The Hookers

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

2011-12-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Hookers! We celebrated here in Greenville last weekend and get to head to Columbus to celebrate some more! It's been a very relaxed Christmas at home this year (remembering that last Christmas we were misplaced due to our personal flood of 2010-still Thank you, city of Greenville) Our cousin Lee stopped by last week for a vistit to the delta and a getaway from law school exams. We got a great visit with him in to start our Christmas celebration. Christmas weekend we enjoyed Christmas Eve mass and then headed to Mimi and Papaw's to eat and share gifts. Christmas day was lazy and included playing with Santa's gifts, breakfast brunch (with a great new cinnamon roll casserole thanks to pinterest) with Mimi and Papaw, and video games with Mark III all afternoon (don't know who had more fun- Daniel or Mark ?)

Excited to share that Hooker #3 is on the way and this time bringing a little blue to our house. Baby Brother will hopefully join us around the 14th of May (or sooner, if he wishes). Been a great pregnancy with a little morning sickness through the first trimester tapering off to more energy and less sickness in the 2nd. Starting to wake up in the night and not as comfortable as I wish I could be but that is to be expected. If that's all I have to worry about, life is good! Happy 2012 from this whirlwind household!

History in the making

2011-05-07T06:21:00.001-07:00

This is a picture taken at the lake front on May 6, 2011. The river, and therefore the lake is at its highest point since 1927 (broke the 1973 record today). And we are still rising. The lake front usually is a wide open lot with probably 20-30 rows of parking spaces. Now only about 3 are visible. Hoping that this is the only excitement that we will have to report.

A happy Easter...

2011-05-07T05:57:00.000-07:00

Dyed eggs: check

Easter bunny cake by Dan the Man: check

Easter picture in the front yard: check

candy: check

Smiles: check

Easter parade: check

A blessed Easter: check!

Eatin' good!

2011-05-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

A shot of Reed enjoying daddy's spaghetti as much as the rest of us! (or maybe a little more?)

And my two Bulldog cheerleaders on their way to school during "Wacky Week", a week that we got to dress up differently everyday. This just happened to be Touchdown Tuesday and our normal breakfast in the car.

A collective "Go Bulldogs!"

Swing time

2011-05-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

We've been taking advantage of the good weather!

Two ladies that love the swingset!

Which one...

2011-04-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

Can you tell which one is which?

As good as it gets...

2011-04-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Just to share- Reed's first pics with Santa (Christmas 2010)

We did get to stop by and visit with Santa at the mall this past Christmas but Hannah Kate bargained that she really didn't want to take a picture with him. I agreed since we had seen Santa at a school party that week and Reed still seemed a little traumatized. What do you think?

We had a wonderful Christmas at Mimi and Papaw's. Lots to be thankful for this year!

Swinging in to our 4th year

2011-04-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Hannah Kate's 4th birthday at the Y this year with a great time for these busy little ones. Bouncing and tumbling around the gym was such a nice chance to enjoy our 4 years with HK and her boundless energy.

Reed loved being a part of the excitement, too.

Reed's 1st

2011-04-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

We actually got to do this twice ! The first time around was while we were recovering from the flu and staying with Mimi and Papaw. And our second chance was the weekend of Hannah Kate's 4th birthday when we finally made it back to our house. Let me just say, Reed didn't mind. She loved the squishiness and the sweetness. This sweet little bear has been such a love to live with for a whole year.

Just as I was getting the blog back on track...

2011-02-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

The "Great Flood of '10" hit our house and we were ousted out for around 6 weeks! We celebrated Christmas and Reed's first birthday while camping out at Mimselle's and Poppy's (that's Mimi and Papaw's new nicknames per Hannah Kate). The Monday before Christmas we had raw sewage emerge from our air conditioning return and ooze throughout our house, ruining flooring and some central walls. This was not on my Christmas holiday To Do list.
Just as I had started organizing one closet and run to Wal-Mart to buy storage bins for said project, I came home to soggy carpet and a horrible smell. The city guys were still in the front yard waiting for me to tell them if my toilets were flushing okay again. "Yep", I called "They're great! Thanks so much!" Little did I know that the little spot of sogginess that I was splashing in and couldn't figure out where it was coming from was thanks to them and "blackwater".
With that shared, we do have great new hardwood floors, new carpet, new front door, and new paint up in 4 rooms so it was a great opportunity for a little remodeling. Timing could have been a little more on our terms. My wonderful in-laws did host us for our extended vacation. We stayed at the Hooker Hilton with complementary laundry, cooking and even babysitting....back in the real world, it really was a huge help having my mother and father in law be so generous. Can't. thank. them. enough! Can you imagine opening your home to two busy little ladies that love to learn (touch everything) and play (move everything from its original place), not to mention two grown up children to cramp your style? They are saints.
But I did miss sharing some milestones with the blog.....so Christmas will be coming (I know you are excited), and 1st and 4th birthdays, a little snow, and maybe a few random laughs along the way. Just wanted to let you know that we have not abandoned the blog, life just got in the way.

Skating Princesses

2010-12-20T08:28:00.001-08:00

Natalie and I took the girls to Jackson for a Disney on Ice Show and I don't know who enjoyed it more! We saw Princess Wishes and it was just magical. It was a short synopsis of each princess' story and a song or two from their movie all while they were ice skating ! Really worth it.

Gearing up for the big show...

Jasmine and Aladdin

Tink

Beauty and the dancing utensils!

Ariel (our favorite) and the underwater orchestra!

Intermission- $2 for the snow cone and $12 for the commemorative cup!

Boy, do they know they have a captive audience.
The princesses and their princes

The carriage with Cinderella (that shot out fireworks for the finale)

All the lovely princesses (that waved at us throughout the show!)

Reed's on the go

2010-12-20T08:16:00.000-08:00

Pictures have been really tough this year. Reed is on the move! She started taking steps the week before Thanksgiving and hasn't slowed down. The 10 month old was cruising around and balancing on her own. Her favorite thing is to just stand up all by herself (nothing to pull up on). Now we are barely crawling anymore.

Sights and lights of Branson

2010-12-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

Before Thanksgiving, we went to Branson, MO for a little Hooker family vacation.

We saw a the Chinese Acrobats do amazing things.

We went to Silver Dollar City and enjoyed the artisans, lights, and rides. The park was full of hustle and bustle but we found rides that were just the right size for Hannah Kate. Daniel got to enjoy a grown up ride, too. We watched a parade of lights and the lighting of the Christmas tree in town square.

Look closely to see Daniel and Hannah Kate spinning around.

Reed enjoyed it so much she needed a little nap.

We also went to the Butterfly Palace, which was basically an atrium filled with plants and butterflies. It was early in the morning and there was a storm heading our way, so the butterflies weren't moving around too much (so they said), but we did find a few and enjoyed hunting for them.

Hannah Kate was asked to release a couple of them into the room. She wasn't sure about tossing them out of their cup at first but after the first two, she wanted to throw them all up and watch them fly.

Fall happenings...

2010-12-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

Reed has been growing and learning so much! She is so laid back and just soaks everything in. A happy ladybug that loves people, especially her big sister.

We played soccer this fall. It was our first attempt at organized team activity and I think it was a great learning experience. We had to learn about listening, following directions from someone other than mom or dad, and hand/foot coordination. We came leaps and bounds from where we started. First practice we had a hard time standing by ourself listening to the coaches and not using our hands. Final practice we could kick the ball up and down the field into each goal. So fall soccer=success.

(she was using pine straw for antennae)

We went and played with our cousins at a wedding in October. It was a lovely day and a lovely bride and groom and great chance to giggle.

And we had fun being sisters.

Playtime

2010-12-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

HK was just hanging out one afternoon in a swimsuit (which was her favorite change of clothes this summer-whether we were going swimming or not) while Reed and I were sitting out front one day. Hannah Kate ran inside and came back out with something to play with...

a ceramic bulldog! And she proceeded to play with it like it was a real puppy!

I guess the child either needs a real dog or will have a fabulous imagination. It's tilted almost as if it's really listening to her...

Man, it's been a while.

2010-12-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

Just uploaded some pics from my camera and realized that I haven't updated this blog in a long time. Pics are from the end of the warm weather and today that seems like a very long time ago. Time to back track a little.

It's a great day for a 40th birthday!

2010-08-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday E! You're an amazing 40!

Gigi and Pops on the 4th!

2010-07-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Supper at Lillo's and a good driving certificate for not wearing my seat belt started off the weekend. After stopping at Chillie's for some good bottles of wine, the weekend was off to a much better start.

Reed was so excited to have Gigi and Pops over to play. She was showing how she loved on her ladybug.

Gigi with her oldest granddaughter.

my little waterbugs!

can't help but relax

Daddy thought that everybody needed some watermelon, even Reed. This was her first bite of solid food! Not quite what she's use to, I guess.

But Hannah Kate has sure grown to love it!

Lake fun

2010-07-05T08:50:00.001-07:00

We headed down to the lake for a late afternoon motor boat ride and and hamburger grillin' one afternoon and everybody enjoyed it.

HK was so excited she was dancin'.

Reed was ready

And we headed out!

Sweet summer succulence

2010-06-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

In honor of all of this summer's fabulous produce, I wanted to pay homage to some of my favorite recipes of the week...

Roasted Okra:

Slice fresh okra into thirds longways. lay flat on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 425 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. It's that easy, folks. Like little okra fries- so good!

Indianola Sweet Corn: just microwave, boil, or grill it....it could possibly be dessert!

Blueberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding:

5 eggs

4 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

loaf french bread

bag of white chocolate chips

1 cup blueberries

6 tspns amaretto

whiskey sauce:

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

1tsp vanilla

1/2 cup (some for you, some for the sauce kind of thing) whiskey

Combine 1st 6 ingredients. Mix well. Pour over torn bread. Refrigerate overnight. Add white chocolate chips, blueberries, and amaretto. Place in a buttered pan. Bake at 350 in a waterbath about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For sauce: mix sugar and cornstarch in double boiler. Gradually add heavy cream until sugar is dissolved. Add butter and vanilla. Cook until thick. Add whiskey and pour over pudding.

Okay, I haven't made the bread pudding this week. If I make it, I eat it and I can't handle this many calorites too often...but it IS fabulous and now I'll always be able to find the recipe. We have had some of the best fresh blueberries....any favorite blueberry recipes you want to share?

What have you been eating?

Meeting Hamp

2010-06-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well our summer tour didn't end in north MS... we headed down to Meridian to meet our nephew, Hamp, and help him get baptized.

This was Reed and Hamp meeting for the first time. Hamp is 2 months and Reed is 5 months.

Reed wanted to show Hamp all of her tricks, including sitting up by herself.

We got a chance to stop by our favorite blueberry farm...Johnson Blueberry Farm (see link) and picked fresh berries for summer snackin'.

Daniel got so excited when he saw the bushes covered in ripe berries!

She had on sunscreen and a hat but the shade seemed to work the best!

Relaxing with the fans and some homemade blueberry poppyseed cake!

The Ward Family

We hope that little cat has 9 lives because I think he got lost this trip.

Iuka was next

2010-06-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

We stopped back through Iuka on our way home to visit with Daniel's grandmother, or the girls' great grandmother. Hannah Kate wouldn't sit still but Reed enjoyed posing with Grandmother Hooker. We were able to get in a quick visit with Aunt Shelia and Uncle David, too- interrupted their Sunday afternoon lake trip- but glad to see them while passing through.

Our next stop

2010-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dismals Canyon, Phil Campbell,AL. We stayed in a cabin on the property but there are bunk houses and primitive camp sites for the more adventurous. We got to swim in a natural spring 'swimmin hole' (which felt like something the polar bear club would visit). Daniel and I both dared each other to totally submerge; Hannah Kate would only get in to about her knees but absolutely loved it and wanted to get in daily; And Reed just watched contently from the rocky side. We also walked through the floor of the canyon-about a mile and a half trail- at our own pace. It's really breathtaking. All of the canyon walls and huge rocks were moss covered and hanging over us. Temperature was in the mid 70s in the canyon but didn't feel too much warmer back around the cabin. As for the Hooker's first family of four getaway, this was a GREAT summer spot!

Hannah Kate found a sand bar and was able to make a sand castle- best part of the beach without actually being there!

Summer travels

2010-06-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

We meandered our way across the state for a little road trip and stopped in Tupelo for the Buffalo Park (and to visit with our Godchild + fam there). This was a pretty neat little destination. Roaming buffalos, camel, zebras, donkeys, horses, yaks, etc., petting zoo with goats and ponies, small animal exhibits including alligators, lions, snakes, birds, black bear, and our favorite part ...the giraffes that we got to feed!

We were close enough to feed the buffalo but they were more skittish of us so we just dropped some food in the trough and watched them come up close.

This was Joe the camel that nipped at the lady behind us on the trolley tour. She was feeding him but he decided that he wanted the bag in her lap. Good thing he didn't want the camera in Daniel's lap!

This was Tall Boy. He and Patches (his girlfriend) would eat right out of your hand. Pretty neat to be eyeball to eyeball with this amazing creature.

Tall Boy's tongue was so rough and snake like that it really just fascinated us!

Happy Birthdays all around!

2010-06-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Hope it's a great day in Tuscaloosa!! Wishing you many, many more! Happy Day Aug!

Hope that your day is pretty great in Greenville, too, Mark! Wishing you a day just for you and your favorite things! Glad we got to celebrate a little with you last night!

And a belated happy happy birthday wish to you in Meridian! Looking forward to seeing all of you and yours soon!

Waterbugs

2010-05-29T18:40:00.001-07:00

First time in the pool for Reed. The water isn't quite crystal blue but we couldn't wait any longer...especially Hannah Kate!

Reed went for her 4 month shots this week (about 4 and 1/2 right now) and weighed in @ 19 lbs and 26 3/4 inches!

April blooms and such

2010-05-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Reed is growing leaps and bounds. So many smiles everyday. Her latest tricks include starting to kick herself over (I guess rolling over but in a messy kind of way), jabbering from soft to loud, a little giggling, grabbing her toes, grabbing anything - for that matter, putting things into her mouth, and sticking her tongue out. And Hannah Kate has her end of the year performance this week. Looking forward to that! She's been practicing some really cute songs that I can't wait to hear in full. We made a trip to Starkville this weekend for Lee's graduation (Congrats Lee!) and Hannah Kate got to pick up another Bulldog t-shirt- I think we're close to one for everyday of the week now. But that was a BIG deal to her so glad we could make her day!

Hannah Kate's latest funny:

We were walking around the block the other day and HK noticed some flowers blooming all around a neighbor's mailbox.

HK: Those are pretty flowers.

Me: I think they're called Jasmine

HK: That's a cute name for flowers. It's like the princess.

Me: Yep (giggle), and they smell good too.

HK: You know, we should name our flowers, too.

Me: Like what?

HK: We'll call the yellow ones Vicky and the purple ones Cara Lee.

So next time your by our front door, please say hello to Vicky and Cara Lee- if I can keep them watered!

Baptismal

2010-04-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

We welcomed cousins from Tuscaloosa and Starkville this weekend for Reed's baptism. It was a gorgeous weekend. It was such a privilege to have the Godparents stay with us for the visit. As I've had a few moments to think about this weekend this afternoon, I've realized that they are two very special people that have agreed to help raise Reed in a christian environment, to help us teach her about God and values, to live an exemplar life, and to share in the responsibility of bringing up a child in the name of God. I've also realized how lucky we are to have others, for both Reed and Hannah Kate, to share in this responsibility of encouraging day to day holiness in their lives. It's nice to think that as we as parents stumble and fall along the parenting highway, we have a supportive net of loving family to take up the slack in teaching the Christian way. This attribute of Godparenting is really encouraging! Thanks Audrey and Lee!

Tucker loving on his cousin
Blessings

us with Godparents and grandparents

Lee and Audrey

cousins celebrating with us

grandpa with his arms full

Mimi and Poppy

my Godchild, Lauren, and I

Reed in the baptismal gown that was made for her great, great grandfather

Cute little bunny & Sweet little lamb

2010-04-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Had a great Easter weekend. Wonderful weather!!

Twins

2010-04-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hannah Kate set her baby doll down next to Reed and I looked up to find this. Can you tell which one is the real baby doll?

March hodge podge

2010-03-17T15:24:00.001-07:00

Aunt Mimi, this first picture is for you. We are ready for the rain!

We celebrated Poppy's birthday.

(sorry, I've had lots of blurry pictures lately- either I'm too excited to be taking pictures or I need to figure out a better setting...)

Mimzels and Reed

Uncle Mark and the monkeys...

Still being a pretty great big sis...

giggling a little

peace.

Reed's 1st Road Trip

2010-03-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

Katherine- due with a baby boy in May

Mom, Nat and I with Reed, Hannah Kate and Emma

Nana and Pa in the same church that they were married in 67 years ago

Aunt Nancy, Aunt Steph, Aunt Amanda

Mom, Nana, Pa, Aunt Mimi and Aunt Marsha

lunch time

Nana and Reed

Examining that baby

4 generations

all smiles

Hannah Kate, Reed and I went down to the coast for a wonderful family weekend. We picked up my mom and sister and niece in Meridian and drove down to Diamondhead/Gulfport/Bay St. Louis to see family and celebrate babies and anniversaries. We stayed at the McMath Hilton (my aunt's house) and started the weekend off by welcoming the arrival of Georgia Mae Palmisano- our newest cousin! My cousin Vivian went in to labor Friday night before the shower that she was hostessing for her sister Katherine, who is due in May. Saturday, we showered Katherine at a lovely restaurant right on the beach in Gulfport- The Chimneys. And Saturday Daniel and I celebrated 6 years of marriage, too! Then Sunday we went to mass in the bay where my grandparents were married 67 years ago. Then back to my aunt's for a luncheon honoring Nana and Pa and 67 years of marriage! It's always so much fun to be around all of my aunts and get into good conversations. It was such a happy weekend!

Sparkling princess teeth

2010-03-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

We had our first trip to the dentist this morning and got our little pearly whites cleaned into princess teeth...because all the princesses have sparkling white teeth, you know. HK did great in the chair (our dental hygienist was wonderfully geared for a 3 year old, too). She got to check out the teeth ticklers and fancy water squirters and suckers and even got some shades because the lights were bright. She stole away like it was Christmas, too- all loaded down with prizes and gear to keep our mouth cavity-free for the next 6 months!

Open those peepers

2010-02-27T15:28:00.001-08:00

Well, we will be 7 weeks tomorrow and starting to keep those eyes open a little more. She is having a little more alert time each day and her eyes are just watching everything and studying this new world. We had an unofficial weigh in this week at 13 lbs 3 oz and these thighs are just fabulous! She is smiling when talked to and still a very easy- tempermented babe. I bought my first set of matching sister outfits this week and can't wait for them to get here! Hannah Kate is a pretty great little help. She's watched enough diaper changing to completely know the routine. The other day I commented that we needed to change sister's diaper and left the room. When I came back in from getting something from the laundry room, Hannah Kate had unsnapped her sleeper, taken her diaper off, and was holding her legs up trying to get the new one under Reed. She doesn't miss a detail. I just need to set the boundaries a little more securely, for Reed's safety for now.

Never a dull moment

2010-02-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

The little cucumber monster

I asked Hannah Kate where her toothbrush was...and I thought she went to find it. (She had been walking around the house with it so we knew it wasn't in the bathroom.) A few minutes went by and when she hadn't returned, this is where I found her. She was perched at the counter in the kitchen fixing herself some cucumber. She got a spreading knife (the only kind of knife that she can reach- with no sharp edge to it, so she was not in danger) out of a drawer and was slicing herself some breakfast. And yeah, that's a tutu around her neck. She said it kept sliding off when it was on her waist.

Snow and Cupcakes for the birthday girl!

2010-02-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

Reed's first snow and she was very content to stay inside and watch it out the window! Maybe next winter!

Birthday time and we are celebrating! We woke up and saw a world full of snow this morning. HK had cupcakes at school yesterday to celebrate #3 and Hook and I took balloons to make it a real party. Her actual birthday is today but they were having a Valentine's Party so we celebrated a day early to make it special.

We woke up to a little snow this morning!

How old are you today?

our rainbow cupcakes, pre-icing

the birthday lady!

blowing out #3

half of her class

the other half of HK's class

Pallet play

2010-02-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

We've had lots of pallets around the house lately and it always seems that Reed is in our arms and Hannah Kate makes use of the quilts and blankets. Yesterday HK was in fairy mode (while we were cheering on the Saints!) and she was so content and focused on her little project that we couldn't help but smile (and take pictures).

Hannah Kate's 1st Haircut

2010-02-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well, this is not Hannah Kate's first hair cut. This is just Reed snoozing in her chair....but isn't that peaceful? And check out these jowls!! She's just eating, sleeping and growing!

This is HK's first trip to the salon! She was such a good client! She was very quiet once we got there and just soaked in the whole experience. We went from lots of uneven ends to a cute cut that already makes our curls seem fuller. She climbed up in the chair and wore the cape around her neck like she's done this for years. She did eyeball Mrs. Meg's scissors pretty hard but sat very still during the whole cutting process. And very happily claimed her watermelon sucker upon completion.

Peeping open

2010-02-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

We've been sleeping and growing alot around here. I caught Reed with her eyes open this morning and wanted to share. 3 weeks old and still the happiest baby!

Life has been good with baby #2! I guess that I'm seeing that it's more of a frame of mind than actual difficulty adjusting to baby. With HK, it was a whole world transformation going from two adults to having a little bean completely dependent on us. With Reed, we're already adjusted to that huge factor and she's just going with the flow. It's been more challenging to help HK adjust and stay normal all at the same time. But God is good and we are becoming better at this every day. In fact, today I get to go find out about registering Hannah Kate for gymnastics! Hoping this will give her an outlet for some of this built up winter energy! Happy February!

And here she is!

2010-01-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

Sarah Reed Hooker was born last Sunday morning (1/10/10) at 6:30 after a very brief and wonderful labor. (If I'm allowed to say that.) It really was not bad. We called Daniel's parents Sunday morning about 3:00 after I awoke to some strong contractions and realized that my water had broken. Mimi rushed over to be with HK and off we went. We arrived at the hospital about 3:30 am and after getting a little pain medication for the contractions and laughing a little while waiting to completely dilate (and making a few phone calls to my family while on pain medication?), I was ready to deliver about 6:15. We had to wait for the nurses to get Dr. Beckham in the room and Reed arrived at exactly 6:30. The first week at home has been really wonderful, too. Mom has been here helping with running the household and keeping me company and Mimi and Papaw have been close at hand to help keep HK's life as normal as possible. We've had lots of visitors checking in on us including our sweet cousins- Mattie, Mark and Mary Glenn (with Aunt E and Uncle Mark, of course)- who have been so sweet and excited with us! Reed has just taken to nursing and no glitches thus far, which is an answered prayer. Everyone is adjusting relatively well to the new normal and starting to get accustomed to being a family of 4 now. Thank you all for your warm wishes and kind words. I am absolutely in love with this new little wonder. Here are a few pictures of our first week. Blessings.

Welcome, welcome 2010!

2010-01-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day." ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Here are some of my favorite shots of HK her first New Year's (has it been two whole years since then?)...And we begin this new year eagerly anticipating the new addition of our family. With a little less than 3 weeks to go, our house is full of excitement and preparations. We celebrated New Year's Eve last night with good friends at Nola's in Indianola and highly recommend it. For that matter, we highly recommend going out with just adults. Quite refreshing and the words "if you do that one more time, we'll have to have a spanking talk" never came out of our mouths. Cheers to a great new year full of opportunity!

It's the simple things...

2009-12-30T12:43:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! Here is a highlight that captured some of the magic...

Can you see the sparkle in her eyes as she realizes what she's opening? Isn't it awesome how something like an umbrella can bring this much happiness? And we sleep with it beside our bed. And we got to use it today because it is raining. Bliss.

Fa la la la la ...la la la la

2009-12-22T03:29:00.000-08:00

We're so excited it's Christmas time around here!

Holding a pic of baby sister- who we will hopefully get to meet within the next month!!

We have made a couple of visits with Santa thus far but have also had to discuss how we can't see him everyday; he has to go back to the North Pole sometimes; and others like to visit with him, too. Our Christmas list has been so fun listening to this year. It started off very simple with a candy cane. That's what she remembered Santa giving to her last year at the mall and that's what she wanted again this year. Then she realized that things could be requested....and a Dora Umbrella has been the highlight of the list. One Sunday she decided to announce that she wanted "a diamond"- this was totally unprompted and almost made water come through my nose. And to clarify, "a diamond necklace" was added. Yesterday she was sharing with Mimi her list and she added a big elephant. Thank you, Mimi, for explaining to her that they have to live at the zoo!

The Golden Ginkos

2009-11-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

We stopped for a romp in the leaves the other day after school. The most wonderful yellow leaves have fallen right around the corner from HK's school so we got out and played in them for a sec.

The Halloween Buzz

2009-11-03T02:05:00.001-08:00

So we absolutely loved Halloween this year. It was great to be able to dress up, run from house to house, hay-ride in between, hang out with our friends and cousins, and get candy on top of all that! It was magical! Hope everyone had a spooktacular weekend!

On another note, I'm 29 weeks along and getting ready for our new addition. Hannah Kate could have been the bumble bee from the "No Rain" video - I sure could've been a melon. Hooker will be heavily outnumbered with the arrival of another little Hooker ladybug. We have officially moved HK into her new bedroom to revive the nursery for her little sister (pictures of Hooker's fabulous painting skills will follow soon). And the countdown can start...3 weeks til Thanksgiving, 3 weeks til Christmas break, and then 3 weeks until baby (hopefully)! I'm up right now due to the fabulous inability to sleep that comes along with the belly. But I did need to update the blog, so what does a little sleep matter, right?

Which pumpkin is the biggest?

2009-10-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

This blog is way overdue. I haven't given up blogging...just needed some good blog inspiration, I guess. Life has been trucking along. We headed down to the pumpkin patch this morning to get out and enjoy this cold sunshine! Farmer Jim's pumpkin patch in Rolling Fork gave us a good excuse to get out and play in some cold air. We got to pick out some pumpkins and play in some corn for a little while. Nice morning out.

Hannah Kate said, "I am so strong!" as she toted this big boy around.

Better than a sand box: the corn pool!

Our harvest!

New Orleans Ladies

2009-08-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

having animal crackers with the jaguars (Props to Viv for coordinating themed snacks with places of interest....animal crackers for the zoo)

mornin' monkeys

The last get away for the summer was a neat girl's trip down to the Crescent City. Nat and I took the girls down to stay with Elise Claire and Vivian for a few days. These cousins (2nd generation)are all within 7 months of each other and really became fast friends. (We went through withdrawals for the first couple of days home) Captured a few great memories between the Audubon Zoo, The Aquarium and the Palmisano house:

This was fascinating to me... I don't think I've ever seen one in person before. Do you know what it is? (It's tail is on the left and it's head is on the right.)

toucans like animal crackers, too.

posing with the penguins (over my shoulder)

petting the sea turtle (notice the themed snacks, again? Goldfish for the aquarium)

performing with the sea otters

All by myself...

2009-07-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Summer has been going full force and we've been going right along. We headed down to Gulfport for the 4th to spend time with my fam and had a great long weekend. Unfortunately, as we were packing up the condo, Hannah Kate found my camera and transposed it into Gigi's purse (after she took pictures all by herself). So Gigi went home with all of my great vacation shots. Can't wait to see my own pictures! It's like waiting on old film to be developed.

We've been busy around Greenville, too. We had a new fence put up around our backyard and a small fence to enclose the pool area! (You get a glimpse of it in the picture above) The pic above is actually of Hannah Kate, who put her swimsuit on all by herself. (backwards, yes, but worn with great pride)

Just a quick snap of Hook and I. Guess who's taking the picture all by herself!

And finally, our little band aid queen. She loves to wear these things. And this one was actually covering up a boo-boo. She decided that Beary needed one, too.

Take a chance on me....

2009-06-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

http://thecookiemama.blogspot.com/

If you feel like a little gamble, go on over to The Cookie Mamma blog and register for a chance to win some really cute and tasty cookies (for your next occasion!) Check her out! Hurry; offer ends with June.

Pleasantries of a toddler

2009-06-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hannah Kate is just so amusing these days. She totally picks up on everything and has kept us thoroughly entertained. Some of her latest sayings:

Party pooper- She overheard me calling Daniel a party pooper and thought this was hilarious. Not for what it was, but because she thought I called him a "potty pooper". And she just giggled and called me a potty pooper and daddy a potty pooper and even herself a potty pooper. That was just ridiculously funny to her.

Once upon a time- We've started telling stories alot lately. She likes to hear them and has started making up some of her own. Daniel took her to the lake the other day and she kept saying "Once upon a time there was a pig in the house." And that was her story. The end. When we visited Gigi a few weeks ago, we all went for a walk around the downtown. Hannah Kate found a little end of a sidewalk and began to tell the flowers and bushes a story about a mermaid and a mermaid house. Gigi and I just stood there in amazement. We couldn't understand all of the words but she was concentrating on this story with her "audience". We asked her to walk along with us but she "had to finish telling her story".

God is great- She is a great blessing sayer. She was doing it "all by myself" ( which is the norm these days) the other morning and covered all her bases. Something like this: "God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Bless us oh Lord in these thy gifts which we are about to receive. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Amen."

Not just what's for supper...

2009-06-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. Hannah Kate's going to be a big sister! We have a little Hooker on the way. Expecting our new addition towards the end of January. We're about 8 weeks now. We actually thought we were a little bit further along when we shared with our families but the doctor's first ultra sound gave us a later due date. So, as for us, we're having alot of down time and naps so far this summer!

Daddy's latest adventure

2009-06-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

She was trying to give me a thumbs up!
Daniel got a bike and found a new riding buddy. He loves the exercise and she loves the time with daddy (and the sights).

Crawfish fun...

2009-06-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Crawfish cookouts are a good reason for getting together around here. We cooked out a few weeks ago and just enjoyed a night with friends. All of our babies seems so blond right now. And most of us parents aren't. Maybe it's the brown Delta water?

It's tough getting all these eyes in one direction. But this was my best shot. Hannah Kate was being the drink bandit and obviously had one too many drinks in her hand during all of our picture taking.

End of the year performance

2009-06-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hannah Kate had an end of the year performance early in May that we truly enjoyed. We finally heard all of the songs that we'd gotten bits and pieces of....My love for Jesus is bubbling over, I've got peace like a river, He's got the whole world in His hands, This little light of mine, and Wheels on the bus. And saw all the hand motions as they were intended. And she loved the hand motions. She also went out and sat down in the audience on her own. And played with the mic stand. And walked around. But for 2, I'd say it was an outstanding performance. No biases.

Sorry this picture is scary. I tried to lighten it up so we could see all of the faces...and now everyone has the 'glare' in their eyes.

Market Street Festival in Columbus

2009-05-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

We went to Columbus at the beginning of May for our first trip over that way since Christmas. It was a great little weekend with my family. It was also Market Street Festival dowtown, so we had to walk around and enjoy the fest!

Waking up a Gigi's house with Emma. Always a fun realization that someone is waiting to play when you wake up!

Hannah Kate got to meet the renowned Mother Goose while strolling along Market Street. She is a celebrity in Columbus. She's been Mother Goose since I was Hannah Kate's age and is always asked to be a special guest becuase she is so very loved by all. I still smile when I see her!

Congrats to Uncle Carl and Robin for graduating! He also accepted a job offer this week! So hurray for you! We are proud of you.

We cooked a little crawfish, thanks to Aunt Natalie and Uncle Tripp. I forget how much I really like them until I start peeling. Good cooking, fellas!

Our new play space?

2009-04-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I said last time....Hannah Kate found a new hiding spot. Isn't there some safety rule about not hiding in old appliances? I was only 3 feet away loading the dishwasher and I could hear her keeping busy- just had no idea what exactly she was getting in to. We're cleaning house today and I needed a break so I sat down to post these. Happy Saturday!

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

What a fun Easter weekend we had. Thursday morning we started off at school with an Easter party and egg hunt. Here we were hopping out the door.

Then, Saturday we went to Breakfast with the Bunny himself. HK took her sweet time warming up to this life size rabbit. She was awfully concerned when he left the room but, as you can tell with her body language, she kept to herself when he came close.

HK eating solid food before the candy came in to play.

Getting closer.....

She found a prize egg in the egg hunt but when it came time for Mr. Bunny to hand out the prizes, she braced herself for a quick get-away.

Gearing up for Church hunt (#3)....she was so funny to watch hunting. Hannah Kate likes the idea of finding eggs. But what she likes more is finding the candy inside each egg. She was in no hurry to find other eggs once she realized that candy was already in her basket.

Mrs. Bunny was passing out more candy (thanks, lady).

Hannah Kate and Mary Glenn sitting in the parade vehicles. We went out to Mimi and Papaw's neighborhood for a parade and egg hunt. Mimi always takes special care to make sure we are riding in pimped out Easter rides.

Can't you see these two in a few years....watch out Lake Lee!

Papaw and Hannah Kate after the hunt, juice, and cookies.

And then home to dye eggs! (Please note the paper towels soaking up the spilled dye!) We had to take an extra long bath to not have blue and orange hands for Easter morning! But she was fascinated by the coloring of the eggs.

And guess who stopped by Saturday night while we were getting our well deserved rest...

Lunch with Mimi and Papaw after Easter Mass.

So it was a great Easter weekend. One question came out that I wasn't sure the answer. "Where did the Easter Bunny go?" I know that Santa lives at the North Pole but wasn't quite sure where to direct this answer. So our Easter Bunny lives in the forest somewhere. On another note, Hannah Kate has been learning to hop, just like the Easter bunny. She can now get both feet off the ground for an official hop! I guess her motor development is kicking in because she's been climbing up the walls, too. On top of tables every time I turn around. ...up shelves...she can even climb her own high chair and get in it with the tray still on...not that this was something that I was wanting to see her do. She just showed me the other day. Also we have a new hiding place. Found her in the dryer as I was loading the dishwasher the other night. I'll post those pictures soon!

Lucky Losers

2009-04-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I played in the State/Ole Miss Tennis Tournament here in Greenville and had a stupendous time. It was tennis for 3 days straight (with a little beer mixed in) and boy was it nice. The whole atmosphere of the weekend was great. Rachel and I came in as champions of the Lucky Losers bracket after we lost our first two games and won our next 3. Good times!

Vicksburg for lunch

2009-04-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm still catching up on some way overdue blogging and this one is about two weeks ago. We met my parents, who were coming home from a Natchez wedding, in Vicksburg for lunch. We drove through the Vicksburg National Military Park because we were the first to arrive and needed to fill some time (and the outlets weren't open yet) and saw some really pretty monuments. We got out to explore this one and Hannah Kate kept entertaining herself by the echo she could make.

Then we met Gigi and Grandpa for lunch at the cutest little house downtown....Walnut Hills- I think. The service was super fast and our tea glasses never were half empty! It was a plate lunch style house with choices like world famous fried chicken, chicken and artichoke casserole, and shrimp & grits! I think we each tried something different so we could taste it all- plus 3 vegetables, plus dessert. So we finally rolled away from the table and had to take a little walk to stretch our legs.

We found the Coca Cola Museum downtown and explored a little. I think Vicksburg is where Coke was first bottled...maybe? Neat little building- especially for someone like my dad who is fascinated by old Coke stuff. Gorgeous day. Great company!

Nice little day trip

2009-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

A spring break re-cap...

Over spring break my friend Dudley and I took our little ones to the zoo in Jackson. It was a great time to go- with everything in bloom and most of the cages were filled (much to my dismay). We saw all of the major animals that you expect to see to make your zoo trip worthwhile. Hannah Kate seems to remember the peacocks the most....they were really bright blue. Nice little day trip.

Giggles

2009-03-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Wards came over to play a few weekends ago and Nat and I got a chance to play a little tennis together. Hannah Kate and Emma got a chance to play with each other, too. This was Saturday morning breakfast and I just loved to hear them laugh.

Oh, Happy Day!

2009-03-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

SPRING BREAK and it starts right now!

Bird's eye view

2009-02-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

I was tagged to go to my 6 folder and pull out the 6th picture and describe it. So...this one's entitled "bird's eye view" of where Hannah Kate was on her due date. I fully remember wishing that I had a picture of her face to share with you on that date! She was 10 days late and that was tough. Guess I did silly things like this to help the time pass more quickly. Thanks, Erin, for letting me enjoy this picture again. So now I have to tag 6 folks...Audrey, Vivian, Leslie, Natalie, Allison, and Wendy- you're it!

Hannah Kate's growing up!

2009-02-14T12:12:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share some fun!

Two cheers for the birthday girl!

2009-02-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Can't believe that it's here! But boy have we had fun celebrating it! The anticipation is always one of the best parts, anyway. We celebrated with a little dress up party last weekend. We had a house full of pirates, fairies, cheerleaders, cowboys, ballerinas, princesses, balloons, candles, and happy birthday wishes! We've been singing and eating cake all week long. All of the changes that come with a growing little lady are starting to creep in... from the high chair to the booster seat, from the crib to the toddler bed, from the diaper to the potty, and language that makes us all smile! We're 2 today and the ride has been completely amazing! Happy birthday to Hannah Kate!

Rainy day entertainment

2009-01-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

We actually started out the day trying to go to the library but, upon arrival, realized that our library doesn't open on Saturdays until 1:00. So Hannah Kate suggested "Go to nother library!" That's kind of hard to do around here so we settled for the next best thing....The Kermit The Frog Museum (Leland is the birth place of Jim Henson...therefore, Kermit!)! She wandered around the four room building and became fast friends with the sweet little curator. Even posed with the man himself.

What to play with next?

2008-12-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

Modeling her new dressup clothes...and her favorite part...the jewelry!

Whipping up something tasty in her new kitchen

Cheese!

Going to the grocery store...as soon as I get the hang of the pedals.

'Tis the season

2008-12-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

We have had such a fun Christmas season....preparing for Christmas and celebrating it! We watched our nephew, Mark III, play the cutest role in his Christmas show---he was Santa! We helped decorate Christmas cookies with friends. We celebrated Christmas with both sides of the family....and Santa stopped by our house! It's just been a whirlwind around here and we've loved every minute of it.

Making sense of our world...

2008-11-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post a few comical interchanges with Hannah Kate recently....

1. This morning while I was getting ready in our bathroom, Hannah Kate was perusing through her dad's closet. Hanging to the right side of his door are his ties. "Daddy's bibs!" I heard her announce proudly as she tugged on them.

2. A few weeks ago, I was hurriedly trying to get everyone moving towards the door and out in time one morning. I always call, "Come on, Hank" to get him headed for the laundry room, where he stays while we're gone. And he wasn't coming so I kept prodding, "Come on, Hank". I scooped up HK's bag, her jacket, her milk, her breakfast, my purse, my jacket and was looking for my keys as we swept through the kitchen. I was also toting HK in my arms....when she spotted a little crucifix that we kept on the kitchen counter. "Come on, Jesus" I heard her say and her little fingers grasped Him up during our exodus. "That's right, Hannah Kate. We do need to ask Jesus to come with us this morning," was all I could manage to get out. Profound.

"Happy Halloween!" said the peacock...

2008-11-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun day yesterday with Halloween! Hannah Kate is still recovering from the sugar induced coma that she experienced last night due to 7 suckers in a row and not too much real supper (plus the cupcakes and cheese puffs and candy bars and smarties and ....) but boy did she have fun! And she was in great spirits the whole night. She had a Halloween parade and party at school yesterday afternoon to start off the high-fructose-corn-syrup "high". She posed for a quick second with our friend Tri after the school party. We stopped by daddy's office to trick-or-treat with Mimi and Papaw. Mimi was so smart to load up a little bag with banana, apple, and pear- sprinkled in with a few sweet treats for us! Then home to help pass out candy for some trick-or-treaters at our door. (some for you, some for me, some for you, more for me -kind of system) And finally to celebrate a birthday for our friend Caroline! She even wore her peacock hat all night without fretting with it (even "no, daddy" when Daniel tried to take it off- boy did she get into costume!) An overall 5 sucker (star) night!

Heading Home for Homecoming

2008-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

(Pictures are in reverse order...still can't get the hang of uploading them the right way....sorry)

We went over to Columbus for a lovely fall weekend. It was suppose to be a nice laid back visit, but, as we seem to do it, there was little time for resting. We went persimmon picking Saturday morning at a local orchard. It seemed that most of them had already been picked but mom and I found two good bag-fulls to bring home (as well as some home-made granola that the best Fran in the whole world made with love!) While HK was napping, Hook and I, as well as my dad, brother and nephew, went out for some target practice to sharpen our fierce shooting skills! Saturday afternoon we took a drive over to true Maroon country for State's Homecoming festivities! I haven't been over for a game in a while and was wow-ed away by all the new tailgating....as we were walking around, soaking in campus and people watching, we saw the Maroon Band march by headed into the stadium....HK had to march behind them for just a little ways. (She raises her knees up and coaches herself-"march, march" as she does it) When we made it into the stadium, Hannah Kate finally realized why we've been shouting "Go Dawgs!" and shouted it with us and the other bazillion (ok, not really, but a fabulous sea of maroon) fans. Then Sunday morning we were able to celebrate with our friends Jamie and Carrie as they baptized Hank. Thanks so much for including us, guys! (I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of that precious little man.-Please send me some that we took)

Happy Day Sweet Mattie!

2008-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Happy 9th Birthday to our cousin/neice Mattie(yesterday! I've been trying to upload this video for two days!!)! You are growing into such a sweet and smart young lady. You make us so proud!

Roadtrip to Iuka

2008-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

We loaded up and headed to the northeast part of the state this weekend to visit with lots of family! First stop was Columbus for Friday night to see my parents. Hannah Kate was helping Gigi get an apple for breakfast and she looked just a touch sneaky in this picture!
It was such a pretty morning on Saturday. Hannah Kate and Gigi started the day out walking around the yard listening to the birds sing. She decided that she needed to be closer to the birds so we perched her in the tree to sit a spell.
Then we loaded up and headed up the Natchez Trace to I-U-K-A! Grandmother Hooker, Lee, Shelia, and David were waiting for our arrival. Mark III, Mary Glenn, Mimi, and Papaw had arrived earlier that day. The Hookers were having a reunion picnic on Sunday so it gave us all a nice excuse to head up to visit. G-mother Hooker gave HK a tutu and we were finally able to peel it off of her as she drifted off to sleep that night.
Sunday, we had a Hooker family gathering in the mineral springs park downtown. It was ideal for the kids with lots of play area and great slides! There were the nicest playgrounds hidden in the shade of these great oak trees. And, according to Hooker, there used to be 7 mineral springs that ran up in the park... we could still see where they used to flow out but now it's just city water.

There was even an old covered bridge adjacent to the park. It was such a quaint little town with lots of aesthetic value. Very cute place to visit. And lots of generations gathered to spin yarns and share the Sunday afternoon.

Fair Play

2008-09-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we went to the Parish Fair at our St. Joseph High School. It's a super big fundraiser for the school with a spaghetti dinner and lots of activities outside to play and win! We ate spaghetti with the Avis clan and then ventured outside to dive in to the action.

Well, Hannah Kate spotted the blow up area and her eyes lit up. She wanted to play and slide just like the big kids. She was the smallest one around but was determined to have her turn. Some of the little ones that we knew decided to help her up the slide (she was bottle-necking traffic on the big climb) and she slid down all by herself.

We went on a little train ride, cake-walked and then Hannah Kate took a little trip on the back of a pony. A pretty great reward for getting her 18 month shots like a big girl!! (Hope she doesn't expect a blow out like this every time we're good at the doctor!)

Celebrating the big 1!

2008-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

HK and I went to Meridian to celebrate Emma's 1st Birthday! It was such a good trip. We did so much in two days! (I'd love to write more...but I'm tired!) Highlights:

Feeding the ducks

Playing at the neatest indoor playground

The cute caterpillar cake!

Birthday Girl and her cake

This video was just suppose to be Hannah Kate and my dad looking at the ducks...much to my delight, we caught so much more!

And when you are 1 your have just begun...

2008-09-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Emma and Aunt Natalie!

We love you and we'll see you tonight!

Ready to float...

2008-09-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

Well Gustav luckily missed our Gulf Coast...but our Delta sure is seeing some of the rains! As of yesterday, you can rename our street Kathleen Canal. But we are blessed. The waters never came into our house, unlike so many of our neighbors.

Some neighbors, Conley and Taff, put a boat in for a little ride this afternoon and they had an easier time touring than the cars. To Hannah Kate, it just seems like we have lakefront property! We had a day off from school today and a little power outage to wake up to but tomorrow should put us back on the path of normalcy.

Go away Gustav!

2008-08-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

Our gulf coast needs a break! Still reeling from Katrina, just 3 years post-devistation, much of my family is still recovering from complete destruction. My grandparents, both 87, lost their home a block from the beach in Gulfport. Two of my aunts have both relocated due to devistation to their properties in Pass Christian and Long Beach. My Great Uncle Dick only had a slab visible on his property beachfront Gulfport. Please say a quick prayer that damage is minimal and our Gulf Coast progress in not desimated. Side note- Nana and Pa have evacuated safely to Columbus to weather out the storm. Glad to know y'all are safe and with family! Wish we could be with you!

Hats off to the weekend!

2008-08-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

Since school has started back and free time seems to be sparse, we sure do look forward to Saturdays and slow paces. I had the best surprise yesterday when I went to pick Hannah Kate up from school and found her art project. Apparently the one year old class made the most precious hats to wear. And Hannah Kate wore hers all the way home Friday afternoon (via our stop by daddy's office to show off this fabulous crown!) How can you not smile when looking at this beautiful piece of art?

You never know what you will find...

2008-08-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

When Carrie and I get together! My great friend Cares7 (that's her fun nickname...since once upon a night at the Purple Parrot) and her friend Josh came to play with us this weekend. She's a Natcheezian and he came down from Oxford for some good times in the big Delta. We had a relaxing weekend with lots of giggles. (and some great food....thanks for the doughnuts, Josh!)

I guess it's a matter of opinion...We decided that we were more appropriate than the things it was posted for.

Welcome sweet baby!

2008-07-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

I also wanted to share that my friends, Carrie and Jamie Baucom, welcomed their little boy at the end of last week. James Henry "Hank" Baucom was a few weeks early but came in very healthy at 9lbs 4 oz! The first few pictures were taken the weekend before last at her shower in Columbus. She had such a round, cute belly! Jamie sure does look like a proud papa, doesn't he? We can't wait to meet you, Hank!

Playing at the park

2008-07-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

To beat the heat Hannah Kate and I have been visiting the park during the mornings this summer (while the playground still has a touch of shade) and she has really enjoyed the slides, swings, and crawling tunnels. I finally remembered to take my camera this week and grabbed a few shots of her having fun.

Guess who's back!

2008-07-24T19:06:00.001-07:00

After 3 whole weeks of being on the lam, we had a hilarious surprise tonight. Hank came home! He ran away the Thursday before 4th of July and tonight he was returned via a super sweet neighbor (Thanks, Lizzie!) who had seen him sporadically during his adventures. Hannah Kate has been calling him and talking about him nonstop so I decided that the best thing to say was that he was on a great adventure (really thinking much worse things) and simplified for a 17- month old "Hankie's gone". What a fun surprise HK will have tomorrow morning when she sees this crazy little dog. Well, he stinks and is covered in filth (and I can't wait to hear about his travels) so off to the bath we go.

Oh, Nat...I almost forgot

2008-07-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Check behind and under your passenger seat! Just to fill others in...Natalie and I have been playing this ongoing game for a little over 5 years now. We have been passing this obnoxious little stuffed animal between each other every chance we get. (without the other expecting it) For example, although I'm not quite sure when exactly it originated, I remember giving it to her at one of her wedding showers as a gift (the look on her face when she realized what she had received!). Then it would find it's way in my suitcase on weekends that we were both in Columbus. Well, now we've gotten our husbands involved and here recently Hook hid it in their spare tire(a place they were sure to never find...until we called them once they were safely back in Meridian and told them to check there) only to have it return to Greenville via our trailer hitch from our beach vacation. And on it continues...

Cousins and armoires and sunflowers, oh my!

2008-07-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Swimming fun!
Emma loved modeling the hats!
Hannah Kate, well, not quite so much...

We have had an amazing week with my sister, Natalie, and her daughter, Emma, visiting us from Meridian! We have played and laughed eaten great all week! We hit the going out of business sale at Abides and found a great armoire for the living room at an even greater price. And we had the easy part- buying it! We owe a "big thanks" to our very strong Uncle Mark and Hook for moving the two VERY solid pieces into place. (I'll have to post pictures later) We got the girls out early in the mornings for splash time in the pool...let them nap...and then off to shop some more! On our adventure outing, we passed a huge field of sunflowers that made us all smile....had to borrow them for a few pictures! And the eating was Greenville's best! We dined at Fermo's and happened to run in to Uncle Mark, Aunt E, Mattie, Mark and Mary Glenn (mar-mar len as HK says) so we all got to eat together! And as always, Fermo's was just fabulous! Steaks and pasta!! Well, eating good didn't stop here. We also had the chance to take Nat and Em to Doe's and the hot tamales and steak kept coming! Delightful! Good food always makes me so happy! It was such a neat week. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy the summer time with our kids and each other. Now it's time to pack and head over to Columbus this weekend for one of my greatest friends, Carrie's baby shower. I haven't seen her in quite a few months and I just can't wait to see her glow that I know she'll have. She's about 3 weeks away from due date and just has the best attitude. Every time I've asked how she's feeling she can only say great and that she feels that she doesn't have the right to complain because she's just lucky to be expecting! What an attitude- especially for this July heat!

4th of July weekend

2008-07-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend we had! Hannah Kate had her first spend the night out with Mimi and Papaw and her cousins Mary Glenn and Mark! She had no idea that she isn't as big as they are! They played in the sprinkler....which HK wasn't quite sure about...but, with a touch of coaxing from Papaw, she dids manage to get a little wet.

They all wanted to share the stool!
Daniel and I enjoyed a day on the lake, while she was romping up a storm. Although it rained the fireworks out, it didn't stop Hook and I from enjoying good times! The B.Y.OB. (Hook's boat) always seems to find the fun! We did feel a little out of place when we woke up EARLY Saturday morning without the help of Hannah Kate...but Mimi made us feel right at home with her wolrd famous breakfast (always super good after a day on the lake!) and chocolate gravy!

trying this out....adding a slideshow

2008-07-01T08:33:00.001-07:00

Pool Party Fun

2008-06-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

Hanging out in the back yard with some friends! Great Sunday afternoon...

Pool Party

2008-06-30T10:23:00.001-07:00

Summer time means swimming in the pool....and it's always more fun with friends around. Here are a few shots of Sunday evening.

Dauphin Island 08

2008-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to the beach this June with lots of family and fun. Hannah Kate got to play in the salty water, eat fresh pineapple, and see sand dollars and sea horses for the first time. A-mazing! Apart from lounging around the beach house and on the sand...we did venture out to an Estuarium and an Audobon Bird Sanctuary for a little exploration. And the big kids had more fun than the little ones catching sand crabs at night.

Girls just wanna have fun!

2008-05-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Cousins make the best friends

2008-05-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

2008-05-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin?

2008-05-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Just trying this out to see if I can get the hang of it...