Gingerbread House

Hudson and I made our first gingerbread house together at my moms of preschoolers group on Monday, and we had so much fun. It was a total mess of course, but we were pretty happy with the final product. See what you think...

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

This is my final attempt at getting a cute Christmasy picture of the three of them. It's virtually impossible. I give up. This will have to do. :) I don't know why Hunter was screaming~ usually he loves getting his picture taken. I think there truly is some kind of pact the three of them have formed, that no matter how hard I try, they will never cooperate at the same time for a picture. :) But we wish you a very merry Christmas anyway...

Snow Baby and Other Things

I just wanted to share these pics of Hunter wearing his winter hat. So stinkin' cute. And what makes it even more special is that all three of the boys have worn that hat.

And I love these pictures of him in Brian's lap with his paci and nite-nite. He loves those things so much, and I know it's probably about time to take the pacifier away, but I can't do it. So we will be waiting for that. Until he's two...which I know what you're thinking~ it will be even harder to take it away then. I know, I know...but I'm willing to deal with that later.

He's also getting into the spirit of Christmas by being the little drummer boy. Brian introduced him to the fun of banging pots and pans with wooden spoons. What a joyous noise he makes. :) Wow.

All I Want For Christmas...

...is my bottom right tooth. :) Yes, Harrison FINALLY lost his first tooth last Sunday. It was a huge deal in our house, because he has waited so patiently while all of his friends lost their teeth first. He was determined for it to come out, and it was ready, so it came out pretty easy. And the visit from the Tooth Fairy brought him a dollar the next day, so he already working on wiggling out the next one.

Musical Debut

Hud had his first choir concert in preschool last week. Although he was singing "Mary Had a Baby" at the top of his lungs all morning at home, he decided not to share his musical talent with the audience later that day. :) He did, however, do a little dance up on the stage, and looked super cute, so what can you say, really...

Thankful

Sorry this is getting posted so late, but better late than never, I guess. We had a great Thanksgiving~ spent that day at Mimi and Papa's house, and then the following Sunday had dinner at Nana's. It was great all around. I hate it that Thanksgiving seems to get passed over or rushed through in order to get to the mad dash that we call Christmas (which I also wish was done differently, but that's another story for another time). I've always loved Thanksgiving, because it is so important to stop and think about all the things we do have to be thankful for. And even though Texas is not known for it's beautiful fall colors, the pumpkins and changing trees do make me happy, and get me in the spirit of the season.
Here are a few things that I have been thankful for this year:

1. I know this is a given, but I am so incredibly thankful for those four very special men in my life. Being queen of the house is, for the most part, a very sweet place to be.
2. I'm so glad that I have my mom, dad, sisters, and in-laws nearby. Family support is so often taken for granted, and I don't know how we would make it without them~ their help with the kids, the advice and wisdom they offer, and the time they take to be with us. So very special, and very much appreciated.
3. I'm thankful for the incredible store I was able to work at this year. Recollections is my happy place, my home away from home, and the girls there have become my second family. As sad as I am that we are closing next year, I am choosing to be thankful for the incredible experience I have had there, for the opportunity to create things and teach others how to do the same, and for the friendships I have formed that I know will last forever. I haven't really let myself think about what I'm going to do when the store is gone, because it's really hard to imagine, but I am trusting that it will be okay, and am excited about other doors God will open as a result.
4. My church family...especially our Sunday Morning Bible Study class. I have realized even more these past few months how incredibly caring, compassionate, and thoughtful these people are. After my surgery in October, meals were brought over for nearly 3 weeks, friends came to help me with the kiddos when my mom was unable to (which, btw, my mom practically lived with us those first few weeks, taking care of the kids, making sure I rested, did laundry, cleaned, etc, etc, etc.), and people that I don't even really know were constantly stopping me to ask how I was feeling and to let me know they have been praying. Wow.

It's been a good year, and with all the stress of busyness, bills, and other not so fun stuff, it's good to be reminded of how very blessed we are. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

The Meddler...

...is 10 months old today. And please know that I call him that with every bit of love and adoration you can possibly have for your child. :) He truly is the most curious little thing I have ever seen, and is as fast as lightning. He is obsessed with getting into my kitchen cabinets, and will do whatever he has to do to get there and completely tear things up. It's hard to believe, but it took this third little one to make me have to truly babyproof my house~ the other two didn't really get into cabinets and drawers too much. Hunter is another story.

And to mark turning 10 months old today, he started saying "no." Please know I'm not bragging, or exaggerating....this is not something I would make up. :) He says it in a very sweet way, of course, with his yummy little mouth in the shape of a perfect "o." And it totally makes me crack up. Which I know is not a good thing to do when your child tells you no. But I bet you would do the same thing if he said it to you. We'll see how cute it is when he's two.

At 10 months, Hunter has mastered cruising, LOVES his bottle, nite-nite blankie, and paci, and waves bye-bye. So stinkin' cute. He is still a snuggler, which I LOVE, and is just so yummy, especially when he is holding his nite-nite close to his face. With all my talk about what a meddler he is, he really is such a good baby~ he sleeps well, and is so happy to go with the flow...it doesn't get much better than that.

Boys will be...

Boys. Wow. Thankfully I wasn't home for this one. :) Harrison and Hud had way too much fun out in the sand box~ I don't think they left any sand in the box! It was pretty pitiful that Hunter had to watch from the window, but he didn't seem to mind, and thankfully Brian had the wisdom to not let him join in the fun! I don't think the bathtub will ever be the same...

3 Happy Halloweenies

We hope all of you had a happy Halloween! Our crew had so much fun...it was hard for me not being able to be with them for all the games and trick-or-treating fun at church, but being just one week out from surgery, there was really no way. But I had fun getting them ready and took lots of pictures. Harrison was so very excited about his pirate costume that he borrowed from Garrett~ it was pretty authentic, and he wore it proudly. Hud wanted to be a monkey again this year, and after a few attempts at talking him into something different, I gave up. After all, this holiday really is just for fun, so if he wants to be a monkey every year for the rest of his life, why should I really care? He was so happy, and put that hot costume back on again today right after school. :) Hunter was the cutest lobster ever, and seemed very happy with the whole thing. He didn't even mind that head thing he had to wear. My mom called last night after heading home (she took them up to church and met up with Brian, Reagan and Jon to help with the boys) to tell me that he really might be the best baby ever. I have to agree with that. He's so easy, and just goes with the flow. They came home with colored hair (Harrison was polka-dotted, Hudson was all orange, and thankfully Hunter was not painted), sweaty, and tired, but all had lots of fun. I've posted a few of my favorite pics here, and I'm going to attempt a slide show for the rest of them...

Tombo and Me

Nine months old. NINE months. Seriously, where has the time gone? We were taking his monthly pic on the chair last week, and he insisted that his beloved monkey friend, Tombo, join him. As you tell, he's a big fan of that monkey. Tomi gave it to him the day he was born, and I have a feeling he will be a longtime friend.

My baby has now mastered the art of pulling up on everything and cruising around everywhere as well. Thankfully he hasn't shown any interest in letting go to take those first steps...I'm not ready for that yet! His personality is coming out all over the place, and he is so much fun, so very sweet and cuddly. He now weighs just over 21 pounds, and is 30 inches long, which cracks me up because both of his big brothers were more than 21 pounds at 6 months! He's our tiny one. :) Harrison weighed 24 lb. 7 oz and Hud weighed 23 lb. 13 oz. at this age. It makes me laugh when people say he's big, because really, they have no idea. At any rate, he's growing big and strong, and holding his own with his brothers (who he absolutely adores) just fine. Here are some shots of him right now...

Three little punkins

Tonight we finally got the boys to the pumpkin patch, and thankfully I was able to get a few good shots of them before my camera battery died (without any warning, by the way~ so frustrating!). They had so much fun, and each picked out a cute little pie pumpkins (those are my favorite!) to take home. Here are some picks of our adventure at the patch, or part of it at least! :/

Baseball Boy

This fall Harrison is playing baseball, and this is the first season he has ever played coach pitch. He's on a team with first, second, and third graders, which I was afraid would intimidate him, but I think it is challenging him instead. At his game last Saturday he was getting to play pitcher, and was so excited. He made a great play~ caught the ball that was hit and threw it to first base, where that kid tagged the batter out~ very exciting! Brian was so proud he ran out to the field to pick him up and carry him off the field! Here are some pics from the game...

I got tagged

My dear friend Tomi tagged me to play this fun little blog game, where I am supposed to list eight things about myself. You need to check out her blog as well, because they are so much fun. In fact, I'm about to send out another email with our blog links posted, because apparently we are the only two who are really enjoying this whole thing, and it would be SO MUCH MORE FUN if you joined in. So if you are reading this, thank you for taking step one into the world of blogging. Now, step two is to actually leave comments so I know you've been here. Step three is to make a blog of your own about your family, your thoughts, whatever you want. I would absolutely love to read all about it.

But anyway, Tomi's link is http://www.relativenormalcy.blogspot.com/ Check it out~ it's greatness.

Okay, eight things about myself...this isn't going to be easy.

8. My entire life I have been very much a Type A personality. I like things organized, I like them done my way, and I am terribly bossy. But these past few years my creative brain has been desperately trying to take over, and I'm beginning to let it. I've become pretty obsessed with coming up with new things to make (in the world of paper, metal, canvases, etc.). I've also begun to let things go a little. I've gotten forgetful, a little ditzy, and pretty much live in a frazzled state of mind most of the time. My house is never as clean as I would like, I let my kiddos get away with stuff (little stuff, nothing major) that I once swore I would never tolerate, and if things don't always give the appearance of being perfect, I'm really okay with that. My sweet hubby says I'm just becoming who I was really supposed to be, which may be true, but this new me is certainly not helping the old me conquer the pile of ironing sitting in my laundry room right now...

7. Deep down inside, I'm a metal head. I love all kinds of music, mostly praise and worship, some country and top 40~ pretty much anything but rap I'm good with. But I have this weird love for hard rock music. When I hear Def Leopard, Poison, or Guns & Roses on the radio, I LOVE IT and have to turn it way up. My boys think I'm cuckoo for sure. My love for Bon Jovi began very early, and their style has mellowed a lot since the 80's, but I still think they are greatness. I know it's weird, and so doesn't go with who people think I am...makes you wonder how well you know me, huh? :)

6. I really, truly, desperately want to become a Labor and Delivery nurse some day. I feel certain that God has called me to that, and am just waiting for the perfect time to go for it.

5. I love it that my husband was my true, one and only first love. I love that we have been together since I was 18, that we married young, and that I only know him. To me, there is nothing better than that.

4. When I found out 7 years ago when I was pregnant with Harrison that I was expecting a boy, it totally shocked (and scared) me. I didn't think I would know what in the world to do with a boy~ how to dress him, what to play, how to love him...I knew nothing. But the instant I held that little guy, I was totally in love, and it wasn't long before having a boy was the most natural thing ever. Never did I think I would end up with three of them, but they are proof positive that God knows exactly what our hearts need~ I was definitely made to be the mommy of boys, and love that I have the awesome opportunity to raise them to be sweet husbands and daddies someday.

3. I've never been to New York City, and REALLY want to go. Badly. I feel like I'm missing out on something big, and will continue to feel that way until I get to experience it myself.

2. I'm a homebody. As much as I like to be busy and involved with things and people, when it gets right down to it, I just want to be home. In my house, with my boys, in my jammies, curled up in our bed. That is about as good as it gets.

1. When I look at my life now, I'm exactly where I want to be. Married with three kids, living in the suburbs, getting to be a stay-at-home (kind of) mom, with a husband who thinks I'm the greatest thing ever (hard to believe, but I know he does). I can only hope to be as wonderful to my four boys as they are to me.

Okay, now I'll tag a couple who I know already have blogs...

Brian Hatcher (Professor X)
Kelly Stocksen

Seriously, he's got to slow down...

Hunter has decided to do all kinds of big things at once, and I've given up trying to stop him. :) While it is so fun seeing him do all these new things, it is a little sad too, because I know he is our last one, and he is growing up so much faster than I like.

Let's see, in the past week Hunter has:
~ turned eight months old (unbelieveable)
~ started saying "MAMA" (I am loving that one) :) I think he is going to be a chatty one~ he's already mastered DADA and BUBBA too. Harrison loves it that he said Bubba first.
~he is now officially pulling up on furniture, and is so very excited about the new world of opportunities that lie before him. I, on the other hand, am a little nervous. :)
~today, he started crawling up on his knees. He hasn't officially given up his usual commando style because he is so very speedy that way, but I know it won't be long...

Here are some pics of our very big boy~ enjoy!

A new life together

This weekend my sister, Reagan, got married to a great guy that we are happy to welcome into our family. The wedding was so beautiful, she looked amazing, and it was so fun to watch them begin this new stage in their life together. The boys are so excited to have a new uncle, and we all think Jon is awesome. Brian performed the ceremony, and did a great job. My job was to keep all three little H's quiet during the event, which thankfully for me only lasted about 10 minutes. :) Because I was so busy keeping everyone quiet, I didn't get any pics of the actual wedding, but I'll share some from the rehearsal and the reception...

Bubba Teeth

I had to post this picture of Hunter, because it totally cracks us up. Brian did this to my poor baby a couple weeks ago~ these are those dumb fake teeth you get out of a vending machine. It's actually a family joke that started a few years ago with my Uncle Mike~ he wore them to a restaurant while we were on our Bennett Springs trip. It really was one of those "you had to be there" moments...but what made it really funny was that when he started placing his order with the waitress, she didn't even seem to notice. Not too surprising, considering we were in the middle of the Ozarks. :)

But anyway... Hunter really is getting teeth of his own~two have come through on the bottom, two more are coming in on either side of those, and I think maybe one is trying to come through on top. So he does have teeth, and thankfully these aren't them!

Some stuff I made...

I can't believe I'm posting these, but apparently I am. Since my "Papered Blessings" blog hasn't been touched since I orginally started it, I'm thinking I may just post some things here from time to time so you can see what I'm up too. Please feel free to leave your comments, critiques, whatever~ I appreciate the input!



This first one is a scrapbook layout I will be teaching at the store. We've had several requests from customers for friends layouts, and I thought it would be fun. Since I mostly scrapbook the boys at home, it's fun branching out and doing some other things. I think I enjoyed doing a girly-themed one way more than I thought I would! This one is of my friend Tomi~ she and I share a love for scrapbooking, and really all things creative, and dream of one day having our very own store. Maybe someday...that would be so fun. She's been my friend for a very long time (nineteen years actually...wow). She is my "person"~ any of you out there who are Grey's Anatomy fans will understand what that means. I'm thankful for her friendship, her honesty, the way she loves my boys...she's awesome.



This second thing is my attempt at a canvas I saw on this website (http://www.warehouseartchix.typepad.com/) that you have to check out. Sandra and Debra are AMAZING, and have inspired me big time. I can only hope to have an ounce of the talent they have. I love how their blog inspires me to try new things~ and this is my first try.

School Boys

I know I'm late getting these posted~ it seems like ever since school started life has been a complete whirlwind. Harrison started first grade 3 weeks ago, and is loving it. His only real complaint is that there is "way too much paperwork" in first grade, but other than that he is having fun, and thinks he's the king of the school. I'm excited about his teacher, Mrs. Napp. She is so on top of things, really fun with kids, and a graduate of OBU. She graduated the year before I started there, and I graduated with her sister, Blythe. Such a small world...but anyway, his year has gotten off to a great start!

Hudson started preschool last Tuesday, and did great! I was so nervous about him this year, because he did not have a great year last year, and he is my little homebody. He would way prefer to just stay home with me, but I know it's important that he go now that he's three. He handled the first day like a champ, and has been excited to go back each day since. He has two great teachers, one who is a friend of mine, and that makes it so much easier. I know he is being loved and nurtured while he is there. I feel certain that he will have a great year.

Even Hunter is going one day a week for now, but that may change soon. I thought I would be working on Tuesdays, so that is the only reason why he's there. But my schedule at work has not gone the way I thought it would, and because I do so much from home, it really isn't necessary that he be there. So I'm thinking we will be pulling him out, and just using the school on a drop-in basis, which is a great thing to have. I love it that Brian works at the church where they go~ it helps this overprotective freaky mom a lot. :)