My Gradual Green Thumb

Yes, hard work pays off. I finally realized. As much as I love working in the yard - [gardening], gardening does not like me. I can not tell you how many azaleas I have killed, the many shrubs I've had to replant somewhere less conspicuous or the countless rose bushes (that I love) that don't bear roses.

Well, 3 some odd years of fighting same said bushes and not giving up finally paid off. I know that these are no where near what they could be, but to turn out [bloom] at all has got me over the moon.

Here are the pictures.

My prettiest achievement

From My Gradual Green Thumb

From My Gradual Green Thumb

Just so you know I didn't buy them from the Walmart...one that hasn't opened up enough to cut

From My Gradual Green Thumb

From My Gradual Green Thumb

One that is spent. There are 3 of these bushes total. (notice the clippers I didn't bother to pick up). It was all the excitement that I actually achieved a bloom - several of them.

From My Gradual Green Thumb

My climbing Moonlight Rose Bush. They're not even through blooming...

From My Gradual Green Thumb

I finally found something that lasted longer than a year to clim the poles on the patio - wisteria.

From My Gradual Green Thumb

From My Gradual Green Thumb

Oh and the best achievement (for me...) of all. I finally got seeds to grow

From My Gradual Green Thumb

Okay, okay. So they are sunflower seeds, the easiest seed possible to sow. But I couldn't even get them to grow the previous two years.

I know this is all seems ridiculous to everyone else, but if you knew the time I put into gardening and the actual results I [don't] get. You would be applauding right along with me.

For the 1st time I finally don't hear the shrubs telling me "Teri, go paint a room or something and leave us in peace - PLEASE"

In the Meantime - Please read this.

I've got posts coming, not just Dax posts, but Clint and Teri posts too so you can see what we've been up to and why I haven't hardly e-mailed anyone back these days.

Until I post them I want you to please read the last post from another blog that really is worth the read. I came familiar with the Freeman story before Dax was born from our pregnancy due date birth club sites. Kayleigh was due to be born almost 2 mos. after Dax, but instead was born 2 mos ahead of Dax. This has been such a heartbreaking and heartfilling story with many many blessings along the way.

After reading their story maybe you can understand why Clint and I feel like we are truly truly blessed and on top of the world despite the many "seemingly" setbacks we've had lately. Compared to the Freemans we don't even know what struggles are.

Here is the link, please help if you can - even if prayers are all you can offer:

http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/2009/04/42709-guest-blogger-brent-riggs.html

Teri & Clint + Eight!!!

8 nephews and nieces that is....

Right now as it stands, Clint's mother, Glenda, is a grandmother 4 times over.

My Parents are Grandparents 5 times over.

How many grandchildren have Clint and I contributed - 1, of course, Dax. All those grandkids, and you'd think Clint and I have more than one sibling... nope. We each have one sibling a piece.

Clint's one and only sister Diane and her husband Cale, has 3 GORGEOUS boys. Austin (10 yrs next month), Anderson (7 yrs this June) and Ashton (4 yrs).

All boys with 3 very different personalities. Clint and I adore them and though they are only an hour a way we don't get to see them near enough [hint hint]. Diane, Cale and boys are on Blogger. See www.housefullofpuppydogtails.blogspot.com.

Austin, Anderson and Ashton at the Beach

From The Sparks

My Brother Brian and his wife Emma Brown who live in Brazil have 4 beautiful children - 2 daughters and 2 boys in this order: Natalie Ellen (7 yrs old in May) Owen (5 yrs in May) Claire (3 yrs) Isaac (1 yr) and DRUM ROLL...... Baby Number 5 due in Oct - Nov.
Yep, my Sister-in-law Emma Brown is pregnant with No. 5. She just found out and will be going to the doctor in the next couple of weeks. She'll find out her due date then.
Congratulations Brian and Emma Brown. Can't wait to see y'all and meet Isaac for the first time and my new niece/nephew. That's is unless yawl are planning on coming up soon. [dropping another hint]... :)
Here what my brother's family looked like in 2006:

From Pictures by Jo Carroll of our Wedding

and.... 2 years later (Bringing Isaac Home for the 1st time) - Oops Brian's missing from pic:

From Brian, Emma Brown and kids

From Brian, Emma Brown and kids

From Brian, Emma Brown and kids

From Brian, Emma Brown and kids

Little Miss Brooklyn Grace

Sunday after we finished eating and rested up a bit, me and Mom drove over to my Great Aunt Lottie and Uncle Nola's to visit all the family after they finished eating their Sunday Diner. Aunt Lottie (Paw Paw's sister) is my mother's Aunt from the huge Swann family.

I have so many cousins on the Swann side. Aunt Lottie's family is just a fraction, but definitely one of my favorites and that goes for the whole lot of them. Aunt Betty's (another sister of Paw Paw's) family is my other favorite and her and Lottie are sometime inseparable. These two sisters married two of the most wonderful brothers who are/were some of the better people you'll ever meet. Uncle Nola and Uncle Jay. Aunt Betty's husband Jay passed away in 2007. He was such a sweet man and it was and still is such a great loss to the family. And Uncle Nola, I just can't say enough good things about him. I just love em, love em LOVE EM!

Picture from my wedding: left to right top Aunt Sheila (married to Alan: mother's brother) Swann; {my} Great Uncle Nola and Aunt Lottie Fines; Clint [looking dazed and confused]; me; Mom; Dad; Paw Paw; left to right middle Gary Elkins; Lori Elkin Grant; and her husband Scott; left to right bottom Uncle Alan Swann; Rhonda Cheek and her mother {my} Great Aunt Betty Fines; Nita Elkins (Aunt Lottie and Uncle Nola's Daughter); Lisa Elkins Huffstutler and her husband Gerald

From Swann Family

Okay, back to what I was talking about...I have some of the most precious cousins ever - Aunt Lottie's Granddaughters: Lori, Lisa, Stacey and Miranda.

Dax got to spend some time with Stacey during church service. She's so fun to be around. While she was standing up holding him she had to work hard to keep Dax from grabbing the lady's hair that was standing in front of us. That little boy wants to grab everything he can. I would have died if he'd got a hold of her hair because when he does get a handful he doesn't let go easily - Mama knows [OUCH].

I got to see Lori, Lisa and Miranda when we went to Aunt Lottie's. Lori has a baby girl named Brooklyn Grace. She is exactly 2 mos. older than Dax. Lisa her sister is expecting any day now. I was glad to hear that she's feeling so well this late in her pregnancy.

I loved seeing all my family there, Ricky, Nita and Gary, Sherry and Lori, Lisa and Miranda's husbands - I wish we could have stayed much much longer! There's not enough time in the day when it comes to spending time with your family. Especially the ones you don't get to see every week. And they are all so sweet and wonderful.

Dax got really excited when he saw Brooklyn. He didn't make a lot of facial expressions, but he started waving those arms and legs excitedly while Aunt Lottie was holding him and he was seeing Brooklyn. I got pictures and they are below.

Aunt Lottie holding Dax, Lori and Miss Brooklyn

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

Mama Lori and her Brooklyn

From Easter Sunday 2009

Ha ha, Lisa's pregnant belly, the back of Stacey's head, Dax, Lori and Brooklyn

From Easter Sunday 2009

The Reason We Celebrate Easter...

to get all dressed up; go to church; gorge ourselves until we can't walk on Sunday diner; early afternoon Easter Egg Hunt and lots of pictures....?

No, although we may do these things, we all should know it's in celebration and thankfulness for Christ dying on the cross to save us from our sins and has now risen.

This is what I want Dax to grow up understanding. Does that mean I'm going to skip the kiddie fun part of Easter - no, of course not. I don't see the harm in it while he's too young to comprehend salvation. I'll probably skip the candy part for as long as I can. Save your sighs about the candy please... my little boy is a clean slate right now. ; ) ha ha - especially you Burr.... :)

Mother informed me that the Easter Bunny would be at the church this Saturday while the kids were having their Easter egg hunt and asked me if I was going to have Dax's picture taken with the Easter bunny. I told her the only Easter bunny that would do, is my late Great Aunt Ruth (Mom's mother's sister) who dressed up like the Easter bunny and would come see us when I was 10 yrs old and Brian, of course - older and we felt we were too old for the Easter bunny.

I'm trying to find the picture of it with no luck. Maybe I'll be able to dredge it up by next year because it's a hilarious picture. I loved my Aunt Ruth. She was famous in Mt. Olive for her bakeshop, "Granny's."

Okay, nows here's the fun part.... PICTURES!! [yay!!!]

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

Dax's 1st Easter Sunday Service

From Easter Sunday 2009

At Maw Maw and Paw Paw's House

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

Maw Maw Dax and Paw Paw

From Easter Sunday 2009

From Easter Sunday 2009

Spending the Day with the Aunt and Uncle.

Friday, Uncle Alan (my mother's brother) came to retrieve Clint to work on putting up a ceiling at my late Grandfather's house, "Paw Paw". I thought it might be fun to ride over and check out their progress and then we'd ride over to see Aunt Sheila who hadn't seen Dax in a while.

While I was there, Uncle Alan reminded me that I needed to go through the house and get everything I wanted.

This process is such an awkward and long, yet funny process. See, the whole family (heirs to this massive fortune) - [ha ha] is hesitant about doing this because we don't want to get anything that the other might want. So of course we try to do it while all parties are present (we'll who ever has the time at the moment) which is where the long part comes in because we'll go through every single thing (like spatula, rotisserie, corning ware [I told you... really "valuable stuff" ha ha] and the conversation basically consists of "Do you want this, if you want this you get it." Then the other will basically answer with I don't need it and probably won't use it, so you take it" ... It's the same principle as everyone going out to diner and everyone arguing over wanting to pick up the check.

We're are all too nice and giving to the other that no one wants to be selfish and wouldn't dare risk causing hurt feelings over anything even if it's something as simple as one fork. Such is the nature of Southerners I believe.

I think - what a blessing to have the family we have. Working in the legal field, I saw how petty family members could be to each other.

And besides, I enjoy every minute with all of my Aunts and Uncles no matter what the circumstances.

Going through that kitchen wore us out and Dax was getting fussy so Aunt Sheila rocked him to sleep. He stayed content and conked out for quite a while. I wish I had my camera - it was sweet.

Later Tracey and her boyfriend Kyle came over and brought Dax a HUGE stuffed baby chick for Easter. Though Dax loves his chick, he didn't pay it much attention at the time, he'd rather have played with Kyle and Tracey and after giving them a long stare down that's exactly what he did. He loves loves loves his cousins. The last time Leah saw Dax he seemed just as content with her as he did me.

Since I didn't get one from the other day, here's a picture of Aunt Sheila while at the hospital visiting Dax the day he was born.

From Dax Delivery in St.V

and Uncle Alan when he was 1 1/2 mos. old

From Great Uncles and Great Aunts

Busy Week and Grandmother Face

Wow, last week we were quite busy! I really enjoyed it too. It kept me out of the house which I felt I had started to grow into lately. So, expect a lot of posts and a lot of pictures to come in the next couple of days...

Grandmother needed to visit the eye doctor so she came down and we drove her and later she treated us to Jim n Niks (Thank you Grandmother). Dax enjoyed every minute of his Grandmother visiting as always.


While she was waiting to be seen and playing with Dax, I was finally able to get Dax making one of the many faces that is identical to her expressions. I call it his "Grandmother Face" (what else). Of course Dax's version is a bit exaggerated, but we eat it up nonetheless. He usually has the face on for at least an hour every morning. I was so glad that she finally got to see him do it.

From Grandmother Powell

From Grandmother Powell

Tada... the "Grandmother Face"

From Grandmother Powell

From Grandmother Powell

My Dax

From Starring Tree Trunks

My Dax was born on a Friday

My Dax came into the world observing his surroundings instead of crying

My Dax melted his parent's, grandmothers' and nurse’s heart with his first facial expression

My Dax kept his mother sleepless and staring with amazement for the first week of
his life

My Dax changed our lives like we couldn’t have imagined

My Dax was a Daddy’s boy within the first 24 hours

My Dax peed on everyone in the household in one day

My Dax learned how to out talk his mama at 6 weeks

My Dax has a sweet nature that no words could explain

My Dax is likely to end up with the nic name of "Bam Bam"

My Dax is a very fast learner

My Dax is already quite the comedian

My Dax gets jealous when you talk on the phone

My Dax gets over excited when he sees a kitty kat

My Dax -

Has Eyes like his Grand Paw Paw or Grand Maw Maw (under dispute)
The Nose of his Great Grandfather
The Facial expressions of his Grandmother
The Solemn Look of his Paw Paw and Uncle Brian
The Ears and Over all look of his Grandfather
The Laugh of his Maw Maw
The Smile of his Mother

And

The Unmistakable mannerisms of his Father

My Dax is a gift from God


My Dax belongs to God

It's All Just So Hysterical!

After being sick all day Monday then having one of the worse migraines ever on Tuesday, all the while Clint trying to take care of both of us (along with all the other things he needed to take care of - he's totally my hero) we decided we needed a break and that Dax needed to see his Grandmother.

While Clint was waiting for me to check my e-mail and get all of the previous pictures off my camera he got Dax really going by tossing a ball up in the air. I taped the last of it. Mind you this had been going on for at least 5 mins. already...

It's a shame they can't bottle Dax up to sell as medication for headaches. He makes me forget about mine often. :) Especially when he laughs like this.

Clint and Dax, April Fools Day 2009