Straight from the heart...

I am not normally a very emotionall person (at least not outwardly) but when it comes to my family I get emotional.  I am not talking just about my immediate family....I am talking all 39 of us (about to be 40 in March).  I am talking about the Middlebrooks clan...

It amazes me how far apart we all are but how close we really are.  We don't talk everyday (although I am sure one Middlebrooks talks to another every SINGLE day) but we still know that each of us will be there in a moment's notice if needed. 

I can promise you that we are not a perfect family (which some like to scream from the rooftops!), hello we know that we are human.  I can promise you that we all have pasts just like everyone else some more colorful than others.  The only thing that matters, I PROMISE, is that we are all good-hearted people and we are A FAMILY.  We are not overly a "lovey dovey" family...some of us choke on saying "I love you" (lol...seriously...I am one of them!).  We have a hard time showing our emotions face to face but buddy do we ever know how to text (except Aunt Sheila, even granny can...lol), email (I think Aunt Sheila is getting better at this), and snail mail cards (I love to send cards).  The thing is it isn't necessary in this crazy family because we know we love each other.  Cast one stone towards a Middlebrooks and let's just say you better run....

Some of us are a little more outspoken than others (me...which my mom hates) and some that just everything bottled up.  We all balance each other out pretty nicely...at least we think so. 

What I like to brag about the most is granny and grandaddy had 5 children who are still married to the same person.  All 5 children have children who are all married to the same person (except me of course...kind of the outspoken black sheep lol) and they all have children.  That is rare these days...no divorces, no step children, etc.  The one thing I miss is that we used to all live so close to one another (and the kids all worked for grandaddy which probably wouldn't work well now!!!  to many egos!!  ha! ha!), that we saw each other every day.  The thing I look forward to the most is our weekend getaway in Pigeon Forge once a year for Christmas.

PICTURE THIS:  39.5 Middlebrooks (of all ages: 9 are 5 years or under, 7 are under 20, and well the rest of us we won't mention age but 75 is the oldest) in a three story cabin with 16 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and a TON of food.  Let me just say not a lot of sleep happens but there are definitely some laughs and looking back on years past:




"the grandkids"



granny and grandaddy



aunt lora



grandkids: Brandon & Emma
great grandkids: Bryson, Will, & Emily



Daniel...who knows what he is doing?!



grandaddy in the 80s

grandaddy with an audience



dumb & dumber



Uncle Chris, Aunt Lora, Alex, & mom

Addy & Lucas
(the year WE ALL went to the
Dixie Stampede)

Uncle Chris & Aunt Lora



Scott & Tyree



Granny with the "only" two great
granddaughters (at the time)

Beth, Aunt Sheila, Aunt Sonya

the FAV grandkid (lol)

LeAnne & Beth
80s



4 more since then...and one more on the way



Aunt Maronica & Uncle Kevin



Me, Alex, and Kyle



Daniel & Sonya

Kels

In response to this comment on my previous post:

Brandy, I'm so sorry you feel that way about seeing me. I love you and all of your family and have for many years. You know who I am.



By Anonymous on Thanksgiving Weekend.... on 11/28/10

By being anonymous could make you a lot of different people because as we all know Pigeon Forge is the happening place to go for all of us southerners so seeing a familiar face isn't unheard of. 

As far as loving my family...what that means to me and to you must mean different things.  When you love someone, especially for years, you support them.  If you disagree with one's actions or opinions you either confront that one person but you do not judge them. Whether this person is wrong or not it is not your place to decide nor your place to openly hurt them.  As far as I am concerned, who has time to fight battles that is of no concern to them...don't we have enough battles of our own to fight?!  Life is hard enough without our "lifelong" friends making it more difficult.  

I am not trying to start a battle with anyone...I am only supporting my family and friends because I love them and will not be the one who judges their actions.  Like my mom always tells me..."Think before you speak or act because your actions and words have consequences."

Not Anonymous....
Brandy 

Thanksgiving Weekend....



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Wilkins xmas outfit mom made her...
she literally stopped traffic



...what a fun weekend?!  As soon as I got off work (a wonderfully steady, organized, and completely fun day...NOT) on Thursday mom, Wilkins, and I took off to Pigeon Forge to get busy shopping!

We left Murfreesboro at about 6pm in the pouring rain to make it to Pigeon Forge to hit the Disney Store by 11pm.  Wilkins slept the majority of the trip and then was a trooper while we shopped.  She was in her pjs and had a blast and believe it or not she was up until 4am with us.  We got tons of good deals even though it was a miserable experience because of the steady drizzle of rain.  IHOP was the happening place to go to but it was good and hit the spot then off to bed we went.  Slept until about 11am Friday, ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel, and then off we went shopping again.

This is the outfit that had everyone's head turning everywhere we went all day long. 



Wilkins posing with
Santa and Rudolph



It was kind of odd with just me, mom, and Wilkins running around without LeAnne and Haley but at the same time it was also fun.  We went to the Christmas Shoppe which Wilkins loved.  She was like a kid in a candy store.  It was so funny watching her running around looking at all the different stuff.

Wilkins was all about posing for pictures.  She kept saying "mum mum take a picture".  She has started calling me that for some reason and refers to herself in the third person now all the time.  Who knows?!  She is changing everyday...it is absolutely amazing to me.  Her eyes tell exactly what she is feeling which is something she definitely gets from me.  She counts to 12 and must have learned it from Nick Jr because none of us taught it to her.  She is almost to  smart for her own good. 

 

The closest Wilkins will get to Santa
and this one is fake and I still had
to make her!



 After doing some more shopping and running into someone I had rather not have, (someone who claimed to care about and use to call themself a friend of our family) we went to Aunt Sheila and Uncle Herbie's cabin to eat some leftovers with them along with Aunt Veta, Kyle, Amy, and Debra and let Wilkins play with Ellie (Emily) and Blake.  The kids had a blast and we adults just sat around talked and laughed.

Wilkins and Blake watching the
Wizard of Oz

Wilkins played with play dough for the first time (unless she has at Yaya's house) I think.  And now all she talks about is "play dough".   



Uncle Herbie, Ellie, Blake, and Wilkins
watching Wizard of Oz

  

Who knows what they are talking about?!

Kyle playing with the kids...
I think he was having more fun.

Then on Saturday we met up with the rest of the clan again to let the kids ride race cars and play some games.  Unfortunately we had to drag Wilkins and Blake away crying.

 



Wilkins and I riding her first race car



  

 

     



  

Uncle Herbie with Wilkins and Blake











Playing catch up....

 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Halloween weekend was super busy!!  Besides working all three of those days we also went to a Halloween party at the church on Friday night, the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, and then a birthday party Sunday afternoon, trick or treating that night! It was super eventful to say the least. 

Wilkins had a lot of fun and got tons of candy which of course left her bouncing off the walls.

She wanted to be so many things for Halloween that I just got tired of hearing it all and picked something out myself.  She started with telling everyone she wanted to be a "halloween party"...gotta give her credit it is pretty original!  We laughed at her when she would tell people that because they would just look at me like "did she really just say that".  She then wanted to be Jessie, Mickey (yes Mickey not Minnie), Peter Pan, a princess, Tinker Bell, etc...so we went with Dorothy because it was super cute (pretty inexpensive).

Mom, dad, and I took her to the pumpkin patch by herself which wasn't as much fun as it wouldn't have been if the rest of the kids had of got to gone.  She had fun though and that's all that matters.  Here is the funny thing though...her little pumpkin has been sleeping in the bed with her!  Very uncomfortable I might add!

I know it is uncomfortable because she has been sleeping in my bed for the past couple of months.  When we moved we took down her baby bed and was looking for a "big girl bed".  I took forever finding what I wanted for her but I finally did and it was delivered today!  Yaya and I painted her room last night and of course Wilkins helped....yikes!  Today they delivered her bedroom suite and I got her comforter and all on both beds....she was super excited to have her own bed!  I will post pictures soon when I get everything put together but here is an idea:

Two black twin beds with polka dot comforters, turquoise walls, striped curtains, Minnie and Daisy picture....you got the theme yet?!  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse....it is turning out to be super cute.  Can't wait to take pictures and show you.

Fall Festival...

What fun!?  Bryson and Will's school had a fall festival and so we all decided to take the kids!  Let me just tell you....what a killin' a school makes when they do one of these things!  We paid $15 for an arm band that let each kid do everything EXCEPT paint a pumpkin, get their face painted, get a carmel apple, basically everything a kid really wants to do!!  This arm band let Wilkins pull a duck out of the duck pond in which she won a pencil and throw a ball to get it in a can (like ski ball) to win a piece of candy!  Are you serious?! Did it really cost this much money when we were younger?!  I definitely remember it being a lot more entertaining too...
I mean don't get me wrong the kids had a blast but I didn't remember it being this boring and such a waste of money!!!  I must be getting old!! 

Here is a picture of my little artist's pumpkin...I see real potential!!!

Playing catch up....

Working all these crazy hours I feel like I don't get to blog at all...there are so many things I am sure of interest that has happened over the last couple of days but my memory has gone by the waste side! 

I can say that I finally have two days off this week which one was yesterday.  I literally spent all day yesterday cleaning out Wilkins' closet...going through shoes and clothes to find out which ones this little growing weed could or couldn't wear.  It is pretty depressing to tell you the truth because I have spent so much money on clothes and shoes that she barely worn.  The funny thing is I put it on my facebook status that I was going through her clothes and people started wanting to know what I as going to do with it.  I took time away from cleaning to post pictures of clothes and shoes to sell.  If I do ok I might put more on there but we will wait and see.

Oh I just remembered a good thing that happened at work on Monday!  My dm came in (which right now he practically lives at our store), pulled me in the office, and asked me how long before I thought I would be ready to be a gm.  I told him my plan was to be ready by January.  He told me I needed to get everything done asap!!  Super excited!  My new regional vice president came in on Saturday and although, our shift didn't go so well but my rvp said I was the highlight of the entire day.  He said I was a great leader and was super impressed at how well I handled frustration.

But that's all I got for now!  Here are a couple of pictures of Wilkins of the last two weeks.  Try to keep you updated better in the future....

 I love this picture...



What fun?!




My little girl....



Priceless!  Look at those eyes!

No title needed....

I don't even think I need a title for this post because I have so many thoughts and so many happenings going on  in my life that one thing will not describe this post!!

First, what is so fun about sticking your hands in the toilet?!!  Apparently something because my wonderful daughter that I call Wilkins on a good day and brat on a bad day has now been in the toilet twice today!!  Not only has she put her hands in the toilet, an excess amount of toilet paper, but also Mr Potato Head!!  Oh yeah I said Mr Potato Head!!  Not only did she put this toy in the toilet but the piece you can take off on the back of him she filled him with wet toilet paper!!!  AGHHHHH!!  I am pulling my hair out right now!! 

Second, how in the world did I ever think that being a full time mommy, full time student, wash clothes, clean house, sleep, breath, eat, and work 6 days week 12 to 14 hours a day would possibly work!!  I find myself completely stressed out on Thursdays (my only day off, my day of school so not really a day off) because it is the only day I have to do my homework, to wash clothes, to spend the day with Wilkins (or clean up her mess after playing in the toilet), etc...  And no wonder it has been a while since I have posted anything on this blog or should I say anything interesting enough to read...I don't have ENOUGH time!!

Third, I am finding myself getting worn out with school too!  I know that I want to go to school and finish it but I just find myself every Thursday battling whether to go or not to go!  I know in the end it will be so worth it but there is just so many things going on right now....Hello the holidays are right around the corner.  How in the world can I even go shopping for Christmas when I can barely hold my eyes open when I am not at work.  I know what a crazy question...how can I possibly spend money?  Most of the time I would say that would be easy but not right now...I don't think I could.

Anyway, it looks like I am going to be on 6 day work weeks until after Christmas which really makes me SAD!  The only good news is I get a vacation at the end of October if nothing changes (please, please pray that nothing changes!!)...I think that I will cry if it does!!  Some good news is I feel like my family is closer than ever...all the negative people in the world will eventually fall by the waste side and only brings us all closer together!  So in closing of this blog there are five things that keep me going....1. Wilkins (of course...everything I do is for her and her future), 2. vacation in October (even though I will be spending that week recovering, catching up on cleaning and washing clothes, and doing some stuff to move myself closer to becoming a gm), 3. Halloween  (because this is the first year Wilkins is really looking forward to it)  4.  Christmas (because I love, love it especially now that I have a child) and 5.  the Middlebrooks' Christmas in Pigeon Forge (it is so much fun to spend 3 days in a big ol' house with a bunch of Middlebrooks'!!!  'Til next time....(maybe it won't be so long)