Bert Blackburn, March 1998 - June 2010

Our tears fell down our cheeks today as we held your paw

the memories of the past years both of us recalled

Your playful spirit and wonderful affection

Your mighty bark and years of protection

You have been our companion and our friend

Bert, will miss you forever, but this is not the end

Having you as a friend, we were truly blessed

so, go now to the Rainbow Bridge and rest

Don't worry for your Master's anymore,

We will see you when we cross the shore.

And there will be no more pain

when at last we get to play again.

In loving memory of Bert Blackburn

March 1998 - June 2010

Goodbye, Sweet Bert.

If you know anything about me at all, then you know I don't like to sat goodbye, EVER.  I don't say goodbye on the phone, I hate goodbye in person and I hate the indefinite goodbyes until we get to Heaven.  Even as a child visiting my relatives in Mobile, I cried every time we left.  It hurts to leave behind those that you love. 

Well, today Bill and I had to do one of the the hardest things I have had to do in a long, long time.  We said goodbye to our dear precious dog, Bert.  Bill got him in March of 1998.  We were blessed to have such a great dog for so many years.  He was a puppy his whole life, always jumping and playing with us, but only us.  He played hard with his doggie soulmate, Berneice, but only her.  No other dogs allowed.  He guarded his friend, his owners and his home.  He was our protector.  He knew the sound of our vehicles and welcomed us with his loud bark every time we drove up.  He barked when Bill turned onto our street, just to let me know he was on the way.  He  barked the "other bark" when  anyone was anywhere near our home.

Bert was out guardian and would have laid down his life for us without hesitations. 

He had a very adventurous life for a dog.  He was shot when he was a little over a year old.  That is right, shot.  Someone shot our dog in his on fenced in back yard for no apparent reason.  But, thanks to  our wonderful vet, he over came that.  He had a couple of bouts with opossums, two very traumatic run ins with a raccoon, and he attacked a police officer for coming into his fence. 

He was a great friend and a part of our family that we will very much miss.  Bill and I both have somewhat soft hearts.  We love with everything we have.  We loved Bert just that way and we are hurting We are sad, and we are relying on the comforter to touch our hearts tonight.

Fishing . . . I think not

Ever had one of those days?  Bill and I have been planning on going fishing for about 3 weeks.  We picked today, Monday, because I was off work, we had a babysitter, and the lake wouldn't be crowded.  I had checked James Spann's website 100 times to make sure the weather would cooperate and was ready to go.  You have to understand, Bill is not a fisher, he is a catcher, so our destination would be a stocked catfish pond, because if Bill ain't catchin', he ain't stayin.  So the destination was planned, we were packed and ready to go.
This is how our day went . . . Will, our alarm clock, overslept.  Then, I took him to Mrs. Dawn's, where he loves to go, but he cried and it took me forever to leave him.  So, it was after 9AM when we left home.  (No problem, because I did not care if we were fishing in the hottest part of the day.)  Did I mention, fishing is my favorite past time and I was super excited.
Then, we get to exit 100 on 59 after discussing what a blessing our old beat up Chevy is.  We were laughing and having a good old time, when Bill said, the truck is running hot.  So, off the interstate we go.  We called our good friends (the cavalry) and with a little tweaking and 45 minutes later, we were back on our way to the lake.  (So, we were just a little late, but we were still going fishing.  I was determined!) 
Apparently, it was not my day.  We drove another 30 minutes and get to the lake to see a sign that says "Open Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday".  UGH.  OK, new plan.  On to the county lake.  Even though it isn't quite as stocked, we will still have fun.  So we drive about 15 minutes down the road, and I am once again excited.  I AM GOIN FISHIN.  Then we see the sign "Bibb County Lake: Closed Monday".  So, I pouted a minute, then I put on my big girl panties and decided to just enjoy the day with Bill.
And a good day it was, despite the anger of the fishing gods.

My other Dad

Father's Day came and went, and I forgot to talk about my "other" dad.  Bill and I started dating when I was 15.  We took a break for a while, but have been together for almost 15 years straight.  Over the years, I have built a relationship with my father in law.  He is the most laid back, easy going man I have ever met.  He is full of fun all the time and always really busy.  He is a beach lovin', golf playing, dad who is a sucker for his girls.  I have always loved him, but a few years ago, I realized just how much he loves me.  Bill and I went through a "valley".  A BIG VALLEY.  We were both at rock bottom and in a rough place.  My sweet father in law just happened to get called into the thick of it all.  He held my hand, cried with us, prayed for us, and was just there.  I won't share all of the details, but I can tell you that his encouragement, patience, love and help made an impact in my life that I will never, ever forget.  His love changed my future.  Bill is just like his Daddy in a lot of ways.  They are good men.  The best men.  I am so thankful that Will has such a great example from his Daddy and his Grandaddy.  I am thankful to have "the other Bill" in my life.  So, before Father's Day week is gone, I want to say thank you "big Bill".  I don't tell you enough, but you are a blessing and I love you.

This is the life!

Swimming wore Will out and he fell asleep in the pool, so . . .

we got him out and let him rest :)

Daddy

Happy Father's Day to my sweet Daddy too.  You worked so hard to teach Amy and I hard work, dedication, dependability, love, and fun.  You sacrificed so much to make sure that we were taken care of, to make sure that we had what we needed and what we wanted.  You played in the floor with us when we were little, waited up when we were working late, just so we didn't have to come home to an empty room, and held our hands through the hardest times of our lives. You still make us giggle at your grumpy moods and your silly jokes.  You were our "Father" not our "Friend", and when we needed tough love, you dished it out.  THANK YOU DADDY.  For those things, the hard things, and for being our friend now.  We miss having you close, but we cherish every second we see you and we love your "country" stories.
Daddy, we couldn't have been blessed with a better Daddy or our babies with a bette grandfather, and we couldn't love you more!
Love, your babies (and the hubbies and the grandbabies)

Father's Day

From Father's Day 2009 to Father's Day 2010

Happy Father's Day to the sweetest, most precious Daddy, husband, friend that we could ever ask for!  Will and I are so blessed to celebrate life with you every day.  I see the way you light up when you see Will and I enter the room.  I see your sweet smile and hear your beautiful voice singing to Will when you think no one is listening, and it thrills my soul.  You carry me, you make me better, and Will is going to be an amazing man because of the example you are setting for him.  You are our earthly example of the Father's love for His children, and we could not be more blessed.  Thank you, Bill, for sharing life with me.  Thank you for forging through 8 years of heartache, and loving me ragardless, and having hope that we would one day be parents.  You are our EVERYTHING and we love you!

9-6

That is right.  9 PM to 6 AM

Our little guy turned 9 months old this week, and do you know what he did?  Do you? Can you guess? 

HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

And so did I.  And so did Bill. 

AHHHHH

So why am I tired today?  Too much sleep maybe.

Amy

Sister. Friend. Supporter. Cohort in Crime. Mamie to my son.  Sharer of my childhood and dreams. Stand-in mom. Rock of our Family. Mine.
I am the baby.  Therefore, there are no memories without her.  My whole life includes her. 
Dancing in our panties in the rain, sharing the Strawberry Shortcake room, giggling ourselves to sleep, holding hands on Christmas morning, playing on the whirly-bird, swimming, softball, cheering, school, band, working together, playing hard, long nights planning concerts, midnight shopping the day after Thanksgiving, The Dove Awards.  Holding hands and welcoming our babies into this world. Crying, laughing, hurting, helping.
She encompasses all of these things to me.  Every birthday, every death, every hardship, every celebration, every loss and every new life.  She has been right here.
Having a sister is one of the greatest gifts anyone could have, but having a sister like Amy is the GREATEST.  It is a blessing to call her sister, it is an HONOR and PRIVILEGE to call her my friend.
So, on this her very special birthday week, I celebrate my sister, my blessing, my friend. 
God, please bless Amy with the same joy and happiness that she has and continues to bring into my life.
Amy, I love you most!
Sissy

Domestic

Is that even how you spell the word?  I was not trained to be a domestic woman.  I was convinced that I would never have to do all of those things that Mom spent her life doing . . . like staying in the kitchen, mopping floors, and doing laundry every day.
Guess what?  I have not found the domestic fairy to come and do these things when I wiggle my nose.  For 10 years of marriage, I have gotten by on Bill's cooking (which is awesome, but includes no veggie), eating cereal and Chef Boyardee when he isn't here and staying so busy that we didn't really have time to make a dirty house.
Enter motherhood and age 31.
I want to stay home, which means we mess up the house and I need to clean it.  Will likes it here and I like being here with him and his Daddy.  I want to eat healthier, which means I need to learn how to cook things to go along with Bill's wonderful grilled steaks, chicken, etc.  I want Will to know what veggies are and that they come froms somewhere other than a can.
So, I AM GOING TO BECOME DOMESTIC if it kills me.  I realize that I should have been doing these things for my sweet husband all of these years, so I am starting now.
Today, I baked a cake and decorated it for my sister's birthday.  It isn't great or even good, but a start. And you know what, (GASP) I think I am starting to enjoy being in the kitchen and working in my house. 
Who knew? Maybe I did get some of those things from Mom.  It just took a little while for them to surface.

Sweet Will's changes

This is my sweet happy little guy. He was 7 months when these pics were taken thanks to our awesome photographer, Kim Sharit.
As you can see, he is getting SO BIG. He is now almost 9 months and is a blast all the time. We are crawling everywhere and FAST. Like REALLY FAST! He is pulling up on everything and has no fear. He did not get that from me! Mr. Will is also talking. That's right, I said my nine month old is talking!
So far, he says Mama, Dada, Yaddy, Pappa or Pop Pop, Wow, Oh, Hey, Bye-bye-bye, and Uh-oh. I think that is all so far, but it seems like we get a new word every day. I don't even know which one was his first word, because all of a sudden, he was just saying words.
The little guy is busy all the time. He still hates to sleep and be alone, but loves to play with Lucy and anyone who will get in the floor with him. Will is animated (if you can't tell from the picture). He loves his Yaddy most, but wants Mama when he is upset or tired. He loves toys, but empty boxes more, and he can't wait to get up and chase Luke. He is trying so hard to walk. (I need new running shoes for that).
Will is displaying more and more of his own personality and I LOVE that. He has been showing us that he wants his own way and that he has a little temper. Also, he is a lover and a snuggler!
He loves music, outside and the water, definitely traits from his Mama.
I love that I can see both of us in who he is and I have to say that this is my favorite stage so far.

Weekends

My weekends have been invaluable lately.  They have been busy, but that is nothing new.  What is new is the amount of time that I am able to spend with my family.  I seem to have a house full of little ones or be in a house full of little ones most of the time.  I am constantly chasing babies, laughing my head off with my sister/cousin/friends.  Life has been very stressful, so these moments of "oasis" are soooo much of blessing to me.  OASIS!  That is right.  For many people, that means a quiet time, a time of rest and relaxation.  Well, chasing babies, laughing, running around with m childhood friends, that is my oasis and I love it.  Strange . . . yess I know.  I've been that way all my life.  Its just the way God made me, but at 31, I have learned to embrace who I am and I love my life.

Change

I don't normally like change and I try to avoid it at all cost.  If you know anything about me, you know that I live through my heart.  I am an emotional person.  I can't stand for those around me to hurt and I can't stand circumstances that I can't help make better.  My life has been full of change lately.  One thing I know for sure is that my God doesn't change.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  I like that! 
I am holding on for the blessings that usually follow the tides of change.  I know they are coming!
On a positive note, I do like watching Will change.  It is so fun!  More on those changes to come.

Hiding, hurting, healing

This is what is on my mind . . . it is random, it probably sounds like my mind is all over the place and it is, but this is what is in my head and its my blog, so out it comes:

Have you ever done something that you aren't proud of and hid it from others, especially the ones you love?  Me too.  Sometimes, we do things that are wrong and ugly and things happen in our lives that we aren't proud of, and we hide those things.  I as hiding in the mud on the floor of a very deep valley for a while.  Then, God reached out.  (I wanted to say He "caim along", but that isnt true because He never left me.)  He picked me up, dusted my back, cleaned by wounds, and helpeds me climb back on the mountain.  And when I reached the mountain, I decided to NEVER look back or think of where I had been. I knew I was forgiven and redeemed and restored.  I surely had no intention of telling anyone where I have been or what I have been through. Well, I have learned that sometimes, those very horrible life experiences that we go through are exactly what we need to share with others who are facing similar situations.  So, I have decided to share some things that I never thought possible with someone that I love dearly, in hopes that she will be encouraged.  She is hurting and I am hurting for her.  Please say a prayer for my special friend.  God knows the details and I will save a blog entry to post the praise report that is to come.

Not blogging . . .

No I haven't been blogging.  Yes, I have been in trouble for not blogging (Uncle Pat :)), but good gracious, don't you guys know what I have to do every day?
I wake up to a beautiful smiling baby boy.  I have to play with him until I am almost going to be late to work. Then, off to work it is.  Some days are easy and some are hard, but most are fun and I love my job, but I do still have to work and it is sometimes tiring.
Then, off to exercise (GASP! Dont pass out just yet . . . this has only been going on for a few weeks). 
Then, home to play with my sweet baby boy and his awesome Daddy before bedtime, which is somewhere around 11 or 12. 
Many days, I squeeze in visits with family and friends, little trips to the ball park (because I am getting ready to be that Mom), emails and phone calls to my sister and my Daddy and a lot of "I love you's". 

Will's 6 Month Check Up

I took Will to see Dr. G for his 6 month check up today and what I already knew was confirmed.  We have brochiolitis again.  No shots for my little man.  Instead, we are quaratined for at least 2 more day.  He is one sick little fellow.  Last night was very taxing and draining.  He can not sleep for more than about 30 minutes for coughing or getting uncomfortable.  On top of that, he has two teeth that have broken the gums A(one on top, one on bottom) and at least two more getting close.  He is jsut pitiful and Mommy's heart aches for him.
I asked my friend and mom of three why she didn't tell me about the horrors of teething and she said you tell woman stuff like that.  They wouldn't have kids.
Regardless of sick, the little guy is still growing by leaps and bounds.  He weighed in at just shy of 20lbs and was 28 inches tall.  That is the 90th percentile for both height and weight.  I knew I wouldn't have small kids, but I wasn't expecting to have to look up to them at the age of five.  At this rate, I better get stilts.

March 21st

Sunday, March 2, 2010, Bill and I stood before a host of family and friends in our home church and dedicated William Raymond Blackburn, V to our God, the God of salvation and wonder who gave His only Son to die on the Cross for us!  I am struggling to find the words to express what this means to me. God gave me the desires of my heart, though there is not one worthy bone in body.  We love this precious baby with every ounce of our being.  He has captured places of my heart that I did not know existed.  He has cultivated a new love from Bill that is beautiful to watch.  He has made us fall even more in love in a new exciting way.  His little life has already been used to restore friendships and heal old wounds that he may never even know about.  He is a living breathing example of a living breathing God.  With Will's life, God gave us a great gift and responsibility.  Bill and I made a covenant with God this Sunday that we will always point Will in the direction of salvation, that we will raise him in church, and that we will make our lives a living example of God's love. 

Four years ago on this same date, we sat in the very same special church at the very same time and worshipped our God for the gift of my Mom.  We praised God for her life and prayed for comfort for our loss and He provided.  It hurts not to have her on special days.  But, I believe that she was there with us this Sunday.  I believe that God allowed her to see Will dedicated into his hands.  I believe that she saw CJ, Luke and Will stand at the altar of that church where she found salvation.  I believe that she sees Amy and I as Mommies and I believe that she is proud of us.  I believe she taught us well.

And I believe that God has his hands on our family and is ready to do a mighty work in ALL of US!  I am standing back and getting ready for what He has in store.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILL!!!!!!

My sweet precious husband is 34 years old today. We started dating when he was 18. Where has the time gone? We have had some great moments, some hard moments and through it all, some blessed moments! I am so amazingly blessed to have Bill as a husband. Happy "very special birthday week" Bill! I realize I am more in love with you today than ever before!

Almost 6 months

Big Will

What a big boy! Will is almost 6 months old and boy is he growing and changing. He has mastered the art of eating baby food and loves it. He loves sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, and fruit. He HATES squash ! I didn't know babies could hate food, but trust me, he does. The first time he ate squash, he got sick. Last night, we tried again and he actually screamed and had a fit every time I put it in his mouth. The boy is opinionated, that's for sure.
He is sitting up by himself now and loves to play in the floor. I am afraid I will have a mobile kid soon . . . that terrifies me. I like knowing where he is all the time. My new favorite sound is his laugh. He gets so tickled at things and I get tickled at him. He still loves "swimming" in the tub and playing with his toes. And he LOVES his Daddy. You should see his little eyes light up when he sees Bill walk in the room.
Did I mention how incredibly precious his toes are? What about his tee-niny hiney? What about his little ears? He is perfect and I fall in love all over again with him every day.
We are absolutely fearfully and wonderfully made, and I am pretty sure Will is perfectly made as well.

Busy . . . .Blessed

I've been too busy living to stop and blog about life, but tonight I thought I would take a moment to catch up.  I wanted to say that I am a blessed woman.  I am a blood bought sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  I am wife to the most patient, kind, fun-loving man I have ever met and he loves me in a way I can't even understand; I am mommy to the happiest, sweetest most precious baby boy ever; and I am loved and cared for by an amazing group of family and friends. (I even have an amazing dog).  I have a great, fun job; an terrific boss; a cute little house with a lot of history and loved poured into it; a car that runs; food in the pantry; and a little money in the bank.  We don't have the most or best of everything, but I honestly can't think of anything I want or need.   Like I said, I am a blessed woman and today, on Valentine's Day, I am in love with the life God has provided for me!