The Parker Family

Celebrating Nannie

2012-01-21T12:13:00.007-06:00

On the one year anniversary of Nannie going to Heaven, we went out to dinner with Philip to celebrate her. She loved Macaroni Grill so that's where we went. She would have loved it. Afterwards we released some ballons to her in Heaven. We hope you got them Mom.

Booty Crack

2012-01-21T12:02:00.002-06:00

Thanks for the view Megan. :)

One Year

2012-01-04T12:55:00.002-06:00

It's been one whole, long year. In a way I'm so glad that this year is over because it's been so hard. But then that makes me sad because that means I'm going to keep moving further away from the last time she was here. And that's ok. Life was meant to live fully and in the moment. She would want us to. But, boy, we miss her. But she is always with us. Heck, the woman even had a meteroid shower exactly one year after she passed away. I set my alarm to see it. And lo and behold I watched a meteroid out my window around 3am. Who does that!?! Only my mother.

Thank you to everyone for all your love and support this past year. It's helped me tremendously. More than you'll ever know.

Afterglow

I'd like the memory of me
To be a happy one.
I'd like to leave an afterglow
Of smiles
When life is done.
I'd like to leave an echo whispering
Softly down the ways.
Of happy times and laughing times
And bright sunny days.
I'd like the tears of those who grieve,
To dry before the sun
Of happy memories that I leave
When life is done.
-Author unknown

Rudolph Kisses

2011-12-26T12:04:00.000-06:00

First Christmas in Heaven

2011-12-25T12:43:00.000-06:00

This was given to me by a friend.

My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below with lights, like Heaven's stars,
Reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tears
for I am spending Christmas with Jesus this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,
but the sound of music can't compare with the
Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me.
I see the pain inside your heart, but I am not so far away,
we really aren't apart.
So be happy for me dear ones, you know I hold you
dear and be glad that I'm spending
Christmas with Jesus this year.
I sent you each a special gift from my heavenly home above,
I sent each a memory of my undying love.
After all love is a gift more precious than pure gold,
it was always most important in the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other, as my Father said
to do for I can't count the blessings or love He has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear,
remember I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
-Author unknown

Snow...Already??

2011-12-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

We've already had our second snow of the season!!

View from the front porch

View from the back porch

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

We joined my Dad, Rene', and Leah for our 2nd annual Gingerbread decorating party. Megan really got into this year more so than last year. I think she ate more candy than she put on her house. Thanks guys! We had fun.

Megan being silly

Ella

Concentrating

Megan's hot mess :)

The best we could get

Ella's house

Ella, Megan, and Leah

Nay-Nay and Megan

St. Jude Half Marathon

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000-06:00

Well he did it again! Another half marathon. I took the girls' with me this year and we had fun waiting for him to run in. Too bad Megan wouldn't smile for ANY of the pictures. :(

Thanksgiving Comparisons

2011-12-14T16:45:00.000-06:00

Just because I love comparisons...and yes, I got two years worth out of the same cute outfits. Pants and shirts were shorter this year but I was able to get away with it. Score!

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-14T16:39:00.001-06:00

San Francisco

2011-12-13T15:06:00.006-06:00

I was lucky enough to make it out to San Francisco for a work conference last month. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see a whole lot. But we did see a few things. Here are some pictures to prove I was there. :)

The Things They Say

2011-12-10T12:09:00.000-06:00

Here are some things that the girls' have said lately. Have to document them or I'll forget.

Jeremy: "Don't forget we need to get P.A.N.C.A.K.E.S at the store." (He's talking to me and spelling the word pancakes so the girls' don't hear and get upset that we don't have any.
Ella (only 4 years old): "Yea, Mom, we need to get pancakes at the store."
She knew what he spelled!! Jeremy and I were baffled. Because that's a pretty big word for a 4 year old and we had never spelled it around her before nor practiced it with her. She amazes us. I can't be losing the spelling ability with her just yet! It's too early.

Jeremy was taking the girls' to school the other day. He opens the door and Ella walks in, then Jeremy, and then he holds the door for Megan. Ella looks at him and says, "No Daddy...ladies first." You go girl!

Jeremy had picked Ella up from school to go run errands and meet me for lunch. He told her they were going to run errands after lunch and she says, "Ok, Daddy. I'll have some patience." She then gets in the car and says, "Daddy, have some patience. I'm putting on my seatbelt." Ha. Think we're telling her to have some patience lately? She's really bad about being impatient in the car. :)

We met my Dad, Rene', and Leah to decorate gingerbread houses on Monday. Rene' turns to Megan and says, "What's your name?" Megan's reply, "Me."

We were in the car the other day and Jeremy and I were talking. Megan then says, "Momma! SSSSSHHHHHH!" from the back seat. Well excuse me little girl for interrupting your song.

Rehearsal Dinner Story

2011-12-08T11:56:00.002-06:00

So I have probably told everyone and their brother this story. So if you've already heard it feel free to skip it. But I needed to document it for my sweet daughter for a rehearsal dinner story when she's getting married. I'm so mean. :)

So it was a Saturday night and Jeremy was working. Keep in mind we had just moved into our new house. It hadn't even been lived in by us more than a month at this point. So Megan comes downstairs and hops on the couch. I notice she had taken her diaper off and was naked from the waist down. I then get this awful nasty smell come my way. And then it hit me. I jumped up like the house was on fire. I tell Megan to "stand up...stand up...stand up..." as if that was going to hurry her along. And then I see remnants on her little tushy. Oh yes, she had taken off her poopy diaper. So then I was on the man hunt for where this diaper was. Luckily, it was face up on the landing upstairs. But then I look at the stairs and I see what had taken the beating. Beacuse she proceeded to sit at the top step and scoot her but down each step as she came downstairs. So step #1 was quite obvious. But then we have that nice speckled carpet for the purposes of hiding dirt. Well I was cursing this carpet because now it was hiding poopy that I needed to find. So I had to go step by step and do a sniff test to see where her little hiney had been. Talk about disgusting!

So just when I thought she had learned her lesson, here comes Sunday. The very next day. Jeremy was home (thank goodness...because I couldn't do that twice in one weekend by myself) and I hear Ella yell, "Mom, she's doing it again!" We go racing upstairs and she had taken ANOTHER poopy diaper off in Ella's room. The poop had managed to fall out of the diaper onto Ella's floor and then Megan proceeds to step in it and since she didn't like the way that felt she walked across Ella's room to come tell us to get it off her foot. GROSS!!! It was everywhere! So needless to say we are in the middle of potty training. Going well so far. No more poopy on the floors since that weekend. Thank goodness! :)

I told you the carpet was comfortable

2011-11-25T14:57:00.000-06:00

I love my new carpet!! It is so nice and soft. Well apparently Ella thought so too. I went upstairs to check on her and found that she had fallen asleep on the landing.

Medal of Bravery

2011-11-23T15:03:00.016-06:00

My brave husband and three of his fellow firefighters were awarded the medal of bravery last month from the City of Memphis. It is a very neat honor and we are so very proud of him. It really puts it into perspective what they are faced with when they go do their job. Congratulations Jeremy! We couldn't be more proud of you!!

Halloween

2011-11-23T14:53:00.008-06:00

Better late than never. Here are some pics from Halloween. Ella was Tinkerbell and Megan was Snow White.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-11-16T15:49:00.002-06:00

I promise to update soon. Lots going on. Jeremy received his Medal of Bravery from the City of Memphis, we moved, Halloween, traveling for fun and work, etc. So I have lots of pictures coming your way. Hang in there. :)

So Close!

2011-10-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Caution...picture overload! And yes, the refrigerator/freezer is that big. :)

Hugs from Jesus

2011-10-02T22:32:00.002-05:00

The girls' and I were getting ready for bed the other night. We were talking and I was saying how I was missing Nannie (my Mom). Ella says, "Nannie misses us too Mom. Jesus is helping her by giving her hugs." I love how her little mind thinks!

Crickets Chirping

2011-09-28T20:52:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA. Between work and finishing this house, things have been pretty crazy. I promise to have house pictures soon. It is all clean and ready for us to move in. We just need to finish up some inspections and we are good to close. Yay!

But I just wanted to share an Ella story. Ella, Megan and myself were eating dinner tonight. Jeremy is at the fire station. I can't remember how we got on the topic and we were talking about marriage. Ella said that she was going to marry Harrison and Daddy. Well I told her that you were only allowed to marry one person (unless you were on the show Sister Wives. Ha. J/K). So she looks at me and was like, "Well, ok, I'll marry Daddy then." Lucky Daddy made the cut (barely). He should feel special. :)Enjoy it while you can big guy!

House Pictures

2011-09-08T20:34:00.015-05:00

Here are some updated pictures of the house that I took today. We're getting close!

The pool has officially started! Yay!

The mudbench right off the garage

Our nice new friend that likes to come around. :/

Don't mind the ladder and mess on the floor. But I just love my stone fireplace!

Master Bedroom color

"Tongue and Groove" on the front porch

Megan's room

Ella's room

Built in desk for the office

Gas Stove Top with Griddle *swoon*

Detached Garage

I love their shadows. Ella's striking a pose and Megan is looking at her crazy.

New York aka...just in time for Irene

2011-09-07T21:43:00.011-05:00

Oh, New York. Sweet New York. God only knows we can't go visit there without having some kind of disaster. Last time my mother shattered her hip and it took us a week to get her back home. This time a natural disaster was coming straight for us...Hurricane Irene. But we survived and had some great family time. We were able to finish laying Mom to rest before the Hurricane hit. The other half that was not laid to rest in the ocean in Florida is now lying peacefully with her Mother. It was so nice to see the family and to be able to say we survived Irene.

We were able to even go to the beach the Friday before Irene hit. It was a beautiful day. The water was rough and freezing. We are used to the Gulf temps. Not the Arctic!

Love those curls

Sweet Mom

Mom and my Nannie are where the "drapery" is

My Mom's two beautiful sisters

Sisterly Love

2011-08-30T20:57:00.002-05:00

I love this story and don't want to forget it. We went up to New York last weekend to visit family and lay Mom to rest. Well, me, Jeremy, and the girls' stayed in my cousin Kaitlyn's room. The girls' were on the air mattress. They loved it. Well one night we put them to bed. A couple of hours later I hear Megan crying on the intercom. So I go upstairs to check it out. When I walk in she's sitting up crying on the mattress and pointing at Ella. Ella had rolled off the mattress onto the floor and Megan was so concerned that we needed to get her back on the mattress. So she starting crying to get us to come upstairs and help move her. How sweet is that!?!

Megan's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-08-30T20:44:00.015-05:00

Megan turned 2! And Elmo was there! She saw him and screamed, "MELMO!" We had a blast with Elmo.

Ella's 4th Birthday Party

2011-08-30T20:13:00.020-05:00

Finally...some birthday party pictures! I'm so far behind. We had a blast at Ella's birthday party. Tinkerbell was even able to come!! She loved it!

Horrible and Pitiful

2011-08-17T19:01:00.005-05:00

We had the girls' 4 year and 2nd year checkups today. Boy, was that hard. Megan was already annoyed at where we were and whining before the doctor even walked in. We were the family that you could hear in the waiting room with all the screaming that was coming from our room. My ears still hurt. Thankfully, the girls' are very healthy and doing well. Lucky for Megan she only had to have a finger prick today. Ella got the raw end of the deal. She had to have a finger prick and 4 shots! She is now ready for Kindergarten. But she didn't take it so well. As we were leaving the doctors office I said, "Boy, that was fun." Ella looks at me and says, "Well NOT for me!" God love her. Here are their stats:

Ella:
Height= 40 1/4 in.(55%)
Weight= 37lb 8oz (65-70%)

Megan:
Height=35 1/4 in (80%)
Weight=29lb 10oz (80-85%)

After the finger was pricked...little does she know at this point that she's about to get 4 shots in the leg. Ouch.

Why is it that when they get thir finger pricked it's like they've broken their hand and have to hold their hand funny?

They don't look too happy...do they?

Megan's 2!!

2011-08-10T20:25:00.005-05:00

Megan Claire...what a great two years it's been! You have grown so much and your personality has really started shining. You and your sister are the light of your Daddy's and my lives! You still don't talk too much but, girlfriend, you understand everything that comes out of our mouth. You are so strong willed. You and I might have trouble during your teenage years because I see a lot of me in you. Nannie always said I was going to get my payback. :) Your smile and laugh is infectious and you can light up the room. Happy 2nd birthday my sweet girl! We love you so much!!

Megan-2 years old

Megan-1 year old

Megan-Birthday

The First Boyfriend

2011-08-08T20:49:00.009-05:00

We were eating dinner tonight and here's the conversation between Jeremy and Ella:
Ella: "Daddy, guess what!?!"
Jeremy: "What?"
Ella: "I have a boyfriend!"
Jeremy: "Oh really? Who is he?"
Ella: "Harrison Oatmeal Gist!" (Harrison's real name is Harrison O'Neal Gist...I guess O'Neal to her sounds like oatmeal.)
Jeremy: "Oh, boy."

Keep in mind Harrison and Ella have been together since birth. They have been in the same class since they started in day care in the infant room. They are adorable together. Harrison has been there for every birthday. The pictures below are a testament. We love us some Harrison and think he is precious. Thank you Harrison for being such a good friend to her at this young age! I mean...how cute are they!?!

Ella and Harrison at her 4th birthday party

Harrison at Ella's 3rd birthday

Harrison helping Ella blow out candles at her 2nd birthday at school

Harrison eating cupcakes at Ella's bday at school at 1 year old

4 Years Old

2011-08-06T21:03:00.011-05:00

Ella Marie...you are 4 years old today!! Where has the time gone!?! You are such a loving and independent little girl and your Daddy and I are having so much fun watching you grow. You are so smart! Your abstract thinking is out of this world for your age. You absolutely amaze me. And you definitely have your Mommy's sense of direction. You can tell us how to get anywhere. You absolutely love your sister. It warms my heart to see you guys snuggling, laughing together, and loving on each other. You also have your many fights but I guess that is what sisters 2 years apart do. But at least you always hug and make up. I pray that you stay so close to Megan for the rest of your life. Your personality is phenominal. You are constantly making us laugh. The looks you give, the laughs you laugh, the smiles that warm are hearts are some of the things that make you amazing. You have such a pure heart and we are so proud to call you our daughter. We love you Ella Bean!

4 years old

3 years old

2 years old

1 year old

Birthday

Cabinets, Tile, and Doors

2011-08-06T20:31:00.011-05:00

Double oven on the left, microwave in the middle (push button to open microwave and then you drop the food from the top into the microwave-very, very cool), freezer and refrigerator to the right

Gas stop top with griddle in the middle with the ventahood

Dishwasher on the left, sink in the middle, and ice maker to the right

I Love Her

2011-07-29T22:22:00.002-05:00

So Ella and I were laying in her bed the other night reading books, saying prayers, and getting ready for bed. She looks over at me, starts rubbing my face with her hand, and says, "You're a great, great Mother." I completely lost my breath. That girl just made my whole year. But what was even harder for me was that one of my last great conversations with my Mom she said the same words to me. It was very strange. It was like my Mother was talking through Ella. Talk about crying my eyes out. Thank you Ella. I needed that. I love you.

I'm also documenting this so that I can refer to this post when she is 16 years old and telling me how horrible I am. :)I will so read this post back to her as much as I need to. Boy, she's going to love me.

Just when we've thought we've thrown all of the markers away

2011-07-29T08:27:00.000-05:00

She (aka...Megan) found one! Ugh!!! That butt got in so much trouble! Talk about having to paint.

Big Girl Bed

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

We have moved my little girl into a big girl bed! *tear* I can't believe that she's ready for that. But she has learned how to climb out of her crib for some time now. So I'm trying to be a responsible parent and not let her crack her head open. :) And she loves it! Sleeps great in it and she actually doesn't get out of it as much as she did with her crib even though it's easier to get out of. Anyway, here are some of the first pictures of her sleeping in it.

House Update

2011-07-26T20:11:00.009-05:00

The house is looking fantastic!! The sheet rock is up and the wood floors are in (floors still need to be stained though)! I'm loving watching all of this come together. My father and husband have a bet going as to when we'll be in the house. Better be by Sept 30 or else my husband is going to loose. And he better not loose. :)

Sheetrockin' in the garage

View standing in the living room looking upstairs

Playroom

View from the balcony outside the playroom looking down to the living room

Wood floors! View from living room looking towards the front door

View from the living room looking towards the kitchen

Half view from front door

Mani's/Pedi's

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gosh...I love having girls'!

Dance Camp

2011-07-18T21:48:00.007-05:00

Jeremy asked Ella last month, "El, you want me to sign you up for Soccer?" She looks at him and says, "No...Daddy! I'm doing Dance." Pure girl! Oh boy...here we go. So naturally what does a Mother do? She signs her up for dance. Yay! How fun! So she had her first Dance Camp last week. She really seemed to enjoy it and we'll be signing her up for weekly classes in the fall. I can hear Jeremy moaning now. :)

Megan was trying so hard to join her sister

Sweet Meggers patiently waiting

Look at that form! :)

Sprinkler Park

2011-07-11T23:00:00.012-05:00

Here in Memphis the only park I can handle during the summer is the Sprinkler Park!! We took the girls' for the first time the other weekend and we had so much fun. It is silly hot here and anything that deals with water is Heaven to us.

Megan was getting a little bossy and telling this poor girl that this water hole was hers. Wonder where she gets that from? :)

Flipping with Daddy

Jeremy and I were cringing at what could happen to this one. This was a water spout that would squirt all the way into the air. And when it didn't Megan would walk over and stick her face in it. We were waiting for that thing to just go off and Megan have a heart attack.

MELT MY HEART!! LOVE THIS!

Megan being bossy and telling Ella to "Come Here!"

Hamburger with Cheese

2011-07-07T22:28:00.002-05:00

I had taken Ella to the plastic surgeon today to have a check up on her incision. It's looking great! But afterwards I had taken her to Wendy's for lunch. As we're getting out of the car I ask her if she wants a cheeseburger. She turns and looks at me in disgust and says, "NO Mommy! I want a hamburger with cheese." Who knew?

Sisterly Fun

2011-07-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Piggie Tails

2011-06-29T21:41:00.003-05:00

I could eat her up!

Night on the Town

2011-06-23T21:03:00.017-05:00

Our town has a band come play on the square every third Saturday of the month. We try to go to as many as we can. We love it. Free entertainment! Can't beat it! Anyway this past Saturday night was definitely hot as you can tell from the pictures. But we had a blast!

Showing off her dancing skills

Daddy doing what he does best...Hair!

A Sweet Megan Story

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

So I was holding Megan the other day in the kitchen. And on our refrigerator is a nice 8x10 picture of Mom. Well Megan had been staring at it and then all of a sudden reaches out her hands to the picture of Mom. She was wanting her to hold her. Broke my heart. I know, Megan. I know how you feel. Just to have one more hug...

Tennessee Safari Park

2011-06-20T08:05:00.002-05:00

We went to the Tennessee Safari Park on Saturday. That place was SO cool! You stay in your car and drive through a preserve that they have. They also have another area where you can get out and walk around and see more animals. But the animals will come right up to your car and you can feed them. It was unreal! My heart was pounding when they would walk up to my window. They were huge. If you ever get the chance definitely go see this place. Well worth the little drive from Memphis! Anyway, here are some pictures from our excursion.

This guy below saw our car and couldn't get to us quick enough. He knew we had food.

How cute is this little guy!?!

Megan kept waving and saying hi to all the animals.

These three cracked me up. We gave them food and then they just stood there and stared at us. It's like they were trying to size us up.

This guys about gave me a heart attack. I even rolled my window up. I finally rolled it down to get a picture after he removed his nose from my window.

Such Relief

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

We were getting ready to go listen to a band on our town's square last night. So I had gotten the girls dressed in some cute little summery dresses. I got Ella dressed first and then Megan. Megan and I finish getting her dressed and we start walking out of her room. Ella comes running around the corner. She stops in front of Megan and pulls the front of her dress down. She then says, "Oh, good...you have little boobies too."

Such realizations for such a young age. Oy!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the Daddy of my children! You are so amazing with them and you are their world. You're definitely the "favorite". Thank you for everything you do for them and for our family. We love you with all our hearts!

And Happy Father's Day to my Dad, Jeremy's Dad, and Jeremy's Stepdad. You all are amazing men and Father's. We wouldn't be where we are today without you!

Surgery Day

2011-06-18T14:55:00.005-05:00

So my big girl had surgery last week to remove her birthmark. The birthmark was changing colors so we felt it best to go ahead and remove it. She was so brave and did great through surgery. She felt pretty awful and puny the rest of the day. But she was a trooper. The pathology reports came back benign. Amen! But it's healing really well. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you Ella Bean!

Her friend, Harrison, wanted to bring Ella some flowers. So he and his Mom stopped by and brought her some roses. Is that not sweet! Her first flowers from a boy!

Before:

After:

You think someone likes chocolate?

2011-06-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Nannie!

2011-06-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

June 2 would have been my Mom's 56th birthday. So we celebrated by singing happy birthday, having cupcakes, and releasing some balloons to Heaven so she could receive them for her party up there. We hope you had a great birthday in Heaven Mom. We love you and miss you terribly!

House Update

2011-06-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Moving along...and so far under budget! :)

Finally...Florida Pictures

2011-06-12T15:44:00.033-05:00

Warning...picture overload! Don't say I didn't warn you. We spent a week in SanDestin the week before Memorial Day. It was fantastic. Megan was a little cranky. So much so that we decided to take her to the doctor while we were there. We decided to get Ella checked out too since we were already going. And what do you have? Two girls' with ear infections. Go figure. But we got medicine and were in much better moods afterwards. But we had some nice family bonding time. Ryan and Philip came down and joined us at the end of the week. Ryan, Philip, Jeremy, myself and the girls' then went and spread some of Mom's ashes in the water as she had wanted. It was definitely a beautiful day. Enjoy all the pictures!

Florida To Come

2011-05-30T22:15:00.004-05:00

Sneak preview to our week in Florida...more to come later...

Swim Free

2011-05-30T22:09:00.003-05:00

Lord God,
By the power of your word
you stilled the chaos of the primeval seas,
you made the raging waters of the flood subside,
and calmed the storm of the sea of Galilea.
As we commit the earthly remains
of our Mother to the deep,
grant her peace and tranquility
until that day when she
and all who believe in you
will be raised to the glory of new life
promised in the waters of baptism.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Bon Jovi

2011-05-30T20:50:00.004-05:00

Jeremy was kind enough to escort me to Bon Jovi. I love some Bon Jovi!!! Jeremy ended up enjoying the show as well. It was a much needed date night!!

Hotel Dance

2011-05-30T20:33:00.002-05:00

Oh my...we were in Florida for the week staying at my Dad's condo. (Thanks Dad!) Anyway, anytime we stay somewhere new Ella think's it's a hotel. So she walks up to Megan. And she gets about 2 inches from Megan's face and screams, "Megan, want to see my Hotel Dance!?!" Jeremy and I look at each other crazy and say, "Oh, no ma'am...you may never ever have a hotel dance and if you do you are in trouble!" :)

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T22:00:00.013-05:00

I'm not going to lie. This day hurt. It hurt a lot. This was my first Mother's Day without my Mom. This is probably going to be the holiday that hurts me the most. This was my 4th Mother's Day but I have been celebrating this day for my Mother for 30 years. This was more her day than mine. And to know that she wasn't here to hug just hurt. Don't get me wrong...I have two beautiful girls' and a husband who made this day very special for me. And I am so grateful and thankful for them. But I was missing that other piece. And that other piece is in Heaven and pain free, which is important and my wish for her. I love her and am so relieved that she is happy and pain free. I just miss her terribly. I hate this year of "firsts". Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful friends and family. I'm grateful for every single one of you. To the daughters who are without your mother this year, I pray for your peace and healing. I understand where you are. And to the mothers who have lost a child, I pray for you. I can't imagine your feelings today. And Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful Mom. Thank you for being you even though we could fight like cats and dogs. Ha. And thank you for showing me how to be a real, true Mommy. I am forever grateful.

Finally! Some pictures of me and my beautiful girls! (I'm always the one behind the camera so I never have pictures of us.)

It's Looking Like A House!

2011-05-07T21:57:00.007-05:00

Helping Daddy Blow Out His Candles

2011-05-07T21:49:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-05-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

Today is Jeremy's birthday! We love him with all of our heart. If he hadn't of taken the camera with him we could have done a picture post for him. But he is the best Daddy and Husband! He puts us first and love us with all of his heart. What more could we ask for? Thanks babe for being an awesome person that we can grow and aspire to be everyday. What a great example of a wonderful human being you are. We love you!

And a very special happy birthday to Uncle Jason as well! They are twins after all. :)Once Jeremy returns the camera we will make you a picture post as well. We love you very much and hope you have a wonderful day!

Easter 2011

2011-05-02T20:18:00.003-05:00

My beautiful Ella and the best that Megan could give me. See post below for an explanation as to why I have no Easter pictures. We did have a very nice Easter. We went to church to where the fire alarm went off in the middle of mass. That's always fun. Then we enjoyed a delicious brunch at Eddy and Gail's house. The girls' loved hunting easter eggs. I thought about Mom all day but I know she was rejoicing in Heaven. We are blessed!

Megan's Mood for Easter

2011-05-02T20:13:00.005-05:00

She was not having any of it. So needless to say I did not get the nice sister pictures nor family pictures for Easter. Sad. Guess I'll have to get them dressed up in their pretty dresses again and do a do-over.

Different Faces

2011-05-02T20:06:00.002-05:00

I love how different their facial expressions are! Ha.

Making Progress

2011-05-02T20:02:00.004-05:00

Just Because She's Cute

2011-05-02T20:01:00.003-05:00

Naked Baseball

2011-04-26T09:53:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting in the living room and Ella and Jeremy are in Nannie's room watching tv. Ella comes running into the living room and says, "Mommy...Daddy and I are watching naked baseball!"

I said, "Oooo weee...what channel is that on!?! I'm changing the channel!"

I then hear Jeremy yelling from Nannie's room to clarify, "We're watching Yankee baseball. Not naked baseball."

A girl can dream, right? :)

How Many Tines Do I Have To Tell You?

2011-04-23T16:54:00.002-05:00

Ella and Jeremy were lying her in bed today. Her bed is against the wall. And she likes to put her feet on the wall and kick on it. Well Jeremy had told her to stop. So a few minutes later she's back to doing it again. And Jeremy says, "Ella, I asked you to stop. How many times and I going to have to ask you?" That was meant to be a silent question. But with a straight face as if she's really answering his question says, "um...3!" Jeremy didn't think that was so funny, But I died out laughing.

Heartbreaking

2011-04-21T21:53:00.002-05:00

My poor husband was not feeling well at all the other day. It was serious enough that we took him to the hospital to where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. So we are here in the hospital for night #2. Well I left a little while ago to go get the girls' and bring them up to see their Daddy before they went to PaPa and Nay-Nay's house to spend the night. My 3 year is very smart and understands way more than she probably should in her 3 years having just gone through everything with her Nannie (my Mom). So we're in the car driving to the hospital and she starts talking to me.

"Mommy, Nannie was in the hospital." I said, "Yes, honey, she was." She says, "Now, Daddy's in the hospital." I said, "Yes, honey, he is." At this point my heart began to sink. Because I can feel where she might be going with this.

So then Ella says, "Nannie's in Heaven. Is Daddy going to Heaven too?"

My heart broke for her knowing that she was thinking that. Unfortunately her only hospital experiences (not that you want to have any) were not the very positive outcome ones since Nannie died so quickly after coming home from the hospital. So I just reassured her that Daddy was not going to Heaven yet and that he was in the hospital to get better. Hospitals are there to help people. And that not all people who go to the hospital go to Heaven right after.

She seemed to understand and went on about her merry way. I just hate that she's having to think like that as a 3 year old. A 3 year old shouldn't have to be worrying about hospitals or death. But she's so smart and I'm so proud of her for asking the questions that she's thinking about.

Bragging Rights

2011-04-12T22:09:00.003-05:00

Look at what my brilliant 3 year old can do. She can write her name!! I don't think I could write my name until the 2nd grade. No, just kidding. But I KNOW I could not write my name at 3. She's so smart. I'm so proud of her. I wish I could take the credit for this. But her school has been working with them on their name. They are getting them ready for Kindergarten next year. I can't believe that Kindergarten is almost here!

Mud Run 2011

2011-04-12T22:00:00.007-05:00

The boys' participated in the 2011 Mud Run Challenge in Millington benefiting the Navy last weekend.

Shaun, Mark, Hunter and Jeremy before

Shaun, Mark, Hunter and Jeremy after

Sweet Angie came out to support and get covered with mud

Be Still My Heart!!

2011-04-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

Go Redbirds

2011-04-10T20:58:00.000-05:00

We went to our Memphis AAA Redbirds games last night. We had so much fun!

Daddy and his girls. I realize the I need to hand the camera over to Daddy so I can have my Mommy and my girls pictures. :)

These next two Megan was watching the mascot, Rocky the Redbird. She loved him.

When things get boring go for the I-phone

Ella watching the fireworks after the game

He's such a good Daddy!

2011-04-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ella's been dying to paint his toenails so guess who let her do it the other day. Such a sweet Daddy!

Happy Birthday Uncle Philip!!

2011-04-09T12:18:00.005-05:00

Happy 25th birthday to my youngest brother Philip!! You are smart, loving, and an absolutely amazing person. I'm so proud to be your sister. We love you very much and can't wait to see what's in your store for your future.

5th Place!

2011-04-03T21:02:00.006-05:00

Well I just completed my first ever fishing tournament! Wright Medical holds one every year and my father in law and husband have been wanting to do it. The only caveat is that a Wright Medical employee has to be in the boat...aka...me. So I looked at the two and decided who was going to help me win the tournament and that was my father in law. Ha! Just kidding honey! We had a blast. And I thank my father in law for being so patient and kind to this novice fisherwoman. And we came in 5th place!!! Out of 28 boats! I was so proud. Thank you PaPaw!! I had a blast! We'll get them next year!

I could get used to driving a boat. Although my preference is to not do it with 7 layers on. It was a little chilly the day before the tournament. That was practice day.

Headed to weigh in

Me and PaPaw with our prized fish.

I even held the big one!

Can You Say...

2011-04-03T19:00:00.001-05:00

We ordered pizza for dinner the other night for the kids. Well the pizza man arrives. Jeremy opens the door and goes to get the money and leaves our spunky 3 year old with the poor pizza man. I hear her say, "This is Tanner (our dog). Can you say Tanner?" I bet he's never been asked to repeat a name before like he's a 1 year old. :)

Sesame Street

2011-03-29T20:10:00.007-05:00

We went to go see Sesame Street! I love Sesame Street! It was such a cute show. I think I definitely enjoy it more than the girls. :)

I thought this picture was just funny.

In awe.

That awe quickly faded. Glad you enjoyed it Megan.

Sesame Street characters

My Ella

And just for kicks and giggles, here was Ella the last time we went to see Sesame Street. She was so little!

My Cuties

2011-03-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Ryan!!!

2011-03-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

It is Uncle Ryan's birthday today!!! Happy Birthday Ry! We love you! We hope you have a wonderful day! The girls' wanted to make sure you knew they were thinking of you today. You are such a wonderful man. You're one of the most generous people I know. I'm so very proud of you! And I know Mom and Dad are too. Hugs and kisses to you on your special day!

My Future's So Bright...I Gotta Wear Shades

2011-03-22T19:27:00.002-05:00

Unsupervised

2011-03-21T20:02:00.006-05:00

This is what happens when you give them a few minutes of free time while you're trying to put dinner together. Needless to say we ate outside and once we were done went straight to the bath. :)

You know you're from Tennessee when...

2011-03-19T20:39:00.002-05:00

Ella was letting the dogs out the back door. When she closed the door I told her to lock it. She said, "So the bad guys don't get us?" We recently had some prisoners on the lose around our town. So she heard that on the news and remembers it. I told her that it was ok because the police had "caught" them. She looks at me with a confused look on her face and says, " with a fishing pole!?!" Oh, the innocence in Tennessee.

Hot Springs

2011-03-15T20:12:00.004-05:00

Jeremy and I had a little weekend getaway over to Hot Springs in Arkansas the other weekend. We went with a few other couples and had a blast. It was just nice to get out of town. However, this was the extent of my picture taking. Sad, I know. I just didn't think about taking out the camera. We were able to go to the horse races, which was great. I felt like I was at the Kentucky Derby.

It's still alive!

2011-03-15T20:05:00.004-05:00

I'm going to be honest. I was very nervous looking around the funeral home and seeing all of the beautiful flowers and plants. I have a black thumb! I'm not very good at keeping plants alive. Heck, I'm doing good to keep my kids alive. Ha. Just kidding. Dept. of child services, you don't need to come to my house. They're fine. I promise. :) But the plants are all alive and doing well! And it's been over 2 months. And here's the beautiful orchid that some very good friends gave us. Look how beautiful it is. And I've kept it alive!

Who needs a bed rail when you have a wall of stuffed animals?

2011-03-15T20:03:00.002-05:00

I know this is soooo late

2011-03-15T19:59:00.003-05:00

As I was organizing the other day I came across our Santa photo from December and realized I had never posted it on the blog. So here it is. Excuse the lack of quality. I took a picture of a picture. Mom's scanner is not working. But you get the point. Megan is screaming and reaching for Jeremy and Ella wouldn't touch or come near Santa with a 10 foot pole. I love these memories. :)

OMG...The Hair!

2011-03-09T21:41:00.004-06:00

We were hanging out tonight. I was sitting in the recliner and Ella tried to climb up in it and lost her balance. She practically did a somersault, half pike, and slammed her body into the ground. I was fully expecting a cry! Well she composes herself and instead of crying, which I was expecting, brushes herself off and says, "Does my hair look ok!?!" She's too funny!

The Offering

2011-02-28T21:43:00.004-06:00

So we were getting ready this morning for work and school. I was in the kitchen getting my last minute things together. Ella walks up to me and says, "Mommy, you need to put your offering into the basket." And she's standing there holding a basket out to me. Now here I stand, beaming with pride, because at church on Sundays we give Ella the offering and let her put it in the basket. So, one, it tells me that she's paying attention in church, and two, that she knows what the meaning is behind it. So I ask her what she's going to do with the "offering", and she says she's taking it to school to use at the snack machine. I guess we need to have another conversation on "offering". Boy she got that $1 offering out of me before she told me what she was doing with it. Smart, smart girl. We are so in trouble as she gets older. :)

Look Who Wishes She Could Go Back To The 80's

2011-02-15T20:32:00.001-06:00

Take That!

2011-02-15T20:31:00.001-06:00

It's "Snow" Cold Outside!

2011-02-01T21:08:00.009-06:00

We've actually had a lot of snow falls this winter, which is quite unusual for us. You can tell it's so unusual by our "sledding" apparatus below. Boy, we need to upgrade. The girls loved it and wouldn't stop eating the snow. At least the weren't eating the yellow snow. Ha!

Note sledding apparatus...so sad. But these girls' loved it!

Mary Jo

2011-01-27T09:35:00.002-06:00

I was putting Ella to bed last night and we were saying our prayers. This is what it sounded like:

Ella: "Dear God, I pray for Daddy, Mommy, Nannie, Mary Jo....."

Me: Never ever having heard of Mary Jo, I naturally say, "Ella, who is Mary Jo?"

Ella: "Mom, Mary Jo is Jesus' Cousin."

Oh, there you have it folks. In case you were wondering who Mary Jo was. :)

Ryan's Eulogy

2011-01-23T19:16:00.001-06:00

For those that couldn't be there here is the eulogy that my brave brother, Ryan, gave for my Mom. Truly eloquent and perfect in every way. Thank you Ryan for sharing this!

"Before I speak about Mom, Brianna, Philip and I would like to thank everyone, not only for being here tonight but for all of your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for our family. The amount of support that we have received has been tremendous and we are truly grateful. Also, for all those who have sent anything, food or otherwise, it has been very helpful so thank you. Lastly, for everyone who came to visit my Mom these last few weeks, in New York or back here in Memphis, we really appreciate the thought and I know Mom enjoyed the visits and company.

There are a few people who I would like to especially thank. First and foremost, I want to thank my sister Brianna and her husband Jeremy. About six or seven months ago when they first told me that they were going to build a new house and move in with Mom as a result, I advised strongly against that. For those of you who know Mom well, she is not the easiest person to live with day in and day out. It really turned out to be a blessing when she got sick a few months ago, however. They took on the difficult task of taking care of her every day, from bringing her to all of the doctor appointments to making sure she received the proper medication. Having two little girls to take care of at the same time did not make their task any easier. Brianna - Philip and I are eternally grateful for your leadership and sacrifice so thank you. Jeremy - a lesser man would have taken off a long time ago. Having four women yell at you every day is not an ideal situation. The level of support that you have given my sister and what you did for my Mom was an amazing thing and I want to thank you as well. Mom thought of you as a son, the same as Philip and me, and I know she would want me to share that with you.

Philip - you and Mom probably fought the most, but I think she loved you the most being her youngest. Please know that Mom was very proud of you and knew that you would succeed with whatever path you chose. You have her spirit and we all know that you will use that to be great. I would also like to thank my aunts and uncles and my Dad. Brianna, Philip and I truly could not have gotten through this without your support and love. Mom treasured her relationship with each of you (even you Dad) and I know that she was very proud to be a part of each of your families and you of ours.

When I first sat down to think about what I was going to say tonight, I honestly admit that I was a little nervous. I quickly realized, however, that Mom gave me plenty of material to work with, both good and scandalous. She would hate us standing up here talking about her but hopefully she will be ok if I just stuck to the good things.

Mom was always the brightest light in every room. She enjoyed and celebrated life, both hers and everyone else's that she knew. As soon as someone encountered Mom, they immediately felt her generous sense of warmth and love. If you asked her for a dollar, she would give you five. If you asked her for a hug, she would give you a kiss. If you needed her friendship, she gave you her love. In her spirit, she would want us to celebrate her life and all of the wonderful memories that we shared with her. I know that is a difficult thing to ask but I believe we can be comforted with the fact that she is in a better place, a place not of illness and pain, but of comfort and safety. She will also be reunited with love ones, especially her mom and dad. I laugh when I think of her mom, my nannie, who passed away a few years back and the fact that she has probably been in heaven bossing people around like crazy. Everyone will be very excited to see Mom and potentially get a brief respite from Nannie's long arm of the law.

Mom lived her life exactly the way she wanted, doing exactly what she wanted and that was being a nurse, a mother and eventually a grandmother...a nannie. She was a nurse her entire life. Helping people, most often complete strangers, was what she loved to do. Even later in life, she went back to school so she could further improve her ability to care for people and we were all so proud of her for that. As a mother, she always put herself last. I would be sitting in her hospital room and she would be most worried about me being comfortable or getting something to eat. I had to tell her to be quiet and to not worry about me; she was the one who was in the hospital bed. Now, Mom could be a real pain in the butt, but she simply wanted the best for us at any cost. That cost often resulted in us doing a significant amount of manual labor, but in her eyes, it built character. She felt that the most important thing was for us to be good people first and the rest would fall into place. Being a nannie truly completed her life. I really think these last few years with the girls were some of her happiest days. Experiencing the unconditional love of a child every day was truly precious to her. It is probably best that the girls aren't here right now because they would destroy these in a heartbeat but I have two flowers for the girls. Mom loved flowers and these symbolize that the girls were Mom's two little flowers who were always in bloom.

Although I only got to share 27 years with my Mom, she taught me an exceptional amount in that time. During times of adversity, she showed me the true meaning of courage, poise and perseverance. It is easy to live life when there is not a cloud in the sky but it is how you behave when you get caught in a storm that makes you the person that you are. She has been in her storm for the last 10 years and the amount of dignity and grace that she displayed during her struggle should be a lesson to us all.

As we say goodbye tonight, we should be comforted that Mom has returned home. A place where no storms exist...where the wind will always be at her back...where the sun will always shine upon her face...a place where she can reach the stars."

My Beautiful Family

2011-01-23T18:56:00.009-06:00

Here are some pictures from when all the family was in town.

Aunt MoMo and Philip

Ella was in heaven having all these playmates to play dolls with and to dress up in bows

Yes, our children eat off the floor. Don't judge. :)

Giving Uncle John kisses

Aunt MoMo, Ella, and Kaitlyn

Goodbyes

2011-01-19T20:53:00.003-06:00

The dogs even knew what was going on. Buddy, Mom's dog, would not leave her side the last couple of days she was here with us. Buddy could feel what was going on. When the funeral home came to get Mom in the wee hours of that Tuesday morning, Buddy wouldn't even leave the room for that. She was heartbroken. We took some nice, precious family pictures with Mom the last couple of days. I won't post those since they are private and special to us. But I did want to post this one of Tanner giving his Nannie her last kisses goodbye. These dogs miss her as much as we do.

This is what happens when...

2011-01-19T20:43:00.004-06:00

...your brother comes into town and he gets bored. I didn't get a full beard picture, but you get the point. :)

Hood Rats

2011-01-18T20:58:00.008-06:00

We were just hanging out one day with Mom during her last week. Two of my favorite hood rats of all time. Love you two! Thank you for being my favorite brothers!

They have been so helpful to me during Mom's illness. I thank you both very much for following instructions on what I needed you to do. :) I love you tremendously and Mom is so proud of you. That I know!

Hanging out after bathtime

2011-01-18T20:49:00.008-06:00

Can't you smell the freshness!?!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-17T20:57:00.013-06:00

Ok, so bear with me. I am so far behind on posting. So I'm going to try and catch you up this week. We brought Mom home from the hospital on the 23rd. So she was able to be home and she so enjoyed watching the girls'. It was a great morning spent as a family. Ella loved every bit of it, except she did not want Santa to come in her room in the middle of the night. She was very concerned about that. :) But she tore through all her presents and said she needed more. Ha! Megan was completely different. She did not give two hoots about any of those presents. She just wanted to eat her breakfast. Priorities. But we had a great Christmas with Mom feeling good and at home. One I will never forget.

When we went in Megan's room to get her this is what we found. The one shoulder look going on.

Ella-Ism's

2011-01-17T20:36:00.002-06:00

We were eating dinner the other night and Ella decided she didn't want to eat. So I told her she had to eat her meat. It was protein that would help her grow and get big and strong. She looks at me and says, "And it'll give me boobies?" Oh my stars! We are in trouble. I thought Jeremy was going to choke on his food. So yes, I have a 3 year old already worried about "developing".

Kathleen Williams Leach 6/2/55-1/4/11

2011-01-10T20:18:00.005-06:00

It has taken me days to get the courage to write this post. My courageous mother lost her battle with cancer in the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Cancer may have taken her body, but she won the fight in that she is eternally whole in heaven with our Savior.

Just a little background since I last wrote about her...we arrived home from New York via private jet the Thursday after Thanksgiving. We went straight to Methodist Germantown for her hip replacement/reconstruction surgery. She came through that very well. She went to the rehabilitation floor after surgery and was able to come home the night of December 23rd. Her one wish was to be home to see the girls open up their Christmas from Santa. We were lucky enough for Santa to come the night of the 23rd since Jeremy had to work on Christmas day. So we opened up presents and Mom was so happy and had a wonderful time. Christmas Day is when we really started noticing some changes in her. She was having a hard time holding things and grasping. Her mind was having a hard time focusing and thinking logically. At first we thought it was just the amount of pain meds she was on. Each day started getting worse and by that next Tuesday we decided to call Hospice in and have them start coming to the house to help us.

Like I said each day got worse...couldn't feed herself, no strength in her legs...so that Wednesday I called her sister and told her to come down. Once she got here we decided to call Mom's other siblings to tell them to come into town. Things weren't going well. By Saturday, Jan. 1, everyone was in town and at that point Mom was no longer eating and was slipping away. We sat in her room for the next three days with her holding a "vigil" so to speak. My brothers, husband and I along with Mom's 2 brothers and 2 sisters sat in the room with her and told stories. We laughed and we cried (a lot). It was such a wonderful bonding experience with everyone that I will never forget. It was so special to me and I thank her siblings and mine along with my husband for giving that to her and to me. It's what we all needed.

Early that Tuesday morning her body had enough and she left us for Heaven. I have never been more proud of her. She is such a strong, courageous woman. And I am so proud to be her daughter. I hope I can be 50% of the woman she was. I miss her...I miss her terribly. I'm heartbroken. She was my go-to person for everything. We talked about everything. I have a wonderful support system around me. But nothing is like your Mom. However, what is getting me through is that she's healthy now and she's happy. I can just see her in heaven with her spiky, fun hair again, and that makes me excited for her. She's not hurting anymore.

Thank you to everyone for all your outpouring love and support! That warms my heart and I am eternally grateful! Much love to you all!

To visit her video montage, go to http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Kathleen+Williams-Leach&lc=2230&pid=147603216&mid=4501889&locale=en-US and click on play video in the middle of the right hand side of the screen.

Ella-Ism's

2011-01-03T22:32:00.002-06:00

Just so I don't forget... Ella was eating yogurt at the kitchen table the other day and she screams, "Mommy! There's blood in my yogurt!" Me being so curious walks over and says, "Where?" And she points to where the "blood" is. You know what it was? It was the strawberry particles that they put in yogurt. Hysterical with a capital H!

The Parker Family

Celebrating Nannie

Booty Crack

One Year

Rudolph Kisses

First Christmas in Heaven

Snow...Already??

Gingerbread Houses

St. Jude Half Marathon

Thanksgiving Comparisons

Thanksgiving 2011

San Francisco

The Things They Say

Rehearsal Dinner Story

I told you the carpet was comfortable

Medal of Bravery

Halloween

Busy, Busy, Busy

So Close!

Hugs from Jesus

Crickets Chirping

House Pictures

New York *aka...just in time for Irene*

Sisterly Love

Megan's 2nd Birthday Party

Ella's 4th Birthday Party

Horrible and Pitiful

Megan's 2!!

The First Boyfriend

4 Years Old

Cabinets, Tile, and Doors

I Love Her

Just when we've thought we've thrown all of the markers away

Big Girl Bed

House Update

Mani's/Pedi's

Dance Camp

Sprinkler Park

Hamburger with Cheese

Sisterly Fun

Piggie Tails

Night on the Town

A Sweet Megan Story

Tennessee Safari Park

Such Relief

Happy Father's Day!

Surgery Day

You think someone likes chocolate?

Happy Birthday Nannie!

House Update

Finally...Florida Pictures

Florida To Come

Swim Free

Bon Jovi

Hotel Dance

Mother's Day

It's Looking Like A House!

Helping Daddy Blow Out His Candles

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Easter 2011

Megan's Mood for Easter

Different Faces

Making Progress

Just Because She's Cute

Naked Baseball

How Many Tines Do I Have To Tell You?

Heartbreaking

Bragging Rights

Mud Run 2011

Be Still My Heart!!

Go Redbirds

He's such a good Daddy!

Happy Birthday Uncle Philip!!

5th Place!

Can You Say...

Sesame Street

My Cuties

Happy Birthday Uncle Ryan!!!

My Future's So Bright...I Gotta Wear Shades

Unsupervised

New York aka...just in time for Irene