The Rue Family

Moving...

2009-06-08T10:44:00.002-04:00

to a different blogspot. I don't even know if anyone still checks my blog since I have been such a blog slacker for a few months! BUT if you still check it from time to time, please make note our new blog address. http://ruecrew.blogspot.com
I promise to try and update more!

Easter 09

2009-04-13T10:42:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My 31

2009-02-21T22:21:00.004-05:00

I am now a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts. You can go to my website to view the catalog. If anyone is interested in booking a party or doing a catalog party, let me know! There are great "hostess benefits" if you have a party! I am so excited to have the opportunity to do this. All of our products are sooo cute, check them out! THANKS!

WWW.MYTHIRTYONE.COM/TABITHARUE

Emma's Well Check & Gracie's Asthma

2009-01-28T09:53:00.002-05:00

Emma had to go to the doctor yesterday for her 4 month(even though she is like 4 1/2 months old) well check and SHOTS ! The shots, like always, were terrible! He said she is perfect and is far more advanced than a 4 month old. He said she is more like a 5 1/2 mo. old. She is a big baby though, but he said as long as her weight and height stayed together on the chart she was good! She weighs 18 lbs. 4 ozs. and is 27 1/2" long. She is like in the 95% on both!

Saturday I took Gracie to the dr. b/c she has had a cold that we couldn't get rid of, but it came with an AWFUL cough. Well come to find out she has allergic asthma. The dr. asked me if this was new and I said yes. He asked how many time she has been diagnosed with bronchitis or allergies for her cough and I said like 4 or 5, well he says it has been this asthma the whole time, just misdiagnosed.He said it is triggered by allergies or a cold or the weather. So right now we just have to do breathing treatments for a week. If she has to have the breathing treatments 2 times or more in a month, they will then put her on a preventive medicine but right now they are just gonna keep an eye on it! Hopefully this is something she will grow out of!

Sorry no pics for this post...just words!

Random Pics

2009-01-22T13:02:00.002-05:00

I just thought I'd post some random pics from this month. Enjoy!

Mmm...ma

2009-01-12T08:48:00.002-05:00

Emma started saying momma Saturday! She was playing in her exersaucer and just kept on saying "Mmmm..ma". It almost sounded like "Emma", but she got a little clearer the more she said it and it was "mommmm..ma". Saturday night she stayed with my parents so that T and I could take Gracie to the bull riding at Thompson Boling and they said she just kept saying momma! YAY! I just knew it would be da da first. T says that she is just trying to say "momma where is daddy". HAHA! She probably is because she definitely is daddy's girl! I have been trying to get it on video, but of course I can't! Hopefully I will get it soon!

It's official!!

2009-01-08T13:54:00.002-05:00

Gracie is finally a RUE! We went before Judge Williams this morning and he approved the adoption. So it is for real now! We couldn't be more excited! Thanks to you that knew this was going on and praying for us!!

Just some more pics of Emma

2009-01-07T11:10:00.004-05:00

Emma's Favorite.....

2009-01-07T11:01:00.003-05:00

Sweet Potatoes!!!
I know mom's it's a little early for baby food, but that baby was starving and formula wasn't doing the trick. I know she really looks like she was starving, 16 lbs. at 3 months old. HA! She has already been on rice cereal at bedtime since she was 3 weeks old. But the upside, she sleeps all night from like 8 or 9pm to 6 or 7am. And yes, I did tell my pediatrician!! Anyway, she loves, loves, loves sweet potatoes and apples!

What do YOU think?

2009-01-06T15:14:00.005-05:00

Have you heard about this? Go read this and tell me what YOU think!
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thrift2-2009jan02,0,2083247.story

12/27/08

2009-01-06T13:30:00.003-05:00

And finally the last day of Christmas celebrations! It was also a Wolfe family reunion. We all got together at mom and dad's. This is the first time since my mamaw passed away 9 years ago that most of us have all gotten together. It was nice getting to see everyone. Sorry, I didn't take too many pics and most of the ones I took were of Gracie and her 2 cousins Mia and Rebecca. And once again we got stuffed from so much yummy food! (Thanks MOM)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

12/26/08

2009-01-06T13:23:00.002-05:00

The day after Christmas we went to Rogersville, TN to T's Uncle Alvin's house. This is his mom's side. We celebrated with Donna, Diana, Eddie, Alvin, Melinda, Jennifer and Messina! We had such a wonderful day hanging out and eating delicious food!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

12/25/08

2009-01-06T11:34:00.003-05:00

Well we started out the day doing the snow man thing. Yes I said snow man, Santa Clause is not allowed in our house!!! (according to Gracie) She hates Santa, doesn't wanna see him or even think that he might come inside our house... so we have the snow man come!!! It was very tragic when people said "What is Santa bringing you?". She usually responded with something like, "Santa ain't coming to my house, he better not be, just the snow man, right daddy?!". So anyway that is how we started the day then we went to Larry's, T's dad, to celebrate with Larry, Lauren, Colton, Donna, Cody, Kehaulani, Mark and Chrissy! We had such a wonderful time! We left there and went back to my mom and dad's again to celebrate with them!
Man we truly are blessed with such amazing family!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

12/24/08

2009-01-06T11:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry these next few posts are a little past due, but better late than never! Enjoy!

Wednesday afternoon (Christmas Eve) we went to my parents to celebrate with my mom's side of the family. I didn't take too many pics, sorry!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

After that we went to T's moms house to open presents with her. SORRY again, but I totally forgot my camera there in the car. It was pouring down the rain and I wasn't about to go out and get it. I'll get some pics from my mother in law!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

Hello All! We just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!

Gracie's Dear Santa Letter

2008-12-19T14:05:00.002-05:00

This is Gracie's Dear Santa letter that she wrote at Day Care for the Roane County News:
Dear Santa,
Pleae bring me a drum set, a scooter, a guitar, and a dollhouse. I will leave you french toast and tea.
Love, Gracie

Too funny!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!

2008-12-10T07:00:00.004-05:00

Happy 33rd birthday from me and the girls. We love you soooo much. I am so proud to call you my husband and best friend. The girls are soooo lucky to have you for a daddy. You are the best. I hope you have a wonderful day. Muah Muah!

Live Entertainment on Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T11:11:00.002-05:00

Turn up the volume and enjoy this! It is hilarious! Gracie is so into music and singing, which is a good thing, but also quality entertainment! She had her guitar and was using my granny's walking cane as her microphone! And she even writes her own music as you will notice in her lyrics!! Kids are great! Enjoy!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thanksgiving 08

2008-12-02T09:08:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with so much food and fun family time! We are so blessed! Here are some pics from Thursday.
We started out at T's dad's house...

Colton(my brother-in-law)

Kahaulani (Cody's girlfriend) & Lauren (my sister-in-law)

Cody (my brother-in-law)

Larry (my father-in-law) - "The Chef"

Then it was off to my mom and dad's....

Uncle Eddie

Gracie with Eddie's camera

Momma with tons of food

Papaw (daddy's dad), my dad and Trampas

Aunt Vicki feeding Emma (so sweet)

4 Generations

The Overall Gang

Sorry so many pics!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

2 month stats

2008-11-26T11:10:00.003-05:00

We took Emma to the doctor yesterday for her 2 month checkup. She is actually 2 1/2 months old but anyway.
Weight: 14lbs 12ozs (above 100%)
Length: 25 1/2" (95%)
Head: 40 1/2 cm
He said she is perfect!!! She did have to get 3 shots though and it was awful. She got sooooo mad and pitched the most awful fit. She has never screamed like she did yesterday. But today she is much better. Back to her self again... All Smiles!!
Please say a prayer for out pediatrician. I don't want to disclose the problem because it is very personal for him, but I will tell you that it is a health issue, so please just say a prayer for Dr. Courts. Thanks!! Sorry no pics... to come soon!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Puppies!!

2008-11-21T13:47:00.002-05:00

My father in law still has several blue healer puppies left to sell - male and female! They are like 6 weeks old - full blooded but no papers and no shots!! Gracie got one of them, refer to previous post for pics. They are absolutely precious! If you or anyone you know might be interested, let me know ASAP!!

Another Girl!!!

2008-11-20T11:50:00.003-05:00

Well last night we added yet another female to the family. Gracie got a new blue healer puppy. We got pick of the litter from my father in law's dog! They were all so cute, hard to choose. When I got there T had pretty much already picked her out. So Gracie decided that she likes her and named her Sally. Too cute. Gracie was instantly in love with this puppy and wouldn't put her down. We gave her a bath as soon as we brought her home. After she got dried off Gracie was pulling her around in her little car.
When we put Gracie to bed last night, she wanted Sally to sleep with her so we put her in a clothes basket with a towel and let her stay in Gracie's room. That was until midnight when Gracie went to hollering "I can't sleep with this dog making that noise!!" (she was whining.. very LOUD). So I went and got her out of the room and put her on the back porch in her basket. Well sometime around 3am T went out and got her b/c she was whining (freezing) and he put her in the kitchen where she finished her night.
It is pretty bad that we get the baby to sleep thru the night finally, then we bring home a puppy that whines all night!! Hopefully she will do better tonight!! Enjoy the pics!!

Tagged by JD

2008-11-18T09:19:00.002-05:00

So I was tagged by JD and now I must tag four people to do the same. This one is for fun! Go to your fourth picture folder and then go to the fourth picture in the folder. Write four things about the picture and then tag four other people. It's amazing what you'll find!

1. This is at my baby shower in July of this year.
2. Gracie had just got that blanket as a gift from Aunt Vicki! Emma got a matching burp cloth!
3. Gracie got a lot of gifts at my baby shower!
4. We are so very grateful for all the gifts that we received for Emma and Gracie!!

Okay so now I tag:
1. Brandi Clifton
2. Amanda Daniels
3. Barbara Kidd
4. Denira Williams

Gatlinburg

2008-11-17T13:41:00.005-05:00

This weekend T and I decided to go to Gatlinburg for our anniversary! We also chose to take the girls with us! We could've left them with grandparents but we would've just spent the weekend wondering what they were doing, so we loaded them up with us! We had so much fun. Saturday we spent the whole day shopping!!! Thanks babe for being such a trooper!! We all needed some clothes and things so we thought this was the perfect opportunity. On Sunday we took the girls to the Aquarium. Of course Emma slept thru the whole thing, but Gracie had a blast. She loved all the fish!! Here are some pics from the Aquarium trip!
Thanks Trampas for a wonderful weekend, you're the best!! Love you!

Happy Anniversary to us!!!!

2008-11-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

Today, Trampas and I have been married for 1 year!!! Can you believe it? And we have a two month old!!! Wow what a year! I really do think I am married to the most amazing man in the world. I'm sure we all think that, but I really do believe it!! He is most awesome. He is my best friend without a question! He has been my rock at the hardest of times! I love him more than I ever thought possible! I am just in awe! It's just so awesome how we complete eachother. The first year of marriage can be tough with all the adjustments and stuff, now imagine him having to put up with an emotional prego almost the entire first year. Man, what a trooper he is. He takes so much care of me! I am so thankful that God blessed me with such an amazing person!And he is the most amazing daddy ever!! You should see him with Emma! And with Gracie! Speaking of Gracie, some of you know and some of you don't, he is in the process of adopting her (please pray for us). He wants it to be for real with her! I am just so proud to have him as my husband and father to my girls!! Thanks babe for a most awesome first year of marriage and I am looking forward to many many more with you!!! I love you so much!!!!

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-04T08:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!!
I love my parents so very much! I don't know where I'd be without them! Also, Happy Birthday Aunt Vicki!! Sorry no pic on this computer!! Vicki and Eddie are like my 2nd parents and I love them very much!!!!!!!!!!!

Kid's Fest

2008-11-03T08:28:00.005-05:00

Getting ready to leave the house for Kid's Fest!

Instead of trick or treating this year, we went to Shiloh Baptist Church for their annual Kid's Fest! Gracie had sooooo much fun. It was way more fun for her than going around door to door would have been. She had a ball! Here are some pics!

Gracie swinging!

Gracie riding the little carousel!

Gracie & Daddy!

Gracie on the real horse!

Gracie w/ friends from school! I don't know the little girl behind the baloon, but the next one is Paige, then Chase, then Wyatt (Paige's brother) and then Gracie!

Gracie ready to move on!

Emma wasn't bothered by anything! She slept thru the whole thing!!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T08:11:00.004-05:00

ENJOY THE PICS!

Here is Gracie getting ready for school dressed as a cowgirl!!

Enough pictures mom!

After looking at these pics, T and decided that her skirt is too tight! She couldn't hardly breathe and she won't keep her legs together. So we decided NO on wearing the skirt to school and got out her overalls and she was pumped and said she would rather wear them anyway. She then became more like a farm girl than cowgirl.

We didn't really go all out with Emma this year only being 7 weeks old. We just wanted her to be cute, comfortable and warm! So here is out little "John Deere Baby".

Rue Family Update

2008-10-15T13:54:00.002-04:00

Hey all! Sorry I am such a blogger slacker! I just don't seem to have time to blog. Even when Emma is sleeping I am cleaning, doing laundry or just resting! Anywho... everyone is great. Emma is getting bigger by the minute! I had to put her on a little rice cereal at bedtime like 2 1/2 weeks ago. Now she goes like 4 hours thru the night between feedings, during the day it is like 3 hours. She had gotten to like 1 1/2 to 2 hours so that is why we started rice. She is a little piglet!! Still the sweetest baby and not ever fussy! We are so thankful! Gracie is doing well also. She loves her baby sister and tries to be little momma! Trampas is spoiling them both like crazy, well and spoiling me too!! We are 3 very lucky girls!! I am doing very good. Enjoying my time off with Emma. Unfortunately I will have to be going back to work soon! I will go crazy without Emma. I am not looking forward to it at all! Well I hope you enjoy the montage. Maranda, Adam and Brody came over Sunday the 5th and brought us potato soup, biscuits and the best cake I have ever put in my mouth. While they were here, Maranda set up a mini studio and took pics of the girls. Thanks so much you guys for coming and hanging out and bringing supper. It was YUMMY!!!! and we just enjoyed having other adults to talk to!! Well I must run for now, my little rooty tooty (Emma) is calling me for her lunch!! Love you guys!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Special Thanks

2008-09-23T14:27:00.004-04:00

A special thank you to Aunt Lindsey for making the most awesome blanket and burp cloths for Emma. Although you can't tell in the pic she really does love the blanket.. it is so warm!! Thank you soooo much! I will post some better pics of Emma with her blanket soon!!

Gracie likes it too!!!

And more pics

2008-09-22T16:52:00.002-04:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Well that should just about catch you up on her first week and a half!! She is changing so much everyday! Wow! Sorry I've not updated sooner. Not much time really! Everything is going great. Gracie is absolutely crazy about her baby sister. She is a little momma! Emma is growing so much already. She is eating about 3 ozs. every 3 hours. Her first dr. visit was Wed 9/17 and she was in the 90% on weight and 85% on height or length. She is very healthy and has gained back up to more than her birth weight. She weighed 9 lbs. when born then dropped to 8 lbs 5 ozs. by Saturday then back up to 9 lbs. 1 oz. on Wed. I'm sure she is closing in on 10 lbs. now. She goes back to the dr. Oct. 1 for another weight check. Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers!! As for me, I'm doing good also. I did have a c-section, but recovery is going very smooth! I go to the dr. on the 26th. I was doing so well in the hospital they discharged us a day early! I was a little sore for a couple of days but now it's not bad. It is actually hard to take it easy because I feel fine! I have to keep reminding myself to rest, quit picking up the heavy laundry basket, quit jumping up so fast...etc. I am so thankful to be recovering so quickly! Well the little one is calling me for supper... sounds more like "ahh ahh" (she doesn't cry, thank goodness, she just grunts). One more quick note.. her nick name is rooty tooty! The little rascal acts like a little piglet. When she is hungry she grunts and roots..sucking on hands, arms, my shoulder..whatever is the closest to her mouth until the bottle makes it in and the whole time she is eating most times she is tooting! It is the funniest thing!! Gotta go for now.. Love yall!!

More Pics

2008-09-22T16:35:00.001-04:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pictures from 9/12/08

2008-09-22T16:14:00.001-04:00

These are a few pictures that Maranda took of Emma only 1 day old!! Hope you enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here she is!!!!!!!!

2008-09-11T19:25:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Emma Genevieve Rue
9/11/08 9:34am
9 lbs and 21 inches long

More to come soon! Stay tuned!! Love you all!

9/11.....

2008-09-02T13:25:00.003-04:00

.....looks to be Ms. Emma's birthday! Unless of course I go in labor before obviously! I went for my 38 week check up this morning and they put me on the schedule for a c-section Thursday morning (9/11). Wow.. 9 days.. HOLY COW! We are still trying to finish up our house so that we can move this weekend! Geez.. no pressure! HA Please just pray for our patience and our nerves!! I go back to the dr. next Tues. for one last check up and then meet Ms. Emma Thursday (if not before). Thanks in advance for all your continued prayers! Love!!

It's almost time for Emma!!

2008-08-27T10:16:00.002-04:00

Sorry for such a long delay between posts! We have just been so busy preparing for the baby. We are trying to finish remodeling our house and get moved before Emma's arrival. We are down to the wire now!! I went to the doctor yesterday for another checkup and she weighs over 7 lbs. and has a head full of hair they say!! I could go anytime between now and the 18th, but I think it will probably be a scheduled C-section in about 2 weeks. I go back next Tuesday and will schedule it then! Of course I could go anytime so who knows! We are all getting so excited and can't wait to just hold her!! Please just keep us in your prayers that we get everything ready for her arrival and that she gets here healthy!!! I will let you know as soon as I find out anything new!!!
Also CONGRATULAIONS to the Isham's! I'm so happy for yall and love you very much!!

Love you guys!

Emma's a BIG girl...........ALREADY!

2008-08-06T21:34:00.003-04:00

I went to the doctor today for my 34 week check up! As soon as we went in the nurse let us hear the heartbeat (130) and she measured my tummy, which is routine. When she was looking at the measurement, she said "wow you're measuring about 2 weeks ahead, have you been like that the whole time?". I told her no they always just say it looks good. So she said that she would tell the doctor to recheck her measurement. So when Dr. Johnson came in she remeasured and came up with the same thing as the nurse. She then decided that we should have an ultrasound to see just how big Ms. Emma is. So we waited and finally went in for ultrasound. She did her thing, and told us Emma is still a girl (thankfully) and then went on to say that she already weighs 5.7 lbs. (88th percentile) She said to expect to gain 1/2 lb. or so each week from here on out..... that means Ms. Emma is looking like a 9 pounder!!!! Gracie was 8 lbs. so not much bigger, but it was just unreal to think that she is almost 6 lbs. already and we still have 6 weeks to go!! So I have to go back for another glucose test next week (my 3rd one). I hate drinking that yucky stuff. But because of the baby's weight they want to keep a close eye on my sugar level!! Other than that though everything is fabulous!!! We are so excited! We will finally get to meet her in no time at all!! It is really coming on quickly!! Sorry no pics to go with my story - we couldn't get any good shots during the ultrasound because she kept her face hid!!

Look at my big girl!!

2008-08-06T10:02:00.002-04:00

Gracie had her pictures made at daycare last month and they came in yesterday! She is so BIG, I can't believe it!! Enjoy!

Baby Shower 7/27/08

2008-07-28T11:43:00.003-04:00

I had such an awesome baby shower yesterday! We got tons of stuff! What a blessing to have such wonderful family and friends! It will all be put to good use I'm sure and it is all appreciated more than you know! Thank you so much to all the women (mom, vicki, heather, donna & diana) who put this shower together. There was so much work put into it, not to mention the money spent. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! I love you all!
I also want to thank Maranda for taking pictures for me!! I love ya!
Enjoy the pictures!

32 week update

2008-07-24T10:24:00.002-04:00

I went to the doctor yesterday for my 32 week check up and everything is still going great. I am right on track with everything. Heartbeat was very good and her movement was good! We are growing like we should be! The dr. did say that Emma should be head down by now and headed south, but she isn't. She is transverse (sideways), but still has plenty of time to wiggle on around. Sorry I still don't have any new pics to post, but I will get Trampas to take a few new ones to show off the belly! I go back to the doctor in 2 more weeks... please keep us in your prayers!! Thanks!

Birthday Pictures 6/22/08

2008-07-16T10:20:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting these. I just wanted to share a few pictures from Gracie's 4th birthday party. Enjoy...

Blowing out candles
Gracie & Brody
Gracie
Opening her Easy Bake Oven
Maranda telling Gracie about her new camera

Baby Update

2008-06-25T13:53:00.002-04:00

I went to the doctor this morning for my 28 week check up and everything is still going well and right on track. I now have to start going every 2 weeks! It is flying by! When I was pregnant with Gracie it seemed like I was pregnant for like 3 years, but this time it is way faster!!
My step mother-in-law told me this morning that she had Colton when she was only 27 weeks pregnant! I knew he was a preemie but holy cow!! I nearly went into panic mode thinking about how unprepared we are right now if Emma decided to come super early. I told T we needed to get with it!! Please keep us in your prayers!

6-23-04 seems like yesterday....

2008-06-23T21:30:00.004-04:00

But it was 4 years ago!! I can't hardly stinkin believe it! It has absolutely flown by!! We had a party for her yesterday at Riverfront Park in Harriman! I will post pics soon!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Gracie Lou - we love you!!!

Orange Beach 2008

2008-06-23T10:45:00.002-04:00

Finally I have edited my montage enough to post online. I know it is kind of long, but it started out at like 9 minutes! So here are our vacation pictures! Enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Vacation 2008

2008-06-16T15:53:00.002-04:00

Well we just got back Saturday afternoon from a week at Orange Beach, AL!! We had so much fun but after a week I was ready to be back home. It was me, Trampas, Gracie, Lauren (T's 10 yr. old sister), Colton (T's 9 yr. old brother), and Donna (my mother in law). We all really had fun and it was just nice to not have to work for a week!! I will post a slide show as soon as I can. It has been the craziest day ever at work, so I don't have time right now!! Okay I can't resist I will post just one pic....

Prayer Request

2008-05-27T11:22:00.003-04:00

I just got a text from Lindsey (Griffin) Isham asking for prayer for Potts (her mom's dad). They are going to do emergency open heart surgery right away. The doctor just found massive blockage in his heart today! Lindsey and Jr are on their way to Knoxville from North Carolina so please pray for safe travels for them as well. Please please please keep Potts in your prayers as well as Mimi and the rest of the family! He is such a special person to them and so many others as well. I will keep you updated as I hear from Lindsey today! Thank you!
For any of you who do not know him, this is a picture of Potts (Jerry Meadows) with Tyler!

More random pics from this weekend!!

2008-05-27T11:01:00.004-04:00

Gracie at Fort Southwest Point!
Gracie at Fort Southwest Point again!
Lauren at Fort Southwest Point and you can see our tent behind her.
Lauren again!

Yes I went camping Friday night for Colton's cub scout graduation. I ended up sleeping in the Explorer!

And yes I am a dork. I was just fascinated with taking pictures of the barn. I just thought it was so pretty! I know.. Random!!

Gracie with Daddy petting Molly!
Smokey
Design
Jake in the barn.

That is all of the random photos from this weekend that I have for now. Enjoy!

Gracie's new pool!

2008-05-27T10:30:00.004-04:00

We bought Gracie a little blow up pool for her to play in this year. I blew it up and filled it up Sunday night to have it ready to go for Monday. So Monday afternoon we headed out to swim and man was the water cccccold! It didn't stop Gracie though, just me. I sat in my chair with my feet propped up on the side while she swam her heart out! Of course prego here with no tan whatsoever this year got a little red... okay a lot red... in places.. When I sprayed sunscreen on Gracie, it blew back on my legs and I forgot to wipe it off.. So yes I am a little splotchy (sp?) on my legs! Sorry no pics of that to share. Only pics of Gracie. And I know there are a lot to see, I just couldn't decide which ones to post.. so you get to see them all!! Enjoy!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

"When you thought I wasn't looking"

2008-05-15T15:06:00.001-04:00

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each
other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn' t
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry..

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking.'

I AM SENDING THIS TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW
WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OTHERS,
BUT THINK THAT NO ONE EVER SEES.
LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT.

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend)
influences the life of a child.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak
kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

Last night.....

2008-05-13T14:29:00.002-04:00

at 9pm they took my friend Sean off of the vent and he passed away immediately. Please keep his friends and family in your prayers in this time of sorrow! I did learn today that his mother decided to donate his organs. There were jets waiting at the airport to transport his organs right away. They were all put to good use! Wow that is truly amazing.

Lily's Birthday Party!

2008-05-12T12:12:00.003-04:00

Friday night we went to Lily Taylor's 4th birthday party. It was at Riverfront Park in Harriman. Lily's grandma and Gracie's nanny were best childhood friends, so growing up Lily's mom Polly and I were good friends. Now Gracie and Lily are friends. Gracie had so much fun at the party playing on the playground!
This is Lily (unhappy birthday girl), her mom Polly and Gracie!!

Prayer Request

2008-05-12T09:33:00.004-04:00

Saturday night, a friend of mine and 2 other boys (all 19 yrs. old) were in a car accident in Sunbright. The driver and 1 passenger were both injured, but not as bad as my friend Sean. He is at UT Hospital on the ventillator (hope spelled correctly). They declared him 100% brain dead as of 2pm yesterday. They are keeping him on the vent until his father makes it to the hospital from out of town. Sean is such a good kid and has such a sweet girlfriend and dear friend of mine, Tiffany! She is absolutely crushed, as would be expected. Please pray for Sean and his family and loved ones as they endure this pain! Also pray for Tiffany's family. They have gotten so close with Sean over the time he and Tiff have been together, they thought of him as their own son.
This is a picture of Sean and his girlfriend Tiffany before prom last year!

Happy Birthday Maranda!!

2008-05-05T11:35:00.003-04:00

Today is my very best friend Maranda's 28th birthday! I hope you have a wonderful birthday girl! I love you very much!

P.S. Sorry no pics to share. All of my pics are on my computer at work and I'm at home sick today!! :(

She has a name!!

2008-05-01T10:58:00.003-04:00

Trampas and I, of course have been discussing names since we found out we were pregnant. All along we said if it was a boy his middle name would be Coy because that is T's middle name and if it is a girl her middle name would be Genevieve which was his grandmother's name. She was responsible for much of his raising so they were super close. So when we heard GIRL, we just had to be sure what we wanted to go with Genevieve... and we decided on Emma! So her name is officially Emma Genevieve Rue!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!

2008-04-29T12:08:00.005-04:00

The first set of pics shows her labia (3 little white lines). That shows us she is a girl. I know it's hard to see. The other set is full body shots. She is very healthy! She has 10 fingers and 10 toes. All of her organs are in good shape. They said she is right on target for size! It was amazing to see all of her parts and organs! Everything is going well and we go back May 28 for another check up!! Thank you for all the prayers!

Random

2008-04-21T13:29:00.005-04:00

Holy Cow... I know 3 posts in one day... What in the world am I thinking?! I guess I could've saved a couple of these for other days, but I thought I better go ahead and just do it while I'm in the blogging mood!!
I just have a couple of random pics to post!!

This is Gracie's newest things. She gets in the floor and pulls on her daddy's toes and tries to bite them. She is just picking on him all the time (because she wants him to pick back). She just can't stand it if they aren't wrestling, picking or just being silly together!! Random, but cute!

These are Gracie just a swingin'! This is one of her favorite things to do. And the pic of the crack was just funny, hope I don't get in trouble by blogger for a little tush shot! It doesn't matter what size I put on her or whether or not she wears a belt.. at some point in the sitting position or when bending over, her crack is exposed! It is cute now, to us anyway, bless her heart! I hope fitting of clothes for her is not this difficult forever!! What a stinker..

And finally the highly anticipated belly pics..........OMG!! The pics in the red shirt were on 4-14-08 @ 17 wks 4 days, the pics in the black and white shirt are today (self portraits..sorry) @ 18 wks 4 days...

Oh my word... I look huge!! And to think that I just spent the last year losing 80+ pounds and then get pregnant.. oh well it's such a blessing really, to think about this little life growing inside of me!

Hope you enjoy this random post!! More pics to come soon!!!

Bo goes for a ride!

2008-04-21T13:18:00.005-04:00

Saturday we took Bo to get his rabies shot. We loaded him up in the back of the Explorer, but as we were driving down the road he jumped over the seat and sat in Gracie's booster seat! It was so cute, I just had to take some pics!! Gracie was with my mom while we took him, so when I got back and showed her the pics she just cracked up and giggled about it forever!! Too cute!! The only thing was that Gracie kept asking why he didn't have to buckle up but she does! She is too smart for her own good sometimes!!

UPDATE!!

2008-04-21T13:13:00.003-04:00

Sorry a little delayed... I went to the dr. on 4/15 for a check up and he said everything was going great. I am right on target for weight gain and belly size (I couldn't believe it, I thought I was going a little fast). My blood pressure was just slightly high, but not enough to worry him just yet. Blood pressure was a big problem when I was pregnant with Gracie (they put me on bed rest for the last 2 1/2 mos.). I hope that it doesn't become a big deal this time. Please keep me and baby in your prayers! The baby's heartbeat ranged from 150-160 bpm, which is perfect. I love getting to hear it!! After much begging and pleading for him to do an ultrasound, he stood strong and said NO! So we go back on April 29 @ 9:30 for that! I can't wait! Please pray that all goes well! I will let you all know as soon as I get back from dr.

Slacker!

2008-04-14T10:11:00.002-04:00

I guess if anyone still checks my blog, you are tired of seeing my Nascar pictures. I know I am!! Well I don't have any new pics to post so I just thought I would give you an update! Sorry I've been a slacker at posting! I hope to get belly pics up soon. I was informed by my best friend Maranda that they needed to be posted! So that is next on the to do list. As for now, I will just type. I am 17 weeks and 4 days prego today. I feel great, I'm getting bigger by the week it seems and I'm getting impatient!! I want to know the sex of this child!!!!! I go back to the doctor for a check up tomorrow, but then I have to wait about 2 weeks and go back for the ultrasound. I know it's better to wait til closer to 20 weeks, but I also know that they can tell at like 15 1/2 weeks!! I found out Gracie was a girl at 16!! It is driving me crazy! Ok so I needed to vent a little. I'm sure I will survive another 2 weeks, but it would just be easier for everyone involved if they would just do the ultrasound tomorrow! Anyway I will do another update after my appt. tomorrow. As for married life, it is wonderful!! I never knew I could be this happy and this in love! As for Gracie, she is still rotten and such a handful! You never know what she is going to come up with next. It is hard to believe that in a little over 2 months, she will be 4!! I just can't hardly wrap my mind around it! It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with her! They really do grow up so fast! All you new mommies, enjoy every second!! It won't be long til they are 4 and think they are 21! Well that is all the update I have for now! I will post some pics soon, I promise! Congratulations to all of you new mommies!!!!! All these new babies are just so precious and make me even more excited about our new one on the way!! Take Care!!

My First Nascar Race!! 3-16-08

2008-03-26T14:00:00.001-04:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Easter 2008

2008-03-26T13:51:00.003-04:00

I didn't get to take as many pictures as I wanted to of Gracie on Easter, but she was sick! She started out on Saturday with a very snotty nose and started getting hoarse that evening. Then when I got her up Sunday to get ready for church she was worse. Her eyes were matted shut and she was coughing. It was awful! So we finally got dressed, but she was still not well! When we got out of church we went home to get her out of her dress since it was sooo cold, so I only got a few pics of her in her dress! And none outside like I had hoped for. We then just put on regular clothes to go to my parents for Easter dinner. Gracie is the only kid interested in hunting easter eggs, so we hid them inside so she wouldn't have to be out in the wind! She had fun anyway!!

Let's Get Physical, Physical!

2008-02-26T12:06:00.003-05:00

Friday night some of us girls got together for girls night out, "workout theme". Some of the outfits these girls came up with were too funny. we had such a fun time just hanging out, being silly and laughing our heads off! My jaws were hurting from all of the laughing. I wanted to share some hilarious pictures with you all. I hope you enjoy!

Jenn & Emily

Emily & Heidi

Jenn & I - and NO I don't do spandex!

Stephanie

Valentine on a Budget

2008-02-15T10:18:00.002-05:00

This year Trampas and I decided no mushy cards or gifts or anything for Valentines Day. We just got married in Nov., we both have birthdays in Dec and then Christmas.. we just would rather save our money since we are remodeling a house!! Okay so I couldn't help it, so I just got online and did a create & print card for him. I gave it to him yesterday afternoon when he had came by the office to see me. My clever husband then decides to mark out where it says husband on the front of the card and write wife then sign the inside and give it back to me!! I actually thought it was cute of him!! Then last night he took me to eat Little Joes Pizza in Farragut (which I have been craving for a week), so it was a very good 1st Valentines Day as Mrs. Rue!!

Make - a - Book Project

2008-02-14T10:38:00.004-05:00

Roane County Schools and the Roane Area Reading Council sponsored the Make-a-Book Project for children in schools this year. My sister-in-law Lauren is 10 years old and she is a 4th grader at Midway Elementary. She submitted a book for this project and she WON FIRST PLACE at the county level from all of the books that were submitted!! Next her book will go to the state level to be judged. I am so proud of her! She, as well as her brother Colton, is an extremely intelligent kid! I love them very much!! This is Lauren and Colton in the picture with Trampas!

Baby Rue

2008-02-01T14:22:00.001-05:00

Meet Baby Rue! I went to the doctor yesterday for my first check up! I am 7 weeks and 1 day pregnant today! My official due date is Sept. 18, 08. The baby's heart rate was 40 BPM, which is perfect right now. The baby is about the size of a kidney bean right now. Everything looked good. They don't normally do ultrasound this early, but my cycles are never regular so it was really the only way to find out how far along I am. I was about 2 or 3 days off, so not bad. I will keep you updated thoughout. Enjoy the pics if you can see them clearly enough!

6 months ago and NOW!

2008-01-29T10:39:00.001-05:00

Last night I took some pictures of Gracie playing with BO. They are just so cute together and he is so good with her. So as I was copying the pics off of my camera onto my computer I was looking at the pics of Gracie and BO in June when we first got him. It is amazing how much they have both changed in so little time it seems. She is just growing up so fast I can't hardly stand it! I hope you enjoy!

Farmer Gracie

2008-01-29T10:34:00.000-05:00

Trampas took Gracie to ride her mustang Sunday, but when she got up there she decided to ride her tractor instead. He caught a couple of cute pics of her on her tractor that I thought I would share with you. She acts like a poppy's little helper on her tractor. She thinks her's can do anything his does.

Gracie's Addictions

2008-01-28T14:51:00.000-05:00

Every morning as we are headed to daycare or sometimes before we ever leave the house, she has 2 things in particular that she asks for regularly!
The first is a "woo-hoo", which in translation is a yoo-hoo (chocolate drink). She loves them! The other thing is "little brown things", which in translation are hash rounds from Hardee's! Trampas got her some one morning for breakfast and it has since become her favorite thing to eat. She gets so mad during the day when she asks for them but they aren't serving them! A tater tot won't do, she wants the little brown things. She also has a hard time saying Hardee's for some reason, she calls it Potty's. Well that is what it sounds like! So she wants to go to "Potty's" and get the "little brown things"! Too funny! You just never know what she is gonna say next...the little stinker!

8 Things about Gracie

2008-01-28T13:05:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by Tara so here goes....

1. Gracie is my angel! She means the world to me. I look at her some days and I'm just in awe. I wonder sometimes how I got blessed with such a beautiful and smart little girl!

2. She has my attitude! She turns most everything into an argument. She always has to be right. She always has to have the last word. Sometimes she just amazes me at the things she says!

3. She is so excited about the new baby coming. She will be a little momma! She loves the babies at her daycare. She just wants to hold them and love on them. I can't wait to see her with her very own brother or sister.

4. Gracie is a good eater. That kid will eat just about anything in front of her EXCEPT sweets. She would take beans and taters over a cookie any day of the week. She orders salad at restaurants and will eat the whole thing. We were very blessed with her eating habits. Eating has never been a problem with her.

5. Gracie is finally a good sleeper. She usually tells us at about 8 or 8:30pm that she is ready for bed. She will sleep until about 7 or 7:30 the next morning.

6. Gracie is full of questions! I'm sure most 3 1/2 yr olds are, but she may be worse. I don't guess it is bad, she is just very curious. She wants to know everything that is going on around her. She's a little nosy at times!! It is cute though. Trampas gets up out of his chair and she wants to know where he is going, what he is doing and if he is coming back. It is too funny.

7. Gracie has the biggest imagination of anyone I know! She just comes up with stuff right off the top of her head. Sometimes its hard to tell if she is making it up or if she heard it somewhere. She tells us of phone conversations she has with people and she never really talks to them. It is cute. She is infatuated with one of our employees and thinks he is her boyfriend. She talks to him on her cell phone all the time and tells him to quit tickling her all the while he is clueless to it. It is funny!

8. Gracie is really a good kid. She is very spoiled and very rotten and she knows it, but none the less... a great kid.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Gracie!

We're Having a BABY!!!

2008-01-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

That's right... I'm pregnant. Probably about 5 weeks. I go to the doctor on Jan. 31, so I will know more then! I am due in September! Wow I get to go thru the whole summer EXTREMELY PREGO!! WE are so excited, especially Gracie. And for some reason she is telling everyone that I am having 2 babies!! WHAT!? Wouldn't that be crazy! Well I just wanted to fill everyone in, please keep us in your prayers for a healthy pregnancy! (Some of you know of my history and know that I am border line HIGH RISK)

You kinda have to "bail them out"..... WHAT?!?!

2008-01-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

Well last week we spent several days searching our neighborhood for 2 missing dogs. One was my parents black lab, Brutus and the other was Gracies puppy, Bo. We looked and looked and called them, never to find them. On friday last week, Trampas called the animal shelter to see is just maybe someone had taken them in. He gave them a very detailed description and they said they didn't have them but took his number just in case they showed up. So we spent the weekend still looking and on Saturday evening we got a call from a neighbor that another neighbor (owner of several dogs themselves) had called animal control to come and get our 2 "strays". I mean come on, they are both very well groomed dogs with matching collars on. So it was too late on Sat. to call the shelter and they are closed on Sun and Mon. Finally Tuesday comes and I give them a call. I answered a million questions and she finally says oh yeah they are here. Whew...what a relief. Then she goes on to say "you kinda have to bail them out when you come pick them up. I was like hmm well okay. Then she starts spouting off all these fees.... I was getting madder by the second and I said, without thinking (kinda lost my cool), that is bull S***. She says ooooo, then she whispers to someone else standing near her "she just used profanity, she said bull s***". Well for some reason that ran all over me and so I asked her how much she was charging me for profanity... she proceeds to tell me that it will cost $155 each to get our dogs out!!!!! Can you believe that!! It only costs $80 to go down there and adopt one. Well, come to find out they picked the dogs up on tuesday the 8th so when Trampas called them on the 11th, they didn't even go look to see if they were there. They charge you so much per day per dog, so if they had told us on the 11th that they had them we could've saved a ton of money. Well I told her all of this and all she said was "hmm well i don't know what to say". RIght...that's what I would say too... Well I went and told daddy what they said and he was like no way am I spening that kind of money on a dog that was given to me. Well I had an emotional breakdown. I called Trampas and I was just squalling "daddy won't go get Brutus for $155 but you have to get Bo, I don't care what you have to pay". I mean I was tore up!! Well Trampas called them and went thru the same stuff with them but he just told them he was NOT paying for his dog but he was coming to get him! Biggo teddy bear Trampas acting all tough... well he goes down there and they weren't backing down either. So he leaved w/out the dog. Later that night I was just so tore up about it and Gracie was devastated b/c her dogs were in puppy jail, so Trampas called my dad and they decided they would go back the next day, yesterday, to get them both out for me and Gracie. Well they went and when they walked in the lady working said that she would take $22 each...so to end this long story... we got our puppies back!! Bo was so pitiful..he went to sleep on the porch last night at 9 and this morning at 5:45 he was still in the exact same spot!!
I just wanna say thanks to my neighbor for calling in on these 2 puppies!!!

Happy Birthday Brody Clark Summers!!

2008-01-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, Trampas, Gracie and I got to celebrate Brody's 1st birthday with him at his JOHN DEERE PARTY! It was so much fun. He is one handsome little fella, I'm telling ya! He got so much awesome stuff! Happy Birthday Brody, I hope you had lots of fun! I have posted some pics below as I'm sure Maranda will too!

Good job on the party Maranda & Adam, it was awesome and the cake was beautiful!

Sky Angel Cowboy!!

2007-12-21T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Sky Angel Cowboy! Since posting this audio it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. Some corrections… We originally said Logan was 12. He actually turned 13 in August, so we don’t want to deprive him of such a big birthday. Logan listens to us (89.3 KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX) on Sky Angel because he lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. He called us distraught because he had to take down a calf. His words have wisdom beyond his years.

Listen to what Logan had to say by visiting this link....
http://www.ksbj.org/eblogs/morningShow/?p=113

Copy and paste this web address into your browser. You have to listen to this!
!!!WARNING..THIS IS A BIT OF A TEAR JERKER!!!

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS AND HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! LOVE YOU ALL!

New slide show!

2007-12-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

Surprise....

2007-11-20T15:27:00.001-05:00

Well as I'm sure most of you are not aware.... I got MARRIED on Saturday! We decided on Friday Nov. 9 that we were ready to get married. We set the date for Nov. 17...the race was on! A wedding in a week...are we crazy?! We decided that it would be small, private, very informal and just a good ole country wedding. So that's what we did!! Sorry I didn't get to invite anyone, I wanted to invite the world, but we just couldn't, especially on such short notice! I will include pics at the bottom. First I shall tell you of honeymoon disaster.... We decided that we would just go stay in Gatlinburg for a night and then come on back home. No big deal. So we book a room up there that has a jacuzzi and a fireplace! Trying to make it as romantic as possible on such short notice.. We finally get there Saturday evening after fighting traffic for a couple of hours. We go in and it's like 95 degrees (literally) in this room, so we turn on the AC downstairs and up in the loft bedroom (aka. cave) It starts cooling off finally and I'm just relaxing (it's been a crazy week) and Trampas decides he's getting in the jacuzzi to relax. He gets out a little later and we're just chillin on the couch watching a movie.. well he says it is a little cool in here now you want me to light a fire, I said it don't matter, whatever you wanna do, so he gets up to light a fire. They already had the starter log and some crumpled up paper in there so he went on to light it. Well here comes all the smoke rolling out into the room. In a matter of seconds it is so thick you can't breathe. I went upstairs to get some things and it was awful. I was getting sick b/c the smoke was so bad. I told him there is no way we can stay in this room, we'll never get all of this smoke out of here. Because the bedroom cave was upstairs and there was no ventilation we had no choice. I called the front desk and they didn't have any more rooms!!! So @ 10:30pm here we go loading our stuff and driving around to find another room. The only room we could find in busy Gatlinburg was a small room w/ 2 what they call "double" beds. HA! When you are used to spreading out in a KING size a double is like trying to sleep in a toddler bed!! Not so much!!! So to end our honeymoon we slept in separate beds!! Horrible...but I know it could've been a lot worse! We were so thankful to finally be back home Sunday! Whew..what a week! But on a happier note....we are married and happier than ever! ~Mrs. Rue

My Little Deer Hunter

2007-11-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

Gracie decided she wanted to be a deer hunter "like Trampas" for Halloween. So here she is... my little deer hunter!! Also you will notice the new glasses. She has had them since Monday and is doing very well with them. She can actually see.

I will have more pics soon, but my camera broke yesterday and I had to resort to the cell phone and the ole 35mm camera. These are from my cell phone so they aren't very clear! I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!!

Eye Exams

2007-10-22T14:28:00.001-04:00

This information I found online is very very important!!!!

Eye Exams for Children

By Michelle Stephenson; additional contributions and review by Dr. Valerie Kattouf
As a parent or caretaker, you may wonder whether your pre-schooler has a vision problem or when it may be appropriate to schedule your child's first eye exam.
You should be aware that eye exams for children are extremely important, because 5%-10% of pre-schoolers and 25% of school-aged children have vision problems.* Early identification of a child's vision problem can be crucial because children often are more responsive to treatment when they are diagnosed early.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at six months of age. Children then should receive additional eye exams at three years of age, and just before they enter kindergarten or the first grade at about age five or six.

Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, affects just two to three percent of the population. But, if left uncorrected, this vision problem can have a very big impact on those affected. Central vision fails to develop properly, usually in one eye, which is called amblyopic. A related condition, strabismus, sometimes causes amblyopia.
Untreated amblyopia may lead to functional blindness in the affected eye. Although the amblyopic eye has the capability to see, the brain "turns off" this eye because vision is very blurred. The brain elects to see only with the stronger eye.

I took Gracie to the eye doctor on Friday, just for a checkup. I had noticed that she was squinting and such, as well as always running into things like door frames or the end of the couch. I thought she was just a clumsy 3 yr. old. NOT SO MUCH! Trampas and I decided to make her an eye appt. just to be sure. Well it turns out that her vision is horrible. She is amblyopic in both eyes (see explanation above). Especially in her left eye. She has huge amounts of astigmatism in both eyes. The dr. said if I had waited until she started school to bring her in, it may have been too late. They still can't correct her vision all the way to 20/20 at once. They have to gradually strenthen her Rx each time we go. So Gracie has to wear glasses full time starting this week. It is so pitiful to know that she hasn't being seeing anything clearly. Everything has been a blur to her. It breaks my heart that I didn't take her sooner. But I am thankful that we caught it and it should be able to be treated, if not completely, still an improvement from what she is used to. They put lenses in front of my eyes to demonstrate what Gracie's vision is like and I just broke down. All this time I thought she could see everything as clearly as I was, but it was just a blur to her! I have a little cousin that has the exact same vision problems and hers wasn't caught soon enough and she is almost completely blind in one eye and it can't be treated w/ glasses. Only surgery one day will help hers. She is only 9. She was 7 when they took her in to be checked the first time. I just wanted to share this with all of you new moms or dads! I was completely in the dark at the age you should take children in! I'm glad we noticed her signs. You think squinting would be obvious, but she makes so many silly faces it's hard to tell. She hardly ever watches TV so we didn't notice it that way. Just please take your kids in, have their eyes checked. My eyes have been bad for a long time. I got glasses in 2nd grade and contacts in 8th grade. But you still take good vision (or well corrected vision) for granted. All the beautiful things we have seen, that I thought we were enjoying together, she was barely even seeing it. It just breaks my heart to think about it. I am so anxious for her to be able to finally see clearly! It will be a task I'm sure to deal w/ a 3 yr. old and glasses. She is a handful herself. I'm hoping that she will take to her glasses pretty quickly since she will be able to notice such a difference. She has to wear these for 1 month then we go back and they will change her Rx again and make it a little stronger, then we will just go from there. I will post more pics of her when her glasses come in, but this one is from trying them on...

I know this blog was long, I just wanted to put all the info out there!! Love you guys!

The little beauty queen!!

2007-10-10T11:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday, Gracie was in a beauty pageant at Victorian Square. It was just a small pageant that a couple of Rockwood Middle cheerleaders had to raise money for homecoming. Gracie won Tiny Ms. Victorian Square and she also won Most Photogenic overall. You can see more pictures on my picasa web album. The link is below.

Side Note: My blog is giving me problems - I can't click on any links, even the comment link. If you have any solutions, please let me know. If you can't leave comments, you can email them to: tabston@gmail.com

http://picasaweb.google.com/TAbston/BeautyPageant07

Guess What?!......................................

2007-10-01T14:12:00.000-04:00

I'm getting married! Trampas proposed to me Saturday night. We aren't sure yet when we will get married, I'll keep you all posted! I just thought I would share some pics of my beautiful ring. He did so good picking it out don't ya think?!

"I have found that if you love life, life will love you back." ~Arthur Rubenstein

9/11 Big Truck

2007-09-20T08:26:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about the trucker who has painted his cab and trailer with the names of all those who lost their lives in 9/11? The trucker's name is John Holmgren from Shafer, Minn. He has been "pulled over" numerous times just so the troopers can get their picture taken with the truck.

Gracie

2007-09-18T09:17:00.000-04:00

Gracie had her picture made at day care last week and I just wanted to share it with you! I hope you enjoy! Sorry if it's hard to see, I will try to redo it when I have more time. Have a beautiful day!

The View

2007-09-07T12:57:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures I took yesterday in Kingston. Trampas owns an excavating company and these are pictures of the view from the development he is working on. I just wanted to share this beautiful view with you all, even though they do it no justice compared to actually being up on that hill and seeing it! It's breathtaking!

Finally...the pics Lindsey has been waiting for...

2007-09-06T08:27:00.000-04:00

These are pics from Gracie's 3rd birthday party in June - courtesy of Jamie. Sorry for the delay in posting them! I hope you enjoy!

Laney Bug
Fizz & Micaela
Laney Bug
The Birthday Girl

Me & Jamie kicked out the kids

Laney & Carley

Jamie having too much fun Gracie Lou

Please keep this family in your prayers

2007-08-14T14:38:00.000-04:00

TONACHIO, ISABELLA LOUISA - our special gift from God returned to Heaven August 10, 2007. Born December 31, 2004 to Tara Louisa Graves Tonachio and Robert (Bobby) James Tonachio, Jr. Affectionately called "Bella" and "Izzy" by family and friends. Isabella attended Kiddie Korner Daycare in Kingston and loved her "Class" at Shiloh Baptist Church. Preceded in death by her "aunt Lu-Lu" Erica Graves Guettner. Left to cherish her memory: parents Tara and Bobby Tonachio; grandparents Wayne and Tina Graves, Bob and Mary Tonachio, Rea Tonachio; aunts and uncles Alicia (Jared) Ladd, Jennifer Tonachio, Barbara (Jonathan) Kidd; cousins Macayman Wyrick, Rylan Guettner, Kain Ladd; great grandparents Joyce Beeler, Ruth Graves, Delbert and Frances Major. Private graveside service Monday August 13, 2007 in Englewood, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers the family suggest memorial donations to the Shiloh Baptist Church Children's Ministry or St. Jude's. Kyker Funeral Home of Kingston in charge of arrangements.

Friday evening (8/10), Isabella Tonachio passed away. She was my boyfriend's God-niece. She was a very beautiful and intelligent 2 1/2 yr old little girl. This is such a tragedy and a devastating loss for many people, Trampas included. Please keep the family, friends and loved ones of this little angel in your prayers for this has been and will continue to be very, very heart-breaking for them.

New Addition to the Family

2007-07-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

I know, I know - it's been forever! Sorry! Well our newest addition to the family is BO! He is Gracie's puppy that Trampas gave her for her birthday, but he didn't come to live with us until yesterday! Isn't he adorable?!

I don't really have anymore updates. Life is good, I'm very happy and very much in love!! I will try not to go as long with no new posts like I have been doing! Hope everyone is okay, take care. I love you all!

Happy Birthday Gracie!

2007-06-25T10:53:00.001-04:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to Gracie!
Gracie's birthday was Saturday (6/23). She had a huge disney princess party at home Saturday night. We had a great turnout and she got tons of gifts! She had a wonderful day! We are truly blessed with so many wonderful people in our lives and it is just amazing! I will post some pics from her party soon!

2007-06-20T14:31:00.000-04:00

Well this is him! This is Trampas! The love of my life! When Trampas and I started talking and dating, I decided to go into it whole-heartedly and not let what happened in the past affect how I went into new relationships! I have fallen in love with him! I never knew that I could possibly love anyone this much. It is an amazing feeling that I have never felt before. He loves me and he loves Gracie as well. She loves him the same. He is an amazing person and has a big heart! I just wanted to update you all on the love life and show you some pics. I never imagined when going thru my divorce that I would ever find someone to love this much (especially since I've only been divorced 7 months). But I have learned it doesn't matter how long you date someone, when you are in love, you are in love and you can't control how you feel and how your heart feels, it is just amazing!

Vacation 2007

2007-06-20T10:52:00.000-04:00

Slingshot is sooooo fun!

I just wanted to share my vacation pictures with you all. We went to Panama City. It was my first time there and I loved it. As you can see it was absolutely beautiful! The weather was wonderful. I'm sure you all know Gracie in the pics and the other girl and boy are Lauren and Colton. They are my boyfriend's little brother and sister. The kids had such a wonderful time. The guy you probably don't recognize in the pics is Trampas - for those of you who haven't heard about him, he is the boyfriend! Such a wonderful guy. And as you can see above the kids talked us into the slingshot...OH MY what an adrenaline rush, but soooo much fun!!!

Just Another Day

2007-05-18T15:19:00.000-04:00

Well not a lot new going on, just staying busy with work, KID and boyfriend. I have decided to play on a church league softball team this summer. Our first game is Monday @ 9pm and our team hasn't even practiced the first time. It should be very interesting or very comical, I'm not sure which. It will be fun though. The exercise will be good for me. I have lost 60 lbs. since October and feel much better so now exercise will just push me to lose a little more. I had a pure romance party on Wednesday. It was tons of fun. Just lots of laughing and giggling. If you 've never been to one, you should really consider it. They are loads of fun!!! I can give you a phone number if interested!!! Well that is all I have new. Hope all is well with you guys!! Love ya!!!

More look-alikes for Gracie

2007-05-10T12:36:00.000-04:00

This is soooo cute! You all should try it.

Gracie's Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-05-10T12:29:00.000-04:00

2007-05-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

"All our young lives we search for someone to love. Someone who makes us complete. We choose partners & change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak & hope. All the while wondering if somewhere, somehow, there's someone perfect who might be searching for us".

Why?

2007-05-09T10:03:00.000-04:00

"We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive, where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, an hour, or an afternoon, but that doesn't diminish its value, because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives."

One Word

2007-05-08T16:27:00.000-04:00

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is LOVE"

LOVE

2007-05-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

"Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it but those who do, will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, will never...never forget it."

Another day in the life of me...

2007-04-18T15:34:00.000-04:00

Well today is just another day. Nothing new or exciting going on. I just wanted to say hi to everyone and say thanks for your comments. I love hearing from you. Lindsey sent me some pictures of Gracie as her flower girl that I thought I'd put on here for all to see... hope you enjoy. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

Just a life update

2007-04-16T13:50:00.000-04:00

Well lots of you are wanting updates on my life. I will start by telling you a little bit about the past several months. My divorce was final on Dec. 7, 2006, which was 1 week exactly before what would've been my 4th wedding anniversary. I knew for several months that my marriage was over no matter what I did to try and fix it. It just couldn't be fixed, especially since I was the only one trying. I never dreamed in a million years that I would end up a single mother, but I know that everything happens for a reason. I love Gracie more than anything in this world. She is my bright spot. It is very hard being a single mother, but I will manage like most women do. I wish more than anything that her dad and I could've worked things out, but he thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. And that is okay. I have accepted the things that he has done to us and I am able to move on. It was hard and still can be at times, just thinking and wondering what I did wrong, then realizing that I wasn't the one in the wrong. Some people just aren't meant to be together and I guess that was us! But I am ever so thankful that I got a beautiful little girl out of it. I have been seeing someone else for a while. Things are going pretty good with him, just taking it one day at a time. As for the other aspects of my life... I still live in Rockwood. I work for my parents' 2 companies, managing both. I am pretty content with where my life is right now. Nothing really to complain about (not that complaining does any good), but I still feel like something is missing.
I guess that is enough for now..... It is so great to hear from you all. I miss you guys like crazy!!

So Fun!!

2007-04-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

Nothing new today, just wanted to add a couple more pics of Gracie! Also wanted to say thanks for the comments and it is nice to hear from those of you that I have not seen or heard from in years!! It's so fun!!! :-)

More Pics of Gracie

2007-04-11T13:21:00.000-04:00

Here are some more pics of Gracie (per a few requests). I hope you enjoy and come back often!!

All New To Me

2007-04-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

Well I'm not sure where to start. I am new at this. I have been checking out the blogs of some of my friends and some of people I've not talked to in several years. I think it is just awesome to be able to keep up with what is going on in the lives of friends that you may or may not get to talk to very often. For those of you who don't know, I got married in Dec. 2002, had a baby in June 2004 and unforunately got a divorce in Dec. 2006. My daughter is everything to me. Babies are so special. She is a case though. She comes up with something new everyday!! I never know what to expect...
I am going to try and update this daily, but there's not a lot going on right now. I will add more pics of Gracie later too. I would love to hear from everyone! Love Yall!

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own happiness.” - Unknown