...Little Life Reminders...

2009-08-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

The End

We spent our last afternoon and evening at the beach. This was the most time Hugh got to spend relaxing without working, driving, going to theme parks, or waiting in line. We had an awesome time.

It was fun to be there together as a family.......
It was fun to watch Hugh play with Houston. And he is so good at it.

Hugh said he especially loved this ocean this year. He was like an old man walking the shore and collecting shells, which are now in a jar on his desk. Hmmmmm.

Time to pack up and head out-Houston loves to ride these hotel carts. We just prayed we were still under the weight limit for our bags and we could get our hats, shovel, and 3-string guitar home that we bought at Goodwill. No problems-we all arrived safe and sound. Here's to California 2010!!

2009-08-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Pink's and Family

While we were out in California, we had the awesome chance to spend one evening with some of Hugh's cousins, who happened to live only about 20 minutes from us. We got to visit with most of the last year, but some new ones this year as well. We laughed, told stories, and had good Italian food. Thanks guys the hospitality!

Pink's is a world famous chili dog stand to the stars. It is located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. You can get a hot dog ANY way you can imagine, and they probably offer them ways you have never thought of. This hot dog stand has been featured on the Food Network several times and shows like The View, Jay Leno, and Good Morning America. We must have had perfect timing because we only had to wait 15 minutes for our chili dogs, but when we left, the wait was over 1 1/2 hours!!
But they were SO yummy!!!

Even Houston ate his entire hot dog (hold the chili). We were on vacation, but momma's not silly.

Hugh got to enjoy the day with us which we were grateful for-he did all the driving and parking in Hollywood which can be a chore for sure. We ended the day with the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the big Hollywood sign. We walked down Santa Monica Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd., then we were off to the beach.

2009-08-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

Knott's Berry Farm

We were about 5 miles from both Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. We decided to go with Knott's Berry Farm because we figured the lines would be shorter (plus it was about $50 cheaper per person). We made the BEST choice. The longest we had to wait in line for Houston to ride a ride was about 10 minutes. After the first few of riding with Hugh or I, he gained lots of confidence and rode several by himself. He loved it and asked to go over and over.

On this race car ride, it whipped you around the end turn and it made him laugh so hard he could barely catch his breath before the next turn and it would happen again.
I couldn't resist this picture because he looks like a true truck driver with his arm hanging out the window and one hand on the steering wheel. Funny stuff.

This was the Knott's Berry Express, which is an actual steam engine we rode around the park. Of course anything train related and lil' man was all about it.

Hugh's request for the day was filled with this picture of Snoopy.

And like I said in a previous post, Houston has now fallen in love with "Poopy". We actually saw Snoopy on Ice while we were there and it was a great show. All the peanuts characters were on ice skates and they were wonderful. Poopy is now Soopy, so we are getting there.

2009-08-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is THE Life!

Last year, the beach wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't great either. Houston had only been walking for a few weeks and we didn't bring enough supplies to be prepared. But this year, oh man was it different. We LOVED it! The water, the sand, the sky, the sun, the breeze, the temperature. Everything was perfect. We had toys, snacks, water, towels-you name it and we looked like beach pros. This was our first of 3 days spent in the sand. AWESOME!!!!

Houston loved the sand. And he loved the water, too, as long as you were holding him. He didn't want to get in own his own, but he entertained himself for hours digging and making sandcastles.

We enjoyed our time so much we decided we had to come back a few times before we left. Hugh did get to enjoy one day with us and I will post those pics later. We tried Seal Beach, but our favorite spot was Huntington Beach.

I love this picture of Houston and my mom. It was also great to see her have such a good time walking the shore and collecting shells (which I hope don't end up on the back of the toilet). This day was good stuff.

2009-08-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

I Zoo Any Chance I Get.....

If you know me very well, you know that I love to find a zoo in any new town we travel to and check it out. And, L.A. was no different. I had heard good and bad things about it but it was only $11 and that's not bad for a full day's worth of entertainment in California. I have to say, initially, we were disappointed. The Children's Zoo was closed and the train was not working, both big strikes with Houston. But, as we got further into the zoo, we did get to see lots of animals, had ice cream, and ending up making a fabulous day of it. And, I can cross another zoo off the list.

Each trip Houston gets more and more into the animals-he can find them easier on their own and he can name most of them now. It always makes momma happy when her baby enjoys himself.

They had a baby giraffe there-he was 6 feet tall when he was born in April.

Of course he can make any day a good one with his nana.

And he found a new love on our trip this year that was waiting for him on the bed when we got back from the zoo. He is now a "Poopy" lover. He's actually gotten better and now calls him "Soopy".

2009-08-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Reagan Library

I was young when Reagan was in office, so I don't know a lot about his presidency. I remember learning about the assassination attempt on his life, that he was in movies before going into politics, he was Governor of California, and that he was an accomplished athlete. My friend, Dana, suggested we spend a day at the library while out in California. I have to say, regardless of your public affiliation or personal feelings to this man, it was an awesome experience, and ended up being one of my favorite things about the whole trip (besides the beach, of course!).

Secret service greet you at the door, give you the rules, and then you are pretty much on your way to explore. We got to see really fascinating things-presidential seals used at the White House, the clothes he was wearing (and the x-rays) when he was shot, his inaugural suit, a replica of the oval office with pieces he actually used while there, but my favorite was......

getting on board Air Force One. We learned how they bought/prepared meals, the football he carried with him with secret codes on it, his office, the "Situation Room" on plane. It was really cool. This plane actually carried Reagan, Bush, and 5 other presidents. We weren't allowed to take pictures on board. For the time the technology was very advanced, it would be considered "archaic" even in one of our homes today. Very, very cool experience.

Another thing I loved about it was the setting. The library is in Simi Valley and the landscape and view is amazing.

If we ever get to go back to California, I will be making another stop here for sure.

2009-08-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

California 2009

We had another great trip to California this year and we found something different to do every day this year from our trip last year. We arrived about 10:30 L.A. time, ate at In-N-Out Burger, and then checked in to our hotel. We decided it was the day for a quick trip down to San Diego, about an 1 1/2 away. The scenery was beautiful and since we went to the zoo last year, we went to Old Towne San Diego for some authentic atmosphere.

Old Towne was a quaint little village with homemade salsa, olive oil, desserts, and souvenirs. We ate a restaurant called Coyote Cantina that had amazing food. It was an open restaurant and we enjoyed the activities on the street and the awesome weather while we ate.

I loved this picture-the sky was beautiful and it was right by our table where we sat for the folk dancing.

This was one of Hugh's favorite parts while in San Diego because the music, costumes, and dancing were so unique. They did about 8 different dances, all with different traditional costumes and music. Houston clapped and danced along, it was awesome. After a LONG day, we made it back home about 11:30, which is really 1:30 to our bodies. We brought back 2 of our 3 souvenirs for family here-I'm so glad we got to experience and learn more about this culture.

It really was a fun day.

2009-07-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

Batter up & Buddies

It's official that Houston is destined to be a baseball player. A legend. A total mess. He got his first glove, tee, and bat a few weeks ago. Hugh says like a natural, he picks the bat up and starts swinging from the left side. It's amazing how much he LOVES this and how much we don't have to encourage him. Wiffle balls are constantly flying around the living room, and almost everyday, he runs and grabs his stuff and proclaims, "I wanna hit!" He loves going to games and watching it on TV. What can I say? It's in his blood.

Meet Corey. Houston's BFF. Corey came over a couple of weeks ago to swim and play with Houston and you would think these 2 were separated at birth in Houston's eyes. He LOVES Corey. He talks about Corey. He calls Corey on the pretend phone. He asks for him almost daily. The two hit it off right from the beginning and I see a long friendship ahead of them.

Oh, and they like to play trains in their diapers. Just wait til this one comes out when they're 16! Thank you Lewis and Kara for sharing your Corey with us!!

2009-07-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

Humor Me & First Fishing Trip

Houston's big thing now is putting his toys to "sleep" for naptime and patting them, like I do him. Today's victim: the tricycle.

Poppy took Houston and Barrett fishing 4th of July weekend. It was the first time Houston went and was actually able to hold his own pole, reel the fish in, and have some sort of understanding what was going on.

He was serious about holding his purple and gold Dora fishing pole in the water and keeping his eye on the "bopper".

His very first fish-he sure looks proud of himself!

And momma was proud of him, too! Thanks Poppy for taking us fishing.

2009-07-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Minnesota, Day 4, and other goodness

We rounded out day four with some beautiful sight-seeing. We went to several beautiful lakes, played at the park, and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

The water was amazingly blue and there were literally lakes everywhere, hence the name "Land of a Thousand Lakes."

The day ended in a pillow fight, where I must say, Houston was victorious.

Better later than never, a shout out to Hugh, an awesome husband, father, and friend. Happy Father's Day.

4th of July was busy for us like it was most people. We were in Memphis working with Hugh at some games, came home to cookout and swim with my mom and dad, and made it to fireworks just in time. And like his past "freak out" moments of loud noises, dancing animals, and costumed people, Houston did not like the loud fireworks, but he endured and 4th of July 2009 is in the books.

2009-07-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Minnesota, Day 2 and 3

On the second and third day of our trip, Hugh had to work, so mom, Houston, and I set out to be entertained. Our first stop was Como Zoo and Amusement Park-day 2. On day 3, we went to the Minneapolis Zoo. These rides were right up Houston's alley, so we got to ride them over and over and over and over.........

Here in his own little chariot.........

and here breaking the speed of light.........

This may be my ALL time favorite of us (thanks mom) except for some newborn pictures (thanks dana). Mom took this picture of us on train. And after cropping out the ugly little blonde haired girl behind us, the lighting is perfect, the feeling was sincere, and I couldn't be happier right at that moment.

At the Minneapolis Zoo, they took you on a tractor ride to the "farm" which was Houston's favorite part I think. They were animals more recognizable to him, so we spent lots of time here petting the pigs and feeding the goats. He would get down and peer through the fences to talk to the animals....so cute.

This is another favorite one where he had climbed on the fence to get a better look. Love this kid and everything he exploring and learning right now.

2009-07-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Adventures

We (mom, Houston, and I) accompanied Hugh on the road to Minnesota this year, and man, what an experience. First of all, traveling with a 1 year old when you have to get up at 4am to catch your flight is NOT a good idea. But, I must say, he was a trooper. We arrived in Minneapolis on June 10th, which was draft day. The first part of the day we stayed in the hotel room while Hugh followed the draft online. The phone rang off the hook and he got constant emails. But it was fun to watch him-he got to actually call his draft picks (7 of them!) and let them know they had been drafted. I honestly think he was as excited as them!!

Houston supplied our hotel entertainment-dancing, singing, eating, jumping, napping, dancing, singing.....you get the idea. Let's just say after a few hours, he was ready to get out of the motel and GO!

Our first stop was Rainforest Cafe in the Mall of America. He was not so crazy about the animated animals, but the food was good and we shared a Rockin' Rangutang some-or-other :)
The MOA is awesome, to put it mildly. When we walked in, we were greeted by a full size ferris wheel, log ride, and several roller coasters. The rides were amazingly quiet (the screaming people were not) but Houston was not tall enough to ride so we enjoyed just watching.

Also at the entrance is Lego Land with thousands of lego to play with-they even had a race track set up where you can build your own car. We all had a blast and it was neat to watch Houston take it all in. (Notice the JACKET in JUNE! Temps were in the 50s at night!)

More later of our zoo trips!

2009-06-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

More summer fun with friends.....

Houston and I went to my friend Stephanie's house on Friday and met up with Holly so all the kids could play. Ella and Parker are both 3 and full of energy. It was impossible to get a picture with all the kids seated, looking at us, and smiling, so this is the best there is. They had fun playing on the swing set, in the bouncer, and in the pool. Our quiet, uneventful morning was interrupted when a 100+ pound pit bull broke through her neighbor's fence and jumped on all the kids, nearly knocking Ella down. We called the "animal po-po" as Ella called it and order was restored. We ended the morning with some PB&J sandwiches then home to take a much needed nap!

The kids sharing popcorn

Houston finally deciding the water was too cold to get in!
Some good ol' PB&J and juice boxes!

2009-06-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

I love summer...

these pictures were taken the first official day of summer break for me and Houston. The big pool at Nana and Poppy's wasn't quite ready yet, so Houston and the cousins opted for 2 small pools and a water hose running down the slide.

You can tell Anna loved it, but Barrett thought the water was too cold and the slide was too hot!
Houston was being silly as usual. Here he is squirting himself in the face with a water gun, which is ironic because he hates getting water in his face when he's taking a bath.

Katie ready to take the plunge in her homemade water slide!

Houston took advantage of having 2 pools side by side-he slid back and forth between them.

My lil' man soaking up the sun. If only I could have his beautiful skin color!

2009-06-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tree Trimming.....

is not really an accurate title. It was more like chopping down 20 trees and removing them. This story all started when Houston was trying to ride his tricycle down the sidewalk. He kept tipping over because he was running over the gumballs. We had a yard full of gumball trees-very annoying, difficult to clean up, and dangerous (people would fall because of them and Hugh was even hit between the eyes by them when mowing because they bounced off the tree trunks ..hehe). To make a long story short, the decision was made to have the trees removed and beautify the lawn.

We aren't talking scrawny trees here.....we are talking 60+ foot trees with lots of limbs and branches. Before the trees could fall, all the limbs had to be stripped off them. This is where tree-climbing Daniel came in. He would put straps around his boots with spikes in them, climb up the tree with a harness, and cut the limbs off with a chainsaw. You have to be either crazy or brave (or both) to do this.

Then he would repel down and then the whole tree would be cut down.

I love this picture because you can see the tree actually coming down. They would hit the ground and the whole earth would shake. Neighbors would sit out on their porches and in their driveways to watch it all. It was quite the adrenaline rush. After the cleanup (which I don't have a picture of), the yard looks totally different, of course. We love the end result of the smooth yard with lots of room to run and play, but we do miss some of our shade. I'm sure we will especially love it this fall when we don't have to bag 40+ bags of leaves to have our yard clean!

But like I said, it was a huge mess!

2009-06-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Spring planting

Houston loves spending time with his cousins, most often as Poppy and Nana's house-they have all the cool stuff like lawnmowers and 4-wheelers, a pool, a garden, a huge swing set, and lots of room to run and play. This was a Saturday afternoon in May when we all got together to plant flowers and the garden. Planting the garden always reminds me of my grandparents. We worked in their garden in the summers as early back as I have memories. We shucked corn, snapped green beans, hulled peas, picked strawberries, dug potatoes.....I hated it then, but love the memories now.

Houston and his BFF cousin, Barrett, riding on Poppy's lawnmower. I have a feeling these two will be trouble SOON.
This picture of dad could just as easily have been my grandpa-working hard to get the garden ready for planting. We planted everything that day-okra, squash, lettuce, green onions, cucumbers, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and corn. Yum!

Houston is planting flowers in his Nana's flower beds :)

Katie showing off her choice.....looks like poppies and daisies.

My brother showing Anna and Katie the "gardening ropes".

2009-06-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Backing up......

I haven't posted anything in a while, and I have lots of cute pictures to share, so be ready for several days of blogging fun! (That's the plan anyway!) These pictures go back to the weekend of May 10th when we took Houston to the ASU petting zoo. He loved it all. At first. Then we tried to get him to ride a horse. Not so much........

I thought it was cool you actually got to get in the cages with all the animals-hold them, pet them, have them pee on you. (Glad that didn't really happen! But I did leave with an unidentified substance from the pig stall.)
He did actually end up petting the lamb!

And he seemed to actually do okay with it.

Now for the horse ride. You can see the uncertainty building up on his face as he dons the cute riding helmet. Yeah, we couldn't even get him to SIT on the horse, let alone go for a ride on it. He stiffened out his legs and arms, not to be bent at any angle. He cried and reached for me...that poor horse was so patient. Maybe next year.

We finished the Walker day of farm fun on a wagon ride pulled by a John Deere around the ASU farm. He did love that part (the ride and seeing all the animals). They do it again in the fall, and we will definitely be there.

2009-04-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

I loved it!!!!

I had a great time at the Taylor Swift concert. I don't listen to country music much anymore, but I don't consider her just country. Anyway, it was refreshing, energetic, and fun to sing along to all her songs. It also didn't hurt that we could reach out and touch her. Kellie Pickler opened for her (she had some great shoes by the-all sparkly). Check out the tattoo on the inside of her wrist-it says Pray. Guess that's one way to be reminded!

She did about 6 songs and then an encore performance with TS.
TS had a great set, lots of costume changes and great effects! She also had lots of hair flinging and arm flailing. She was all over the place!

No sparkly shoes-she was a boot girl-but she did have this fabulous sparkly guitar!

She sang almost every song off 2 albums. She got all my favorites in and then some!

Had a great time hanging with Vonda and Jenni (sorry no pic of her though!). It really was a great show and I'm glad I pushed those screaming teenagers out of the way to get some great closeup pictures!!

2009-04-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Easter Rewind

Ok, so I'm a little out of order here and backing up to get some sweet Easter pictures in. We actually hunted Easter eggs outside on Saturday because it was supposed to be raining on Sunday (and did, so glad we got that in!). We took pictures of the grandkids out at mom and dad's by the irises-they turned out sweet.

Then it was egg hunting time. After Houston dropped the 4th one in his bucket, it came open. He decided eating the candy in his four was much more exciting than collecting a part of the other 70+ that were available, so he sat down, ate his candy and waved when all of his cousins ran by scooping up the eggs. Oh, well. That was just less candy I had to hide from him.
Easter morning.......what's up with those real-life-close-to-looking-like-a-bunny teeth??

We had several great pictures outside.....one of my favorites.

Sharing some smiles with momma. He kept saying, "Momma, pretty." He is the sweetest thing ever!!

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter.

2009-04-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Mohawk Mini-fro

This is Arkansas Children's Week and Houston's school is celebrating with a different way to dress up each day. Today was crazy hair day. At first, I thought a picked out mini-fro would do the trick, but then I got brave and went for a Mohawk Mini-fro. He did not like the gel, the spray, the mousse, or the hairdryer that was necessary to create said hair design, but the end result is pretty priceless in my book. I don't think the pictures really do it justice. It did, however, look like a flock of seagulls (Chandler Bing) by the end of the day!! Oh, and the scratch. Don't worry. You should see the other kid :)

2009-04-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

I love the zoo!

I consider myself a zoo connoisseur in that if we are in a new town and a zoo is close by, I'm there. My favorite ever is the St. Louis Zoo and my biggest disappointment is the San Diego Zoo-it didn't live up to the hype. On Saturday afternoon, we made a spur of the minute trip to the Memphis Zoo (Hugh had to cover a ballgame at 7:00). This trip now ranks up there as one of the best ever. And it was because Houston was SO into it. He pointed and jabbered at all the animals, he tried to name them, he stomped and ran and jumped. It was sunny but cool out so all the animals were active. It wasn't very crowded. We were all happy. It was a perfect day. We rode the train, got some great pictures, and just enjoyed each other.

Watching the tigers.

Houston is really in to trains right now, right down to the arm up and the air and a loud attempt at "choo-choo"!

I love how this picture catches his reflection. He is actually watching the Giant Pandas eat their bamboo snack.

A kind passerby took this family shot for us. (Hugh hates when I ask people to do that.)

A great way to end the day-my two favorite guys!

2009-04-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Update and My Baby's Growing Up

I haven't been able to post any pictures from spring break because I left my camera at Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater, OK. That's a story all by itself, but it ended well. I actually got my camera back 2 weeks later when Hugh went back through to pick it up!! But, when we were traveling with Hugh for Spring Break,we hit several stops. We went to Branson, Springfield, some little town in Kansas, and in Oklahoma we went to Stillwater and Oklahoma City. We had lots of fun and fair weather. We were on our way to the zoo on Tuesday of that week and it was pretty windy and chilly so we went to the OKC Science Museum instead. We had a blast and there was actually lots there for Houston to do.

This tunnel simulates a Category 1 hurricane with winds over 70mph. Mom and I couldn't stop laughing. Hugh took Houston in it but they didn't make it through the whole thing. Houston couldn't hang, but at least he gave it a shot.

We ended our day with a tour of a pirate shipwreck. Good times!

When I got home Saturday afternoon (4.4.09) from our women's ministry meeting, Hugh and Houston were out playing. A wave of sadness and joy rushed over me when Houston walked up to me with his first bag of rocks he had collected. It was sort of his rite of passage into toddler/boyhood and away from being a baby. It was neat watching him explore and gather his treasures stating "Waaa" each time he put a new one into his bag.

This little guy is the best! I hope he always loves to explore and learn!

2009-03-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

March Snow

Around here, you take a good snow when you can get it. The best one for us this year happened about a week and a half ago on March 1st. We got four inches of fluffy white goodness. Last year, Houston wasn't so sure about it, but this year he loved stomping through the yard in it and kicking his boots yelling, "Snow!".

Okay, he loved it until he fell face-first in it. He picked himself up, looked at me, turned to the snow, and started waving saying, "Bye-bye, snow." That was my cue that 20 minutes was enough. (Hard to believe it was in the mid-70s today by the way).

For all you snowman and ASU fans, this is the best snow built creature I have ever seen. The owners of the Design Shoppe live down the street from us and they made Howl, the new ASU logo, out of snow. It was featured on the news, but I had to get a glimpse for myself. Love it!!

I swear we don't encourage this behavior like Jake Hillis does :), but our little man found these little hand weights at my mom and dad's house the other night. Without ANY prodding, he began his own workout of sorts, ending up with them dropped to the floor with a loud thump! Hugh is proud of the shoulder muscle action you see going on. A proud poppa indeed!

And last but not least, I leave you with just a bit of the attitude the youngest Walker has been displaying around the house the last few days. I posted an offer on facebook to trade him, but my only options of trade were a teething 18 month old and 2 cats. I decided we would keep him!!

2009-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, here goes....

There has been lots going on around the Walker household lately, in addition to all that comes with keeping up with a very active 18 month old. We are still trying to get caught up on yard work after the ice storm, celebrate Hugh's birthday (Happy 39th), enjoy some family time, and get Hugh back on the road again. Here are a few favorite pictures from the last few weeks.

At the sport show last year, we had a caricature done of Houston when he was 6 1/2 months old, drawn as a baseball player wearing a San Francisco Giants uniform. We decided to make it a tradition and luckily our man was there (who only has one eye, by the way) and did another caricature this year with Handy Manny in mind. The two will now hang side-by-side in Houston's bedroom.
Houston was such a big helper carrying sticks and helping us clean up the yard. He would drag one little bitty ol' stick up to the wood pile, jump and throw it, and clap for himself when it fell to the ground right beside him. But, the thought of being helpful was there and it was sweet that he tried.

Like I said, Happy 39th birthday to the man of the house!! Just a few days late with the wishes here, but we celebrated February 9th with homemade chocolate cake, barbecue, beans, and slaw. Hugh got money and a some new shoes to celebrate his turning older. And wiser. And with just a little bit more gray. But we still love him!

Houston, on the other hand, was not quite as happy to continue the celebration when mom told him "no" to his request for more cake!!

And Monday night, Hugh was honored to be an invited guest to the ASU Baseball Banquet with special guest Will Clark (who signed a baseball for Houston saying :To a future super star-Will Clark). Hugh had a great time visiting the Will Clark who was recently added to the San Francisco Giants organization as a special to the GM.

So, busy, but good times around the Walker household. Hugs and kisses to Hugh from us as he travels to Oklahoma and Texas!!

2009-01-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

Icy Days

I know folks living around here don't need reminders quite yet of the ice storm. We all went enough time without power, heard enough cracking limbs in the night, and have enough yard cleanup to do to last us for a while. But we have lots of friends and family out of town that read our blog (we think) so we wanted to share with them our lives this past week. We also have some pretty cool pictures from around our house.

This is one of the trees in our front yard-the branches weighted down so heavily from the ice they touched the ground.
Gumballs with over 1" of ice on them.

Hugh holding an icicle almost 2 feet long-this came off my parents house.

This may be the most amazing picture of all. This view is from the driver's side window of our Explorer. A branch that fell from the tree at the corner of our house went through the window and impaled the dashboard. For insurance purposes, we were told not to pull the branch out of the window yet, so we don't know how deep into the dashboard it goes. I'm sure it's safe to say, the radio probably isn't working right now. :)

No, wait. THIS is the most amazing picture from the week. My husband cleaning up the yard!! No, really, he worked hard to get the yard looking better before heading to Texas. When we get all the limbs and branches piled up, I will post that picture, too. Right now the pile is about 5 feet high and 10-12 feet long, no joke. Lots of work still to do around here. Everybody, be safe!

2009-01-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Incognito

I'm loving this age more and more-Houston is so playful and funny. He loves hats-his daddy's cowboy ones, construction ones-you name, he will put it on. The last few days I have snapped some of the cutest pictures of him being silly and sweet!

This 70's attire was for Lexi Allen's birthday party. We had a groovy good time and Lexi is a sweet, sweet girl. (If Michele would update her blog, I would have stolen a picture from the party to insert here.)

Houston was playing with this at the consignment store one afternoon and the lady gave it to us for a quarter. We went to Wal-Mart right after that and he wouldn't take it off. Of course everyone commented on how cute he was. And I have to agree.

2009-01-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

Where were you

when history was made today? Like him or not, today was an historical moment for our nation. I was lucky enough to share a 3x6 foot office space with 5 other teachers and about 15 children, packed around a Dell computer. But we got to see it. Most of the kids probably won't remember (and none of them understood), but they were all able to witness the swearing into office of the first black president of the United States of America.

A friend at work shared this quote with me today, a history lesson of sorts about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Rosa sat so Martin could stand. Martin stood so Barack could run.

God bless and guard our country and the actions and efforts of this President!

2009-01-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

Tough Guy and Tupperware

The day after Christmas, we enjoyed the 70+ degree temperatures and Houston was in and out all day-just playing outside and enjoying his new Christmas present. He picked out the best part of his tough guy outfit-the hat on backwards and the boots. He has a neighborhood image to protect you know.

Then it was on to his softer side. He made over 20 trips from the tupperware drawer to the patio where he carefully arranged all his treasures. After he had them arranged exactly like he wanted them......

he sat down to enjoy himself. Then, he climbed on top of the table and chunked them all, one by one, all over the patio and then ran off to his next expedition leaving mom with yet another mess of a creative little 17 month old.

2009-01-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas Wrap Up.....

no pun intended.

This has been a whirlwind of a holiday for sure. Here are a few favorites from Christmas morning. Houston really got the idea of unwrapping the gifts by the 2nd or 3rd one and he wanted to unwrap them all. He could care less what was in the box, he just liked ripping the paper.

His life-size Manny which he lovingly refers to as "Manny". Imagine that. He now takes his tools and toolbox and sings the "Hop Up Jump In" song. (We don't leave him in front of the TV all day-it's what he watches in the car.)And the mother of all presents for him-his Quad. Which runs an amazing 3-4 mph at top speed. He rode his cousin Barrett's this summer and can easily work the foot pedal. We should have also invested in plaster to fix all the holes in the walls.

The cutest little construction worker you've ever seen.

The kids opening their stockings at Nana and Poppy's. Hope your Christmas was as awesome as ours.

2008-12-24T21:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve

We've had lots of fun Christmas festivities to catch you up on. Tonight, we had an amazing Christmas Eve service at church-not a dry eye in the house. We went to my mom and dad's for chili and then back to our house to begin preparing dinner for tomorrow. Last night we stayed the night in Jacksonville and had a great time hanging out with Hugh's dad, sisters, niece, and nephew.

This is Houston and I at his school Christmas party on Dec. 19th making snowflakes. We had lots of yummy treats and got to take home lots of Christmas art.

We have the cutest pictures and video of Houston using the Christmas wrapping paper rolls as sticks for his own interpretation of Christmas dance. The best part is, after he sings and bangs them on the ground, is that he throws them down in a grand finale before clapping for himself. I will try to get video of that on soon.

Houston waiting for Santa's cookies to get finished baking......

He drew his first picture/letter to Santa with red and green crayons.

A picture with the Big Man. You will notice tears are missing, and you will also notice that his usual adorable smile is missing as well. He looks a little concerned, but the Santa '08 picture is in the books! Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

2008-12-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Curls

Being a first-time mom, I have been proud of each of Houston's milestones-sitting up, crawling, walking, talking. But I have to say, this is one I have dreaded. His first haircut. I know I have needed to give in for some time now, but it was sad for me to think about cutting off his beautiful curls. When we got home from school today, his hair was a complete and utter mess. Medusa was on top of his head and it could not be tamed. There is not enough lotion, baby oil, grease, spit-nothing can hold it down now. So, momma gave in to the clippers.

He honestly was such a trooper. He sat, with cookie in hand, attentively watching his daddy cut and momma cry and pick up the curls and put them in a baggie.

He "ooooohed" and "ahhhhhed" through the whole thing and didn't seem to mind a bit. The cookie was a little hairy before we were finished, but he kept right on chomping away.

It's hard to get a good idea of the finished product, but I have to say I am PLEASED, and even like it in fact. If you thought he was cute before, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

He looks like momma's little man and I still love him, curls or not. Kudos to his daddy for his barbershop skills!

2008-12-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....finally

I hate to admit it, but I have to. I have been a complete bah humbug this year. I usually am in love with this season early on, but I have not been interested much this year. I usually put up all my decorations Thanksgiving weekend, but we were gone to Branson this year and I just haven't taken the time or effort to pull everything out and set it up. Not to mention the fact I will be chasing a curly head 16 month old all over the house when he steals the ornaments. But I know Christmas morning wouldn't be the same, so we at least got the tree out. We went for the small skinny one instead of the big fat one.

It does look pretty, but I already dread taking it down. Can somebody pass along a shot of the Christmas spirit?

Houston reading all about Santa, which he lovingly refers to as "ho ho".
SO grateful to nana for this dog that sings Feliz Navidad on command. Over and over and over and over and over.........

Our first Christmas card of the year.....Shout out to Stephanie for being on top of things (and doing it while almost 6 months pregnant!)

And this one just because I think he is simply the most adorable thing out there and if this won't get you in the spirit, nothing will. Hope your holdiays are going good! And to all, a good night.

2008-12-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Busy weekend and Happy Birthday D!

The holiday season is in full swing for us and was non-stop this past weekend. It started out Saturday morning with our women's Christmas party at church-always a great time and I must admit, the purse I stole from Dana is truly fab. Good times, good food, good friends. Then, Houston and I were off to Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday party for my friend Stephanie's little girl, Ella. We rode Bob the Builder until we used up all 20 of our tokens! Last but not least, we were privileged to spend Dana's birthday with her around the grill at Fuji. Us and 27 other people, though there was only seating for 15. You do the math. After Fuji, the girls KILLED the guys at laser tag by almost 100 points! Lots of fun. Happy Birthday, Dana. What a great friend!

Cory is Lewis and Kara's grandson and he and Houston have gotten to hang out a lot more lately and have really hit it off. Houston kept getting out of his high chair and Fuji and Cory would point his little finger at Houston and say, "Sit down bottom!" It's fun to watch these two together.
Houston's new thing now is "squeezing". That's what he calls the hugs he gives out. Within the last couple of days he's added grunting to the squeeze. Gotta love this kid!!

The picture of the WINNERS! It is worth mentioning again that the GIRLS BEAT the BOYS "fa and sqa" at laser tag.

2008-12-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

A different kind of Thanksgiving.....

We usually do the traditional Thanksgiving....turkey, dressing, parents and in-laws. But this year, we opted for something a little different. My parents, my brother and his family, and Hugh and our family went to Branson for 4 days. We rented a house, shopped, ate and had fun. We spent our actual Thanksgiving Day watching the Christmas show at Dixie Stampede. It was wonderful. It was fun to get to see all the cousins play together and everyone got along so well.

This was the cutest. The night before we left, Houston must have wanted to make sure there was room for him-he climbed in the suitcase, sat down, and started playing with his cars.

Houston and his cousin Barrett are definitely 2 peas in a pod. They are getting old enough now where they are really starting to play good together-and fight together.

Most of the gang in front of Dixie Stampede-Katie, Hugh, Anna, Houston, Felicia, Nana, Barrett, and Alana. The girls had a good time while they were here-we kept them very busy and the time flew by.
Our Christmas will be small this year-this was our "big" family gift to each other. We had a great 4 days and I liked the twist on the typical Thanksgiving. Now that I've finally finished all 4 Twilight books, I'll be back in the blogging spirit. Got lots of cute pictures to share. Happy Holidays!

You have my approval......

2008-11-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

Houston is really growing fast and doing new things every day that amaze us. He is starting to put to words together.....shoes on, coat on, go school, football, touchdown (with arms raised I might add). He is trying to jump and brush his own teeth and hair. The other day I had taken him into his room to change his diaper. After the process was completed, he looked at me, clapped his hands, and proclaimed, "Good job!" with the biggest smile he could manage. That was the best diaper I ever changed.

2008-11-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

On the road again........

After an extended stay at home, Hugh is back on the road again. But don't feel sorry for him, he's in LA staying at the DisneyLand Marriott. He has one more trip to Phoenix, AZ and then he will have quite a bit of down time until February. I know he will check this blog before he goes to bed and a big smile will come across his face. One, because he loves when I update the blog and surprise him. And two, mainly because it is a sweet picture of his little man doing what he does best-being Mr. Cool.

P.S. Notice the Giants blanket? That's thanks to my sister-in-law Lisa!

2008-11-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

Backyard photo shoot and sad memories...

I had wanted to get some good fall photos of Houston while the leaves were so pretty, but didn't want to bug my buddy Dana. So, off to the backyard (and across the street from Country Mart) we go. I have found the key to liking your photos is taking plenty of them so eventually, you will get one with the right pose, with the right lighting, etc. So here, goes.

I love the look on his face-may need a little touch up on that scar on his forehead though!

Perfect lucky shot with the sun peeking through!

Right in our backyard.

Once again, love that face.

Today was a fun day because Hugh, Houston and I stayed outside together until it got dark. But, it is also a sad day. It's hard to believe, but it has been 3 years ago today since we miscarried our first baby. I know I will be reunited with them both again in heaven one day, but it is still difficult and I feel a sense of loss that I will probably always carry with me. Looking back, I have to say thank you to Christine and Stacy for being there and holding my hand while I cried and thank you to all our friends and family for all the prayers. I couldn't imagine our life any differently now and we LOVE Houston so much and are grateful to be his mommy and daddy!

2008-11-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

He's my lobster!

We started our Halloween festivities with a party in Houston's class at school-games, food, and a baby obstacle course. Of course, like his birthday, his favorite was the chocolate.

His class went trick or treating that morning (my friend is passing along some pictures later) and he stole the show in his cute lobster costume.

He loved playing with the carved jack-0-lantern and seeds. He is quite the ham in his classroom.

We ended our Halloween day by trick-or-treating at nana and poppy's where they declared Houston the "cutest lobster they had ever seen" and then on to the Hewitt's to take up all the candy in a 4 block radius. Here he is with Elijah *Tony Stewart* Graham, Ty *Super Ninja* Hillis, Abby *Dorothy* Allen, and Saraya *BatGirl* Hewitt.
This tired, pizza-faced lobster was then ready for bed!

2008-10-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

**Pumpkin Carving Walker Style**

Monday night, after Hugh got home and we got finished with dinner and bath, we broke out the pumpkin carving necessities. As soon as we opened the bag, Houston started clapping his hands and grabbing all the pieces. We didn't go traditional style with all the mess, we went kid friendly and easy for daddy. We let Houston choose between each body part-he would name them after us as we poked them in the pumpkin. He was quite satisfied with the end product. And so, a clean tradition is born.

Couldn't resist these cute pumpkin pjs. If you think this is cute, wait until you see him in his costume......

My two favorite Walkers....all the rest of you are pretty special, too.

And, finally, a shout out to all you Twilight fans-vampire tater. Have a good one and be ready for some cute costume pictures!

2008-10-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

For Uncle Chad....

because he loves the color orange. And we think he's a pretty neat guy. We love you guys-Chad, Rhonda, Britton, Landon, and Easton. See you soon.

2008-10-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

How I spent my weekend......

with a sick baby. From Friday until Monday night, this is pretty much how he looked. We did make it to church and that was our only outing for the weekend. No prayer breakfast, no Grossology, no Halloween party......a weekend with a crying, fussy baby who coughed until he made himself sick. 5 times. The one good thing about it is that it meant extra snuggles, lovin', and hugs. Rhonda, is it just me, or does he remind you of Easton in this top picture? Hopefully, we are on the road to recovery.

2008-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Busy Weekend

Wow! It has been a busy week around the Walker household. Hugh's schedule is finally beginning to slow down (thankfully) but he has not had any difficulty staying busy. This past weekend, we had a nice dinner Sunday evening with the McClain family, the Davis family, and Hugh's friend Kerrick Jackson who is a scout with the Washington Nationals. Thank you, Kerrick, for the flowers and yummy dessert. Always love a chance to hang out with friends.

Hugh and Kerrick

Also this weekend, Hugh was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Jacksonville High School. Here he is signing autographs for some kids that were there. He gave an awesome speech and remembered to thank his parents, and mention all his brothers and sisters. While he was talking, Houston was clapping the whole time and yelling "Dada"! I wish I had known Hugh back in his glory days, to be able to see all the amazing things I only get to hear stories about. I'm proud of you! The guy in the background behind Hugh in the blue shirt played 5 years for the Dallas Cowboys! (That one's for you Lewis!)

The Crossroads Fall Festival was also Saturday. (Like I said, we've been busy!) I know many people put in lots of work to make it happen and be so much fun-shout outs to Cristi Hillis and Dana Hewitt for their hard work! The kids had a variety of activities to choose from-pumpkin bowling, face/hair painting, target shooting, bean bag toss, train ride, and treasure hunt. It was a beautiful day-perfect weather to hang out and enjoy friends. I love this picture of Maggie and Houston. I can just her little voice, "I wanna hold him". She has been a Houston fan since the day he was born and she couldn't be sweeter. Love you Mags (as your mom calls you).

Now, the official business to report. I was a chili taster for the cookoff. Interesting for sure-6 different pots of chili, 6 very different tastes. #4-the Gillams, was the victor in the end. My good friend Lesley and I giggled all through it because Steve kept clearing his palate. Lots of fun with great friends! Have a good rest of the week!

2008-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hayless hayride, tagged, and funny story

We had a great idea of having a hayride/cookout today, but it didn't quite go as planned. Dad set out to find hay and after making 5 stops, still came up empty. My nieces, Anna and Katie, were happy to pile blankets in the trailer and go for a ride. When we got back we roasted hot dogs and "marshrellos" as they are lovingly called.

I love this picture of my two nieces-they are the sweetest and growing up way too fast. Anna is in 2nd grade and Katie is in kindergarten. They are both into riding their bikes from their house to nana's house and Katie is ready to get rid of those training wheels!
This is the cutest picture of Barrett. He would have eaten that whole bag of marshmallows if we had let him. He didn't roast them, he just liked eating them off the stick like everybody else.
Katie with a tripledecker.
Anna was the expert marshmallow blower offer when they caught on fire.
Houston got his fair share and loved them. We will never get that boy fumigated from the smell of smoke. He had a blast though.

Now, tagged. Sorry, Holly it took me so long, but here goes. 7 things about me you didn't know:

1. i sang "I'm Too Sexy" standing on a table at a chinese restaurant when i was 17 for $200.00 dollars.

2. i had a bag phone 15 years ago!

3. i ran my mom's car through the end of the carport when i was learning to drive. i was 23. just kidding. all i remember was i crushed my dad's new smoker and my brother was singing "Pour Some Sugar on Me" in the backseat.

4. i have been to England 2 times and on 4 cruises.

5. i was in the homecoming court in 5th grade.

6. when i was little i wanted to swim with dolphins for a living.

7. i threw up pepto bismol out of my nose in 3rd grade.

Now, to a funny story. Sorry this is a long post, but this is great. Mike Archer, our pastor called me one day last week to give me a message that a man named Adam had been trying to reach me. He gave me an 800 number, extension, and reference number. I was really puzzled and had NO idea why this man would be calling Mike to get to me. So, I called Adam. He told me he was a debt collector and that I had an outstanding debt to ASU for $1, 733.00. I told him there must be some mistake-I graduated 10 years ago and had paid off all my loans 6 years ago. He asked if the last four of my social was blah, blah, blah, and I said "no" it was blah, blah, blah. I told him there was another Mist Walker in Little Rock I had been confused with before. He said sorry for bothering me, he had the wrong person. The best part of the story is this: I asked him how he had found me through our preacher. He said he had done a search for me online and I was listed as the women's leader for our church, so he called the pastor to find me. That good ol' Phillip Weese does TOO good with the church website!!

2008-10-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

Simply Thankful

Today was a beautiful day and it was even better that we all got to spend it together having fun. Hugh met me at school to pick Houston up and he was excited to see both of us come to get him. We do that as often as we can. We got home and we all stayed outside until we brought his dirty tail in to give him a bath. We played golf, walked in the woods, mowed the grass, read books, picked up sticks and leaves and just enjoyed each other. Here are some of my favorite pictures from today.

Houston in the woods in the backyard. He had a blast acting like a cross between Daniel Boone and Zorro, picking up sticks and swinging them around wildly in the air. Cute stuff.
Houston wore his camo pants and shoes to school today.
Our front porch decked out for fall.
My favorite tree in town I've seen so far just happens to be right across the street. This picture doesn't do it justice-it is beautiful. I leave my kitchen window open so I can take peeks all day long.
Houston and daddy enjoying a good book in the front yard.

Fall is my favorite time of year and these kinds of days make it even better.

2008-09-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

When daddy keeps baby......

I took Houston to the doctor Thursday afternoon-double ear infections. We started a super strong antibiotic that evening. Needless to day, by about 4 am, we were up changing sheets, Houston, and ourselves. Hugh stayed home with him from school on Friday so I could go ahead and go to work. I asked him about 9 if Houston had any more poops. He responded, "I don't know". I'm like what do you mean you don't know. Do you smell him? Hear him? Did you check him? I thought when poop is smeared up his back to his hair, then he'll know. But he texted me back a couple hours later and no poop. They were outside playing and Houston was feeling good. He called me about 2:00, 30 minutes before I was supposed to get home, to tell me I would need to watch Houston when I got home so he could clean up the house. My ears perked up. What?? When I have Houston, the house is picked up, dishes done, beds made, and the baby is happy. He said he didn't understand how I did it, but he had to give it to me-being a mommy is a busy job. Thanks for the appreciation. Now, here is proof of what it looks like around our house when daddy keeps baby.......

Why was there a roll of paper towels in the hallway?
My bathroom......
the living room......
and finally the kitchen.

Today, we were going to go to the ASU-Memphis game but decided to stay home and enjoy the beautiful day instead. We played outside, watched football, took a nap, and got out the fall decorations. It was really a nice day to just enjoy each other. Hope your day was just as good.

2008-09-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

This one's for Daddy.....

When Hugh is on the road, he loves checking the blog and finding updates with new pictures of Houston. He is so sweet to comment about it and looks at it over and over. So, Hugh, this one is just for you. I took these pictures of Houston one afternoon when we were playing out in the yard. The first thing he does when we get home from school is run to the cabinet and reach for a snack. Then he goes to the refrigerator for a drink. It's then straight to the backdoor so he can go outside and play where we stay until dinner. We usually go back outside until it's bath time.

He can climb in the swing by himself now and doesn't want to be buckled in-he likes dragging his feet and falling out.
Look out ladies!! This convertible is a chick magnet if I've ever seen one. Here, he is actually waving at the school bus across the street. He puts his cup in the holder on the side, and we're off to see the neighborhood. It has a horn and plays music. The ultimate chick picker upper.

Have convertible, will travel. Love you daddy!!

2008-09-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

Gotta love the fair!!

There are some things that just become tradition when the fair comes to town. For some, it is corn dogs and funnel cakes. For others, it's picking up ducks and riding rides. And yet for others, like my husband, it is being continually amazed by the looks of the folks that attend such gatherings. If I heard it once tonight, I heard 100 times. "Are you kidding me? Oh my goodness! Did you see that? Do people not care what they look like when they come out here? Ooooooo oooooooo". (With inflection!). For us, it was the first time Houston could actually enjoy some of the festivities. He stared at the cows and pigs, clapped his hands when the rides played music, picked up ducks, and got to ride his first fair ride ever with his cousins. He fell asleep in the car at 7:45 and we haven't heard from him since. These were some of the favorites from the night:

Picking up ducks-I remember always wanting to do this over and over at the fair. That's the fun thing about the fair, rules and limits are stretched. Dad would graciously pay $10 for a 50 cent toy.
Houston rode his second ride of the night, the choo-choo train, with his nana, uncle, and cousin Barrett.
His two older cousins, Katie and Anna, rode the cars with him and Barrett. His first fair ride ever.
These two already act like brothers. They are jealous if nana holds the other one. They fight over toys. But they are so happy to see each other when they've been apart a few days.
Houston wasn't too certain at first about feeding the animals at the petting zoo. HE wanted to eat the carrots and not hand them over. He finally got brave before it was time to go.

Other favorites of the fair this year: Hugh winning a hog calling contest, eating a funnel cake and fried snickers candy bar, and my new pop-up straw fair cup.

If you had to go back and read that line again about Hugh winning a hog calling contest because you couldn't believe it, you would be right. Are you kidding me? The only thing he knows how to call is the pizza man.

2008-09-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Ike

Who would have thought that we here in Arkansas would have felt the winds from a hurricane. About 3:30 this morning, I woke Hugh up when I heard a big thud on the roof. I knew immediately it wasn't just a gumball or branch. Since we weren't getting rained on, we decided to wait until morning to inspect. We had a huge branch snap off a tree, land on the roof, and then onto the fence. Luckily, we had no damage. But we did have TONS of limbs and leaves to clean up. After church, lunch, and Houston's nap, we spent 4 hours outside cleaning up the yard. Houston was so cute to pick up little bitty sticks and bring to us to put in the big pile. Then he would eat some dirt and then run through our pile to make an even bigger mess. Even though it was hard work, we had fun being together and are thankful we had no major damage.

Too bad I don't have a picture to share of the best event of the day. Hugh fell from the top step of the porch and landed face first in the front yard. When I saw him move and realized there were no life-threatening injuries, I laughed until I cried. He said the earth moved. I just saw the handrails shake. You be the judge. I'm sure he'll be sore tomorrow.

2008-09-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

Tailgate Weekend and the Major Leagues

We had a great kickoff to football season tailgating with great friends at ASU. Hugh and I have always been ASU supporters, even in the days when only 300 people were in the stands. I have to say it was a great time cooking, laughing, and cheering with friends. It didn't hurt any that the Wolves won by 73! We will have to find a new spot to set up this week because of the rodeo, but you can be sure we will be there, cheering on our Wolves and eating dogs! Go stAte!

Meet Delta. He is an awesome kid who Hugh had the privilege of coaching in American Legion 3 years. He was always younger than his competition, but his big heart and ability made up any difference that age posed. After a successful career at LSU-Euniece, his dream came true and he was drafted this year in the Major League draft. He just finished his first season with the Rookie Club of the Colorado Rockies out in Casper, Wyoming. He had a great season and called Hugh frequently to keep him up to date. He came by tonight to visit and give us his first baseball card. Houston loved him instantly, but what's not to love about Delta Cleary. He's not only a good athlete, but also a good person. Good luck, Delta. May you always continue to shine.

2008-09-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Let the sun shine in!

Our wonderful covered patio has seen better days. This is the part of living that is sometimes hard to swallow-forking over money for expensive house repairs that you didn't plan on. We have always had a small leak since we lived here....a little trickle down the inside of the wall. But the mother of all holes finally showed itself and water poured into our patio this past week with all the rian we got. Gives new meaning to the song "I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone". In reality, this is an easy obstacle to overcome.

2008-09-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some football?

Because we sure are around the Walker house. We all have new Red Wolves attire and are pumped. We let Houston sport his new jersey and visor around town this weekend and I must say, he looked pretty stinkin' adorable. We are tailgating this weekend with Lesley (yes, you are coming!), Lewis and Kara, James, the Allens, and some other friends. Let me give you one small example of how crazy my husband is.......he woke me up at 2am last weekend to let me know he was going to meet the team when they returned home from their win over Texas A&M. He, along with 500 other people and the band, cheered the guys on and he said it was an awesome atmosphere. Here's to a good season and lots of football fun!

Go Red Wolves!

2008-09-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Limited Edition

This is a scanned (not very well) original piece of fingerpainting artwork by Houston, his first. Sign up folks, this baby's gonna be hot!

2008-09-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

-TRUE-

is the best word to describe these gals. Stacy and I have been fast buddies since we met in 1994 and Christine and I met in 2001 and became instant friends as well. We have been together through the highs and lows: they were there, crying for me and with me, when I miscarried both of my babies. They hugged me and said, "Yes, you are still a mommy even though you don't have your baby to hold right now"-that meant the world to me; they were both at my wedding and witnessed the ceremony where the lady leading the service wore isotoner slippers; they surprised me with an awesome 30th birthday scavenger hunt around Jonesboro; we can easily laugh and talk until 3 in the morning; we are all up for road trips and weekend getaways; they were both with me, for a LONG, time during the birth of Houston; they are both good cooks (Christine, love your Chicken Divan and Stacy love your Continental Chicken); they would be there for me in an instant if I called and needed them; we celebrate each other's birthdays each year.

That leads me to the reason for this blog: Sunday night, we met up at McAlisters for dinner (and presents for me) and then to Stacy's house to scrapbook until the wee hours of the morning. Thanks you gals for my mother's bracelet and candles. You rock!

Scrapbook Extravaganza, Hot Springs

October 2006

Luke's birthday party hayride

October 2006

Thanks, girls. And here's to many, many more for many years to come!

2008-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is what it look like when you are shopping at Hobbly Lobby and the lights go out:

This is what it looks like when the clerk is looking for you with a flashlight:

2008-08-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

What a difference a year makes!

Every month, to mark Houston's turning another month older, I took a picture of him on the same blanket in his bedroom floor beside a sign telling his age. I had several friends do this-Chassidy, Rachel, Christine, Stacy-and I loved the idea. It is unbelievable to lay the pictures side by side and see the huge change in just one year. Even though he's just one, he looks like such a big boy now and is definitely gaining some independence, like going to the refrigerator and getting out his own yogurt. Stomping his foot when we're not fast enough (just like his daddy!). Wanting to get his own arms out of the car seat and not wait on mommy. Climb steps by himself-he doesn't want us holding his hand. I want to tell him, "Get back here. Stop being so big and let mommy have her baby a little while longer." But I'm also glad to see him growing, learning, and figuring things out on his own.

Enjoy.

2008-08-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Mistaken Identity

Back to school time entails many things like backpacks, crayons, scissors; but for me, it means time for my yearly TB skin test. I have done this for about 11 years now, since graduate school, and always passed with flying colors. Maybe a small red bump, but nothing major. Monday we had our TB skin tests. That night at home, it started really itching. I woke myself up at night several times itching and again that morning. By Tuesday afternoon at school, I developed this huge blister and a red spot about the size of a quarter. I showed the school nurse. She said not much we could do until Wednesday, just watch for streaking. I woke up all night and would turn on the lamp, no streaking. But by the time I got to school, the blister had burst and the bright red ring was about the size of an egg. Hard to see in the picture below, but not a pretty sight, especially not when you are being tested for TB.

So, off to the health department I go. Of course everyone at work was giving me a hard time. Hugh sang "You've Got the Funk" to me, but honestly, I was a little concerned. I mean, I was just in California you know. :) The nurse starts asking a lot of questions:

Yes, I've had these before. No, I've never had a problem with it. Yes, it itches. So she calls the school nurse. Long story short, we were given a control substance for TB that contains too much yeast, so my immune system was working extra hard to get rid of the foreign object. Needless to say, I went from the sickest person in school to the healthiest. Apparently, the bigger the reaction, the better your immune system kicked in to fight it. I don't have to be quarantined after all.

On a different note, it was nice to be able to visit with some of Hugh's brothers and sisters this past weekend, unfortunately under sad circumstances. Hugh's brother-in-law passed away so we were all together for the funeral.

This is Elroy, Dwight, Angie, Chad, and Hugh. What a group of characters!

So, so long from your TB free friend!! Well, actually, I have to get the REAL test next week.

2008-08-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Birthday pics at last!

I don't know why these turned out so small, but they are adorable none the less.

Thank you Dana for all your time this year capturing my little man's smiles. The pictures you have given us truly are priceless.

He found Saray's dinosaur and Dana started snapping away.
I love the look on his face here. During the photo taking process, it seems like there is no way we will be able to get a good picture, but there are always some in every bunch that are perfect. This is one of them to me.
The big 1!

I had just told Dana earlier I wanted to get a picture of him with his arms raised above his head. A few minutes later, he pulled through. With two fists full of chocolate cake.

Oh, yes. The thrill of chocolate!!

2008-08-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

Rocky start........

I'll be the first to admit we had a rocky start to our first day at school. I thought I would try the cold-turkey no pacifier thing, but as badly as I hate to admit it, he's a pacifier baby and he's just not going to give it up yet. He cried until 10:30. It was bad, but after I took his pacifier to him, the day started to look up. He enjoyed playing outside, ate good, and took a good nap. All we can hope for is better tomorrow.

Mommy is right down the hall. I kept checking on him all day and so did some friends. Things were starting to look up by mid-morning.
Improvement!!
The cutest backpack ever.

It is 8:30 and both of my boys are in bed. Early night for lights out at the Walker household.

2008-08-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

What you have all been waiting for....

pictures from our LA trip.

Laguna Beach was breathtaking. We drove here 3 times in addition to spending one day here swimming. This beach was actually rockier than the others we could have gone to, but it was also less busy so we chose it. The water was actually colder than we had planned, but the sun was warm and we enjoyed it.
Me at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I know, Britney Spears was not my first choice, but we were rushed to leave and I actually recognized her name, so I grabbed a quick pic. It was still awesome to see the Kodak Theatre (all you American Idol) fans and the Jimmy Kimmel Live Studio was right across the street.
Happy Anniversary! We went to Huntington Beach while mom kept Houston and had a nice dinner out on the pier. It was in the mid-50s. We packed jackets but didn't take them with us. Sure could have used them.
Houston loved playing in the sand after he got used to it (and got it all out of his mouth). He let us cover him up, he scooped sand, and is definitely a people watcher. Not too fond of the cold water.
The end. This picture says it all and needs no caption. Quite possibly my favorite of the trip, for sure of the beach.

Til '09 California. We already look forward to In-N-Out Burger, Tommy Burger, California Pizza Kitchen, Sprinkle Cupcakes, shopping, the beach, and more sunny fun!

2008-08-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back, jet lagged, and in denial......

This is the last time I will say it, but California is AWESOME! I'll quickly recap the last 3 days we were there. On Friday we drove to Santa Monica to the pier. We ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and kicked butt on the trivia in the restaurant. That pier is significant because Forrest runs from Greenbow, Alabama, to the end of the Santa Monica pier, stops and then runs cross country to Maine. It has an amusement park on the pier, neat shops, and good milkshakes. That night we went to Downtown Disney and ate at ESPN Zone. Another yummy meal. On Saturday we went to Costa Mesa to the swap meet (NOT flea market) and brought back some neat goodies. We ate at California Pizza Kitchen (the waitress told us she rents a 650 square foot one-room apartment for $1,350.00 per month. You're right, James. Nobody can afford it out there!). We watched the Olympics and turned in early. We got up bright and early on Sunday for the San Diego Zoo and down to the harbor. We came home Monday.

Now to the jet lag part. On Tuesday Houston and I slept until 11 and napped from 130-330. Hugh was sweet to do laundry while we napped. I still haven't recovered. My suitcase is still zipped up in the floor and so is my computer (that's why there are no pics, but it is on the to-do list.)

Now to the denial part. My fun little summer is coming to an end. I had a meeting today at work and thought it was going to kill me. I yawned all through it-I am definitely still not adjusted. Houston and I start school Monday. Thankfully he will be right down the hall from me.

Dana, thanks again. We had 1 year pictures tonight. Promise to post pics soon.

2008-08-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Interesting Facts......

1. We are 5 miles from Disneyland but we don't get the Disney Channel on our hotel TV.

2. There are 28 Walgreens within a 12 mile radius of our hotel.

How, you ask did I know fact #2? We were up at 4:00 this morning looking for one because Houston woke us up crying with a fever. Up this morning, fever gone, and he's playing. Hopefully it was just teething.

To recap Wednesday:

Mom and I took a tour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Our first stop was Hollywood: we saw the Hollywood sign in the side of the mountain, the Kodak theater where American Idol finals are held, the Jimmy Kimmel Live Studio, the Chinese theater, the Hollywood walk of fame where stars feet and hand prints are as well as their names in stars in the sidewalk, and the places where several movies were filmed like Superman and Sister Act 1 & 2. Fun!!

It was then on to Beverly Hills. More interesting places were the Viper Room (where River Phoenix died), Phil Donahue's home, the Roxy where John Belushi ate his last meal, the home where Frank Sinatra died (on Foothill Drive by the way), the club where the Osbornes go for entertainment, Rodeo drive (we found a $60,000 watch! yikes!), the store where in Pretty Woman she asks if they work on commission and they say, "Yes", she says, "Big mistake.....",where Lindsay Lohan lives (hen she's not in rehab as our tour guide said), where Baywatch was filmed, and several places where Hollywood Homicide was filmed (never have seen that one).

We went later that afternoon/evening to Venice Beach. There were interesting things all around, some cool, some not so much. For the cool: we saw where White Men Can't Jump was filmed, the beach was beautiful, and we saw Muscle Beach. James, where were ya??

For the NOT so cool: there were weird people everywhere-a woman walking around with a snake around her neck, a man on roller skates wearing a turban playing the guitar, a woman on a loud speaker saying there was a doctor on the second floor ready to write anybody who needed it a prescription for medicinal marijuana, homeless folks, and it smelled horrible in the bathrooms (needless to say we changed Houston in his stroller and holding him in the air).

That night was our anniversary so mom kept Houston at the hotel while Hugh and I went out for dinner. We ate at Huntington Beach pier, walked along the beach (ahhh) and drove down to Laguna. Fun day for sure.

On Thursday, we had a much calmer day. We went to Laguna beach and hung out for about 3 hours. Our first steps on the beach Houston falls face first in the sand and comes up gagging with a mouthful. He learned his lesson early and he didn't try to eat sand (on purpose) anymore. He eventually got brave and loved wading in the water. We had fun but came home with more sand than we had planned. That's the one thing I hate about the beach. That night Hugh and I ate at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney and watched the fireworks.

This trip has been so amazing. I told Dana James must be crazy about her to give up California for Arkansas. I told Christine the same thing-you gave this up for Arkansas?

Anyone who is interested can organize my going away party cause I wanna stay!

Promise I'll post pics later, just haven't had time to download them all. We have awesome one for sure. More later.

2008-08-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our Story

Our first ever picture together, October 1998.

Today, August 6, 2008, we celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary. Let me clarify that we dated 6 years before we got marrid, so I feel like I kow this man inside and out. Here's our story: We met in June 1998, I was in graduate school at ASU working as a scorekeeper at the softball park and Hugh had gotten finished playing ball and moved to Jonesboro to go to ASU where his brother was the athletic compliance officer. The first time I actually saw him was when he was umpiring behind home plate and I filled in for a team as catcher. Needless to say, he talked my ear off. Imagine that. Then it was my turn to bat and he called me out at first base without even moving from behind home plate. Bad move for a guy trying to pick up a girl. We said goodbye and went our separate ways. We saw each other every night that summer at the ballpark. One night we were at the YMCA playing basketball and he wanted to impress me by dunking. He dunked alright, but landed wrong on his knee, tore his ACL, and he's been gimp ever since. Fast forward to 2004 (since this isn't a therapy session) and Hugh and I decide to take the plunge. We didn't want a big fan fare, we had no attendents, only our closest friends, and we did nothing traditional. I entered to the march of the Queen of England and we played "I Feel Good" right after we said "I Do". A lady in isotoner slippers married us (for real) and a man named Doug handed us a roll of film when it was over so we could get our pictures developed. We didn't even have a wedding cake. But I wouldn't take any of it back for anything in the world. Let me tell you what I know about Hugh.

1. He doesn't like to clean the house. But he is great at washing and ironing clothes.

2. He will do a favor for anyone who asks, anytime.

3. He is great playing with Houston.

4. He likes mowing the grass.

5. He has some of the funniest one-liners.

6. He talks more than any person I know. About 4,000 minutes a month just on AT&T's waves.

7. He loves sports, his family, and staying up late.

8. He supports my crazy hobbies and encourages my girly friendships.

9. He is more patient than I could ever dream of being.

10. He laughs when people get hurt.

11. I've only seen him cry twice in 10 years: once when his mom died and once when his son was born.

12. He has ugly toes. And he snores.

13. He is a loyal friend and husband.

14. He has eaten dinner with Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and George Brett.

15. He has 14 of his own baseball cards.

16. He likes his steak well done.

17. He is married to the woman of his dreams. :)

Wedding Day, August 6, 2004

Eureka Springs, August 2004

So, here's to many more years together. Many more laughs. Many more cries. Many more tough decisions. Many more dreams. Many more days to share.

I am proud to be your wife.

I love you, Hugh.

2008-08-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have arrived........
in southern California and I love it. First, let me say, hold on, pics are coming soon and I have some AMAZING ones. Now, let me tell you things I have forgotten within the first 24 hours of my journey:
1. Houston's carseat at LAX airport. Yes, big mess. Hugh had to ride the bus back to get it because we didn't have our rental car yet.
2. Houston's diaper bag when we went to eat at In-N-Out Burger (holla, Dana). This would not have been a mess except he poopied during that time. At least it was a nice day to eat outside.
3. Houston's stroller. Hugh had to leave the ballpark, drive it all the way back to us, and then go back to work. Maybe this light California air has done something to my brain.

I have not, however, forogotten how to have fun. Like I mentioned, when we got in to town (Monday) we ate at In-N-Out Burger at Dana's suggestion and it was awesome. Greasy burger, cheesy fries. You can't go wrong. Later that afternoon we drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Laguna Beach to Long Beach. We stopped at Heisler Park in Laguna. The view was awesome, the water pretty, and the homes were fabulous. Words can't describe the view those people must have each day. Breathtaking is the closest I can come up with. Today (Tuesday), after our stroller was delivered, mom and I jumped in the car and I DROVE us to Huntington Beach by MYSELF (with the help of one little friend named GPS). We had no problems getting there and ate at the world famous Huntington Beach Municipal Pier at a diner called Ruby's which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Eat your heart out to all you fish taco lovers. I had the real thing today. We people watched for a while and then walked down Main St. where they were having a street festival-lots of fresh fruits, veggies, flowers, face painters, musicians, clothes, jewelry, etc. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we are off to Hollywood to see the stars, Malibu and other touristy places. Check back for pics soon. Having a blast and as they say here (and mean it) Mahalo.

2008-07-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Special Birthday Wishes for July 31st

I have to give birthday wishes to 2 special people. First, my mom. My mom and I are very close. We always have been, but it's been different now that I'm a mom, too. She gives me my space and doesn't butt in about what I should or shouldn't be doing with Houston, but she is also there for me in the drop of a hat and has proven that time and time again. When Houston was about 4 weeks old I would call her to come over so I could get some sleep. She joked that she already had her shoes on and was out the door. Sometimes I think she really did sit waiting so she could come over and hold and love on him. My mom is the most giving and caring woman I know. Even when she doesn't feel like it, she puts on a smile, a Stein Mart outfit, and is ready to go. She likes flea markets, books, and shopping at the Target Dollar Spot. She is a great travel buddy and is going with Hugh, Houston, and I to California next week. And boy does she love her grandkids! And they think the world of her, too. She has sleepovers with girls and the boys fight over sitting in her lap. She is strong and has been the rock of our family many times.

I love you, mom. Thank you and Happy Birthday!!

Mom and I, Mother's Day 2007

With Houston, July 26, 2007

These special birthday wishes are for Ruby Kate. My mom calls them birthday buddies. She is a sweetheart and such a cutie. One of these days, we will actually get a good picture of her and Houston together. Lots of tries, no success.

So, happy birthday to 2 special people. And may you have many, many more happy ones.

I love you both.

2008-07-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Elijah!

This is our friend, Elijah, dressed as Tony Stewart for Halloween. He has always been so sweet to Houston-wanting to hug him, have Houston sit on is lap, and share his pizza with him. One extra special nice thing he has done is share his toys with Houston. This one he brought over Saturday night and Houston loves it.
It has sirens, music, a horn-the works. So, thank you, Elijah, for being a good friend!

2008-07-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

VBS rolls in to Crossroads!

As a kid, I always loved when it was time for VBS. There were always a few things you could be sure were going to happen.

1. You were going to make some crafts out of toilet paper rolls and baby food jars.

2. Little old ladies would be there to serve Always Save creme sandwich cookies.

3. You would get hyped up on sugary kool-aid.

Those were the good ol' days.

But, not at Crossroads. We construct things. We build. We use power tools.

Plainly speaking, VBS around here ROCKS!

I have to gives shouts out to Dana, Lesley, and Kara for constructing one awesome addition to the VBS decor this year. It will be the food serving establishment. Take a look.

To fully appreciate this thing, you have to understand it started as 3 sheets of plywood nailed to 3 two-by-fours and painted white. Then came the creative part.

My "lumpy" wheel as it was lovingly referred to as. Thanks, Lesley. It still rolls, baby. Kara, Lesley, and Dana adding the final touches to our.............

ICE CREAM truck!!!! How stinkin' awesome is that!??! Show me another VBS with an ice cream truck and Dana will make the Leaning Tower of Pisa for next year. She kindof looks like she's about to mow somebody down. If you've ever ridden with her, you know that may be possible.

Now, what to do with the ice cream truck after VBS is yet to be determined. I volunteered to set it up in my front yard and use it as a money-making tool. I don't think the demand for them on ebay is high at the moment.

So, to sum it up, from beginning to end. Add 4 friends, 8 1/2 hours, 3 nervous breakdowns (all by Dana) and 1 lumpy tire and you get hysterical fun. See you guys down the road.......at VBS!!

2008-07-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

One year ago today......

We brought this little guy into the world. Nothing can prepare you for the change it will make in your life, the work it will be, and the joy it will bring. We care far less about lots of things and way more about different ones. We barely turn on the TV anymore (which is a good thing); we don't listen to the radio in the car anymore because Houston is watching Bob the Builder; we take time to stop and watch, to enjoy, to plan, to guide, to kiss, to reflect, to cry, to hope, to dream, to wonder, to pray. One year ago today this little guy changed our lives forever and we couldn't be more happy.

Happy Birthday, son.

2008-07-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

LESSONS LEARNED FROM HOUSTON'S 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY:
1. Whether you do it yourself at home or pay to have someone else do it, you will feel stressed, anxious, and that the party is controlled chaos at best.
2. You won't get to spend as much time as you would like visiting with YOUR friends (the parents of the attendees) because you are too busy making sure all the kids are happy.
3. The feeling will be bittersweet-happy that your baby is loved and is growing and learning, but sad that you are losing your baby and he is becoming a big boy.
4. Another party for him means another year older for you.
5. In the end, it is ALL worth it!

Before, nice and clean.

During "Happy Birthday". I swear he knew they were singing for him. I think I wiped a tear or two.

With mommy while Houston was finishing his second piece of pizza. He had never had pizza or this much sugar before in his whole life.

Lesley called me about 9:45 to see if I had relaxed any. I told her Houston was still up (which he was) and was spinning in circles in the kicthen, which was also true. He did finally come down off his sugar high and got a good night's rest.

Michelle took this black & white ones which I love. I will post some of the kiddos having fun in the next few days. Hugh, Houston and I are off to Hot Springs tonight, family birthday party for Houston Saturday, Ruby Kate's birthday party Saturday afternoon, hanging with Lesley Saturday night, church/VBS decorating Sunday-you get the picture.

2008-07-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

Our baby can get down!!

Shake your groove thang, shake your groove thang!

Hugh snapped these pictures 4th of July night in our hotel room in Fayetteville. Houston has always loved a good beat and couldn't resist shaking his groove thang. (See previous post for similarities to his dad's dancing style at his 20 year class reunion.)

We had his 1st birthday party tonight at the bowling alley. Look for some CUTE pictures to come. I ran my battery out (with help from Michele) snapping away. Needless to say, he was covered in chocolate cake from head to toe by the time we were finished.

2008-07-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Shout out to our family in Conway and Jacksonville!!

(done in orange for you, Chad!)

We left Houston in the care of Hugh's family this past weekend so we could attend his class reunion. On Saturday night, we dropped him off at 250 Toad Suck Road in Conway, Arkansas, to stay with Hugh's brother Chad, his wife Rhonda, and their kids Britton, Landon, and Easton. We love them dearly and knew he would be entertained.

Uncle Chad's lap must feel a lot like daddy's.......
Uncle Chad had a long, busy day at a football convention but was able to hand out a few extra hugs when he got home. Hard to imagine him and Hugh as kids fighting in the living room floor on Sundays when the Steelers played the Cowboys. GO 'Boys!!

This is Britton, our beautiful, smart niece. I remember holding her in the hospital when she was just a few hours old. Here she is with her grandma in September 1999. Ms. Walker passed away in April the next year. This picture was taken at Chad and Rhonda's house when they lived in Jonesboro.

These are Houston's 2 handsome strong cousins. Landon is on the left and Easton is playing in the floor. Landon is our little baller-I think both he and Easton could run for days without stopping. This next picture is my all time favorite of Landon.......so, so cute. And an almost 3 year old picture of Easton. They are both such cute boys.

The final "thank you" is to Sophia, John-John, Kenny, and Vick for putting up with Houston Friday night with his cranky self. These next two old pictures are of of Britton with her cousin Vicky who is now in jr high and cooks her own full course breaksfast like nobody's business and Britton with her Uncle Hugh and cousin Kenny, the next best shortstop to come out of Jacksonville High School.

Thank you guys! We love you all VERY much.

2008-07-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Daredevil Spiderman Style

Houston and I had a lazy but fun day hanging out around the house. Hugh left last night for Missouri. After breakfast this morning, we pulled out ALL the toys because 12 to choose from just isn't enough. This riding zebra toy is a new favorite. One of my friends Stephanie let us borrow it. It didn't make me feel too good about her offer when she told me her little girl started crying when she carried it out of the house. The fact it was going to "baby Houston" didn't help any. Houston likes it though and spins and jumps.....you're regular little bunking bronco.

I guess the fact that he got new big boy Spiderman pajamas led him to believe he could do stunts Evil Knievel style. He got the mount just fine........

but the landing needs some work. And so does his hair. His curls have a mind of their own these days.

2008-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

More from the reunion....JHS.....Class of '88

This is "Goon". He was one of Hugh's good friends and was an awesome athlete. He was running Olympic times and held several records in the state his senior year. Tragically, one year after high school, he was shot during a drive by. He is so inspiring and has never lost his sense of humor. He was cutting a rug out on the dance floor-popping up on his two back wheels and spinning in circles. It was amazing to see. During the class picture, Goon and another guy were picking on each other and the other guy yelled, "Well, Goon. Stand up then." With Goon's quick wit, he replied, "Don't make me surprise ya'll. I would, but there may be somebody who works for social security in here." Of course, everyone died laughing. Thanks, Goon, for continuing to love life and be thankful. You certanily deserved your standing ovation for "most thankful to see at the reunion".

It was fun getting to hang out with the family for the weekend. Hugh was so excited to visit everybody and sad when we left. His class has already lost 7 friends. But he was able to reconnect with people I'm sure he will never lose touch with again.

Can I get a witness?????

My baby jamming out to AC/DC by himself. Oh, wait. There is one poor helpless woman out there. Her date must have been embarassed of her, too.

This is Jimbo, one of Hugh's best friends from high school. He now lives in Millington, TN where he is vice principle. He played football at ASU-we always look forward to seeing him during football season. Go Red Wolves!! I do have a hilarious picture of them from jr high I will post later this week. Hugh has an afro.....that's all I'm gonna say about that right now.

I'm proud of you, honey, for the awesome man, husband, and father you have turned out to be. I hope we can look back in twenty years and enjoy our memories. I love that you like to laugh, have fun, and enjoy life. I am proud of you and glad that I was the one on your arm Saturday night.

2008-07-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

BUSY WEEKEND!!

We had a busy but very fun weekend-we attended Hugh's 20 year class reunion of Jacksonville High School. On Friday night, we met at the Flying Saucer in Little Rock at the River Market where I got to meet about 150 of Hugh's 400 classmates (I graduated with only 86 so this is strange to me....). Everyone was really nice and easy to talk to. Thank you Sophia and Vicky for keeping our cranky baby so we could enjoy our evening!!

On Saturday, we went to the family picnic-lots of fried fish, chicken strips, and french fries. Yum! We had been there no longer than 10 minutes and Houston found the biggest pile of charcoal dust in the whole park, sat in it, rolled in it, stomped in it, played in it and then rubbed it on Hugh on I. Nothing a half bottle of Shout couldn't handle. I love that stuff.

It was time to start getting ready for the evening which was dinner and dancing at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Little Rock. I'm busy getting ready and ask Hugh to watch Houston. Yeah, he watched him alright. He watched him play in the trashcan and in the toilet. There's not enough hand sanitizer in the world for this kid!!

What makes this story even better is that later, he started dropping things in the toilet like Scotch tape, a stapler, and water bottle. Thankfully he hasn't figured out the flushing part yet. Thank you Chad, Rhonda, Britton, Landon, and Easton for keeping your cousin!!

Last but not least, I know what you're thinking.......is that a Baldwin Brother at Hugh's class reunion? Well, I had to inspect myself. Thank goodness I have a good zoom. See, I'm not talking to this guy, who actually turns out to Brian Smith, spouse of a classmate, I'm stalking him from across the parking lot so I would have a good picture for the blog. After meeting my bail, I went on about my day :)

2008-07-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Redbirds fun with the Allens!!

This past weekend we had a blast hanging out with the Allens from our church. We left Jonesboro early to eat at Jillians and then headed over to the ballpark. Hugh was actually covering the Redbirds and had to work, so he put Scott to work with the radar gun. Michele and I, on the other hand, had the kids and Houston was a mess. He did somehow keep us entertained by his inability to stay in his seat. Or in his stroller. Or in his shirt. Or clean. He had Lexi and Abby giggling the whole night. He poured lemonade (and mac-n-cheese) all over Lexi's feet, kept playing in the trash which had Abby giggling, and patted the man in front of him on the back. Over and over. We had a great time hanging out with them-I'm sure there are more roadtrips to come.

Houston LOVES LOVES LOVES this school bus!! He loves to push it, ride on it, open the lid and put things in the trunk, beep the horn, and sit on it and scoot it backwards. This has been his favorite toy as of late-anything with wheels and steering and he's all about it.

Can the terrible 2s happen at 1? Because I think we have arrived. Houston is on the go. He can climb on the footstool and up to the chair, into his toy box (obviously), and in every door and cabinet in the house!! He is also becoming very demanding. When he sees something he wants, he wants it right then and no later. He pushes me away when he doesn't want kisses (which breaks my heart :( though he did try to give me a kiss yesterday and bit my bottom lip, hanging on like he was a piranha. He is growing up way too fast.

2008-07-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

COUSINS.....
Every Sunday afternoon, and sometimes through the week, you can find us hanging out at Nana and Poppy's house playing with the cousins. Houston and Barrett are only 7 1/2 months apart. We joke that they are already grounded for something I'm sure they will get into in the near future. They both love their Nana and want her to hold them and love on them. They go to Poppy for rides on the four-wheeler and lawn mower. I am so glad these boys will grow up to be close and cant wait to see them have so much fun together.

What can I say about Katie......she has the biggest imagination and is always coming up with a story. She likes to catch frogs and bugs and isn't one bit scared of snakes. She played t-ball this summer and was a real trooper-she probably played in the dirt a little more than pay attention, but she had fun and would pose for a picture every time she crossed home plate. She's always up for Nana taking her to the movies and she loves her cousins Alana and Afelicia. She is a special little girl. Oh, and she finds THE best hide-and-go seek spots!!

Anna is growing up way too fst. This year she can
go under water in the pool, open her eyes, and retrieve diving sticks. She is our little grown up-she loves setting the table for dinner, telling stories about Valley View football and cheerleaders, and watching Spongebob. She has the prettiest curly hair and blue eyes.....she's gonna be our little knockout. She also gives out the best hugs!!

This may be my all time favorite picture of B. He was so
interested in fireworks this year and would shout "uh-oh"
everytime one blew up and started smoking. He also
has a good hiding spot (behind the screendoor just to
be sure he's safe :). He loves climbing-on anything-the
go cart, the pool ladder, the lawnmower, so on and so on. He loves his puppy dogs and riding the 4 wheeler. He is a sweetie. He loves giving his Uncle Hugh high five and stealing drinks of sweet tea from his poppy's cup.

One more sweet picture of Houston from 4th of July-can't
resist those pouty lips and big brown eyes!!

2008-07-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

A mother's love.....

When I look at this little guy, I am amazed and overwhelmed at the love I feel for him. The feeling that I would do anything to protect him, to provide for him, to care for him is deep in my soul. Yet I am reminded of a love even greater than my own. God loves me, Hugh, and Houston, more deeply than I could ever love. He loved his son Jesus Christ just as much as I love Houston, yet He sent his son to die on the cross. That is true love. Unselfish, sacrificial, unconditional. I read in 1 Corinthians 2:9 this week a verse that has stayed on my mind-one I memorized for Bible drills in jr high, but for some reason it had special meaning this time when I read it. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.." What an awesome reminder that WE will be rewarded with treasures for simply loving someone who gave their life for us.

1 Corinthians has been an eye opener for me by showing things in my daily life that I can, and need, to apply that are practical and useful even today. "No" has been a big word around our house lately. "No, Houston. Don't get the bowls back out. Houston, no. You can't play with the pots and pans right now. Houston, mommy told you no." You get the picture. But how many times has God told us "No, don't do that. I told you no", but we give in to fleshly desires and do it any way? Maybe we feel guilty or convicted about it, maybe not. 1 Corinthians 4:4 says "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." We may be able to justify things in our minds that we do that we know are wrong so that we feel at ease, but that doesn't make it right. I am making it a point to keep a clear conscience because I am forgiven, not because I can forget about it.

On to a lighter note, I love this picture of my little future
Mario Andretti. I thought you would all love it if I got the song
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom from the car commercial stuck in your head!!

2008-07-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

GUESS WHO!??!

We were looking through some old pictures I had in a box in the garage and we came across this picture of Hugh from 1970-he was 3 months old. It is the youngest picture we have of him. We were both amazed when we saw the similarities to Houston-the curly hair, the same shaped legs, the same smile. Houston is his daddy made over! I've done a picture like the one below each month since Houston was 1 month old. I am anxious to do his last picture like this on the 26th, be able to lay them all out and see how

much he has changed in a year. It's funny because in months 7-11,

I usually just got a picture of the back of his head as he was

crawling away or the wrinkled up piece of paper. After his year picture, I'll post a few so you can all see the difference.

2008-07-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

A few favorites to share.....

Houston's first kiss from one Miss Ruby Kate Sample. He has seemed to get one of these the last few times we have visisted. It has been awesome to share the experience of pregnancy, labor, and mommying at the exact same time as one of your best friends. We named our kiddos on a scrapbook weekend with another best friend Christine at the cabin in Hardy. Hugh and I were set on Houston (Stacy came up with that) and we went with James at the very end in honor of my grandfather. We had the same labor and delivery nurse, Dana. No similarities regarding the birthing process but that story is not for young ears or impressionable minds. Our kiddos are only 5 days apart. We will have to keep a close eye on these 2.

This one is one of my favorite Easter pictures. It was cool out that day, I mean bundle up cold. So we sat you outside for less than 5 minutes and snapped some adorable pictures. I was suprised this outfit passed Hugh's inspection. He's a manly man-no girly outfits for him. But I was able to talk him in to this cute plaid for his first Easter. Love those brown eyes!

I know I was excited to get to experience our first snow together. But, obviously Houston had a different idea in mind. We played at home in January when we got a little snow, but this big one in March was for the birds as far as he was concerned. There was not one smile or one happy moment until we were back inside. Looking back this picture reminds me of the brother in the "Christmas Story" movie where he was bundled up so much he couldn't sit up. Poor thing. He just wants him momma and to be upright.

We have a walker! And not just his name. Houston is full fledged walking now-all the way from the living room to the kitchen and back without stopping. He can turn around, but bending over and picking things up are still hard for him. He loves anything with wheels he can push-this little walker, his magic school bus, the luggage cart in hotels. If it has wheels, he's gonna roll it. I'm sure the fun is just beginning.

2008-07-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe I shouldn't.....
let Houston play in the freezer, but you've got to admit it's pretty stinkin'
cute when he goes to pick out his own popsicle! I just can't seem to keep up with him these days. And I've noticed a pattern. Lots of pictures lately in his diaper. Over the next few days I'm going to go back and share some of my favorite pictures of Houston. It's wild to see the progression he has made in just 11 months. From slick head to curly hair, toothless grin to 4 teeth (with the famous Walker gap on top), dependent to walking and climbing! What a difference a year makes!!

Houston and I helped my friend Amanda put the finishing touches on her new pad. We put beds together, arranged furniture, and hung pictures. Her place is rockin' and I am proud for her. Then, my friend Michele and I went to Corning to be with our friend Lesley who lost her grandmother to cancer. Glad in times like these we have our church group to rely on. Way to go Cellmates!!

2008-07-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Couldn't

resist....

doing a quick post on this picture. Actually, I just figured out how to post more than one picture at a time. Remember, blogger in training. This is one of the sweetest pictures of Houston-he is kicked back, feet crossed, and totally relaxing. If only all days could be this good......

2008-07-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Like I said......

Houston is in to everything. I caught him redhanded playing in my makeup. Before I could snap this picture, he had everything dumped out on the floor. Then the towels, shampoo, perfume, and toilet paper followed a close second. I figure as long as he is entertained, I'm happy watching. He is now walking like a pro. He just gets up and takes off and doesn't even think about it. He still has Frankenstein arms (too bad it's not October-he would make a great Herman Munster!) and he is beginning to turn around, too.

Our hearts are sad tonight for our friend Lesley. Her grandmother passed away this morning. We have been praying for her family and hope they know we are thinking about them.......

You Learn As You Go

2008-07-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome time 4th of July. We were at the ballpark in Fayetteville with Hugh. Our 4th of July was actually Saturday night, the 5th, with mom and dad, Kerry and Lisa, Anna, Katie, and Barrett. Lots of fireworks, hot dogs, and corn on the cob. Oh, yeah, and a few mosquitoes.

Houston is getting so big and changing everyday. I can't believe my baby is almost 1. He is in to everything. One of my favorite things is putting him in bed with me early in the morning, cuddling, and getting and giving lots of kisses. Our usual routine is that I get up, straighten up the house, and when he wakes up he sits up and cries and I come get him. Well, this morning things were different. I had the house completely quiet because I was doing my bible study. I thought I should go check on him. I got up off the couch, walked around the corner, and there he was, just sitting in the hallway playing with his bus!! I couldn't believe the little stinker had gotten down off the bed (and upon later inspection I discovered he had been in my bathroom playing with rolls of toilet paper), had pushed his bus down the hall and was sitting playing with it and I hadn't heard a peep! I died laughing, scooped him up, kissed him, called his daddy to tell him what his boy had done, and spent the morning playing with him. I love that boy!! And he made me realize, I will learn as I go.