Thanksgiving at the VA Stable

What a wonderful way to celebrate what you have. Days like this are for family.


This year Grandma decided she wanted Thanksgiving in VA. A change of scenery, something new and different. As my parents took off to Florida for Thanksgiving; Tim, Branden's Mom, Branden and I took off to VA to meet up with Pops and Grandma. As always the trip was wonderful!

Grandma, Pops and Coco
 

Riding is always in the forecast when we go to VA. With the weather in the 40's we had to bundle up.

Branden and our dog Bella.

 Yes, Branden and I and Grandma and Pops both have wiener dogs. Bella is a black and red mini and Coco is a brown and red standard.

 

Aren't they cute!!!

They got along pretty well. We just had to watch them when playing. Bella thinks she is a Great Dane and Coco thinks he's as small as Bella.

 

Our View

Coming here is always so relaxing.

 

With Thanksgiving out the way Christmas is in full swing. Branden and I will be having that Family Christmas party at our house this year. We will see how it goes.

 

 

HAPPY HOLIDAY YALL!!!

 

 

 

 

July 16, 2012 Part 3

The week of July 16, 2012.

The day of July 16th will forever be with my family, many dear friends and the stables.

I'm proud to be southern and proud that in times like this your friends pull together to support you. Everyday that week we were all at Grandma's house. When I say all I mean all 14 of us. Friends and family kept food and the necessities in the house. Thats the most fried chicken I have ever seen; I was glad to see a veggie tray.

We had to schedule and do all the normal things that come along with a family death. Jimmy was not a sad person, so we decided a Celebration of Life would be best. Jimmy's saying when he saw somebody upset or crying would be 'what you crying for?' so a traditional service would not have worked. The date was set and Saturday we would honor Jimmy. As the week went on we all had so much to do, in preparation for Saturday.

Saturday came as it always does. Simone and Priscilla made the most beautiful pamplets to give out to everyone. Mom, Freda and I made a wreath to put Jimmy's urn in, put pictures in frames and tied lots of bows. Jimmy was as southern as sweet tea! Some fancy funeral service wouldnt have worked. So we had it at the stables. We all wore camo, t-shirt with the sleeve cut out or the stable shirts. It was perfect! So many people came out to honor that wonderful man and did so much to help. I could never thank you all enough, but thank you! DJ Sweetz (a cousin) came and played some of Jimmy's favorite songs, people brought food to eat, pictures of Jimmy and we celebrated the 52 years of Jimmy we had.



Branden and I sending ballons out in rememberance of Jimmy!!!

People came up and talked about times they had with Jimmy. About growing up as a child around the stables. About the fishing trips they had been on with him. About working some 30 years with him.  One guy said that he had Jimmy recorded on his phone catching a fish and laughing so hard.
 I would love to see it and be able to share it with the family.
About hunting trips with Jimmy and Branden. About how much Jimmy loved Branden.

(It's not that Jimmy didn't love the rest of us! Jimmy and Branden just had a bond, a father-son bond. Branden was the son Jimmy never had and Jimmy was the dad Branden needed. They had their fights, but who doesn't. They talked everyday! They spent every weekend together. I am glad to say that Branden had a bond like that with Jimmy.)

If you weren't in Jimmy's life its cause you chose not to be, he invited everyone and anyone to dinners, baseball games and hunting/fishing trips. People came from the bass club, the hunting club, other horse stables and many people called that couldnt make it. I think someone called Simone from Canada about Jimmy!!!

There was suppose to be a fishing tourny on that Saturady but they put it off to come to Jimmy's Celebration. They even invited Branden and Tim to fish in Jimmy's spot. Branden was so excited! Jimmy had taught Branden how to do everything on the boat so Branden knew what he was doing. That next morning Branden and Tim set off despite a little rain and went to the boat ramp. Blast off was early but Branden's mom and I had to go watch them blast off. They decided to dedicate the fishing tourament to Jimmy! As they blasted off that morning they gathered around, said a little prayer and thanked God for the many days they had with Jimmy. Then they blasted off!


Branden and Tim leaving from dock.



The dedication to Jimmy and prayer time.

As mom and I watch Branden and Tim take off on Jimmy's boat the water works starts. We were sleep deprived, worn out and extra emotional we couldnt help but cry our eyes out. About half way across the lake we hear Branden let out a big hollar. He was on his way, on his way out to do what Jimmy had taught him. We couldnt help but laugh a little through our big CROCODILE tears.

Branden and Tim didnt win the BIG Tournament. Branden caught one fish. The family came to watch Branden and Tim weight in and it was wonderful. We all boo-hoo'd together. We also discovered a new bond. Colbey with Branden like Branden was with Jimmy!!!

 

It was hard! Hard to go to work. Hard to see the family hurt. Hard to see Grandma and Grandpa fall apart. Hard to hear Colbey (Branden's Cousin who is 5) say he can't go on a boat ride with Jimmy anymore. Hard to see Grandma's house without Jimmy. Most of all hard to see it rip our family apart! Nothing about death is easy and nothing will ever be the same once something like this happens.

Uncle Jimmy 04/05/1960-07/16/2012

Jimmy we miss you, love you and it aint the same without you. See you again one day in heaven!Please watch over the family.

 

July 16, 2012 Part 2

The ride home from VA stables....

As we left the VA stables that day we were all exhausted. Pulling out of the stables and going home is always the hard part. Trying to get everything back in the truck that you brought with you is always a chore. As always we pull out like a caravan one truck behind the other. First was Jimmy and Tina, followed by Tim, Mom, Branden and I and last but not least Grandma and Grandpa. Part of the process of leaving the stables is you have to stop and talk to Hilt. We all say our goodbyes along with see you in a couple months and we're off. Grandma and Grandpa stayed a little long and shot the bull for a minute.

A few miles up the road there is a little store on the right hand side. As we approached the store Uncle Jimmy starts to slow down and pulls off. We debate pulling off and chatting for a second but, continue down the road home. Jimmy was a Mama and Daddy's boy and always waited for them to catch up so, thats what we thought. Little did we know this was the beginning of the end.

Later we found out, from Tina, that Jimmy was feeling a little wierd and stopped to get something to drink. After coming back from inside the store Jimmy complained about how cold the store was and that it took his breath away... Somewhere along the way Jimmy asked Tina to drive, and she did. The rest of the riding home story is all a blurr...

Monday morning, I arrive to work like normal not knowing anything was wrong with Jimmy or that our world was about to be flipped upside down. Branden calls as he always does and tells me he was going to take the trash off to our local dump and get gas. I will NEVER forget it, around 10:30 Branden's mom calls, frantic, I can barely understand her. It's never good when she calls me instead of Branden. All I can think about is Grandma, she had recently had a stroke and I was praying she was ok. This time it wasn't Grandma but Jimmy.

The ambulance had came and got him from home.
He stayed home from work .
His heart stopped 3 times.
He's at Wake Med.
It's not looking good.

I think my heart stopped when I finally figured out what she was saying. She begged for me to call Branden, she just couldn't do it and stay calm. With all that goes on with Branden's health we all try and keep drama, anxiety, ect. to a minimum. As I get her off the phone, tell her I am walking out the door at work and that I love her, I'm dreading the call to Branden.

The call didn't come out calmly.
He was still at the dump and hadn't gotten gas.
He knew something was wrong the minute I asked where he was.
As I explain the situation and the call with mom, I ask him to hurry home.
I was pulling in the driveway.
We had to Hurry to WAKE MED!!!

At this time I worked about 1 minute away from our house. Branden was clear across town! How was he even gonna be here in a flash? Unknowingly, he had left the dump when he heard, Jimmy. Hospitial. He made that 10 minute ride home take about 3 minutes. I'm sure he politely cut on his flashers, drove fast in the turning lane, ran red lights and blew his horn at anyone that was in his way!

The ride to the hospitial was very quite. I could see smoke coming out of Brandens ears and the gas needle going down, as we sped 35 minutes away to Wake Med. I don't remember who all was there when we got there but they put us in one of those family rooms. I immediatly knew what was up. This was not good!

After seeming like forever went by a Doctor came in and told us Jimmy was in the Cath area, things weren't looking good and if he pulled through he would have brain damage. The water works had started! Branden's mom almost past out, Grandma and Grandpa could not stand and Freda, Tim, Branden and I, were trying to hold us all together. After a few minutes I ask Freda (Jimmy's other sister) about Pam and Melissa (her children) and where they were? Pam was at work, hated hospitials and only wanted to come if it was necessary. Melissa was trying to get a babysitter & waiting on her husband to get home from work, so they could come up there. I took Freda's phone and went outside to call in the news we heard and told Pam she may want to make her way down to Wake Med.

The hours felt like days. We were moved from the family room to the ICCU, Intensive Cardiac-Care Unit. I called Simone and told her our updates and text with Tina. Simone already had a prayer tree going and the whole stable knew Jimmy was in the hospitial.

As every doctor or nurse step'd through the ICCU doors, looking for a family, my heart would start pounding....Little did I know the one doctor I missed coming in would deliver the devasting blow. This doctor with a funny last name, called us to the family room in the ICCU and punched us all in the heart.

Our Jimmy, our wonderful Jimmy, Son, Brother, Uncle and father figure, didn't make it...... As our little family fell apart in the family room, it seemed as if the world stopped turning.

I called Simone & Tina and could barely get the word out to tell'em the awful news.

After saying our goodbyes to our dear, sweet boy. We crawled to our vehicles and left for Grandma's house.

It was Monday, July 16, 2012!

To Be Continued...

July 16, 2012 PART 1

 The day of July 16, 2012 will always be with my family, many dear friends and the stables...

You may need a little history about stables to go along with this story...

It started almost thirty years ago. Branden's Uncle Jimmy was a long time employee here and loved his job. It started out as a single barn, Ebenezer, well the barn had to relocate and so did many of it key members. In the relocation some how it became two barns. One, which we will call, Creedmoor and the other Virginia. Which are ran by Hilt and Simone.

Alot of the memories Branden has are from the stables, he was there before he was born. Uncle Jimmy, Simone and Branden's mom spent many days together on the farm. In fact Simone and Branden's Mom were pregnant at the same time. Branden's Dad wasn't around much and thats where Uncle Jimmy came in. Needless to say Branden was attached to Unlce Jimmy at the hip and where you saw one you generally saw the other.

Well in the barn moving they purchased the farm in VA and from what I hear the place was a disaster. A disaster being horses stalls so full of poo you could barely get in them, miles of fencing that need to be done and so on. Branden's family naturally went up there to help with this "new" barn process, Uncle Jimmy was a key member of the stables and this job required all-hands-on-deck.

The many years of them all being together turned out for the good. Co-workers became brother and sister (Uncle Jimmy and Simone), you see they all became family. The family God created through friendships not through blood.  

The stories of the stables could fill more pages than a dictionary. Stories of boys fighting, pushing manure barrels up the hills of the Ebenezer barn, to a rather large black woman getting bucked off because her choice of shoe, for riding, was a stiletto.

Fast forward almost 30 years and we still go there probably 3/4 times a year.

The weekend leading up to July 16th.

The family took off to the VA stables with Uncle Jimmy and Tina (friend from the barn) in tow. You see as time went by Uncle Jimmy couldn't go to VA with us as much. So most times it was Branden's grandparents, his mom, her boyfriend, Branden and I. We were all so excited about the trip and knowing Uncle Jimmy could go made Branden that much more excited.

These trips are always an adventure. You aren't guarenteed many thing but you are guarenteed, food, fun, laughing, four wheeler rides, fishing, late nights and shooting the bull with Good Ole Hilt. This weekend was nothing different. We rode more four wheelers than should be allowed, cooked and ate enough to feed a small army, stayed up late at nights around the fire, shot plenty of bull with Hilt and Tina and I actually went on a horse ride.

You may be going you are on a horse farm, ain't riding horses what you normally do??? The answer would be no. I have been going there for six years now and have never been riding up there until this particular weekend. We had been talking about riding all weekend but we only went twice. The second day the weather was awesome the sun was shining, it was a little hot but it was beautiful. We hitched up two of Hilt's trustly horses for a second time and set out. We had been riding for a few hours and were in the very back corner of the property when we heard the thunder. I am not a fan of storms so we started our way out. The ride to the barn on horses is probably 15 minutes.  Needless to say the clouds rolled in like, "cops on a crack head" before we could make it out of that trail.   At first it was just a sprinkle, as we were heading back to the barn, then a little harder but not really raining and before we knew it the "bottom had fallen out" with lightning and thunder included. Oh I have never seen so much lightening or heard so much thunder and part of that may be because I am hiding in the corner or trying to crawl under my bed.

If you have ever riden a horse you know how they are with storms. Simular to a bi-polar person, they switch from calm, beautiful, magestic creatures to "you better hold on" in half a second. Tina and I didn't know it but the horses were "off to the races". On our frantic run from the back pasture to the barn all I could think about was the gate that we had to open. With the horses going nuts and the lightening/thunder I was bound and determined I was NOT getting off that horse to open the gate. If the gate didn't get flung open by the hands of God I was gonna jump it. Which I wouldn't have done and is impossible but I was pertrified.  We got lucky and Mom's boyfriend was there to open it for us.

As we step out the gate lightning hits the ground right beside us and the horses jump sky high. I must say that horse probably had his insides rearranged because I squezzed the mess out of him and attempted to suck that saddle up my butt. We finally made it back to the barn with no broken bones on horse or human. We were safe!!!

In having all this fun, that weekend, Branden and his mom still had time to noticed something wasn't right. The Uncle Jimmy we all love was acting a little different than normal.  He kind of kept to himself and if you had the pleasure of knowing him, you know he kept NOTHING to himself. Uncle Jimmy was not a huge fan of storms but attempted to sit at the gate waiting for Tina and I to return in this storm. Mom's boyfriend switched spots with Uncle Jimmy about half way through the storm. Tim sitting out in the storm is nothing new, he has no fear, but Uncle Jimmy sitting in the storm was weird.

As the weekend came to a close we had one last dinner. Uncle Jimmy cooked his famous chicken and we all talked and carried on for hours.

Grandma, Uncle Jimmy, Tim and Branden

Uncle Jimmy Cooking his Famous chicken

Branden and I

      

Sunday Morning came and went along with all of us on our way back home.



To Be Continued.....