May Comes to a Close

Stroker and I took a trip to Murfreesboro on Monday, May 18. Just the two of us. Of course he gets too figity to shop for long, but we had a good meal at the Chop House before time to head back home.

On Wednesday, May 20, my friend Maleigha fixed my sunglasses while we were in Sparta. I'm glad I have good friends that hook me up. Stroker finally got himself a new pillow at Sam's Club Wednesday too. He has been complaining about his pillow for years. It disturbs my sleep to hear him rambling on about a flat pillow every night.

Brookelynn had her first cheer practice on Thursday, May 21. 

I can't believe that she will be in her last year of middle school next year. I can't seem to get a grip on time anymore. It's not just days and weeks that fly by...it's years.

We had dinner with Sterl, Debi, Lee and Judy Friday night, May 22, at the Dipsy Doodle. Neither Devin or Brooke came with us. Just a table full of adults at this meal. Just another indication that we are gonna be suffering from empty nest syndrome sooner than we think.
My friend Maleigha came through on Sunday, May 24 and scooped up me and Stroker in her and Mickey's jeep. We toured parts of Putnan, Overton (I think) and Jackson Counties. It felt soo good to just take off with friends and hit the road. We had talked about goin on a ride, but I honestly thought it would never happen. Again...thank God for friends that make conversations turn into reality.

After a fun Sunday, we rested on Monday, May 25, (Memorial Day) at my mother-in-laws who had grilled enough ribs, chicken, burgers and pork-chops to feed an army. We ate and lounged around with family all afternoon. Brooke even got offered their trampoline to take home. Instead of the men taking it apart and hauling it home, they decided to just load it up "as-is". 2 miles down the road, it folded in half like a taco. So, back to the drawing board.

Stroker and I took another road trip to Murfreesboro on Tuesday, May 26. This time we ate at a place called "Slick Pig". It was crowded there, but we managed to get through the line and find a seat to eat.

I had to take Brooke shopping for new shorts on Thursday, May 28, because she has outgrown most every pair she has. Shorts sure are short these days. What happened to "3 fingers above the knee"?

I shopped for myself for a new sun hat on Friday, May 29. I don't want to get sun-burnt on my face.

Me and Devin went to visit mom on Sunday, May 31. We made a milkshake run and drove around
White County for a bit. After Devin and I got back home, Darlene and Gary came by our house to visit us for a while.

Southern Magnolia

These last couple of weeks, we have made several visits to daddy's. During those times, I took notice of different blooms and trees around his house. I used every opportunity to say that I want a Magnolia tree.

Stoker even mentioned on the way home one evening that I need to quit bringing it up because Daddy and Phyllis were going to start thinking that I was hinting for them to get me one. 

To be honest, I was hinting...for Stroker to get me one for Mother's Day. I think I like them because they remind me of childhood and running around under the one at Ma's house.

So, on Sunday, May 10, I woke up to a card and a gift. A patriotic pillow that Brooke and I had seen at Kohls a couple days earlier.

 Brookelynn noticed that I liked it and had Stroker take her back to buy it for me. That was so sweet of Brooke to pay attention to the things I like and remember them for Mother's Day.

The Magnolia tree that I had spoke so much of....nowhere.

I guess I shouldn't frown about it though, because he never got anything for his mom. He ended up taking us all to lunch at Logan's after church at our church and more church at his mom's church.

On Monday, May 11, Stroker and I went to moms and took her two new porch chairs for Mother's Day. 

We also hauled off a few of her old ones. They were far beyond use.

While we were at moms, a man was at the house building us a nice, safe ramp to our new shed. We decided that we should leave that to someone that knows how to use a saw. :)

On Tuesday, May 12, I stained the new ramp with wood protector. I don't know why I am always the one that has to paint things here at the Hayes house. 

I got my hair chopped on Wednesday, May 13. I'm just ready for a break from that long length. Around 9-10" total .

Before

After

On Thursday, May 14, I came home at noon to a baby Magnolia tree sitting on my porch. When I got inside, I found a card from Phyllis that said "here is your early Christmas present".  When men let you down, leave it to a woman to follow through. I called her and told her that all those times that I was mentioning Magnolia's that I was hinting to Stroker for Mother's Day.  She giggled and said that she always wonders what to get us for Christmas and knew that we would like this tree.

We spent the evening cutting limbs on other trees that were overgrown and tried to decide where to plant the new tree.

I also watched the season finale of American Crime which left me with mixed emotions and a bit devastated.  I seriously have grown emotionally attached to that program and those characters.  I might even have to seek counseling. I dreamt of it Thursday night.

We finished off the week Friday, May 15, with a sleepover at our house. Alyssa, Savannah and Morgan all came over and stayed with us. We walked over for milkshakes at Sonic at sunset.

Devin and I took mom for dinner at Nick's on Saturday, May 16 for her birthday. She loves the Lobster tail there. 

Tight Fit

Stroker put straw on the yard Sunday, May 3 to try to help the grass grow. 

I got a call from mom on Monday, May 4 that Mike was in the hospital. She said that he thought he had a heart attack. As the day progressed, he called to tell me that he was being taken to St. Thomas hospital in Nashville. Apparently, after arriving, he decided he didn't want to be hospitalized and called my dad to come pick him up. Typical.  He was back home by 10 pm. 

We finally got our new custom built shed delivered on Tuesday, May 5.  We totally didn't think through our custom built size. the shed is 12' wide, but turns out that our gate to the yard is only 11'6".

Thank the Lord that Ben from "Ben's Barn Mover's" knows what he is doing. He maneuvered the trailer that the shed was on up and over our fence. It was entertaining to say the least.

After it was set up, we made our first trip back to dad's to get a load of our stuff out of his basement.
We made another trip to dad's on Wednesday, May 6 for another load of  junk.
We bought some lattice to put around the bottom of the shed and worked on that Friday, May 8.

We also joined Keith and his family at El Tap for dinner Friday night.
Now we just need to find time to landscape around the shed.
There was no time on saturday. We went to Silver Pt., Livingston and Monterey.

Kota

We had been thinking that Kota had learned to jump the fence. Turns out, she has learned to climb the fence. As Stroker and I were in the yard trying to install one of those "Dog Trolley's"

on Friday, May 1, I heard the fence rattling, but I was distracted by Devin standing in the window laughing like a lunatic. Then he came to the door and said "did you just see that?" I looked in the direction he was pointing and Kota was running down the street.  Devin said that she literally climbed over it.
Stroker just wound up the trolley wire and packaged it all back up.
Stacia and her boys stopped by just after Kota escaped. We told her that we had to go run down the dog and couldn't visit. She offered to help us find her so off we went in 3 vehicles searching street by street. After about 30 minutes of searching, Stacia had to head on over to the ball fields for Jett's game. She said the boys had a blast while they were looking. She said that they were saying "Thanks mom for letting us try to find the dog!".
Stroker eventually spotted her at the church and caught her. She got chained to a tree when she got back home. Stroker said that we couldn't keep her because dogs should not be kept chained up. I went to my dad for advise (because that's what I always do). He said to just weight her down with a cinder block so it will catch if she tries to jump the fence again. So that is what we tried.
Saturday, May 2, Stroker and  I were out making deliveries when Devin called. He said "mom...the dog just climbed over the fence, but the block slowed her down enough that I caught her."

 "Then she tried to climb over it again and I yanked her back in the yard...your going to have to come get her."
so, Stroker and I headed home. As hard as it was to do, we turned her back in to the Shelter.

I'm feeling horrible about it, but we can't keep her tied up forever and we can't search for her all day everyday. I even emailed her previous owners because they said that they would take her back if we changed our minds. Guess what...they didn't take her back. 

I hope she finds a good forever home where she can run for miles. she is such a happy friendly dog. She just doesn't have enough sense to know what is good for her.

I'm gonna miss her though.