Happy 2nd Birthday in Holliday!!!

What a whirlwind the past week has been for all of us! Crockett turned 2 on Tuesday, March 22... and we began our celebration last Friday as we headed to Holliday.

We always have family dinners when we get back to visit. It is a great chance to see everyone and catch up and let the kids play together. So, on Saturday, we turned our family dinner into a 2nd Birthday Party!!! Grandmaw Elwanda helped me get it all together, and I couldn't have done it all without her. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, and all kinds of good comfort food :) When we moved, we had to leave some of Crockett's toys behind at Grandmaw's house... the sand box and the John Deere gater. Elwanda filled up the sand box and we juiced up the gater and let the kids play. They had SO MUCH FUN! After we ate, they just played and played... Until the cake, that is. We ordered Crockett a BIG TRACTOR cake. He loved it especially since he got to blow out a candle! Sara and I gave Crockett and Rich a piece with lots of icing, stripped their clothes off, took them outside and let them have at it! It was SO funny to watch... they were covered in green icing! We put them in the bath to wash it all off and the water was just as green as it could be! Everyone who ate cake was walking around with green lips and teeth, too! Ha! Crockett got to open lots of fun toys. We are very fortunate to have so many people that love him so much! It was so wonderful to watch all of the cousins play and have such a great time together. The kids played until it was getting dark and they just couldn't play anymore! It was such a great get-together and I am so thankful to everyone for making Crockett's birthday so special!

Chris left on Sunday to go back to Midland, while Crockett and I stayed at Grandmaw's so we could go to see Dr. Sultemeier on Tues. for his well-check. I know Grandmaw loves having Crockett around, but I bet she was glad to get her house back and not have to hear Dumbo playing around the clock! He seriously watched Dumbo about 100 times :) All was well at the well-check. I realized how lucky I have been to have such a wonderful peditrician to help me through past two years. There is no telling how many times I have called him and his office... he is truly one of the things I miss the most about Wichita Falls. Not that I saw him that often, but just knowing he is there :(

We had such a great visit and a wonderful start to our 2nd Birthday Celebration!!!

I Wanna Be A Cowboy

These pictures are from our first trip back to Holliday, so they are a little dated, but my camera went MIA and I just found it! We went out to visit Hotshot and MaryAnn one afternoon and Crockett had a BLAST! He and Hotshot went driving around in the pick up, threw rocks in the tank, looked at the cows, played in the dirt and just has a great time hanging out together! Hotshot made a cowboy hat for Crockett and he LOVED wearing it, just like his Hotshot :) We told Crockett to sit in Hotshot's lap for a picture, but he pulled the chair up next to him instead. These two guys are a great pair and have SO much fun together! We love you Hotshot!

PLAY TIME!!!

Last Friday, Chris had been gone for a couple days and Crockett and I wanted to get out of the house, so we decided to go to Lubbock for a PLAY DATE with John, Braidy and Quin!! We left that morning and met the Curry's at their house. We went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A and let the boys play... in the booth and on the playground :) It was a good thing we sat in the very corner booth because they were WILD! After we played a while, we got some ice cream and headed back to Mon's house. They boys played and played... I am not sure why we ever go anywhere else... they have SO MANY TOYS!!!! When it was nap time, we tried to let them take a nap together... not such a great idea. Once we separated them, they both fell asleep... they were pooped! In the meantime, Mon went to pick up John from school and I got to babysit Quin. I could just love on him and cuddle all day long. He is too precious :) Once the little boys woke up, we headed to the park! They were all SO excited! It was a beautiful day - a perfect day to play at the park! We all had a great time playing in the sand, 'wingin, and running around, but before too long, Baby Quin informed us that it was time to go home :) It was the only time I have ever heard him cry... When we got back to their house, Uncle Ryan was home and he played with all the boys on the trampoline... Crockett loves to jumpa, jumpa!! We stayed for dinner and ended up staying the night with LuLu and Papaw. That night, Crockett got sick again... everytime we go to Lubbock... although he had been sick the week before and I guess the medicine didn't quite do it for us this time... but seriously, everytime we are in Lubbock!?!? So, we got up on Saturday morning and instead of going to the Pancake Festival, we went to the Doctor's office :( He still had 2 red ears and a horrible asthmatic cough and tons of congestion.

We had a really great time until then and hopefully the Curry's will continue letting us come play... even though we always seem to bring some sickness with us! :( It is so much fun watching these boys play together. It warms my heart seeing the way Braidy and Crockett get SO HAPPY to see each other! They really do love each other and I know I cannot wait to see their friendship evolve as they get older.

Valentine Party at FBC!!

The day after the REAL Valentine's Day, Crockett's school had their Valentine Party. We got valentine's for all of his friends and some M&M's to go with them... that is Crockett's favorite! We also made some funfetti cupcakes with white and pink icing and lots of heart shaped sprinkles! It was lots of fun... Crockett just wanted to eat the icing :) Imagine that! On the day of the party, Chris just happened to be home, so I brought him along with me to witness Crockett's 1st party with his FBC friends! When we walked in Crockett immediately wanted Momma, and so did several other kids... We both decided then and there, this was probably the 1st and last party we would attend. (yeah, right :) The kids ate cookies and cupcakes and got a capri-sun. That cheered most of them up! His class is mostly boys and you could definately tell the cut-ups in the class! There was a little girl that would say "CHEESE" everytime I held my camera up, she might give those boys a run for their money! Crockett just wanted to climb on chairs and run around. He also showed Daddy the baby doll... even brought a blanket to cover it up :) Daddy might have been a little worried, but I just think he is trying to tell him that he is ready to be a big brother :) In the end, it was a nice party. It is so much fun watching all these little kids play together and just be around one another. We really do love his new class. Ms. Amber and Ms. Lydia are AWESOME with them all (11 kids!!)! I can't wait until the next party... possibly Crockett's 2nd birthday?!?!?!?! Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Well January 2011 has come... and gone... in the blink of an eye. It is the understatement of the year to say that we have been busy and undergoing a few changes lately... so a bit of an update:

- We listed our house and sold it in the same week (had 3 lookers, to be exact). Although the selling process was not without a few hiccups and a bit of anxiety, we were very happy and relieved to sell it so quickly. I had a hard time leaving it... It was the home I was proposed to in, where we made our home after we got married, the house we brought our baby home to... some major milestones, not to mention the blood, sweat and tears that we put into it, but it was a good thing and we are thankful it is not still sitting on the market.
- We packed up the house and moved about 275 miles southwest to Midland, TX! Our very small apartment is not exactly what we had in mind (we rented sight-unseen and will not EVER do it again :) but we can do it for a year... especially if it goes as fast as this month has!
- Chris was offered a job by Halliburton and his offical starting date was January 5, 2011. It has definately been a huge change for both of us, but it was an opportunity he had been waiting for. The hours have been difficult for him and Crockett and I have been hanging out A LOT!! But overall it was such a blessing and really an answer to many of our prayers. We knew it was going to be an adjustment, but it is totally worth it!
- Crockett has started a new Children's Day Out program at First Baptist in Midland. He seems to like it a lot and brings home lots of pictures for me :) I am about to start substituting there too, so that will be fun. I have also started playing in a tennis league... Have only played once... dang weather is not cooperating!... but really enjoyed it and met some great people.

Overall, I think we all like Midland. It is not home and I still get very homesick... not for the house as much as our friends and family, but I know this is the best thing for my family. We are slowly, but surely, getting our house decorated and furnished. I got to buy a new couch and entertainment center, so that was very exciting for me! I think the best thing about this move is the bond that Chris and I have developed. We are stronger than ever and we have really learned to depend on one another and make the best of the time we do get to spend together.

We are really excited about the direction God has taken us and we look forward to learning what else he has in store for us this year!!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year @ Poppa's!

Last weekend we drove to San Antonio to celebrate our 4th and FINAL Christmas for 2010!! Since it was New Year's Eve when we arrived we got to celebrate New Year's with Poppa and JJ, too! Although it is quite a LONG drive, it is always well worth it and we all have such a great time! Plus, now that we have a dvd player for Crockett in the car... it was SO MUCH EASIER! (Can't remember why we didn't get one 2 years ago!!) When we arrived on Friday the Curry's and Aunt Susan were already there, so Crockett was busy with Braidy as soon as we got out of the car! They had such a BLAST running around outside, going up and down (and up and down!) the stairs, looking for the kitty cat, playing by the pool, just being busy little boys! Chris and I got to catch up with everyone and relax a bit before dinner. We always eat wwwwwaaaayyyy too much while we are there, and this weekend was definately no exception! After dinner, we decided to give Poppa and JJ their big Christmas gift. We gave them a big patio heater, which they LOVED! It was perfect weather outside to use it, too!

On Saturday, we had a huge breakfast and then opened (more) presents! The boys were so excited to see their awesome rocking chairs and Mickey Mouse song books... they got lots of great stuff! Puzzles, tee-ball stand, and LOTS of things little boys love! Us grown ups got some great stuff too! We were so thankful for all the gifts, tangible and intangible, that we got from Poppa and JJ and Aunt Susan. It was such a great day, the guys got to watch TONS of football (Can they ever see TOO much football??), Monica and I got to go shop for a bit (Ann Taylor had 50% OFF your ENTIRE purchase!! How could we pass that up!?!), Braidy and Crockett helped Poppa and JJ put out corn for the deer, move some rocks and basically get a little extra excersize :) It was a great day and we really enjoyed spending time with so many people we love! We had a delicious dinner, which included some black eyed peas, as it was NEW YEAR'S DAY! After dinner, Poppa shot some AWESOME fireworks, I was quite impressed, Crockett was not... and he lit the firepit for some marshmallow roasting! It was tons of fun and we LOVE LOVE LOVE roasting marshmallows!!

After a good night's sleep, it was time to eat some breakfast (a HUGE breakfast, actually :) and hit the road! We always have so much fun with Poppa and JJ. It was a great ending for the 2010 Christmas season! We are so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives. It is a great time of the year to reflect on the many blessings the LORD has given us. We are so thankful for each and everyone who is in our lives and has helped make 2010 such a special year!