The Tomberlins, but mostly Shug

they see me strollin'

2012-01-30T10:44:00.001-06:00

they see me strollin', originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

she's gets more confident every day! she even chased me around the living room for a little while last night! SO. MUCH. FUN.

2012-01-27T10:12:00.001-06:00

ready for a hike!, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

she is completely obsessed about walking around wearing this backpack! as soon as the weather gets warmer, we will hit the trails!

going, going...

2012-01-27T10:11:00.001-06:00

going, going..., originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

as promised!

Bipedal

2012-01-26T15:17:00.001-06:00

Bipedal, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

it is now safe to say we have a walker! she has been hesitantly taking steps since november, but in the past two weeks, she has gotten quite confident and is motoring all over the place. most of the time she still requires a destination, but she is now randomly popping into the kitchen while im cooking or wandering toward the playroom when she wants to play. we like to refer to her as "franken-baby" or "franken-willow" most of the time, but she improves every day.

a quick aside: so, we had some rough weather sunday night (pretty tame in our parts, but some good friends lost their house in jefferson county) and i was nervous about wk being on the other side of the house with the impending weather. since the major part of the front wasn't scheduled to arrive in our area until between midnight and 3am, i figured i would let wk fall asleep in her bed, then transfer her to our bed before we went to sleep. this plan was genius until a loud clap of thunder at 2am woke her up and it was instantly playtime. so we wrestled and i tried to convince her that it was still time to sleep, she would have none of it while in our bed. after an hour of elbow drops, heel kicks, hair pulling, and one extremely painful grapple hook move that she put on nathan's face, i took her back to her bed and immediately she settled back down and went to sleep for the rest of the night/morning. nathan remarked that she might be the best baby ever... considering that she wont even sleep in the bed with us when we want her to, he might be right!

life in our parts continues to rock... hope your corner of the world is equally awesome!

video to come soon!!

Merry Christmas

2012-01-05T14:24:00.001-06:00

Christmas Morning!!, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

I am fairly certain that Santa and Mrs. Clause were way more excited that WK about Christmas Morning, but when she finally rolled out of bed around 9 am she was very excited to see what the elves had left the night before. The house has been relocated to the playroom, but if she can see it, she wants to be playing in it! Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, i know we sure did!

Post-Thanksgiving Thankfulness

2011-12-08T10:35:00.001-06:00

Despite the fact that I didn't get around to including this topic in my very feeble attempt at documenting my thankfulness throughout the month of November, I figure it is never too late to include a few kind words about my dad.

My dad is the kind of dad every girl needs and every boy wants... he thinks girls are way cooler than boys, but has adopted our husbands on the condition they continue to keep his girls happy. He is full of anecdotal stories and wisdom, including my personal favorites: "if you are going to be stupid, you better be tough" and "well, babe..."

He loves unconditionally and would literally give the shirt off his back to a friend... or even a friend of a friend! I couldn't ask for a more fun, loving daddy. I am so glad WK gets to grow up with him in her life too!

Day 24 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-24T14:57:00.001-06:00

On this thanksgiving day I am overwhelmed with gratitude for an overly blessed life. These two, who are currently snoring off their full bellies, make everyday exponentially better! I am a lucky girl!!

Day 18 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-18T15:16:00.001-06:00

today i am thankful for my sister (and the rest of the sherrill clan). without her, i am fairly certain, my hair would be a hot mess, i would have a unibrow, my kid would have no clothes, and life just wouldn't be near as awesome. so here's to you, sister... i am so thankful you were born!

note: normal sisterly photo coming soon...

Day 17 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-17T19:55:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for Ms. Sharon and the rest of the First Grace staff that so lovingly takes care of my sweet girl when I can't be there.

Day 16 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-17T08:35:00.001-06:00

Belly Laughs, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

today i am thankful for the opportunity to hear these belly laughs.

Day 15 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-16T16:30:00.001-06:00

today i am thankful for the little bits of free time i have to goof off. i am thankful that my job allows me to work outside quite often. i have enjoyed the past few days out of the office... don't worry, i have still been thankful, just not in print!

just another day in paradise! wk and her buddy finn schmidt hanging outside samford hall.

Day 23 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-08T11:05:00.000-06:00

how do you write a "thankful" post about your mom... the person who "brought you into the world and can take you out of it"... the person who believes you can really do anything you put your mind to... the person that really wants you wear makeup and dress better, but is pretty ok that you don't... i really don't know... i have no idea at all. i can write enough sentence fragments for an english teacher to pull out every hair on her head, or i can just show you what makes my mom ~~better than yours~~ awesome... so here's my best shot at why i am thankful for my mom... the 2011 edition... maybe one day i will put together the full 1980-2010 version, but this one will have to suffice for now!

Day 8 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-08T11:04:00.000-06:00

today i am thankful for cool fall mornings and wagon rides with friends. i love a good hat and a good snuggley stroll around the block... and i love these two little girls. i figure whoever decided to name our neighborhood "burningtree" must have visited in the fall. the colors scream the excitement of the changing season... although i can't keep up with the leaves, i love watching the shift from green to bright fiery reds, oranges and yellows... and i love the excuse to spend some quality time on the mower with just my thoughts and tunes.

in a nutshell... i love fall!

Day 7 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

today i am thankful for modern medicine and a collection of doctors that truly care for their patients. today i spent close to two hours at the doctor's office for a routine annual exam, an hour and a half of which were spent waiting on the doctor to get to the office. i could have posted exasperated posts on facebook stating my disgust that i am being forced to wait, but rather i sat there and was thankful that my doctor was exactly where he should have been at that moment, which was at the hospital with a patient who needed his attention and care. i have a long list of doctors that i would quickly recommend to anyone... any kind of doctor from pediatrician to family physician and gynecologist to dermatologist, even with a dentist thrown in there too... you see, there is more to what they do that just practice medicine and make sick people well... if used correctly, sometimes they can simply keep well people well... that's my favorite part. at some point, we all have to take ownership of our bodies and take care of ourselves, and i figure that a few hours out of my life in a waiting room is worth that piece of mind... plus i'm insured :)

p.s. i am only posting for weekday, so days 5, 6, 12 ,13, 19, 20, 26 and 27, you will have to assume i am entirely too busy living my thankfulness versus writing about it!

Day 4 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

today is pretty simple... today i am thankful for my job. i don't always give it or my coworkers the credit they deserve, but i really do have a pretty sweet setup. for the most part, i get to stay inside and work when the weather isn't favorable and i get to go outside and work on the nicer days when i need to get out and stretch my legs and lungs. for those of you that don't know, i am a civil engineer and have somehow landed in the land of aviation engineering. i sometimes think it was sheer dumb luck that got me to this point, but i also figure Someone was really looking out for me as i wandered through life on a whim... either way, i am thankful and know that by both luck and grace i am able to roll (slowly, most mornings) out of bed and not dread the workday ahead.

Day 3 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-03T13:21:00.003-05:00

i will forever be thankful for the 30+ years i have spent with my Nana. there is truly no other more obstinate person on the face of the earth. there is no need to argue this, as she will win any argument placed in front of her. despite the fact that she is always right, she believes in no uncertain terms that i am right and that in most cases, i should be the pretties, smartest, most popular girl in the world. it is with this instilled confidence that i have no problem walking into a room strangers and ignoring the funny looks when i am the only person (aside from nate) dressed for halloween amongst the well-dressed, well-to-do friends of another.

she also loves my girl. the folks at wk's school are well acquainted with nana and papa, since they stop in every chance they have to visit. last halloween they got good cuddles, this halloween, however, they got to watch a very busy girl entertain her friends. the times, they are a flyin', folks... seriously!

my nana was a hairdresser for many year in the "beauty shop" behind her house. she knows what a "hard days work" feels like and has no qualms in claiming that meg works much harder for her money than i do... but, truth be told, she is probably right!

nana also has leukemia. most days you would never know, but the rough days are quite rough. its really hard watching her and my papa age. they are forever etched into my brain around age 50 taking us camping in north carolina (tinkle, tinkle, poot... meg, you know what im talking about!) and spending the night in the basement of our house in trinity to make sure we didn't have to ride the bus to school. despite her sometimes harsh opinions, she is mine and i love her for it. i figure to some degree, we usually end up as some form of our parents... i also figure, its not such a terrible diagnosis that i will one day i hope to reflect all that is good in my nana, because lord know there is plenty of good stored up in her!

Day 2 - I am thankful for...

2011-11-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

today i am thankful for my grandparents (nana and papa), but i will start with my papa since i have this super picture that i want to share and honestly nana deserves an entire post to herself, possibly even a holiday named for her!

most of you know my nana and papa... even if you have never met them, you have heard of them. they were the fill-ins at school parties if mom and dad couldn't make it, they were my biggest cheerleaders through years of playing sports, they think i am smart and funny, and most of all they are proud of me. i am so thankful i get to watch them start all over with willow. she loves them both, but she is particularly fond of her papa and thinks he is hilarious. nana and papa came to watch wk last saturday... i wish i could have videoed the breakfast "conversation" between papa and willow. she would laugh at everything he would say, then he would laugh at her reaction... it was a priceless morning.

Welcome to November

2011-11-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

and welcome to being THANKFUL! i am thankful for so much... luckily i will have thirty days to spill out all of my thanks and gratitude!

Day 1: I am thankful for...

i am thankful for a warm cuddly dog on cool fall nights. shug has no sense of person... meaning, he has no idea that his big paw, bony head and fat butt can be painful when walking across your stomach and plopping down on your lap. despite all he may not know, he does know the trick to getting under the covers and getting warm when the temperatures outside begin to drop. he starts by lingering around the head of the bed hoping you will just pull up the covers and invite him to get comfortable, but if his hints don't work quickly enough, he goes straight to whining and nosing at the blankets. once his request has been granted, he promptly settles in toward the foot of the bed as the best heater one could hope for... he even likes to hang his head out for some fresh air, all the while keeping his body warm. talk about one spoiled pup!

labor day morning

2011-09-07T15:20:00.002-05:00

labor day morning, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

what better way to welcome fall than a cool and wet labor day morning? we decided coffee and breakfast would taste much better when snuggling our toes under blankets as the yard collected some much needed rain.

BUT - after two full days of constant rain, we had to get out of the house. we decided lowes would be a good excursion, so we bundled up and strolled around to keep the impending blood clots at bay!

as with anything, all good things have to come to an end. we wrapped up our non-laborious labor day with some delicious hot wings and cold beers while listening to the continuing rain. all in all, it was a great holiday weekend!

cheers!

the beginning

2011-09-07T14:45:00.002-05:00

WDE Outfit #2, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

as football season rolls around again, my girl needed some new duds, so yaya whipped this cute little dress up on a saturday afternoon. we are so lucky to have a crafty sister and yaya!

2011-09-07T14:43:00.002-05:00

happy girl, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

if you absolutely couldn't eat this baby alive, there is something wrong with you! she got a little fancy sunday morning with her pearls and hairbow, but shes not too good to roll around with shug at any time!

2011-08-24T11:17:00.001-05:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

one of our favorite saturday morning activities is heading to the farmers market to see what seasonal goodies are being sold and to stroll around downtown for a while. this past week was "watermelon day", where there are free samples for all of the visitors. WK manhandled her wedge of melon!

2011-08-16T11:08:00.001-05:00

sunday afternoon bike rides!, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

now that i have a bike again, we have been trying to get out for fresh air as much as possible.... and what better way than peddling around on bikes? my girl seems to tolerate her helmet and love a good downhill ride! the uphill and bumps are not her favorite, but the rest is smooth sailing!

{WARNING} sappy post ahead...

2011-08-16T10:57:00.007-05:00

focused on the main event, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

it seems time is flying by. we are already getting a short, but much appreciated, tease of fall weather. while nate was cooking dinner, wk and i played on the porch and enjoyed the cooler temperatures.

and in the midst of commuting to/from work, cooking dinners, changing diapers, etc, its easy to loose focus of what really matters... but in this picture of my two main squeezes, its easy to remember what matters!

cheers to all of you out there in space. may all of our afternoons, morning, days and nights help us to reflect on what matters more than anything else! i hope my pair of dark headed, rosy lipped loves know how much they are loved!

playing hookie

2011-07-27T15:46:00.000-05:00

hand, foot and mouth disease has been making its rounds through the germ sharers at first grace this week... so my girl and i played hookie and stayed home on tuesday. it was a fun day of eating peaches...

cuddling with shug...

annoying shug...

playing with toys...

and eating goulash...

i hated to use a vacation day, but completely enjoyed hanging with my homegirl around the house. we caught up on our trashy tv and read books and kept shug company. well worth it!!

Fast Friends

2011-07-20T10:50:00.003-05:00

Reading!, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

This past weekend WK and I loaded up with our friend Whitney to visit one of my oldest friends, Libby, in Indianapolis. WK and Catherine became fast friends, while the older friends caught up on life.

My family moved churches when I was in 6th grade and despite the fact that I went to a different school than most of the other kids in the youth group, I fell into a great group of friends. Although our group was quite large most of the time, Whitney, Libby, Brian and I developed a friendship and bond that has proven to outlast different colleges, hometowns and lives. It is always amazing how being with them for any amount of time allows us to pick up right where we left off the last time.

As Libby is currently undergoing one of the most difficult times of her life, I am so glad that we could all still enjoy our brief time together. It may have been a short visit, but it was just what this group of friends needed to reconnect. I have my fingers crossed we keep to our word and make this reunion an annual event.

"I count myself in nothing else so happy As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends." - William Shakespeare

2011-07-06T13:37:00.002-05:00

beachin', originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

over the 4th of july weekend, we enjoyed a much too short trip to the beach with andy and sheena. my girl loves her uncle (bubba) andy and sha nay... hope they approve of their new names!

2011-07-06T12:13:00.004-05:00

CAKE, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

when we visited dothan last weekend, we had a makeup birthday party for wkt, along with a timely party for granny. willow loved the attention of everyone singing to her, but as soon as she dipped her hand in the icing the screaming began. she is still not a big fan of sweets, but she ate a little cake, with even less icing!

2011-07-06T10:37:00.002-05:00

IMG_6217, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

this girl is 1! this year has flown by... we fall more in love every day!

reading with grandaddy

2011-07-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

reading with grandaddy, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

Nathan and I took WKT to Lake Logan-Martin to visit with Warren (Grandaddy), Trish, Uncle Steve and Aunt Judy at their lakehouse. WKT got to ride on the boat, swing in the hammock, snub the baby pool and generally have a good time.

2011-07-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

the first boat ride of the season...

2011-07-06T10:14:00.000-05:00

My girl loves her Darius Ducker. Townes thought he might like a little Darius love... WKT said NO!

2011-07-06T09:58:00.001-05:00

bedtime, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

following bathtime, comes bed time... we decided to all pile up in wkt's room and watch robin hood for a few minutes until we were all three snoring barely past the opening credits.

mother's day

2011-07-06T09:56:00.001-05:00

loves hats, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

best. mothers. day. ever.

the sherrills invited us to go to the beach with them over mother's day weekend... it was so much fun! wkt wasnt sure about the ocean, but loved the pool and her daddy's hat!

Easter

2011-07-06T09:47:00.001-05:00

a favorite!!, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

yes, i am playing catch-up for my almost 4 month absence!

my girl and her yaya before Easter lunch.

whew...

2011-04-04T13:59:00.002-05:00

sick days, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

we are all on the mend after a week of yuckies hanging around our house. we are so fortunate that my grandparents are willing and able to drop what they are doing and spend a week with us taking care of wkt... not to mention the laundry, dusting, vacuuming and general household chores that were done! my girl loves her nana, but saves her big smiles for papa's toe kisses. she loves them and so do i!

just in case...

2011-03-24T11:28:00.002-05:00

big girls!, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

WKT had an appointment with the folks at Early Intervention yesterday. I was a bit apprehensive, but I felt like it would be nice to hear someone else confirm my belief that she was indeed awesome and/or let me know that we may need to do a little therapy to help her "catch up". As a little background, my girl is a little over 9 months old and isn't quite sitting up, nor is she crawling... the doctors recommended that we have her evaluated, so that is just what we did yesterday.

The sweet ladies met me at First Grace and the interview/exam went really smooth… she did all of her normal tricks and even had a sweet smile waiting for them! After asking well over the normally allotted 20 questions, they made her play with toys and attempt to sit for a while and stuff like that. They marked in their little pads of paper and constantly made notes. In order for her to qualify for their program she would have to “score” at a 25% deficiency, which boiled down to she would have be behind the 6.75 month markers. They told me “it will be close” and promised to call as soon as they had a chance to compute her scores.

Although I was not expecting to hear from them for a few days, they responded less than 24 hours later and I can now officially breath a heavy sigh of relief… she didn’t qualify for their program! They did give me a few exercises and tips to help her increase her core strength and promote crawling, so hopefully that will help. I have decided she is just a perfect baby and wants to just chill out a little longer… does that make her lazy? Maybe, but I am pretty OK with that!!

It was also nice to see a federally funded program in action that actually works! It was noticeably obvious that the two ladies I met with and their boss, who I have only spoken to over the phone, are not in their positions to make the big bucks, but have a deep and sincere desire to help children and families. I would encourage anyone with children under 3 that show any kind of developmental delay to contact them. It is absolutely free and I was blown away by the extent of their program.

WKT is tackling new tricks daily! The world better watch out as this girl grows stronger!

Granny Liz

2011-03-02T10:53:00.003-06:00

287 October 24, 2010, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

Nathan's great grandmother, Granny Liz, to us, Mary Elizabeth Adams, to the rest of the world, passed away yesterday (March 1st). I am so thankful that we have a handful of photos to show WK as she gets older. We will be traveling to Phoenix City tomorrow to pay our final respects and to be with family. It will be a sad weekend with a shadow of sorrow, but we will be together and that's all that matters sometimes.

conversations with Pop

2011-03-02T10:21:00.003-06:00

deep talk, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

This man, Nathan's Pop, as he is known to many, is one of the best around. I am so thankful that WKT has so many grandparent and even great grandparents to love on her. My girl couldn't get enough of him... just like the rest of us!

visitors from afar

2011-03-02T10:17:00.002-06:00

What a perfect weekend to have visitors in town! Nana Lisa, Poppa Danny, Pop and Nana (Barbara) all came to visit. We had as close to perfect weather as possible for the last weekend in February. After a morning stroll with Pop and Nana, WKT and I joined the rest of the crew for an afternoon on the back porch. My girl soaked up some sun, my dog chased a ball continuously, Nate grilled ribs to perfection and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day, the sun and the temperatures.

nana lisa, poppa danny and willow kate

wkt as an airplane in nana's arms

wkt with pop and barbara, who may be one of the absolute sweetest couples i have been around in a long time! what a wonderful example of love they are to us all!

i can only imagine what is going through either of those minds at this moment.

grill master at work. the ribs were delish, as always!

And following a delicious dinner of ribs and the fixin's, Nathan and I enjoyed a night out! We went to the red cross's "Big Deal" fundraiser, which was a casino themed party. We played blackjack until we couldn't count to 21 any longer then followed the party to Cafe 113 for a night cap. Needless to say, we were out later than normal and back up and at 'em for a day full of naps and movies on Sunday. It was a fabulous weekend and it was so good to see family that we hadn't seen since Thanksgiving!

2011-03-02T10:04:00.002-06:00

My girl loves her daddy... and her daddy thinks she is pretty cool too! As soon as he walks into her line of sight you can see her light up immediately. It is so fun to watch them play. We are two lucky girls!

2011-02-21T09:45:00.002-06:00

bubble toes, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

these are the sweetest toes i have ever seen. i could nibble on them all day!

Farmer Williams' Daughters

2011-02-16T14:25:00.005-06:00

making pop proud, originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug).

My Dad (aka Pop, to the girls) has taken on his relatively new roll as farmer like a certain old rainbow flip flop to my foot... err... something like that.. he's good at it, he enjoys it. But what he really enjoys is watching the girls run around feeding and petting animals.

Neighbor Meg, George Henry, WK and I loaded up and met Sister Meg, Maddie and Layla at Dad's on Sunday afternoon (remember that heat wave... yeah the 60 degree one) to breathe in a little fresh air, only contaminate with various animal poo and an apparent skunk attack from the previous week. The three older kids petted, fed and chased goats and geese, while the youngest cowgirl snoozed in the car. I kept thinking she would eventually wake up and hangout for a little while, boy was I wrong. She slept the entire visit, waking about 10 minutes before we left. {Have I mentioned how awesome she is lately??} Sadly, there are no photos of my girl, but there are plenty of the rest of the gang here. I am fairly certain everyone, including the Mamas, slept extra good after chasing little bodies intent on chasing animals for a couple of hours.

My favorite Daddy is leaving again this week for a 5 week adventure (although he would just call it work) to Korea. Please keep his travels in your thoughts and prayers. We sure will miss him, but we are glad we got in a little quality time down on the farm last weekend to tide us over until he returns.

Breaking Weather

2011-02-16T14:06:00.002-06:00

roller buddies
Originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug)

As far typical Alabama winters go, we have endured a relatively brutal one this year. It has snowed, like really snowed, more than once this season... school's have used well over their allotment of "snow days" and there is even talk of Saturday school to make up all of the missed days. This past weekend brought on a heat wave of 60 degree temperatures. My girl and I could not get outside quick enough. Our friends, Whitney and Townes, strolled with us. We did a couple of laps at our favorite back yard resource, the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. It was an amazing late morning stroll that led to an equally amazing afternoon nap.

If I haven't done it lately, I need to brag on my girl a little. She is quite possibly the best baby ever... and I do mean EVER! She sleeps well, eats well, plays well... hell, she even poops well!

We are not so patiently waiting for another stellar weather weekend on the horizon... cheers, friends! Hope you all get out and enjoy the sunshine too!

National Champions

2011-02-16T13:42:00.001-06:00

2011-02 001
Originally uploaded by Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug)

Nathan and Andrew flew out to Glendale, Arizona to cheer on our Auburn Tigers in the National Championship Game, while the homegirl and I stayed home to brave a literal winter storm. While they were gone, we got about 8" of snow, which caused our corner of the world to come to a screeching halt... schools were closed, grocerie stores were empty, flights were delayed... all of which lent itself to spending lots of quality time with quality neighbors. Pots of taco soup and sandwiches were assembled, grills were fired up and memories, along with snow ramps, were made. It was a pretty magical experience... the game included. WKT made it until almost halftime before begging for her bed, leaving Shug and I to cuddle the remainder of the suspenseful game. As the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Tiger's victory was sealed, I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear or two. I was so excited, and slightly jealous, truth be known, for Nathan and Andrew to be able to be in that atmosphere and experience Auburn's first national championship of our (and Willow's) lifetime. We all have the requisite t-shirts for proof and WKT even has one to grow into and hopefully take with her to Auburn in a few years :)

The 2011 season has a lot to live up to, but the boys in orange and blue will always make us proud to be Tigers. War Eagle, Ya'll!

another rewind session...

2010-12-29T15:34:00.002-06:00

again
Originally uploaded by
Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug)

i am so far behind!

willow was baptized on december 12, 2010. most of our family was able to make it, but we missed poppa danny and nana lisa. dad was able to squeeze us in before he had to head to birmingham to "serve and protect". i hate everyone's face isn't visible, but you do what you can when trying to organize this many folks in a quick snapshot!

before i get too far ahead of myself, i want everyone to know what a perfect angel my girl was during all the of the excitement. she was alert and awake for the baptism then snoozed peacefully the entire service. i could not have planed it better.

Rev. Terry Greer, WKT, me, nate and Rev. Kim Teehan

after church, we loaded up and braved the snow flurries to get back to our house. i had cooked lunch for everyone who was able to make it. overall, it was a most perfect day!

following the festivities, wkt and i headed to sweet elly page's 2nd birthday party. we are so thankful that her birthday was much less dramatic than the past two years! sadly i have no photographic evidence of this event, but you will have to take my word that it was super!

quick rewind

2010-12-29T10:41:00.003-06:00

toes in the snow
Originally uploaded by
Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug)

following wkt's baptism, the snow was falling with a quickness. although it was all melted and gone by mid-afternoon, we still took the advice of many "old wives" and dipped her bare toes in the wintery goodness in hopes of easy teething.

i am not too proud to admit that i get a little superstitious once informed of any silly tradition, so this was no exception. i figure ignorance is bliss, but blatantly ignoring the advice of these all-knowing "wives" from years past makes me nervous. luckily, my sister's mother-in-law is more than well versed in these traditions/tales/lunacy that we dont miss out on many opportunities to ward off the difficult times that may befall us in the future.

thus, cheers to easy teething for my girl! the teeth seem to be starting to work their way toward the skin... she is chewing on everything and drooling like a leaky faucet (and i know what that looks like since we have at least 2 such faucets that need to be replaced soon!)...

until next time, cheers to you and yours!

the look

2010-12-29T10:26:00.002-06:00

thanks dad
Originally uploaded by
Tomberlin Family (but mostly Shug)

look at that face... the smaller one, although they both favor so much its almost scary. he always gets this look. it says so much without saying a word. the way she knows exactly who he is and how much he loves her is indescribable. its enough to melt even the hardest heart, luckily his heart was mush way before this photo op on Christmas eve.

whew... missed me?

2010-12-17T15:50:00.003-06:00

so this is what 30 looks like... at least my version of 30

i attempted to get 365 shots, but ended up with 337... there was a month long break during the summer where i was a complete slacker, but overall a fun project. maybe i will keep it up for another 28 days to fulfill the quantity.

but today i am officially 30 years old... another decade of life behind me. the twenties have been superb and have contained the majority of my major life milestones to date.... i have graduated college, moved to atlanta, moved back to decatur, got married, adopted a dog, bought a house, driven/ridden cross country (twice), been gainfully employed at a job i don't hate, made some of the best friends i could have ever imagined, accepted and given more love than i ever though possible and just in the nick of time became a party of three! it is overwhelming how truly blessed i have been in the past 30 years.

here's to hoping the next 30 are even better!

and honestly, i have to believe they will be more amazing than i can envision!

absent

2010-03-17T08:54:00.002-05:00

so postings here have been slim to none since the first of the year. well, i am attempting to photo journal my 29th year over at my flickr site. the goal is one photograph per day for 365 days. i have already missed a few, but its just an experiment that i think will be fun to look back on december. this is going to be quite the exciting year in the lives of the tomberlins, after all! i will be posting here every now and again, but not very frequently, but why would anyone expect that with tract record as of late anyway!?

the flickr site can be accessed right over there on the left-hand side of this page or here.

and for those of you wondering, willow kate is still making a miraculous recovery from whatever it was that disturbed her back at our 20 week visit a month ago. almost all of the fluid is completely gone and what is left is not enough to even cause concern with the doctors we have been seeing. we even got the week off from uab visits! we have been so blessed by the outpouring of love from friends, family and others that we cannot even begin to express our appreciation. please continue to keep us all in your thoughts and prayers, as july is still several months away and big girl (i.e. I) is still new at this stuff.

cheers until next time!

everything that glitters...

2010-01-27T13:55:00.002-06:00

tom yum soup, as served at sun cafe in huntsville

nathan and i were out and about this past weekend and decided to try a new asian restaurant, sun cafe*. i had heard about the healing powers of tom yum soup and decided to give it a try since i was feeling a little under the weather... well, don't be fooled... although there is "yum" in the name, this foul dish is NOT yummy! after a little further investigation, we found that one of the mail ingredients is fish sauce, which is essentially some goop left from fermented fish... wow! it is now safe to say that the tomberlins do not love tom yum soup, despite the alluring title! we had high aspirations of tricking someone else into trying the leftovers, but didn't have the heart to watch anyone else gag, so it will remain in our fridge until we get tired of looking at it and giggling.

pretty much the entire bowl of soup waiting on its next victim!

*DISCLAIMER: in defense of sun cafe, the sushi was delish (and relatively inexpensive) and nathan claimed that the seaweed salad was fantastic... so overall, i give it a good review, i will just avoid tom yum from now until eternity!

birthday and christmas and all that jazz

2009-12-30T13:24:00.003-06:00

we went to chicago for my birthday... my camera decided to go on the fritz while there. we got only one decent picture the entire trip... it was quite sad, but at least we got the requisite "bean" shot. we had a great trip, aside from my frequent fatigue induced naps. we ate chicago style deep dish pizza and italian beef(us) sandwiches, roamed around the city for hours on end, rode to the top of the hancock building during the day and night, explored the field museum, people watched along the magnificent mile, walked around navy pier and even intruded on a company christmas party for some free ice skating, took advantage of public transportation, offered leftovers to an angry homeless man, laughed through pretty much all of a second city comedy show, and all around just enjoyed our time away from home together.

chicago was a great city. i can honestly say i felt very safe the entire time, maybe a false sense of security, but either way i wasnt looking behind me all the time. we would love to go back in the warmer months and catch a cubs game and further explore.

now lets rewind to pre-trip preparations: somehow i was able to get to chicago and back with an expired license... and not one that expired like a week ago, or even a month ago... it expired in 2007!! nathan reminded me no less than five times to make sure i had my identification and i exasperatedly told him it was in my purse where it always stays... only to get to the airport and it be missing. two weeks later and i still have no idea where it could be... i am losing my mind! nathan = 1 point, court = 0 points for this trip!

after chicago, we headed to dothan for christmas with nathan's folks. we packed a lot of family fun into three fun days (again no photographic evidence, but i swear we were there!). we finally coasted back to our house late on christmas night exhausted and ready for a quick break before the work week. now the new year is upon us and we are so excited to see what 2010 has to offer. 2009 was definitely an adventure and we expect nothing less from the year ahead.

hope all of you have a happy and blessed twenty ten... cheers!

it was...

2009-12-14T14:50:00.006-06:00

a weekend full of rain, sleet, cold, family and fun... we did have brief relief from the cold when nathan would light a fire in the cabin, until the fire alarm would start beeping!

Bryant and Maddox visiting with FDR before the rain set in for the night

the tomberlins (nathan, andy, casey, bryant, maddox and me) and lewis (lisa and danny) met at Callaway Gardens for a visit to the Fantasy in Lights, along with all the other attractions. i couldn't help but feel sorry for Lisa, who was the trips planner/financier, when the weather turned against us. the birds of prey show was moved inside, the butterflies were hibernating, and the trolley was cold and wet. it sounds as if we would have had a terrible visit, but it was actually very much the opposite. despite the bummers at the gardens, hanging out as a family in the cabin was lots of fun. we played cards, ate chili, tried to corral two rowdy boys and nathan even successfully grilled steaks in the rain.

maddox and bryant

nathan and i are hoping our return family visit to callaway will come in the warmer months where we can do a little hiking, swimming and fishing!!

whew...

2009-12-02T11:04:00.004-06:00

where did i leave off... so much has occured in the months since my last post. we have had pretty much all of football season, halloween, thanksgiving, girls night out, the beginning of basketball season... lots of fun and exciting things... so sorry i have be neglectful in updating. its been a busy fall. i hope to get the camera back out soon and get caught up with life... although the couch is entirely too tempting these days!

either way... here are a few photos (courtesy of steve) of pawpaw and his "new" (at least newly painted) truck. this is the first vehicle i learned to drive. my nana would take me out to the garden in this ole 1980 toyota pickup and let me learn the ins and outs of driving a manual transmission, along with dodging vegetable obstacles along the way... "don't run over the okra" was a favorite quote for years! i am so glad they have held onto this truck for so many years. maybe next time i visit i can drive it up to the creek and get a little mud on the new paint job!

mom and pawpaw (her daddy) and the yota

nana and the refurbished truck

the proud owner

yaya and layla

steve and maddie apparently trying out the gear she will need when she gets that sweet pink 4-wheeler!

that's all for now folks, hopefully i will be updating on a more frequent basis (sorry beth!)... cheers.

the good life

2009-09-30T14:52:00.010-05:00

i have a good life and this past weekend was a prime example of how fortunate i actually am. friday afternoon nathan and i went home for a nice night full of relaxing. he cooked dinner and i did laundry; this may sound like a bummer of a friday night, but it was one of the best nights i have had in a long time... we ate, i laid in the bathtub until the water lost most of its heat, caught up on all the dvr'd shows, read for a while and crashed. it was awesome. so awesome, in fact, i didn't bat an eye, or even ask for 5 more minutes, when nathan woke me up at 4 am to drive to north carolina...

we braved the rain and fog to hang out at the nantahala outdoor center's guest appreciation festival, where i bought the super cool boat you see above. despite the fact that it was terrible weather, we enjoyed the fall'ish temperatures and saw some super talented boaters show on the river. these two guys make my life oh so good. being the non-mushy person that i am, i don't usually gloat about how completely in love i am with nathan, but good grief... i said it probably a thousand times last weekend that i am the luckiest girl ever. i am so thankful that nathan and i enjoy being together. i truly dig hanging out with him. we camped by a rushing stream in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain and i could not have dreamed of a better night with better company. we followed the auburn game until my phone died... i think all three of us were asleep around 8 pm.
we took the scenic route on the way home and even shug enjoyed the view. we have decided he is slightly afraid of heights. he will not go anywhere near the edge of a cliff, he was even nervous on this little rock wall... what a wimp!just a little sidebar regarding the matrix... the super sonic matrix, who can no longer be called a sissy, trudged through the mud like a champ and looked extra cool when toting two boats.

its understandable that all weekends cannot be as exceptional as this one, but here's to hoping!

RIVERFEST

2009-09-23T14:46:00.006-05:00

this pretty much sums up the weekend... wet and muddy!

well riverfest came and went in a flash this year. i am completely worn out. my body doesn't even register that its awake until around noon... and even then it still needs a little encouraging! spoonin' & forkin' made their grand debut at the bbq competition... they didn't win, but placed in the 50's out of 63 teams, three of which are being documented for an upcoming TLC series. even though they were slightly disappointed in the results, you would have never known it by the fun being had by all in the pimp S&F tent.

two little piggies... birdie and elly

being the documentarian that i am, did not even get my camera out of my car all weekend... believe it or not, i worked my booty off! i have stolen the following photos from other folks who were much more diligent...

tiffany and sara at the beer tent

this is what you could fine me doing most of the weekend:

shug at his 3rd riverfest... he was a tired boy!

no, jim and nathan are not pregnant, but they were confirmed incapable of driving motorized vehicles... at least that's what the breathalyzer said!

Elly Page

2009-08-27T10:19:00.002-05:00

jim, sara, brother terry and elly

sweet elly was baptized (or dedicated or whatever you choose to call it...) last sunday. she was a picture of perfect and was so well behaved during the entire ceremony. mom and dad look so proud! we all look forward to elly growing in her faith throughout the years.

harping... again...

2009-08-10T13:22:00.003-05:00

i went to my 10 year high school reunion this past weekend. i was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to see those familiar faces from the past and how excited i was that they are pretty much all doing great. life has treated the class of '99 pretty well. i told nathan on the way to the picnic that was a little nervous, but as soon as the conversation started flowing, it all felt so normal, like we did that everyday or something.

i know i talk about the fact that i never wanted to move back to decatur entirely too much, but i cannot say enough how lucky i am to be here today. and how great life is in the metropolis of decatur, alabama. we have been here for a little over four years now and life could not be better. the picture above was taken sunday afternoon while rafted up with friends for a sunset cruise on the river. as we were riding back to the dock, i couldn't help thinking, in between getting pelted with bugs, that we are so blessed to be living our life right here, right now. i know times won't always be this good or easy, but just sitting there on the river taking it all in was almost overwhelming... the kind of feeling that if its the right time of month can bring tears.

nathan and john taking a break

me, rose, sue ellen, and ashley on the sunset cruise

charlie and john... captain and first mate...

after a weekend of water and reunions, its time to get back into the swing of things. school is starting and summer is quickly coming to an end... but not without a few more sunset cruises in the near future!

cheers!

afternoon smiles

2009-08-10T13:16:00.003-05:00

i spent yesterday afternoon with maddie, then got to hangout with Layla too. it was a good day. sweet maddie is always fun, but being the bad sister i am, i took her home sans nap and a bit fussy. sorry! but just look at those sweet faces and even when ill, they can still bring a smile to any face!

2009-08-10T13:07:00.004-05:00

around our house, we like boats. this weekend (and last) we got some use out of almost all of them.

maddie test drove nate's boat to make sure it was sea worthy

nathan paddling around at the river in his newest boat

the kelley family (front to back: hayden, lance and hope) checking out the two-man

and the most logical purchase we have ever made: the "brother ray" enjoying a sunset on the TN river

weekend in the sun

2009-07-21T12:50:00.003-05:00

after the boys did this:
i did this:
and the fish did this:
then boys did this:
and i did this:

we had a great trip to the beach with several friends this past weekend. of course i got a little too much sun, but what is the beach good for? the guys went out on brandon's center console and caught a fish each, totaling three king mackerel and one mahi-mahi (or dolphin fish or dwight schrewt fish, as nathan liked to call it). they cleaned all the fish and cooked them the next night. it was good eatin'!

we made it back to decatur in time for me to hustle to what turned out to be our last softball game of the season. we won the first game and lost the second... it was a pretty depressing end to our season, but we always have next year!

champs!

2009-07-17T11:18:00.002-05:00

again... FUMC Men have won the league championships again! we are all so proud...

now if only the girls team could start winning we would all be on the same page!

flying time...

2009-07-14T13:58:00.004-05:00

two years have flown by... maddie celebrated her second birthday this past weekend with a party in her back yard. as usual, meg out did herself and wore herself out... and sweet layla slept through the entire thing.

maddie's purple cake with elmo and friends...

she took a trip down the water slide that meg searched high and low for before the party!

and decided it would be so much fun to throw water on everyone around...

a little diva opening her presents...

and a happy, yet tired family (minus sleeping beauty, layla)...

several of maddie's friends made it out to the party too... here are a few:

a tribute... of sorts

2009-07-08T09:23:00.002-05:00

the following was witnessed last night as nathan and i were heading to his ball game. i don't think any words could do this justice... "YOU WANT BE DISAPPOINTED"... no, that was not a typo on my part and yes, this is the flyer he had a one gloved boy handing out last night!long live the king of pop... obviously michael jackson will not soon be forgotten, although i do hope the media finds a new target sooner than later! if the funds/donations come through, maybe we can hire this guy for the block party next year!?! a little afternoon entertainment never hurt anyone!

a day to celebrate

2009-07-07T11:21:00.002-05:00

a few days late, but when have i ever been a stickler for scheduled... our weekend wrap up includes, of course, a trip to the river, a shrimp boil and lots of fireworks, which i forgot to attempt photos of (again)! here are a few pics from the afternoon on the water:

the lazy way

2009-06-17T10:56:00.002-05:00

i might get around to doing a complete blog wrap up from our trip, but for now i will just share our photo set on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshug/sets/72157619784094622/

sorry... i am trying desperately to catch up, but cant seem to find the time!

yellowstone wrap up

2009-06-15T12:27:00.003-05:00

we have had technical difficulties the past few days. we were without power (or showers, for that matter) or cell phone service while we were in yellowstone. we decided to leave yellowstone on friday and head out the east entrance/exit. we stopped in to see crazy horse, mt. rushmore and wall drug store then decided to drive straight home. we drove for about 36 hours and arrived home late saturday afternoon. we are still sorting through pictures and memories, but i hope to have the pictures at least on flickr later today. but for now, its back to the grind with a softball game tonight and work tomorrow.

2009-06-07T22:25:00.004-05:00

we arrived in jackson hole, wyoming around lunch today. we checked into a cabin for the night and set out to check out downtown. we grabbed a quick bite of dinner and are now recovering from 2 long days of travel. tomorrow we will set out to hike around in the grand tetons and then on to yellowstone... as long as the roads are clear of snow! i am still amazed how cold it is... in JUNE! here are a few pictures...

hittin it

2009-06-07T07:26:00.003-05:00

we left decatur around 6 on friday night. nathan didn't stop until somewhere outside of st. louis... we attempted to sleep in an empty parking lot, but were awakened by some huge panthers (they turned out to be baby kittens, but you weren't there to prove anything) playing on the hood of the car. we left the parking lot and paused at a rest stop for a couple of hours. nathan got very little sleep, but with the help of coffee and an egg mcmuffin he was ready to go for a few more hours. i picked up after lunch and got us to wyoming. we arrived in rawlings, wyoming last night around 10 and rented a cheap hotel room, which turned out to grow out of rocks (see picture below). so far we have seen quite a bit of wildlife, including the panthers. we hope to make it jackson hole this afternoon in time for the shoot out downtown, then its on to the grand tetons and yellowstone.

so far so good, just not very any photo ops. i'm sure that will change soon!

who doesn't love holiday weekends

2009-05-27T10:46:00.006-05:00

nathan and i traveled to panama city beach over memorial day weekend for kim and tony's wedding. although i didn't even get the camera out of the car the entire weekend, i did think to snap a few with the phone.

the view on sunday

nathan soaking up some sun

no trip to pcb is complete without a visit to funland for $1 high life and arcade games. we won mostly stale candy, but didn't forget to grab a few spider rings for old times sake.
we were thinking of jeffrey while we were drinking our high life... apparently he was thinking of us too!
a small gift... i have been taking boxing lessons (another post for another day) for a month now.

we had a pretty good holiday weekend. we got a little beach time, visited with great friends that we don't see near as often as i would like, and even snuck some family visits. i have already started looking forward to another trip to the gulf. we are also gearing up for our upcoming trip to yellowstone, where we will have no power or showers at our campsite for a week. it should interesting.

cheers to the first rain free weekend of the month. we hope to get out on the river, as well as work out the green egg a little. it should be a great weekend.

2009-05-14T09:29:00.004-05:00

with little more than rain to talk about these days, the writing material has been a little dry (ha). we are starting to get things together for the yellowstone road trip coming up in a few weeks and two fun items came in the mail yesterday. i got a gorilla pod and a remote for the camera... here a few pics of us learning to use this new technology. please keep in mind these toys were delivered during a particularly quite lunch break when most of the office was gone... zac and i had more fun than is usually encouraged and/or allowed in the workplace.

don't let his face fool you... he was having a blast!

and a self family portrait from last night. the afternoon have been great around our house lately. the tv doesn't even get turned... and so much is getting done outside! cant wait to plant more stuff this weekend.
and i would like for everyone to welcome "booger", who is also known as "rico also", as the newest member of the sherrill family. booger was abandoned at a trailer down the street from meg, who has the softest heart when it comes to helping animals. she and jeffrey's mom went and rescued booger, who was absolutely disgusting. they have cut his fuzzy mess of hair and even gotten him some appropriate clothes. even beasley has been welcoming to the new member of the family. this little guy is probably the happiest dog in the world now... he is just pleased to have a bed and some food. now if they would only do something about his breath!

reboot

2009-04-30T10:10:00.007-05:00

our attempt at the professional engineers exam is behind us... FINALLY! (that really deserves more punctuation, but who am i to over do anything) we will know something in 8'ish weeks. so at least for that long, we have no worries.

late afternoon boat ride... the first of many!

warm weather is upon us and its time to get the boat out and cleaned up. softball season is also in full swing, but that is another post for another day. i have only recently remembered how bad i am at losing. maybe this downturn won't last too long.

layla was really cheering on the boys at their game on thursday!

overall, life is good.

i hope to get back in the swing of relatively regular postings, but with this abundance of non-blogable material on my hands, there really hasn't been much to write. here's hoping to change that soon! cheers!

the little boy turns 3!

2009-04-09T12:55:00.003-05:00

we celebrated shug's birthday a little early. today is the official day, but he doesnt really know any different. he had quite a feast last weekend. nathan grilled cheese burgers and beans and we baked the fries. of course shug consumed his fair share...

and didn't move for at least an hour... then, he only moved to the couch and eventually the bed! happy birthday, little boy... you get sweeter by the minute! i absolutely love to watch him play with Maddie and see how gentle he can be, then immediately attack a ball or stick with nathan. dogs are funny animals, and shug is no exception... we are lucky to have such a great dog in our lives!

arrival

2009-04-09T10:31:00.004-05:00

a very proud papa got his second little girl on monday... and a very tired mom finally got to hold her sweet little girl.

Dr. Shannon and his killer hair did a great job!maddie meeting her little sister

Meg and company made it home yesterday afternoon. All are well and adjusting to life with an extra appendage. Layla is a super sweet baby and looks more and more like Maddie daily... not such a bad thing, if you ask me!

2009-04-01T10:40:00.002-05:00

i sent my sister a text yesterday letting her know if i died in a plane crash to make sure and tell everyone (or just those emergency workers who would see me) that most of my panties aren't all ragged, just the "lucky" ones. and yesterday was an event that required the lucky ones. i flew in the auburn university jet to jackson, mississippi with several much more important people than myself to meet with the federal aviation administration. i was pretty pumped about flying in the jet, but also a little nervous after watching the weather deteriorate to full blown storms... luckily i had a birds eye view of the lightening radar and could see how close we were actually getting to the storms... yikes! either way... meg didn't have to redeem my honor and explain the ragged undies. we had a surprisingly smooth flight there and back with only a few minor bumps and a relatively short delay. i managed to slyly snap a few pics with my phone, but didn't have the guts to pull out the real camera with all the others around.

makes me think of bad rap, dirt roads and zima...

2009-03-27T12:56:00.004-05:00

tonight i am heading to this girl's (see below) bachelorette party in nashville. its scheduled to be a weekend long event, but i am not sure i will be able to attend the second night's festivities. either way i am so excited to see some good people that i haven't seen in quite some time! and i am also so happy for kim that she has found a best friend in tony! i wish them a lifetime of happiness!kim and i became quick friends the moment i moved to fayette for college. i was very apprehensive about leaving friends and family behind and stepping out on my own, but it was a quick adjustment and soon i wasn't homesick enough... just ask my mom :)

kim's group of friends back home in hokes bluff welcomed me into their group as if i had been there the whole time. i almost looked forward to going home with kim as much as i did going home to my own family and friends.

kim, i am so thankful that we found each other in life! you are one of my favorite friends of all time and hate that we dont get to spend more time together! cheers to a happy future and an even happier weekend!

lately

2009-03-13T09:35:00.004-05:00

shug is rarely still... even when sleeping, he tosses and turns like a child. since the weather has once again returned to the chill of winter, we have resorted to indoor play... and since i am trying to learn to use my new camera i figured i would shoot a few pictures of the little guy in action.

this is my life... take it or leave it, but i am quite fond of it... even in all of its blurry distortions.

cheers.

too little, too late...

2009-03-06T15:35:00.003-06:00

we tried to eat lunch here today. sadly, we were a week too late... they have closed up shop! maybe someone else will steal the name and open up again soon... its the best restaurant name i have seen in a long time!

apparently lots of hometown restaurants are closing. i have heard of two in decatur within the past week, market street deli and bank street deli, that are either closed are closing soon. i hate to see these locally owned places going under, but i cant blame the owners for fearing an uncertain financial future. i am just thankful for a job that pays the bills! hopefully things will level out soon and we can start rebuilding our futures!

on a much happier note, its friday and its almost the weekend and we are supposed to have fantastic weather in alabama! maybe i can find some time to play with the new camera this weekend...

cheers.

and it was all gone by lunch...

2009-03-03T13:05:00.002-06:00

and it will be in the 70's by friday... its alabama weather... what can you do?

speechless

2009-02-23T14:42:00.003-06:00

there is so much to say, yet i have no way to get it out. yesterday, february 22, kathryn king went to heaven. i have no doubt in my mind that is where we will find her one day. as painful as it is for me and nathan, i cannot imagine the emotions going through her kids, husband, sisters, etc... souls. kathryn was so many things to so many people. she was thoughtful, sincere, sarcastic, funny, outspoken, humble, loveable... this list could go on forever. i ache for all who knew her... i ache for myself. i hurt in places i have never hurt before. its a strange experience. it still doesnt feel "real", although i know its going to be a crushing reality tomorrow to see jim without her by his side.

please continue to pray for this family. please ask the Lord to address their aches and pains and to allow them to praise Him in such a time as this. just pray. thats all i know to do today. its all that makes it feel ok.

the bed hog

2009-02-18T11:19:00.003-06:00

not only does he hog the bed... he now drags his own pillow up there with him:

post valentines day wrap up

2009-02-18T11:00:00.005-06:00

shake it out...

nathan and i decided to go camping to "celebrate" the absolute worst holiday (if it can really be called a holiday...) ever. we ended up going to david crockett state park in tennesee for the night. we got there relatively early on saturday, checked in, set up, then hit the trails. we did pretty much all of the walking trails on saturday then decided to head back to camp to cook supper. nathan had patted out some burgers before we left so we just threw them on the grill. overall it was a nice weekend... its always fun to get away to the woods, even if its just for a quick overnigher.

the "overlook trail"... otherwise known as looking at a highway...

the cast of characters... plus 2 hungry humans and a very hungry puppy.

getting the grill ready... such a manly task!

the final product... before consumption. it was delicious!

lots and lots of prayer needed

2009-02-10T11:04:00.006-06:00

**UPDATE**

Bo has set up a caring bridge site for all who want to get updates regarding Kathryn's status.

**UPDATE**

Kathryn is consistently taking baby steps toward recovery. it will not be an easy, not short, road, but the family has been given signs of hope. all we can do is continue to remember this family in our thoughts and prayers and be thankful for all of the blessings (family, friends and friends that are like family).

i know there are some blog stalkers out there that might have an inside line to the big man, so in the event that you might be praying anyway, please add our friends the King (Pierce) family to your list.

Kathryn King had a massive heart attack yesterday and is in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital. the upcoming days are uncertain and she needs all the prayer that we can muster in these difficult days. i know her family was caught off guard by the scale of the emergency and also need our prayers for strength and comfort.

there is no doubt that Kathryn is a fighter, we only hope she continues to have the strength and resources to beat this!

wordless wednesday...

2009-01-27T15:49:00.002-06:00

which is actually being posted on a talkative tuesday... don't judge me.

below are highlights of the great rib cook off of 2009. nathan and i mixed our own rubs and then smoked the ribs for about 4 hours. i think one of nathan's mixtures won, but i was really too tired to tell for sure.

today we make history...

2009-01-20T09:19:00.004-06:00

we will never all agree. its a simple fact of life. even those we consider our closest allies in life, will not always agree. no matter how you feel about the events that have/will take place today, realize that you are experiencing history in the making. we will tell our children's children about today and the emotions we felt as the 44th president of the united states america takes the oath of office. i don't think that barack obama holds all of the answers for the free world, but i do think that he has a unique way of inspiring a generation that has felt overlooked for so long. it is this inspiration that gives me hope and makes me look forward to the next four years, as well as toward a brigher future for the greatest nation in present history. may we all stand behind our new president as he undertakes the huge responsibility of governing and leading our country. may God bless him and his family as they become the figureheads for this nation and may he allow God to be a constant ally and influence throughout his term.

cheers to peace and prosperity...

apparently...

2009-01-12T16:04:00.005-06:00

at least one person reads this blog... and that one person tagged me in an attempt to make me spill the beans on my 5 addictions. although i am a woman of few vices, i do have a few "habits" that i cant seem to shake. so here is the run down in no particular order:

addicted does not even come close to how i feel i about this sweet face!

honorable mention: facebook. yes, i know that it's sad. and yes, i know that i am old, but out of habit i must check my facebook pretty much every work day.... now, don't misunderstand, i do not consider this a full blown habit, as it is limited to the work week and billed directly to my company (thanks, garver!).

vice #5: outside. i am completely unable to remain indoors all day... even when its cold and raining, i have to get out for at least a few minutes.

vice #4: water. i cannot get enough of it. i drink constantly during the day, thus i pee constantly during the day. normally this is not a problem, as the bathrooms are not located in an overly populated area, but as my luck would have it a couple of guys from the office are hanging out near the bathrooms today packing up stuff for the big move next week and have commented more than once on my bathroom usage. glad there isn't a toll!

vice #3: a bath. i must have my nightly bath or i have trouble getting settled down for the night. a bath and a book is always a relaxing conclusion to any day, no matter how long, busy or stressful.

vice #2: mexican food. why couldn't i be addicted to something like salads or cottage cheese or brussel sprouts... something healthy? there is something about the combination of grease, cheese, salsa and tortillas that makes my heart go wild. i could probably survive on a purely mexican diet (and yes, i know this is not authentic and blah, blah, blah... but i like it, so get off my back!).

vice #1: chill time. me, nathan, shug, a bottle of wine and a fire is the combination to a perfect night in my book. we do not do it near as often as we should, but just sitting around and being quiet together is some of my favorite time with my boys.

now, i am supposed to tag people, but the only people that i know of that read this aren't bloggers, so therefore, i will ask the blog stalkers (you know who you are) to leave their list of habits, addictions, vices, etc. in the comments.

cheers.

2009-01-09T08:15:00.003-06:00

nathan's aunt's father (mouthfull i know!) passed away this past week. although, i didn't know him well personally, nathan has always spoken highly of him as a person, and if nothing else i can vouch for his peanut boiling skills. we rarely left dothan without a bag of peanuts and a cherry coke! here is a really nice article that the dothan eagle ran in cotton's memory (and just for the record, i never knew until i read it that he had a "real" name, i only knew him as cotton)...

http://www.dothaneagle.com/dea/news/local/article/dothans_peanut_man_passes_away/53783/

please keep nathan's aunt and the rest of the family in your thoughts as they adjust to life without him.

and on a much brighter note... here is a relatively recent picture of maddie, just for smiles! how could that face not brighten any day? she is absolutely a joy to be around... meg commented last night that she might be carrying bruce lee's baby. i hope layla (the baby formerly known as deuce) does come out kicking, because that's the only way she is going to have a chance of keeping up with her big sister!

anna, i promise to get to the addiction post later today (or possibly next week if happy hour comes early)... no, that is not one of the addictions :)

cheers!

still in recovery mode...

2009-01-07T12:32:00.003-06:00

these kids spent the first weekend of the new year reminding us that we are old... at least i am old and nathan became older while we were there... although the creeper in this picture acted like a teenager the whole time! we are so thankful for the time that we got to spend with the youth over the past year. it has been such a blessing in our lives to have the opportunity to hang out with such quality young people. i look forward to watching them grow up (although i think we are all a little bummed that they do actually have to grow up and move on...). i hope they all know how lucky we feel to be a small part of their lives and would do absolutely anything in the world for them! we also had fun hanging out with charlie, ashley, bo and mike while we were there. for the past few years, it seems that we have accumulated some really great people in our lives and hope that the trend continues!

here's to a new year and all the ups and downs that come with it... hold on, i'm sure it will be a wild ride!

a good night...

2008-12-29T11:03:00.004-06:00

the egg is in business... we had a fire in the grill and one in the chimnea. it was a good night at the tomberlin house.

big thanks to mom and steve for the new addition on the porch... many more good nights to come!the bird that nathan cooked... with a little bud heavy up its butt. it was delicious!who cant love this sweet face! mushy love from the shugster...

lots to do...

2008-12-20T14:33:00.005-06:00

nathan and i have been hard at work and shug has been busy studying. he is not a huge fan of the feline race, but hopes to gain a little leg up on the competition the next time he is withing a 5 mile vicinity of the dreaded species. maybe we should work on a little tolerance...

and with all this hard work, i cant wait for another night by the fire with my boys...

cheers!

2008-12-15T10:09:00.004-06:00

merry christmas, from the very tacky tomberlins.

well, first of all Ellynor Elizabeth Page was born this morning to a very tired Sara. both mom and baby are doing well and Jim has yet to wipe that shit eating grin off his face!

and on to a few pre-elly pics of the pages... these were taken at the annual dinges "bob saget party" a few weeks ago (thanks to beth for the pics, since i am lazy!).

a very excited jim and sarathe ladies (beth, ashely, sara and me)charlie and ashley won the prize...

teaser

2008-12-02T11:05:00.003-06:00

nathan was once again santa in the christmas parade last night. he did a great job... although i think the kid's mom that he promised an xbox 360 to would disagree. i hope to have more to add soon, but though i would post this little teaser of a picture of nathan as the jolly ole fella after the parade and finally in the fire truck (he rode in the bucket for the length of the parade).

deuce deuce

2008-11-25T14:08:00.004-06:00

**UPDATE: they got "Girl?" at the Dr. so the definite sex of deuce remains unknown, but i think the parents are fairly certain they have another little girl on their hands!

meg might find out today whether she gets to use hand-me-downs or not. pray for a sneak peek of the privates of my sister's unborn child. yes, that is a little creepy, but its all good! :)

even more progress

2008-11-13T08:49:00.002-06:00

its all happening... well at least a little of it is happening at a pace i could not have imagined. nathan finished putting the hardwoods in the living room last night. i can't get over the transformation that has occurred in our living room! what was once a dark, dungeon-esq room filled with filthy outdated carpet, has now been turned into an open area that smells much better! check out the pics i took this morning... i wish i would have gotten a few construction shots, but i have been in bed every night by about 8 in hopes to finally defeat the sinus infection that has been ruining my life the past couple of weeks.

this area is in desperate need of some artwork... suggestions?

this area will be re-organized this weekend... and no, the beer bottle is not a permanent fixture, it was nathan's work juice last night... dont judge us!

the lack of spindles in this picture makes me happier than you can imagine!

now for the fun of looking for rugs and wall decorations... again, i have such first world problems!

and a quick shout and early birthday wishes to andy "the man candy" thomas! hope sanibel is wonderful!

cheers!

maddie update

2008-11-06T12:47:00.004-06:00

she is growing up so fast!

she goes from baby to big girl look so fast... it wont be long before she is pushing deuce in the stroller.

calling the ducks...

meg and maddie at stone mountain

maddie and her uncle nathan are working hard...

2008-11-04T15:46:00.002-06:00

i have been oddly quite all day. tonight the topic of months of coffee and lunch break debates will be settled... one way or another its over for at least a few years. i know the bitching and moaning will not cease on either side, but at least i can watch prime time tv and not be bombarded with political propaganda.

i voted. i prayed... then i voted. i was still unsure when i walked out of the booth, but i have hope that we will all unite as Americans no matter who is chosen as the president. either way, win or lose, i hope all of you voted... even if you felt like you had no excitable choice, i hope you made a choice and voted. more than ever we need a third party, but thats a rant for another day... today i am just thankful for a country where i can freely go to the polls and vote. it was that simple (minus the lines)... we are so blessed.

ode to andy...

2008-10-31T09:42:00.007-05:00

our dear friend andy is so great to let shug hang out at his house when we are out of town. shug always comes home worn out from all the fun... and ribs! here are a few pics from shug's most recent trip to uncle andy's house.

shug even has his own chair!

shug giving uncle andy some love...

thanks andy!! we love just as much as shug does!

because i have nothing to write and even less time to write it...

2008-10-30T15:24:00.003-05:00

i will inundate you with another song that has been on my repeat playlist over and over this week...

and another quote that i have been quite fond of as well... "It's the only way to keep that last bit of sanity maybe I don't have to be good but I can try to be at least a little better than I've been so far..."

i have one picture to post... hopefully the carpet will be on its way to the street sometime in the next few weeks! i am so pumped! now to start raising money to replace the tv!

oh how i will not miss this carpet!

quick and dirty...

2008-10-03T14:55:00.002-05:00

well not so much dirty, but it sounded good.

i am technologically challenged this week, my computer decided to die and until its resolved, posts will be sporadic (whats new you might ask... well, you would be right... absolutely nothing... dont judge me!).

i watched the vp debate last night. i was pleasantly surprised/disappointed (still have decided which) that palin was well spoken, although clearly only regurgitating all the "facts" fed to her in the preceding weeks. i am again still on the fence about my vote... oh how i dream of a third party and an option that would get me politically excited. i would never dream of simply not voting, but i am not fired up about either of my options... maybe thats just a cop-out... i am just thinking/writing out loud now. at least i can once again look forward to saturday night live... its been a while!

off of that... as most of you know, my sister is expecting. deuce, as he/she has been affectionately dubbed, should make a grand appearance mid to late april (as of now the date is april 21st, which will coincide with my mom's 53rd birthday... shhh, dont tell her that i put that on here!). i was really excited when i found out that meg was expecting maddie, but for some reason i am even more excited about deuce. i am mostly excited for maddie to have a sibling to go up with... meg has been in my life for as long as i can remember and i could not be more thankful. i could not imagine growing old without her. and now maddie will have that person to call on the way to work just to talk or meet for lunch whenever she has a chance. of course, there will be times when they will not appreciate one another and times when they wish to be alone, but all in all there is no replacement for a sister, especially my sister. i know i harp on the fact that if i could have seen into a crystal ball several years ago and caught a glimpse of today, i would have laughed out loud and gone about doing whatever it is i did with all that free time i had in college, but today when i look back at that naive kid, i am so thankful for the winds that blew me back to decatur, alabama.

life is good.

today's song that made me happy:

"always remember there was nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name"

whew...

2008-09-15T13:20:00.004-05:00

after a whirlwind weekend full of riverfest festivities, nathan, shug and i are all whipped. hopefully i can scrounge up some photos of the weekend, despite the fact that my camera did not make it out of the car! hopefully more to come soon...

"i got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand, life is good today, life is good today..." -zac brown