A Break from the Norm

This past week was definitely a busy one (you may have noticed with this 3rd post)! A new car, a trip to Auburn, and Harper's 4th birthday party! We also had family come in town early last week...Kevin's dad and stepmom came over for dinner on their way back to Florida. They sure do love spending time with Hudson & playing. Now that Hudson has finally warmed up to Kevin's dad :-), they just have to best time! Wednesday night, Uncle Cousin Clay came over for dinner! Even though he lives in Kennesaw, we don't see him near enough! We even ventured down to Auburn Thursday and Friday while Kevin did some recruiting for his company on campus and got to spend some time with my family. It's so nice to live so close to family and have them be apart of Hudson's life!

But one the best things I have come to love is our family time at home. One of my favorites is our morning routine...while Kevin and I are getting ready, Hudson plays in our bathroom. And in the midst of getting ready for the day, Kevin will sit down and read a book and do puzzles with Hudson! It is one of the most precious images to see and be apart of each morning! (Maybe I'll even get a picture to post one day!)


Playing with Omi (check out my cool "cup" holder)


I love playing with Mallory


MIMI!!!


Wearing Mallory's cool shades on the car ride to Montgomery!


Playing in Mimi's Leaves!

Harper's 4th Birthday

On Saturday, we ventured down to Montgomery, AL to see my sister, brother-in-law and nephew, Harper, for his 4th Birthday! His official birthday was the 19th but the big party was Saturday! He had it at the skating rink for "Tot Skate"...which there was no skating! All the little ones brought their favorite 2,3, or 4 wheeled toy and pretty much ran wild in the skating rink! There were even some bouncy blow ups that Hudson couldn't get enough of! It was such a great idea and we really enjoyed spending time with family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARPER-MAN!!!

Best of All Worlds

So all of our friends say, "When you have kids, you'll get a minivan!" I know and I admit, minivans have great functionality, but I don't want to drive one (and neither does Kevin for that matter)! But with that said, our wonderful Pathfinder had finally met its match! With a 14 month old, a 70 pound golden retriever, 2 adults, AU tailgating equipment/lake stuff and other travel gear...we just couldn't cram another thing into our car on trips (and we even own a tailgate cargo carrier)! If we want to expand our little family one day, something was going to have to give! So, we took the plunge...but...not a minivan and not a ginormous SUV...we found the GMC Acadia! It has the function of a minivan, the space of that ginormous SUV we thought about, a nice smooth ride - and it's not a minivan!

Once we made our decision, things just seemed to fall into place...We called a close friend who loves a great deal & he bought our Pathfinder! My uncle works for a GM dealer in south Georgia so we got a great deal on the new car! He even found us the exact car we wanted in Gainesville, GA. Once my uncle "swapped" cars with the Gainesville dealer, he had his driver deliver the new car right to our front door last Tuesday! Now, for me, that may be a first and a last! My cousin was even coming through town on Wednesday and delivered the paperwork to our house then back to my uncle! That beats sitting in a dealership all day negotiating any day of the week! :-)

This is an awesome SUV for families! It has the captain's chairs in the second row and third row seating - all with enough leg room for my husband who likes to sprawl out! It also means two kids in the second row with Beasley between them & a completely open third row or empty back! There is even a gracious plenty of room for back storage with the third row up! Not to mention, the third row is easy to fold down and is flush with the floor! If you can't tell, I'm super pumped about the car & can't wait to enjoy it on long trips!

A First...

Yep...after 14 months, Hudson got his first ear infection! First, I am actually so thankful that he's been such a "well" baby so far! Second, even though he's sick...isn't he still the cutest!?! Now, if you would've asked me how sweet and cute he was Sunday morning, I would most likely have answered much differently! The wonderful husband that Kevin is, he stayed up with Hudson most of the night Saturday night. The little man slept off and on, but no longer than 45 minutes at a time, leaving daddy with barely any sleep! And last night was a little of the same but not as bad! We probably should've taken him to the ER this weekend, but man, I really hate going! And since Hudson seemed to be in good spirits, eating and playing most of the day, we decided to wait. Well, this morning when I woke up feeling like a mack truck had hit my head and I could barely swallow my spit (gross, I know), I decided to call the doctor...and the prognosis...ear infection! But hey, we've now got antibiotics and pain medicine and all seems to be well again!


Eating my turkey dog and raisins!


Reading a bit before naptime in my new favorite spot!

Thank Heaven for Playdates

I sure do love playdates! It's so wonderful to watch Hudson playing and interacting with another little one and a fabulous bonus - you get to have a little mommy-time (well, between the screaming and running around)! We sure are lucky to have Elizabeth (Caroline's mommy) and Christina (Ansley's mommy) come over just to hang out and have a little girly time! Hudson & I really enjoyed it & can't wait to see you guys again soon!

Caroline came over for a Valentine's Playdate! ...Baby Ansley also got to play (well, mostly sleep - hence, no pics)...but we sure are glad she spent her 3 month birthday with us!

Caroline loved Hudson's sweet ride!

"Come on, let's read!"

Caroline gives Hudson a push!

A Day at the Park

Sunday sure was a beautiful day...windy, but wonderful! After we made our weekly after church brunch, Kevin and I decided it was too nice to stay inside...so off to the park we went! Hudson had a wonderful time - esp swinging with Daddy in the "big kid" swing! I was a little bummed though as I started to realize that Daddy is becoming the "fun" one...Hudson adored everything Daddy did!! I can't wait for these park visits will become more frequent as the days get warmer & Hudson gets bigger!