Our Journey Together

Kansas Buffalo

2011-05-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

A Horse Dies

2011-05-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a sad day. We woke up to learn that Uncle Booker’s horse did not make it thru the night and it passed away. Additionally, I had to explain to Journey why she was not able to go and see the baby horse she was so excited about. I must say, I do not give her enough credit for being so understanding. As I began to explain that the baby horse was sick and did not make it, she immediately began helping me explain why the horse did not survive. She said “the baby horse was sick and could not make it because it’s bones were not strong.” I told her correct and added God loved the baby horse more than we did so the baby horse now in heaven.

I find it hard to believe that my 2 year old can understand life and death but she does. As sad as I felt that the colt did not make it I felt great that I was able to explain the circle of life to my daughter. At times it is not easy explaining things to a 2 year old that is so intuitive. I truly thank God for giving me the strength and words of encouragement to explain without frightening her.

A Horse Is Born

2011-05-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. We woke up to discover that Uncle Booker's horse had a baby boy over night or early this morning. At first sight the colt is a beautiful black with white speckles on his bottom. The mother did not want to feed the cult so Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Booker had to resort to bottle feeding the colt. Unfortunately the baby colt was not taking to the bottle feeding so their neighbor (April) offered to keep the colt overnight to make sure he gets the proper nutrients. Overall, Journey enjoyed the experience and I am glad she was felt like a little helper by her uncle’s sides.

Davon & Dugga

2011-04-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Washington Family

2011-04-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Kansas 2011

2011-04-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

This trip did not start out so well (lol). We left Tampa at 6pm and arrived in Atlanta for a 46 minute lay over. Our 46 minute lay over turned into a 9 hour lay over due to tornado and storms in the Atlanta area. Luckily I had my lap top so Journey and I were able to watch "Despicable Me." Because we arrived so late to ATL we did not have many options for food so we were stuck eating hot dogs and fried chicken. The storms seem to be never ending and by 2 am we were spent! All the passenger going to Wichita began laying on the floor as if they were in kindergarten on pallets. I absolutely refused to lie on the dirty floor so I literally walked back and forth until I could not keep my eyes open any longer. Then I sat on a bench and let Journey lay her head on my lap. Finally 4am...the advised us we had a plane and it would be arriving shortly from Tennessee. Our original plane was from Houston but had to be diverted due to bad weather. We load the plane, buckled our seat belts, and passed out till we arrived in Kansas. This was a absolutely....horrible...lay over...and flight!!!

Growing up fast

2011-04-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

My baby girl was 3 months old when she took this photo. It is amazing how fast she has grown up.

Shae

2011-03-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Loving how wonderful my beautiful niece has grown up.

lenas hairstyles 2

2011-03-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

I love this little girls bows. Her mother is very creative.

Gasperilla

2011-01-31T18:08:00.000-08:00

This year my family and I enjoyed the parade very much. Journey's favorite was the throwing of the beads, and the Budwiser Horses because they were so BIG. My favorite has always been seeing everyone dressed up as pirates and seeing hundreds of boats invade Tampa. I believe Bam loved catching beads and placing the on Journey and I's neck.

The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa, Florida. Held each year in late January and it celebrates the apocryphal legend of José Gaspar (Gasparilla), supposedly a Spanish pirate captain who operated in Southwest Florida. Thet throw beads, coins and other items while shooting blank pistols from floats during the parade. The average attendance for the event is over 400,000 people.

New Years 2011

2011-01-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

christmas

2010-12-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

Question: "What is the true meaning of Christmas?"
Answer: The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God's becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. "But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

Sleep w/ Daddy

2010-12-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

Wraping Gifts

2010-12-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

I have never liked wraping gifts all that much, but I must admit I am good at it. This Christmas Journey is two so she gets to help. See played in tape mostly but she had fun.

Quote of the day

2010-10-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

"Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve." -
-- Mary Kay Ash

Career Outlook

2010-09-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished a semester and I am looking forward to the next term. I will not lye to you and say each semester gets easier, however I will say I have a better understanding of what to expect from my classmates and professors.

32 and It Feels Great

2010-08-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Once again, I celebrated another beautiful birthday with the ones I love most. Jessie and Journey took me to Olive Garden the week before my birthday where I had parmesan-polenta crusted steak, and a glass of Principato Rosato wine. Everthing was perfect!

The day of my birthday my favorite cousin Tonya and a friend named Tiffany celebrated dinner with me. After dinner, we went to Coldstone Ice Creamery and then went home to have Raspberry Cheese Cake with my daughter and the Whitlock children. They was just as excited as I was. Again, Everthing was perfect!

Developing Independence

2010-08-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our daughter turned two on May 28, 2010. Since then, she has decided she wants to sleep in her bed by herself, and she does not need either mommy or daddy to lay with her till she goes to sleep. This is great for her, but hard for mommy and daddy. Along with lying in bed by herself, she likes to play independently, listen to The Laurie Burkner Band, and stand on "her" bathroom stool and brush "her" teeth.
Nonetheless, Journey is truely a Blessing sent from above, and she has greatly changed our lives. We live for her, and love her with all our hearts.

Our little "BIG" girl.
Journey Coley

The Optimists Creed

2010-07-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Optimists Creed

Promise Yourself To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Strong Woman/Weak Woman

2010-07-18T23:04:00.003-07:00

So often I talk to girlfriends that seem to lack confidence in themselves. Instead they look to girlfriends, men, and outside influences to find out who they are. I am not sure what happens on the inside for this process to become complicated, but at some point we have to take a big girl pill and “woman up.” I think as teens girls learn to be a woman of God first. When a young lady is ground “spiritually,” it teaches her the process of making ethical decisions. When I look back at the women I have befriended, I notice a pattern of the same types of women. They are:

The Mother
She has maternal instincts that make her a mother to everyone she comes in contact with. She helps protect those weaker than herself.

The Wife
She fears God. She is a grown woman who has taken an oath to share the rest of her life with a man she loves. She is most happy when she is nurturing her husband and children. She is health cautious and makes good decisions for herself and family. She does her best to be outgoing and participate in activities surrounding her family or good causes. She is happy, but knows she can have a moment of weakness because she has a family that will allow her to be weak when she is not strong.

The Flirt
She does not know who she is, and tries to befriend everyone she comes in contact with. She thinks she is creative, original, and has an outgoing personality. Other women are not quick to be her friend if they are in a relationship or married. Bottom line-keep your eye on her and the other on your man!

The Sister
She tends to possess the girl-next-door attitude. She is friends with everyone. Many times she is overlooked and does not stand out in a crown.

A Trip 2 ER

2010-05-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl had a very rough weekend. While moving furniture around Journey jumped off the couch to run into the dining room area and fell. When she fell she bit her lip and blood went everywhere. Immediately her dad grabbed her and we rushed her to the minor emergency center. On top of all that she already had calamine lotion all over from small bit. To say the least we felt terrible and just wanted our daughter back like normal.
It was a loooog weekend!!

Easter 2010

2010-03-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

Journey's first and second Easter was spent with our close family members the Whitlock's. Since we moved to Florida they have been inspirational in every holiday, and birthday. We feel so bless to have such good family that loves us and truly looks out for us.

Easter is so important to "me." I can remember Easter Sunday's in Kansas like it were yesterday. The night before was spent preparing for Easter. That meant if you were a girl you waited in line to get your hair hot comb, and laid your dress and accessories out for the next day. As bad as you wanted to go outside and pay, you did not even think about it. If so, it was a huge risk and a guaranteed butt wiping.
I can also remember my grandpa Tate giving lessons about Easter, and Jesus resurrection. He made sure we knew the meaning and where to find it in the Bible. Those lessons will forever be rooted and grounded in me, and I will share the same lessons with my daughter as she grows. Well, if you do not know the meaning of Easter, here is what my grandparent’s taught me.

Meaning of Easter:
Jesus resurrection symbolizes eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught during His three-year ministry.

Trip 2 KS

2010-02-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to go home to Kansas. It had been a year since I visited last, and Journey was only 3 months old. Now she is 1 ½. While there she became very attached to her cousin Ava and she fell in love with her aunt Summer. While there she renamed Summer and began calling her “Sum.” She also called her uncle Jamie “uncle boo-boo.” This name came about when he started call her boo.
Other than that our Kansas trip was very cold, snowy, and hectic. Journey got sick and had to go to the hospital. Her cousin Dae-Dae had pneumonia, and after a while it was simple …time to go. Overall I enjoyed spending time with my family as a whole.

Cracker Barrel

2010-02-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

Just before we left for Kansas we went to breakfast with daddy at cracker barrel. Journey is a HUGE breakfast girl who loves pancakes, waffles, sausage, fruit, and eggs from time to time. Oh how we will miss daddy when we go to cold-cold-Kansas.

Christmas @Whitlocks

2009-12-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

New Years 2009

2009-01-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

Out with the old and in with the new. I spent new years eve with A Tribe Called Whitlock at a local church. It was awesome and felt more like a concert than attending traditional church service. I thought my daughter was going to wake up the next morning with out a voice because she was on sensory overload screaming with the choir. She had sooo much fun and it was enjoyable for me to watch her having so much fun at church. Her father and I are convinced she will be an actress or a singer because of the facial expressions she makes and she enjoys singing so much. We love her tremendously.

From our family to yours, Happy New Year!

Pumpkin Day 2009

2008-10-24T00:35:00.000-07:00

Tonya and I decided to get the kids together and take them to a real pumpkin patch located just south of Tampa. It was a fun short drive so the kids did not have time to get on each other’s nerves. The anticipation of picking their own pumpkins was enough to keep everyone asking question until we arrived. Once we got there, we took pictures of everyone, then let the kids run around and pick their own pumpkin. I must say, Kobe and Natalie had the most fun, Tres and Jordan were ok with the trip, and Victoria was a great helper as usual.

This was Journey's first Halloween, and she was only five months old. She was happy to be with the other kids. I picked a small pumpkin out for her as well. We love family trips with the Whitlock’s, they are a blessing in our lives.

Love you,
Maurice
Tonya
Victoria
Tres
Jordan
Natalie
Kobe

ieaha

2008-10-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

sit up

2008-10-24T00:27:00.000-07:00

reeds

2008-10-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

My great uncle Carter's Birthday Party.

lets bake cookies

2008-10-24T00:14:00.000-07:00

Sleep Over W/ Natalie

2008-10-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

My big cousin Natalie Reading me Cinderella
Natalie is My Nutcracker!!

(person that makes me laugh the hardest)

Bath Time w/ Daddy

2008-10-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

All ready for Halloween

2008-10-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Grandma J is getting me already for Halloween
Me & Mommy
Excited to be with daddy again

My First Words...

2008-10-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dada

Today my princess said dada for the 1st time. Like every other mother I would have loved for her first word to be ma-ma. If there is anyone happy about it, it's her father. I made a special call to him in St. Louis just so he could hear his baby girl say it just for him. His first reaction was to laugh.

She is 4.5 months old and loving life! She is scooting backwards, trying to sit up by herself and learning how to wave bye bye. On Wednesday I learned her favorite food so far is bananas. Her reaction to bananas was by far the biggest reaction to food. She has also had green beans, pea's, applesauce, and rice.

Our daughter does something new everyday and mommy & daddy are so proud of her.

chucky cheese

2008-10-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

August 2008

A trip to chucky cheese with the Whitlocks.
Journey is'nt big enuff for anything but she had fun watching all

the kids run around.

Journey started getting tired but she wanted to

hang with the big kids and daddy.
Cousin Natalie,5
Cousin Kobe, 3

Chill'in With Jordan

2008-10-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night Football

Hey everyone,

It's Sunday and Jordan thought I should hang out

and watch some football with him.

I guess I'll teach him a thing or two

about baby stuff while we are at it...LOL

My First Foods...Umm Umm Good

2008-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Grandma J. love to feed me.

Green beans, rice, and apple sc

My food is so good I can't help but to get it all over the place.

Let me hold the spoon!

Fun With Daddy

2008-10-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

I look forward to playing with daddy every chance I get.

He can make me laugh when no one else can.

I love him!

While visiting grandma J., daddy and I play on the bed. I laugh so hard when he lifts me up in the air like an airplane.

He also bounces me on his knee, but I still like airplane the best.

Daddy Love Me Bunches

3 Months Old

2008-09-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

Boogie is now 3 months old and doing so many new things. It's a world of difference from being one and two months old. Our baby girl is starting to discover so many new thing that It's hard to keep track of all the new things she is learning.

For starters, she is more verbal and makes a ton of noises. She never spent a day babbling. She just opened her mouth one day and started talking. She discovered her lungs 2 weeks ago when daddy was home and spent the entire weekend screaming to the top of her lungs. Everyone thought it was cutie while I couldn’t wait for her to move on to the next stage. Tylenol was my best friend...lol. She is also rolling over and reaching for things close to her.

My favorite so far is her laugh...it is to die for. Her dad got to hear her laugh for the first time on September 1, 2008. He had the biggest smile on his face. I love to see his reaction to his baby girl. I think their personalities are going to be very much alike.

Last but not least, our baby-J ate cereal for the first time on September 10, 2008. Her reaction was that of a 3-month-old who had only tasted breast milk. She began to shake and grab the spoon as if to say "This is good, give me more." So as we reach the 3.5 mark our daughter life, Im sure we will have many messy days as she discovers all the good flavors food has to offer.

Hopefully daddy can clean up a mess or 2 if I'm lucky!

Daddy Works Hard

2008-09-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

Daddy spends several hours a day driving his 18 weeler.

Usually he is listening to the news, sports, bubba the love sponge, or howard stern.

2 Months Old

2008-08-16T17:11:00.001-07:00

Look @ my little muffin top...

Her cheeks are starting to get sooo fat. She is a cutie pie.

She is starting to recognize family & stay awake longer.

She knows her grandma Janie and god-mother Ton-Ton.

We took these photo's July.

1 Month Old

2008-08-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

One Month Old

McKinney, TX

6/28/08

Journey waking up from a nap while on the couch.

Daddy watching Nascar and baby girl trying to get his attention.

Baby Coley looking at mommy take her picture.

New Born

2008-08-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Day She Was Born

2008-08-16T15:45:00.001-07:00

May 27, 2008 I had a scheduled doctors appointment to meet with my OBGYN at 9:15 am. Bam and I went to the doctor with our concerns that we had not felt Baby Coley move very much over the holiday weekend. Dr. Luciani recommended that we take a stress test to insure she was OK. On a scale of 1-10 we scored a 4. He advised us he was sending us over to L/D and that I might as well get comfortable because I was already 39 weeks. As we walked to L/D I could feel my nerves getting the best of me and I was scared about the entire process. After all this was my first child and up to this point most everyone had only shared their horror stores.

Furthermore, I was not so sure I was ready to deliver this baby yet (mentally). Once in L/D they started the fluids and then pitocin. My doctor came to check on me before he went to the gym and told me we would have a baby by am the next day. I thought this would be a great time to catch up on a little bit of sleep before I had to do any pushing so I attempted to get some rest. Bam was by my side every waking moment holding my hand and fixing my pillows...lol.

During our pregnancy he never missed a single doctors appointment and was there for me to do all the little things that mean so much to me. He is truly the love of my life. I must say I had a few embarrassing moments that I for sure thought I would hear about again, but he treated me like a queen.

All those worries seam to fade once Journey arrived and the doctor and her father said she was ok and beautiful as ever. She was 6pounds and 0.2 ounces at birth. Now I know what love at first site means. Before I became a parent I can honestly say that I was a very vain person who loved myself more than anything. After she was born I learned what love at first sight means. For the first time in my life I am able to say that I truely love my baby girl more than anything. She is inspirational and a reason to love life.

Her father and I only want the best for her and our family and we will do what ever it takes to make it happen. There are so many things we want to teach her about God, life, and each of our families that make up who she is. Life Is A Journey...and she is our little blessing!

Turning Thirty Is Great

2008-08-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 on August 7 and it was fabulous!
I am not embarrassed to say I have looked forward to this day for some time now. My 20's were extraordinary and jam pack with memorable moments, and trips I will never forget.
I shared it with my immediate family (Jessie and Journey), and relatives Maurice, Tonya, and family. I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate another birthday with family in FL. Relocating to Tampa has been defining in my life. Since moving her I met Jessie, and we had our daughter in (Texas), and then moved back to FL.
Looking back, I can only remember my 13th birthday party. It stands out because it was a surprise party my cousin Brandy, and Grandma Wanda put together. The sad part about the party is my Grandmother took me and let me pick out a cake I liked, but I did not tell me the cake would be for me. Then at the surprise party, she presented me with the cake, and all I could do was smile and laugh because I pick the cake out. That moment will forever be with me.
However on my birthday this year, my little cousin Victoria cooked me breakfast. She woke me up with a hug, princess birthday banner, and breakfast. Breakfast consists of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and a tall flute of apple juice.
Tonya presented me with my favorite food enchiladas, and strawberry cheese cake.

My boo treated me like a queen all day and kept the baby with him while he ran errands. Needless to say, I was able to sleep in a little bit longer, and take my time getting dressed. Bam & Journey got me a new digital camera and a very sweet birthday card. I could not have asked for a better birthday.
Thanks and I love you,
Jessie
Victoria
Tonya & Mo