Easter

We had such a fun Easter weekend this year. I was reminded all weekend how very different this Easter was from last year, but how very grateful I am as well!

Hadley and I continued our tradition of baking cookies for the holiday. As usual, he helped roll and cut out about four cookies before he was done and ready to decorate. And as usual, I had to remind him that there are a few steps, and some waiting before we get to do the "fun part" of icing and decorating (and of course eating!).

After going to church on Saturday evening, we went to Karah and Doug's house in Burleson on Sunday for a yummy lunch and Easter egg hunting. Hadley is an expert at the egg hunt, but was also very sweet and helpful to Griffin this year. Her favorite part was playing with the empty eggs once they were found. (It's the little things!)

Happy Easter! He is risen!!

6 months later...

This might be a record...(for the longest between posts!).

Quick recap:

January: snow
February: more snow and lots of ice; sad time when Mema passed away but nice time spent with family; Eric's birthday
March: warmer weather; Karah's birthday in Quanah
April: playing outside; Easter egg hunt
May: hot; Hadley plants a garden; Mandi forgets how to walk and hurts her foot; wedding dress shopping with Karah
June: even hotter; playing in the water to keep cool; quick trip to the ranch

That about does it.

Oh, and here are some pictures. (The real reason some of you want me to update this!) :-)

Happy Birthday PaPa!

This past weekend we went to Quanah to surprise PaPa Max for his 60th birthday. Hadley & PaPa are buddies (as you can see in the pictures!).



Trying out PaPa's new toy




...and there they go.

Christmas 2009

We had a wonderful holiday season this year. We got to spend time with family and friends. And Santa was very good to all of us!

8 Months

Sweet Hadley,

8 months!! It seems like I was just writing about you being 7 months old, and now here you are turning another month older. Slow down!!

This past month has been a fun one (mostly) with some new milestones for you. First, you now have 2 teeth! We knew you were probably getting at least one tooth, and one morning we woke up and there they both were, poking through your gums like little weapons. I know you were in a lot of pain for a couple weeks, but I think now you have passed the worst part. We watch every day as a little more of those cute little teeth are visible. No more sweet gummy grins, but now I think your little 2-tooth grin is even cuter! One funny thing about the teething that I don't want to forget is the silly face you have been making where you stick your bottom lip up over your top lip. Daddy and I crack up every time we see you do it!


You also experienced your first July 4th celebration this past month. We had a house full of people that day for you to entertain, including PaPa, GiGi, Aunt Karah, Doug, Mitzi and her dog Raider, Toni and her girls Ashleigh and Kayla, and of course mommy and daddy. You didn't make it for the fireworks (way past your bedtime) but you had a fun day anyway.


You got to celebrate your first Father's Day with daddy this month as well. You have the absolutel best daddy in the whole wide world, and he loves you more than you will ever know!


You got to see lots of mommy's family this month as well when we went to the Hays family reunion in Forsan. I know you enjoyed seeing Mema and Poppa and Nanny and Papo, and they all were so happy to see you as well. Uncle Tim and Aunt Dina let us stay at their house for a couple nights, and you got to play with Bailey and Emma and meet your newest cousin, Seaver.


These past eight months have been so much fun, and I can't believe how quickly you are growing and learning new things. You have totally mastered the scooting/army crawl thing and I'm sure it's only a matter of days before you figure out how to crawl on your knees. You try it all the time so we are just waiting for you to take off! I had to lower your crib mattress this month because you are starting to pull yourself up on everything! You have also mastered the laying down to sitting up thing, and you are so proud of yourself every time you do it. The steps in our house have presented you with somewhat of a challenge, but you try your hardest to climb up them. We haven't let you do it completely by yourself yet, but I'm sure you probably could if we let you. Going down in another story though! You also love bath time these days. You love to play with toys in the tub and splash, splash, splash!


Hadley, mommy and daddy love you so much. Thanks for making our lives so much fun.