Mikie

Just last Sunday we got a heartbreaking phone call from Jason's mom, Vonnie. She told us that her cousin's son-in-law, Mikie, was dead at the age of 28. We were devastated for his wife Brittany and their three young kids. The next few days were full of questions: why did someone so young die? What went wrong? How are Brittany and their three kids going to cope? We made the drive to Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday so we could be there for the visitation that night. Jason, Elijah, and I only stayed at the funeral home for the hour-and-a-half of family visitation. During that time, we were overwhelmed by the love and support shown for this young man's family. Little did we know what the next day would show. Mikie's funeral was scheduled for 11:00 at a typically-sized funeral home. By 10:30 the funeral home was full of people. Many were fellow fire-fighters. Many were family members such as ourselves. Many were friends. There were so many, in fact, that the chapel designed for probably 300 people was full; the lobby was full; the four funeral parlors which had been opened for "overflow" were full to overflowing. There were probably 500-600 people there to show their support and pay their last respsects. As we headed from the funeral home to the adjacent cemetary, we were overwhelmed with the raw emotions brought on by the two ladder fire trucks that had fully-extended and draped an enormous American flag between them. I have never been so affected by the sight of Old Glory as I was that day. I stayed in the car with Elijah during the grave-side service, so I don't know many specifics. What I do know is that they gave the flag that had draped Mikie's casket to Brittany, his wife. His fire-fighting helmet was given to his oldest son. That boy, who is only 9 years old, didn't put that helmet down much, if at all, for the next few days. As we made our way back to Jason's aunt's house after the funeral there were still many questions in our minds and hearts. One question, however, had been answered: how will Brittany and her kids cope? With the overwhelming love and affection and support they so obviously have from their family and friends who love them dearly. Mikie will be missed. He was a man who constantly smiled (at least every time I saw him) and delighted in his family. I know, however, that we'll see him again one day. And I know that Brittany and the kids will be okay because they have such a wonderful support system. I love them dearly!

Summer Time

"... and the livin' is easy. Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high. Your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin'. So hush little baby; don't you cry."

I remember seeing a coffee cup years ago that said: "The best three things about being a teacher are June, July, and August." Well, we're now down to "the best two things about being a teacher are June and July." I do love summer vacation. Now more so than ever. Elijah is almost two and is so much fun to hang out with. Jason, due to job circumstances, has been at home with us much of this summer so far. That has been a lot of fun, too.

Eli is going on his first real vacation in just a few weeks. We took him to a cabin in Pigeon Forge at Christmas for two nights, but this will be the first real vacation. We are going to Panama City Beach for six days. I can't wait to see his reaction when he sees the beach for the first time. He enjoys playing in the pool at our different friends' houses. However, he wasn't impressed with the sand box at his cousins' house last week, so we'll see how he handles all the sand. His response to the grittiness was, "A mess, Mommy. A mess." He wasn't impressed, like I said. He is pretty much a neat freak. Which is really interesting when he's feeding himself yogurt. :) I can't wait to build sand castles with him and maybe see some dolphins. Even if our first vacation as a family isn't perfect, it will be full of memories. And I can't wait.

Things I love

I love so many things.

Let's start with books. I love historical fiction, Christian romance, spy novels, murder mysteries. Anything with a good plot line and interesting characters.

Then there's music. My favorite is classical: Chopin, Bach, Rachmoninoff, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. I also enjoy CCM from my teen years: Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman, First Call, DC Talk, Newsboys, Jaci Velasquez, etc. Admittedly, I also enjoy oldies, easy listening, and some contemporary music. I just recently purchased the soundtrack to the movie Twilight and enjoy it almost daily.

Seeing as how I grew up in a home without a television, I guess it's no surprise that when I moved out on my own that was one of my first purchases. I have discovered some favorite tv shows: Friends, Golden Girls, CSI (just the first few years of the original), Reba, Mad About You, Big Bang Theory.

Movies were another no-no in our house. We didn't watch movies because we didn't own a tv. We didn't go to movies because, well, I'm not sure why. But we didn't. I do love movies, though. The original Parent Trap is one of my all time favorites. I love movies with sequels: National Treasure, Father of the Bride, Miss Congeniality, Legally Blonde, Oceans 11-13, and so forth.

Then there are the people I love, namely my family. My parents are what I would call "old school." Daddy worked full-time while Mama stayed home to take care of the house and the people living in it. We kids went to private church schools from kindergarten through high school. Then we were expected, not just encouraged, to go to at least two years of college. After that, the choice of more college was up to us, but it was strongly encouraged. Due to this emphasis on education, it's no surprise that I was and am a nerd. Proud one, too, I might add. I love education: studying, reading, learning, etc. I guess that is one major reason I became an educator. My brothers and sisters are extremely important to me. I have three older brothers: Michael, David, and Daniel. I have one older sister, Jody, who is one of my best friends. Now. My family now includes my husband Jason and our little boy Elijah. He is 19 months old as of yesterday. He just heard the front door open and said, "My daddy." He was right; Jason just got home with lunch. That leads me to another love. :)

I love home cooking but not necessarily my home cooking. My favorite meals to cook, however, are the following: crockpot meals (roast, potatoes, carrots; pork chops with mushroom gravy; BBQ ribs; vegetable beef barley soup), one-pot dishes (chicken nugget casserole, aka redneck chicken parmigian [spelling?], cheesy chicken crescents, etc.) with veggies on the side, chilupi, quesedillas, Velveeta dip, crockpot mac 'n cheese (could be a meal all by itself). My favorite things to eat are: shrimp (like Sicilian Scampi from Olive Garden, Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish, Dynamite Shrimp from P F Changs), a good steak from Longhorn, Bojangles, Mexican food, a good piece of tilapia in Florida (preferably in view of the ocean), icecream, chocolate. Oh, and French fries with lots of ketchup. Is it any wonder I have to constantly exercise so I'm not as big as a house? :) Life is short; eat dessert first!

My Family

Okay, so now that I've told what I want in a family eventually, I'll tell about the family I have right now.

Jason and I met in August of 1995 at Mission Ridge Baptist Church. He was the nephew of a lady who already attended our church. She had asked me to pray for her nephew several months earlier, that the Lord would save him. I did and He did. Cool, huh? Anyway... once Jason got saved, he started visiting different churches. He ended up at Mission Ridge with his aunt and his mom. I am eternally grateful! We became friends quite quickly and spent a lot of time together going to concerts and plays for my school classes. By Thanksgiving of that year we were dating. The rest, as they say, is history. We've been together ever since, just over 13 years. He really is an incredible person if for no other reason than he puts up with me. And let me tell you, that's no easy task.

Then there's our son Elijah. He is without a doubt the best "thing" I've ever done with my life. He is a wonderful mix of his daddy and me, both in looks and personality. He can light up a room with his grin, wipe away stress with a hug around my knees, and bring me to tears with his sweet cuddles goodnight. I do hope the Lord blesses us with at least one more child who is as sweet and wonderful as "little E." The poor kid will have a big reputation to live up to.

And that's my family. The Newsome Three.

The family

I love big families. There was a time that I hated being the youngest of five kids; now, however, I am so thankful for my large family. Eventually, I hope to have more children of my own. I don't want Elijah to be lonely as he grows up or when he's older. Some of my fondest memories are from large family gatherings when I was a child and since I've become an adult. Hours spent playing board games, drinking sweet tea, and eating cracker candy or cookies. Days spent camping at a state campground out west. Weekends spent with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I don't want Elijah to miss any of those experiences. Even though most of my siblings are scattered around the country and globe now, I still love our occasional get togethers. It is so fun to watch all the little cousins playing together after being apart. In short, I guess family is one of my favorite things. Hopefully, the Lord will bless me with at least one more child so Eli doesn't grow up alone and so he gets to have the full family experience. We'll see.

First Post

I'm just trying this out to see how it works. I've seen so many cool blogs from other family members and friends, I decided to give it a try.