I promised a blog entry on the subject of my 10 year wedding anniversary (which was July 13th), but it is not without great apprehension that I begin. Apprehensive because I am afraid of sounding very "pollyanna" and just downright cheesy! For those of you who may sicken easily at such sap and sweetness, close this window immediately......because I just can't help myself!
My first 10 years of marriage to Richy Roberts have surpassed all of my expectations - and they were high. I found it somewhat disturbing how many people spoke negatively regarding marriage as I was preparing to take that step. Friends, co-workers, and random people had no problem venting their issues with wedded bliss (or miss), as if they were trying to talk me out of it. Even so, I never had any doubts that I was marrying the right man. I knew God's hand had led me to Richy. Afterall, it was a long and winding road that I followed to get to him - there were many forks along the way, but God definitely kept me on the one road that utimately brought me to him.
A short recap:
After graduating from Carson-Newman, I moved to Nashville to make it big! No, I am not a country music singer, but I did have a Business Management degree with zero experience and even less maturity - so well-equipped. Needless to say, I didn't make it big......I worked for the IRS and then the Small Business Administration. Wow, now that's exciting work for a 22 year old! I had a friend who was attending Vanderbilt that was planning to pursue his Masters Degree at the University of Georgia in Sports Management. I had never even heard of such a degree but was intrigued. After thinking about it for, oh........at least a day, I decided this is exactly what I needed to do. One problem.......no money! So, I said goodbye to the Government and moved home with my Mom and Dad to save some money. I had an idea to make as much money as I could between January and September, so I set out to find a job waiting tables. I had my sights set on Grady's in Knoxville, but I was having a hard time getting hired. Is that totally scary? A college degree and work experience evidently was not enough to join the elite at Grady's restaurant, so I had to make a phone call to an old college friend. Yes, I had to know somebody to get hired! It was there that I met Richy. I remember how friendly he was when I met him - he had a big smile and warm eyes. Oh yeah, and he was handsome.......very handsome. He also had a girlfriend. Oh well, bummer. But we became friends, and I always enjoyed hanging out with him. In the meantime, I was sending in my applications for schools all over the south. My sights were set on UGA - the ultimate Sports Management program. At the time, they only accepted 12 students a year into their program. But with my Dad's sports world connections and a decent undergraduate GPA, I strongly believed that I would get in. I wouldn't find out until August, so I applied to UT as a backup - a just in case they are crazy and don't accept me kind of thing. Meanwhile, Richy is on the rocks with the girlfriend and about to be a free man. Not something that I was focused on at the time, but as fate would have it.......we spent some time chatting at a friend's birthday party - a chat that led to a "Hey, let's do something tomorrow night. I'll call you." And so..........we didn't.......because he stood me up. That's right, no call. I was living at home with my parents at the time, so my mom and I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally about 8pm, I punted and went out to dinner with my sister. He did, however, call the next day and was apologetic. Seems a day out on the lake had gotten the best of him. We went to dinner that night, the start of something wonderful. But wait, I would be leaving in a couple of weeks for school - in Georgia. What to do? Well, not to worry because I was denied. Can you believe it?? And so, off to UT I went - my tour guide and orientation director - none other than Mr. Richy Roberts. And the rest is history...........
So I am grateful that I had a friend that was pursuing his Masters in Sports Admin at UGA - which lead me back to Knoxville. I am grateful that I knew someone who worked at Grady's who helped me secure a highly coveted position there. I am grateful that Richy broke up with his girlfriend. I am grateful that I didn't get accepted at UGA. I am grateful that I did get accepted at UT. Yes, it was meant to be!
Glad I made that recap short :)
Of course, the most important anchor in marriage is keeping Christ at the center - this is what keeps people grounded and focused on their commitment. But beyond this, I am thankful for the friendship that Richy and I developed before we ever dated. We were friends first, and we're friends now. Best friends. I think this is such a catalyst for our happiness. On those days when we don't feel like playing any of the other roles that marriage requires, we're still friends. The first years of our marriage were spent living in Columbus, GA. Those of you who know me, know how much I aspired to get the heck out of there. I referred to it as "doing time". But hindsight is 20/20, and I now realize what a blessing those 3 years were. There we were, just the two of us - we didn't have anyone else, so most all of our needs were met in one another. What a bond we formed there - solidifying the foundation of our marriage - one hot, humid day at a time!! As time has passed and I am able to reflect on what those years meant to our relationship, I have such a warm and fuzzy feeling for Columbus and that time in our lives. Praise the Lord, that He knows what is best for us!!
For the last 4 years of our marriage, I have had the priviledge of getting to know Richy in a new light - Richy the Dad. I really, really love Richy the Dad. I'm so proud of him, of how he has taken the responsibility of fatherhood on and truly owns it. There is something about a man who is a great father.....and that something has opened my heart to more love for my husband than I thought possible. He inspires me to be a better Mom! I look forward to seeing how he continues to grow in this role. I look forward to the day that our boys are old enough to realize how completely blessed they are to have such a Dad. I look forward to the day they tell him so.......
Have there been bad days? Sure, there have been a few character-building moments, but they have been just that, character builders - not character destroyers. They have been few and far between, and for that I am grateful. Neither one of us enjoys confrontation - it's definitely not our comfort zone - we enjoy peace and harmony! I don't know if that's good or bad? I once heard someone say that arguing is healthy for a marriage - that it is a strong sign of good communication. I'll admit that my mind asked the question, "Should we be arguing more?" To which my mind then responded, "Yes, Ms. Gullible, stir up as many arguments as possible in the name of communication!" (My mind tends to lean towards the sarcastic side) I guess for today, we'll stick with the non-confrontational method. It seems to work for us!
Has our 10 years been pefection? No, of course not. But in my eyes, it has been pretty darn close - and Richy is as close to perfect as it gets. I have had so much fun living the last 10 years along side of him. I'm full of anticipation for what our future holds, and I look forward to growing with him - in our faith in God, our love for each other, and as parents of our two beautiful boys!
Lord, bind us closer to you and to each other with each passing year..........
Monday, July 24, 2006
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Memories from the 2006 Summer Tour
The Jefferson County HS Reunion - Class of 1986
20 years.......seems like yesterday! 
The Summer Tour of 2006
Wow, has the month of July been one big whirlwind! I feel like a washed up rock star coming off the road from a 10 city southern tour (my brother-in-law, Tate, would reference Three Dog Night in '76). We only spent 3 nights in our own beds during the first half of this month - and even those nights were spent tossing and turning, thinking about the preparation for the next leg of the tour.
We kicked off the month by heading to East Tennessee (a.k.a. God's Country) and the beautiful Watts Bar Lake for fun and frolic with the whole Mitchell gang. It has been tradition to gather with the extended Mitchell family in reunion style every 4th of July - we have been doing so since the early 80's. My Aunt Patty has always been so gracious to open her home to all - whether it was in Nashville or Rockwood - for a celebration of family and country. But because life gets crazy and unusual circumstances arise, the celebration was canceled for this year. My Dad couldn't bear giving up this time with his children, so he booked the Terrace View on the Lake for our immediate family to carry on the tradition. Thanks Dad!! What a fun time we had fishing, swimming, boating, and cooking with my parents, and my brother and sister and their wonderful families!
Some of the highlights:
On Sunday, we attended my Grandmother's church in Rockwood. My Grandmother is now in a nursing home and unable to attend, so we went to honor her. Afterwards we all went to visit her - the whole clan. Although unable to communicate with words, I believe she was overjoyed by the visit. Four generations in one tiny room!
My sister-in-law, Sherry and I got up early every morning and walked and talked and even cried. She is such a blessing to our family, and I always enjoy one-on-one time with her.
My brother-in-law, Tre and my sister, Marcy made the most delicious homemade chocolate heath bar ice cream. I am certain that my brother ate 4 large servings, though he claims it was only 3.
All of the siblings and their spouses were treated to a sunset cruise - boat and babysitting compliments of my fabulous parents. We cruised along the lake watching the various fireworks displays and chatting about life. Does it get any better??
Then it was back home for 3 days before the next leg of the tour, the Roberts' family vacation at St. George Island in Florida. We traveled caravan style with Tate, Laura, and Elizabeth, arriving in Florida Saturday evening after a Friday night layover in Birmingham (thanks Thompsons). The trip was longer than we anticipated based on the mileage - too many backroads and red lights. We even survived the question! It is estimated that Richmond asked "How many more minutes?" 450+ times. He even began demanding that I look at the map to give him a more accurate answer. Despite his eagerness to be out of the car, he was a trouper - and Knox, too!
We were greeted by Richy's parents and the Hagood's (minus Heather, Paul, and Mark who were sorely missed), with Brian arriving later that evening. The next day was lovingly referred to as "Piggly Wiggly Day". We spent most of the day on our Pig Wig excursion - hoping for no return visits during the trip, as it was about 10 miles from our house. For the most part, we succeeded. Of course, we had to make a 6pm run to the beach later that day - we had been there almost 24 hours and had not yet fully ventured to the shore for some fun and sun. We ate dinner around 10:30pm that night, which set the stage for many post 10pm meals to come. But hey.....we were on vacation, so who cares?
The next day Beth arrived with the "stinky cousins" from Carrollton. Taylor rolled in with his clever quotes from the Cars movie. He's quite the comedian at age 12! At the tutelage of his cousin, Richmond can now quote (and will do so about 25 times a day and it makes me laugh everytime) the line from Mater, "Boy, I'd drive my tires 'cross a mile of busted glass just to see that picture right there......dadgum!" And Barrett, the quintessential Pied Piper of the younger children, arrives on the scene to provide entertainment and joy to Richmond and Elizabeth.
We enjoyed our time with family - the early morning walks on the beach, the late afternoon lounging by the ocean, great food, and lots and lots of blueberries. It was like the scene out of Forrest Gump with Bubba, but substitute blueberries for shrimp - blueberry cobbler, blueberry cheesecake, blueberry danish, blueberries in salad, blueberries in cereal, blueberries on vanilla ice cream, and even blueberries for the babies. It was noted that blueberries somehow pass through the digestive system of babies and become whole again......thanks Laura!
On Wednesday night, Richy and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary at the island's only restaurant, The Blue Parrott. We enjoyed some delicious baked oysters topped with parmesan cheese and stuffed shrimp while sitting right on the gulf shoreline with a great breeze. I guess if you're a fundamentalist, we were celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our rehearsal dinner. The actual day was Thursday, which we spent driving back to Nashville. I hope to blog later on the whole 10 year anniversary subject......
Thursday morning it was time to pack and say our goodbyes, as we departed earlier than the rest of the group so that I could attend my 20 year high school class reunion. Richmond stayed behind with the family to enjoy the extra days at the beach, thanks to his very gracious Grandmommy, Aunt Laura, and Aunt Beth. We arrived in Nashville around 10:30pm, went to bed, woke up and packed again, and it was off to Knoxville.
I met my dear friends, Carey and Martie at the Marriott in Knoxville and sent Richy and Knox to spend the night with my parents. We had planned a girlfriends reunion for Friday night, skipping out on the "family night at the pool" portion of the class reunion. A unanimous decision was made based on the fact that chasing very young children at a pool in your bathing suit with your classmates that you haven't seen in 20 years sounded worse than a root canal! We were joined by two more dear friends, Angie and Lynette, and it was off for a manicure/pedicure and then a delicious dinner at Oodles in Market Square. We were directed to a place in the Old City to listen to some tunes from the 80's, but instead found it to be hip-hop night. So we played a round of darts and then......darted! Back at the hotel, we checked out the yearbook - trying to study the faces of those we needed to remember in order to avoid as much awkwardness as possible. We laughed - mostly at the hair - the big, bigger, and really big hair of our time. We saved some laughs for the fashion faux paux that was the 80s. Oh my........ Then it was off to bed, or was it? Carey and I were trying to snooze while Martie and Angie were trying to remember just a few of the gazillion boys that they dated. Occassionally, they would try to reel us into the conversation by mentioning a few of our interesting dates as well. Jay Johnson? Yes, I told him I was recovering from mono to avoid the homecoming date kiss. It seemed like the thing to do at the time.......
From Knoxville to Jefferson City to pick up my date for the reunion (that would be my husband) and then on to Gatlinburg for the big event. We checked into the River View Terrace and dressed for dinner and dancing. I was fortunate to be a part of a very cool, very close-knit class, and it was great to catch up with everyone. I have to say that the JCHS Class of 86 looks pretty darn good 20 years later. Lots of laughs, lots of stories, and lots of memories.........
On Sunday, it was back home, and thus the final leg of the 2006 Summer Tour had ended. OK, maybe it wasn't very rock star-ish, but I still felt like the lead singer of Three Dog Night after the Summer Tour of '76 - which I imagine translates as - very, very tired!
We kicked off the month by heading to East Tennessee (a.k.a. God's Country) and the beautiful Watts Bar Lake for fun and frolic with the whole Mitchell gang. It has been tradition to gather with the extended Mitchell family in reunion style every 4th of July - we have been doing so since the early 80's. My Aunt Patty has always been so gracious to open her home to all - whether it was in Nashville or Rockwood - for a celebration of family and country. But because life gets crazy and unusual circumstances arise, the celebration was canceled for this year. My Dad couldn't bear giving up this time with his children, so he booked the Terrace View on the Lake for our immediate family to carry on the tradition. Thanks Dad!! What a fun time we had fishing, swimming, boating, and cooking with my parents, and my brother and sister and their wonderful families!
Some of the highlights:
On Sunday, we attended my Grandmother's church in Rockwood. My Grandmother is now in a nursing home and unable to attend, so we went to honor her. Afterwards we all went to visit her - the whole clan. Although unable to communicate with words, I believe she was overjoyed by the visit. Four generations in one tiny room!
My sister-in-law, Sherry and I got up early every morning and walked and talked and even cried. She is such a blessing to our family, and I always enjoy one-on-one time with her.
My brother-in-law, Tre and my sister, Marcy made the most delicious homemade chocolate heath bar ice cream. I am certain that my brother ate 4 large servings, though he claims it was only 3.
All of the siblings and their spouses were treated to a sunset cruise - boat and babysitting compliments of my fabulous parents. We cruised along the lake watching the various fireworks displays and chatting about life. Does it get any better??
Then it was back home for 3 days before the next leg of the tour, the Roberts' family vacation at St. George Island in Florida. We traveled caravan style with Tate, Laura, and Elizabeth, arriving in Florida Saturday evening after a Friday night layover in Birmingham (thanks Thompsons). The trip was longer than we anticipated based on the mileage - too many backroads and red lights. We even survived the question! It is estimated that Richmond asked "How many more minutes?" 450+ times. He even began demanding that I look at the map to give him a more accurate answer. Despite his eagerness to be out of the car, he was a trouper - and Knox, too!
We were greeted by Richy's parents and the Hagood's (minus Heather, Paul, and Mark who were sorely missed), with Brian arriving later that evening. The next day was lovingly referred to as "Piggly Wiggly Day". We spent most of the day on our Pig Wig excursion - hoping for no return visits during the trip, as it was about 10 miles from our house. For the most part, we succeeded. Of course, we had to make a 6pm run to the beach later that day - we had been there almost 24 hours and had not yet fully ventured to the shore for some fun and sun. We ate dinner around 10:30pm that night, which set the stage for many post 10pm meals to come. But hey.....we were on vacation, so who cares?
The next day Beth arrived with the "stinky cousins" from Carrollton. Taylor rolled in with his clever quotes from the Cars movie. He's quite the comedian at age 12! At the tutelage of his cousin, Richmond can now quote (and will do so about 25 times a day and it makes me laugh everytime) the line from Mater, "Boy, I'd drive my tires 'cross a mile of busted glass just to see that picture right there......dadgum!" And Barrett, the quintessential Pied Piper of the younger children, arrives on the scene to provide entertainment and joy to Richmond and Elizabeth.
We enjoyed our time with family - the early morning walks on the beach, the late afternoon lounging by the ocean, great food, and lots and lots of blueberries. It was like the scene out of Forrest Gump with Bubba, but substitute blueberries for shrimp - blueberry cobbler, blueberry cheesecake, blueberry danish, blueberries in salad, blueberries in cereal, blueberries on vanilla ice cream, and even blueberries for the babies. It was noted that blueberries somehow pass through the digestive system of babies and become whole again......thanks Laura!
On Wednesday night, Richy and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary at the island's only restaurant, The Blue Parrott. We enjoyed some delicious baked oysters topped with parmesan cheese and stuffed shrimp while sitting right on the gulf shoreline with a great breeze. I guess if you're a fundamentalist, we were celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our rehearsal dinner. The actual day was Thursday, which we spent driving back to Nashville. I hope to blog later on the whole 10 year anniversary subject......
Thursday morning it was time to pack and say our goodbyes, as we departed earlier than the rest of the group so that I could attend my 20 year high school class reunion. Richmond stayed behind with the family to enjoy the extra days at the beach, thanks to his very gracious Grandmommy, Aunt Laura, and Aunt Beth. We arrived in Nashville around 10:30pm, went to bed, woke up and packed again, and it was off to Knoxville.
I met my dear friends, Carey and Martie at the Marriott in Knoxville and sent Richy and Knox to spend the night with my parents. We had planned a girlfriends reunion for Friday night, skipping out on the "family night at the pool" portion of the class reunion. A unanimous decision was made based on the fact that chasing very young children at a pool in your bathing suit with your classmates that you haven't seen in 20 years sounded worse than a root canal! We were joined by two more dear friends, Angie and Lynette, and it was off for a manicure/pedicure and then a delicious dinner at Oodles in Market Square. We were directed to a place in the Old City to listen to some tunes from the 80's, but instead found it to be hip-hop night. So we played a round of darts and then......darted! Back at the hotel, we checked out the yearbook - trying to study the faces of those we needed to remember in order to avoid as much awkwardness as possible. We laughed - mostly at the hair - the big, bigger, and really big hair of our time. We saved some laughs for the fashion faux paux that was the 80s. Oh my........ Then it was off to bed, or was it? Carey and I were trying to snooze while Martie and Angie were trying to remember just a few of the gazillion boys that they dated. Occassionally, they would try to reel us into the conversation by mentioning a few of our interesting dates as well. Jay Johnson? Yes, I told him I was recovering from mono to avoid the homecoming date kiss. It seemed like the thing to do at the time.......
From Knoxville to Jefferson City to pick up my date for the reunion (that would be my husband) and then on to Gatlinburg for the big event. We checked into the River View Terrace and dressed for dinner and dancing. I was fortunate to be a part of a very cool, very close-knit class, and it was great to catch up with everyone. I have to say that the JCHS Class of 86 looks pretty darn good 20 years later. Lots of laughs, lots of stories, and lots of memories.........
On Sunday, it was back home, and thus the final leg of the 2006 Summer Tour had ended. OK, maybe it wasn't very rock star-ish, but I still felt like the lead singer of Three Dog Night after the Summer Tour of '76 - which I imagine translates as - very, very tired!
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