For Jennifer Marie, the bride-to-be

Love, be true to her; Life, be dear to her;
Health, stay close to her; Joy, draw near to her;
Fortune, find what you can do for her,
Search your treasure-house through and through for her,
Follow her footsteps the wide world over--
And keep her husband always her lover.
-- Anna Lewis, "To the Bride"

Let the countdown begin!

10:08 #6

I ran in my first official run last night. The Rec hosted the annual Lunar Lope in honor of the full moon/Summer Solstice, so the run was at 10pm. That seemed late, but once I started, I kept my pace. This was my first time EVER EVER EVER to run a complete mile. And I kept my pace and even sprinted at the end. I understand this "runner's high" now. I finished in 10:08 and was the 6th person running the mile to finish. The first one to finish was a 2nd grader,so I feel good about my finish. I am so going to do this again! When I got home, I relaxed with a glass of wine on the porch and enjoyed the full moon.

SUMMER!

Is it just me, or does he look so much older than 4 in this picture? Where has my baby gone? This was his last tee ball practice. Awards are this Saturday. We are thinking maybe soccer for the fall.





No idea why he is wearing 2 paid of sunglasses, but he rode all the way back to Jean's with both pair on. And his hands are a crocodile - "like the one that ate Captail Hook's hand." Always about the pirates.



Swim lessons! He is being so funny this year. Yesterday he told Miss Christy "I can do it myself." Then she let him struggle for a sec, until he said "Okay, maybe not." We both laughed HARD.

Father's Day 2008

I LOVE this one! Their laughing faces are almost identical!



I think this one turned out good, too. I was pretty psyched to be able to fit into this dress. Its always been one of my faves - all sunshiny and orange.



We had my mom's dad over for lunch, like most Sunday afternoons. Dad grilled bacon-wrapped filets and shrimp kebabs with pineapple. Mmmm! I tried to make a funny telling everyone that if it wasn't for me, then we wouldn't have been celebrating Father's Day because my dad wouldn't be a dad. To which my grandpa chimed in "well, there's Josh." Totally stole my thunder.



I love these guys.

Happy 31, Jaybird!

Happy birthday, Dr. Blake Jay Todd Bird Black Tiger Killough!

My Heart Belongs to Daddy

I love this picture for picture's sake. But there is a story behind it. It was in Colorado this summer. The day before, Miss Grace here, had fallen down and I hurt my knee pretty bad. It had started sprinkling and was getting chilly when we were taking pictures. All of us were trying to get to a field of yellow flowers that were kinda far away. I couldn't walk very fast, so Dad held my hand for support, and Mom snapped this picture.

Anyone who knows Jim, knows there is way more to what makes him a blessing to have for a dad than anything I could write here. The first word that comes to mind is ENCOURAGER. He is the eternal encourager and always has been. Optimist. Sounding board. And of course, LARGE FUN. Gotta love LARGE FUN. Old Fart. Yeah, I said it. He refers to himself as "Old Fart" when he is imparting "wisdom." When I send him card, I always address them to Jim Tye, O.F. like its a degreed title. He's also my lawn boy. He offered and I gladly accepted. I think he and I both know that it would be less trauma on us all if he did it rather than teaching me. Yes, I am a princess. Papa J. I love seeing him as a grandfather who is young enough and fit enough to play "tackle" and light sabres with Patrick. I am blessed to be able to see my Dad truly play with my son. I can't wait till the day when they go camping and fishing, just the two of them.

I feel so blessed with the family God gave me. I am also fortunate that my friends love my parents and that my parents love my friends.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Love, Princess.

happy Father's Day to all my "dad friends," too.

Spidey antics

Nice chocolate pudding mustache, huh? He was trying to imitate the pictuer below.



Then I got a lecture on how those aren't Spiderman's right colors. He was very upset that I didn't color him red and blue. This picture has been on our fridge for atleast a year and a half, but he just now got upset about my coloring job.



Showing me how Spiderman climbs the wall.



He is ALL about being a "kong fu master." I have gotten "kong fu master" lessons every night this week. And he is SO serious about it. Just cracks me up.



Naked boy on my bed after his bath. Trying to wrestle him to get lotion and jammies on. Then he started making Incredible Hulk muscles in the shadows. Not being a master photographer, I had to try several flash settings to get the shadows.

Killer Shoes

I LOVE Jennifer the bride! Yes, she is letting me wear these as bridesmaid shoes! They are awesome. I'm not typically a shoe girl, but these have me way excited! I even hugged the sales lady when I bought them. Thanks for giving me a reason to get all sassy, Jenn!

Made by My Cool Signs.net

Jenn's Bridal Shower

Me and the lovely bride-to-be
Jenn and Sandy
Jenn and Patricia
Me and Patricia - that's a great picture!

34 years of Mr. & Mrs. Tye

My parents are celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary on Saturday. 34 YEARS! I made them dinner last night. Mmmm. Shrimp & mango salsa appetizers. Spicy fish tacos with pineapple/black bean salsa. Lime-cumin salad with avocados. Plumb plum upside-down cake.

Did you know my Mom sang to my Dad on thier wedding day? Dad had asked her to learn this Judy Collins song just 'cause. And she surprised him at the wedding by singing it! Only she, here mom, her sister who was Maid of Honor and the priest knew. NO WAY I could pull something off like that! Below are the words. I like them.

What I'll give you since you asked

Is all my time together;

Take the rugged sunny days,

The warm and Rocky weather,

Take the roads that I have walked along,

Looking for tomorrow’s time,

Peace of mind.
As my life spills into yours,

Changing with the hours

Filling up the world with time,

Turning time to flowers,

I can show you all the songs

That I never sang to one man before.
We have seen a million stones lying by the water.

You have climbed the hills with me

To the mountain shelter,

Taken off the days one by one,

Setting them to breathe in the sun.
Take the lilies and the lace

From the days if childhood,

All the willow winding paths

Leading up and outward,

This is what I give,

This is what I ask you for;

Nothing more.

Wedding Trivia

June seemed a good time to share some wedding trivia I learned while doing some "bridesmaid research." These are explanations of some of the bridal traditions. Lots of "beware of evil spirits" going on in wedding traditions. . .

The Veil
The wedding veil has evolved over the centuries, and has signified youth, virginity, and modesty. Roman brides were married in swathes of brilliant yellow, while Viking queens wore metal skullcaps. Many Japanese brides still wear the traditional tsuno-kakushi -- a white hood that supposedly hides the horns of jealousy.

Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue
The tradition of the bride wearing something old (for continuity), new (optimism for the future), borrowed (happiness), and blue (fidelity, good fortune, and love) on her wedding day stems from an Old English rhyme. The "something borrowed" comes from the superstition that happiness rubs off, so the bride borrowed something from a happily married woman. "Something blue" comes from the notion that the shade denotes fidelity, purity and love.Many brides consider their dress to be their something new, but here are a few options for the other three requirements.
Something Old: A family heirloom such as your grandmother's wedding band or string of pearls; a lace handkerchief; an old hat pin secured on the inside of your gown.
Something Borrowed: A family member's or friend's headpiece or veil; a piece of your mother's jewelry.
Something Blue: Your garter; blue toenail polish; lingerie.
There's also a fifth, though often dropped, line of the rhyme: "A penny in your shoe" (or, in England, a sixpence). Each is said to help ensure a lifetime of fortune. Additional customs relating to luck include: sewing a small pouch filled with a piece of bread, a sliver of wood, a bit of cloth, or a dollar bill into the hem of a bride's petticoat to protect against future shortages of food, shelter, clothing, or money. Sewing a small horseshoe into the dress's waistband heralds good luck. Brides in Greece also believe a lump of sugar tucked into one of their wedding gloves will bring sweetness to their married life.

The Garter
Throwing the garter is derived from an old English custom called "flinging the stocking." Guests would invade the bridal chamber and steal the bride's stockings, then take turns flinging them. Whoever threw the one that landed on the groom's nose, would be the next to marry. (Can we do this for Eric?) By the 14th century, possession of the garter had become highly esteemed and the bride would often be rushed at the altar by hordes of guests competing for the prize. These days, the groom removes the garter -- generally worn at the sexier mid-thigh level -- from her leg and tosses it to his bachelor pals.

Identically Dressed Attendants
Keeping evil spirits away from the couple on their wedding day is a recurring theme in wedding tradition. If your attendants complain about having to wear the exact same thing, tell them this: Bridesmaids used to wear the exact same outfit as the bride so that evil spirits would be confused as to just who was the actual couple. (I think I know some of these easily confused evil spirits they speak about. . .)

The Ring
The circular shape of a wedding ring symbolizes eternal love. Gold represents enduring beauty, purity, and strength, all appropriate marriage sentiments. Why wear the ring on the third finger of the left hand? The ancient Egyptians believed that the vein in that finger ran directly to the heart. As for that big rock of an engagement ring, brides have the Archduke Maximilian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy to thank for that: In 1477 he offered his beloved a diamond as a betrothal gift -- the first recorded diamond engagement ring.

Inside the Actor's Studio

These 10 questions originally came from a French series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot.
They're better known as the questions that James Lipton asks every guest at the end of "Inside the Actor's Studio" show.

What is your favorite word? Sunshine

What is your least favorite word? No

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Inspiring others

What turns you off? People who don’t keep their word

What is your favorite curse word? Let’s just say it has 4 letters

What sound or noise do you love? Patrick singing or really, really laughing

What sound or noise do you hate? A quiet house on weeks when Paddy is with Paul

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? CSI criminologist or forensic biologist or Hallmark card writer

What profession would you not like to do? Anything with numbers

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gate? Welcome home, Sunshine

Nothing like. . .

Pumpjack cake on the porch on a Saturday afternoon.

The Day the Hecklers Cried

http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/060208aaa.html

Coach Hays at the press conference. The Hecklers by our outfield sign in 2000 (maybe?).

Patrick and his last birthday picture with Coach Hays, 2008.
Patrick's 3rd birthday picture with Coach Hays, 2007.


It's official. Coach Larry Hays is officially retiring as Head Coach of the Red Raiders effective immediately. The Hecklers were invited to the press conference. Blayne Beal, baseball media relations guru, opened the press conference with a litany of Coach's accomplishments. He closed with thoughts of "my friend Coach Hays." That's when I started getting teary-eyed. Then Coach got up to speak and he got all choked up. My tears began to flow. Then I looked at the other Hecklers that were there. I really let the tears flow when I saw Chris Snead crying. Coach Hays thanked the Hecklers, then in the same breath thanked the umpires. Not sure what to make of that. Gus made us all laugh when he asked Coach if he was going to learn the words to "The Gringo Song" and come sing with us.



Coach Hays is Tech Baseball as I know it. I am looking forward to the new Tech baseball era with Spencer as Head Coach, but Coach Hays has always been near and dear to my heart because of my days spent as baseball promotions coordinator, and as a Heckler and for all Patrick's birthday pictures we have taken with him.