Soccer Star and Coaching Daddy

Soccer season started back up about a month ago. Of course CT was elated!! He absolutely LOVES it, and to top it off Daddy is his coach this year. He is thoroughly enjoying it, and we love to watch him.

Going for the goal!
Score!
Daddy is our coach. 

Jack.

It is with a heavy heart that I am back writing again about another loss in our lives. Let me start from the beginning.........We moved to P-town five years ago this spring. While we were here on our little interview we had a progressive dinner with the committee we were talking to. We had a great time at all the houses, but our last house brought us face to face with the BEST cheesecake in the world, and two precious people who would change our lives forever! Jack and Kathy who quickly became known as Jack and Nee Nee to us. T and my parents both live out of town, so Jack and Nee Nee became surrogate grandparents to CT and KG. It's neat to see how God blesses you by putting certain people in your lives. Even though they are old enough to be our parents, we have a great friendship with them. We have spent many a meal and good conversation together. Of course we always leave Nee Nee in charge of the dessert! :) They have always tried to get us to drink coffee with our dessert, but we always reassure them that we are WAY to young for that.

September 2006 Jack, Nee Nee, T, and I headed out for NYC. This was such an AWESOME trip. T and Jack had planned and plotted on going to NYC to watch the Tennis U.S. Open for about a year, so we just decided to go. They had never been to NYC before, and they were like kids in a candy shop once we got into the city. We had such a great time showing them the sites and just being together. We did so much that week. Took in some Broadway shows, saw David Letterman, the Statue of Liberty, Yankees game, and of course the guys went to the US Open. I am so thankful we did this when we did.

March 2007- Jack is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Of course everyone was devastated, but the Lord still had plans for Jack. During that time things weren't always easy for Jack. The chemo's were hard and rough, the unknown was scary, but Jack's faith in the Lord was unwavering! Jack shared Jesus with everyone he had the opportunity to. He always told his doctor he was a winner either way. He wins if he gets to stay, and he wins if he gets to go. Of course we wanted a miracle, but sometimes God has a different plan than we do. On February 21st, 2009 Jack was healed forever! He got his miracle. :) We were so thankful to have those two years with him.

Why Jack? This side of eternity we may never know, but we do know that God is in control, he loves us, and he is ALL about HIS glory, not ours! :) Jack is experiencing more than our minds can even fathom. As I think about Jack getting to go to heaven, it's the ones left here who are truly missing out. Sitting in church on Sunday T said he just couldn't get out of his mind the image of Jack getting to worship in heaven and what that must be like. :) So as hard and as sad as it has been to lose everyone we have lost this year already, it makes me long for heaven even more.

Nee Nee asked T to do the funeral, and he was very honored to do so. One of the things he said was, "One of the best investments we have ever made was buying the house behind Jack and Nee Nee. Not because it has anything to do with money, but because Jack and Nee Nee invested in us, and we will never be the same!"

We love and miss you Jack. I have no doubt you heard, "Well done my good and faithful servant!"

Jack and Nee Nee in NYC.
Jack, me, and Nee Nee at the NY Yankees game.
Jack, Nee Nee, and T in Times Square.
Jack and KG playing.
CT and Jack with CT's first fish.
Jack and CT tractor riding.
Jack and CT going for another ride. :)
Jack and the kids hanging out.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's DAY!!! We have been celebrating for several days, and topped it off with a Valentine's breakfast this morning. We hope you all have a wonderful day, and enjoy being with the people you LOVE!

This is CT's Valentine card this year. We printed them as a 4X6 photo, and cut them in half. They turned out really cute.
KG's Valentine card. Daddy helped us make these. He's our personal designer. :)
KG and CT ready for wee school. We made red velvet cookie sandwiches with a cream cheese icing in the middle to give to their teachers. They were YUMMY! We found the recipe on Bakerella's blog.
CT enjoying opening his Valentine's from his friends at school.
KG and Mommy at her party.
KG chillin in her heart sunglasses.
CT and good buddy Stephen. They are the only boys in their class, so they stick together.
KG enjoying her favorite Valentine treat she received. Thanks Mia! 
Get it girl!
This was our Valentine breakfast. Pancakes and homemade chocolate syrup (recipe below).
Breakfast table set with fun surprises for our little Valentines!
KG was pumped about her princess heart full of jeweled candy and princess stickers. She also scored a Hannah Montana singing headset. It's lovely! :)
CT with his Clone Trooper costume. We have had it on all day. :)

Chocolate Syrup Recipe

by Doris Bernice Carroll :)

2 TBS Flour    1 Cup Sugar    1/4 cup cocoa   Dash of Salt

1 Cup water    1 tsp. vanilla

1. Mix: flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt

2. Add water

3. Bring to a boil- reduce heat- cook for one minute.

4. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

ENJOY!!!

Family Time......

Here are a few quick pics of the kids while we were visiting with our families the last couple of weeks.


CT is signing all our our names to the Bird's visitation book at the funeral home. He was so proud of himself. :)
Uncle Chris and KG hanging out. 
Aunt Mandy scoring some points with CT while reading our favorite subject these days....STAR WARS!
CT and cousin Braden checking out Braden's IPod touch. 
Cousin Carson and KG hanging out.
Nana and KG watching cousin Austin play basketball.

T's Mema

January 27,2009. I am very late in writing this, but we have had so much going on that I just haven't had time. Three days after the Bird passed away, T's sweet Mema also left this earth and stepped into eternity. We knew it was coming, but two deaths in one week was a little hard. She was such a precious mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She was a lady of strong conviction who loved her Lord, and spent many years serving him. She loved her family, and was a ton of fun to be around.  She will be truly missed! T was able to do both funerals. He did such a good job. I know his Mema would have been proud! 

Mema's on the left.
A visit with Mema.
Mema loving on KG her first Christmas.

The Bird

Well....here I am again, blogging about something I wish I didn't have to. This past Saturday night January 24th, my sweet ole Bird (my grandfather, I will get to how he got the name Bird in a minute) went to be with the Lord. What a sweet reunion he is having. Not only getting to come face to face with Jesus, but also being reunited with his wife and sweet little girl Lou Anne whom he lost when she was 14.

As I explained to my own children that The Bird had gotten to go to heaven they were SO excited for him!! They were excited for him to get to go to heaven and see Jesus, for him to get to see his "husband" as CT said, otherwise know as Memaw Brown. They were excited that he got to get a new body and run fast! As I thought about how excited they were for him, I was excited for him too. That's how we should look at it. Of course I am sad, because it's hard to be the one left here, and to lose someone you love, but one day soon we will all be together again.


Let's see....where do I even begin. "The Bird" all started around 10 years ago. The summer of 1998. I had just graduated from college, my best friends dad had just had a massive stroke, and my grandmother was dying. It was the summer from you know where. Anyway, I had the job of driving to Tulsa to pick up my grandmother's sister and her husband to be here for the last few days before my Memaw Brown passed away. My grandfather was sending me in his car. He was so afraid that I was going to lock the keys in the car, so he made me wear the spare key on a rope around my neck. Granted I had just graduated from college. :) So I did as I was told, but not without a "How are you going to know if I really wear that key or not?" He replied, "Oh a little bird will tell me." So as I became the little bird, he became the Big Bird or just Bird. :)

As sad as I was to see my grandmother pass away, it was a good 10 years that I had with just the Bird. I didn't know him very well while she was alive. He was such a private and quiet person that she did all the talking for him. ha! Also she just liked to talk. Once she passed away, he didn't have a choice but to talk.

There are many stories to think of and tell, but I am going to write down some of my favorites. I will probably add to this as I think of them. :)

As far back as I can remember, we would meet them every Sunday after church for Sunday lunch. Although my grandparents didn't attend church, they were always dressed to the tee. We only ate at two places Furr's or Luby's. I used to hate it when I was little, but grew to enjoy the time we had with them.

After my grandmother passed away, we still had our weekly Sunday lunch with him at Luby's. There was this lady (a little off her rocker) that worked there, that "knew" him from him eating there so much. She would pay attention to him, and try to talk to him. He would get so frustrated with her, and would say to us "Here comes the ole battle axe." Of course he was nice to her face.

He was such a mess and funny. When he would pay the bill at a restaurant, he would kiss each bill goodbye as he layed them down on the table. My grandmother used to get so irritated with him, but I would crack up.

When you would call his shop and get his answering machine, it would say: "Ray's ordamatic (automatic) answering service. Leave your name and number, and Ray will personally return your call."

As a little girl he had this HUGE plastic light up Santa that he would put in the window of his shop. I always thought that it was so cool. I saw it the other day at his house, and it made me smile.

The Bird grew up in Coal Hill, AR which was in Johnson County. So anytime I was headed that way he told me to make sure I rolled down my window and to take a big whiff of that fresh Johnson County air. He said it didn't get any better than that.

One of the biggest "debates" we would get in would be over his love for his main man "Willy" aka Bill Clinton. I don't know that he really liked him all that much, but he knew it would rial me up when he talked about him. So when these elections rolled around he started talking about his main woman Hillary, b/c she would bring his main man "Willy" back to the White House.

A couple of weeks ago, I came to visit him. The kids and I went over and hung out with him. He was still answering his work phone, even though he was no longer working or capable of working. Someone had called to see if he had a certain part. Of course he didn't tell them he was no longer working, but told them he didn't have that part, and probably wouldn't for a long time. Not to long after that he had my Mom turn his phones off. He told her he sure was glad she finally did that, because he was tired of coming up with excuses of why he couldn't make a call or didn't have a part.

As I think back on the Bird, and the 82 years that went by all too fast, a few words come to mind. Tall, dark, and handsome, gentle giant, not so patient :), hard worker, giving, loving, fun, cut-up, very private, and an all around great guy. I am very blessed to have called him grandfather. Love you Bird!



Ray L. Brown

The Bird is the little boy on the bottom left. Isn't he precious?

The Bird starting his career.

The Bird is on the far right.

Memaw Brown and The Bird

The Bird with my Mom.

The Bird as I remember him. Keeping up with the latest news, and wearing those coveralls. :)

Christmas time.

Chillin' on the swing. This is my dad with The Bird. I miss that ole swing, and that ole Bird.

The Bird and his friend Nancy at my brother's wedding. She was my grandmother's best friend. After my grandmother died they did a lot together.

The Bird in his famous truck! He was an appliance repairman. He had advertisements ALL over this truck. Once he got rid of this truck he bought a car. We tried to talk him out of it, BUT he decaled the back bumper of his car with Ray's Appliance and Services. :) He was such a mess.

Nancy, The Bird, and his brother Bob at my wedding reception.

The Bird, me, and CT at my aunt's house on the 4th of July.

My family eating out with the Bird. We did this OFTEN. In fact that was what we probably did most with them. Eat out! My grandparents are responsible for my aquired taste for cafeteria food. I'm a sucker for any Furr's or Luby's. So you can imagine my excitement when they came out with Furr's Buffet. :)

My brother Chris and The Bird. This was when Chris got his jeep for Christmas. The Bird thought he would take it for a spin!


My brothers Chris and Chad with the Bird in front of the infamous truck! :)