Welcome to our family website! Check back often ~ we add pictures almost daily. You can click "View Slideshow" and watch a slideshow of the pictures with music. Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoy a glimpse into our life!
Love ~ Brian, Laura, Harrison and Madison
- Halloween 2010
The kiddos and I are a little more than OBSESSED with the game Plants vs. Zombies. Harrison and I play in our spare time together on the iPad and now Madison walks around with her arms straight forward saying, "Ombies!" : ) Since we love the game so much we decided that Harrison would be a Football Zombie and Madison would be a sunflower this year to portray our love of the game. If you haven't played the game you MUST download it on your iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac or PC. It is a very fun and highly addictive game of strategy and silliness!!!
- Cowboy At Dusk
- Harrison Riding A Horse
- Little House Family Night
Harrison has almost completed his year of Pre-K at Rachel's Little House. I cannot believe the next stop is Kindergarten! Seriously, where has the time gone?!?!? We had his Little House Family Night on Friday, April 16, 2010. They sang some really cute songs and then we had hot dogs with his class and their families. As you can see from the videos (especially the Alligator Song), Harrison has come A LONG WAY since last year when he wouldn't even get on stage to perform!!!! I am SOOOO proud of him!
- Awana's Spring Program
This has been Harrison's first year in the Awana's Clubs. He is a Cubby this year and LOVES it! He has learned SO much!!! We had his Spring program on Sunday, April 11. The Cubbies sang with the Puggles (the 2-3 year old group that I teach with Amy Pierce--they were on the opposite side of the stage). They sang "Zaccheaus" and "This Little Light of Mine". There weren't very many of them there that morning so they were a little shy about singing, but they did great! Madison even had "Hide it under a bushel? NO!" down pat! :) She sang with them because she goes to Puggles with me when I teach on Wednesday nights. She loves it too! We had so much fun watching our sweet Awana's kids perform. God is working in the lives of these precious kids!!!
- Harrison playing New Super "Hero" Mario Bros Wii
Harrison got the New Super Mario Bros Wii game for Christmas (he calls it Super "Hero" Mario Bros). He absolutely loves it!! He loves it so much that he wants a Super "Hero" Mario Bros birthday party next month for his fifth birthday. He even calls me "Mama Mia"...since Mario and Luigi are Italian brothers and they use the phrase often. :)
Harrison has practiced and practiced this game (since the weather has been awful and we haven't been able to go outside much. I might HURT Punxsutawney Phil if this winter doesn't end soon!!) The new Super Mario Bros Wii game is very similar to the old Super Mario Bros on Nintendo 64. It has 8 worlds ~ you have to beat World 1 and the Bowser Castle to move onto the next world and so on. Brian and I stayed up until wee hours of the morning several times trying to beat certain worlds. I think we have enjoyed it as much as Harrison! :) He is UNBELIEVEABLE at this game! It is amazing that a four year old can figure out this game and problem solve his way through 8 levels! He's definitely going to be a tech guy!!!
There are secret passage ways in the game that we couldn't find so we cheated and watched some walkthrough videos on Youtube of Super Mario Bros to figure out where the secret cannons and coins were. The people on the videos commentate throughout the video--walking you through each step. So, Harrison kept asking me to video him while he was playing. They aren't great quality because I just took videos with my iPhone (and the first couple are even sideways), but at least you can get the gist and see how incredible he is at this game! His commentating is HILARIOUS!!! Hope you enjoy the videos of Harrison playing Super "Hero" Mario Bros! :)
- Valentine's 2010
Janie took Valentine portraits of the kids in Memphis on February 9. The kiddos had a blast singing, dancing, eating suckers and playing with puppies and bubbles during their "photo shoot" :)
They have both grown and changed so much over the last few months...especially Miss Madison with her piggies!
We had fun watching Madison "mother" her baby Sparkly. She has had such a nurturing instinct from very early on! She LOVES those yorkies ~ as you can tell with all the smothering taking place! :) I often tell people she reminds me of Hugo the Abominable Snowman on Looney Tunes..."I'll call him George...and I will hug him and squeeze him and pet him and pat him and love him..." That's Madison with Sparkly!!! :)
- Harrison's First Basketball Game
Harrison had his first basketball game at the YMCA on February 4. This league is for 4, 5 and 6 year olds. He's on the green team and they named themselves the "Tigers" They are SOOO much fun to watch! Harrison's more concerned about socializing than playing ~ but at this age that's what it should be! Basketball is a pretty complex sport for a 4 year old!!
- Venus Flytrap
Harrison is OBSESSED with Super "Hero" Mario Brothers (as he calls it) and he loves the Pirahna Plants on the New Super Mario Brothers Wii game. He has been begging for a real Venus Flytrap since he got the game for Christmas. I thought it would be a good lesson on plant life so we got him one as an early birthday present. Only a boy would want a carniverous plant instead of one that produces flowers! :) It came in a terrarium and we also get to feed him flies once a week. It's in hibernation right now...probably until March or so, but will be more active after that. Harrison named him "Chomp." He is soooo proud of his new Venus Flytrap!!
The slideshow is playing to the old school Super Mario Brothers music that Harrison loves to listen to. My ringtone is also a Super Mario Brothers song. I did say he was obsessed, didn't I?!?! :)
- Sledding: Day Two
The second day of sledding on our "sled" ~ actually a cremation tray (unused, of course) hooked on the back of our Texas Snowmobile. :) Oh, the joys of being married to a funeral director!! Only Brian would create such a sled, but it actually worked really well. The sun was out, the snow was soft and we had an absolute blast!!!! Even though it was SOOO much warmer than the day before, I had Madison so bundled up she could barely move. She reminded me of the little brother on "The Christmas Story!" She LOVED sledding, but was always saying, "whoa, whoa, whoa" when we started going too fast. :) We had so much fun making memories in the snow. Also added some videos from our sledding experience and Brian and Harrison having fun on the 4-wheeler.
- January Snowstorm & Sledding
We got around 10 inches of snow on January 28. Brian was on the road from Canadian to Memphis and back for a funeral that day and I was a complete wreck worrying about him! It took him almost 4 hours to get home (usually takes less than an hour and a half). The visibility was almost at zero, but he had a funeral the next day in Canadian so he had no choice. He made it home safely so my prayers were answered! It was quite a storm!
We wanted to go sledding the next day with all the freshly fallen snow. We don't have a sled so Brian decided a cremation tray (unused, of course!) would make a perfect sled....and it did! We called it our "Mortician's Sled" :) You have to have a sense of humor in the funeral industry! Brian hooked the cremation tray on the back of the 4-wheeler and away we went! The kids LOVED it! Although it was a VERY cold day, we had a blast!!! We also made snow ice cream that night for the first time. It was actually pretty tasty...pollutants and all! :)
- Christmas Eve 2009
We had a quiet Christmas Eve at home this year. We were supposed to have Christmas in Amarillo with my family that day, but got quite a bit of snow and ice the night before so we decided not to travel. We stayed home and made a delicious dinner of ham, au gratin potatoes, green bean bundles and rolls and then got out and looked at Christmas lights and delivered gifts to the nursing home. We came home that evening and Harrison and Madison made cookies for Santa. Somehow Harrison came up with the idea that "honey cookies" are Santa's favorite (don't ask me!) so he poured and poured honey over the sugar cookies after they were done baking. Madison sneaked around and took SEVERAL tastes of honey while Harrison wasn't looking! It was hilarious! :) I'm really surprised she slept all night with all that sugar in her system! Harrison also thought the reindeer might like green Jello so he left them some. Between the honey cookies and chocolate milk, Santa probably got quite a sugar high at our house! Harrison drew a picture for Santa (asteroids and all) and left him a truck book to read while eating his snack. He's such a thoughtful little guy! :) He was actually starting to get sick with a cold that night and was tired and didn't feel that great. :( They had fun making the cookies (and eating the dough) anyway!! We had a great Christmas Eve spending time with each other!!!
Nodee, Harrison's beloved Elf on the Shelf came back to visit him this year and brought his little sister, Saks (also named by Harrison) for Miss Madison. Harrison was so excited to see his long lost friend and Madison loved toting her new friend around the house and giving her rides in her pink car. :) Nodee and Saks watch the kids throughout the day and then fly back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa. Each morning they hide in a different place so we always had fun looking for Nodee and Saks in their creative hiding spots! Harrison DESPERATELY wanted a puppy this year so he was particularly aware of Nodee's existence. He even ate his green beans a time or two while Nodee was watching! Harrison would always ask while cleaning his playroom, "Is Nodee watching me? Is he proud of me?" :) I remember one particular Saturday close to Christmas that Harrison cleaned his entire playroom, made my bed (decorative pillows and all), gave me a manicure and pedicure, served me a plate of cookies and brownies and mopped all the tile in the house!!! Too bad Nodee can't stay longer! I think I miss him more than Harrison does! :)
- Little House Thanksgiving Feast
We had a Thanksgiving Feast with Harrison's Pre-K class from the Little House on November 23. Momo and Papa got to come eat lunch with Harrison and his class for the feast. We watched them sing a cute Thanksgiving song and ate a delicious lunch. It's always fun seeing Harrison interact with his sweet friends. We had a great time!
- Fall Foliage Festival 2009
- Arena Cross and Monster Trucks
Brian and I took Harrison to Amarillo to see Arena Cross and Monster Trucks on October 2. We expected to see more Monster Trucks, but saw mostly motorcycle and 4-wheeler races...although Harrison didn't seem to mind!! We even saw Harrison's age kids (4 year olds) racing motorcycles! After the races we saw the "Ghost Ryder" Monster Truck perform a back flip that has never been achieved in an indoor arena. Harrison was pretty impressed! He said "awesome" and "cool" about a thousand times on the way home until he fell asleep! :) He even said he was going to drive Ghost Ryder when he grew up. I think we'll be taking him to the NASA Space Center next!!! ;)
We used the video camera on our iPhone to record Ghost Ryder's back flip. We also recorded some other motorcycle races--both the big guys and the little ones. Enjoy!
- September 2009
We have had a BUSY month chasing Harrison around with all his activities--and he's not even in school yet!!! :P He goes to the Little House on Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings, AWANA's at our church on Wednesday nights, Library Story Hour on Thursday mornings, Flag Football practices on Tuesday and Thursday nights and games on Saturday mornings, and Sunday School and Church on Sunday mornings! Phew! Poor Madison just gets toted around or left at home! She actually started her own play date at church with little friends on Thursday mornings while Harrison's at the library. She's already VERY social! :)
Madison is talking and signing more and more each day. She said, “Momo” on September 6 while I was rocking her to sleep (she has a family tree of pictures hanging on the wall above her rocking chair). My mom was thrilled!! ;) Madison’s next word was “Uh Oh” on September 9 ~ she said that when she pushed a button while playing with the remote and it changed the channel. Now she says "Oh" ALL the time! It's so cute! :) She also said, “milk” on September 13 while I was getting her milk before bedtime. And said "Maw Maw" and "D'Da" for D'Dad on September 20 while I was rocking her and she was looking at pictures on her wall. She also said, "Papa" on September 28 so now she's got all the grandparents covered! She's talking so much these days! I *love love love* to hear her sweet little voice!
Madison is also signing many new signs this month. Her new signs are “rain” (fingers moving down like rain), “horse” (hands up and down like she’s holding reins), “diaper” (pats her diaper when she needs one), “mowing” (moves her hands back and forth like she’s push mowing), “please” (clasps her hands together to ask for something—this one is soooo sweet ~ my favorite sign!!), “baby” (hands clasped back and forth like she’s rocking a baby), "cat" (hands to face like whiskers) and "pig" (finger to nose). I LOVE baby sign language because it cuts out ALL communication frustration! I always know what Madison's trying to tell me ~ and that makes BOTH of us happy!! :)
- Harrison's First Flag Football Game
Harrison started flag football this month. His team, the Red Rockets, won their first game. It was so much fun to see 4, 5 and 6 year olds play flag football. For Harrison it was more of a social occasion. He laughed and talked during the entire game and had a great time...which is exactly what they should be doing at this age! They are adorable to watch out there on the field! :)
The slideshow is playing to Harrison's new favorite song, "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. He LOVES this song and can sing most of the words! :)
- Harrison, Madison and Asher at Canadian Bridge
Janie and I took Harrison, Madison and Asher to the Canadian Bridge and she took some pictures of them playing. Got some cute ones of my sweet kiddos and Dustin and Amy's son, Asher.
- Madison and Mom at Canadian Bridge
- Family Portraits 2009
Janie came to Canadian to take our family portraits in our front yard on September 10. Brian wanted to frame a family portrait and hang it on the fireplace at our new funeral home. We lucked out because it was a beautiful partly cloudy day with no wind!
- Canadian Funeral Home
We finally finished our new Canadian funeral home location after the other one was destroyed in a fire in December of 2008. The 6,000 square foot building used to be the Dollar Store and was the Lowe's Pay 'N Save grocery store when I was a kid. Brian is really enjoying the new location ~ more room to work and more parking! We are SO glad to be moved into the new place. Brian about killed himself driving the 80 miles back and forth between Canadian and Memphis...sometimes up to 5 days a week! Those were a LONG and scattered 8 months for us! We are glad to finally be settled and open for business!!!
- August 2009
Madison's newest thrill is riding in the Polaris Ranger RZR with Harrison! We were outside one day and she was riding her pink car and he was riding his RZR and she kept fussing to get in. She would fuss and flop her leg over trying to get in! So I put her in and buckled her seatbelt and told Harrison to go slow (since it goes 7 mph) and walked beside them. Madison held on to the handlebars and squealed and laughed the whole time! She absolutely LOVED it! Harrison was as gentle as can be with her in there! He is such a sweet, protective big brother!! After a little while Madison got tired of going slow and started shaking back and forth ~ she wanted to pick up the pace and RIDE! Now Harrison rides full speed with her, although he is very careful on the corners...and Mom lets him know when he needs to slow down a bit! :) Now every time we go outside Madison heads straight for the RZR wanting a ride with her bubby!
Madison is learning more and more signs every day and is now showing us her nose and her tongue when we ask! :) She always points to my nose and then touches her own nose while I'm rocking her for naps and bedtime. I read this is the beginning of her learning that she's a separate entity from me ~ even though I don't want her learning that yet!!! :*( She is using over 20 signs as of this month ~ which is excellent for this age!!! She's such a smart girl! :)
I also included pictures of Madison eating ~ which resulted in bath time pictures!!! :) She is such a messy eater, but I let her feed herself because she is SO independent. She really enjoys her bath time and play time afterwards. She LOVES to play "peek~a~boo" and other games from inside her bed after her bath! I gave her whole strawberries for the first time this month and she looked hilarious eating them! She had strawberry juice running down both arms and her tummy and just stared at the juice as it dripped to the ground. :) Madison LOVES strawberries!!!
I also took some pictures of Harrison doing puzzles...he's always got a puzzle out! He loves them!! I also got some pictures of Madison after she got a hold of one of Harrison's markers. I guess she didn't read Harrison's sign on the playroom door that says, "No Babies Messin' With the Markers!" ;)
- Harrison's Adventures with D'Dad
Brian had a funeral in Memphis on August 29. Harrison rode with him so he could see Maw Maw and D'Dad. Harrison had quite a day! He rode the Spider Sprayer with D'Dad and then played in the creek by Wellington. He had such a fun day with Maw Maw and D'Dad! He came home telling us all about his adventures! :) I love that both sets of grandparents are close enough for him to spend time with them. He is making precious memories! I CHERISH the time I spent with my grandparents!
- Wonderland
We went on our annual Wonderland trip with D'Dad, Maw Maw, Sheaylan and her friend Jaycee, Micha, Hattie and Libbie on August 16, D'Dad's 63rd birthday! We all had a wonderful time!! Madison made her first trip to Wonderland and absolutely LOVED it!! She squealed and laughed on the rides, but threw a FIT when the ride stopped and she had to get off! Not just once, but after EVERY ride!!! :P She rode the carousel, the boats and the cars--numerous times! The boats were by far her favorite. She would have ridden them for hours if they hadn't stopped!! Hattie and Libbie were such sweet cousins to ride with her and hold her tight! Harrison also had a blast! He LOVED being with his Maw Maw and D'Dad and all his cousins and riding all the rides. As cautious as he is, he LOVES fast rides and roller coasters! Some of the kiddos' favorites were The Frog Hopper, The Rainbow, The Scrambler, The Log Ride, Himalaya, the bumper cars and the roller coasters. Harrison said his favorite was the roller coaster. It was so much fun seeing all the kids smile and laugh and have a blast together! Thanks, Maw Maw and D'Dad, for a *GREAT* time! :) Can't wait until next year. I KNOW Madison is looking forward to it...and Harrison too! ;)
- Madison's One Year Portraits
We took Madison's one year portraits while we were in Memphis. We took some of her wearing her pink and chocolate brown birthday pettiskirt, cupcake tank and matching headband, a pink monogrammed "M" onesie with zebra Baby Legs, and matching headband (of course!) and her red, white and blue tutu with "Miss July" onesie. They turned out super cute! I absolutely ADORE this girl! She is quite an entertainer...as you can very well see in these pictures!!! :)
We used several balloons with these pictures and Madison said "ba-oon" while reaching for a balloon that day! We were SOOO proud of her! :)
- July-August: Madison's 12th Month
Madison weighed 25 pounds, 15 ounces and was 31 3/4 inches at her one year appointment. She is the height of an 18 month old and the weight of a 21 month old, but the doctor told us her weight and height are perfectly correlated ~ she is just a big baby!! Harrison was always off the charts, even more so than Madison. He weighed 28 pounds and was 32 3/4 inches at one year!
Madison is getting teeth left and right this month! She got her two bottom right molars the week of her first birthday and then got her upper right eye tooth the next week. The week after that the rest of her molars all started coming in at once (top right and left molars and bottom left molars). Harrison's all came in at once, too. She has had a fussy day or two, but nothing like you expect when a baby gets 6 or more molars at once!!! She is such a good baby!
Harrison is LOVING Madison's ability to run and play with him! They love to chase each other around the house ~ and Momma loves to hear their squeals and giggles! :) They play really well together, except for the occasional squabble over wanting the same toy...even though there are millions to choose from in the play room! :P Madison is obsessed with Baby First TV (a channel we subscribe to on DirecTV)! She walks into a room, grabs the remote and brings it to me saying, "da-da" (baby) relentlessly until I turn it on!! She doesn't really watch it that often, but loves the music and sound in the background. Harrison is always asking, "Can we watch Big Boy TV now?!?!?!?"
She is also communicating VERY well this month. The week after her birthday she signed "fish" (mouth open and close like a fish) and "train" (pulling the horn--she even does the "whoo whoo" sound of the train sometimes!) She is ALWAYS talking while walking around the house and playing. She enjoys hearing herself make baby noises and words ~ and we enjoy it too! :) Later in the month she signed "bug" (rub index and thumb together). I'm surprised her sign for "bug" wasn't running away and screaming like her Momma does! ;) She also signed "all gone" (shaking palm down), "frog" (sticking tongue out) and "ouchie" and "yucky" (both are shaking hand), "duck" (she imitates "quack, quack, quack" with her mouth and opens and closes her hand like a duck's bill) and "toothbrush" (imitate brushing with fingers).
Madison is still a WONDERFUL sleeper, taking 2 naps that are around an hour to two hours each (we are lucky, I know) and still goes to bed around 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. and sleeps all night until 7:30 or 8:00 or later the next morning (VERY lucky!!!!) She also eats just about anything. She absolutely LOVES tomatoes (with Ranch, of course!) and guacamole--she eats it by the spoonfuls!! Some of her other favorites are mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, spaghetti, chocolate pudding, macaroni and cheese, ham, sausage, grapes, strawberries, cheese cubes, rice, and tacos.
Madison has had her share of head ouchies this month. :*( She fell and hit her head on the corner the column the night of her birthday that resulted in a scratch and bruise on her forehead. Later in the month Harrison swung open the door ~ not knowing Madison was on the other side and gave her a whammy of a knot on her forehead! None of them have been serious and I think they've hurt Momma more than Madison!
We CANNOT believe Madison is already over a year old! This year has absolutely flown and we have enjoyed every single minute of it!
Didn't realize I took so many bath pictures this month....but I had so many other pictures for August that I created an "August 2009" album. Speaking of bath pictures ~ Harrison is growing up so fast! He has become SO modest in the last month or two! I didn't realize he was being so modest in the bath until I started really looking and captioning these pictures. It's shocking to look back and realize how much he's grown and changed this summer!!!
- July Portraits
We went to Memphis to take some pictures in Madison's red, white and blue tutu and Harrison and Madison's matching July outfits with Janie's adorable star backdrop. Got some really cute ones of the kiddos together and of our Little Miss Independent! :)
- Madison's First Birthday
We had so much fun at Madison's first birthday party! Momo, Papa, Maw Maw, D'Dad, Meme, Dustin, Amy, Asher, Ansley, Sheaylan and her friend Jaycee were able to celebrate with us this year. GG was sick so she and Aunt Lynn weren't able to come and Jason and Micha's family had other plans and weren't able to come. Madison looked precious at her party. She wore a pink and chocolate brown pettiskirt and a tank with a cupcake on it. She also had a matching bow and birthday hat. She looked ADORABLE walking around in that pettiskirt!! Madison's party was a Princess theme (what else?!?!?!?) and I had soooo much fun decking the house out in PRINCESS PINK!! While I was decorating I thought to myself, "I'm so glad God didn't listen to me and gave me a daughter!" I always thought I wanted all boys, but I CANNOT imagine my life without her!!! What was I thinking?!?!? She is a precious doll and I can't believe her first year is already behind us. It has been the absolute EASIEST year with a new baby! She is an angel, a DREAM baby! She has always eaten and slept so well, her temperament is amazingly laid-back and she's always so content! Like Momo and Papa say, "She just LOOKS for things to smile and laugh about!" We're just hoping she's not saving all her mischief for later in life! ;)
Her party was so much fun! We had a delicious lunch of Chick-fil-A nuggets, wraps, sandwiches, vegetables with ranch and fruit. The kids (okay, AND ME!) LOVE Chick-fil-A so that was a hit! After the Birthday Princess had her rest we ate her DELICIOUS cake and ice cream and watched Madison demolish her own cake (the top portion of the cake was for her). She was quite a ham!! She didn't eat much, but made a HUGE mess of that pink and brown icing! Good call on the white cake instead of the chocolate! :) She grabbed handfuls and squished it between her fingers and giggled and smiled and laughed! She LOVES all eyes on her! :) After giving her a "sink bath" (she gets one after almost every meal), we watched her open gifts. She got some really neat gifts for her first birthday. Her favorite BY FAR was a Fisher Price Princess Cozy Coupe car that we got her. She got in it and WOULD NOT get out!!! We kept trying to get her out, but she would not have it! She spent the remainder of the party in that car...and has been in it ever since! :) She can open and close the door so she absolutely LOVES getting in and out of it! Papa called the other day and asked if Madison had been to Alexander's to get a coke in her new car! :)
I know there are a TON of pictures, but this album is a compilation of mine and Janie's pictures. :)
- June-July: Madison's 11th Month
This has been a BUSY month with Hurricane Madison blowing full force! :) She is not only walking, but RUNNING now! It happened within a period of two days....she was standing up and taking a few steps one day and then the next she was walking everywhere!!! It is unbelievable how fast it happened!! Now she even claps and dances when she walks! She's got to keep up with her Bubby!!! :) Harrison LOVES that she is walking around everywhere now and playing with him...although sometimes he forgets how little she is and rough-houses with her a bit too much for my liking! Most of the time she just giggles and lets him do whatever, but she's VERY vocal if she doesn't like it! That usually stops Harrison right in his tracks!! This Missy is smart and knows how to get what she wants!!!! :)
Madison has really changed this month. She recently got her two bottom right molars and her hair is really growing and lightening in color. She may be a blond yet! Brian was VERY blond-headed until about 8th grade when his hair darkened to the color it is now. I'm sure that's how Madison will be. She is a VERY beautiful and happy baby! She has developed SOOOOO much personality and she's very social!! She's completely different from Harrison in that she LOVES being in the spotlight and the center of attention and he HATES it!! Watch out Broadway, here comes Madison! :)
Madison has learned two more signs this month. She is now signing "phone" (hand up to ear) when the phone rings and "hot" (shaking her hand) on top of the other 7 signs she is doing (lights, water, night night, pacifier, bird, bye bye, car). Pretty impressive!! :) She still says "Momma, Daddy, Bub Bub and baby" but is quite vocal and "talks" all the time--especially while playing and eating! Her poor future elementary school teachers...they'll NEVER get her quiet in class! :)
We are enjoying our days at home swimming and playing and learning. There are no dull days around the Hughs household--and I wouldn't want it any other way!! :) I'm savoring every moment of my sweet kiddos at these precious stages in their lives. If only I could slow the hands of time!!!!
- July 4, 2009
We had a wonderful July 4th this year. Harrison was in the parade this year riding with one of his heroes and our neighbor, Sheriff Gary Henderson. He had a BLAST!!! Last year Gary told Harrison, "When you get a little older, you can ride with me in the parade" and Harrison remembered! We were talking about the parade last month and Harrison announced, "Momma, I'm riding in the parade with Gary this year!" Kids remember everything!! He had so much fun leading the parade and throwing TONS of candy! Gary said he was hesitant at first, but soon began throwing double-handfuls of candy. :) It was fun to see him in the parade, but I missed watching him watch the parade and catch candy. :( Madison looked SO cute at the parade. She wore a red, white and blue tutu and a tank that said, "Miss Independent". She was absolutely adorable! Momo and Papa came to watch Harrison in the parade and Madison enjoyed the parade--except for the sirens. After the sirens went off she just sat with Momo and Papa and watched the parade quietly and waved to everyone passing by. She's definitely our social butterfly!
After the parade we grilled hot dogs for lunch and swam and Brian and Harrison served watermelon that afternoon. We went to the Henderson's for a cookout that night and then on to the rodeo, fireworks and "Bomb Squad" performance. Momo kept Madison at the house because she goes to bed so early and Papa went to the rodeo with us. Thanks to some good friends we sat in box seats for the rodeo, fireworks and Bomb Squad. We had front row seats and it was perfect! Harrison LOVED the Bomb Squad again this year (jumps, flips and tricks on ATVs--they even jumped a RZR this year!). We bought Harrison a t-shirt and they autographed it for him. He was so proud of it that he put it on that very moment! It was a loooooong day, but we had so much fun!!!
- May-June: Madison's 10th Month
This month was a BIG month for Miss Madison....she took her first steps on June 2. This has also been a *BUSY* month for her....first crawling and walking while holding onto furniture, occasionally letting go to reach for me, then standing by herself on May 31...the next day she was standing alone and picking up objects and the next day she was taking steps! She can take 6-10 steps at a time now, although she's figured out that she's MUCH faster crawling than walking. She seriously crawls at warp speed! I've NEVER seen a baby crawl as fast as she does!!! My baby's growing up! :*(
Hurricane Madison has officially hit the Hughs home this month! She is like a whirlwind...first the toilet paper, then the candy drawer, then the Wii games, back to the toilet paper, then to the pantry, then to my bathroom cabinets....you catch my drift?!?! :) I just chase after her cleaning up messes all day long, but I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING in the world!!!
Madison also got her first visible ouchie this month. Nothing major...she was just trying to combine her two favorite pastimes--eating and walking! :) She was walking to me in the play room with a stick pretzel (Harrison is ALWAYS eating pretzels--she likes to suck the salt off) and she missed the chair she was reaching for and landed face down (nose down, actually) on the pretzel! :( She didn't cry long, but it did break the skin on her nose. I bet that salt didn't feel good in the wound either!! I'm sure there will be MANY more ouchies in the future....let's just pray that it's nothing ER worthy!!
Madison continues to be VERY vocal and is saying "Da Da", "Momma", "Bub Bub" and "dada" (she says this for baby, but always uses a sweet, high-pitched voice when she says it)! She LOVES her babies! She has several baby dolls and she loves them, pats them, rocks them and kisses them all day long! She is so nurturing and motherly already! It's absolutely precious!! She is also using several signs this month..."lights" (fingers blink in and out), "bird" (she flaps her arms like bird wings and says "bbbbb"), "water" (like washing hands) "night night" (hand on face), "pacifier" (pushes her fingers to her mouth), "car" ("bbbbb") and "bye bye" (waving). She even put two signs together this month. When we drain the bath water I always say, "bye bye, water." One night when the water was draining she waved for "bye bye" and then did her sign for "water". I was very impressed! What a smart girl! :)
Madison is a very social baby and loves to play games with passer-bys! She ALWAYS offers strangers whatever she has in her hands (she shares very well!) but usually offers them her paci since that's all she ever hangs onto! :) Some people just look at me, but she INSISTS they take it--even if just for a second and then give it back. It's very satisfying for her when they say "thank you" and then give it back. It's like she's saying, "That's exactly what I wanted!" She's so funny! :) She's LOVED to play games with her paci since early on. At about 4 or 5 months I started grabbing the pacifier out of her mouth with my mouth (from the back) and she thought that was absolutely hilarious...and she still does!! When she's wanting to stall her nap while I'm rocking her she tries to shove the paci in my mouth and play games. Of course, I can hardly refuse because it results in squishy face and baby belly laughter! :) She is quite the entertainer and I'm the perfect audience because I hang on her every word, look and smile! She's got us wrapped around her precious princess finger!
Harrison continues to grow and change and he amazes me daily! He is the sweetest big brother EVER!!!! Madison is sooooo lucky to have him looking out for her! Every morning when Harrison and Madison wake up they make a bee-line for each other and just cuddle for a while. It is absolutely adorable!! It's my very favorite part of the day...my heart just melts watching them! It's as if they've REALLY missed each other during the night. Harrison is LOVING that Madison is walking and enjoys playing with her....although she has definitely learned her way around the playroom and leaves NOTHING untouched!!!! :) I am so extremely blessed with happy, healthy kiddos. Even crazy days at home of laundry, cooking, 40,000 "Momma's" and cleaning up messes all day are blessings to me! I am such a lucky Momma! :)
- Madison's 10 Month Portraits
- Go Red Raiders!
My Texas Tech football star, Harrison, at age 4 and my Texas Tech head cheerleader, Madison, at 10 months. Never have I seen red and black look so cute!! :) I even put the Texas Tech University Fight Song, "Fight Raiders, Fight" on the slideshow. Wreck 'em Tech!!!
- Vacation Bible School
I had the opportunity to teach third and fourth graders at VBS this week at our church, First Baptist in Canadian. The theme was "The Boomerang Express" so all the teachers dressed up like Australian Outback Guides all week. It was so much fun! We recently got a new pastor, Paul Stohler, in March 2009 and he is absolutely amazing!!! He is young (I think he's even younger than me!) and funny and energetic....EXACTLY what our church needed! He is an absolute answered prayer!!! We had an AMAZING turn-out for VBS this year....80+ on Monday, 95 on Tuesday, 97 on Wednesday, 80+ on Thursday and 88 on Friday--and that was with basketball camp and baseball games going on all week! It was incredible! Harrison's class alone (ages 3, Pre-K and K) averaged around 40+ kiddos every day! Harrison LOVED VBS!!! We were out of town last year so this was the first year he was able to attend. He came home every day with stories about God and Jesus---several times making Mom cry with his sweetness and innocence! One day in the shower he looked up at me and said, "Momma, you know what?!?!? Jesus walked on water!" :) We've read all those stories at home, but there's just something different about learning them from someone else and in a different environment. He woke up at 6:45 a.m. every morning ready to go to VBS. And told me on the last day of VBS, "Momma, I'm sad! This is my LAST day of VBS!!" He especially loved "Crazy Hair Day"! :) Brother Paul agreed to become a chicken (with syrup and feathers) on Family Night if we had 100 kiddos in attendance....97 was close enough for us! So Brother Paul became a chicken on Thursday night and the kids went crazy!!! It was an awesome experience teaching, singing and worshipping with those precious kids! Harrison and I are still singing VBS songs around the house all day. :) I didn't get any pictures of Harrison performing on Family Night because I was recording it. I'll try to attach the video of Harrison's class singing "The Shark Song" if I can figure it out. It was an incredible week!
I am putting the song, "Little Boy on His Knees" on the slideshow. It's a song that makes me cry every time I hear it!! It's a pretty serious song for this slideshow (with the big chicken and all) :) but I saw a big change in Harrison this week after attending VBS. One night after I put Madison to sleep I went outside to play with Harrison while Brian was mowing. He was lying on his back on the driveway with all his toys around him and I heard him say, "God? God? What are you doing, God?" (He asks God that question a lot--usually he thinks he's hopping around on the clouds!) :) I laid down next to him and said, "What do you think God's doing? Do you think He's looking down on us and smiling and keeping us safe?" Harrison replied, "No, (and paused for a few seconds) I think He's playing checkers with Papa Joe!" :) PRICELESS!!!!! It is so awesome to see Harrison developing a relationship and grasping the concept of God...even if He does just sit around all day playing checkers with Papa Joe! :)
- Madison's First Steps
Madison took her first steps on June 2, 2009 when we were at Momo and Papa's house celebrating GG's birthday. She was one week shy of 11 months. GG couldn't have asked for a better 81st birthday present than to witness her great-granddaughter take her first steps! :) Madison started standing on her own only 2 days before she took her first steps. It didn't take her long to figure that out!! We were eating a nice dinner out on the patio for Dad and GG's birthdays and Madison stood on her own and just started walking....taking 3 or 4 steps at a time. She saw the excitement in our faces and heard our claps and cheers, so she tried it over and over. She was so proud of herself! :)
I don't know why my kiddos insist on taking their first steps away from home when I don't have my camera or video camera! Harrison took his first steps in Memphis at Maw Maw and D'Dad's (he was after a Diet Coke!) and now Madison's first steps were at Mom and Dad's in Amarillo. Thankfully, Mom had her camera close by so I caught a few shots of my walking princess! I can't believe she's old enough to walk!! Where has this year gone?!?!?
- Mother's Day 2009
Harrison was the absolute sweetest to me on Mother's Day this year. His future wife is going to be *SPOILED* if he continues to be this sweet!!! He told me, "Momma, tomorrow is Mother's Day. I'm going to make you Father Bear's Famous Flying Flapjacks (from the show 'Little Bear') but you stay in bed and I'll come get you when they're ready! :) He also picked me two flowers and brought one to my room and said, "I'll keep the other one in my room so you can remember me!" Too cute!! Brian, Harrison and Madison also sent me the most beautiful bouquet of TWO DOZEN hot pink roses! I am one lucky Mom! We enjoyed a wonderful day together. I absolutely love being a Mom! Harrison always tells me, "First you were a little girl (he says "grill") :) and then you grew bigger and bigger and you were a teacher and now you are a Mom and that's your favorite job of all!" And he's right!!!!! :)
- April-May: Madison's 9th Month
We took Madison to her 9 month appointment on April 7. She weighed 21 pounds, 9 ounces and was 28 1/4 inches long. Dr. Maaytah told us she is the height and weight of a 15 month old...in the 90th percentile!!! At least her height and weight correlate! :)
Madison is as busy as ever this month! She's crawling at warp speed and is walking around furniture with ease. She is also walking holding onto my hands and letting go from furniture to reach for me. She also stands by herself for several seconds at a time. Madison FINALLY said "Mama" this month...which is music to my ears! I melt every time she says it!! :) I have started baby sign language with Madison like I used with Harrison and I taught her to smack when she's hungry. She's been doing it the past couple months when she see's her cup, but this month it has really increased. Either she's learning that I feed her when she smacks or she's hungry ALL THE TIME!! :) If I open the pantry, she starts smacking and if she see's someone eating she smacks like crazy! The hardest smacks take place when she see's us drinking a coke because she desperately wants a drink! :) She LOVES our Diet Dr. Pepper's! Her smacking is hilarious!
Madison experienced a few "firsts" this month. We opened the swimming pool this month and let her splash around one day in her clothes (not really thinking she'd want to get wet) and she dove right in like a little fish! I thought she would be timid at first, but she actually started smacking when we opened the pool...I guess she thought it was a big drink of water! :) It was a warm day, but not warm enough to swim (Harrison was in the country with Momo and Papa) so we just sat down by the pool to let Madison put her feet in. Her feet weren't the only thing in the water after a few minutes. She wanted to sit down and splash around in her clothes--so we let her. She had a blast! She's going to have a GREAT summer!! We also put the swing up on the patio that we used for Harrison and she laughed the whole time she was swinging...until she got relaxed and sleepy. :) Harrison loves to swing Sis--although he always thinks she wants to go "super high!" :) Madison is definitely an outdoorsy girl. She fusses or cries EVERY time we bring her inside!
We are so blessed with our precious angel. She is a good eater, great sleeper and just an all-around happy, content baby. Every day I look at my precious kiddos and thank God that He's given me healthy, beautiful, happy children. They are the loves of my life!!!
- Boom A Ring Circus
We took Harrison to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Amarillo on Friday, April 17. Since the circus didn't start until 7 p.m. (Madison's already asleep by then), Janie was sweet enough to come to Canadian and keep her so we could spend the evening with Harrison. We had so much fun! We enjoyed dinner together and then went to the circus. We had front row seats and the view was amazing! One time the clowns dumped a whole bucket of paper confetti (acted like it was water) on us. Harrison thought that was absolutely hilarious! He and the other kiddos around us enjoyed playing with that paper confetti the rest of the evening! They had six white tigers that were absolutely beautiful, three elephants, a dog show, a man in a spinning ring, archery, juggling, a motorcycle ring, bicycle tricks, and many other performances. My favorite part of the circus was watching Harrison's expressions! :) He laughed at the clowns and his jaw dropped in amazement at a few of the performances. Our pictures didn't turn out great because of the bright lighting and rapid movements (okay, could have been the photographers, too!), but we made wonderful memories! Can't wait until Madison is old enough to join us!! I actually found Circus Band music to use for the slideshow.
- Bluebonnets
Janie took some pictures of Harrison and Madison in a patch of bluebonnets while we were taking Easter pictures in Memphis. They turned out so cute! I absolutely LOVE bluebonnets and my sweet kiddos sitting in them make them even better! :) Madison even tasted a bluebonnet!! She puts everything in her mouth! :)
- Harrison's Golf Portraits
Maw Maw took Harrison to the Memphis Golf Course and let him golf while she took some pictures in the new golf outfit she got him. He had fun showing off his golf skills! :) She did a "Sports Illustrated" cover with him that is adorable! The slideshow is playing to a song about Tiger Woods, "Born for the PGA". You should see Harrison dance to it! :)
- Madison's 8 Month Portraits
Janie took Madison's 8 month portraits the same day we took Easter pictures. Madison was pretty tired by the time we got to her 8 month portraits, but she still worked the camera! :) We used a bubble machine with some of the pictures and Madison was hilarious trying to clap and pop the bubbles. She absolutely LOVES bubbles!! She doesn't sit still very long these days, but it's fun to get some action shots of her crawling and standing. I love this age...every stage just gets better and better!! :)
- Easter Portraits 2009
Janie took Easter portraits in Memphis this year of Harrison and Madison. One of Janie's friends has a pet rabbit, Velvet, and she was sweet enough to let Harrison and Madison take some Easter pictures with her. Velvet did really well. Harrison thought she was hilarious! Madison, not so much! (She doesn't like my parents' cat either!) She was fine until she realized Velvet was real! :) She warmed up to her once and even touched her, but once Velvet moved an inch Madison turned on the waterworks! :) Velvet made some really cute Easter pictures with the kids! We also took pictures of Madison wearing her pink Easter TuTu with a fluffy tail and bunny ears. :) She made the cutest bunny I've ever seen!!!
- March-April: Madison's 8th Month
Madison is even busier this month at 8 months! She is crawling faster than ever and has become a pro at getting herself up and down and all around! She LOVES to explore inside the kitchen and bathroom drawers. She has especially enjoyed her discovery of Harrison's "Candy Drawer" and we've caught her a time or two with a sweet little something in her baby mouth!! We take it out and she just smiles from ear to ear! :) She is getting into everything and leaving nothing untouched in her path of curiousness!
I am also seeing her develop problem-solving skills as she works herself around the house and discovers new things everyday. I have a few pictures of her problem-solving in her 8 month album. We were in her room and she was playing with a (clean) diaper after I changed her. I started walking out of the room (she always follows me) and she kept looking at her hands--one and then the other--trying to decide how she was going to carry the diaper and crawl at the same time. Finally, she stuffed the diaper in her mouth and took off after me! (so of course I grabbed the camera!) :)
Her looks are really changing and I'm REALLY starting to see how much she looks like Harrison again...and others think she is looking like Mommy! :) Madison is developing quite a personality! She LOVES to clap along and do the motions of "Pat-a-Cake"! She is also VERY vocal, but what girl isn't?!? :) She "talks" all day and "Da Da" is still her favorite word, but I'm trying my best to get her to say "Momma"!! She'll say, "da da da" and I'll say, "Momma" and she'll just giggle and smile. Harrison was listening to her the other day and said, "Momma, I can't believe Madison is really talking now!" Although it is mostly baby jibberish, it does sound more like talking now. :) Harrison thinks it's hilarious when she calls him "Da Da"! :)
Madison is the happiest baby ever! She squishes her nose and laughs all day long (mostly at big brother)! She is sleeping all night most nights from around 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. We are soooooo lucky!! She is eating mostly table food with some baby food still mixed in, but she's pretty much refusing all baby food and going for the real stuff...can't say that I blame her!! She loves mashed potatoes, rice, green beans, black eyed peas, ham, turkey, bread, cottage cheese, yogurt--you name it, she'll eat it! :) She has also gotten MUCH more hair this month...she'll be wearing bows soon! Yea!! :) Harrison still loves and kisses on her all day, although the "Madison pulled my hair", "Madison's got my truck", "Madison's trying to eat my snack" phase is beginning! And I'm sure that's exactly what it is--just the beginning! :)
My precious kiddos are growing and changing daily before my eyes. They continue to bless me in ways I've never known possible. Children truly are the greatest gift from God and I thank Him daily for my beautiful babies. They make me laugh and cry (tears of complete joy!) on a daily basis. I love to see life from their perspective and wish I could keep them at this age forever!!!
- Easter 2009
We had a really nice Easter at home this year. We dyed Easter eggs on Thursday and then had Egg & Spoon Races with them. Harrison had been begging to try the egg and spoon race after seeing it on the "Max and Ruby" Easter special. :) We drove to Memphis Friday for Easter pictures with a real bunny and got some really cute pictures of the kiddos. We had a relaxing day at home on Saturday--nap and all!! We made a delicious meal of ham, broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes, biscuits and crumb cake on Saturday. Madison fit right in the family by inhaling a HUGE bowl of broccoli casserole! That's my girl!! :) It rained on Saturday so we didn't hunt eggs, but we sure didn't complain about the rain! :) The Easter Bunny brought Harrison and Madison treats in their Easter baskets on Sunday morning. Harrison couldn't believe the Easter Bunny knew to put Cheerios in Madison's Easter eggs instead of candy! :) We had a nice church service on Sunday and hunted eggs that afternoon. It's been quite a while since we've had a relaxing weekend at home and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We certainly had a Happy Easter! :)
- March Snow
We had a blizzard roll in March 27, 2009 (it was 74 degrees the day before!) We actually accumulated 16 inches of snow (and HUGE drifts) in a two day period! We even had thunder snow--snow with lightning and thunder. Only in the Texas Panhandle! :) Harrison begged all day to get out and play in the snow, but it was really cold (in the 20's). We finally let him go out for a while and he tried to ride his new Polaris Ranger RZR, but couldn't get traction in the snow. Madison was squealing and grunting to go out with him, but it was MUCH too cold for her! Poor Sissy!! We took some pictures of the snow at our house and at the Canadian River Bridge. Harrison was born on March 16, 2005 in a snowstorm much like this one. Harrison said every time he looked out the window today, "Momma, I just can't believe it's snowing!" Neither could I! Weather around here can be so unpredictable!! The second section is pictures from the next day, March 28, after more snow and wind produced huge drifts around our house.
Even though it's officially Spring, I had to use the song, "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" for this slideshow. :)
- Harrison's 4th Birthday with Family
We had Harrison's 4th birthday party with family on Sunday, March 22. We ate a delicious lunch of brisket, sausage, loaded mashed potatoes, beans, salad, rolls and topped it off with cake and ice cream! Momo, Papa, Maw Maw, D'Dad, Dustin, Amy, Asher, GG and Aunt Lynnie were all able to make it to his party. Harrison and Asher had a blast riding the Ranger and jeep! We had a nice visit and enjoyed watching Harrison open gifts and watching Harrison, Asher and Madison play together. We also watched a personalized DVD of Harrison as Spiderman (his face was on a Spiderman body in a cartoon). :) Harrison and I had talked about making a wish when he blew out his birthday candles and he said, "I wish for....a construction site!" He'd been DYING for the Lego Construction Site with 188 pieces! He got the construction site from Dustin, Amy, Asher, Momo and Papa. We've been building Lego's every day since, but only when Madison is sleeping!!He also got a Diego Train Set from Momo and Papa that he talked about for weeks. He got two Nintendo DS games and bath toys from Maw Maw and D'Dad and we got him the Polaris Ranger RZR and an iPod Touch (so Mom can actually use her iPhone again!) :) Harrison had a wonderful birthday, but was worn out at the end of the day!!
- Harrison's 4th Birthday with Friends
Harrison wanted a Spiderman Birthday party for his 4th birthday this year. He LOVES superheroes! We had his friend party in our garage--which didn't make for a very pretty backdrop for the pictures--but the kids had so much fun! We ate pizza, drank Spidey juice and had a Spiderman cupcake cake--a cake made completely out of cupcakes (it turned out so good--and was delicious too!) We also decorated the tables with custom M&M's with Harrison's picture on them that said, "Happy Birthday" and "Harrison's 4!". We got Harrison a Polaris Ranger RZR for his birthday (it goes 7 mph in high gear--he LOVES it!) so we had all his friends bring their motorized vehicles (jeeps, 4-wheelers, etc..) and they rode on the lot behind our house. They had a blast! It was pretty chilly, but the kiddos didn't seem to mind! It was so much fun seeing them ride together and switch vehicles/drivers; although it does make me worry about this group turning 16!! :) One of Harrison's friends, Logan, came up to me and said, "This is AWESOME! This is the best day of my life!" It was SO CUTE! :) They all had a great time. I still can't believe Harrison is 4 years old!!
I used the Spiderman Theme Song for his birthday pictures. Harrison sings it ALL THE TIME...and I wonder why I can't get it out of my head!
- February-March: Madison's 7th Month
Madison is obviously VERY busy these days since I'm so late on updating her albums! This girl can MOVE!! :) I didn't take too many pictures this month because our camera bit the dust (I'm sure it's not from over-use!) :) and we were waiting on our new one to arrive.
Madison has changed so much in just a few short weeks. She is already into everything! She especially enjoys opening all the drawers in the kitchen and bathroom to see what treasures she can discover. She is also standing up to open the second set of drawers--makes Mommy a nervous wreck!!! She is clapping (LOVES Pat-a-Cake), waving "bye bye" and smiling and laughing all the time...especially at Harrison! She is crawling at the speed of light and LOVES to make her way to the fireplace to play in the rocks--one of Harrison's favorite pastimes at this age. Madison sat herself up right after her six month appointment. She's learning how to get herself down from standing position, but usually stands there awhile and contemplates what she should do...usually landing with a "thud" on her baby bottom! :) Madison also started cruising on furniture this month. She mainly walks around the recliners and ottomans in our TV room--mostly when Harrison is eating a snack in the chair. She is quite the eater!! She is eating mainly baby food (she'll eat just about anything I put in front of her) and I've also added some finger foods like green beans, ham, bread, rice, Cheerios and baby finger food snacks. No teeth this month, but she's certainly using the 8 she's got! :) She weaned herself halfway through this month (NOT something I was familiar with after feeding Harrison over a year!) but I started her on formula with a sippy cup and she's never looked back! Madison is so much fun and I cannot imagine life without her. She definitely keeps Mommy on her toes! :) Every month just keeps getting better and better.
- Bubby & Sissy Bath Time
We FINALLY moved Madison into her big bathtub...she was coming out both ends of the other one! :) Harrison wanted to get in the bath with Madison when he saw her big bathtub. They had soooo much fun splashing around and playing together--and we've since started a new tradition! :) It was so sweet seeing them play together. Madison laughed at everything Harrison did (and Harrison loved every minute of it)!! Now they both look forward to bath time together! :)
- Madison's 7 Month Portraits
Janie drove to Canadian to take Madison's seven month portraits and some family pictures. We are sooooo lucky to have our own personal traveling photographer!! :) I just put Madison down for a nap in between "sessions". It's so nice, not to mention we save a TON of money! Janie can also do several effects to the pictures...I added some in this album. They are beautiful! Madison is quite photogenic and has fun with us singing, clapping and playing with her while we're snapping pictures. She especially loves Pat-a-Cake and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" these days. She is the sweetest!
- Family Pictures
Janie snapped some family pictures while she was here taking Madison's seven month portraits. It's harder than you think to try to get two kiddos to smile at the same time and keep their eyes open and not make silly faces (Harrison)!! :) But it was fun and she did get some really great shots. By the time Brian made it home from work for lunch the kids were ready to eat and not a bit interested in taking pictures...so we didn't get a shot of all of us together. I was exhausted by that point anyway! :) I'm sure there will be a next time! ;)
- Harrison and Papa's Adventures
Harrison has been out to the country with Momo and Papa a few times when they've been to Canadian this month and has been able to ride his 4-Wheeler (with a little help from Papa--Papa pulls him with his 4-Wheeler) and ride the Rangers and tractors with Papa. He LOVES exploring in the country with Papa!
- January-February: Madison's Sixth Month
Madison is getting so big! She weighed 18 pounds and was 27 inches long at her six month appointment. She is the height and weight of a 9 month old at this point (in the 90th percentile). Harrison was always in the 99th percentile! He weighed 23 pounds and was 29 and 3/4 inches at six months. I just can't believe he was that big!! Glad my sweet Madison isn't THAT big!! :)
Madison is quite active these days. She can get anywhere she wants to with her little legs and arms. She loves to scoot across the room to see what Bubby's doing! :) She is not full-out crawling, but gets into crawling or push-up position and lunges and scoots across the room. (Madison started crawling--real crawling--on January 29! She's figured it out pretty quickly and my life is about to get much busier!!) She LOVES phones and remotes (just like Harrison did) and makes her way across the room to get them anytime they're in sight.
Madison got her fourth tooth (bottom right) on January 18 and got her top two front teeth on January 23. That makes six teeth for my six month old!!! This girl is ready for some REAL food! :) The top two teeth beside her front ones are coming in as of February 2....that makes 8 in 6 months!
Madison is ALWAYS happy and is making lots of sounds and noises these days. Harrison and I have been trying to get her to say, "Mama" but she loves to say "da-da-da-da" while she's playing. She better not say "Da Da" to him before "Mama"!! Although she does light up and flail with excitement when Daddy gets home from work! :) She's already got him wrapped around her tiny finger. (added a few days later: Okay, I think I'm going to have to admit that she's said "Da Da" before "Mama"--as much as I hate to! She says it all the time and now says it to Brian when he picks her up and holds her--and he doesn't let me forget it! So I'm working extra hard with her to say "Mama" next!) Madison is also a WONDERFUL sleeper. We put her to bed around 6:30 p.m. (sometimes earlier!) and she'll sleep anywhere from 4:00 to 7:00. When she wakes up I'll feed her and she'll go right back to sleep. She's amazing--and we're soooo lucky!! :)
Our newest favorite game is "chase". I'll carry Madison and we'll chase Harrison around the house. Madison will run like crazy with her little legs and laugh hysterically! Harrison loves it! It's absolutely hilarious!! :) Harrison's always saying, "I think Madison wants to chase me!" :) I am having so much fun with my sweet kiddos. My only complaint is that time is flying by WAY too fast! :( My days whiz by and I'm unable to slow them down. I just want them to stay little forever!!!!!
Madison's latest achievement is pulling up to her knees and today she actually pulled up to standing (twice) in her bed (February 5)!!! She is WAY too young to be doing this! My life is officially O-V-E-R!! :) She started pulling up on the rails in her bed to her knees and batting at her mobile. I was taking some pictures today as she was doing it and she pulled up to standing. Brian came home from work and I was telling him about it so he put her in her bed on her knees and she stood straight up immediately!!! Needless to say, we have lowered her bed all the way down! I just can't believe she's doing all of this before she's even seven months old.
- My Sweet Valentines
We drove to Memphis and Janie took some precious pictures of my SWEET Valentines. I was so excited to get some pictures of Harrison! We haven't been able to keep him still enough for pictures in a long time! :) Madison looked adorable in her Valentine pettiskirt, along with her assorted bows and hats. We had so much fun taking these pictures!
Madison is even on two websites after the companies saw pictures of her wearing their products. She is the new model for Posh Little Tutus and Pink Bowtique. You can view my little professional at:
http://www.poshlittletutus.com/category_19/Girls-Chiffon-PettiskirtsPetticoats.htm AND http://www.pinkbowtique.com/product_info.php?cPath=164&products_id=916.
- December-January: Madison's Fifth Month
Madison has changed so much this month. She is growing and changing more every day! She is now 5 months old. I can't believe it!! She has her two bottom teeth and is an eating machine! She has eaten green beans, sweet peas, squash, sweet potatoes and bananas. We've yet to find something she won't eat! :) I can't feed her fast enough! She's got that mouth wide open and ready for more by the time her spoon hits the jar! She squeals and flails her arms and legs around any time we're eating or drinking anything! Madison is also sitting up really well by herself. She is also grabbing her sweet little feet (as you can see in the pictures) when she's sitting or lying on her back! :) She is still such a wonderful baby. She is content anywhere we go and smiles all the time! She LOVES her bubby and laughs and squeals and runs a marathon with her little legs any time he enters the room. It's so sweet! The feeling is definitely mutual. Every morning when Madison wakes up Harrison hugs her and says, "This is my Miss Madison and nobody else's!" He likes to call her Miss Madison since I do! :) It's precious!! I am having so much fun with my sweet kiddos. Time is flying faster than usual and I am soaking up every minute of it!!
Madison got her THIRD tooth on January 1, 2009! It is beside her bottom left. This girl is getting ready for steak! :)
- Harlem Globetrotters
We saw the Harlem Globetrotters in Amarillo again this year. We had courtside seats and it was so much fun! They actually took my purse and made me go out on the court and dance and I had to give Big Easy a kiss on both cheeks. He then wanted a kiss on the lips and I pointed to Brian and said, "I have a husband!" He then went over to Brian and gave him a big smooch on the lips (with his hand over, of course!) :) It was fun and a little embarrassing! Big Easy gave me his wristband for being a good sport. They tried to take Harrison out onto the court, but he remembered them squirting water on him last year and he refused to go!!! He had a great time watching the game, but was really concerned about why Madison couldn't go with us! She stayed with Momo and Papa. He really missed her and we texted Momo several times during the game to check on her (so Harrison had to text Momo too!) She fell asleep almost immediately after we left so Momo and Papa didn't get much Madison time!! She is an amazing sleeper! Harrison loved their mascots (Globie, Mini Globie, Big G and Lil' G) again this year. He remembered things from last year's game that I didn't even remember! Skyscraper, a player on the team, was 7 foot, 3 inches tall!! We had never seen a man that tall. It was amazing. We had a blast at the game watching their amazing tricks and showmanship.
- Madison's 5 Month Portraits
Exie and Janie drove to Canadian (since they are finally finished stripping cotton) to see Harrison and Madison. While D'Dad and Harrison were enjoying each other's company at the ice cream shop, Maw Maw took some 5 month pictures of our PRECIOUS ANGEL!! These are by far my favorite pictures of Madison so far!! They are so very sweet. She truly is an angel! Along with the angel pictures are some of Madison in her zebra dress and her zebra high heels. Momo bought Madison her first pair of high heels! :) They are absolutely adorable!!!
We took Madison to her six month check-up on January 7. She weighed 18 pounds and was 27 inches long. She is the average height and weight of a 9 month old!! Harrison was always off the charts, too. He weighed 23 pounds and was 29 3/4 inches when he was six months old!!! Unbelievable to think he was that much bigger than Madison at this age and she is in the 90th percentile! Madison is doing great and changing everyday. She is sitting up really well on her own, rolling over both ways, rocking on her knees, scooting across the room and turning 360's on the carpet getting ready to crawl! She also has three teeth. Dr. Maaytah thought she would be getting her eye teeth soon because her gums were swollen. I'm going to miss that sweet gummy smile! :) I'm still in shock that my baby girl is six months old! Time is absolutely flying!!!
- Christmas in Memphis
We spent the day after Christmas in Memphis with D'Dad, Maw Maw and Sheaylan. Jason, Micha, Hattie and Libbie couldn't make it because Jason and Micha were sick. We missed them! We had a fun day eating a delicious meal and watching Harrison, Madison and Sheaylan open gifts. Maw Maw and D'Dad got all the grandkids a Nintendo DS. They were definitely a hit!!! Harrison also got some new Wii games and dinosaurs and many other wonderful gifts. Sheaylan loved all her new clothes and her new set of luggage. Madison did a really good job of sitting up by herself and opening her own gifts! She loved all her new toys and Mommy loved all her new adorable bows and dresses from Maw Maw! :) We had a great day!
- Christmas Morning
We had a wonderful Christmas morning at home this year. It was so much fun to watch the kids open gifts! Harrison was once again baffled that Santa ate his cookies and drank his chocolate milk. He said, "Momma, he ate all of they! How did he do that?!?!" :) Harrison got "Spike", a 2 foot dinosaur that walks and roars, a Batman cave and racetrack, a robot and some new Wii games. Madison got a jumper and an exersaucer for her first Christmas from Santa. Christmas was perfect this year!
We started a new tradition this year with an Elf on the Shelf. It is an elf that watches Harrison throughout the day and then flies back to the North Pole at night to report to Santa. Then he hides in a different place every morning so we had to go elf hunting when Harrison woke up each morning. Harrison named him "Nodee" (don't ask me where he came up with that name!) and he absolutely loved him! Nodee came with us wherever we went (he even made the trip to Durango so he could keep an eye on Harrison). Every night Harrison would say, "I'm going to miss Nodee!" but he would be somewhere in the house the next morning when Harrison woke up. I was a little worried about Nodee having to go to the North Pole with Santa after Christmas because Harrison was so attached, but Santa wrote Harrison a letter explaining that Nodee would come back next year. Now Harrison just says matter-of-factly, "Nodee went back to the North Pole with Santa until next year". It has been a wonderful Christmas tradition and I can't wait until Nodee shows up to surprise Harrison and Madison next year. Harrison even ate his vegetables a few times since Nodee was watching! :) I took some pictures of our beloved Nodee with Santa's milk and cookies.
- Bath Time
Madison recently started splashing like crazy in her bathtub at 5 months old! She likes to sit up in her bathtub and flail both arms up and down in the water. It's hilarious!! I also took some pictures of Harrison working with his Spiderman Bath Lab that Asher got him for Christmas. He had so much fun with it! He LOVES those goggles and now wears them in the shower! :) Harrison couldn't wait to use his Spiderman Bath Lab so he woke up the next morning and told me he needed a bath because he was dirty from sleeping! :) I also got some REALLY cute ones of Harrison and Madison after the bath.
- Christmas Eve
We spent Christmas Eve in Amarillo with my family this year. We ate a delicious meal prepared by Momo with Papa, Dustin, Amy, Asher, GG and Aunt Lynnie. We missed Papa Joe terribly, but were comforted in the fact that he had his best Christmas ever in heaven this year. We had a great time watching Harrison, Asher and Madison open their gifts. Madison can sure tear some paper for a 5 month old! :) They kids got some neat gifts this year. They loved their Handy Manny tools from Momo and Papa! Momo made the boys a picture book of our trip to Disney World. It was so neat!! Aunt Lynnie and Papa Joe diligently collected a book of all 50 state quarters for each of their 12 grandkids--they only finished last month! It was impressive and a very special gift!! That evening we went to a candlelit service at Mom, Dad, Amy and Dustin's church. It was absolutely beautiful! We had a wonderful Christmas Eve this year. Harrison and Asher loved to sing "Jingle Bells" this year so I used the Chipmunks version of the song for the slideshow.
- Christmas at the Lee's
We had an early Christmas at Bobby, Tina, Tyler and Patrick Lee's home in Lake Tanglewood. Unk, Georgia, Terry, Tiffany, Tyson, Branden, Jason, Micha, Hattie, Libbie and Janie were also there. We ate a wonderful meal and enjoyed watching the kids play and open gifts. Harrison had a blast playing the Wii with Tyler, Patrick, Tyson and Brandon. He even beat them at bowling and tennis and they are junior high and high school age! :) Uncle Jason and I even battled it out in tennis! It was a fun day!!
- Little House Christmas Party
Harrison's class at The Little House had a Polar Express themed Christmas party. It was perfect since we had just gotten back from riding the Polar Express in Durango. He had so much fun playing with his friends. They wore their pajamas (we bought Harrison some Polar Express pajamas at the train station in Durango) and watched the movie, ate treats, exchanged gifts, played and sang songs. It was so fun to watch him interact with his friends. They had a great time!! I used the theme song from The Polar Express for the slideshow.
- The Polar Express
Our trip to Durango, Colorado didn't turn out as planned with the fire at the funeral home in Canadian and the death of my Papa Joe, but Momo, Papa and Uncle Dustin rode The Polar Express with us anyway. It was nice to see a smile on Harrison's face and the wonder in his eyes as we rode the train to the North Pole to see Santa. They served cookies and hot chocolate and read The Polar Express on the train ride to the North Pole. When we got to the North Pole, Santa and his elves handed out bells to all the kids on the train (the first gift of Christmas--to those of you who are familiar with the movie!) :) We sang Christmas carols all the way home. Harrison loved it!! Uncle Dustin was sweet enough to take pictures...my hands were full with sweet Madison! :)
We were also able to get some pictures of Harrison and Madison in the snow at Wolf Creek Pass and the natural hot springs in Pagosa Springs on the way to Durango.
- Funeral Home Fire
Our funeral home in Canadian burned on December 11, 2008. We were in Durango, Colorado at the time--10 hours away. That's NOT a phone call you want to receive!! The Fire Marshall and insurance company deemed it a total loss. The cause of the fire was considered to be a coil in the heater and electrical issues. The building was built in 1904. We are now in the process of settling with insurance companies and rebuilding our funeral home. Just wanted you to see some pictures of the destruction. I can hardly look at them and have only been to the funeral home once since the fire. It just makes me sick!!!
The first half of the pictures were taken a few weeks after the fire. The second half of the pictures were taken by the editor of The Canadian Record during the fire.
- November-December: Madison's Fourth Month
Madison is doing great. She is an incredible baby! We have definitely been blessed with a content, sweet baby girl! She just eats, sleeps and "talks". She is getting SO vocal. I don't remember Harrison being this vocal. She will "talk" for minutes at a time. Her little voice is so sweet! I call her my little pterodactyl because of the sounds she makes...she almost shrieks at times! :)
Madison is growing so fast. She weighed 15 pounds 14 ounces and was 25.5 inches long at her four month appointment. Dr. Maaytah told us she was the weight of a six and a half month old and the height of a 7 month old! I can't believe she's already four months old! It seems like she was just born!
Madison started eating rice cereal this month and she loves it. She is a good little eater. I love getting pictures of her while she's laughing and eating in her chair. She loves to hold the spoon on her own, although she gags herself with it most of the time!! I think she is ready for real food. She studies us intently while we're eating and grabs for our food and drinks. She actually grabbed my cherry lime the other day and sipped a drink from my straw. She loved it!! She grabbed and grabbed for it until I had to put it out of view! I am having so much fun with a baby girl and Harrison still thinks the world of her. He sweet talks and kisses her all the time. :)
Madison got her first tooth on November 25 at 4 and a half months old. She never even fussed! She was chewing on my finger and I noticed her new tooth on the bottom right. Hopefully she'll teethe like Harrison. He got three or four at a time and we never even knew it until they came in!
Madison got her second tooth on December 6. I guess she is going to teethe like Harrison! We don't know she's getting a tooth until it's already in! What a blessing!!
- Thanksgiving 2008
We had a really nice Thanksgiving this year. We ate a delicious meal at The Big Texan in Amarillo and went over to Dustin and Amy's for dessert. We didn't take many pictures, but these were the last pictures we took of Papa Joe before he passed away on December 12, 2008. They are PRECIOUS pictures of Papa Joe and GG that we will treasure forever!! I am so thankful we were all able to spend Thanksgiving together.
- Gaylord Texan Resort
We drove to Dallas and spent a few days at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center on Grapevine Lake. Inside the Gaylord Texan is a 14,000 square foot "ICE!" exhibit featuring TWO MILLION pounds of hand carved ice sculptures by 40 artisans from Harbin, China. It is a CHILLY 9 degrees inside the exhibit, but they provide you with parkas before you enter. It was amazing!! This year's ICE! features Old Man Winter blowing snow, a winter forest with an ice skating pond, a life-size Santa's lap for kids to sit on, colorful Christmas ornaments, slides made of ice (Harrison's favorite!), candy land with sweet treats, a 25 foot angel, an amazing life-size nativity scene and more! Along with the ICE! exhibit, the resort has a 50 foot rotating Christmas tree, 7 foot ornaments suspended from the glass roof, a life-size gingerbread house made of actual gingerbread cookies, Santa's workshop, Santa and Mrs. Claus with live reindeer and 1.2 million Christmas lights. It was an unbelievable experience! We had so much fun...except for the fact that Madison came back with croup and the rest of us came home with sore throats and coughs! :( Maybe we stayed in the ICE! exhibit too long!! We are hoping to make the Lone Star Christmas at the Gaylord Texan an annual event for our family!
- Trip to Denver, Colorado
We flew to Denver for my cousin Sarah's wedding. It was a beautiful fall wedding and we had so much fun visiting with everyone! Along with Sarah and Peter's rehearsal dinner and wedding, we visited the Denver Downtown Aquarium, drove to the top of Lookout Mountain and saw Buffalo Bill's gravesite, climbed on Red Rocks and visited the Denver Zoo. We had a FULL four days! Harrison and Madison traveled like champs! Madison slept through most of her first trip to Denver!! :) Since there are so many pictures, I have divided them into sections: Denver Downtown Aquarium, Sarah and Peter's Rehearsal Dinner, Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill's Grave, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Sarah and Peter's Wedding and Denver Zoo.
- October-November: Madison's Third Month
Madison has grown so much this month. She weighed 15 pounds, 3 ounces at the beginning of her third month. She is already wearing 6-9 month clothes!! She is a super sweet, content baby who smiles all the time!! Harrison loves to make silly faces and sounds to make her laugh. :) Madison loves to watch her Bubby! We are enjoying her so much.
- Harrison's Halloween Parties
Harrison had two Halloween parties this year. He goes to the library every Thursday from 10:00 to 11:00 for Story Hour. They had a Halloween party this Thursday for Story Hour and the kids read "Fancy Nancy" and went trick-or-treating at the Courthouse across the street. Harrison had a great time playing with his friends and eating sweet treats. He also had a Halloween party at Rachel's Little House, where he attends pre-pre K on MWF from 8:30-11:30 (when Mom can part from him!!) :) He loves going and has a great time with his friends! They had so much fun seeing each other in costumes for Halloween.
- Halloween 2008
Janie took Harrison and Madison's pictures in their Halloween outfits when we were in Memphis. These were the first pictures of Harrison holding Madison and he did really good...although he acted silly in most of these pictures! :) Harrison and Madison also took pictures with Hattie and Libbie while they were in Memphis visiting. Hattie was Sharpay from High School Musical and Libbie was Bat Girl. They enjoyed seeing each other in their costumes! I played the song, "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas on the slideshow.
- Harrison as Batman
Harrison was Batman for Halloween this year. He's really into Super Heroes these days! He kept walking around saying, "I'm The Batman!!" :) He LOVED his retractable bat wings! I just had to use the original Batman theme song with this slideshow. Harrison has enjoyed watching it.
- Harrison Driving the Tractor with D'Dad
Harrison tagged along with D'Dad all over Memphis while we were taking pictures of Madison. He had so much fun that day! He LOVED driving the tractor with D'Dad. He felt like such a big boy--as you can see from these pictures!! He just waved and waved to us from the tractor. He also like playing in the dirt and picking cotton bowls. Harrison and D'Dad played at the farm, ate ice cream, went to the park, went for walks and had many other adventures that day. As you can tell from the dirt on his shirt, they had a good day together! They were both tired by the end of the day! :)
- Madison's 3 Month Portraits
Madison dressed up as a princess (what else?!?) for Halloween. She is the most beautiful princess I've ever seen!!! Janie took some pictures of our pretty princess when we were in Memphis for her three month portraits. We are wondering if she's getting teeth because she is constantly chewing and gnawing on her little hands. We could hardly keep them out of her mouth for these pictures!
- Halloween Carnival
We took Harrison to the annual YMCA Halloween Carnival in Canadian this year. He dressed up as Batman this year with retractable wings. He had a blast at the carnival and Madison slept the entire time!! They had most of the booths from last year and a few new ones. They had a football toss, a hockey booth, a cow-milking booth, pumpkin bowling, fishing for prizes, and many more. We didn't get very many pictures because our camera battery went dead! :( Harrison didn't want to go home. He kept saying, "Let's just get a FEW more tickets!" :) The slideshow is playing to the song, "Spooky, Scary Skeletons".
- Pumpkin Picking and Carving
Harrison had fun picking out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch this year. He also enjoyed cleaning out the "seeds and sea weed" from the pumpkins! :) I asked him what was inside a pumpkin and that was his response. :) Our jack-o-lanterns turned out good this year. I drew the images and Brian carved them. We made an "Oh No" pumpkin using Harrison's hands. It turned out really cute!! Our baby pumpkin enjoyed watching us clean out and carve the pumpkins...she just talked and giggled at us the whole time! :) Look at the last two pictures to see Harrison on the way home from the pumpkin patch. We got him a cookie decorated with pumpkin icing and we had had a long day in Amarillo...you'll see the result! :) I found an adorable song on iTunes called, "Punky Punkin, The Happy Pumpkin" to add to the slideshow. It's cheesy, but Brian and I have called Harrison "Punky" since he was born. It's a cute song about a pumpkin being a happy pumpkin because he's a jack-o-lantern instead of being a pumpkin pie! :)
- September-October: Madison's Second Month
Madison is changing every day. She weighed 12 pounds 12 ounces and was 23 inches long at her two month appointment. She is the size of a three and a half month old!! She is such a good baby and so much fun!! She started smiling at 5 weeks and smiles and laughs all the times now...especially at big brother! Harrison loves her so much! He has spent so much time around babies lately that he is now nursing and burping Batman and Spiderman! :) Madison is also rolling over any time we put her on her tummy. I think she is also trying to get some teeth! We are thoroughly enjoying our precious princess!
Madison's had a busy two months. She's been to the Oklahoma City Zoo, the Albuquerque Zoo and Aquarium and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! She's a WONDERFUL traveler!! She just goes with the flow. We couldn't ask for a better baby!
- Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
We went to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico last weekend. We went with Dustin, Amy and Asher. We had so much fun! We went to the Albuquerque Zoo and Aquarium on Friday. We woke up at 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning and drove 2 miles in 2 hours (due to the horrible traffic!) to see the hot air balloons ascend at sun-up. The balloons were amazing! Hot air balloons are a lot bigger than I thought they were! They had all kinds of shaped balloons--cows, dragons, Darth Vader, stage coaches, bees and more. There were hundreds of hot air balloons...and over 80,000 people at the fiesta!! It was an incredible experience. The Sunday morning ascension was canceled due to rain. We are wanting to make it an annual event for our family. That evening we rode the tram up the Sandia Mountains. The boys had so much fun and Madison was quite the trooper the entire weekend!
- Madison's 2 month Portraits
Janie came to Canadian to visit Harrison and Madison and took Madison's two month portraits. Madison is growing and changing daily. We could hardly keep her on her tummy for pictures--she is rolling over so easily now. She is just the sweetest thing ever!! We are enjoying every minute with her!
- Oklahoma City Zoo & Golfing
We took a trip to Oklahoma City to pick up a new vehicle and went to the zoo while we were there. Harrison's been to this zoo twice before and he loves it every time!! It's a great zoo! It was the perfect time to go because it was cool and wasn't busy at all. He enjoyed riding the animal train and the carousel, too. We also had a nice dinner with Unlce Jason, Aunt Micha, Hattie and Libbie. The next day Brian and Harrison played golf at Oak Tree Men's Country Club and got a lesson from Jim "Woody" Woodward, a golfer who plays on the Senior Pro Tour. He couldn't believe Harrison's swing at the age of three!! We had a great trip and Madison traveled like a champ! She is such a sweet baby!!
- Madison's Announcement Portraits
Janie came to Canadian to take Madison's pictures for her birth announcement. She got some GREAT pictures of our little princess. She just laid there and posed for the camera like a pro! She was so good! We got some really priceless ones of her at 4 weeks. We also got some cute ones with big brother and Mommy. We are having so much fun with pink clothes and precious bows!! :) Most of our family jokes that she looks like Harrison with a bow. They look identical at this point! Papa has always said Harrison would make a pretty girl....and now she's here! :)
- Madison and Mommy
Janie got some really good pictures of Madison at 4 weeks with me in our white gowns. She is an angel!! I set the slideshow to play "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride. I love that song!
- Harrison Golfing
Janie took some pictures of Harrison golfing while she was here taking Madison's pictures...had to give Harrison equal camera time! :) He enjoyed showing Maw Maw and Sheaylan his golfing skills with his new golf clubs!
- Madison's First Bath
We gave Madison her first bath at 4 weeks. She wasn't crazy about sponge baths, but she enjoyed her first real bath. She was as content as could be in the water! She'll be wanting in the swimming pool before too long! :) She is quite the chunker--as you can see from her cheeks and abdomen! She has a little bullfrog belly! :)
- Madison: Weeks 3 & 4
Madison has grown and changed so much in these last couple of weeks. She rolled from her tummy to her back three times the day after she turned two weeks old!! Her little legs are strong! She is our sweet princess and we are enjoying her so much! Harrison loves his little sister so much and spends half the day in her face kissing her! :)
- Wonderland
We went to Wonderland in Amarillo with Maw Maw, D'Dad, Jason, Micha, Hattie, Libbie and Sheaylan. I joined them in between Madison feedings! :) Harrison had a blast!! He especially loved the Log Ride, the Frog Hopper, riding the train, and riding the bumper cars with D'Dad. He loved it all. He's already wanting to go back!
- Madison's First 2 Weeks
We took Madison to her two week doctor's appointment yesterday (July 24) and she has already grown so much! She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces at birth, but then dropped down to 6 pounds, 12 ounces the day we left the hospital. At her two week appointment she weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces!!!! The goal is to get them back up to birth weight by the two week mark. She has surpassed that and then some!! She has also grown 3/4 of an inch since birth--from 19.25 to 20 inches. She is a very healthy and happy baby. We are truly blessed!
Madison is the best baby ever!! She has been an absolute dream! She is sleeping up to six hours at a time at night and has cried a total of maybe a minute since we brought her home from the hospital. She is a very content baby! Harrison is warming up to her, too. The other day he crawled up in the chair while I was feeding her and said, "I love Madison, Momma. Her's cute!" It was so sweet! He kisses her many times a day! Then, at other times, I think he wishes it were just him again. We were talking in bed a few nights ago and he asked if we could go to the golf course and play golf together tomorrow. I told him I had to stay home with Madison and he replied, "Just put her back in and come play golf with me!" :) I guess it's a gradual process! :) We are all doing great and have been blessed with a precious angel!!
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14
- Introducing Madison Grace
Madison Grace was born on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 5:22 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. God has truly blessed us with an angel!! She is so perfect and healthy! She looks JUST like Harrison when he was born! It's amazing! We already love her SO MUCH!!!!
- July 4, 2008
We had a fun fourth of July this year. We went to the parade in Canadian that morning. Harrison was ambitious this year and wanted to take his Thomas the Train backpack to put all his candy from the parade in...and it was pretty full by the end of the parade. Harrison especially loved the motorcycles, monster trucks, ambulances and fire trucks. He is really into rescue vehicles these days! He had a great time watching the parade and catching candy with his friends Carsen and Cooper Norris. That evening we went to a cookout at our friends and neighbors house and then went to the golf course to watch the fireworks. The next day we took Harrison to the rodeo and watched some stunt guys on ATV's called the "Bomb Squad". They were two brothers (ages 19 and 21) and the older brother is one of only four people in the world that can do a back flip from a ramp on a four-wheeler. It was quite impressive! Harrison LOVED it! He has been talking about four-wheelers non-stop since then!!! We had a great fourth...and made it through the weekend with no baby! :)
- Madison's Nursery
Madison's room is finally complete and ready for her arrival! We ordered her furniture from Plenty's Horn (the same company that made Harrison's furniture). These pieces are from the Carrot Collection from Plenty's Horn, but I was able to choose the scenes on each piece of furniture so it was made especially for Madison! We also had a painter come from Amarillo to stripe the corners, paint her name and add some characters. It turned out to be absolutely precious! We can't wait to show Madison her very own room!
- Harrison's Playroom
We moved the guest bedroom to the bonus room upstairs and made that room Harrison and Madison's playroom. We put a TV in there for Harrison's cartoons and games and organized his toys in cubbies (I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive when it comes to organization!) :) He also has a table and chairs in there to play with his many cars, trucks and trains. We had a painter come in and paint phrases from my favorite Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" I also had her paint inspirational words on the wedding cake ceiling like: Grow * Play * Laugh *Create * Imagine * Read, etc... You can tell I'm an ex-teacher!! :) It turned out really cute and Harrison absolutely LOVES that room!
- Harrison in Overalls
Janie was in Canadian this weekend for a wedding and took some pictures of Harrison in his overalls. The overall tradition started with Brian's dad, Exie and his brother when they were three years old. Janie also has pictures of Jason and Brian at three years old in overalls and now has Sheaylan, Hattie, Libbie and Harrison in their overalls at three. We went to Lake Marvin and he took his fishing pole. She got some good ones of my little fisherman! :)
- Harrison Golfing
Harrison has a blast going to the golf course with Daddy. They try to go a few nights a week. Harrison asks Brian daily if they can go to the golf course. They have their little golf routine down to a science. Harrison always has to have a "Papa's Coke" (Dr. Pepper) before he can start his round of golf! :) It's so fun to tag along and watch them have their "guy time!" :) Harrison is actually a really good golfer. Daddy is so proud!! He has graduated from his kid's clubs...he now has to use Daddy's clubs. If you ask Harrison who his favorite golfer is he'll say "Daddy" and "Tiger Woods". Dad sure has him trained! :)
- Harrison Swimming
Harrison is LOVING our pool this summer. He is swimming the length of the pool by himself (with the assistance of a life jacket) and Mom's never far behind! He has really gained confidence in the water compared to last summer. He wakes up asking, "Mommy, can we go swimming now?!?" We have been swimming almost every day and are thoroughly enjoying it! It especially feels good to a 36 week pregnant woman!! :) The slideshow is playing to one of Harrison's favorite songs that he sings ALL THE TIME..."You Are My Sunshine"
- Maternity Pictures
Janie came to Canadian for Madison's shower and took some maternity pictures of me at 34 weeks. Brian and Harrison also joined in a few. These pictures were taken very quickly...mostly with Harrison running in and out of the room posing with me when he felt like it (some with no shirt--just underwear!) Surprisingly, we got some good ones with my boys!
- Baby Shower for Madison Grace
My friends had a beautiful baby shower for Miss Madison and me on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 1:00. I received sooooo many ADORABLE pink outfits, bows, bibs, etc... My GG, Aunt Lynnie, Momo, Aunt Amy, Maw Maw and Harrison were all able to be there. It was such a special day! Madison will definitely be a stylish little girl when she arrives! :)
- Fishing with Papa
With monthly (now weekly) doctor's appointments in Amarillo, Harrison has been able to spend quality time with Momo and Papa. Harrison LOVES "pishing" with Papa at the lake in front of their house!! Momo got some really good pictures of Papa and Harrison fishing one afternoon.
- Disney World
We visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida from May 5-10. My doctor wasn't too thrilled that I planned a vacation being 30 weeks pregnant, but everything went well. We went with Amy, Dustin and Asher. We had the best time!! We went to Chef Mickey's for dinner the first night and met Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck. The boys LOVED meeting the characters! The characters would take turns walking around to your table while you were eating and pose for pictures and sign autographs. Harrison wasn't shy at all...he kept screaming, "Mickey Mouse, come over here!" He just hugged and loved on all the characters. We went to Magic Kingdom the next day and spent the entire day riding rides. Harrison had a blast on the rides--he even loved the roller coasters! It really surprised us because he is such a cautious kid, but he really did love the rides. We rode several rides three or more times! :) He and Dad rode a lot of rides together since I was seven and a half months pregnant! We ate dinner that night at Crystal Palace and met Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. Again, the boys had a blast meeting all the characters. The next day we went to Hollywood Studios and the boys got to meet The Little Einsteins (Harrison LOVES them!!), Handy Manny and his tools, and JoJo and Goliath. We went to the Playhouse Disney Live on Stage Show and saw Mickey and Friends, The Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh and Friends, and Handy Manny and his tools perform. Harrison and Asher LOVED the show!!! We went back to our room at the Polynesian Resort (Hawaiian themed) and rested, then went back to Magic Kingdom that night to ride rides and watch the amazing fireworks display in front of the Disney Castle. On Thursday we had breakfast at the Kona Cafe and Brian, Harrison and I played on the beach and rented a boat and some Sea Racers while Amy, Dustin and Asher visited Epcot. We had a nice relaxing day with a much needed mid-afternoon nap and then headed to Magic Kingdom that night for some more roller coasters! :) The last day we visited Animal Kingdom. We rode a safari jeep and saw lots of animals--even a lion. Asher and I stayed behind while the others rode a dinosaur ride (that frightened Harrison!!!) and then Amy, Dustin and Brian rode the #1 roller coaster at Disney World called "Expedition Everest." We ate dinner that night at The Rainforest Cafe and headed back to our rooms to rest. Harrison did GREAT on the airplane. He enjoyed "riding on the clouds". :) We had an amazing trip! Hopefully some day we can go back and take Madison! We would have so much fun together at all the princess events!
- 4D Ultrasound
We went to Stork Vision in Lubbock to have a live 4D Ultrasound. We got some good pictures of our princess! She is now 28 weeks and growing quickly. They couldn't give us a size because it is not a doctor's facility--they do these sonograms for keepsake purposes only. She wasn't too cooperative at first (seems like she is buried way down in there), but we ended up getting some good ones. It was so fun to see our baby girl--looks like she's filled out and getting ready to make her arrival. July is just around the corner! We have finally named her....Madison Grace. Actually, Harrison named her. Brian and I had been discussing names (I liked Hayley too) but Harrison blurted out, "I have a Madison in my tummy!" She's been Madison to him ever since. If I mention another name he quickly corrects me, "No, baby's name is Madison!" It's probably just because it sounds like his name, but we think it's sweet that he named her. We've had Madison Grace written down in our baby name book since before we even knew Harrison was a boy--so we've liked it a long time. It is so amazing to actually call her by name. We can't wait to meet her!
- Having Fun with Momo and Papa
Harrison has been able to spend lots of bonding time with Momo and Papa since I've been to the doctor for baby check-ups since November. Asher usually comes over after his nap and joins in the fun!!
- Maternity Portraits
These pictures were taken by Derrick, a photographer friend of Janie's in Amarillo. I am 6 and a half months along in these photos. Some of the poses are cheesy, but Derrick is doing a photography booth at the Women's Expo in May and wanted to use some different maternity portraits to further his career and broaden his cliental.
- Easter 2008
We went to Amarillo for Easter this year. Harrison and Asher hunted Easter eggs in Amy and Dustin's back yard Saturday afternoon. This was Harrison's first Easter Egg Hunt (due to weather and age) but he caught on quickly! :) He and Asher had a great time running around together! We ate dinner at Amy and Dustin's that night with Momo, Papa, GG, Papa Joe and Aunt Lynn and then went to church the next morning with Momo, Papa, Dustin, Amy and Asher.
- Harrison's 3rd Birthday Party with Family
We had Harrison's third birthday party with family on Saturday, March 15. Momo, Papa, Dustin, Amy, Asher, GG, Papa Joe and Aunt Lynn came to Harrison's party. Maw Maw and D'Dad were sick and couldn't make it. Harrison had a fun day playing with Asher and opening his gifts. We ate a barbeque lunch and finished it off with cake and ice cream. Everyone had a great time!
- Harrison's 3rd Birthday Party with Friends
Harrison had his third birthday party with friends on Friday, March 14. Harrison and his friends had a great time playing together. Since Harrison LOVES trains, he wanted a Thomas and Friends birthday party this year. The kids enjoyed playing in Harrison's playroom, playing with train tracks, eating pizza and cupcakes, making sandy candy, coloring train cookies, jumping on the trampoline and playing in the sandbox. They were busy the entire time! I didn't take a lot of pictures at the party because I was busy chasing kiddos!! :) After the party was over Harrison kept saying, "My party's over? Where are my friends? I want more party!" :) We had a family party the next day.
- It's a GIRL!!!
We were shocked to find out that the "he" we thought was in my belly is really a "she"! We are thrilled and I'm already starting to think pink! :) Here are a few pictures of our princess at our 20 week sonogram. She is a healthy 14 ounce baby right now and everything looked great! She is already so beautiful! We can't wait to meet her!! My doctor told us that she will be the most glamorous baby he's ever delivered! :)
- Happy Valentine's Day!
Harrison woke up on Valentine's morning and wanted popcorn for breakfast! Since it was a special day he ate popcorn for breakfast while watching cartoons and then I gave him his Valentine treats. Daddy also sent Mommy roses and Harrison a candy bouquet with balloons. Harrison and I went to a Valentine's party at the Soda Fountain where we ate delicious strawberry cake and he played with his friends. We then had dinner together. We had a great day!
- Bath Time
Harrison has really been enjoying getting in the jacuzzi tub every night. He even asks me some afternoons if he can take a bath right now. He has a great time swimming around and playing!
- Valentine's Pictures
Janie took some Valentine pictures of Harrison while she visited us in Canadian. She got some really good ones of our little heartbreaker!! I used one of Harrison's favorite songs, "The Cuppycake Song" for the slideshow. It's adorable!
- Harlem Globetrotters
We took Harrison to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Civic Center in Amarillo on January 17, 2008. It was such a great show! We had courtside seats--right behind one of the goals. "Special K," one of the main players, came by and ate some of Harrison's popcorn. Then "Scooter" took Harrison out onto the court with him. Of course, Harrison was skeptical and wide-eyed and kept his eye on Mom and Dad!! Then another player came up and squirted water on Harrison....and he went to pieces! He ran back to me quickly and teared up. "Scooter" felt bad and gave him his wristband (they probably thought he was at least 4--even though he's not even 3 yet!!). Harrison quickly recovered and enjoyed the rest of the game. Harrison LOVED Globie, the mascot. We had our picture made with Globie and he autographed Harrison's Globie doll. We also got most of the autographs of the players after the game on a Globetrotters basketball. The Globetrotters put on quite a show--they are very talented! We had a great time!
- Mom's Birthday
Since our family never officially got together for Christmas (funerals, doctor's appointments & sicknesses, oh my!) we got together for Mom's birthday on January 9 (Papa's Joe's was January 6). The guys weren't able to be there--Brian had a funeral and Dustin was in Odessa on business--but we met at Abuelo's and came back to Mom and Dad's for Biti Pies. We had a nice visit!
- Jump-N-Jive
Harrison's friend, Hagen, had his fourth birthday party at Jump-N-Jive in Amarillo. Jump-N-Jive has tons of huge inflatable toys and slides as well as several ride-on toys. The kids had a blast jumping around together!
- Pregnancy Pictures
We found out we were expecting on November 6, 2007 and told my family at our early Thanksgiving celebration on November 10. We are ecstatic!! We had our first sonogram on November 29. Everything looked great...the heartbeat was 155 beats per minute. Harrison carried the sonogram picture around saying, "I want to hold my baby!" I have felt great during this pregnancy--not a moment of queasiness! I had a great pregnancy with Harrison, too! I have taken the Intelligender test (an early gender test--www.intelligender.com) and it immediately turned blue/green for "boy"! I guess we'll find out soon if it was correct! Harrison is so excited about his new baby! He pries open my belly button, looks in and asks, "Baby right in that hole?" He tried to climb into my stomach the other day by pushing his head against my stomach saying he wanted to be with his baby! He also thinks he has a baby in his stomach. The other night his stomach hurt and he kept pointing to his belly button saying, "My baby bite me!" He has been so incredibly cute about "his baby!" I just hope he's this excited when the baby actually arrives! :) Check back in this album...I'll be adding monthly pictures as my belly grows! Our sonogram is scheduled for February 28, 2008. We will find out then if we are having a boy or a girl. We are so excited to know!!
- Fiesta Bowl
Brian and I just got back from Phoenix. Brian's brother, Jason, had free tickets from Allstate for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Oklahoma University vs. West Virginia) in Glendale, Arizona. We also invited our friends, neighbors, and OU fanatics, Kyle and ShaNelle Altmiller. We had a great time, even though it wasn't much of a game. OU never showed up to play!! We were forced to wear crimson since we were surround by die-hard OU fans! :) We sat on West Virginina's side for the first 3 quarters (which was fun), but then moved over to OU's side for the last quarter (which was depressing!) Since we weren't huge fans of either team (go OSU, go Tech!!!) we had a great time! A guy from Canadian, Auston English #33, plays for OU...so we enjoyed watching a hometown boy! :) The University of Phoenix Stadium was awesome! That's where the Superbowl is going to be this year. They released an eagle named Challenger during the National Anthem. We also visited an ENORMOUS mall in Scottsdale and saw "The Great Debators" (an excellent movie!) We had a great time, but missed Harrison terribly! He had a blast staying with Momo and Papa...he talked non-stop about his adventures from the time we picked him up until he fell asleep on the way home! :)
- Christmas at Home
We spent Christmas morning at home in Canadian. Harrison was so much fun this Christmas!! We left Santa (Harrison calls him "Ho Ho") cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. Harrison was so surprised when Santa actually ate his cookies and drank his milk! He kept looking at the empty plate and mug saying, "Wook, Momma! Ho Ho drank my milk!!" It was so cute! :) Santa was good to Harrison once again this year. He got a Smart Cycle, which is a stationary bike that you hook up to the TV and play educational games. He rode his legs off on Christmas day! He also got a new scooter and many other cool gifts. We had a great Christmas morning at home.
- Christmas Eve in Memphis
We spent Christmas Eve in Memphis this year. We had lunch and watched the kids open LOTS of gifts. :) Maw Maw and D'Dad surprised Harrison, Sheaylan, Hattie and Libbie with ride-on toys. It was a beautiful Christmas Eve so the kids had a blast trying out their new vehicles! Harrison got a John Deere Power Loader that goes 5 miles an hour. He loves it!!! That night we headed to Unk and Georgia's house in Lakeview to eat dinner with the Terry, Shari, Tiffany, Tyson and Branden Watson and Bobby, Tina, Tyler and Patrick Lee. We had Terry's famous Turducken (turkey, duck and chicken) and Georgia's delicious dressing! Harrison had a great time playing with his cousins! We had a wonderful Christmas Eve.
- Christmas Decorations
This is the first year I've ever had Christmas lights! It was so much fun! We actually won second place in Canadian's Christmas Lighting Competition! I have also added some other pictures of our indoor Christmas decorations. Merry Christmas!
- Christmas Pictures 2007
Janie took our Christmas pictures for Christmas cards on November 24 in Memphis. We got some really good family pictures and some great ones of Harrison, too!
- Go, Diego, Go Live!
We took Harrison to see "Go, Diego, Go Live on Stage--The Great Jaguar Rescue" at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City on November 15. It was a really good show. Harrison sat quietly throughout the entire show...even intermission! They had toddler seats for the theater so it boosted the kids up to adult height. We had a great time! Harrison loves "Go Go"! :) They "strictly prohibited" taking photos in the theater, but Brian sneaked in a few shots!
- Big News!!!
Harrison has big news....he's going to be a Big Brother!!! We told my family on November 10, 2007, the day we celebrated Thanksgiving (since Mom and Dad decided to be beach bums in Hawaii during Thanksgiving!!). Harrison wore a shirt that said, "I have a secret" and on the back it said, "I'm going to be a Big Brother!" Everyone was so excited! My due date is July 16, 2008 and I am feeling great. We had our first sonogram on November 29 and everything looked good. The heartbeat was 155 beats per minute. Harrison carried the sonogram picture around saying, "I wanna hold my baby!" He's going to be a sweet big brother! We are thrilled!!
- Harrison's New Sandbox
Papa brought Harrison a sandbox this fall. He abosolutely LOVES it! He wants to play in it all day long! He really enjoys playing with his dump trucks in the sand. Papa sure won some extra points for this gift (although he doesn't need them!!!) :)
- Halloween Party
Harrison's friend, Everett Cook, had a Halloween party on Halloween night before trick-or-treating. The kids had a great time playing together in their costumes. After the party we took Harrison to trick-or-treat at a few houses.
- Halloween Carnival
We took Harrison to a Halloween Carnival at our local YMCA. He had a blast and won lots of prizes! He dressed up as SpiderMan...it was between that and a pirate, a dinosaur and Thomas the Train. He really has a lot of favorites these days! :) He had a great time playing games at the carnival. He threw a football through a tire, threw bean bags through ghost mouths, played hockey, did a pumpkin toss, "hopped" on an inflatable toy and participated in a cake walk. He loved every minute!
- Harrison's YMCA Halloween Party
Harrison stays in a preschool class (18 months-3 years) at our local YMCA while I'm in work-out class on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour. They had a Halloween party for the kids in his class on Friday, October 26. Harrison enjoyed painting pumpkins, trick-or-treating, eating goodies and playing with his friends. His teachers always comment on what a sweet boy he is.
- Jumping on the Trampoline
We got Harrison a spring-free trampoline while we were in Oklahoma City. He absolutely LOVES to "hop"! He just zips himself up and jumps away! Mommy has enjoyed "hopping" with Harrison, too!
- Harrison Hooking Jeep to Trailer
Harrison was playing outside and driving his jeep when he started backing up to the trailer and trying to hook it to his jeep. Harrison wants to haul the trailer like Daddy and Papa! He would work for several minutes trying to back up perfectly to the trailer, then get out and proceed to hook it to his jeep. So cute!! :)
- Our Home
Our home was on the Tour of Homes this year for Canadian's Fall Foliage. We had 10 buses of about 30 people in and out of our home Saturday, October 20. It was stressful at the time, but it forced us to get some of our projects finished. We thought we would send pictures while our house was picture perfect. It doesn't stay that way long with Harrison around! :)
- Day Out With Thomas
We took Harrison to the "Day Out With Thomas" on October 5, 2007 at the Oklahoma Railway Museum in Oklahoma City. We rode Thomas the train, played putt-putt golf, bought fun Thomas gear, had pictures taken, played with trains and met Sir Topham Hatt, the Controller of Thomas' Railway. Harrison had a great time!!
- Oklahoma City Park
Harrison was tired of shopping at the mall....so we drove around Oklahoma City and found a park where he could run free.
- Harrison Playing Football
Canadian got a new astro-turf football field this year. It is super nice! We took Harrison to play football on it. He absolutely loves football! He has a blast at football games. He actually sits still and watches the game and cheers. It's so cute!
- Our Anniversary in the Bahamas
Brian and I thoroughly enjoyed our second trip to the Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas. We celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary while we were there. We didn't really do any excursions this trip, mostly just relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the water slides. We went to The Dunes Restaurant for our anniversary and ate their delicious crab cakes. Yum! We also ate at Bobby Flay's new restaurant, Mesa Grill. We had a great time!
- Harrison driving his jeep
Harrison got this jeep for his second birthday and he's ridden it almost daily since then. He loves it! He drives it around and around the circle drive. He's actually a really good driver. People have commented that he's a better driver than his Daddy! :)
- Harrison Dressed Himself/Post Office Box
The first few pictures are of Harrison dressing himself. He really has a unique sense of style! He hs started wanting to help me pick out what he wears--should be interesting. The last few pictures are of Harrison playing in our post office box. Brian brought home the mail at lunch, so Harrison decided to empty out the magazines and ride in the box!
- Harrison Floating
Harrison loves to float around the pool in his inner-tube!
- Colorado Vacation
Although Harrison had a high fever for the first few days, our vacation ended up being very relaxing and enjoyable! We spent two nights in Red River, NM, three nights in Durango, CO and two nights in Telluride, CO. Momo, Papa, Aunt Pam and Uncle Larry met us in Durango and rode the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad with us. It was a three and a half hour train ride both ways. Harrison enjoyed the train, but still didn't feel like himself that day. We also attended a Chuckwagon dinner that night. That was quite a day! We rode the alpine slide (Harrison was too young) and bungi jumped (on a trampoline) in Purgatory the next day. Brian, Larry and Dad also rode a glider that afternoon. We stayed in an awesome four bedroom home outside of Durango. Brian, Harrison and I headed to Telluride after our stay in Durango. We enjoyed shopping, eating and riding the Gondola a million times. Harrison loved it! We are glad to be home, but thoroughly enjoyed our vacation!
- Fun with Bubbles
Harrison had a great time with his bubble machine!
- Family Swimming
We are enjoying the pool almost daily. Harrison wakes up from his nap saying, "bubbles" (that's what he calls the pool).
- Harrison Swimming
We have been swimming almost every day since our pool was finished in May. Harrison loves the water, but mostly just enjoys playing on the top step. We are loving the pool!
- Fun at the Park
Harrison loves to play at the Canadian Elementary School park across the street. We make almost daily trips there in the summer!
- Playing in the Dirt
We are getting a road put in front of our house and they dropped off four loads of dirt the other day. Harrison thinks it's his very own sandbox! He has had so much fun playing in that dirt!
- July 4, 2007
We had a great Fourth of July this year. We went to the parade, cooked hot dogs on the grill, played with sparklers and watched fireworks. Harrison had a great day!
- Harrison with D'Dad and Kitty
A kitty wandered across the street while we were visiting Maw Maw and D'Dad in Memphis. Harrison absolutely LOVES kitties! We are in the process of trying to talk Daddy into getting us one!
- Jacuzzi Bath
Harrison likes to soak in our jacuzzi tub. I took a few pictures of him in it one morning. He looks so little in it!
- Father's Day 2007
We all met in Canyon to celebrate Father's Day this year. We ate at Wrong Way Fenway and had an enjoyable time visiting at Papa, GG and Aunt Lynnie's house.
- Golfing with Daddy
Harrison has a "ball" going to the golf course with Daddy!
- Papa's Boys
We got Harrison and Asher shirts that say, "I'm Papa's Boy" and took pictures with them for Father's Day.
- Ringling Brother's Circus
We took Harrison to the Barnum and Bailey & Ringling Brother's Circus, "The Greatest Show on Earth" on May 9, 2007. He absolutely loved it! We stayed for the entire two and a half hour show!
- May 2007
Maw Maw took these pictures while we were visiting Memphis in May.
- Oklahoma City Zoo
We took Harrison to the Oklahoma City Zoo on April 26, 2007. This was his second trip to this zoo. He enjoyed watching the animals and he even took pictures of the animals with his very own camera!
- Harrison's Haircut
This was Harrison's first "beauty shop" haircut. Usually Maw Maw cuts it, but we couldn't make a trip to Memphis before we were leaving for Oklahoma City. Harrison did great--he sat quietly and let her cut away!
- Playing Tee Ball/New Chair
Harrison got a tee ball set for his birthday. He loves to play! He also got a new booster chair. He feels like such a big boy eating at the dinner table with us!
- Harrison Mowing the Lawn
Harrison LOVES to help Daddy mow the lawn...he even has his own lawn mower!
- Easter 2007
We had a quiet Easter this year. We attended church services, came home and gave Harrison his Easter basket, ate a big home-cooked meal and took a nap! It was too cold to hunt Easter eggs outside this year!
- Paradise Island, Bahamas
Brian and I made our first trip without Harrison (much easier for Harrison than Mommy!!) in March 2007. We visited Paradise Island, Bahamas and absolutely loved it! We loved it so much that we're going back for our anniversary in September. We saw the hospital in Nassau where Anna Nicole had her baby, the church where her funeral took place and her grave...she was quite the celebrity there! A few of these pictures were purchased in the Bahamas and scanned so they are very blurry. It is truly a beautiful place....appropriately named Paradise Island!
- Harrison's Second Birthday Party with Family
We had a wonderful time at Harrison's second birthday party. Momo, Papa, Maw Maw, D'Dad, Papa Joe, GG, Aunt Lynnie, Uncle Duke, Aunt Amy, Asher, Uncle Ace, Aunt Micha, Hattie, Libbie and Sheaylan all attended the party. We ate cake and watched Harrison open gifts. Harrison was certainly partied out after two birthday parties!
- Harrison's 2nd Birthday Party with Family
- Harrison's 2 Year Slideshow
- Harrison's Second Birthday Party with Friends
Harrison had a great time at his second birthday party! He invited all his friends and they ate pizza and cupcakes and played hard! We blew up the ball pit that Aunt Amy and Uncle Duke got him for Christmas. The kids had a blast playing in it!