The Philley Year in Review

I thought I'd take a little time to reflect. 2007 was one that we'll remember and talk about for ....at least the next few months. The year started with us living in Hampton Cove and me working @ The Orthopedic Center (TOC). Midway through April we had sold our house, moved into an apartment, bought (and moved into) another home, changed practices from TOC to SportsMed and back to TOC, and...I studied for, and took the LSAT, thinking that some day, in the not-so-distant future I might want to go to law school. We had the experience of getting pregnant and miscarrying during this time also. My cousin died tragically in a car accident in May and I attended her funeral in Louisiana, heartbreaking to say the least. Needless to say, the first half of '07 was tumultuous. The last half of '07 was marked by settling into the new job in a new place w/ new responsibilities and settling into our new home...only to realize that in our haste (reference above) we had settled for one that wasn't THE ONE, so we put it on the market in the fall. I don't remember much about September - December b/c of the most awesome college football season ever, one in which my alma mater (David) defeated the mighty Univ. of Alabama grey elephants (Goliath). I do remember that Penny got pregnant again (not sure how that happened), and we found out October 1st. The holidays were marked by wonderful times w/ all of our family, and we consider ourselves fortunate to have been able to be with them. Sam reached an unprecendented level of cuteness and continues to outdo himself daily. Penny continues to defy odds by keeping him (and me) in check, all while being pregnant.
Now that I'm writing all this out, 2007 sounds a little crazier than I remember, but something stands out. Through all the uncertainty and changes, there were those things that we were sure of, a few things that would not change: the love of our family and friends and the love of our savior. A couple of verses comes to mind here: Rom. 8:37-39.
I hope everyone has a few minutes to reflect as I did.
Happy New Year to everyone. I can't wait to see what 2008 will bring for us all.
-Ronzo

Christmas in Birmingham

We just got back from Birmingham and had fun visiting with family and friends.  This is our happy family...

I went with my mom and sister-in-law for a manicure before our family get-together.  It was nice and relaxing...but that didn't last long once all the kids got together.

Sam and Kole played pretty good together.  Although there were a few times Sam pushed (and hit Kole in the head with a flashlight just 'cause he felt like it).  All four of the kids seemed to have fun.  

I felt the baby move on Thursday, then again yesterday on the way home.  That was exciting.  Only 2 more weeks until we find out the baby's gender.  We're very eager!

Ron was able to catch up with some of his track buddies at the Track and Cross Country Reunion.  It was a great turnout and fun to see his picture on the Wall of Fame.

We had a fun weekend.  We got home to Huntsville and took down our Christmas decorations, which is always a little sad.  It's such a fun and festive time of the year...I hate to see it end.

Chris Jesse

Did anyone know who Chris Jesse was before last night?  Chris is the stepson of Texas coach Mack Brown and was on the sideline during the Holiday Bowl last night.  The gist of the story is that after a 12-minute review, officials stated Chris touched the ball while in play, resulting in unsportsmanlike conduct.  Arizona State got the ball back on 4th down and scored.  The full story gives more details.  Fortunately for Chris, Texas won.

I apologize for this being such a boring post.  If Ron had done it, it would have been awesome!  :)  I have other things to do now, like make chocolate milk and oatmeal for a 2-year old before the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ends.  (The TV goes off and all-of-a-sudden he's famished.)  I just wanted to enlighten those of you who don't know what's going on in college football... the greatest sport ever.

Merry Christmas!

Wall of Fame

This coming Sunday Penny and I are going to a reception @ Hoover High School (my alma mater) for those who's mug will be placed on the wall of fame at the school.  The wall of fame is for those who won individual, or were on a relay who won, state titles in their event.  I was fortunate to have some really good coaching and teammates during my years @ Hoover.   I have many fond memories of that time.  What is interesting about the whole ordeal is this:  Although I was an individual runner up on more than one occasion, I only have one state championship medal, and that was in the 4x800  meter relay during the indoor track state championship my senior year.  The way it went down was epic.  Going into the meet we had a really strong team, and the times we'd run were bettered only by our bitter rival The Mountain Brook Spartans.  We knew that it'd be a close race and that we'd have to run our guts out to win.  I was our anchor, and their anchor was an 800m specialist who was quite a bit faster than me in this particular event (and he knew it).  The night before we'd competed in the 2 mile, a race in which I'd come in 2nd (a bridesmaid once again).  During that race there was a lot of jostling for position, elbows being thrown, and I broke the race open just past the mile mark, much to the demise of the guy who'd be "their" anchor.  In that race he finished 3rd behind me.  My race tactics inhibited him from an easy "sit and kick" strategy that would have won him the race easily.  He was not happy with me.  So, we lined up for the 4x800 and I must say, the adrenaline was flowing, there was a buzz in the air for this much anticipated match up.  From the gun we were neck and neck, neither team giving the other more than a few meter lead.  I received the baton just in front of "their" anchor man.  To set this up completely, I must tell you that my dad is a certified track and field official (an official official) and he would frequently be asked to officiate various meets.  So, during this meet, he was a turn judge.  Duties of a turn judge include disqualifying anyone who ran out of their lane or threw too many elbows, etc.  On the first turn I felt my opposition pull up beside me and I also happened to catch him, out of the corner of my eye, staring at me, then I heard him shouting obscenities.  It shocked me at first and all I could do was look @ him and smile.  He tucked behind me on the next curve and sat until the final straightaway when he sprinted past me for the victory.  I wasn't too crushed, I kinda knew he was better @ this particular event anyway, and I had gotten the better of him the night before.  As I cooled down I saw a congregation of coaches in the infield huddled around my dad and I couldn't figure out what was going on.  A few minutes later I learned that this guys coach had approached my dad, along with a few other officials, and insisted that his team be disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Turns out, they had seen the whole ordeal with him "taunting" and yelling obscenities my way.  My dad didn't want to make the ruling b/c he didn't want it to look like favoritism, so he implored the coach to let it go, but he, along with a few other coaches insisted, and we/I got my only state championship medal, and secured my mug on the Hoover Wall of Fame.  I don't at all feel guilty about being there either!  

on a lighter note...

Ron will kill me for posting this pic, but he's at work right now...  How does that saying go?  When the cat's away the mice will play?  Anyway...I just thought it would be fun to show a different side of Ron... a younger side.  :)

We're heading to B'ham the weekend after Christmas to spend time with my family.  We're also going to a Hoover High School Track and Field Reunion...where a picture of Ron and his teammates will be put on the "Hall of Fame" at Hoover High for their glorious win in a state meet.  He'll have to give you the specifics of the story...it's actually not as prestigious as I make it sound.  Here's to you, Ron...  I love you!

like/dislike relationship

So I couldn't title this post a "love/hate relationship" because there is absolutely no hatred found anywhere in my heart for little Sam Philley. But there are times when I don't like him a whole lot. One hour ago was one of those times. He was just irritating me. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and full of all kinds of unexplained emotions. Also, maybe I wish I would stop getting morning sickness especially since I'm 4 months now... Whatever it was, I was thinking of how nice it would be to have a temporary break from being a mom. Then it happened...he made me like him again.

I had crawled on the couch to watch him play with his cars. He crawled up next to me and said "Mommy sleepy, Sam sleepy". He asked for a pillow and blanket and began telling me his tummy (and other body parts) were falling asleep. Well, I did what most parents would do and told him they needed to wake up. I began tickling him like crazy! The next half hour, we laid on the couch giggling, talking, and just being silly.

Sometimes I'm overcome with emotion for this little guy. Right now I'm tearing up just thinking about him. (He's napping now...so I'm getting that little break I needed an hour ago.) Not to preach a sermonette or anything, but when I get like this I'm reminded of how unconditional God's love is for us. He never wants "a break" from us. I just wish my love for Ron, Sam, my family and friends was that pure.

I have realized over the past few months that I've not always loved like I should. Friends were in need and I had no idea because I was too concerned with myself. Family members were dealing with things that I didn't notice. It's amazing what God can teach me through a 2 year old.

cheesecake recipe

I'm following suit after Ashley posted her wonderful pork tenderloin recipe.  Click here for the chocolate vanilla swirl cheesecake recipe I made last night.

Weekend Getaway

Ron, Sam and I just got back from spending some time with family in Mississippi and Louisiana. It was a long trip, but well worth it. Sam got all the attention; of course that's what happens when you're the only little one in a group of about 25 people.

This picture was taken at Ron's grandmother's house. Baba Dee lives in rural Louisiana in a little community called Enterprise. It's always a little weird going there just because it's so different from our life here in the city. She has no computer which causes Ron and I to realize just how much time we spend on the internet. Sam loves going to Baba Dee's house. Her house backs up to the Ouachita River and she has plenty of land on which he can roam. Unfortunately, it's an 8 hour drive so we don't go very often.

As wonderful as the trip was, we were all very glad to get home Sunday. Sleeping in our own bed, eating our own food....ahh how nice! There are more pictures from our trip to the left under our family pics.

Well, I'd like to write more about our trip and other things on my mind, but I have to go. Sam is waking up from his afternoon nap, so mommy duty calls.

I mean MITCHELL report

I'm an idiot.  I was thinking "Miller time"....the report is the MITCHELL report. 

The Miller Report

I don't think anyone was surprised today when the Miller report came out to see the many players mentioned as users of performance enhancing substances. I think ultimately the "report," commissioned by Major League Baseball (MLB), will result in even more talk about the subject, as well as allegations towards players (some warranted, some not), but I don't think much will be done about it. Before MLB spends millions of dollars to "bust" the marquee names of their sport, I think they should consider a few things, and look to a few other sports as examples. Two sports I hold near and dear have felt the ramifications of enacting testing policies, but in different ways. The first, track and field, has been in the news a fair amount recently, especially with the Marion Jones fiasco. The Track "heads" led by the IOC and WADA have taken a firm stance but have been only good enough to get a few convictions of major stars, mostly due to lack of funding. The result of this: more speculation that most are dirty, but not enough dough to make good tests. On the other hand, professional cycling has taken, in my opinion, the hardest line against cheating, and does a good job of testing and punishing. The problem here is: you guys caught too many people, and all the stars of the sport aren't competing. This has led to a large percentage of cycling fans becoming apathetic about the most historic races, such as the Tour de France, b/c now they don't have to speculate, they KNOW the players/riders are dirty. Pardon my cynicism, but it's hard not to think/believe that there are a large percentage of professional athletes doping or gaining an unfair advantage in some way...which leads me to the solution....just legalize the stuff. Then we can glorify not only the athlete, the brand they wear, the team, their coach, their agent, but also their "physician" who manages to get just the right formula of "supplement" that provides for maximal benefit with minimal side effect. It's bad logic, I realize, but the only solution I can think of. Really, I'm just tired of hearing about it.

hello...goodbye...

Before I get started, this is Sam our son, the most precious boy in the world.

Okay, now that the important stuff is out of the way... I feel like I have some catching up to do since Ron has posted several times and I have yet to post.  The problem is, I don't have the time.  So this is a quick hello and goodbye until later.  I hope to have time tonight to post my side of the story concerning how Ron and I met and delve a little deeper into our nicknames.  (Yes Ashley, Ronzo is his official nickname and friends all over the globe call him that.)

Have a great day everyone...

More About Us

The first installment in the Philley blog was a very basic overview. I thought I'd expound a bit and tell everyone a little more about us. Some of you have heard about how Penny and I met. Here's my take on it. I had come to a place in my life where I realized that most of the stuff that college students "seek after" is pretty empty. Most of my teammates had either immersed themselves in their current romantic relationships, or decided that they wouldn't return to school the next go 'round, or both. To this point in my collegiate career I had neglected my relationship w/ Christ, and elected not to fellowship/worship/grow in stature, as I should have been. I had acquaintences at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry and I knew this would be a good place to hear the word and "do" the aformentioned. This is where Penny came in. My acquaintences were in a band and were playing a show at a local coffee shop so I decided to go. I had heard that there was a girl named Penny from Birmingham, and I was curious to talk to her about where she lived and where she went to high school, etc. So, she was at the show, we met, we talked, and other than the fact that I thought she was attractive, I was drawn to her tender nature. She seemed like someone who genuinely cared about what you had to say. She was willing to include me even though she didn't know me well then (and I'm pretty sure there were no romantic feelings @ the time). The funny thing about that night was that she was at the concert with her friend and a couple other guys, both of whom were on the football team (not linemen), both of whom were much better looking (and only slightly more muscular) than myself. Needless to say, I was out-manned. Somehow she's my wife. I consider myself blessed.

Hello Blogworld

Since this is our first official post, I feel like I should introduce The Philley Pham. This feels strange since probably no one will "stumble upon" our blog, but in the case that you don't already know us, here goes. We are four, (don't let the picture fool you) Dad, Mom, Son, and yet to be named baby #2 (we'll call it #2 for now). We live in Huntsville, AL, a wonderful town with wonderful rockets and wonderful people. Since getting married, Penny and I have moved 8 or 9 times, so we're not use to being in a place for more than a couple weeks, but Huntsville's been home to us since 2004. For work: I'm a physician assistant in orthopedic spine surgery (for those of you who have no idea what this is, here's a link www.aapa.org, it'll tell you what you need to know) and Penny is a domestic goddess (which is way harder than what I do). Sam came along in October 2005 and is currently in a USOC development program for future world class distance runners who just happen to have genius level IQ's. In his spare time he plays with Thomas the Tank Engine and watches Curious George. #2 is set to arrive in June 2008. You'll get to know the Philley Pham alot better if you follow our blog as we hope to post/update frequently.
'til next time