Ryman, Tootsies, & Hatch

One of my favorite days in Nashville, was the day we walked around downtown. It is such a cool town, lots of historic old places, cool people, and TONS of music. What could be better?

We started out at the Ryman Auditorium. I really am embarrassed to say that I had no idea what this place was. It is the original  "Grand ole Opry" and it is SO great! The history that is in that place (especially if you are into music) oozes out of the walls and it is really beautiful. It is where Johnny met June and you can almost here Minnie Pearl holler, " HOW-DEEE!!!!!" It just makes me smile to even think about it. They still do concerts there with people from the Jonas Brothers to Willie Nelson. I am really hoping that we can go back to concert this fall.  

Next stop, was "Tootsies" I had heard of it before, but didn't realize what a cool place it was. It's a teenie tiny little bar, that is just across the alley from the Ryman. Tons of artist have

snuck out of the back door of the Ryman and into "Tootsie's" for a little fun. It is also where loads of musicians have started out on the 12 x 12 foot stage. I know those walls could tell some really great stories! Tanya Tucker was actually there in the upper room, we just missed her (she scooted out the back door before we saw her). 

The last place we went was "Hatch Show Print" It is one of and probably the most famous press printers in the country. They have done show posters for the "Ryman" for years. They still use the wooden blocks that they lay out in a tray and crank it through the machine. ( i know it is much more complicated, but you will have to just trust me) It is a really cool art form. I would love love love to have one of their prints someday!

This was so fun! I am fascinated with all three places and how they are all in a way a part of each other and also such a big part of some of the music that I love! If your ever in Nashville, you should check it out!

The Outside of the Ryman.

This is what the musicians see just before going out on stage. 

Johnny and June, Minnie Pearl, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams....so cool!

Us back stage.

Garrett and I in Tootsie's

Yes, have taken our 13 year old and our 7 month old baby to a bar. 

'cause we are good parents! :)

This is the upper room. See all the hand writing on the walls?

And in the picture, that is Tootsie herself!

This is inside the printing place. It is so cool. See all the wood "print blocks"? 

This is one of the blocks that they were working on- I wonder what it turned out like?

These are some of the posters. They are so retro and cool!

Loveless Cafe

{Nashville, TN}

When I knew we were going to Nashville, I started asking around for some great restaurants. My friend Kate @ Juxtapose Photography (check out her pics) said that we HAD to go to Loveless Cafe. So, I obediently looked it up and dragged our whole clan there for lunch! I was worried that it wouldn't hold up to the greatness that i heard that it was. Let me just say,  it SO totally did!!!! AHHH-MAY-ZING!!!

The atmosphere is so fun! There are lots of little shops to look in, the art is really retro and cool, there is lots of history in that little restaurant. And the best part...the FOOD. Good ole, down home, country, fry everything cooking. YUM!!!

Chicken fried steak, fried okra, mash taters, gravy, cobbler, iced tea!

SO GOOD!!!! 

If your ever find yourself in Nashville, hop in the car and take a scenic drive to Loveless. You will not be disappointed!

Here we are waiting for our food to get here.

Just out side of the cafe, there are several good photo ops. 

I love this- look at Sterlings tiny little face-so cute!

Old antique tractor. We thought we might put the kids to work to pay for our meal.

This is me and the famous Carol Faye, aka the Biscuit Lady.

She and the cafe have been featured on the Food Network. 

She is the only one who knows the magic recipe for those dang good bisicuits! 

Doesn't she just look like a "biscuit lady"?

The 4th of July!

we were in Nashville for the 4th too. i LOVE the 4th. i LOVE a cookout. i LOVE fireworks.

we went to church saturday morning, had a cookout to celebrate both the 4th and my sisters in-law birthday. then set out to see some fireworks. it flipping POURED DOWN RAIN. HARD. we still tried to go and see them from the car-which is not near as fun as sitting out in the grass with a picnic, but we made a memory anyway. we scrunched up and mashed our faces up to the windows, but all we saw was lightning. we gave up and went home. 

chandler got a pic of randy and i huddled up in the car.

and here they are in the front seat-waiting for the light show.

.....and sterling. she wasn't interested at all! she slept through the whole adventure.

we are so blessed to live in a country where we can worship the God that we love. 

we can love who we choose to love.

we can be who and what we want to be.

happy 4th, and thank you to those (and their famillies) who have sacrificed

 so much for us to enjoy our freedom!

Cheeks Family Vacay 2009

Our family vacation took us to Nashville this year. We had a GREAT time. Nashville is where half the 21 of us live and since my sweet sister in-law gave us twins in June we didn't want her to have to travel, so Nashville it was. It was our first time to travel with Sterling, we looked like we were moving to Nashville with all the stuff we carried. It's amazing all the stuff you "think" you will need on vacation. Anyway...both kids did great on the flight. Sterling fell asleep as soon as we took off and woke the second we started to land (she is the best baby). Garrett read and listened to his ipod and ordered a coke and was happy as could be. We met every one for dinner and then got settled in at Melinda & Travis' for the week. Lots of  "doin" to be done this week and had to get rested up!

Getting read for a plane ride

Loading up

i know i sound like a broken record but, how cute are they?!?!

Sunday, we loaded everyone up for a short road trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky. There were some underground caves to check out. it was cool. chandler and the other boys thought it was great. we toured the cave in a little flat boat and ALL the kids had to wear life jackets (even though the water was about 2 feet deep. sterling was NOT a fan and neither were the other babies, but she did great (however, she looked hilarious). 

this is them in the cave (just before this, we were all practically laying in the floor of the boat, cause the ceiling of the cave was SO low- not for the claustrophobic)

After we made it out, we wandered around in the woods and came across a "Paw Paw" sign that we couldn't pass up. (the "extra" baby is our darling niece ella)

of all the grand kids (9 with one on the way) these are the only boys.

they love to be outside. brandon and caden wear chandler out every visit.

they just want to run and wrestle, and hike, and play.

chandler sleeps really great every night after being with them.

and finally, one last picture from "cave day" 

me and my girl. she was so super happy.

right after this, it literally came a monsoon. we were soaked to the bone.

soaked.

then a late lunch at the cracker barrel and on our way

back to melinda's to hang out. 

Happy Father's Day Randy

One of the reasons that I am so in love with Randy, is because he is the Father to my children. He loves them in the most precious way. When he is with them, there is a tenderness to him that is spills out on to Chandler and Sterling. He always says that he is "tough" and "has a reputation to protect" but the heart that he has for them doesn't surprise me, it is really who he is deep down. He smiles at them in the most fabulous way and his eyes light up with so much joy that they belong to him. He is strong, and gentle, and ornery, and loving, a sacrificial provider, a source of aggravation (mostly to Chandler) and laughter. He has opened my eyes to what "devotion" to your children can look like and we are a family that wouldn't be as strong with out him. He thinks his daughter is the most glorious thing that has ever been. He loves Chandler as if he was his very own. He knows that Chandler has his own "real Dad" and honors and respects that, but is more than thrilled to be his Dad in the day to day, and calls him "my boy." This year, several people wished him a "Happy first Father's Day," my sweet husband was quick to say, "This isn't my first Father's Day, it's my 3rd." I think that is reason enough to love him. These are a few of my favorite pictures of this year. They aren't great shots, but they hold precious memories of the love that he has for my children. Thank you Randy for the father that you are. You are a everyday unexpected gift that I NEVER imagined that I would have. I love you so very much!

Being a Dad is dirty work.

His gift for Father's Day. Pictures of the kids playing in mud.

They are so cute and he loved it.

(thank you Major Images)

Our trip to Sea World

This is SO what there relationship is like. They both love each other and 

aggravate the fool out of each other. I don't understand it at all, 

but it makes for an interesting life.

The first time that he held Sterling in the NICU. He was overjoyed!

This is the day that Chandler shot his first two deer. 

I don't think that Randy could have been more proud! 

He smiled for days after this.

(and no, that is not an extra kid that we picked up-just a darling little friend)

Month 7, a month of Firsts!!!

Our girl was 7 months old in June. She changed SO much! The day she turned 7 months, she sat up for the first time (for more than 5 seconds) she is super proud of herself and loves that she can see what we are all up to (she is so nosey-just like her daddy)! That same week, her bottom 2 teeth showed up (and she was a bit of a crab about it). She is eating table food...every time we give her something new to try she grins and looks at us as if to say,"YUM! Yall have been holding out on me!" And there is NOTHING that she hasn't loved (guacamole is her favorite so far!) At a whopping 22 pounds, yes 22, she has out grown her carrier car seat, her bouncy seat, AND her baby bath tub. She is now in a big girl booster, her high chair, and sitting up in the sink for her bath. We went on her first vacation ( a whole 'nuther post about that later), that brought her first plane ride, her first boat ride, her first life jacket (which she hated!), her first tattoo (rub on of course) and her first bar ('cause we are good parents), and her first fire works (she slept through the whole thing)!

She is THE happiest baby (actually, Chandler was the exact same way). We all adore her. And she is IN LOVE with her brother and he is IN LOVE with her. Can't wait to share more of our girl with you!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Anniversary #2

Well, here we are 2 years later! We had a great date night for our Anniversary. My sweet Randy, got a sitter for the kids and reservations at one of my FAVORITE places, Texas de Brazil! I SO love this place! It was so good to just sit and be "Randy & Tomi" We just chatted about all kinds of things, where we wanted to be in the next 5 years, the best and worst part of this year, how our lives have changed, you get the point. I still learn new things about him all of the time. And the longer I am with him, I learn more about myself. He has been the most wonderful blessing! I love his sense of humor, I love that he thinks that I am funny too, I love the dad that he is, I love the commitment that he has to our family, I love how he provides a safe, happy environment for me, I love that he always thinks that I am cute (even when I am clearly not), I love that he calls me "Baby" (before him, I always thought that was so corny), I love his family, I could go on and on. More than anything, I just love that he picked me to marry. I tell him all of the time, "Sugar, you are my favorite husband that I have ever had!" AND...I love that he thinks that is SO funny and just laughs. He loves me unconditionally, the good and the bad. I can't wait to spend the next year with him. I love you Sugar!!!

The night we were married, on our way to the hotel, I was DYING of thirst. 

So, in all of our wedding business, we drove through Sonic and

got a Route 44 Coke. SO good!

This night, we decided to go through the same drive through every year,

order the same drink (for old time's sake), 

and have the guy at the window take our picture. 

I wish we had thought about it on our wedding night and last year.

It's never too late to start a tradition. 

So here's to a 3rd year and looking

forward to sharing another Coke with you Randy!

Soccer

This was the last game of a fairly sad soccer season. Chandler was THRILLED to be back playing with his old team "The Bulls" The kids just had a hard time coming together as a "team" and actually "listening" to the coach. I think that maybe they won one game all season. BUT, let's focus on the good...He loves it. And as this last game rolled around we actually saw our son, who is usually fairly mild mannered, actually get some attitude and aggression. I watched him nearly tackle and take out one kid several times and he almost got a red card and tossed out of the game. I have to say, I kinda loved seeing him get a little mean. :) Hopefully, next year will be a different season, where we actually win. But for this year, we are just happy to see him loving something and enjoying the sport. 

This is just before he knocked this kid on his rear. It was really great!

Mothers Day 2009

Better late than never....we had a super laid back day. We are always so busy and my people are always in several different places, so I just wanted everyone in the same house for the day and working on a "honey-do" list. It was great! Lots of things accomplished, Sterling's room finished, laundry done, floor's cleaned, miscellaneous things fixed= a happy mom. Then Chandler had his last soccer game of the season, so we packed up for that and then on to dinner, at our old stand by- chili's! I guess that I am old, because the less exciting the better. :)

Mother's Day always gives me a whole roller coaster of emotions...I am extremely blessed to have these two precious ones call me mom. They bring me so much JOY. I can barely wrap my brain around how much they have changed me. They have made me more patient, more laid back, more silly, more worried, more fulfilled, more happy, just more everything. I love them to pieces! I also think about the two babies that I have lost. I wonder about what they would be like, look like, and how they would have changed me. Finally, I think about two more. The two who I got to be mom to for just a little while. In my heart, deep down, they are still mine. I still love them so much. I am so thankful for the time that I had them in my house and also so thankful for how they each changed me too. 

I am also blessed to have not just one mom of my own, but several. God so graciously orchestrated a team of moms for me. My Mom, my G-mom, my precious mother-in-law (who I adore), and so many other's that took me in and loved me, supported me, gave me a safe place to fall, made me feel at home, taught me how to love unconditionally, showed me great sacrifice, taught me how to love my children, and one who raised a boy who would one day become my husband. Oh how I love them all! 

Lastly, thank you to that husband of mine for being on this journey with me. There is no one else that I would rather parent with in the world. Thank you for letting me be a stay at home mom to my kids...you will never know how much I love them and that I get to spend so much time with them. It is such a sweet gift that you give me everyday.

Happy Mother's Day to me! 

Living with a teenager!

Our sweet little man has been fairly interesting to live with lately. I promise you the day he turned 13 something in him snapped and he has been in FINE FORM. He truly is, for the most part, precious. Kind, thoughtful, respectful, funny, a great big brother and all around happy child. He has also always been one to drop a few funny lines on me over the years and he is still catching me off gaurd from time to time  and making me laugh so hard that I nearly wet my pants. And, even though I "think" that I will remember all these silly little stories, I know that one day they will slip my mind, so I wanted to write them down for my memories sake. Here are a few of the things that he has said in the past few weeks that have both infuriated us, left at as a loss for words, or made us laugh out loud.

*We were having a simply normal afternoon. He and I were standing across the bar from one another in  the kitchen talking about our day and what needed to be done that evening. I simply said, "Hey, when you are done with your snack, could you please switch the laundry over?" He then dropped his snack, threw his arms in the air, and attacked,"WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO LAUNDRY? LAUNDRY IS STUPID. I HATE LAUNDRY. STUPID LAUNDRY. WHY DON'T WE HAVE A ROBAOT TO DO THAT? STUPID LAUNDRY!!!!!" First of all, we don't even say the word "stupid" in our house, but, that was the least of the issues.  I calmly said "Ok. Clearly we have laundry because we like to wear clean clothes. If you would like to wear dirty ones, go right ahead, but for now you need to get your happy hiney in there and switch the laundry. And furthermore, we DO have a robot that does the laundry. It is called the 'Washing Machine' Now hush up."  I am telling you it was like he was from another planet! He did the laundry and hasn't said another word about helping with the laundry or the robot.

*Randy has TERRIBLE hearing. Chandler is REALLY soft spoken. This is generally cause for arguments around here. Randy is CONSTANTLY saying "What? Speak up son." And usually Chandler says something like "You are deaf." rolls his eyes a little bit and then repeats himself. One afternoon, it went something like this.... Randy- "What did you say?" Chandler- "I said it loud enough for this whole house to hear me and I am NOT repeating myself!" I thought Randy's head was going to spin around. I COULDN'T believe that he said it. It is SO not like him. That boy is testing his parents like crazy. It is funny now, but at the moment-it was NOT pretty!

*And finally.... there is a sweet family that lives across the street from us. They have a young boy and then two teenage daughters (who by the way, are BEAUTIFUL). Little brother thinks that Chandler is great and wants to play with his ALL the time! And Chandler will always say yes and happily goes over to their house and plays. He has NEVER once mentioned the girls (or the tons of super cute friends that are over there all the time too). Well... the other night I was over there too, and on our way back across the street, I said "Dude. Are you telling me that you have NEVER noticed how cute those girls are? I mean, it's fine if you have, I would think it was weird if you hadn't." He looked over his shoulder at me with a HUGE grin and  said "Mom, c'mon. I am weak. I AM a man!" HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! I laughed so hard.

He is really so entertaining. We are blessed every day (even the ones that we want to ring his neck and throw him in the dryer) by him and the young man that he is growing up to be.  I am not sure what other "teenage" moments are around the corner, I am positive there will be some doosies, but I am going to treasure each one!