We are fortunate enough to be blessed with 3 wonderful little boys: Jay, Cody, and Riley.We always say that we're not just raising boys, but we are raising husbands.This blog is for them.
Proverbs 22:6 "Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
Boys, you should be very, very proud of your mom today! She did something that she had wanted to do for a long time. She has been growing her hair out for over a year, so that she could have it cut and given away to 'Locks for Love'. They are an organization that take donor hair and uses it to make wigs for Cancer patients. That is a subject that is very close to your Mom's heart, and I pray that you boys get that servant's heart from her. As much as I LOVED your mom's long hair...i loved even more the fact that she wanted to make a difference in someone else's life....someone that she will never even know. That is one of the many reasons that I am in love with your mom!
Well it almost took 13 years, but tonight Jay shaved for the very first time. He was very hesitant, but he did great! He has slowly but surely been getting some "peach fuzz" and he had a little 12 year old moustache....but we took care of it tonight! Shaving is one of my least favorite things to do...right up there with yardwork....but as a man, it is pretty much a neccessity. I'm glad that I got to teach Jay this life lesson. Love ya buddy!! Hate to see you grow up so fast!
Jay and I had the great honor today of partnering with some friends of ours (Michael, Sara, Kelsey, Abby, Caleb, and Titus Moore) in helping them to bring home 3 little girls that they are adopting from Ethiopia. They teamed up with the Both Hands Organization....One hand for the Orphan and One Hand for the Widow. We had about 35 workers who got "sponsorships" to come and work at a widow's home and do some yard work, painting, tree trimming, etc....stuff that she did not have anyone to do for her. All of the sponsorship money went to help the Moore's with the costs of bringing home their girls. Jay and I were on the team that cleared the trees and stained her fence. We had an amazing day! What an honor it was for us to have a small part in helping our friends.
Day # 2 of our Mini-Vacation was to Ellijay, GA to hike upto Amicalola Falls. We started the day with a visit to your Great Grandaddy's house in Ellijay. We visited with him and his wife, Alice, for a little while. We don't get to see them very often, so it was good to get to see them today! When we left their house, we stopped at Hillcrest Apple Orchards and got us some Apples, Pork Skins, Apple Fritters, and Apple doughnuts! There was a TON of people there....people come from all over this time of year to pick apples and visit the orchards. Then came the main attraction of the day. We went to Amicalola State Park. This is where the Appalachian Trail starts. Mom had packed us all a big picnic lunch before we left home, so when we got to the park, we found us a picnic table and had lunch. Then we started our hike upto the Falls. Mom and I figured that the hike was a couple of miles...going up was pretty tough, but it was fun...we stopped a few times for pictures on the rocks and trees, and finally made it to the base of the Falls. It was very pretty....the trees were starting to turn, and it was just a little bit chilly. The trip back down wasn't nearly as hard...we got back down and we threw the football and frisbee for a little while before coming home. Another day of fun with a couple more to go!
Well, boys, we decided that since you had a "fall break" from school, that we would take a "fall break" as a family. I took off from work and we took a few day trips just to get out of the house and to spend some time together as a family. It started today with a trip to the Yellow River Game Ranch. We have been there before, but not in a few years. I love to come and see the animals. They have tons of animals that are just out in the open that you can pet...and that will just eat out of your hands. We especially love the bears....they have a pit that had 4 huge black bears that will just sit and catch peanuts as you throw them to them. We could just do that all day! They also have deer, squirrels, pigs, farm animals, buffalo, rabbits, etc. It was a very fun day....good to just get outside and hang out together....AND it was just the beginning of our 4 day weekend....lots more fun to come! Oh check out the video of us feeding the bear!
I told Jay that he was the luckiest little boy in the world today, because he gets to spend the day with Roger Stover. Roger was one of Jay's Sunday School teachers for a few years, and he is one of the Godliest men that I know. Roger has always taken a great interest in Jay, and Jay has loved being around Roger as well. We told Jay that he should just be a sponge today and soak up everything that Mr. Roger told him today. Roger picked up Jay early this morning, and they went on down to Atlanta and toured the GA Tech campus. They went to the game....in typical GA Tech fashion, they lost to Middle Tennessee State....and they finished up by eating at the Varsity...whaddayahave! Jay came home with a GA Tech hat, but I think that he is still a Dawg at heart. But Jay and Roger both had big smiles on their faces when they got back home....looks like they had a great time!
Today we welcomed your cousin, Brayden, into the world. He was born this morning and weighed 7 lbs. He reminded me so much of when Jay was born. He has beautiful skin, just like Jay did. You boys will get to see him soon, but I wanted to post a picture of him on her on his birthday. Riley was so happy that he is no longer the baby...he has held that title for 8 years, and he was ready to give it up!
Well boys, we went almost 13 years without any of you breaking any bones. Today on the football field, Riley became the first Baughboy to break something....we always knew that he would be the first. Riley was playing cornerback, and we were playing the West Hall Spartans 9U team. They had a running back that was about twice Riley's size and he took the ball around the right edge. Riley fought off his blocker and made a great solo tackle on the kid. But as Riley tackled him, the boys knee came down on Riley's left elbow. Riley immediately was hurt, but we did not know how bad it was. We thought that he had just gotten the wind knocked out of him, but as his coach got to him, and screamed "bring the cart!!!" I knew something was wrong....and I took off running. Riley's elbow was dislocated, and Sonya Vaughn popped it back in place on the field. We took Riley for x-rays, and they determined that he had a chipped bone in his elbow. They took him out of activities for 2 weeks....I would say that those 2 weeks were some of the hardest of Riley's life so far....he hates not to be running around!
We had a boys night tonight..because mommy refused to come with us! Us boys went to watch Impact Wrestling at the GA Mountains Center in Gainesville. I remember when I was younger, my friends and I used to put on our masks and get aisle seats and spit on the wrestlers as they walked down the aisle to and from the ring. Well, there was no spitting involved, but the boys did get some high fives and hand slaps from a bunch of the wrestlers. We saw Gainesvile, GA's own...the phenomenal AJ Styles....we saw Olympic gold champion Kurt Angle...and we saw the World Champion Austin Aries. The boys loved every second of it. Riley touched one of the women wrestlers, and he said that he would never wash his hands again....GROSS! Maybe we can talk Mommy into coming next time!
Tonight, it was just Jay and Daddy, so we decided that we just wanted to have a "guys" night....now we couldn't decide on what that consisted of, so we just started the night at the Chateau Élan golf course driving range. We hit a bucket of balls, and then we started driving in hopes that we would think of something. We were heading towards the Japanese restaurant when we passed Trigger Time gun range. Neither Jay nor I had ever shot a gun before, so we stopped and decided that we would give it a try. We thought that our best bet was to start slow since we were both novices....there will be plenty of time for us to work our way upto the AK47 machine gun...but to it we settled on just a 22 pistol. We took a little safety instruction and we put up our target, and then we started shooting. I think that I won the closest to the bullseye award, but Jay held his own as well. We never made it to the Japanese place, but we both had a good time being guys tonight!
Another school year is here!! After a long summer of playing at the pool and at Lake Lanier Islands, it is time to go back to school. Jay starts 7th grade, Cody starts 4th grade, and Riley moves to the Intermediate School and 3rd grade. I know that you boys are going to have an outstanding school year. Mom and I are so proud of you and your commitment to your school work. We love you all so much!
Jay had won some Braves tickets one night when he went to church with his friend, Jack Weaver, and us boys went down to Turner Field today and saw the Braves play. It was Cody and Riley's first Braves game, and I was excited to get to take them. The Braves played the New York Mets today, and to make it extra special, we got to watch Chipper Jones play. Chipper had announced in spring training that this year would be his last year as a player. Chipper is going to be a first ballot hall of famer, ane he will have every Atlanta Brave offensive record when he retires, and now you boys can always say that you got to see him play. I remember when I was a boy and we went to see the Braves play and I got to see players like Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Barry Bonds, and of course the Braves like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Jihn Smoltz, Phil Niekro, and Dale Murphy. I love the Braves....and I hope that you boys will grow to love watching them as well. It was a great day!
Back during the spring, Cody's football coach had the idea to put on a little football camp for our team this summer. He had 16 boys sign up for camp, and what a time they had. We dropped Cody off on Saturday afternoon, and didn't get him back home until Friday night. Camp was held at Grove Level Baptist Church in Maysville....it is a massive complex...with a lake, a pool, and many fields for the kids to use. It was the very first time that Cody had spent more than one night away from home, but he did excellent! They started each day with an hour of PT "physical training"....at 7am! Then they had drills and stations and other activities throughout each day. A couple of nights, they had flag football games where the parents and kids played together. Both mommy and I got to go down and play during the week. It was so much fun playing with the kids!
The kids all learned how to do a "dance" where they took off their shirts and twirled them over their heads, then grabbed their privates, and shook their butts....so proud of them!! But, along with all the fun things they did, you could really see them get better as a football team as well. They are a really good group of boys, and the coaches all bragged about how well behaved they were all week. Hopefully there were some life lessons learned as well as football lessons!
I have to admit, though, I sure was glad to get my Codybug back at the house! It just isn't the same when all the boys are not here. Our house / family just doesn't seem right if we are all not home together. I'm obviously not ready to be an empty-nester just yet....luckily, I've got a long way to go!
It's not very often that you get to go to a waterpark....and it is even more rare to go to the waterpark, and have the whole place to yourself!! But, that is exactly what happened today. Mom and the boys went with the Weavers, and had the run of the place. Not exactly sure what Cody, Riley, and Sam were doing in this video.....but maybe this can come back to haunt them one day!
Cody, today is a day that I will never forget! What an honor and a blessing it was for your mom and I to get into the water with you and baptize you. You made the decision on Easter Sunday this year to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. When Pastor Jeff asked the question if anyone had made a decision, your hand went up without hesitation, and you walked down the aisle. You were ready...you were not scared at all. We were so very proud of you! On your baptism day, we had tons of family and friends there to watch you. Your whole Sunday School class came up and watched as well. Also getting baptized today was one of your best friends, Jake Stinchcomb. It is fun watching the two of you grow up together and getting to share this special day. Mom and I are so proud of the little boy that you are and the young man that you are becoming. God truly blessed us when he chose us to be your parents! We love you, Codybug!
Baseball season has been a struggle so far as far as out team, the Timber Rattlers, is concerned. We have a perfect record....we have lost them all so far. But Cody and Riley have both played really well. Cody has caught every pitch of every game. What has impressed me the most is the fact that Cody has improved each and every game. From the first game of having to chase nearly every ball, until now of him actually blocking the balls and making every effort to not let that ball get by him. Riley has played 2nd base until tonight, and tonight he got his first shot on the mound. He has been practicing pitching, and tonight he finally got his shot. He walked the first batter, but then he settled down and started throwing strikes. He did really well, considering it was his first time......well, except for that boy he hit between the shoulder blades!!
We had a blast tonight for Riley's 8th birthday party. He chose to go to Stars and Strikes. We played Laser Tag, played in the arcade, and had pizza. He had his friends Caleb Moore, Nick Blackledge, Ben Meadows, Peyton Rinker, and someone that I don't know his name with us. We had such a good time! Be sure to check out this video of Nick playing a video game!
We took our annual Easter trip to Grammy and Grampy's house. The kids colored eggs on the Easter tablecloth...it has all of their signatures and all of their stains! They had the annual egg hunt, and we took our annual family picture on the front porch swing! Me and mama sure do have a great looking family....so very proud of you boys!
Well boys, today was supposed to be our first overnight camping trip....we had been planning it for awhile, but the weather did not cooperate. We had planned on going back up to Otto, NC and camping with the Rigdons, but the weather in NC was going to have a low in the 30's...so we decided to postpone our first overnight camping trip until it gets warmer. Instead, we drove up to Franklin County and met the Rigdons at a hunting cabin that belongs to one of Chuck's friends. The cabin sat on about 200 acres and had a big fishing pond out in front of it.....it was really pretty. As soon as we got there, you boys took to fishing. No sooner than Jay had his first line in the water, he had caught a fish. All 3 of you caught fishes....probably 25-30 of them total. Jay caught the biggest one....a bluegill. But both Cody and Riley caught some big brim and bass.
After we fished, we just hung out. You boys played ball and boardgames. We grilled out some burgers and hot dogs, and just had a good time with good friends. I hope that you boys remember days like today!
For spring break this year, Mommy and the boys went to Yaya's new house in Sumter, SC for a few days. Yaya and Pawpaw finally sold their house in AR, and got to buy a new one in SC. The boys kept talking about how much they liked Yaya's big backyard! He highlight of the trip was the day trip to Myrtle Beach...yayas house is only just over an hour from the beach. Even though it was cool, it did not faze the boys....they played on the beach and in the ocean....hopefully next time, I can go with them!
You know that you have some pretty good looking boys when you get asked by someone if they can use them in their advertisements. Well, that is exactly what happened to us. Dr. Chris Halper of North GA Pediatric Dentistry approached us, and we, of course, agreed. We had a photo shoot at Hurrican Shoals Park, and the pictures turned out great. This picture is hanging in the dentist office. Pretty handsome, huh??
Boys, this weekend was such FUN!! Santa had given you boys a note on Christmas morning saying that part of your Christmas was that we were going to get to go to the indoor waterpark near Gatlinburg, TN. Mommy and me decided that this weekend would be a good tome to go because it was also the weekend of my 40th birthday! We had a BLAST! We left home on Saturday morning, and we drove up to Gatlinburg....you boys had never really ever been to the mountains, so you were amazed at the views and how high we were. Out plan was to go snow tubing on Saturday afternoon, but the tubing place had closed for the season the day before we arrived. Nevertheless, we decided to have some fun anyway. We hopped on the trolley and headed into downtown Gatlinburg. We grabbed us some lunch, and we let you boys decide what you wanted to do. You chose the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum....i couldn't believe it...lol. We saw the world's largest tire, an 8-legged cow, the world's tallest man, and many other things. You boys really seemed to enjoy it. After the museum, we walked through Gatlinburg and went in some of the shops. We got you boys some ice cream, and then we decided to walk back to the hotel. Then on Sunday morning, the really good part of our trip began. We got up and ate breakfast, then we headed out to Cades Cove....a natural reserve in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. As we drove through Cades Cove, we saw about 200 deer, a few turkeys, and a squirrel. I wanted to see a bear, but mom said that they must have been hibernating. I had read this week that over 1500 bears live in Cades Cove. I find it hard to believe that all 1500 of them were hibernating! After Cades Cove, we drove to the indoor waterpark. It was AMAZING! All indoors they had a huge wave pool, 2 tube waterslides, 2 family waterslides, a big indoor pool with basketball goals, a big kids area with one of those buckets that splashes water on you, an area where you could surf with a body board or surfboard, and an indoor / outdoor hot tub. We got into our swimsuits and we headed for the wavepool. It was without a doubt the strongest waves ever. They were knocking me down. You boys had a great time jumping into the waves. By the time we did it a few times, we were tired. Then we went on to the other rides. You boys loved the surfing...you were all 3 naturals at it. By the time we were done, Jay was doing rolls and staying on his board. We laughed at all the people that wiped out, fell off their boards, and got pushed up the hill....it was funny. We rode the "runaway canyon" slide as a family 3 times...we could get all 5 of us in a raft on that slide. You boys and Mommy rode a 4 person slide as well, the "storm chaser"...it was kind of like the toilet bowl. I waited at the bottom for you guys on that one, and when you came out, Mommy was laughing so hard that she could not contain herself. You boys looked scared to death. Mommy said that it was so much fun, and you got so steep that she thought that Riley might fly out of the raft! We also loved the hot tub...especially the outdoor part of it. After swimming all day, we went to our room, and guess what it had....BUNK BEDS!! You boys loved them!! Cody slept on the top bunk, and did not fall off!! Then on Monday morning, we got up and went back to the waterpark when it opened at 10am. Mommy and Daddy were just going to let you boys play for a couple of hours, and then drive home. Well, we sat there for about 5 minutes, and we decided that we were not going to let you boys have all the fun, so we went and put our swimsuits on and got in the pool with you!! We played for hours!!! When it was finally time to leave, we grabbed us some lunch, and then we went back to Gatlinburg to the place where Mommy and Daddy were married....The Chapel in the Glen. We took some pictures there....it's amazing to think how far we have come in 16 years. I could not imagine a better life than the one that I have. You boys and your Mommy are such a blessing to me...I thank God that He sent you guys to me! Then we headed home. We started driving up the mountain, and guess what we saw...SNOW!! Thats right...it had snowed on Sunday night on top of the mountain. I was very nervous driving around the curvy mountain roads that had snow / ice on them, but we were careful and made it home ok. I love you boys, and Mommy and I had a great time with you. I hope that we created a memory this weekend.
Boys, after 12 years, we have FINALLY figured out how to make the 3 of you calm down and relax...just build a fire in the fireplace. Now we have built fires in the past, but I guess that you are just now to the age to really enjoy them...and Cody seems to REALLY enjoy them...maybe a little bit too much. He said that he "loves to set stuff on fire". Cody had been begging us all winter to build a fire, but it had not been cold enough. Finally, this weekend the temperature got cold enough to start a fire. As soon as it was built, you boys assumed the position of lying in the floor in front of the fireplace. We roasted marshmallows, and just hung out in the living room together. It was very enjoyable just watching you boys....you were so funny....and so calm....just laying there. We love you boys! We talk all the time about how fast the 3 of you are growing up. It was nice just to stop and relax in front of the fire for a couple of days with you!
Happy 9th Birthday, Cody! I can't believe how fast you have grown up! You have grown into a great little boy. You are so stinkin sweet! You are the kid that everyone wants to hang out with. You are the leader! Everyone just kind of follows your lead, and you lead them well. We had you a little birthday party with your friends. We went down to Stars and Strikes and played laser tag, video games, and ate pizza. You hit the jackpot twice on the game that gives you tickets, and you ended up with 788 tickets!!! You came home with a bunch of JUNK!! 2 big inflatable dice were the big things that you redeemed your ticket for! Your friends that went with us were Sam, Wesley, Dane, Travis, and Jake. We had a blast! We love you, buddy! You make us proud everyday!
Boys, this post is not very typical of the other posts in our blog upto this point, but I wanted to share with you about a man that had a huge impact on my life. The man is Johnnie Wiley, and he passed away today. Mr. Wiley was the owner of J&J Foods in Gainesville, GA. It was a "little" independent grocery store that went head to head with the Wal-Marts, Krogers, Publix, etc and actually stayed in business. J&J did not sell any alcoholic beverages, and they were not open at all on Sundays. Johnnie Wiley was very adamant about his religious beliefs, and he let those beliefs be the driving force behind his business. He was also very adamant about knowing his customers and appreciating the fact that they chose to spend their money at his store. He knew that everyone had a choice of where they wanted to buy their groceries, and some people drove down from the mountains of North GA...or drove right past Wal-Mart or Publix...in order to buy their groceries at J&J. Mr Wiley understood this, and he made sure that his employees understood this as well. Mr Wiley loved to garden, and it was not uncommon at all for him to give customers muscadines or vegetables that he had grown himself.
I started working at J&J in 1988 when I was 16 years old. I worked as a bagboy...bagging groceries and following the customers out to their car and loading the groceries for them. The best part about the job was the tips...most everyone gave us a tip for helping them with their groceries...even if it was just the change that they had in their pockets. There were days when I would come home with upwards of $40 worth of change in my pockets....my pockets would just be bulging out, and I jingled whenever I walked. There was a running prank among us bagboys when it was raining outside. A lot of customers would run and get in their car when it was raining, and they would leave us out in the rain to load their groceries in the truck of their car....and NOT even give us a tip for getting soaking wet for them and their groceries. Well, we would load up their groceries...we would be sure to put their bread on the bottom so it would get squished....then the kicker is that we would leave their truck lid open, so they would have to get out and get wet to close it. Next time they would think twice before leaving us in the rain like that!
I worked for J&J for 3 summers as a bagboy. That gave me basically enough money to run around on all year long and to buy gas for my car. As I continued to work there, my relationship with Mr Wiley continued to grow. He saw potential in me that I probably did not even know that I had. Mr Wiley asked me what my plans were after high school, and I told him that I was going to go to college at Gainesville College and then North GA College in Dahlonega. He gave me a business card with a lady's name on it, and told me to go see her at Gainesville College. I went to see her in the financial aid office, and she told me that my tuition was taken care of. Two years later, we went through the same exercise at North GA College. Mr Wiley took a HUGE financial burden off of me at a time when I didn't really know how I was even going to be able to afford to go to college.
I graduated college in 1994, and I continued working at J&J until 1998. Mr Wiley continued to promote me up through the chain until I was one of the store mgrs. I felt like I repaid my debt for my tuition, but I could never repay Mr Wiley for the business ethic that he instilled in me and for the life lessons that he taught me. I know without a doubt that my time working for Mr Wiley at J&J made me the kind of worker that I am today. I appreciate my job, my co workers, and my customers. Mr Wiley saw the good in everyone. He may have had much more money than anyone that he came into contact with, but you would never have know it...he was just Johnnie. My time with Mr Wiley also taught me a lot about the type of man that I wanted to become....and that is the part that I will never be able to repay....and for that, I am so grateful.
I went to see Mrs Wiley (Arrie Mae) at the funeral home. She is one of the sweetest people that I have ever met. I cried with her and just hugged her. I told her how much I appreciated what she and Johnnie had done for a young man that they really didn't even know very well at the time. I hope and pray that I made them proud.
Boys, you should be very, very proud of your mom today! She did something that she had wanted to do for a long time. She has been growing her hair out for over a year, so that she could have it cut and given away to 'Locks for Love'. They are an organization that take donor hair and uses it to make wigs for Cancer patients. That is a subject that is very close to your Mom's heart, and I pray that you boys get that servant's heart from her. As much as I LOVED your mom's long hair...i loved even more the fact that she wanted to make a difference in someone else's life....someone that she will never even know. That is one of the many reasons that I am in love with your mom!
