Happy Birthday Thatcher!

Today my nephew Thatcher turned 7!!  Seriously it makes my heart hurt to think about how much he has grown.  I can remember the day he was born, and I was scared that I wasn't going to be able to love him as much as I did Braxton, but I love him just as much!  

Welcome to the world, Thatcher!

When T was 1, they all moved to Memphis and I was crushed because I had been there for the major milestones in Braxton's life, and I was scared that I was going to miss out on Thatcher's big moments!  

Thatcher's First Halloween!

I haven't missed out on much and I am thankful for that!

Here are some of my favorite pics!!  

 

Thatcher is finishing up his Kindergarten year and he is growing up way too fast!

Happy Birthday Thatcher!!  Aunt Liz Loves YOU!

To My Mother...

Mom,

I just want to tell you how much I love you.  I know I say it everyday and at least 5 times when we are getting off the phone, and even if I think I may not have said it I will call back and say it again, I mean those words each and every time. 

I know I wasn't the nicest child growing up and would repeatedly call to you from upstairs for you to bring me something when I was perfectly capable of getting it myself, but you never wanted us to do without and even if it meant bringing something up the stairs, you would. 

There are so many things I can remember you doing for me while growing up and still to this day...

I may be telling on her with some of this, but I want to remember...

We had a "peeping tom" and after that happened, she carried a huge pistol around.  When we would come home at night and dad was still not home, she would make us wait on the couch in the den and would go through every closet, every room with her gun ready in case someone was in the house.

She took us to dance classes for years until we could drive ourselves.

She would almost always have dinner cooked and would always cook Sunday lunch.

She made our Easter dresses a few times, and even made my 8th grade formal dress, and my freshman year of college formal dress.  She made all of Susan's bridesmaids dresses for her wedding.  She had 9.  She even made all of the all-sing dresses for us one year.  

She would take us shopping and then tell us to run the bags upstairs so dad wouldn't see them.  Of course he knew. 

She would stay up late waiting for us, even though we didn't have a curfew, and knew where we were, but she wanted to make sure we always made it home safely. 

She always said the same prayer at night growing up and all I can remember is something about burglars.

She would sit on the back porch of our Madison house and make sure the drunk neighbors wouldn't let their dobermans out of the fence and come and attack us.

She would sometimes even do our assignments for us.  Nothing major ever, but read to us and type up our papers, we wrote them, she would type them.  She stayed up one night with me until 4:30 typing my term paper for English class.  She even drove my friends and I to the Nashville library to do research many times.

She never missed a football game we cheered at, a dance recital we performed in, or an activity we were involved in, unless it was impossible to get there.

She would take me to sleepovers, knowing I would call her at night and ask her to bring me my contacts stuff so I could stay even though I swore I would not want to stay. 

She helped me host a friend's 18th birthday party at our house and we were up until 3 am, but she was still up also cleaning and putting away food and dishes.  And she was at church the next morning.

She even gave me all of my haircuts until I was 19 when she had her stroke.

She would come and lay with me in the bed when I was crying my eyes out over a bad breakup with a guy.

She would stay up with me when I had a stomach virus.

She always did whatever we needed her to do.  She would even curl my hair almost every morning and have breakfast ready and drive us the 22 miles to school and make out a driving rotation schedule so we didn't have to ride the bus.

She still brings me medicine if I need it. 

She still does anything and everything she can for me if needed.

She helped me plan my wedding and kept me grounded through the process.  Our only argument was over long or short dresses for the bridesmaids and it was a 30 second tiff.

She has taught me to appreciate music and play the piano.  She always wanted me to wear more make-up than I wanted to. 

I could go on and on about my momma, but those are just a few of the millions and millions of things she has done for me. 

But it's not only me that she has positively impacted, there are many.  I still get asked how she and my dad are doing weekly by someone.  They have made a positive impact on so many and I hope I do the same with my life.

My momma is the absolute best and even though I was not so nice to her on many occasions, I have learned from her in many ways.  All good of course :)

I love you mom!!

Why I Joined a Sorority - Part 2

A few days ago I wrote part one about why I joined a sorority...I am continuing on with my thoughts and experiences...I am not claiming to be an expert, nor am I claiming that everyone's experience was like mine...I am just telling my experience and hope that others will think back at their time and have great memories...

Honestly, I would never have considered myself a "typical" sorority girl, like what I saw in movies and TV, but really is there a "typical" sorority girl?  I don't think so. 

When I tell people I was in a sorority, they have all kinds of things to say, and most of them bad.  They only see what is portrayed on TV or the movies, or their own experiences in college.  There very well may be those types of sororities out there that are just like what they see, but my experience was absolutely nothing like what was on TV.  I used to get mad when I would see sororities portrayed in a negative way and shedding a bad light on greek organizations, but I had to get past that.  Where else would SNL get material?

I have been asked multiple times if I was hazed or what did they do to me...here is what happened...I was given gifts from my big sister before the reveal...I was sent notes and cards from sisters...I still have my fleece monogrammed blanket I received at my pledge banquet with my initiation date.  I still have all of the decorations from my door from bid day.  I still have my posters from my big sis from big/little week.  I have memories of hanging out in the chapter room, going out to eat with my sisters, going to ball games, being treated like we had been friends for years.  Why would you want to tear someone down and then call them your sister?  I was given encouragement...I was given respect...I was given an opportunity to strive for that which is honorable, beautiful, and highest. 

There was not one day that I was treated badly on purpose.  (Of course when you get a big group of girls together, you are going to have some animosity, whether it be about boys or stress related or just plain ole estrogen running amuck...but the thought of someone making me do something I did not want to do just to be a part of a group makes me sick, and I would not have been a part of that by any means.)  Of course not everyone is going to get along all the time and there were no pajama parties with pillow fights or doing each others hair (unless it was for formal), but it was so much more about being a better version of yourself - being involved in philanthropic activities - having a well-rounded college experience.  I wanted to remember college for my friends, being involved, doing something more than going to class and studying...

Of course I could go on and on about all of this, but you would start yawning and I can't type that much...so on to more good times...

I can think back to a million different things to write about from my freshman year - short red dresses that my mom made for all-sing..Shamrock softball tournament where I got the worst sunburn I have ever had in my entire life (seriously had second degree burns on my legs)...the Beta house with Ashley and Martha...formal at Opryland Hotel...oh my word are there so many memories...then having to pack up my dorm room and move back home for the summer...of course that summer I would truly get what it meant to be a KD and to be in a sisterhood...

I was away at church camp and I had taken a nap (surprise).  I missed lunch and went into the mess hall and for some reason decided to call home.  My dad picked up and said he couldn't wake my mom.  I don't know why I wasn't too worried at the time - she napped also, I just thought she was in a deep sleep.  I later got a call that told me to immediately get to Vanderbilt.  The next few hours replayed in my head for years and still do when I sit down to really think about it.  I don't remember making the call to my big sis, but in a few hours I see her walking into the lobby of the hospital.  All she had heard was Vanderbilt and she got in her car and drove to Nashville.  She even stayed most of the night there with me and my family.

When rush time came around, I finally understood the entire process.  It made us closer as a chapter and even though it was exhausting, those are the nights I will remember most.  It was during rush that my wonderful Wal-Mart story comes into play.  I don't think I had gotten much sleep in the last few days and we had to wear all black to preference night.  I needed black heels, so I ran into Wal-Mart on my way to campus.  I grabbed a pair, tried on one, it fit, I checked out, and went to the chapter room.  I put them on in the car when I got to campus, and got out of my car and noticed something weird.  I had bought two left shoes.  I walked into the chapter room and burst into tears.  One of the sisters took me to her apartment and let me borrow some shoes.  I had cried so much and was so tired and emotional, I was a wreck.  By the end of the night I was much better, but then it hit all of us that this would be the last time our chapter would be just us.  We were going to be welcoming new ladies into our amazing bond.

Homecoming that year was my absolute favorite.  It was just fun to hang out with my sisters and a great group of guys and put together a float.  Staying up all night and being so tired you can barely keep your eyes open, then riding a float and then jumping off to walk in the parade - adrenaline definitely kicks in, but it is so worth it!! 

Don't you just love the light wash jeans!!

My sophomore year was crazy because I was living at home and driving back and forth from Nolensville to Murfreesboro and there was no 840 at that time, but I had lots of people that let me stay with them so it made it easier.  I played flag football that year and we won the championship!  I also got my braces off that October, had a great formal, and after Christmas I moved into an apartment in Murfreesboro.  That Spring there was an opportunity to serve on council as VP Standards, so I ran and won!  I was coming in mid-council year, but I still had a great time!!  I learned a lot about leadership and serving and all about risk management! 

I was also in charge of our All-Sing for that year and I had a great idea to do a trains theme, so we found songs that had to do with trains and wore conductor overalls and bandanas on our heads!  It was soooooo much fun!!  We actually won 2nd place that year!!  (I cannot find a pic right at the moment.)

I just have so many good memories of that year!!  Of course I went home for the summer again - I am a homebody and loved to go home, but I also knew I would miss seeing everyone all the time. 

I was excited for school to start back because I was going to have an awesome apartment and great roommates and it was going to be a great year! 

To be continued....again...

Why I Joined a Sorority - Part 1

In January I was asked to serve on the advisory board for my sorority.  I have had so many memories flood back and love every minute of it.  I have been thinking a lot lately about what it has meant to me and how much my life has been, and continues to be, enriched by the experiences I had...so I decided to write about why I joined.  It will take me a while to get it all down, but here is part one.

It all started in the fall of 1993 when my sister was a freshman in college.  I don't remember hearing anything about sororities or fraternities before that time, but I was only in the 8th grade.  My sister went through sorority "rush" as it was called back in the day.

She was given a bid to Kappa Delta and from then on it was history...

I remember my parents going to see her perform in an All-Sing competition, but I stayed at a friends house that night.  I remember going to homecoming at MTSU, but she was on the dance team also, so we watched her perform, I remember a bunch of girls coming to my parents house, and getting to color a bunch of teddy bears for notebooks.  

I wanted so badly to wear her KD t-shirts.  I could only wear the ones that were all greek affiliated, which I thought was pretty cool.  I wore one til it had holes in it.  Occasionally I would sneak one and wear it.  I ended up being in a picture in my HS yearbook with one on.  It was just a glimpse into my future.

So here I was a freshman at MTSU, the fall of 1998, knowing I was going to go through rush.  My sister helped me with my application, and it was filled to the brim with awards and activities and achievements.  I was pumped.  Plus, I was a legacy.  I went in with an open mind, but I always knew I wanted to be a KD.  I saw how my sister made her best friends and I wanted that also...

Rush was crazy, but I can still remember every outfit I wore, and yawning from lack of oxygen in one of the chapter rooms on theme night.  I didn't get invited back to that one.  I remember my sister being in the room for preference night and the current president of the chapter came over to speak to me.  I also remember crying to the song "In This Very Room", mainly because it was played at my sister's wedding.  I would later find out how much meaning that song would have in my life.

I went through recruitment with only one a few friends that I knew from HS, but mainly just one that I was very close to.  We both knew we wanted different sororities, and I knew I wouldn't really know anyone in mine, but I didn't care.  All I cared about was getting a bid to Kappa Delta.  I remember bid day sitting in the theater of the KUC and waiting impatiently while our Rho Chi's (they were called that back in the day) revealed their sorority.  As soon as they said go, my friend and I jumped up and ran to the front of Cummings Hall to our person and grabbed our bids.  I had one from KD.  I ran to the chapter room, and was probably the first pledge to make it there.  I knew I was home.

This was the beginning of new friendships, new life experiences, new challenges, new relationships, new everything. 

Bid Day was a whirlwind - so may new faces, cheers, chants, pictures, etc.  Then we went to our bid day party at Amanda's house and my sister was there.  We ate and then all of the new pledges (again, an old term), stood up and told a little bit about themselves.  It was a lot to soak in.  The next night we had to wear all white for a ceremony.  I remember I had a white/cream dress with blue flowers.  It had to work.  From that point I got my first glimpse into the ritual aspect of the sorority.  So many meanings, but all pointed to God.

The next six weeks were filled with homecoming with Sigma Nu, and getting our homecoming buddies, getting our big sisters, pledge retreat, meetings, my first fraternity mixer, and a whirlwind of other activities. 

All of this was going on while I was still trying to figure out how to survive my first semester of college.  Classes, hot ham and cheese sandwiches and curly fries from the JUB, I had my braces put on that October, studying, missing my parents...it was a tough adjustment, but I was having a great time!

After the six week pledge period was up, we had initiation.  I remember wearing a different all white dress and was much more comfortable.  It was time to learn the meaning of AOT, and I am pretty sure I didn't catch it during the ceremony, but there is so much going on and so much information, I don't know if many actually catch it.  Initiation was very special for my because my sister pinned me with her KD badge.  I now had another bond with her.

I had become close with a few of the sisters and was ready and excited to become more involved.  I had always been told that you get out of it what you put into it, and that could not have been more true.

I heard all of the sayings such as "You are paying for your friends" and "they do nothing but party" but my responses were always it was the best money I had ever spent, and who doesn't party in college.  You don't have to be in a greek organization to go to a party, even though they seemed to always get a bad reputation.  I didn't care what other people said or thought, I was proud to wear my letters and know what they stood for.  I was proud to be a part of a fantastic organization and have sisters for a lifetime.  I was proud to be a part of something to where I had the opportunity to be a better version of me.

That first semester of college was a turning point in my life that would lead to best friends, a support system, and relationships that are still going strong today...

To be continued....