December 4, 2010
December 3, 2010
Brothers & Sisters...and I don't mean the TV show!
So for my fifth post in five days (whoa, look out!) I'll be filling you in on two of my favorite people...my big sister and big brother!!
Meet my Big Brother, RSM aka the BEST BIG BROTHER IN THE WORLD (other than WP, who of course is an amazing big brother to CE!) I've been trying to think of a proper description for my brother and there is so much I want to tell y'all about him, but I think the easiest and most accurate way to describe him is this:
He's a avid hunter, but not a fighter, he's a protector and a provider, he's a role model to his kids and others, he's an awesome dad who actually cares about his kids and how they are doing, he's married to a pretty lady that he loves with all his heart, he's demonstrated how to make a marriage work in an era when divorce is all too common, he likes to fish and sit out in the cold way to early in the am, he's got a laugh that fills the whole room and he's pretty dang funny, he's smarter than he gives himself credit for, he's the reason I graduated from EHS, he'll be there for you if you ever need him no matter what...he's an all around great guy and I think I'm pretty darn lucky to call him my brother!!
Meet my sister, one of my best friends!
I'm pretty lucky that my sister and I live so close...how we both ended up in GA is pretty wild since we're from a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but having her so close was a blessing while I was in law school and now that I'm a mommy of two it's nice to know I can call on her to help out or just to visit with us! I'm sure you've heard the saying "Sisters by chance, Friends by choice" or something like that...well in our case it's amazing that we are as close as we are given the age difference between us...I won't tell you how many years so as not to annoy my sister. I was a second marriage baby so let's just say the split is more than 5 and leave it at that!
When I was little, my favorite thing was to hang out with my big sister. I'm sure my hanging out with her, was not necessarily her favorite thing to do on a Saturday when she was in high school but she never made me feel like I was a nuisance or a pain. She was so much fun...music blaring, dancing like a fool, playing dress up, going to the beach!! My mom likes to tell the story of me crawling into my sister's closet when she left for college because it smelled like her and I missed her so much.
My sister has three great kids and she is a wonderful mom. She has taught me a lot about being a mom and I thank her for that. I know I can call her and tell her about my crazy day with the kids and she'll get it, she'll let me vent if I've had enough of reading Baby Elf's Christmas or if WP or CE have been driving me up the wall and she'll just listen and not judge...and everyone needs some one like that in in their life!
So, if you haven't been able to tell, I think I'm pretty darn lucky to have a big brother and sister that I respect so much and that have been such good examples for me.
I love you both!!
December 2, 2010
All about the 'rents!
Wow, I'm really on a roll! Four posts in the last four days!! Today's topic for the 30 in 30 asks that I post about my parents.
This photo is of DH and me with my parents the night of our engagement party.
My mom is an amazing mom and as I have gotten older, she has become a dear friend. Originally, from PA, she has lived all over the country (from Richmond, VA, to LA to Massachusetts to the Eastern Shore of Maryland). She is a hard worker dedicated to the students that she taught and to the teachers she supervised and mentored during her time working as a teacher, supervisor, and director. Most recently, she has taken over my dad's position as Delegate and I have watched her demonstrate the same dedication to this job...honestly, I wonder where all of her strength comes from. She is a wonderful role model!! She has the patience of Job and then some (trust me I definitely tested that patience a time or two). She is a bit of a worrier but it comes from her heart! She does everything she can to ensure that those she loves are well taken care of even if that means sacrificing her own needs!
I never realized how hard my mom worked until I became a working mom myself. She did two jobs amazingly well...her day job (teacher, supervisor, etc) and her 24/7 job (being a mom, cook, maid, boo-boo healer, cheerleader, homework helper, permanent dictionary/word speller, etc). It was so hard for me to juggle my day job and be a mommy to WP that I knew when CE arrived I would be staying home. We are fortunate that we can afford to do this, my mom didn't have that luxury. But still, she managed to juggle everything in her life and make it to my softball or basketball games or my girl scout meetings or the choir concert. I never doubted that she would be there to support me in whatever activity I had going on...I don't know how she did it but she did! Thanks mom for everything!!
My dad recently passed away. It's still hard to believe that he is gone. When I was little, I remember thinking that he was a giant, so strong. That is how I'd like to remember him rather than the frail cancer stricken man that he was at the end. Even when the cancer had taken a hold of him, he still fought hard for the people he represented from District 38 A, he wanted nothing more than to serve them the way he had for the seven years prior to his death. He was a hard worker, a provider for our family.
I am so thankful that he got to meet WP (whose middle name is after my dad) and spend some time with him. I will always remember the last time we saw my dad. My sister was carring WP out of the hospital room and as they started to leave, I told WP to tell Grandpa "bye-bye," ever so innocently, WP reached out and gave dad a kiss. I hope my dad was able to hold onto that memory in some sense as he passed away.
My dad's last wish was to meet his granddaugther, unfortunately, he passed away two months before CE was born. But I know that my dad is looking down on her and the rest of us!
Like most parent/child relationships, my relationship with my parents was not perfect or easy. I tested them, that's for sure, but looking back, I realize that no matter how bad I tried to be, they would (and are) always there for me. Now, a parent myself, I hope that my children will think I'm as good of a mom as I think mine is. If they do, I'll be honored!
December 1, 2010
First Loves
Many times, I've told people that I fell in love with DH the first night I met him and I'm not kidding. From the moment I saw him sitting at the other end of the table, I knew there was something different about him. But he captured my heart forever when he got up on stage and sang karaoke for me. Over the course of the next 2.5 years as I got to know DH more and more I realized what love was. Love is more than a feeling, it's more than a state of mind, there are no words good enough to express what love can do to someone. For me, DH turned me into a better person! I finally discovered my purpose in life and I had found the person that I wanted to face each day, each challenge, each high and low with. DH was (and still is) my prince charming.
So while there were other guys in the past, they don't qualify as "loves" rather they were merely stepping stones leading me towards my first love...DH!
November 30, 2010
Day 2 of 30 in 30!
I'm taking full advantage of CE sitting calmly in her swing and WP happily reading Christmas books to write today's post! Before I jump into today's topic, let me tell you about the joys of having a 3 month old and an almost 19 month old...ha ha! Last night was the worst night we have had in a while. DH would probably disagree with that statement and say his worst night was while were at Daddy Bill's when WP woke up at 3:00 am and he and DH had to spend the rest of the night on the couch but that's a story for another day. Today, it's all about the 3 month growth spurt and the cutting of the 1-yr. molars...or what I refer to as the Night from Hell!!
WP went down at his normal time (around 8-8:15) and didn't make too much of a fuss. CE was her normal needy self wanting to nurse on an off from 7:30-9:00 but she too went to bed around 9:30 without too much of a fuss. Being so tired myself, I headed straight to bed after putting CE down only to be awakened at 10:45 by my handsome little man crying for no reason. He quickly settled down thankfully, because at around 1:00 am, CE was wide awake and begging for some food. It took a while, but she was finally back in her crib at 3:30ish and would normally have slept until 5:30-6. However, last night WP decided that he would start screaming at 4:15ish for roughly 20 minutes from what I can only guess is teething pains. While he went back to sleep, CE did not. So DH went and got her and she and I snuggled down on the couch for another feeding session. Luckily, she fell back asleep pretty quickly this time and I was back in bed before 5:00 am. Only problem, WP's been on a kick where he wakes up between 5:00 and 5:30am and he screams until he gets his juice and some snuggles with DH which means my sleep was non-existent last night.
When I was still working, and WP had a night like last night, I could make it through the day at work by hanging low in my office and taking a nap at lunch time but when you are a SAHM, you don't have the option of hanging low or taking a nap (unless you are lucky enough to get both kids to take at nap at the same time). So today is bound to be miserable!
Okay, enough complaining...now on to the true purpose of this post, The Meaning Behind My Blog's Name.
Well our blog's name is pretty sample - Thomson Tales. Since our blog is all about our lives and we use it mainly for our families to keep them up to date on all things Thomson related, I didn't feel the need to come up with a witty name. Our blog's name may not be funny or creative but it fits our blog just fine!
So until tomorrow...
WP went down at his normal time (around 8-8:15) and didn't make too much of a fuss. CE was her normal needy self wanting to nurse on an off from 7:30-9:00 but she too went to bed around 9:30 without too much of a fuss. Being so tired myself, I headed straight to bed after putting CE down only to be awakened at 10:45 by my handsome little man crying for no reason. He quickly settled down thankfully, because at around 1:00 am, CE was wide awake and begging for some food. It took a while, but she was finally back in her crib at 3:30ish and would normally have slept until 5:30-6. However, last night WP decided that he would start screaming at 4:15ish for roughly 20 minutes from what I can only guess is teething pains. While he went back to sleep, CE did not. So DH went and got her and she and I snuggled down on the couch for another feeding session. Luckily, she fell back asleep pretty quickly this time and I was back in bed before 5:00 am. Only problem, WP's been on a kick where he wakes up between 5:00 and 5:30am and he screams until he gets his juice and some snuggles with DH which means my sleep was non-existent last night.
When I was still working, and WP had a night like last night, I could make it through the day at work by hanging low in my office and taking a nap at lunch time but when you are a SAHM, you don't have the option of hanging low or taking a nap (unless you are lucky enough to get both kids to take at nap at the same time). So today is bound to be miserable!
Okay, enough complaining...now on to the true purpose of this post, The Meaning Behind My Blog's Name.
Well our blog's name is pretty sample - Thomson Tales. Since our blog is all about our lives and we use it mainly for our families to keep them up to date on all things Thomson related, I didn't feel the need to come up with a witty name. Our blog's name may not be funny or creative but it fits our blog just fine!
So until tomorrow...
November 29, 2010
30 Posts in 30 Days!
With the rush of the holiday season, I am going to try not to neglect my blog, I have shamelessly stolen a game of blog prompts from another blog I read, Sugar Britches. The goal is to post the 30 posts in 30 days... Hopefully I will be able to accomplish this!
Post 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Post 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Post 3-Your first love
Post 4-Your parents
Post 5-Your siblings
Post 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Post 7-Favorite movies
Post 8-A place you've traveled to
Post 9-A picture of your friends
Post 10-Something you're afraid of
Post 11-Favorite tv shows
Post 12-What you believe
Post 13-Goals
Post 14-A picture you love
Post 15-Bible verse
Post 16-Dream house
Post 17-Something you're looking forward to
Post 18-Something you regret
Post 19-Something you miss
Post 20-Nicknames
Post 21-Picture of yourself
Post 22-Favorite city
Post 23-Favorite vacation
Post 24-Something you've learned
Post 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Post 26-Picture of your family
Post 27-Pets
Post 28-Something that stresses you out
Post 29-3 Wishes
Post 30-a picture
Ok, lets get started!
Post 1 - Introduction, Recent Photo and 15 Interesting Facts
Interest Facts:
1. I fell in love with DH the first night we met!
2. My oldest nephew is actually closer in age to me than my sister
3. When I was little I wanted to be a preacher, I used to give sermons to my stuffed animals - of course I don't remember this, but my mom claims it's true.
4. I have crooked pinkies.
5. CE, my niece and I have the same middle name
6. I love to cook, but hate to bake
7. I've been to Spain, Italy, England, Scotland, and Canada but have barely seen 1/3 of the United States
8. I actually enjoy watching sports on tv...which is a good thing since DH is obsessive about his sports!
9. I want to have at least one more child, but am open to having two more!
10. I love the smell of good coffee but can't stand the taste of it!
11. My ideal afternoon involves curling up with a good book and a cup of tea
12. I went to boarding school when I was 14
13. I really hated being a lawyer from day one but stuck with it for a few years to make my parents happy...
14. I LOVE BEING A STAY AT HOME MOM
15. We have an English Bulldog named Rocko but we hate UGA!!
Post 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts
Post 2-Meaning behind your blog name
Post 3-Your first love
Post 4-Your parents
Post 5-Your siblings
Post 6-A picture of something that makes you happy
Post 7-Favorite movies
Post 8-A place you've traveled to
Post 9-A picture of your friends
Post 10-Something you're afraid of
Post 11-Favorite tv shows
Post 12-What you believe
Post 13-Goals
Post 14-A picture you love
Post 15-Bible verse
Post 16-Dream house
Post 17-Something you're looking forward to
Post 18-Something you regret
Post 19-Something you miss
Post 20-Nicknames
Post 21-Picture of yourself
Post 22-Favorite city
Post 23-Favorite vacation
Post 24-Something you've learned
Post 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs
Post 26-Picture of your family
Post 27-Pets
Post 28-Something that stresses you out
Post 29-3 Wishes
Post 30-a picture
Ok, lets get started!
Post 1 - Introduction, Recent Photo and 15 Interesting Facts
I'm Katie! A 28-year old stay at home mom of two beautiful children (WP and CE), a wife, a Christian, a former attorney, a cook, a full time laundry goddess, a maid, a sister, a daugther, a friend, a huge college football fan, etc.
This picture of CE and me was taking at DH's grandparents' house on Thanksgiving...there aren't too many recent photos of me since I just had a baby and don't like how I look in any photos!!
But this is what I would like to look like again...
Interest Facts:
1. I fell in love with DH the first night we met!
2. My oldest nephew is actually closer in age to me than my sister
3. When I was little I wanted to be a preacher, I used to give sermons to my stuffed animals - of course I don't remember this, but my mom claims it's true.
4. I have crooked pinkies.
5. CE, my niece and I have the same middle name
6. I love to cook, but hate to bake
7. I've been to Spain, Italy, England, Scotland, and Canada but have barely seen 1/3 of the United States
8. I actually enjoy watching sports on tv...which is a good thing since DH is obsessive about his sports!
9. I want to have at least one more child, but am open to having two more!
10. I love the smell of good coffee but can't stand the taste of it!
11. My ideal afternoon involves curling up with a good book and a cup of tea
12. I went to boarding school when I was 14
13. I really hated being a lawyer from day one but stuck with it for a few years to make my parents happy...
14. I LOVE BEING A STAY AT HOME MOM
15. We have an English Bulldog named Rocko but we hate UGA!!
November 28, 2010
Hip Hip Hooray, it's the Holidays!!
What a blessed Thanksgiving celebration we had! We piled into the car and hit the road early am on Thursday headed north to see DH's grandparents and daddy. Thankfully, the kids were angels in the car (and throughout the day). We made the trip in record time thanks to DH's speedy but safe driving. Mom-Betty had quite the feast for us - Turkey, Ham, Mac & Cheese, Cream Corn, Greenbeans, Cranberry Sauce, Pineapple Casserole, Stuffing, Fruit Salad Sweet Potato Cobbler and DH's favorite, Banana Pudding! We ate our fill and then some. The Sweet Potato Cobbler and Banana Pudding were big hits with WP and of course he near about ate his weight in fruit salad. After all that eating and celebrating with Mom-Betty, Poppa and Uncle Lynn, we headed back to DH's daddy's house to nap and watch football. A perfect Thanksgiving.
On Friday, we mustered up the courage to venture out to the Anderson mall. We took the kids to see Santa...WP is not a huge fan of Santa this year but CE was an angel as always! Going to see Santa on Black Friday is one of the best ideas we've had...there was no wait! We were in and out in less than 20 minutes and that included waiting on the pictures!! After our visit with Santa, we headed to the shoe store where DH used to get his shoes when he was a kid to find WP some new dress shoes. WP is in a size 6-6.5 at 18 months sounds like he's growing just fine to me!! Once our errands were finished, we headed back to Daddy Bill's house where I successfully managed to take a photo of the kids for our Christmas cards. They were dressed so nicely from their trip to see Santa, I figured I would kill to birds with one stone!!
Friday night, DH's cousins came over for dinner. It was nice to catch up with them and to show off Will and Caroline. They brought Caroline a sugar bowl which be has been in DH's family for at least 96 years and in perfect condition. What a wonderful gift! When Will was born, they gave Will a toy shovel which had belonged to his great-great grandfather. I just love family treasures!!
Ok, picture time...
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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