JAMES HAWK SMITH

Thursday..Oct. 8, 2009....We arrived in Greeneville about 8:30 in the evening. Jamie wanted us to come on over to Leah's brother, Denny and his wife Karen's house. So we did. Skyla had gone up with Jamie and Leah a few days earlier, so we went over and spent some time with Denny and Karen. They have a beautiful home out in the country. Jamie put some boston butts on the smoker to cook until some time the next day. We stayed there for awhile and then went on over the our motel. Skyla went with us. My sister, Wanda and her husband, Warren were already at the motel. They came to our room and visited awhile. Skyla was playing and all of a sudden she said: "I miss Bubba (Hawk)". I asked her what made her think of him all of a sudden and she said that she just did and that she missed him. Wanda and Warren went to their room and we went to bed.

Friday Oct. 9, 2009....We got up and joined Wanda and Warren for breakfast. After breakfast, we all went to the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park. It was interesting to read about him and see the replica of the cabin that he was born in. After he married, he moved to Lawrence County (the county Mike and I are from). There is a Davy Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg Tn also.
We left the park and drove to Jonesboro..the oldest town in Tennessee. It is a beautiful town. All of the old buildings have been turned into shops and restaurants. We went into a candy store. The young man who was working in there asked me where we were from. I told him and told him why we were in that area. That our son was getting married. I had Skyla with me and I told him that her daddy was the one getting married. And I told him about Hawk. He wanted to know all about Hawk's illness and said that he had a one year old little girl and how awful it would be to lose a child. It was just me and him and Skyla in the store. So I shared with him some things I had learned about the lack of funding for childhood cancer and told him about gold being the color of childhood cancer awareness and told him about grey being the color of brain tumor awareness. I gave him a ICBYC card and he said that he would definitely check out their website. I also told him about the first annual Hawk Smith walk for a Cure in Lebanon, Tn on May 1, 2010.

At 4:00, Mike, I, Skyla, Wanda and Warren went to Leah's parents (Dennis and Jackie Holt) house for the rehearsal. Our son, Chris and his wife, Wanda were there and a lot of Leah's family. Leah's attendant was her best friend, Stephanie and Jamie's best man was his brother, Chris. It was a fall wedding so Skyla dropped fall leaves out of a basket. So when we would call her the flower girl, she would correct us and say that she was the leaf girl....CUTE!!!...
At 7:00 PM, we all went to Stan's BBQ restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. Mike and I treated about 25 family and friends to dinner. We had a great time with each of our families getting to know each better. I love Leah's family. They all are so loving, a lot of fun and very friendly. And we all have a lot in common with each other. And most of all they love my son very much. But, of course, they should. He is a very lovable young man. And now he is their son-in-law. And we love Leah very much and now she is our daughter-in-law.

Sat. Oct. 10, 2009...We got up and Wanda, Warren, Chris and Wanda all came to our room and then they and Mike went to breadfast. Skyla was still asleep, so I stayed with her. They brought me something back. Wanda (my sister) and Wanda (my daughter-in-law) and I went to the Dollar Tree and I bought 31 hellium balloons to send up to Hawk after the wedding. We came back and all of us got ready for the wedding. It was a beautiful country wedding. It was at Leah's mom and dad's (Jackie and Dennis Holt) house out in the country. They have a BEAUTIFUL country home on 20 acres. It was a Fall wedding. Very casual. Leah told me and her mother to wear blue jeans, so we did. Leah wore a beautiful wedding gown, Skyla was dressed in a beautiful long white dress with lace socks and a pretty white bow in her hair. She threw leaves out of a basket. As the wedding started, Jamie gave me a rose and kissed me and Leah gave Jackie a rose and kissed her. Dennis gave Leah away and then Leah and Jamie said their vows.
After the wedding there were a lot pictures being taken. A friend of the family (who is a professional photographer) was taking the pictures. He took a lot of picture and stayed til late in the night taking pictures.

After that, we all went to the back of the house and let balloons go for Hawk. Jamie and Leah and Skyla held a red heart shaped balloon. The rest of us held assorted colors...grey for brain tumor awareness, white heart shaped and blue heart shaped. There were 30 of these balloons. Some couples shared one. All of the children had a balloon. Leah asked me to say something. I said that Jamie, Leah and Skyla were holding the heart shaped balloon together as the beginning of their new family. That we were letting balloons go in memory of Hawk. That he was with us on this day and every day. Jamie, Leah and Skyla let their red balloon go first. Then we all let ours go. We all said..."We love you Hawk." The red balloon went up first. The other balloons made a circle around the red balloon. At one point, the red balloon turned over and the balloon was facing down toward us as the other balloons circled it. They went all the way out of sight with the red balloon going first and the rest in a circle around it. It was beautiful. Several came up to me and said that that was a wonderful thing to do. Our family was used to letting balloons go for Hawk, but that was the first time that Leah's family had let balloons go for Hawk. They all thought it was so special. Hawk is a part of their family now. There were some tears shed...the ones I noticed were Jamie, Mike, Mike's brother Sammie and our neice, Heather and I know some more that I didn't see.

After that we all talked awhile and then Jamie read a poem that he wrote thanking everyone for coming. It was nice and funny. Then we all ate. They served a country meal. Jamie smoked some boston butts all night and then pulled them apart and barbequed them. The barbeque was delicious. Leah's uncle Johnny cooked white beans in a huge iron pot over an open fire all day. And we had stewed potatoes, homemade slaw, cornbread, onions and relish and jalepenos for the beans. Delicious!!! There was a bottle of champaigne at each table. There were tubs of iced down cold drinks, water, beer, and wine. While we were eating, a woman and man who work with Leah played guitars and sang and entertained us.

Then Jamie and Leah had the first dance. They chose..I Cross My Heart..by George Strait. Beautiful song. Leah's brother, Denny, was the DJ. Saturday was also our granddaughter, Breanna's 9th birthday. Leah surprised with her own individual cake that Leah's sister, Tonya baked. Leah put 9 candles on the cake and we all sang Happy Birthday to Breanna. That was very nice of Leah and her family. Jamie and Leah cut their wedding cake. Tonya (Leah's sister) baked a pumpkin cake, an apple cake and a chocolate cake. They were delicious. Then Denny started the music and some of us danced. The guys had built a huge bonfire in the back of the house and some of them went back there. Some of Jamie and Leah's friends were camping back there. We had so much fun. We danced and kareoked. We had a ball. Eventually, most of the ones at the campfire joined the rest of us. Leah's family are so much fun.

Our granddaughter Kayla, 15 and Leah's step-neice, Katie, 15 sang to some Taylor Swift songs and some Trisha Yearwood songs..."You belong with me" and She's In Love With The boy" and some more. Jackie (Leah's mom) kareoked with some country songs. I sang to Tina Turner...."Simply the Best" and " Better Be Good To Me". Jackie and I sang to an Elvis Presley song. Jackie, her sister-in-law, Debbie and her neice and I sang "Crazy" by Patsy Cline. Jackie's brother, Barry sang to "Feel Like Making Love", as Jamie and Leah were leaving. Mike sang to George Strait "Amarillo By Morning", "If You're Looking For A Stranger" and "You Look So Good In Love" and "The Dance" by Garth Brooke. Mike has a beautiful voice and sings just like George Strait. And Skyla sang by herself..."Jesus Loves Me" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". I never sat down for 4 hours. I danced and sang and enjoyed everyone else dancing and singing and had a ball.

Jamie and Leah left before the rest of us. They went to Pigeon Forge Saturday night and then left Sunday morning for a week in Panama City.

Leah's family is great. All of them. We all have so much in common. We are so blessed with all of our daughters-in-law's families. We spend time with all of them. We do a lot with Wanda (our daughter-in-law)'s family, we are close to Tuesday (our daughter-in-law)'s family. In fact, Jamie and Leah are going to visit with them while they are in Panama City this week. And I know we'll be close to Leah's family. We are a blessed family.