For those of you who read precarious tomato blog, you will know how I found out about this. For others, Wordle.net is a website that takes the words you write and turns them into art. The more a word is used, the bigger it appears, etc. I thought it would be a cool way to make a greeting card, or create something meaningful about a particular memory. Anyway, here is the art that was made from my blog about my grandmother's passing. Click the link below to see it.
http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/115932/Mama_Doris_Memorial
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The River Wild
Hello Internets!
We shot the hooch (that's going down the Chattahoochee on a river raft for all you yanks that don't live here.) ;) It was fun, but they were very disorganized today. The river company took us to the wrong put-in point, so we took a 4 hour trip with a 2 yr old instead of a 1.5 hour trip. I've gotta say, Cayden was a trooper. Emmie stayed home with Grammy & Grampy, and we took Cayden and our nephew Tyler, who's 14. It was a good time. Tyler cocked me in the the back of the dome (that's head if you don't speak Cayden) with a metal oar going about 90 miles an hour. Thought I was gonna pass out, but we ended up laughing about it. I also got stung by a wasp on the foot Saturday at the pool. It is all red and swollen, but dragging it in the 53 degree hooch water helped a bit. All in all it was a fun day! It was a family trip, so we had a little more whining and a lot less beer than most rafters. While the breeze was nice, the current was working against us for the last 2 hours of the trip (what should have been the last 30 minutes) and the rowing was pretty tough, but the exercise was great. Tyler and Matt were in disagreement about how many bridges we went under. Ty was right, there were only 2 bridges (400 & Roswell Rd.) It just feels like 18 bridges when it takes 2 hours to get under them. Most of the people on innertubes were begging for help getting down the river. I will post the pics sometime soon. Have a great week everyone! And remember, no matter what your job is, Monday is a smack in the face to everybody.
We shot the hooch (that's going down the Chattahoochee on a river raft for all you yanks that don't live here.) ;) It was fun, but they were very disorganized today. The river company took us to the wrong put-in point, so we took a 4 hour trip with a 2 yr old instead of a 1.5 hour trip. I've gotta say, Cayden was a trooper. Emmie stayed home with Grammy & Grampy, and we took Cayden and our nephew Tyler, who's 14. It was a good time. Tyler cocked me in the the back of the dome (that's head if you don't speak Cayden) with a metal oar going about 90 miles an hour. Thought I was gonna pass out, but we ended up laughing about it. I also got stung by a wasp on the foot Saturday at the pool. It is all red and swollen, but dragging it in the 53 degree hooch water helped a bit. All in all it was a fun day! It was a family trip, so we had a little more whining and a lot less beer than most rafters. While the breeze was nice, the current was working against us for the last 2 hours of the trip (what should have been the last 30 minutes) and the rowing was pretty tough, but the exercise was great. Tyler and Matt were in disagreement about how many bridges we went under. Ty was right, there were only 2 bridges (400 & Roswell Rd.) It just feels like 18 bridges when it takes 2 hours to get under them. Most of the people on innertubes were begging for help getting down the river. I will post the pics sometime soon. Have a great week everyone! And remember, no matter what your job is, Monday is a smack in the face to everybody.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Farewell Mama Doris
My Grandmother passed away this past week at the age of 88. She lived a good long life, and though her passing is sad, it is also met with a sense of relief that she will no longer suffer the trials of this life, but only reap the rewards of the next. Below is an exerpt from her obituary in the NTH (that's the Newnan Times-Herald for all you non-Newnanites out there.)
Mrs. Ellen Doris Baxley Hammett (Mama Doris), age 88, of Sharpsburg, passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2008. She was born to the late Sam and Kate Baxley on May 24, 1920 in Carroll County, GA. She retired from Playtex and was a member of Hope Memorial Baptist Church. She is survived by 6 children, 19 grandchildren, 28 great granchildren, and 6 great great grandchildren. What a legacy Mama Doris leaves behind!
Walking into Hope Memorial for the funeral was like stepping back in time. Nothing had changed. The Baptistry was still decorated with a landscape backdrop, the same wood paneling that has been there since the 70's adorned the walls, the pink and yellow swirl stained glass windows providing filtered light, and the orange crushed velvet on the pews sticking to the back of your legs in the summer heat. I immediately remembered sitting there next to Mama Doris the times that I had spent the night and gone to church with her the following morning, after a breakfast of oatmeal and biscuits... and when I didn't like oatmeal, all the lucky charms I could eat. Mama Doris always had butterscotch, or mints, or something in her black leather purse that provided just enough incentive for a young child's behavior in church. I can't remember ever getting reprimanded by her... her house was the kind of place that you could have so much fun, we all behaved so that we would get to return. My cousin Jennifer and I were talking about how she let us play dress up in all her clothes, and make mud-pies in the bath tub. Nothing was off limits to her grandchildren. (I am number 8 out of the 19, which is pretty tall on the order considering my father is the youngest child.) The thing I remember most about Mama Doris is that whenever you would show up at her house, she made you feel like a celebrity just for coming by. She would see my face round the corner, and say "Oh Christy, God love your little soul. How are you?" And like lightening she would have jumped off the couch and met me half way across the room with a big hug. The other thing that sticks out in my mind, was this picture she had of her, my aunt marion, my cousin cathy, and her daughter Amanda. She was so proud of that picture, and would always tell me how that was four generations of women. About four years ago, Amanda had her first baby and made it five generations. I imagine that must have tickled Mama Doris so. She was so proud of her family, and she knew us all, and everything about us. She kept everyone informed on the family scoop right up into her 80's. You might say she was a large part of the glue that kept everyone around.... but even in her passing, she'll still be the glue, for she has created future generations of "family glue." There will still be Hammett Family Christmas at Aunt Marion's house. And even though things will never be the same without her, look at what she's left us, and you can't help but feel her around you. So thank you Mama Doris! Thank you for oatmeal, hot buttered biscuits, chocolate pies that Uncle Phillip was so fond of, spaghetti and meatballs, cheese toast made in the broiler, mashed potatoes in the big yellow bowl, and the list goes on and on... but most of all, thank you for the never ending love you've always given your family. It was evident on everyone's face as we celebrated your wonderful life over the weekend. Good bye Mama Doris, God love your special soul!
Mrs. Ellen Doris Baxley Hammett (Mama Doris), age 88, of Sharpsburg, passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2008. She was born to the late Sam and Kate Baxley on May 24, 1920 in Carroll County, GA. She retired from Playtex and was a member of Hope Memorial Baptist Church. She is survived by 6 children, 19 grandchildren, 28 great granchildren, and 6 great great grandchildren. What a legacy Mama Doris leaves behind!
Walking into Hope Memorial for the funeral was like stepping back in time. Nothing had changed. The Baptistry was still decorated with a landscape backdrop, the same wood paneling that has been there since the 70's adorned the walls, the pink and yellow swirl stained glass windows providing filtered light, and the orange crushed velvet on the pews sticking to the back of your legs in the summer heat. I immediately remembered sitting there next to Mama Doris the times that I had spent the night and gone to church with her the following morning, after a breakfast of oatmeal and biscuits... and when I didn't like oatmeal, all the lucky charms I could eat. Mama Doris always had butterscotch, or mints, or something in her black leather purse that provided just enough incentive for a young child's behavior in church. I can't remember ever getting reprimanded by her... her house was the kind of place that you could have so much fun, we all behaved so that we would get to return. My cousin Jennifer and I were talking about how she let us play dress up in all her clothes, and make mud-pies in the bath tub. Nothing was off limits to her grandchildren. (I am number 8 out of the 19, which is pretty tall on the order considering my father is the youngest child.) The thing I remember most about Mama Doris is that whenever you would show up at her house, she made you feel like a celebrity just for coming by. She would see my face round the corner, and say "Oh Christy, God love your little soul. How are you?" And like lightening she would have jumped off the couch and met me half way across the room with a big hug. The other thing that sticks out in my mind, was this picture she had of her, my aunt marion, my cousin cathy, and her daughter Amanda. She was so proud of that picture, and would always tell me how that was four generations of women. About four years ago, Amanda had her first baby and made it five generations. I imagine that must have tickled Mama Doris so. She was so proud of her family, and she knew us all, and everything about us. She kept everyone informed on the family scoop right up into her 80's. You might say she was a large part of the glue that kept everyone around.... but even in her passing, she'll still be the glue, for she has created future generations of "family glue." There will still be Hammett Family Christmas at Aunt Marion's house. And even though things will never be the same without her, look at what she's left us, and you can't help but feel her around you. So thank you Mama Doris! Thank you for oatmeal, hot buttered biscuits, chocolate pies that Uncle Phillip was so fond of, spaghetti and meatballs, cheese toast made in the broiler, mashed potatoes in the big yellow bowl, and the list goes on and on... but most of all, thank you for the never ending love you've always given your family. It was evident on everyone's face as we celebrated your wonderful life over the weekend. Good bye Mama Doris, God love your special soul!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The Return of Willis
In order to allow Emalee any quality time with the new doll that Ann (aka Grana) gave her for her birthday, we had to get a doll for Cayden.... because this is what big brothers do, they take whatever they want from their little sisters... but just wait, one day little sister will fight back. She's pretty scrappy! Instead of buying Cayden a doll, I went tooling around the garage and found the cabbage patch kid that Matt had as a child. His name was Willis... let me tell you something, Willis was pretty dirty after spending the last 20 years in a card board box. I checked to make sure the accidental destruction of Willis would not do any long term harm to his previous owner (Matt) and having been assured he no longer needed Willis, I gave Willis a bath in the washing machine and scrubbed his head with a brillo pad. (I am much more gentle with Cayden and Emalee... ) Willis survived his cleaning, and has been revamped with a new outfit. All those years of living in a box collecting a little dirt made for a nice tan, he looks great! Cayden likes him. We gave him the option of naming him whatever he wanted, he toyed around with calling him Diego for a few minutes, and then buddy, but he decide he likes Willis the best, so there will be no future legal cost involved in changing his name. Cayden calls him "Wiwiss!"
The first picture is Cayden showing off his haircut, the next is Cayden and Willis on the couch having chocolate milk. Yes, I had to bring a cup for Willis....
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mother's Day/ Father's Day
Hi There,
So I am dreadfully late in posting this update. For Mother's Day, Matt and the kids took me to brunch on the Marietta Square and the kids enjoyed riding the trolley and playing. For Father's Day, we took Matt to see Kenny Rogers at the Fred Amphitheatre in Ptree City.... above are the pics.
Hello Internets!
I haven't fallen off the face of God's good earth or anything.... just been kinda busy. Anywho, we just got back from Disney World, which Cayden affectionately refers to as the Magic Kingdom (no matter where in D World you are.) Below is a video of Cayden on It's a Small World... crank up the volume so you too can hear this lovely music... (at least its lovely music when you are small.) He had a blast at MK. His favorites were its a small world, the flying Dumbo ride, and Goofy's barnstormer, which if I must say, is a pretty quick coaster for a 2 year old. We rode it 3 times with Cayden waving his hands in the air and shouting ooh, ooh, ooh, like the sixth graders behind us. He hung tough at the park from about 9:30 am till 1:00 am in the morning... no crying, and such a big boy. It was a small miracle. LOL. This was definitely our favorite day of the week. In my opinion, Sea World did not have enough stuff for his age group. He got bored, tired, grouchy, and downright rude, of course that is just my opinion... and opinions are like butts, everybody's got one, and sometimes you share it. LOL.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
A bird in the hand beats two in the bush...
a poop in the hand beats all hell. Twice in one week we had poop incidents. The first time it happened, Cayden, who is potty training screams "Mommy, I have to go potty right now." I was standing at the kitchen sink with Emmie in one arm and making her bottle with the free hand. I tell Cayden to head to the potty and I will meet him there. About that time, I notice him run by with no pants and no diaper on. He had decided to remove his clothing himself before reaching the bathroom. That's the thing about the "first time for everything" - you never know when the first time is coming. I put Emmie in her highchair with her bottle and turned to head for the bathroom with Cayden. About that time, Avery strolls into the kitchen with one hand fully extended, as far away from his body as possible... saying "EWWW, EWWW!" I realize that he is carrying what is most likely Cayden's poop in his right hand. Scrubbing follows, Avery's hands, his arms, anything he might have touched along the way. Cayden finished the job and dropped the second log into the potty. They both were thrilled to say "bye, bye poopy" as the toilet flushed.
The next pooping incident occured later in the week. Typically when Ave poops he will come and find you holding his diaper saying "EWW, EWW!" Apparently he had done a poop and I had not yet discovered it. Ave also has itchy skin and is always scratching at himself, reaching his hands into his diaper to scratch. I am always telling him to keep his hands out of his pants b/c one day he will find poop. This was the one day. Perhaps, it is my fault for the poop prediction. He walks up to me with a fist full of crumbly poop, all underneath his finger nails... saying Eww, Eww! Yuck, I kind of threw up in my mouth and we headed to the tub to clean him up. Free Bath for Avery today.
Poop stories are not for the faint of heart, but neither is anything about toddlers, so I apologize if anyone is totally grossed out.
The next pooping incident occured later in the week. Typically when Ave poops he will come and find you holding his diaper saying "EWW, EWW!" Apparently he had done a poop and I had not yet discovered it. Ave also has itchy skin and is always scratching at himself, reaching his hands into his diaper to scratch. I am always telling him to keep his hands out of his pants b/c one day he will find poop. This was the one day. Perhaps, it is my fault for the poop prediction. He walks up to me with a fist full of crumbly poop, all underneath his finger nails... saying Eww, Eww! Yuck, I kind of threw up in my mouth and we headed to the tub to clean him up. Free Bath for Avery today.
Poop stories are not for the faint of heart, but neither is anything about toddlers, so I apologize if anyone is totally grossed out.
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