Saturday, May 30, 2009

Relay for Life 2009

Before 2007 I had never been to a Relay for Life. I guess I had heard of it but it had not been made personal to me. In 2006, in July, it became very personal to me. I was sitting in my office working when my Mom and Dad both came up my office stairs. What? What would they be doing here during work hours and why are they both coming up the stairs and not just hollering something at me from the bottom of the steps? They were here to tell me that my mom had breast cancer. Double what? It was found on her annual mammogram and only a lumpectomy with no expected radiation or chemotherapy was recommended. That sounded doable. A very good Christian doctor did the lumpectomy and was confident in his diagnosis - until the pathology report came back. The margins were not clear and it was an ugly kind of cancer (ER/PR negative and Her-2-Neu positive) and it was in a lymph node. Not a sentinel lymph node but another lymph node that the surgeon just "grabbed because it was close". Since the surgeon would have only gotten the sentinel nodes, he gives God the credit for finding that troublesome one. She then chose to do a bilateral mastectomy, required chemotherapy for several months, then Herceptin every week for an entire year. She had an army of prayer warriors, kept a positive attitude, and had great friends and family (of course!!). She is now three years out and is doing great. She has worked the Survivors table at Relay for Life for the last three years. She is AMAZING.





She also placed the HOPE medals on the survivors as their names were read. One lady told me that she would only let Mom place her medal around her neck.



Kendra, Holly, and Alex. Holly is the brain behind these awesome shirts that EVERYONE loved at Relay. We each could fill in the blank as to who she is to us and what she is to us. All of her family had one plus Kendra and Iva (family members by choice).

Our group picture... Sy, Anthony, Tony, Amy, Kendra, Holly, Karla, Iva, John Jr., Connie, John, and Alex.

Kendra and Holly.

The survivor lap is a very emotional thing to watch. Many people struggle to get that lap in but they do it. And they are proud that they can. Colonel Fred Forster (right) helped carry the banner this year.

After the survivor lap, their family and friends take the next lap with them.

And, this is how they did it. Hand in hand.

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Family Update

Remember that post with the momma who had twins and she wasn't so sure she wanted them both? Well, if you lock them up together soon enough she is not as likely to deny one of them. Luckily, Papaw got all three locked up together and she ended up accepting them both. It was funny, she would smell one of them, then the other and if only a momma cow could talk I think she would say, "What is going on here?! This one smells just like my baby!! How did this happen?"

Here they are now, beautiful, healthy, curious, playful almost two month olds.






This is their sister from last year's set of twins that still thinks she is a lap baby. She is a spoiled pet. She wants her neck scratched and will follow you around until you pay attention to her or feed her some "good food." Her name is Tippy because she has a white tip on her tail. She is very sweet and quite a beauty.




Another family who welcomed new additions was this little chicken. She has several babies that she ferociously protects. She will puff out her feathers and peck at you when you try to catch one of the babies. She flew all the way up my arm trying to make me leave her babies alone. She corrals them in a corner and then DARES you to try to get one.


She is a good momma. She doesn't care how many she has (not like momma cow). She will take care of however many hatch under her. But...if you are hatched by another momma - WATCH OUT!!!


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Alex's Awards Day

Alex had an awards day at school, a 6th grade awards day. She has made good grades all year but they were not "top of the class" award material grades. When they called her name for the Science Effort award I was so very proud of her. That is definitely the most challenging class for her but she does try. I will give her that. She will hang in there, dig in, and try. I was glad to see they had this award - a little recognition for the ones who are not necessarily gifted students but students that will always try hard.

That night, she had her volleyball end of the season party. They had pizza, got awards, and bowled. This was her first year playing volleyball and it is her newest "favorite" sport. She got the most improved 6th grader award and is very excited about the camps they are going to go to this summer and CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT SEASON.

(I still have a lot to learn about my new camera. I got Katie very focused but Alex is just a blur.)

Alex thinks this is the greatest coaching staff she has every played for. Thanks to you guys!!
Posted by PicasaSince their team won the league in our county and also won the tournament, they received championship shirts, silver necklaces with volleyball charms, and a championship picture. They had a great season and will really miss the 8th grade friends that were a part of their team this year.

Anthony's 8th Grade Graduation

We are now ready to take the next step in Anthony's educational career. High school. He had a great time in Middle School and actually ended up with decent grades, though he could have done MUCH better.

He has great friends to start high school with.

Good luck guys!

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Anthony's New Toy

Anthony had a short stent of a mowing job for our neighbors. It only lasted through two mows before they decided to buy their own lawnmower. It lasted long enough, though, for him to buy this. A Kar 98 airsoft gun. He thought it took forever for it to get here. When it did, this is the reception it got.

He LOVES this gun. "It is all metal and wood. It will be impossible to break!"


Impossible to break until you shoot wooden shishkabob sticks through it - spears, I mean. Then it jams.
But since it is all metal and wood - it is fixable!!
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Graduation 2009


Happy Graduation, Chelsea!!

My how time does fly! I "met" Chelsea when she was three weeks old. It has been a lot of fun watching her grow up. She is a smart, funny, beautiful girl. She has one of the greatest character traits I think you can have. Laughter.








Good luck, Chelsea. I am sure you are going to do great. I am anxious to see what you make of the rest of your opportunities.


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Anthony's Garden

Anthony is still working on his garden. The rain has slowed him down a bit... He wanted to have more corn out by now and some okra, too. (For me and Robin). While Tony was out of town on a fishing tournament, Papaw came to show him how to side dress his corn. Now his looks better than both of theirs.

The critters keep getting Papaw's corn at his house so he has his corn planted at our house. It is so much easier to work when there is someone working with you.


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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Memorial Day


During Spring Break in 2007 we, along with other family and friends, took our kids to Washington, D.C.  This is a great trip that is relatively inexpensive as most of the buildings are public buildings so there is no admission charged.  I pulled a few of those pictures out to post for Memorial Day. 

This is Arlington National Cemetery.  A site to behold any time you go but sure to be very moving on Memorial Day.


Below is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  To watch the changing of the guard is sure to bring a tear to your eye and show your children a respect like they have probably not seen before.  

This is the Iwo Jima Memorial. 

The World War II Memorial is fairly new.  We were there in March so there was no water in the pool in the center of this memorial.  We took Anthony, Alex, Lendi, Lee, and Landry's picture in front of the Tennessee column.  

This is Landry standing in front of the Vietnam Memorial. There were a lot of roses and letters left at this wall.


Tony and Anthony are at the Korean War Memorial.  
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Alex is standing in front of a wall that says "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE" which  is at the Korean War Memorial.  



Sometimes we get busy planning our Memorial Day get togethers and picnics and we forget what we are really supposed to be remembering on this very important holiday.  Our freedom really is not free.  It is/was very costly to many families. 


This a portion of an e-mail that I received:

It is the soldier, 
not the President, 
who gives us Democracy.

It is the soldier, 
not the Congress,
who takes care of us.

It is the soldier, 
not the reporter, 
who has given us Freedom of Press.

It is the soldier, 
not the poet, 
who has given us Freedom of Speech.

It is the soldier, 
not the campus organizer,
who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag, 
who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag, 
that allows the protestor to burn the flag.

-Father Dennis O'Brien
U.S. Marine Corp Chaplain


Sunday, May 17, 2009

A Role Model for Mother's Day

This is an article that was in a Blount County Children's Home newsletter several years ago. It was brought to my attention again when Glenda Harrill read it at the Mother's Day Service at Oak View last week. Dad bought me a copy of the service and when I listened to it I had to dig out my copy.


19 Years of Watching Them Sleep...

The day we had to lay off Ms. Dorothy Keeble at the age of 82 was the end of an era at the Children's Home. Dorothy, mother of County Commissioner, John Keeble, had worked here since 1984 as one of our overnight support staff. She worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at least three nights a week. In those 19 years, over 700 children, boys and girls, came through our doors. They would go to bed at night knowing they were safe with Ms. Dorothy watching over them. In the earlier years her nights were spent doing the children's laundry, doing bed checks, and fixing breakfast for the morning. Her breakfast didn't consist of a bowl of cold cereal, No, our Ms. Dorothy was known for her biscuits and gravy. Many times the last thing a child might say to her before they went to sleep was "could you please make biscuits and gravy in the morning?" Her blueberry muffins were better than any bakery. I dare say she matched and folded more socks in those 19 years than most mothers do in a lifetime! Ms. Dorothy was never too busy to sit and listen to a child tell her their problems during the night or comfort a new child who might be brought here in the wee hours of the morning.

In June, when I wrote her last check, I did it with tears in my eyes knowing this fine woman had given so much to so many children and how sad for those children who would not ever get the chance to let her make a difference in their lives. Thank you, Ms. Dorothy for touching my life and those of all the staff who have been here over the years.



I have several women I could tell you about who are/were good motherly role models, and wow, Mammy was a good one. I remember when this article was written and how it may not have been until then that I realized how much she was needed at the Children's Home. I know that the kids there loved her but not all of them were lovable. When we would go on vacation, we would wait until Mammy got home from work and leave as soon as she was able. One morning on the way to the beach, we were stopping for breakfast when she realized someone at the Children's Home had stolen her money. We usually had everything paid for before leaving for the beach and we cooked many meals in the house so there was not a need for a lot of money, other than the independence it affords you. I also later realized that independence was a very important reason for keeping her job at the Children's Home. Mammy was nothing if not independent.

How lucky all those kids were to have a grandmother there for them, too. She may have been the only grandmother they had.

Out With the Old...

About four years ago we had an addition to our family. This addition to our family got a LOT of attention, received a lot of care, and was truly loved. By some of us. Some definitely more than others. This boat was like Tony's third child. When she arrived, she made her home in the garage. She kicked the truck right out. Of course, a boat can't be out in the rain. It might get wet. Huh?

There was never any question that she would be a part of our family F.O.R.E.V.E.R. Tony would never dream of getting rid of her. Or moving her out of the garage. Or not waxing her every other week. Until... that day in April at a bass tournament, when she was in 2nd place, and she betrayed him. Her engine rebelled and gave it up. She became useless. What is a boat without a motor? NOT OUR BOAT. She was sold soooo fast. On Craig's List one day and in another garage in Anderson County another. This boat that was so loved was dropped like a hot potato. This is her getting hooked up to her new truck to go to her new home with her new family in her new garage. She looks a little sad doesn't she?

AND THEN...

Before the garage was even cold in moves this beauty. The newest member of our family. She is bigger, faster, longer, heavier, wider... The new love of his life.

She even matches his truck. She was meant to be. Until her engine blows. Then she, too, will be out. Finished. Gone. Forgotten.

I'm glad I'm not a boat.
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