Hello/Goodbye

Dear 2011,

So long, farewell!  You were a good year to us! Thanks for the many blessings!

Love,

Teeter

Dear 2012,

Looking forward to a new and incredible year!

I promise to spend more time blogging our crazy life.

Happy New Year!

Love,

Teeter

This dog................

This Dog....

...Was originally named Edison.....

...Stole my heart completely one day from inside a kennel at the humane society.....

...Came from a insanely abusive home....

...Sadly understood the real meaning of hunger....

...Caused me to plead all day to Big Daddy to just go see him at the humane society and be interviewed so we could adopt....

...Made me have a plan B (a male friend was going to go and interview as Big Daddy) just in case Big Daddy refused to go for the interview....I still remember Big Daddy calling me at work and saying...."Get off a few minutes early and go get your new dog"

...Threw up all over my best friend on the way to his new home....

...Was named Chester after he became a member of our family....

...Belonged to the boy in this picture....

...Was TERRIFIED of storms....and could sense them coming at least 50 miles away. We also knew when a storm was coming by his pacing....

...Could open the back door to get inside our house...especially when we weren't home...

...Hated to be confined....and would tear the curtains off the wall if he got caught in the garage.

...Will forever have a doggie door in our garage (solution to the line above)...

...Would get on top all the new cars (Wormie's and Xbox's) the came into our driveway...maybe his way of Marking them....because he would always leave marks on the hood....aka Chester the Car Molester....

...Worshiped Molly, our mini dachshund. They were known as Molly Mae and Chessie Ray

...Caused Xbox to climb in his fort and stay for hours when Big Daddy would got mad enough to think about finding Chester a new home.....

...Caused several disagreements between me and Big Daddy...because Mom's always go to war for their babies!

...Had grown old here with us....and the fur on his face had turned almost completely white.

...Had surgery last summer to remove a growth....and we prayed it would not come back...but it came back and with avengence...
...Ate a rabbit...just last night. He and Molly would always chase the rabbits in the vineyard.

...will be greatly missed....but always remembered....

...finally got to go find his Molly Mae...once again...just this afternoon.

Rest is peace, Chessie!

I will miss your loving 'welcome home' greetings in the afternoons.

Thanks for showing us so many years of unconditional love.

I love you!

Xbox Prom Volume Two

The the lens of Wormie! :) Good job ladies on the pictures... I love them!

Xbox Prom Volume One

Thru the eyes of 2Shaye~

I will put Wormie's view when she blogs her pictures.

I feel so lost without pic of my own...but I know the girls would do the best job.

Catch up time - So tonight I'm heading back to Denver...Part 1

So Im getting way behind on my blogging.....so tonight i'll start start again....and try to stay in date order! Some friends of ours get to call Colorado their home state. It's a gorgeous place. I loved it out there! Big Daddy and I had a great time....we walked miles and miles everyday....and ended the day with a stroll down 16th Street. We took pictures on 2 cameras...and we have only downloaded from one...we'll have to wait for 2Shaye to bring home the cable...but for now...enjoy the ones I do have! A room with a view! :) Daytime view....Rocky Mountains Night time view - Overlooking 16th Street Wind chimes.... Denver style....they sounded amazing. I have a feeling we will have some of these in Shoals before long. Notice Big Daddy taking in the details. An afternoon stroll down to the Platte River. A sign said...it's not as clean as it looks. I found this strange since this is a city that didn't just trash cans...they had Landfill containers, Compost containers (where all food and paper products were placed) and Recycle containers. Sorting trash was 2nd nature to them all. Another oddity..... everyone there smokes or so it seems.! Coming from tobacco road....and home of RJR....where it's taboo to light up in public. Out there....everywhere you look...folks of all ages have their ciggypuffs.

An interesting architectural structure in the middle of town....looks like something off a boat. I am sure it has a meaning....but I havent taken time to find out....but I will.

How many Starbucks does 16th Street need.....oh about 37....seriously. One of MANY cool buildings The iconic 'Big Blue Bear' at the convention center. I spent my days with him! THE coolest bookstore in the nation! In a very old building...with creaky old floors....coffee counter...many used books....and a few new ones. In an upscale, refurbished neighborhood...someone crocheted these flowers and tied them to a fence...it was very, very cool! They adorned the fence for a long stretch. Thought of my girls and Jenny Lynn immediately! Union station. Clock tower on 16th street. Each night it was a different color. This little guy...was from a vendor.....and we have decided he should go with us on all trips...and have his picture made for my blog. We named him 'Go Monkey'. Wormie said she would make him a cooler shirt. more to come.....when I can get the pictures downloaded.

Me and Big Daddy will be in here......in 3 days. A city we've both wanted to visit but never have. I cannot wait to spend 5 days here with him.

Just me and my girls.............

Tomorrow.... 2Shaye and I leave for Chartown....to hang out with Wormie for a few days. I can hardly wait........to be lazy........to go shopping......to walk in the rain.....to go downtown......to sleep on her couch......to eat out.....to buy cameras..... BUT MOSTLY..... just spend some time with these 2 girls that I proudly call mine!

Trains

Today.....I heard a train whistle blowing. I was walking into work in an office building downtown when I was almost to the door when I heard the train coming. I stopped, turned around and went back to my car. I put down my 3 bags and leaned up against my car to watch it go by. You see....I have always loved trains. My brother had one when we were little. He stored it in an old brown suitcase. It would put out a faint smoke ring....and occasionally I will smell something electrical that reminds of Mark's train. I probably loved that train as much as he did.

I started reading 'Water for Elephants' a few weeks ago....and there was a part about a guy that just decided to jump a train....and go wherever it took him....which got me thinking about trains again. Sidenote: I am going to Denver at the end of the month....and I tried to talk Big Daddy into going by train...but it's an 18 hour trip by train....and he has work deadlines....anyway....no train trip this time....so back to my story....

I decided.....today.....that I would stop my world briefly....to watch this train that grabbed my attention. It was a Southern Norfolk....pulled by 2 engines. It was 69 car lengths long.....mostly hauling Corn Products. There was only one reddish brown cargo car with an open door.....and it I thought about my book....and wondered how many people still jump into open cargo doors just to get to the next town the train stops in. There were flat bed cars hauling scrap metal. Some of silver cars has gang graffiti painted on them. I saw a man walking between the engines...and for the first time realized here was a door on the very front of the engine. I thought they just climbed the ladder to get into the engine. The caboose was NOT red....unfortunately.

I love trains....even when I'm in a hurry and waiting for them to pass.... I still love to watch them. I realize many people get annoyed waiting for them to pass because of the nature of our busy worlds....but I am still facinated.

Wormie has a train track near her apartment....and when we're on the phone....sometimes I can hear 'her train'. I always comment..."There goes your train". 2Shaye and I are going to spend a few nights with her....I can't wait to hear the 2am train.

So thankful Xbox is really Normally Abnormal!

Xbox was injured in a game a few weeks ago. I took him to see an orthopedic doc to check out his injuries. He had separated his growth plate at the top of his pelvic area known as Iliac Crest. Very painful injury and will take months to heal. And you know...technology opens the way to see other things. 2 - his ball and socket joint didn't line up correctly but will hopefully straighten out when he's finished growing. Yelp ... his growth plates are still open so he has some more growing to do. He's already 6'2. Then the doc tells me.... "and we have an area down lower that seems typically benign but it's on the bone so we need really need to make sure it's not a weak spot...we just dont want to miss anything". Me always being a worry wart over everything....my wheels immediately go into a full, racing spinning mode. I agreed that it needed to be checked further and let them order a CT scan. Then we went to check out......and make an appointment with a bone specialist. I took her first appointment which was to wait 2 weeks for the results. I tried not to over process things..... i had specifically asked his doc 3 times.. benign? benign? benign? he always said yes....that is what the radiologist is considering it. So today...finally... was the day to go to the Orthopedic surgeon that is considered the bone specialist with little man. Since I took the new doctors first available appointment....we were scheduled in the Cancer Center....which unnerved the man that doesnt ever get excited...Big Daddy. Xbox didnt even seem to notice. Wormie has seen doctors in that area...its the newest clinic area and where all the best radiology machines are...but it's just scary.

The new Doc comes in.....tells us quickly that when he is a normal young man.....and apparently when he was injured at the iliac crest...also caused his hamstring to whip and shear off a small part of his bone....leaving that area dark. Shew law! What a relief. I guess she could tell i was about to bounce off the wall...not to mention the hives.

He cant lift weights for a while......but he can stretch. He is so tight from growing so fast...they think this is causing most of his issues. So yoga might be in store for him..... :)

We are beyond Thankful that he is healthy. Thank you God!

I am attaching a pix....and i tried to white out and gray out areas he didnt want displayed....so I could resist a little art on the pix....afterall....It's the least he owed me for the worry. :)

I love you Xbox!

5 things I wish I could do.......

Inspired by these 2................2Shaye and Wormie

5 things I wish I could do.............

1- walk into a crowded room and be completely at ease with the mingling scene. I'm terrible at small talk with strangers.

2 - Know as much as plants and flowers as my co-worker, Sarasally. I am amazed by her knowledge of plants.

3 - is be more of a gourmet cook. Not be afraid to be a more adventrous cook with finicky ingredients.

4 - travel more to places unknown.

5 - walk without that nagging tendon/ligament pain in my left leg that came from an injury as a child.

.....and to the girls....from Big Daddy......your song is inspired by your lists.

Valentine's Day Love

Big Daddy and I decided that instead of the typical gift giving on Valentine's Day.....we would simply eat dinner by a candle after Xbox's game. Simple and sweet. He knows I would not want any other Valentine than him....and I'm pretty darn sure the feeling is mutual.

About 2am as I waking up from a fitful dream (as I have said before...no one dies peaceful in their sleep....some boogie is about to get them and their heart is beating 200 bpm just like mine was that night). Anyway I got up to get a glass of water to try and get the spookywebs out of my head before I tried to go back to sleep. On the way to the kitchen...I spied the girl's candy that I had bought to mail for them.....but didn't...such a bad mama! In that bag was a box of these.....Charms Blow Pops in a cute valentine box....all 3.00 worth of a gift!

Big Daddy loves these suckers and I had bought them prior to our deciding to only exchange love and not gifts. So I just decided to put them out on the counter beside the coffee pot.



When I got up.....he had that..."I thought we had a deal" look. I told him I had bought those weeks ago....and couldn't stand NOT to give them to him. So he quickly opens the box....and hand me the first one and said.... "I'll give you the first one because those are always the best one....and I'll give you the last one when I've finished the others.... since you always save the best things for last". That is in true Big Daddy style....always giving to me...the best part of anything he has.

Before we left for Xbox's basketball game..... he had made me this....It was actually bright pink like the outline all over..not sure what happened when I uploaded the picture.

As simple as this day was.....I truly felt loved and had be best Valentine Day ever! From now on....simple candle lit dinners and hand made cards!

Big Daddy want to contribute to the blog!

Big Daddy has decided to think of a weekly song for me to blog. The songs will be the ones that make him stop and think of our kids. Music is the universal love language....and he has taught his 'babies' to love this language.

Today is the first song....and an early Valentine's Day song for his girls!

You have my heart!

Love you girls!
Dad

Wormie's Day

Today is her birthday.....my first born....one of the loves of my life. Enjoy your day wormie...you are in a whole new world ...with a world of opportunites just for you. We are so proud of everything you've accomplished! We love you!

The best laid plans of mice and men...........

.....often go astray!

That happens to be one of my Dad's favorite and often used quotes of all time. Tonight..it was my turn to use it!



Before dinner, Big Daddy and Xbox were carrying on about who was gonna take the tickets to the Wake vs. Duke game on Saturday afternoon. It turned into a playful tussle.......with Big Daddy telling Xbox that he was taking me....and Ryan begging to go. They were wrestling around.....and talking about who was going with who....making big plans. You see....even as bad as Wake is this year....they are still big Wake fans. So yes...they are true fans...even in the lean years. I'm still struggling with the thoughts of how much the season tickets were.....even though Big Daddy knew it would be a bad year. He just wants us to be able keep the seats that we've worked up to get over the past 10 years.....for when we have an empty nest and have time to enjoy the games when it's just him....and me. As they were 'arguing' about who was going to the game....Xbox's school mom (one of my truest friends who works at the school) called to tell me that their game scheduled for Friday night had been moved until ....you guessed it..... Saturday afternoon.

Xbox was not happy about missing the game...and just said... 'noooooooooooo'. Big Daddy said...that's ok...I have a better game to watch now. Spoken like a true Xbox fan! :)

Big Daddy pipes up 'I guess I can sell these tickets' to which I replied....To WHO...no Wake fan will pay money to see that slaughter. He said...well maybe plenty of Dukies would like to buy them. This might be the first time the Joel is packed with more Duke fans than Wake fans.

Best laid plans of Xbox and Big Daddy often go astray!

I love THIS kid

Can you find him? Look closely. He's the 8th from the left.........

Now that you counted....it might have been easier saying 4th from the right....but he's sooo worth the extra work!

THIS kid has a great outlook on life, family, friends and FOOD (and lots of it). He is also a Jesus Freak like 2Shaye! She got him hooked up w/ Younglife. And to think of it...Wormie turned 2Shaye onto Younglife...so it really is a handed-down kind of love.

THIS kid....has the greatest friends of all time. Seriously...they have been very close for so many years. The sad part....for THIS kid.... they are all seniors...and he's a junior...so they will all leave him this fall as they take off for college. Most of them are going to NCSU..... and with 2Shaye there...Im thinking my house will be very empty on the weekends in the coming year as he spends time with them. His friends are unbelievably supportive of each other. They are each other's biggest fans. And when they arent playing sports...they are there being the BEST student section that the Cardinals have EVER had! They go all out in find garb to match their personalities. It was this group ..... that create and gave life to 'The Red Men'.

These are the original Red Men. They all bought these spiritsuits before a Younglife Camp and instantly became legendary. Many have tried to imitiate them but they will never be duplicated. Seen here with a Teacher. They are typically at all sporting events for the ones not playing. They run out the football teams...they show up at basketball games...have been asked to go to the Middle School.....they are loved by all that know them. They are famous!

This happens to be one of my favorite pix of all time. The Red Men are so far in the distance but they stand out to the point of almost glowing.

Only their personalities could pull off this look! Big Daddy didn't even recognize Xbox dressed like this.

The best part of tonight..... these boys will be making landfall into our home again. I love them all! They know how to have fun.....and enjoy the best things in life. They typically spend one night a week together.....making memories that will forever be burned into their memories. Our home is always happy when it's our turn to host 'the gang'! They know what true friendship means.....and will always be brothers to each other.

A challenge....and I accepted!

Inspired by Nonny..... I will do my best to accept this challenge. 52 letters in 52 weeks. I have several people in my life that would love to get a piece of real mail....and for some....it would make their week. I will do my best to keep this up. Thanks Nonny for being an inspiration.

On a cold winter's evening...........

Nothing says home....like a comforting, rustic meal. Big Daddy offered to cook up one of his favorites over the fire.....Loaded hotdogs!

Stretch it out....

Easy killer...at least make it look like work! AND can you get that recliner any closer to the fire..somehow the fire marshall's would not be happy with this. Kids do not try this at home. Only professionals should attempt this.

And I fixed a pound cake in a funky little bundt pan.... PS thanks to a dear friend, Ms. A, who fixed us a pound cake for Christmas and now has Big Daddy on a pound cake kick.