Football, Fall, and Fun

Well, I am averaging a post a week, but that's better than nothing right?

Since I last posted I have been busy as usual with school, cheer, and life in general. The life part included two fantasy football drafts! They were both fun. The first was at Chris' house for my co-ed league to draft. I am the commissioner and we have 12 teams again this year! I got first pick in the first round of our draft! I took Adrian Peterson, of course! Good thing too, because without his 43 points he scored me (that's right, 43!!!!!) this week I would have gotten smoked! My second draft was the following day at Buffalo Wild Wings and it was a blast too! I ended up with a team I am happy with and after week one of the regular season, I am up in both leagues! :-)

This week also brought Fall Festival at Lily's school! It was a lot of fun and although she was a little too young/small for some of the activities she still had a blast! It was moved inside because of all the rain! And OH MY GOODNESS the rain! It has rained, and rained, and rained and they are calling for rain on into next week! The only good thing about it is the hope of a "rain day" lol! I can always use a free day off work! :-)

Overall the last week has been full of fun! We went to C-town and celebrated my dad and brother's birthdays! I have spent some time relaxing at home (and boy have a needed it)! And spent some time with friends!

That's all the update I have in me tonight! No I am off to veg on the couch... or read my book... we'll see! Goodnight!

Falling....

Chris and I have been a long time coming. I can say that I have been falling for many years as our relationship developed from colleagues to friends to soul mates and best friends and now into the loving (that's right, I said the "L" word) relationship that we now find in each other.

Part I left off in the 2005-06 school year I believe. That year we became best friends and over the summer we did a lot together with our group of friends!! Although I had seen Lily quite a bit over the last year, this is the summer I really got to know her and watch her grow! I admired Chris so much for the father that he was! He had such a firm and loving relationship with Lily! He is an AMAZING dad! He shows so much love and support - I didn't know anyone could contain the love he has for his daughter - and he sets the bar high and holds her accountable and I love that! I got to watch Lily grow from this little runt....

(HOW cute is she?)

To this young lady! :-) From 2006-2009 Chris really spent so much time, energy, and focus on being a single dad. He was very open and honest with everyone about his singular focus on Lily and making her life with two homes and separated parents the best that it could be! He has done amazing things for her and still does.

Those years of transition for him also brought transition for our friendship. We did more and more together with our friends and began to confide in one another and support one another individually. Chris met my family, coming to Chattanooga for riverbend for his own little daddy-vacation as he liked to call it! Chris and I began to do a few things just the two of us because we did enjoy each other's company so much and began to understand that no matter our relationship in life, we were, beyond a shadow of a doubt, soul-mates! The level of comfort and understanding could only be explained by two souls that know eachother beyond all understanding. :-)


Being that we both enjoy sports we headed to see the Braves play and the Titans (of course) once or twice each year.

We began spending more time together on the golf course too! It is the game he loves and the game I am so glad to finally have some help with! :-)

I have to stop here and say, Chris introduced me to Web! They are brothers of the heart! And it is through their relationship that my relationship with Megan bloomed and flourished!

So I have Chris to thank for Megan! And, of course, I had to get Megan and Lauren together as soon as possible and... well.... you all know the story there! Inseperable to say the least!

Over the course of the last three or four years, I can say this...

Chris slowly, without effort became my person. The person I trusted above all others. The person whoes shoulder I wanted to cry one. The one that listened and understood when I needed to vent. The one I wanted to talk to about everything. The one that got mad with me, just because I needed someone too! He became my best friend, soul mate, and partner in life. And that was all before we took the steps to begin a romantic relationship with one another.

One of the things I admire the most about Chris is the way he parents...

...and his love for children, and all things funny, and his ability to make me smile, no matter what.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is part II. :-) It's hard to cram a 4 year beginning into two posts, but I have a feeling you'll be hearing a lot about Chris and getting to know him quite well in the future! The long-term future, if you catch my drift! ;-)

I will tell you this. We officially became a couple this summer. I have never been happier. And, as cheesy as it sounds and although I didn't feel like I had a piece missing, I now feel complete. :-) And He? Well, he feels like he has a second chance at life. He is now in the right place, with the right person instead of the wrong place with the wrong person. As he likes to say, "I sure do love my do-over!" And I sure do love being his do-over... there's nothing I'd rather be!

A wonderful weekend...

My weekend was full of family and fun! It started after a mad dash to work and a wild school day that included an art project in class (what was I thinking?!?) and a pep rally! Mom picked Bentlee up from school and they headed to the 'boro to spend some Q T with Chris, Lily, and I!

I posted this picture as proof that mom and I have both been reduced to school Tshirts for the sake of blue jeans! Who would have ever thought...

We both teach middle school, we both are "tigers," we both are opposed to Tshirt wearing, and we are both REQUIRED to wear them with our jeans! lol. Oh, what a teacher will do for a pair of blue jeans! :-)

Mom and Bentlee arrived in style in Mom's new car! :-) She and dad just got this little collector car...


It's a beautiful T-Bird! Everything in it's teal... Teal seat bottoms, teal gear shift, even the needles on the speedometer are teal! It's not a color mom would have ever picked but it turned out to be SO cute!


The girls especially loved it! Grandmommy gave them each a ride with the top down! :-)

Friday night I cooked dinner at Chris' and the girls played while we caught up and sipped wine! Of course, the girls won grandmommy over and we all ended up playing Hi-Ho Cherry-O and "Tiger" (freeze tag) and reading books! Saturday Mom broke out the sewing machine and Lily and Chris came over so Lily could be fitted for her cheer uniform! She has one now just like our cheerleaders! Afterwards we all went to lunch and then the little girls went with Chris for a day of playing while the big girls took the T-bird out for a spin and went shopping! I had SUCH a wonderful time! (I always do with mom!) And we had major shopping mojo going on... we got great deals!!!


Sunday brought church which was wonderful as always. Then Chris, Lily, and I headed to Milton to visit with his family, to allow him to work on an outdoor project for his mom, and for Sunday dinner (that was CRAZY good!!!). While we were there I persuaded Lily to let me take a few pictures! This is pretty rare, she's not crazy about getting her picture made and getting her to look at, let alone smile, at the camera proves challenging at best!

We get this look a lot, lol! She cracks me up!


And I want everyone to weigh in on these last two! I am going to have it printed (I have a thing for feet) and I can't decide if I like it better in color or in black and white! So leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I truly hope your weekend was as wonderful as mine! I know I am averaging one post a week! It's driving me crazy and I am trying to do better, but at the moment that is all I can manage! Stay tuned for part II of the story of me and my guy! :-)

How it all began...

As promised, I am going to post the story my guy. So, here is part one.




Stage: Beginning

Time: 2004-2005

Setting: Central Middle School




In the spring of 2004 I began my student teaching at CMS. I enjoyed my experience there so much and had fun meeting many wonderful people who are some of my nearest and dearest friends today. Among them, Chris. He was, at the time, Mr. Hooper the science teacher. It's funny... all those years ago, Lauren asked me after my first week here, "Are there any really hot teachers?" And I told her, "One, his name is Chris, but he is married." :-) As I student taught he was just the "cool" guy that everyone liked and I was, of course, drawn to that, but in a respectful teachery way.



In the fall of 2004 I was hired to teach at CMS down the hall from Chris in a different mini school. As the school year progressed we got to know each other better. I loved his sense of humor and I noticed that anyone who was around him was smiling, laughing, and having fun. As a new teacher, just trying to survive, I thought how cool it would be to be in his circle of friends because they seemed so close and invovled, but also so open and accepting.






As the year passed, Chris and I got to know each other as friends and before long, I was a part of his circle of friends. I even got to meet his wife and attempt a friendship. Chris and I knew each other as colleagues and as casual friends. When the year drew to a close, we learned of a reorganization of mini schools and me, along with two other teachers that were on my team, requested that Chris be moved to our mini school so that we could all teach together.




2005-2006


At the start of the 2005-2006 year, my team got our wish! Chis was not only in our mini school, but he and I had adjoining classrooms! It was such a fun year! I learned how similar we were. We had so much in common and I felt like I had known him all my life... like our souls were old friends. We settled into a very close and very comfortable friendship that year and our cirlce of friends began to spend time together outside of work. I began attending our "Liquid In-Service" at the local mexican restaurant every Friday after school, going to poker night, and enjoying all kinds of activities with my new group of friends!

Throughout that school year, and as I got to know Chris better, I eventually learned of his troubled relationship and separation from his wife. They had struggled for years to force a relationship born of crisis and obligation to work and had finally reached the breaking point. I spent countless hours talking with Chris, listening, praying with him, and encouraging him. I never would have guessed where those times would lead. I look back now, however, and realize that those times laid a spiritual foundation and trust for us to build upon.

That year Chris transitioned from "Mr. Hooper the Science Teacher" to "my best friend, Chris."

A week????

Really? A week? My, how time flies when you're having fun... er.... I mean... working! LOL! I seriously can't believe it has been a week since I have posted. I was going to be so good and post regularly this week! :-) Yeah right! Work is kickin' my booty!

I have been having so much fun at school and with my cheerleaders, but it has been keeping me so busy! It's funny how things change when school starts! In a word, I feel behind. Behind on laundry, behind at school, behind on grocery shopping, behind on reading... just behind! lol.

This week was full of nothing but work and trying to keep my head above water, but this weekend work was put to the side and I was off to have fun!!

First, I went to "liquid in-service" at La Siesta for a cold beverage with teachers talking about our first week back.

Friday evening Chris picked Lily up and they picked me up to go get our pottery that we painted (see previous post). Lily was SO excited and since we picked up her castle she has carried around everywhere and played with it every day! Here it is...



And, I am actually not ashamed to put my little work of art on here either... I thought it turned out pretty cute, actually! (That's saying a lot from a totally non-artistic person!!)



After we picked up our pottery we went to eat and then back to Chris' to relax and enjoy our Friday night hanging out together!

Saturday brought more fun! We watched golf all day and had friends over for football all night. We had so much fun! We grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs! It was a great time and we are SOOOOOOOOO excited about football season gearing up and the Titan's pre-season so far! :-)

Here is sweet baby Jack! I just know he's going to be a big football fan!!!! :-)

Here's Will, Lily, and Vance watching a Disney movie while we watch football... how cute is Vance's little face in this picture!?!?!

And these two? THE sweetest two kids I have ever met! Vance is so precious and mild-mannered and all boy!! He LOVES Lily... it's just precious!

Sunday we went to Northside Baptist again (we have been visiting for several weeks and really like it) and Lily finally got up enough courage to try Children's Church and she LOVED it!!!! After church I cooked chicken casserole, corn on the cob, with salad and Anne, Scott, and their girls Robin and Melody came over for lunch and brought homemade brownies, ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream (Y-U-M)!!! Lunch was followed by lots of playing, TV, and afternoon naps and a relaxing evening at home! :-)

Overall it was a great weekend and I am off to a wonderful start to what I think will be a great week!!! For now, however, I am off to put on my PJs and hit the sheets! I am WIPED OUT and need lots of rest so I am ready for my kiddlets tomorrow at school!

The end of July...

...whizzed by! :-) I have so much to update you on, it's crazy! Between trying to cram in all the fun possible before school and getting ready for school, I had little time to blog! I feel like I haven't even been home long enough to blog! I read La's blog post about "This one's for the girls" that recapped a bunch of fun stuff in July and decided I would do a little recap myself!

The last couple weeks brought some really fun times! My cheer girls got together to go bowling! I can't post pictures of the girls (it's a legal thing) but I can post a picture of this beautiful girl...


LILY! Chris and Lily went with me on bowling night and had a blast! I love Lily's face in the above picture! Cracks me up! I guess that ball was pretty heavy!



We also visited the ice cream shop! Now, that's summer time! Lily had, CHOCOLATE of course! For Chris, Mint Chocolate Chip (always) and for me Strawberry!

MMMmmmmmm!

I also got a chance to reconnect! Thanks to FaceBook, my suit mate, Kendra, found Me and Lauren! She came to town for a spa party and ended up meeting us for breakfast at City Cafe to catch up and reminisce about old times! Dawson came with us....

...he was the entertainment! He is growing so fast and he is SO funny and so much fun to see!

Chris came with me and got to meet Kendra! He spent breakfast cracking us all up! I don't know what I ever did without him and his sense of humor!!

This photo shows La, Kendra, and myself after breakfast! It was great to catch up! I haven't seen or heard from Kendra since Freshman year of college!

July also brought a farewell to...

The mustang! She was 12 years old... my sweet 16 car! I have been ready for a 4-door "big girl" car for a while now, but my my beautiful mustang was paid for in full and I had such a sentimental attachment to her! I sold her to a 16 year old that wants to love and care for her and is very excited to have her! That made it easier to give her up... well, that and my new ride..

A nice Lexus ES330! :-) It's loaded and I love it!

Another Lily adventure was a trip to paint pottery! She has never been and neither had Lauren!

Lily did so good! She picked a sand castle box and painted it inside and out! She is focused on making her polka-dots in this photo! I am waiting to pick up our finished products until Lily gets back from her mother's and can go with me! I can't wait to see what they look like!!

Here the four of us are all painting! When I get our finished work I'll post pictures! (If mine looks decent, that is! lol)

Me and Lily Mac painting!! This is her "picture" smile, lol!

Lily also had her first ever trip to Build-A-Bear!

Here she is waiting to stuff her doggy. I forgot how much fun Build-A-Bear was! I could spend a fortune in there on all the clothes and accessories for all the stuffed animals! It's addicting!

Well... that is the last little while in a nutshell! Sorry I have been so inconsistent with my blog! Hopefully with a school routine I will get back into the groove! :-)

One Word...

... school.

I'm not lost, I'm not dead, I'm just working! :-)