tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29831363153526366122024-03-13T15:44:37.347-07:00~The Bishop Family~Michael, Tonya, Abby, and ParkerTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-54970645059862315982010-10-02T07:30:00.001-07:002010-10-02T08:11:26.358-07:00~September~*go state. GO STATE!!!!!<br />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! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBAKTBbC6Tb_28mudzn8xsgSw545eZAQXHUkLvrYEgbFG0cZtTCT8EIaR_mD-m8qHDk8VDWDHC5_clno7Jj4-OofaROi_Z8JwbrwyhbfEGD2KlV6Cb1TibdonPVb5sd96Ti9u2_NXr4Q/s1600/IMG_3249.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBAKTBbC6Tb_28mudzn8xsgSw545eZAQXHUkLvrYEgbFG0cZtTCT8EIaR_mD-m8qHDk8VDWDHC5_clno7Jj4-OofaROi_Z8JwbrwyhbfEGD2KlV6Cb1TibdonPVb5sd96Ti9u2_NXr4Q/s320/IMG_3249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523459881237469810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BQz1eBp_HW9_DLOkcMeuFRofQ69lB65umUi53bWTokqy4vVDd5aCGp3QynRj99GxhUF-fiM3jYrokezSpoKlKLv7oJH0u83ykJ3uVu08576m58romuB5UvABw6Qgrl7WCPGngVSY7J0/s1600/IMG_3253.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BQz1eBp_HW9_DLOkcMeuFRofQ69lB65umUi53bWTokqy4vVDd5aCGp3QynRj99GxhUF-fiM3jYrokezSpoKlKLv7oJH0u83ykJ3uVu08576m58romuB5UvABw6Qgrl7WCPGngVSY7J0/s320/IMG_3253.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523460630475166946" /></a><br />*GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!<br />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!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMs2v2kMixgGdhqLYPk1CoHPJm4cNOm8g2IolQg6LM2v8PkyazoDZAwiLjnkgZBQFCrHvsnqQI5fdXK-Wywx-UtpVF8HV4YfNk9SzNSu78_D999VEuSVHxn8mfTssLKbBeAA848kFqrvo/s1600/IMG_3267.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMs2v2kMixgGdhqLYPk1CoHPJm4cNOm8g2IolQg6LM2v8PkyazoDZAwiLjnkgZBQFCrHvsnqQI5fdXK-Wywx-UtpVF8HV4YfNk9SzNSu78_D999VEuSVHxn8mfTssLKbBeAA848kFqrvo/s320/IMG_3267.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523461410578758050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbJjyVyvMCubniZ8SSORBrW2Ad1EuIjwTS6eaXgnb8mf7ZDDDX_OvVOi6TuSuo7U4wxsHZasHw7cleefEO4Ntyd80J1QlMLxjNnLjwkCqjVrocCFPCVLiWaxpyrg1wxq0bavlB6FlFo0/s1600/IMG_3268.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbJjyVyvMCubniZ8SSORBrW2Ad1EuIjwTS6eaXgnb8mf7ZDDDX_OvVOi6TuSuo7U4wxsHZasHw7cleefEO4Ntyd80J1QlMLxjNnLjwkCqjVrocCFPCVLiWaxpyrg1wxq0bavlB6FlFo0/s320/IMG_3268.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523462240267730018" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79koZQsSZ_aFk7FzYnb83R6-0FFcMlDQsqcllGvaHdO3FCOKSLlyDnpA5HcemWX_aHd1nyaNSYxcOt7SNundHL1K5MzbzQ3JW-0ZtXo9JFUgkkknGC-a3u_SNjvsi0fdeszv_DrlxPjY/s1600/IMG_3269.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79koZQsSZ_aFk7FzYnb83R6-0FFcMlDQsqcllGvaHdO3FCOKSLlyDnpA5HcemWX_aHd1nyaNSYxcOt7SNundHL1K5MzbzQ3JW-0ZtXo9JFUgkkknGC-a3u_SNjvsi0fdeszv_DrlxPjY/s320/IMG_3269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523464306700007346" /></a><br />*Tailgate Party at Co-Lin<br />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!! :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Moum8xWiBJadVS1XPUXe5YVhw3QTkogyECHoqjQU0OfpRjdiV2ky4HYxZxpkEN3N-cM_fP2Wpsq75CuIgmnGkVQFUrsG1TSLYUPn9gJtOoFFVba3MkzfB00ZOs8qyzJKatUJUtsJ8hg/s1600/WessonTrailblazers.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Moum8xWiBJadVS1XPUXe5YVhw3QTkogyECHoqjQU0OfpRjdiV2ky4HYxZxpkEN3N-cM_fP2Wpsq75CuIgmnGkVQFUrsG1TSLYUPn9gJtOoFFVba3MkzfB00ZOs8qyzJKatUJUtsJ8hg/s320/WessonTrailblazers.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523466321932869474" /></a><br />*New hair-do<br />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!<br /><br />*Testimony<br />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!<br /><br />*Parker<br />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!) :)<br /><br />*Abby<br />Here is my interview with my Abby Lynn:<br />1)What is your favorite color?<br />pink<br />2)What is your favorite thing about school?<br />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.<br />3)What do you like about church?<br />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. <br />4)Who do you like to cheer for?<br />Co-Lin Wolfpack!!!<br />5)Who's your best friend?<br />Allison Hamilton<br />6)What do you and Allison do together?<br />play hide-n-go seek and play on the playground.<br />7)What's your favorite show?<br />Wonderpets, Dora, and Yo Gabba Gabba<br />8)What do you like to do at home?<br />play on the iPad, play outside, watch cartoons<br />9)What do you like most about yourself?<br />my muscles<br />10)What is something you wish for?<br />Disney World<br /><br />Well, there you have it.....straight from the 3 year old's mouth! :)<br /><br />Now Abby wants to interview me:<br />1)What do you like to do at home?<br />play with you and Parker. cuddle with daddy.<br />2)What do you do at work?<br />i go to high schools and talk to students. <br />3)What's your favorite part about going to high school?<br />i like to get to know the students and make friends.<br />4)Do you like to eat salad????? (haha)<br />yes, sometimes<br />5)Do you like to play on the playground?<br />yupp...i love to play with you and parker and daddy!<br />6)Do you like to play golf?<br />Not really, but I like to go drive the golf cart with daddy<br />7)Do you have to do homework?<br />nope....<br />8)Do you like to go to the beach?<br />YES!!!! I love going to the beach! It's my favorite :)<br /><br />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 :)Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-82516318181217035312010-09-12T19:32:00.000-07:002010-09-12T20:32:25.920-07:00*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!<br /><br />Here's what we did in August:<br /><br />*Princess Party<br />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.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUF30LmpEXgx3VbZearB0UeNipKT_vEzD_CIfrilBYcozy7G_7UfP076GFNBv48fk2UaY3vmc-0v1bpcKO1LuZ2zqBs4AXA9QfCWoES_HtCHHWxUPPd7bLd-Mi9MYj60IfKwN6rqRQAM/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUF30LmpEXgx3VbZearB0UeNipKT_vEzD_CIfrilBYcozy7G_7UfP076GFNBv48fk2UaY3vmc-0v1bpcKO1LuZ2zqBs4AXA9QfCWoES_HtCHHWxUPPd7bLd-Mi9MYj60IfKwN6rqRQAM/s320/IMG_2868.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516222573531599026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDgqHHBjB-qp3QoF_NhIsZn5tgvXb6IluDt9JEgHcShSKqNt0N3hiyADle5L7MZekFPrEF4LBIQcmmLP5ocm1FfoB97y8BBgWkFusp5LkkE6z1ZkUFxq4Xc365Ew7rClrS4ZPK1rutbw/s1600/IMG_2877.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDgqHHBjB-qp3QoF_NhIsZn5tgvXb6IluDt9JEgHcShSKqNt0N3hiyADle5L7MZekFPrEF4LBIQcmmLP5ocm1FfoB97y8BBgWkFusp5LkkE6z1ZkUFxq4Xc365Ew7rClrS4ZPK1rutbw/s320/IMG_2877.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516223339244225202" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqziWd-LOMJpdcsF3eVgweHVJNSkwvF8w51eiEl5BLC99gGCFZHK42CZkahyphenhyphenWCbTDz5q_xCMwm_iKZQsx_Iqmd9JyJohAc-FGY36CvxzA5zN-CUiwv_8pG4v65kY0HOhss5_thARdLALE/s1600/IMG_2880.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqziWd-LOMJpdcsF3eVgweHVJNSkwvF8w51eiEl5BLC99gGCFZHK42CZkahyphenhyphenWCbTDz5q_xCMwm_iKZQsx_Iqmd9JyJohAc-FGY36CvxzA5zN-CUiwv_8pG4v65kY0HOhss5_thARdLALE/s320/IMG_2880.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516224042014665730" /></a><br /><br />*Sissie Beach Trip<br />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!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbrTzgmgdufqFnStJ4KpUGXUTdofdKGq-IDjU-IcT-uvh_sb5scGr030PmX7v6SL2YJxjWWvAU-cmE8Bk0ExIPAL28wdW-N-JP9K-hzi1t_YmMJYSAlUOCbPy7yYzx848K_0J7HC73kE/s1600/IMG_2886.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbrTzgmgdufqFnStJ4KpUGXUTdofdKGq-IDjU-IcT-uvh_sb5scGr030PmX7v6SL2YJxjWWvAU-cmE8Bk0ExIPAL28wdW-N-JP9K-hzi1t_YmMJYSAlUOCbPy7yYzx848K_0J7HC73kE/s320/IMG_2886.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516225837618666242" /></a><br /><br />*School started<br />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!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDWMs_8Waj9-p1lYwrj3hCIlCOsFXLIQSVEq9pgl21Pp9QLc9Nc1XWNb0s4aRiXipg8QF1Q2XXtEmYNgTQOsFf_5PNZnOvrYp0tCpiW_oVzlJ49Vc_NaStW3hpMo1J5AJUgFTXKrOwpw/s1600/IMG_2909.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDWMs_8Waj9-p1lYwrj3hCIlCOsFXLIQSVEq9pgl21Pp9QLc9Nc1XWNb0s4aRiXipg8QF1Q2XXtEmYNgTQOsFf_5PNZnOvrYp0tCpiW_oVzlJ49Vc_NaStW3hpMo1J5AJUgFTXKrOwpw/s320/IMG_2909.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516235632414772482" /></a><br /><br />*4 year Anniversary!<br />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.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANvG6rnREZgsHa-1I6MiCLUwvPFkqmF1tFCA8T8A4t26j633i6rGKPvOEkstdXxPG7eVAJmpkZs7Bbc_jNYva_AJAqNRUmefAC51_v8sYIf9y4RsKAFA0ycc3Wc_xfoRNKwSN_NAVyls/s1600/IMG_2913.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANvG6rnREZgsHa-1I6MiCLUwvPFkqmF1tFCA8T8A4t26j633i6rGKPvOEkstdXxPG7eVAJmpkZs7Bbc_jNYva_AJAqNRUmefAC51_v8sYIf9y4RsKAFA0ycc3Wc_xfoRNKwSN_NAVyls/s320/IMG_2913.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516227912997058370" /></a><br /><br />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....<br /><br />I cannot believe my little baby is already ONE! Sigh....<br />Since he is 12 months old, I just feel like it's appropriate to list 12 things about Parker being one:<br />1-he calls me and michael by "name"....MAMA.....DADA<br />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!?"<br />3-he is off the bottle and off baby food...nothing but real food & sippy cups<br />4-he sleeps 1/2 the time with us and 1/2 the time in his crib. Hey, it's a start! :)<br />5-i bought him curl shampoo because i'm determined that he's gonna have like perm curly hair!<br />6-if you take something from him he'll say, "MINE!"<br />7-he's not walking yet, but he'll stand up from a sitting position<br />8-his personality is absolutely adorable....he is such a happy funny kid!<br />9-the kid eats alllllllllllllllllllll the time...and only weights 18.5 lbs?!<br />10-he hates hats<br />11-he loves to throw balls back and forth<br />12-he finally has teeth.....6 of them!<br /><br />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!!:)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQPwd1yrjgcLK2Wv8oq7retZJC2hnXizQvTlqbZx_P_SPS2UOdK8P4H9H4SQcj3c8ZP1aXQfwTdqIXieq-tDj9y7eg8LDo8J0gIuAyXSmP06b9NUQednqjxy_Ja779plYx0hLh8TesYI/s1600/IMG_2917.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQPwd1yrjgcLK2Wv8oq7retZJC2hnXizQvTlqbZx_P_SPS2UOdK8P4H9H4SQcj3c8ZP1aXQfwTdqIXieq-tDj9y7eg8LDo8J0gIuAyXSmP06b9NUQednqjxy_Ja779plYx0hLh8TesYI/s320/IMG_2917.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516232280578527858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQsgkirMWwn483qLEtl59C__XbVYd2eVobqTSRW6C649311dGXkuugYp_4kzXptICnRCsEcAnGXCKTe4DtyfR9b8WW11rMYUGtDoXaWPBTmh0_BOCWJygl8GP7tTiZF38SQvzxmgm3js/s1600/IMG_3001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQsgkirMWwn483qLEtl59C__XbVYd2eVobqTSRW6C649311dGXkuugYp_4kzXptICnRCsEcAnGXCKTe4DtyfR9b8WW11rMYUGtDoXaWPBTmh0_BOCWJygl8GP7tTiZF38SQvzxmgm3js/s320/IMG_3001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516232931170927810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmLvw9bKqdemokZBjyBA9k3lYxkCpBnn3nL4nMcg7mAQTAIDRd0MntLPNWIZEhKRO4SiUX7taplEhMJMaHSdHlStLByH6ZrQBd-LMixorX1qbeSfmrCFlohjvu_qv9BKus4adiEYkQ40/s1600/IMG_3158.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmLvw9bKqdemokZBjyBA9k3lYxkCpBnn3nL4nMcg7mAQTAIDRd0MntLPNWIZEhKRO4SiUX7taplEhMJMaHSdHlStLByH6ZrQBd-LMixorX1qbeSfmrCFlohjvu_qv9BKus4adiEYkQ40/s320/IMG_3158.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516233812788049090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRADaXxCeBRb7cyoogQhozIOfAPHnsepsu3DSyEMFqvCjkHZHYnxFGMqu0eHW1NA3_u6afsO7-0waup-eaxEHtT-BITGcw3KWhmtDbuPawx_iPoB_AeNigzvtTtPmHfbnlM4zMYUEngQ/s1600/IMG_3189.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRADaXxCeBRb7cyoogQhozIOfAPHnsepsu3DSyEMFqvCjkHZHYnxFGMqu0eHW1NA3_u6afsO7-0waup-eaxEHtT-BITGcw3KWhmtDbuPawx_iPoB_AeNigzvtTtPmHfbnlM4zMYUEngQ/s320/IMG_3189.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516234655306307010" /></a><br /><br /><br />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!<br /><br />one tired mommy,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-10695990302605433462010-07-31T20:01:00.000-07:002010-07-31T20:49:26.454-07:00~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!<br /><br />So, here's what happened in July:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT_80IQO9hbbOqKp0c0-kGU5DsvlnH96LaW6vr-8FoaY9bEZOYLWHZcPzg19zWiHtsSNpkbZMNfU9g_tdMsCLZjpFNQAUlvOkU0yyMYpOUnCMKEVHxM9GR78jBQmMVrgyrgmjl7ePzOI/s1600/FB25.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT_80IQO9hbbOqKp0c0-kGU5DsvlnH96LaW6vr-8FoaY9bEZOYLWHZcPzg19zWiHtsSNpkbZMNfU9g_tdMsCLZjpFNQAUlvOkU0yyMYpOUnCMKEVHxM9GR78jBQmMVrgyrgmjl7ePzOI/s320/FB25.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500278442926265362" /></a><br />*Parker turned 10 months!<br />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!?!????!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzOoxvHzU6sydgzTx3o3lLUApVQMr48-hXkWhemL84mieRj_7A-ztEZrK8SuPyp361eTUMdQhZZcMR2j8Y_yjxD4uQyPV9i0vBMopXlRkhNEsKgYeoC85_cKkVwF-XQE_RbTrrb4R6ls/s1600/bonita+springs+fam.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzOoxvHzU6sydgzTx3o3lLUApVQMr48-hXkWhemL84mieRj_7A-ztEZrK8SuPyp361eTUMdQhZZcMR2j8Y_yjxD4uQyPV9i0vBMopXlRkhNEsKgYeoC85_cKkVwF-XQE_RbTrrb4R6ls/s320/bonita+springs+fam.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500279359785983458" /></a><br />*We took a family trip to Bonita Springs, FL<br />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!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UVYlU5qBiYH6yRovLPgefWKMyLa2NUrHroDGbAAfIICm4yCESOVekKJuCM_HZIpqcDxjJbbcg70Om27Be0NUcEumbqDSeyKhsXV5ZzUUhHLLmDWfIdsnV64bSJVhr_XNoIES5OUUp7g/s1600/FB44.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UVYlU5qBiYH6yRovLPgefWKMyLa2NUrHroDGbAAfIICm4yCESOVekKJuCM_HZIpqcDxjJbbcg70Om27Be0NUcEumbqDSeyKhsXV5ZzUUhHLLmDWfIdsnV64bSJVhr_XNoIES5OUUp7g/s320/FB44.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500280157043954898" /></a><br />*We took Abby to see Storytime Live in Jackson<br />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! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AxeqCTvi782Q_Oe0MRMVR3Al2-7MAcwfTN1H_Ox4erJ_wj43d8orVY_8oxImLNDMKZDCrPlOIG8aU_Tg9zeAJHaDcckT7vRef__-ukae2cG_WHT5n9gKgH5MDFrPLtayQ3fxYNKNfAQ/s1600/FB8.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AxeqCTvi782Q_Oe0MRMVR3Al2-7MAcwfTN1H_Ox4erJ_wj43d8orVY_8oxImLNDMKZDCrPlOIG8aU_Tg9zeAJHaDcckT7vRef__-ukae2cG_WHT5n9gKgH5MDFrPLtayQ3fxYNKNfAQ/s320/FB8.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500281153615528066" /></a><br />*Our Hatti Besties came to visit<br />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!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7CrQFQSsrSdhzqWSarrVU71T-_kocq6r1h2eK1YnfbpO-bLpFzccvdPdlsKk74B2kVroqO4oRCZtjtMdh_Mx0j_K6y-ZdcN2i0SK6EACJzuJ07rK0s8kFbruTDJEf8YHFUXiNciGmiM/s1600/baby+collin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7CrQFQSsrSdhzqWSarrVU71T-_kocq6r1h2eK1YnfbpO-bLpFzccvdPdlsKk74B2kVroqO4oRCZtjtMdh_Mx0j_K6y-ZdcN2i0SK6EACJzuJ07rK0s8kFbruTDJEf8YHFUXiNciGmiM/s320/baby+collin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500282583846996946" /></a><br />*Baby Collin was born!!!!!!!!<br />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!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHp-Wju0DiALMaaNPjCsul671nt_gW_Dx-4pWpPuLQ5h2bWKw_UKow0AWxzDb1FWe5ORUjdCEFYCLr5DbyWmcoGgeRS7l2-6z8s0fESY4uVI4zelDn00cHu5ecUvozp6mSKdkRMVowtE/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHp-Wju0DiALMaaNPjCsul671nt_gW_Dx-4pWpPuLQ5h2bWKw_UKow0AWxzDb1FWe5ORUjdCEFYCLr5DbyWmcoGgeRS7l2-6z8s0fESY4uVI4zelDn00cHu5ecUvozp6mSKdkRMVowtE/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500282213406123970" /></a><br />*I got glasses<br />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!) <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eE0i-ARZhAOzykh1pm5POU0QDX6Vx_MVc7t62hb4PL9QYGTGAAOBolswXU9ILD_dieDxvSP5mpmnLFUNS69oHVxIceYWDYCIZo1AQZA9jFjvRWxXS__l7keCw_4qX_SZgjpdUbnBZ2A/s1600/FB5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eE0i-ARZhAOzykh1pm5POU0QDX6Vx_MVc7t62hb4PL9QYGTGAAOBolswXU9ILD_dieDxvSP5mpmnLFUNS69oHVxIceYWDYCIZo1AQZA9jFjvRWxXS__l7keCw_4qX_SZgjpdUbnBZ2A/s320/FB5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500283481375592418" /></a><br />*My sister graduated!<br />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!<br /><br /><br />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:<br /><br />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.<br />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!!<br /><br /><br />night night,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-67146392764288224412010-07-08T17:59:00.000-07:002010-07-08T19:00:40.643-07:00~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....<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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! <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br /><br />love never gives up,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-61356640774329114662010-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:002010-07-05T19:59:23.789-07:00B-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. <br /><br />*Pregnancy<br />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.<br /><br />*I'm old!<br />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...<br /><br />*YAY for VACAY!<br />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. :)<br /><br />*Kiddo Update<br />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. <br />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!! <br /><br />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!!!<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br />scatter-brained,<br />Tonya<br /><br />(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)Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-71766166885022685322010-06-18T20:27:00.000-07:002010-06-18T20:54:11.755-07:00**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).<br /><br />*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.<br /><br />*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.<br /><br />Here are some updates pics from the past few weeks:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUvLmCSlAaji1xtbruqBqA59KdxXSW97-4uj-zcih6KacPP8SxrgBGoVVpkpOBXgqkrS1avChXxVp7D1kxcDcT1FWxj2JO4kdeaqAWVybFdup9SFq2S2zwkIDbZ2bWndpnl84uhH_2jI/s1600/abby1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUvLmCSlAaji1xtbruqBqA59KdxXSW97-4uj-zcih6KacPP8SxrgBGoVVpkpOBXgqkrS1avChXxVp7D1kxcDcT1FWxj2JO4kdeaqAWVybFdup9SFq2S2zwkIDbZ2bWndpnl84uhH_2jI/s320/abby1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484324050032923314" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJN7uYtudxvRoT38legA0Aj-Lbx_Nlf6RyUZmrmX1VfxgYDnlOUX-5gtq_h3RMEfgj9wL-BdlmKesZZZGzwUdDyzAB-NUviI8_1hvQBZYhOFMB9Bz-v_u8Aaz4k8XeEWMWP5Rs_B1l-4/s1600/abby2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJN7uYtudxvRoT38legA0Aj-Lbx_Nlf6RyUZmrmX1VfxgYDnlOUX-5gtq_h3RMEfgj9wL-BdlmKesZZZGzwUdDyzAB-NUviI8_1hvQBZYhOFMB9Bz-v_u8Aaz4k8XeEWMWP5Rs_B1l-4/s320/abby2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484324384876064114" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclgNQXFKjP2QPYNZ5rTI5HZdAy9Qde9NNWBl-cB3oN8cmat3XEkX0j5hwR-FXhbUFnmL6_moRtolhrrOk4T0kzxrtyNbZ42TuF3-yWhJK6V6iy05YPZ75pEMhvcabpoz2UWwrQIWM9Ag/s1600/abby3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclgNQXFKjP2QPYNZ5rTI5HZdAy9Qde9NNWBl-cB3oN8cmat3XEkX0j5hwR-FXhbUFnmL6_moRtolhrrOk4T0kzxrtyNbZ42TuF3-yWhJK6V6iy05YPZ75pEMhvcabpoz2UWwrQIWM9Ag/s320/abby3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484324607855950082" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U8bkNcn_gJfWE9h5go3D-kGynVyF4fScB-l6M2oOctDCBzRapfUTS0hdX6d3GIn9Y3U2EPY-nciUbrpwPcMhlHNzKYp0OE1BC_maQBMTFnLugRSG7EsiEwCqE2hJii1HJ_yHy6ifZl4/s1600/parker1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U8bkNcn_gJfWE9h5go3D-kGynVyF4fScB-l6M2oOctDCBzRapfUTS0hdX6d3GIn9Y3U2EPY-nciUbrpwPcMhlHNzKYp0OE1BC_maQBMTFnLugRSG7EsiEwCqE2hJii1HJ_yHy6ifZl4/s320/parker1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484325006384923266" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ0_JQUNnTAG122tEzAQCGDccujbAEqeu1W642SQ2lE_xGHpIfSOCxHVKBnp4IlqLL33l-ckp4jeIIpnlE9MJZX_IuuymHfirElUX8WmTzaYoiVAknyiVJ-ONXWRqk55PBVHyY7_TBz0/s1600/parker3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ0_JQUNnTAG122tEzAQCGDccujbAEqeu1W642SQ2lE_xGHpIfSOCxHVKBnp4IlqLL33l-ckp4jeIIpnlE9MJZX_IuuymHfirElUX8WmTzaYoiVAknyiVJ-ONXWRqk55PBVHyY7_TBz0/s320/parker3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484325627909178834" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JI9rItwuFonSVwYEPmRCHHWgYTSuL7qAC8va3S2eOBEcIGFprgY8PDpfRSb_ZL_4x6v84BcjiaOUjkuTN4NcjXA1OqhxbQHKSuC6Zaf2m9DysOZNaezi-x_aomdZnWXL36rwIqatRds/s1600/parker4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JI9rItwuFonSVwYEPmRCHHWgYTSuL7qAC8va3S2eOBEcIGFprgY8PDpfRSb_ZL_4x6v84BcjiaOUjkuTN4NcjXA1OqhxbQHKSuC6Zaf2m9DysOZNaezi-x_aomdZnWXL36rwIqatRds/s320/parker4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484325920834154498" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrjm8lyGLckMNDgOROfPN0p6vwTSx-8xl4spsSKATt6oiK5u75j0cJ3gmehXg5H4FyTlCn_lbVZLECBarby4-2tcXKIZQkyPefSlkSRQO0blla4uY9WjrSFT0lK1i7zCIfVNhds0TZj4/s1600/parker5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrjm8lyGLckMNDgOROfPN0p6vwTSx-8xl4spsSKATt6oiK5u75j0cJ3gmehXg5H4FyTlCn_lbVZLECBarby4-2tcXKIZQkyPefSlkSRQO0blla4uY9WjrSFT0lK1i7zCIfVNhds0TZj4/s320/parker5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484326184765637938" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVUwRAnvPBeO2S5i66wbADkEHHQppnvejYnR_hrB0NX4UuhzWtZHJ9omGZz8NFe2EBz5yhOQTAtv5IHW_6FsuO-zqPQM141Yv3zn-MANI01IaGD9HV7OnqrIiGHkg2bphH8GnepCqXtA/s1600/parker6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVUwRAnvPBeO2S5i66wbADkEHHQppnvejYnR_hrB0NX4UuhzWtZHJ9omGZz8NFe2EBz5yhOQTAtv5IHW_6FsuO-zqPQM141Yv3zn-MANI01IaGD9HV7OnqrIiGHkg2bphH8GnepCqXtA/s320/parker6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484326455841901922" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs3LYdQ4hRWuFYoYUarevTrZV4T1ym_kJeCA_yiqiomRTbZhhIXQaRz9_PA_MVVJ6rr6qGqYnfKdN6qexxG1GEgO06HTvUMZlas_FYp8hP5gkoWU2YRXnaNhPw-lBF-mIWiwUYMmMjlU/s1600/parker7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs3LYdQ4hRWuFYoYUarevTrZV4T1ym_kJeCA_yiqiomRTbZhhIXQaRz9_PA_MVVJ6rr6qGqYnfKdN6qexxG1GEgO06HTvUMZlas_FYp8hP5gkoWU2YRXnaNhPw-lBF-mIWiwUYMmMjlU/s320/parker7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484326713674655298" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCm9DE6XqrqOlIyrDEA0FTAcgo90lo1SOITigO4uvZ6fh5jEHHNsODltDzaA3P6j93xsLflieIk9Nc3js9HgYvbmBFCjMFUQ-jYb877kpsgXzFGkLd6-s5W7e4ulJ4M-YMzN7Hepy7uE/s1600/parkerandabby1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCm9DE6XqrqOlIyrDEA0FTAcgo90lo1SOITigO4uvZ6fh5jEHHNsODltDzaA3P6j93xsLflieIk9Nc3js9HgYvbmBFCjMFUQ-jYb877kpsgXzFGkLd6-s5W7e4ulJ4M-YMzN7Hepy7uE/s320/parkerandabby1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484327034756409202" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTW1XGDcwdTbJGLVMoiZsvr9G6KdDKjBpgRvCtczh0Dyt7-ljv-ODVyC_1JCysrp7-_HeeF40Imci7yALDLbBvX_i3mLby_K2ECCMwxDglCBvLXLewQdnN7f-IrityfmK7WeAwdefC91s/s1600/parkerandabby2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTW1XGDcwdTbJGLVMoiZsvr9G6KdDKjBpgRvCtczh0Dyt7-ljv-ODVyC_1JCysrp7-_HeeF40Imci7yALDLbBvX_i3mLby_K2ECCMwxDglCBvLXLewQdnN7f-IrityfmK7WeAwdefC91s/s320/parkerandabby2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484327291211418242" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK13KY1uTI3s5BluiwfrZa1MGcX9p9Ar6BUkCxsqASQQ1cdrt3Wv3sOsev-GVvEGmPWttSG9GPGF5L84OksuJfq9f0Ik2CB_PDXW51us7HCLAYsRsQRkIEq7qMN_BM5Mv-jjCqwVnm-ak/s1600/parkerandabby5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK13KY1uTI3s5BluiwfrZa1MGcX9p9Ar6BUkCxsqASQQ1cdrt3Wv3sOsev-GVvEGmPWttSG9GPGF5L84OksuJfq9f0Ik2CB_PDXW51us7HCLAYsRsQRkIEq7qMN_BM5Mv-jjCqwVnm-ak/s320/parkerandabby5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484327560728364978" /></a><br /><br />Tune in Sunday for "Friday's FriendS." I will honor all the dads in my life!<br /><br />night night,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-42708054113910432952010-06-12T11:47:00.001-07:002010-06-12T12:39:44.617-07:00LOTS 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 <a href="http://tonbish.blogspot.com/2010/05/fridays-friend_14.html">(http://tonbish.blogspot.com/2010/05/fridays-friend_14.html</a>) 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!)<br /><br />*My dream car<br />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 :)<br /><br />*Junk food JUNKIE!!!<br />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!<br /><br />*Migraine<br />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!<br /><br />*iPad<br />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!!!<br /><br />*Gum<br />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.<br /><br />*5 hour energy shot<br />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!<br /><br />*Red, Yellow, Black, & White<br />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 <strong>with him</strong>. 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.<br /><br />*Spray tan<br />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!<br /><br />*What's in my bag???<br />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! :)<br /><br />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!<br /><br />living life in the fast lane,<br />TonTonTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-60097076055115131552010-06-04T17:21:00.000-07:002010-06-04T17:52:13.006-07:00~Friday's Friend~<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">~Ashlea McGuire~</span></strong></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479079604794697602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBam7-4d4vtVtyxmGM1GMnYS77ap09t8HYQhnqyXKlI9PWJoI2oKSbkWmJkSCh1yzg-AUxQ_qEsj3Dh2f1WlvjCfPPJRFvG1Nipiqs01fAbwVD8X0H6gFUOe9PBY06qFaM1ndiFIqktM/s320/ashlea.bmp" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">(May 2009~I was 6 months preggo)</span><br /></p><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div align="left">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!!!!!!!!! </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">NOT a pageant girl,</div><div align="left">Tonya</div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-36951231814982179012010-06-03T17:53:00.000-07:002010-06-03T18:17:08.755-07:00~tOn'S tHoUgHtS oN tHuRsDaY~*I need a hobby!<br />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 :)<br /><br />*I'm an idiot<br />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.<br /><br />*Master's Degree<br />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?!<br /><br />*Bonita Springs, FL<br />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!)<br /><br />*Spray Tan update<br />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!<br /><br />*Birthday Bash!!<br />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!!<br /><br />*A sick hubby=a sad wifey<br />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!<br /><br /><br />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 :)<br /><br />TGIAF (Thank God It's Almost Friday),<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-23305623840450195392010-06-01T18:11:00.000-07:002010-06-01T19:13:54.555-07:00MY 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.....<br /><br /><br /><br />100-i love to be comfy<br /><br /><br /><br />99-i love a clean baby<br /><br /><br /><br />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?<br /><br /><br /><br />97-i watch cartoons more than my shows.<br /><br /><br /><br />96-i'm ok with that<br /><br /><br /><br />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)<br /><br /><br /><br />94-i laugh real hard (Abby came up with that one)....but I do LOVE to laugh!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />93-i am OCD about a clean house.<br /><br /><br /><br />92-if i'm ever in a bad mood, it's probably because my house is a mess<br /><br /><br /><br />91-my definition of a messy house is:a few dishes in the sink, a couple toys on the floor, and beds unmade<br /><br /><br /><br />90-i have blue eyes (Michael came up with that one. He's so creative!)<br /><br /><br /><br />89-i loveeeeeeeeee the beach<br /><br /><br /><br />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<br /><br /><br /><br />87-my favorite flower is a SUNflower<br /><br /><br /><br />86-i don't like to plant flowers. i just want someone to do it for me.<br /><br /><br /><br />85-i unconsciously suck in my stomach/tighten my abs at all times<br /><br /><br /><br />84-i love to be super cold and then crawl underneath a warm blanket.<br /><br /><br /><br />83-i don't like to be hot<br /><br /><br /><br />82-i am TERRIFIED of bees, wasps, horseflies, etc.<br /><br /><br /><br />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<br /><br /><br /><br />80-i'm a scaredy cat (Abby came up with that)<br /><br /><br /><br />79-i love how Michael's arm pits smell. i guess i should say i love the way his deodorant smells!<br /><br /><br /><br />78-i have no musical talent<br /><br /><br /><br />77-i love to write<br /><br /><br /><br />76-i had a poem published once<br /><br /><br /><br />75-i'm starting to get baby fever already! YIKES!<br /><br /><br /><br />74-i take lots of pics<br /><br /><br /><br />73-i don't ever print them out<br /><br /><br /><br />72-i have a nervous habit of pulling my eyelashes out<br /><br /><br /><br />71-i'm incredibly beautiful (Michael came up with that one)<br /><br /><br /><br />70-i am VERY insecure!!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />69-i don't mind washing or folding clothes....but i hate putting them up!<br /><br /><br /><br />68-i hate for people to be mad at me<br /><br /><br /><br />67-i have no athletic ability<br /><br /><br /><br />66-the only sport i like to watch is football<br /><br /><br /><br />65-i am very tender hearted.<br /><br /><br /><br />64-i WILL own a Corvette before I die. Either a brand new one, or a black Stingray convertible.<br /><br /><br /><br />63-i love to watch people and try to figure out their "story"<br /><br /><br /><br />62-i hate science and history.<br /><br /><br /><br />61-i really don't remember anything i learned in school. i memorize, test, and forget.<br /><br /><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><br />59-i love to organize.<br /><br /><br /><br />58-i love lists.<br /><br /><br /><br />57-i used to be in charge of our bills and budget....until this past March, Michael took over. it has been so nice!<br /><br /><br /><br />56-i love to shop online because i love getting packages<br /><br /><br /><br />55-the greatest joy in my life is being a mom and a wife<br /><br /><br /><br />54-i try to fix people's problems because i want everyone to be happy<br /><br /><br /><br />53-i can be envious at times. it's a constant struggle.<br /><br /><br /><br />52-i like to decorate.<br /><br /><br /><br />51-i have the MESSIEST car!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />50-i have a chicken pox scar on my nose<br /><br /><br /><br />49-i love spending time with my family.<br /><br /><br /><br />48-i hateeeeeeeeeee bugs!!!!! if i see a bug in my house, i immediately call the exterminator!<br /><br /><br /><br />47-i have made abby terrified of bugs. she will cry until i call the exterminator.<br /><br /><br /><br />46-i love sweet tea, but i can't drink it because of my kidney stones<br /><br /><br /><br />45-i have passed 6 kidney stones, gotten 5 blasted, and still have about 7<br /><br /><br /><br />44-i hate when my husband is sick. he is my rock.<br /><br /><br /><br />43-i assume.....alot!<br /><br /><br /><br />42-i've only been in the ocean like 5 times in my entire life. i hate sharks and jellyfish.<br /><br /><br /><br />41-my favorite color is light blue<br /><br /><br /><br />40-i like to go go go!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />39-i want long hair. but i have no patience to grow it out.<br /><br /><br /><br />38-i love to dye my hair brown in the fall/winter.<br /><br /><br /><br />37-michael likes it blonde.<br /><br /><br /><br />36-i haven't always had bad time management, but 2 kids and a full time job will do that to ya!<br /><br /><br /><br />35-i am VERY easily entertained<br /><br /><br /><br />34-i can't stand for my hands to be sticky<br /><br /><br /><br />33-i hate every picture of myself (see #70)<br /><br /><br /><br />32-by the time i'm 30 i want to be: debt free, through having kids, and a stay-at-home mom<br /><br /><br /><br />31-i love party food.<br /><br /><br /><br />30-i'm silly (Abby came up with that one)<br /><br /><br /><br />29-i miss my grandmother.<br /><br /><br /><br />28-my dream job is to be a marketing rep/event planner at Disney World<br /><br /><br /><br />27-i'm outgoing and love people (Michael came up with those)<br /><br /><br /><br />26-I turn 26 on June 24th!!<br /><br /><br /><br />25-my favorite shows: anything on TLC and HGTV, 24, The Bachelor/ette, American Idol, The Office<br /><br /><br /><br />24-i love to make new friends<br /><br /><br /><br />23-i freakin LOVE to dance...in the car, at work, at home, at a club, anywhere!!<br /><br /><br /><br />22-i love me time. because it's very rare.<br /><br /><br /><br />21-i have daddy issues.<br /><br /><br /><br />20-i'm not where i want to be spiritually<br /><br /><br /><br />19-i love to play games.<br /><br /><br /><br />18-i like to plan and host parties!<br /><br /><br /><br />17-i like attention<br /><br /><br /><br />16-i like to read. i just don't ever have time.<br /><br /><br /><br />15-i love a molten chocolate cake from Chili's<br /><br /><br /><br />14-i like to travel<br /><br /><br /><br />13-i have wrinkles under my eyes.<br /><br /><br /><br />12-i want botox.<br /><br /><br /><br />11-when i have an idea, i want it done right away!<br /><br /><br /><br />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<br /><br /><br /><br />9-i love to exercise. i just don't do it enough<br /><br /><br /><br />8-i don't like to eat healthy stuff<br /><br /><br /><br />7-i want to own a boat<br /><br /><br /><br />6-i love to blog. Michael said it's like my BFF! ha!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />5-i used to have my nose pierced.<br /><br /><br /><br />4-i have crazy random dreams! i used to keep a dream journal.<br /><br /><br /><br />3-i love chocolate chip pizza from Mazzios.<br /><br /><br /><br />2-i clean out my fridge like once a month.<br /><br /><br /><br />1-i love a good bubble bath!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />i'm just a girl,<br /><br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-35182253064072106802010-05-28T18:04:00.000-07:002010-05-28T18:39:59.074-07:00~Friday's Friend~<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">~Mallory Whitlock Hall~</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476492662580020050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFF3LsYFCocWAGOPaQyeThrLN11fVZvwsNKtlfHg1eYp9oTIlwLzfwbht95vClky9ciXYpsslqiIZmZFT2ZG3yzW0t90FrqKvIXv0Dpcp0LzSlixSrP6UpOeb7w-XZObNSv7qkNwXfiXI/s320/mal+hall.bmp" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(June 2008)</span></p><p align="left">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! </p><div align="left">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....</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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!!!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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!! </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">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!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">your friend,</div><div align="left">Tina Tanya Tonya</div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-28603059750756888072010-05-27T19:31:00.000-07:002010-05-27T20:07:01.793-07:00~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~*HGTV<br />....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<br /><br />*Nawlins<br />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!<br /><br />*Campus visits are my favorite!<br />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!<br /><br />*Curly hair????????<br />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 :)<br /><br />*Didn't I just get a new car?<br />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!<br /><br />*Birth control update<br />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.<br /><br />*Adding a member to our family?<br />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!<br /><br />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!!!<br /><br />your friend/sister/wife/daughter/co-worker,<br />TB ;)Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-70395948764785468182010-05-21T17:21:00.000-07:002010-05-21T17:44:45.889-07:00~Friday's Friend~<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">~Brandi Barrett~</span></div><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473883387519599586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 308px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCiH9OMhtXKblccilqhmwXcLdkGLsaG47NZKbBR0LGb6gFy3AvzXPLFd4_zImnuhZEwgsSImC8lbz4YluAWUppbgfsYYfNedlZs8_42v__wgpq4xOlJd6LrJJQNCSJgZW-5sVotU4HXwY/s320/brandi.bmp" border="0" /></div><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(2009 Beth Moore Conference)</span></p><p align="left">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!!!!</p><p align="left">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. </p><p align="left">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......</p><p align="left">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. </p><p align="left">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!!!!</p><p align="left"></p><p align="left">your friend,</p><p align="left">Tonya</p>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-69763925975195690572010-05-20T17:54:00.000-07:002010-05-20T18:22:36.759-07:00~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~*Spray tan<br />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.....<br /><br />*Forever Young<br />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!<br /><br />*Half day Friday<br />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!!!!<br /><br />*Wigs<br />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)<br /><br />*Childlike faith<br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />much love,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-63749578776590237722010-05-16T15:35:00.001-07:002010-05-16T15:49:14.684-07:00Breaking 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.<br /><br />*When you live in fear of the spirit, you live in defeat!*<br />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!<br /><br />*The people of God can be very <strong>OPPRESSED</strong> by the enemy.<br />-The definition of oppressed is...to overwhelm or crush.<br />-Do you feel overwhelmed or crushed? Oh, I do!<br />-4 reasons why we can become crushed by the enemy:<br />1)Testing-God will allow it, in order to grow us.<br />2)Chastisement (or punishment) for rebellion against God<br />3)Lack of submission to God's authority<br />4)Weakness in warfare<br />.....Ok, I think I can pretty much relate to all 4 reasons!<br /><br />*For the Christian.....<br />-Our prison doors are locked from the INSIDE!<br />-Satan does not not not hold the key!!! He has no authority in our life, so STOP giving him permission!<br /><br />*In order to be free, you must recognize and forsake all other "gods" or idols.<br /><br />*God recognizes our fears and insecurities....<br />-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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br />marching towards victory,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-80470386707074026762010-05-14T10:47:00.000-07:002010-05-14T11:41:53.201-07:00~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:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#663366;"><strong>Sandy Cunningham</strong></span></div><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 313px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471185812519512338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhISprd-PFqi-mA7zL1kLVq6Lv-8pegKAACrLbORFZedkVmxOquRsCFxNSVyoFr_oGP-dRnhqB-dbBTMTiN3FqkcIOZ-T-95Ja26peeqaIbE05MUAfFfC0v0kd3ms2bCf9sbPFtBqfFok/s320/sandy.bmp" />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!!!</p><p>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. </p><p>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!!! :)</p><p>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. :)</p><p>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!</p><p>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!!</p><p> </p><p>TGIF,</p><p>Tonya </p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-12524675429011269692010-05-13T11:36:00.000-07:002010-05-13T11:55:11.706-07:00~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~*Birth Control<br />...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!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />*To work or not to work<br />(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.<br /><br />*Tired<br />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!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />*Shout out to a couple co-workers<br />Susann-thanks for putting up with my ill mood today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll make our walk around campus a little more pleasant :)<br />DJ Brew-thanks for putting my ill mood into perspective.<br /><br />*Breaking Free<br />So, I finally started the first session of this bible study on Tuesday. And that's as far as I've gotten. Go figure.<br /><br /><br />Ok, that's all I can come up with today. I'm not in the mood to think....especially not happy thoughts!<br /><br /><br />ill,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-89488981003797579342010-05-09T17:40:00.001-07:002010-05-09T18:21:19.191-07:00Happy EVERYTHING!!!<div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnMUaAGNjTelRtFkLGjymldc3p57X513Ahq7zLDWHMPs79Fd06cLolsAnRNq7eKOuy73hQNqHqsmjMIpnvdUO4uJhK8JCsY2Jnp5XYrTgz8xUlkgia7ofgbnH2FICUiKtQvswu9O_iKQ/s1600/mothers+day+2010+117.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469435418808674402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnMUaAGNjTelRtFkLGjymldc3p57X513Ahq7zLDWHMPs79Fd06cLolsAnRNq7eKOuy73hQNqHqsmjMIpnvdUO4uJhK8JCsY2Jnp5XYrTgz8xUlkgia7ofgbnH2FICUiKtQvswu9O_iKQ/s320/mothers+day+2010+117.JPG" border="0" /></a> 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!!!!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469438177062119666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 317px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsAcGM30_IsDrV1p72HmdzzlZs2mqx1TJtgauYrPmz61LtVeQQik1DoYKgp3KYW2B3rHfnp_NaF8c2BQJdcgbQUyXBYyAootdxpGZDlc8jIb8hnVwG0iUDaHaCMbIs9xPHMsFQal_5tI/s320/mothers+day+2010+005.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>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!<br /><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469438452864841730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oEL4WdwmX4lwTr7n2R44XtpoHlIannLZeFnI709MUyEgTCTtFUQKjw9dO22Au4rogGkJNPlt3D-13FUQLTxIrvjzjl93Uaj4X_gN1kLOMNTS3XvHRouMtEN9PxemOCzTP5mdCKtFSQY/s320/mothers+day+2010+067.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>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!!</div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469439690079969394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvINisqOW2-vaEd5cPxLctBujFxhtO8nDDEDXewTVztkmMxvOyp3KanHOar3fiFZDLHCIgpz6YiU7AMFG8Bf_4px7P5FsWXZjUDqhvTM6rQaRSEnrgDKjAuDez51zj2X5uNFXyJ2XkZQ/s320/mothers+day+2010+079.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>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:</div><div>-Parker is eating like crazy!!!</div><div>-He's weening himself off one of his bottles</div><div>-He's "army crawling" everywhere!</div><div>-He fell off our bed for the first time. He was fine...it just scared him....and me!</div><div>-He growls at you when he gets mad at you. (ex: if you take a toy away from him, or tell him no)</div><div>-His last day at "school" will be Tuesday. </div><div>-He's starting to go to bed earlier. Around 8, instead of 9. Abby, however, is still our night owl.</div><div>-When someone says hey to him, he sticks his hand in the air and waves.</div><div>-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.</div><div>-His next checkup will be in June, so stay tuned.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469442330935210354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-znh2vdhuZ5qjp97vkOjscBhETqGMDqmiHPtTqNV908La7mSx_8ibuXUnIP4iYKTgS5JgDPOn3E9-15nhzDk9W07lMiC65SLr3wVjYPbjyNF5QeCJUpPxanAFCChRlhqVjif043l4eQ/s320/mothers+day+2010+065.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>Here are some other pics from today:<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469443071014745634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 236px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkcMkeNEmb8ceiU_rBggfCk8b7BUKtvs053n69A2OEaUD_ukAKI8-f_EzmNLt36uYXIsevbLsZPVVUcoywM86QWpCuLzaBkO9XSJA8WkMUXktB0KcuxEDHPboWzzVR8qEYJJAjBJ6m78/s320/mothers+day+2010+028.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469443502167744162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-75DxpxhCpZR5GsyR0lq0y1jVHTE_aURrDqRBfQDYqQockoBqQdXyzbcAzxkdTQ5h_KMEs6_dY49WpYl0fMilUXfuXKmRgTjACG397adFo1rAsu_XMIStNgv5nD_312B_pkdtQKPi3tY/s320/mothers+day+2010+063.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469444712537152994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYqTV0javlu_RrgVidAkC1hP5kyYA-HjQ9Dp2uLZMIWZpOEgnwz09rzKFg9QfJPpgUq1QlTnJC-YbV2eenuM0D7QAhP9rOfoRZN2WvBuBtGuhBHzErX0gDqmy09PA2yr8SDrbYelN88Q/s320/mothers+day+2010+112.JPG" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>a super happy mommy,</div><div>Tonya<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-23703664995602384382010-05-07T20:13:00.001-07:002010-05-07T21:06:13.551-07:00~Friday's Friend~<div align="center">Today I will dedicate this post to my MOM!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468744499793905074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 232px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWljvasBSY6cVB7-Y0djp_d91iceSVm8rvxo5y1BIAWsCkAsxAfyhIXtifHjOlYDj2Qk_npOYCgi-XAYuGksvE_A7M7Uq25KNBWOKsaMUA0YhnLnJxlcJOyo5bnj21AO-TPFSc9LINK_4/s320/mom.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(2008)<br /></span><br /><br /></p><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Diane Lynn Hossie</strong></span> (maiden) <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Odom</strong></span> (first marriage)<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Barnes</strong></span> (current marriage)</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">My mom has been my mom for almost 26 years. Not only has she been my mom, but I can honestly say that she has been my very best friend for 25 years, 11 months, and 7 days!! Now, let me clarify what "very best friend" is NOT.....she was never the best friend mom that bought me and my friends alcohol, or let me have guys spend the night, or let me spend the night with guys, she never let me roam around town without her knowing where I was, or let me go off on co-ed trips. Yes, it was frustrating to me when I was younger because alot of my friends had parents that let them do those things. Now that I'm a mom myself, I can totally see that the boundaries she set for me were more than necessary! So, what DID my mom do? Well....first of all, she was a single mom until I was in 10th grade. Growing up without a dad was hard (I'm just now starting to see how much it unknowingly affected me), but my mom did a FABULOUS job of raising me and my sister. She knew how to demand respect, but she also knew how to have fun while doing it! She would let me and my sister skip school to take us to the fair, she would take me and my friends rolling, she would come dance with us at some of the Methodist dances, she was all about a slumber party, she would turn our (hideous) minivan into a "limo" (haha!!), she would take us on picnics, trips to the beach, go on field trips with my class, and despite our 1 income family....we NEVER did without! We may not have had a closet full of designer clothes, but she worked hard to make us happy. It makes me tear up just to think about all the sacrifices she made for us. My mom starting cleaning houses when I was very young, and she still does. For those of you who are homeowners, you know that cleaning your house is hardwork! She would clean 4 or 5 houses a day in order to pay our bills, put food on our table, and make sure we never did without. She didn't just work to "get by".....she worked her butt of so that we could have nice things. Some of my favorite memories are when she would let me go clean houses with her, and I would pretend like that was my house. It was so fun, because it was like I had lots of houses :)</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">My mom dated several guys throughout my childhood, but I knew none of them were "the right one." Until my 9th grade year. She met this guy at a body shop where our car was being fixed. I remember when she told us about him, I knew. I knew he was the one. Just by the way she talked about him. It was kinda bittersweet. I wanted my mom to be happy, but I didn't want to share her with anyone. So, Billy proposed to my mom about 3 months into their relationship. I don't remember alot about the engagement, and it was probably because I wasn't willing to open up. I mean, I had gone like 9 years without a dad. I didn't know how to act. I finally started to warm up to him after the marriage, and I grew to love him like my own dad. He was everything I could've ever imagined for a step dad....no, for a DAD....to be! But enough about Billy...I'll save that for Father's Day :)</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">So, back to my mom. It really was an adjustment for me when she got married. I didn't like sharing her. I was used to having her full attention, so I didn't like her giving attention to someone else. But I adjusted to it, and after a while I finally realized that Billy wasn't just someone taking up my mom's attention....he was someone that completed our family. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Over the last 10 years I have seen my mom happier than ever! And when Abby came into the picture (well, after the shock/disappointment wore off), her happiness went to a new level. It absolutely warms my heart to see my mom with my children. She would do ANYTHING for my kids. She's already asking when #3 will be here. (not real sure if there will be a #3??) But not only is she a great "Mimi"...she is STILL a great mom! I know that I could call her anytime and ask for anything and she would do everything in her power to meet my need!! For heavens sake, she comes to my house on a regular basis to help me clean and organize my house. Some may call that spoiled. I just call it lucky! Lucky to have a mom that cares that much about me and my happiness. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Mom, I love you with all my heart. I'm so glad that God has allowed us 25 years together, and I hope He allows us many more years to come. I don't know what I'd do without you!!! You provided me with a lifetime of good memories. When I look back on my childhood, I smile. And it's because of YOU! Given the circumstances, my childhood could've been hard and sad. But you worked hard to make life good for me. For Lauren. For you. You found the Lord. And you shared Him with us. For that, I will be forever grateful! Thank you for being the BEST mom in the world! Happy Mother's Day!</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">so blessed,</div><br /><div align="left">Tonya</div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-80673523475994739062010-05-06T08:06:00.000-07:002010-05-06T08:48:05.135-07:00~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~<p align="left"><strong>*Wrinkle Release</strong></p><p align="left">I do not iron. So, thank God for Downy Wrinkle Release. Who would want to iron when this spray can do the job for you????? Pick out what you want to wear. Spray some wrinkle release all over it. Jump in the shower. Put on your make up. Get kids ready. Eat breakfast. And wah-lah (i know that is NOT the correct spelling)....your clothes are hanging up, ready for you to put on. And you didn't even have to waste time ironing! Works for me! :)</p><p align="left"><strong>*Facebook clean-up</strong></p><div align="left">So, yesterday I decided to delete some of my facebook friends. Why? Oh, I don't know? haha! Well, mainly because I was watching a show where this kid was kidnapped because some "stalker" found them through MySpace!!!!!!!!!! So, I decided...."I'm not really FRIENDS with 950 people"....so I went through my friends list and started deleting. If you were not deleted, then congrats....we're FRIENDS! hahahaha!!!!!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>*New office/New attitude</strong></div><div align="left">Well, not really a NEW office. I just got bored yesterday at work (which hardly EVER happens), so I decided to rearrange and organize my office. I moved my computer closer to the window so that I could enjoy the view while I work, I cleaned out my filing cabinets, I dusted, I redid my bulletin board, rearranged my bookcases, and made a list of things I NEEEEED for my office (flowers/plants, something new to hang on my door, candy for my candy dish, curtains, a rug, maybe a couch haaaaa!!!!!!). So, when I got to work today my attitude was totally refreshed. It's just something about an organized office that makes you want to work!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong>*Headbands</strong></div><div align="left">Yes, I have joined the headband club. I went and bought several headbands yesterday. You know, the ones with the big flowers on them? SUPER CUTE! But when you're 3 year old asks you if she can borrow them, you start wondering....am I too old for this? lol!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>*Mothers Day</strong></div><div align="left">When did I turn into such a procrastinator??????????? I have not bought a single Mother's Day gift, or bought food to cook for my entire family that I'm having over, or a new dress to wear. Yikes!!! I have several "ideas" for Mother's Day, but I haven't done anything yet! As far as the food, we may just have something simple. And as far as a new dress....I may just have to re-vamp an old one?!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>*Dedication</strong></div><div align="left">While we're on the subject of Mother's Day, I also want to share that Parker will be dedicated this Sunday! It's the absolute best Mother's Day gift EVER!!! The Lord has blessed me with 3 pregnancies, and rewarded me with 2 beautiful children. I'm just so excited about seeing the Lord use my children in the years to come. And I look forward to the day when I can meet my baby that He took home. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong>*Exercise update</strong></div><div align="left">UGH!!!!!!!!! There is no update. Because there is no exercise. What happened to me?? I used to work out EVERY SINGLE DAY. Now I'd just rather eat. Motivation, where art thou???????</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>*Shout out to all my Co-Lin followers</strong></div><div align="left">I'm so excited to know that I have several co-workers following my blog. I love yall!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>*Brookhaven Spring Carnival</strong></div><div align="left">Do you live in the Brookhaven area? Then you doNOT want to miss out on this!!! This will be the first time Brookhaven has ever seen a carnival to this degree. Rides. Games. Food. It's going to be like a miniature MS state fair!!! It starts tonight and goes through Sunday! Bring the kiddos. It'll be a blast!!!!!!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>*National Day of Prayer</strong></div><div align="left">Yes, it is today! If you're not able to participate in a group prayer today, then pray on your own. Pray for our country, pray for your spouse, pray for your friends, your co-workers, your children, YOURSELF!!! Here are several things that are on my prayer list for today, join me in lifting these up: </div><div align="left">-a friend messaged me last night and said that one of her friend's TWO YEAR OLD daughter just found out she had a brain tumor. They were doing surgery today. (that really hits home with me!)</div><div align="left">-a co-worker's son (almost 2) has been having seizures. They are running tests today.</div><div align="left">-my mom's pap smear (sp?) came back abnormal and they're running more tests today.</div><div align="left">-my dad is not a Christian. </div><div align="left">-a friend of mine lost his mom to cancer a while back, and my heart has been hurting for him all week with Mother's Day coming up. Pray for those who have lost their moms. Sunday will be hard for them.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">pray without ceasing,</div><div align="left">TonTon<br /></div><div align="left"></div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-63085861819489476732010-05-03T12:41:00.000-07:002010-05-03T12:44:39.062-07:00*TURN YOUR SPEAKERS ON*I just have to share these lyrics with you. This song came on while I was driving home for lunch, and it was like the exact cry of my heart! I've been really encouraged by the text messages, facebook messages, and comments about my blog post last night. I'm really excited about those of you who feel the same way I do and those who are going to do this study with me! I hope this song speaks to you like it did to me. Turn the volume up....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lyricsreg.com/lyrics/mikeschair/Let+The+Waters+Rise/">Let The Waters Rise lyrics </a><br />by: MIKESCHAIR<br /><br />Don't know where to begin<br />It's like my world's caving in<br />And I tried but i can't control my fear<br />Where do I go from here<br /><br />Sometimes it's so hard to pray<br />You feel so far away<br />I am willing to go where You want me to<br />God I trust You<br /><br />There's a raging sea<br />Right in front of me<br />Wants to pull me in<br />Bring me to my knees<br />So let the waters rise<br />If you want them to<br />I will follow You<br />I will follow You<br />I will follow You<br /><br />I will swim in the deep<br />Cuz You'll be next to me<br />You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea<br />You're never out of reach<br /><br />God You know where I've been<br />You were there with me then<br />You were faithful before<br />You'll be faithful again<br />I'm holding Your hand<br /><br />God Your love is enough<br />You will pull me through<br />I'm holding on to You<br /><br />God your love is enough<br />I will follow You<br />I will follow You"<br /><br /><br />let the waters rise,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-84580839985535922682010-05-02T18:41:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:21:56.612-07:00I'M SCARED!!!!!Ok there, I said it. I'm a scared'y cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm scared of: bumble bees, sharks, being robbed at gunpoint, someone breaking into my house while we're sleeping, death, my kids getting a fatal disease, getting cancer, roaches, something happening to someone I love, letting someone down, a tree falling on our house, not seeing my dad in heaven, etc...etc....etc. Like I said, I'm a scared'y cat! Big time!! But the thing I'm the most scared of is....the end times.<br /><br /><br /><br />I'm a Christian, and I know Christians shouldn't be scared of the end times. But. I. am. Antichrist. Christians fighting for their lives. War. Mother Nature going crazy. I've always been scared of this, but today was the first time that I realized just how much this fear was affecting my spiritual life. For the past year, I've been thinking that I fell into a pit. I've been trying to get out, but I've gotten no where. Well, today after hearing a sermon at church, I figured out that I'm not in a pit. I'm under bondage. A bondage of fear. A paralyzing fear. Something deep down inside of me wants to break free, but my flesh is just too scared. Just like I don't watch the news because I don't want to hear of bad things....I don't want to read the Word or deepen my spiritual walk, because I don't want to know what other bad things are going to happen. What are my kids going to do? Will they survive this crazy world after I'm gone? If it's this bad now, then what will it be like in 20 years? 10 years? NEXT YEAR, for crying out loud?!!?<br /><br />So, there is no doubt that I'm in the middle of spiritual warfare. Satan knows that fear is my greatest weakness. It doesn't take much to make me afraid of something. So, he (satan) is having a HAY-DAY with this!!! Satan's goal since the beginning of time has been to lead Christians astray. Make them question their faith. Make them question God. Make them question eternity. But you know something.....satan will NOT win this battle.<br /><br />Last week, I googled "Beth Moore" to see what bible study I wanted to start. Automatically I thought of the "Get Out of the Pit" book, but for some reason her "Breaking Free" study kept standing out to me. Well, now I know why. I don't need to get out of a pit....I need to BREAK FREE!!!!!!<br /><br />I plan on starting the study tomorrow, and I feel led to blog about it. Maybe daily. Maybe weekly. I don't know. But I want yall to join me on this journey. You may not be under the same bondage as I am, but if you're under ANY bondage at all then break free with me!<br /><br />Thank yall for allowing me to be honest with yall. It's not something I'm proud of at all, but it's real. It exists in my life. I'm ready to be free. And I'm willing to share my testimony in hopes that it will help someone else out there. I'd love some feedback throughout this journey, if you feel led.<br /><br /><br />weighed down with fear,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-81732970986054513262010-04-30T07:21:00.000-07:002010-04-30T08:36:07.261-07:00~Friday's Friend~<div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Today I will introduce one of my <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>BEST</strong></span> friends in the world!!!!!!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465940970700163186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbChhufaxTlf2ryLOmLF3dKRvig41KjJm8jx6BKRl7YgCguP8TGGMLVHX1jzQgHu6Hl_Ev7_03y1oPxYhEECRyIhN_VPri1O8vCiTmmQ3F7GtB-xy6zVGGoANmCFGsFGAUABpwnlYELE/s320/jennifer.jpg" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(me, Jenn, and Tiff, 2008)</span><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Jennifer Esser</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong> </div><div align="left">First things first. It just took me 30 minutes to find a freakin picture of me and Jenn. And as you can see, I still could not find one of JUST us!!?! Mainly because I'm not on my computer, where all my pics are saved....but....I couldn't even find one of us on Facebook?!? What the crap! That's pathetic, Jenn. We must do something about this. Next time we're together, we're having a photo shoot! And then I'll make a "Ton/Jenn" album on FB!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">So, anyway. Jennifer and I have been friends since 2004. But she hated me back then! hahaha!! She says she didn't hate me, but she did. I'm just kidding she really didn't, but she just never talked to me! We both worked at McRae's together (yes, it was still known as McRae's). We worked in the children's section. She was finishing up at Pearl River, and I was just starting at USM. Which is probably another reason we weren't best friends right off. We both had a different group of friends at the time. However, our friendship is all because of our husbands. (That's the only thing we'll ever give them credit for! haha!!) Michael and Jennifer's husband, Justin, started working together. They didn't know eachother either, but they actually talked to eachother! ha! Ok, I'm sorry. I'll stop. :) So, anyway. Michael came to the mall to take me to lunch one day, and while we were in the food court, Michael said..."there's a guy I work with. Let me go say hello." And then I'm like..."umm...he's with a girl that I work with?? weird!!" So....that's how it all started. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Jennifer and Justin got married in December of 2004. She quit McRae's around the same time, so we didn't have that connection anymore. But thankfully our husbands still worked together. Well, as I said before, we were running with different groups, so the only times our paths crossed was when the hubs wanted to get together. Jenn found out she was pregnant real soon after they got married. I found out I was pregnant shortly after. Being pregnant at the same time definitley made our friendship stronger! Jennifer had her son, Austin, in August of 2006. I had my daughter, Abby, in January of 2007. They are 5 months apart and best friends! After having kids around the same time, going to the same church, and living right across the street from eachother...our friendship was no longer just a basic friendship. Jennifer was my best friend. She was the type of friend that I had longed for my entire life. We are alike in some ways and totally opposite in some ways. But our personalities compliment eachother. We've never had a "fight." We've never really even been mad at eachother. When we hang out, it doesn't matter what we do. We always have fun! It's so neat because our husbands are best friends and so our the kiddos. Jenn now has another son, Caleb, that was born March 8. He is exactly six months younger than Parker. We hope they'll soon be best friends also! By the way, Jennifer's maternity leave ends on Monday. Be praying for her as she goes back to work. It's never easy to leave your babies!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The only downfall of this whole friendship is that we now live an hour and a half from eachother. And when you have 2 kids, it makes planning trips a little difficult. But we make it happen. It may only be once a month, or once every 2 months, but we make it happen! </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The Essers are family to us. They're not LIKE family, they ARE family! God blessed me with a friendship that I didn't know could exist! And even though having 2 kids has made us crazy, busy, maniac mommys....we know that no matter what, we're just a phone call (or text message) away. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">I love you, Jennifer Esser! I know I've told you this many times, but you are such a blessing to me....and I seriously don't know what I'd do without you.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">the crazy obnoxious friend,</div><div align="left">Tonya</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-22328867696206938532010-04-29T12:54:00.000-07:002010-04-29T13:18:34.088-07:00~Ton's Thoughts on Thursday~*The Lord woke me up at 4:30 this morning and literally SHOUTED at me to get up. I said, "No thanks, I'm way too tired!" Then He proceeds to make the cat start meowing (behind closed doors), so I had no choice to get up. But....as soon as I let the cat out, I went back to bed. So, what did the Lord have to tell me at 4:30 this morning? What have I done??!!? I've been begging God to rescue me from this freakin pit that I'm stuck in. And when He tries to call out to me, I say..."No thanks. Too tired. Goodnight." UGHHHH!!!!!!! Pray for me. This warfare is driving me NUTS!<br /><br />*I've been assigned the new Trailblazer Advisor at Co-Lin. The Trailblazer group is our student recruitment team. They help with on campus and off campus recruitment. I was a co-advisor this year, and I LOVED it!! I love getting to work with Co-Lin students, because I don't really get to that much. I'm always out at the high schools working with their students. Which I also LOVE. Anyway, I called my first Trailblazer meeting today. It was so fun. I feel so powerful! BahahaHAhHAHAHhahaha!!!! Mainly we just had pizza, talked a little, voted on our new president, and signed up for a Braves game that I'm taking them to next weekend.<br /><br />*Parker is PULLING UP! He was sitting on the floor last night and his "Bumbo" seat was sitting in front of him. He grabbed the back of it and pulled up until he was standing on his feet! I was so excited. This little man is growing up so fast!<br /><br />*Abby woke up at 3:00 this morning, came and tapped me on the shoulder and said...."Mama, can I cuddle with you?" Melted my heart.<br /><br />*Sophie Kinsella. If you are a reader, then she is the author you need to follow. She is the author of the "Shopaholic" series (which I have not read a single one of). However, I have read 5 of her other books, and they are freakin hilarious!! No, seriously. I laugh out loud the whole way through. Here are some titles to look for: "Remember Me?", "Can You Keep a Secret?", "Twenties Girl", "Cocktails for Three", and "Undomestic Goddess." I've never been a big reader, but I can't get enough of Sophie Kinsella's books. Try one. You'll be hooked!<br /><br />*I'm so proud of my husband! He is such a hard worker and does such a good job of providing for our family! There are lots of things I like about his job. One is-his job is flexible. If he needs to take the morning off to run Parker to the doctor, done. If he needs to take an extended lunch to drive 20 minutes to bring me some food, done. Another thing is-when 5:00 rolls around, he's off. On occassion, he'll have an appointment at night...but it is VERY rare. So, he's able to hang out with us every night and every weekend. And the greatest thing about his job is-he wins trips. ALL the time! By the way, have I told yall the Austria trip was rescheduled? I can't remember. Anyway, it got rescheduled because of the volcanoes. It has now been moved to June. But Michael has just recently won another trip. It's the big family trip of the year. It's in Bonita Springs, Florida. We leave in July and stay for 4 days. The whole fam. Can't wait! Trips we won't mention are: the fishing trip this weekend (I wasn't invited), the trip to the Beau Rivage (once again, not invited), and some other trip this summer (not invited). But no need dwelling on the trips I don't get invited to go on. We'll look at the ones that I AM going on! :)<br /><br /><br />Ok, I gotta run. One more hour at work, and I still have a few more things to do.<br />Hope everyone has a TERRIFIC THURSDAY!<br /><br /><br />just me,<br />TonyaTonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2983136315352636612.post-40388434373826009232010-04-28T19:05:00.001-07:002010-04-28T19:18:19.346-07:00Beach Bum~Days 3 & 4<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKKc_Aje4-GlQMlYMjFiTSAlf2oGgJ51m4mAE7zJu4jxamU2puymofSTtNbntjM2qMRaSGON5D7tjY-I37Jdwf4vK5bAIwjcdXAx5iAxmNErgBrIW-smWF8qoTE3XEmLI0xzufvFYEXo/s1600/beach3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465377861535800498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKKc_Aje4-GlQMlYMjFiTSAlf2oGgJ51m4mAE7zJu4jxamU2puymofSTtNbntjM2qMRaSGON5D7tjY-I37Jdwf4vK5bAIwjcdXAx5iAxmNErgBrIW-smWF8qoTE3XEmLI0xzufvFYEXo/s320/beach3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Ok, so I didn't have time yesterday to blog about Day 3. But here it is in a nutshell:</div><br /><div></div><div>Some of our friends, The Clines, came down to Perdido Key (same condo as us) yesterday. As soon as they got there, the guys went to play golf and Brandy and I laid out. I laid out a total of SIX hours yesterday. Totally fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!</div><br /><div></div><div>Around 5:00, Brandy and I went up to our rooms and started to get ready for the night. The guys got back around 6:00 and off we went.</div><div></div><br /><div>We had dinner at Mikee's. Total yumminess! And then we went to The Jellyfish afterwards. It was such a fun, laid back night. I love The Clines :)</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>So, here's what we did today....</div><div></div><br /><div>We slept in, laid around for a little bit, went to grab some breakfast, hit up some souvenir shops to find Ab's some happies, and then we hit the beach! We only laid out for about an hour and a half, because we needed to get showered and head home. We ended up leaving the condo around 1:00, stopped at Chick Fil A (DUH!) to have lunch, and then got going! I started getting SOOOOOOOOOOO excited once we were 30 minutes away from our babies. I could barely handle it. As soon as we pulled up in The Bishop's driveway, I hopped out of the car.....even before it was in park. Don't worry....I wasn't driving! lol</div><div></div><div> </div><div>I saw Abby across the yard, and she started screaming! We ran to eachother like something you see in a movie. Slow motion and all. It was one of my Top 10 best moments ever! Then of course we ran inside to get some Parker lovin. </div><div></div><br /><div>So....now we're all 4 piled up in our king size bed. Watching cartoons. Loving on eachother. Ahhhhhhhh.....</div><br /><div></div><div>Having 4 1/2 days alone with Michael has been so refreshing. We needed it. Every couple needs time alone. It makes you a better spouse and parent. And you also get a good tan! haha!!</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>refreshed and tan,</div><br /><div>Tonya</div>Tonya*Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02621961033032598630noreply@blogger.com0