~September~

*go state. GO STATE!!!!!
The first weekend of September, me and Michael headed to Starkville for the MSU game. It was such a fun weekend getaway for us and to make it even better.....STATE WON!!!!!! yay :) We spent the night in a cabin at Lake Tia'Kata (SP??). We woke up the next morning and had breakfast on the outside deck overlooking the lake. It was SO fabulous. We were SUPPOSED to go shopping on our way home, but after a silly argument and 2 hours of not talking...we decided to just go on home ;) I tell you that, because we're a normal married couple...we argue....about silly things!



*GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!
2 weekends later, we went to the LSU/MSU game at Death Valley. I am a big LSU fan, so I had to cheer on the Tigers this time. (side note: if you DON'T cheer on the Tigers at Tiger Stadium...you could possibly die. seriously!) We had such a fun weekend in Baton Rouge. Michael and I went with my sister, a guy I used to baby sit for, his new girlfriend (BOOOOO!!!!), and another couple that were SUPER fun! We tailgated at a little pub before the game and then went back after the game to eat and dance!! As always, we had an awesome time...but we were SO ready to see the kiddos!




*Tailgate Party at Co-Lin
Are you seeing a serious pattern here? Football is consuming my life. And I'm LOVING it!!!!!! On September 23rd, we had Senior Night at Co-Lin. All the High School Seniors in our district were invited to a Tailgate Party for the Co-Lin/Jones game! Free food and free admission to the game! We had a blast!! The Trailblazers were there to meet & greet...and I was able to snap a few shots of them! I LOVEEEEE this group of students!! :)


*New hair-do
It's fall, so what does that mean.....time to change my hair!!! haha!! Of course I wanted to do something wild and crazy....but Michael made me promise I'd keep some blonde in it. So, my fab hair dresser put some dark underneath and kept blonde on top. I loveeee it!! This is the only pic I have of it so far, but I'll take more soon!

*Testimony
Michael and I got to share our "relationship testimony" to the youth group at our church this past Wednesday. It was our first time to ever share this with a group, and it was SO neat!!! The students were really interested in what we had to say, and it was neat to let God use our story to minister to other people. If you don't know our story, go back to my February 2010 posts. God is good. All the time!

*Parker
He is sick. The poor kid has the worst allergies! He's got a runny nose, bad cough, watery eyes. The whole 9 yards! :( But besides for that, he's loving school, still trying to walk, fighting with his sister, loves being on the go (i've ruined both my kids), he loves to scream, loves bathtime with his sissie, hates to go to sleep (but he is sleeping in his own bed!), he has 5 1/2 teeth, he's in size 4 diapers, eats everything in sight, loves playing outside, and has super long wavy hair (michael wants to cut it so bad, but it's just not gonna happen!) :)

*Abby
Here is my interview with my Abby Lynn:
1)What is your favorite color?
pink
2)What is your favorite thing about school?
I like to play on the monkey bars, and I like to play on the slide. I like to play in the kitchen. And I like to do centers. I like to eat snack with my friends.
3)What do you like about church?
I like getting a sticker when I sign in. I like my sunday school class. I like to learn about Jesus. He takes care of me. He loves us so much.
4)Who do you like to cheer for?
Co-Lin Wolfpack!!!
5)Who's your best friend?
Allison Hamilton
6)What do you and Allison do together?
play hide-n-go seek and play on the playground.
7)What's your favorite show?
Wonderpets, Dora, and Yo Gabba Gabba
8)What do you like to do at home?
play on the iPad, play outside, watch cartoons
9)What do you like most about yourself?
my muscles
10)What is something you wish for?
Disney World

Well, there you have it.....straight from the 3 year old's mouth! :)

Now Abby wants to interview me:
1)What do you like to do at home?
play with you and Parker. cuddle with daddy.
2)What do you do at work?
i go to high schools and talk to students.
3)What's your favorite part about going to high school?
i like to get to know the students and make friends.
4)Do you like to eat salad????? (haha)
yes, sometimes
5)Do you like to play on the playground?
yupp...i love to play with you and parker and daddy!
6)Do you like to play golf?
Not really, but I like to go drive the golf cart with daddy
7)Do you have to do homework?
nope....
8)Do you like to go to the beach?
YES!!!! I love going to the beach! It's my favorite :)

Well, I hope yall enjoyed this fabulous blog post! haha!!! We are getting ready to enjoy this beautiful day at the OleBrook Festival. Stay tuned for pics next month :)

*August Update & Birthday Parties*

Ok....oh my gosh....where do I even start?!?! I've had several people ask me when I was going to blog again. I thought to myself....."When do I ever have time?!?!??!!??" Ahhhhhhhhhh.....story of my life!!! But tonight is the night. I don't care if I have to stay up til midnight. I am GOING to update my blog. If not for me....for yall!

Here's what we did in August:

*Princess Party
Abby and I went to a princess party at our church. This was such a NEAT idea!! They had a princess party for the girls and a pirate party for the boys. The girls got to have their hair done by a local stylist, get their makeup done by the mommies, nails painted, they did crafts, they sat down at a table that was decorated for nothing less than a princess, and then they got to watch the Veggie Tales movie, "Princess Sweetpea" or something like that?! I almost didn't stay.....Abby insisted that she was big enough to be by herself....but they needed more help, so I stayed. And I'm SO glad I did.




*Sissie Beach Trip
So....I tried to plan one last "girls trip" to the beach before school started. It ended up that the majority of the girls had something going on that weekend, so I asked Lauren if she'd want to go just me and her! Off we went! We had never been on a trip with just the two of us before, so we were SUPER excited!!! We always have the best time together....I just couldn't wait to be together for 3 days! We stayed with my aunt and uncle so it was also nice to spend some time with them too. We got there late Friday night, so we just went to bed. Saturday it was a rainy blah day, so we went to the outlet malls. Since we weren't able to get any sun that day, we went to the tanning bed!!! :) After the tanning bed, we walked over to a Mexican restaurant where we were told that we were too SHORT to sit at the bar!!!!!! hahaha.....after insisting that we sit at the bar, we realized very quickly that the waiter was so right! So...we got a booth! hahaha!!! We went to eat with our aunt and uncle that night and then went out to Seville Quarter. It was my first time there, but it DEFLY won't be my last. We had soooooooooooo much fun!!!!!! Except for when a guy asked Lauren if I was her MMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!????????? ugh! I can't talk about it. So, then Sunday we woke up to another blah day. We hung out for a little while and then headed back home. It was such a fun, relaxing, hilarious trip. I love you, sissie lu!


*School started
When school starts back at Co-Lin, it's a madhouse!!! We were SOOOOOOOOO busy for about two weeks, and I went home everyday exhausted! When Co-Lin starts back, that means that it's time for my babies to go back to school. Abby LOVES her new preschool class, and Parker is getting adjusted to his toddler class. He's the youngest in his class. But I just love having my kids on campus with me! Now that school has started back, I am on the recruitment road again. I LOVE IT! I've already been to Enterprise, Copiah Academy, and tomorrow I go to Loyd Star. It's so fun!! And I'm also a co-sponser for our Trailblazer (student recruitment) team. We have such a fabulous group....I'm so excited about it!!


*4 year Anniversary!
Yupp....Michael and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary!!! It's a tradition that we go somewhere for our anniversary instead of buying eachother stuff. 1 year-Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham, 2 year-New Orleans, 3 year-Bed & Breakfast in Natchez, and 4 year-Beau Rivage. We decided not to do a big trip this year, because we're going to Disney World in January and Hawaii in April. And plus, we had some friends that were going to the Beau that weekend to see a show, so we decided to go with them. We had a blast!! We saw some "circus/acrobat" show that Friday, ate at the buffet, went to the club, and then the next day we shopped! The past 4 years with Michael have been the best of my life. Yes, we have had some rocky times and some stressful times, but there is NOBODY else in this world that I'd rather share my life with. The good and the bad.


I'm sure there are some things I left out about August but it's 10:00 and I've still got to talk about Parker's birthday....hehe....

I cannot believe my little baby is already ONE! Sigh....
Since he is 12 months old, I just feel like it's appropriate to list 12 things about Parker being one:
1-he calls me and michael by "name"....MAMA.....DADA
2-when you ask him where something is and if he doesn't know, he'll do his arms up like "I don't know!?"
3-he is off the bottle and off baby food...nothing but real food & sippy cups
4-he sleeps 1/2 the time with us and 1/2 the time in his crib. Hey, it's a start! :)
5-i bought him curl shampoo because i'm determined that he's gonna have like perm curly hair!
6-if you take something from him he'll say, "MINE!"
7-he's not walking yet, but he'll stand up from a sitting position
8-his personality is absolutely adorable....he is such a happy funny kid!
9-the kid eats alllllllllllllllllllll the time...and only weights 18.5 lbs?!
10-he hates hats
11-he loves to throw balls back and forth
12-he finally has teeth.....6 of them!

Ok, here are SOME pics from his birthday/party. For a full album, check out my facebook page because it seriously takes 5 minutes to upload ONE picture!!:)






Thanks to everyone who follows my blog. I wish I had time to blog more, but I do what I can :) I started this blog just for fun....I never thought I'd touch other people's lives through my experiences. God is good!

one tired mommy,
Tonya

~JULY RECAP~

Ok, so I've gone from blogging twice a week to once a month. Yall, I just do NOT have time to blog anymore!!!!! Soooo...I was thinking the other night and came up with a perfect solution! I'm just going to blog at the end of every month and give a brief recap. And that way I don't feel so guilty when I forget to do "Ton's Thoughts on Thursday" or "Friday's Friend." I was going to stop blogging all together, but I get great responses from people when I pour my heart out into this silly blog. Sooo....I'm not leaving just yet. And you can count on the fact that I won't limit myself to just once a month. I will share what's on my heart when I feel the need!

So, here's what happened in July:


*Parker turned 10 months!
During this month he....learned how to crawl up our stairs, says & waves bye bye, started eating table food for every meal, has gotten at least 238403 goose eggs on his head (one actually called for an ER visit!), hates bathtime (because he had an underwater adventure that he did not like!), has developed such a fun/funny personality, puts any phone up to his ear and starts "talking", doesn't like formula anymore (this month we're introducing whole milk!), and STILL HAS NO TEETH!?!????!


*We took a family trip to Bonita Springs, FL
17 hours on the road....34 hours total! The kids were great!!!!! We had a full 4 days in Florida, and we had the best time! Michael won this trip through his job at Farm Bureau. We stayed at a beautiful resort and enjoyed time by the pool, at the beach, shopping, eating, and hanging out with great friends!


*We took Abby to see Storytime Live in Jackson
The day after we got back from Florida, we told Abby we had a surprise for her. She lovesssssssss surprises!!! When we got to Thaila Mara Hall, she realized that we were going to "meet" Dora, Kai Lan, The Wonderpets, and The Backyardigans. She was SO excited!


*Our Hatti Besties came to visit
The Essers made a trip to Brookhaven! Ever since we've had Parker and they've had Caleb, we've done a TERRIBLE job of making trips to see eachother. But as always, we had the best time....and couldn't even tell that it had been a month since we'd hung out!


*Baby Collin was born!!!!!!!!
Ryan and Whitney are dear friends of ours. We've known them for three years without any kids, but now God has blessed them with a sweet baby boy. I am just SO excited for them!!! I can't wait til he gets his shots so we can have his "welcome out" party!


*I got glasses
I started having real bad headaches, everyday! And I could tell my vision was a little off. Sooo....for the first time in my life, I made an eye appointment. The doctor told me that I had very minor vision problems, but it's the minor problems that cause the bad headaches. So, I have glasses now. I don't have to wear them all the time....just whenever I feel like I need them. (I could really use them right now, since I've been on the computer for over an hour...but they're in my car, and I'm just too lazy to go get them!)


*My sister graduated!
Lauren just graduated from Dental Assistant School at Hinds. I am SO SO SO proud of her! She absolutely loves what she does!! She has put in her resume at different places around the Jackson area, but she's also thinking about moving out of state. I told her to GO FOR IT! She's never lived away from home, and I think this would be a good learning experience for her!


I know I'm probably leaving out alot of stuff, but I've been on this computer for way too long! Plus...it's 10:30....like 2 hours past my bedtime! haha!!!!! But before I leave, alot of people have been asking 2 things:

1-No, I'm not pregnant. Sorry to leave yall hanging. I did end up taking like 6 pregnancy tests and they all came back negative.
2-I still don't know anything else about my dad's health. Obviously I've talked to him since that night, but he hasn't said anything else about it....and I haven't brought it up. Thanks to everyone who called, messaged, or emailed me. Yall have been such an encouragement to me! Please continue to pray for my dad!!


night night,
Tonya

~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~

Yay!!!!!!!!!!! I'm actually getting to do this today!!! Michael took Abby to run some errands and Parker is watching Baby Einstein. I'm not sure how long this "me time" will last, so I better get to thinking....

Ok, so I had alot I wanted to talk about today, but all that has changed. I just got a phone call from my dad. A very disturbing call. As I'm typing this post, I am in tears. Tears of confusion. Tears of pain. Tears of worry. So, today is the day that I'll tell of my daddy issues.

My parents got divorced when I was 6 years old. I don't remember hardly anything about my parents being married. The only parts I do remember are things I'd rather NOT remember. My dad was and still is a real bad alcoholic. He was physically and verbally abusive to my mom. That's really all I've ever been told about their marriage, and I respect my mom for not revealing all the details. My dad had "every other weekend" custody of me and my sister while we were growing up. I remember having alot of fun with my dad, but I also remember him passing out on the couch in the middle of the day and leaving me and Lauren to fend for ourselves. He would also drink and drive and I would sit in the front seat and when he would start falling asleep, I would tell him to wake up. I had to learn to drive at the age of 12, because sometimes that was the only safe way for us to get home. I would call my mom sometimes and let her know when we were heading home and she'd call the police to see if they'd track us. But like I said, I do have good memories. We used to get together with all of my dad's family and have big cookouts. Even though all the adults would be drinking, me and all my cousins had so much fun together!

As I grew older, I would try to talk to my dad about his behavior. He would just get really mad at me, so I stopped voicing my opinion and started praying for him! I knew that nothing was impossible with God, but after years of unanswered prayers I began to question if it was even possible for dad to clean up his act.

I've shed many tears for my dad. Some of the tears have been over the guilt of not going to see him like I should. Some of the tears have been over the resentment of him not wanting to see me. He has always tried to provide for me and my sister. You can tell he wants to, but it's just like he doesn't really know how to love us to the fullest. There are barriers that I've never been able to conquer in my relationship with him. I don't think I'll ever be able to. I want to know that in the end, I have no regrets. Unlike my dad. I think he'll have alot of regrets. I think he does currently. One of those being the fact that he didn't walk me down the aisle, or even attend my wedding. I still can't really talk about that to anybody. It hurts. Bad.

It got even harder when I had kids. My dad was actually at the hospital for Abby's birth, but he only stayed for a little while and then left. He was not there when Parker was born. Again....that hurts. Since I've had kids, he has never once came to see them. I always bring them to him. He LOVES his grandchildren, but once again, there's a barrier there. A barrier that he doesn't know how to get through...or doesn't care to. I've tried not to take any of these things personal, because I know it's him. Not me. People have told me that I have done everything that I can do. It's his turn. I've tried to go on with my life and not go out of my way for someone who doesn't return the favor. But he's my DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll always love him with my whole heart, no matter what. I'll always want to go out of my way for him, even if that means driving 2 hours to see him only to get to his house and him be passed out on the couch.

But you know, out of all of that....there's a deeper issue. It's an issue that I have just discovered exists. My daddy issues have caused other issues. I've learned that growing up without a dad has hurt my heart beyond repair. Throughout high school, I was always looking for a guy to make me feel special. I wanted someone to fill my daddy void. And even now that I have found my husband, I still put pressure on him to fill that void. I've just recently learned that nobody can fill that void but my Heavenly Daddy. So, why is it so hard for me to allow that to happen? Because my view of my earthly daddy is clouding my view of who God is. It's hard for me to imagine that there's a God who is loving, who will never fail me or let me down, who will hold me in His arms and rock me. Because I never had a dad that would do those things. I just can't comprehend that kind of daddy love. I hope to understand and experience it one day though.

So, now I'll go back to the phone call I just got from my dad. I only talk to my dad about once every week or every 2 weeks. He usually calls to check on us and see how his grandbabies are doing. But tonight was different. I could sense distress. He told me that he's had a couple of "breakdowns" lately. I asked what he meant. All he said was that he had been to the doctor and the doctor told him his health was getting bad. Now, I'm not oblivious to the fact that my dad has been smoking and drinking since he was a teenager, but nothing prepares you for this kind of conversation. I asked him what this all meant. He wouldn't tell me. He just kept saying, "It's nothing, Tonya. I'm ok. I don't want you to worry about me." YES I'M GOING TO WORRY ABOUT YOU!!!!!!! Now, tell me what's going on. But he never would. Some might say that's selfish, and it is. But that's just how he is. He has never wanted to do or say anything that would hurt or scare me. He wants me to think he has it all together, even though I know better. So, that's what I'll do. I'll just keep loving him like I always have. And when, or if, he's ready to talk then I'll be there.

In the meantime, all I can do is pray for him. There's still time for God to perform a miracle. All I want out of this life is to see my family in heaven. Including my dad. Please pray for my dad. Larry Odom. Pray that God will save him and change him. God doesn't just work at youth camps and church services. He can save a 52 year old alcoholic as well.

Thank you for letting me get that out. As always, I hope this post will speak to someone else that is experiencing a similiar situation.


love never gives up,
Tonya

B-O-R-I-N-G post!!

So......is there even a point in updating my blog if I have no pics to upload???? Y'all, I don't know what is wrong with me lately?! I took a pregnancy test yesterday hoping that would explain my memory loss, exhaustion, irritable moods, loss of interest in Facebook and blogging, etc etc etc. But.....it came back negative. I'm still not 100% convinced though. I'll probably take a few dozen more this week just to make sure.

*Pregnancy
If it turns out that I AM pregnant, you may wonder how Michael and I would feel about that. Well.....Michael is just hoping that I'm not.....yet. He wants another child, but he doesn't want one right this second. Me, on the other hand, I would be excited and overwhelmed. Excited because that would mean we'd be through having kids before the age of 30. Since I am a c-section mama, the doctors really only recommend that you have 3...maybe 4. Overwhelmed because.....well, just because! Two kids is crazy enough. Three kids would SUPA crazy!!!! But a huge blessing.

*I'm old!
So....I just turned 26 on June 24th. It was a FABULOUS birthday.....or should I say birthMONTH. Turning 26 was awesome. I got spoiled! I got an iPad, a new car, a new 5 piece set of luggage, a couple candles, a new "happy" for my HAPPY EVERYTHING plate, a wonderful lunch from my co-workers, a pearl necklace from my sissy, and LOTS of fabulous homemade happies from my baby girl! :) Oh Oh Oh, and I can't forget about my awesome "birthday party" at Paintin Sisters (it's Brookhaven's Easley Amused). 7 of my awesome friends, my mom, and one of my aunts were there to celebrate and paint with me! I can't WAIT to put up pics of our night. SOOOO fun!!! Turning 26 has already shown me a couple signs of aging. Michael and I went "out" (to Reed Pierce's) to eat and hear The Colonels and for the first time I realized that I'm an old fart. The band started playing at 9. How DARE them!!! Don't they know that's my bed time??? And we didn't leave there until 12. Yes, I was a zombie. But it was SO fun! Michael even got to get on stage and play 1 song with them. And the second sign of old age was when I was walking up the stairs to Sunday School the next morning and my knees felt like they were gonna give out. Sigh...

*YAY for VACAY!
I've had the summer blahs. Things at work have been kinda slow, I've been sad about not being home with the kiddos, I've been opting to stay inside instead of beating the 100 degree heat to get a tan, etc etc. Needless to say, I need a vacation!!!!! 9 more days!!! Next Wednesday, me and the fam will be driving 14 hours to Bonita Springs, FL. Yes, FOURTEEN hours. We WILL be breaking the drive up.....for sanity reasons. This trip is courtesy of Farm Bureau. Well, actually courtesy of my husband's hard work!! In other words, this trip will be FREE!!! Even better! Every parent knows that a vacation with 1+ kid(s) is no vacation at all....but it will be a change of scenery. :)

*Kiddo Update
Abby is FINALLY "swimming" by herself. She has one of those life jacket swimsuits. Haha, you know what I'm talking about? Well, you put that on her and she turns into super toddler. Hopefully she'll be swimming without it by the end of the summer. If not, oh well.
Parker is weening himself off of the bottle. He has no interest in formula anymore. I'm not real sure if it has anything to do with the fact that I've introduced him to chocolate chip muffins, homemade mashed potatoes, cap'n crunch, cinnamon rolls, goldfish, and other yummy treats. No....that probably has nothing to do with it. Well, the doc doesn't want him to go totally without just yet. He says that Parker still needs the nutrients that formula offers, so he suggested that we start putting it in a sippy cup and then switching to whole milk next month. Gosh, my little baby boy is growing up way too fast!!

Ok, well it is almost 10:00 and I'm thinking that I'll have to call in sick tomorrow if I don't hurry and get my full 8 hours of sleep!! haha!!! And plus, I've volunteered to host Girl's Night Out tomorrow night and it's gonna be a video scavenger hunt! I've got lots to do to get everything ready. My goals for this week: post new pics on Facebook and blogger, hire a housekeeper, start making lists for our vacay, shampoo my carpet, get a tag for my freaking car, and make sure I'm not preggie before my new tanning appointment!!!

I hope everyone has a great week! Bear with me as I try to get caught up and get back on track with Thursday's Thoughts and Friday's Friend.


scatter-brained,
Tonya

(ps-i've typed this whole post on my iPad and I'm not gonna proof read it. So, please forgive me if there are any errors)

**UPDATED PICS**

Ok, so I'm finallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy getting around to posting some updated pics! Before I do, let me share a few thoughts (since I didn't get to yesterday).

*Parker-is the most precious baby in the world!!! At 9 months he: weighs 18 lbs and is 27 1/2 in long, eats like a pig, loves to snack (on crunchies and yogurt melts), isn't real interested in juice, when you get on to him-he smiles and keeps on going, he has a favorite paci-like just one-and when we can't find it the world stops, he grunts to communicate, he points, everything is da-da-da-da-da, and his favorite show is The Wonder Pets.

*Abby-is HILARIOUS!!!!!! She never ceases to amaze me with what will come out of her mouth next. Here are a few quotes from this week: "Mama, I'll be sweet TOMORROW," "Me and Daddy saw a rainbow and I saw God's house under it," "Hey, (stranger) did you know that I got an iPad?," "I need to water the tree because God told me to"....and the list goes on.

Here are some updates pics from the past few weeks:

























Tune in Sunday for "Friday's FriendS." I will honor all the dads in my life!

night night,
Tonya

LOTS to say!!!!!!

Ok, I'm wayyyyy behind on blogging this week. As well as household duties, and sleep! I am in the recliner right now after a long morning of ACT supervising.....and after a super long day in Jackson yesterday. 7 hours. 2 kids. By myself. EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!! But for some reason, I still can't manage to sit still. I have been cleaning my house since I got home. And I have made plans tonight for the fam to go to The Cunningham's house (http://tonbish.blogspot.com/2010/05/fridays-friend_14.html) for a cookout/water slide party. Life is short. Might as well have fun.....and be exhausted! :) My goal is to eventually catch up on "Ton's Thoughts" and "Friday's Friend"....post new pics....funny stories....and updates.....but right now all I want to do is sleep. So....I'm gonna catch yall up on some of my thoughts from this week. The next post will be updates and updated pics! (hopefully!)

*My dream car
Soooo....I got a new vehicle this week. If you refer back to last week's thoughts (i think), you will see that ONE of my dream cars is a white sequoia. Well, Michael got a phone call from his cousin, Justin Bishop who works at Herrin Gear Toyota, the other day and he told Michael that someone just traded in a white sequoia. We went to look at it and I fell in love!!!!! IT IS FINE! Exactly what I wanted! It's a year older than the Burban was and it has a little more miles on it, but a Toyota will long outlast a Chevy and they ended up giving us $1,500 more than we paid for the Suburban!!!! That is UNHEARD of with a trade in! So....we left there with the Sequoia AND $2,000 in our pocket! HELLO.....no brainer! And I'm one happy girl :)

*Junk food JUNKIE!!!
I cannot force myself to eat healthy??? I've been working out alot lately, but all I can eat is junk food. So.....I'm pretty much working out so that I can eat! I'm getting nowhere!

*Migraine
I get a bad migraine about once every 6 months. It starts with seeing dots in my right eye. That's how I know it's about to start. So, Wednesday I start seeing dots. I take a pain killler (which ends up being expired). An hour later, I'm layin on the couch moaning....no lights.....no sound...sick as a dog. I finally go get in the bed at 8:00. I wake up the next morning feeling much better but super drained! YUCK!

*iPad
I got an iPad for my birthday! Michael cannot wait to give presents. haha! I was sooooooooooo excited. Michael's mom got one a few weeks ago, and I have been playing with hers. Now I have my very own!!!! Well, Abby thinks it is partially hers. ha! Which it pretty much is...I've downloaded more apps for her than for me! I can't wait to get lots of fun apps on it.....for me!!!

*Gum
I had a random thought the other day. Can you imagine that? ha!! I was chewing gum....which I rarely do because I hate when it loses flavor. And I started thinking. Is gum really made from whale fat? If so....what does tasteless gum taste like? Gross.

*5 hour energy shot
OH.MY.GOSH. I have never taken one of these, but my boss has told me several times that they work really good for her. So....yesterday before I ventured off to Jackson, I decided to take one. NEVER AGAIN!!!!! It made me very anxious and super tired!! I was real shaky and had bad anxiety all day. It was either the energy shot, or the fact that Jackson motorists make me a nervous wreck....and I had the kids all day by myself. Either way....it was a very tiring day!

*Red, Yellow, Black, & White
Sooo....we went to see my dad yesterday while we were in Jackson. I had both kids in the waiting room because I had to feed Parker. Abby was walking around seeing what she could get into. All of the sudden she sees a little boy playing a "gameboy" (i don't know what they call them these days). She inches over towards him, and the little black boy (about 6 years old) tells her that she can watch him. So, she goes and gets in the chair with him. After a few minutes of watching him, he offers the game to Abby so she can play. He sits there and teaches Abby how to play and they are having the best time together. They got a few looks from other people in the waiting room, but it warmed my heart SOOOOOOOOOOOO much to see my sweet girl playing with this little boy. She has never questioned the color of someone's skin. Not once. Michael and I don't refer to people by the color of their skin. I've always been the type of person to judge someone for who they are on the inside, not the outside. I hope Abby continues to do the same.

*Spray tan
Sooo...I fell in love with my spray tan I got several weeks ago. So much so that I went to Sally's and bought a self-spray tanner. It comes with a refillable "gun" that you put cans of tanner in. I wasn't real sure how I was going to spray myself....so I got Michael to do it. Poor Michael thought it was gonna be a one time thing. Little did he know, it would need to be done every 3 days! haha!! It works really good....and it sure beats laying out in the 100 degree sun! It's called Salon Bronze. If you have a hubby that would be willing to spray you....go get some!

*What's in my bag???
Brittany Grooms, my fellow mama of a 9 monther, tagged me in a post called "What's in your bag?" Well, she made this an entire post, but I'm just too tired/lazy to go take pics of everything in my purse, so I'll just tell you what's in there. Right now I have: a can of hairspray (a big can, because my travel size ran out), 2 brushes, a make up bag, my wallet, 13 receipts, a couple happy meal toys, my iPod touch, phone charger, finger nail polish, tweezers, "Dare to Discipline" book, lotion, pain killers (oh, the joys of having kidney stones), a pair of earrings, gum, my co-lin name tag, 5 pens, a pencil, coupons, my vera bradley business card holder, and the security tag that came off my key to my new car! oh, and of course some money! :)

Ok....this post has taken me about an hour to write.....with a baby that's trying to escape out the back screen door, and a toddler that's trying to talk me out of "rest time." Daddy is outside helping install our tankless hot water heater. I think it's about time to call in for back up :) I hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay tuned for more updates a new pics!

living life in the fast lane,
TonTon

~Friday's Friend~

~Ashlea McGuire~

(May 2009~I was 6 months preggo)

So, today I want to dedicate this post to a friend that I don't get to see or talk to that much, but I do still consider her a good friend!!!!!!!!!

Ashlea and I kicked off our friendship in a pretty hilarious way!!!!!! We were sitting in a history class at Holmes and I really didn't know Ashlea all that well. I leaned over to her and said, "Hey, do you wanna be in the Holmes beauty pageant?" hahaha!!! I can't remember exactly how the rest of the convo went, but I know it took me a while to talk her into it. And I'm sooooooooo glad I did, because doing this pageant together is a memory I will NeVeR forget!!! First of all, neither one of us had ever done a pageant before. What in the world possessed us to do this??? I can't stop laughing as I type this, because I still don't understand why we did this? Anyway....the day of the pageant, we had to drive to the main campus of Holmes which was in Goodman. The whole way to Goodman we kept asking eachother, "WHAT ARE WE DOING?!?!?" Well, we get there, get our hair and make up done, and head for the stage. HAHAHAHAHA!!!! I really can't stop laughing!!!! I seriously don't remember details about the pageant, and it's probably because I've blocked it from my memory!! All I remember is that neither of us got in the Top 20, so we decided to cut on out....even though we were supposed to wait til the end of the pageant because they wanted all the contestants to come back out on the stage. We opted not to do that. We were ready to get out of those stupid dresses and go get a freakin burger!! Our parents started looking for us when they noticed we didn't return to the stage. We met them at the cars and headed home. I can't remember the ride home at all, but I'm sure it consisted of 2 hours of nonstop laughter!

So....from then on, we developed one of the best friendships I have EVER had! We made SOoooooooooo many friends at Holmes and always had something to do. We'd go boating after school, go to parties on the weekends, road trips, we'd spend the night with eachother every single night of the week, and let's not forget college nights on Thursdays! We LIVED for Thursday nights. No, really....we did! I won't even go into details about those nights, but let's just say....I'm so glad we didn't end up dead or in jail! There was always some kind of drama going on around us, but Ashlea and I always managed to stick together through it all. Well, until something happend.....and I am racking my brain but cannot remember what it was....and it kinda took a toll on our friendship. We didn't talk for a really long time, and I was so sad because I knew that I had lost one of my best friends in the world.

Well, we both ended up at USM and we started patching up our friendship. Ashlea hated USM and I loved it! She ended up moving back home and I ended up dating a guy, getting pregnant, marrying him, and moving to his hometown!! Ashlea has also gotten married and is still living in Clinton. Even though we live an hour away from eachother, we still do a pretty good job of keeping in touch.

Ashlea, I wish we could hang out more because I think about you ALL the time and I really miss you!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you and Dan, and even though I haven't been able to get to know him that well.....I can tell that he makes you SO happy!! I cherish all the memories that we have together, and even though we aren't able to make new memories very often....I will always cherish the ones that we are able to make! The song I chose to put with this blog is Daniel Beddingfield's "I gotta get thru this"....I don't know if you remember, but this is the song we listened to the whole way to the pageant that day. I hope you laugh as much as I did while I was typing this!!!!!!! I love you with all my heart!

NOT a pageant girl,

Tonya

~tOn'S tHoUgHtS oN tHuRsDaY~

*I need a hobby!
My typical summer day consists of: waking up at 6:00, working from 7:30-4:30, coming home and cleaning the house, cooking dinner (or picking up fast food), playing with the kids, catching up on some DVR (like once a week-if that!), bathing kids, straightening up the house, and then crashing!!! However, the 1st Tuesday of every month is Girl's Night Out and the 3rd Tuesday of every month is Bunko. So, that's a good break!!! But something is still missing. I NEED A HOBBY! Anything! But what???? I don't have the time (or patience) to scrapbook, I'm not athletic, and I'm so busy being a wife and mommy...do I really have TIME for a hobby??? Maybe being a wife and mommy IS my hobby? Who knows....let me know if you have any simple hobby ideas :)

*I'm an idiot
Today I had to workout alone, because my workout partner had to run some errands. So, I'm in the fitness center by myself and I decide to try to tumble!!! hahaha!!! I'm pretty sure I haven't tumbled since high school....or junior high even! Well, it was very obvious when I landed on my head, broke my back, and pulled every muscle in my body. I laid on the floor and thought I was dying. My back will never be the same.

*Master's Degree
So, I'm wanting to go back to school. Is that the stupidest thing ever??!?! Well, ever since I've worked at Co-Lin, I've wanted to teach! Maybe not full time, but I want to be able to teach a class or two at a college level. The only way to make that a possibility is to go back to school to get my masters!!!! It'll have to be an online program, and I'm really scared about being disciplined enough to keep up with school work, work full time, and take care of mommy/wifey duties??? I was wanting to start in August, but I haven't done ANY research....so it may be next year?!

*Bonita Springs, FL
The whole fam is going to the beach in July with Farm Bureau!!! Michael won another trip, but this time the whole family gets to go!!!!!!!! I'm SOOO excited, because this resort is supposed to be super nice! I've been doing alot of online shopping.....trying to find the kiddos some cute matching outfits to wear while we're there! Michael doesn't want me to match them EVERY day we're there, so I decided to compromise.....they'll match every OTHER day :) (I also got them matching swimsuits from Kelly's Kids!)

*Spray Tan update
A few people have asked me about my spray tan I got a couple weeks ago. I LOVED IT! It wasn't orange at all, it lasted a week, and it didn't sploch when it faded. If we had an extra $120 in our budget for tanning, I'd do it every week!

*Birthday Bash!!
Michael and I have birthdays in June that are 4 days apart. In the past, we have combined our birthdays and had 1 big party. I'm trying to think of something fun we could do this year?? I want to rent a limo and get it to bring us and all our friends to Jackson. But omg, that would cost a fortune....since it would be 2 hours of travel! So....who knows? We may just have another big cookout, because our last one was SO much fun!!

*A sick hubby=a sad wifey
I hate when Michael is sick! He is my rock, and when he's sick I feel like the whole house falls to pieces! It makes me sad to see Michael moping around. But he has been a great sick husband. All he could do for a couple days was just lay around....but when he saw that I needed help, he would force himself off the couch and help me tend to the kids. I really appreciate this, because truth be told.....when I'm sick-I just want to mope....not help!


I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow! I'm so excited it's finally Friday.....and I'm even more excited that I get off at 12:30!! yayayayayyayayayayayay :)

TGIAF (Thank God It's Almost Friday),
Tonya

MY 100TH POST!!!!!!!!

So....I've been thinking long and hard about how to "celebrate" my 100th post. I've come up with nothing! haha! So, I guess I'll just share 100 things about ME!....the good, the bad, and the ugly! I'm not sure if I can come up with 100, so I'm gonna get Michael and Abby to help.....



100-i love to be comfy



99-i love a clean baby



98-i bathe my kids every other night.....because i once heard that if you bathe too much, it washes off "essential oils" that your body needs? haha....i dont know?



97-i watch cartoons more than my shows.



96-i'm ok with that



95-i carry a big purse, because i like to cram random crap in there! (ex: a full can of hairspray, a miniature makeup bag, two wallets, a water bottle, a video camera, every kind of medicine i ever might need, snacks, LOTS of receipts, etcccc)



94-i laugh real hard (Abby came up with that one)....but I do LOVE to laugh!!!



93-i am OCD about a clean house.



92-if i'm ever in a bad mood, it's probably because my house is a mess



91-my definition of a messy house is:a few dishes in the sink, a couple toys on the floor, and beds unmade



90-i have blue eyes (Michael came up with that one. He's so creative!)



89-i loveeeeeeeeee the beach



88-i love to shop. but i am a penny pincher!! i will talk myself out of 99% of the things i put in my basket



87-my favorite flower is a SUNflower



86-i don't like to plant flowers. i just want someone to do it for me.



85-i unconsciously suck in my stomach/tighten my abs at all times



84-i love to be super cold and then crawl underneath a warm blanket.



83-i don't like to be hot



82-i am TERRIFIED of bees, wasps, horseflies, etc.



81-one of my biggest fears is that i'll be trapped in my car with any of the above and it would cause me to wreck



80-i'm a scaredy cat (Abby came up with that)



79-i love how Michael's arm pits smell. i guess i should say i love the way his deodorant smells!



78-i have no musical talent



77-i love to write



76-i had a poem published once



75-i'm starting to get baby fever already! YIKES!



74-i take lots of pics



73-i don't ever print them out



72-i have a nervous habit of pulling my eyelashes out



71-i'm incredibly beautiful (Michael came up with that one)



70-i am VERY insecure!!!!



69-i don't mind washing or folding clothes....but i hate putting them up!



68-i hate for people to be mad at me



67-i have no athletic ability



66-the only sport i like to watch is football



65-i am very tender hearted.



64-i WILL own a Corvette before I die. Either a brand new one, or a black Stingray convertible.



63-i love to watch people and try to figure out their "story"



62-i hate science and history.



61-i really don't remember anything i learned in school. i memorize, test, and forget.



60-i used to pick up my steak and eat it....until my first prom. my parents made me learn how to use a fork and a knife.



59-i love to organize.



58-i love lists.



57-i used to be in charge of our bills and budget....until this past March, Michael took over. it has been so nice!



56-i love to shop online because i love getting packages



55-the greatest joy in my life is being a mom and a wife



54-i try to fix people's problems because i want everyone to be happy



53-i can be envious at times. it's a constant struggle.



52-i like to decorate.



51-i have the MESSIEST car!!!



50-i have a chicken pox scar on my nose



49-i love spending time with my family.



48-i hateeeeeeeeeee bugs!!!!! if i see a bug in my house, i immediately call the exterminator!



47-i have made abby terrified of bugs. she will cry until i call the exterminator.



46-i love sweet tea, but i can't drink it because of my kidney stones



45-i have passed 6 kidney stones, gotten 5 blasted, and still have about 7



44-i hate when my husband is sick. he is my rock.



43-i assume.....alot!



42-i've only been in the ocean like 5 times in my entire life. i hate sharks and jellyfish.



41-my favorite color is light blue



40-i like to go go go!!!



39-i want long hair. but i have no patience to grow it out.



38-i love to dye my hair brown in the fall/winter.



37-michael likes it blonde.



36-i haven't always had bad time management, but 2 kids and a full time job will do that to ya!



35-i am VERY easily entertained



34-i can't stand for my hands to be sticky



33-i hate every picture of myself (see #70)



32-by the time i'm 30 i want to be: debt free, through having kids, and a stay-at-home mom



31-i love party food.



30-i'm silly (Abby came up with that one)



29-i miss my grandmother.



28-my dream job is to be a marketing rep/event planner at Disney World



27-i'm outgoing and love people (Michael came up with those)



26-I turn 26 on June 24th!!



25-my favorite shows: anything on TLC and HGTV, 24, The Bachelor/ette, American Idol, The Office



24-i love to make new friends



23-i freakin LOVE to dance...in the car, at work, at home, at a club, anywhere!!



22-i love me time. because it's very rare.



21-i have daddy issues.



20-i'm not where i want to be spiritually



19-i love to play games.



18-i like to plan and host parties!



17-i like attention



16-i like to read. i just don't ever have time.



15-i love a molten chocolate cake from Chili's



14-i like to travel



13-i have wrinkles under my eyes.



12-i want botox.



11-when i have an idea, i want it done right away!



10-i loveeeeeeeeeee Christmas. i love decorating, i love buying presents, i love being "Santa Claus," i love hosting parties, i love going to parties, i love celebrating the birth of Christ



9-i love to exercise. i just don't do it enough



8-i don't like to eat healthy stuff



7-i want to own a boat



6-i love to blog. Michael said it's like my BFF! ha!!!



5-i used to have my nose pierced.



4-i have crazy random dreams! i used to keep a dream journal.



3-i love chocolate chip pizza from Mazzios.



2-i clean out my fridge like once a month.



1-i love a good bubble bath!!





i'm just a girl,

Tonya

~Friday's Friend~

~Mallory Whitlock Hall~

(June 2008)

I'm so excited about telling this story, because it's such a neat friendship story!!! Mallory and I started our friendship in Junior High. She was new to town, and our class loved getting to know her! My memory has pretty much vanished due to age and having 2 kids, but here are the memories that I have of junior high days with Mal.....going to pick her up for prayer breakfast, hanging out at her house after school, spend the night parties (sometimes on week nights!), cutting thru her neighborhood to go to Traceway park to watch our guys play baseball, laughing our heads off (Inch High Private Eye haha!!), and of course all the drama that goes along with junior high! haha!

Well, in ninth grade Mallory announced that her family was moving to Alabama! :( It's never fun "losing" a best friend....especially when they're moving to another state! I think we tried to keep in touch for a while, but then we pretty much lost all contact....until....

We found eachother on FACEBOOK!!!!!! Gosh, I love facebook. Once we found eachother, we started talking and catching up. After about a year of "facebooking" eachother, I told her that Michael and I would be in the Birmingham area and that I'd love to get together while we were there. We were both so excited about seeing eachother after all those years! Well....at the last minute, our trip got cancelled. When I told Mal, we were both really bummed. She told us to still come and we could just stay with her and her husband, Austin. I immediately agreed! When I told Michael he said...."You haven't seen this girl since 9th grade and now we're about to load up our family and drive 7 hours to stay with them??" hahaha....it did sound kinda silly when he put it like that. But we went anyway! And I'm SOOO glad we did!!!

We got to their house in Cullman, AL around midnight. It was such a neat reunion and we were both just so excited to see eachother! We introduced eachother to our husbands and to Abby. We all ended up talking for about an hour and a half and then decided it was time to crash! The rest of the weekend consisted of: a festival, fishing, eating, sight seeing, taking LOTS of pics, playing Apples to Apples, going to their church, and catching up! It was such a fun weekend, and you would've NEVER thought it had been 9 years since we had seen eachother. Mal's husband is a GREAT guy and him and Michael hit it off instantly!! And of course Abby loved them, and they loved her! I was so sad when we had to leave to go back home.

Since that reunion, they have come to Brookhaven to stay with us, we met at Ross Bridge and spent the weekend together, we've met a couple times in Jackson, we talked about moving to Cullman and all living together (hahaha!!!), and we try to keep in touch the best we can. Actually, I think Michael and Austin do a better job of keeping in touch than me and Mallory. SHAME ON US!! :) However, ever since I had Parker, I've been chasing my life in a full sprint....and still can't catch up!! It's been wayyyyyyyyyy too long since we've seen our Hall besties, and now Mal is preggie and they've moved into a new house....so we've GOT to get to Cullman AsAP!!

Mallory, I am SOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo happy for you and Austin. Yall are going to be the absolute best parents in the world!!!! (Well, besides for us! haha) I hope we can plan a trip this summer, because once baby Hall gets here....it will be even harder to plan trips! I'm glad that we have "reunited" and I hope our friendship continues to grow....even with 7 hours of distance between us! I love you, girl!

your friend,

Tina Tanya Tonya

~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~

*HGTV
....I'm obsessed! I could watch HGTV all day...if I didn't have a job or 2 kids! And it gets better....Michael loves it too!! He'll watch it sometimes without me! :) Gotta love a man who can watch a show about redecorating and remodeling! hehe

*Nawlins
Yes, so we are making our 4th trip to New Orleans this year. Except this time we're making it an "All About Abby" trip! We're leaving Parker with my parents, and we're taking Abby to the new children's museum and to the zoo. We're just staying one night, so we've got lots to cram into 2 days....lots of eating, sightseeing, shopping, and playing! The past 9 months have been hard on Abby. She's gone from having all our attention to having....well....not all our attention. So, that's why we decided to leave Parker behind. We want and NEED some alone time with Abby! Oh, and our Esser Besties will be there, so it'll be extra fun!

*Campus visits are my favorite!
One aspect of my job is to give tours around campus. It's one of my favorite parts of my job, because I never know how it's gonna go down. But I loveeeeeeeee meeting new people, so it's like I get to meet new friends every day :) Anyway, I had a guy come in the other day for a campus visit. I asked his name and he had to repeat it twice for me to understand......"Da Hottie"....That's probably not how you spell it, but that's how it's pronounced! haha!!! So....can I just call you "Hottie"?? hehe!

*Curly hair????????
So....Parker's hair is getting longer....and CURLY! He's got a few places on his head that have ringlet curls! I'm in love. Who does he get curly hair from? Well, my dad and my sister both have curly hair. There's really nothing cuter than a little boy with curly hair.....even though he'll probably hate it when he's older. I hope the curls keeping curling :)

*Didn't I just get a new car?
Yes, I did! And I really do love my Burban Bus! But I have a dream car.....a 2010 2 toned White/Tan Toyota Sequoia. Oh. My. Gosh. They are FINE! Michael told me to go get me one! (I really am blessed to have a man that is on board with any and every idea I come up with!) But we just can't afford it right now....and I'm happy with my vehicle. But...one day....I will have one!

*Birth control update
UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! It's just another reason to hate being a woman! Can't life just be easy? And perfect? YES IT CAN! But not until we die.....sigh....so, until then we'll just be hormonal and crazy! haha!!! So, Monday night I forgot to take my pill. I woke up Tuesday as Satan. I was mean, irritable, emotional, and just blah! Well then Tuesday night I take Monday's pill AND Tuesday's pill. I woke up Wednesday nausiated! YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!! I called my OBGYN's nurse and asked her what the heck was going on. She said that when you miss a day, your body kinda freaks out. YA THINK!?!?!? She told me to keep taking it for another 2 months to see if everything will just even out. I told her that in 2 more months I may be divorced, unemployed, have no friends, and be in Whitfield. I'm thinking that I'd just rather take my chances that we'd have 200 more kids than to stay on this birth control any longer. We'll see.

*Adding a member to our family?
No....not a child. A dog. Michael and I have been tossing this idea around for about a year now. We just keep talking ourselves out of it, because we're gone so much. Who would take care of the dog while we're gone. And is it really fair to leave it all the time? I'm not the type of person to have a pet just to have it. I want to be able to play with it and make it a member of our family. So....are we ready for this yet? I'm just not sure? Yeah, it could be an outside pet....but I would feel bad leaving it out in the cold/rain/heat while we're inside enjoying the heat/dry/air. If you have any advice, then please do share!

Ok....it's 10:00 and I'm tard!!!!!!!! I hope everyone has a FABULOUS FRIDAY! And a WONDERFUL WEEKEND! And a MEMORABLE MEMORIAL day! hahaha!!!

your friend/sister/wife/daughter/co-worker,
TB ;)

~Friday's Friend~

~Brandi Barrett~

(2009 Beth Moore Conference)

Once again, this is the ONLY picture I could find of us!!!!!!!!!!! What is the deal??!?!? Have we seriously only taken ONE picture together since we've been besties?! Well, it's a good thing we're having a cookout tomorrow night. We're all having a photo shoot....all 16 of us--and all 12 kids!!!!

Anyway.....I met Brandi Barrett at a Christmas party in 2008. It was a progressive supper, so we were able to hang out and get to know eachother throughout the night. However, we REALLY became good friends because of our "Bachelor" girls group. We met every Monday night to follow Jason through his journey. And then we all ended up hating him....rightfully so!!!!!!!!!!!! So, once we started hanging out more, we realized that not only did we get along so well, but so did our kiddos and hubbys!!! We started getting the families together for cookouts, after church lunches, and play dates. I. Love. The. Barrett. Family.

Brandi and I are so alike in lots of ways. We're both have very outgoing personalities, and we both pour ourselves 100% into our friendships. I learned early on that Brandi would be a keeper! haha!! We started going to eachother for prayer, to vent, to laugh, and just to talk. It's the type of friendship that when you go one day without talking to eachother, you're like...."something's wrong!" Over the past year and a half of our friendship we have: had sleepovers, gone to the beach together, been through pregnancies together, attended church together, and hung out on a daily basis......until......

The Barrett's moved! :( It was a sadddddddddd day when Brandi told me they were going to move to Monticello, but we all knew that God was calling them to move. It's been so neat to see God work in Brandi's family over the past 9 months. Not only has God blessed them with a new home and a new job...He has also blessed them with their second child--John Henry. I just wish God would call them back to Brookhaven now :) Brandi and I don't see eachother much anymore, and we don't talk every day like we used to....but when we do talk, we just pick up where we left off.

Brandi, you are such a precious friend to me. God not only blessed me with a friend, but he blessed my whole family with friends. I hope that once our lives get back to normal, we'll be able to make more trips to see eachother. We will NOT let 20 minutes drive us apart!!! Thank you for always being there for me. I love you so much!!!!

your friend,

Tonya

~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~

*Spray tan
I've been taking this antibiotic that won't allow me to be in the sun. UGH!!! So, for the past week I haven't laid out or gone to the tanning bed. Well, when you have super fair skin, you have to tan consistently to keep color. Needless to say, my tan is GONE! Soooo.....I've decided to take the plunge and just get sprayed! I go tomorrow. I've been sprayed once before and I loved how it turned out. I'm excited about being tan again....but this only lasts for a week. What will I do then? Hmmmm.....

*Forever Young
Have you heard this song by Jay Z? Well, turn up your volume and you can! (I couldn't find the edited version, so you'll have to excuse some of the dirty words) :) I heard it on the way to work this morning, and now that I have this commute alone.....I jam out! Sometimes I use this time for praise & worship, sometimes I use this time to just be silent, and sometimes I use this time to get my jam on! So, this morning I got crunk about being FOREVER YOUNG! I may age year after year, but I can promise you that inside I will be young foreverrrr!

*Half day Friday
Yes, I work through the summer. Most people think I have summers off because I work at a school. Well, I don't! It's a big bummer, because it's a ghost town around Co-Lin during the summer. But we DO get off at 12:30 on Fridays, so that's a big plus! Some Fridays I'll go straight home to my kiddos so we can play....but some Fridays I'll keep the sitter til 4:00 so I can go enjoy some me time! Like tomorrow......exercise, hair appointment, and spray tan! YAY for Fridays!!!!

*Wigs
My close friends know that I get real bored with my hair!!!!!!!!!!!! I change something about my hair like every 2 months. Well, now that I've cut ALL my hair off, I can do nothing now but wait for it to grow. B-O-R-I-N-G!!! Not to mention that I have 320480298340398 layers, so it will be a hott mess while it grows out. Well, one of my co-workers gave me the brilliant idea of wearing wigs! hahahaha!!!! HECK YES! I have no idea where to even buy wigs....but I'm about to find out. The first one I will purchase will be a black bob. I've always wanted to know what I'd look like with black hair. :) How perfect is this??? Now I can change my hair without really changing it. No, I won't wear wigs every day....but I think it'll be super fun to do every now and then. And plus....I can't wait to see everyone's reaction! There's never a dull moment in my life....I'm always looking for ways to keep it interesting. (As if 2 kiddos aren't enough)

*Childlike faith
So, last night Abby was too scared to sleep in her bed, so after an hour of arguing with her about it -Michael and I decided she could sleep with us. Abby and I were cuddling, and she looked at me and said...."Mama, when I die will I go to heaven with Jesus?" Oh my goodness! What a sweet question!!! I'm not sure Abby's ready for the "how to be saved" talk yet, so I just kept this conversation as innocent and simple as possible. So, I said to her...."Yes baby, you'll go to heaven!" And then she asked, "Will Jesus make me into an angel?" I said, "Yes He will! And you will be the most beautiful angel!!" Then she said, just as concerned as can be, "But mama, I don't even have an angel costume!" haha!!! I couldn't help but kinda laugh, and then I said, "Well, Jesus will have one for you when you get to heaven." She asked, "But will He have a tiny one that will fit me?" Then with a knot in my stomach I replied, "Yes baby, but hopefully you'll be big when you get to heaven. I'm not ready for you to go just yet." And she said, "It's okay mama, I want you to go with me." I still tear up when I think about it. My sweet baby girl is so in love with Jesus at such an early age. She doesn't really know all the details about who Jesus is, but she doesn't have to....all she knows is-she loves Him! Where is my childlike faith? Why do I overanalyze everything? Jesus wants us to grow in our faith, but He also wants us to keep the childlike innocence and just love Him for who He is.

Alright, well this laptop is about to die....and I'm way too lazy to go get the charger out of my room!!! :) I hope yall have a good night....tune in tomorrow for Friday's Friend!

much love,
Tonya

Breaking FREE!!!!

So, today I was finally able to finish the FIRST session of the "Breaking Free" bible study by Beth Moore. I hope each session does not take me a week to complete, but if it does, then so be it. I don't want to rush through this study....but I don't want to drag it out either. I am SO excited about what God is going to do in my life, and I want to share a little with yall along the way.

*When you live in fear of the spirit, you live in defeat!*
Wow! When she said that, I was like...."NOOOO!! I don't want to be defeated!!!" Well, I'm going to be, unless I stop living in fear! I never realized that living in fear of the spirit was giving Satan total victory in my life. That's my motivation to break free!

*The people of God can be very OPPRESSED by the enemy.
-The definition of oppressed is...to overwhelm or crush.
-Do you feel overwhelmed or crushed? Oh, I do!
-4 reasons why we can become crushed by the enemy:
1)Testing-God will allow it, in order to grow us.
2)Chastisement (or punishment) for rebellion against God
3)Lack of submission to God's authority
4)Weakness in warfare
.....Ok, I think I can pretty much relate to all 4 reasons!

*For the Christian.....
-Our prison doors are locked from the INSIDE!
-Satan does not not not hold the key!!! He has no authority in our life, so STOP giving him permission!

*In order to be free, you must recognize and forsake all other "gods" or idols.

*God recognizes our fears and insecurities....
-This was neat for me to understand, because I always feel bad when I feel fearful or insecure. But God recognizes this in me...and He wants me to know that if I will stick with Him, He will make me a "mighty warrior."

I am very encouraged as I start this journey of breaking free. God doesn't promise that this will be an easy, painfree journey. But He sees the potential in His children , and He appoints the experiences necessary for us to fulfill our destiny and march to victory.

Thank you, Jesus, for recognizing my sinful filthy self and still loving me. Help me to understand that in order to break free, I've got to stop allowing satan a foothold in my life. Help me, Jesus, to surrender my whole self to you, so that I can be the wife, mommy, friend, sister, child, and Christian that I am called to be.


marching towards victory,
Tonya

~Friday's Friend~

Hellooooo.....almost forgot about this today! Usually I'm counting down the days til Friday's Friend, but this week has been ca-freakin-razy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Michael's been outta town (BOO!), my birth control has made me a maniac (super BOO!), I started an antibiotic that makes me drowsy all day (super duper BOO!), and my kiddos started a new routine!! But....enough about me....let's get to today's friend:

Sandy Cunningham

So, me and Sandy have been besties for a little over a year now. However, I've known her for almost 2 years. The first thing I really remember about Sandy is meeting her in Sunday School. Michael and I had just joined Easthaven Baptist Church, and we started going to the young married adult class. Sandy was pregnant at the time. I remember that, because one of our first Sundays in the class, they were having a baby shower for her. I didn't bring a gift. I'm sorry, Sandy...and Carson! Geez, I started off as a terrible friend, didn't I!?! Anyway, she had Carson in November. That's when I started to hear the name "Sandy Cunningham" ALOT more!!!

She had a veryyyyyyyyyyyy rough delivery with Carson. I won't go into details, but she was in and out of the hospital for about 2 months. She finally had to have surgery, and the doctors told her there was a 50/50 chance that she'd make it through. I still did not know Sandy very well at this point, but everytime we'd get an update at church-I would pray for her! I just couldn't imagine just having a baby and then not getting to be with it for almost 2 months!!!!!! But she got through it.

So....I guess it was a couple months later that The Cunningham's invited us over for dinner. That was the first night that we really got to know them more. You know, sometimes it's a little nerve-racking when you go to someone's house that you really don't know. You ask yourself, "Do they eat the same things we do?", "Will we have things to talk about?", "Will our kids play good together?", "Will our personalities clash?", "Are they weird???" hahaha!!! Well, to answer all those questions....The Cunninghams and The Bishops are pretty much the same people! We have the same interests, we eat the same type of food, we enjoy the same hobbies, we watch the same shows, and our kids love eachother! It was just a match made in heaven!!! :)

Over the past year, Sandy and I have gone on trips together, laughed together, cried together, shared secrets, started a Bunko group, hosted lots of dinner dates, and just do things that best friends do. I treasure everything about my friendship with Sandy. I know without a doubt that if I need her, any time of the day, she will be there. And I hope she knows the same about me! But I do have to tell you one thing that Sandy and I are not allowed to talk about....our worries. Sandy and I are both worry warts, and we have learned that if we call eachother to talk about these worries...it only makes us worry more!! Example: Tonya-OMG, Sandy! I've been having real bad pain and I'm afraid it might be cancer. Sandy-OH GOSH TONYA! I'm so sorry to hear that! You should go to the doctor right away and start chemo! hahahaha! That's not an actual conversation, but it defly could be! I love you, Sandy. :)

I have been so incredibly blessed, since we've lived in Brookhaven, to have the best friends EVER! The Cunninghams have been such good friends to our family. Once again, God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams with friends that care about me, my husband, and my kids as much as we do!

Thank you, Sandy, for being my best friend. I love you with all my heart!!! And today I dedicate this post to you....and to many more years of watching our friendship grow, watching our children grow up together, and watching our husbands get old! haha!!

TGIF,

Tonya

~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~

*Birth Control
...is of the devil! Ugh!!! I haven't been on BC in like 3 years, so I don't even remember what it's like. Until now. I got on the pill this past Sunday. My doctor recommended that I get on "seasonique" (sp???) which means I'll only have a period 3 times a year. I thought that was a fabulous idea. Not so much. It has made me a crazy person. I cry for no reason. I want to scream at everyone I come in contact with. I feel S-I-C-K all the time. No. Thank. You!!!!!!!!!!

*To work or not to work
(sidenote: this probably isn't a good day to have thoughts, because with my hormones out of whack, most of my thoughts have been negative) So anyway, I left my daughter crying this morning. Her first year of "school" has just ended and now she's staying with a sitter. She's not used to this one bit. She misses her teacher and her friends at school. So, this morning when I had to leave for work, she cried and asked me not to leave her! UgHhHHhhhhHHHhhH!!!!!! That is the absolute HARDEST thing for a mother to do. The whole way to Crystal Springs Awards Program, I cried. I felt so guilty. "Why am I working?"...."Why did I just leave my child at home crying?????"....."Why don't I just quit my job and stay at home?" Well, first of all...we can't financially afford for me NOT to work. And my job requires me to be full-time, so part-time is not an option right now. Secondly, my children are being taken care of. They just need to get used to this new routine. Thirdly, this is where God wants me. He has blessed me with an amazing job. So, if I must work then at least it's doing something I love to do with people I love to be around. Fourthly (is that a word?), I'm hormonal. Usually I wouldn't have been bothered so much by this, but today I was.

*Tired
I'm on an antibiotic that I have to take in the morning and at night. Here's the kicker....it makes me drowsy! Work+drowsiness+queeziness+hormones=ughhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

*Shout out to a couple co-workers
Susann-thanks for putting up with my ill mood today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll make our walk around campus a little more pleasant :)
DJ Brew-thanks for putting my ill mood into perspective.

*Breaking Free
So, I finally started the first session of this bible study on Tuesday. And that's as far as I've gotten. Go figure.


Ok, that's all I can come up with today. I'm not in the mood to think....especially not happy thoughts!


ill,
Tonya

Happy EVERYTHING!!!

Soooooo many reasons to celebrate today! #1)It's Mother's Day #2)It was baby dedication for Parker #3) Parker is 8 months (and 1 day) old!!!!

Today I am celebrating my 3rd mother's day. But today was DOUBLE the pleasure :) Having 2 kids has been an adjustment, but it is such a blessing! People ask me if we will have more kids, and I'm just not sure I can answer that question right now. I am so happy with having 2 kids, because we're not outnumbered as parents! And....we have a girl and a boy. PERFECT! So, who knows? I guess the best way to answer that question is....we're not PLANNING for another one...we're just letting God do His thang! So, anyways....my mother's day has consisted of: breakfast in bed, family pictures, dedicating my son to the Lord, more family pictures, lunch with BOTH families (I'm so blessed to have families that like to hang out together), nap time, a stroll with the kids around the block, a stir fry dinner made by my hubby, posted some long overdue pics, and now I'm sitting on the couch relaxing. Sometimes I think to myself, "Self, remember how fun it was being single, doing whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted?!" and then I remind myself, "Self, that stage of life is gone, and being a mom is much more rewarding!!!" But I have to say this...every day is like Mother's Day for me, thanks to my wonderful husband. Yes, he treated me like a princess today....but he treats me like that everyday! I am so incredibly blessed to have Michael Bishop as my husband. I love you, baby!

So, today was special for another reason. We were able to dedicate Parker to the Lord. For those of you who don't understand what I mean.....dedicating a baby to the Lord doesn't "save" them....it's just a commitment to "Train up a child in the way he should go, so when he gets old he will not depart from it." It meant so much to have our entire family (except Matthew and Kristen) there to celebrate this dedication. Abby and Parker are so blessed to have grandparents, aunts, and uncles that care about them so much!!

Ok, let's talk about my little man turning 8 months old!!! I can hardly believe that we'll be celebrating his FIRST birthday in 4 months! Yes, I have already started planning his birthday party! The them will be "TRAIN up a child in the way they should go..." So, trains will be the theme. But anyway, here's what the past month has consisted of:

-Parker is eating like crazy!!!

-He's weening himself off one of his bottles

-He's "army crawling" everywhere!

-He fell off our bed for the first time. He was fine...it just scared him....and me!

-He growls at you when he gets mad at you. (ex: if you take a toy away from him, or tell him no)

-His last day at "school" will be Tuesday.

-He's starting to go to bed earlier. Around 8, instead of 9. Abby, however, is still our night owl.

-When someone says hey to him, he sticks his hand in the air and waves.

-He loves playing with his sissie. They will sit in her room and play by themselves. It is so nice, because I'm able to get things done.

-His next checkup will be in June, so stay tuned.

Here are some other pics from today:

a super happy mommy,

Tonya