My Life in Hart

HI!! Did you miss me? I know that my mom usually does a little opener here before I start my blog but I told her that her writing becomes tiresome really quickly so she should just let me write the entire blog. So here is goes...
As most of you know my parents moved me to Hart TX. Being a city girl I did not feel I was wired to live too far away from a Target but I am learning to appreciate the country life. I thought I would take you though an average day for me in my new home. Mom was in charge of the camera so I apoplogize for shoddy pictures in advance. Enjoy!

I begin my day every morning at about 7:30 a.m. My dad has usually left for work by this time. I like to sit in Mom's lap while I wake up fully and then I journey to my room to read a book or two. I love my room. It is so convenient to have all my toys in one place. I routinely pull them all out and I do a pretty good job of spreading them all over th floor if I do say so myself.


After my morning read I usually wander back into the living room to see what Mom is up to. This morning she was watching Regis and Kelly and I find that show mildly amusing so I sat down on my couch to enjoy it too.

I don't like to eat right when I wake up but about 30 minutes later I am ready for breakfast. I love my special chair at the table. I feel more secure being strapped in. This morning I enjoyed some peach yogurt, milk, and banana. I don't want there to be any confusion about when I am through eating so I let Mom know by throwing everything on the floor.

After breakfast it's time to pick out my outfit for the day. I have TONS of clothes but only a few actually fit me because I am what Mom calls "petite" isn't that cool! I had no idea I was French.

Anyway, this morning I picked out a swimsuit and a robe to wear. I indicated to Mom what my choice was by, once again, throwing it on the floor. It's my signature move.

When I started this business of blogging I swore to myself that I would never do this but the pressure finally got to me and I have posted a picture of me in my skivvies...scandalous! You may not be able to tell but Mom and Dad have started putting me in cloth diapers instead of disposable ones. I quite like them because my bum is a lot less itchy but I don't like what they do for my figure...oh well.

Once again, Mom has chosen something more "sensible" for me to wear. It's not like it's that big a deal, I mean, I look cute in whatever I wear. So here I am ready for the day and I am relaxing and watching Veggitales while waiting for Mom to get ready. I'm not quite sure what she did with my hair there.

We are going to Plainview to do some grocery shopping! As usual I have to wait for Mom to get her stuff together before we can go. Wow, we really have to do something about these shrubs. They're as tall as me!

And here we are at Wal-Mart. I don't mind shopping because it gives me the chance to look around and visit with people who want to meet me. In fact, I met a lovely older lady who admired my hair and said she wanted to try it out for herself because it was a windy day. I can't help but feel she was being condescending. An adult would just look silly with this hairdo.

After our Wal-Mart excursion I really needed a nap. Mom, why are you taking pictures of this. get out, I am really sleepy! My hair looks sillier than usual because Mom didn't want me to swallow my hair thingies. (Thanks for the reminding her Nana)

Ahhhh, lunchtime. Mom really went all out and made me an uncrustable PBJ sandwich ( I know you just thaw it and cut it into pieces Mom..duh) I ate the outside bread part only. You can't see my food in this picture because I was through and...you guessed it, threw the rest on the floor! I like watching Mom sweep after every meal.

Now it's time for the best part of the day! Our daily walk to check the mail. Here in the country we have to go to the Post Office to pick up our mail and since the Post Office is only a couple streets over we usually walk (well, I stroll) Mom insists on lathering me up in sunblock and today she made me wear shoes because we are also going to visit Daddy at work.

Here is a lovely shot of me in front of one of Hart's treasures...a grain mill. Sometimes I can't believe I actually live here. I MISS YOU TARGET!

Hart is not a safe place for frogs. We like to count the number of dead frogs we encounter on the way to the Post Office. Today we counted 18! There were more but then there was some traffic on the street (3 cars) so we had to be extra careful and couldn't keep counting. I guess frogs don't learn by example because they all try and cross the street and they get smushed. Ahhh. Mom took a picture of a smushed frog...lovely. At least this one is dried out.

And here we are in Daddy's classroom! I think it could use some more color but Daddy says it will do just fine for a high school math class. One day he will appreciate my decorating skills.

I love to sit with Daddy at his desk. I was also parched after our walk. I miss Daddy when he is gone all day but at least he is just across the street and never to far away.

Daddy was feeling overwhelmed with everything he has to do to get ready for Monday so I made up a little cheer to encourage him. It goes "YEAH!!!" and you clap your hands. Here I am perfoming it for him. I think it really did the trick. He doesn't usually look crazy!

Well, my day is starting to wind down. I played for a little while longer, had some dinner (threw it on the floor) took a relaxing bath, and here I am watching The Backyardigans before bed. Then Mom said we were going to watch Psych which is one of her and Dad's favorite shows but instead of putting it on the TV, she turned the computer on and Nana and Duke were on the show! I was confused because I didn't see Gus anywhere but Mom insisted that we were watching Psych.

Sorry to jump in here Sadie but we weren't watching Psych, we were using Skype to talk to Nana and Duke.

MOM! You can't just interrupt my blog with your made up words.

Ok, Sadie, so sorry...carry on.
Anyway, I didn't understand the computer thing but I LOVE Backyardigans!

Well folks, it's now almost 7:30 and time for me to turn in. After reading a few books with Mom and saying our prayers I am going to call it a night. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my day. As you can see, living in the country has not slowed me down a bit, I even grown two more teeth! I hope everyone has a pleasant weekend, I know I will. Goodnight All!

Party Time!

Sadie celebrated 1 year of being in this world on June 22nd but of course you can't have a decent party on a Tuesday so we actually had her party on the 26th. I will not apologize for the late blog, we have been super busy with locating and packing all of our stuff to move to Hart. More on that later, this blog is about Sadie's party.
I only have pictures of Sadie opening her presents, I have to track down my dad's camera before I can post the rest of the party. I can tell you how the day went though.
We were expecting a large number of guests and we weren't disappointed. Between all the granparents, great-grandparents, great-great nana, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends we had a full house and tons of fun!! Hopefully I can get pictures of the decorations up soon!
I was doing great all week long making plans, decorating, cleaning, and packing. Friday night I went to bed early so I could get up early, do a little bit of last minute shopping and put the final touches on the house. Of course, as luck would have it, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. so dizzy I couldn't even walk. Laying down was not an option because the room would literally spin so I propped myself up and put on a movie (You've Got Mail) so that I could focus on something to stop the spinning. I was finally able to lay on my left side with minimal dizzines and fall back to sleep but the next morning, I didn't think I was going to make it. I had to sit down in the middle of the aisle at Target and forget taping decorations to the ceiling. After a couple bouts of sickness and explaining to visiting family that I was not pregnant, just sick, I was able to decorate the cake and get some food set out. Of course, I couldn't have done anything without mine and Robby's wonderful families there to help, and a couple of Aunt Jen's anti-dizzy pills (shout-out to her sinus infection)
Sadie was her cutsey little self all day, she accepted her public with grace and decorum and a little bit of dancing! So I will quit rambling and get on with the pictures...enjoy!

Sadie was very lucky to have novice present openers Caden and Jorden there to help her.


She loves to make loud sounds and she loves to dance so I was glad that she recieved drums, a xylophone, and other assorted movers and shakers. Jordan was excited as well!

Here she sits at the feet of her elders to learn from their wisdom.

Emma and Amaya stuck together for the entire party. There's not much to do at a party for babies...if you're not one!

It may have been her first party but Sadie is a natural at ripping the wrapping paper off! I was proud of her because she was also able to move beyond the paper to notice the present. Genius! (Disclaimer* Robby just noticed the paper...maybe next year:)

This little microphone from Papa and Mammie turned out to be a family favorite. You can record your voice and make it go different speeds. Hours of fun!

Here she is getting Caden and Aunt Jen's approval. They both thought it was cool as well.

Didn't I tell you she was an awesome present opener! Look at that focus!A little love from Daddy. So sweet!

More cute daughter/daddy shots.

And this sweet smile appears to be directed towards Amaya. She loves her big girl cousin.
Litte drummer girl, she shows Daddy how it's done.

Ahhh, the green stroller from Aunt Dawnie, Uncle Clint and Forest. Amaya pushed her around in that thing for 45 minutes! She still loves to ride in her stroller and it has already gotten tons of use!

Well, hopefully I can get more party pictures up soon. I can't promise anything though because it's the big moving week!

Happy Birthday Sadie!!!!

A year ago today little Miss Sadie came into the world and immediately had us asking that same question that parent's have been asking since the beginning of time....what did we do before we had a kid? Well, I honestly can't remember what made our lives so rich before but I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing has made us happier and laugh more than our precious gift from God. I can't tell who has more fun, us or her!
Now her big party is on Saturday but we wanted to do something special (and preferably free) on her birthday. We figured we have years of Chuck E Cheese, swimming, movie, and sleepover parties in our future so we decided to start off slow and go to the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens and let Sadie practice walking around. It was pretty hot but there is so much shade that it wasn't too bad.
I would love to tell you more about it but since it is Sadie's day she insisted on narrating herself so enjoy the day through Sadie's eyes! (as usual, Sadie's words will be in pink as per her instructions)

Actually, I want my words in blue today!

Whatever.

So, happy birthday to me! I really loved the Botanical Gardens and I can't wait to show you the pictures. Here we go...
Our journey began at a beautiful fish tank filled with all kinds of brightly colored fish from around the world!

Are these for sale? I asked Mom and Dad. They said no. BOO!!!

Ohhh, I think I found Nemo!

Sometimes, I need a little help getting my balance but who doesn't?

I'm starting to get this walking thing down. Mom and Dad didn't want to forget how old I am so they made me wear a big 1 on my shirt.

I thought this looked like a good place to sit and get my bearings. So much nature, so little time!

The lavender smelled so good and it was so pretty. I couldn't resist taking a few petals, literally...I am still trying to control those fine motor skills. Oh well.

As I sat surrounded by the beauty of God's creation I pondered our existence and the reason we are put on this earth.

I came up with a wonderful metaphor about the fragility of flowers and human life and tried to paint a picture in my parent's minds so that they could fully appreciate all the wonders this life has to offer...I don't think they are as deep as I am though.

See what I mean, look at the goofy, "devil may care" look on my dad's face. It's so hard to be young and misunderstood.

Why they keep insisting on making me play with water I will never know. I mean, what is so exciting about water? I gave a few good splashes to appease the parents so we could move on.

I was flattered that Mom gave up the camera to get a picture with me. I could tell she was wanting to tell Dad exactly what to do but she held her tongue...big step for my control freak Mamma!

Halfway through our garden excursion I was parched. Luckily, the parents packed a sippy with juice for me.

Look! A squirrtel eating a piece of grass. I like squirrtels.

Actually Sadie, they're called squirrels. There isn't a T.

Geez Mom! You could have told me that before I made a fool of myself.

I was struck once again with a deep thought about nature and how the harshness of the Texas sun does not prevent the flowers from growing because God has ingrained them to survive despite the odds, much like us as humans!

Then I forgot about my philosopical thoughts when I realized this was perfect opportunity to steal Dad's hat...hee hee!

Well, here's a beauty shot if ever there was one. I bet this one is going in a frame.

You're right about that one Sadie.

I'm always right Mom.

Here's another one that's frame bound!

Funny story behind this picture. I was so proud of Mom because she didn't freak out when she saw this bee, instead she took a picture of it. As it turns out, she thought she was just taking a picture of a pretty flower and she didn't see the bee until she looked at the picture on the screen. I've never seen her run so fast, it was hilarious.

Thanks Sadie.

Hee hee hee.

This part of the garden was very interesting. It had little learning stations for kids. I would have learned a lot but I can't read yet.

Whoops! I got turned around when walking. Don't you hate it when you pivot accidentally and suddenly you're facing the wrong way? That happens to everyone right?

It does when your learning to walk.

Ahhh, the trials and tribulations of being a toddler.
You probably won't do that by the time you start high school.

What's with the italics? Thanks for the vote of confidence Mom!

Moving on. Now this little contraption Dad and I are playing with was amazing. You would press a button and it would make different bird sounds and you had to guess what bird it was. The parents got every single one of them wrong. It's like watching Jeopardy with them all over again.

I don't actually remember the name of this particular plant but I do know that it is indigenous to Texas.

Ooooh, big word for such a little girl.

Don't be condescending Mom.

Another big word!

Sigh!

This tree is massive! I didn't know such trees existed in this part of the world. Maybe it was imported.

I knew at this point that our journey through the garden was pretty much over and I wholeheartedly thanked Mom and Dad for bringing me to this wonderous place. But I think next year, I want to go to a movie for my birthday! I hope you enjoyed my blog and I will try to write another one after my fabulous birthday party!

Well, there's not much more I can add onto that. We did take Sadie out to eat after the garden and she filled up on chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits, and pink lemonade. We would have gotten her a little dessert but it was getting late and she still needed a bath because she was so sticky and sweaty. I don't think she minded because she likes to stay on schedule. Look for the party blog coming up next!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET SADIE!!!!

Summertime...and the livin' is easy!

This entry is going to be short and sweet. I just want to let everyone know that the camera's are fully operational and hopefully we can get some swimming pictures up soon. Sadie isn't a water rat by any means but she is relatively pleasant in the water once she gets over the shock of being cold. Here are a couple of pictures from the last few days.
Since Sadie is going to be 1 on Tuesday (AHHHHH) we thought she needed to start pulling her weight around here. NO MORE FREE MEALS!! We started her off easy with helping fold the laundry...



She really "gets in" to her work. Hee Hee.
She is starting to mimic what she sees us do. She will brush her hair, drink from anything that resembles a cup, use a fork etc... so it was only natural that she pull some clothes on over her head...after all that's what Mommy and Daddy do :)

She was so proud of herself that we just let her wear Daddy's boxers around her neck for awhile. Don't worry, they were clean, she got them from the basket.

Ahhh, the unstoppable duo! Sadie and Cousin Jordy are only 6 months apart and the closeness in age is starting to show. They ALWAYS want the same toy. Most of the time they play nicely together but babies will be babies and it isn't always easy to share. Becca and I have already played the "whose vomit is it?" and "who do it?" game with these two. We still don't know the answer to either question :)

They look more like brother and sister than cousins! So cute in their stripes.

And of course, the girls have a very special relationship! Amaya can't wait to teach Sadie everything she knows and Sadie can't wait to get a hold of those glasses!

I tried to find a picture of Caden and Sadie but he is a very busy boy and he has quite a bit to do in the summer, we'll catch him eventually though!

Sadie is very close to her cousins and they are all so sweet with her. The oldest two were so excited when she was born (Caden practically climbed up my leg when he first met her) and their excitement hasn't waned a bit! They still love to hug and kiss her when they see her and she just melts under their attention. Whenever she stands up or takes a few steps alone Caden and Amaya scream for all of us to come running because "Baby Sadie is walking!" We will really miss those three kiddos when we move :( Hopefully they will be able to come visit us in Hart!

That's all for tonight. Tomorrow we are celebrating Robby's first Father's Day! Then we are cleaning and getting ready for Sadie's party on Saturday! YEAH!! Many more pictures and stories to come.