Lindsey and Shannon together again !!

This is Lindsey and my niece Shannon. Both will be Seniors this year. They have been so close all their lives. When they see each other you can see how much they miss one another when they are apart. My sister said that Shannon was laughing the other night with Lindsey and she said that she hasn't heard Shannon laugh like that in months. They are 4 months apart. They have done some crazy stuff as kids. Lori and I were talking about how it seemed like yesterday they were Abbie and Mattie's age. They grow up way too fast. One time when they were about 4 we were at Lori's house and I told Lindsey it was time to go. Well...... her and Shannon took off running to Shannon's room and so Lori and I talked for a few more minutes and then we went to get Lindsey and could not open the door. They had pushed all of Shannons furniture up against the door. She had a little toddler bed and a play kitchen a little tykes desk and chair. Lori and I didn't know whether to laugh or spank them. Another time Lindsey was in a beauty pagent and Shannon came to cheer her on. Lindsey was 3 or 4 (cant remember) And she won 2 crowns. Afterward we came down to see everyone and Lindsey took one of her crowns off and gave it to Shannon and told her they could both be princesses. (not sure if I spelled that right).
ANother time they were in K-4 together and it was lunch time and they both wanted ice cream but Lindsey didnt have 50 cents, but Shannon had a dollar so she tore her dollar in half so that they could both have ice cream. Ms. Peugot had a hard time explaining that it didnt work that way as she taped the dollar back together. They have given us alot of joy. I am so glad that they have always been close and it hasn't changed over the years. They are both great girls and I am so proud of both of them.

Pool Party !!

So Dan went to Walmart to get a new rack for our smoker and he came back with the girls their first pool. Abbie was not to sure at first but it didn't take her long to catch on. Mattie was so excited. However, we did learn that they need the plastic pool because this one pushes down on the sides and the water goes everywhere and the crawl out. After several times of putting them back in the pool Dad had had enough. So........... the pool is now in the middle of our livingroom floor filled with stuffed animals and it has turned out to be one of the best ideas we had. The girls love playing in the pool (no water of course) in the living room.

Fathers Day !!

SO I was thinking about Fathers Day and what I was going to get Dan and My Dad.

Then I was looking at cards and I just couldn't find one that I liked.



They all said, " To My Father" or "TO The Best Father In the World"



Maybe its just me but I got to thinking does anyone call their Dad "Father"

I mean anyone can be a father but a true loving father is "Dad or Daddy"



Maybe I am just crazy but there was a time when I was angry at my dad for

leaving us and not being there. And I referred to him as "My Father".



But I thank the Lord that he decided to come back into our lives and stop the

drinking and sober up by the Grace of God. And then he became my "daddy" again.



My kids all call him "Grand" Dad and that is the only way I would want it.

My sisters kids call him "Big Dad" and that is ok too because he is a Dad.

Not a Father.



I started thinking about that and then I thought about the Lords Prayer and

It starts as "Our Father" so I think when I say the Lords Prayer I will say

"Our Dad" Because he is the true meaning of the word Dad !!!



Maybe I am crazy and maybe this medicine they have me on is making me

think to hard but I would love know if you think I am crazy.

Sesame Street Personality Test

Ok so I was on a friends blog and she had this Personality Test so I took it!!

I am a Big Bird you can read below what it says and I put the link on my blog so that
you all can take the test too!!



You Are Big Bird
Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around.You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy.You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you.How you live your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."


http://www.blogthings.com/thesesamestreetpersonalityquiz/

play day and Mothers Day

The top pictures are some of the few I have of the girls sitting together being still.

The ones with the hats crack me up. Abbie is such alittle lady in the one if you click on it it will make it bigger and you can see she is blowing sticking her tongue out. Neither one of them like hats. Mattie's face is priceless Dan was making faces at her and acting silly. I think Abbie is looking at Dan like "My daddy has lost it"
ha ha ha !! Good day for everyone.

daddy

HA ha ha ha !!! I caught dad playing with the camera!! Taking pictures of himself. He thought I deleted this picture. SURPRISE !!! You can see where Mattie gets her beautiful eyes from. I love him.

Grandpa came to see us!!

Grandpa brought daddy home and got to come and see us. We were alittle distant at first but once we got use to grandpa we thought he was funny. Grandpa looks rough and tough in these pictures but he is just an ole teddy bear. We are going to see grandpa and grandma this summer and dad says we are going to stay with Aunt Melissa while Mommie and Daddy go do big people stuff. We dont care because we heard daddy tell mommie that Aunt Melissa will spoil us and he told mommie that grandma was going to take us to get ice cream. We heard him say it all.

Lindsey's Prom

Here she is my beautiful oldest daughter. This was her junior prom. She texted me the other day to tell me she was officially a senior. That was one text I could have done without. I cant believe she is a senior. It seems like yesterday she was Mattie and Abbie's age. She has turned out to be such a good girl. She has kept her grades up even though she is a social butterfly. She has so much ahead of her I hope she keeps making good choices and follows her dreams.

She had the most beautiful dress. Its funny because her dress has the Tennesse state flower on it.(that was brought to my attention by one Mike Green at work) The IRIS.

She is coming in one week and I cant wait to give her a big hug and kiss. She has already made plans with Dan they are spending a day together. That makes me feel good, I wasn't sure if Lindsey would ever accept Dan but now I think she likes him better than me. ha ha ha!!!

I wish the bottom picture would have came out better that is her and her best friend Meagan. I dont really know her friends in Texas only by pictures and occasionally if they are with her when I call they will say hi.

3 Favorite Places

OK my good friend Mindy tagged me and now I have to tell you my 3 most favorite places to be.
I have to agree with Mindy. As long as Dan is there with me every where I go is my favorite. But I will tell you my most favorite.

1) My most favorite place to be is home with Dan and the kids. (All 4) I love being at home and just relaxing (not that I get much of that with the girls). It is so peaceful at our house no traffic and what little we have, our house sits so far off the road you dont really hear anything.

2) I would have to say Indianapolis. When Dan and I first met we went along time without getting to see each other again. We talked all the time on the phone and we just couldn't get back together, so we decided to meet each other half way so.... you guessed it Indianapolis is where we met up again. When I first saw Dan I remember my heart was beating so fast I couldn't wait to see him. When we did see each other again it was like we had never been apart. We talked for hours. We drove all over the city looking at things and we ate really well. (ha ha ha) So that would have to be #2 for me.

3) This may sound silly but my 3rd favorite place to be is at a ball park. I love to watch and I love to play. Nothing like a ballpark hot-dog (sorry Mindy I know how you hate hot-dogs)ha ha!!
I love the sound of the people cheering and the sound of a ball hitting a bat. May sound crazy!! I hope the girls play because I miss going and watching Lindsey and Brady playing !! I really miss playing !!

I really have a forth one - And that is with my huge family at Christmas time. My dad is like a big kid. He is more excited than the kids when it comes time to hand out presents. Most of the time daddy cant wait and ends up telling everyone what they got because he gets so excited. I think I got that from him. That is why I am a last minute shopper - if I get it to early I will go ahead and give it or I end up telling. I am so much like my daddy it scares me.

Well that is it for me !!

First Trip to see Dr.Brady

The two pictures of the girls in their dresses was of their first check up to see Dr. Brady. Abbie wanted nothing to do with her hat. She fussed so bad. So no pictures of her with her hat.

They use to sleep together until they got too big to sleep in their pack-n-play, then it was time to move them to their beds and I decided it was time they learned to sleep alone. That didn't go so well for about the first 2 weeks. Dad kept wanting me to put them back together but I told him they had to learn to sleep alone. Abbie liked having her space Mattie didnt like being alone at all!!! Now Mattie sleeps soooo good. They both are all over the bed. Abbie is a good bed partner, Mattie is not!!! We took them to Ohio to see their Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Melissa, Aunt Cheri, Aunt Kim, Their great grandma, Uncle Fonz, Great Grandpa, all their cousins. And we had to let one sleep in the pack-n-play and one with us. Abbie did great with us but Mattie kept us up all night. Dan said never again will she sleep with us. So we went to Walmart and bought a bouncee seat for Mattie to sleep in but that didnt really work to well either. Next trip up to Ohio we are gonna ship them to Great Grandma's house and let Uncle Fonz take care of them. ha ha ha !!!

First Trip to see Dr.Brady

The two pictures of the girls in their dresses was of their first check up to see Dr. Brady. Abbie wanted nothing to do with her hat. She fussed so bad. So no pictures of her with her hat.

They use to sleep together until they got too big to sleep in their pack-n-play, then it was time to move them to their beds and I decided it was time they learned to sleep alone. That didn't go so well for about the first 2 weeks. Dad kept wanting me to put them back together but I told him they had to learn to sleep alone. Abbie liked having her space Mattie didnt like being alone at all!!! Now Mattie sleeps soooo good. They both are all over the bed. Abbie is a good bed partner, Mattie is not!!! We took them to Ohio to see their Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Melissa, Aunt Cheri, Aunt Kim, Their great grandma, Uncle Fonz, Great Grandpa, all their cousins. And we had to let one sleep in the pack-n-play and one with us. Abbie did great with us but Mattie kept us up all night. Dan said never again will she sleep with us. So we went to Walmart and bought a bouncee seat for Mattie to sleep in but that didnt really work to well either. Next trip up to Ohio we are gonna ship them to Great Grandma's house and let Uncle Fonz take care of them. ha ha ha !!!

baby pictures

These are some of my favorite pictures of the girls, I didnt realize how much hair Mattie lost until now looking back at these. I cant believe how much they have grown.

Slim Shady Brady

This is Brady being funny. He said "Mom I'm a gangster". He is so full of life and he is such a funny person. He reminds me alot of my brother when he was his age. I am so proud of Brady he has come so far. After going through his father and I's divorce and then having his dad move so far away he has taken it pretty good. I know he has his days and he gets angry but he is such a good boy. He could have gone another way but he has stayed on the right path. He was alittle stand offish of Dan at first, I guess he thought Dan was trying to take his dads place. But Dan talked to him and told him that he had a dad and that would never change. Dan did tell him that he would always be there for him if he needed him but that he wasnt trying to take his dads place. Ever since then they have gotten along good. They argue and pick at one another but it has been good. The hardest thing for me was Dan telling Brady what to do. I know now that Dan is only trying to make him be a good person and be responsible but at first it was hard because I thought he was being too hard on Brady. After talking to friends (Mike) who have went through the same thing but on the other end I realized that I was doing way to much for Brady and not making him do enough for himself. I want him to be a good man and be responsible so I had to do the tough love thing and let him know that I was still the boss. That was hard but we made it through. Anyway just alittle about my one and only son !!

more bath time !!

Here are a couple more bath pictures. They are so funny in the bath !! Dont you just love the hair?

bath time

These pictures crack me up !! Abbie is such a ham and Mattie is so funny. They love bath time and let me tell you there is not a dry area on the floor when they get done. This is one of the rare times that I let them stand up. This is always an issue with these two now that Mattie has figured out how to stand up !!!

My oldest Daughter

I dont have a good picture of my daughter Lindsey. She is so beautiful inside and out. She lives in Texas with her dad and I miss her terribly. I have good days and bad but I think of her everyday. I took her forgranted and now I wish I could change things to have her here again. I know she is happy with her dad and I know she has made some great friends.

I have a song that reminds me of her by Raschal Flatts - " My Wish For You" I cant listen to that song without thinking of her. Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry, But I always end up with a smile on my face when I think of her.

I dont talk to her as much as I would like but what mom does talk to their teenage daughters as much as they would like. I think this time of year is the hardest for me because I see all the girls playing ball and it takes me back. Lindsey loved her softball (like her mom) and I loved watching her play. I miss that.

Fall is also when I miss her because I go by the football field and see the game going on and all the people and her old friends and it just seemed like yesterday when I was watching her cheer and get presented as the homecoming attendant for the freshman class. Its those things I miss but I miss her laugh the most. She had the crazy I dont care attitude and she really didnt care. I remember taking her to school one day and she got up put her hair in a ponytail and when to school in her sleep clothes and her house shoes. No make up, hair was all tangled up and clothes all wrinkled and she still looked beautiful.

She is coming home this summer and we are getting her Senior pictures made. I cant wait to share that with her. I would love to be able to share her Senior year with her. Maybe I keep hoping she will come back and graduate with all her old friends. Keep your fingers crossed.

Anyway I just wanted to tell you about my oldest daughter and how proud I am of her. I will post a picture of her soon.

Dad and his girls

Dad and his girls. I am so lucky to have someone who adores his kids so much. Dan is such a good dad and I never have to worry about whether he will take care of us or not. I hate it when he has to leave and when he is not home but I also know that he is doing it for us. I hope one day he will come off the road and be here with us everyday, but until then I will keep doing what I have to do to make it. Its hard but I will not have a pity party for myself because I cant imagine how hard it is for Dan to be away from his family for such long periods at a time. He brought it to my attention the other night when we were talking he said in 4 years he would have only spent one year with us. That is so sad. I mean if you look at it like this he sees us 8 days out of the month. 8 x 12 = 96 days a year is all he is at home. Man that doesn't seem quite far. But we will live with the hand we are delt and go on. I live by the phrase "If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it!" I know that God does not put anything on you he doesn't think you can handle, I guess he thinks Dan and I are pretty strong.

I just let him do his work and not question it.

Our new house

Here are some pictures of our new house. We love it!! The girls love all the room. There is a picture of the house in the daylight one at night, one of the back of the house and one from our front porch where you can see the long driveway. It is so peaceful and no trains!! ha ha ha !! Everyone keeps their yards looking nice and there are little kids everywhere. Dan and I were watching the kids 2 houses down ride their little motocylce cruisers in their yard Sunday and we kept laughing because the little girl on her pink motorcyle kept passing the little boy. We said that will be Abbie and Mattie in a few more years. Momma Teri you will love sitting on the front porch in the swing at night. Our house sits on the top of the hill so there is a cool breeze. You can see the stars for miles. It is beautiful. I love being at home!!!!

Me and Dan

This is us at the Stage. We came here for Mike Greens birthday, this is also the place where Dan and I met. (course that was about 20 pounds ago)ha ha ha!!

Isn't it funny how when you meet someone and they introduce themselves that is who you know them as......

What I am getting at is he introduced himself as Dan. So to me he is Dan. Just as I am Tommi to him.

However when you talk to his family he is Danny to them. I tried so hard to call him Danny but it didnt feel right. Only because I only knew him as Dan. Same for him. My family all call me Tee. But for Dan that there is no such person. He only knows me as Tommi.

I use to get mad at my sister in law because she called my brother James when we all called him Jamie. Now I understand. She was introduced to him as James therefore that is all she knew him as. So maybe I should apologize to her because now I am in the same place she was. Funny how things work out.

What is in a name? I would say alot !!!

birthday cake !

The top picture is what the cake looked like after Aunt Traci added the singing Elmo she bought on it. the bottom cake is before she put the Elmo on the plate. It was soooo good and the singing Elmo was the hit of the party. The girls can keep the Elmo forever!!! Thank Aunt Traci. Once again you have out done your self. We can thank you enough.

two peas in a pod !!

Brady and Abbie !! She loves her big brother. She reminds me alot of him when he was a her age.

I couldn't ask for a better brother for the girls. He is so good with them and is such a big help when Dan is on the road.

Thanks Brady for being such a good big brother.

bubba is worn out !! busy day for him too!!!

cousins and friends

fun fun fun !!! As you can see there wasnt much left of Matties cake. Abbie is like her mom with cake she closes her eyes and enjoys every bite. ha ha ha !! It was a great day !!