My Wonderful Parents

My parents have taught me everything I know about love. This amazing couple just celebrated their 32nd anniversary last week and have raised four wonderful children. My dad, Bill Jewell, is the most kindhearted man I have ever met. He is funny and smart, always takes care of the family, even when we give him a hard time, and he is an incredible dad. I could not imagine a better father and am so happy he will be walking me down the aisle. (The beach isle that is) My mom, Mary Jean Jewell, is super woman! She is an amazing teacher and friend, hard worker, caretaker, and she is always looking out for us. If I am half the woman she is, I will consider my life a success. I have so much more to learn from my parents and am glad I have them in my life. They are my inspiration for the life I am starting with Tom.

My parents are more than just generous and loving, they are saints. They are paying for the entire wedding and this special event would not be the same without them. They have been nothing but supportive of Tom and I since we got engaged and they are helping make our dreams a reality. It was my mom and sisters’ idea to have a destination wedding. Everybody in the family loves to travel so my parents were on board 100%. They never cease to amaze me. They give and give and give. I have never met two more generous individuals.

My mom has been my right hand woman in planning out all the nitty gritty of such a huge event. She is super organized and has made sure all the details have come together, even when I have dragged my heels and made it harder on her. (I am sometimes an indecisive person…) She is full of good advice and always looking out for me and my best interest. She found the Brew Fest, got the hotel deals, picked out the amazing flowers, took me all over the place looking for odds and ends, and has helped me with everything under the sun. Thank goodness I have my mom! I am so thankful for everything she has done for me. If you just love something about the wedding it was probably her doing. We have had so much fun this summer, I could not have picked a better time to get married because I had her all to myself ALL summer. (teacher remember) Plus she has great ideas and the excitement is contagious.

Advice for making a marriage work: “Make sure you pick the right guy.” ~Mom

What is your favorite memory together?

Oh my goodness… I have so many. The past four years have been amazing. I think my cheeks have been permanently sore from smiling ALL of the time. Tom and I have so many good memories together so it is hard to choose one favorite. I have never been happier in my life since I have been with him. It feels like the time we have spent together is just one big adventure. Some of my favorite memories are from when we would travel to see each other on the weekends, when he was still in the military, or our trip to Europe together and going to Tybee Island of course. Our yearly Knoxville Brewers Jam with friends has always been a highlight, as well as the endless parties we have had over the years (Halloween, birthdays, game days, New Years, accidental throw downs). I have so many hilarious photos I have spent the last full week reminiscing about how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family. I enjoy playing Age of Empires with him and the the other “LAN party” people, and as far as the mundane goes… I love it all!
~Liz

Elizabeth Neely Jewell

Elizabeth Neely Jewell is a phenomenally talented artist who possesses the kindest soul to ever grace this earth. She has created a name for herself as a designer and architect by balancing not only her conspicuous ability and craft, but also her sensibility to how a designed milieu can effect the disposition of those experiencing it. Her skillset is broad, encompassing a dexterous pencil hand, skillful brushstroke, as well as an attentive and benevolent friend.

Born and raised in Nashville,  Elizabeth has always enjoyed the company of others, having little choice considering comparative enormity of her family. Showing promise of a bright future and being just as precocious as her siblings, she attended Encore, a program for gifted children, and continued on in the Magnet program. While at Meigs Magnet School, she immediately enraptured my heart. Elizabeth continued to display her astute assimilation of erudition by not only being the Top Graduate in her class, but also by graduating a full semester early from the five year Architecture program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Her eyes smile radiantly with a genuine goodness that is incredibly rare. She has an uncanny ability to accommodate others, creating an atmosphere of comfort and sincerity. She is always available to provide appreciated admonition and council.

I am completely smitten with Elizabeth. I revere her with intense love and adoration. She has, without a doubt, been my most powerful muse, always providing justified advice and impartial guidance, which is something that I, being somewhat headstrong, can always employ. I am thus blessed to have her by my side, let alone also in my heart. She will be forever cherished, as will be her convivial and august family, whom I will soon be  ardently joining.

Jonathan Thomas Gatlin

Jonathan Thomas Gatlin is a brilliant, loving man who means the world to his friends and me. Known as Tom among friends, he grew up in Nashville, TN with his family surrounded by people who looked after him. He has two wonderful sisters, aunts, and grandmothers. His mom is an awesome spunky woman who means the world to him, and Nick, his stepdad, has been a prominent figure in his life.

Having so many wonderful influences in your life makes it hard to go astray. After some time in Encore, a school program for gifted children, he soon proved how smart he was by asking me to be his girl while we were at Meigs Magnet School together. This young love romance only lasted about a month or two but we continued caring for each other throughout high school There he excelled in German classes and Computers. He is a language guy by trade and learning comes very easily to him because of his eidetic memory. Jonathan loves to read and has a passion for documentaries that he makes me watch on a regular basis. (I usually accidentally fall asleep but I love them too) He graduated from Hume Fogg Academic and began his journey to find out what defines his true calling in life.

Jonathan is an old soul and wise beyond his years; this may be in part due to his wide range of experiences. He has already served in the Army and was Honorably Discharged just a little more than a year ago. He is an esteemed Eagle Scout and likes to help others learn about ultralight hiking and cool survival techniques. He spent time living in Germany and many other European countries. He worked in Knoxville for the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Association (the people who monitor the weather) as their Director of Web Projects and  recently opened his own design firm, GATLIN, specializing in information design for high net worth individuals and brands.

Jonathan is a caring family man who epitomizes honesty and integrity. He would give everything he owns to those he loves. He is a wonderful friend and role model. He is a Master Mason and will be a Shriner soon. Generosity may as well be his middle name. He is a one-of-a-kind, steadfast friend that anyone would be lucky to have. He will be an amazing husband and life long partner. I am completely in love with this amazing man.

Tom – The Real Story, Written & Illustrated by Jan Gatlin

After reading the fabricated biography of Tom, I felt compelled to set the record straight.

I vividly remember Tom’s first Christmas like it was yesterday.  Papa had long since retired from his job with the WPA, Diddy was home on a furlough from the work release program at the State Correctional Institution, Nana was still slaving at her job as a highway flagger, where she constantly suffered from the Hwy 40 Blues and Jada had traded her 80′s big hair for Paul who was devoid of any.

It was a bad winter that year. Even though a light snow was falling through a brutal north wind, we were warm inside feasting on Nana’s cathead biscuits and sampling Papa’s moonshine stash. Tom was known as Roly Poly, daddy’s little biscuit. The only thing that Tom wanted for Christmas that year was a Pee Wee Herman doll, delivered in person by Large Marge herself. “I know you are but what am I” replaced the more genteel “Merry Christmas” greeting that year. Time marched on in our little corner of the woods, punctuated only by our twice annual visit from our inbred cousins toting homemade deliverance banjos and guitars.

Around the age of 3, Tom bravely fought his way down the path to the communal outhouse.  Blood cuddling screams summoned all of the kin to find Tom bent over with his head stuck in one hole of the 2 seater outhouse.  We were told to constantly observe the little tyke for the next 2 to 3 years to make sure he recovered from his traumatic brain injury.  Thankfully, 2 or 3 years later his protruding forehead was barely noticeable.

The first day of school brought Tom to Ms. Bumpus’ class sporting the little sailor suit that Joy had knitted for him.  The left pant leg being  6 inches shorter than the right was barely noticeable, as was his little una-brow which we covered with a little cap. We were all thrilled when Tom exercised an inate ability to sing.  He would belt out:  ”I can see clearly now” and we held high hopes that he would make it to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.  Our dreams were shattered years later when we watched him perform in the chorus of Hume Fogg.
Tom soon left stateside to study abroad.  (From the pictures, she tweren’t much to look at).  For 1 to 2 years he lived as a Kraut.  He returned home with a penchant for home brews a/k/a “The Devil’s Milk”.

After graduation, Tom determined that he wanted to become a Doe Boy and follow in the footsteps of General Lucius T. Gatlin whose statue still graces the Franklin City square.  After seeing infantry combat duty in SC and GA, he was granted an honorable discharge and a rainbow heart for his service.
Tom then followed his beloved to Knoxville where armed with little more than an old rooster weather vane and a cardboard barometer, he went to work for NOAA, the weather people (not to be confused with the 60′s weathermen)

Tom is about to get hitched to Liz, who we all hope is not the same as the one who gave her daddy 40 whacks and her momma 41.

Love Letter #1,000 – Jan 16th 2007

If you couldn’t already tell, Tom is a hopeless romantic who writes incredibly well. He has an amazing rhetoric skill that will steal your heart. At first, when we were courting, I wasn’t sure if Tom was the guy for me. After all, he was in the military, far away, and I never knew how he really felt. That was until the letters started pouring in. I received a love letter from Tom almost every week telling me about his life, how he cared for me, and everything else about his soul a girl would want to know. I cherish and hold all these sentimental pieces dear. It was this last letter that sealed the deal in my heart. I knew he felt for me as I did for him and I immediately jumped head first into this crazy wonderful relationship we have today.  It is over 18 pages long so I am only including a snippet. This is for all you romantics out there. I hope you are just as smitten with him after reading it as I am. He turned out to be just the soothsayer now that I read back over it. Our life is just how he had imagined it and better.

Will You Marry Me? Labor Day 2009

Can you see the nervousness on his face? Neither can I! I had no clue it was coming. We were down by the water getting ready for the fireworks to begin. When during the finale, BAM!

He asked me to Marry Him! I know, I know… I was really excited because I had been plotting on how to get him to marry me for quite some time.

So I kissed him and told him OF COURSE I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him! He told me how he would love me for the rest of his life, and I melted away.

So then I got to tell the whole world I had found the man of my dreams! That he loved me back! And that I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this incredible guy.

The Jewell Family

Wow, I have a big family… soon to be one bigger! Ha. I have two wonderful parents, Mary Jean and Bill Jewell. They have both been incredible role models for relationships and love. They have taught me so much in my life about caring for family, being the best person you can be, and looking out for those who mean the most to you. I am blessed beyond belief to have such generous, caring parents. I also have 3, count them, three siblings! Two very tall handsome brothers who bring smiles to my life every time I think of them. John and Will are funny and kind, super intelligent, and of course dashing men! What is a girl to do? My older sister is also amazing and beautiful, just not as tall. (we didn’t get that Jewell gene) She and I shared a room growing up and were best friends. Marianna is super sweet and always knows how to make us laugh and keep us in line.

I also have a wonderful sister-in-law, Marilyn, married to my older brother, John. She has added so much to the Jewell clan I am thankful I get to call her family! She knows everything there is to know about anything you could ask. I like it that way because I can never go wrong when she is around. Also in the picture is my Grandmother, Elizabeth Simpson, after whom I was named, and my mom’s sister, Ann Wilson. They have both been very instrumental in my life and I love them dearly. You all know Tom by now, trying to stick his head above my sister. I can’t wait to call him family with the rest of them!

The Gatlin-Nicholson Family

Jonathan Gatlin has a wonderful family who all live in Nashville, TN. His parents, Joy and Nick Nicholson, are amazing people who have taught Tom all there is to know about generosity, love, and going with the flow. His mom is so much fun to be around and makes the best desserts you could ever eat. (Sometimes I swear she is trying to fatten me up) Her laissez-faire attitude has opened my eyes to a new world of possibility and opportunity. Nick is always full of wisdom and there to lend a helping hand. He works so hard sometimes we wonder if he ever sleeps. You can definitely see their influence on Tom and the differences they have made in shaping his life.

Tom also has two wonderful sisters, Gracyn and Shelby. Gracyn is energetic and thoughtful. She is always keeping us on our toes and is becoming a gorgeous young woman before our eyes. Shelby is a very kind and loving mother of two beautiful children, whom we also adore. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and I can’t wait to call her family.

Tom’s Grandmother and Aunts helped raise him and have been a source of fun in his life. Joyce Gatlin, lovingly referred to as Nana, lives right down the street and is always a pleasure to be around or has a story to tell. Jan, who lives directly across the street from Nana, has instilled in Tom silliness and kindness.She took care of Tom often when he was little and she has the funniest sense of humor I have ever come across. Jada, Jan and Joy’s sister, lives in Mt. Juliet with her husband, Paul, and her two kids, Drew and Sydney. They are both welcoming and amicable whom Tom and I love being around.

Tom has been so blessed to have such a lively, good willed family. I can’t wait to call them my own!

Germans, Germans, Germans

Tom lived in Germany for a time and I was lucky enough to meet his German family while we were traveling in Europe a couple of summers ago. They welcomed us with open arms, after all Tom is like a son to them, and I had the best time finally getting to know the people Tom so frequently talks of. His German parents, Harry and Erica, we’re so much fun and took really good care of me when I got food poisoning during my travels. We can’t wait to go to Europe again and see them soon. Hopefully, by then, I will have learned a little more German and can give Tom a run for his money.

What is the 1st thing that stood out to you about the other?

This is from Liz’s 8th Grade Year Book
She was always smiling. I knew she was incredibly smart too so I tried to get to know her better. She was the best looking girl in school.
~Tom

This is from Tom’s 8th Grade Year Book
His kind eyes and that he was really good at computers. I found it kind of exciting because I really liked technology and he did too. I knew we would get along great, plus he seemed very genuine and nice.
~Liz

The Ring!

Wow, look at that rock! Tom got me a beautiful 1.03 karat, round brilliant-cut diamond solitaire ring when he proposed and I absolutely love it! The diamond is inscribed with “Tom and Liz, Always and Forever” on the girdle, and it is so special to me. I am proud to wear this stunning ring even though it took some getting used to. I still have to watch out or I will end up scratching myself or Tom with it. Ha! When I wear it though, I am reminded everyday that Tom loves me with all his heart and that I love him just as much. I am the luckiest girl on earth!

Marianna Jewell

My Maid of Honor is, of course my amazing older sister, Marianna Jewell. I am so lucky to have Marianna in my life. She is a smart courageous woman who any girl could look up to. Now that she has moved back to Nashville I get to spend more time with her, and I absolutely love having her around. Marianna is so strong, honest, and empowering. She epitomizes the best older sister a girl could have and she has encouraged me to also be the best woman I can be.

Marianna is always there to offer sound advice, a funny story, and loads of fun. She can do anything she sets her mind to and loves to prove it! She is the best game competitor I have come across and she will win every time. We are still working on Tom and my strategies to overcome her in cards. Marianna is an incredible singer and travel buddy as well. We have spent many a car trip listening to her voice on her Nothing But Treble CD and wishing she were there. I made sure she was the one standing by me as I take Tom to be my husband. What more could I ask for?