Wordless Wednesday: Uh-Oh, Grandma!

Our Sweet 2nd! - The Birth of Hudson

After having Clayton, Will and I knew we wanted more children. - how many children we didn't know, but for sure two. We actually tried to conceive our second baby - who is now Hudson.
Before becoming pregnant with Hudson, I had miscarried a prior pregnancy at 6 weeks - so the news that we were pregnant again was astounding! We were so excited and our family knew it (they say they could tell) right away!
We decided that we wouldn't find out the sex of the baby! - just for another element of surprise! We picked out an orange-print neutral bedding, painted the nursery in red/brown stripes and awaited the arrival of our 2nd sweet surprise! We had no idea what the Lord would bless us with that day!



Today, 3 years ago on a HOT, July day Hudson entered the world - making Will and I the parents of 2 rowdy boys and Clayton a "Bubby." In the night, my water broke and I went about my usual preparations before the trip to the hospital. I always take a shower, wash/dry my hair, apply make-up and get dressed - yes, I'm vain! But I want to look good (as good as I can) for the birthing pictures. This trip we picked up Aunt Shannie, because she was going to capture this birth on video!

We were set and ready to go! We dropped off Clayton with my parents and headed to the hospital. I remember Hudson's delivery being very slow - not much pain (thanks to the epidural), but hours waiting his delivery. My sister says that "Hudson just slipped out". Not much pushing, due to his little 6 lbs. 8 3/4 oz weight (the smallest of the boys). He was 19 1/2 inches long with small amounts of light brown hair. He was perfect! Clayton held him with such pride and we were new parents again!







The next weeks and months were a blur. I do know that we ventured out with Hudson at just 6 days old - we had to purchase soccer gear for big brother. He quickly adapted and was tagged along/nursed at ball games & outings. Soon he was Clayton's biggest follower and cheerleader! There are "Bubbies" and inseparable!







Today, Hudson is our "ham"! His smile and dark brown eyes will melt your heart! He is our joyous and rambunctious boy. Follower of his brother. Friend. Daddy's Buddy. Now Big brother to Graydon. Our little brown biscuit.



We love you Hudson!

A SUPER Celebration!

Yesterday we celebrated Hudson's 3rd birthday! Huds (along with his Daddy and big brother) is enamored with Superheroes! Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Thor, Green Lantern, Hulk, Captain America - you name it! (Bet you girl Mommies can't do that (=)
So I planned around what he loved - a Superhero theme!

Thanks to my friend, "Miss Kim" our family was decked-out in Superhero capes!









Thanks to "Miss Amanda" we had an adorable Superhero cake!



We even rented a "Superhero" Obstacle Course inflatable for the little & Big boys to enjoy!





Snacks were complete with "Super Subs" and Powerade drinks for energy!



What a fun afternoon of fun, family, friends, & food - all in honor of our Super Hudson!

A Long Time Coming!!!!

Ok - so I've gotten out of my blogging routine - with school starting soon (days full of professional development meetings), planning Hudson's birthday party, and my semi-hectic life...........

Last night I was so excited to capture this on video......
Our Gray is official mobile - on his FEET!



We are so proud of you, Gray!!!!!

A Pickling Adventure

Our garden has produced approximately 70+ cucumbers this summer. What started out as two cucumber bushes has spread and grown in crazy fashion. You can only eat so many cucumbers! Will peels and eats them like a banana. Many nights we slice them, place them in vinegar/water with salt/pepper as a tasty side dish.
Grandma's suggestion - make pickles - and that's just what we did!
I bought a canning kit, 8 jars, a pickle packaged mix, and vinegar - we were ready!

We decided to attempt this adventure at Grandma's (growing up on a farm, she had seen this done dozens of times, but never attempted it herself). I tagged along Clayton for some time with my Big Boy, and he's actually quite a bit of help.

I left Clayton to slicing cucumbers while Grandma and I read up on the exact instructions.



Clayton was also able to pack the cucumber slices into the jars.





We placed the mix, vinegar, and sugar onto the stove to bring to a boil. Again, Clayton wanted to help stir the mix.



We then poured the hot mixture over the cucumbers in the jars (this was a Mommy job).



Headed the lids & rims on the stove, we then placed them on top of the jars.
After placing all jars into the canning rack, we placed the rack into the canner.



The final product! Our first batch of bread and butter pickles!



What's next - dill pickles, jams - who knows???

A New Kind of Bible School

For the past two years our church has chosen to change up the way that we present Bible School. We no longer have hundreds of children gathering at our church and learning about the stories of Jesus, instead we are taking the stories of Jesus into our neighborhoods. The idea of reaching out to those closest to you and making an impact where you live is part of the philosophy behind this change. This was our first year attending a "Backyard Bible Club".
Like we always do - we packed up our family and headed down the street. Well technically, it was a few streets away, so we drove to my parents, parked our van there and then walked 2 houses down to the location!
Our big boys filled out name tags and were ready to begin.



We sang songs of Jesus.........





We learned lessons of Moses........







We enjoyed some fun games.........





We made several cute crafts.........







We ate a few yummy snacks.......(and cool refreshing drinks)





And headed home - it was definitely a fun-filled morning that I am hoping our boys will remember. What a great way to celebrate Jesus together as a family and community.

Friday's Fab 5: Keeping My Munchkins Busy

It seems like forever since I've had a Friday Fab 5 list. It's sad to say that my summer is slowly coming to an end. I love summer days with my boys! And I will enjoy these last 3 weeks! For the first few weeks of summer, we manage to spend many days hanging out in our pjs and relaxing together, but that doesn't last long - we need a plan!
Here are 5 activities we do to stay busy even in the summer.

1) Swim......swim.........swim. 3 summers ago, we purchased a blow-up pool for our family and it's been a great investment. Right now Cousin Cameron, C and H are enjoying this hot day, splashing together. Mommy tends to relax in the sun, occasionally dipping my feet into the pool (= We love it!





2) Legos - these fun blocks have become a favorite for C and H. We have hundreds of Legos in our home and I find them everywhere - on the bathroom counter, in Clayton's bed, in the couch cushions - you name it! But they love them - and it's great for creativity!

3) Puppet shows - a couple of Christmases' ago Santa brought Clayton a puppet theater, complete with puppets and dress-up costumes. Clayton has put on many puppet shows over the years and now Hudson is beginning to create some of his own little shows. What a great source of entertainment - and it is so cute!



4) The Occasional Cartoons - O.k. yes - there are some cartoons that I just love! Franklin the Turtle, Scooby-Doo, Clifford - just to name a few. When it's time to quiet down and get ready for nap - we turn on the T.V. "Hudson, after this show, it's time for your nap." - works every time - well almost!

5) Running errands - So, in the last few weeks I have gotten very brave! I have managed to take all 3 boys out on several outings with me. Usually Will and I split up the boys and tackle stops, but with Will at work and me at home - what' my excuse??? We have managed to take Clayton to the doctor, shop for shrubs/landscaping at Lowe's, and several outings to Target & Kroger! I may even attempt a local pool next week! Oh my!

What do you do to keep you munchkins busy on these summer days?
Headed to my kiddy pool for now...........

It's only a matter of time.........

Graydon is now 13 months old and no - he's not walking.....yet! Our other two boys were toddling through the house at this time (I know you can't compare kiddos), but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Gray is creeping up the stairs.



Climbing through the coffee table.



Cruising around the furniture.



Crawling on, around, and over anything he can find.



I know - it's only a matter of time!
But for now, I'm enjoying our sweet Baby G!