Happy Halloween

To

My 4 beautiful little GOBLINS

MeMe and Pops love you

Halloween

I am guessing

2003

CRIMSON RUNS DEEP

I have TIVO in my bedroom

about three days ago

I was catching up on some recorded shows

as I was doing

the always fun

catching up on ironing

one of the shows that I had recorded

was

CSI NY

Skip back in time to

January

Pasadena, California

John and I

sitting in the stands at the

Rose Bowl

Alabama

playing for

the

2009 National Championship

Courtney Cox

an Alabama Alum

comes into the stands

with

the cast of

Cougar Town

along with a few

of her

Friends co stars

most of them were

wearing

Alabama Jerseys

Now

back to

October in

Sweet Home Alabama

and my TIVO

as I am ironing and watching CSI NY

a scene comes on where

the character played by Sela Ward

another ALABAMA alum

is asked what she does when she throws

a penny in a fountain

She replies

I wish for my children to be happy and safe

and for

ALABAMA to win another

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP

I did a double take and rewound

and yes there it was

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE runs deep and long and far

#14

DAVID

Linda and Michele

As I read this quote in

Mary Beth Chapman's

book

Choosing to SEE

I thought of both of you

I know you live this

May this be your experience; may you feel that the Hand

which inflicts the wound supplies the balm, and that He who

has emptied your heart has filled the void with Himself

James Hudson Taylor

Bittersweet Memories

Moody Building

University of Alabama

Last week, I took Abby to her guitar lesson. She takes from a student at the Moody Music Building on the campus of Alabama. Emma and JB3 were with us. As we pulled into the parking lot across the street we saw the Million Dollar Band practicing.....and so began the flood of memories. But, herding three children across a busy street quickly sent the memories to the back of my mind. We went inside, left Abby with her instructor, and went back outside.

Emma and JB3 wanted to go to the back of the Moody Building to wait on Abby. As we walked outside I noticed several groups practicing their instruments. I walked to the middle of the pretty small park-like spot and found a place to sit. Emma and John Brady immediately began playing, as only children that age can, with whatever they could find to make into a game. It was a wonderfully pleasant afternoon. I love to be on Alabama's campus when it isn't a ballgame day. It is so beautiful, so many huge old trees and the atmosphere just soothes my soul. I would love to live on the edge of the campus in one of those tiny, timeless old homes......my dream! I sat there just enjoying the opportunity of being with my grandchildren, being on the campus I love and reveling in the great weather with the sounds of music floating in the air.

Then came the rush of memories. Just right past where one young man was practicing was where Cathy and I had set up a picnic. Let's go back in time.......Josh was a graduate assistant with the Alabama football team and Anna was a Crimsonette. The first year Anna tried out for Crimsonette we were inexperienced. When a lunch break was called, we hurried to the closest fast food restaurant, Arby's, along with every other person and had a long wait for food that just filled you up and then sat in your stomach. Anna became a member of the Crimsonettes that year but you have to try out again every year. So, the next year Cathy and I discussed how to handle lunch. We decided on a picnic. We did it up good. It was basically a Crimsonette tryout tailgate party. Cathy made the most wonderful chicken salad, I did fruit and we had many other things. We got under a tree behind the Moody building and ate and then Anna would lay down on a blanket and chill. It was so much easier than the rush to a fast food restaurant and so much fun too! Anna was a Crimsonette every year and Josh was on the football field. What a wonderful time we had.

Fast Forward to October 2010
Anna is a lawyer and married and Josh is a college football coach
and
Cathy has been gone for 4 years and 9 months
I though Cathy and I would grow old talking about these memories
I try to keep the memories pushed back
life goes on
But
that day as I sat there
I could picture us all over in that corner
Me, John, Cathy and Steve
laughing
a little scared
wanting the anticipation to be over
but
enjoying every minute of it

Grief and memories sneak up on you
time helps
I didn't cry
in fact
I smiled
what would life be without memories

Our Alabama Homecoming Tradition

I love being on campus with my Grand kids

We ended up a little closer to town this year

where it wasn't as crowded

It is fun sitting around and talking to people you know

and people you don't know but share your love of Alabama

My Favorite Alabama Fans

Emma, Abby Claire and JB3

Tyrone Prothro
I love this guy
I can still see that great
behind the back of his opponent catch
and
I can still see the play that ended his career

Josh was a Graduate Assistant
when this happened
I remember being at Auburn for the
Iron Bowl
John and I got to go stand outside the
locker room door after the game
Prothro
walked by us
on crutches
John turned to him
and said
with a thumbs up
NEXT YEAR SON
as we all know
next year never came for him


Leigh Ann
one of our youth group girls
from church
Love this girl!

Love, Love, Love
the band

Oh my, those

Fraternity Boys!!!!

Never get tired of seeing this!

Making Friends

Who knew that all it would take

to make friends

would be a

bucket of

Cotton CandyLawson made friends with daughters

of his Mother's friends

at Berry's Homecoming game

Lawson and Danni Kate Naramore


Lawson, Danni Kate
and
Haven Magouirk

The many faces of a 3 year old

Lawson and I went to watch

Berry's Homecoming Parade

Many of the floats tossed

candy to the kids

Lawson had a Dollar General

sack that was in our car

and collected the candy thrown to him

Oh, Yes

He was one

happy camper

Lawson is wearing one of

Uncle Josh's

practice jerseys

from the 90's

When I asked Lawson

to look at the camera

so I could make his picture

This is what I got

and

I can't even blame the candy

he hadn't eaten any of it

I guess it was just the thought of

the sugar high

that was in his future!

So....I gave up on getting that

cute smile and big brown eyes picture!

A Little Walk

A couple of weeks ago

Lawson and I went with Pops to

check on a gas well


He was most interested in a small grasshopper

that he found








Helping Pop

Lawson wanted to go walking

so

even though I had just had surgery

I thought a little walk would be okay

Lawson pointed out this tree to me

and said that it was

a Gingerbread House

A 3 year old imagination

at work

God's beautiful creation

Lawson

walking faster

than his MeMe

Abby's PTO Program

Abby Claire

singing Halloween songs
which included "The Addams Family"
Abby thought it was funny that
both her grandmothers knew the words to this song!
Abby also helped lead the Pledge of Allegiance
because she is a class represenative
You Go Girl!

JB1 and JB3
proudly watching Abby

I Love Fall

I love Fall

I love that little chill in the air

I love that it makes you want to stand still and take a deep breath

I love football

I love the pumpkin patch

I love walking on the
Quad at Alabama

Today

I can't find a dislike

Sure

we have to

close the pool

rake leaves

get the pine straw off the roof

blow the sidewalks and driveway often

and

be a little uncomfortably chilly

in the morning when we first get up

But

I still love Fall!

This tree is beautiful every year

See....the one leaf that has changed color

My oak leaf hydrangea begged for water all summer

This tree in the back yard went from

Green to brown and skipped the pretty colors

Surgery

Glad I didn't have time to think about it!

The Monday after we spent the weekend in Florence

I had a doctor's appointment

I have been limping for about a year

and

it had gradually gotten really bad

my friends were asking

what was wrong

I had many thoughts about this

some silly and some scary

I decided to go to a chiropractor

to see if he could help

I went for 2 1/2 weeks

until

he told me I needed to go see a

orthopedic doctor

So, John wanted me to go see

the doctor that had operated on him

and his Mother

so

we went

that Monday afternoon to see Dr Bramlett

They did an xray of my hip and leg

before I saw the doctor

Dr Bramlett walked in

looked at me

and said

"hurts to walk, doesn't it"

well, he knew what was wrong

showed me on the xray

and said

you need surgery

NOW

so that Wednesday

I had my hip and leg operated on

at Brookwood Hospital

We got home to Berry that

night at 8:00

The first few days were painful

since then it has mostly been sore

and I am not sleeping because I

can't sleep on my side

I went back to the doctor Thursday

and

he said I was doing great

Even with still healing

and

all the bruising still on my leg

it feels better to walk already

Thank God

for

modern medicine!The gorgeous socks they give you

at the hospital

and

let you keep as a souvenir

Get Well cards

that Emma and Abby

made for me

Lawson came to visit me

and try to make me feel better

I had to cut out his face

because

to see his face

would mean that

you could see my face

and

it wasn't looking too good at this point