get

61. Eat

62. Love

63. Pray

When I brought in the new year of 2007, I did so composing an obituary for my grandmother. I referenced the Bible verse Job 1:21 when I did that.

In ending this year, I can say that is the one thing I will take away from it and will learn from every day:

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord." Job 1:21

I Had to Go There to Get Here.

2011-10-17T20:59:00.003-04:00

“and I wonder why I am not heard when I’m not saying a thing”

The words above are from Jonathan Sexton’s song Anybody on his Big Love Album. This prompted me to blog the following long, drawn out recap of how I got from there to here. Strangers envy my life. Acquaintances envy my life. Elders who have known me for a long time encourage my life. The new people I’ve met along the way encourage my life. The people closest to me, however, are the last ones to offer encouragement or recognize that my new, current path is the best one for me at this time. And then there is everyone else who just wonders how I got here from there, or is curious about why my address changes a few times a year right now. This blog is for you.

I heard once that you had to go there to get here. Here begins the tale of how I got to these North Carolina hills, living in God’s backyard…

2007. The year of the most change in my adult life, at that point. Actually, I learned a lot that year, too. At the end of this post I’ll copy/paste a blog I posted on social networking sites that listed the things I learned that year.

Anyway, the series of events that year really prodded my best friends and I to take a step back and be thankful. Take a step back and keep ourselves number one. Take a step back and move forward together. Take a step back and be more intentional about how we spent our time…together. We did lots of awesome things, starting with all of us moving into the same town home complex. It was like Melrose Place of West Knoxville, and we loved every moment of it. It was crucial to our time of healing after a big could-have-been-tragedy. Additionally, we took a girls only trip to Savannah, continued our Wednesday night Girls’ Night routine, but with more intent, started going to church together, the list could go on forever.

In August of that year, I was working for Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the time and had recently been promoted, Tara, Allison, and I road tripped to North Carolina to visit my brother Scott who was working at the Nantahala Outdoor Center at the time. I had been to NOC before, but this time was different. I felt at home in this gorge surrounded by these mountains. I felt peaceful. And on a Sunday afternoon, next to Queens Lake, I said out loud, “I wish I could just sell everything I have and move here!” Scott said, “do it.” Of course, right? He makes it sound so easy. I quickly remembered all of my other obligations and belongings and knew that move was just something I would dream about.

A few months later I was hosting my small group at my house. We were studying Andy Stanley's The Best Question Ever. But a challenge in the study prompted me to be honest about where I was at in my head. I said out loud, for the first time, that I had so many desires to go somewhere new, do something different, but I was held prisoner by “these red couches and that book shelf holding my library.” The minimalists in my company just told me to sell it all. Again, I quickly remembered all of my other obligations and knew this was just something I would dream about.

Fast forward to May 2008 when I met Ted. We met on the Ocoee River, where he has now worked for 16 years. After we were officially an item, I went down there to spend a weekend and was so refreshed. It was just what I needed. It was so nice to see a group of people who really got up and did what they love everyday. They found a way to make it work. I decided that day that no matter what happened between me and Ted I would always be grateful that he showed it is possible to do what you love. He redefined vocation. And for that I'm thankful.

I realized this as I was working remotely on a Saturday. At the time I held a less than desirable job at my dream company. I was making great money, but I worked for it. I was on call 24 hours a day, and now that I had a companion to do some exploring with I was held back by this stupid phone! But only for about 16 more months.

In October 2009, in the middle of a merger, I became a casualty for political reasons, among others. I was devastated for a few hours. I really thought things at this job were about to get better after the merger, and I don’t like being rejected…especially in the work place. Then I started tripping over silver linings. I realized that while I was somewhat miserable I was far too comfortable to ever leave that job on my own. Additionally, the timing was perfect. If you have to lose a job, October is the time to do it in East Tennessee. I was also able to help my mother after a knee replacement and my best friends with some baby sitter needs through the holidays. At the beginning of 2010 I started to work things out so that I could, finally, move to the gorge and work for NOC. I put a lot of things in storage and allowed my roommate and friend, Tara, to borrow most of my furniture. It was serendipitous. She was buying a new house and it alleviated some of the financial burden of not having to furnish it right away, and it kept me from not having to put it in storage, which could ruin it.

In April 2010 I loaded my car and moved to North Carolina. Since then, my residence here has only been temporary, seasonal. I have been working here in the spring and summer for 2 years now. It was more than I remembered. It is still my happy place. Living and working here has not taken away any of the majesty. Being here forced me out of my comfort zone, and I am happy for it. I bought some bikes, and I ride them. I no longer take any medicine for acid reflux, my blood pressure is lower than it has ever been in my adult life, and I have shed around 50 pounds. Oh, and I have tan lines.

At the end of last season in NC, we (Ted and I) loaded up and moved out to Salida, CO. Ted has worked there for years as a snowboard instructor at Monarch Mountain. I had never been that far away from home for more than a vacation. I cried until about Cookeville. Once in CO, I had a rough start, but eventually it was more than I thought it could be. I learned how to snowboard (kind of) and made some great friends. I love it there. More on that later. When the Monarch season ended, we headed back out to TN/NC.

Since I’ve been back one of my best friends said, surprisingly, something to the effect of me changing for Ted. That made me laugh a little. I’m far too independent to change for someone. But I will absolutely admit to changing because of someone. Ted gave me the freedom to be who I wanted to be, even if I didn’t know who that is. I only knew one person to be, and for the most part I didn’t like it. And all of this flux is ground shaking in my life. Let’s be honest. I’m a homebody. I had never left East Tennessee. But now the idea of home changes and I’m just rolling with punches…as long as it works for me.

Like I said earlier, I heard once that you had to go there to get here. That being said, I’ll offer this disclaimer: I am in love with my life and every decision made that has brought me to where I am today. Every job I have had has impacted me in many ways, good and bad, and I developed relationships that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And, nothing is fool proof. Just because this life works for me now, doesn’t mean it will work for me forever. But as long as it does, and I’m happy with it, that’s all that matters to me. Today, well today I am the best version of myself. And I think I’m pretty cool. And I think some of you are jealous. And I think some of you will never give me the support I want, but only because we don’t like to be apart. Regardless, I refuse to be defined by a "career" and will remain disgusted as long as anyone chooses to mourn the loss of that version of myself. I’ve resolved to be me, and take care of myself, and recognize that no one else will if I don’t. I’m accountable to God first, and then me, so as long as I stay true to me and the Big Guy upstairs, I’m perfectly content.

“Maybe the past is like an anchor holding us back. Maybe you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be.”-Carrie Bradshaw

Lindsay and Ted: Year One {a Facebook Point of View}

2011-10-14T10:43:00.003-04:00

So, this is on Facebook, too. Both in my history (if you choose the daunting task of hitting"more stories" over and over again), and in a tidy note form, like this one. I post this for a few reasons. One, it's sweet. Two, it is a foreshadow for my now less stressful life. Three, it serves as a reminder that I am blessed, and still excited, to be in love with someone who encourages me to be me and not worry about the expectations of anyone else. Lastly, it kind of sounded like I wanted to see more than I had seen, and to do so I knew I had to leave East Tennessee.

Lindsay Young is ready for the roadtrip, the river, the rafting, all things weekend...now if it were only 5:00 already!

May 16, 2008 at 9:32 am

Lindsay Young probably did more fun things this weekend than you will do this whole month...and i'm exhausted today!

May 19, 2008 at 12:33 pm

Lindsay Young cannot quit smiling!

June 2, 2008 at 1:59 pm

Lindsay Young would be so jealous of herself if she was on the outside looking in...another great weekend!

June 8, 2008 at 12:22 pm

Lindsay Young "has a bucket of coronas-enough stories to last all night"...its girls night & I just so happen to have a boy on my mind...

June 25, 2008 at 7:21 pm

Lindsay Young is figuring out why they call it falling...and it's kind of fun actually

June 30, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Lindsay Young will stop the world and melt with you

June 30, 2008 at 10:40 pm

Lindsay Young is caught somewhere between a woman and a child, and one restless summer i found love growing wild

July 3, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Lindsay Young is having fun but misses him

July 12, 2008 at 1:24 pm

Lindsay Young thinks I have finally outgrown living with reckless abandon...so ready to go home...and may take a road trip once I get there...

July 13, 2008 at 8:40 am

Lindsay Young is glad to be home and happy I got to debrief with my girls over dinner and drinks...i have definitely outgrown living with reckless abandon...

July 13, 2008 at 9:36 pm

Lindsay Young is working at home tonight so she can make the most of tuesday and wednesday when he's home

July 14, 2008 at 8:14 pm

Carrie Shope there is an awful lot of "him" going on around your social networking sites. I think we've got a smitten kitten on our hands.

July 15, 2008 at 1:34 pm

Lindsay Young is headed to copperhill because she can't wait until Tuesday

July 19, 2008 at 11:05 am

Lindsay Young couldn't ask for more & wouldn't settle for less...

July 20, 2008 at 4:26 pm

Lindsay Young had the best weekend ever at the river!

July 21, 2008 at 10:27 am

Lindsay Young is happy it's tuesday and he's coming home!

July 22, 2008 at 9:38 am

Lindsay Young is one very lucky girl!

July 24, 2008 at 9:28 am

Lindsay Young is getting work out of the way so I can go to the lake with my favorite girls and then the river with my favorite boy. I love the weekend!

August 1, 2008 at 10:09 am

Lindsay Young said, "ramblin' boy why don't ya settle down? denver ain't your kind of town...and there ain't nobody like me...i'm the #1 fan of a man from tennessee"

October 21, 2008 at 10:07 am

Lindsay Young hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold...

October 29, 2008 at 9:38 am

Lindsay Young isn't ready to say goodbye...ramblin' boy why don't you settle down?!

November 3, 2008 at 2:39 pm

Lindsay Young just bought a plane ticket to Colorado. 34 days until I get to see Ted and Miles...and everything will be right with the world.

November 28, 2008 at 1:44 pm

Lindsay Young has been opening a lot of doors since he left for the winter! I got used to having my gentleman around!

December 18, 2008 at 11:41 pm

Lindsay Young is packing...i leave for colorado in 8 hours!

December 30, 2008 at 11:53 pm

Jade Sextonand you had better come back!

December 30, 2008 at 11:55 pm

Carrie ShopeYeah.

December 31, 2008 at 11:00 am

Lindsay YoungI will come back my girls...but i love this little town...a lot. I wish you guys were here too!

January 1, 2009 at 3:56 pm

Lindsay Young just might be the happiest girl in the world

January 1, 2009 at 10:36 pm

Mary Nelson NipperGood to hear! Why??

January 2, 2009 at 9:27 am

Lindsay YoungBasically because I have the best boyfriend in the world, who also happens to be the love of my life!

January 8, 2009 at 11:46 am

Lindsay Young 's little heart hurts because she misses Ted...I think i'll have some more frozen yogurt with sprinkles.

January 8, 2009 at 9:04 pm

Lindsay Young has a sad heart and freezing feet...at least its Friday

January 9, 2009 at 9:07 am

Lindsay Young has a new perspective...and for once is craving change

January 9, 2009 at 10:52 am

Lindsay Young really misses two boys today...and wishes everyone was closer.

January 16, 2009 at 10:38 am

Lindsay Young is a sad girl trying to keep it together at the airport. Saying goodbye never gets easy.

February 15, 2009 at 4:44 pm

Lindsay Young 's little heart hurts.

February 16, 2009 at 9:00 am

Lindsay Young is counting down the days until river season starts.

February 16, 2009 at 12:26 pm

Lindsay Young is interested in relocating. T minus 14 months.

February 18, 2009 at 11:38 am

Emily Youngi'm in, but i'm going to need a palm tree... i'm not going to WV.

February 18, 2009 at 12:31 pm

Lindsay Youngi don't require a palm tree...just a boy who answers to Ted. But he happens to have a very green thumb. I'm sure he can make some trees survive in any climate for you.

February 18, 2009 at 12:49 pm

Lindsay Young still gets butterflies when my phone chirps and it's him.

March 9, 2009 at 10:35 am

Lindsay Young is excited about my date tonight downtown. Ted and I have been together for one year officially.

June 22, 2009 at 10:04 am

I lied...

2011-10-14T10:18:00.002-04:00

I really had good intentions to keep my blog more current, but I was super busy living. {secret: I wanted to name this entry "Oops! I Did it Again" and resisted the urge}

Anyway, my summer was jam packed with good friends, a job I love, 2 new bicycles, a new kayak (who is currently in time out. she's a rowdy girl), some camping, some vacationing, and lots of white water. I was just being me, and for that I make no apologies.

I have a small list of lessons learned and sentiments encountered that I have plans to blog about and will start now, in no particular order.

My summer reading includes:

Being Naked: A 9 Week Journey Towards Self Awareness

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean my Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy

The Subject Tonight is Love: 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

I'm still in the throes of these; but they have had a big impact on my vision.

Stay tuned...I'm getting this started for real this time!

Update on the Trail Gypsies

2011-04-29T01:06:00.002-04:00

I was right.

These punks showed their true colors today. Lingering like homeless people on the bridge, drinking lots of beers, having a lovers' quarrel, and collecting more tips, the only thing they got today was an escort off of the property.

My theory is that they are hopping between trail towns, hitchhiking, and claiming to be thru hikers to gain admiration and loose change. If they were smart they'd write a book about it. The again, if they were smart they'd wear polypro and not vomit in a restaurant sink.

Shew.

If they make it and are on the Today Show, I'll stand corrected and may or may not blog an apology.

Vagrant Posers on My Trail

2011-04-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

I'm going to have to take a break from my scheduled blogging about life, passion, and good things to tell you about this nonsense going on in my little corner of the gorge.

So, yesterday these people show up claiming to be AT thru hikers. It's a young couple from the PacNW. The first red flag was the electric cello the boy was carrying. Along with it an amp, powered by a lawn mower battery, probably weighing around 10lbs. They loitered around the center for a while, playing music (it was decent, albeit) and collecting a few damp tips.

He told my boss Katie that he was carrying the cello on the trail and only thought it was a bad idea for the first 2 days. So, we'll say he's been on the trail for 10-12 days and covered around 141 miles to get from the Southern Terminus at Springer Mountain to NOC. The trail is 2,180 miles long. He has 2,040 miles to go and he plans on a carrying this case with his electric cello along with his huge pack the whole way?

I'm calling BS. There's no way. People were ignorantly flocking to these gypsies. They wanted to give them money, pay for their room in the hostel, text message their friends, put video of him on facebook.

Furthermore, they're carrying a purse, a very heavy HP laptop, big construction type boots...things no one hikes with on Sunday afternoon, let alone a 5 month long outdoor journey.

As if all of this weren't enough...they were clad head to toe in cotton. Cotton kills. Thru hikers don't wear cotton. No one does really.

Home

2011-04-26T12:12:00.004-04:00

"'Home' is any four walls that enclose the right person." Helen Rowland

While there's much more to get caught up on, the term "home" is the little four letter word that begged me to blog again. So, I'll start here.

In the weeks before leaving Colorado to come back to TN/NC I was full of emotions. Mostly because I had an uncle pass away, and a week later my very first niece, Eva Ruth, was born. My family was on a roller coaster of joy and grief and I was 1500 miles away. All I could do was pray and send flowers...after I checked on the prices to change my plane ticket and decided it couldn't be done. I realized for the last few weeks in Colorado I would have one foot in Salida and one foot in Tennessee.

Then the day finally comes. I get to fly back to Tennessee and eat all things delicious (yes, I am mostly motivated by food). But on the plane I realized I wasn't bringing my other foot with me. I would still have one foot in Salida and one foot in the South. Ted was getting his Level 2 AASI teaching certification and had a bad day on the hill, and all I wanted to do was be there with him and keep his spirits up. All of a sudden Cracker Barrel didn't seem that important.

In my regular, predictable fashion of course I stayed on Facebook updating my statuses frequently as I made my journey across the country. When I was Tennessee side, and then when I was finally in NC at NOC the most asked question was "are you glad to be here?" The word glad in this context made me shudder, the same way should does regularly. [blog will follow regarding should] Glad insinuates that i'd rather be here than the alternative. I expected to feel that emotion, but never did. The truth is I am happy to be here, I am happy to just be, but no sir, I am not glad. Because honestly, the old saying is true-Home is where the heart is.

I've got a big heart, made up of smiles, laughs, and joy brought to me by other people. I'm so glad to have the friends and family that I do. And to be honest, there was one moment when I said I was glad. And it was on an otherwise unassuming patio at Aubrey's. A patio that had no clue it was the chosen place for a reunion and homecoming for soul sisters. And at that moment, in the midst of the banter and the catching up, I was glad.

This lesson is one that I think it's safe to say I've learned in the past year and a half. It is what it is and everything happens for a reason, so don't dwell on it. Just be happy to be here. Just be content. After all, having a lot of places to call home is way better than having none.

"I'm just happy to be here at all." -Todd Snider

In the mix...

2011-04-26T12:01:00.002-04:00

Well, we've got a lot to get caught up on. Formerly, I was using iPhoto as a timeline for my life and updating my blog by post dating posts. Formerly, that was important to me. I'm a bit more laid back now, and well I just don't care. I've got things to talk about, so I'm going to write. If you're up for it, settle in to get caught up on how my life has changed in the past year or so.

Happy Pappy!

2009-08-31T10:32:00.000-04:00

On August 26th my dad turned 60 years old! He's still more of a kid than I am and the best dad in the world! Dad recently discovered iTunes and called me one day with instructions. He told me to go get every CD I had and throw them away. I asked why and he told me that he had just shipped me a collection of CDs and it was all I would need. The next day I received a 6 disc set of the best music of all time...and only every-other-song is a Rolling Stones song...this is very impressive for Daddy. In all honesty, I was expecting Hot Rocks, 40 Licks, and a few other classic rock gems.

Then there was trouble. My dad has a screened in deck that rivals any you have ever seen. He has CD changer and receiver and all that jazz in a special cooled cabinet out there. Problem is, his CD changer only holds 5 CDs. Oh the hardship.

My simple solution was an iPod with the appropriate cable. So my sister and I set out to get the best birthday gift ever. Here are a few pictures from our long weekend with Dad.

He's a good sport...

Whoop de Doo! Best bag ever! We got dad a bag full of corny party supplies
Here are a few of his favors:
We had the iPod engraved. "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll But I Like It" (of course a Rolling Stones song) and a Happy Birthday!
Dad playing with his new toy!
Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you!

On a side note, because I traveled to see Daddy, I missed Tara's birthday celebration! Her mom came to town and everyone went out to eat at Lakeside Tavern! I'm sad I missed it, but know she was showered with lots of love!!

Happy Birthday B.Bugg!

2009-08-24T09:08:00.002-04:00

Saturday was my friend Rebecca Bugg's birthday! She is one of a set of twins, and the wife of a fellow guide with Ted. We are all really great friends. Rebecca used to take pictures for Rolling Thunder on the weekend, so my first season on the river as a "girlfriend" I basically spent on the banks taking pictures with Rebecca. Needless to say, we formed a great friendship. We get caught up on our lives over the phone every Thursday night while our men are in a guide meeting. I'd be lying if I said I only traveled on the weekend to see Ted...I love this girl!

Here are a few pictures from her birthday celebration:

a cake I made for her:

make a wish!
Becca with her Sophie...she's a pug mix. That's Phyllis in the background.
Happy Happy Birthday B.Bugg! I love you to pieces!

Wine...I mean Book Club

2009-07-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

Some of my girlfriends and I have a book club. We choose a book, read it, and then gather to drink wine and maybe talk about it. The last book we finished was "Girls in Trucks" which, I didn't read. I have been wrapped up in "Eat, Pray, Love"...AGAIN...and just didn't read this one. But I still went to book club. I won't miss it.

Eventually we got out the iPod, and it was all over. Emily calls me her "trick monkey" and I might agree. Nonetheless, we had a good time.

Baby Bennett is here!

2009-07-14T22:44:00.001-04:00

My best friend in the world, Alli, had us a baby on Monday morning. I got a call from Ben early on Sunday, I was at the river. He said Alli had been in labor for a few hours, so I headed home and to the hospital. She woke up at 3:00am Sunday, July 12th, knowing she was in labor after walking a little bit and the contractions didn't stop. They went to the hospital where she walked laps, but she didn't progress any. So, they sent her home. They just went to her mom's house that is very close to the hospital. After she was in intolerable pain, they went back and the hospital gave her a room. The hours passed, and she just wasn't progressing. She had Ben come get me. I fixed her makeup, and then sat behind her on the hospital bed and brushed her hair. Those little moments, especially with my best friend, are the moments you live for.

They didn't wait for her to get all the way to 10cm, they had her start pushing at 8cm. After 24 hours and 24 minutes of labor, Bennett Tyler Barcroft was born...with a head full of hair!

Here are some pictures:

The new family!

Look at all of that hair!!
My sister with a new baby to play with!
I got to teach them how to swaddle a little one. I think he likes it.
And this might be one of my favorite pictures from all time:

Tonight Ted and I had dinner at Aubrey's and then took dinner back to the hospital for the new parents. I can't wait to get to know this little one!

4th of July...at Grumpy's

2009-07-06T23:12:00.000-04:00

If you've never been rafting on the Ocoee, you may be wondering what/where is "Grumpy". Grumpy is the first rapid on the middle section of the Ocoee river. You see it from the put-in ramp and you are in it within 1 minute of launching your raft, it is a Class III rapid. "They" say it's called "Grumpy" because if you fall in there, at the beginning of your trip, you will be Grumpy the rest of the day. I might tend to agree. While I've never done it outside the comfort of a raft, I know it is definitely a hard swim.

Ted has only flipped one raft in 14 years of guiding, until now. Still, his record is only 2 and there are some people that broke it just this weekend. That's a phenomenal record for a raft guide, especially on the Ocoee.

Every day the Ocoee has something different in store, and this weekend was no different. The mojo was all wrong. She was upset about something, that's for sure. This wasn't the only misadventure of the day, nor will it be the last of the season.

Nonetheless...I present you with Grumpy's.

This is a photo of the first time I went rafting with Ted, at Grumpy's. All smiles. Smooth sailing.

This is at the same rapid, only 15 months later.
If you're reading this, please listen to your raft guide! If he or she tells you to only give 2 strokes, give no more. If they tell you to stop paddling, then by all means...STOP! This could have been avoided, but it's a fun story to tell. Ted says it is what happens when you call him "boring." Ha!

4th of July...at Rolling Thunder

2009-07-06T22:56:00.000-04:00

Well, the 4th of July on the Ocoee was a bit crazy this year! I won't go into all the details...it would probably bore you...and if it wouldn't bore you, chances are you already know how she felt this weekend!

Much to my surprise, Ted was in a great mood Friday night and we celebrated with tradition. Basically, drank some beer and watched fireworks. Here are a few pictures from the night:

Here you can see my sunburned nose...it had been bleeding. You should see my shoulders.

2 of the 3 reasons I travel 2 hours in one direction every weekend. The 3rd is the river, of course.
A fireworks picture that actually turned out pretty cool to have not used a tripod or anything.
the majority of my river family. Here you can see, LtoR: Ted, Katy, Phyllis, Daniel, Jay, Brian, Randy, and Anthony.
I love this picture! We were heading up to our room, but I needed to use the restroom first. So Ted took my things and went without me. I came upstairs and found him like this! I love it! In case you don't know...croutons are my thing. i prefer them over fries or chips, and i really enjoy them with wine.
Happy Independence Day!! Hug a Veteran!

Juliet lately...

2009-06-30T22:27:00.000-04:00

Juliet really loves her play mat. She's so alert now!

Looking more like her Mommy everyday!
If this had sound, you could hear the hood vent. This calms her. Colic is the devil.
The swing is fun now, too....in ten minute increments!
Another funny face!

Down By The River...Feat. Emily

2009-06-29T21:20:00.001-04:00

So, I decided that I would take big sister Emily on a weekend tour of 2 of my favorite rivers in the South East...The Nantahala and The Ocoee.

After work Friday we loaded up the car and headed out...while acutely aware that I need a bigger car! We hopped on 68 and headed toward 64 to drive into the gorge around twilight. We got the key to our hostel...it was Emily's first time in a hostel and she did quite well! Then we went to Relia's Garden and had dinner with Scotty. Well, kind of. We ate, while Scotty worked. Scott is my big step brother. We had delicious food, and the flowers on our table were beautiful!

After dinner we waited on Scott to finish up his shift and we just set up camp on an isolated picnic table right next to the river. With a cooler full of beer and the iPod speaker, we really tied one on. It was such a great night! I ended it by giving Scott by copy of the new Dave CD.

The next morning we met Scott for breakfast at the Rivers End restaurant. You've got to check these places out if you've never been there. At Rivers End, every table has a river view. It's awesome! After breakfast, we cruised through the outfitters store and then hit the road into Copperhill. We went to few picture spots, and when the rain rolled in we headed to the other end of the river with my friend, Jessica. I took Emily shopping at Miss B's Purple Bus and then we had lunch.

We took Emily to dinner at El Rio, and then just sat around a fire and had some beers. On Sunday, we spent the entire day on the Toccoa. I got a horrible sunburn! I had a waterproof camera, but still need to get it developed!

Here are some pictures from our adventure:

This is a retreat center on Highway 68. They have a few llamas out there. Emily wanted me to take her picture with them...

Me, Scotty, and Emily.
Scotty..excited to have a cell phone again.
Me and Emily.
I'm not really sure what I'm doing with my arm here. It's part cheerleader and part plus-size model. Nonetheless, this is us on the bridge over the Nanty. It is also a part of the AT.
If you've never been, you should check it out:

www.noc.com

www.rollingthunderriverco.com

June 22, 2009...One Year with Ted

2009-06-23T21:02:00.000-04:00

So, you may remember reading about a month ago about the "anniversary" of Ted and I meeting. Well, we didn't go out on our first date until over a month later, on June 22, 2008. He asked me on Saturday night if we could go to brunch on Sunday. On Sunday, I tried to reschedule because of a work deadline. He talked me out of it and we went to Tomato Head for brunch. I had such a good time that after we walked around downtown for hours! We ended up going to the the Sunsphere. He had never been up in it. I mentioned that I had never gone at night, so that's what we did to celebrate one year of messy, loving, hateful, and blissful love! We've kept a list going of things "to do"...I compiled it into a journal. You know, places to go, places to eat, movies to see, things to do....We were able to mark two off after this night. The first was the sunsphere at night. (the photo below is just a "stock photo" of mine...it wasn't taken on this date. It was taken in 2007 after I triumphantly quit a job and spent 6 weeks enjoying the southeast!)

And, we had dinner at the Pizza Palace on Magnolia. While here, we talked to some great people, and one of the ladies that works there is from Copperhill, TN!! She told us all about TVA and asked if they still blew up those little boats and paddle down the stream. Wow.

And here we are! The lights are from the bridge at the World's Fair Park. After dinner we went to the sunsphere and then had a night cap at the SkyBox, a new bar on the 5th floor. I definitely recommend that little place!

Cheers to one year, and here's to many, many more!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T20:53:00.001-04:00

This me and my Dad. He's top notch!

This is my Dad and his dog, Aeneas.

The best part about Father's day weekend is sitting on the back porch at my Dad's house, listening to music and drinking beers. We even kept him up until almost 3 this year!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Emily and I came home on Sunday to enjoy our annual happy hour with the girls. We always have a drink with our dear Carrie Leigh, who lost her father nine years ago. And this year, we had drinks with Tara, also! Carrie's mom was nice enough to watch Juliet so we could go out. Wow. We had a blast and took advantage of a jukebox!

Happy Pappy Day!

Blinded by the Light...kind of...

2009-06-11T20:18:00.001-04:00

I'm talking about the synchronous fireflies in GSMNP. You can read all about them here: http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/insects/articles/fireflies-flash-unison.html

I've heard about this phenomenon for over a decade, but have never had the opportunity to go. Lucky for me, I had some vacation time to use, so Ted and I went up on a Wednesday afternoon since he didn't have trips on Wednesday or Thursday. We got a camp site at Elkmont.

The rain poured...and poured...and pored some more. We even had to pull over on our way there. But the rain stopped for a few minutes so we could set up camp, and then we cooked dinner, and then went on a short hike to find the fireflies. They were out in all of their majesty because of the rain, but there were still enough out that it was amazing!

A soaked self-portrait:

Ted putting up the tent:
A sleepy Ted:
The lantern Ted has had since he was very young...you can guess how many years that is:
In case you were wondering...
So, don't pollute and clean up after yourselves!

You can't take pictures of the fireflies. If you haven't seen it, you must go next year! You won't regret it!

If you want a campsite on the weekend, book early.

Here are some other links, courtesy of my fellow blog friend Mauri:

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/fireflies.htm

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=88721&catid=2

http://yoursmokies.blogspot.com/2009/05/synchronized-firefly-show-in-great.html

http://www.mysmokymtnvacations.com/content/view/34/40/

http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/46082337.html

http://www.terry-1.com/fireflies.htm

http://www.whnt.com/news/sns-ap-tn--synchronousfireflies,0,4136033.story

Introducing Juliet to one of our Traditions

2009-06-08T20:13:00.001-04:00

I would say at least 2 times a month we venture to Mr. Gatti's for the pizza buffet. This picture is from Juliet's first time there!

Mar Mar is Growing Up!

2009-05-23T19:32:00.009-04:00

Martha, my younger cousin, has reached a huge rite of passage...she graduated from High School! I can remember the day she was born, the day she fell in love with Don Henley from the Eagles, her electric guitar and Barney videos...and now she is making plans to pursue a degree in nursing. My how time flies.

This was Ted's first visit to Smithville, TN, where my family roots are. Naturally, I made him stop at the "scenic overlook" for a self portrait.

This picture is from Martha's high school graduation. She's got a good 4 inches on me now!

This picture is from my high school graduation with one eight year old Martha...almost nine.

After graduation, we drove to Cookeville to have dinner with the family. After that, Ted and I headed to the river...it took us almost 5 hours to get there. With losing an hour, we arrived close to 5:00am!

But in the South It's a Religion...

2009-05-19T17:58:00.003-04:00

"In the East it's a cultural exercise. On the West Coast it's a tourist attraction. In Texas it's the big stakes. In the Midwest it's a slugfest. But in the South it's a religion!"

I would usually insert a Go Vols! here...but in the spirit of keeping all of you happy...Roll Tide, Roll!

[the Tide has a special place in my heart]

Evening Nap

2009-05-18T23:12:00.000-04:00

So the past few nights when I get home from work, etc, I've had the opportunity to spend some couch time with Baby J. This allows Mom time to do her things and Miss Pam can go to bed early...well, who am I kidding? I don't really know what they do upstairs. And, my holding Juliet is not really all that important as to helping them get things done. But, I get to spend some time with her and I like that.

Check out this little pose from last night.

It is somewhat difficult to handle the Nikon D50 with one hand, but I got the picture!

My New Lunch Hour

2009-05-18T21:04:00.000-04:00

I try to fight it and stay at the office, but I usually end up at home to see this little girl on my lunch break...

This is a picture of the little onesie that I made for Juliet...

Here is the front of it!

Please! No more photos!

Introducing Uncle Clint!

2009-05-18T20:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Mr. Smith and Clint came to Knoxville. Here are some great pictures of Tara showing Clint how to hold the baby! He's going to be such a good little uncle!

Ta-da!

I was out of town on Saturday and Sunday morning, so I missed the whole family visit. It seems like they had a good time, though! Oh! And, Great Aunt Nancy sent ribs from Dreamland...the people ate well!

Tour de Tellico

2009-05-17T23:59:00.002-04:00

So, last year on May 17 I met Ted on the Ocoee River. The picture below was from that trip:

While it is not what I would consider "our anniversary" we thought it would be fun to just play anyway. We were going to take raft down the river alone, but the frigid weather made us change our minds. Instead, we just took a detour through Tellico on our way home. I even got to turn my phone off for a few hours courtesy of Amy! It was nice!

Here are some boaters at Baby Falls...

Here is Bald River Falls....it looked awesome since there is so much water right now:

I think the aforementioned phone is making me have wrinkles around my eyes...look at that!

Her Future's So Bright...

2009-05-17T23:54:00.003-04:00

...she has to wear shades.

As it turns out, Baby J has jaundice. So, Children's Hospital Home Health came by with this little contraption to provide phototherapy.

She has little velcro patches on her temples to hold on little gauzy sunglasses.

She had to stay in this little tanning bed looking thing all day Saturday and Saturday night (and she put up a fight on Saturday night...she didn't like being in there at bed time).

She went back to the doctor on Sunday...she gained 2 ounces and got a good report in regards to the jaundice. She only had to lay in the radioactive suitcase for a few hours today.

Let's Go to the Doctor!

2009-05-17T23:48:00.004-04:00

This is bright and early on Saturday. Juliet is leaving for her first doctor's appointment.

Before you know she'll be out there with her backpack ready to go to school...

She's Got Talent!

2009-05-17T23:39:00.002-04:00

Well, little bit here loves her paci...here she is holding it in!

You can't see it, but her pajamas have an electric guitar on them and say "rock me to sleep"

Kate is 2!

2009-05-17T23:29:00.003-04:00

So you've heard me mention Evan and Marta Crass before...our small group host and hostess. Well, this is their precious little girl Kate. They've been teaching Kate sign language and I love it because everytime I walk into their house she says Bird while using the sign for it. She's one cool little girl.

This is Kate unwrapping the gifts I got for her with her dad.

That's right, I got her some fingerpaint supplies...I hope they have fun with that. Oh, and a copy of "Morris goes to School" which was my favorite book as a tot. It's about Moose who counts gumballs and his antlers and goes to school. You should check it out and get it for anyone you know in their formative years.

Happy Birthday Kate!

Friday...first full day at home

2009-05-17T23:15:00.003-04:00

Well, on Friday I went back to work...and let me tell you that was no fun! No sir-ee. I don't know how real-live moms do it! Of course, I came home at lunch and all was well. I took this picture right after work with the intention of posting it right away so you could all see it. Mom and Baby J are doing just fine at home!

Juliet really likes to sleep like this...and it is just too cute not to take a picture of!

Aunt Emmy...

2009-05-15T09:14:00.003-04:00

If you know my big sister Emily, you know why she is getting her very own blog post. Emily Beth is 6 years my senior, and while a big sister she's just one of the girls when we all get together. She's known Tara as long as I have and remembers us playing with Barbies back in '89.

Emily was also Clint's, Tara's little brother, first baby sitter when he was born. They lived down the street from us.

Emily came over yesterday after they got home from the hospital. She brought a little care package for Tara with some essentials for the Mom just out of Labor and Delivery.

Here they are together...

Juliet Hope and Carly Ann = BFF

2009-05-15T00:08:00.005-04:00

Carly belongs to Nathan and Leslie Sweet. The Sweets are in our small group also. Carly and Juliet are exactly one month and 20 minutes apart in age. Since Mom has 2 kids in tow these days, they waited until we got home to come for a visit and meet Juliet.

This is Nathan and Carly:

Here is Leslie with Juliet and Caleb who is her 2 and a half year old son. He's a wild one!

"You're Gonna Have a Baby and then They're Just Gonna Let You Go Home With Her?!"...Yes, apparently that's how it works

2009-05-14T23:20:00.006-04:00

The title to this blog has kind of been a joke around here for a few weeks. I said that one night at Parkside Tavern with all the girls...it just all of a sudden hit me that Tara was having a baby...which I knew...but then they just let us take her home? Just like that. No inspection. No instruction. No supervision. Just take her. Wow.

Anyway...

Juliet is safe and sound after her first car ride!

In her room for the first time!

The family...Uncle Clint will be here tomorrow!

This is Tara looking for Guiness.

The following pictures are similar, but very different to me. I couldn't decide which ones to post, and didn't feel like I should make the decision for you. So you get to see all of them! Before you know it, she'll be scaling the side of that Jenny Lind and crawling in bed with Mommy!

Time to eat!

Getting ready...Aunt Bird nests a little

2009-05-14T22:43:00.004-04:00

I left the hospital around 1:00 today and ran some errands and then came home to get some things done:

So, maybe the overprotective side of me came out today, but I went what some might call "bananas" with the lysol. Every door knob, handle, banister, and frequently touched surface in our place was disinfected...a time or two.

Tara's friends at work had a shower for here there. They made this precious banner, and I hung it up today. It was too cute not to use again.

I went to Walgreens and had some pictures printed. I gave a few to Mr. Smith so he could take them to work tomorrow. I framed this one and put it on the bed that Grandmommy Pam is sleeping on.

These are two of Tara's favorites, so I put them on her bed.

And here it is. The quiet before the storm.

They'll be home soon!

We Interrupt Programming for a Special Announcement

2009-05-14T22:32:00.005-04:00

My step sister, Selina, and her husband Shaun, had their 2nd baby today!

Gage Thomas was delivered by way of c-section early today. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, 21 inches long.

Happy Birthday Gage!

Big sister Maylie

[drumroll] KTown Treats

2009-05-14T22:20:00.004-04:00

You remember Teagan, right? Well Mrs. Teagan Rozmus owns her own just launching bakery business...KTown Treats. She was hired for the baby shower (which I will blog about soon)...so basically she's been keeping our sweet tooths (not teeth...my sweet tooth, tara's sweet tooth, and baby j's sweet gums) satisfied for the past several months. (I especially love her because one time she made me a heart shaped cupcake with green, my favorite color, icing and my initials on it).

It's safe to say she's a show off! Today she showed up at the hospital with this cookie cake! It is most delicious and came at perfect timing! It was in a fancy box too!

You'll learn more about Teagan later. She'll be taking care of Baby J when Mom goes back to work!

More pictures

2009-05-14T22:11:00.003-04:00

This one was just too cute not to share...

Here she is all dressed in the outfit Tara's Grandmother got for her to wear home.

Testing...one...Testing one two...

2009-05-14T22:01:00.003-04:00

In case you are wondering Juliet can hear. These fancy plastic headphones, 3 electrodes, some muscle movement and big Mr. Belevedere like computer contraption said so.

Now, this "assosciate" of sorts in scrubs didn't know much about the procedure. I didn't get her name. I wasn't impressed. How are you going to walk in with all that garb, in scrubs, take the baby from Rockin' Marta...and not be able to tell us how it works. She did however have a nice pamphlet that will probably never get read. I'm more likely to grab a Dollywood brochure at the Pilot Truck Stop with the showers down the road and read it.

Oh well.

Pardon the rant...good news is Baby can hear!

If you build it (or something like that) they will come...

2009-05-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

Well, we've got this Small Group...that spawned from a large group (Faith Promise Church). From www.faithpromise.org :
What is a Group?
We connect people within their life stage, passion, or neighborhoods...

In short--we do LIFE together

I found my way to Evan and Marta Crass' home 2 years and 5 months ago (whoa...time flies) when my little world was falling apart. Just like that a group of then strangers took me in, wrapped me in their arms, and just helped me do LIFE. I am eternally grateful, forever indebted, and richly blessed by these folks. Since then we have divided and conquered and now have three "small groups" under one roof belonging to the Crass'....I like to call it the "Church of Crass". I am proud to lead one of the small groups. When Tara moved here she started coming with me, and is in my group..."the upstairs group" [this is cool, because we are closer to heaven]. It has been a blessing for all of us to walk through this journey with Tara. We meet for Biblical and Life Application study and discussion every Tuesday night...we even give back to our community throughout the year too.

I tell you all of that for two reasons: 1.) I know that Tara would want you know about this wonderful group of people that have been waiting anxiously for Juliet and praying for both of them diligently. 2.) A bunch of them were able to make it to the hospital to see baby girl and Mom.

These folks made it out yesterday: left to right, meet Drew Wells, Evan Crass, and Jennifer Loveday. Drew is in charge of the Young Adult Ministry at FPC...Evan, by title, is the Pastor of Affinity Groups at FPC (as well as lots of cool freelance stuff and husband to rockin' Marta, daddy to precious Kate, and a fellow small group leader with me), and Loveday is the Programming Director for Kid K'Nex at FPC (I can't wait for our little Juliet to be involved with our children's ministry at FPC...I know, I know...that's a long way away!)...she's also "the voice" of FPC, a wonderful thespian, and a fellow member of our small group as well as a small group coach.

We were happy to see all of them and glad they got to meet Juliet!

[[If I could figure out a way to make you hear a drumroll here...I would.]]

INTRODUCING TEAGAN!

You'll know more about why she gets a drumroll soon...Teagan is also in our small group. She is the owner of KTown Treats. [more to follow]

Meet Marta, the aforementioned "rockin' Marta" and wife to Evan Crass. Marta is a mom of 2 year old Kate, and is has been a wonderful source of knowledge for both me and Tara. She also taught us how to properly swaddle little bit.

And this is Tracy. Tracy just got back to Knoxville from DC where she and her husband have been living while she worked for National Geographic. She's a cartographer and getting started with her own freelance gig...so if you need a map, say the word. Tracy is an A+ babysitter (proven with Kate)...but just to be on the safe side, she just likes to look and not touch when baby's head still needs to be supported. In fact, she even said earlier "I can hold a cake, just not a baby!". Tracy and Mark live just down the street from us, so this will be fun!

So, I know that I might not count as a "visitor" but for goodness sakes, look at those little eyes looking up at me. If I hadn't already, I fell in love all over again. Cool aunt bird with a nose ring...the baby digs it. She was there when I had it done...in utero of course.

So, I have slacked and missed pictures of the following visitors:

Renee from Tara's office...both pre and post baby girl...

Rebecca from Tara's office...she even cam eback today, but Baby J was eating and wasn't available for photos. Rebecca even came over one Sunday and helped Tara put together the crib and changing table.

Kendall from Tara's office...she left when the nurse came to check Tara and announced we were at 10 cm and time to push...

Uncle Jerry...my step father...both pre and post baby girl...he even delivered homemade dinner from Aunt Trish tonight. He rocks. And so does Aunt Trish for the record...chicken casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes, and peach cobbler.

Girls' Night Out v2.0

2009-05-13T22:22:00.006-04:00

For starters....Wednesday has always been our "Girls' Night Out" and today was no different! We were all together to celebrate our Baby J!

There are a few things you should know: 1.) we drink champagne for no reason at all 2.) we NEVER muffle the pop! (a small shout out to big brother chad!) That's the greatest sound on earth (aside of course a baby girls' first cries and a proud momma exclaim "that's my baby")

When I looked around and saw that all the girls were there, I thought now is the time I need to get the champagne. I bought the champagne a while ago. I put it on ice in the cooler in my trunk this morning en route to the hospital. [enter Robert Earl Keen: I stepped into the hall and saw all my friends were there] So, I got my backpack and headed to the car...yes, I smuggled it in...just in case.

I stepped into the bathroom to open the champagne, pointed toward the shower, just in case there was any accident (for the record, I wasn't scared, I trust myself with a bottle of bubbly, but the others are over protective).

Here we all are...The New and Improved Girls Night!

Here we are with Grandmommy and Baby J...

SO, I made a toast. I made a toast to a strong, courageous, and beautiful Tara. A wonderful Juliet. Our great friends...we have a bond that cannot be broken. Afterall, most of us have been together since the early 80's. And the best Grandparents she could ask for. Tara is so blessed to have such a supportive family and I am honored to watch them interact. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are so wonderful, and I can only hope to be as awesome as they are.

And then I closed with "we must have had a pretty good time to end up here." So true, baby girl, so true.

Oh! Baby!

2009-05-13T21:58:00.004-04:00

Here are pictures when we all finally got to hold her!

This me with her...and my dewy eyes! (notice the laptop, diet coke, mountain dew, and teamhealth mug of coffee...we got up early)

Alli and Ben got there right after work...they're expecting their Baby Bennett in just 9 weeks!

Look at her! A natural!

Casey came after work, too!

Grandmommy Pam...at last!

Mister Grandfather! He's proud as can be!

Emily has been practicing with a poodle...finally she gets to hold her!

Aunt Trish! (my momma) is just as happy as she can be! Hopefully Juliet will keep her distracted until she gets her own grandbaby!

Miss Laura! SHe's the patient one! She waited until the very end to hold her!

I'm missing a picture of Carrie with her...please stay tuned!

I can't help it...

2009-05-13T17:21:00.004-04:00

Her first bath...

Just chillin'

And my new favorite...

A Few more...

2009-05-13T16:01:00.004-04:00

Precious Feet...

Mom holding baby girl for the first time!

Baby Juliet looking up at Mommy...she won't take her eyes off of her!

All of us girls...

And...this is my favorite! Mister Grandfather, Grandmommy, Mommy, and Baby Girl Juliet.

In Case you're far away, but close to our heart

2009-05-13T15:24:00.005-04:00

Ok, so this is my favorite picture of all time! It's just like her ultrasound picture...

She is obssessed with her little face and always has her tongue out!

And she keeps "raising the roof"...just liker mom...(only a few of you will laugh out loud when reading that)

Again with the face

Pucker up! She's ready for all of you to come visit!

Welcome to our World!

2009-05-13T15:06:00.005-04:00

She weighs 6 pounds, 9 ounces and she is 19.5 inches long. She got here at 2:33 pm.

Labor lasted 6 hours, but she only pushed for 13 minutes!

So, while this is not the best picture, it is the first picture taken, so I thought I'd share!

Here she is throwing a fit!

On the scale!

She's a good little pouter!

And, finally...a good one with her eyes open!

Pre-Push...

2009-05-13T14:53:00.004-04:00

In an effort to keep all pics in order, you're just going to have to be patient with me...the good ones are coming...

They brought in the scale....

They brought in a big "we have fireworks, exit here" spot light...I tried to make hand puppets. No dice.

The birthing team!

Mr. Smith got her just in time! This is right before she started to push...I mean really, like 45 seconds.

Here we go!

2009-05-13T14:00:00.003-04:00

10 cm y'all..

next time you hear from me, I'll be a Daddy!

one...oh...two

2009-05-13T13:51:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the Birthing Suite! I don't have anything else to update you on...so here are some things from L&D Room 102:

This is Mr. Belvedere...Really it's just a whole lot of modern machinery that tells us everything about Mom and Baby J (and a lady whose baby has been giving her heck in room 106! we get to see everyone's contractions...) I call him Mr. Belvedere because sometimes he gets fussy and makes noises like a doorbell...and well, honestly, that provoked a memory from the 80's and an old television show.

This is the Panda Baby Warmer...with lots of little things

These are the flowers and balloon from Casey and Scott...thanks!

The Doctor is in...

2009-05-13T12:37:00.004-04:00

Meet Dr. Garza...we love her.

While she was here, she let us know that Mom is 90% effaced and 5cm!

Just say NO to Drugs? Whatever...

2009-05-13T11:40:00.008-04:00

This handy chart is on the wall. I circled the 10 which is "hurts worst"...I mean she was crying afterall. So this is where we were...

So, they gave her some pain medicine and that helped for a little while. Then they were going to give her more, but since she is so tense they decided that wouldn't help. So they ordered the epidural...I guess good things come in small packages...this little tray is going to make everything better!

Tara had to sit up in the bed so they could get her in place for the epidral. This is her nurse Beth (who is awesome and has been helping her breathe!) and the anesthesiologist taking her through the procedure. We had to leave the room for this...

And...finally...all better. Mom is smiling again!

I didn't get a picture, but Uncle Jerry (my step dad) came to visit...and so did Renee, Tara's friend from work.

More from L&D...

2009-05-13T10:34:00.005-04:00

Some more pictures from today:

This is when it started to hurt...pray for her!

LIVE! From Blount Memorial, Labor and Delivery

2009-05-13T10:13:00.004-04:00

Well folks, I'm signed on here. I'm logged on to the BMHGuest network and ready to keep you updated.

We got here around 7:00am and got checked in and ready to go. Tara's been in a lot of pain for a few days, and now they're thinking UTI.

Dr. Garza broke her water around 8:00 am and they started the pitocin then. They upped the dosage about an hour later.

The contractions at this point have all but killed her. We're hoping the order the epidural soon.

I'll keep you updated!

Here's a picture from this morning when we were leaving:

Gun Shy

2009-05-13T10:01:00.002-04:00

So I haven't blogged in about 2 months. I used my blog for hurt, and well that was just wrong.

So, I've been muddling through life just getting by really. There was a break up, there were baby showers, there was another skydiving adventure, there was the birth of Baby Carly...there have been lots of blog worthy events in my life. None of which have been recorded in this blogosphere.

I'll get you up to speed eventually. I just wanted to bridge the gap between March and today.

I send this from Labor and Delivery at Blount Memorial...

more to come!

Happy Birthday Ted!

2009-05-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

Ted's birthday was on Friday and we went out to Sunspot (our favorite local place) for dinner and drinks! We had a great time! He got home just about a week ago, so it's been good to have him here! I'm glad he was around for his birthday this year!

Ted and my brother, Jeff.
Emily and our friend Bennett.
Jeff and his wife, Ella.
This is Ted's birthday cake that I made to take to the river with us. We headed down for the first time on Saturday morning. It was so great to get back! The drive was awesome, the weather was chilly, the friends were always the same and always the best!

We're looking forward to a fun summer back on the river!

Bennett's Baby Shower

2009-05-04T00:37:00.000-04:00

After a fun weekend celebrating Ted's birthday in Knoxville and catching up with friends on the Ocoee, I came home on Sunday for the baby shower of my best friend's first born! Allison's family threw her a great shower at the Racquet Club. I can't believe how everything is changing so much all around me! I didn't take too many photos with my camera because I had Sandy's (Allison's mom, and soon to be GiGi!) camera to take pictures for her.

Allison got lots and lots of things, both necessary and fun, to shower Bennett with. I can't wait until he gets here!

This is us with our mothers:

The girls, left to right: Casey, Laura, Tara, Allison, Me.
The Expecting Girls!

A Shout out to Market Square

2009-04-25T14:38:00.001-04:00

I won't lie, I don't go to Sundown in the City as much as I used to. Part of it is that I just don't live with reckless abandon, like I used to. Part of it is the crowds. Man, the crowds. And, lastly, I hate it when my hands get dirty/wet/sticky and it always seems like my hands get dirty/wet/sticky at Sundown.

But, I do venture out for lots of Market Square activities, even the occasional sundown. I went last week because Cornbred Blues Band was playing at Sapphire afterwards, and that's enough to keep me out on a school night. It rained, and then it stopped, and then there was a rainbow:
The Buccos!! Adam plays bass in CBB.
Maybe my favorite picture ever! Definitely my favorite of Amanda!
And, one final shout out to Oodles, a restaurant on Market Square. They have the best macaroni in the world.
I love my town.

Free Falling...STF 2009

2009-04-12T14:23:00.000-04:00

First, for all of you who say there's no reason to "jump out of a 'perfectly good airplane'", you should know that there is no such thing as a "perfectly good airplane".

Second, until you've tried it, you have no idea. Seriously. No idea. And, I am afraid of heights. This is just different. Believe me. Go jump! And, I recommend that you jump in Rockmart, GA at Skydive the Farm.

Yesterday my good friend, Scott, and I drove to GA for his very first jump. This was number 4 for me. He is addicted! I'm pretty sure he'll go on to get his AFF license and jump all on his own!

Here are a few pictures from the day:

Me and Scott
Right before the part that makes my heart beat faster
I got to flip out of the plane this time! I loved it!
And, this smile, well THIS smile is what it is all about. You won't get a good one like this until you've fallen 14,000 feet to the ground.