Bussell's Blessings

Ten Years

2011-05-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

Here's to 10 years of marriage to the greatest man, husband, father, and friend a girl could ever hope to spend a lifetime with. Thank you, Jeremy, for choosing me. I love you.

A Good Word from a Great Dad

2011-04-07T21:28:00.005-05:00

Today, Jeremy sent me a link to Thom Rainer's (the President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, where Jeremy works) blog. It literally brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, God, for gracious moms and dads like Thom and Nellie Jo Rainer who can love on their kids in such a special, understanding, and selfless way. I pray that I can have a heart like his when it comes time for me to "let go" of my Cooper. You can read it here.

This Just Breaks My Heart

2011-04-04T20:31:00.004-05:00

Nothing breaks my heart more than folks who profess to be followers of Christ watering down the Gospel so much that it becomes nothing more than a personal preference. It might as well be a flavor at Baskin Robbins. If you stop liking it, or you get tired of it, you just move on to the next flavor. And you should never suggest that someone else's flavor is not as good as yours. Because that would be intolerant. May I ask, since when was Jesus moderate and mainstream? To follow him means to die to self. And to teach anything else in the church is nothing short of "false." Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15 God, please help the thousands of children growing up in churches all over the world hearing this watered-down message. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110326/NEWS06/103260337/Christians-open-minded-alternative?odyssey=modnewswelltextNewss

Sweet Valley High...sigh....

2011-03-28T20:36:00.002-05:00

I loved to read when I was a little girl. And my favorite series was Sweet Valley Twins. My mom and dad used to take me to Bookworld, a bookstore in Harding Mall (wow, that's a blast from the past), and I would pick out every new Sweet Valley Twins book that came out. When the main characters, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield (twin sisters who lived in Southern California), got out of middle school, the series of books outlining their high school years was called Sweet Valley High. I just read this on Time.com today, and it made my heart skip a beat. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2061324_2061327_2061295,00.html

Is It Really 2011?

2011-03-21T20:54:00.006-05:00

Well, I haven't posted in awhile. A LONG while. So, here I am. For those of you who see me often, you know why I haven't posted. Life has been NUTS!! Three days before we left for Disney (last summer - see previous post), we put our house on the market. Our first house. The one Jeremy and I bought together. And the one that Cooper came home to from the hospital. Seven weeks after we listed it, we sold it. We were so happy to be moving closer to downtown (and, thus, closer to work), but very sentimental about leaving Inglenook Drive. I hope Jorge is enjoying that house as much as we did. We trick or treated in our old neighborhood and he appeared to be taking good care of the place.

We didn't find a house nearly as quickly as ours sold. Fortunately, our great friends, the Hoods (see previous post again) let us move in with them. And their two kiddos. That's right, 7 of us in one house! It was awesome. I cried when we moved out. That's right. I cried. Ridiculous. But that's how much fun it was. So thankful for their friendship and that they love us enough to let us live with them. And they are even still our friends!

Fast forward to October 22nd - the day we closed on our new house. The neighborhood is better than I could have ever imagined. I have lots of things that I've always wanted in a house. It is a 1960s ranch, with lots of trees and a huge yard. It has a fully finished basement that includes a bedroom, a full bath, and a rec room. We have great neighbors, with kids around Cooper's age, and we couldn't be happier about our 12 minute commute to work and 15 minute ride to church.

We gutted the "vintage" kitchen with Derrick's help, and we are making it our own from top to bottom. All we (I'm using the term "we" loosely; I really mean, Derrick) have left to do is doors and drawers for the cabinets. That's right...he built those from scratch. He lets us move in his house for 3 months. And he builds us cabinets. Now you know what I mean about good friends.

Needless to say, we have been busy the last several months. We still have quite a bit of work to do on the house, with finishing the kitchen and new front yard landscaping being the most immediate things on the to-do list. Here's a few pics of our goings on the last few months. I will post more "after" pics soon, but here are a few to get us started.

Cooper saying goodbye

Hello new house!!

Kitchen before. Ouch.

Kitchen during demo.

Kitchen today, minus cabinet fronts.

Christmas in our new house.

My favorite room in the new house. We call it our reading room. Tiny peek at the awesome desk that Jeremy's dad built for us.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-07-05T10:10:00.010-05:00

There might not be an experience more exciting as a young parent than seeing your child experience Disneyworld for the first time. Jeremy and I recently had the pleasure of taking Cooper to Disney with our good friends, Derrick and Heather Hood, and their oldest child, Hannah. The trip was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time, but to say that we didn't want to come home after 8 days would be an understatement. Most nights, we shut down the parks, and Cooper was a trooper for most of the week. We discovered pretty early in the week that the heat was his biggest weakness, so we headed back to the room most days after lunch so he could nap during the hottest part of the day. Then, we'd head back around 4 or 5, have dinner, and close down the parks. Cooper and Hannah loved Magic Kingdom the best, so we spent 3 different nights there. We managed to squeeze in a few big rollercoasters here and there by kid-swapping and with the help of the FastPass system at Disney. And we are so happy that the Hoods went with us. They were fun and flexible, and just all-around great traveling companions, and great friends.

We enjoyed a really great dinner at Ohana restaurant, thanks to the recommendation of my good friend Ashley. We also did the princess lunch at Cinderella's castle, which was a blast. (And the food was pretty good, despite what some had told us. I highly recommend the Shepherd's Pie!) Cooper loved seeing Buzz and Woody (picture below) the most, and the new Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios was one of his favorites. But coming in at the top spot for Coop was the classic Peter Pan ride at Magic Kingdom (I just don't see the attraction....). Too bad he slept right through it on our last night there after we had Fastpassed it around 6 and got a 10:30 timeslot (that's right, Cooper is not the only 3-year-old who thinks Peter Pan is the greatest ride on earth).

We look forward to taking him back in 3-5 years, when he is old enough to ride the big stuff too. We were so grateful to be able to take this trip, and it will probably go down in the Bussell book as one of our best family vacations ever!

On the flight to Disney. Can't wait to get there!

Yes, I am about to cry at the Beauty and the Beast live show.

Snow White, Coop, and Hannah, at the princess lunch.

A big hug from Cinderella.

Cooper's first trip to the castle.

Belle's kiss left a mark.

And his favorite, Aurora.

Waited a long time for Pluto, but it was worth it.

The Monsters Inc. guys' hands were too big to sign autographs.

I'm 3 (that's him holding up his fingers following Rosetta's question).

Cooper's second favorite movie.

Highlight of the trip. Cooper, meet Buzz Lightyear and Woody!

The Bussells meet the Mouse Family.

Coop, loving him some Tinkerbell.

Friends forever!

Dad, Son, and Buzz Lightyear.....priceless.

Cooper and Hannah loved the pool at our resort, Caribbean Beach.

The Hood Family (minus sweet Hunter, who was staying with NeeNee this week).

Right before the meltdown when we realized that Coop left his stuffed Bullseye (Woody's horse from Toy Story) on the Dino ride. Yep, someone stole it.

The Hoods at Wolfgang Puck's in Downtown Disney.

Hannah let Coop borrow her light-up Mickey ears.

Waiting in line for Ariel show.

Nemo exhibit at Epcot.

Jeremy skips the "spinny" rides.

Fireworks over the castle. Yes, sitting on trashcans.

Fell asleep on Small World; right before the Peter Pan Fastpass time.

Last night at the park; couldn't end it a better way.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-07-05T07:48:00.015-05:00

There might not be a exciting experience as the parent of a young child than seeing your child's face the first time they see Cinderella's castle. Jeremy and I recently had the pleasure of taking Cooper to Disneyworld with our good friends Derrick and Heather Hood and their oldest child Hannah. The trip was exhausting, which we expected, but to say that we didn't want to leave would be an understatement. We spent 8 days and 7 nights on the resort, with five of those days in parks. Most nights, we shut the park down, and Cooper was quite the trooper. We discovered pretty early in the trip that the heat was his biggest weakness, so we headed back to our room most days right after lunch, so he could nap through the hottest part of the day. Then, we'd head back to the parks and stay till they closed. Cooper and Hannah loved the Magic Kingdom the best, so we spent 3 nights there including our last one. We managed to squeeze in a few big rollercoasters with the use the of the Disney Fastpass system. And we were so happy that the Hoods went with us. They were fun and flexible, and just all-around great traveling companions. We enjoyed a REALLY great dinner at Ohana restaurant, thanks to the recommendation of my sweet friend Ashley. We also had lunch one day at Cinderella's castle, which might have been my favorite part of the whole trip. Cooper loved seeing Buzz and Woody the best, and the new Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood Studios was one of his favorites. But the classic Peter Pan ride at Magic Kingdom was his all-around favorite. Too bad he slept through it on the last night. He just couldn't take any more. We look forward to taking Cooper back to Disney in 3-5 years, when he'll (hopefully ;) be tall enough to ride everything. We were very blessed to be able to take this trip, and it will probably go in the Bussell books as one of our best family vacations ever.

The flight to Disneyworld. Can hardly contain the excitement!

Coop's first visit to the castle!

Stood in line a while for Pluto, but it was worth it!

Coop loves him some Tinkerbell!

We caught the fairies just before their bedtime at Magic Kingdom - this is Rosetta.

The highlight of Coop's trip!

The Bussells meet the Mouse Family

Jeremy skipped the "spinny" rides

The Hood Family
(minus sweet Hunter who was staying with his NeeNee)

The Nemo exhibit at Epcot

Waiting in line for the Ariel show

Hannah let Coop borrow her light-up Mickey ears

The Hoods at Wolfgang Puck's in Downtown Disney

Fireworks after the parade; yes, they are sitting on trash cans.

DinoLand! Coop accidentally left Bullseye (his Toy Story 2 stuffed horse) on this ride - meltdown followed after we returned and it was already gone. Tough life lesson.

Cooper and Hannah loved the pool at our resort, Caribbean Beach.

Dad, Son, and Buzz Lightyear . . . priceless.

Beauty and the Beast show

Friends forever!

Snow White at the princess lunch

A hug from Cinderella

Belle's kiss left a mark

Aurora is his favorite

On the way out on the last night; no better way to end a great week!

1000 Year Flood

2010-05-09T18:53:00.005-05:00

Words cannot describe the tremendous loss that Nashville and the surrounding areas - my lifelong home -- have experienced over the last week. I know all of you reading this have heard by now, but for the sake of memorializing it, on Saturday, May 1st, it began raining. And it rained and rained and rained. It didn't stop raining until Sunday night. By the end of Sunday, several areas around middle Tennessee were completely underwater. By Monday, the Cumberland River had risen so much that it began overpouring its banks. By the end of Monday, a large portion of downtown and the entire Opryland area were also under water. The images are painful to see - especially for those of us who appreciate the lives, property, and memories that were lost in the water. The good news that followed the horrific tragedy was that Nashvillians all rallied around one another with a tremendous outpouring of civility. First responders rescuing citizens from their homes in rafts. Strangers helping other strangers pull what remained (or didn't remain) out of their homes. And Nashvillians cutting their water consumption in half because the reserves were in danger of total depletion. The national media largely ignored us, until they couldn't ignore any longer without seeming completely insensitive. But at the end of the day, that didn't matter. Because we all came together. Because we will always remember what was lost. Because we are a great city. Because We Are Nashville.

Until the Whole World Hears

2010-02-17T21:18:00.003-06:00

I am so proud of my precious husband Jeremy, who will soon embark on a noble and worthy adventure. On Saturday, Jeremy and a team of 5 other men from ClearView will be going to Mali, West Africa to tell some folks about Jesus - folks who wouldn't hear the Word of God if not for our church. This isn't your typical mission trip. They aren't building schools or passing out soccer balls or providing medical care to folks in need. All of those are noble causes, and this is not to detract from those important missions. But the mission of this team is the most important mission of all - they are going to spread the message of Christ. That's all. These folks in Mali that our church has identified would not be hearing the Word of God if not for us. I am so happy that our church family could be part of something so significant, and I am so proud of my husband for stepping out in faith to tell others in a far away land about our Lord. As he prepares for this journey (and I prepare mentally and emotionally for him to be away), I am reminded of the words of Casting Crowns's new song, words that resonated with me the first time I heard them and even more so now. I hope that you will be in prayer along with me as Jeremy reaches out to the people of Mali, people who I hope to see one day in heaven - at least in part because of the work my husband does in that place. To God be the glory.

Until the Whole World Hears

Ready yourselves, ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
Ready yourselves, ready yourselves
May the powers of darkness tremble as our praises rise

Until the whole world hears Lord, we are calling out
Lifting up your name for all to hear the sound
Like voices in the wilderness, we're crying out
And as the day draws near, we'll sing until the whole world hears.
Whoa-oh-oh. Whoa-oh-oh.
We'll sing until the whole world hears.

It's Dooley Time in Tennessee!

2010-01-16T23:08:00.004-06:00

I admit, Friday when I heard, I wasn't sure. Today, still not sure. But as I learn more, I have come to know a couple of things: (1) this article's author is just one example of someone who knows more about the game than me who makes Coach Dooley sound very promising, and (2) Coach Dooley is just as cute as a button. I, once again, am excited about the future of Tennessee football. Thanks Derek Dooley for saying yes!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/01/16/dooley.tennessee/index.html

The Future of Tennessee Football

2010-01-13T08:12:00.002-06:00

My takeaways:

(1) He's a turd. And if he wasn't a chicken, he'd stay and coach in a real conference.

(2) This is an awful precedent that must stop -- first step, do it like the NFL. Coaches have to fulfill contract obligations.

(3) This sends a horrible message to these kids.

(4) This does not make the decision for Fulmer to leave a bad one. He needed to go, and this has nothing to do with that. Apples and oranges.

(5) I hope USC sucks for all eternity.

Goals for 2010

2010-01-03T20:40:00.002-06:00

Our good friends, the Tidwells, always set goals at the beginning of each new year. Jeremy and I liked the idea so much that we decided to start doing it ourselves last year. These aren't resolutions, you know, the ones that quickly become forgotten after January passes. These are goals that we actually set out to achieve, and I find that actually writing them down goes a long way. I accomplished a couple of mine from last year and a couple of them are back on this year's list. Most notable "accomplished" are that I ran a half-marathon before I turned 30 and I successfully potty-trained Cooper. My 2010 list is much longer than the 3 or 4 goals that I had last year. This year, I am prayerfully planning for the following:

Finish 1st place in my age group in a 5K
Finish 3rd place or higher in my age group in a 10K
Eat more fruits and vegetables (holdover from last year, but this year, I have a plan!)
Get up earlier
Go to bed earlier
Give up my sugar addiction, once and for all!
No gossiping . . . ever
More consistent prayer time (and NOT when I'm sleepy)
More consistent time in scripture and study
Memory verse every 2 weeks
Drink more water (I made a slight improvement this past year, but it's back on the list)
Go on a mission trip
Go on a trip with Jeremy (and only Jeremy)
Be a better friend
Eat less (i.e., start eating to live and not living to eat)

I appreciate your prayers and encouragement. This will be fun!

Happy Birthday Little Sweet Bud

2009-11-17T20:28:00.005-06:00

Sorry I haven't been posting, but I have been wrapped up with my school rezoning trial. I would attach a link to the media about it, but all of the articles are a bunch of biased half-truths, so I'd rather not. That said, I had to stop and take a moment to pay tribute to my little sweet bud.

Three years ago today, Cooper Adam entered our family. And every day with him has been better than every day without him. He is a joy to us and adds so much life to what was already a great team. Thank you Cooper for being your Mommy's little sweet bud. And thank you Lord for trusting me and blessing me with such a precious child.

Crazy Week - Great Weekend!

2009-10-07T21:31:00.003-05:00

Jeremy and I have been training for the half-marathon, which was scheduled for October 3rd. The Sunday before the race, Cooper started running a fever and coughing. He ran fever till Tuesday morning and started telling us that his "mouth" (i.e., throat) hurt. So, we took him to the doctor to confirm what we already anticipated -- he had the H1N1 flu. J and I traded up staying home with him all week, and I worked SO diligently to keep J and I from getting sick. Cooper felt much better by Thursday, and J and I stayed well. I guess on the bright side, I don't have to worry about Cooper catching swine flu for the next month -- he's already had it.

So, Jeremy and I made it to the race without the flu. Since my last post, I have taken very good care of my knee -- icing, resting, and stretching. I also dropped one of my mid-week runs, so I was down to one 3-mile run on Tuesday (on a treadmill, which was a little easier on the knee) and then my long run on Saturday. I was hopeful that it would be enough to finish the race without walking at all. The good news is, it was. The race was FANTASTIC! I have said all along that this would be my first and last half marathon, and as fun as it was, I want to do another one. But, as fun as it was, I don't want to do another one. I don't think it could ever get better. My original goal when I began training was to finish in less than 2 hours, which means a 9:08 pace for each mile. But after I hurt my knee, my goal changed -- just finish the race.

About 8 miles in, though, I was feeling great. The weather was great, the course was great, everything was great. I turned to Jeremy and said, "I think we can do this in less than 2 hours." We were making great time, and I felt great. So we picked up the pace a little. Unfortunately, Jeremy's knees were killing him, so I ended up leaving him around 10 miles. I accidentally bumped my watch around 9 miles, so I didn't know how much longer I had till 2 hours. But I knew around 11 miles that it was going to be close. I crossed the finish line at 2 hours and 40 seconds (a 9:13 per mile pace). I was so happy to have done so much better than expected that I really couldn't be too disappointed to have missed the 2-hour mark. It was just a great race, and I am so happy that I reached my goal of running a half-marathon before I turned 30. (Jeremy came in at 2 hours and 6 minutes, which was 14 minutes faster than his first half-marathon back in April. He did great, and I am very proud of him!)

After the race, we went to the pumpkin patch down the road in Nolensville to pick out pumpkins. It was just a beautiful day to spend time outside. I LOVE this time of year!!

Knee Problems

2009-08-30T15:11:00.004-05:00

Jeremy and I are training for a half-marathon. Those of you who have met me in the last 4 years know that I love to run and might think that I have always enjoyed running. Those of you who knew me before about 4 years ago know that I have NOT always liked to run. Mostly since Cooper was born, I have developed a strong love for running. I run 5Ks fairly regularly and really enjoy trying to improve my time. And unlike in years past, I take physical fitness very seriously. I have always been one of those girls that my friends hated -- I could eat Doritos and pizza 24 hours a day and not gain much weight. That is a double-edged sword, however, because I was killing myself on the inside with no outward manifestations. While it is nice to not have to worry about weight, at least weight gain can sometimes be a good reminder that we are not treating out bodies so well. So I decided to change course.

Jeremy and I joined the YMCA after I returned to work from my maternity leave in March of 2007, and I have been on a different path ever since. I spend most of my lunch hours taking some classes that I love at the Uptown Y - a sculpt class (high-paced free weights class) on Mondays and Thursdays, and a great boot camp (intensive cardio) class on Wednesdays. And I always run at least once during the weekend. It is somewhat therapeutic for me -- getting outside in the fresh air -- just me and God's creation. No kids, no television, no noise. I love it!

The decision to run the half-marathon was a big decision for me. I mean, 13.1 miles is way different than 3-5 miles, which was the most I had typically run. But I decided as part of my 2009 goals (that I set at New Years) that I would do it. I would run a half-marathon before I turned 30. So, on October 3rd, I am scheduled to run the Middle Half in Murfreesboro...exactly 7 days before I turn 30. Training has been going well, and although I am not blowing the doors off by any stretch of the imagination, my running has been fairly painless. And I have really enjoyed the extra time that Jeremy and I have had "just the two of us." (Cooper isn't running half-marathons just yet.)

Yesterday, we were set to run 10 miles. 8 miles had gone very well for us in Baton Rouge when we were visiting our good friends, the Becks, 2 weekends ago. 9 miles had been harder last weekend, but still okay. Yesterday, J and I dropped Cooper off at his Mammy's house and drove to the greenway in Murfreesboro to churn out 10 miles. About 4-5 miles in, I started having pain on the outside of my left knee. I have had some pain in the front of my right knee during training, but nothing serious. But this was different. My left knee has never given me trouble, and this hurt really bad. I kept running and trying to ignore it. I finished the 10 mile-run but by the end, I truly didn't think I could go one more step. My knee felt like it was locking up, and I felt very defeated.

I spent a lot of time yesterday with ice on my leg and the laptop in my lap looking up information about IT band injuries online. I run enough to know that pain on the outside of your knee is most often IT band. Sure enough, everything I read online seemed to confirm that I probably have ITBS (IT band syndrome) which can develop particularly during intensive race training. I have not trained irresponsibly, which can lead to this syndrome. But I do have one of the risk factors - my legs are (though not technically) different lengths. Because I have scoliosis, my left hip sits lower on my body than my right hip, which makes my left leg seem longer than my right leg. I have a good feeling based on what I have read that this might have contributed to causing my IT band problem.

I am icing, resting, elevating, ibuprofen-ing etc... all the things they recommend to try and heal this type of injury. But it isn't a sure thing. I hope that I can recover and be able to run the race in October. But if I can't get the knee back in shape enough to stay on track with training, I hope that I can recover from the disappointment that comes with training this long...for naught. If anyone has dealt with, or knows someone who has dealt with this type of injury, and has some insight, I'm all ears!

Fun at the Fair

2009-08-08T22:09:00.003-05:00

Now I know why my Daddy LOVED taking his kids to the fair every year. Because there is nothing more fun than watching our son squeal and smile on rides at the fair. We took Cooper to the Williamson County fair tonight, and our friend Derrick and his little girl Hannah came along. We had such a great time. They rode lots of rides, watched the amazing guys on BMXs doing tricks, won some stuffed animals at the water gun racing game, and ended the night with yummy funnel cakes. It took Cooper a couple of rides to get comfortable enough to hold back tears, but by the third ride, he was sold! He even rode his first roller coaster (it was Hannah's first too!) and had a great time doing it. Jeremy, Derrick, and I really enjoyed hanging with our kids tonight. We will definitely go back next year. And we won't miss the pig races next time! It is quite amazing how you can dissolve 50 bucks in no time at the fair, but it was worth every penny!

July Fun

2009-07-12T16:22:00.003-05:00

We have had so much fun in July so far. Although our plans to see fireworks at the Sounds game on the 4th got rained out, we enjoyed grilling out and hanging out with the Tidwells. We also had a great time at our church ClearView's annual cookout. Also, on the 3rd, which we all had off work, we headed to the Red, White and Zoo event at the Nashville Zoo with our friends, the Glenns and the Hoods.

This weekend has had its fair share of excitement as well. Friday night, we enjoyed dinner at Cheddar's (one of our fave restaurants ever!) with our friends, the Joyces. Last night, the Pattersons came over and Will and Cooper had a blast absolutely TRASHING Cooper's room. And get this - Cooper decided that yesterday would be the day that he would begin pottying like a big boy. We literally went from diapers on Friday to underwear all weekend! He has been a champ and seems really excited about the change. "No more diapers - diapers are for babies" is the new mantra around the Bussell house. We are so excited about this major milestone. I've posted a picture below from 4th of July weekend (see cowboy boots) as a tribute to Cooper's last "diapered" weekend!!

Pee Pee Party!

2009-06-29T20:25:00.002-05:00

Friday at school, Cooper asked his teacher to go to the potty. And would you believe that he pee peed in the potty! He has never initiated the process like that, so we are optimistic. No luck this weekend while we were visiting our friends, the Omohundros, in Lexington, but we are trying not to push too hard. (That has backfired in the past, and I now can take comfort that he will do it when he wants to.) Keep your fingers crossed for us that we are on the right track to a diaper free zone at the Bussell house!!

Cooperisms

2009-06-14T20:31:00.003-05:00

Cooper is really becoming a hoot. And it's so interesting to notice how much he's now paying attention to what goes on around him, rather than just existing in the world we create for him. And I know those of you with children who are or were once toddlers understand completely - he has his own thoughts, his own personality, his own view of the world. Just a couple of funny examples from the weekend:

The three of us went to see my niece, Natalie, play baseball Saturday morning, and we stopped by Moab, a local bike shop in Murfreesboro, on the way home from the game. As we headed out the door of the bike shop, not having purchased anything, Cooper looked at the store clerk who had been helping us and said, "We already have our own bikes."

Then tonight, at Target, I was returning some pajamas that I had bought for Cooper, and I was holding up two different sets for him to choose from to replace the ones that were too big. He chose the "monkey ones" over the "turtle ones." As I put the "monkey ones" in the buggy, he said, "I sink [think] those are cool." I think they're cool too Coop. And I think you're even cooler.

Working Girls Listen Up!

2009-05-24T15:40:00.003-05:00

I recently was told about this great website that deals with fashion issues facing working, professional women. It touches on things like appropriate attire for court, whether ponytails and open-toed shoes are appropriate for the office, etc. It even sometimes highlights good buys on cute items at our favorite career clothing locales. (Like the really cute NeimanMarcus suit that was drastically on sale and, unfortunately "unavailable" by the time I read the posting about it!) I hope some of you find it as interesting, and helpful, as I have. The website came up at a recent federal judges' conference wherein several judges were commenting about how inappropriate female lawyers' attire has become as of late. The word about the website is spreading like wildfire! Enjoy!

http://corporette.com/

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-24T13:47:00.004-05:00

We had such a fun time at my aunt Beverly's and uncle George's annual Memorial Day blowout Saturday. We played volleyball ALL day long and had such a great time catching up with the family. Cooper ran around all day playing with the dog, playing with balls, and just generally being a boy! Cooper got lots of attention from cousin Melissa and her husband Josh, who we don't get to see nearly as much as we'd like. He had no nap and was so tired by the end of the day that he fell asleep in the car before we even got the end of Bev and George's road.

On a funnier note, Cooper has never had any carbonated drinks. One of the women at the party made sherbet floats for all the kids, and Cooper did not really know what to think about the way the ginger ale felt in his mouth. He loved the float but made this hysterical face every time he took a bite. We could not stop laughing and just had to get a picture (see second photo below).

It was great to see everyone!

What More Could I Ask For?

2009-05-23T10:46:00.003-05:00

I not only have a husband who helps me tremendously but who is also a great example to his son. Cooper will make some girl a great husband one day, all because of the role model that he has in his Papa.

April in Tennessee

2009-04-10T20:35:00.002-05:00

Words cannot express how saddened I am by the devastation that hit Murfreesboro today. It is such a wonderful town, just southeast of my home, and my heart goes out to all of the families affected by today's storms. I pray God's peace and comfort over all of you.

www.dnj.com

Personality Test

2009-04-08T21:58:00.004-05:00

This test has been going around my office through email and creating lots of laughs. It is shockingly accurate. If you don't believe me, Jeremy is a "9" and I'm a "1." You'll know what that means after you take it, and you'll then know that it hits the nail on the head. After you get your number, click on it and then click on "Description" at the top of the page to read more about yourself! Let me know how it turns out for you!

http://www.9types.com/newtest/homepage.actual.html

Our Friends From Down South

2009-04-05T20:40:00.004-05:00

Our friends, the Becks, flew to Nashville Thursday evening (later than expected due to the weather, but they made it safely) for a weekend visit. They are our good friends from law school, though their family has grown by 2 and ours by 1 since we first met in Knoxville. We only see each other a couple of times a year, so this was a special time. Cooper and Caroline had a blast playing together, and sweet baby Charlotte enjoyed taking it all in! We enjoyed lots of fun at our neighborhood park and just hanging out. We also had a great day Saturday at Cheekwood doing art with the kids, enjoying the beautiful scenery, and picnicking. Jeff, Ashley, Caroline, and Charlotte -- we love you guys so much and can't wait to see you again!

Big Boy Bed

2009-04-05T20:32:00.004-05:00

Given our company situation this weekend, our sleeping arrangements were a little different than usual. Cooper had to take his naps in Mommy and Papa's big bed so that Baby Charlotte could nap in his bed. Coop did so well that we decided that he was ready for us to convert his crib into a big boy toddler bed. Experts (and moms more experienced than me) say you should leave your toddler in a crib until you need to put them in another bed by necessity, e.g., (a) they climb out and it becomes dangerous, or (b) you have another baby and need the crib. Option (b) is a no-go for us, and although Cooper can climb out of his crib, for whatever reason, he never does unless we are in the room. Despite that, we felt like the time was right and that we should lose the crib. We put him to bed a little early tonight since he was tired from all of the weekend festivities, and he fell asleep like a champ. And he's only fallen out once so far. (It's only 8:45 p.m. though, so we'll see how the rest of the night goes.)

Cooper's First Bowling Party

2009-03-27T21:31:00.004-05:00

Cooper went to his first bowling party - for his friend Landon - a couple of weekends ago, and I am just now getting around to posting some video that our good friend Alison took of Coop bowling. I think I could use that ramp thing....

Raise the Bar

2009-03-12T21:28:00.003-05:00

I had a conversation with a friend today that reminded me of something I have realized having become a parent - people just do not expect enough out of their children. The conversation went something like this:
Friend and father of 1-year-old (to me and another co-worker): "So, did your kids go through separation anxiety where they just whine until you pick them up?"
Me: "Well, he went through separation anxiety when I would leave him at particular discrete ages, but he's never whined until I picked him up. If he's whining because he wants something, I do not do what he wants until he stops whining. It's always been that way, so we don't have that problem."
Friend: "So, how do we make him stop?"
Me: "Stop picking him up when he whines. Tell him that he has to be a big boy if he wants you to hold him."
Friend: "Well, [wife] won't let that happen."
Me: "Well, he won't stop."

This isn't rocket science people. I hear people say things like "well he's just a baby" or "I can't expect him to talk" or "he's too young to say thank you when he gets something" or "he's too young to say please" or "he just doesn't understand." Balogna. At the end of the day, our kids are going to do what we require them to do to get what they want. Require more, and they will do more. Require your children to say thank you when they learn to talk. Require your children to point at something they want if they can't talk yet and not whine for it. And when they start talking, by all means, expect them to tell you what they want. Let's raise the bar Moms and Dads - our children will thank us one day. And so will the people at the table next to you at the restaurant.

What a Mess

2009-03-03T19:57:00.002-06:00

My mom's text message hit the nail on the head last night -- WHAT A MESS! I'm sure many of you were as heartbroken as I was when Jason dumped Melissa on national television last night on The Bachelor. I'm sick of thinking about how dirty and rotten (and, quite frankly, childish) he is, so I'm moving on. On a lighter note, his interview with Jimmy Kimmel last night was HYSTERICAL. I wanted you all to enjoy if you haven't seen it already.

Cooking Classes

2009-02-27T14:13:00.003-06:00

Cooper has had a mild stomach bug nagging him since yesterday so I kept him home from school today. Since we had all the time in the world today, we decided to make pancakes for breakfast this morning. And Cooper helped me cook them! He got to stir, flip, and even transfer pancakes to the plate all by himself. He did great, and I only had to say, "Don't touch that part, it's HOT!" about 50 times. We had a blast. And they tasted good too!

The Faith of Barack Obama: A Book Review

2009-02-03T19:59:00.003-06:00

I recently finished reading The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield (also the author of The Faith of George W. Bush). I have been participating in the Thomas Nelson publishing company's book review program, and this is my review of his latest book.

The Faith of Barack Obama is a kind, thoughtful attempt by Stephen Mansfield of presenting Barack Obama's "Christian" faith to the world in a positive light. That said, as a Christian woman seeking to follow God's will for my life and striving to share the love of Christ with others, I'm afraid that Mr. Mansfield had a tough row to hoe. The story is organized chronologically, which is helpful to the reader and, at least, helps the reader to understand what brought Barack Obama (to whom I will now refer as our President) to the point he is today, spiritually. I do believe after having read this book that Barack Obama is "spiritual" in the 2009 sense of the word. I do not, however, believe that Barack Obama is the same kind of Christian I am. I, quite honestly, am unsure whether our President is a Christian at all.

Mr. Mansfield's book is clear, concise, and honest -- all qualities that make for a good read. That said, I can't say that I feel any better about our President's faith than I did before I read the book. I chose the book with optimism -- hoping that, maybe, the critics were wrong. I have for so long, particularly after Mr. Obama became our President, wanted him to be a brother of mine in Christ. I am now unsure, and for that reason alone, I am disappointed in the book.

As Mansfield describes our President's self-proclaimed spiritual transformation, the picture that is painted is a troubling one: "What did Barack Obama become, then, on that Sunday morning in 1985? He became, he says, a Christian. He confessed his faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for his sins and rose again. Yet he denies that his Christianity is the sole path to God, and he applies a great deal of doubt to the doctrines of his faith: the inspiration of Scripture, the matter of the afterlife, the moral standards of tradition. In this he is not alone. His Christianity is shared by most of the mainline Protestant denominations today as well as the unchurched young in America." (pp.57-58) Mansfield then goes on to paint a more optimistic, and un-judgmental picture. He appropriately describes that, as Christians, we are evolving "works in progress," and that "no man can be accurately portrayed by a portrait frozen in time."

All of this to say, Stephen Mansfield does an amazing job of forcing me to sympathize with our President's journey to spirituality. The son of an atheist mother...the son of a Muslim father, who abandoned his family early in Barack's life...later, the stepson of a practicing Muslim...all at the same time that he attended Catholic school "because the education at the school was among the best available." (p.14) Mansfield presents this journey in an appropriately sympathetic light...how could we possibly expect a child to emerge from such a religious melting pot with a sense of belonging. Needless to say, this book revealed to me that, as a woman raised in a Christian home, I have taken for granted the ease with which I was led to accept Christ as my Savior. Many in this world, our President included, have been presented with a much more difficult journey. At the end of the day, this book left me intrigued, yet burdened...and grateful for God's grace that led me down a clearer spiritual path.

This Is What You Get...

2009-02-01T20:48:00.001-06:00

...when you let your 2-year-old pick out his own outfit for your friends' SuperBowl party. Yes, he really loves his new "cow boots." And yes, those are pajamas. At least they had footballs on them. :)

Without Fail...

2009-01-30T20:06:00.002-06:00

...Cooper never ceases to amaze me. The other night, Jeremy and I decided to take Cooper to eat at his favorite pizza place, Snappy Tomato (which we often refer to as just "Snappy"). I had had sort of a rough day at work, so I pitched to Jeremy the possibility of just picking up a pizza and taking it home. Jeremy was indifferent, so I decided to let Cooper make the call.
I said "Cooper, do you want to have pizza at home or at 'Snappy'?"
He responded, "Snappy."
Knowing kids well enough to know that they usually just say the last thing you listed, and wanting to know if he really meant it, I swapped the order: "Cooper, do you want to have pizza at 'Snappy' or at home?"
He responded, "Snappy."
I then turned to Jeremy and said, "I wonder if he even knows what I am talking about?"
Cooper chimed in, "Toe-mae-toe!"
I guess he knew what I was talking about.

Then tonight on the way home, (and after a long, busy day at work,) Cooper explained to me that Adam and Eve had to leave the "Gah-den" and that God said "Don't come back!" because they didn't listen to what God had told them. When Jeremy asked him, "Where is Jesus?", Cooper responded, "In my heart." He learned all of that at school today, by the way.

What a wonderful ending to a rough week. I love my life!

Every Mom's Dream

2009-01-21T20:29:00.003-06:00

As some of you know, Cooper has been battling sickness for some time now. We were home Friday with a sinus infection, and then had a restful few days off of school and work (including Monday, the MLK holiday), only to discover bumps on Cooper's hands Monday morning consistent with the hand, foot & mouth virus [highly contagious, but not nearly as serious as it sounds -- just fever and small blistery bumps on hands, feet, and mouth (hence, the name)]. So, Jeremy has had "Cooper duty" the last two days, and I'm on tap to stay home with him tomorrow and Friday.

So, the point of this post is not to give you the boring details of our week. The funny thing is, Cooper is absolutely miserable to not be able to go to school this week. He loves his teachers and loves his time with his friends. It is so refreshing to know that his daycare has so much to offer him that he actually misses it when he's away. Last night, after stories and prayers, as I was laying Cooper in his crib, I said, "Sweet bud, have a good night sleep and I will see you tomorrow." Cooper responded, "And go to school?!?!?" in the sweetest anticipatory voice you've ever heard. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he had to stay home with his Papa again (which I would love to do by the way!). Tonight, Jeremy stayed home with the still-contagious Coop while I went to church. Jeremy reported that Cooper again asked about going to school during the bedtime routine. Like me, Jeremy didn't have the heart to tell him. Hopefully staying home with Mommy won't be too terribly awful tomorrow.

Complete Bummer!

2009-01-11T16:15:00.003-06:00

I was really looking forward to the SuperBowl this year. The last time the Titans were in the SuperBowl, I had just gotten engaged to my high school, then college, sweetheart. It was Y2K, and life was great. As I am on the doorstep of 30 now and happier than ever, now married to that same wonderful guy who had chosen me to spend his life with, I thought . . . what a great time for the Titans to go to the SuperBowl again. Thanks Titans. So much for that!

Stunned Titans failed to answer critics
January 10, 2009 11:55 PM

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Titans quarterback Kerry Collins was under constant pressure from Baltimore's defense.
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans were convinced nobody liked them. They were an unappreciated small-market team, a workmanlike bunch that lacked the gloss or controversy that sells or attracts attention.
As the hype around the Baltimore Ravens grew, they grumbled.
Then, on their home field with a chance to quiet the critics -- real or imagined -- they produced a dud similar in scope to the last time when they were the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T18:27:00.006-06:00

This was the first year that Cooper really knew who Santa was and what he was all about! Cooper has been very excited about presents, and this morning, there they were under the tree waiting on him. Despite his cold and red nose, he didn't let it slow him down. Santa brought him a tool set like Papa's and a Little People ark. Mommy and Papa also got him a vacuum cleaner (that really sucks stuff up, which is cool for Mommy and Cooper), a Playdoh set, and a refrigerator toy that teaches him letters. It was so much fun being together as a family this Christmas, and I am so thankful for my boys. And we tried really hard to help Cooper understand the real meaning of Christmas this year, which can sometimes get lost among the wrapping paper and toys. In the car last week, Coop said, "Baby Jesus say Ho Ho Ho." On the bright side, at least he remembered that Christmas was about Baby Jesus. We'll work on the Ho Ho Ho part next year.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-09T20:40:00.003-06:00

One of my greatest childhood memories is picking out a "real" Christmas tree every year with my momma and daddy and coming home to decorate it. Fortunately, Jeremy also grew up in a house with that tradition, and it is one that we are very excited to pass on to our little boy. Although this is Cooper's third Christmas (since he was born right before Thanksgiving), this is really the first one in which he was old enough to enjoy and understand the festivities. For example, he is very excited about "Santa bring Cooper peasants [aka, presents]." We really enjoyed decorating the tree with our little Coop the other night, and he only had to go to timeout once during the process. (Those of you with 2-year-olds know that is pretty impressive!) I hope that your family traditions bring you lots of joy this Christmas season.

Shooting Like a Rocket Up the Growth Charts

2008-11-18T20:17:00.004-06:00

We took Cooper to the doctor today for his two-year checkup, and it went so well! He actually really likes going to see Dr. Langone (or Dotter Lanie-gone as he calls her). He went a little nuts when he got a shot (it's a shame those shots get worse the older they get), but aside from that, he seemed to have fun. He even showed out a little, talking and jumping for the doctor. The really good news is, Cooper has grown A LOT since his 18 month checkup. He has been stuck in the teens in height and weight percentile since birth, but he has officially shot out of the teens! He weighed almost 27 lbs and was 33 inches tall, which puts him at 29th percentile in height and 34th in weight. He has certainly made great strides, and we are very optimistic. Plus, he's just so darn cute!! Here are a couple of cute pictures from this morning in his new "jammas" that Aunt Charis and Uncle Jared gave him for his birthday and tonight before bathtime in his new Titans sweatshirt that his Big Daddy and Terrie gave him.

Happy Birthday Cooper!

2008-11-15T21:49:00.006-06:00

What a great 2nd birthday party we had. I cannot believe how fast this past year has gone by. Thanks so much to everyone who came and celebrated with us. Sorry we didn't get a picture of all our friends, but special thanks to Cooper's friends Landon, Lanie Ann, Caitlin, Hannah, and Will for coming to our party. And thanks to all our friends and family for all of the wonderful gifts. For our out of town friends, we are sorry you couldn't be here to join in the fun. Cooper, your Mommy loves you so much, and I am so blessed to have the most precious little boy on the planet. Thanks for making being a Mommy the most wonderful job I could ever have!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T22:37:00.004-05:00

What a full, fun Halloween day and night! We snuck out of work a little early and had a great time celebrating Halloween at daycare this afternoon. All the kids were running around, all dressed up in their costumes. Cooper even got to pose for a picture with his two favorite teachers -- Mrs. Ebie and Mrs. Brigette. Then, after the daycare party, we drove straight to the Hoods' house for a fun Halloween bash. Most of the kids were young enough that trick or treating wouldn't have lasted very long, so we opted for a cookout instead. We grilled out hot dogs, ran around in our Halloween costumes, played with pumpkins in the yard, decorated cookies, and even "dressed up" our pumpkins with plastic Halloween faces. We are so blessed to have so many great friends with whom to spend our holidays. Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween too!

Too Cute For Words

2008-10-30T08:11:00.002-05:00

Halloween Fun

2008-10-26T20:33:00.003-05:00

We had so much fun with our friends, the Glenns and the Hoods, at Gentry Farm last weekend. I don't know how Ty managed to escape from every picture, but here are a few of Hannah and Coop. And isn't my sweet little bud the cutest scarecrow you have ever seen!

Here's To You Mr. President

2008-10-17T12:54:00.006-05:00

And no, I'm not talking about President Bush. You know, in this mortgage bailout nightmare, I can't help but notice that, again, our former President Clinton, who is truly considered next to God for many Democrats I know, comes away unscathed. Everyone knows that part of the problem is (1) the high dollar banks loaning money to people who never should have received a loan in the first instance, and (2) the homeowners who can't afford to pay their utility bills purchasing homes they certainly can't afford. Of course, McCain and Obama both claim the other one played into the mess by supporting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their massive purchasing of "questionable" loans from other banks.

And in all of the madness, I can't help but think about our 'ole buddy Bill, who was "always looking out for the little guy." I have friends who literally tear up when they talk about "the good ole days" when he was President. Of course, I remind them that no matter who got elected in 1992, that person was going to benefit from the swinging pendulum that is the American economy and that worked to his advantage during that decade. (The same way I recall everyone saying that whomever was elected in 2000 would suffer from the pendulum swinging the other direction....fast forward....2008.) But it appears that the pendulum isn't the only thing that brought us to this place, and I'm always in awe at how the former President is never held accountable for the role that he played in causing negative outcomes. I'm constantly amazed that no matter what Clinton did during his tenure as President, whether it be christening the Oval Office with his lustful, boyish immaturities, or making a mockery of the American justice system by lying under oath....he always comes out unscathed. So, here's to you Bill....thanks for pressuring banks to give loans to people who couldn't afford to buy houses. Thanks for leading us to this nightmare that we're in. The forethought of this New York Times writer in a 1999 article is quite telling. And Mr. President, while the media won't talk TODAY about how you caused this mess, I will.

I Hate Politics

2008-10-09T22:12:00.004-05:00

Everywhere I go, people are blabbing about politics. I just want to take this opportunity to say that while I am less than excited about the likely outcome of the upcoming election, I AM SO READY FOR IT TO BE OVER. These two candidates are so diametrically opposed to one another that it seems quite strange to me that so many people are confused about which one is more in line with their political philosophy. I'm going to make it simple for you. (1)a. If you believe that strong economies are built from the bottom up...Obama's your guy. b. If you believe that strong economies are built from the top down...McCain's your guy. (2)a. If you believe in a paternalistic government, which bridges the gap for those who either can't or choose not to provide for themselves...Obama's your guy. b. If you believe this "bridging" should be highly limited, McCain's your guy. [Most of the stuff they blab about fits into one of the two previous categories, so stay focused.]

Hope that helps. And you won't change my mind no matter what you say, so you should focus any discussion efforts on someone who is confused about whether they are an a. or b. I'm not.

Applelinny

2008-09-29T20:07:00.004-05:00

Well, for those of you who didn't know, Cooper loves to sing. Most days in the car on the way to or from school, we sing "Bippy Pider" (bitsy spider), "Round Round Bus" (wheels on the bus go...), "Name-O" (And Bingo was his name-o), "E-I-O" (old mcdonald), "Ginkle, Ginkle, Wittle Tar," and "ABCs." The last couple of days, Cooper has introduced a new song. It goes something like this:

"Applelinny (pronounced, App-uh-lin-ee), Applelinny, ah day yong."

Sometimes, he just says "Applelinny" over and over. We cannot for the life of us figure out what he is singing. So, I'm reaching out for help. If anyone can think of any children's song that even slightly resembles "Applelinny," please advise.

Follow Up

2008-09-22T20:25:00.003-05:00

Perhaps just a strikingly serendipitous moment in time . . . but our pastor just posted this on his blog. For those interested in my previous post, here is what our pastor has to say on the subject of alcohol.

The Alcohol Debate

2008-09-19T22:04:00.003-05:00

I grew up in a Southern Baptist church. Those of you who have spent as much time as me in the Southern Baptist church know that alcohol is a taboo topic. That said, (and I know I'm generalizing here to a degree,) Southern Baptist leaders rarely, if ever, tell you why they believe alcohol is a "no no." I still attend a Southern Baptist church, which I love. But even as a member of the denomination, I recognize that the Southern Baptist agenda doesn't always mesh with my understanding of Jesus.

We discussed the issue of alcohol in Sunday School a few weeks ago. A friend of mine, knowing I was interested in really understanding God's position on the subject, sent me the link below. I appreciate this pastor's candor, boldness, and Bible-based teaching about the issue. Even better, he addresses other issues typically not addressed in the Southern Baptist church and how that failure results in a horrible form of hypocrisy. I don't want to give it all away, and I certainly couldn't do it justice. But I can hear the Southern Baptists gasping all over South Carolina where he preached the sermon (he is the pastor of a church called NewSpring, which is a Southern Baptist church interestingly enough). If you have any interest or concern on this topic, the sermon is well worth your time. If you skip to about 24:00 on the video, you will be starting at the beginning of the sermon. The really good stuff is later in the video. Take the time to watch. The lesson is this: our righteousness comes not from what we do, but from what Jesus did. Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts. This guy is awesome! And yes, he is preaching in blue jeans. GASP!!!

http://www.newspring.cc/series/you-asked-for-it-week-4

Now Isn't He a Big Boy

2008-09-16T20:05:00.002-05:00

Cooper's Big Daddy (my dad, his grandpa) and Terrie brought over Terrie's grandson's old bike for Cooper to try out. While we still have a little while before he masters the small seat (with no back) and a while before we fully reach the pedals, Coop sure looks grown riding this big boy bike. I felt like he looked tiny when watching him on it in person last week. But looking back at these pictures, WOW, he looks like such a big boy now. I can't believe he will be two in just two months.

Little Ragamuffin Child

2008-09-16T19:48:00.002-05:00

We like to go to Snappy Tomato, a great local pizza place. They have a fantastic pizza and salad bar, which is only $4.99 on Tuesdays. And Coop eats free! (Those of you who know me well know I do NOT like buffets. Snappy Tomato is not your average buffet, though. It is very clean and very tasty.) Tonight, we met our good friends, the Rhynes, there for dinner. Coop (as usual) insisted on taking a piece of pizza for the road. We caught this quick picture right before his bath. He looks like he just crawled out of the sewer. Tomorrow is school picture day, so at least he cleans up well.

Thoughts on Vince

2008-09-12T08:06:00.003-05:00

I don't necessarily believe this all applies to Vince Young or even that I agree with it entirely, but this article certainly raises some interesting thoughts.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8550254?MSNHPHMA

Flashback . . . 1966

2008-09-08T21:22:00.003-05:00

Yes, I totally ripped this idea off of my friend Jennifer's blog, but it is hysterical. It is from www.yearbookyourself.com. The first pic is me in 1966. And how funny is the second pic, straight out of 1996. It looks just like me the year J and I started dating. Wow, what was he thinking! Try it for yourself.

And just for a little more fun, Jeremy in 1984.

Hello Big Apple!

2008-09-07T07:16:00.004-05:00

Well, I had to ("got to," more appropriately) travel to New York City for an expert deposition in my TASER case. I had never been there before, so this was quite an opportunity for me. We did a lot in a small amount of time, which is tough in Manhattan, which is a much larger island than I ever realized. We stayed in Midtown, near the deposition site, so we were within walking distance of many places such as Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, FAO Schwartz toy store, and the Empire State Building. I've posted a few pics below of some of those sites. I also tried to take a picture of St. Patrick's Cathedral (which was incredible), but I ended up taking video without realizing it, so I'm chalking that up as a moment lost in time.

Before my depo, I got up and decided to take a run in Central Park. Not realizing how far away Central Park was (our hotel was at 34th Street and the south entrance of Central Park was around 59th Street), I started running northward in the direction of the park. After arriving, I ended up only being able to run about 10 minutes inside the park because I had to save time for the jog back, and I still had to get to my depo by 9 a.m. It was a fun jog, though, and I have a feeling it was the farthest I've run at one time in my life. (Interestingly, there were so many people running and biking inside the park, it had the feel of an organized race like a 5K.)

Thursday, after the depo, we took the subway down to the Financial District to see the NYSE and World Trade Center site. The Trade Center site is under construction, but it was still very nostalgic to be in that place. Keli (my partner at work) and I spent a lot of time talking about what we were doing when the planes hit and how that moment in history affected us and those we know. Then, Thursday night was the best. We went to see Wicked on Broadway. It was a phenomenal show, and I recommend it to anyone who travels to Chicago or NYC (where the main shows are playing), or even if the nationwide tour comes to a city near you. I'm sad it isn't coming to Nashville, because I would love to take Jeremy. If you like the Wizard of Oz, you will LOVE Wicked.

In short, I thought NYC was great. Strangely, I felt like it wasn't as "big" as I was expecting. The sites were really spread out, but I wasn't nearly as overwhelmed as I was expecting to be. It was just a cool place to see, and I'm glad I got the chance to go.

Coolest Kid's Meal Ever

2008-09-02T20:52:00.003-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, on our Chicago trip, we ate at Weber Grill. Cooper is getting to be at the age (or appetite at least) where we can't always share a meal with him. Sometimes he gets his own, and our trip to Weber Grill was one such time. I have to plug the amazing kid's meal we got Cooper at that restaurant. The meal was kind of pricey for a kid's meal, but I could not believe everything that came in it. It was amazing. All for the price of $5.95, Cooper had the following: a hamburger big enough for me, enough tator tots to feed a small rhino, fruit, broccoli, and yes, a strawberry ice cream sundae (which we helped him eat of course). And it all came in this lovely ceramic divided plate. Now, that is worth $5.95! Yes, we took a picture.

Hello Windy City!

2008-09-02T20:34:00.005-05:00

As you may or may not know, Chicago is one of our favorite places to go. Jeremy and I vacationed there a couple years ago, right before Cooper was born. We knew after going then that we would want to take Cooper back someday. This Labor Day weekend was our chance. As many of you know, Cooper is REALLY into modes of transportation these days, especially buses and airplanes, so Chicago was just the place for him. We managed to ride 3 airplanes, 4 trains, and 2 buses all in one weekend. And J and C even managed to drag my butt to the zoo (and I have to admit, I even had a good time there! Lincoln Park (a quaint little community just NE of town) is an amazing area of town, and the Zoo there (free!) is fantastic (for a zoo, of course). I've posted some pics from the trip, mostly of Cooper on all the various modes of transportation. And Ash, the Dirty Dancing bus is a tribute to you! (J took that photo while we ate dinner on the terrace at Weber Grill Saturday night.) As you may have seen on Jeremy's blog, the stroller, our primary mode of transportation around town, of course, got a flat on Saturday. So, while I perused H&M, Jeremy and Coop hit the streets asking around about nearby bike shops. After a fairly lengthy walk to the bike shop, we were able to get the stroller back in working order and even bought two spare tubes just in case of future mishaps. All in all, we had a fantastic time, and I know we will go back someday!

Common Ground

2008-08-26T21:15:00.003-05:00

I know, I ripped this out of Jeremy's blog, but it is a very powerful message. Like Stephen Mansfield, the author of the newly released book, The Faith of Barack Obama, I have no intention of voting for Barack Obama. That said, Mansfield's commentary is right on. (For what it's worth, and as evidence that he truly is not a biased Obama-backer, Mansfield also wrote The Faith of George W. Bush.) As Christians, regardless of our political views, perhaps we can embrace whatever common ground we may find.

Setting the Standard

2008-08-24T20:07:00.003-05:00

This morning, our fantastic pastor, Mark Marshall, spoke of how, as Christians, we know that God sets the standard for our lives. However, to those watching us from the outside in (through the fishbowl so to speak), we set the standard for them. As Christians, we are expected to live a certain way, act a certain way, speak a certain way, be a certain way. And that is fine, I don't take issue with that. I just need to remember that.

I've always known that people were watching me as a Christian. Our friends, our colleagues, non-Christians around us, our children. I just never thought of it (at least not until today) as others actually seeing us as "the standard." Our children are the classic example. As Mark described, Cooper isn't just watching me. I am his mother. I am his leader. I am his guide. I am "his standard."

Yesterday, Cooper said something that was very grown up, and very "Allison" for those of you who know me. (It was hysterical, and Jeremy blogged it, so I won't steal his thunder.) Cooper also says, "uh-huh" all the time, and we are trying to break him of it -- having him say "Yes" instead. Why does he say "uh-huh" all the time? Because I say it. All the time. Of course, this is a minor, largely harmless example, but the underlying lesson is the same -- Cooper thinks saying "uh-uh" falls within the acceptable standard of living -- because his Mommy does it. They say children parrot us, and that is true. But Mark helped me realize this morning that it is more than that. We set the bar for them, and in large part, they will live up to that bar, no matter how high or low we choose to raise it.

It sure does change the way I view my own behavior. I don't want to mislead Cooper of course. When I get frustrated with an erratic driver on the interstate. When I am quick to anger when Buford is running around the house barking. I can't let Cooper think that being quick to anger is how I should be acting in those circumstances. Of course, we can't expect ourselves to never make mistakes. But this sermon just brought a whole new awareness to me of how my behavior doesn't just impact others around me -- it might, at least for some people, be considered "the standard" by which God wants us to live. Again, even though that isn't the "truth" according to God's Word (because, of course, as sinners, we all fall short of the glory of God), it is nonetheless the perception. And one that I as a Christian woman seeking to live a Godly life need to come to grips with.

We set the bar for our children. We set the bar for non-Christians watching us through the fishbowl. As for me and my family, we will set the bar high. -Joshua 24:15

Following in Jeremy's Footsteps

2008-08-18T20:18:00.004-05:00

Cooper loves wearing his Papa's shoes (Papa is Jeremy, not grandpa, though grandpa is pretty cool too!). I know that they are large shoes to fill, but hopefully Coop will grow up to be just as wonderful a husband and father as his Papa is!

Just Being a Boy

2008-08-18T20:06:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately. I have been particularly slack in posting pictures of our goings-on. Here are a few of Coop that were taken over the last month -- pics of Coop just being a boy! The last one is of Coop and his buddy, Will, who turned 2 this past week.

Biting Update

2008-08-18T08:12:00.003-05:00

Well, Emma didn't bite Cooper, Alex did! Jeremy went to pick Coop up late last week, and Alex had just bitten him. Cooper was saying to Jeremy, "No Papa, no bite you." His teacher, Bridgette, informed us that when he says that, he is trying to get the person to whom he is talking to tell the biter not to bite him anymore. For example, last week, when he was saying, "No Emma, no bite you," he was trying to get Emma to tell Alex not to bite him. And on the way home, he was just repeating to us that he had been telling Emma to tell Alex not to bite him. I know, it's a step removed to say the least, but at least we understand what his purpose was (and that he wasn't lying on his friend, Emma, who is in fact not a biter.) I think Coop has it all figured out now, though, because he spent much of the weekend saying, "Alec [Alex], no bite Booper [Cooper]." As Mrs. Bridgette says, "He may be little, but he can take care of himself."

The Ride Home

2008-08-12T19:56:00.002-05:00

Our ride home in the evenings is always an interesting time. Jeremy and I (and Cooper, who can't drive ; ) carpool in together, so it is a nice time for us to all catch up on life and, specifically, the happenings of the day. We always get interesting insight into Cooper's mind during this time because, unlike every other waking moment of the day, he isn't running around in a million directions. He's stuck in his carseat with one choice -- talk to Mommy and Papa.

For example, Friday, he informed us that someone had bitten him at school. He said, "No No Emma. No biting." It took some prying from me ("Cooper, did Emma bite somebody at school today . . . did Emma bite you?") and some responses from Coop ("Emma bite you. No Emma, no bite you.") to realize that he was trying to tell me that Emma bit him at school. At first, I didn't really think that was true because Emma (as far as we thought) wasn't a biter. Then, sure enough, I looked down and he had a bite mark on his right leg. When Jeremy bathed him later that night, he found another bite mark on his back. That's right Emma, "No No. NO biting!"

Today, on the way home, we counted. Yes, I think it's awesome too that Cooper can count (well, sort of count). The conversation went something like this:

J: Hey Cooper, Count for us.

C: One, Two, Free, Fibe, Sick, Seben, Nine

(not too shabby)

A: Coop, let's start again. One

C: Two

A: Three

C: Fibe

A: No Coop, Four

C: Fibe, Sick, Seben

A: Four

C: Four

A: Five

C: Sick, Seben, Nine

A: Seven, EIGHT

C: Nine

A: Seven, Eight

C: Seben, Ate

A: Seven, Eight (repetition is key)

C: Seben, Ate

A: Good Cooper, Five, Six...

C: Seben, Nine

A: (reminding myself that he is just 21 months old and moving on . . . ) Good job Cooper!

Encouraging Words

2008-07-23T21:04:00.003-05:00

I am burdened by some difficult, yet varied, circumstances that a couple of my good friends face lately. I hope that the words I read during my scripture time tonight can be as encouraging to them as they were to me. The first verse actually takes me back to a Bible study I attended in Knoxville. It was "bring your favorite verse" night at Bible study, and one of my now dear friends tendered this verse to the group as one of her favorite verses. I know that she will find joy in the fact that it has stuck with me over the years and that I identify it so closely with her. I only hope that it brings her encouragement during this time in her life. The second scripture is just one I came across tonight, and I hope that it is equally encouraging.

Habakkuk 3:19
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

II Corinthians 4:16-17
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Yes, I'm talking about poop!

2008-07-23T20:57:00.002-05:00

Last night, Cooper was standing by the front door and he looked at me with a squinty face and said "poo-poo?" I said, "Okay, let's go poo-poo in the potty." So, we ran him to the bathroom, took his diaper off, and sat him on his potty. Keep in mind that, at this point in time, Cooper has never gone potty in the potty, and in fact, has only told me after the fact that he went in his diaper. He has never told me beforehand what he was about to do like he did last night. So, we sit him on his potty. After blabbering and looking down into the potty several times, and with a little coaching from Mommy and Papa, he suddenly made the face that many of you have seen him make wherein he holds his hand up over his mouth, almost like in surprise. (He often does that hand gesture while also saying, "Oh-no!") This time, he didn't say "Oh-no!" but he made the face and we didn't know why until he stood up -- THERE WAS POO-POO IN THE POTTY!! That's right, I'm blogging because my little boy went #2 in the potty! I hope you all are as excited as I am.

2008-07-15T19:25:00.005-05:00

This past weekend, we drove up to Lexington, Kentucky to visit our friends. For those who read my blog but don't know, Jeremy and I lived in "the Lex" as we call it for a year after I got out of law school while I clerked for a federal judge there, Judge Joe Hood. Though we don't make it up there nearly enough, we were glad to have the opportunity to visit last weekend. On Saturday, we went to the Explorium with our good friends, Wes and Melissa. Cooper had a really good time exploring, which is, well, I guess, the point of the Explorium. ; ) Saturday night, we grilled out at their house, and Judge and Mrs. Hood came over to visit too. Cooper enjoyed playing with and getting to know him (since he hasn't seen Judge since he was a baby). Sunday, we had breakfast at Magee's before it was time to come home, and for those of you who have eaten it before, you understand that we had to bring a cake home with us. (I've eaten a lot of cake in my life, and Magee's butter cream icing simply cannot be topped!) We had a blast, and we can't wait to see our friends again. We love being home around our families, but we sure do miss "the Lex" too!

Wes and Cooper

Wes and Melissa

Judge Hood and Cooper

Bagels with Ninny & Popsicles with Pappy

2008-07-06T19:35:00.004-05:00

What a great, fun-filled holiday weekend we had. In my previous post, I filled you in on Friday. Saturday, Jeremy played golf in the a.m. with his old college buddies while Coop and I had breakfast with Ninny. We went to Panera for our usual bagels with Ninny. Then, Saturday evening after Coop's nap, the 3 of us went to Pei Wei for an early dinner and to the park. You can read more about it on Jeremy's blog here. Then, Sunday, we went to Sunday School and then to the annual Clearview Baptist Church 4th of July picnic. Sunday afternoon, we went to our pool neighborhood as a family and then to Mammy and Pappy's for Sunday dinner. After dinner, Pappy treated Coop to a raspberry popsicle, which he thorougly enjoyed (actually, that they thoroughly enjoyed; Pappy's a big popsicle fan!). Coop fell asleep on the way home and barely woke up for a change into his naptime diaper. Good thing we gave him a bath before we went to Mammy and Pappy's. He was tucked in bed, snoring away before 7. After a fun filled weekend, he was beat!!

Happy Birthday USA!!

2008-07-04T22:16:00.002-05:00

We had a great time today at our friends' -- Brian and Marney Patterson -- annual 4th of July cookout. Cooper and his friend Will (Brian and Marney's son) had a great time playing with balls and running around the backyard. And eating pizza! All the grown ups enjoyed fresh fried catfish and hushpuppies. The food was great and it was great to see our friends. We also got to spend time with our old friends, Justin and Tracie. The night ended with an exciting and quite impressive fireworks display courtesy of Brian and a couple of his brave friends. Cooper was pretty delirious during the fireworks display because it was about 2 hours past bedtime, but overall he seemed pretty intrigued. That is, as long as Jeremy kept his ears covered. And he crashed like a ton of bricks about 30 seconds into the car ride home (see last pic). Overall, I think this 4th of July was quite a success!

Who Is Ah-shin?

2008-07-04T15:42:00.002-05:00

Sometime over the last few days, Cooper has started saying "Ah-shin." We finally figured out he is trying to say Allison. The funny thing is, he doesn't know who Ah-shin is. This afternoon, we were all 3 hanging out at the house when Buford starting barking. I said, "Is someone knocking?" (which is usually the reason for Buford barking). In an inquisitive voice, Cooper said, "Ah-shin?" as if to ask whether Ah-shin was at the door. Jeremy and I started cracking up because it was very clear to us that Ah-shin was not at the door. Pretty soon, we'll have to make sure Coop understands that Ah-shin is Mommy to him.

Now That's a Fat Lip

2008-07-02T20:40:00.003-05:00

We were going to dinner tonight with our friends Nick and Kristin before they leave for their mission trip to Guatemala. Coop and Jeremy were holding hands walking through the parking lot at the catfish restaurant when suddenly Coop stumbled and his hand slipped out of Jeremy's. I was in front of them so I didn't see what happened, but apparently Coop bit the dust pretty hard. He let out one of those blood curling screams, you know the ones that let you know they are hurt really bad. I don't remember the last time Cooper screamed like that. I turned around and ran to them, only to find Cooper bleeding from the mouth. Then, just as I focused in on his face, blood started running out of his nose. I freaked and ran inside the restaurant to request a bag of ice. By the time I got outside with the ice, his nose wasn't bleeding anymore, but his lip was instantaneously humongous!! Coop won't let you hold ice on his bumps and bruises (and I can't really blame him because it hurts!). So, Jeremy ran to the convenient store next door to get Cooper a popsicle. I'm sure the parents in the restaurant thought I was one of those obnoxious moms who lets her kid eat dessert for supper. Oh well, Cooper deserved that popsicle and he sure paid a big price for it. Of course, by the time we got home for a picture, he had forgotten all about it. Won't be his last fat lip I'm sure.

Middle Child Syndrome

2008-07-01T21:09:00.003-05:00

You know they always say that middle children are a little different. Our good friends from law school, Chad and Leah, live in Atlanta with their three daughters - Mary Catherine (who was born during our last year), Sarah Francis, and Elizabeth Anne. Leah posted the most hilarious thing I've ever seen in my life on her blog recently, and in case you don't check her blog from its link on my blog (see the "Adams Girls" link under the Cooper's Friends section of my blog), I felt that a blog entry all its own was warranted under these circumstances. Apparently, sweet Sarah Francis likes to wear LOTS of clothes all the time. And not just for playing dress up, but all the time. During the day, at bedtime, it doesn't matter. Leah, I hope you understand . . . it was too funny not to share. And Leah, you are a great mom! It is so refreshing to see how you let those little girls have fun and develop their unique personalities. I always think it's great to see kids at the store with cowboy boots and a tutu. I mean, really, what does it hurt after all. Thanks for sharing Leah! ; ) (And there are 3 different entries about Sarah's quirky routine, so be sure and read them all! I assure you, you won't want to miss a word.)

http://tulipdiaries.blogspot.com/

Family Vacation

2008-07-01T20:28:00.005-05:00

Last week, we went to Orange Beach with our good friends from Baton Rouge - Jeff and Ashley and their daughter Caroline. Ashley's mom Jo Ellen, brother Drew, and sister-in-law Amelia were there too, and we really enjoyed spending time with them. We had a great week relaxing, laughing, and enjoying the water, sand, and sun. We spent the days at the beach and the afternoons while Cooper napped resting and reading in the condo. Each evening, various people alternated making dinner, and then most nights, we played cards or Wii after the kiddies went to bed. It was so nice to spend time with our friends who we don't get to see nearly enough. Also, we have lots of great memories since it was our first beach vacation since Cooper was born. We are already excited about our repeat beach trip for next summer! Ash and I have already been doing some preliminary brainstorming. ; )

Mommy's Little Man

2008-06-30T20:08:00.003-05:00

Jeremy gets so aggravated with me because I let Cooper play with my old purses. Cooper also loves to "fweep" so I bought Coop his own little broom this weekend. I caught him in action tonight. I didn't think Jeremy would be caught dead with this photo on his blog, so I thought I'd post it for you all to see. "He's just a little boy" I try to tell Jeremy, but he's not buying it. ; )

Bye Bye Baby Mullett

2008-06-16T20:23:00.004-05:00

Tonight, Cooper got his first official haircut. Christie (mine and Jeremy's hairdresser) did a great job with my head turning child, and Cooper looks like such a "little boy" now instead of a baby. It won't surprise many of you that I'm not one of those sappy moms who cries when their baby gets his haircut. That said, it was a very special moment for us, and there is so much joy in seeing my sweet son grow up into such a fun and loving little boy. And, I'm really glad that he doesn't look like a little ragamuffin child anymore. ; )

Happy Dads' Day!

2008-06-15T19:25:00.004-05:00

We had such a nice Fathers' Day. Unfortunately, we had to take a rain check on our breakfast plans with Mammie and Pappy (Jeremy's parents) because Mammie was up all night sick. We are going to get together after we return from vacation. We went ahead and stuck with the Cracker Barrel idea, but this time with just the 3 of us. We then went to church, followed by lunch at the The Catfish Place with Big Daddy (my dad), his girlfriend Terrie, Aunt Kathy, Munna and Ninny (my Grandparents), Cousins Joe and Melanie, and Melanie's husband, Scott. We then spent a little time this afternoon at our neighborhood pool.

I want to take a moment this Fathers' Day evening to thank my husband for being such a wonderful father to our little boy. Cooper loves his Papa so much, and nothing warms my heart more than seeing the love between them. One day, Cooper will be very grateful for the loving, kind, and godly example that Jeremy is to him. I know I am.

Case Update

2008-06-04T20:00:00.002-05:00

Sorry, this is quite untimely, but it just occurred to me that I never updated you following my two-week trial. It was an employment discrimination class action lawsuit, with a class made up of all past (since 2000), present, and future African-American employees of the Metro Water Department. The class and the nine individually-named plaintiffs alleged intentional discrimination. After nine long days of trial, the jury returned a verdict in our favor . . . finding no intentional discrimination. (I thought you all might have thought since I didn't mention it, I lost. Had to clear that one up! ; )

Baseball Star

2008-06-04T19:42:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, we went to watch our niece, Natalie, play ball in Christiana. I can't believe how grown up she is, and she is really good at baseball. Cooper loved the ballfield, which of course, thrills his Papa. I'm sure we have plenty of "ballfield Saturdays" in our future. And Natty, you did a great job! (Oh yeah, I mean, Natalie. Natalie's mom, Tonya, told us that Natalie is informing everyone that now that she is in second grade, it's "Natalie," not "Natty.")

Things You Might Not Know

2008-06-04T19:34:00.005-05:00

Well, I had to change the "Things You Might Not Know" portion of my blog. I have now been west of the Mississippi River. I traveled to Billings, Montana last week for a deposition of the Plaintiff's expert medical examiner in my TASER case. (The link is to an article about the case, and while I can't speak to details about pending litigation, just keep in mind that it is a newspaper article. Just thought you might want to know what my "TASER case" was.)

Anyway, Montana was a gorgeous place, and I can't wait to go back out west, but next time, with my boys. Here a few pictures from our drive up to Red Lodge on Thursday. Unfortunately, we only got about 8,000 feet up because they had the road closed from an avalanche the day before. I had a great time, (and the deposition went really well too!)

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-26T19:53:00.004-05:00

We had a great holiday weekend. We enjoyed time with Ninny (my mom) Saturday morning. Then, we went to Bev and George's (my aunt and uncle) for the annual cookout/volleyball bash. We got to see Josh and Melissa's new house, which is beautiful! Cooper enjoyed running around the yard at Bev's and charted the first "napless" day of his tenure on earth. He did great overall, stealing the show most of the day of course. Then, after he had taken about all he could handle, he hit the sack early, crashing in his pack 'n play in Aunt Bev's room at 5:30 p.m. Other than a short waketime getting in the car to go home, he slept till a little after 7 the next morning. Sunday, we enjoyed time at Mammy's (Jeremy's mom) house with all the family, where Cooper got to ride a fun car that his friends Barb, Gene, and Hunter let him borrow. ; ) Then, Sunday night, we went to Uncle Jared and Aunt Charis's new house and helped decorate and get things in order. It looks GREAT!! Then, Monday, Ninny came to visit at our house, and we played "chalk" on the driveway and chase in the garage. Monday evening, we visited with Big Daddy and the crew at Mun and Nin's house. (Let me translate: Big Daddy is my dad (he chose the name); Mun is my grandma and Nin is my grandpa. "Nin" is really Ninny, but we go with "Nin" these days to keep from confusing Cooper since my mom is "Ninny" too.) One final note, there a couple of pictures that might seem out of place . . . this weekend also marked our first outright tantrum! We ignore it as we are supposed to, so as not to encourage the behavior by reacting to it, but it was just too good to not photograph and video. Maybe he's learning it doesn't get him anywhere, but in the meantime, at least we get a good laugh. I don't even know what he was mad at . . . perhaps nothing. I'm sure it won't be the last one! Hope you all had a great holiday weekend too!

Milk Truck

2008-05-18T14:35:00.004-05:00

Cooper has this little Pooh riding toy that we call his "Pooh truck." The seat of the truck raises up so you can store things inside. As of late, Cooper has started toting things around inside, however, that are too large for the space. His plastic baseball bat was the item of choice a couple of days ago. This morning before church, he decided to use the truck to tote around his milk cup. Apparently, it didn't bother him that he was riding around with the seat raised at about a 25 degree angle. We thought it was pretty funny.

Run 4 Kids

2008-05-17T13:17:00.010-05:00

This morning, for the second year in a row, the 3 of us ran the "Run 4 Kids," a 5K that helps fund the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home, a local Christian-based foster group home. Our good friend, Nick Tidwell, is on the board and actually chaired the event this year. Cooper made his competitive debut in the 100 yd dash. He started out slow, repeating "No, no, no" while his Papa tried to hold his hand and run. When he saw the "bubbas" coming out of the bubble machine, he got majorly excited and picked up the pace. I think he came in next to last, but for an event with kids as old as four, I'd say he has nothing to be ashamed of. And, he got a blue ribbon, 'cause in the 100 yd dash, there are no losers! ; ) I clocked my best ever competive time, coming in 4th in my age group, which was cool. (The time in the picture is about 30-40 seconds off because we were stuck in a traffic jam at the beginning of the course, and chip time started at the gun as opposed to at the starting mat. I think 26:30-:40 is closer to accurate.) We saw lots of friends from church and Jeremy's friend from his old firm, Chad. And Nick ran the event like a true champ! We had a blast, and of course, we'll do it again next year! What a great way to kickoff our anniversary weekend.

To Fulfill

2008-05-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

Our Sunday School class is in the second part of a great series called "Tough Sayings of Jesus," authored by Michael Kelley. The study explores some of the more complex, and oft-misunderstood, concepts in the Bible and applies them to our lives. I have been thoroughly impressed with the study and am further challenged with every lesson. Lesson 4 was particularly interesting, and I wanted to an excerpt with you. Those interested in purchasing the study for their own church or small group study can obtain the materials from LifeWay Christian Resources. (And yes, my hubbie works at LifeWay, but I honestly love the study and would recommend it absent his connection. ; )

The passage below set off a light bulb in my mind. So often, church leaders (and by virtue of trickle down, church members) view Scripture as a list of rules. As Michael Kelley points out in the Lesson, that is all wrong. That makes us no better than the Pharisees. Rather, the Scripture is intended to bring us in touch with Christ. From that, our nature will conform to the Scripture, solely because of what Christ did on the cross. Enjoy the passage, but better yet, get the study and dig in yourself!

To Fulfill

. . . . [The section begins by describing that Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it.]

"Enter Jesus, who declares that the law is not deficient. It is not lacking. It does exactly what it has always been meant to do -- to serve as a container for the filling that God would provide in the form of Christ. The law was never intended to be the means by which people make themselves acceptable to God; it was always meant to point people to Jesus. For through Him comes the filling."

Sweetest Words In the World

2008-04-28T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been working my booty off the past two weeks, trying an employment discrimination case against the Metro Water & Sewer Department. Up to the end of last week, I had been working 10-12 hours most days, on several of which I would come home after Cooper went to bed. As I was leaving to head out the door Thursday for one of the last days of trial, Cooper gave me just the kick start I needed to get me through the end of the trial marathon. The three of us usually ride into downtown together, but with me being in trial, I was having to drive separately. Jeremy was putting Cooper in the truck, and I wished both of them a good day as I opened my car door. As I had done so many days before, I said, "Cooper, Mommy loves you. You have a great day today." He looked at me with those big sweet blue eyes and, for the first time ever said, "Wub you Mama." Couldn't have asked for anything better at that moment. I "wub" you too little bud!

Old Friends

2008-04-28T20:31:00.004-05:00

Well, there is nothing as good as being around old friends. We had such a good time in Atlanta a couple of weekends ago, when we drove down for a law school friend's wedding. It was just the breath of fresh air I needed before I started what will likely be the longest trial of my career (2 weeks). (More about trial to come tomorrow.) Enjoy some pics from our fun weekend in Atlanta!

Stay Tuned

2008-04-08T19:33:00.002-05:00

Just a note of apology for my hideously inconsistent posting. Cooper and I have been battling this yucky crud (for lack of a better term) for weeks now. I thought I was better about Tuesday of last week, and then it all came back even worse than the first time. And Cooper has even had a worse run of it than me. Between our sickness and my crazy workload these days, I have hardly had time to breathe. (My litigation partner will be back from maternity leave in 3 weeks, and she couldn't get back fast enough! ; ) Needless to say, our family could use your prayers during these struggles with illness we have had over the course of the winter, and I hope there is an end in sight. Stay tuned, after my two week trial that begins next week, I'll get back on track with my posting. And stay tuned for fun pictures from this coming weekend. We are going to Atlanta for my law school friend, Allison's, wedding. And our good friends from Louisiana are going too, and we are meeting up with our other good friends the Adamses. It's just going to be one big law school friends reunion. And hopefully, we'll be finished coughing by then. We can't wait!!

HUH ?!?!?

2008-04-03T20:46:00.003-05:00

Have any of you heard about this nonsense Oprah's now spreading. It has hit the media waves as a result of her new book club selection, The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. The way in which she attempts to justify the book's blatant incompatibly with the teachings of scripture highlights her arrogance. Form your own opinions, and I'm interested to know your thoughts. Here are a couple of clips from YouTube that will give the big picture of her new bandwagon. It is frightening to see her using her influence in this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB4J1JpG_PA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKIkruHZko

Introducing . . . Mr. and Mrs. Jared Bussell!

2008-03-13T20:02:00.013-05:00

Congrats to my brother-in-law Jared and his fabulous wife Charis on a beautiful, successful wedding day. And, of course, Cooper came out full force as the best ring bearer of all time. And our precious neighbor, Caitlin, was his perfect partner for the big day! Jared and Charis, may God bless you in your new journey together!!!

Coach Pearl Was Robbed!

2008-03-13T20:01:00.004-05:00

Finally, someone who speaks the truth . . .

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=59115

Fun Times

2008-03-02T21:04:00.007-06:00

Well, Cooper was under the weather Friday and Saturday, but we still managed to have a good time. We hung out all day Saturday not doing much of anything (which we never get to do!). The weather was fabulous, so we walked down to our neighborhood park. Cooper also got to go to Chuck E Cheese for the first time to his friend Landon's birthday party Sunday afternoon, and I think he was a little overwhelmed by the whole experience. Here are a few pics from our fun weekend.

When Social Norms Dictate Morality

2008-02-24T19:51:00.004-06:00

I attended a bridal shower for a good friend from law school this weekend in Atlanta. At the shower, I walked into (and soon thereafter walked away from) a troubling conversation between some ladies in attendance at the shower (not my friends I'm happy to report). The ladies were commenting about how they "refuse to judge" other couples' marriages because "you just don't know what's going on behind closed doors." While I agree with the ladies that judging others is inappropriate, I couldn't disagree more with everything else that came out of their mouths. It bothered me so much that I left the room mid-conversation and even discussed it with my girlfriends once we got back to the condo after the shower. Though I can't entirely replicate the conversation, nor can I adequately describe how uncomfortable I was even hearing what they were saying, I feel compelled to share the jist of the conversation with you.

The girls were commenting about how in more than half of all marriages, at least one of the spouses are involved in an extra-marital affair. (I have no idea if that is an accurate statistic, but I wouldn't be surprised either way.) The girls were not discussing it in a negative way. Rather, they spoke of the situation as if the fact that it had become "normal" somehow rendered it "acceptable." It was as if they were justifying past behavior, current behavior, or future behavior either in themselves or in other couples they knew. Just one more example of how social norms dictate morality rather than the other way around. It reminded me of God's destruction of the city of Sodom in Genesis. It reminded me of the uphill battle that I have as one half of a partnership in 2008.

I am not too naive to realize that marriage is not always peachy. I've been married long enough (nearly 7 years) to know that it has its own unique challenges. But I also know that it's a battle worth fighting. I know that if done well, marriage is truly one of God's best blessings. I know that Jeremy and I will NEVER sit idly and let our relationship deteriorate. I know that my marriage progressively improves because Jeremy and I both are committed to putting each other first. And I know that every relationship challenge that we have faced has been a direct result of our failure to do that. Each day brings its own new challenges, but with every challenge is an opportunity to thrive. And unlike the conversation that I walked into yesterday, that's worth celebrating!

Love and Loss

2008-02-20T20:02:00.004-06:00

I received sad news tonight that some very good friends of ours lost their unborn baby. My heart aches for them, and I wish that I had words to comfort them. I feel a burden to breach this subject because of the troubling number of friends I have that have experienced this terrible loss. In the last year-and-a-half, we have had 3 different friends/couples experience first trimester miscarriages, 1 couple experience the stillbirth of their son, and 1 couple lose their son in a car accident when he was only 9 months old. I certainly can't begin to understand why these things happen, and no one can. I also cannot empathize not having experienced such a loss. However, as a mother with unconditional love for her son, I can (even if only in a small way) understand that the pain that such a loss yields must be seemingly unbearable. For those of you who have experienced this loss, know that I think of you, that I recognize your loss, and that I respect you for how you continue to push the plow. More importantly, know that I pray for your healing and for God's grace and peace to cover you as you journey on.

Scrunchy Face

2008-02-08T20:47:00.000-06:00

Those of you have been around Cooper lately have probably seen his new look; he does this thing we call "scrunchy face." There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why he does it. I think he just likes to, and he does it all the time. It is just too cute not to share.

Also, by way of update, I thought of a couple more words I left off Cooper's word list -- he says "Choos" (Shoes), "Dah" (Down), "Uh" (Uh-oh), and the newest addition from just the other night . . "Ti-duh" (Tigger). I know, he's brilliant.

On a heavier note, please be praying for my boys. Cooper came home Wednesday with a stomach bug and despite early signs he might recover quickly, the yucky symptoms returned today. Worse yet, Jeremy came home from work tonight vomiting too. I've been battling a sinus infection for a week and a half now, so I'm praying I can stay "belly healthy."

Here's To You Jeremy!

2008-01-28T20:33:00.000-06:00

For those of you who have never had the joy of meeting or knowing my husband, Jeremy Bussell, you've missed out on one of life's finest joys. Jeremy and I celebrated his 29th birthday this past weekend. I feel truly blessed that I have known Jeremy for more than half of those birthdays. In honor of his birthday, I'd just like to take a moment to tell you a little bit about him.

Jeremy is one of the kindest people I've ever known. He is kind, not just because he should be. He is kind, not just because it gets him farther in life. He is kind, not just to receive something in return. He is kind because he just is.

Jeremy has an amazing presence about him. He lights up a room. He's smart, witty, and engaging. He is as comfortable as your favorite armchair. He is deliberate, inquisitive, and professional. He is respectful. He is uplifting. He is sensitive and loving. He is helpful and generous. He is a better person than I could ever hope and pray to be. He is a blessing to me, and every day I spend as his wife makes me a better person.

And for those of you who do know Jeremy, I know you'll agree with me entirely. No one knows him like I do, but everyone who knows him knows why I love him like I do. Here's to you Jeremy, and Happy 29th birthday!

Say "Cheese"

2008-01-28T20:23:00.000-06:00

A lot of people have been asking me lately what words Cooper says. His latest addition to the list started this past Saturday when his Ninny (my mom) was visiting him at our house. Mom was taking our picture and she said to both of us, "Say cheese." Cooper said, "Sheeeeeeze." I know, it's earth shattering.

So, for those of you who have been asking or any others who might be interested, here's a list of Cooper's words in random order.

Bye-bye
Hi
Nigh-Nigh (that's "night night," and he's only said it once)
Yes
Dat (pointing at "that" thing over there)
Dis (pointing at "this" thing right here)
Mama (that's me)
Papa (that's Jeremy)
Boof (that's Buford, the dog)
Duck
Gack Gack (that's what a duck says)
Mmmmm (that's what a cow says)
Yight (that's "light" to us grown up humans)
MmmMuh (that's Emma, his friend at school)
Sheeeeze

Cooper's A Trooper!

2008-01-19T14:53:00.000-06:00

Well, all went well with Cooper's tubes surgery. He is a little cranky and tired, but overall, doing well. His ears were infected when the Doc got in there, so it reassured us that we were doing the right thing. Thanks to all of you for your prayers. Thanks also to all of the nurses and doctors at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital who made his experience as simple as it could be under the circumstances. Here are some photos of his journey.

Prayer Request

2008-01-15T20:26:00.001-06:00

I ask all of my readers to please say a prayer for Cooper this week. As many of you may have read on Jeremy's blog, we have been dealing with recurring ear infections for some time now. At Cooper's visit with the ENT at Vanderbilt yesterday, Dr. Werkhaven decided that he should put tubes in Cooper's ears. It is a very routine surgery that Dr. Werkhaven has performed a million times, but the thought of general anesthesia still gives me some anxiety. I know this will be best for Cooper in the long run, but please pray for a successful surgery, a speedy recovery, and a seamless transition back to full speed for our little man. The surgery will be this Friday (Jan. 18th) at noon at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Update will follow.

Adventure Boy

2007-12-31T12:50:00.001-06:00

Well, we've got a climber. Here are just a few pictures of Cooper finding some unconventional ways to play with his new toys, or even the boxes they came in. In the first picture, he's trying to pull himself up onto the activity table. I particularly like when he stands on things with wheels (see Picture 4)! Oh boy, I see many broken arms in my future.

Just Reading Mommy

2007-12-31T12:39:00.001-06:00

Well, we had to do some rearranging in Cooper's room. Today, after we put him down for a nap, we kept hearing banging around. For those of you who know Cooper well, you know he usually just lies down and goes to sleep. After several minutes of the noise and after realizing that he was not going to sleep, we went in to see what the problem was. We discovered that he had been pulling books out of his book bin through the slats on his crib. He looked totally "caught" when we walked in.

Old Friends From Kentucky

2007-12-31T12:21:00.000-06:00

Our good friends from Lexington, Wes and Melissa Omohundro, came to visit us for New Year's weekend. It has become a 3-year running tradition now. The last two years, the KY Wildcats have played in the Music City Bowl, so it gave them two good reasons to come visit. We enjoyed hanging out and doing a little shopping, and they of course were excited to see Cooper, who they haven't seen since we visited them back in July. We went to eat at Maggiano's on Saturday night, and they loved it! We all went downtown to see the "Battle of the Bands" on Sunday night, which was pretty cool. Wes and Melissa, thanks for coming to visit. We love y'all! Here's a few pictures from our fun weekend.

My Kid Will Never . . .

2007-12-15T20:26:00.001-06:00

I'm sure all of us have said this one time or another. And then someone always comes back with the ever-so-popular unsolicited advice, "Don't say you're kid will never do something because, sure enough, they will." I am pleased that I have actually kept my word on a few of the "My kid will never-isms." My kid (baby) will never sleep in my bed. Still true. My kid (baby) will not be toting around a bottle at a year and a half old. Still true.

But today I caved. Though many of you may not be aware, I dislike dinosaurs. I dislike dinosaurs almost as much as I dislike Elmo. And for as long as I can remember, I have always said, "My little boys will never wear dinosaur pajamas." [Actually, I recall having said at some point, "My kid won't LIKE dinosaurs," but I am open-minded enough to realize that I can't dictate my child's likes and dislikes. But I can control what he wears, at least for now.]

I don't know what happened. I don't know why when I was at Target last week, I decided that dinosaur pjs would look cute on my little Cooper despite my lifelong strong feelings to the contrary. I guess at least for some things, you really don't know what you'll do until you actually become a mom yourself. Just like I always said he would, my sweet little boy sleeps in his own bed every night like a big boy. But tonight, he's doing it in his ADORABLE dinosaur pjs.

More on Christmas Yard Art

2007-12-15T20:13:00.000-06:00

Well, tonight we saw a Christmas Yard Art extravaganza that we just had to share. We were on our way to Jeremy's uncle Tony's 50th birthday party when we passed a house in his neighborhood with FIVE DIFFERENT inflatable Christmas things. (Please see prior post if you are unfamiliar with my opinion of those ridiculous things.) Needless to say, Jeremy and I thought it was funny enough to pass along, and having been to a birthday party, we had our camera handy. So, here I am, hanging out the window, trying to keep from getting rained on to get some quick pics of the yard art before the neighbors see us. I am happy to report that the big one with several Christmas characters on it was actually singing to us as we drove by. These things are getting out of control. Sorry for the poor photo quality, but again . . . hanging out the window trying to keep from getting spotted by the neighbors. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Geaux Tigers!

2007-12-03T20:48:00.001-06:00

All of the crappy BCS stuff aside, I am quite excited about the very real possibility of Ohio State University getting wooped by the SEC 2 years in a row. And if it can't be UT, who better than the LSU Tigers? With more than a month for Glenn Dorsey and Matt Flynn to heal, and the game taking place in LSU's backyard, I predict a tough run of it for "The" Ohio State University. Sorry Tiger fans, though -- my next prediction -- Les Miles sells out and goes to Michigan after the championship game. Oh well, at least for now we say:

G-E-A-U-X Tigers!

I'm Weighing In

2007-12-02T08:16:00.000-06:00

I know most of my blog readers (women) don't care, but I absolutely love college football. On that note, I thought I'd weigh in on the crappy BCS system and what has resulted from it this season. My thoughts are this:

It just stinks that some teams can just coast into the National Championship game, not having played since before Thankgiving, because they don't have a conference championship game (OHIO STATE). And it stinks for Missouri that they played like absolute poo-poo in their conference championship game, knocking them out of the #1 spot, but they shouldn't have played like absolute poo-poo knowing that would be the result.

And for the strain of folks who think LSU should go to the championship game over Georgia, I find that incredibly irrational. And let me say this....I like LSU second to Tennessee in the SEC. And I despise Georgia more than anyone else in the SEC, so I'm clearly being objective. But LSU played like crap in the SEC championship (probably because of all the injuries, but they still played like crap). They barely squeaked out a victory over a clearly inferior Tennessee team, and only because Erik Ainge threw an interception when UT was on the LSU 12 yd line to tie the game. (And UT doesn't lose in overtime EVER, and LSU loses in overtime ALWAYS, so you know what the result would have been absent Ainge's bad pass.) So, Georgia gets the shaft because it didn't get to go to the SEC championship game because of an early season loss to UT, and LSU automatically deserves to jump them in the poll. HOGWASH if you ask me. I love you Tiger fans, but that's just not fair.

So, here I am concluding that Ohio State-Georgia, or Ohio State-Oklahoma are the only 2 acceptable matchups. And ironically, I despise all 4 of those teams. Hopefully a playoff system is in the works now. Yeah right, wishful thinking.