WELL IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT CHRISTMAS IS HERE AGAIN. THE CHURCH PARTY WAS SO FUN FUN, AND WE ALL HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME. I WANTED TO SHARE SOMETHING VERY TOUCHING THAT HAPPENED WITH BUBBA. AS YOU ALL KNOW MY DADDY ALWAYS IS SANTAS HELPER AT CHRISTMAS...BUT THE PAST FEW YEARS HIS HEALTH HAS PUT A DAMPER ON IT, SO AS MICHELLE WOULD SAY...BUBBA IS HER BACK UP SANTA. HE REALLY ENJOYS DOING THIS FOR THE KIDS EVEN THOUGH MOST KNOW WHO HE IS IT DOES NOT MATTER. EACH YEAR A NEW CHILD IS THERE AND FINALLY SITS IN HIS LAP...LIKE STONE AND SADIE...HE LOVED THAT. BUT IT WAS THE HEART OF ONE SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL THAT TOUCHED MY SANTAS HEART SO MUCH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. MANY KNOW AMBER THAT GOES TO OUR CHURCH, AND MOST OF YOU KNOW HOW THINGS IN HER LITTLE LIFE ARE AT THIS POINT AND TIME. BUBBA DID NOT! SHE KEPT COMING AND HUGGING HIM AND TELLING HIM HOW MUCH SHE LOVED HIM AND HOW GLAD SHE WAS TO SEE HIM FINALLY AND HOW GOOD SHE HAD BEEN ALL YEAR. I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET MY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS THIS YEAR THAT SHE WENT BACK TO HIM AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN THE LITTLE BIT OF TIME THAT SANTA WAS THERE. HER INNOSENCE AND LOVE TOUCHED BUBBAS HEART SO. THAT IS WHAT CHRISTMAS SHOULD FEEL LIKE TO EVERYONE. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I AM NOT REALLY INTO CHRISTMAS , BUT JUST SEEING THE FACE ON MY HUSBANDS FACE THROUGH A SANTA CLAUS BEARD MAKES ME FEEL DIFFERENT. AMBERS HEART AND THE WAY SHE MADE BUBBA FEEL IS THE SWEETEST THING I BELIEVE I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.
BELOW IS THE PICTURE I WAS REFERING TO OF SANTA AND AMBER....IT WAS TO SWEET NOT TO SHARE...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

New Job

I am so very happy to say that after 5 long months, I finally have a new job. I start tomorrow. I am so excited and I have never been excited about working before. I will be working at Picture Me Portrait Studio, located inside the Cullman Wal-Mart. This is so amazing!!! When I had the surgery and then was done the way I was done, I felt so useless and unwanted, and thought that it could not get any worse...Boy was I wrong??!! There were weeks that it did not seem like there was a way ...but The Good Lord seen us through it all, and now I am going to be doing the one thing I have wanted for so long....TAKING PICTURES !!!! I am so very thankful that I was sent there... and decided to check my phone one more time for messages before going into to interview for a daycare position, and I am thankful that my new boss is understanding of my desire to go to church, and I am just PLAIN THANKFUL....
I can hardly wait to get up in the morning...Thanks to all of those who were praying for me after all these months....you will never know how much that meant to me...knowing that you prayed daily just for me, made me want to try harder......I am forever grateful.....WISH ME LUCK!!

Brandy Poe 1994-2007

AND CAN IT BE THAT, IN A WORLD SO FULL AND BUSY, THE LOSS OF ONE SMALL CREATURE CAN MAKE A VOID IN ANY HEART SO WIDE AND DEEP THAT NOTHING BUT THE WIDTH AND DEPTH OF VAST ETERNITY CAN FILL IT UP...
Charles Dickens

~Our Forever Friend~

There’s something missing in our home,
I feel it day and night,
I know it will take time and strength
before things feel quite right.
But just for now, I need to mourn,
My heart ~ it needs to mend.
Though some may say it’s “just a pet”
I know I’ve lost my best friend.
You’ve brought such laughter to our home,
and richness to our days…
A constant friend through joy or loss,
with gentle, loving ways.
Companion, pal, and confidante,
A friend I won’t forget,
You’ll live for always in our heart,
Our sweet, forever pet.

Wednesday I had to have Brandy The Dog put down. Her kidneys started failing, so I did the best thing I possibly could for "My Little Old Woman"--- humanly put to sleep. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. As she took her last breathe, it was me she was looking at. She was 13, had no teeth was almost blind, and was the sweetest thing in the world. She would chase those cats all over my house, and they would run and hide from her. I will miss her...but I know I did the right thing for her. Cherish every moment you have with your puppies and "Old Women" because you just never know........

Jacob's First Note!!!

Well he had his first full day of school yesterday. He got his first note sent home too. We all know that Jacob is a real pistal ball, his teacher is aware of it too, Mrs. Hancock and I are friends. He did not get into trouble for misbehaving...just talking. He got on the red light and tried very hard to make it to green, but got to yellow. Mrs. Hancock is a wonderful person and knows Jacob outside of school, so she knows how to handle him. She also has a red head so she feels my pain!! lol
All of you who know Jacob, know how he is...I think that he has ADHD and if he has the signs, the school will test him ASAP.
I know that hundreds of kids each year get diagnosed with ADHD and if the parent is as commited as Bubba and myself, they can get better. It just worries me, what Mother wouldn't worry? I remember my nephew Robby, who is mentally retarded was put on meds that made him like a zombie...that is not what I want to do to Jacob. That is not a way for a child to have to live, but I know that I have to do something.
So my friends when you pray, say a pray for Jacob. That whatever comes to us, we can face it the right way!!

OK Mandy a question for you....How do they test them and what steps do they take??

Jacob's First Day!!!!!

Well Jacob's newest journey has now begun. My baby started school today!! He was so excited and was more than ready to pop out of bed at 6:30 this morning. I did ok until I started walking down Kindergaten Hall with my little boy, I felt the lump in my throat start. I was not about to even let him think that I was about to cry. We walked into his room,he found his name on his table and sat down and started coloring a picture for his Teacher.. Mrs. Hancock, I took several pictures of him talking to his little friend Abby, she was at his birthday party and went to the pre-school with him. He was telling her all about his new shirt he had on!! I talked with Mrs. Hancock about the dismissal of Kindergarten, and then gave him a quick hug and walked away....but not before I snapped a few more pictures for my album and blogs. I walked alone down Kindergarten Hall and it was the longest walk of my life. I guess since I know that I can not have anymore children...this just got me a little. My baby is growing up on me. He had a great first day and loved every minute of it.....He ate corn dogs and pickles for lunch and drank chocolate milk....and he did it all by himself!!! He was so proud.
Drew began Middle School today and was so excited he could hardly contain himself...He was practicing opening his combination lock for his locker....oh my goodness he has a locker!!!!???? He is in beginner band and is going to play the Snare Drum....so look out Uncle Tommy you are about to get moved off the drums at church.....it's Drew's turn!!!! I am so very proud of both of my boys for being who they are.I know sometimes that they get on my very last nerve, and I do them as well, but I know that they are going to be ok.I am raising them to know right from wrong and God will protect them in whatever they do in life, without God I don't know how we could be ok as long as we have. I am so thankful...

Ok...I will stop now.Hope everyone kids had a great first day.....and the lump in my throat is gone now, so IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!

Fun at the Zoo!!!!

Well yesterday was Jacobs 5th birthday and we granted him king for the day...anything he wanted we did. We started our day with going to Grandmas so she could sing Happy Birthday to him in the way he expected....a silly crazy way..... he just laughed. Then we went to eat breakfast. He wanted to go to the zoo so we did. We had a great time feeding the giraffes and walking around and laughing at my little red head. He was so funny in the Lorikeet exibit.Those birds like to have scared him to death at first, then he was mad because it was time to go see the sea lions. We had so much fun!!! After a 4 hour zoo adventure, we went to the Trussville Regal Cinema and seen That Rat movie... I have no clue on how to even begin to spell it. He loved that as well. We were getting hungry so Jacob said he wanted to go eat WATERBURGER.... which in our language would be Whataburger!!!! Then we went home and got ready and went swimming!!! We had a busy day but I would not trade it for the world!!!!I made a slideshow of our Zoo Adventure....it is hard to believe that he is 5 now....where does the time go....soon I will be wiping tears as he gets on the bus for school, and I just can't stomach that. I cherish every day he gives me good or bad and if you know Jacob he can have some BAD!!!! days.
I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do......

ILLUSIONS OF REALITY

Ok I am super excited!!! It is official...I am published!! Here is the Picture and the Cover of the book it is in, and the write up I wrote with it....I am just tickled to death.....hope you enjoy!!!!!