I couldn't find a pumpkin big enough for him to fit in this year (ha-ha), so I'm recycling a picture from 2007. I can't believe we really did this to him...poor kid! :)
Hope everyone has a fun, safe Halloween!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!
I couldn't find a pumpkin big enough for him to fit in this year (ha-ha), so I'm recycling a picture from 2007. I can't believe we really did this to him...poor kid! :)
Hope everyone has a fun, safe Halloween!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Summer Wrap-Up
Yes, we’re more than half way through October. But for some reason, I have this blog-induced guilt lingering over me to document a few more things from summer. From our Gulf Shores trip, the house move, surgery, and the early weeks of pregnancy, I wasn’t the best blogger those few months. One of these days (hopefully before baby gets here), I want to get a blog-to-book done, so it will just help me feel that all is right in the world if I get caught up from the summer.
Without further ado, here’s the rest of our summer:
Our church’s version of VBS, called Summer Spectacular, started on the day of our move, so we didn’t quite get the full effect this year. But what we did see was of course spectacular. This year’s theme was Queen Esther. Tate loved getting to see Daddy help haul in Haman on a chariot thing. And he talked for weeks about seeing Mordecai come in the auditorium on a real horse. And the musical cracks me up. From Abba to Beyonce tunes, they make the Esther story pretty entertaining for the adults too. Once again, RHCC outdid itself and provided a wonderful and fun family event.
We did lots of swimming at Mimi & Grandpa’s house, at our local pool, and with all of the cousins. By the end of the summer and after lessons, he was either "swimming" on his own or with arm floaties if we needed a little break. He is a water boy and loves going under, jumping (although that seems to be fading some), playing with sticks and kicking.
This year was a fun one for 4th of July. Tate was so excited about the fireworks and STILL asks to see them whenever we drive by the spot that we parked to watch.
We also enjoyed lots of outside time this summer. Our new house has great shade placement. So even in the heat of day, we’re able to play outside. What a relief…this guy has got some serious energy to work off every day!
Tate also discovered some new favorite songs this summer. Wade has an Ipod playlist for Tate, and this is on a regular rotation. I'm so proud! :) Seriously, how can you not love Neil Diamond?
And the grand finale of the summer was our annual trip to Lake Brownwood. Because of the timing, this year it was only us, the Haynes, the Cranfords, and the Irvines. We missed everyone else. It amazes me every time, though, how we just pick up right where we left off with these friends. We rarely have the chance to see them anymore in regular life, but the trip to the lake each year feels like we see them all of the time. I will always be thankful for these friendships!
Tate had a blast this year. He wasn’t even walking last year, so this time around was very different and lots of fun. He loved the lake, the friends, the donuts, the boat, and the tube. Not sure why I’m even surprised, but he didn’t hesitate a second getting on that tube. That definitely does not come from my DNA.
And oh my goodness, he has a new 8-year-old hero. His name is Austin. Tate talked to and followed Austin around non-stop. And now any time we see an elementary-aged boy with white/blond hair, he asks if it’s Austin. So sweet. And so hard for me to believe. Austin used to be the little 2-month-old I took care of for a few months when I was looking for a job. Time flies.
And I have to give out some props to the husband for a nice end of summer surprise. Some “for no real reason” flowers. Big points for that one!
OK, I feel better now. The summer books are officially closed.
Without further ado, here’s the rest of our summer:
Our church’s version of VBS, called Summer Spectacular, started on the day of our move, so we didn’t quite get the full effect this year. But what we did see was of course spectacular. This year’s theme was Queen Esther. Tate loved getting to see Daddy help haul in Haman on a chariot thing. And he talked for weeks about seeing Mordecai come in the auditorium on a real horse. And the musical cracks me up. From Abba to Beyonce tunes, they make the Esther story pretty entertaining for the adults too. Once again, RHCC outdid itself and provided a wonderful and fun family event.
We did lots of swimming at Mimi & Grandpa’s house, at our local pool, and with all of the cousins. By the end of the summer and after lessons, he was either "swimming" on his own or with arm floaties if we needed a little break. He is a water boy and loves going under, jumping (although that seems to be fading some), playing with sticks and kicking.
This year was a fun one for 4th of July. Tate was so excited about the fireworks and STILL asks to see them whenever we drive by the spot that we parked to watch.
Wade went with a few other guys and their sons to watch a monster truck rally. Clearly we were not up on our monster truck protocol, because neither of us even thought about ear plugs. Wade had to borrow some there. To say that Tate enjoyed it is a huge understatement. Even several months later, he will go up to complete strangers and tell them “I see monster trucks!” Not sure what to think about that. Going to many more monster truck rallies in the future is not that exciting to me. Maybe that’s a Daddy thing.
We also enjoyed lots of outside time this summer. Our new house has great shade placement. So even in the heat of day, we’re able to play outside. What a relief…this guy has got some serious energy to work off every day!
Tate also discovered some new favorite songs this summer. Wade has an Ipod playlist for Tate, and this is on a regular rotation. I'm so proud! :) Seriously, how can you not love Neil Diamond?
And the grand finale of the summer was our annual trip to Lake Brownwood. Because of the timing, this year it was only us, the Haynes, the Cranfords, and the Irvines. We missed everyone else. It amazes me every time, though, how we just pick up right where we left off with these friends. We rarely have the chance to see them anymore in regular life, but the trip to the lake each year feels like we see them all of the time. I will always be thankful for these friendships!
Tate had a blast this year. He wasn’t even walking last year, so this time around was very different and lots of fun. He loved the lake, the friends, the donuts, the boat, and the tube. Not sure why I’m even surprised, but he didn’t hesitate a second getting on that tube. That definitely does not come from my DNA.
And oh my goodness, he has a new 8-year-old hero. His name is Austin. Tate talked to and followed Austin around non-stop. And now any time we see an elementary-aged boy with white/blond hair, he asks if it’s Austin. So sweet. And so hard for me to believe. Austin used to be the little 2-month-old I took care of for a few months when I was looking for a job. Time flies.
And I have to give out some props to the husband for a nice end of summer surprise. Some “for no real reason” flowers. Big points for that one!
OK, I feel better now. The summer books are officially closed.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
U2
Just a few years into our marriage, we missed the chance to go see U2 in concert. After that, we promised each other that the next time they came in town, we were there. So we lived up to the promise and headed out for what we both say is our best concert ever.
That probably doesn’t mean a whole lot considering my vast concert experience (see here). Although, Celine really is amazing live! Anyway, as it got closer and I was mentally adding up all of the costs for this night out in my head, I started to wonder if it would be worth it. Thank goodness Mr. Bono and the boys did not disappoint.
(Me & Wade above, Holly & Carter below, ginormous new Cowboys stadium in back).
The show was amazing. Really, it was amazing. The stage, the lights, the screen, the band, and of course, the music. From where we were, the sound was great. They played a variety of old and new. Some of the ones I enjoyed the most were: Magnificent, Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment, Elevation, Vertigo, One/Amazing Grace, and Where the Streets Have No Name.
I have NO idea how the people on the floor made it standing the whole time.
Can you say giddy?
I thought Bono sounded just as great live. And I’m blown away by his stage presence. If I have half his energy when I’m his age, I’ll be thrilled. The only part of the show that I didn’t care for was the spaceship alien video (weird?) and the drop-down-neon-light microphone with the lights on his jacket. It didn’t sound as good and was way too distracting. But everything else was even better than I could have hoped for.
The place was crazy crowded. I’ve heard it was from 80,000-90,000people there. The people-watching was at its best. The majority of the crowd was just around my age if not a few years older. Me and my 12-week pregnant self just sat with my bottled water and watched the hilarity of a bunch of 30 & 40-somethings, mixed in with lots of drinks, mixed in with really high heels, mixed in with uber-coolness. Oh, that was entertaining all on its own.
And then to watch each person and their personal concert-style moves. My favorite was the guy with the Arsenio Hall arm thrust/lasso-a-rope combo move. Loved it. I’m sure someone else is writing a blog somewhere about me and my head bob/hip twitch, but isn’t it just funny to watch people get into the music?
So even as I crawled in bed at 2:00 a.m. and was still tallying how much everything cost, I don’t regret it at all. In fact, I can’t wait until they come back again.
That probably doesn’t mean a whole lot considering my vast concert experience (see here). Although, Celine really is amazing live! Anyway, as it got closer and I was mentally adding up all of the costs for this night out in my head, I started to wonder if it would be worth it. Thank goodness Mr. Bono and the boys did not disappoint.
(Me & Wade above, Holly & Carter below, ginormous new Cowboys stadium in back).
The show was amazing. Really, it was amazing. The stage, the lights, the screen, the band, and of course, the music. From where we were, the sound was great. They played a variety of old and new. Some of the ones I enjoyed the most were: Magnificent, Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment, Elevation, Vertigo, One/Amazing Grace, and Where the Streets Have No Name.
I have NO idea how the people on the floor made it standing the whole time.
Can you say giddy?
I thought Bono sounded just as great live. And I’m blown away by his stage presence. If I have half his energy when I’m his age, I’ll be thrilled. The only part of the show that I didn’t care for was the spaceship alien video (weird?) and the drop-down-neon-light microphone with the lights on his jacket. It didn’t sound as good and was way too distracting. But everything else was even better than I could have hoped for.
The place was crazy crowded. I’ve heard it was from 80,000-90,000people there. The people-watching was at its best. The majority of the crowd was just around my age if not a few years older. Me and my 12-week pregnant self just sat with my bottled water and watched the hilarity of a bunch of 30 & 40-somethings, mixed in with lots of drinks, mixed in with really high heels, mixed in with uber-coolness. Oh, that was entertaining all on its own.
And then to watch each person and their personal concert-style moves. My favorite was the guy with the Arsenio Hall arm thrust/lasso-a-rope combo move. Loved it. I’m sure someone else is writing a blog somewhere about me and my head bob/hip twitch, but isn’t it just funny to watch people get into the music?
So even as I crawled in bed at 2:00 a.m. and was still tallying how much everything cost, I don’t regret it at all. In fact, I can’t wait until they come back again.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Giveaway
So here's an area that my sister & I are pretty different. I couldn't sew a button on to save my life. But somehow my sister, Shannon, developed some pretty impressive and creative sewing skills. She opened an online store a few months ago selling adorable baby burpies and pillowcase dresses. So to launch her new fall dresses (how cute are these?), she's hosting a giveaway.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
For Baby Chase
The three of us were able to participate in a very special memorial ceremony with many of our friends and the friends of friends across the country to honor Baby Chase.
We knew Mark & Chelsea while we were all at ACU, and then Wade & Mark were able to work for the same company for a few years in the early days post-graduation. We’ve come to think highly of them and value their friendship, even one from afar since we don’t see them that often.
So we were completely heartbroken and devastated with the news that the baby Chelsea was 34 weeks pregnant with had died from a blood clot in the umbilical cord. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about and praying for Chelsea, Mark, and their three daughters. I don’t think anyone can imagine going through something so difficult. From the communication we’ve read and heard, they are handling this with grace and strength. They asked for those that wanted to honor Baby Chase to do so with a balloon release, similar to what they were doing with their own family at home. Their daughters are going to collect pictures and put together a scrapbook of all of the different people thinking of this special family. You can see many of the others here.
My prayer for them continues as their grief will surely go on in the days to come. Prayers that their hearts will be healed and renewed, and that they will settle in the peace that passes all understanding.
We knew Mark & Chelsea while we were all at ACU, and then Wade & Mark were able to work for the same company for a few years in the early days post-graduation. We’ve come to think highly of them and value their friendship, even one from afar since we don’t see them that often.
So we were completely heartbroken and devastated with the news that the baby Chelsea was 34 weeks pregnant with had died from a blood clot in the umbilical cord. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about and praying for Chelsea, Mark, and their three daughters. I don’t think anyone can imagine going through something so difficult. From the communication we’ve read and heard, they are handling this with grace and strength. They asked for those that wanted to honor Baby Chase to do so with a balloon release, similar to what they were doing with their own family at home. Their daughters are going to collect pictures and put together a scrapbook of all of the different people thinking of this special family. You can see many of the others here.
My prayer for them continues as their grief will surely go on in the days to come. Prayers that their hearts will be healed and renewed, and that they will settle in the peace that passes all understanding.
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