Baptism Weekend

This weekend Bobby and I loaded up the boys and got the chance to visit a new church this weekend. We are Methodist by faith and the church that we were able to attend was a Methodist one as well but so different and so fun! It was lay Sunday and so the sermon was delivered by the lay leader of the church. She was wonderful and delivered the most special message about finding the gifts inside yourself that God gave you and then using them and sharing them to help others! It really gave me food for thought that I plan on giving some serious consideration on over the coming weeks. Aside from enjoying the message, the main reason we attended was to celebrate the baptism of a very special little boy!



The ministers were so awesome. After they got done with the baptismal portion they allowed Clay to put his little hands into the water and play for a second. Talk about heart melting!!



Yes! I was the crazy person taking pictures in the middle of church (in my defense I totally checked and saw that baby Clay's grandmother was also taking pictures so I HAD to take some myself =)).

Baby Clay is one of the sweetest babies I have ever met. I talk to his mother, Deborah, almost every morning and I can always hear him talking and playing so sweetly in the background! Bobby, myself, and the boys were so proud that we were able to share such a special day with this awesome family!

Love you baby Clay!

New Year New Look!

Ok, ok. So technically we are a little past the beginning of 2011to be introducing my new blog look but close enough. So what do you think about the little update? After blogging for a couple of days as a newbie and settling for what I could do to make my blog look cute I turned to my husband (the computer wiz) for help. He did what he could for me and that lasted a good month before I realized that dang-it! I needed even better! So I turned to a fellow blogger that I've been reading for-evah. Leslie over at Lamberts Lately does just the cutest blog makeovers. If you are needing an update you should totally check her out! Her prices are great and she does amazingly quick work. She also re-did my sister-in-law's Melanie's blog. It is so super cute also that I almost wished that I had picked the package that she did!

My family and I has had such a great weekend! I'll update a little bit more later when I have more time but it includes a baptism, a family photo shoot, and a crazy surprise! Here is a small preview from a plaque on a bench we saw this weekend that completely sums up our life right now and a quick look at where we took the neatest pictures!


This is just a small portion of the San Antonio Botanical Garden where we took a lot of family pictures. I can not wait to get them back from the photographer so I can share!




My husband noticed this little tiny plaque before I did and knowing how the word HOPE has meaning to me he had me take a picture! Love you Bobby for catching this for me!





Housework Saturday!

What a day we have have so far! My super-sweet hubby helped me out with our wild bunch so I could quietly take a shower and get ready for the day. I know that this totally doesn't sound like much, but to me its a big deal! Rarely am I ever able to get ready without like 400 interruptions. Then I was able to run a few errands BY MYSELF!



Here I am all cheesy and excited because I'm all alone in my car! Funnily enough I was a little worried if the neighbors saw me taking my own picture but then I saw a crazy one on a morning walk with her camera taking pictures of one of our bushes?! (It totally was not even an exciting plant... so weird)

 I was able to run to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to exchange an un-needed item and in exchange I picked this little beauty up...

It was almost an even exchange :). I just fell in love with it the minute that I saw it! I got it to go in what would have been Caroline's bathroom, which is just off the spare bedroom we now have. In speaking of this small full bath, that was another thing that Bobby and I started to tackle this weekend. I won't show you all of what we've been up to in there. I'll just show you the horror of what we are dealing with as far as trying to erase all traces of 1985 from in there! HA!




This is the yicky before picture. Can you see the pink and blue plaid wallpaper and the mirrored shower doors! Yummy!



This I thought was the biggest change. Taking down those horrible doors that closed off the shower area! Bless the little old mans heart that lived here before us. Can you see the shower caddy hanging in the shower? Can you see it not hanging off the shower head area? He drilled screws through the tile and hung it beside the spout area. Heaven help me as we find all his "personal" touches and try and correct them.

The tools of my trade!



I can't wait to show the final result. I'm starting to really be proud of the "manly" work that I can do myself around the house now! Hopefully it will be done in just a couple of days and I can post the final results!

On a random side note, I have added a new button on the right hand side, last one down. This new button will direct you to a super sweet blogger named Ashley who is in the process of international adoption and needs our help! If you could take a second and check her out it would be awesome.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Love,

Hillary

Fun Friday!

I just love the Friday's like our family has had today! It was so relaxing with not too much going on. Bobby was able to sneak out of work early today and be home just in time to surprise Graham and get him off the school bus. You should have seen the brightness of his smile when he saw his Daddy home early from work. This really is a rare treat for us and we cherish every second that he's here with us. Usually he isn't able to home from work until 6:30 and that's just soo close to when the boys are going to bed. It hurts my heart when I can tell that they haven't gotten their "Daddy Fix". I feel the same way too =).

Can you see how green the grass and plants are behind them? You have to love Texas in the winter!

While Grady was napping Graham and Bobby changed clothes and did a little work outside together! Can you see the joy of my sweet Graham's face to be hanging out with his Daddy so early in the day?! They managed to get all the straggling Christmas odds and ends put up for me. When that was done Bobby went to check on our fruit trees that we have on our property. Guess what he found RIPE and just waiting to be picked!!



Are these not some of the most beautiful lemons you have seen?! It was 29 degrees here this morning. How the heck does fruit even ripen in weather like this??



I told Bobby that I wanted to make some Winter-time lemonade for us this weekend with them. In the meantime though they sure do spruce up my kitchen table! I love them with my Rooster and Chicken!

Hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend spent with their loved ones!!

Love,

Hillary



Thankful Thursday

I feel like lately I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm trying to have a better outlook on life and really try much harder to appreciate even the really little things! So with out further ado...

I'm thankful that my kids have such a big, safe backyard to play in!




I'm thankful for the new soft rug for my feet to walk on!



I'm thankful that there is at least one man in the house that helps me clean!



I'm thankful that I have these two beautiful little boy souls in my life!



I'm thankful American Idol is starting!  I really need a good laugh and this is always a guarantee!



I'm thankful that hunting season is over and I get my husband back! (Please pardon this really old deer lease picture from last year. I totally could not find this years batch!)

I realize that some of these are just purely silly things to be thankful for. But, I am truly glad that I have big things, small things, and all the in between things in my life that make me feel complete!

Love,

Hillary





Save the Drama for Your Momma... Oh Wait, That's Me!

Lately we have been having drama with Grady and his new-found hatred for his highchair. Can I say just how much I am NOT ready for him to be done with his highchair yet?? Aside from the part that he just isn't eating as much as he used to, YOU SHOULD SEE THE MESS HE MAKES AT THE TABLE!

In the good old days, pre-highchair strike, he would gladly sit in it and eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks so peacefully. I could get dishes done, floors swept and mopped and countless other chores done all while he.sat.eating.But, alas, there is no more sitting.and.eating. There is only running.and.playing.and.drama.


Exhibit A: My sparkling clean Chico highchair

Once peaceful dinner times at our table are now completely over (at least for the next year I'm guessing). My ahem sweet child now spends these meal times running, playing, singing, or whatever catches his fancy at that second. He might on a good night dash past the table where I can shove a chicken nugget in his mouth before he can escape me.

Want to see what a candy bribe can do?



Exhibit B: My son sitting perfectly in his perfectly clean highchair saying "please" as hard as he can for candy.



Exhibit C: And now here is Grady once the candy is all gone and he can't have more. If only he could eat candy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Drama Drama Drama! Thank God he's cute.

Love,

Hillary





What They're Loving Wednesday!

This Wednesday I decided to change things up just a little bit on my end when I joined up with Jaime to do What I'm Loving Wednesday. This week I am doing a blog post about what my KIDS are loving this week!

The first thing that they are both loving and in turn I am adoring is...



I am crazy about how my kids think that they are eating Popsicles and really its frozen fruit! How awesome is that! They will eat these winter or summer without complaint!

The next thing they are loving is...


Bristle Blocks! You gotta love it, old school toy in new school colors. The boys both loved them when Grady got this as a Christmas gift. It really promotes creativity and dexterity at the same time.



Graham made this creation for me. Can you see the flower garden on the left and the house and trees to the right of it?

 The next thing that they are loving is the movie...


Can I just say how much I love to see movies that entertain my kids and myself as well! Plus, Steve Carell is just the funniest man alive. Bobby and I were both cracking up during this movie. It really makes my heart so happy to truly enjoy every moment spent with my children. Movies like this that we can all enjoy together are just the absolute best!

Love,

Hillary