Favorite People

Do you have favorite people? Sure you do...cousins, friends, favorite Aunt or Uncle.

These two are some:

Bennett loves Nana so very much. He adores her because she adores him. When I watch them interact I think how very good it is for both. He talks about Nana daily and cheers when we see her. He can be asleep in his carseat and the moment we pull into her driveway he pops up and says, "Yay Nana!" and then marches into her house to inform her of the past happenings. 

How very blest we are to have Nana close and that my children know her so well. What a treasure family is.

Nana is also one of  George's favorite people and when he was 5 he would ask all the time if Nana could have a sleep over with us. 

Friday Photo Favorites

Sliding through Summer!

Big Sky

Oh how I miss the Texas sky. Big sky. With sunsets that wrapped all the way around you. I miss seeing for miles and the big deep breath that comes with it. However, the sunsets at The Hill can be pretty spectacular as well.

So often in the mornings and evenings there is mist rolling over the hills.

God's display on July 4th.

Friday Photo Favorites

What an honor. How blessed our children are having a Fruncle on each side.

At the end of May we witnessed Fr. Stephen Blaxton's ordination. How very, very blessed to be rearing our children in the midst of faith lived daily. 

I remember so keenly my older sister coming and staying with me the first eight days after being initiated into motherhood. Her gift of self was overwhelming and not fully recognized to the actual degree until later. She sat with me as I learned to navigate the ends and outs of early motherhood. Her sitting across from me as we both nursed our little ones was so very much like her bestowing her blessing on me, saying, "you can do this, it will be the hardest thing you will ever do, but you can do this. We traveled this road before and it will be traveled again, come along you are not alone in your vocation." 

As my brother is not Fr. Stephen's brother biologically, they are part of a bigger, deeper brotherhood of Christ. There have been priest before and there will be priest after these two, and they all will travel the vocational road all the same, and they are not alone. 

Friday Photo Favorites

Just a little clip of our current Ballerina.

Mary Colette took Ballet at our Co-op this school year which was such a fantastic introduction into the dancing world. 

I missed her winter recital due to several of us being sick and was so worried I wouldn't make this one because the uncertainty of when Bennett would be born. Bennett was born on Sunday, we went home on Tuesday, we watched cousin Lenny on Wednesday and meet our newest cousin Rex that day as well and then watched our Ballerina on Friday. It all worked out beautifully much like her recital piece.  

Friday Photo Favorites

HEBI HILL!

(Tears of Joys, folks, those are Tears of JOY!)

Quick tidbit: there are 18 grandchild in 14 years the last half are 3 1/2 years apart!!! The last six since Fr. Matthew's ordination. 

Bonus points for anyone who can name all these blessings and triple for those that can in age order. (Without your list Poppy.)

Friday Photo Favorites

Missouri Bottom and Daddy Look-a-like.

Wasting time I don't have.

My baby's first time in the state she would later call home.

Chicky Ducks

If you have at all checked the blog lately you will have noticed a few additions to the pictures as of late. At the end of April we began our little farm project here with Gia. We picked up seven chicks and four ducklings to begin to call our own. 

At the Hatchery awwing at the the adorable goslings. 

Now the children set up one very important rule in the whole process, if we name any of them, then we can't eat them. No name = food, name = farm pet. So very quickly they are were named.

We loaded up the car and made the two hour trip to the hatchery to pick out our new friends. Here is bin full of two day old chicks...Paul Thomas picking out his Rhode Island Red, Ginger.

A quick picture with our flock. And then back into the car for two more hours. 

Everyone wanted to be in charge of the cargo. A bit of a learning curve with these little ones.

Finally back at our coop and getting everyone settled in. Avery with his two, "Little Red and Little Fluff. Those are their names till I can really get to know them and they get a little bit bigger."

Annie checking out Dottie the Duck.

Annie is in total love with all the animals until they move, then it's all over.

Mary Colette with Little Princess, which quickly proved to be the biggest and most dominate chick, fitting. She too said this was just the started name, lest we end up with one chicken nugget.

Gia with the beginning of her new flock.

More to come and by more, I mean pictures, because let's face it cute kids with baby animals means picture gluttony. 

I must also thank my dear husband and father for making the new coop and allowing us to gush over the new flock and for generally allowing this new hobby. 

Merry Christmas

Friday Photo Favorites

She is a Poppy's Girl.

She already says his name too.

Please Remember:

Please remember our trips and adventures. Remember, oh please remember seeing the ocean for the first time. Remember, cool nights in Michigan and your first smoore! Remember Fruncle Matty's ordination and Uncle Tim and Aunt Jessica's wedding. Remember the birthday bashes and silly times with cousins. Remember all the "bigs" in your life; first time riding a bike, that special birthday, first time camping, you know, all the big stuff. Remember, please oh please remember some of the more calm times too, the ones where we do not have to travel to enjoy one another. Remember last night! Remember the beautiful meal we had...the abundance of mashed potatoes for you, Avery. Remember how you said you loved going over to Gia and Poppy's on Sunday's because that meant Poppy would get you something special to drink. Remember how sweet Sunday's are with your dessert. Remember how you set up a game of baseball between yourselves and just enjoyed the evening. Nothing fancy, nothing planned just us, a family relaxing and being together. Remember these moments too. Remember hitting the ball, cheering on one another and running faster and jumping further and laughing and getting over hurts and frustrations because really its more fun on the field than off. Remember how much fun we have with each other and remember how much you are part of us.

Your Lovely Face: Week 30

Your Proving a Point and Yeah, Maybe Want to See How Cool You Look Jumping/Flying Face.

Your All Or Nothing Face.

Your Cousin Buddy Face.

Your Popsicle Outside Pool Splashing Loven Face.

Your About Burst With Excitement Because 

YOU ARE SOLO STANDING AT SEVEN MONTHS FACE!

Your Lovely Face: Week 29

Your Cousin Buddy Looking For Mischief Face.

Your Bouncing Up and Down Watching a Balloon Take Flight, Oh How We Would All Enjoy Life Like You Face.

Your Beautiful, Still and Creative Face.

Your Beautiful Thoughtful and Purposeful Beyond Two Face, That I am Blest to See at My Legs A Lot of the Day.

Your Growing Too Fast and Stood Up Unaided Twice Face!

And To Match You Have Two Beautiful Teeth.

Manic Monday

What does it take to get get this?

This

Thank You Daddies!

Friday Photo Favorites

Up, 

Up and 

Away!

Up,

Up

And

Nope!

Your Lovely Face: Week 27

Your Sparkler Face.

Your Firecracker Anticipation Face. 

Your Sheer Delight Face.

Your Might Explode Like That Firecracker Face.

(It is always more fun to watch you watch fireworks than to watch the actual fireworks.)

Your Nervous Sparkler Face.

Your Firecracker Watching Face.

Your Nervous Sparkler Face.

Your I Love You, Daddy Face.

Your Beautiful Face.