Easter 2011

I love holidays.  I don't know why, but I just do.  I especially love holidays that represent my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  To know that God gave his only Son so that I may have everlasting life just amazes me.  God loves us SO MUCH!  It truly is hard to fathom how big and wonderful the love is that God has for His children.  I am just so thankful!

TPS and I decided to celebrate this special day with his side of the family.  In previous posts, I have mentioned just how much I love his family.  I love my family as well (that goes without saying), but being a new wife, and being apart of a new family is different.  And I am just so appreciative of how his family took me in, and how loving, kind, caring, and welcoming they are to me.  That being said, TPS and I packed up our Easter gear and headed down the interstate to Hendersonville.  We had alot to do that morning, and weren't able to make it to Hendersonville until about 6:00.  My mother-in-law surprised us with movie tickets to see "Madea's Big Happy Family".  It wasn't as good as the play, but Tyler never disappoints.  We laughed alot, and really enjoyed ourselves. 

After the movie, we headed to back to my in-laws' house and just hung out. It was nice relaxing evening.  the next morning, we woke up and attened worship service at St. Phillip AME in Nashville.  Once again, I got to hear my father-in-law preach, and it was AMAZING as always. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, my father-in-law truly is a man of God, and God uses him in some tremendous ways! After church service, we ate Easter dinner at Rafferty's and hung out at the house until 8.  Though it stormed and rained, it was a still a beautiful day to celebrate the rising of our Savior. 

My man and me!

Jacket: White House Black Market
Dress: Merona by Target
Belt: From another dress
Shoes:  Target
Jewelry:  Vintage Pearl Necklace from Cynthia the Great

TPS at his finest!  

Hope you reflected on the reason for the season of Easter! 

Thunder, lightning, and school closing, OH MY!

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, and/ or live across the world, then you are very well AWARE of the weather here in the south.  We have had several severe thunderstorms and tornadic activity for the several days now.  Weather was so bad yesterday that we didn't attend schools.  Crazy....I know.  What did this crazy girl once she was notified of the school closing?  You guessed it, went back to sleep.   After sleeping in, I went to Cracker Barrell.  Good eats!!!!

After revealing to Cynthia the Great (my sweet mama) about my whereabouts, she gave me the what for! OOPS!  Mama was not happy with her babygirl being out and about during the storms.  In my defense:  Cracker Barrell was so worith it!  HA

Here is what the sky looked like in good ol' TENNESSEE: 



Believe me, I hightailed it home once I saw this!



 Man,  the sky sure does look ANGRY!  Not cool, Mother Nature, not cool! 

Back Down Memory Lane

Back on April 3rd, my father-in-law preached at St. Luke AME Church in Gallatin, TN.  This Sunday was particularly special because the congregation was tearing down the parsonage to build a bigger church. My father-in-law was asked to speak because his family was the last family to live in said parsonage. His father pastored St. Luke for over 20 years, which is unheard of in the AME Church.   It was amazing to see the humble beginnings of such a great man.  Meet my father-in-law, Presiding Elder Rev.Ralph E. Johnson:

I know, TPS looks just LIKE his father!

My father-in-law is incredible.  He is such a Godly man.  And in everything he does, he keeps God first. He is a retired engineer for TVA, and is currently a math teacher for Sumner County Schools.  He received a dual degree in engineering from Fisk and Vanderbilt University.  He also is the presiding elder for the Louisville-Paducah District of the AME Church.  He also has many other accomplishments, but I can't remember them all in detail.  He is a DYNAMIC speaker, and my best friend thinks he sounds alot like James Earl Jones.  HA!

Anyway, my father-in-law's sermon was titled "Back Down Memory Lane".  And it was amazing!! He was able to incorporate lyrics from the   I truly enjoy hearing him preach, and I can't wait to share that with our future little ones.  He truly is a man of God, and a wonderful delieverer of His word. 

Anyway, after the service, the pastor, who is also a great family friend, took us over to view the parsonage.  It was so small, and I was in a lost for words.  I love history, and all that it encompasses.  I loved that I was able to witness for myself where my father-in-law and his family grew up.  Rev. Johnson began to tell us stories of his family. He told us where his father's chair sat, about the outdoor bathroom, and his bedroom that he shared with his younger brother.  It was just so amazing to walk down memory lane with him.  Here is a pic of my father-in-law in front of the house:

And while we talked with members of the church, my mother-in-law took this: 

Words cannot express how much I love this man.  He is awesome and comes from a great line of awesome people. I can't wait to be the mother of his children! :)

Updates...list style

1.  TCAP starts tomorrow.....Nuff Said!

2.  TPS and I had a crazy weekend.  We started Saturday morning with a Men's Book Club meeting for him and Toning and Zumba for me.

3. Mama and Daddy came over for a visit and my Daddy entertained us with his wardrobe choice. My Daddy is very into cars, and I do mean VERY!  He bought himself a new car, and couldn't find any wardrobe pieces that properly showed his enthusiam towards his new toy, so HE MADE ONE!  We laughed until we cried!




Meet my Daddy and his new toy, a 2008 Mustang Roush! Yep, that is a picture of HIS car on his t-shirt! :)

 4.  Saturday afternoon, TPS and my dad were mondels in a Men's Fashion Show fundraiser for the Lay Organization of our church.  We all had a great time!  During TPS's walk, he gifted me with roses!  TPS is so wonderful! :)

5.  Saturday night, I attended Jazz and Jokes with a few girlfriends to celebrate my friend, Tara's birthday.  We had a terrific time, but I forgot to take pictures! 

6.  Sunday was church, and TPS and I decided to grab some Sonic and hang out at home.  It was fantastic and just what we needed after a crazy action-packed weekend!   

4 years ago yesterday

I have been overwhelmed by dates, times, and a calendar this week. TPS and I have been busy, busy, busy!  This is my first time to sit down all weekend. And I just gotta blog!  

However, we have not been busy enough to celebrate what happened 4 years ago yesterday.  As I may have previously mentioned, TPS and I have known each other for several years.  Almost 17 years to be exact, and it was said off and on that our friendship would blossom into a romance once we both matured.  Boy, if I took a bet on that I would've hit the jackpot. 

4 years ago yesterday, April 9th, TPS and I had the "conversation". The next step conversation.  The conversation most girls either dread or are dying for!   He told me how much he enjoyed my friendship, but he wanted more.  And I totally agreed. But let me give you a little brief history!  After a phone call from me telling him that I missed our friendship, we scheduled times during the week to hang out and study.  Even when we were dating other people, we made it a priority to hangout for birthdays and things like that.  We always explained to the confused party that we were just friends and nothing more.  And we honestly were!  TPS could never be unfaithful to anyone he was dating, and well, I wasn't that "type" of a girl anyway. See, we had been hanging out and studying together for about two weeks before the conversation, and sometimes the studying and watching movies were waylaid by a kiss here or a hug there.  I knew the moment we first kissed that I wanted something more, but I just didn't want to be "that girl". I wanted him to initiate the first move.  And boy, did he!  :)

Late Sunday night, after Easter dinner with our families, he called and told me what was on his mind.  And I am so glad he did.  He told me that he was dedicated to making this work, and that God put it on his heart to tell me how he felt. TPS said he knew that this time it was for real, and that we weren't children anymore.  I explained to him that I was ready to be in a relationship with him, and he was excited.  You could literally hear that beautiful smile of his through the phone. 

Indulge me a bit as I visit some memories: 

Our First "Fancy" Dinner Date

His Graduation from Lipscomb University

The night he recieved his pin from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity

Our first couple picture for Facebook!

Austin Peay Alumni Block Party

Sorority Formal

He has always been my prince

Hanging out at the Mall

Being silly with the digital camera!  Excuse the lack of make up!

After church!

First Titans Game for me EVER!

Celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday at The Cheesecake Factory

New Years Eve 2007

Engagement Photo

Honeymoon!

One of the happiest days of my life!

Thanks for indulging me today!  There are ALOT more pictures than that, but I didn't want to bore you! The love I have for that man overwhelms even me.  And to know that God loves us more, and put us together because He loves us just THAT much more astounds me.  I am beyond blesssed to have a man that loves me more than he loves himself, and wants nothing more in this world but to just make me happy.  I am one lucky and blessed girl.  I have no idea what I did to deserve such a blessing but I thank God everyday for TPS.  He is my soul mate, my best friend, my lover, and husband. I couldn't ask for anymorel. We may not be the richest couple in the world, but I can tell you thing, we sure are one of the happiest.  All because of a one little decision 4 years ago yesterday!  

Random Thoughts Post #1

My random thoughts in no particular order!

1.  The countdown to Summer begins!  6 weeks until I am sleeping in late, and doing absolutely nothing.

2.  TPS and I hope to be sailing to paradise in 104 days.  We hope to spend a week with good friends, good eats, and good spirits in July!  We will be celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with the Harrisons and Carrolls.

3.  TN weather yesterday was crazy.  The Sango tornado alarm went off at least 4 times.

4.  The dreaded TCAP starts next week.  :(

5.  I get to wear jeans all next week.  :)

6.  The Spring weather I know and love will be arriving here tomorrow!!!!!!

7.  I can't wait to get my first pedicure of the year!   My feet are in need of some desperate attention.

8.  TPS and I had a great weekend, but it was filled with so much activity. I had the annual Junior Auxillary Tag Sale on Saturday and he had his Men's Christian Book Club.  Sunday, TPS's dad spoke at the church his father pastored for over 22 years.  It was amazing to see my father-in-law's humble beginnings and of course, his sermon was awesome as always!  I am so blessed to be apart of an awesome family.

9.  I am ready for this weekend that is filled with nothing. 

10.  Can't wait for my hair appoinment on Friday. 

Two Seconds of Fame

Thursday night, TPS and I attended the Distinguished  Classroom Teacher Banquet (DCT) for the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Association. 

Back in January, my fellow teachers and I voted for our Green Apple and Distinguished Classroom Teacher. Green Apple candidates must have 4 years or less of teaching experience, and the DCT is 5 years or more.  This girl won the GREEN APPLE!  I was so honored that my fellow teachers thought enough of me to vote me as the Green Apple and to represent them and the school.  Our DCT was a very well deserving teacher that teaches READ 180, a reading intervention program for students reading two or grades below.  She has been teaching for 10+ years.  She totally deserved it!!

My parents and my MIL attended the banquet with us.  It was so nice of them to clear their schedule to watch me experience my two seconds of fame. My FIL was unable to attend due to a church emergency, he was missed!   The banquet was very nice, but like almost everything I own, except for my college degree and high school diploma, my first name is misspelled.  Every certificate I have ever gotten has my first name misspelled.  So is the life of a girl with a complicated first name. 

Let's talk giflts!  LJ and I have discovered through the Love Dare, that my love language is gifts.  I love giving gifts just as much as I love receiving gifts.  And I thought it was so sweet of my parents and my in-laws to think of me and think the night was important enough to gift me with something.  My in-laws gave me a beautiful coral colared jewelry set, and my parents gave me the cutest pink cardigan and grey pencil skirt.  They definitely know what I like!  HA!  I kid, I am just so very blessed!

I'm up next! 

Me relishing in my two seconds of fame

And the two seconds are over! :(

Shae about to experience her 2 seconds

My fantastic family

Us Girls

Shae and I with our awards
Shae won DCT for her school.

 It was such a fun night, and I was so honored to represent my school. It definitely solidified why I went into this career field. I love being teacher, and I definitely wish I could recognize all the great teachers I work with.  They totally deserve it, way more than me!