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Stroker had his 40th birthday on Wednesday, September 16. We celebrated with a home cooked meal. We got him a few gifts such as an NF CD, Toby Mac tickets, Redeemed t-shirt, and a book named "How to Ruin your kids in 7 easy steps".

Brooke's Homecoming game was Thursday, September 17. We sat up a couple of canopies for tailgating and had some good food with friends.

Darlene and Gary to the game too. The school year is flying by as usual.

Our weekend activities included a Friday night sleepover (Alyssa) and a Saturday night sleepover (Ella). I worked this weekend on adding an overhead light and shelving in our shed. I never actually have a weekend to relax. If we are not on the road, there is always a list of chores waiting for me.

When Monday, September 21 rolled around I got online and ordered our tickets to the annual Trade Show. We are just under two months away. This year, we are driving the truck so that we can make a few purchases while we are there. We found things last year that we wanted, but did not have the right vehicle to bring it home.

I spent Tuesday evening at moms since I didn't have the opportunity to go during the weekend.

I broke down and had a meeting with Mr. Meihl's on Wednesday, September 23 about the cheer coach. Just in time for the last football game and 8th grade night.

on Thursday, September 24. It wound up that the 8th grade cheerleaders were recognized at the game.  Brooke sent me this and asked if it was okay if they announced this as we walked out onto the field with her.

Brooke was all smiles, and so were we. But, on the inside my heart was saying "this is my cheerleader's last football game" :(

Later on that night, the assistant coach sent out this text message to the 8th grade cheer captains. Other cheerleaders had tattled to the coach and said the 4 girls (the Captains) were telling them what to do. You know, acting like captains of a team. (insert eye roll here)

So I bought these for the 4 girls for their next game.

Saturday's weather was an on and off mist of rain all day long. We still had to make a trip to Alpine and thankfully dodged most of the rain. I had breakfast committee at church on Sunday, September 27. Afterwords, we had to make a run to Bondecroft.

More rain on Monday, September 28 and a Planning Department Meeting. I also went for a microdermabrasion...that I love!!!

I got a call from Stroker on Tuesday, September 29  to tell me that he had cut his thumb and needed me to take him to get stitches. So that is how we spent that Tuesday night.

I ended September, by cleaning Devin's room while he was hanging out at Jesse's. 

Unfortunately the lid on the washing machine stopped locking the same day. I had to call the repair man to come fix it, because if the lid doesn't lock, the cycle won't start. 

On a good note...I found Count Chocula on the shelves at the grocery store!!! 

September...the First Half

September arrived and I wasn't even done with summer. As a matter of fact, I didn't even feel as if it was time for summer to begin. It seems as every time I go to sleep, I wake up to a whole new season.

I began September by working on shelving for a storage closet and I worked on an invitation to have some family over for Labor Day.

We set a policy in place this year to be closed for holidays, it gives us a chance to enjoy an occasional day off.

Alyssa came home from Power Athletics with Brooke on Wednesday, September 2, but I was so tired that I had to take a nap that day.

Brooke's school had their first home football game on Thursday, September 3,

Michigan had their first football game, and I (being anti-athletic) vacuumed the attic. Because I would rather do almost anything except watch sports.

We ended the week with a sleepover. Morgan came home from school with Brooke on Friday, September 4. By Saturday, September 5, Morgan, Ella, and Alyssa were here to spend the night with Brooke.  We all went to Cream City for Superman ice cream, we played at Dogwood Park for a while and even roamed the streets of Cookeville looking at Graffiti (past curfew).

Here they are on Broad Street.

After church on Sunday, September 6, we were busy running to Sparta, Livingston and just across the street.

Our Labor Day gathering was Monday, September 7. We played on the water slide since Labor Day is the un-official last day of summer.

We went to the movies on Tuesday, September 8 to see War Room. It was a good movie. 

We were visited by Gary and Darlene afterwords.

Thursday, I got my car vacuumed and took a peaceful drive to Rose Cemetery.

Friday night was sleepover time again. Ella came home with Brooke and we went to dinner at Longhorns. We kept the routine on Saturday as Ella and Alyssa both spent the night. After church on Sunday, we spent the remainder of the day drying out the water slide.

I was feeling pretty tired on Monday, September 14, so I had to take an evening nap to re energize. I spent the rest of the evening working on website updates because apparently, websites do better if they are mobile friendly.

It's Who Is Beside You That Counts

The last week of August not only had it's ups and downs, but also had a lot of back and forth...to Nashville that is.

We went to Murfreesboro to Ansley's 13th birthday party on Sunday, August 23.  Thats another one that is growing up lightening fast. She is gonna be tall like her dad for sure. Sunday was more of a family gathering for Ansley's birthday, but hey...were family, right?  

fam·i·ly

ˈfam(ə)lē/

1. one of life's greatest blessings

2. a unit or group of people who love and support each other through both good times and bad.

Yep!  We're family. We don't get to spend as much time together as we used to, but I sure thank God for the  opportunities that we do get to spend together.  Like today, for example, our schedule worked out perfectly to get to spend time with the Brooks, visit a sick friend (Dalton) at Vanderbilt and purchase some last minute Titan's tickets while we were in Nashville.  

God is good to us (both me and you), and his timing is always perfect. Always.

Devin was with us on Sunday too. It was awesome to have the whole Hayes house together for an entire day. We are usually all running in different directions. 

I went to the Planning Committee Meeting on Monday, August 24. What can I say?...I like to know what the plans are. Especially if they are close to me. 

Tuesday, August 25, was a stressful day. Budgets, deadlines, spending outlines, number crunching etc. I was mentally drained by the end of the day, but hey...I got it done. 

It rarely happens, but I guess the odds were ever in my favor, because on Wednesday, August 26, the whole Hayes house loaded up and went to dinner together at Logans.  

That is two outings in one week.  Oh yeah...no pun intended that I used a Hunger Games slogan as a segue into a story about food.  Speaking of hunger...we left Logan's on a "not-so-full" stomach. As we were beginning to eat our food, Devin quietly pointed at the wall beside me and calmly stated "there is a roach crawling". I glanced over and spotted a baby cockroach making his way to our table.  I made my best effort to remain calm as I practically threw Devin out of the booth to get away from the roach.  The manager came over and smashed it right in front of us, but that somehow didn't help the situation AT ALL!!!  I can never un-see that.

From this day forward...I boycott Logan's.  I'm sorry, but I have to. 

I can't eat anywhere that bugs freely walk up to the table to sit down for dinner with me. I just can't. 

Maybe it effected Devin too, because he overslept on Thursday, August 27.  That never happens. Thursday evening, Darlene came by for a while to visit. We told her our Logan's story. I still have flashbacks. 

After Brooklyn's dentist appointment, Ella and Alyssa spent the night on Friday, August 28. We sure didn't go out for dinner. 

On Saturday, August 29, we made a trip (or two) to Spencer.  In between those trips, we drove to Gainesboro to attend a funeral. It was the mother of Stroker's friend, Dustin Kennedy.  

It breaks my heart to see people broken hearted. Seeing people cry, makes me cry. 

I only met Dustin's mom once...at Dustin and Lindsey's wedding, but you could tell that she would do anything for her Dustin.  It wasn't long after their wedding that she found our she had cancer. 

After the funeral, we didn't follow the procession to the cemetery, because we had to get back to Cookeville. 

We did take some extra time to have lunch/dinner while we were out. We went to Craw Daddy's, who has the the best bourbon chicken (by the way).  

Is that Bubba in this picture?  

What kind of expression is that anyway?

It makes me want to hear stories about a shrimp boat. 😂

There are not many Saturday's that the hubs and I get to take time for a dinner for two. 

I spent Sunday, August 30, with a feeling that I was coming down with a sore throat. After church, I took it easy and worked on the computer designing a safety sign. 

I ended August by attending a Board Meeting at the State Department for inflatables.  Just a bunch of talk about safety policies and dangers.  Sounds pretty boring, but it was business as usual for me. Devin rode to Nashville with me though, so I wouldn't have to go by myself. 

Rain, Games and Coupons

Although it rained all day on Sunday, August 16, we still had to head to Sparta after church to work. What a mess that was by 5:30 in the evening. Good thing I had a hair appointment at 6:30 because I looked like a drowned rat by the time we got back to Cookeville. 

The highlight of Monday, August 17 was touring the old house that Kurt and Lori Messenger were restoring!!! After dinner at...you guessed it...Shear Delights, we drove by to view the weeks progress. Two people were standing on the sidewalk looking at it, so we stopped to ask if they knew who was redoing it and if it was going to be a bed and breakfast. Turns out, they were the owners. They asked if we wanted to take a tour, and of course we said YES.  It was so amazing walking through that house. She has made lengthy attempts to keep everything original.  I can't believe the home was built in the 1800's.  Some of the detail work was amazing.  The last owner to live in the home, died in there. He was found later by a friend.  The previous owner willed the house to that friend. That guy locked the door and never looked back. 

Fast forward almost 2 decades, the Messengers made the purchase and had to go in and remove everything as it was. The newspaper was still by the mans bed where he had read it before passing. There was still meat in the freezer. Dis-gus-ting. 

I can't wait to see it when they get it done. They invited us back to see the finished product in a few months.

As for Tuesday, August 18, we cleaned and dried inflatables, hung a TV wall mount in Brookelynn's room,

vacuumed the car

 

and Stroker cooked spaghetti for dinner because he said he is tired of eating out.  

Well, my response was that I am tired too. I must be more tired than him because I didn't have the energy left to cook. 

We must be into Italian, because on Wednesday, August 19, we had pizza for dinner. It was a pretty gloomy day and pizza makes you feel better...it does me anyway. Especially Pizza Hut pizza. The greasy, crunchy crust is my favorite.

I had worked on a budget for the State Department all day, so I deserved a pizza and a couple of Tylenol too.

We tailgated at the football game on Thursday, August 20. We played White County. 

Alyssa, Mary, Ella, Brooke.

Mary spent the night with Brooke on Friday, August 21.

And Saturday, August 22 was not stop running the roads. We were beat by the end of the day.

I did manage to find a minute to do an extreme coupon run to stock up on Sprite and Coke this week.

Creating a Page

Church, lunch with Debi and Sterl at Chili's, and Brookelynn heading out to another sleepover (this time at Ella's) is all that happened on Sunday, August 9. Kimba got to go on a nice little ride Sunday evening. 

Although Monday, August 10, is Kevin's birthday, I took mom out to dinner. Maybe that was my gift to him. An evening without mom. Sounds callous doesn't it? Truth is, mom goes to his house every single evening. I'm sure he enjoyed a change of pace on his birthday. Mom enjoyed the change from the "same-ol, same-ol" too.

Another accomplishment (for a Monday)... I sat down before bed and finally created a Facebook page for the business. We have only been in business for YEARS. I like to pace myself I guess.  I'm not very familiar with it yet, but it is up.

Aside from that, here is a photo of Devin aggravating his sister today. Not sure when they outgrow that 

Brookelynn's new bed arrived on Wednesday, August 12. Stroker wanted to have it assembled before she got home from church. Once we got my stipulations covered...we began.

I told him that I WAS NOT going to rush through this and I WAS going to work at it in a calm and rational manner. I do not want to be overwhelmed with this thing (like he already is).  We began at 4pm.

It looked like this when she got home from church, just before 8:00. One of my favorite things about is that it has three built in drawers.

After the football game on Thursday, August 13, several of us ATMS familes met at El Tapatio for dinner together. We had a fun time and the girls loved it.

Sterl and Debi joined us for dinner at Shear Delights in Sparta on Friday, August 14. I really like that place. I eat there at least once a week here lately.

Saturday August 15 was all about business. It was one of those days where we run ourselves ragged. 4 counties that day...Jackson, Dekalb and Putnam, White. Devin made the run to Jackson county with me. Which turned out to be almost in Clay county.