I've been reminded here lately on how thankful I should be. My life is pretty great! I decided to come up with a few things I love......In no particular order
I LOVE............
1. My little family. Although having a 3yr old and 1 yr old is pretty stressful and downright exhausting sometimes it is also the most wonderful thing! Our two kids are the funniest little people and they each have their own unique personality. We are blessed beyond words to even be able to have kids and I thank God for them each and every day.
2. My husband....duh! I know most women say that they are lucky to marry their husbands. I hit the freaking jackpot!! Justin has so many traits that you don't always find in a man. He comes home from football exhausted and stressed and still helps me with the kids. He cooks dinner more often than I do because he is the better cook. He will do whatever housework I need him to. He loves to wear pink and I love it when he wears it. he is definitely not afraid to show emotion.....he's a cryer people. He gives me my "me time" breaks when he sees that I am in desperate need of one. He is athletic, funny, smart, and hot! AND he is MINE :) yay me!
3. Our church......we recently joined Summerland Baptist Church. Our good friend's, The Milner's, invited us and we were hooked. There are so many couples our age and a ton of children our kid's age that go there. Bro. Eric Estess is great and his wife Maria is a hoot and a half! Mrs. Candee, our Sunday School teacher, is hilarious and makes our class a wonderful place to be!
4. My hairdresser......Yes, this person is very important let's be honest! Ashley Sims is the sweetest, most talented stylist I have ever had and trust me, I have had several. She is always on time, listens to what I want to do with my mop, always does a great job, and always makes those 2-3 hour appointments enjoyable. Nothing is worse than a bad hair dresser!! Give her a call........she is the BEST!!
5. Christmas time.......I have always loved this time of the year but it has grown since we have had children. I love everything from decorating (even though I'm not very good) to buying presents and even wrapping them. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree. I love looking at all of the houses with toms of Christmas lights. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the movie National Lampoons Christmas Vacation....you serious Clark? I love trying to make that special Christmas card picture that everyone will love. I love seeing all of my family because Christmas and Thanksgiving are really the only times we all get together....which I don't love. Oh, and I LOVE our 2 week Christmas vacation from school!
6. Mexican food.......I could eat chips, salsa, and cheese dip every single day. I'm surprised my two kids weren't born with sombreros because when I was pregnant I craved Mexican food even more! We eat at Mi Casita so much that the waiters know what we want and ask us where our kids and Johnny is when we are alone.....it's actually kinda sad.
7. Reality TV and Gossip Mags.....I love both.....a lot! Thank goodness for DVR and On Demand because that allows me to catch all of my favorite shows. The Bravo channel is my favorite. I also love gossip magazines. There is nothing better than an issue of US Weekly and my recliner.
8. Shopping......by myself. I'm the weirdo that loves to shop alone. I like to go at my own pace, browse, and go wherever I want to go. We should have really chosen different professions because our salaries does not support my love of shopping.....not even close.....sigh
9. The Movies........I really don't care what movie we see, I just love going to the movies. I love the seats, concession stand, and previews. I DO NOT like the talkers!! I can't stand it when someone talks or makes comments during an entire movie.
10. Mascara.......I simply could not live without it.....period!
11. Self-tanner.......This is a necessity for me. The sun and my skin are mortal enemies and I have the dermatology bills to prove it. I have tried every kind of self tanner on the market and my favorite is the Loreal Sublime Bronzer.
12. JCJC......I made some great memories at that school. Can I go back?
13. Music.....I have a very broad taste in music. I love riding in my car alone with one of my favorite songs on full blast. I think Avery also has a love for music. The girl will dance to anything you turn on......uh oh
14. Black & White pictures.......b&w pictures are classic and beautiful. I also love adding just a touch of color to some.
15. Mississippi Magazine's Bridal registry Issue......I look forward to this issue every year. I love looking at all of the pictures and reading the wedding details. Thank you mom for putting our wedding in it......great keepsake!
16. Target......it has everything Wal-Mart has only cuter. Laurel needs one ASAP!!
17. Oxford......can we move there please?
18. Key West......Ok, we will split our time between here and Oxford.
19. Chocolate........Halloween and Valentine's day is HELL for me.
20. O'Charley's loaded potato soup.....BEST SOUP EVER!!
21. My happy life
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Fooooozball
Ah football......it's a wonderful time of the year. Well, wonderful most of the time. I have grown up loving football. My father played football at Ole Miss and became a football coach upon graduation. He coached until I was born and then it was time to find a better paying job. He had two daughters to help support so coaching definitely didn't get the job done. He began coaching again when I was a junior in college. My cousin, Jason Simpson, was a standout player at South Jones in the late 80's. He is now the head coach at University of Tennessee Martin. And, last but not least, my husband coaches football at West Jones. So, one could say, we kinda like football. Now, I will proceed to list some of the things I LOVE about football and being a coach's wife.....in no particular order:
1. The atmosphere......West Jones football has the best atmosphere by far.....very electric!
2. The close relationship my husband and I form with some of the players. There is something so special about a young man looking up to my husband in many different aspects of life. I love feeding those linebackers at our house from time to time. If we could afford it, we would do it every single week during football.
3. Football t-shirts and sweatshirts. They are just downright comfy!! Sweatpants too!
4. Drum line......there is nothing like the sound of those drums to get you fired up for the game!
5. Our supporters. We have never been to a school that has as much support as our program does. It's amazing! We have some very generous and kind-hearted fans that want nothing but the best for our players and coaches.
6. Cheerleaders......let's face it....they are pretty dang good. State champs!
7. Tailgating! We are so blessed to be able to set up tents in the end zone and entertain and fellowship before, during, and after each home game. Not many schools are able or allowed to do that.
8. Friendships. Justin and I have made some pretty great friendships with other coaches and their families. They have lasted long after moving on to another school. Pretty great!
9. Leadership. Being able to watch a young man who would probably drop out of school or end up in jail succeed in academics and graduate all because of football and his coaches. May sound arrogant but it's true. Some boys stay in school because football is all they may have. Very special to see a young man choose the better and smarter path.
10. Success! Sorry, but it feels good to win. We have also been on the other side of this too and will be again. The other side is not so great.
Here are the things I DO NOT love about football
1. Bleacher Coaches! They are everywhere!! It never fails at every school there is always a group of men that think they are Mike Ditka. It's pretty tough to listen to some schmuck talk about and belittle not only your husband, but players too. I have learned to deal with this pretty well though. Due to my 3 yr old and 1 yr old, I do not sit in the bleachers at home games. When I do venture to the stands, I just laugh and let it roll of my back. I know those coaches have worked their tail off to prepare for the game and those players want to win more than anyone. Sometimes, they just play teams that are better than we are.....GASP!! Sometimes, those coaches and players make mistakes.....DOUBLE GASP!!
2. Hours. If Justin was paid by the hour I would be a stay at home mom. We would live rather comfortably too. The hours they work are not so lovable. They put in anywhere from 60-80 hours a week and sometimes more depending on who we are playing. Thank goodness the season only lasts from August to Dec. (hopefully) When I start to feel sorry for myself, I just think about my cousin Jason's wife Julie. I have now determined that she is superwoman. Since Jason coaches college ball he only has about 1 month off each year. They have 3 kids! So, she manages 3 kids and the very hectic and sporadic life of college football.....Ok, now My head is spinning.
3. Moving. Let's face it, Justin wasn't hired because he is an outstanding World Geography teacher. He was hired to coach football so his job comes down to wins and losses. If we go a couple of seasons with a losing record or don't make the playoffs, we will be looking for another place to work. Having your job basically depend on how a bunch of 16, 17, and 18 yr olds play on Friday nights is a little frightening at times. That is part of the job though. We will not be at West Jones forever. It affects many different parts of our life from buying a house to our kids moving schools. Kinda exciting and scary!
4. Pressure! There is more pressure than ever this year! This is 'THE YEAR" as we have head A LOT. We do have the potential to make it to Jackson but you never know. Justin has gotten much better over the last few years as far as pressure and nerves go. He doesn't get sick on Friday mornings anymore and we can actually have a conversation on the way to school. He isn't as superstitious as he once was. I finally convinced him that if we lost a ballgame that it wasn't because I made peanut butter cookies for the boys instead of chocolate chip. (yes, that was an issue before). Now that we have kids, his perspective on a lot of things has changed including football.
6. Goodbye. Becoming attached to players is a very hard part of the job. Justin coaches linebackers and he has some very special boys. Some have started since they were in the 9th grade. There are a couple that will graduate this year and next year that I will probably shed a tear or 50 over. It's tough watching those kids graduate and move on but rewarding at the same time. I DREAD the football banquet every year because that is it.....season is DONE :(
7. Losing. It stinks! It's hard to watch those players work their butts off and lose. The disappointment and heartbreak is not a fun thing to feel much less witness. I always feel worse for the players because they only have 4 years to make it to the "big finale." Coaches have their entire careers to win a state championship although most never do and some win multiple times. A state championship is what everyone ultimately works for and when those dreams are crushed......it stinks. The end!
At the end of the day, I couldn't imagine Justin doing anything else. Although there are times I HATE his job I am very proud to be a coach's wife. I look forward to the day when he becomes a head coach.....I think????
1. The atmosphere......West Jones football has the best atmosphere by far.....very electric!
2. The close relationship my husband and I form with some of the players. There is something so special about a young man looking up to my husband in many different aspects of life. I love feeding those linebackers at our house from time to time. If we could afford it, we would do it every single week during football.
3. Football t-shirts and sweatshirts. They are just downright comfy!! Sweatpants too!
4. Drum line......there is nothing like the sound of those drums to get you fired up for the game!
5. Our supporters. We have never been to a school that has as much support as our program does. It's amazing! We have some very generous and kind-hearted fans that want nothing but the best for our players and coaches.
6. Cheerleaders......let's face it....they are pretty dang good. State champs!
7. Tailgating! We are so blessed to be able to set up tents in the end zone and entertain and fellowship before, during, and after each home game. Not many schools are able or allowed to do that.
8. Friendships. Justin and I have made some pretty great friendships with other coaches and their families. They have lasted long after moving on to another school. Pretty great!
9. Leadership. Being able to watch a young man who would probably drop out of school or end up in jail succeed in academics and graduate all because of football and his coaches. May sound arrogant but it's true. Some boys stay in school because football is all they may have. Very special to see a young man choose the better and smarter path.
10. Success! Sorry, but it feels good to win. We have also been on the other side of this too and will be again. The other side is not so great.
Here are the things I DO NOT love about football
1. Bleacher Coaches! They are everywhere!! It never fails at every school there is always a group of men that think they are Mike Ditka. It's pretty tough to listen to some schmuck talk about and belittle not only your husband, but players too. I have learned to deal with this pretty well though. Due to my 3 yr old and 1 yr old, I do not sit in the bleachers at home games. When I do venture to the stands, I just laugh and let it roll of my back. I know those coaches have worked their tail off to prepare for the game and those players want to win more than anyone. Sometimes, they just play teams that are better than we are.....GASP!! Sometimes, those coaches and players make mistakes.....DOUBLE GASP!!
2. Hours. If Justin was paid by the hour I would be a stay at home mom. We would live rather comfortably too. The hours they work are not so lovable. They put in anywhere from 60-80 hours a week and sometimes more depending on who we are playing. Thank goodness the season only lasts from August to Dec. (hopefully) When I start to feel sorry for myself, I just think about my cousin Jason's wife Julie. I have now determined that she is superwoman. Since Jason coaches college ball he only has about 1 month off each year. They have 3 kids! So, she manages 3 kids and the very hectic and sporadic life of college football.....Ok, now My head is spinning.
3. Moving. Let's face it, Justin wasn't hired because he is an outstanding World Geography teacher. He was hired to coach football so his job comes down to wins and losses. If we go a couple of seasons with a losing record or don't make the playoffs, we will be looking for another place to work. Having your job basically depend on how a bunch of 16, 17, and 18 yr olds play on Friday nights is a little frightening at times. That is part of the job though. We will not be at West Jones forever. It affects many different parts of our life from buying a house to our kids moving schools. Kinda exciting and scary!
4. Pressure! There is more pressure than ever this year! This is 'THE YEAR" as we have head A LOT. We do have the potential to make it to Jackson but you never know. Justin has gotten much better over the last few years as far as pressure and nerves go. He doesn't get sick on Friday mornings anymore and we can actually have a conversation on the way to school. He isn't as superstitious as he once was. I finally convinced him that if we lost a ballgame that it wasn't because I made peanut butter cookies for the boys instead of chocolate chip. (yes, that was an issue before). Now that we have kids, his perspective on a lot of things has changed including football.
6. Goodbye. Becoming attached to players is a very hard part of the job. Justin coaches linebackers and he has some very special boys. Some have started since they were in the 9th grade. There are a couple that will graduate this year and next year that I will probably shed a tear or 50 over. It's tough watching those kids graduate and move on but rewarding at the same time. I DREAD the football banquet every year because that is it.....season is DONE :(
7. Losing. It stinks! It's hard to watch those players work their butts off and lose. The disappointment and heartbreak is not a fun thing to feel much less witness. I always feel worse for the players because they only have 4 years to make it to the "big finale." Coaches have their entire careers to win a state championship although most never do and some win multiple times. A state championship is what everyone ultimately works for and when those dreams are crushed......it stinks. The end!
At the end of the day, I couldn't imagine Justin doing anything else. Although there are times I HATE his job I am very proud to be a coach's wife. I look forward to the day when he becomes a head coach.....I think????
Thursday, October 28, 2010
A little history
Well, I decided to give a brief (kinda) summary of our life thus far. Justin and I have known each other since high school. My dad and his mom actually went on a few dates somewhere around 96 maybe. Thank goodness that didn't work out! Anywho, we had a lot of classes at JCJC together and became pretty good friends. He FINALLY asked me out our very last day at Jones. May 11, 2001 to be exact. We dated for 4 years when he FINALLY asked me to marry him. For those of you that know us football is a HUGE part of our lives. Justin was coaching at Bay Springs and had been planning a proposal much to my dismay. We had discussed getting engaged but he had also told me that he didn't want to get married for another 5 years!! Yes, I was feeling a little discouraged but I knew he would come around eventually. Well, it was the night of the Bay Springs and NEJ game. He was in the press box before the game "welcoming" everyone and then BAM.......I heard those wonderful words.....Jana Cooley, Will you marry me? I had to give him a thumbs up because he couldn't hear me. It was definitely a very special night.
Skip to June 18, 2005.....Our wedding day
We had the best wedding ever!! No really......it was awesome! I basically left all of the details to my mom except for my dress and the bridesmaids dresses. The ceremony was short and sweet and the reception was rocking!! We danced ALL NIGHT! We didn't even get to eat any of the delicious food so we stopped by Taco Bell. Classy, I know but we were starving. Here are a few pics from our special day.
Skip to November 23, 2007
Justin and I had both decided that 1: we wanted to be married for at least 2 years before we started a family and 2: we both needed to complete our Master's degrees. Well, soon after we met both goals I found out I was pregnant. I had a pretty great pregnancy. I took full advantage of eating everything in site and ballooned to the size of a giant house. My doctor, Robert DeSantis, was awesome!! Since I was due towards the end of football season we always talked about the "what ifs" of me going into labor during a game. Luckily, that didn't happen. What did happen was on Nov. 23rd West Jones was put out of the playoffs by Laurel. After the game, we chatted with Dr. DeSantis about our game plan and my appointment that upcoming week. Justin got home about 12:30 and fell into bed after taking two Tylenol PM. We talked about our plans for the next day. We were pretty excited since it was his first Saturday off since August. About 2:00 am I got up not feeling the best and YEP.....my water broke. I tapped Justin on the foot and told him what was going on. He stood straight up in the bed, grabbed his phone, and began calling family. We traveled to Wesley Medical Center and started the whole "I'm having a baby process" which was a little scary. I ended up having to have a c-section and Cooper Jaxon Cooley was born Nov. 24th 2007 at 5:15 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 22 3/4 inches long. Now, we knew he was going to have hair BUT we were not prepared for the mop he had on his head!! Dr. DeSantis even told us he was the 2nd hairiest baby he had ever delivered.
Cooper has been such a joy in our lives. He was a very laid back, easy going, happy baby. He began walking at 10 months and has not sat down yet. He has a slight obsession with dinosaurs and is ALL BOY!! I never really understood that term but I do now. The kid loves dirt and the more he can get on him the better. Here are a few pics of Cooper through the years.
Skip to August 13th, 2009
I will just go ahead and tell you that Avery was a complete surprise! We talked about trying for another baby when Cooper was 3. Well, Cooper will be 3 next month and Avery is 14 months so there you go :) My second pregnancy was pretty good. Didn't gain as much weight as I did with the first but looked just as big. We got to schedule a section and that was pretty nice. We went to bed on Aug 12th knowing that we would be a family of four the very next morning. Anxious didn't even begin to describe how I felt. I had all of the same nurses that I had with Cooper and that was pretty comforting. Everything went great and Avery Lawson Cooley was born Aug. 13th, 2009 at 7:15 am. She weighed 8 lbs and was 19 inches long. Yes, another hairy baby!! She had hair just like Cooper just not quite as much. She was beautiful!!
When I was pregnant with Avery we always said that she was going to be crazy. It was a joke because Cooper was such a good baby. Well, that funny little joke is now a reality. Avery is the total opposite of Cooper. She will not sit still, has a major attitude, and will sass you in a heart beat even though she doesn't talk much. She has rocked our world since the day she was born. She was the perfect little addition to our family.
Well, that's a little of our story. There is still a possibility of us becoming a family of 5. Maybe.....
Skip to June 18, 2005.....Our wedding day
We had the best wedding ever!! No really......it was awesome! I basically left all of the details to my mom except for my dress and the bridesmaids dresses. The ceremony was short and sweet and the reception was rocking!! We danced ALL NIGHT! We didn't even get to eat any of the delicious food so we stopped by Taco Bell. Classy, I know but we were starving. Here are a few pics from our special day.
Dancing to "My Girl"
Our wedding party gifts
Justin and I had both decided that 1: we wanted to be married for at least 2 years before we started a family and 2: we both needed to complete our Master's degrees. Well, soon after we met both goals I found out I was pregnant. I had a pretty great pregnancy. I took full advantage of eating everything in site and ballooned to the size of a giant house. My doctor, Robert DeSantis, was awesome!! Since I was due towards the end of football season we always talked about the "what ifs" of me going into labor during a game. Luckily, that didn't happen. What did happen was on Nov. 23rd West Jones was put out of the playoffs by Laurel. After the game, we chatted with Dr. DeSantis about our game plan and my appointment that upcoming week. Justin got home about 12:30 and fell into bed after taking two Tylenol PM. We talked about our plans for the next day. We were pretty excited since it was his first Saturday off since August. About 2:00 am I got up not feeling the best and YEP.....my water broke. I tapped Justin on the foot and told him what was going on. He stood straight up in the bed, grabbed his phone, and began calling family. We traveled to Wesley Medical Center and started the whole "I'm having a baby process" which was a little scary. I ended up having to have a c-section and Cooper Jaxon Cooley was born Nov. 24th 2007 at 5:15 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 22 3/4 inches long. Now, we knew he was going to have hair BUT we were not prepared for the mop he had on his head!! Dr. DeSantis even told us he was the 2nd hairiest baby he had ever delivered.
Cooper has been such a joy in our lives. He was a very laid back, easy going, happy baby. He began walking at 10 months and has not sat down yet. He has a slight obsession with dinosaurs and is ALL BOY!! I never really understood that term but I do now. The kid loves dirt and the more he can get on him the better. Here are a few pics of Cooper through the years.
Skip to August 13th, 2009
I will just go ahead and tell you that Avery was a complete surprise! We talked about trying for another baby when Cooper was 3. Well, Cooper will be 3 next month and Avery is 14 months so there you go :) My second pregnancy was pretty good. Didn't gain as much weight as I did with the first but looked just as big. We got to schedule a section and that was pretty nice. We went to bed on Aug 12th knowing that we would be a family of four the very next morning. Anxious didn't even begin to describe how I felt. I had all of the same nurses that I had with Cooper and that was pretty comforting. Everything went great and Avery Lawson Cooley was born Aug. 13th, 2009 at 7:15 am. She weighed 8 lbs and was 19 inches long. Yes, another hairy baby!! She had hair just like Cooper just not quite as much. She was beautiful!!
When I was pregnant with Avery we always said that she was going to be crazy. It was a joke because Cooper was such a good baby. Well, that funny little joke is now a reality. Avery is the total opposite of Cooper. She will not sit still, has a major attitude, and will sass you in a heart beat even though she doesn't talk much. She has rocked our world since the day she was born. She was the perfect little addition to our family.
This is the shirt I came home from the hospital in. Cooper also came home in the same shirt. I lost the battle with Avery coming home in it but I did get a picture anyway.
Well, that's a little of our story. There is still a possibility of us becoming a family of 5. Maybe.....
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
I couldn't help it......
So, I finally gave in to the blogging world. I figured what's the point in fighting it. I LOVE reading other friend's blogs so why not create my own. Now, I have even more reason to brag on my precious little family and share stories of our everyday life. Plus, I'm sure my mom will enjoy it.....right mom?
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