Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Love, Noah

Daddy,

Even though I can't say it yet, I love you. You can always make me laugh, like when you make up crazy songs or dances.

My very first laugh... because of you!


Crazy dances and songs make me laugh too!



I love having giggle fits with you!

 I'm going to be a great football fan with you.

Our first GT game! The outcome not so good, but it was still fun...


 Sometimes (not too often) I even like to sleep on you.


 I especially like to eat all the yummy food you make me!




Give me those yummy sweet potatoes!

Here's a drawing I made for you.


Happy Birthday to the best daddy in the world!

Love, Noah

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Happy 30th to my #1 Son-in-law

I remember back to your rehearsal party when I said that Gail and I prayed for you since Elizabeth was born. I know now you truly consider Elizabeth as your cherished gift from God without whom your life would not be complete. You also know that I have very high standards when it comes to my sunshine. When I see you together and read your letters I know that she has made great decision!

Now for the great memories that you and I have had together! Having to face the "inspection" from Jennifer and Jessica you passed. You loved GP's wings and the backyard at Nancy's. You easily handled the Cayce Christmas transition from Granny's house to the Funderburks. When we add the Florida family you have faced the craziness and survived. I'm proud of you!

I also share in the funny and sometimes significant memories - from the snake kill at the lake, the tube battle which you can claim that you pushed off the tube ( of yes and there was a rib fracture too ), deep sea fishing with Buster and Brian with none of us getting sick while actually catching our limit ( who would have thought you or I could have done that), Ava's baptism special appointments in the toilet (I think you had the worst of all), all kinds of beer tasting and some fantastic eats. Since I love to eat so much I love telling people how fantastic a cook my son-in-law is - from crab fritters to mussels to oysters to meatballs to anything on the green egg plus your new creations. My mouth just waters thinking about it! I challenge you on your 30th birthday to create something new for us to try. For sure we have made great memories but there are so many more to come!

Your greatest gift to me is Noah! To be his Granddaddy is just the most fantastic thing to hear! Talk about new memories - I look for you and I to have great times together with Noah. I will enjoy every minute with him! when I think of being at the lake next summer with Noah, Wyatt, Ava, Max, Georgia, MA, Elise, and Luke I can hardly wait and know that you and I make such a great team there! You are so great with all the children- they all love you so much as do we all!

So happy 30th, Chris, I am looing forward to more fun, love and new memories together!

Love, Keith

Friday, October 28, 2011

Happy 30 from David

So many good memories I don't even know where to start. Junior high, SPIRAL/GT, roller hockey, roller rinks, early teenage years, crazy jr high school girls, the lunch table, flag football, frisbee, bmx, the cul-de-sac, weekend madness, spending the night, high school, driving, tennis, carpools, high school girls, summers and vacations home from college... now marriage, children, and 30. This makes me feel old. Cheers to a happy and healthy first 30, and cheers to hoping that science, technology, and medicine will see us all through to many more of these 30 year milestones. Much love, -David
Hey there Chris,

There are a couple of memories and sentiments that spring to my mind when I think of you.

The first is the overall feeling of cooperate achievement that we enjoyed in the wake of the 2008 election. From the very earliest days of the election cycle, to the first mentions of Obama to the Iowa caucus, you, TJ, and myself have become the bellweathers of politics.  I will have you know that I am calling Dave Milliband to be the next Prime Minister because Nick Clegg broke the heart's of the youth in this country and therefore no one will buy into a third party candidate for at least another 50 years.

I digress.

Obviously, the lake is going to be a constant well of memory to go to for such a blog as this. Of course my favorite one is when we thought that it would be a good idea to get in the crawdad with Buck and take off for the marina at about 9 o'clock at night.  I was literally 175 pounds heavier than I am now, we had a plastic lawn chair in the middle, and the water was about 1/4 of an inch from spilling into the hull of our fine seafaring vessel.  I really didn't see what the big deal was until we were out in open water and you said, "All it is going to take is one boat to come through here at full speed in the dark and the slightest wave is going to send us over." At that point I realized that we were more than a few friends on an evening excursion to bring back some contraban to the cabin, we were now a band of brothers who had to rely on one another to get back to our home.  Of course, we were gone for so long that each of us had to manuever ourselves into positions to pee at least once and when we arrived safely back at shore we saw Elizabeth shining a spotlight up and down the banks of LocOconee in the hopes that we might not be lost at lake forever.

I also remember the love and support that you've given me throughout the years.  You guys bought the scale when I first began my whole adventure.  That still means so much to me.  Chris, there are few people my own age who I truly admire, and you are one of them. Thanks for being such a good friend to me, a great wife to Liz, and a truly dedicated father. I'm grateful to know you.

Happiest of Birthdays to you.

Tatum.

The Big 3-0 for Frisbee Chris! Love, Dave


I’m not sure if we were quite able to recreate the magicalness from the end of Dirty Dancing in this picture but it will always make me smile regardless. Freshman year in Fitten, I will always remember those amazing mashed potatoes we had in midtown somewhere, driving down Ralph David Abernathy in your Jeep trying to find the Krispy Kreme, and of course the nekkid run and the invitation of nekkid people church (*shudder*). Also, I do recall a time, in Aaron and Michael’s room of course, when I accidently hit you in the mouth with some form of flying object (a Frisbee or hard plastic cup?) and you were worried that I might have damaged your crown. Had I known then that you would eventually lose the tooth to a particularly aggressive infection I wouldn’t have felt so bad.

Georgia Tech would not have been the same without you and your Jude Law sexiness. And you are the smartest person I know. Add in the fact that you are a loyal and dedicated friend, husband, and father and I can count it is a blessing to have you as a pal. It has been a blast being friends for the last 11 years and I can’t wait for the next visit to the ATL from the Tison clan. Happy Birthday Chris!
Love ya man, Dave

Happy Birthday - Rick

Dear Chris ,

You are a worldchanger married to a worldchanger raising little wordchanger.  What a great age u are my genius friend -  to carve out a life / to raise children in a legacy of following Christ and caring for others / to show your children how Eliz is a Gift from God to hold / to cherish / to love.

The Canvass of Chris Tison has been a work in progress.  But there is so much painting to do in the decade to come.  God has given u so many gifts that if u look back on your life as a freshmen – u would have gasped to see what God has in store. 

But he still has a lot in store with you.  Maybe u will cure cancer / maybe u will discover some medicine that staves off world poverty.     But u have already changed so many people.  You changed your campus ministry with our great talks in my office / u in the red chair me behind the desk.  There were times I thought we should change position for God gave u a mind I have rarely seen or encountered. 

Got to admit seen about 8 in 25 years --- but you and one other have used your mind for god / to discover God / to serve God …Where others have gotten cocky or high and mighty u are still  the kid who introduced me to Sam the Crippled. 

I have it hanging in my office.  I make Big Saps memorize it.  I teach it whenever I do retreats because it is so much the gospel – and it describes you.  You  are the horse that sam rode – that gave him joy / that noticed him /  that made him forget about his travails.

“GLAD THERE ARE HORSES LIKE THAT ON THIS ISLAND .  BECAUSE WHEN SAM WAS ON THE HORSE – SAM THE CRIPPLED SPROUTED WINGS AND FLEW. “

Love you man – keep helping others sprout wings and fly,

Rick

From Eric

Chris,

I remember we first met in gym class at Memorial Middle School and we quickly became friends. Soon we were playing on the MDUMC basketball team and you were waaaay better than me--almost infinitely better in terms of points scored! And then what great times we had in high school. I remember our Trojan war video in 9th grade and the excellent legomations that we made, including special effects like flames and melted legos. You were a great friend during that time.


10+ years have passed since then, and it still feels like all of that was so recent. You have a beautiful family now, and a son who is lucky to have such a great father to raise him (and who is lucky enough to inherit genes for good looks and a big brain). And I'm impressed by your PhD and research--although I regret that, like your father, I have not yet reached the end of your book-length thesis :)

Have a great 30th birthday! I look forward to seeing what the next decade brings for you, Elizabeth and Noah.

Much love
--Eric