I was country when country wasn't cool...

So the CMA's were AMAZING! I was so excited that by the time I got in the car to go I had already used the bathroom 4 times. When we arrived, I began looking for everyone. Our seats were incredible. We sat to the right of the stage. It was a big night for Taylor Swift-becoming the youngest to ever win Entertainer of the Year. Her performances were fun to watch. Some of the highlights of the night for me were:
1. Seeing all the gorgeous dresses Carrie Underwood wore as host.
2. The Zac Brown Band performing "Devil went down to Georgia"-what an amazing fiddle player
3. Sugarland's performance.
4. Watching Tim and Faith present Entertainer of the Year.
5. Daughtry performance with Vince Gill.
6. Lady Antebellum...
7. Watching Brooks and Dunn's last performance together on the CMA's.
8. The puns regarding Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift at the MTV awards.
9. Carrie Underwood's performance of "Cowboy Cassanova"
10. Martina McBride and George Strait's rendition of Barbara Mandrell's "I was country when country wasn't cool." (she was inducted into the country music hall of fame)

An unbelievable night for me and one that I will never forget. Thank you to the Adcocks for taking me! I took some pics, but they were not great! My camera could not get anywhere close to the stage..hate that, but here are a few!

Country Music Awards!

So everybody already knows by now, but I got tickets to the 43rd CMA's this year! I cannot tell you how excited I am.. I have been wanting to attend this forever! I did attend a small awards show about 6 years ago, but nothing like the CMA's..(Country Music Awards) Every top musician will be there and the performers range from George Strait, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Chris Daughtry, Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, and many others!
I have a student in class whose family owns box seats. We are going with her family. So not only do I have tickets, but box seats at that! So blessed beyond words! I am also going with one of my favorite people in the world, my forever friend Tosha! We have so much fun together and I know it will be a blast. I will take pics so that I can do a follow up post!
The last time I was this excited about an event was when I was in highschool and my parents got us tickets to go watch Michael Jordan play in Atlanta! So amazing! I will never forget that!
This will be one to remember! Check back for pics! (can I say Chris is very bitter about me going...he loves George Strait!)

Cade's post

I wanted to share a little bit of what Cade has been saying or doing lately just to have a record of it. He is getting so big and his vocabulary has been cracking Chris and I up so much at home. We realllllly have to be careful now with what we say.. which means daddy can't be using his bowling words in the house! (JK) So here are some things Cade is doing and saying right now:
1. He is not a morning person and has either a breakfast bar, honey bun, donuts, or cereal before we head out the door in the morning.
2. He loves his MWF teacher Ms. Della and his best friend is Christopher-you should see them play together.. they have a love/hate relationship.
3. When he is hungry, he says "i hungy mommy."
4. He prays for Nana and Papa's beach house every night. (they don't have one but we spent this summer at the beach with them, so he assumes it is theirs.)
5. He is learning his letters and he can count to 30!
6. He can spell his name..not on paper yet, but he can say it.
7. He is the most popular 3 yr. old at CPA where I teach.
8. He loves to wrestle and watch wrestling. His favorite is John Cena and Triple H.
9. He still plays with his cars and trucks.
10. He loves when he sees a police car, fire truck, or ambulance on the road.
11. He eats at McDonalds at least once a week..(i know, it is awful!!)
12. He eats the whole time I go grocery shopping. I guess just being there around all that food makes him eat...who can blame him?
13. He does not like the slow worship songs I play in the car only the fast ones, and asks me to put on a fast song.
14. He knows that Jesus loves him and that he lives in Heaven and in our hearts! Love that!
15. His favorite movies are still Cars and Finding Nemo, and he loves the Amazing Race.
16. He is becoming more independent every day and has started going the potty by himself.
17. He thinks our jeep is the slow "beep-beep" and the altima is the fast "beep-beep."
18. When you ask him what his favorite football team is he says "daddy's team."
19. He can point out a doctor a mile away..
20. He is the strongest and bravest 3 1/2 year old I know!

Love you Cade!

mommy

Fall 2009

I finally downloaded some pics of Cade from this month. We were able to go to Owen Farm this year. Our church had a Fall Carnival out there this year and Cade and I and our friends Jamie, Jennifer, and the boys all went. Chris had a football meeting of course, so he couldn't go. We had a fun time. Cade climbed the haystacks, rode the barrel train, and the hayride. He watched the chickens, donkeys, and goats play but would not pet them. I think he gets that from me...not really into animals. We spent alot of time on the playground. They had an airplane that was a see-saw and Cade sat in the pilot's seat the entire time...so much that he wouldn't get off for fear someone would take it.
Before we left we headed to the pumpkin patch to pick our yearly pumpkin. Cade loved this part. He found one just his size.
This year Cade wanted to be a dinosaur for Halloween, but when we went to pick out his costume he pointed to the football player. So we will pull out his Alabama (who is currently #2 and 8-0) jersey and his football pants Nana bought him and hit the streets. Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

carlee

"Nursemaids Elbow"

So Chris and I made another trip to our second home last night..Vanderbilt Children's ER..I think they might know us by name. Anyway, after a furious W.W.E. brawl last night with daddy, we ended up taking Cade to the ER. He landed on his arm and we had no clue what he did. Was it broke, fractured, etc. we weren't sure. He would not use it and cried for 2 hours. We tried to ice it and look for swelling, but couldn't see what was hurting him.
Of course when we got there Cade was scared to death. Everyone was wearing masks of course due to the H1N1 and he did not like that. Every time he saw a bed he lost it. I can't imagine what was running through his head.. probably everything from getting pokes, to having to be put to sleep, to not being with mommy and daddy. We kept assuring him we were there and we would not leave him and that he was not getting any pokes.
They X-rayed his forearm and nothing was broke, but they needed to get an X-ray of his elbow. We went back to get another picture. When the tech positioned Cade's arm for the picture he began to cry very hard. The tech heard a pop and evidently popped Cade's elbow back into place. It is what they call "nursemaids elbow." Never heard of it or even understand how that name describes the injury, but evidently very common in toddlers. Cade was completely fine after that. He began to use the arm again and acted like nothing was wrong.
We were so thankful that it happened that way and that the doctor did not have to come in and reset it with us knowing. Thank you Jesus for the small things!

I think it is amazing to think about how our God comforts us when we are scared, discouraged, unsure about life, etc. It is the same way we comfort our own children. We speak softly, reassuring them that we are there and we are with them, and we will never leave them. Just as the Lord tells us "He will never leave us or forsake us." He assures us through his Word and his silent whispers. Thank you Jesus for being ever-present in our lives and for your still small voice that comforts us in the midst of difficult circumstances!

Heaven and Such

So since my middle school volleyball season ended, Cade and I have had some great time together and many conversations. He has asked me everyday if I have "bolleyball today" and when I tell him no, he says "yeah!" He loves coming straight home everyday and not having to stay longer at school. He just wants to play at his house with his friends. Can't say that I blame him.
So this week while we were playing in his room, for some reason we started talking about Heaven. I asked Cade where he lived, trying to get him to remember his address, but he insisted that he lived in Heaven with Jesus. I then asked him how do we get to Heaven. His reply confused me until I later realized what he was trying to tell me....and it was Priceless! So this is what he told me. He said he was going to Heaven with mommy, daddy, his teachers, his friends, and a rope. A rope? My first thought was, what were his teachers telling him at school and at church? Surely they haven't been telling him you climb a rope to get to Heaven....if that was the case I would NEVER make it. So then I began to put two and two together.
At school, when the class leaves the building to go to the gym, or outside, the teachers have a colored rope that each of the kids hold on to on each side, so they don't stray. It is a tool used to keep up with the kids and keep them in a line. So Cade thought that is how he would get to Heaven...holding his rope in a line with his friends, teachers, and of course mommy and daddy. HILARIOUS!!!!! I love having conversations with him and love to see how much his imagination is growing each day. I am amazed at Cade each day. He has an unbelievable memory! I am so proud of the little man he is becoming each day. Love you bubba!