Every year when football seasons rolls around, my mind goes to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Not because of the stunning wins the team has had in the past years(sadly since the days of Peyton Manning it’s been tears and jeers!), but mostly because by September I harken back to the unlikely event that occurred twice on the same day exactly nine years apart.

On this day, Saturday, September 21st, the University of Tennessee played Florida, on both of these Saturday’s and The preacherman and I had our two last sons… nine years apart, 1987 & 1996 respectively. Needless to say I have no idea who won the games, I was a little busy, two more C-sections under my belt so to speak! My Doctor who was the Chief of Obstetrics at The University of Tennessee Hospital was of course a huge fan, but he set the day and time. I had nothing to do with it and even more was not really coherent during the game(probably the only time I didn’t interrupt the preacherman during the games!)considering I had MAJOR SURGERY! Don’t mind me I just had a baby!!!

I’m just kidding, my sweetheart was the best at taking care of me, thankfully I was easy, more meds please! The first September 21st was a joy, our little Samuel was born, last of the liter (or so we thought) and we had three kids in about four years… whew! We were definitely done! I thought I was finished but I didn’t want to close the door just in case, there was the future to think of, possible alien abductions or the preacherman may really see he got himself in a pickle with me and choose to take a walk(I knew neither of these things would happen) but ya know I may want another girl.

One big happy family we were and we were blessed beyond measure and then long about eight years passed and I was feeling like I wanted to relive the precious baby feels all over again. We had about six different women in our church become pregnant of which many weren’t supposed to ever be able to have a baby(miracles do happen) and it was just a beautiful time and the itch hit me, my heart was preparing, then one day.. boom! I was with child. Hello baby Nathanael, what a joyous time this was, our first three seemed thrilled and it was a family adventure. Who knew this little one would be our sweetest joy and he was born nine years to the day, nearly to the minute, same Hospital, same Doctor, same Saturday, same football teams playing! What a cool “kawinkidink” and it was a beautiful family day. We all, our whole village came out for him, laughter tears and love flowed on this day. I knew then I was finished having babies, I was old! At almost thirty-seven I was nearing the “OMG you are pregnant again stage! Really who’s kidding, I got that reaction nearly every time.. people can be stupid!

Our two last kids are nine years apart in age but we’re always close. The first one lost his spot, no longer “the baby” he really should have been angry, but he never was. He always was kind and seemed to not hate sharing his birthday with the actual “baby” of the family. He learned pretty quick the roll of the third child, keep your head down and get along… and gave the spotlight over to little brother. It was pretty easy since we all treated him like our little doll baby. He never had to walk, one of us carried him everywhere and he was a great baby as was his older brother. Those two younger boys were great sleepers and sweet hearts. These were good days and I remember it like it was yesterday. We old folks do that, we reminisce a lot and think about how blessed we are.

I wish our children could know the joy they brought to us and still do, I wish they felt the love in their hearts we feel for them, but that takes them walking in our shoes, it will happen. We try our best to give them good lives, happy without harm, but we are not perfect, we learn as we go and the hope is to have them all come out alive. So far so good and tomorrow is the two last ones birthday, Sam is thirty-two and Nathanael is twenty-three and it does not seem possible. I really am old! Both of them are kind men with their whole lives ahead of them, I pray for great women to find them, I pray good health and they find exactly what their destiny is and I pray they make a ton of money! Just kidding of course (not kidding really) but I do know that I may have to crash at their house someday! Prepare boys.

No mother has been more honored to have four wonderful children, I love them all and even though the two older ones and the preacherman call these last two, big pup and little pup(apparently they think I pet them and they are my favs!) so silly I don’t have favorites, I love them all( really I do!) thank you for being my kids… it’s 12:01, September 21,2019, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOYS!