The Hilton Family

Father Daughter Dance

2012-02-12T16:46:00.005-06:00

A friend of ours invited us to go to a Father Daughter Dance at their gym. When I mentioned the idea to Addie she ran upstairs and put on her dress up dress and said she was ready to dance with daddy. She was sooooo excited for this dance, we painted her nails and did her hair and got her all ready.

This picture makes me smile. Ben loves his frying pan, he has been sleeping with it this week. Addie was trying to curtsie.

Jon and Addie all ready for the dance.

The pearl necklace Addie is wearing is the same necklace that my Dad brought home for me when he traveled overseas. I have had the necklace since I was just a little older than Addie. It is also the same necklace I wore on my wedding day.
Such a sweet couple.
Daddy was tickling Addie to get her to smile.

A picture with my sweet girl, I am so proud of the little girl she is growing into.

Ben Ben saying good bye to Daddy.

Addie and Ben Ben saying good bye. I love how much these kiddos love each other, even when they are making each other crazy.

Garrett did not want Daddy and Addie to leave. He loves them both so much. Addie is so sweetwith Garrett, always trying to make him laugh. Garrett LOVES his Daddy. Thankfully Garrettdidn't cry when they left, he just waved bye bye.

I went to find Garrett after taking a few pictures and this is what I found. Garrett is so ready to be one of the big kids.
Ben was having so much fun playing.
Yes, this pictured ended badly. Ben whacked his brother in the head. Thankfully we have put away the metal bat so it didn't hurt Garrett.
Garrett had fun eating dinner that night. I don't know how he managed to get one noodle on top of his head. And then it was bath time or as it is known in our house "Time for tub-tub"

Addie and Jon had a great time at the dance. Addie's favorite part was the dancing and seeing the horse poop (they had a horse drawn carriage ride for everyone).

I'm Back

2012-02-05T09:26:00.004-06:00

I am SOOO excited to be able to post these pictures with my new to me camera. My last camera was broken at the beginning of January and it has been so hard for me to not have a camera to capture the crazy moments that happen with Addie, Ben and Rett.

After a fun morning at Ikea we took the kids to CFA or Chick Fil A as it is otherwise known. The location we went to had a couple doing face painting and balloon animals. Here are the kids showing off their goods. Addie got a dolphin painted on her face and a flower balloon and Ben got a football painted on his face and a laser gun balloon.

Then when we got home Mr. Barry, our neighbor, was spraying down the street, Ben decided he needed help. Mr. Barry is so great with our kids, he even gave the hose to Ben, but the little stinker decided to spray us so that didn't last very long.

Jon wanted to try out the new camera too. Would you believe that I got carded while buying Nyquil today? The cashier at walmart made me show her my id to confirm that I was at least 18 years old. She couldn't believe it when she found out I am almost 30!

Addie loves her Daddy so much. They were watching a special news segment on Tim Tebow.
Our Sunday School class has been amazing during my hospitalization and in the following weeks. Here is Gare Bear enjoying another delicious meal that our friends brought to us. Thanks Mike and Suzi!
Another shot of our precious Gare Bear. He had a terrible night last night. He was up crying from 1-4 am. He seemed really uncomfortable and I couldn't seem to help him. I ended up laying on the floor in his room while he slept on me for a few minutes at a time, then he would wake up and lay his head on his pillow for a few minutes and then back. He finally ended up going to sleep after he got a drink of water. He was so tired he was talking in his sleep, it was precious. Even though I didn't get much sleep last night how can you be upset when he blows kisses to you when he sees you? We are hoping for a restful Sunday so we can start our busy week!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

The Last Arkansas Post

2012-01-25T08:34:00.004-06:00

All of the kiddos ready for church. I love taking pictures before church, everyone always looks so nice.

April and SaraBeth.

Waiting for lunch at Cracker Barrel.

Addie was 'playing' checkers with a little boy. It almost came to blows.

Our last sunset at the "Farm"

These two girls are just so sweet.

I LOVE Addie's expression in this picture. I feel like I can hear her laughing.

I'm not sure you had more fun throwing rocks into the lake.

April and her little man, Nathan.

Ben did NOT want to leave. He was completely happy standing there throwing rock after rock into the water.

We had such a wonderful time in Arkansas, thank you Landes family for a great time!

Happy New Year with Fireworks!

2012-01-22T20:13:00.004-06:00

We rang in the new year with fireworks. The girls were a little unsure about the fireworks at first.

They started to get a little more brave with the sparklers. The first time Matt lit one for her she dropped it, oops!

Ben loved his sparkler.

All three of the big kids having fun.

Bennett really enjoyed his s'more, can you tell?

Addie enjoyed her s'more too.

Matt and April enjoying some quiet time around the fire.

Addie and April hanging out around the fire.

The biggest kids had a lot of fun with the fireworks too.

We picked out the tank for Jon, this thing was hilarious.

Rowdy was not a fan of the fireworks.

Arkansas, the shopping trip

2012-01-21T08:55:00.005-06:00

I had posted about my Arkansas Shopping trip on my shop blog. Here is the picture of all my finds for the day.

The whole shopping day was so much fun, and I got some great pictures of our adventures. The boys stayed home for a nap and April, SaraBeth, Addie and I headed out on Saturday after lunch.

As we were driving April said that we were going to drive by some zebras and camels. I didn't believe her until we drove right past this exotic animal farm with zebras and camels. Addie was so excited to see the zebras, one of her favorite movies right now is Racing Stripes.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures from the thrift stores we went to, I was too busy shopping with my arms full of goodies. I did pull the camera out when we headed to the grocery store, and yes I felt like a tourist. These carts took me back to my childhood. I don't think I had seen one since I was a kid. The girls loved riding on the bottom of the cart.

I love their sparkly shoes.

I don't think I have ever seen so much variety or so much supply for chitlins before.

The big debate the whole weekend was who got to ride in which car seat. There was the big girl booster seat and there was the baby car seat. This picture shows how happy SaraBeth was that she got the booster seat.

This picture shows that Addie was unhappy with her car seat. They did switch back and forth when we would stop, but that did not make them any happier when it was their turn to sit in the baby car seat.

Our next stop for a Sonic Happy Hour treat did help improve everyone's mood over all.

Addie having her first Sonic treat, it was a strawberry slushy.

SaraBeth with her strawberry slushy, and of course the girls were happy to watch BOZ on the way home.

They both crashed pretty hard on the 45 minute trip home, you don't get anywhere quick when you live out in the country.

The new sign was finished and hanging up.

Matt and his kiddos headed down to see the sunset.

Nathan, the little man and his boots.

Ben was ready to ride.

More pictures to come!

Arkansas Part One

2012-01-20T17:12:00.009-06:00

I realize this post is long overdue. I had every intention of getting this post up earlier, but as many of you know I ended up with some stomach pains that put me in the hospital. I am doing much better now. Unfortunately they haven't figured out what happened, but I am doing my best to regain my strength and get back to normal. So here is the first installment from our trip to Arkansas, there will be a few more posts over the next couple of days. I hope you are all having a great new year so far.

Over the New Year weekend holiday we loaded up the van and drove to Arkansas to visit our friends, Matt, April, SaraBeth and Nathan. Addie and SB were best friends when they lived here in Houston and she was so excited to get to play with her friend.

Addie jumped right in playing dress up.

Garrett got in some snuggle time with April.

Ben found the "Shooter Gun" and didn't let go the whole weekend.

These girls had so much fun playing together.

The boys were so funny to watch together. Ben would pick on Nathan and then Nathan would pick on Garrett.

Garrett wanted to be like Nathan, this was Rett's first time brushing his teeth and he had so much fun.
Nathan is such a sweet little boy.
The girls were all ready to go outside and play, pom poms and all.
They have a few cats and Garrett loved them all, they didn't all love him though.
The boys playing in the truck.
Garrett looks like a natural on the tractor.
Nathan taking a little break from playing.
This is their dog, Rowdy. He is such a sweet dog, our kids loved him.
Nathan and Matt
Ben in little boy heaven, on a real tractor.
Addie wanted a turn too, but Ben didn't want to move.
Ben was not very good at sharing, he kept trying to nudge Nathan out of the way.
SB and Addie hanging out on the tractor together.
We finally got Ben out of the drivers seat and he had to check out everything else.
Garrett took his turn to kick the tires.
Nathan stopped for a quick pudding snack.
Matt put Jon to work painting a sign for the property.
To get around the farm we used a golf cart. Garrett loved when he got to have the golf cart all to himself.
Nathan exploring an old barn.
Ben exploring the barn too.
Trying to get a picture of all the kids, but the sun was too bright and there were too many cool things to look at.
It was so peaceful.
Garrett loved the tractors almost as much as Ben.
I loved this beautiful old barn.
This is how we got around the farm, Addie and SB rode on the back inside the straps for the golf bags.

We went exploring and found these old cow bones.
It was a neat lesson to explain to the kids about the bones.
More peaceful countryside.
Addie loved riding around the farm and exploring.

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T20:05:00.003-06:00

I hope you all had a fun and safe time ringing in the new year.
We are settling in at home after an amazing holiday weekend with friends. On Friday we drove to Arkansas to see our friends that moved away last year. We had so much fun and I took so many amazing pictures, but I am not going to be able to go through them and upload them for a couple of days. Here is a family picture we were able to get.

The sunset over the lake was everything we had been told it would be. I can't wait to share more pictures of all the kids enjoying their time with their friends and our family enjoying some time out in the country. Houston traffic took a little getting used to when we got back to town tonight.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Bouncin'

2011-12-28T19:40:00.005-06:00

Garrett is such a big boy now, we turned his car seat around. He loves facing forward and being a part of the action.

Thank you Aunt Shana and Uncle James for the cool new clothes. Ben and Garrett were both showing off there outfits.
Ben is such a silly little boy, I love that he is finding his voice. He is using more and more words every day and it is so fun to see him interact with our family that is here visiting and his siblings.
After lunch we went to Bouncin Bears, usually we go to Bouncin Bears first and then lunch, but out schedule just didn't work that way this time.
Everyone had so much fun playing.
I think this is Daddy's favorite place too.
Can you see how red Addie's face is? These kids don't stop the whole time we are there.
Garrett loves the little slide they have for him.
Grandma and Poppa had fun helping him up and down the slide.

Of course Ben is infatuated with the riding cars that require extra money. He loves to just go and sit in them even if they are not moving. Last time we were there he made friends with a little boy and shared his ride with him. This time I caught him asking other grandparents for money and I had to apologize and have a talk with Ben.
Uncle Joe seemed to have fun with the kiddos.
If you can't tell that is Jon, Garrett, and Addie in that pile.
Extreme Close up!
Addie loves to wrestle.
Addie and her Daddy were picking on Uncle Joe.
She is such a little monkey, she loves to climb.
Ben finally got some money to spend in the vending machine and he came out with these bright pink fangs. He thought they were great.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T10:36:00.007-06:00

Merry Christmas
I love being able to set up a fun toy for the kids to see when they come down stairs. This year we got a train table for the boys.
The stockings were so full they couldn't go back on their hooks. Santa liked his chocolate chip cookies this year.
Nannie, GeeGee and Aunt Laura got the boys this great barn with a whole crew of animals to live in it. Addie got a suitcase for traveling.

Uncle Joe got the kids this great fort. We were calling it a dollhouse, but if it is a fort it works much better for all of the crazy toys we have around here. The kids are loving playing with all of their toys in the fort. When it warms up a little bit we are going to take it out and I am going to let the kids help me paint it.
The room is all ready for the kids the next morning.
Addie and Ben have been sleeping in Addie's room together and they have been waking up so early. Thankfully Grandma likes to wake up early too. She had a cell phone for each of them to play with and they were cuddled up on the couch.

,

Waking up Uncle Joe.

Our only family picture of the day, coming down the stairs. This has always been one of my favorite moments. I think I enjoy it as a mom even more than I did as a child. I hope it is as special for my children as my mom made it for me.
Breaking through the streamers was fun for everyone.
Garrett was in awe of the train table.
Addie loved the fish tank from Grandma and Poppa. They told us these are fish we can't kill
Addie's gift from Santa, I hope it is the Barbie Trainer Sea World that she has been talking about for MONTHS.
Garrett loved watching the fish too.
Yay, it was the Barbie trainer Sea World! Ben was excited for Addie too.
Ben got some Gerber Yogurt treats in his stalking. He ate the whole bag in one sitting.
Uncle Joe digging into his stocking.
Poppa trying out of one his new ties.
I got these skittles in my stocking. Jon thinks I am odd because I sort my skittles by color and eat them in a certain order. He thought this would be funny because the color does NOT match the flavor. I don't know if I can bring myself to eat them.
Hurray for new Gator gear. Hopefully they will have a better season next year. They are going to be playing at Texas A&M in September!
I love how Garrett sticks his tongue when he is concentrating.
Addie and Ben having a little snack from their giant tub of cheese puffs.
We had a pretty relaxing Christmas day just enjoying our new movies and time with family. I hope you all had a great Christmas!

A Christmas Tour

2011-12-24T16:17:00.008-06:00

Just a little tour of the Christmas decorations in our home this year. Last year was a challenging Christmas season for me, with Garrett being born on the 15th and Addison and Bennett being so sick, I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. This year I had so much fun decorating the house for all of our parties we hosted and guests we have had.

The garland with lights and the dangling ornaments over the breakfast nook window.

Our cookies for Santa plate.
The mantel, with all 5 stocking holders.

This is one of our favorite pieces of furniture. It is a huge corner cabinet that is now in our living room. I love how the garland and the red star make it feel so festive.

The presents are all wrapped and ready to go.
My little photographer, she was using her Poppa's camera to take pictures of our house, "So he will remember what it looks like." I think she is going to like her very own camera that she is getting in the morning.
A view of the fireplace and corner cabinet. You can also see all of the light up antlers and Santa hats.
This is my favorite decoration this year, and I think it has gotten the most attention from all of our guests. My mother has given me a Swarovski ornament every year for the past 10 years or so. They are beautiful ornaments, too beautiful to be put on the tree. This year my mom found this great display piece and it makes the perfect centerpiece. The ornaments are safely away from the crazies, but out where we can all enjoy their beauty. It is fun to see which design is each person's favorite.

I have had this nativity since I was a little girl. They have gotten a lot of love from my children as well.
More stars!

So many people have walked into our home and commented on this little guy. I love hearing people say that they had one when they were a kid. This is the same one I used when I was young, my mom found a second one to keep at home for my sister so I was able to take this one with me. I used to love moving that little mouse from day to day.
Our entry way, I had to add a second card holder, I LOVE all of the Christmas cards.
Even my craft room got a few decorations this year. My goal for next year is to have a theme for this tree and a little one upstairs. I never thought I would be a person with multiple trees, but it is just so much fun!

Merry Christmas

Linked to

2011 Christmas Tour of Homes @ The Nester

Merry Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T13:49:00.004-06:00

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas from one cute little Santa!

We found out this morning that this Santa shirt was Jon's when he was a little boy.
We may not have snow, but we still had fun throwing leaves around this morning.

Addie was running around, throwing leaves, then she stopped and proclaimed, "This is the best day ever!"
She loves having family here to visit with.
Ben was a crazy little man with the leaves.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
Proof that Ben does smile, just not when everyone else does.
Garrett showing off his dirty hands with one happy Grandma.
Trying out Addie's bike like a big boy, he is growing up so fast.

Happy Birthday Luke!

2011-12-24T12:04:00.005-06:00

We got to celebrate the 1st birthday of another little guy, our friend Luke was born just 3 days after Garrett.

The Birthday Boy!

The theme of the party was Circus, the clown noses were a big hit. The kids kept calling them Rudolph noses so it worked out well.
Uncle Joe was being silly with Garrett
Garrett thought Uncle Joe was very funny.

Adalee and Krystal, two beautiful girls.

Miss Ashley passing out the cupcakes!
The cupcakes were very popular, they got all of the kids to sit still for close to five minutes!
Garrett LOVES cupcakes. He tried to shove the whole thing in his mouth.
Daddy likes cupcakes too.
Sweet little Adalee eating her cupcake.
Baby Keira slept through most of the party.

We had a great time visiting with friends and celebrating Luke's life.

Miracle of Christmas

2011-12-24T11:47:00.003-06:00

Champion Forest Baptist Church always does an amazing Christmas show, and this year was no different. Miracle of Christmas was a great show, it held the attention of all three kids for most of the 2 hour show.

Addie thought the cow girl hat completed her look nicely.

Ben was ready for the show to start. He only spent about 10 minutes of the whole 2 hours actually in his seat, but he didn't try to run away so that was good.
I LOVE matching outfits for the boys. This picture makes me so happy.
Gare Bear watching the show with Grandma. He loved all the music and dancing and lights.
The finale of the show, this was after the Three Wise men rode in on camels and an elephant, it was such an amazing show.

www.WhoisJoeHilton.com

2011-12-23T07:41:00.004-06:00

Last night Uncle Joe, Grandma and Poppa got into town. Uncle Joe is Joe Hilton, aspiring Country singer here visiting from Nashville. We all wanted to hear Uncle Joe sing so Jon found an open mic night and we loaded the family up to go watch Uncle Joe sing. Here are the kids having a pre show jam session, they were rocking out to some Christmas songs.

At Puffabelly's in Old Town Spring waiting for his turn.
Garrett was a busy little boy, he got passed around all of the adults to try and keep him content.
Uncle Joe's turn on stage, he did a GREAT job.
The kids were so excited about getting to see Uncle Joe sing, and when we get there all they want to do is play on the phone.
I loved the rustic decor.
Addie is learning how to play more games on the phone and it is so fun to watch her concentrate.
A proud Mom recording her son.
Garrett was so happy when we finally let him have a phone.
Joe sang 4 songs, and it was so fun.
Addie had brought her guitar with her and when Joe was done she grabbed her guitar and went up on stage with him.
She was so nervous, but she wanted to be up their with Uncle Joe so bad.
I love this picture!
When we left another person walked out with us to talk to Joe. Addie ended up singing a song for the man and he pulled out his wallet and gave her a dollar tip. It was really sweet, until Ben walked up to the man and asked "Can I have a dollar?" I was mortified, but it really was sweet. The man was very nice and played along. We are going to have to work on Ben a little more.
It was so fun to here Joe sing, he has been working so hard on his music and he did a great job. If you want to hear some of his music you can check him out at www.whoisjoehilton.com

Pictures before church

2011-12-21T09:57:00.006-06:00

I found these matching shirts for the boys, and then I found the dress and jacket combo for Addie. It is harder to dress everyone alike or coordinating these days, but I love the challenge.

I thought everyone did a pretty good job, at first.

Ben doing Kung Fu, like he learned watching Kung Fu Panda. It is cute, but kind of dangerous.

Trying to get all three of them together is getting harder and harder. Ben does not like looking at the camera, Garrett is crawling and about to start walking so he doesn't hold still unless he is in his booster seat, Addie is the only one that will sit sweetly for me to take a picture.

Garrett is such a funny little boy. He loves to have his picture taken, Jon was able to get these shots of him at the table the other day. I can never pick which expression is my favorite.

We went for Garrett's 12 month well baby check up. He weighed in at 21 pounds 4 ounces and 29 inches long. That puts him right at the 25 percentile for both. He is a healthy little boy and we are so thankful.

Family Resemblance

2011-12-19T17:22:00.003-06:00

My Mom put this picture on Facebook the other day. It is a picture of me the morning of my first birthday. We were living in England at the time and my mom was baking for my party that evening.

This is Garrett eating his blueberry pancakes the morning of his 1st birthday.

And just for fun, here are pictures of Addie and Ben on their 1st birthdays.
Addison

Bennett

Celebrating Gare Bear

2011-12-19T14:48:00.008-06:00

This little birthday boy was so happy to see Daddy!

Addie was very anxious for Garrett to open his presents.

Garrett had lots of help opening his gifts.

Just looking at the wrapping paper was pretty fascinating for him.

Yay Balloons! Nannie, GeeGee,and Aunt Laura sent a cookie bouquet. They do this for the kid's birthdays and it is always a big hit.

The cookies, beautiful

and delicious.

We let the kids have a cookie upstairs while we watched Garrett's new Veggie Tales movie. The big kids did okay with their cookies, but Garrett decided that he wanted to make as big a mess as he could.

He was just to cute I couldn't stop him.

He loves to put on a show for the camera.

He was laying on his back saying "Mmmmmmm". It was hilarious.

Addie and Ben both loved their cookies, thankfully they didn't make as big of a mess.

The next morning we got ready for a playdate we were holding at our house. It was a Christmas Pajama play date so I washed Addie's Christmas PJs for her to wear them again.

They were watching a movie while Garrett took a little nap and I finished up some of the fun snacks we had.

Snowman donuts with orange frosting noses and chocolate chip eyes. The 'snowballs' in the middle were a big hit.

The snow man cupcakes were so fun. They are stuck together with white frosting and more orange frosting for the noses.

I thought the little snowmen were so cute.

Here is Garrett's cupcake. I saved this 1 from Ben's 1st birthday.

I did try to have some healthier alternatives.

Build your own snow man with bananas, blueberries and pretzels.

The Birthday Boy!

Getting some love from big sister, Addie.

You can't see it here, but there were about 30 people there, most of them able to sing, Garrett loved all the attention.

I love Garrett's frosting mustache in this picture.

Thanks to my friend Amanda for getting some family pictures.

Garrett did not want to share with Daddy.

He really liked his cupcake and marshmallows.

He loved the balloons that came with his cookies, the kids are still playing with the balloons!

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Little man feel special. I can't believe he is already 1. We go tomorrow for his 1 year check up so I will have all the stats for my long and lean Garrett.

Happy 1st Birthday Garrett!

2011-12-15T08:06:00.002-06:00

I can't believe we are already celebrating this little guy's first birthday. I got up and made blueberry pancakes this morning as a birthday treat. Do you think he enjoyed them? There will be more birthday festivities to come in the next couple of days.

I had picked up a kids daily devotional at Lifeway during their Black Friday sale. Jon and the big kids have been reading one every morning during breakfast. After he reads he asks the kids if they have anything they would like him to pray for. Addie's hand always shoots right up and she always has something or someone she would like him to pray for. Ben's prayer requests are usually animals, the last two days it has been giraffes.

A Birthday Surprise

2011-12-15T08:01:00.003-06:00

On Jon's birthday we hosted our class Christmas party. We had about 40 people at our house and everyone was having fun chatting when there was a tap on the door. I opened the door to see a gorilla crawl by me. He went straight to Jon, gave him the balloons and did a little dance to the music playing on his Ipad. It was one of the scariest/funniest things that has happened at our house.

It was even funnier when we found out the person in the monkey suit was our mild mannered friend Jeff. What a fun birthday surprise! And the kids are still having fun with the balloons.

Happy Birthday Jonathan

2011-12-15T07:57:00.002-06:00

This year Jon celebrated the big 3-0. We hosted our Sunday school class Christmas party on his birthday, so the night before I made him some brownies and we had a family celebration.

Addie's Christmas Program

2011-12-15T07:51:00.003-06:00

There is nothing sweeter than watching Addie sing her songs in her Christmas program. She is so good about practicing her songs, it is always fun to hear the whole chorus of little voices singing and watching them do the hand motions. Addie is toward the front, in the middle of the photo.

Garrett had a lot of fun watching Addie, at one point he started yelling what we think is his version of her name. It was so sweet, and loud.

My Boys

2011-12-07T12:31:00.002-06:00

I love putting Garrett is clothes that Ben wore when he was younger. My boys look so different and their personalities are as different as their looks.

Here is Garrett all dressed for our 'cold' weather, he is 11 1/2 months old.

This was Ben in January of 2010, he was about 7 months old in this picture.
They are even wearing the same shirt underneath. I love these little guys and all of the beautiful chaos they bring with them.

Saturday Pancakes

2011-12-03T19:51:00.002-06:00

I am not a morning person, but everyone else in my house is. Thankfully Jon has gotten good at making pancakes and he gets up with the kids and makes them all breakfast. I was up this morning and I couldn't resist getting a picture of my chocolate chip faced Ben-Ben and Addie.

I couldn't believe how much this little guy ate, 3 whole pancakes. He sat there just putting more and more food in his mouth. He didn't chocolate chips on his, but he was still pretty happy.
And here is the chef, finally getting to fix a pancake for himself.

Addie's First Trip to the nail Salon

2011-12-03T19:44:00.002-06:00

My Mom, sister and I love to go get pedicures when we are together. This time we decided to let Addie come too. She didn't get the whole pedicure experience, but she did sit with me while I got mine. My feet are so ticklish that when they scrub my feet I laugh and squirm. Addie was wondering what they were doing to me to make me laugh so hard, so our lady scrubbed her feet just a little, and she is as ticklish as I am.

Addie did get her fingers and toes painted while we were there. She sat so still, she was so excited to be with the big girls.
Of course she picked a pretty pink.
It was so much fun to be able to take Addie with me, I look forward to many more trips to the salon with my sweet girl.

Turkey Day!

2011-12-01T06:17:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite picture right now. Garrett is such a ham for the camera, and GeeGee has a pretty good smile too. We were all hanging out Thursday morning, GeeGee watched the parade with the kiddos

Jon put up the Christmas lights,
Addie helped with the lights,
Ben did too,
Not sure why this picture is sideways, but Addie was watching the parade.
Ben is so sweet watching the parade too. This is how I will remember him at this age, with his Night Night, sucking his thumb.
He was sharing his Night Night with Mondi, that is a big deal, he usually doesn't share his blanket with anyone.
Addie and Mondi having a cuddle. Usually Pinot is the cuddly dog, but she was taking a little break from the kiddos. Mondi enjoyed all the extra attention.
Jon putting up more Christmas lights.
The feast is ready!
Everyone sitting down for our meal. Do you see the doors in the background? I think I am going to give them their own post later.
My chocolate pecan pie and Laura's pumpkin pie.
Aunt Laura did a great job this year!
Garrett thought everything was delicious!
All of Jon's work paid off, the house looks great.
I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving. Before the meal we all went around and said what we were thankful for. Addie was the one that initiated it and she was thankful for her family, it was so sweet

A trip to the Zoo

2011-12-01T05:34:00.007-06:00

At the zoo with Nannie, GeeGee and Aunt Laura. If you want to come and visit us, we have season passes to the zoo now and we can get friends in with us. It was a beautiful day for the zoo.

Addie was ready for a day of fun!

She makes me smile every day, look at her little hand on her hip!
Ben and Addie playing the drums in the African Forest. When I asked Ben later, this was his favorite part of the zoo.
Ben-Ben and me.
Waiting in line to feed the giraffes.
Garrett started to get a little heavy so he got passed around.

It's our turn!
The kids all had fun giving the giraffes their lettuce.

Garrett loves to ride up on shoulders. He loved GeeGee's head, it was so funny.
Jon trying to bring back the popped collar and tucked in polo.
I love watching Ben and Addie start to become friends, they have so much fun together.
Garrett was having fun.
He cracks me up!
Yes, Garrett is kissing GeeGee's head in this picture.
Just moments after this the duck bit Jon's hand and then Ben's hand. Don't worry, they weren't hurt.
Everyone was getting a little worn out.
That's everyone!
Garrett loves having his picture taken.
Now it was Aunt Laura's turn.
Nannie really liked this flower, so we tried to get a picture of her and the kiddos in front of it. This was the last thing we did before we left the zoo and the kiddos were DONE.
Next, we decided to ride the train. Addie got her play camera out of her purse and pretended to take pictures.

Nannie and Addie, so sweet.

Ben Ben did not want his picture taken, but he finally relented and stopped scowling at the camera.

After the zoo My mom, Laura and I went to see a movie, after the movie we ran into COSTCO because I had been talking about how much the kids love raspberries. This is Ben, Addie, and Aunt Laura devouring a container in one sitting. The kids are standing on the cooler that we were defrosting the turkey in.
Next up, Thanksgiving Day.

Thank you Nana and Uncle Bim

2011-11-28T16:39:00.005-06:00

Bennett opening his gift, yes, pants are optional in our house most of the time.

A new tractor! And it makes noise, even better.
Nana knows her way to the kids' heart, killer whales. This is a pillow case that Nana made for Addie. She has slept on it every night.
Gare Bear opening his quilt.
Addie LOVES her purse. She has filled it with toys, including her toy cell phone, and carries it with her everywhere. She whips out her cell phone periodically and pretends to talk to her friends. She had the ladies at church this morning just cracking up.
Garrett checking out his new quilt, it coordinates nicely with his brother's quilt and their room decor.
Ben got a killer whale pillow case too! He is excited, I promise, he just gets overwhelmed.
Me with my new purse checking out Addie's new Rapunzel book.
Nannie feeding Garrett, this boy can put away some food right now.
Aunt Laura and Addie in their matching green.
Ben trying out the light up reindeer antlers. Nannie brings the most fun things.
Jon with his gift from Nana and Uncle Bim, a Miami Dolphins mug. He loves it and it is so cute, whenever the kids see anything Miami Dolphins related they start singing the song. They had fun tormenting GeeGee who is a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Garrett rocking out on his guitar. This guitar was a big hit with all the kids. We woke up to it over the baby monitor at 5:45 the other morning, Ben was going to town.
Thank you Nana and Uncle Bim for all of the treasures. We feel so loved!

Play Date Fun

2011-11-21T13:44:00.009-06:00

We got to have a play date today with some of our friends. Ethan and Ben are almost the same age and they have so much fun together.

Addie and Noah were in the same preschool class last year. Noah and Ethan have a new baby brother at home, so they came to our house for a little while to play and let their mommy have a little break.
The kids were all being very silly. Of course my two were the silliest.
Garrett had noodles for lunch.

He loves to eat and he loves noodles.

Garrett liked his noodles so much he decided to try and eat his plate.

After lunch we all went outside to burn off more energy. Ben and Ethan play really well together, especially since they are 2 two year old boys.

Addie being silly with Noah
Ethan having fun on the swing.
Garrett was taking it all in.
Gare Bear loves to be one of the big kids now. Earlier today he crawled all the way out to the bottom of the slide and was having fun with Addie and Ben.
We had so much fun playing with our friends!

My Little Mommy and Little James Bond and my Little Happy Man

2011-11-21T13:19:00.003-06:00

Addie has started to play mommy lately. She is so sweet with her baby, she put her doll cradle next to her bed so that her baby could sleep next to her and she had me hold her baby the other day so she could pick up her toys, I love it.

The kids were all dressed for church and I wanted some pictures. Ben wanted to use his water gun, thankfully it was empty.
I LOVE his little tie. I think he looked just like a little James Bond with his gun and his handsome outfit.
He is such a sweet little boy. He actually left the tie on all through church.
Gare Bear was all ready for church too.
He is so happy, even though he got chewed up by the mosquitoes the night before.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-17T13:16:00.004-06:00

Today was Addie's Thanksgiving feast at school. Last year I didn't go to Addie's Thanksgiving Feast and Addie let me know afterward that it was a mistake. This year Jon and I made sure we were there. Garrett was very excited to be able to go this year.

We were so happy to be there this year because the kids did a little show.
The kids were such good listeners. The show they did was so cute. I am having trouble getting the video uploaded, but I will keep trying.
Garrett had a great time watching the performance, but he got very upset when Jon put him on the ground. I think it had to do with his super cute boots that he was wearing, I don't think they were that comfortable. He can work up tears faster than any of our other children.
Addie was so happy to see her daddy.
My two little indians, I wanted to get a picture of them together, but Ben wouldn't let Addie stand very close to her and they would not smile. Can you tell it is nap time? They are both taking great naps right now.
We are so excited for Thanksgiving this year. Addie wrote on her placemat at school that she is Thankful for her family. I love it.

11 Months

2011-11-16T06:34:00.002-06:00

Our little Gare Bear is already 11 months old, I can't believe that I am planning his first birthday in just a couple of weeks. He is crawling all over the place, he loves to sneak up the stairs, he has 5 teeth, but people usually only see the bottom 2 that stick out. He loves his brother and sister, but he does not like loud noises, sometimes those two do not mix. He waves bye bye and blows kisses. He is the sweetest little boy I could imagine.

Here is my little man helping me at my shop. I sold a bench so I needed to rearrange and when I put Garrett down he made a beeline for the mirrors and had a good ole' time.

At one point he was kissing the baby, it was so cute, except I didn't have my windex with me. Hopefully the shoppers will appreciate the extra love.
Thank you for all of the birthday wishes this week, I felt so special.

I now have a blog dedicated to my creations and finds at www.welllovedtreasures.blogspot.com. There is a facebook page too.

Santa Already

2011-11-13T20:46:00.003-06:00

This weekend we went to Old Town Spring to see them light their Christmas tree. It was so much fun to spend time in one of our favorite places with good friends. Santa was there taking pictures so we decided to go ahead and try it out, even though the kids were not dressed in Christmas outfits. I am glad we had a practice shot because I think we are going to try again. This picture will be going into Garrett's baby book though, his look is priceless.

If you are in the Spring area this Santa at Old Town Spring is great. They took this picture for us and emailed it to us for only $2.00 or you can use your own camera for $2.00.

My Sweet Girl

2011-11-11T21:11:00.002-06:00

I love Addie's developing sense of style. There are some days that I have a hard time letting her pick out her own clothes, but most days it is just so entertaining. Addie loves this dress that my mom got for her last year. I helped her pick out the sweater, it is a handmade sweater from my Great Grandma Amy. My great grandmother made so many sweaters and I love they are still keeping the children of our family warm.

Could she be any cuter?

10 on 10 November 2011

2011-11-11T08:30:00.004-06:00

8 AM Addie loves our little video camera, I think she can work it better than I can. She was showing Garrett a video we made months ago, she was making a funny noise and he was laughing at her. They both started laughing when they watched it again.

Garrett took the video camera away from Addie, he was ready to play with it. We learn technology early in this house.
9 AM At the Doctor's Office waiting for our flu mist/shots.
10 AM We were at Dunkin Donuts for our post flu mist donut treat, but I forgot my wallet at home. I felt so bad, Addie and Ben were so good at the doctor's office, and we were all ready to get our treat and I had no money. I did have my check book with me, but no one takes checks any more. Everyone was a little disappointed, and now I am ready for a donut.
11 AM we had some friends come over and play and I forgot to get my camera out. Trying to make sure Ben doesn't hit any one with his plastic bat is a full time job.

12 Lunch Time!
1 PM My favorite time of the day, Nap time! Ben and his Night-night, he is so sweet when he goes to sleep.
This little guy is pretty sweet too, he prefers the blankets with more of a satin feel.
2 PM We re arranged the house last month to give me a dedicated craft room/office. This is a project I have been working on and I am pleased with how it turned out. It has already helped with the clutter tremendously. It also helps to keep all of the scissors up away from the little people. I love getting stuff done during nap time!

3 PM Garrett is up from his nap, but still hanging out in his sleep sack. I love this one on one time with him.

4 PM The big kids are STILL asleep. This is pretty normal for Ben, but Addie hardly ever sleeps any more so she was very tired to sleep for 4 hours. How cute is this little guy's grin? He does have 3 top teeth, you just can't see them when he smiles.

5 PM Everyone is up and I am cooking dinner, and I forgot to take a picture. It is probably best I didn't get a picture, it is usually chaos during that time.

6 PM Daddy is home from work! We all enjoyed a yummy cheesy enchilada casserole. Everyone ate it and liked it.

Can you see all of the beautiful artwork behind me? Addie and Ben both paint regularly at school. If you ask Ben what he did today he says "I paint". Jon has learned that it doesn't matter what Ben actually did that day, that is his answer.

We ended our day with a trip to our favorite place, Tutti Frutti! Jon had a big presentation at work today that he has been preparing for for weeks. It went well and he was in a mood to celebrate, the kids and I were happy to join him.

Very Special Visit with Poppa

2011-11-03T06:49:00.004-05:00

This was a very special week for our family. This year Jon was selected by our church to become a deacon. For those of you unfamiliar with what a Southern Baptist deacon does, they are a group of men that help the Pastor run the church. The Greek word for deacon means servant and that is what they do, serve where they are needed. We are all so proud of Jon and we were so excited that his dad could fly in to be a part of the ceremony.

Poppa got here in time to eat dinner and ready bed time stories to the kiddos.

Addie really enjoyed her time with Poppa. In the morning Addie went to school and Poppa got to spend some special time with Ben while Garrett took a nap. I used the opportunity to work on my shop at the Antique Gallery. Poppa saw how different Ben can be when he gets some one on one time.

All ready for our evening at church. A special occasion is a great reason to dress the boys up in matching outfits, even though they just went to the nursery.
Poppa and Garrett had a great time together. Garrett is feeling a little under the weather, but he loved all the extra attention from Poppa.
Addie was happy to take a picture, Garrett was hamming it up for the camera, Bennett was done taking pictures. He is such a stinker.
Poppa was able to get a couple more smiles out of him.
Even though it was a quick visit we had so much fun visiting with Poppa, we love you!

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-31T11:50:00.003-05:00

Champion Forest had their Trunk or Treat last night. There were a lot of people so we just found some of our friends and stayed put. The kids got a couple of pieces of candy and that was all that mattered to them. We will go out trick or treating tonight for the full experience. Here is our Penguin, Rapunzel from the movie Tangled, and a gator.

I love these kiddos so much.
Here is a picture from two years ago at our first Champion Forest Trunk or Treat. Bennett as Boots the Monkey fell asleep in Jon's arms.
This year it was Garrett's turn to take a little nap.
Do you know who this is? That's right, Addison on her first Halloween.
This was less than a month before Jon deployed. We were living in our tiny little cottage in Colorado Springs.
It is amazing how much Addie has changed in the last 4 years.

My New Adventure

2011-10-20T19:48:00.003-05:00

I have rented a space at a local antique store, Antique Gallery of Houston. The part of the store that my space is in is not necessarily antiques, but more random fun things. I have enjoyed shopping at the Antique Gallery since we moved here and everything came together recently for me to try my hand at resale. Jon and my parents have been so supportive as I have gotten things started. Jon and I moved everything that is in that space ourselves.

Some of the items I made, some I have been collecting over the years and some are things that I have found recently. I have been adding new things at least once a week.
I was a wreck until I sold my first item, and since then it has been a slow and steady pace.
I have learned a lot already from what has sold and at what price. Everyone at the store has been very supportive and helpful.
It is a wonderful set up because I don't have to be at the store, except when I want to drop off more merchandise. I am able to do as much or as little as I have time for.
It has been scary stepping out and trying something new. Finding the right balance of working on projects with the kids has been interesting, but I am having so much fun.
The kids love to go treasure hunting with me on the weekends, we usually all find some treasures.
The hardest part has been parting with items once I am finished with them. This is a magnetic board, the clothespins can hold prayer requests. I love this idea and I think I am going to have to make another for our house.
The name of the Store is Antique Gallery of Houston, it is at 21127 Spring Town Drive, Spring, TX 77388. It is just off 2920 west of I 45. They are open every day from 10-6.

I am booth Q 5 if you want to stop by and take a look.

1st Camping Trip

2011-10-19T07:01:00.003-05:00

Have I ever mentioned what a great dad Jon is? He is wonderful. He got the tent out this past weekend and set it up in the back yard and slept outside with Addie and Ben. The last time we had the tent out it got set up in the living room so we weren't sure how the kids were going to do. They all had so much fun! Addie and Ben slept the whole night outside with their dad. I came home after everyone was asleep and went out to check on them. Ben had his little feet tucked under Jon and was out, Addie was a little bit more restless, but ended up settling down.

Of course they had to try out the tent as soon as Jon put it up. You can see Ben running and jumping on his Dad in the next couple of pictures. Jon said that is what Ben did when it was time to go to bed, but that he eventually settled down.

The kids were so excited about sleeping outside with Daddy, I am so glad that Jon is such a good Dad. They all had so much fun and I think I see more camping in our future.

Pumpkin Patch Outing

2011-10-17T21:27:00.003-05:00

All of these pictures are thanks to my dear friend, Edlee. As the kids and I were running out the door the camera was just one more thing for me to carry. Edlee came to my rescue and took some great pictures of the kids.

On the tractor ride out to the play ground.

Ben was climbing all over the play ground.
He said he needed help getting up the rope ladder.
Garrett loved sitting in the grass and trying to eat it.
Addie's crazy hair.
Garrett tried climbing up the ladder, he thinks he is such a big boy.
Addie trying out the monkey bars.
Edlee told Addie to "Cheese" this was as good as she could do before falling off.
Ben's turn, he had a little more help, Edlee didn't let go of him.
He was still having fun.
It was a beautiful day, but the 90 degree weather made it a little hard to believe that it is fall. It is supposed to cool off some this week and I can't wait!

Nannie and GeeGee

2011-10-13T21:24:00.005-05:00

Last weekend Nannie and GeeGee drove out for a quick visit. Garrett was very excited to get to spend some time with them.

We all enjoyed Nannie making yummy breakfasts for us. Hurray for homemade waffles!
All the kids got new Gators shirts too.
Addie found this sucker that I had hidden and she really wanted to dig in.
On Monday we ended up at Bouncin' Bears. This is one of the kids favorite places to go.
Garrett is so little he was in danger of getting run over so GeeGee put him up on his shoulders.
Garrett loved the view from up there.
Garrett did get to come down and play, he had so much fun.
We saw Ben occasionally, when he would run past us.
Nannie kept a lookout on one side of this inflatable so that Garrett could play.
She got Ben on one of his trips running by us.
Ben going down a little slide.
Garrett wanted to try out the slide, he loved it. He kept trying to climb back up the slide. He ended up going down this slide at least 10 times.
After lunch we stopped to get the kids some pumpkins. Nannie wanted the kids to get a good sized pumpkin each.
Addie wanted a smaller pumpkin that she could carry.
And Ben wanted to play in the dirt.
And then he saw this pumpkin that had already been smashed and he was very interested.
In the end everyone got a pumpkin and we headed home.
Thank you to Nannie and GeeGee for coming to visit us! We had so much fun.

My Broken Camera

2011-10-13T21:12:00.003-05:00

My camera is not working right and it is really frustrating for me. I haven't been taking as many pictures because I need good natural light and I have to focus manually, so I apologize if any of my pictures are out of focus or dark.

This picture worked out well, everyone was ready for church and we got them to hold still long enough to get a picture. I love the matching sailboat outfits for the boys.

Garrett loves to stick out his little tongue, it always makes me laugh.

More Random Pictures

2011-09-28T08:32:00.003-05:00

These pictures are a couple of weeks old, I took them on the day that Garrett hit 9 months! He is such a sweet little boy, but probably also our neediest baby out of the three. It still surprises me how different all three of our children are. I love their individual personalities. Garrett is pulling up like a champ and starting to cruise. I think he is going to walk sooner than the other two did. He has already made it to the second step, usually when he is trying to follow after Addie and Ben.

He still only has those 2 bottom teeth, but I am expecting to see more any day now. He loves to smile at people and he loves his big brother and sister.

When it comes to the Miami Dolphins Jonathan is a fanatic. He loves his team and he is such an optimist. He is teaching the kids a love for football too. Here are Ben and Jon singing Miami Dolphins number 1!

Our Lifegroup does a Girls' Night Out every month or so. The last time we went to the Cheesecake Factory, so yummy and so much fun to hang out with all the girls.
Jon was working on the yard this past weekend and the kids ended up climbing this tree.
Addie looked so beautiful tucked in behind the leaves.
I got to meet Rachel Ashwell last night. She is the creator of Shabby Chic and she is amazing. I have loved her as a designer since college. She just opened a store and Bed and Breakfast in Round Top, Texas and last night she did a book signing. It was only an hour and a half away so I talked my friend Jodi into riding out there with me. It was so neat to meet Rachel Ashwell and see her store in person. Everything was just as beautiful in person as it is in the pictures.

Random

2011-09-14T11:50:00.003-05:00

I love getting pictures off of my memory card when I have forgotten what pictures are on there.

Little miss watched a documentary with her Daddy last week when I was out for the evening. The documentary was about old west cowboys. Addie decided that she was going to dress like a cowboy for bedtime. That's right this is what she wore for pajamas, because this is what cowboys wear to bed. Love it.

She loves all of her stuffed animals. Today it was her lion.
When I told her she had to get dressed for school she was still in cowboy mode. This is the outfit she put together all by herself, and this is how she went to school. I do think she left the gloves at home, but the hat and everything went to school. She is at a preschool at our church so they are very understanding.
This little guy is in such a hurry to grow up. He has been pulling up and standing for almost a month now. He has found the bottom stair as a favorite place to pull up, but the other day he got his leg up on the first step. Now I am so worried that he is going to start climbing the stairs one day.
He is such a ham, he loves the camera and almost always has a big grin when he sees it.

As I was doing the dishes last night this is what I saw. Our neighbor Mr. Barry is awesome. We all love him and when Jon saw him outside last night he took the kids to visit with him.
Ben has been going through kind of a rough stage this summer, but I think we might be coming out on the other side. I know it must be hard to be a 2 year old boy and a middle child already. I think the structure of 'school' is helping. It has been hard with him being more challenging than usual only because he is such a sweet boy. I love this picture.
This is what I woke up to this morning. Jon gets up early with our early rising children and gets them breakfast and turns on PBS kids. He doesn't wake me up until he is walking out the door. I love this man more every day. I feel so blessed to wake up to these crazy kids every morning. Look at those grins on the boys.
This is our produce delivery for today. I organize the coop and we get deliveries every other Wednesday. Ben loves produce days he loves fruits and veggies more than any of my other children. We have already tasted the grapes and oranges and they are so yummy!
I hope you are having a great week!

A Sea World Surprise

2011-09-06T15:55:00.000-05:00

For Labor Day Weekend we decided to head to San Antonio with a special surprise in mind for the kiddos.

Our hotel in San Antonio had a full length mirror for a closet door. Garrett crawled over to the door and was mesmerized by the baby. He kept reaching out to the mirror to try and touch the other baby.

He sat in front of the mirror for quite a while.

This picture makes me laugh out loud. I love his expression.

The big surprise is coming! Addie had an idea about where we were going, but we hadn't told her for sure.

Here are the kids seeing the killer whale statue at the entrance to Sea World. They were SOOOO excited!

Waiting in line before they opened the gates, Ben tried to climb in with Shamu.

Garrett was not as excited as Addie and Ben.

She was one happy lit

The pretty stained glass at the entrance to the park.

First stop was the kids area. Addie came to play in the little splash area with Garrett.

Garrett loved the water, but he is still moving around by sliding on his belly and that was not a lot of fun on the cement. I did like all the shade for the little ones while they played.

They had fun together with the water.

Daddy and Ben Ben went up high on the ropes. Jon said that it was fun, but to wear shoes because the knots hurt his feet.

We were right next to the stage so when the show started we were able to get pretty good seats.

The show started with Elmo coming out on stage and I don't think Ben knew quite what to think.

They did a great job and the kids were mesmerized.

Even Garrett was enthralled.

Addie and Ben watching the show together.

Ben wanted to go on a ride. This is new for us because Addie has never been much of a ride girl. Daddy and Ben waited in line and at the last minute Addie decided she wanted to go too. I was so proud of her for getting on the ride. She looks so happy here, I love it.

As the ride started to go up she started to get nervous.

As the ride moved, very slowly, Addie started yelling at me "I am not having fun!" The other parents in line were cracking up and so was I. She was so pitiful. Ben was having so much fun.

She never got out of control and the ride finally finished. Ben loved it and wanted to do more rides, but it was time to head over to see Shamu!

While I was taking pictures of the big kids this is what Garrett was doing. The backpack was hanging open and he managed to pull the puffs container out and was chewing on it.

We were just headed off the ride and on our way when all of the characters from the show came walking by and we were able to get some pictures with them.

Addie has never been a big fan of characters when they get close. She had been talking about meeting Abby during the show so I made her go up and get a picture. After the picture she was happy.

Ben got to meet his favorite character, Cookie Monster!

Next it was time for Shamu. Garrett fell sound asleep in my arms while we waited

I ran down to take a picture of Jon and the kids. They were sitting as close as they could get. Addie wouldn't put clothes on over her bathing suit because she wanted Shamu to splash her. I hated not sitting with them, but Garrett and the camera did not want to get splashed so after I took this picture I ran back up to my seat.

One of the warnings they put up.

The show started and it was awesome. The killer whales really seem huge, and these are the smaller female whales.

This is my favorite picture of the whales.

They started to bring them around. This was right in front of Addie. I was hoping the whale was going to splash them, but then something happened.

One of the other whales came over and rammed the whale that was performing. Then they just started swimming around. It turns out females whales are the more dominant of the species and these whales did not feel like performing. They tried to get them back under control, but ended up having to end the show early.

Garrett enjoyed chewing on one of Addie's whales while we waited.

We were able to go down get some pictures after. I think it looks like the whale is going to eat Garrett in this picture.

Ben thought they were pretty cool.

Jon got a chance to break away and go on a roller coaster while I waited with the kids. Can you see his hair blown back? No, I am not making fun of Jon's hairline, it really did look funny in person.

The dolphin show was amazing. I love the high diving people and amazing animals. You can see the dolphins on the right.

We have been watching a lot of Rio in our house so the blue macaws were pretty neat to see.

After we left the park the kids didn't make it 5 minutes down the road, they had played so hard and it was so HOT. From Sea World we headed out to a resort for a time share presentation. We had it all planned out nicely, when our appointment was supposed to start and when we could grab some dinner and head back to Sea World for the evening. When we got to the 'resort' and saw 50+ people waiting for their appointments we knew our evening was not going to happen as planned. After 3 hours, a building that lost power, and a very sweet sales lady we said "No thank you" and headed back to Sea World.

We debated about just going back to the hotel, it was late and we were tired, but there were special Labor Day Fireworks that night so we sucked it up and went back, and we were so glad that we did.

We got a watermelon slushi that was a BIG hit with Ben.

Addie was pretty tired, but still happy to be there.

Garrett thought the slushi looked pretty good too.

Ben made sure he couldn't get to it, he is such a thoughtful big brother.

This made me laugh. I feel like this is such a good representation of Ben at this age, climbing by a Do Not Enter sign.

Jon dancing to some of the awesome music they had.

Ben was ready for some more!

Addie liked the pink fireworks the best.

Garrett was such a trooper with a very long day. We didn't get back to our hotel until after 11 that night. Instead of going back to Sea World the next day we decided that we would take it easy in the hotel the next day while I headed up to the outlet mall nearby.

The outlet mall was awesome and I will be going back, thankfully I had a time limit for my shopping and then it was time to head home. We had a very quiet ride home.

We had a great weekend and now it is time for back to school for the Hilton Kids.

Starting September

2011-09-06T14:39:00.016-05:00

To start out september I made a trip to the mall the other day with all three kids. I try not to do this because it usually does not end well. This is how it ended this trip. Addie was such a big girl and head Garrett for me. Trying to hold him in one arm and steer this giant stroller with the other hand is just not that easy any more. I still love this stroller though and would recommend it to any one needing a double stroller. It is well worth the investment.
I loved this hat on Addie, her coloring is so different from mine, it is fun to be able to dress her in colors I am not used to. She is such a serious little girl that this is the first picture I got of her.
But then I got a smile. I love her little blonde curls peeking out from under her hat.
Ben was happy to snack on some leftover chips from lunch.

Here is my sweet smiley little man.

Summer is Winding Down

2011-08-31T10:39:00.005-05:00

I know most people have already started school, but for us summer is lingering on. I realized this weekend though that we are almost done with this summer and it made me a little sad. Don't get me wrong, I am ready for Mother's Day Out for Ben and Preschool for Addie. They need some time with friends and more structure and I need some one on one time with Garrett. But I realized that next summer our family will have changed so much. What brought this all on was our last trip to the pool of the season. We have had a lot of fun at the pool this summer, all of our kids love the water and we love how close it is. Since it was our last trip I grabbed the camera on the way out the door. I tempted fate by taking the camera into the pool with me, but I had to capture some of these special moments that I know I don't get back.

I love the expression on Ben's face. He is so brave around the water he has to have his floaties on and he LOVES his shooter gun.

I love this picture because Ben is still holding his shooter gun while he is flying through the air, I told you he loves it.

Addie's turn to go up high.
Now it is Daddy's turn to jump in, he is mentally preparing.
I love this crazy man.
So sad, the slide was closed. Ben loves this slide and Addie has gotten a lot more brave this year. People are always amazed to watch my little dare devils go down with no floaties.
Little man chilling in his floatie. He loves just being in the water.
Addie loves this tube that Aunt Shana and Uncle James gave to her at the beach. It has gotten a lot of love this summer.
Addie loves jumping in.

This is not Garrett's most flattering look, but I loved the baby mohawk and you can see his jagged little teeth that have come all the way in on the bottom. Still only those two.

Garrett loves the water, and he is happy in his floaty, but he is happiest when we are holding him and he can splash in the water. Daddy was getting some BIG kisses.
This picture just makes me smile.
Our happy little splasher.
Trying to blow bubbles/drink pool water.
Gare Bear's turn to go up high.
I am such a lucky mommy.
And the evening was ready to come to an end, Ben got stuck trying to get into Addie's tube. Being the awesome Mom that I am, I stopped to take a picture before I rescued him.
Addie telling Garrett a secret.
I realized looking at the kiddos in the wagon that next summer they probably won't all fit in the wagon. At this time next year we will be sending Addie off to her big girl school. I am excited about the experiences that are yet to come with all of our children, but I am enjoying this crazy stage that we are in right now too.

Your Son and My Son

2011-08-25T16:35:00.005-05:00

Have you ever called your husband to tell him something that "your son" did. Today was one of those days for me. I was heading upstairs to get Ben up from his nap and I knew there was a problem before I opened the door, I could smell it. When we rearranged the boys' room the changing area on the dresser ended up right at the foot of Ben's bed. All of the diapers and things are in the drawers so it hasn't been an issue. I started leaving a thing of powder in a cute little cowboy crate this week and today during nap time Ben found it. He emptied almost all 15 ounces of powder. Ever wondered how far 15 ounces would go? Jon thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

He was very proud of himself and didn't really see a problem with the whole thing. I guess me going and getting the camera probably took away some of the gravity of the situation, but I know I will look back on these pictures and laugh one day. I did think that as much of a pain as it is to wash all of the bedding on both beds, vacuum and dust the whole room, at least it is powder and not poop. The things that keep you going as a mom.

Now on to "My son". Garrett was in our room and I heard him banging on the guitar. I went in and got these pictures. Then he was still having fun so I got a video of him. You can watch my little musician here: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHilton5.

I love both of these boys so much and all of the fun that they bring into our lives. I did ask Ben if he was going to play with the powder again and he said "Yes". We had another little talk about how we don't play with powder and he said "I sorry Mommy". Those words will always melt my heart, even when he does it again. Hopefully we just won't give him the opportunity, powder is now a controlled substance in our house and will not be left within reach of the little people.

Gettin' Things Done

2011-08-24T14:49:00.004-05:00

There are times with small children that I feel like I am just keeping my head above water, trying to keep everyone fed, the next meal planned and the house reasonably clean. I have had a big project sitting out in the garage for a couple of months now and I finally tackled it this week.

There is a room in our house that we call the nest. It is a small room off of the master bedroom and I have claimed it as my space. It sat almost empty for a while, it has held several different chairs for napping or feeding babies, it has held the pack and play for a long time, but now Garrett is sleeping in his own bed, and sleeps through the night some of the time. I have really wanted a day bed for this room so that the kids and I could all cuddle up and watch a movie together. It is also a nice place to nap, or just relax. I did not want to buy a day bed because we have been buying furniture for the rest of the house.

I was at Lowe's one day when I found these cafe doors. They were marked 75% off the original price, only $20 a set. I bought two sets of them and came home with a vision. Jon doesn't always share my vision, but he is always so supportive. He helped me with the first couple of cuts and then I was ready to take over the project myself.

This is how the frame turned out. I know it isn't fancy, but it is sturdy.

And this is my cozy daybed, couch, little piece of heaven. I am working on more pillows for it, but it seems to be a big hit around here already. Addie wants me to paint it pink and Jon has already claimed it for his weekend naps. I love it when a project turns out how I it looks in my head.
Here is today's project. I know I have talked about Pinterest more than once, but it is awesome. I saw this picture on pinterest this morning and already had the burlap and the need for a new wreath. I picked up the straight pins and wreath form while we were out today. I am happy with the way the wreath turned out and now and I am on to my next project. I have to take advantage of these productive times because I never know when it will end. I hope you are having a great week so far!

Great Day

2011-08-17T20:34:00.002-05:00

So if you have spoken to me recently you have probably heard me talk about Pinterest. It is a really fun way to waste time looking at pretty pictures. I have tried to be more intentional about doing some of the really neat projects that I am inspired by. These letters were one of those projects.

This is one of the walls in the boys' room now that I have rearranged some of their furniture.

Here is Garrett spending some quality time with me this afternoon. I was experimenting with different settings on my camera and he made it a lot more fun.

After Addie and Ben woke up they spent some quality time together watching a movie and eating a snack.

Everyone was anxiously awaiting Daddy's return from work. This picture was also inspired by one I found on Pinterest.

I hope you had a great day, we did.

8 is Great!

2011-08-16T08:38:00.001-05:00

Do you see this big man trying to pull up already? He has started scooting to get to things while laying on his stomach and he is almost crawling. He pulls himself up onto his knees whenever he can. He is a great eater, he will try anything I give to him and he is always eyeing our food.

Bennett loves being a big brother, but he is struggling right now with having to share with everyone. He wants to play with Addie and her toys so sharing is an issue there and now that Garrett is almost crawling Ben has to share all of his toys again. It is hard being a 2 year old boy and a middle child.

Usually when I get the camera out he can't help but smile at me. Today I took him outside for some pictures and he was so distracted by everything around him that he would barely look at the camera.

Garrett has 2 teeth and we think he is working on a few more since he has not been sleeping.

I enlisted the help of my assistant to try and get Garrett's attention. Garrett adores his big sister and she was such a big help. I had her sit down so I could test a shot and she would not smile for me. Finally she started giggling and I asked her what she was thinking about. Addie told me that she was thinking about the sneezing baby panda from earlier in the day. That is how she made herself laugh.

She is such a sweet girl and a great big sister.

Even inside this little guy did not want to look at the camera or smile.

I know I am partial, but I think he is still a cutie.

We love this sweet little boy and can't believe that time is going so quickly.

Sneezing Baby Panda

2011-08-15T13:16:00.002-05:00

Today while the kids and I were looking for breakdancing videos on Youtube we came across this video of a baby panda. It is really short, only 17 seconds, and it has Addie and Ben completely cracking up. Hope you are having a happy Monday.

New Shoes and Ice Cream

2011-08-13T07:03:00.003-05:00

This little man is by far the messiest eater that I have had so far. He takes any opportunity to spread food over his face, legs, and tray. I made the mistake of leaving the bowl of food on Garrett's tray and this is what he did. It is a good thing he is so cute.

We went back to school shoe shopping this week. Addie didn't mind picking out shoes, especially when she got sneakers with Princesses on them that light up. Ben on the other hand thought we were trying to torture him. He actually started screaming as soon as we walked through the door, it was pretty pathetic. In the end we left with two pairs of snazzy new shoes and a promise of a treat.

We had promised ice cream, and then we couldn't find an ice cream place. Who knew that a cookie shop would have ice cream? Addie and Ben were so excited about their treats, it was a good time.
I wanted a picture of the boys in their outfits and forgot to take a picture all day, so we stopped just outside of the outlet mall to take a few pictures. I'm sure we looked a little crazy, but that is nothing new.
Garrett loves standing up. If you try and sit him down he becomes rigid and will not bend so you have to stand there holding his hands. He has been pulling up onto his knees whenever he gets the opportunity. Addie and Ben did NOT do this and I don't know what to expect with this little man. He is still not quite crawling, but he gets where he wants to go with rolling and scooting. Jon and I laugh at him when he is standing because he is so little.
Addie is such a good big sister. She was so excited to help Garrett stand up for a picture. Just second after I took this picture they both tumbled to the ground, I guess holding Garrett up is a lot of work for a little girl.

10 on 10: August 2011

2011-08-11T07:42:00.003-05:00

Take a picture for 10 consecutive hours on the 10th day of each month: document the beauty in every day life!

7:00 Garrett and I were up EARLY this morning. By 7 I am usually just waking up, but today I was ready to make breakfast for everyone. I had told Addie I would make waffles, when I went to the pantry I realized we were out of pancake/waffle mix. Jon was very impressed that I offered to make homemade waffles. They turned out so yummy.

This is just an extra picture, remember when I said Garrett woke up early? He was awake at 4:30 so by 7:30 he was falling asleep in his high chair. He is such a sweet baby he just laid his little head down. I did pick him up and take him to bed after I took a picture.

8:00 Addie, Ben and I were able to do some coloring while Garrett took his nap.

9:00 Garrett was up and it was playtime/movie time upstairs. I love these lazy at home days. Yes, we did stay in our pajamas most of the day.

10:00 Snack time. Nothing too original, goldfish and apple juice.

11:00 Part of my preparation for Back to School was to go through the kids' closets and get rid everything that is too small. This basket is what I was left with after I went through all three closets. I felt very productive, now I just have to deal with the basket of stuff.

Noon: Addie and Ben were playing so nicely together, it was nice while it lasted.

1:00 Nap time for all three kiddos! Now it si time for a break for Momma.

2:00 The big kids are still asleep so Garrett and I got to hang out.

3:00 Still hanging out with Garrett. He was in such a good mood. So exicted to get a picture of his little teeth.

And that is as far as I got. When Addie and Ben woke up I got distracted, can you believe that?

It's Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

2011-08-10T07:59:00.004-05:00

Here in Houston we have been dealing with 100+ degree days. They said with the heat index the temperature made it to 108 the other day, YUCK. I love summer time and I love to be warm, but this is a bit excessive. Thankfully the kids nap during the hottest part of the afternoon so we are inside. In the evening we are lucky to have our neighborhood pool that we can head to, but the pool is closed on Mondays. This week I had found a kiddie pool at the grocery store that was 75% off. I got it thinking it might come in handy. As soon as the kids saw it they wanted it filled up with water. So on Monday after dinner Jon filled up the pool with water and took the kids outside to play. When I got outside I found this:

Jon is such a fun Dad, he had put the slide into the water for the kids and they had SO much fun.

And they had watermelon for dessert.

Garrett didn't get in on the action, but he had fun watching.

He is the sweetest little man.

On Tuesday night we headed back to the pool. This is how we head to the pool. I love that Garrett is big enough to ride now.

Daddy and Garrett getting ready to head into the water.

Ben and his floaties. He is pretty fearless with these on. After I took this picture he walked over to the pool and jumped right in. I love to watch the other people at the pool when he does that because it usually catches them off guard and they look around to see if it is okay that he is in the water.

Addie was so excited to see one of her friends at the pool I couldn't get her to look at the camera.

They are predicting a high of ONLY 99 on Monday. I hope you are having a great summer, we sure are.

Since We've Been Home

2011-08-07T17:56:00.003-05:00

Thankfully I didn't have much laundry to do when we got home, but Garrett did help me get all caught up.

Garrett has mastered sitting up and turning around. He loves to smile for the camera.

Addie came and gave me a hug and was being very sweet and I love this picture because of that, but I also love Ben's expression in the background. This is how I will remember Bennett at 2 years old.

One of my favorite times of night, BED TIME!

The kids are all sleeping well now that we are home. They all seemed happy to see their beds again.

Garrett has really been enjoying his big boy food. He loves cheerios and puffs. If we start eating and I don't have any real food for him he starts moving his mouth like he is chewing and licking his lips. It is kind of pathetic, but really cute.

Playing at the park with our friends from church. We didn't last very long because it is still so hot here! The van regularly reads over 100 degrees.

It was Mrs. Jodi's birthday so she brought cup cakes to share. The kids loved the cupcakes.

We spent the evening with friends at the pool. Poor Brody just wanted to sit with the girls and eat, but they were being mean and not wanting to include him. It scares me that Addie is so good at rolling her eyes already.

The girls wanted to see my camera remote in action. It is always fun to get group shots, even if it was only a summer evening at the pool.

We have another month until 'school' starts and we are trying to enjoy all of the birthday parties, trips to the pool and after dinner ice cream trips. I hope you are all having a great summer too.

My Favorite Photo

2011-07-31T20:52:00.002-05:00

As we were on our way to Florida I was so excited about all the fun we were going to have, all the memories we were going to make and all the pictures I would get to capture.

I was very excited about trying to take this picture. I knew it would be a challenge to get everyone in, but I am so happy with how it turned out. I love all of the little feet in our circle, we are such a blessed family.

Addison's first time writing her name.

2011-07-28T10:05:00.002-05:00

Family Photos

2011-07-27T10:11:00.004-05:00

We started taking family pictures the first year that Jon and I were married. We were with the Hilton's for Christmas and Josiah had just been born that year. We have come a long way in the last 7 years. I love this picture. I bought a remote for my camera and borrowed a tripod from my mom and they made this process so much easier than just using a self timer.

James and Shana and their family.

Our family, unfortunately Ben was not in a picture taking mood.

Pat and Es.

Grandma and Poppa and all of the grand kiddos.

All of the grandkids.

Jonathan and the boys.

James and Si

The Hilton Ladies.

The boys have a picture like this back from High School. It has become tradition that we take this shot whenever we are at the beach.

The Boys and their Mom.

Es holding Garrett and the bribe that we used for all of the big kids.

James, Ansley and Shana

Addie was done taking pictures.

The Hilton Men

I had so much fun taking pictures this week, and there are A LOT more. I hope you enjoyed getting a peak into our vacation.

Uncle Joe Ate the Fish

2011-07-27T10:07:00.001-05:00

Cape San Blas

2011-07-27T09:41:00.006-05:00

After two weeks at my parents house with a pool in the backyard we headed to Cape San Blas for a week with the Hilton family. This is our beach house in the background. We were so close to the beach, it was amazing.

Garrett and Ansley meeting for the first time. They are the babies of each family.
All of the girls. I love these pictures. This was one of the best trips for Addie, Haley and Gracie. They are getting to an age where they play together so well and really seem to have fun.
Shana was very happy to be on vacation.
Es trying out one of his toys. It was a little off center, but it was still fun.
There were tons of fish and the girls were having fun checking them out.
James with Haley and Gracie.
At the beginning of the week Jon and I thought that spray sun screen would be enough, we were wrong. I was the one that sprayed his back the day before and I felt terrible, but not so bad that I would miss taking a picture.
Every afternoon during nap time Shana and I headed down to the beach for some sun, girl talk and a walk down the beach. This has become a tradition for us and I look forward to it every time we get together at the beach.
Poppa getting some snuggle time with Garrett.
Sweet little Ansley. I made this bow for her and it was small enough it actually stayed in her hair, for about a minute.
Grandma and Garrett.
Josiah is getting so grown up.
There was a lot of playing with cell phones this week. These kids are all so technologically savvy.
We cooked every night, partly because our family is so big it would cost a fortune to take every out, and partly because there is no where to go! These were our steak kabobs one night, they were delicious.
Garrett LOVED the ocean. He wanted to get down and swim, it was so cute. Jon was taking a picture of us and just happened to catch this jumping fish in the background.
Addie helping Poppa fish.
Checking out a big fish this time.
James and Si getting the fishing stuff ready.
Si has started football practices and he was doing some push ups. Ben got down and was doing push ups with him, it was so sweet.
I love Ansley's little ruffles on her bathing suit. Watching her walk around the beach still a little unsteady was so precious.
We had a great week at the beach, with 14 people in a 4 bedroom house it was kind of a tight squeeze, but we made a lot of wonderful memories.

The Storm and the Sailboat

2011-07-27T08:50:00.003-05:00

This is my father in law's sail boat.
It is not very big, but the big boys and the kids had lots of fun going out on it. They would pull it out of the water at night and just leave it on the beach. Jon took Addie and Ben out and they had so much fun.
One afternoon when all of the kids were sleeping Es (FIL) and Joe (BIL) took the boat out. They were going to sail down to a point and meet Jon and James (BIL) so they could sail back to the house. Shana, my sister in law, and I had been out sitting on the beach and saw a storm coming. We talked to our husbands about not going, but they said if the storm hit they would just pull the boat out and go back for it later. I thought this picture was really neat, you can see the storm passing by our beach house.
Here is the sail boat as the storm caught up with it.
To the right of the beach house, you couldn't even see the storm.
They were doing okay sailing, but the wind was working against them and they weren't able to make it back in.
And then I was taking this picture. I hate that it is so blurry, but that was not my biggest concern at the moment. The storm had caught up with them and blown them right over.
This was a very scary moment for me. I knew the guys weren't wearing life jackets and I didn't know if they were okay. I ran inside, dropped off my camera and told Shana what had happened. Thankfully my mother in law, Pat, was still taking a nap so she didn't have to worry.
At this point I took off running for the beach. The storm was just moving in so the water was pretty rough and it was starting to rain. When I got to the beach I couldn't see what was going on out in the water so I grabbed one of the life vests that we had down at the beach, it was a child size, but I thought it was better than nothing. I swam out to the boat and thankfully they were both okay. They had tied all of their gear down so they hadn't lost anything. I grabbed of their sunglasses and hats so they had their hands free to try and get the boat right side up. Thankfully a flood of men came out of their beach houses in the middle of the storm to help them. It took everyone to get the boat going again and then they had to take the boat back out and just ride out the storm. Shana and I watched the whole thing while we prayed for everyone's safety. It doesn't seem like that big a of a deal now, but at the time it was terrifying.

This whole time Jon and James were driving up and down the beach looking for the boat since they didn't meet them. They were getting ready to call the Coast Guard until they finally came home and saw the boat safely up on the beach. It is a running joke in our family about what bad luck the guys have with boats and this would NOT have been the first time they had to call the Coast Guard.
We are all so thankful that everyone was okay and I am thankful to finally have pictures to document their boating misadventures.

Watermelon

2011-07-25T19:30:00.002-05:00

My watermelon eating kiddos, I love summertime.

Hilton Family Adventure

2011-07-24T21:34:00.004-05:00

We had an amazing week at the beach with all of the Hilton Family. I took so many pictures that I am a little overwhelmed right now, but here is our family shot from this year.

I love this family so much!

Final Thoughts

2011-07-17T07:53:00.004-05:00

We have done a lot of playing, swimming, eating, and having fun while we have been here at Nannie and GeeGee's house. We are so lucky to have family that we can come and enjoy so much time with.
Aunt Laura and I were having a little water fight.
Ben and Addie were having so much fun splashing. Mondi of course was there to watch over everything.

Ben had fun riding on my back while I swam. Both of the kids have gotten so brave in the water.
Garrett has been eating a lot more solid foods. He is the first of our children to like avocado.
Pinot loves to just sit with people. She is at her happiest when she is cuddled up getting some love. Addie and Pinot have become great friends and now Addie is telling everyone that she is getting a Pomeranian, we will see.
Ben, Pinot, and Aunt Laura getting a cuddle.
One of many breakfasts we ate at the bar.
Addie was singing and dancing in the rain. She loves using an umbrella.
Ben has had some crazy 2 year old fits while we have been here. He threw a major fit while we were on a walk the other day. He ended up falling asleep in the stroller, Garrett fell asleep too, but he wasn't throwing a fit.
Garrett finally got to get in the water. Between his surgery and the blazing sun we hadn't gotten him in the water yet. He loved it so much. He kicked his legs and splashed with his arms, it was so fun to watch.
When we finally got him out his little feet were so pruny. He didn't fuss at all though, he was so happy to be in the water.

We are really going to miss Nannie and GeeGee and Aunt Laura, but we are already planning our trip back for next summer, that helps. I hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as we are enjoying ours. Our next week will be at the beach with all of Jon's family, it is going to be a little bit crazy and a lot of fun, I will have lots of pictures to share.

My Favorite Thing

2011-07-16T23:21:00.003-05:00

I don't know what it is about matching pajamas, but it makes me so happy. I bought these pajamas before Garrett was born, but I knew that they would work for a boy or a girl. I was so excited when I realized that the sizes would work and all the kids would fit into them at the same time.
Daddy having to go back to Texas and work was not my favorite thing. Here is Garrett saying good bye.
This is how the kids spent a lot of their indoor time, sitting on Nannie and GeeGee's bed watching a movie. This bed is so comfy I don't blame them for wanting to hang out in here.
This little cutie is Pinot. You see lots of pictures of Mondi from the pool pictures, but Pinto does not like the heat or the water so she doesn't get as much camera time. She is the sweetest little dog.

Life is Good

2011-07-16T22:48:00.009-05:00

Last week we rented a pontoon boat and a jet ski for half a day. It was so much fun!
Laura was on the jet ski quite a bit.
She had fun zooming around while the pontoon boat took its time getting places.
She took Nannie out for a ride,
Ben went with Aunt Laura
he had so much fun going fast. We all took a turn on the jet ski except Addie and Garrett. They said when we returned it we had used the most fuel they had ever seen in that amount of time. Laura and Jon were very proud of themselves as they used up most of it.
GeeGee getting some expert help driving the boat.
She is a natural.
Daddy and Ben checking out the horizon.
We headed out to Shell Island, an amazing place to hang out and look for sea shells.

Garrett was a happy boy when we got to Shell Island and took the life jacket off of him.
Addie had fun splashing in the water looking for shells.
Nannie and GeeGee and the beautiful Florida dunes.
They took their turn and headed out for a spin.
I love pictures from behind with my kids, in this picture Ben was throwing a major fit and was stalking off, but in this photo you would never know.
He did cheer up when he got into the water.
I found this whole sand dollar and I was so excited. I made sure to protect it all day and then I left it on the boat. I was so sad. It would have been really neat to keep this one because I still have one that I found 8 years ago the first time Jon and I went out on a boat together.
Addie was more brave than I thought she would be with the waves.
There were little fish that hung out near out boat. They really liked it when we dropped in a chip.
Addie tried so hard with her little net, but was unsuccessful.
Everyone had so much fun that day.
Addie LOVES her oreos. She definitely gets that from me.
This picture makes me laugh every time.
Little man fell asleep in Jon's arms, it was so precious.
Garrett fell asleep when the boat was moving.
They both slept while we cruised around, it was so peaceful.
This is Laura's college that she has started taking classes at. If you look closely you can see the Library sign, not too shabby of a view for a library.
We ran into dolphins a couple of times. It was so neat how close they came.
It looked like 2 adults and a baby.
They played around us for a while.
And then they swam away.
This little guy was not a fan of the life jacket, his face cracked me up.
Nannie's toes were very festive. Laura did the stars and stripes for her.
After all that fun we stopped for ice cream. It was pretty much a perfect day.