mama’s boys | Beneath My Heart

Spring Break fun!

April 7, 2013 AT 10:21 pm 23 Comments

April 7, 2013 By traci 23 Comments

I hope you guys had a great weekend!

Cy and I took the boys to the Louisville Zoo over the weekend since it was the last few days of their spring break.

We love going to the zoo. Especially Luke, my budding herpetologist!

We were able to get a really good deal on our hotel using Hotwire.com. (This is not an advertisement for Hotwire, by the way.)

We stayed at the Galt House which is right by the river in Louisville.

The view is spectacular!

Eli started mapping out our route for the next day. Smile

We snuggled in our beds and watched tv.

Nothing better than a McDonald’s breakfast to start off the morning!

The boys were so excited to get to the zoo. Of course, we had to go see the reptiles first!

I was excited to get some uninterrupted time with my honey. He has been working so hard since he started his own business, and it was great to see him relax. Smile

Jonathan was our tour guide for the day. He is SUCH the first born! And as you can tell from the picture, Eli is SUCH the last born. Smile

I spent most of the day telling the boys to walk on the sidewalks.

Why do boys have to climb on everything?!

I wanted to get a picture of all the boys with this bear, but Jonathan opted out. Luke didn’t look to thrilled with the idea either.

I always seem to want to get pictures of the four of them together. They are just the perfect little stair steps.

My heart melts in moments like these!

Priceless!

The buttercups were in full bloom and everywhere! I made the boys let me take a picture of them in them in the buttercups since they were my mom’s favorite flower.

We watched a 4D movie that was hilarious! One of the best parts of the day!

We got back to our hotel around 3:00, and we all took naps. I woke up to see this precious face. Oh my! I want to always treasure these moments! Nothing like a shirtless, sweaty haired, red faced little boy!

We started down to 4th street to eat at the Hard Rock Café, but Louisville was playing in the NCAA Final Four at that time, and the place was CRAZY!

So we decided to grab a sub sandwich, and then take a walk down by the river.

There were some great stone steps that I took some more pictures of the boys on.

They are growing up so quickly!

This next picture paints a truer picture of my boys…

What would this mama do without them?!

Saturday night, we went back to the hotel and watched some more tv together and just enjoyed being able to relax and do nothing. No dishes, no laundry, no blog. Smile

We headed back home on Sunday. The boys missed their chicks, and were happy to see they were doing fine.

So that’s what we were up to this weekend!

What did you do?

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Jonathan’s Performance at the Ky Opry!!!

March 14, 2013 AT 9:38 am 67 Comments

March 14, 2013 By traci 67 Comments

Surgery Update: I am feeling better today, friends. A little less sore. I went to bed at 8:30 last night! I didn’t think I would sleep through the night, but I did. I must have needed the rest. Thank you for all your prayers, well wishes, and sweet comments. I have read each one! They have made me feel so loved. Y’all are the best!

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It’s that time of year again! Time for the Ky Opry Talent Search!

Jonathan competed in the talent search for the first time last year as a 12 year old in the beginner division.

We had so much fun traveling down to the Ky Opry for the different rounds of competition. So many great, great memories!

Jonathan won the beginner’s division, the People’s Choice Award, and placed second overall in the competition!

Jonathan learned so much during that competition. He had never participated in a competition before and he had never sang with a live band. He really learned how to “perform” which is so obvious if you compare his very first performance to this past weekend’s performance.

One thing Jonathan decided to do after last year’s competition was to learn to play the guitar. He has taken piano for 7 years, and I told him he couldn’t have a guitar unless he kept taking piano lessons. Smile

So for his 13th birthday last summer in July, we bought him his first guitar. Here he is right after we bought it…

Let me just say, that he has literally not put that thing down! He has taught himself how to play it from youtube videos.

He couldn’t wait to play his guitar at the Ky Opry this year.

Last weekend, we headed down to Draffenville, Ky for Jonathan to participate in the weekly competition. He is now in the Junior Division which is for 13-17 year olds.

Dad and Janet went with us, and we had such a great time!

Cy has been so busy with his new career, that I really enjoyed the extra time with him!

And I treasure the moments with the other four men in my life. They are getting so big!

On Friday night, we ate at the Catfish Kitchen.

I LOVE the food at this place. The best part is the beans and cornbread. Yum!

Eli enjoyed reading a book with Janet.

On Saturday morning, we went to the Paducah mall and walked around. They had this fun jumper thing there that the boys enjoyed. Check out these pictures.

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Dad and Cy took a break and tried out the massage chairs. Smile I was laughing my head off at these two crazy guys.

I swear I can’t take my husband out anywhere!

Then we had lunch at Steak n Shake. Love their Cherry Cokes!

Saturday night came, and it was time for the competition.

We were so excited to be there and see everyone!

My boys love hanging out in the lobby with their “opry buddies.”

Jonathan got up on stage with his guitar and sang his heart out. I was enjoying it so much, that I forgot to take any pictures!

I did get this picture after the performance with Carson {left} and Savannah {right}. Savannah is one of the regular Opry singers and has an amazing voice! Carson is the most amazing fiddle player I have ever heard! She is opening for Josh Turner at the Carson Center tomorrow.

I am always amazed at how this boy loves to sing. For those of you who are new to my blog, my son is hearing impaired and only has 50% of his hearing in both of his ears. When he was born, I worried that he may not be able to even speak, so to hear him sing just blows me away!

I’ve been so excited to share this video with you! Jonathan sang, “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

He was the weekly winner in the Junior Division and received the “People’s Choice” award that night!

So without further adieu, here’s my boy!!!

Jonathan’s next performance will be in April. I’ll be sure to share it with you. Smile

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A Sunday Song {from jonathan}

July 29, 2012 AT 7:38 am 22 Comments

July 29, 2012 By traci 22 Comments

Many of you have been asking to hear another song from my son, Jonathan.

Smile

Last night, he sang at a local church, so I video taped it for you. I have shared this song with you before, but I hope you enjoy it. I hope to put some new songs from him on my blog soon.

Have a blessed Sunday!

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Race Day

July 1, 2012 AT 11:47 pm 6 Comments

July 1, 2012 By traci 6 Comments

Did you have a good weekend?

We sure did, although this extreme heat is a little hard to handle. We are having temps over 100 here in Ky, and we are not used to this type of heat!

Despite the temperatures, some of my boys participated in a Fourth of July 5k run on Saturday morning in our hometown.

My biggest “boy” Cy and his running buddy, Chip, were the first to sign up to run in the 5k.

Chip has two boys, Ben and Jacob, who decided they wanted to run in the race too. So, of course, my boys wanted to get in on the action. Smile

Look at this goodlookin’ crew on race day!

Cy and Chip

boys in front: Jacob, Ben, Jonathan, Adam, Luke

Here they are hanging out at Chip’s house right before the race. Eli was there to cheer them on and do a little posing.

Chip’s wife, Melanie, Eli, and I were the cheerleaders. Melanie is a dear friend of mine, and I love spending time with her.

I tried to get a few pics during the race. Here is Cy coming down the homestretch…

Luke and Adam came in at the exact time and were neck and neck in the homestretch… (See Adam right behind Luke?)

The judge said Adam crossed the line just a step before Luke. So CLOSE!!

They ran the 5k under 29 minutes which I think is amazing! So proud of them.

Jonathan came in next, but the pictures didn’t turn out. Sad smile

Even though it was in the morning, the temps were already scorchin’ and these boys were sweating like crazy!

They had to make sure to drink plenty of water.

Cy and Adam got medals. Cy placed 2nd in his age division, and Adam placed 3rd in his age division.

So, so proud of ALL my boys for racing their little hearts out!

After the race, we went home and got ready for a family reunion. It was my Dad’s side of the family.

Here is my sweet dad with his three sisters, Donna, Lois, and Carol.

We got a family shot of all of my family. My brother, Blake, and his family were not able to make it, but the rest of us were there.

Dad and Janet are in the middle, my family on the left, and Cyndi’s family on the right.

My cousin, Missy, and I have always been accused of looking alike. Luke came up to me during the reunion and said, “Mom, that girl in the purple shirt looks identical to you!” He was referring to Missy, of course.

So I had to take a picture of Missy and I and share it with you.

I think I would have to agree!

I’ve not only been blessed with a great family, but with a great extended family as well.

Don’t you love how the holidays give us a chance to get together with family members that we don’t get to see very often?

How are you spending your fourth of July holiday?

Also, congratulations to this week’s One Project Closer “Before and After” series weekly winner,

The Logan’s Landing Outdoor Patio Kitchen.

You can read about this great project HERE.

Have you linked up your best Before and After project from this past year to this contest?

If not, click on the button to add your link.

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Our Trip to the KY Opry {Jonathan Won!}

February 13, 2012 AT 10:21 am 101 Comments

February 13, 2012 By traci 101 Comments

I told you on Friday that my son was competing in a talent search at the Ky Opry. Well, I wanted to share our trip with you.

I was so excited about going because I love road trips, and this was going to be Jonathan’s very first singing competition!

It was just Cy, me, Jonathan and Luke. Adam stayed at a friend’s house because he had some basketball games he didn’t want to miss. And Eli stayed with Dad and Janet.

It took us about 4 hours to get there, but it really wasn’t a bad drive at all.

We actually got there an hour earlier than we thought we would because we forgot about the time change!

So we were able to walk around the building and check it out. Here is the main stage…

The lobby of the Opry is filled with all kinds of pictures of famous country singers. It was fun to check out the history of the Ky Opry.

Here’s Cy checkin’ it out…

Jonathan was thrilled to be there. He has wanted to compete for a long time, so this was a dream come true for him.

Here are my three goodlookin’ boys! I love every second I get to spend with them!

Jonathan was actually very calm. Not really nervous at all. Let me just say that his mommy and daddy were not quite as calm! Our stomachs were in knots!

Isn’t funny how “tied” emotionally we are to our kids? I felt like I was the one performing!

So glad I wasn’t! Smile

Then it was time for the show to begin!…

There were 21 contestants total, but only 4 in Jonathan’s category (beginners).

It was Jonathan and 3 girls.

He sang, “Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts.

After all of the contestants sang, they brought them all back on stage for the audience to see again. Everyone in the audience had a voting sheet, and we had to vote for our favorite singer out of each category.

The winners were chosen by the judges vote, but the audience’s vote added about 5 points to the total, (I think).

Then there was an intermission, and we got to get up and stretch and get a drink. After the intermission, we all sat back down to enjoy the Ky Opry band perform for about 45 minutes. It was a great show!

I love country music so much because I was raised on it. As a child, I remember waking up in the morning to Dad listening to country music as he worked in the garage. And the Ky Opry reminded me so much of my dad’s parents, Papa and Grannie.

My grandparents loved to camp every summer, and as a kid, I LOVED going to visit them at the campgrounds. There was always a country or bluegrass band playing at the campgrounds. Such great, sweet, innocent childhood memories! Wouldn’t trade them for anything!

After the Ky Opry band played, it was time to hear the results of the competition.

They brought all the contestants back up on stage and announced the winner of each category.

And Jonathan Won!!

Let’s just say that this mama was screaming her head off! I was so very proud of him!

He did such a great job for his first competition!

We counted our blessings all the way home,

which included a large Coke from McDonald’s! Winking smile

To think that 10 years ago, when we discovered Jonathan’s hearing loss, I thought he may not even be able to talk as he got older.

And now I get to sit back and listen to him sing his heart out.

God is so very good! (But even if Jonathan couldn’t sing or even talk, I would still praise Him!)

My cup runneth over.

Jonathan will compete again in the Elimination Round in the middle of April. I will let you know how it goes!

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The Story I Shared with Layla in Nashville

January 13, 2012 AT 11:14 pm 71 Comments

January 13, 2012 By traci 71 Comments

Last month, I had the honor of spending the day with one of my favorite people in the world!

This beautiful lady and I did a little Christmas shopping together.

And if that wasn’t enough of a treat, Layla and I got to spend 4 hours chatting it up at Starbucks with the fabulous Angie Smith!

I know! Pinch me!!!!

It was such a special day, and I didn’t want it to end.

While at Starbucks, I shared a story with Layla and Angie about my oldest son, Jonathan.

It was the story that Layla was referring to in this post.

I shared with them the day that I found out how my oldest son, Jonathan, only 3 years old at the time, had moderate to severe hearing loss in both his ears.

I was pregnant with Luke at the time, and I had taken Jonathan to the doctor because he wasn’t hearing well. I thought he might have fluid on his ears. When the nurse told me that he didn’t have any fluid on his ears, I was confused and worried. They took that sweet little 3 year old in a sound proof room and did more testing on his hearing. The nurse informed me after the testing was complete that Jonathan had a hearing loss and would probably need to wear a “device.” (aka: hearing aid)

My thoughts ran wild.

Would he lose all of his hearing someday?

Would he not be able to talk well?

Would he not be able to hear me say “I love you.”

My thoughts immediately went to the worse case scenario. It was a very emotional day.

I went home that night and wrote in a journal that I keep for Jonathan. It is full of little notes that I write to him every once in a while. (I have a journal for each of my boys.)

I’m sorry my handwriting is so sloppy and my spelling isn’t the best. (I must have been in a hurry or really tired.) But I don’t care. I am so glad that I have this day documented in writing for Jonathan to see. And for me to look back on and see how God’s hand has worked in Jonathan’s life over the past 10 years.

I wanted to share with you what I wrote that day. I hope you are able to read it.

God is so good!

Jonathan is still full of personality and a definite “people person.”

And he still loves to sing more than anything!

He was so excited when Layla asked him to sing on her blog today.

And it was so perfect for him to sing the song he sang.

If you missed Jonathan singing, click HERE to view it on Layla’s blog.

Jonathan has worn hearing aids for the past 10 years, and for the most part, he has not lost anymore of his hearing.

Singing is his passion! We thank God everyday for the God-given gift of his voice!

I want to say a special thank you to Layla (and Kevin!).

They have blessed our family in so many ways, and we are so

thankful to have them in our lives!

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A Marathon and a Wedding {The Non-DIY Moments in My Life}

November 17, 2011 AT 1:13 am 23 Comments

November 17, 2011 By traci 23 Comments

I wanted to share with you a couple of things that have gone on in our family’s life that are not about our kitchen renovation or home addition.

Yes. I do have a life outside of DIY. Smile

The first thing I want to do is brag about my husband.

He ran and completed his very first marathon in Columbus, Ohio in October!

This is a big, big deal, and I am so very proud of him.

He hasn’t always been a runner. Basketball was his main sport, and he played it through college.

But he had a buddy, Chip, challenge him to pick up running almost two years ago, and he hasn’t stopped running since.

He’s like a different man. He has trained and trained and trained. Running is his passion now.

He has completed several half marathons, but his goal was to run a full marathon.

And he did it!

We had such a special trip as a family up to Columbus to cheer him on.

Here is a picture of the boys anxiously waiting their daddy’s arrival toward the finish line.

When we finally spotted him, the boys ran out into the road to cheer him on.

The race day atmosphere is like magic. Everyone is so positive and excited, and so many people are accomplishing a goal that they have worked so very hard for.

I was honored to be there and see it.

Here we are after the race, 26 miles later….

They boys were soooooo proud of their daddy!!!

Cy said the boys are what kept him going during the race. He knew they would be waiting for him at the finish line.

They were so worried about Cy after the race, and wanted to take good care of him.

They were so relieved to have daddy back. Smile

Adam (in the front) was still very worried about daddy’s legs.

It was a very, very special day.

I am so thankful that my boys have a daddy who shows them that they can achieve anything if they set a goal and stick to it.

He continually amazes me.

So you know I love it when I get a chance to spend time with just him.

Like this past Saturday, when we dropped the boys off at our neighbors’ house (she was expecting them Smile ) and went to my cousin, Kelly’s wedding.

The wedding was absolutely gorgeous, and so was Kelly!!! (Don’cha think we look like sisters?)

It was an evening wedding which explains why my pictures did not turn out very well.

I had to use my flash for the pictures to show up.

But I took just a few to share with you.

The cake was amazing!

Here I am with my precious Aunt Pat, the mother of the bride.

Aunt Pat is my mom’s younger sister, and she is soooo much like my mom. I love every minute I get to spend with her because it is the closest thing to being with Mom.

And I wanted to show you a picture of my beautiful sister in law.

Ande is my brother, Blake’s wife. I love her sooooo much!

I feel so blessed to have her as my sister.

Blake sure knew what he was doing when he married her!!!

I caught a picture of my precious sister, Cyndi, and her daughter, Courtney.

(Both of which have blogs, so click on their names if you want to check them out.)

There was a photo booth set up at the reception for guests to take pictures.

They had a bunch of props to choose from, so Cy and I picked ours out and had some fun!

Let’s just say my boys loved these pictures when I showed them to them.

I think they will get a kick out of these pictures 20 years from now.

So that’s it!

Just a little break from the kitchen renovation to show you what else I’ve been up to.

I’ll be back later with an update on our kitchen floors. I love they way they look so far!

Also, if you didn’t enter the Nest of Posies giveaway for a chance to win the bag of your choice, click HERE to do so.

We love our Nest of Posies bags!!!

Have a blessed day!

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Our Trip to the Zoo

July 6, 2011 AT 11:05 am 4 Comments

July 6, 2011 By traci 4 Comments

Hey Friends!

This weekend, Cy and I surprised the boys with a trip to the Louisville Zoo.

We had such a great time taking our 4 little monkeys to the zoo!

Just wanted to share some pictures with you of our day!

Oh yeah! We did see the amazing animals there too! :)

Have a wonderful day!

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A little more vacation fun to share!

July 15, 2010 AT 12:31 am Leave a Comment

July 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

First of all, I want to remind everyone about my Salad Party on Friday.

If you have an old or new post about a great salad or salad dressing you want to share, please stop by! :)

I will have the link up tonight around 9:00 p.m. See you there!

Today, I just wanted to share with you some family photos of our trip to Hilton Head. I shared last week how we started the vacation of with a 5K run! My very first race!

You can read about it HERE.

After all that hard work, we definitely needed some fun in the sun, so we went to the ocean.

The boys had the time of their lives!

And we hit the pool…Eli loved his gator!

We ate lunch a couple of days at our very favorite spot…Larry’s Giant Subs!

The subs there are so delicious! We go there every year. :)

And the boys enjoyed fishing off the bridge with their cousins, Pop, and Uncle Tim…

My favorite night was when we ate dinner at Shelter Cove and walked up and down the harbor. It was HarborFest that week and they had entertainment and games for children. And we saw more fireworks too!

We rode our bikes A LOT! One day alone, we rode almost 10 miles!

Eli rode on the back of my bike, and Adam rode a bike attached to his Daddy’s. Jonathan and Luke had their own bikes.

My little bike buddy…

And what’s a vacation without some Putt Putt?

We got a picture with my husband’s side of the family on the last night.

No granddaughters in this crew!

Gotta love it!

It was a great trip, but we were ready to get back to Kentucky. There’s no place like home!

Well, thanks for letting me share our vacation with you. I love having a blog where I can record special family times to look back on for years to come.

Hope you have a blessed day!

Traci

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Parties — not projects…

May 16, 2010 AT 10:57 pm 23 Comments

May 16, 2010 By traci 23 Comments

Wow!

I had a crazy-busy weekend!

Not a single second for me to complete a project for my blog!

Friday night, we had our children’s group from our church over to our house for hot dogs and smores!

The rain held off, and we were able to spend some time on my back patio that I have just started renovating.

I added some new ferns to my urns and some accessories to my little white table.

I got out my placemats and added a pretty potted flower that I got on clearance at Lowes.

I moved my extra table out into the yard for extra seating for the kids. :)

Making the smores was my favorite part of the evening!

We feel very blessed to be a part of such a sweet fellowship!

Saturday morning we had 3 baseball games to attend…Luke at 10:00, Adam at 11:15, and Jonathan at 12:00.

They overlapped a little, so I had to stand in between the fields to watch two games at a time.

We are spending more time at the ballpark than at home right now! But I am loving every minute of it! :)

Saturday afternoon, I went to my Aunt Tassy’s home for a wedding shower for my niece, Courtney.

The weather was perfect and so was the party. They certainly outdid themselves.

The entry way greeted us with this cute little display. Aunt Tassy made the monogrammed glass cube as a gift for Courtney to keep.

I loved it! (Hint. Hint, Aunt Tassy)

The punch bowl was surrounded by a bunch of tulle that was attached to a foam wreath…

Courtney’s colors for her wedding are royal blue and gray. So the little glass slippers were filled with blue M & M’s for party favors. (I think the glass slippers were purchased at Hobby Lobby.)

We moved outside to watch Courtney open her gifts.

My sweet Uncle Tommy recently built Aunt Tassy this beautiful covered patio…

There was a beautiful white tent for the bride-to-be to open her presents under…

Aunt Tassy is my mom’s little sister, and she wanted to make this shower extra special for Mom’s oldest granddaughter.

Mom would be so proud of Courtney right now! We are definitely missing Mom during this special time in our family.

We all got a good laugh when Courtney got a “cleaning house” bucket of goodies! I love those rubber gloves from Hobby Lobby!

I never look that good when cleaning my house! What
about you?

Here is my beautiful cousin, Whitney, (Aunt Tassy’s daughter) who is expecting her first child within a few weeks. We cannot wait!!!

Aunt Tassy’s property is just picturesque. They have lived there for over 30 years, and I have so many great memories of staying at their house as a child.

It was such a great time, and I truly appreciate Aunt Tassy, Whitney, and Kristin (DIL) for working so hard to put it all together for my sister and her daughter!

But the partying wasn’t over for me yet!

I still had one very special party to put together…

Eli’s 3rd birthday party on Sunday!