family memories Archives - Mother 2 Mother Blog

December 9, 2013 by Rhonda Gales

Dreams really do come true. My daughter has been a Tar Heel fan as far back as I can remember. I purchased Tar Heel gear for her all through high school so she could show her love. She has passed her love on to Xavier. He has on his University of North Carolina colors, light blue and white shirt, and a smile bright enough to light up the sky as he stands in front of the NC Chapel Hill logo. A big moment for a little boy.

My daughter was given 4 tickets to see the Tar Heel basketball team play this pass week-end at the Dean Dome, which seats 21,750 fans. That’s a huge stadium. I don’t know who was happier, Xavier or Marisha. My SIL, who is not a UNC fan, swallowed his pride and made arrangements to take the family and one of Xavier’s friends to Chapel Hill, NC for the week-end. They had seats directly behind the team, 12 rows away. How great is that. To put the icing on the cake, the Tar Heels won 80-51. Go Bighorn Rams.

Wondering where the name Tar Heels comes from. Here’s the history: North Carolina settlements provided tar, pitch, and turpentine for the navy, in particular the British navy. It was used to paint the bottom of wooden British ships to seal them and to prevent damage to the hull from shipworms. During the Civil War, it was stated that troops stuck to their ranks like they had tar on their heels. The nickname “Tar Heels” was born.

This is a picture of Marisha, Xavier, and Xavier’s friend with Rameses the Tar Heel mascot. Rameses first appeared at a pep rally before a football game against Virginia Military Institute in 1924. The Bighorn Ram was officially adopted as the mascot and continues to cheer on the Tar Heels.

Some well known graduates from UNC who went on to play pro ball are Rick Fox and Michael Jordan. Rick Fox was married to one of my all time favorite singers, Vanessa Williams, and he turned out to be a great actor.

Family is important and making memories with family is just as important for children. This family event will live in Xavier’s memory. He will always remember being at Dean Dome and all of its surroundings when he’s watching the Tar Heels play on TV. He will always remember daddy making arrangements to take him and mommy to see their favorite NCAA team. He will be able to look at these pictures and remember one of the most exciting activities ever with mommy, daddy and friend Prince. I see a scrapbook of this trip in his future.

Calendar Gift Ideas

November 27, 2013 by Rhonda Gales

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I just made a calendar for one of my daughter’s Christmas gifts at Shutterfly. I had so much fun going through pictures and finding ones that fit perfectly into each month of Xavier and Zarriah. Although it’s not clear, this is the cover of the calendar. The picture was taken at Zarriah’s Christening. About 20 family members from my daughter and son-in-law’s side of the family attended. The picture is a beautiful memory.

This calendar will make a beautiful keepsake. I’m thinking of making another for my office. For January I selected a picture of Xavier playing in his first snow. It was a great moment, January 2009. My daughter and her family were visiting for a week-end and it snowed. Xavier had just turned 1 the previous September. I had a great time watching him play and trying to figure out what that white stuff was.

How could I leave out Zarriah’s first birthday party, August 2012, and her looking at the clown. OMG, it was hilarious. The pictures brought back so many memories. I’m hoping the calendar will do the same with daughter and son-in-law.

I’ve been thinking of this calendar for years as a gift, but never made the effort to complete the calendar. Finally in 2013 I do just that. The Shutterfly site is easy to navigate. To cut down on time, I would suggest that you go through your pictures and make a note of which ones you would like to use for what month. If you’re like me, you have thousands of photos to choose from, so it can become time consuming.

Shutterfly is currently offering free shipping. Use Promotion Code SHIP30. Also, new customers get 50 prints free. The free shipping offer ends 12/23/13. This is a great idea for your mom, a friend or yourself. The calendar comes in 2 sizes: 8 x 11 and 12 x 12. I choose the 8 x 11 for $21.99. The 12 x 12 is $29.99. They have numerous designs and layouts to choose from. Check it out.