Last Thursday Brodie hit his first home run! He was so excited, along with the rest of the family of course!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Swimming Lessons
Both the boys are in swimming lessons right now and last night was the first night in over a month I got to watch both of them! Of course Brooks decided he didn't want to swim and finally in the last 5 mins warmed up to it. Brodie on the other hand is getting better and better every week! I'm so proud of him. Last night he showed me his dive!! OMG it's awesome!! Course I'm bias too...
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Finally an Update
So I have got to seriously do a better job! New Years resolution! Keep up with my documenting of the Boys! I had done so good for so long and then I started letting other things creep in and I've not done photo books, wrote in their journals or posted to the blog. Heck I've not even taken Brooks for his 3 yr old pic and he Birthday was in August. So I'm starting the new year with a post and plans to keep up!!!
There are so many things I'm never able to capture with the Boys... times when I wish I had a camera built in the side of my head. The little moments when, very rarely, I catch them sitting beside one another and reading a book and no one is punching the other or just simply telling me they love me.
So Brodie started school this year and it has gone great!! He LOVES his teachers and just adores going to school everyday. (Hope that stays that way for awhile.) I got to go with him on his first field trip and we had a great time!! They went to Doe Run Farms in Ararat, VA.
As I was saying earlier, Brooks had a birthday in August. We had a little party here at the house and we had a Mickey Mouse birthday. The weather was good and hot of course and everyone had a great time. I know Kent took photos and for the life of us can't find a single one! (Hence the New Year's resolution!) I'm not giving up though. I'm hoping it's just on a card somewhere and we'll run across it.
With Brooks' birthday also came the annual Horse Show at the Carroll County Fair. As also, we had a wonderful time and the kids did great!
Aspyn sitting tall on Kate.
Brodie so proud of his blue ribbon!
Brooks, well being Brooks with not a care in the world.
Stick Horse Race
Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf!
Batman, Robin & the Joker!!!
Manda and I did some game classes but I, for the first time, realized my old mare my not be as young as she'd like to act sometimes. However, she has the grit and determination and always gives me 100% and because of that we still placed in a class of 19 for barrels. Not too bad for two mares, if I do say so myself.
Potato Race
Pick Up Race
Pick Up Race
Barrels
As school starts also do the extra circular activities.... Brodie did Soccer again this year and started back up with his swimming lessons. Brooks and I did swimming as well. (When I was home, Amanda (WONDERFUL sister-in-law) filled in for me when I was traveling.
** Side note: Justin and Amanda are having a baby!!! and a boy to boot! (imagine that) She is due May 29th. We are all so excited.. Brodie told his daycare teacher the other day he was getting a cousin!
He loves Soccer!
Continuing with our update.....
Shockley Old Timey Days again this year.
My Daddy
"Sally" & Brooks
Grinding corn
These kids will follow their Pa anywhere!
This one had a hard day!
October was here before I knew it and it was Hospice Bake Sale time!!! I received a call from Hospice about a week before the festival and was informed my biggest contributor in baked items would not be donating this year due to family illness. I was devastated! I immediately sent out the word that I needed everything I could get and OH MY did my friends and family pull through for me! We had the best year EVER for Hospice! We raised $2,600 in 2 days!!! I can't tell you how ecstatic I was, and grateful doesn't begin to describe the feeling I have for every single person that has helped me throughout the years. We learn more and more each year and try to make the adjustments to ensure we continue to surpass the previous year!
Halloween came quickly, like everything else this year, and I wasn't as prepared as I typically am. Brodie and Brooks requested their costumes this year and so I went to the Spirit store in Winston and got lucky! They looked super cute in them! I let them wear them around the house because they loved them so good. We went Trick or Treating all weekend it seemed like. We went to the Trunk or Treat at Church, took them to their normal stops and went Downtown Mt. Airy. Aspyn came down and went Downtown with us!
November was National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. I attempted another fund raiser this year in hopes to 1. Create awareness of the National observance of Hospice and 2. To continue to help support our local Hospice organization. It didn't quite turn out how I had imagined in my head but it was a first pass and you learn from experiences. I met a lot of great people and had a lot of support.
Mimi has been gone 7 years and papa 14 but I still remember what an impact Hospice had on my family and now I'm experiencing it again today with Pa.
Thanksgiving was great with the family!
Then it begins, the rush to the end of the year. December is always a busy month. Farmer Nana's birthday, Kent's birthday, Holiday parties and Brodie's birthday. Trip to see Santa went awesome! We bought the Fast Pass so NO waiting in line!! The boys hopped right up in his lap, told him what they wanted, smiled for the picture and then Brooks begged not to get out of his lap!! Hahahah He did the same thing last year and I thought I would never be that lucky again but if there is one thing I can say with all honesty is my boys LOVE Santa.
Brodie turned 6! Six? I know to many of you that's not much but it is big to me. I can't believe how quickly his grows. Being the slack mother I've been this year I did not get a party planned. We had pancakes with Kent's family Monday night at the request of the birthday boy. Wednesday we went to Mexican with friends. Thursday we took him to Toys-r-us to pick out his gift. (Yes I hadn't even bought his gift) Pizza with my mom and family Friday night & then up the mountain Saturday to celebrate with Mema, Pa, Daddy & Amanda. So it has turned into a week long celebration!
As I began this update I said my resolution was to try to keep up documenting and that's what I intend to do. As I looked back at some of my previous posts I realized just how much you really do forget and I don't want to forget a single second. It doesn't take 5 minutes at the end of the day for me to jot down things that they may have done that day or said and those 5 minutes will give me endless minutes of happiness for the rest of my life.
I wish everyone a safe and wonderful New Year and I pray that each of you cherish every moment you have with those you love! We often get too busy to realize just who all and how much we take for granite in our everyday life!
There are so many things I'm never able to capture with the Boys... times when I wish I had a camera built in the side of my head. The little moments when, very rarely, I catch them sitting beside one another and reading a book and no one is punching the other or just simply telling me they love me.
So Brodie started school this year and it has gone great!! He LOVES his teachers and just adores going to school everyday. (Hope that stays that way for awhile.) I got to go with him on his first field trip and we had a great time!! They went to Doe Run Farms in Ararat, VA.
As I was saying earlier, Brooks had a birthday in August. We had a little party here at the house and we had a Mickey Mouse birthday. The weather was good and hot of course and everyone had a great time. I know Kent took photos and for the life of us can't find a single one! (Hence the New Year's resolution!) I'm not giving up though. I'm hoping it's just on a card somewhere and we'll run across it.
With Brooks' birthday also came the annual Horse Show at the Carroll County Fair. As also, we had a wonderful time and the kids did great!
Aspyn sitting tall on Kate.
Brodie so proud of his blue ribbon!
Brooks, well being Brooks with not a care in the world.
Stick Horse Race
Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf!
Batman, Robin & the Joker!!!
Manda and I did some game classes but I, for the first time, realized my old mare my not be as young as she'd like to act sometimes. However, she has the grit and determination and always gives me 100% and because of that we still placed in a class of 19 for barrels. Not too bad for two mares, if I do say so myself.
Potato Race
Pick Up Race
Pick Up Race
Barrels
As school starts also do the extra circular activities.... Brodie did Soccer again this year and started back up with his swimming lessons. Brooks and I did swimming as well. (When I was home, Amanda (WONDERFUL sister-in-law) filled in for me when I was traveling.
** Side note: Justin and Amanda are having a baby!!! and a boy to boot! (imagine that) She is due May 29th. We are all so excited.. Brodie told his daycare teacher the other day he was getting a cousin!
He loves Soccer!
Continuing with our update.....
Shockley Old Timey Days again this year.
My Daddy
"Sally" & Brooks
Grinding corn
These kids will follow their Pa anywhere!
This one had a hard day!
October was here before I knew it and it was Hospice Bake Sale time!!! I received a call from Hospice about a week before the festival and was informed my biggest contributor in baked items would not be donating this year due to family illness. I was devastated! I immediately sent out the word that I needed everything I could get and OH MY did my friends and family pull through for me! We had the best year EVER for Hospice! We raised $2,600 in 2 days!!! I can't tell you how ecstatic I was, and grateful doesn't begin to describe the feeling I have for every single person that has helped me throughout the years. We learn more and more each year and try to make the adjustments to ensure we continue to surpass the previous year!
Halloween came quickly, like everything else this year, and I wasn't as prepared as I typically am. Brodie and Brooks requested their costumes this year and so I went to the Spirit store in Winston and got lucky! They looked super cute in them! I let them wear them around the house because they loved them so good. We went Trick or Treating all weekend it seemed like. We went to the Trunk or Treat at Church, took them to their normal stops and went Downtown Mt. Airy. Aspyn came down and went Downtown with us!November was National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. I attempted another fund raiser this year in hopes to 1. Create awareness of the National observance of Hospice and 2. To continue to help support our local Hospice organization. It didn't quite turn out how I had imagined in my head but it was a first pass and you learn from experiences. I met a lot of great people and had a lot of support.
Mimi has been gone 7 years and papa 14 but I still remember what an impact Hospice had on my family and now I'm experiencing it again today with Pa.
Thanksgiving was great with the family!
Then it begins, the rush to the end of the year. December is always a busy month. Farmer Nana's birthday, Kent's birthday, Holiday parties and Brodie's birthday. Trip to see Santa went awesome! We bought the Fast Pass so NO waiting in line!! The boys hopped right up in his lap, told him what they wanted, smiled for the picture and then Brooks begged not to get out of his lap!! Hahahah He did the same thing last year and I thought I would never be that lucky again but if there is one thing I can say with all honesty is my boys LOVE Santa.
Brodie turned 6! Six? I know to many of you that's not much but it is big to me. I can't believe how quickly his grows. Being the slack mother I've been this year I did not get a party planned. We had pancakes with Kent's family Monday night at the request of the birthday boy. Wednesday we went to Mexican with friends. Thursday we took him to Toys-r-us to pick out his gift. (Yes I hadn't even bought his gift) Pizza with my mom and family Friday night & then up the mountain Saturday to celebrate with Mema, Pa, Daddy & Amanda. So it has turned into a week long celebration!As I began this update I said my resolution was to try to keep up documenting and that's what I intend to do. As I looked back at some of my previous posts I realized just how much you really do forget and I don't want to forget a single second. It doesn't take 5 minutes at the end of the day for me to jot down things that they may have done that day or said and those 5 minutes will give me endless minutes of happiness for the rest of my life.
I wish everyone a safe and wonderful New Year and I pray that each of you cherish every moment you have with those you love! We often get too busy to realize just who all and how much we take for granite in our everyday life!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Carl Staples "Pa" to me "Big Pa" to my Boys
Carl Hicks Staples born January 13, 1930 to Ethel and Solon Staples in Hillsville, Va. One of ten children, he grew up hard like most did in that era. He met Allie and fell in love, got married and joined the Army. He & Allie had two children Marlon and Susan. Then of course, like most stories go, the Father turned into a Grandfather.
This man is MADE to be a grandpa. One of the strongest men physically and mentally I've ever known. Pa worked all his life to build a family, home and his farm. "Triple Ridge Farm" His love for the farm is something indescribable. That love has filtered down to my sister and I and now to Brodie and Aspyn. Pa has built something that money would never be able to buy and that's a passion and love for life and the earth.
Pa was diagnosed with Prostate cancer about 6 or 7 years ago. He was treated and was just on a regularly checkup routine to monitor him. Several years passed and his tests began to come back a little irregular. I began taking him to Mimi's Oncologist in Winston and a recommended Urologist as well. They worked together and found a combination of treatment that stabilized the cancer and we continued with the regular checkups. About a year ago Pa began feeling bad, too bad to go to the farm some days and well, if you know Pa, that's bad. We had more extensive tests done and it was revealed that the cancer had spread. Most recently (past 6 months) he fell and broke his hip, had surgery, went to rehab and is now home. Hospice was called in to help Mema a month ago and they have been a life saver for her!
You always know in the back of your mind that you will have to go through this stage in life but you are never fully prepared no matter what the circumstance. I have been blessed beyond imagination with the family and friends in my life. And as I sit hear and try to think of what word(s) would be powerful enough to evoke the emotion to help you of those reading, and those of which don't know my Pa, understand the love I have for my grandparents is really unreasonable.
Amanda and I were so very lucky that we got to spend every weekend with our Grandparents and the summers.....???? We spent ALL summer with Mema and Pa!! Nights of egg sandwiches, as Mema would pack Pa's lunch (He worked 3rd at the Radford Arsenal) Weekends of playing in the barn and riding our horses in the yard. Helping him skin squirrels and eating them for breakfast.... Yes I said squirrels. Stopping at the store and getting sardines, crackers and a bottle of pop to take for lunch on the farm. We would sit on hay in the barn or go down to the creek and eat our sardines. (Everyone couldn't believe I'd eat sardines as I child! lol) Going on the wagon train every 4th of July and sitting by the fire and listening to the music at night. Doctoring the cows and feeding the calves. Cutting and putting up hay in the hot sun and then feeding that hay on a snow covered ground in the winter. The songs he would sing..... One, he would come down the hall hitting the sides of the wall and singing "School Days again today!" Another "Tarpon sitting on a railroad track, picking his teeth with a tarpon tack. Along came a train, choo choo choo, cut that tarpon right into!" He had a ton of them!
Pa rarely got upset but one day we were in the front yard and he had gotten aggravated about something and I remember him throwing his fist in the air and kicking is feet. I got so tickled at him and so he kept doing it. I said Pa what are you doing? He replied "It's the shit leg dance!" ahhhahahahahah From that day forward Pa and I would do the shit leg dance anytime we got aggravated and you can't be ill after dancing like that! I have so many memories that I will cherish for an eternity.
I could write for days on end about Pa but I'm not going to. I'm just going to post some pictures and remember that even though the toughest is yet to come, I have the most amazing grandfather that a child could have!
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