More Swimming Fun

Our 37th Anniversary

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been,

will be and will not be.

Happy Anniversary John

I Love You

I love the way we are posed so alike in these pictures of us leaving the church after our weddings.

THEN---John and Joy---1972

NOW- 11 years ago---Brady and Kim---1998

John's 1st Father's Day

THEN--- JB1 & JB2 --- 1975

Say Goodbye to a Landmark......the Berry Water Tower

THEN......When I moved to Berry in 1972 I was a born and raised city girl. Water was something that I had never even given a single thought....you just had it...always. About 10 months after moving to Berry I found out different. We bought an old house to renovate and moved out of the house we had been renting. It sat on a high hill and we were sharing a well with another house. The well actually belonged to the other family and they were just nice enough to keep us on it. So, we had water for about the first four years on the hill and then it hit.....a drought. The family took us off the well. I was pregnant with Courtney. The town agreed to let us attach to the city water but we had to put in our own water lines. John took vacation, rented a ditching machine (that tore up halfway up the hill and took three weeks to get the part...do you feel sorry for the pregnant mother of a 2 year old yet?), bought the pipe , put it in the ground and covered it up. What an exciting day. We had been without water for a month. We got connected to the main water line and went up the hill to wait on water. No water. No one in town had water. The national guard would bring in trucks full of water and you could go fill up your water jugs. I have never been more miserable in my life. Finally, after several months the drought lessened and the town had water.....except we didn't. There was not enough water to pump it up the hill to our house. So, we had to buy a regular well pump and hook it to our water line where it connected into the main water line to pump the water up the hill. I can still remember seeing that water coming into the bath tub in our house. I went without water for 6 months out of 9 during my pregnancy. We were without water many more times after that but it was when everyone else was without also. Luckily, Berry got a new mayor who vowed to take care of the water problem and he did. I will never complain about my water bill and I will never take water for granted.
Another THEN--- When water was flowing freely to the town the Berry water tank would fill up completely. There was one way to know that the tank was completely full. It would begin to overflow. What a glorious sight when you knew that at any time you might be without water. But the best memory was that from our house on the hill you could see it overflowing and we would jump in the car and take Brady to run around underneath the water tank. All the kids in town that could get there would be doing the same thing. It always reminded me of the pictures of draining the fire hydrants in the streets of a big city and all the kids in the road playing in the water. Brady actually told me that he remembers this and he was little but...it looked like so much fun that I always wanted to join him so I guess it made a real impression on that 4 year old mind. We moved right after Brady turned 4 and you couldn't see the water tower from our house.
NOW---The Berry Town council has voted to have the Berry Water Tower taken down. It is a good decision even if it is a sad decision. The council did not want to do this but the water tower has not been in use for many years and it is a liability. Plus, it would be a very, very big expense every year to keep it up. So, it will go down soon. I will miss it! My daughter-in-law, Kim, made these pictures for me (www.KimLawsonPhotography.com).

He Ain't Heavy......He's My Cousin

John and I took the boys to the Zoo Thursday. We picked John Brady up in Tuscaloosa and then headed to Birmingham to get Lawson. I wish you could have seen the happiness on Lawson's face when he saw John Brady at the door. He jumped, clapped and screamed. We got Lawson's car seat into our car and off we went. I looked back once and the boys, who were each in their car seat, were holding hands across the middle of the back seat. John and I were barely noticed that day but I guarantee you it made our hearts happy to see how much the boys love each other. JB3 totally took on the role as "big cousin" and seemed to thrive on it. Family....that's what it's all about!

We're Goin' On A Bear Hunt

Actually, we just got back from our bear hunt!

The Smoky Mountains seem to call out to John and I every few months. It is our favorite weekend escape.We usually go during the winter months. Recently we were there for the Tennessee ballgame weekend and again for our usual end of hunting season get away. We see all kinds of wildlife.....turkey, deer, raccoon, coyote but we have never seen a BEAR. Now, John can spot wildlife but we are always there during the wrong months. So we decided we needed to take a warm weather trip to the mountains in search of a bear. This is a bit of a joke for John and I since we have been to Yellowstone National Park without seeing a bear. We saw a lot of everything else including a close encounter with a huge elk and the elusive grey wolf. We did see a bear on our last day in Yosemite National Park but that was it as far as bear go.....one bear. John sees bear when he hunts out west every winter. He comes home with tales of bears trying to get in their cabin and he has pictures as proof so I am assuming I am the problem! We discovered Cades Cove years ago and can spend a whole day watching the animals, hiking in the woods and having a wine and cheese picnic as the sun goes down. We just don't get tired of Cades Cove. It might be because a lot of the land in Cades Cove originally belonged to Lawsons.Well, you ask, did we see a bear? Yes, mission accomplished. We saw several bears. The best thing was a mama bear with three cubs. The little cubs would all climb the same tree and then they would fall like dominos. So cute.

Gatlinburg 1979

We didn't go to the mountains many times when the kids were little. Brady, Courtney and Josh were "beach" people. If you loaded them up for a six hour drive it had better be to some water and sand. One of the summers we did go was when I was pregnant with Josh. I thought the beach would be too hot and the kids were a little too young to complain about not being at the beach. Guess what....it was hot there also!

THEN --- Brady -- 4 years old with John on the lift in downtown Gatlinburg

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE...Cha Cha Cha

Happy 39th Birthday, to our son-in-law, David Long on June 7th. This post is a few days late because Dave's mother-in-law still does not know her way around Blogger and how to leave it to post while she was out of town. We hope you had a great birthday. We love you.

THEN --- Courtney, Dave and Lawson 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN.....Cha Cha Cha

Happy Birthday John Brady. I Love You

and all you do for us, Joy.

Time with those one loves

is life's greatest gift......

THEN --- Court and John 2007

NOW --- John on his tractor THEN --- Josh, Phillip Moon, Brady and John 1999

SWEET MEMORIES

I was riding down the road Saturday when I realized it was the 6th of June. Like every 6th of June since I have been in the Lawson family I said to myself "it's Linda and David's anniversary". It is easy for me to remember because it is three days before John's birthday. This time it was different. We know how much David loved Linda and a love like that should be celebrated. Linda, we love you. David, we miss you and will always think of you with sweet memories.

THEN --- David Lowery, Linda Lawson Lowery, John Lawson and Jane Lawson King

We Are Proud Of You

ANNA LEIGH FOWLER.....you did it.

About a month ago we had the honor of watching Anna Fowler receive her Law Degree at The University of Alabama. We were so proud. You made your dream come true! "The Vapor Sisters" had a supper in Anna's honor Thursday night before graduation and gave Anna a beautiful engraved serving platter. Always know that we love you and will always be here for you.

Anna, I guarantee you that your mother had a heavenly chorus singing the Alabama fight song, up in heaven, during graduation. That afternoon would have been her "finest hour". We were all determined for this to be the happiest day ever so.....I hope you saw her beaming at you through my smile!

NOW --- Law School Graduation 2009 --- John Lawson, Anna Fowler and Joy Lawson

THEN --- Music City Bowl 2004 --- John, Anna and Joy

NOW --- "THE VAPOR SISTERS" Teresa Mobley, Melissa Greene, Anna, Joy, Meredith Newton

THE TOOTIE TA....one last time!

Robin Clements...how do I begin to describe her. Let me start with the first time she touched my life. I was still "new" to Berry, Alabama, I was pregnant with Courtney and I was at Berry's homecoming game. The homecoming queen was being crowned and her name was Robin Patton. I looked at this beautiful, wholesome girl and said ,"wow" I like that name. Do you know Courtney's full name.....Courtney Robin!

Skip to Brady's 2nd grade year at Berry Elementary. Guess who was his teacher......Robin Patton Clements.

Robin moved to kindergarten the next year.

Mrs. Clements was Josh's kindergarten teacher.

Robin and I were close. We saw each other at school even when she didn't have one of my children and really saw each other a lot when she had Josh. I volunteered in his kindergarten class just about everyday.

Then Robin had Curt in her kindergarten class. If you haven't known me long you may not know the "Curt story" but that will be another post on another day. I was hired to be Curt's aide all day, everyday, at school. Robin and I became very close during this time. It would be hard to describe that year except to say that it affected us both and we will always share a bond because of it.

Robin Clements --- Wife, daughter, sister, kindergarten teacher, friend, amazing person and most important--- CHRISTIAN and she wants everyone to know it!

Robin was in a terrible accident this time last year and everyone was worried that she would not live. She lived and was the talk of DCH. Everyone there loved her and her loving upbeat christian attitude. Robin tried to come back this school year but it just proved to be too much and so she retired. What big shoes she leaves to be filled.

John and I were so honored to be invited to her retirement party last week. We shared a wonderful potluck meal. But the very best part, that is just Robin, was at the end of the party. Robin asked that we all stand , hold hands, and sing Amazing Grace. And then she came around to the front of the head table punched a button on a tape player and asked us all to do the TOOTIE TA with her ONE LAST TIME!

Robin, you have shaped so many young lives, for the good, in your teaching years. From the bottom of my heart....I THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU!

NOW --- Linda Patton Clark (sister), Robin Patton Clements, Lavonia Patton (mother) and Robin's niece at the retirement party

THEN --- Mrs. Clements' room ---1994 --- Curt in wheelchair

THEN --- Mrs. Clements' room --- 1984 --- not sure who the child is --- Josh's kindergarten year

****If you had already read this post you will notice that I changed the title. I knew that it was Tootie Ta but for some reason Hokie Pokie was stuck in my head.****

Proof that the TOOTIE TA will live on!

John and I are invited every year to a Grandparents Day at school. The first two years it was at Huntington Elementary School and this year the girls moved to Northport Elementary School. Emma's kindergarten year we were invited to come to her room before lunch for a little entertainment. Little did we know that we were the entertainment. Now, I don't have a picture, since it is hard to take a picture of yourself doing the tootie ta, but.....I did stop long enough to get a picture of Emma doing the infamous dance. A room full of Grandparents doing the tootie ta was quite a sight. And yes, Big John, aka Pops, did do the tootie ta. Donnie and Dianne got to learn all the moves of this flattering dance the same day! Those two girls can get John and Donnie to do what no other person can!

THEN --- 2006 Grandparents Day --- Emma Lawson ---Mrs. Fanning's Room