2012

It is quiet and I am thankful for a warm cozy house. I am looking forward to a NEW YEAR! I am curious to see what God has in store for me and my little family. We are going to try for a second child in 2012. We went through a lot to get pregnant with Tanner and I think I am really o.k. either way. I know it will be hard and challenging. I also know it will be fun, adventurous, and a total blessing. I would love to give Tanner a brother or sister because I know how special it is to have a sibling. I am starting the new year off with my first full marathon at Disney. I have accomplished a lot of goals that I set for myself in 2011. I could not have done it without wonderful family support, awesome friends, and most important a loving God. I am still working on myself and doing my best to help others and keep my recovery top priority. I will continue trusting God in all things. Tanner is so fun now. At 2 he is talking in full sentences. Today he said "go home play with Ted" Ted is his Mr.Potato Head he got for Christmas. That seems to be his favorite thing this year. Although he loves his pop up tent and clubhouse he got at memes and grampys house. He also LOVES the Handy Many tools my mom got for him!! He is enjoying his new swing set and I can not wait to hang out back there with the other kids and cook out etc. Last night I babysat my friends little girl and we watched movies and ate popcorn. Tanner loved having popcorn for the first time. He is such an awesome little boy! He cracks me up. I love the way he says " Hi Mama" as he wraps himself around my leg or lays his head on my shoulder. He makes my heart melt. It has been nice doing things as a family and having Billy to share all my life moments with!! I am blessed!! 2011 was a great year!! Can not wait to RING IN 2012!! Happy New Year!

Christmas 2011

I am thankful to celebrate Christmas. I am blessed to be a mommy and be able to have Christmas with my boys. I am thankful that the Lord gave us his son. I want Tanner to have fond memories of growing up and I often wonder what our relationship will be like over the years. What are the things that he will learn from me and his daddy. I do see myself in him. He is very creative, loves books, and likes to be a leader. He is loud and brave. All things I see in myself. I remember praying to God to please give me a son and he did. I ask God now to help me enjoy the little day to day moments and not let others or SATAN take the joy out of daily living. I enjoy playing with Tanner, teaching him to brush his teeth, cooking him meals, giving him baths, rocking him to sleep, and going on little lunch dates just him and his mommy. I take him on bike rides on the bike and take him on playdates. We watch movies and go swimming. I love taking him to the pool during the summer or waterparks. I get scared that I will make mistakes.I am the one who disciplines him, and I am the one who kisses his boo boos. I remember what it was like hearing his heartbeat the first time and what it was like when we picked his name. Tanner after Billy's dads Grandmother and Heath because I just LOVE that name!! I am celebrating life and being able to raise a little life. I worry about his future. As a mom you hear A LOT of opinions. I remember God gently remnds me to rely on him and not the World. I really get scared that the WORLD or others will be able to lure him away from us and GOD. I can only love him and guide him. I am thankful for our huge family.He loves being with his cousins and enjoying time with all the rest of the family. I will remember the good times, let go of the bad, and give it all to God. God will help me be the mommy he created me to be. Christmas this year was awesome. Going to lunch with Tanner's GRAMMY and great Grannie AKA Sug. That is what we call my grandmother. Having our traditional Christmas Eve gathering at my aunts house. Our own special Christmas morning at our house. And then over to Tanners grandparents for Christmas dinner and gift opening. What a great family we have and thankful to them all for loving our boy!! Christmas this year was wonderful and now onto the NEW YEAR!

Holiday Traditions

Now that I am married and a mommy I love thinking about family traditions and things to do that are special around the Christmas time. We are truly blessed with wonderful family on both sides. We have started going to Elaine's every year and that is where we are right now as I blog. I love Birmingham and love spending time with our sister and niece. Every year now we get Tanner's picture made with Santa here in Birmingham. This year was the first time I have had to be in the picture. Poor Tanner was not about to do it alone. He loves Santa but I guess just from far away. I have started reading 'twas the night before Christmas to him at night and telling him the story of baby Jesus. We also got our own Elf on the Shelf thanks to meme and WE love it and having so much fun watching Tanner come out to find him every morning. For just turning two he is very verbal and just SO smart. We have named our Elf Roland and it fits him perfectly. We have had so much fun on our trip to Birmingham. We went to the zoo last night and looked at all the lights, had cocoa, and rode the train. Tanner has done so well and we have enjoyed being here. We are heading out again tonight to do some shopping and hang out with Rachel-Kate. Tomorrow we will do Christmas with them. I love going to Lake land on Christmas Eve day and we will spend that day with my mom and my Grannie Elsie. We will do lunch and gifts. Later we will head over to my dad and sisters to put Tanner down for a nap. On Christmas Eve ever since I can remember and even before that we have ALWAYS gone to my Aunt Brenda's house. We usually do finger foods, meatballs, sandwiches, ect. This year we are each making some sort of soup. I am making chili, my sister is making seafood chowder, and there will be ham, rolls, pies, cupcakes, and tons of others stuff. The best part is we each go around the room and tell a favorite memory, read a poem, or read scripture or a story. We then play a gift exchange game and have SO much fun. On Christmas morning when we were little after all the gift opening my mom would make all of us a big breakfast of eggs and sausage and biscuits. I too have started doing that for Billy, Tanner and I. Then we head over to my in- laws. We spend a good deal of the day over there. One of my other favorite traditions is being with them and enjoying our traditional meal. My mother in law is a fabulous cook. We have all the traditional items from dressing, and ham or turkey, all the way down to deviled eggs. She makes amazing mashed potatoes and her green beans are out of this world. I am getting hungry just typing this. ;) We open gifts and usually ( at least since I have been a Spivey) It is a Wonderful Life ends up on the television. My in laws are amazing and we love doing Christmas Day with them. When I was little my entire childhood we ALWAYS did Christmas dinner at my Grannie Elsie's and she too was an amazing cook. She had the best macaroni and cheese and best cornbread. Her dressing was amazing too. I am excited that we get to see her on Christmas Eve but she doesn't cook anymore. My Grannie Janet will be at my aunts on Christmas Eve and I am really hoping she brings her famous home made yeast rolls. She too use to have big dinners at her house when we were young. Christmas is for me always a time to reflect on all the good in life. All the family traditions and all the things that are important. Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Training for a marathon

I am happy to say that after running three half marathons in 2011 and breaking through the two hour mark on the last one, that I am finally doing a full marathon in three weeks. It has been awesome training. The weather has been great. Billy has been super supportive and I have an amazing training buddy. WE ran 21 this morning and we literally laughed half of the way. It has been a real blessing to be able to run this past year and a half for me in many ways. One it has been fun. Two it is awesome exercise. Three It helped me lose the baby weight. And four it is a huge stress reliever. I have really enjoyed doing races. It has been such fun. I have wanted to get back into running for years. I did work out here and there and enjoyed doing boot camp classes but oh how running has been so spiritual for me. We pray before everyone run and I literally praise HIM throughout my long runs. It is so freeing. He has really had his hands on me as I remain injury free. Also through the Holidays of eating more, planning trips, shopping, buying gifts, decorating the house, and ALL the other stress that comes, it has helped me keep things in perspective. Laughing has also been super freeing and really keeps me from taking myself or others so seriously. We laughed so hard at MOPS yesterday. I love hearing stories about my mommy friends and their little ones. I do not feel so alone and also they are pretty humorous. We heard the story of the birth of Christ and how Mary rode 80 to 100 miles on a donkey and birthed Jesus in a stall. She was so young and I am sure she had to be afraid. It amazes me that Jesus came this way. It humbles me and I ask God to give me a spirit of confidence but of LOVE and humility as well. I LOVED Mops yesterday. I love our verse this year. Through training for the marathon, raising Tanner, enjoying Christmas, or simply living day to day I am making that my prayer and speaking it out loud.2 Timothy 1:7
New King James Version (NKJV)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I especially want to remember this with being a mommy. He designed me to be Tanner's mommy. I know he will guide me every step of the way if I SEEK HIM.