Merry Christmas

Maybe one of these days I can finally catch up with posting if anyone out there is still checking this website...

But for now :: Our Family is Wishing Each of You a Wonderful and Blessed Christmas & A Happy {Orange & Blue} New Year!!!

Beach Trip {Part 2}

Just more pictures!  The boys were so good this year!  But it was equally wonderful to have Sister and Mom there to "hand off" the little one to!!

cousins

isn't she the cutest!?

silly Harper

relaxing with Daddy

Aunt Cara's cozy belly!

Mallory - what would we do without her??

our oil worker buddies!

2010 Family Beach Trip {Part 1}

Every year {since I can remember}, my mom has taken us to the beach.  This hasn't changed even in the years since getting married and having babies!  Mom is so sweet to spoil us each year with this trip and help us make some of my most favorite memories!!  This July we went back to Santa Rosa Beach!
**There was NO OIL on the beach!  Lots of oil workers walking around picking up garbage but no oil!  What a great surprise!**

Family Photo - Best We Could Get

We arrived and headed straight to Red Bar - crab cakes and blackened grouper followed by chocolate brownie, cheesecake & key lime pie!!

Mimi {don't know where Pop was}

Mike & Cara

Mallory, Hudson & Harper

Grant - "Whachu talkin' 'bout Mommy?"

The beach was HOT!  Good thing for the chairs and umbrellas!  Grant always found a cozy spot on the footrest & loved sleeping to the sounds of the ocean!  The big kids dug countless holes and "road" many waves!  Hudson & I made a sand Sea Turtle; Uncle Mike quickly challenged us making a giant Octopus!

Our Sea Turtle

Mike & Harper's Octopus

The pool did wind up being our favorite spot - our condo was 4 steps from the pool deck which made it easy to send the kiddos out to play while we got lunch/dinner ready or just rested!

Hudson swimming "eyes in!!!" He swam the entire pool!

the big kids played so well together!

What kiddo doesn't like being thrown in the air!

this pic cracks me up b/c his legs look so.long!

a brief moment!!

Kevin and I even got a "date night" this year!  Mom and future babysitter Mallory kept Harper, Hudson & Grant!  Kevin and I headed to Alys Beach & ate at George's - YUM-O!!!  The seafood quesadilla will have me going back - but on as a side note - it.is.HUGE!

no pics of our date night but I thought I would compare the boys and their first beach trips!

HUDSON - June 2007

GRANT - July 2010
Grant's first experience in the sand was MUCH different than Hudson's!  Hudson wouldn't put his feet down anywhere close to the sand; we put Grant down in it & he immediately started playing and getting it EVERYWHERE!

 

Grant

This year - Kevin and I rented bikes and a buggy for the boys!  He got the "pleasure" of pulling the buggy!  We had a early morning bike with breakfast in Seaside!  Total miles biked = over 15!!!  Pretty crazy!  I think we'll definitely do it again next year - maybe we'll rent for the whole week!!

Wishful Thinking!

NO - not for us - we are "unofficially" done having kiddos but Sister is due in 3-4 weeks!!  I really want think it's a girl -- and I would love to have a little girlie to spoil then hand back to her mommy! :-) Not to mention, not having to deal with all those teenage hormones!

But in all of my hopefulness -- I just couldn't resist purchasing these....

Hopefully next summer, we'll have a little girl running crawling around the beach & pool in them!

Funny Big Brother!

Oh, I hope this is just a little of what is to come between these two precious boys!!

Hudson's 1st Dentist Appt

Hudson had his first visit with the Dentist this morning!  We have a book {The Berenstain Bears - love it - I used to read them when I was little!} that we have been reading.  Hudson couldn't really understand why we were going to the Dentist though - in the book Brother Bear has a cavity & Sister Bear has a loose tooth!  He's been walking around the house for a few days trying to "wiggle" his teeth loose!  HA!

We talked it up last night & all morning!  He was a little skeptical but walked in proudly and shook the hands of both the Tech & Dr!!

He was so wonderful!  He got to pick out a new toothbrush & use it to brush his teeth.  He opened wide for Dr Taylor & got to pick out a new toy {a motorcycle} and sticker {Dora & Boots}!

After, I took him for his favorite meal - a quesadilla & cheese dip from Willy's!!

Grant William - 1/2 year old

Wow!  I can't believe our baby is 6 months old already! 

Just a few stats:

- 16 pounds, 8 ounces

- 26.25 inches

• EATING: Four 8 oz bottles {8 am, noon, 4 pm, 7ish} + 2 helpings of veggies and/or fruit
• FAVORITE FOODS: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Sweet Peas, Apples, Pears
• Loves eating a "real" banana & has even sampled Watermelon!
• SLEEPING: ~ 11-12 hours at night, 2 hours twice during the day {if we're not running errands & such} + a catnap b/t 4 pm feed and 7 feed
• He is officially un-swaddled & sleeping on his side & stomach!!
• {the un-swaddling process went much smoother than with Hudson}
• ROLLING: he's rolling front-to-back & back-to-front
• SITTING: we're working on it; he's got the tri-pod action down great, but he needs to get much better - he's getting too heavy for the bucket these days & Mommy needs him to be able to "sit" in the buggy!
• TEETHING: no teeth yet but he's chewing on everything & drooling everywhere
• Passing items from hand-to-hand is routine 

 at the doctor's office