Thank Goodness For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I think it is because we get together as families without the pressures of gift giving. We eat great food, and play games, laugh and enjoy each others company. I feel very happy at Thanksgiving and this year was one of the best.

This year, my sister Heather with her husband Kevin were able to make an appearance at our sister's house in Cookeville, TN. Along with them, came our parents and 95 year old Grandmother. All of us were together except for Tamara who was unable to attend.

We enjoyed a friendly family rival of Laser Tag. As Heather pointed out on her blog, our mother placed the highest score on the first round. We were all quite surprised as she is not typically the "playful" type. We also fully expected Lezlea to reign supreme as she has beat us all in the past. To top it off, we had Ted who is a professional law enforcement officer. It truly is the quiet ones you need to watch out for. Go Mom!!!!

Here I am with my sisters, Lezlea and Heather.

Below I am with my sister Heather, brother Brent and my son Collin and nieces Rebekah and Hannah. - So Silly!

Here is my brother, Brent, and his wife Dana next to their youngest offspring, Adam.

I am so Thankful for Friends! While visiting Cookeville, I got to see my friend Shellie Willis and Best buds and former band mates Steve and Trina Sliger.

Halloween It's Not

Halloween is way past us, but I'm very behind in updating this site. So, to make me happy, I'm doing it a step at a time.

First, I want to say that this years Halloween was probably the most fun I've had. I don't typically care anything for Halloween. I don't watch scary movies, I don't typically enjoy the tedious walking the kids from house to house and I rarely dress up. I suppose this attitude comes from two things. For one, I was forbidden to trick or treat after fourth grade when my father, mother and myself were diagnosed with Hypoglaucemia. Suddenly sugar was poison and for all intensive purposes, it was for someone with our diagnosis. However, it was difficult as a kid to understand and accept that reason.

Second, I had little support from my first husband to help in the festivities. I was left alone to tackle the festivities for the boys....getting them ready, driving or walking them from home to home and various activities. It wasn't so much fun by myself.

This year, Ted and his attitude made all the difference in the world. He made it fun for me and since he loves Halloween, got me excited about it myself. We thoroughly enjoyed the church's trunk or treat activity and for the first time since I was a kid, I enjoyed the stinkin Holiday. :)

Ted's Birthday Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated Ted's birthday by having his kids come visit. We took some family pictures at a park in Valdese.

Trey, Caroline and Marlena were able to come. Miranda had to work. As it turns out, it was a great weekend. It was the first time Blaine and Collin had met Marlena. I think they are thrilled to have older step-sisters and a step-brother. Ted's kids were very good to my kids.

These are just some photos I had taken with my camera. We actually had Jeanna Vickers come and take some professional photos. They turned out great.

I Can't Believe It!

Just this past Monday, I stopped into the Valdese Community Center to see if there was anything I could become involved with. I was looking for something like Art lessons, Couples dancing lessons, etc.

I asked the nice lady behind the counter if I could be put on the open auditions list to try out for any upcoming plays or musicals. To my surprise, they were in the process of putting together "It's a Wonderful Life" for Christmas. She asked if I could come back at 7:00 PM to audition.

Ted was having to work so I took the boys with me. Most of the parts had been assigned but there were a few left. I auditioned for the part of Miss Carter, the bank examiner and got it. The director asked if there were any young men that would like to audition. A boy of about 9 or 10 raised his hand and went up to audition for the part of young George Bailey. Blaine suddenly decided he wanted to try out. Now, this is a boy who is so incredibly shy that he won't even stand and say a few lines in the Primary Program every year or give a talk in Primary. I was stunned that he was even interested.

He wanted me to raise my hand to tell the director but I said that was up to him. He was called upon and stood up to go up on the stage and froze. He looked at me as if to question what he was just about to do. I simply told him he could do it. The director noticed his hesitancy and said, "Son, you'll do just fine."

He went up on stage and did an excellent job. I couldn't believe it! When he sat down next to me, he was so excited he couldn't wait to hear if he got the part. The director continued to ask him to read the part and sent us both home with a play book. I, on one hand was thinking, what have I gotten myself into? I haven't done any acting in such a long time. Now, I have to memorize lines, blah, blah, blah, but the excitement I felt for my little boy was so overwhelming.

Maybe, just maybe, he is beginning to come out of his shell. How can I not participate in this? Mom and son, in a play together. How cool is that?

On another note, I traveled to Cookeville, TN last weekend. Brent and Dana are getting ready to move and were in great need of the boxes I took with me on my move to NC. To top it off, Lezlea, needed me to get the rest of my junk out of her house.

I went without the boys because their father was in NC visiting them and Ted had Coast Guard. While there, we had a small reunion with "the Band."

Band members Steve Sliger, Melissa Brothers and Brent Archer were present.

In addition, our family had a night of Jack-o-Lantern carving. The boys had a blast!

This coming weekend 3 of Ted's kids are coming to stay with us for the weekend. It's Ted's birthday and we are going to have a big family photo taken. I am excited to take pictures and post of them. They are such great young women and young man!

My First Blog

Well, I've never done this cyber posting of all my personal information before. Ok, besides getting on LDS Singles.Com and then finding the sweetest husband ever (those websites do work). I've enjoyed visiting my sister, Heather's, family blog and decided this IS a cool way to keep in touch.

A lot has changed in my life over the last 2 years such as.....moving from Birmingham, AL (my home of over 20 years) to Cookeville, TN. I went through a divorce, worked an exciting sales and marketing job that allowed me to travel to places like Grapevine, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Vienna, VA, Orlando, FL and Los Angeles, CA. My most recent change, I got married to Jerry Theodore "Ted" Brothers, Jr. on May 3, 2008 and moved to Hickory, NC. Yes, now I am Sister Brothers but it's not as funny as Brother Brothers.

Tennesse was a good place for me the last two years. I was close to my sister, Lezlea and my brother, Brent and their families. If it weren't for Lezlea and Dana, my sister-in-law, my life would have been very difficult. They really picked up the slack for me with my two boys. While I worked, they would pick the boys up from school and keep them until I got off work. When I was traveling, they kept them overnight, sometimes for 4 or 5 days at a time. I really appreciate you two so much!

Cookeville was a small college town (home of Tennessee Tech) and it had a hometown feel. It didn't offer a lot by way of excitement or shopping but I felt very content there. Besides, we were only an hour away from Nashville, the Country Music Capital of the world. If I hadn't been working so much, I think I could have spent a lot of time in Nashville.

Hickory is a really nice area. It's not huge, but it does offer quite a bit more than Cookeville did by way of shopping and activities. Some of the most beautiful scenic views can be seen close to our house. We live in the mountains not far from Asheville or Charlotte.

Now, let me tell you a little bit about my sweet husband. He is a wildlife enforcement officer and the district captain for this area. He's been at this job for 25 years and will be eligible for retirement in the next 3-4 years. As if that wasn't enough, he is also a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard Reserve. He has put in 19 years in that job as well. He has four beautiful children from a previous marriage. The oldest, Miranda, lives in Raleigh. She specializes in the cosmotology field. Next is Marlena who works as a pediatric nurse in Albemarle. Caroline is a senior at East Carolina University in Greenville. Last but not least is Trey. He just turned 20and is still weighing his options but leaning heavily toward a degree in Architecture. They have been so great at welcoming me and accepting me into the family. I feel very blessed.

I was recently called to be the second counselor in the RS presidency at church. I am over Enrichment. I work with some great ladies and have really grown fond of many folks here in my new ward.

I now have the opportunity of being a stay-at-home mom and though I am so grateful for that opportunity, it is taking some getting used to. I've been accustomed to being on the go constantly that I have struggled with all the free time I suddenly have. I have signed up to help out at the boy's school, and want to take some art or pottery classes. I got to read a thick book. I started the Twilight Series by recommendation of Heather. I'm not sure what I think of it.....it's so bizarre and interesting at the same time. I find that I want to read them even though I find the story a little un-nerving.

Well, enough of my jibber jabber right now. Hope you enjoy the photos and if I haven't heard from you in awhile, take the opportunity to write me. I'd love to hear from you.

Melissa