Goodbye September

Where does the time go? She's a year old. Already a year. I'm getting more nostalgic as I get older. Her one-year birthday reminds me of Rent lyrics, days of being a Tri Delt, and the voice of Shawna singing:

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,

Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear,

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes,

How do you measure, measure a year?

Getting her out of her crib is the best part of the day. She is standing up waiting, just giggling with glee. She LOVES Norman. She has a new passion for lima beans. She has severe food envy. Regardless of what you are eating, she wants a taste. And she will throw a tantrum until you share your plate with her. She's ticklish under her neck and on her feet. She walks with a wide stance, like a sumo wrestler. Funny, because her thighs look like a sumo wrestler's. She likes to kick her right foot while drinking and twirl her hair with her right hand. She's like a mermaid in the bath, flipping over and around, going under and not caring. She's got the best dimples and loves to laugh. She owns all our hearts.

wedding weekend

We just recently got photos from Blake and Mallory's wedding. It was a very sweet ceremony and Brad and I were honored to stand beside them as they committed their lives to one another. I loved the music and all the small and simple details Mallory planned. Most of all, I loved that Mallory officially became part of the Herridge family!

Grant was the ring bearer and I think he liked hanging out with the guys before the wedding.

He entered with a big smile. 1/2 way down the aisle it turned to burying his face in the pillow. By the end, he dove under the pew bawling...

Love this picture. They had every reason to smile - they were on their way to Hawaii!

lots of mud

What a memorable weekend! Several months ago my sister talked me into signing up for the Austin Muddy Buddy Race. It's a 6 mile bike/run that has obstacles interspersed and ends with a giant mud pit. Looking back I'm really glad Amy talked me into it because it made me start exercising again post-Lucy. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun. Our team name was "A Wing and a Prayer" and we finished right on goal. After our race there was a Mini Muddy Buddy race. Grant had been talking for weeks about competing in the race but he got cold feet right before it started. I talked him into competing and he was in first place until right before the finish line - that's when the realization that he was in fact in the middle of a deep mud pit sunk in and he went into total melt-down mode. He was sobbing as he got his finisher medal and continued to cry until we were able to spray off and change into clean clothes. Of course, he has a selective memory - to hear him tell the tale now he loved every minute of it!

Pre-race helmet help

I started running while Amy started biking. We switched off every mile.

At the starting line. Notice the crazy costumes like the bride in front of us. One team was dressed up as unicorns and had a huge "horn" coming off the back of their bike. It was a strange crowd...

Our finisher medals

Look closely to see Grant on the left going over the wall. He's in the blue shirt and red shorts. He is a competitor at heart. Wonder where he got that...?

Getting ready to enter the mud pit.

Jake and Amy. So proud of Jake. Unlike Grant he loved it and was so happy afterwards!

this easter

I always think that fall is my favorite season, until spring comes along, that is. I also always think Christmas is my favorite holiday until Easter comes along. This year we decided rather last minute to head to San Antonio for 2 nights before Easter Sunday. What a great idea it turned out to be. Thanks to my mom's willingness to babysit, Brad and I were able to meet up with some of our favorite friends for a lively dinner at a fabulous Mexican restaurant we had never been to before - which was another treat, getting to discover a new place!

The following day was one of those perfectly unscripted days that turns out so pleasant. Amy and the kids, my mom, Brad, Grant, Lucy and I packed a picnic lunch and headed to the park. The boys played basketball and soccer and played on the playground. Sophia lounged with the girls on the blanket. We ate good food and enjoyed the perfect weather. It was simple and that was what made it so nice. Later that day the big kids dyed Easter eggs. Wow that is a messy endeavor!

Easter Sunday was a full day. I woke up and was able to look out my window to the cemetery and see the sunrise service. When Grant woke up, I explained what was going on and we read the Easter story from the Bible. Our worship service was so full. Both Grant and Lucy came and my heart was full as I held onto my daughter and son and sang to God. There was a big egg hunt after church and then we walked home where Blake and Mallory joined us for the rest of the day. We feasted, sat on the porch, ran around outside cracking confetti eggs and enjoyed the day with each other.

gramma and lucy visiting

little girl likes picnics

girl cousins

a friendly game of hoops

oh the mess

the finished creation

grant showing lucy his bounty

happy easter 2011

San Antonio Trip

We come from such a neat city, but hardly ever take time to really enjoy it as a tourist would. Last week the Bowlin family drove down to spend a few days with us just enjoying San Antonio. As our custom when our families are together, we packed it in! Day One: the Riverwalk and Alamo. Day Two: Seaworld, Baylor Game, Dinner at the Lodge Restaurant after the kids went to bed. Day Three: Kiddie Park, lunch on the patio at La Fonda (love eating outside in great weather), cupcakes, swimming at the Herridges, Dinner at Paesano's after the kids went to bed! The weather couldn't have been better for our trip and I think the kids had as much fun as us.

Disclaimer: I hardly take pictures anymore because this is the face Grant puts on whenever the camera comes out. Other Disclaimer: I have been called a sell-out for visiting Seaworld. Yet, despite my love of 'The Cove' documentary, I knew Grant would love Seaworld and to be honest, I do things mainly for him.

Thanks to Dora and Diego, Grant is very proficient at maps. He was obsessed with his map and kept stopping to point out the next thing we needed to see - he was a very confident cartographer.

Grant's favorite part was feeding the dolphins - he had absolutely no fear. He also rode his first roller-coaster and I can already tell that many, many roller-coasters are in my future. He literally yelled 'Whoo-Hoo!' during the entire ride!

Grant is such a push-over for people walking around in dress-up suits. He immediately ran over to Shamu and gave him a big hug before getting his picture taken.

I was a little nervous about taking Steph and Mark to Kiddie Park. They loved it but also noted that it could never survive in Dallas because parents would be too uptight! It's funny because Brad's mother had her 4-year old birthday party at Kiddie Park and the rides are still the same!

Grant and Olivia on the flying saucers. Olivia looks so grown-up - she wasn't quite as impressed with the rides as Grant and Jack were, which made us laugh.

After lunch one day we found the best cupcake place ever! Grant and Jack were hilarious. They enjoyed it more than any of us - and were very intent on getting every last bite.

All in all, it was a great trip! As with children, it was tiring and had it's share of melt-downs (some very public and quite embarrassing - thank you Grant Ray Herridge) yet it was worth it - just more memories with the Bowlin family, some of our favorite traveling companions :)

spring break trips

Seems like the past few weeks have been so busy! At just the right time, Brad and I were able to go as sponsors on our youth/college spring break trip to Winter Park, CO. It was a much needed change of scenery and getaway. I also remembered how much I love skiing and I can't wait till we can teach Grant. Going on a trip with youth and college is always fun - lots of card games, lots of junk food, lots of learning new lingo and what is cool right now. It's also very tiring - I think I'm just now rested up.

Brad and I met 12 years ago on a spring break skiing trip with a bunch of Baylor friends. It was fun to remember our first real conversation - on a ski lift! Sadly, if you compare a picture of us then and now you can tell its been 12 years!

There was a lot of this while Brad tried snow-boarding for the second time. Blake and I just laughed and laughed - then convinced him to turn in his board for skiis so we could actually enjoy the mountain.

I don't know how you can go to the mountains and not just take a huge internal sigh of rest. Beautiful.

While we were skiing, Grant was on his own spring break trip to the Herridge's. I think he made out just fine!

Christmas Memories

Our Christmas trip to San Antonio started off with a rough patch last week. The morning involved a call to poison control after Grant decided to make a science experiment with his medicines and a trip to the doctor for me to get 2 shots in an effort to keep sickness at bay. Thankfully, by the end of the day, we safely arrived in SA and were able to celebrate Christmas for a few days with both sides of the family.

I really enjoyed the Christmas season this year. And while I know it's not over yet (Brad keeps reminding me that the Christian calendar allots 12 days to celebrate Christmas starting on December 25!), I know it will be over soon and I'm already a little sad. We were able to make a lot of good memories this year and I felt like I actually slowed down and savored the season - and it made it so much more special to me this particular year.

Some of my favorite memories from this Christmas season:

1. Learning to make homemade marshmallows and enjoying them in hot chocolate - quite the indulgence. (by the way, I got a juicer for Christmas and believe me, I am in need of a juice fast to detoxify after the last couple of weeks - yikes)

2. Spontaneously driving around to look at lights - we did this a lot. We frequented a particular house in Waco that has got to be an award winner for tackiness. Grant would often ask to go see the house with 'the most lights you've EVER ever seen!'

3. Learning to appreciate the ups and downs of parenting. Example: I wanted us to try to be purposeful about observing advent with Grant. The very first night, I made us all hot chocolate from scratch. I set everything out in the living room. Grant comes in and we take out his Fisher Price nativity so we can set it up together and explain everything. He immediately (accidentally) spills his hot chocolate all over the carpet and I try for the next 30 minutes not to cry as I try to get it out before it stains. Sigh. We resume, but it's not quite like the picturesque version I thought would happen. This scene replayed itself in various ways throughout the month. Sometimes (or all the time) I just want everything to be perfect, but I keep learning to appreciate the moments as they come - in whatever package.

4. The Children's Christmas musical at church. The tripping over the risers, the one kid that belts out the words over the others, the little boy that keeps putting his choir robe over his head and hiding, the little girl that got whisked off stage just before vomiting on everyone - I mean, really - it never disappoints in entertainment factor.

5. See #3. After a couple of nights of telling him the Christmas story, Grant tells me one night, "Mommy, I'm tired of that story. Can I hear another one?"

6. Lastly, I will not forget that Grant stole Santa's cookies right from under the tree. We had a lot of fun making them. He even got to eat one or two. Then he seemed very uncertain about putting the plate under the tree... Sure enough, an hour later he was discovered in his room - the stolen cookies in hand with a very guilty look on his face.

Here are a few pictures from the past week:

Brad and Grant at our youth Christmas party.

Attempting a ginger bread house at the party. They are harder than they look, aren't they?

Grant was probably already plotting how he could keep all these to himself...why did he have to inherit my sweet tooth?

Opening gifts with kids doubles the fun. When I need to laugh I will look at this picture. I guess she is retaliating against all the boys in her life. Notice the pink hair dryer and red purse. Sophia loved all her girly girl gifts. Why did I think she'd like crayons and a coloring book?? I should have just wrapped up some of my old jewelry and nail polish. She makes me hope for a girl one day!

I know that our Christmas trips home are probably getting fewer - I'm glad we were able to be there this year, even if we did miss the 'first time in a 100 years' snow here in Waco!

ICE

Yesterday we all traveled to Grapevine to see the Ice exhibit at the Gaylord Texan.  It was a very festive day.  The hotel is amazing.  The atrium is huge and everywhere you look, there is something special to see.  The Ice exhibit was very impressive.  The theme was 'the Grinch'.  Because everything is made of ice, the temperature is only 19 degrees and so they give you huge parkas to wear inside.  One of the the neatest things was the slide room.  They had a big slide made entirely of ice.  There wasn't a long line for the children's slide and Grant loved it.  He went down several times and probably would have kept going for a long time if we didn't stop him.  It was a very fun day!

Grant's favorite part.  If you got a push, then you could go down super fast!

All bundled up in our bulky blue parkas!

You weren't supposed to touch the ice, but Grant really wanted to give the Grinch a hug :)

preschool talk

We went to Christmas on 5th at Baylor tonight - lots of fun but very cold. There was a live nativity (Grant was especially enamored by Mary and Joseph), pony rides, a petting zoo, hot chocolate and cookies, and Santa. It was an evening of funny conversations.

Grant was very excited to see Mrs. Claus and Santa (aka my co-worker and her husband). He climbed right up on Santa's lap and said, "i want a pogo stick and norman wants a car." I have no idea where the desire for a pogo stick came from - i think it was something he saw on an episode of Little Bear...

The dialogue on the way home:
Grant: "mommy, why you being franky?" (franky = cranky)
Me: "i'm not cranky, you're cranky"
Grant (very indignant): "why you being ugly to me?"

And then, this:
Grant: "hmm, why are there 2 santas? one gave me a candy cane and one didn't. why are there 2 santas???" I can't believe he has already found a flaw in the whole santa conspiracy - he's not even 3. He said this because we saw Santa at the Bass Pro Shop in San Antonio a few days ago. I'm surprised he didn't ask why that Santa didn't have a wife...

thanksgiving holidays

As our usual tradition, Brad took some time off from church before Thanksgiving. It was so nice to be away for an extended time and I was reminded over and over again of all that I have to be thankful for. Some of my favorite things from our trip:

1. Getting away with Brad for 2 nights to Fredericksburg. We stayed in a really neat cabin on a creek. It was close to town, but you felt like you were in the country.

2. Getting to spend a whole day with just my mom while Brad kept Grant. We cooked and went shopping and just talked and talked. Those days are rare, so they are very special.

3. Spending an afternoon with my dad, sister, and all the kids. The weather was perfect, the kids had a ball, and we all got to catch up.

4. Going to a movie! Haven't done that in months. We saw "The Road" and it was incredible. See my earlier post about the book. I loved it. I didn't think they could pull off a movie, but they did. Very dark, but a great story.

5. Getting to shop at La Cantera - I love that place. You don't realize how fun it is to shop at a mall until you live somewhere that doesn't have one (or hardly has one - no offense Richland Mall).

6. Going to the ranch with Grant - he had so much fun. Every experience is always so new to him and I love that.

This was how we spent our Fredericksburg vacation - sitting on the porch reading and drinking hot tea - it was perfect! And, I highly recommend reading Beloved - it was so good!

Grant made lots of Thanksgiving crafts. He actually wore his hat while we ate our Thanksgiving meal - it made me laugh every time I glanced down the table and saw him!

Riding Charlie at the ranch - I kind of miss the days that we had him and Gus! The last picture is ridiculous and I promise it was not arranged. Grant discovered he could un-snap his shirt and then thought it was hilarious to keep taking it off. I don't know what we are going to do with him!