Chukkers for Charity

A couple of weeks ago, Barry introduced to us his method of convincing himself and his friends (mostly his friends) to be adventurous. He told the story of a man who, assuming he would die in his 80's, estimated how many Saturdays he had left in his life. He placed marbles in a jar to represent this estimate. After each Saturday that passed he took a marble out. As the years went by, he watched the number of marbles grow smaller and smaller and he used this as motivation not to waste a single one. So, when Barry asked if we wanted to go to Chukkers for Charity he said, "You don't want to waste your marble!" When we considered it, we realized that the alternative would have most likely involved laundry, cleaning and mowing the grass. Don't want to waste a marble on that!

"Chukkers for Charity" is a polo match/event in Nashville benefiting the Rochelle Center and Saddle up!, both of which are programs that support people with mental and physical disabilities. Barry's aunt and uncle have been a part of this for many years and were generous enough to allow us to tag along. (FYI, a chukker is the name for a period in a polo match.)


After a late start and a long drive Friday, we arrived in Nashville at about 1AM. We had initially planned for Luke to make the trip, but when his Grammy and Paw Paw (Kyle's parents) agreed to pick him up along the way it was hard to refuse. Things are so much more difficult with an infant! And besides, he wouldn't have had fun out in the heat anyway, right? We left Dothan with Canon, Luke and me in the back of the Moss's Sequoia with Deborah and Leslie in the front. At one point, I had a bottle in each hand. That was a small price to pay, though, since Deborah kidnapped Luke for the afternoon so I could get packed and ready! (And I'm still going to keep Canon for a night at the movies, BTW).


Thankfully, the match didn't begin until later so we were able to sleep in. When we did get up we gathered our food and supplies and headed for the fields, passing Alan Jackson's place along the way. The weather was beautiful and HOT! Hearing the horses thunder by was awesome! They rode Thoroughbreds and they were incredible. Before the match we wandered around the fields, looking at the horses and old cars that were there. I wonder if this is the most famous person I will ever have my picture made with...





In case you don't know, that's John Walsh. You know, the guy from America's Most Wanted! Apparently, he is a polo player himself. We're thinking he was named MVP because of his generous donation...


When the match was over and after a good footrace on the polo field, we had dinner in downtown Franklin at the Red Pony. Then, unfortunately, went back to the hotel and went to bed at a decent hour.


The drive home went by much more quickly. Luke caught a ride down with Granmama and Grandaddy (my parents) and when we got home this is what we found:



Click to enlarge and look really close.

It's his first tooth! He is six months already. I just can't believe how fast it goes by.

What do YOU want to do, Daddy?

Kyle's first Father's Day as a new dad began as most weekend days around here have for several months. Luke woke up early, so Kyle got up and brought him to me to be fed. We made it to worship service at church in time to take Luke to the nursery for the first time, but only because Kyle got him ready while I was getting dressed.

I got off to a slow start, but for the rest of the day I tried to do what Kyle wanted to do. I have always known that he is a very selfless person (He spent his whole saturday off yesterday babysitting while the girls went shopping in Destin), but this became all the more obvious today when making an effort to do what HE wanted to do. More than once I had to stop him from folding clothes or straightening the house. Finally I asked, "What do YOU want to do, Daddy?"

Lunch was at Mildred's Tea Room, where you'd better fix your chocolate pudding and brownie dessert when you get your main course or it will be gone. (That won't happen to me twice!) When we got home he opened his card and his gifts from Luke and me.



Making the footprints was fun and a lot easier this time than when he was a newborn. He's kind of a little wiggleworm, but since I had help from Josh and Mary it only took two tries. It might have only taken one, had it not been for a little spit-up!




Luke fell asleep on the way home from Mildred's, so we were able to squeeze in a little nap before he was up and ready to go again. After the afternoon bottle and babyfood we loaded up the stroller and went to Westgate for a jog. Me jogging with Kyle is definitely a sacrifice, because I haven't run 3 miles since before Luke was born! Kyle would work out all day long if he could, so I know that he enjoyed the run. Looks like Luke did, too!




Even with all my efforts to make this day about Kyle, he still ended up giving Luke his bedtime bottle, as he always does, and while I took a shower he made dinner and helped with the dishes when we were done. I don't want to say that I am spoiled:), so lets just say I am very blessed. Never would I have dreamed of having such a wonderful, thoughtful, loving and trustworthy husband and father of my child. The love and sacrifice he gives are rivaled only by that I have experienced from my own father through the years.
Happy Father's Day, Kyle, Daryl and Daddy!

The Beginning of a Blog...

Social networking is not something I ever thought I would be a part of. It's not that I am against it, it's just that I am the type who gets embarassed by people reading what I write. My mind will go blank if you are standing over my shoulder watching me type. It's akin to the feeling I would get during my medical training when asked a question in front of a room full of people. (Picture tumbleweed in my head and that music you hear in westerns). That being said, I have several people to thank/blame for the beginning of my blog. Ty Blackwell and the Bivonas are most responsible for my debut on facebook. There's a lot of pressure there, though, because I don't want you to get too many of my thoughts involuntarily. My friend Deborah suggested a blog because apparently you can print this out and save it like a scrapbook. Perfect, because the only time I ever get out Luke's baby book is to write down a new milestone and honestly I'm not very good about doing that. So, with D's encouragement and a little inspiration from Abby Maddox and Denise Nichols' blogs, here I am. Feel free to stop by at your leisure.