Doctor Visit

I finally took Allison to the doctor this week because she continues to cough at night and at nap time. She couldn't seem to get rid of this nagging cough that only really occurs when she is lying down. Well the diagnosis was that it is probably allergies. Not something I really wanted to hear. (I am thankful that it wasn't anything really serious.) I just hate for my baby to have to deal with that at such a young age. Bill and I are blessed because neither of us suffer from any real allergy problems so I guess I just hoped the girls wouldn't either. Well they prescribed Singulair and Zyrtec for her to take only at night. Bill and I have decided we don't really want to start that medication yet. Allison's cough doesn't seem to really disturb her sleep. She doesn't usually cry for us. It just really bothers me to hear her cough. We're going to just wait and see how things go before we start the medication. I didn't get the opportunity to ask what the difference was between these allergy medicines and the cold medicines that we are advised to steer clear of.

Lauren Funnies
A couple of weeks ago when Lauren had her cold, she would wake up in the mornings with a lot of drainage in her throat. One morning at breakfast she couldn't hardly talk and said, "Mommy, I need more voice!" She repeated that phrase for several days when she was a little hoarse.

My Mom and Dad both got a terrible cold last week before they were to leave for Hilton Head. My Mom could hardly talk, but Lauren insisted on talking to her on the phone. Mom told Lauren she had a frog in her throat. That really puzzled Lauren. Then Lauren talked to my Dad on the phone and he was hoarse also, and so Lauren asked my Mom, "Granny, did you give PawPaw your frog?"

Pumkin Patch and Picnic

We went to Oakes Farm last weekend and enjoyed a great time at the pumpkin patch. I was going with no great expectations, because my favorite pumpkin patch, Poore's Pumpkin Patch is no longer open. I took several classes there for field trips and loved each visit. I also got to go with my friends Cindy, Ashley, and her daughter Haley. I was so hoping to take my girls there, but since they were no longer open, we had to find a new place. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. The Oakes Farm was a great place for children as well as adults. We didn't go in the corn maze, but the hayride out to the pumpkin patch was very nice, and the other activities they had for the girls to enjoy were lots of fun. The girls loved the outing. This farm may become a tradition for us.


Lauren and Allison


Lauren and Allison
Lauren and Allison off to find a pumpkin. Allison stepped on a rotten pumpkin and Lauren put her hands on the rotten pumpkin in the picture. I forgot to take wipes on the hayride!

Resting for a minute after all the searching they did looking for that perfect pumpkin

Allison getting buried in the corn box. The girls loved this and I enjoyed the fact that it cleaned up easier than sand!

Sliding down the big tube in the hay bale maze for kids. This was a favorite spot for Lauren. She loved running through the maze.

Two weekends ago we went to my parents house for the weekend. While there we went on a picnic to the weir at South Holston River. We had a perfect fall day and enjoyed cooking hamburgers, taking a short walk on the island, and then coming back to make smores.

Dad, Mom, Allison, Lauren Bill & Cindy at the weir

Allison & Uncle Bill throwing rocks in the river

Uncle Bill & Allison

Uncle Bill & Lauren
Daddy & Lauren

Mom, Dad, Bill, Uncle Bill, Lauren & Allison on the island looking out to the South Holston Dam

Daddy, Mommy, Lauren & Allison
Allison playing with rocks
Allison playing by the river


Allison on the blanket with Granny

Fabulous Fall Days

WOW!!! It can't get much better than these chilly mornings followed by beautiful sunny blue skies in the afternoon. I do love the change of the seasons. Lauren is noticing some trees changing color, especially the small Maple tree in our backyard. Unfortunately with the change in temperatures, both of our girls have nasty colds. We thought Allison's symptoms were because she is cutting her bottom molars, but it has turned into a terrible cough with the runny nose. Lauren's just started yesterday while Allison has been battling hers since last weekend. Neither girl slept well last night. Allison was up from around 9:00-12:30 and Lauren picked up at around 1:30 and I finally went in and slept with her because she kept calling for me to come wipe her nose! There isn't much room to sleep in a twin bed especially when you are used to a King size bed!

A Few Favorite Fall Memories

• As a 1st grade teacher at Beaumont Elem. we would take our kids to Poore's Pumpkin Patch in Andersonville, TN. Mr. Poore was the kindest gentleman and he would take the kids on a hayride to his pumpkin patch for the them to pick out their own pumpkin. The only restriction Mr. Poore had was that the kids had to pick a pumpkin they could carry on their own. What fun it was watching those little 1st graders try to get the biggest pumpkin they could possibly carry and then watch them get it on the bus and then down the hall and into the classroom.
• A couple of my favorite college memories were of going on hayrides in the fall with Shantih (my social club). I loved getting dressed up in warm clothes, usually a flannel shirt with long underwear shirt underneath, jeans and hiking boots. Then warming up after the hayride by a big bon fire.
• Cade's Cove Hayride (Do you get the idea that I love hayrides!)
• Hiking in the mountains when the leaves are at their peak. I love to hear the crunching of the leaves as you walk through the ones that have fallen on the ground. I also love seeing the leaves fall from the trees in a gentle breeze.

"Out of the Mouth of Lauren"

One morning while we were eating breakfast Lauren looked at me with a very serious face and her head cocked to the side and said, "Mom, do you know what's in my heart?" I said, "No, what is in your heart?" She answered, "Let me open it up and see........Jesus!" Thinking she had heard that at pre-school in her Bible lesson, I asked her, "Who told you that?" and she said, "Mrs. Melinda." Thank you Melinda for being a great teacher!

Just this past Sunday we were in church and I gave Lauren her money to put in the collection plate. I told her as I always have, here's your money to give to God. Well this time she was busy writing and she looked up at the men passing the plates, and said "Which one is God?"
It was a little hard to keep the chuckle quiet!

Would you like a combo?
Lauren was riding on her little ride on car (which is almost too small for her long legs) in the kitchen and drove up to the dishwasher and stopped and began to place her order at Chick-fil-A.
She said, "Let me tell you in just a minute (we often say just a minute please). I'll have chicken nuggets and a combo with sprite to drink." We really don't eat fast food that often, but she has the ordering down pat!!!!

Finally, one afternoon Lauren was helping me with the laundry. She loves to fold the baby washcloths and then put her clothes away. (Allison just loves to take the clothes out of the basket and put them in any drawer....I just found some pajama bottoms that were missing in a drawer that we never use) As Lauren was taking her shorts to put those away, I said, "Those go in the 4th drawer." Your shirts go in the 3rd drawer..etc." When she got to her big girl panties, she said "Those go in the twoth drawer!"
I love how kids learn a Language rule on their own and then apply it to every situation.

Out of the Mouth of Allison

We are enjoying listening to Allison's growing vocabulary. Since Lauren didn't begin talking until she was 18 months old, we're just so excited that Allison has a nice little vocabulary this early. Her new favorite word to say is "MINE". Lauren has done a great job teaching her that word;). She also uses eat, nack (snack), more, up (when she wants you to pick her up), tank (for thank you), hi, bye, PawPaw, potty (her latest fascination) cheese, and juice, boo, elbow, knee, and of course "NO" (which sometimes comes out more like "on"). She attempts just about anything you ask her to say.

"It Will Be OK Mommy"

Those were the most comforting words that came from my sweet angel Lauren while we were at the funeral home Sunday for Ma Ready's funeral. We went early to let the girls be there without a crowd of people around. As we went up to the casket, I was carrying Lauren and when she saw the tears streaming down my cheecks, she was patted me on the back and said, "It will be OK Mommy". She repeated those words to me several different times throughout the evening and the next day. Who would have thought that a child could be such a comfort. I believe having the girls there made the entire time more bearable for everyone. Both girls were so well behaved. We were so proud of them. I tried to prepare Lauren for every part of the process and she handled everything so well. I guess the next hard part will be going to Mom and Dad's house. Lauren has never been there without my grandmother being there.



A Few Precious Memories

• When Ma Ready and Pop lived in Bristol, they would take us for ice cream at a little store down the road. Pop would always drive down through the yard to get to the highway. Bill and I thought that was so funny!


• When they lived in Knoxville we would spend a week with them during the summer. Ma Ready always made us a new pair of pajamas for the week with them. She was quite a seamstress.


• When they moved back to Readyville, the first time we visited them they didn't have their furniture in the house, so we sat in lawn chairs inside the house and slept on cots. It was like camping (without the bugs)!


• Ma Ready loved sending and receiving cards. She would always go to the post office and request to see all the stamps available to pick out the prettiest ones. I picked up that habit from her and fondly think of her while at the post office.


• She read her Bible daily. I know she would read the Bible through every year. I wonder how many times she read it through in her 92 years?!


• After Pop and Jess died, Ma Ready and her sister Elizabeth enjoyed spending time together. When they were able, they would drive to Nashville to go the the mall. Later as they got older they would go to Murfreesboro for a shorter trip. They also loved to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel. They would go at least one day a week. All of their favorite Cracker Barrel's in the area knew the two ladies by name and also what they would order. They would call each other every morning and every evening. When they went out together they would dress in matching shirts!


• I enjoyed driving down to get Ma Ready and taking her to my parents house for Christmas.

• Mom and Dad gave Ma Ready a surprise birthday party when she turned 90 years old complete with a big birthday cake. They invited people from church to come. Ma Ready cried when she realized it was a party for her and said she had never had a birthday party before.

I'm so thankful that my parents brought Ma Ready to live with them. If she hadn't been with them, she would never have known the girls. She always perked up when we visited. Every time she saw Lauren she would say, "Come over here and let me kiss your head!" We will certainly miss those kisses! I know I will think of many other memories after I post this, but right now those are the things in my heart! We love you very much Ma Ready!

A Whirlwind Visit

The girls and I were blessed to get to see my grandmother today. It was a bitter/sweet visit getting to see her, because I really wanted to see her before she passed away, but it was so painful to see her lying there frail and weak, knowing that there was little anyone could do for her at this point. Sadly, she did not respond at all to our presence. I was so hoping that seeing the girls would some how get her to respond. Lauren and Allison both waved to her and were smiling just getting to see her, but she maintained a blank stare with no recognition that we were there.
In my last post I spoke of how my Dad had taken such wonderful care of his Mom, but after re-reading the post I realized that it sounded as if he was doing all the caregiving. But words cannot begin to tell all that both of my parents have done. Mom, being the nurse that she is bathed her, cooked for her, pushed her when she wanted to give up, and gave her round the clock care for the past 3 years. I can't express how much I admire the way they have taken care of her.
Dad's brothers, Uncle Bob and Uncle Ben have also helped by coming to stay with their Mom to give Mom and Dad much needed breaks. There will be a huge emptiness when Ma Ready is gone. I know our two little girls will miss her greatly, as we all will.

A Matter of Time

My grandmother and Allison just a few hours after she was born.

My grandmother with Lauren and Allison.

My grandmother, Mom , Dad, me, Lauren and Allison on Mother's Day 2008.


My sweet grandmother (Dad's Mom) is 92 years old and has been living with my parents for the past 3 years. I admire the way my parents have sacrificed these years to provide the quality of care and love that has kept her living to this day. She has been wheel chair bound since before moving in with them, requiring assistance in just about every thing she does. To see my Dad get her breakfast in the mornings, comb her hair, clean up her hospital bed, and the many other acts of love he has shown has been something I'll never forget. If you know my dad, you'll know that I often wondered if he could possibly live and take care of himself without my Mom (he doesn't cook, doesn't do laundry, doesn't clean house....or should I say he didn't before my grandmother moved in). But now I do not worry about that so much because not only has he taken care of himself, he has also taken great care of his Mom. When Allison was born, she made her way into the world via emergency C-section and I needed a lot of help taking care of a newborn as well as Lauren who was 2. My wonderful mother spent many weeks here in Knoxville helping me adjust to mothering 2 children instead of just one. And Dad took care of himself and his Mom for those weeks when Mom was here. I look back and feel a bit guilty for asking Mom to come down here to help me out, leaving Dad at home to take care of my grandmother alone. Dad always says yes anytime I ask Mom to come down. Yesterday Mom and Dad had to move my grandmother into the hospice house. She is not eating and is not very responsive at this point. This morning Dad said he doesn't think she'll last much longer. I pray that she lasts until tomorrow because I want to take the girls up to see her one more time. Some of my favorite pictures of the girls are where they are playing on my parent's porch and you can see my grandmother sitting inside the door watching the girls play.