Seven Years Ago, Today...

Seven years ago today, I was 20 years old working at the Georgia Club as a cart girl. It was the summer after my Sophomore year in college and I was two weeks away from making my big, exciting move to Nashville (well, technically Murfreesboro, but Nashville sounds way better!) I worked a long shift at the golf course on this day, seven years ago. My friend Kelly Marlowe talked me in to going downtown Athens with her that night. I was tired and REALLY just wanted to stay home but I was coaxed in to a night out on the town.

John was 22 and had moved from Athens to Arkansas where he was working on a rice farm. He was living the simple life, by the river in an old cabin. He came home to Georgia to help his parents move back to their old stomping grounds in Arksansas. He had gone downtown Athens the night before and was worn out from that night out. His friends talked him in to another night out out on the town...

I was wearing a black baby doll type shirt and a knee length blue jean skirt. Both conservative and cute but not my style right now! I had on a circular turqouise necklace I bought from Target. I loved that necklace!

Kelly DRUG me to Firehouse, a bar on Clayton Street. The first hour or so there was pretty dull until we found a group of folks we knew and starting hanging out with. I do remember sitting at a table and literally wanting to fall asleep I was so tired. Slowly, but surely, August 3rd turned to August 4th and it was two hours until closing time. I was talking to some random guy because I noticed he had a military tag on and I made some comment about it so he stopped me to talk. He was very friendly but he just kept talking and frankly, he was boring. I was looking for Kelly and thinking about how I was going to get away from this guy when I turned around and saw a vision... oh, I'm so dramatic. Little did I know that vision was...

MY FUTURE HUSBAND!

What I really saw was an old worn out Stetson that some guy was wearing. I turned back around to the guy who was still rambling and said, "Hang on one second." I turned around and walked right up to John. (So, I picked him up, just for the record!)

Well, at the time, I was not aware he would be my husband but he was standing there, tall and thin and very cute, and very tan. I remember everything he was wearing that night but the only thing that caught my eye was the old worn out Stetson. I had a "thing" for the cowboy/country look if you will! A phase, some people call it. He was wearing Levi's and a short sleeve button down shirt. He remembers not particularly liking what he was wearing that night. I walked up to him, took off his hat (how annoying, why did I do that?) and he said, "Why does every girl take off my cowboy hat."

Kind of embarrased, I put the hat back on his head and turned to walk away. "Wait!" he said. I turned back around and we started chatting. I remember trying to listen to what he was saying. Something about his dad being in a band and him coming home to help his parents move to Arkansas where he was living. I told him that I was just a couple of weeks away from moving to Tennessee. But all I could think about the whole time we were talking was, "I wonder if he's wearing cowboy boots." I remember I was standing very close to him because the bar was crowded and I really wanted to see if he was wearing cowboy boots. He remembers me awkwardly looking down and wondered why I was staring at his feet. It was dark and crowded, so it took me a while to figure it out but finally I saw them... Yes! Cowboy boots! (My my, I was young and apparently this was a very important attribute at the time!)

Kelly remembers me finding her and saying, "Kelly, guess what? I found my cowboy!" Can you believe seven years ago, RIGHT NOW, I was getting off of work and was about to meet my husband and the father of my two precious little boys? What a GREAT DAY! I'm SO glad John was wearing the hat that caught my attention and I am so glad Kelly coaxed me in to going out that night!

And just for the record, we must repeat the pick up line he used when he called me two days after we met. Kelli Magee, you remember this because you were with me! He called and my voicemail picked up and he said, "Hey girl, I was just wondering if you saw the sunset today, cause I ordered it for ya... this is John." Oh, wow... let's just say he better be glad he was wearing that Stetson!

Brooks wearing the hat that brought his mommy and daddy together!

And, We're Back!

As I sit here at my computer tonight, I can't help but smile. The laundry is completely done (and has stayed that way ever since I decided it would;)), supper for tomorrow night is planned and ready to be cooked, my carpet just got cleaned, my husband just cut our grass and edged our yard. I bought pretty new plants and new mulch and weed-ate (ha!) for a good 4 hours. My hands are sore but they are worth it. I have totally junk-proofed our house. Like totally got rid of JUNK. I sent about 15 bags of clothes to good will. My husband and I cleaned out the garage and are getting ready to paint and pressure wash it to garage heaven! My floors our clean, my baby room for Max is set up and ready along with his large entourage of clothes from Brooks, Jack and Gabe. My closet is so organized. And the clutter is gone. THE CLUTTER IS GONE. THE CLUTTER IS GONE. If there is a piece of clothing that is not in season it is neatly boxed, labeled and will soon be stored and I am most happy about my new wrapping paper and "craft supplies" boxes! Oh, and today... we got our house BACK ON THE MARKET! WOO HOO!

Today, I was so tired of cleaning I called my neice and my mom in for reinforcement. Baleigh played with Brooks and mom and I tag-teamed and got finished in a flash. Thank you!!!

So, as you can see, for the past month and a half I have been nesting like I've never nested before. John calls it OCD but I call it just being a wife and mother. I have totally re-vamped my day, the way I do things. My schedule is so wild with a baby and a job that gives me so much freedom. (An awesome job at that!) I have taken up weekly meal planning around my coupon cutting. I try to get all of my wedding work done in the morning that way I stay on top of the emails and to-do's and do not get behind. It also helps me take new bride tasks and calls through out the day without getting behind. I finally figured out how to keep the laundry down and keep the house nice on a daily basis. No, it's not perfect all the time but the goal is that when it does need to get perfect fast, it's a whole lot easier to do!

In the midst of all of this I have also managed to get Brooks well acquainted with his big boy bed (he prefers a double!) and have even introduced him to the potty. All of this to prepare for our little guy who will arrive in October. My main goal was to get all of this done by the end of August because once September arrives the fall wedding season will be full-fledged and simultaneously, Max will arrive. I am hoping to coordinate all weddings up until the day I go in to the hospital. In the four weeks before Max is scheduled to arrive we have l 6 weddings. I hope to do all of them up until the day after he is due... which means it would be great if he came a day or so after his due date. And I know that is a far stretch but a girl can wish. No, I won't be able to handle the weddings all by my lonesome because the leg work is constant but I have a great family who has got my back! Honestly, the more weddings I miss the harder it is for me because instead of just executing the wedding I have to worry about not being there and passing all of the info on to someone else. It always works out fine because my sisters or mom take over and they are AWESOME, I would just rather take care of it myself since that is my job!

So, even though I haven't been slammed with weddings the past few weeks, I have managed to be productive and stay busy. I'm trying to plan at least 2-3 fun activities a week for Brooks to do whether it be a play date or just a fun getaway with mommy! He just has so much energy these days it is absolutely impossible to keep him contained for too long.

I am hoping all of this new organization will make things go smoother for our move which will be... when? Who knows, but if the house is clean and organized and practically already boxed up it will be whole lot easier with a newborn. Besides the fact that right after fall wedding season mania comes the holidays and then Brooks and John's birthday. I am nothing more than SO excited for this time in our life and I just want to be prepared.

In the midst of all of this, Brooks had definitely changed before our eyes. John and I crack up at him on a daily basis. His personality just gets more fun every day. He talks constantly, runs everywhere he goes and keeps his mama on her toes! I can hardly clean up one mess before he makes another! Just today he took his diaper off on his own, pooped on the bathroom floor and then got into my makeup and spread my new powder all over the bathroom floor. He won't poop in a slightly wet diaper and he tells me "tee tee" AFTER he does the duty. Oh and tee tee means #1 and #2 to Brooks. So, where was I during all of this, you ask? Cooking dinner. It got quiet and I knew something was off. So, I head to his room to find a little trace of powder down my just freshly mopped hall floor. But I am happy to say he is learning to clean up his toys and when he makes a mess he is not supposed to, I make him help me clean it up. I'm hoping this will help him make less messes, although he thinks it's funny to help me clean and I often find him running the mop or broom across the kitchen floor.

My next big project the baby comes is to put a little education in our daily routine. We always read to him before bedtime but since I decided not to put him in a little school for a few hours, a couple days a week (like we were contemplating,) I'd like to have a time during the day where I teach him. I've thought about having a theme every week like alphabet, farm animals, numbers, etc., and do our weekly activities around that. This may be a bit ambitious with a newborn on the way but if I keep it simple and fun, I think it would be good for Brooks. Luckily my oldest sister is a teacher so maybe she can give me some ideas!

Well, peace out for now! Hopefully my posts for now on will be filled with baby news and cute pics of our precious little guy! And if you got to the end of this with out falling asleep... MAJOR PROPS TO YOU!

A Very Simple Mother's Day

Yesterday was a very relaxing and wonderful Mother's Day for all of the mom's in the Michael Family. We woke up Sunday morning a little late and rushed to get ready for church. About 10 minutes before we were to head out the door, my mom called and said they were skipping out on church. What!? It would definitely the first Mother's Day I have missed church but we decided to slow it down and just go to mom's for breakfast. Candice and her family where there and Jackson stopped by for a little while. Tiff and her family were at church so we ate breakfast and waited for them to arrive for lunch!

The rest of the day is pretty much summed up by this picture of Baleigh and Brooks.

We all sat around the pool, grilled out and watched all the kids play together. We pondered what it will be like 9 months from now with four more running around in the mix. Whew, just the thought wears me out but I can't wait! We spent about an hour trying to come up with a name for the new baby boy arriving in October but we were not successful.

We also visited a house down the road that was foreclosed. Big, beautiful, craftsman-style house. It is for sale now and since it has two kitchens, two master bedrooms and a pool surrounded by 5 acres, my sister Candice and I decided that we are going to sale our houses so we can buy this one, and our families can just live together. We laughed thinking how we could take turns cooking dinner and watching the kids for each other. The side by side tree swings and cute little brick well house in the front yard helped us make this decision. Now if we could just convince John and Justin!

We came home before dark and Brooks and I played and cuddled and fell asleep on the couch... while John and our neighbor worked on Suzy-Q. That's what I call the Suzuki!!!

All in all, the day was pretty much like most Sunday's for our family, with the exception of playing rookie and receiving fun gifts!!! I felt like should have given Brooks a gift for being the sweetest son and for making me a mommy!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day as well!!!

Brains, Beauty and Spiritual Balance

My friend Leah Catherine sent this to me and I found it to be very nicely written and worth sharing...

The greatest beauty secret has nothing to do with make-up. It's being a woman who delights in God. She looks for substance--a kind heart, a discerning mind and a strong faith--instead of being distracted by outward appearance.

A woman of style and substance is gracious and kind to all she meets. She lives her life from the heart, not her ego. She looks for the best in people and situations. She is savvy enough to know that people can let her down, but compassionate enough to understand why they do. She has taken a balanced view of life--serious without being stuffy, warmhearted without being over sentimental.

So go ahead and try a new hair-do or splurge on a stylish dress. Have fun and look your best. Never forget that true stlye is a reflection of her relationship with God. Brains, beauty and spiritual balance have it all over the latest trend and the hottest look.

Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorrutible beauty of a gentle or quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3: 3-4 NKJV

Baby Name

I have a confession. I woke up the other day and decided against Coleman for the baby name. Poor, poor John. He never changes his mind. Just like when we were going to name Brooks "Tanner," I just woke up one day and didn't want to use it anymore. I don't like "man" on the end of his name. And I don't want people to call him Cole and I know that will happen. So, the name is TBD. And if you know me you are not a bit surprised I changed my mind!

It's for the boys...

I think my husband is really excited about having two boys. And I say "think" totally sarcastically. And I don't blame him. He will have two sons, close in age to take hunting, fishing, camping, you name it. I know he is already dreaming of soccer games (he played soccer) and whatever else "the boys" choose to do in their spare time which I know in his mind include helping him remodel houses on a daily basis.

So, I'm only 14 weeks pregnant and the examples he has used the past couple of weeks referring to "the boys" is just so funny. So far we have talked about trucks, four wheelers and their college savings. It used to be Brooks, Brooks, Brooks... now it's "the boys!" He now has an excuse for everything "boy" he has ever wanted to buy. And he's not going to purchase it for himself. It's for "the boys." One who is 15 months old and one who is in utero. So, we are selling our completely family-oriented Ford truck that has a large back seat and a built in tv and buying a 1988 Suzuki Samarai. Won't it be fun to drive "the boys" around in it? And won't it be fun for them to drive around in? Sure, since it will be a good 30 years old by the time they can even think about driving. But it totally makes sense because one day it can be "for the boys."

Whatever... ;)

Lately...

Spring time is here and in our world "Spring" also spells BUSY! AKA: wedding season! On top of weekend weddings, we are trying to work on the Oconee house in our spare time. It remains a mystery as to when we will actually move in (or get close to moving in) but I am fully confident that the day will come!

Hmmm.... so what's been happening? Well, first and foremost we are so blessed to have three new babies in the Michael Family, sweet Jack, Gabe and Isabella. The birthday was an amazing experience and I could go in to details but they would not do it justice! We stop in every once in a while to peak at little Isabella and sweet Jack, and can't wait until cousin Gabe comes home soon. My AMAZING sister-in-law is nursing and pumping for three premature babies, one who is still in the NICU. I say "amazing" because I am truly amazed that she is doing this! I will never, EVER complain about nursing again. I struggled with one baby. I don't know how she is doing it but I know it has a lot to do with the fact that she wants the best for her little miracles and refuses to give them anything less. As a side note, I would also like to say that I think my brother is SUCH a wonderful father. I haven't been able to be around him and the babies as much as I will in the future, but I can see it. He is very protective, duh! It reminds me of how he was so protective of Candice, Tiffany and I growing up - just magnified by millions! And from what I hear and see he reminds me of my Dad, which means he'll be the best dad in the world!

Easter was very sweet. We spent the night at my parent's house and the Easter Bunny put Maebree, Millie and Brooks' basket in the same spot he used to leave ours when we were little! He even hid eggs in the front yard just like the good ole days! After the morning hunt, we went to church and then to brunch. After brunch it was on to the JOMH for our annual family (and some friends!) Easter egg hunt. Brooks was definitely more involved this year. Holidays are so much fun with children - they are fun with out children too, but I thrive on making these times as special and meaningful as my parents did for us growing up! I think the main goal is to realize the real meaning behind these holidays, and then everything else falls in to place with all of the fun traditions!

Next topic of discussion - baby boy #2 who we can also call by his name, Coleman Michael. We chose Coleman because we love it and Michael, for obvious reasons! Now, I post this name with a small disclaimer stating I have full authorization to change my mind! As many of you know Brooks was "Tanner" for a good 3 months. I don't think we will change our mind this time but we'll see. Also, many have asked if we will call him Cole. I would prefer to call him Coleman although I am certain Cole may come out every now an then as a nickname, but we will call him Coleman! In naming the little guy, we wanted to stick to our preference of him having his own first name and a family middle name. "Brooks Thomas" came out of us loving the name Brooks and "Thomas" being John's middle name, his grandfather's first name and my grandfather's middle name. This mirrors "Coleman Michael" for those reasons! Regarding the pregnancy: they say I am pregnant but I sure don't feel pregnant. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with sick-free pregnancies! Once again, I love being pregnant! As I head towards 15 weeks, my waist line is expanding a bit faster than it did with my Brooks. All in all, Coleman is treating his mama good and is growing well!

Now, on to my sweet Brooks. I never imagined one little person could bring two people so much joy but he continues to amaze us with his precious little ways, every single day. Besides being as cute as pie, he has an adorable personality. Right now he is currently obsessed with Barney and calls him "Bar" or "Barby." He watches Barney in Daddy's truck and points to the television and yells "BAR!!!" I do not like him to watch tv very often, but it is nice to have a little out when I need to get some emails out to brides or get the house picked up. Atleast I know he is not getting in to something he shouldn't -- which he does often! Whew, don't even get me started on child-proofing the house. I don't think it's possible to fully child proof our house from this little guy. He is NON-STOP! Other than that he wants to go "OUT" - LOVES to be outside. I could really go on and on about all the new things he does every day, but I won't! Today was his 15-month well visit. He has lost a pound and gotten two inches taller, due to walking and being so active of course.

As always, I understand if absolutely no one made it to the end of this post but if anything, it's here for me to remember these days that are absolutely flying by. I have a very good feeling that with wedding season in full swing, baby #2 will be here before we know it!