The Wilkerson Family

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T22:13:00.004-05:00

Richy and I celebrated Valentines Day Saturday night. Richy planned a dinner a The Back End Cafe. This dinner was 7 courses and very fancy. We then went to see Valentines Day. We arrived a few minutes late and ended up sitting on the second row. It was an okay movie. I thought it would have been better considering all the people that were in it. It was nice spending time with just Rich! Luke had his first sleepover Saturday night. He stayed with my mom and Kel. He had a blast and I think they did too. I thought that I would get all kinds of sleep and be so rested but I woke up every hour. I guess you get use to having your little boy there and when he is gone its different. Sunday (the real Valentines Day) we went to church and kept the nursery. We decided to just come home afterwards and we had a lazy day. It was great! We took two naps, watched the Olympics, and tried out Luke's high chair for the first time. I can't think of another way I would have wanted to spend Luke's first Valentines Day!

WOW...It has been way too long!

2010-02-04T21:57:00.003-05:00

I have really put this blog on the back burner and there is not the time to catch up....plus you would have to read on and on and on. So I have decided that I am going to just list somethings that are going on with us.

- Luke is 5 months.He sits up (well he is still a little wobbly but he is getting there), he rolls from one end of the living room to the other, he says DADA all the time, he sleeps on average from 8:30-6 in his crib, he eats one meal a day of baby food (he LOVES sweet potatoes), his other meals consist of 8 oz. of formula (sensitive subject), and he melts my heart with every grin! Richy and I are so in love and I can't even imagine what life would be like with out his big squishy cheeks and his perfect smile!

-Richy is working hard as ever trying to make sure he has work during this tough time with our economy. I am so proud of him and the way he constantly works to make sure Luke and I are taken care of. He isn't spending much time with his hobbies because he is working and spending time with Luke and I. He has lost all of his baby weight ( the weight he gained while I was pregnant and more) and I am afraid he is about to get my booty into the gym and work on getting our high school bodies back...haha.

-As for me I am still teaching 1st grade by day and loving on my boys by night. My job is really challenging this year and I am unsure if it is because I have different priorities at home now or if it really is challenging. I am having a hard time spending 7 hours a day with 20 kids that aren't mine and then only spending 3 hours with my child. However, it is what I have to do to make sure our family has food on the table and health insurance. I had to stop nursing Luke because I wasn't getting the opportunities at work to pump and I fell behind and couldn't keep up. I think this has been the hardest thing I have had to deal with since becoming a mom. I truly loved nursing Luke and it was very hard to stop. I am working on getting off the last few pounds of baby weight and the weight I put on before I got pregnant. Hopefully by the end of May I will be one hot mama...haha.

Hopefully I won't wait so long next time between posts but it is VERY hard to squeeze blogging in when I have lesson plans to write, parent letters to type, and a sweet boy to love on!

2 Months....

2009-10-21T11:10:00.003-04:00

Sadly I have misplaced my camera charger and I am currently charging Richy's camera so I can have pictures to come later. It is crazy that my baby boy is 2 months old! He is doing so many things now and everyday is so exciting! He smiles all the time, laughs out loud, he is always making some noise, he started sleeping about 7-8 hours at night (thank you Jesus!), he holds his head up great and he is just getting so big! I started putting away clothes that he doesn't fit into anymore and it is bittersweet. I love that he is doing a lot more now, but it makes me sad to think that he is such a big boy now (and is only getting bigger). I also went back to work a week ago. Richy's mom is keeping Luke and is doing an amazing job. She takes such good care of him and I am so thankful that she is able to keep him. As for me...I have only had a few breakdowns and by the end of the week I was much better. It also helps that after I worked a week I got a week off for fall break! It helps knowing too, that the person he is staying with is giving him plenty of love and doing a great job. The only thing that is kinda stinky right now is his stuffy nose, but with the weather change and all the other stuff going on I think it is almost unavoidable. Well hopefully I will get pictures up soon!

2009 Fall Homeshow

2009-10-05T20:27:00.004-04:00

Luke at his first Homeshow
Richy's booth (everyone loved the shower)

so proud!

Richy recently had a booth in the Homeshow. He has made several contacts through this and hopefully will get several jobs. His booth looked really good and got alot of attention. I am so proud of him!

County Fair

2009-10-01T17:31:00.004-04:00

Luke rode in this....
Richy looked at this....

Luke loved this....

Luke left in this.....

Luke had a blast with her....

I have always loved the County Fair. When I saw the signs go up a few weeks ago I knew that I wanted to take Luke. I know that he is only 6 weeks old but it is something that I love and want to make sure that he goes to every year. We were fortunate enough to get a parking pass and park right inside the fair. This was very helpful since halfway through we had to take a trip to the truck for some lunch for Luke. In years to come we will probably ride the bus so we get the whole experience of the fair. We went with Chris and Katie and I was so glad they were there for Luke's first trip to the fair! Overall it was so much fun and I can't wait to share this with Luke and Richy for years to come!

Luke is ONE MONTH!

2009-09-21T23:03:00.003-04:00

This post is actually a little late but Luke turned one month old Friday the 18th. He is so precious and is getting so big! I weighed him on my scale at home and I think that he weighs around 9.6 lbs. He is still nursing great. His sleeping schedule is about the same. He wakes around 2:30 or 3 and then again around 6 or 7. I'm sleepy but I am definitely not complaining. I have to go back to work in a few weeks which I am not excited about but I gotta do it. My mom has been in the hospital so I have been leaving Luke with Richy's mom. I hate that my mom is in the hospital, but this has helped me get use to leaving Luke. We are enjoying life with our little man!

Luke is 3 Weeks Old!

2009-09-08T23:04:00.003-04:00

Luke loves when daddy gives him kisses!
Hey Mom!

I love my seat! Thank you Aunt Katie!

I am going to try to take his picture with this giraffe so we can see how he grows!

We are SO IN LOVE!

2009-09-03T22:10:00.004-04:00

At 2 weeks Luke is....eating (still nursing and we are both doing very well with it)....sleeping (he feeds around 11:00 pm and sleeps til 2 am then sleeps til 7:30 am)...pooping (no need for explanation)....and stealing our hearts with every smile!

Baby Luke is HERE!

2009-08-29T00:08:00.002-04:00

Luke arrived Tuesday August 18 at 7:08 p.m. He weighed 8lbs 4oz and was 20 inches long. I was scheduled to go in for an induction Tuesday August 18 at 8:00 p.m., however I was awoken by my water breaking at 5:00 Tuesday morning. Luke just didn't want to wait til that evening! I have to say that I am so thankful that I had the experience of going into labor on my own. We arrived at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. I was only 2cm when I arrived so they started pitocin and the contractions started coming! At 3 cm and around noon I was able to get my epidural. That was very painful but I would let them stick me 10 times before I would feel contractions any stronger than the ones I was feeling. After I got my epidural it was smooth sailing from there. I felt like I was sitting in a hot bath for the next several hours. I had not been that comfortable in several months. I was progressing very slowly so they continued to turn up the pitocin and around 5:30 I was finally at 9cm. I went from 9cm to 10cm in about 15 minutes and then I started pushing. Richy was a great coach during this time. There were several contractions that I pushed through that Richy was the only one helping me and coaching me. The nurses were busy getting everything ready so it was up to Richy and I to push through them. I don't know what I would have done without Richy being there. He was such an amazing encourager and I am so thankful for him. I pushed for roughly 50 minutes and then I gave birth to the most amazing little boy in the whole world ( I'm not partial at all). When Luke was born the cord was wrapped around his neck so this caused a few complications in the beginning. The Lord had his hand upon my little boy because as soon as Richy started praying for him he stared improving and did not have to go to the special care nursery. After everything was cleaned up and Luke was doing well Richy was able to give Luke his first bath. It was great watching Richy care for his little boy. After the bath then Luke ate for the first time. I am breastfeeding and he latched on right away and has been a great eater every since. We allowed the visitors to come in after he ate and that was so great. I loved watching the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great grandparents love on our sweet Luke. I can't find words to describe that day. All I know is that I am so glad to finally have Luke here with us!

38 Weeks 4 Days Appointment

2009-08-14T09:43:00.002-04:00

Today was our last appt. to see Dr. Childs pre-baby. That is crazy to say and even harder to wrap my mind around. The appointment started off the same way except I was having some pretty strong contractions when I got there and had been having them all morning. I was weighed and I didn't gain any weight from the last week (yay). My blood pressure was down from the previous week (136/72) and Luke's heartbeat was in the 150's. Dr. Child's came in and I told him that I had been having some strong contractions and I also reminded him that two weeks ago that he said if we got to this point then we would check Luke's weight to see if he was still measuring big. He told me that he would hook me up to the monitors to monitor my contractions and that we may not need to check his weight because I may be having a baby. He said that I have been measuring two weeks ahead so he wanted to get me to 38.5 weeks and then we would make decisions from there. I was on the monitors for about 30 minutes and I had several strong contractions and then they started to slow down. Kay came in to check on me and said well. Let's have you come in Sunday night at midnight and we will have a baby on Monday. (that's if he doesn't come on his own between now and then) Well we are not going in on Sunday because of scheduling at the hospital but we are going in Tuesday night at 8 pm. I am in a daze I feel like. I am so excited and cannot wait but it is crazy to have a day that my baby will be here and the craziest part is it is less than a week away. I keep thinking of everything that I need to do before our lives our changed (for the better!) forever!

37 Weeks 4 Days

2009-08-07T18:32:00.002-04:00

I went to the doctor yesterday for our weekly visit. I was weighed, had my blood pressure taken (146/82), and then was put into a room. My blood pressure was higher than what it has been, but Dr. Childs was not concerned. He checked me and I was dilated to 2 cm. That's only 1/2 cm more than last week, but it is still progress. He also said that Luke's head was further down than it was last time. Before leaving the room Dr. Childs gave me a note that said, "call Dr. Childs." This was the highlight of my appointment because now if I do go into labor the nurse at the hospital will call him to ensure that he will be the one to deliver.

General Update:

Richy is a nervous wreck! I would never laugh at him where he could see but it is so funny. He is more forgetful than ever (scary....I know) and he is constantly checking on me. I didn't answer the phone the other day because I was in the basement doing laundry and by the time that I made it back upstairs to check my phone he had his mom on the way over to check on me. He also called me today and said, "you need to have the baby!" I asked why and he said, "I can't think strait. I got out the truck today without putting it into park!" Thankfully there was a curb in front of the truck that kept it from going very far. So pray for Richy that he can keep it together!
I have been having contractions pretty much everyday. Last Sunday I had them for several hours but they were not ever consistent. They kept ranging from 4 to 12 minutes, and at 2:30 Monday morning (the morning that I had to go back to work) they stopped and I finally fell asleep.
Today (Friday) was my last "official" day of work til October 12. It is so weird to think that the next time I go back to work I will be a mom.

36 Weeks 1 Day

2009-07-27T23:13:00.002-04:00

Today we had a doctors appt with an ultrasound. We had our ultrasound first. It was so neat to see how much he has grown. He was so sweet and I loved seeing him. He even stuck his tongue out at us. We had a ultrasound today to see how big he was and boy was he big...the lady said he was 7lbs 8 oz. Now that isn't always an exact measurement but still that is big for still having 26 days left! After the ultrasound we did the normal visit. Weight..still going up...Blood pressure (116/78) and then my first "check." I am actually 1 1/2 cent. dilated. I didn't think that I would be any and that still isn't a lot but I was excited when he said that I had started making progress. He also said I am thinning out. I also had my group B strep test and I will find out those results in a few days. Overall it was a great appointment. I still can't believe it is getting so close!

One Month!

2009-07-23T11:00:00.003-04:00

I just thought I would post to say that today is July 23. Luke is due August 23. That means I will most likely be having a baby within the month. As much as I am ready to hold my baby, I can't help but think where has this 9 months gone? There have been a few times that it has felt like it has crept by but when I look at the big picture it truly has gone by so fast. I love being pregnant and I am so thankful that God trusted me with this responsibility. I love feeling him move and hearing his heart beat. (now there are some things that haven't been so pleasant, but when he moves or I think about what he is going to look like and be like all the unpleasant things seem to fade) I woke up this morning and started thinking of all the things that I have left to do and clean. It kinda put me in a panic but I know it will all work out. Keep us in your prayers as we are getting close!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2009-07-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Fanning the smoke from the 21 candles
the family

mamaw's homemade cake...love it!

the birthday girl!

My sister turned 21 on July 6. I am a little late posting pictures, but these are the ones that I got at my mamaw's behind the table that we have been taking pictures behind for as long as I can remember!

A Sad GOODBYE!

2009-07-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Last Friday Richy had to say goodbye to a great friend! Well.....not exactly a friend, but one of his favorite toys! This was Richy's rhino that he loved to ride. It would go through mud and climb rocks and do all kinds of crazy manly things! (I only rode it once because I feared my life when riding.) He decided that he didn't get to ride as often as he liked and if he sold it it would be a payment we could eliminate. I know that most of the ladies have no clue what this is or care anything about it but I figured I should say farewell to Richy's favorite toy! So..goodbye RHINO!

Camping...Mini Redneck Vacation!

2009-07-15T00:55:00.002-04:00

Me in the pool :)
the camper

my mom

Lindsay

My mom had a few days off and since I was told not to travel in the month of July we decided to have a mini vacation at Chester Frost Park! My grandfather has a nice camper and we have used it many times and every time we camp there are times where I think...really...are we that redneck! One of those times during this trip was when I was sitting in a blowup swimming pool..alone... and in front of a huge camper. It was so hot out and at this point the only way I enjoy being outside is to be in the water, and since I refuse to get in the lake while I am pregnant, the only other option was the blow up pool. It may have looked pretty funny but I stayed cool and worked on my tan!

Luke's Finished Room

2009-07-15T00:32:00.003-04:00

The view when entering the room
Canvas art that matches bedding

the changing table

The bed view like before...except this time I have the name hung! (it is a side view so the name looks crooked!)

I finally completely finished Luke's room. This included hanging art on the wall, hanging his name on the wall, and hanging the changing caddy on the wall. I also took several things out of his room that he will not be needing for several months. Now all we need is LUKE!

34 Weeks 2 Days Appt.

2009-07-13T22:33:00.002-04:00

Today I went to the doctor. It was a very fast trip and everything is still going well. The appointment went as follows......

First...Weight ( not sharing that with you)

Second...Blood Pressure (120/68)

Next.....Luke's heartbeat (140's)

Last...Q& A Time...I didn't really have any questions for Dr. Childs this week however, when he asked how I was doing I told him my back was hurting a lot. He told me to stand up and he showed me how Richy could stretch my back for me.He lifted me up and my back popped so many times (who knew my OB was also a Chiropractor). I felt 100% better for a while. Sadly, that only lasted a couple of hours and it started to hurt again. On the plus side I can have Richy do what Dr. Childs did and hopefully I will be much better! I go back in 2 weeks and they will do my Group B Step Test and we will have an ultrasound to see how big the baby is. Time is flying by! It won't be much longer!

Oh..I almost forgot! Luke's room is completely finished! YAY! I will post pictures soon!

Update on Doctor's Visits

2009-06-29T22:31:00.002-04:00

I have actually had two appointments since I last blogged...I have really been a slacker! Luckily both appointments went the same way. I walk in, give a "specimen", I am weighed, blood pressure, hear the heart beat (my favorite part), Dr.Child's measures me, he ask if I have questions, we normally have a crazy random conversation because he is silly like that, and then I leave. At my 30 week appointment I had some questions about not being able to breathe and Dr. Child's reassured me that I will breathe and gave me some tips on things to do to make it easier. The heart beat at that appointment was in the 140. It was funny because every time the nurse would touch my stomach with the doppler Luke would move or give her a big kick. She said, " oh honey, your gonna be in trouble in a few weeks." I thought that was funny because he does it ALL the time and I love it so it won't be any trouble. At my 32 week appt. everything was still great. I didn't ask the heartbeat Dr. Childs just said it sounded great. When he measured my stomach he said right on schedule. My blood pressure this week was 112 over 70. This week I really didn't have any questions because I have been feeling pretty good. I still can't breathe however and my back hurts but those are both just things that come along with growing my Luke. So both appointments were pretty routine. I thank the lord everyday for this pregnancy and the way that he has held it in his hands! He has truly kept us and watched over us and I feel so blessed!

Luke's Room...Work in Progress

2009-06-29T22:18:00.003-04:00

Luke's wardrobe
bed and bedding
Richy painting

finished painting

process of painting

I am proud to say that we are almost done with Luke's room. Honestly...if he were to come now we would be ready, however his name is not on the wall and his art pieces aren't hung so it is not "complete." This room has definitely been a work in progress and it is so sweet to walk in and think that in a few short weeks my sweet baby boy will be ready to see it for the first time!

Here is the break down of the progress....

Spring Break: cleaned out room and closet

Memorial Day: Painted
May 30: Richy and his friend Derek put furniture together

June: Organized,washed, and put items away

I will post pictures when it is ALL finished!

Shower Times 2!

2009-06-29T22:06:00.004-04:00

Mom and her girls...wait...Luke too!

Lindsay and me

Candace and Max

All the girls...best picture I had...

A joke gift for Luke when he is older!

Baby Crocs...so sweet!

All the ladies at my Aunt Carol's

Sweet Cake with a cute baby!

I have had two more showers since my last post. My mom's good friend from work and another one of her good friends threw a shower on June 20. It was a small group of amazing women and I had the best time! They always pay attention to so much detail and I love when they throw a party! Luke is going to be so lucky to have an Aunt Carol and Aunt Brenda! My next shower was on June 27 and it was at the church. This shower was thrown by my best friends Brittney and Courtney. So many wonderful people came and blessed us. I had a great time. That shower was also very special to me because my best friend from high school came and brought her little boy!

Honduras

2009-06-15T12:55:00.004-04:00

Richy just returned from Honduras. He went with a group from our church. He would never take the time to sit and blog about it so I thought that I would post some of his pictures. The testimonies that were shared in church and the things that Richy and I have spoken about are all awesome. I know that God truly blessed each one that was apart of the trip.

I wouldn't call it an addiction...just passing time

2009-06-11T13:10:00.003-04:00

Friday ( June 5) I started reading the second Twilight book New Moon. I have to admit that I only made it through the first 100 pages of the first book Twilight and stopped. It was good and Stephanie Myer is a great writer but I had watched the movie and I never like to watch a movie and then read a book. I like to read a book and then see a movie so I can say how much better the book was! I love the suspense of what is going to happen in a book and if I have already seen the movie then it has been revealed. I know that in almost all cases the book is better and I am sure that it is true in Twilight but I love the suspense and knowing what was going to happen ruined it for me....back to where I started... I decided that since I had quite the free time coming up with Richy being in Honduras I would start the second book and give it a try. I had heard from several friends that if I didn't get into the first one, then move right on to the second and try it out. I appreciate the advise from Katie and Casey because I really enjoy the second book. So much so I read it cover to cover in 3 days. ( please remember my baby is still cooking in the oven so he doesn't take any of my time, my husband is in Honduras, and I am a teacher with a two month summer vacation....hence the free time) On Sunday I picked up the third book anticipating that I would probably finish sometime that day and wanted no delay between the two books. Sure enough by Sunday night... I guess Monday morning ( my sleeping habits are way off right now) I was done with the first book and a third of the way into the third book (Eclipse). At 2:30 Wednesday morning I was finished with the third book and trying to figure out how I could get my hands on the forth and final book at 2:30 in the morning. I started thinking clearly and decided to attempt sleep instead of a "book run." Wednesday I picked up the forth book and I am now a third of the way through it. I have stared somethings at home and I am trying to finish those before Richy returns so I don't think I will move so quickly through this one. I don't think I am addicted, I have just had ALOT of free time. I really like the Twilight books....still not my favorite series but obviously good enough to keep me going.

Quick Update

2009-06-04T12:26:00.002-04:00

I passed my 1 hour glucose test! YAY! However, I did find out that I am a little anemic and I have to take iron once a day. I have always been anemic but the prenatal vitamins have been doing a really good job at helping with that to this point. The nurse said that at this point in my pregnancy that it is not uncommon to need a little extra on top of the prenatal vitamins. I have heard horror stories at how bad the iron makes you feel and taste. I start tonight after dinner so hopefully it will be fine!

28 Weeks 1 Day Appt.

2009-06-01T22:16:00.002-04:00

Today I went for my 28 week visit. This visit included my 1 hour glucose test and an ultrasound. Upon arrival I was given the drink that you have to drink as part of the glucose test. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it wouldn't be what I would order with dinner. After quickly chugging the bottle it was time for my ultrasound. I love every time I have an opportunity to see my baby boy. He wasn't very cooperative today, but we did get to see that he has hair. Actually the exact words of Kim the ultrasound tech were..he has hair, and it is long. I guess we will have to wait a few weeks before we see how long it really is. I guess that explains some heart burn that I have had. Everything that she was measuring was great and he was moving around like always. He was looking towards my back so we didn't get any good shots of his face. She could tell however that he still has fat cheeks! He weighs 3lbs 1oz as of today. Both Dr. Childs and Kay came in my room and when they were looking at my chart they both made comments about my little football player. I was also measuring 29 weeks 6 days and I am only 28 weeks 1 day.

After the ultrasound and visit I had to wait around for my hour to end. I gave them what seemed like all my blood and then I had to get a shot. I had to get a shot because my blood type is A negative. Aside from all the sticking and taking of blood it was a great visit. I am so thankful that every time we go that we are shown how the Lord's hand is upon us and keeping myself and our baby healthy.

Saturday with Courtney and the Boys

2009-06-01T10:22:00.003-04:00

Lindsay and Heather in the pool
Caden and Jacob playing on the steps

Jacob playing by the pool

Saturday after the shower I got to spend some much needed time with my BFF. It has been a couple of months since we have seen each other and we just needed to catch up. It was even better because I got to spend some much needed time with the boys too! I love them so much and I am in awe of how fast they are growing up! When Courtney picked me up we decided to take them to visit my mom since she hasn't seen them since January. My mom was in heaven! She was pulling out all the "fun" things she has at her house. This also included a ride in Kel's Mustang convertible which resulted in Jacob now knowing how to "cruise for chicks!" After we visited with my mom we went to my dad's (which is in the same neighborhood) and swam for a couple of hours. It was nice to sit by the pool and watch the boys play. Mom and Kel invited us back to their house for a steak dinner that included a picnic in the front yard for the boys, a bath for the boys in the jacuzzi tub, Kel's amazing steak, and watching WALL-E. It was a great time and I know that my mom was loving all the fun time with the boys. I loved getting to catch up with my friend!

Baby Shower #2

2009-06-01T10:14:00.003-04:00

All the loot
A bib from my mamaw..way to go mam for shopping 31!

Maci..my friend Meghan's precious little girl

Thank you girls so much!

I feel truly blessed by the amazing people in my life. I have great family that truly provided Luke with all kinds of WONDERFUL goodies this weekend! Saturday Katie, Lindsay,and Courtney threw my family and some friends that I know outside of church shower. It was a great turn out and we got more than we could have imagined. They all put some much into making sure it was perfect and it truly was!

26 Week Visit

2009-05-25T09:42:00.002-04:00

We went to see Dr. Childs on Wednesday May 20. I was 26 weeks 3 days it has just taken some time for me to post! The visit went very well and they always seem really short. This time however I had several questions that I had been saving in my head so we talked for some time. I go back the 1st of June which will only be two weeks from my last visit. We get an ultrasound this time so I am so excited to see how big he is. We also made an appointment for a 3D ultrasound. It is a little expensive but I just want to see him so bad!We also signed up for our prenatal class. We were very productive at this visit!

Pregnancy Updates: I have had some reflux and heart burn, so Dr. Child's gave me something that will help with that. So far it hasn't really worked but I haven't been taking it that long. Luke is moving all the time. It is so fun. I find myself being so distracted by it. I love that he is getting bigger and every movement feels different. I don't think he is big enough to guess what body part I am feeling but he is getting close. We have the bedding out of layaway and have bought paint, so we will see when we get around to painting it. I also had a shower at work and got lots of great things from all the wonderful people I work with. I can't believe how fast this is going and I am loving every minute of it!

My Sister.... the College Grad!

2009-05-18T22:48:00.005-04:00

Lindsay and her boyfriend Taylor

Richy giving the cap a try!

Last Monday my sister graduated from Chattanooga State with an Associates in Science with a Certificate in Dental Assisting. She still has a few more weeks of and internship before it is "official" but she is so close and we are so proud of her! She also has managed to have 3.5 GPA (I think that it may be higher but I am not positive) She worked so hard and I know that she is going to do a great job as a Dental Assistant!

Mother's Day...very late post :)

2009-05-18T22:34:00.004-04:00

Mom and her girls
Me and my baby at 25 weeks :)

My beautiful mom

Mother's Day was so fun this year! We went to eat at Longhorn with Richy's family and that was yummy and the company was great. I got my first Mother's Day card from Richy's grandmother and it was very sweet! After lunch at Longhorn we went to my mom's and visited. It was very laid back and fun. We had a Mother's Day dinner of...pizza! I am so thankful for my mother and the mom that she has been to me. She is a strong woman and I am so thankful for her. I am also thankful for my stepmom, mother-in-law, and grandmother's. It is great to be surrounded by so many amazing women! I love you all!

We are REGISTERED!

2009-04-26T22:05:00.004-04:00

I have been thinking about registering for a week now, but I couldn't decided when. I am a little crazy when it comes to things like this because I feel like I should be super prepared and not go into something like this without doing some kind of research or preparations. Wednesday after my doctors appt. I decided that I would go to Babies R Us and scope out the place that way we could come back on Saturday and be ready (I am SO glad I did this). I told Richy to be ready to go around 2:00 on Saturday. He picked me up on time and we headed to grab a bite to eat and then onto our big adventure for the day. We decided to eat at Bonefish Grill. I was not impressed... frankly I had the worst taste in my mouth for the rest of the day...that's a whole other story. After we ate we headed to Babies R Us. We got all the logistics taken care of and we were off on our journey of deciding what we would need to take care of our child. I am so glad that I had already scoped somethings out because it was VERY crowded and could have been a little over whelming. We went up and down all the aisles clicking away. It took us about and hour and half total which was half the time I was told it could take, so I was very thankful. We were excited while we were there to see a friend of ours that just had a baby and she gave us some pointers. After leaving Babies R Us Richy and I were still in really good moods and in baby mode so we headed to Children's Fair on Lee Hwy. Here we picked out the bed, dresser/changing table, mattress, and the bedding (the picture is the bedding that we have chosen). We did this in a quick 30 minutes and put it all on Lay A Way! We were on a roll! I was so excited to make some big decisions. I normally can make decisions but lately I cannot decide anything so this was a huge weight lifted. We were really in baby mode now so I bravely asked Richy if we could go to Target and register while we were at it and to my surprise he said sure. When got icees at Target and then started out journey. This took half the time because all the big decisions were made at Babies R Us. We wanted to leave some of the smaller more common items for people (like my mother) who do not like to drive across the river.

I have read over all the lists and I think we did a pretty good job. I think the only mishap is a pink shopping cart cover that I need to delete and choose a boy themed. I know the one I scanned was boy themed so I don't know how that happened....oh and there is a George Foreman grill on our Target registry... I have no idea how it got there because we only went to baby stuff, so I have to go back and change some things around. All in all it was an awesome day and can't wait to have all his stuff here and "play" with it!

22 Weeks 3 Days

2009-04-23T18:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we went to see Dr. Childs for a check up. It was a pretty uneventful appointment. We heard Luke's heartbeat, the nurse was the one that checked she said it was between 140 and 150. I had a minor break down after I saw how much weight I gained since my last appt. 4 weeks ago. Dr. Childs just laughed and told me not to cry (because I was...dang pregnancy hormones) and that I am healthy and I am fine. He kept telling me not to worry and that I was 22 weeks pregnant...and did I think I wouldn't gain weight. So after Richy and Dr.Childs both calmed me down I was much better. I talked to him about some trouble I was having with my allergies and he called in a prescription and hopefully I won't have to deal with it anymore. Richy was excited about that too because he says I sound horrible when I sleep and eat because I can't breathe. Luke is great and is moving ALL the time. I feel him so many times a day and I love every time! I can tell he is growing because those soft little taps have turned into pretty strong kicks. Yesterday I felt him a little higher than I have been so that was fun. I feel very blessed everyday to have a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. I can honestly say that I love being pregnant and everyday is such a fun adventure.

Baby Name

2009-04-19T19:40:00.002-04:00

After the last two post I realized that I was calling the baby by the name we have chosen but I have failed to post what it is to let everyone know for sure. We have decided to name the baby Luke. We love the name Luke and that won't change. We think the full name may be Luke Preston Wilkerson. I like Preston but I am not sure I love it. So the middle name is still up in the air. I read baby name books and googled baby names and we could not agree and we came across the name Luke. I said it out loud to Richy and he said he liked it and it has just stuck. I am glad that we have decided because I like that I can call him his name and I can start getting things ready for him.

Easter

2009-04-19T19:25:00.003-04:00

My sisters and I (we have taken pictures in front of this spot since we were born!)
Richy and I

Richy Roo

Courtney and I

This Easter was a very nice time with family. We went to church and I had nursery duty. Courtney was in town and came in the nursery with me. I really had a great time with the babies and catching up with my friend. After church we went to mamaw and papaw Christian's for a traditional Easter dinner. The food was so yummy! After lunch we had a birthday party for Richy and my cousins daughter Serinity. After the parties we had an egg hunt with the kids. It was so fun to watch. I can't wait til I can help Luke with this tradition. After the hunt we came home and Richy's parents came over to visit and see the renovations on our house. We always have a great time catching up. That evening we went to mom and Kel's to visit. While we were there we decided to play wiffle ball with Lindsay and her boyfriend Taylor. Before it was all said and done it was Lindsay, mom, and I against Richy, Taylor, and Kel. I laughed until I cried so many times! It was a great time! I love spending time with family!

Inspire Luncheon

2009-04-19T18:51:00.003-04:00

Mom and I on stage
Katie, Lindsay, and I with Phil Stacey

Katie and I...I look huge in this picture!

Every April for the past 6 years I have had the privileged of attending a luncheon for the Mary Ellen Locker Foundation. I look forward to this Sunday all year. The Mary Ellen Locker Foundation was established by Mary Ellen Locker Byrd. MEL use to be an anchor woman in Chattanooga, however, that was one of her many jobs. MEL was diagnosed with cancer and instead of sitting back and letting it overcome her she decided that she had to do something to help all women impacted by breast cancer. She started the Children of Breast Cancer foundation which later was rename the Mary Ellen Locker foundation. MEL started the foundation to help those impacted by this horrible disease and also because she wanted to make sure her son Alex would be taken care of. MEL passed away but her legacy lives on and her foundation grows larger every year. The MEL foundation has helped so many go to college and accomplish their dreams. I feel so blessed to have been one of the recipients. I believe that if it had not been for the MEL foundation that I might not have accomplished my dream of being a teacher. The foundation has also helped my sister and sister in law in their college endeavors. I truly owe more thanks than I can give to the MEL foundation and all that are involved. Every year they have a luncheon where they hand out scholarships and raise money. This year I had the opportunity to say a few words during the event. My job was to say a few words about how I have been impacted by the foundation and then ask for people to leave a donation on their table. Before I was about to walk on the stage I was presented with an awesome gift basket. It was all boy themed and had so many amazing things inside. It had onesies, blankets, a little care package, and a Babies R us gift card. The foundation has already given me so much and now they acknowledge my baby. It was so exciting and I am so thankful! Every year they have great entertainment. One year it was Barbara Dooley the wife of Vince Dooley who is a well know football coach, Rhonda Rich who is a hilarious southern author, and Randy Owen from the group Alabama performed one year. This year Phil Stacey from American Idol performed. He did a great job and really seemed to be glad to be working with the foundation. He has decided to make the MEL foundation the main charity that he supports. I had the opportunity to have my picture taken with him and he seemed like a pretty cool guy. Every year I have a great time and this year was no exception! I can't wait til next year and take Luke to this awesome event!

Ultrasound Pictures and Belly Pictures

2009-03-30T22:17:00.002-04:00

Sweet Boy!
YEP! He is a boy!

19 Weeks...end of the day so no face in this one...

17 weeks

IT'S A BOY!!

2009-03-25T15:40:00.002-04:00

Today we went for our 18 week 3 day visit. We found out that our baby is a....BOY! Most importantly our baby is very healthy and all the growth that they look for at this point was right on track and everything looked great! It was so funny because Richy and I thought that this baby was a girl. We just knew that we would have a girl, so she said boy we were both in shock. I am still in shock, but I am so excited about my little boy. I think that the fact that I am going to have a baby was finally real today, and I think that is what I am in shock about. We invited our parents to the ultrasound so including Richy and I there were 8 people in the room. I battled with this decision because a lot of people said to let this time be about Richy and I, but in my heart I wanted our parents to be there. This was the best decision I could have made. It was great watching 6 grandparents stare at my baby and already be so in love. I felt so blessed...I had my amazing husband whom truly has been more to me in this time than I could have ever asked for, my mom and dad with my amazing stepparents in the same room (this always makes me emotional), and my in laws who have treated me like their own and every time I am with them make me feel more loved. The icing on the cake was looking at my baby boy. The lord has entrusted me to be the mom of this wiggly, chubby cheeked (the nurse said he had fat cheeks), perfect little boy. I can't think of what I have done to deserve all that the lord has given me but I praise him and thank him for all he has done. He is truly amazing!

After the appt. Richy and I ate at Cracker Barrel. I am kinda on a Cracker Barrel kick so anytime I can get over that way I take the chance to eat there. It was delicious as ever. Next we stopped at Children's Fair. Richy and I walked around and got an idea of what we are looking for as far as bedroom furniture and bedding. I found out that Richy and I still have different taste in everything (but thats ok...we compliment each other) because we both like different things. I am not going to stress about it because I know we have some time. Today was truly a gift from God and I am so thankful!

p.s. I have been feeling the baby move....a lot. At first I didn't know what it was. After today however, I know that same feeling that I feel over and over is my wiggly baby BOY!

As soon as I scan my ultrasound pics in I will post them.

I THINK I AM NESTING!

2009-03-19T18:41:00.003-04:00

Charlie thinking...I can finally walk around in this room!

The only thing in the closet is some things for the baby and some picture frames...yes that is a pink blanket...found it while cleaning and can't remember why I have it!

Charlie has collected two of his ball in the room...he doesn't know what to do with all the open space!

This week I have enjoyed being off work for Spring Break. However, I feel that I have worked just has hard at my house as I do in the classroom. Monday at 10:00 a.m. my mom came over and we started our own episode of Clean Sweep. We cleaned out what we plan on using as the baby room, the basement, and the laundry room. We worked all day and I think that she left around 10:00 that night. Tuesday I had a dentist appt. After the dentist appt. we started our cleaning extravaganza over again. She stayed til about 10:00 Tuesday night too. When she left Tuesday we were finished! After two long days of organizing and cleaning we were done. We managed to completely empty the baby room (formerly know as my office) and move the stuff to the basement. We took all the "junk" that was in the basement and either threw it away or found it a "home." We also neatly put all of Richy's hunting equipment into a nice spacious closet. We managed to fill 15 bags of garbage and 10 bags for Goodwill. We accomplished so much and I have found myself thinking about what I can organize next. I have some pictures of the empty baby room. I am to embarrassed to show the before pictures so just enjoy the after!

Our New Addition...no not the baby

2009-03-19T18:33:00.004-04:00

For the last several weeks all you hear at my house is the sound of bagging. We decided to turn our screened in porch into an extra sitting room. Richy likes to refer to this room as the "man room." He plans to give it a very manly decor and put all his animals in it. I am giving him free reign in that room. I don't think I would even know how to decorate a "man room." I am very proud at the progress he has made and how much stuff he has done on his own. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it is done. I figured I would post some pictures of the progress this far. I looked for a before picture but I do not have one saved on my computer. Hopefully by the time a show the finished product I will have a before picture.

13 Weeks 3 Days

2009-02-18T17:32:00.002-05:00

We saw Dr. Child's today for a routine visit. It was a very quick visit and everything looked great. We heard the heart beat and it is still in the 160's. Dr. Child's asked how my energy level was and I said it is great til 4:00 and then I just want to go to sleep. Richy told him that I sleep all the time, and I said you chase 20 five year olds around all day and you see what you do. :) It was very in and out but we always have a good laugh when we go. My next appt. is March 25 at 8:30 and that is our gender visit. I can't believe my first trimester has come and gone. In a lot of ways it feels like it has been forever but it often feels like it is flying by. I think I have successfully not thrown up, however I have felt very close many times. The worst part right now is this horrible taste that I can not get out of my mouth. Overall I have enjoyed every minute of being pregnant and I can't wait to see what the next weeks hold. Please continue to pray for Richy, myself, and the baby. Also pray for Richy's business and that jobs keep coming in!

Valentines Day

2009-02-16T11:12:00.002-05:00

This Valentines Day was probably my favorite out of the seven that I have spent with Richy. We normally go out to eat at a nice restaurant and that is it. He normally gets me flowers and I give him Reeces hearts and we are both satisfied. This year he asked where I wanted to go eat and I said I think I just want to stay home. Nothing really sounded appealing so I didn't want to go spend a lot of money on food that I probably won't eat any ways. He decided that he would cook for me. For Richy this is a huge deal. He NEVER cooks. Our menu for the night was steak, boiled okra (my favorite, Richy's speciality), and a baked potato. Richy's mom gave us two mini cheesecakes for dessert. The dinner was fabulous and we spent good quality time together. I was so glad that we chose to celebrate this way. I am so thankful for my husband and all that he does for me!

Six Random Facts About Me

2009-01-21T17:38:00.002-05:00

I was tagged by Brittney B. and Lydia F.

1. I am very lazy! It is probably one of my not so great qualities but it is the truth. I love to lay on the couch and watch TV. In the past three weeks I have had a lot of time off and I have taken full advantage of laying around. I know that this time is short and soon I will not be able to enjoy this luxury so I am taking full advantage while I can.

2. I love my job. I don't think that I have had one morning where I did not want to go to work. There are some days that it is stressful, hard, and emotional but I truly love what I do. I can't imagine doing anything else.

3.I love salty foods. I like sweets, but I will take a bag of chips over a cake any day. I really like to get plain ruffles and dip them into sour cream. It is so yummy! ( I often like to do this while I am enjoying the #1 random fact about me)

4. I love spending time with my family. Moms, dads, sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, the whole crew! I love it! I could honestly spend everyday with them. We have our disagreements and we are all very different but when we are together I love it! Actually my dad's parents have a lunch every other Sunday and have been doing this since I was 6. This gathering includes my mamaw, papaw, dad, Lori, Heather, my aunt, uncle, and depending on the day 5 or so cousins. I don't make it to all of them but I do attend most. I love that time and it never seems long enough!

5.I am probably one of the biggest FRIENDS fans you will ever meet. I have all ten seasons and have watched every episode at least 5 times. Most episodes I have seen WAY more than that! Every thing in life I relate back to FRIENDS and at any give moment I could probably quote a line from FRIENDS that goes along with the conversation I might be having. I have also hooked Richy. We have gone through all ten season once together and now we are making our way back around. We love it and there are many nights we come home, crawl in bed, and watch at least 3 or 4 episodes.

6. I think I have said this one before..but I am an ink pen collector. I have an obsession. I have favorites but I love all kinds. I actually have a pen bag. The bad is monogrammed and only holds a small amount of the ones I own. I know that it is the teacher in me but I love them. I never miss a stroll down the ink pen aisle at any store!

I think everyone has been tagged....but it you are reading this and you haven't been, then I tag you!

Coming Soon August 2009

2009-01-20T18:37:00.003-05:00

As many of you may know and some may not, Richy and I are expecting our first child this summer. My due date is August 23, 2009. We found out that I was pregnant on December 17, 2008. It had been about 57 days since my last period and I knew something wasn't right. Two weeks before I had taken a pregnancy test and it was negative so I didn't think I was pregnant. So Wednesday night I was at Wal-Mart with my sister and the pregnant thought re entered my mind and I said, " would it be silly if I bought another test?" Her reply was, "no why else would you not have period." So I bought a two pack and went home to take the test. Immediately after urinating on the stick it read pregnant. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So I drank a bottle of water and an hour later I repeated the process and it too read the beautiful word...pregnant. The next morning I called the doctor and that afternoon I went in for blood work. I was called back the next day to be told indeed I was pregnant and everything looked good. I went in the following Monday and gave more blood to ensure my levels were good and they were. That weekend we told our families and after that the news traveled fast. We enjoyed Christmas and New Years. I enjoyed a very relaxing trip to Augusta to visit Courtney and finished enjoying my time off from work. On January 6 we went for our first visit. It was a three hour visit. I gave them lots of blood. We chatted with Kay the nurse practitioner at my OB and we saw our baby for the first time. It was amazing watching something so small. The ultrasound was reading me to be only 7weeks 5 days and if calculated from the first date of my last period (Oct. 20) I should have been 11 weeks. So we had to return for another ultrasound today (Jan. 20). This ultrasound was a lot better and we could see arms, legs, the head,and we heard the heart beat. It once again amazed me. Richy was so excited he didn't know which screen to look at. It was very funny. The ultrasound tech made the comment that she hadn't seen a dad so excited in a long time. It was so amazing to see our little olive (that's what size it is this week) waving its little arms and legs at us. The ultrasound did reveal that I am 9weeks 2 days and my due date is August 23. We found out really early and my mom keeps saying..it is going to be a long year, but I am excited and taking in everyday because I know it won't be long.

Richy and I are very excited and we are just asking for your prayers during this time. This is a big responsibility that God is entrusting us with and we are asking anyone that will to pray for guidance, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy baby. Thanks and we love you all!

Update

2008-11-13T18:48:00.002-05:00

Now that Richy is home I can talk about this....Richy was gone for a week hunting the mighty deer. He was in Faith, South Dakota in 47 inches of snow. I missed him like crazy and i am so glad he is home. I didnt mention he was gone before because I am always scared someone will read my blog and then try to come get me. :) I also need to say that when I returned to work from my one sick day my room was not how I keep it but it was no where near what I thought it was going to look like. My kids on the other hand must be eating left over Halloween candy everyday before school. They are crazy! I thought I would just do a quick update and i will try and post some of Richy's pictures of the snow soon.

"The Five"

2008-11-09T18:02:00.002-05:00

Tagged again :)

Ten Years Ago I:
1. I was in 7th grade at Soddy Daisy Middle School.
2. My parents had just bought a new house so I was enjoying living in a neighborhood for the first time.
3. It was my first year in youth group because my church still thought 6th grade was elementary.
4. I was passing notes and talking about boys.
5. That summer I met Richy at a pool party. He was really mean and I never thought a little over 8 years later I would be his wife.

Five Things on my to Do List:
1. lesson plan
2. clean house
3. clean house
4.clean out my car
5. get my oil changed in my car

Five Snacks That I Enjoy:
1. cheese balls
2. Cheetos
3. chocolate chip ice cream
4. grapes
5. diet dr. pepper ( i know this is a drink but many times it is a snack for me too)

Five Things That I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire
1. pay off all our bills
2. adopt a Honduran Orphan
3. Mission work
4. travel
5. buy Richy a farm with lots of land

Five Places That I Have Lived:
1. Soddy Daisy

Five Jobs That I Have Had:
1. Office Assistant at Pannell Mechanical (high school)
2. Hamilton County SACC assistant (college)
3. Army Corps of Engineers at Chickamauga Lock student clerk (college)
4. Wilkerson Tile Co. office manager
5. Rivermont Elementary kindergarten teacher

Sick Day....

2008-11-05T21:58:00.002-05:00

Today I took my first sick day as a teacher. I have been dealing with bad allergies since this summer. I went to the doctor in July I was given medicine and told to come back in three weeks. During that three weeks I got a new job and could not take off. So..four months later I am still sneezing, sniffling, coughing, and scratching my eyes. I finally woke up this morning and said enough. I went online and put in for a sub, emailed my lesson plans, and called the doctor. I in fact do have allergies and have to take two pills a day for the next four weeks. At four weeks he will see if he can take me off one, but I may be one of those people that has to take something everyday to control the symptons...Anyways...I write all that to say I AM TERRIFIED TO SEE WHAT MY CLASS WILL BE LIKE ON THURSDAY. The main reason I have waited til now to take off is I pride myself in my super clean and organized classroom and I fear that when I return tomorrow it will be a mess. I have seen what happens when subs are in classrooms and I fear that happening in my room. I will post later to update on what it looks like. Pray that they were able to do some work and I won't have to spend the next three weeks recovering.

p.s. Hamilton County so graciously gave a 1% raise. (10 whole dollars added to a paycheck!) and a bonus! Yay!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-11-02T17:11:00.002-05:00

7 Things About Me

1. I love my job! I LOVE IT! I get excited about going I find complete joy it what I do everyday!

2. My favorite sandwich is a meatball sub from Subway. I could eat one everyday. I like it with Italian herb and cheese bread, mozzarella cheese, and meatballs. They are so warm and yummy.

3. I am an ink pen collector. At any given time I probably have at least 5 pens in my purse. I normally carry my pen bag and that probably has thirty in it. My favorite kind is a needle point...dork I know!

4. I talk to my cat like he is a real person. I tell him what I am doing and I ask him questions. I took a class once on oral language and I learned the more your talk to children the more they will talk to you... I guess I am just practicing with my cat.

5. I am really lazy. I love to lay on the couch and indulge in hours of reality TV. I don't get to do this very often but when i do I take complete advantage of it!

6. My favorite colors are black and white. I love black and white. They aren't even really colors but when I buy clothes, things for my house, or anything I go for black and white.

7. When I sleep, I sleep with my hand on my chin. I can't really describe it but I put my thumb on one cheek and my pointer finger on the other and rest the part in between on my chin. I have been made fun of several times for my sleeping position but I can't go to sleep til I am in that position.

I tag Brittney B.

5 YEARS!!

2008-10-31T23:26:00.003-04:00

Today (Halloween) marked the 5 year anniversary of my mom's last mastectomy. In many ways I cannot believe that it has been five years and then in a way it feels like it has been a lifetime. During that time she had to have one year of chemo and other preventative drugs. It was a very enduring time but she battled through and came out a winner. She is five years cancer free and I thank the lord for all he did in our family during that time. I am so proud of her! Way to go mom!

FALL BREAK...A DAY WITH THE LADIES...

2008-10-15T11:11:00.003-04:00

There are numerous "perks" to being a teacher. One is called FALL BREAK! In college I was able to experience the luxury of fall break but for only two days, now I have a week. I love what I do but I have realized that you can love what you do but can also need a break from it. I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything crazy I just wanted to relax and live life as if I had no plans. Well a week before fall break my husbands office manager was "let go" (a whole other story in itself). As many of you know I worked for Richy all summer. It had its ups and it had its downs but we made it three months of working together and we are still happily married. So hearing the news of the vacant office manager spot I knew what I would be doing over fall break....some break right? I still was excited about fall break but I didn't know what all I was going to be able to accomplish if I had to responsibilities of the office to take care of. This week Courtney is in town and I was hoping to do lots of catching up and I didn't know if I would be able to having to work. Well Monday arrived and Richy told me to have a fun day and that he could hold down the fort without me. So Monday Courtney, Brittney (thanks Christopher Columbus), and my self set out on an adventure. We started at 11:30 a.m. with a lunch at Ichiban..yummy as always, a trip to my mom's office, and then to Hamilton Place. We are all attending a wedding this weekend and all needed a dress. This hunt was not successful but it was a blast laughing at all the dresses that did not work for any of us. ( I wish I had a camera at that time!) I did walk away with a new set of sheets. We then went to Target...can't have a girls day without it. Brittney then graciously offered to make us dinner. So we enjoyed a Taco Ring and some Rotel dip at the Bates' home. We ended the day at 10:00 p.m. It was a great day and it makes me thankful for the people in my life. Even though some of us have moved away and we all are very busy it is great to have one day every blue moon to be with friends and laugh. I am so thankful for my friends. It is just funny how people come in and out of your life but you find those few people that are really there for you and love you no matter what! So I say this about fall break....if I am locked in an office for the rest of the week it was still a great fall break!

A Fall Weekend

2008-09-21T22:28:00.003-04:00

This weekend was very relaxing. Saturday I laid around the house and relaxed. Then we spend the evening at my parents house. This was very relaxing and was like old times. Richy and I have been so busy and have not spend very much time with our families. It was great to be at my old home and relax with people I love. Sunday we went to church and it was a great service. My sister has been visiting with us and I love that time with her. I love my church but the hardest thing is going without my family. All my life I have gone to church with my whole family and these past few years without them has been different. This makes it all the better having her there now. She is a great sister and I pray that The Ministry Center is where she starts to call home. After church we went to eat with Richy's family. It was great spending time with them at our favorite restaurant..Ichiban. We ended our day playing six holes of golf (one which I made par...the others not so much) and bowling three games with our college and career. This was a great weekend and I am so excited fall is upon us!

An Update on the Wilkerson's

2008-09-11T22:45:00.002-04:00

I have found myself busier than I have ever been and Richy is experiencing the same. Although I feel busy and that there is not enough time in a day I still find complete joy in what I do. I have to say that there have been several crazy moments in the past six weeks but I have yet to think that I would want to be somewhere else doing something else. I LOVE BEING A TEACHER! I don't have enough time or energy to tell all my crazy stories but trust me I have many, but I will say that with a class of 20 (yes I lost three....bitter sweet...I love the new number but I miss them) 5 year old boys and girls there is never a dull moment and their innocence never ceases to amaze me. I will also say that my school has children that in some cases come from homes that I can't even fathom having to live in. Every day I find myself thanking the lord for the blessings he has bestowed in my life and praying that he bring my precious children back safely the next day. I will tell one quick story.... yesterday one of my little boys who at times can be a handful started complaining of his feet hurting. I sat him down and looked at his feet to notice that the shoes he is wearing are so small that the thread at the toe is popping open and his toes is about to be exposed. I said honey your feet hurt because your shoes are just a little to small. He then replied, " Every time I get spider man shoes they hurt my feet." All he wanted was some spider man shoes and the only ones he could have were way to small, but that was OK to him because they were spider man shoes. So I am on a mission for some spider man shoes for this little boy! I love being a teacher!

On a much different note: Richy and I are continuing our golf lessons every Wednesday at 5. I love it more and more every time I play and I find myself turning the TV on and going straight to channel 36...the golf channel. I had a lesson on Wednesday and my instructor (Mike) took me onto the course to play a few holes. On one hole I managed to make par (this is when you make it in the hole in the allotted amount of strokes). I was so excited and glad that Mike was there to see it happen ( I am a teacher and I want to impress my teacher!). I have also found this time with Richy to be my favorite time. We laugh, we joke, and we help each other out. I think that this hobby that we have taken on has really brought us closer!

One Week Down.....

2008-08-15T20:50:00.003-04:00

Well today marked to the end of my first week of teaching and......I love it. I know that these words are not always going to be coming out of my mouth but in my heart I will always know that this is what I am meant to do. I have (as of right now) twenty three beautiful minds. I have (get this) seventeen boys and six girls. This is very uneven but we only have eighteen girls in the whole Kindergarten so everyone gets six. I have met some of them but due to the nature of the school some children have just recently been registered. I am hoping to have met all of them by next Thursday. I have many funny stories already and everyday children AMAZE me even more! Next Monday is my first day with all twenty three of my children.... start praying now :)!

Rivermont...who would have thought?

2008-08-02T22:55:00.002-04:00

I graduated in May with a degree in Early Childhood Education and I am certified to teach pre k-3. Since the end of April I have been working as Richy's office manager and seeking after a teaching position. I have had several interviews but nothing was turning into a permanent position. At the beginning of July I heard through some friends at church that an interim position was going to be available at McConnell Elementary for the upcoming school year. I didn't really want an interim position but McConnell is such an amazing school it would be worth it. Well at the same time I found about this position from a friend the principal had made many trips into the eye doctor's office that my mom works for. My mom being the mom she is told her I was looking for a job and set up an interview time with her. I met with McConnell's principal and had a great talk with her. The positions that she had to offer were only temporary and may or may not turn into something permanent. She showed me the classrooms but told me to call her in a week to ensure that I did not miss out on a permanent position to accept her interim. I called her once a week for the next three weeks. During this time I had no phone calls for possible positions. Wednesday July 30 I received a phone call from the HR dept for the Hamilton County Schools. I was offered a first grade position at Orchard Knob Elementary. I asked the lady if I could call her back after I thought about it. As soon as I got off the phone I called the principal at McConnell and she said I was going to call you this afternoon let me call you back. Later that afternoon she called me back and said that she had just heard about a Kindergarten position at Rivermont Elementary and had put a recommendation in for me. She said that she would love to have me at McConnell but she wanted me to have a place to "nest." So I got off the phone with her and called the principal at Rivermont and set up and interview for Thursday at 1:00. I went to the interview and I thought it went well. The principal was great and I could just tell great things are going to be happening this year at Rivermont. I left the interview and prayed that something would be set in stone soon. Friday morning I received and email from HR saying they needed and answer for the Orchard Knob job. I began to feel very overwhelmed. I didn't want to turn that job down and then not get the Rivermont job. I was scared of ending up jobless. I prayed that the Lord take control and at 1 o'clock on Friday I was offered a job as a kindergarten teacher at Rivermont. I accepted the position and I start Monday. Throughout the whole summer so much stuff was unknown, but the Lord was teaching me patience and was making me wait for the right job. I feel such a peace about this position. Kindergarten has always been my first pick and I feel so blessed that the Lord agreed and provided me with this job opportunity. Since I was little I have always played school. I made every play school, and now it is real. I am very overwhelmed but I am so ready. I know this is my calling and I can't wait to run with it! This weekend was tax free weekend and I was able to buy my favorite things....school supplies and now it is totally justified!

ATTENTION LADIES!!!

2008-08-01T09:37:00.002-04:00

I am having a Thirty-One party Thursday August 7 at 6:30! It will be at my house and everyone is welcome. I would love for everyone to come but it you can't make it you have options... the consultant has a website and you can go online and view the new fall line that just started today (Aug. 1) and the old favorites. You can also order online which is the same as if you were ordering from a party. I also have some catalogs and will have them with me at church on Sunday and Wednesday before the party. Just ask if you want to look. There is some really cute stuff and I am very excited! The website for the consultant is http://www.jennysthirtyonegifts.com/. You go to shop online and then find my name. If you order it will ship with the orders from my party. I hope this is fun and fulfills your tote, stationary, and home decor craving!

Shoes...Clubs...Now All I Need is a Lesson!

2008-07-28T13:36:00.002-04:00

Bag and shoes
my new Cleveland golf bag

They are here! My golf shoes came in on Thursday and they were just as cute in person! Since I had the shoes now it was time for MY clubs. I had been hitting at the driving range with a set of Richy's old ones, but they were to long and not mine. So, Friday night we set out to purchase my first set of clubs. We arrive at golf headquarters and I was on a mission. I told the man that I had no idea what to even ask to find what I needed. He and I decided that I needed the cheapest set in case this was something that I was not going to stick with. After picking out the Nexus clubs (the cheapest in the store) I was ready for my next purchase. Now it was time to purchase the bag. For a man this is probably a simple task but for a bag collector like myself, this was not so easy. They had some very nice pink and purple bags but my favorite colors are black and white so that was what I wanted. (plus they would match my shoes) It took my a while to find the "perfect" bag, but I found it and I was ready to check out. They men in the store know Richy by name and one of the men was actually a principal at our high school when Richy and I were there. So they were very nice and we always have a good time when we visit the store. I guess the men wanted my arrival to the sport to be great so they gave my a free 5 wood and a towel. Now I was ready. Richy and I took the clubs to the range the next night and I got to break them in. I didn't hit very much. I was scared to develop habits that would be hard to break and I want to do this right. I watched Richy try to hit the big van at the range and then we left. It was a great weekend for golf and.....I have my first golf lesson Tuesday at 4:00 with a man at Creeks Bend. I will let everyone know how it goes!

Wednesday Night with the Bates Family

2008-07-28T13:23:00.003-04:00

The boys staying busy

Richy after dinner Richy and Mason
Relaxing after everyone left

Wednesday night church was cancelled because VBS had taken over the whole campus. This being the case our Young Adults class met right up the street at the Bates' home. Brittney B. ( i have to use the first letter of the last name because out of 5 women present three of us have the name BRITTANY) made some yummy rotel dip and rice crispy treats and Melissa provided us with a grand main course of spaghetti! We talked and ate. The boys then decided to hit the driving range....my guess this was the idea of Richy and Derek since the other three men are not nearly as obsessed as these two. This was fine so the women stayed and talked and played with the two beautiful babies. I have to say that I was a huge baby hog that night! It was a great evening and thank you to the Bates Family for having us over!

Four.....

2008-07-21T23:05:00.000-04:00

Richy loves to play golf and I am going to start joining him. I know that golf is usually a time for men to get together with men, and he will still have his "man" time but I have decided to take up the sport and play with him. We have often thought that we would like to do some sport together and I think we have found it. I have had no experience with golf but I am very excited to learn. I made my first purchase today, and I hope they will get me started. I didn't buy clubs, or balls, or a sky caddy..... I bought.... Nike black and white hounds tooth golf shoes ( I have to look good). This evening we went to the golf store and their selection of women's shoes were not age appropriate so I came home and started searching online. I found the cutest pair. Now I understand that the look of the shoe in no way improves your game...but whether I am good or bad I will always have cute shoes!

Lock In Time!

2008-07-20T19:59:00.000-04:00

Friday the college and career hosted a lock in for the youth group. It started around nine and was kicked off with an intense game of volleyball and then moved into an even more intense game of capture the flag. Around midnight we gathered to eat pizza and have a devotion. Dewayne did a great job and used a great illustration. Once the devotion was over the kids went back out to play capture the flag. Some of them stayed inside and played what I call "Nintendo" but I am often reminded that is not what they all are...but they are all the same in my book. Richy fell asleep on our aero bed around 1. Around 1:30 I went on a hunt for the perfect sleeping spot. In the hallway of the church we have these benches that are about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide (that may actually be a little smaller than that). I decided to put three of them together. This was one of the best sleeping spots I have ever had at a lock in. I woke up around 8 and an hour later it was all over. It was the most successful lock in I have ever been to and I am truly enjoying the time I am spending with the youth.

Conquering The Mighty Ocoee

2008-07-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

Sunday Richy and I took a trip down the Ocoee with the youth group from church. We left the church around 1:30 and arrived at the Ocoee around 2:15. Richy and I had the pleasure of driving five of the youth up to the river. This is the first time Richy and I had really participated in any events with the youth, so I was actually a little nervous about the ride up. The kids were great and the trip up went very smooth. I did tell Richy when we got up there that I started to feel kinda old and not very "cool." The conversations they were having with each other kinda dominated the ones I tried to be apart of, but that was fine I needed to make sure Richy focused on the road :) . Once we arrived at High Country Outfitters we had to wait about an hour til we could head up to the river. Before getting on the big green school bus we were given the proper equipment needed for the rest of the day. This included a very smelly life jacket, a helmet, and a paddle. The trip leader gave us a quick tutorial and then we were off the the river. Once we arrived at the top we got in groups of six. These six people would be in my boat and assist greatly in the trip down the river. In our boat was Richy, Yancy, Kari, Dewayne, and Ethan. Our guide for the day was actually a guy that Dewayne went to high school with. Knowing the guide really made the experience that much better. I felt like we got to do somethings that not just everyone does. Not to mention our guide was a seven year veteran and really made the trip so much fun! We all made it down the river safely. We truly had a great time!

Some of my favorite moments from the trip....

The first time I saw Richy in his life jacket and helmet. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. Sorry no pictures of it..but trust me.

Richy and Dewayne falling out of the raft. Yancy yells where is Dewayne and we look and all of the sudden this large arm comes from underneath the raft. Dewayne finally surfaced and with the help of Ethan I pulled him in...or with my help Ethan pulled him back into the boat. The guide pulled Richy in before we pulled Dewayne (so no I did not leave my husband in the river :).

The guide let Kari and I sit in the front of the boat. I had never sat in the front and it made the trip that much better!

The whole trip was amazing and sadly the only picture I got was of the kids in our car.

What was lost is now found!!

2008-07-10T15:23:00.000-04:00

Richy and I have been married for one year five months and seven days....but whose counting! We were so blessed during our wedding season by gifts and gift cards. We were able to stock our house and then some. I have to admit however, that I lost about 300 dollars in Bed Bath and Beyond gift cards and about 160.00 in cash. I had it all in a zip lock bag and I lost it....well I thought I lost it. I was cleaning out my car on Monday and reached in the passengers seat back pocket and to my surprise pulled out a baggie with gift cards and cash! I almost cried I was so excited! I began to think what perfect timing it was to have found those. Richy and I just bought our house and there is lots to be done. The gift cards and cash will help so much in the decorating process. So I now like to say that I did not lose the money and gift cards I was just saving them!

Happy Birthday Lou!

2008-07-07T11:47:00.000-04:00

The beauty of divorced parents is two birthday parties....since I was two or three everyone's birthday party at my grandparents consists of a picture taken just like this. Happy 20th b-day Lou!
Now... my mom's house for her birthday cookout!

Richy scaring Lou with the bubble wrap!

In my last post I talked about Lindsay's birthday. These are some of the great moments of the night!

Three day weekends never felt so good....

2008-07-06T22:07:00.000-04:00

I love that this year the Fourth of July fell on a Friday! Richy and I closed up shop Thursday and put a sign on the door that said we would not be open til Monday... that felt so good! This has been a very relaxing weekend. Friday I spent time out by the pool at my parents house while Richy spent some time on the golf course. Then we were invited to a cookout hosted by the Oscai family.We had good food and a great time!Thank you Oscai family for the invite and the great time! Saturday Richy and I both headed to be pool for a day of relaxation. Saturday evening we headed to my mom's for a birthday cookout for my sister. She turned the big 20. It is so hard to imagine that she is 20 years old! Richy and I challenged my mom and Kel to a game of badminton and sadly came out defeated... unfortunately my badminton skills are not as good as my softball skills! Sunday we went to church and then out to lunch at Steve's Landing with Yancy and Kari. We then spend the rest of the day doing things around the house that needed to be done! It was such a great weekend and we are so blessed to have our lives filled with people that are truly amazing!

Oh....I have a job interview Monday at 9. I am very nervous because it is at a very desirable school and I really hope it goes well. Please be praying that all goes well and I will have a teaching job soon!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

2008-07-01T10:40:00.000-04:00

After a rough season the Ministry Center "Pink Panthers" (as some of our fans like to refer to us as) got first place in our league tournament. This is the second time for us so we were very excited and it felt good to be able to take our famous team picture holding up our number 1! This season started out a little rocky and contained a few more let downs that hoped for but we stuck together, worked together, and pulled through! I was especially surprised at our performance in the tournament. We won our first game, lost our second, won our third, and to win the championship we were going to have to beat the same team twice.... during the first game we weren't playing as good as I knew we could but we stepped it up and pulled it out in the last inning! This win allowed us to play the team one more time for a chance at the plaque. The second game went much better than the first and we pulled out an 11-8 victory. Everyone played great and it was a BLAST! I hope next year we keep up our streak!

The First Weekend As Home Owners!

2008-06-30T10:49:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was our first weekend to own our home. In the beginning I thought that I would feel no different about our home because we have lived there for almost two years, but I am learning quick that your feelings change when something is your own! Richy woke up Saturday morning and enjoyed a game of golf with some friends, while I was laying in bed contemplating my day my dad called and said he was making breakfast, so as usual I invited my self to join them. My dad just recently opened up their pool so I decided that after breakfast I would lay out for a couple of hours. I was trying to relax but all I could think about was how much I needed to do at home. If you know me you know that I am not a cleaner... I put it off as long as possible and but everything else in front of it. So, I got out of the pool after 20 short minutes and headed home to start on my three hour long cleaning extravaganza. I was cleaning things that I didn't know I could clean! Now that the house is ours it is something that I want to take care of and that really showed on Saturday! Saturday night Richy and I ventured out to Lowe's where we purchased a new area rug, mailbox (with OUR name on it), and a vacuum cleaner. As soon as we got home we rearranged the furniture to accommodate our new rug. Sunday we went back to Lowe's and purchased new blinds for the whole house. A couple of the spare rooms in our home have been without blinds since we moved in... it wasn't our house and I had trouble wanting to spend money on something that wasn't ours...so now all rooms have new blinds. We have only made some minor changes but it feels different. It is ours and we are finally able to do things that make it feel like a home!

I thought I would do this alot...

2008-06-27T12:50:00.000-04:00

Well..it has been a while since I blogged so some things have changed... today we are purchasing our first home. It is the same house we have been living in but we are now going to be the owners of it. At first I guess I didn't realize how exciting this event is and now I can't stop thinking about it! We have been so blessed and we feel so fortunate to own something that doesn't just have four wheels! :) Also, I am still working at the store and I love it more everyday. Richy and I have developed a much stronger relationship and we really work together well (this took some time) . I have also had two potential job opportunities presented to me for the fall. Both jobs have so many pros that it is going to be a tough decision. My best friend Brittney just had her first child, Mason Reily and he is so amazing and a great addition to my rapidly growing amount of nephews! Richy and I are so excited for Brittney and Derek. Richy even got teary eyed holding him for the first time! My best friend Courtney has moved to Augusta. It is sad but I know that God has a plan for her and Josh and that he has put them there for a reason. Even though she is not 10 minutes away now she is still a phone call away and I think since she has left we have managed to talk one to two times a day. It has been a busy couple of weeks but I love all that is going on right now and Richy and I are so thankful for the people that are in our lives. I hope to blog about the renovations to our new home.... so stay posted!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE ONE OF THESE!

2008-05-09T12:46:00.000-04:00

It is so funny how we laugh and others and then find ourselves doing the same thing. Several of my friends have blogs and I think that are great to read...however Richy and I are not that interesting, have no children, and really nothing to blog about... so I often thought it to be pointless for us to have a blog. I have even had a chuckle at the expense of my best friend Brittney becuase she has one and leads a similar boring life (sorry Britt but it is true). However after reading and enjoying I decided I should jump on the band wagon... and maybe someone somewhere will enjoy reading about the eventful life of the Wilkersons.

I am currently on the job hunt and to ensure that I do not become an overweight couch potato in my time of unemployment I am working at the tile store that Richy and I own... (more him than me).. During the day I have found that I have ample time to spend on the internet...so now I have found something to fill my time so expect frequent post from this internet junkie!