The Holloway Boys

Family Vacation Coming Home

2011-10-09T21:41:00.004-05:00

On our way home from our time in Florida with Jimmy's family and our fun-filled trip to see Mickey Mouse, we stopped at the Battleship Alabama in Mobile. It was a hot day. The ship was fascinating. Hunter had a fun time running around and climbing through the doorways and peeking into the rooms. He really liked the bunks. There was also a room full of airplanes that Hunter really enjoyed. Momma carried T in the front carrier. It has been awhile since I used this thing. Boy, he's a lot heavier than he was the last time I used it, but this was much easier than carrying him. Jimmy is a history buff so he really enjoyed this little adventure. The best part was that we were on our way home. Seeing the Welcome to Texas sign was wonderful! Just one more hotel and then home.

I never truly appreciated hotel swimming pools until this trip. What a great way to burn some energy after being in the car for long periods of time. The boys were amazing travelers. Tanner cried for about 30 minutes. That's it. I never imagined they would do so well. We were well stocked with movies and toys which made the trip easier for them. We had lots of "Let's Go Rangers" chants led by our sweet Hunter. Tanner even joined in!

They decided to lock us all up. It's a good thing we escaped! Hehe!

Daddy and Hunter letting everyone know that they were there. Very cool! I think I have over 300 pictures from our trip. I have just picked a few of my favorites for the blog. I would love to share them all because there are so many memories in those pictures. Love

Thank you God for a wonderful trip to see family, sweet memories, and most of all, my boys.

Family Vacation Part 3. . . Hello Mickey

2011-09-26T17:25:00.002-05:00

On our way home from Miami, we stopped at Disney World. We had so much fun! The boys could ride every ride (except Space Mountain but Momma and Daddy had fun on that one!) It was crowded, but we didn't have to wait too long for any ride. We were able to ride everything in the park! I'm so thankful to experience this with my boys. What special memories and great pictures. Here are a few of my favorites!
Tan crashed about lunch time, then again later. The boys were a little sunburned from the beach and T had a little run in with a night stand in the hotel so he looks a little beat up. Don't let that make you think he didn't have fun. He's a trooper!
Momma was more excited about the Winnie the Pooh ride than anyone else. H was patient posing for this picture for me. The ride was amazing. We got to go into the park early since we stayed in one of their hotels which has a major plus because we got through the most popular rides very quickly.
Family picture heading in to the park. I love these boys. H and T were very sleepy at this point. I may have been more excited than them! H kept asking, "Where's Mickey Mouse?" and he wanted to know where the Clubhouse was.
I think this cheese face says it all. We had a blast. Tanner loved the light parade at the end of the day. They boys got to go shopping and get stuffed animals. An amazing part of a long, fun vacation. Now, it's time to head home.

Summer Vacation Part 2

2011-09-18T22:56:00.002-05:00

We drove from Arlington to Mobile, AL then Mobile to Miami. We had a great time visiting Jimmy's family. Hunter kept them busy with all of his playing. We got to go to the beach while we were there. What a fun time! Hunter got in the water, but didn't like the salt so he spent most of his time on the beach with Mimi and Papa. Tanner loved the warm water and stayed with mom in his float for a long time. We had sand everywhere! Jimmy's cousin, Matt, lost his wedding ring in the ocean so we looked for that for awhile, but the water was so warm that it wasn't too bad looking for it (with no success). The weather was great. We thought there might be rain, but it stayed away so we could play. I'm so thankful that my boys got to enjoy the beach and the ocean since we don't live close to one.

Thank you God for sweet memories made with my boys.

Holloway Summer Vacation (1st Leg)

2011-08-08T14:27:00.004-05:00

We recently got home from a very long family vacation- our first as a family of four. We spent the first weekend of our trip in Arlington. Hunter and Jimmy went to Six Flags while Tanner and I went to Heidi and Daniel's wedding shower. That evening, we finally made it to a Ranger game. Thank you, Michael Young, they won! We had a blast. Hunter loved every minute of the game. He got to play in the kid's area for the first time and hit a homerun (of course!) Hunter led the crowd in several rounds of "Let's go Rangers". Tanner clapped and danced and ate a ton (as usual). What a wonderful start to our trip!!!

Watching David Murphy in the field. This boy loves his Rangers.

Hunter and Captain. What a cool experience for H!! Look carefully, Hunter has his red socks pulled up to his knees, like David Murphy.

I love this cheese face boy. He is such a sweaty baby, but loved every minute of the Ranger game. Cute boy!!!

Thank you God for fun, family time and amazing boys.

Tanner's Birthday Party

2011-07-11T14:15:00.004-05:00

We are so blessed to have so many people who truly love and celebrate our boys with us. We were surrounded by love at Tanner's birthday party. We had yummy burgers and hot dogs. He got so many cool gifts!! He loved the cake. He took a handful and ate it (with Pops' help) and then he decided to lick the plate. What a mess! He is such a happy boy!

Happy birthday TanMan! You are such a blessing to your Momma. I love you more than words can say.

Tiny Tanner is 1!

2011-06-23T23:44:00.004-05:00

My beautiful Tiny boy,
I can't believe that tomorrow you will wake up a one year old. This time last year, I never would have imagined how many blessings you would bring with you into this world. I am so thankful for you. You have made my heart grow bigger than I could have dreamed. You have made our family more complete.

You are a momma's boy through and through. I can't tell you how that thrills my heart. I can't walk through a room without giving you attention. Even if your daddy is holding you, you want momma (Daddy doesn't like this so much). You get very upset with me if I don't stop what I'm doing to hold you. You stand between my legs anytime I stand still. That makes cooking and cleaning difficult, but deep down, I love it. I even have bruises on my hips from holding you so much. I realize that these days won't last, so I'm cherishing it. We love your kisses, open mouth, tongue sticking out. You will turn my face to give me a big, juicy slobber kiss. I just can't get enough!

You are a great eater. I haven't found much that you won't eat. You make a face every time you try something new like it is the worst thing you have ever eaten, then you open your mouth for more. It shows in your chunky thighs and double chin. You are full of yumminess that I just eat up. You are our chunky monkey.

You have finally turned into a good little sleeper. It took about 10 months before you and I consistently slept through the night, but I won't complain. No one else had the honor of hanging out with you in the middle of the night so I feel privileged (easy to say that now that I'm rested!!) Now, you sleep like a champ. This summer, you've let me sleep until at least 9, which I'm fine with. You take great naps. You love the satiny part of your blanket and sleep with a paci. That's the only time you want it. You aren't a snuggler because you are so busy. Hopefully that will change now that our bed time routine is changing.

You love to make people laugh. A true clown. Dancing is one of your favorite things to do, especially if someone is watching. You are such a happy boy. You have your fussy times, but that has improved as you have gotten older. You are so busy, constantly getting into things you don't need to, like cabinets and drawers. If I'm in the kitchen, you're there with me pulling things out of drawers. You are working on standing up on your own, but you aren't ready to walk yet, which is okay with Momma because I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. I'll keep you little as long as possible. You have 5 teeth- 3 on the top, 2 on the bottom. You think it's funny to bite momma on the shoulder. I don't think it's so funny though. Hunter doesn't like being bitten either. He doesn't understand that you are playing.

Your brother adores you. Several times a day, I have to tell him to get off of you. You don't always love his attention, more you don't love him lying on top of you. There have been several times that we have found the two of you playing together in Hunter's room. You want to play baseball with him, but you aren't big enough yet so you hold the bat or ball and watch him play. No one can make you laugh like Hunter. The first word that I understood out of your mouth was brother (I think). I eat up the times you two spend together, just playing together. Hunter likes to crawl into your crib and play with you, make you laugh, keep you busy. You are so sweet together.

My sweet Tiny, you have blessed us more than words can express. You have brought so much joy to our family. I can't wait to see how you grow and change in the coming years. I thank God daily for choosing me to be your momma. We love you, Twizzle.

*The amazing picture is by our soon-to-be sister-in-law, Heidi (Captivated Cadence). Thanks Heidi for taking such beautiful pics of my boy.

Six Flags Fun!

2011-06-22T13:46:00.002-05:00

Nothing says fun like Six Flags in the summer! We had a blast taking the boys. We went at Christmas, but we split up and didn't ride as many rides with the boys. Hunter loves riding the rides. He's fearless! He even rode a few by himself. Made momma a little nervous, but he was such a big boy! Tanner did great as well. He got to ride a few rides with the whole family (like the antique cars and Loony Tunes cave previously known as the Speelunkers cave). It was warm, but we had a great time with Mimi and Nate. We will definitely be going back soon.

Thank you God for fun times with my precious boys.

Winter 2010

2011-06-14T17:05:00.009-05:00

I realize it's June 2011 but I've got some backtracking to do since I was away from my blog for awhile. I looked through my pictures and I think this is where I need to start.

We took the boys on the Polar Express when it came to Lubbock. Hunter went last year, but I think it was a little too much for him. This year, he loved it! They both looked beyond precious in their pajamas. Hunter loved seeing Santa and his elves. He sang some songs with us and ate his cookies and drank his hot chocolate. He adores the Polar Express movie (he watched it daily for about a year). Granna wrote Tom Hanks a letter to let him know of Hunter's adoration of the movie and he wrote Hunter a letter back. So sweet!! What special memories.

+While we were in Arlington for Christmas, we visited Six Flags. Hunter loved riding the kid's rides. Momma and Daddy ventured off to ride some big rides. H loved the antique cars because he got to drive. It was pretty cool outside, but we had a great time. By the way, I love T in his monster hat and gloves. Makes my heart smile a little bit. He's just yummy!

We admit our boys may be slightly spoiled. Hunter got a cool kitchen with food from Santa. Tan got a toy box for the toys he was inheriting (plus a few more).
Christmas Eve was Tiny Tanner's 6 month birthday. Growing like a weed! He had a blast playing in the boxes.

I guess better late than never, but I have to start somewhere so I guess I should end this with Belated Merry Christmas!

We are just so blessed by God with two amazing boys and surrounded by so much love.

Easter at the Holloway House

2011-05-01T22:07:00.006-05:00

Happy Easter from the Holloways! We had a great weekend. Hunter and Jimmy took a guys day on Friday. They went to lunch, Main Event, and to the park to play baseball. After nap, we all went to a Tech softball game and saw our friend, Spencer. Saturday, we had fun just spending time together around the house. Sunday, we went to church. My boys all looked so handsome! I'm a sucker for matching boys (or at least coordinating). Their hats just about made me giddy! We went to Aunt Jody's house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. We closed our weekend by dying eggs. What a sweet day and sweet memories. Thank you God!

Tanner's first Easter. He is more precious than words can say. He wouldn't leave his hat on, this is the best I got with the hat.

We have seen this silly face often. He wanted the camera. Check out those 2 big bottom teeth!

Brotherly love. Hunter had good intentions. He loves his brother, but Brother wasn't having it.

My handsome big boy. Wow! When did he get so big?! He's going to be a heart breaker for sure!

T was cracking us up! When he sat in the grass, he would try to hold up one of his legs, like he didn't like the feel of the grass. So funny!

One of Hunter's finds at Aunt Jody's. Everyone was very impressed with his baseball skills.

Again, he's holding up his leg. What a hoot! I love this picture!

Hunter and Daddy had a great time dying Easter eggs. We may have found a new tradition!

Thank you God for these amazing boys. I'm one blessed momma!

We're back

2011-04-28T11:42:00.004-05:00

I've been away from the blog world for so long now! I can't believe I haven't even posted pictures of my boys since December. Sigh. Well, Jimmy got me a laptop for my birthday so now I can be a better blogger. I don't know if anyone really even looks at this, but for me it serves as much as a memory book for my boys as it does anything else. I've got a lot of catching up to do. I hope to do a little bit at a time. I'm home sick today so I figured why not start now.

Hunter is 3years and 4 months now. He is an amazing kid! He just holds my heart in his hands. He just received a certificate at school for learning all of his letters. We are working on it at home and at school. He is excellent at finding the letter H. He is hilarious! He keeps us laughing all of the time. The other day, he hit his head and came to me to kiss it, so I did, and told him to shake it off. He shook his head and told me, "It's not coming off!" He is a super athlete. If it were up to him, he would play baseball all day long. He got a baseball helmet recently. He tried to take it to bed with him. He loves the Texas Rangers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He calls athletes "kids" (baseball kids, basketball kids, etc.). He likes to go to his room and have his daddy announce him, then he runs out and hits the ball or shoots a basket. "Playing for the Texas Rangers, Hunter Holloway James!!!!!" (That's how Jimmy was instructed to say his name, who knows!) He is an excellent big brother and such a good helper.

Tanner is now 10 months old. He is so busy. He loves eating everything (veggies, fruits, puffs, paper). He is crawling and pulling up all over the place. He has the best smile and laugh. He gives amazing slobber kisses. Tanner is a momma's boy, for sure. He went through a stage that he would cry if I would walk past or go in the other room without stopping to hold him. He spends his days at Granna's house and goes to school on Fridays. He isn't sleeping though the night yet, but we are working on that. Sleeping is his biggest struggle. He will fight and fight. He loves playing with his big brother. We often find them together in Hunter's room playing together. He makes the cutest faces, wrinkling up his nose when he smiles. He loves to call the dinosaurs (make screeching noises when he's happy). Tiny keeps us on our toes.

Man, I love these boys. I'm so blessed to be their momma. I thank God for the blessing he gave me through these 2 sillies everyday.

This time 3 years ago. . .

2010-12-10T13:44:00.005-06:00

I can tell you exactly what I was doing this time 3 years ago. I went shopping with dad and Meg at Target. Meg got very frustrated with me that I was being a wimp because it hurt to walk. We ate at Furr's for dinner. Jimmy finished Hunter's nursery by putting together the bookshelf and a few other little things that needed to be done. I never imagined that in just a few hours I would wake up to a big contraction. Sweet memories. Three years ago tomorrow, our lives as a couple ended and a new chapter began with our sweet baby boy.

Fun in Fall 2010

2010-11-06T20:17:00.004-05:00

We've just been having fun lately at the Holloway house. There's no real rhyme or reason to these pictures, they just make me smile. I adore these boys!

Hunter decided to put on his daddy's shoes and socks (first picture) then he wanted to add his Tech jersey (second picture). He is constantly making me laugh!!

Hunter and Tanner's first bath together in the big boy bathtub. Hunter loved helping me bathe Brother.

It seems like all of my pictures of Tanner are in the stroller or car seat. Here's my clean boy. I love clean sugars from my frog prince.

Tanner rolled over on his 4 month birthday. He is a stubborn kid and won't do it for the camera. We were working on it here. His eyes are beautiful!

Thursday (11/04) Tanner had his first rice cereal. He didn't love it but it sure was fun!

I love it when my boys match. These jammies make this momma very happy! These boys make this momma swell with pride and joy and love.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-06T20:04:00.002-05:00

Hunter is the cutest puppy dog I've ever seen!

Tanner my Tiny Giraffe.
Hunter wore this costume his first halloween. He was 10 months, Tanner is 4. I've got a big boy!

Those Holloway Boys are Growing!

2010-10-30T22:27:00.005-05:00

HUNTER JAMES:
Hunter is growing like a weed. He is so smart and curious. He weighs 30 lbs now. He's our skinny boy!

He loves baseball. He can play for hours. I am so impressed with his hand-eye coordination. He likes to hit and pitch. He hits the ball, throws the bat down, and yells, "Homerun!" He cheers for the Rangers every time they are on tv. He chants "Let's Go Rangers" while clapping (and sometimes spinning too!)
He loves books and cars. He enjoys watching Dora and Mickey Mouse Choo-Express and Road Rally.
He is a back seat driver. On the way to church the other day, he told his daddy to "drive with both hands." He also likes to tell us to "go" which doesn't always work because there are other cars around. He knows that red means stop and green means go. He likes to tell his daddy to drive faster.
He loves "mac'n" (macaroni and cheese). Anytime we ask him what he wants to eat, that's his answer. Lately, he has been telling us "Me not like that" before he tastes it. Stinker!
His new game is getting as many blankets and pillows as he can and pretending he is in a train, boat, airplane, helicopter, etc. He often wants one of us to ride with him.
He adores his baby "bruddah". He loves helping and tends to stay right in Tanner's face. The other day, he made a boat in our room. I had put Tanner in his vibrating chair while I was busy doing something. I looked away for a second and looked back and Tanner was no longer where I set him. I found him in Hunter's boat. It scared me to death and first but then we got a good laugh out of it. Hunter was very careful when he picked brother up and moved him. (He showed me how he did it!)
Hunter says the funniest things. Here are a few of his recent sayings: "What you do that for? (All questions end in "for" right now") Example: H: Momma, what you doing? Me: Talking to daddy (on the phone) H: What you talking to daddy for? Me: Just telling him I love him. H: What you doing talking to daddy on the phone telling him you love him? Ha! Also, "Are you happy?" We hear this especially when he thinks he is in trouble. At lunch the other day, he got in trouble for something and he asked his daddy, "Are you happy?" Daddy responded, "Yeah, Buddy, I'm happy." Hunter then asked, "Why you talking to me for?" (meaning, why are you talking to me like I'm in trouble?) It is so hard not to laugh when he says things like that when he is supposed to be in trouble!
Hunter is a potty trained boy! He won't even go in his pull-up on road trips. We have to pull over on the side of the road for him to go.

I am so in love with this kid. He is a joyful kid with a precious giggle and love for life. God blessed us beyond anything we deserve with our Hunter. We are blessed to be his momma and daddy.

TANNER STEVEN:
Tanner is our chunky monkey. At 4 months, he weighs 13 lbs 11 oz. and is 25 inches tall. He has great big eyes and long eyelashes. His smile lights up his whole face. He is a content boy and patient. Lately, he has had a big meltdown about 9:00, but it isn't too bad. He is a momma's boy right now (I hope that doesn't change too much!) He rolled over (front to back) for the first time on his 4 month birthday. I probably tried 20 times to get it on video, but stubborn boy wouldn't do it again. He enjoys his bouncer and swing and loves being held. He sleeps like a champ. He's a big boy with great thighs and cheeks. He is a long boy. He wore a Halloween onesie that Hunter wore at 1o months and it was only a tiny bit too big! He's got long feet too. What a joy this boy is!

I am one proud momma of two beautiful boys!

Fun Times with the Holloway Boys

2010-10-30T22:00:00.004-05:00

We have been some busy Holloways lately. Life is so much fun with our two sweet boys. We love our down time but we also love doing things that Hunter gets so excited about. Here's just a glimpse of some of the things we have been up to over the last month or so.

ABILENE ZOO AND GRACE MUSEUM:
Mom's fifth graders went on a day trip to Abilene and was so blessed to be able to make it a family trip. Jimmy, Hunter, and Tanner made the trip with us and we had a blast at the zoo and playing in the Children's museum at the Grace. Hunter really felt like one of the big kids!

Hunter's giraffe face. He loved standing on the bridge and feeding the giraffes his crackers.

Hunter climbing inside the tree at The Grace Museum's children's area.

I love this picture! Daddy and Hunter driving the trains at the museum. Hunter made Daddy wear the hat.

CORN MAZE AND PUMPKIN PATCH:
We went to a birthday party at the Corn Maze. While we didn't go through the big maze, Hunter did enjoy going through the kid's hay maze. We loved going on the hay ride to the pumpkin patch. Tanner was a trooper like always. We got some good family pictures for fall.

SOUTH PLAINS FAIR:
We always do our "warm-up fair" before we hit the State Fair. Hunter did much better this year. He loved riding the rides and seeing the sites. He got pretty tired while we were there, but had fun nonetheless. He really seemed to enjoy the turkey leg and lemonade. Smart kid! I can't believe how big Hunter is getting!

Momma and Hunter getting ready to ride the train.

I have to admit, I teared up a little watching this tiny guy get his carpet and climb up these tall stairs to go down the big slide ALL BY HIMSELF. I don't know if momma is ready for him to be such a big boy.

This warmed my heart and made me smile all over. Hunter and Daddy on the Ferris Wheel.

This picture is one of my all time favorite pictures of Hunter. He is gorgeous!

This boy has loved tractors since we was a tiny guy. We always have to stop and
"drive" several tractors while we are at the fair.

I am just overwhelmed with love and joy to share my life with my 3 boys. I am so blessed. Thank you God!

Texas State Fair 2010

2010-10-30T21:40:00.004-05:00

We took our annual trip to the Texas State Fair recently. I love the fair and I hope my boys will love it as well. It was hot and crowded but we had a great time! As always, the food was great. I think Tanner got a little overstimulated but did great. We can't wait for next year!

Tanner in the stroller. Check out those cheeks and that double chin!

Daddy and Hunter at the car show.

Hunter really loved driving the cars. We may be in trouble! (I love this smile!)

Momma and her favorite 2 year old

Hunter in the railroad exhibit.

Check out those thighs! It was so hot we had to take off his pants. I can't believe how big he already is!

Brother love

Hunter loves the merry-go-round

So big. He had a great time riding the roller coaster and other rides in the kids area.

My sweet Tiny T.

We are so blessed to have two flexible boys who go along for the ride whatever we do. Hunter loves life and gets so excited. We are just flat out blessed to share life with our boys. Thank you God!

Tanner at Two Months

2010-09-17T23:40:00.004-05:00

Well, now that Tanner is almost 3 months old, I will update this thing with his two month info. He is such an amazing baby. Content, unless he's hungry or sleepy. Easy! We are all just so in love with him. He makes faces all of the time. He constantly has bubbles on his lips or his tongue is sticking out. When he smiles, his whole face lights up and we melt into big puddles. He sleeps great, waking up about 3am and goes right back to sleep. He is just an angel and his momma, daddy and big brother adore him.

Height 23 inches (75%)
Weight 10 lbs 8 oz (25%)

Hunter's First Day of School

2010-09-17T23:29:00.003-05:00

Hunter is now in the Two Year Old class at Trinity Learning Center. He loves it! He goes Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He is learning so much and growing so fast. He likes being able to go upstairs with mom before and/or after school to draw on my board and play with my students' kickballs. He has a really cool new backpack and lunch box. I love having my boy at school with me so I can peek in on him when I get a chance. What a blessing. It is also a blessing to have mom so close so I can go see both boys at lunch when they are both there. Life is good!

Let Me Tell You About . . .

2010-08-12T15:26:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe that summer is over. It just flew by. We have had so many fun days and many restful, hang around the house days. I have two amazing boys that I just drink in everyday. My heart overflows every time I look at them. Finally, I am sitting down to catch up my Holloway Boys fan club on the happenings of Hunter and Tanner.

Hunter:

This precious two and a half year old steals my heart everyday. He is full of imagination and joy. He enjoys "cooking" which often consists of moving his hands around on the hearth and moving his "food" to his rocking chair to "cook" then bringing his creation to mom and dad. Most often, he cooks peanut butter and jelly, cheeseburgers, or grilled cheese.

He loves to build with his blocks and makes cars and boats for mom to ride in. Sometimes, he sits on top of his tiny creation and goes for a ride. This summer he learned to pedal his bike and spends lots of time riding around Granna's house on the tile floor.

He is full of attitude, both good and not so good. He is independent and often refuses any help. His flip flops end up on the wrong feet or his shorts on backward, but he does it himself. He has a mind of his own. Earlier this week, we were at the pool. He and Granna were playing with a tennis ball, which he continued to call a baseball. Granna would correct him. Finally, he got tired of her calling the ball a tennis ball and said, "Granna, call it a baseball." Alrighty then Big Shot.

He spells his name, "Hmper, no P, T." He sings lots of songs including "Jesus loves me" and is working on the alphabet but gets stuck at Q often. He gets stuck in repeat often. We probably hear, "What doin?" a hundred times a day. We even asks, "What man doin?" of complete strangers. He asks us everyday, "You happy?" Another saying we hear often is, "Where'd _____ go?" of anything he likes or was looking at. One of my favorite things right now is that he randomly cheers, "H-S-H-S-U-U!" He's a Cowboy at heart already. It's just in his blood. :)

Everyone asks how Hunter is doing with the new baby in the house. Well, he loves him. I often find him inches from Tanner's face talking to him or putting his pacifier in his mouth. He periodically tells people that brother came out of mommy's tummy. He is such a huge helper too. He carries his stool around so he can watch and help with diaper changes. He helps throw away diapers and puts laundry in the dirty clothes basket. Tanner gets all kinds of kisses from his big brother. Hunter calls Tanner "Brother" most of the time, which I love.

The biggest news from this summer is that Hunter is potty trained! It took him 9 days to get it down. Yesterday, he went all day without an accident so he got to pick out a new toy. He likes picking out his undies from his favorite characters (Thomas the Train, Toy Story, and other Disney Movies). We spent almost a week in Ruidoso so I decided it was time to get this boy potty trained. We didn't have anywhere to go so it was the perfect time. We set a timer and everytime it barked, Hunter had to go potty. He fought it a little. He often tells me, "I don't want to go potty," in which I respond, "I didn't ask if you want to go potty, do you NEED to go?" See, attitude! I cannot describe how proud I am of my big boy.

Hunter is an amazing, loving son, a great big brother and a fun kid all around. God truly blessed us with him.

Daddy took Hunter to "Critter Fest" at the Science Spectrum. He got to ride a horse and see tigers. What a fun day those 2 had. We often hear, "Hold you". I love it!
We went to the Children's Museum in Fort Worth. My little chef went shopping in the grocery store, which he enjoys doing with Momma at home. Sometimes, he puts on his shoes, grabs his backpacks and says, "Bye Momma." When I ask where he is going, he tells me he is going to the grocery store."Sleeping" in a dinosaur track at the FW Museum.

Momma and Hunter at the park in Ruidoso.

TANNER:
Well, what can you say about a 7 week old baby boy? He is perfect. He sleeps wonderfully, eats great, and loves to cuddle. What more could you ask for? He makes the funniest faces. He has great big eyes and his tongue is out a lot of the time. We just laugh at his faces. He stretches big (which I love watching because he has done that since before he was born). He is just an easy baby. We can't decide who he looks like. I guess he just looks like Tiny Tanner. He has all sorts of names from Tiny to Teniny to Brother and Tanner Man and many more. He is pretty quiet. He grunts and squeaks mostly but occasionally he gets mad, mainly when he's hungry. He's really working hard on holding his head up. He has just slid right into our family without much disruption or difficulty. Now that I'm back at work, my prayer is that I don't miss any of his major milestones. God was so faithful to answer that prayer with Hunter, I'm believing He is faithful to answer it with Tanner. We just adore this tiny boy and are so thankful that God added him to our family.

Welcome Tanner Steven!

2010-07-08T11:06:00.005-05:00

June 24, 2010 at 3:14 pm

7 lbs. 13 oz.
20 1/2 inches

Ready for Tanner

2010-06-23T21:34:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, June 24th, I will be 37 weeks. My doctor is hoping that when I come to see her in the morning, that she can just send me to the hospital. Last week, Tanner was estimated to weigh 7 lbs. 12 oz.! He's gonna be a big one! We think we are ready! (Are you ever really ready?!) We can't wait to meet this little (big?) guy. Hunter seems ready as well. He wants to play with Baby Brother. I can't believe our family will be a family of four soon! God is so good!

Aunt Sassy made the artwork for Tanner's room, just like Hunter's. I love it and thinks it makes his room just a little more special. Thanks Sass. You did a great job!

Hunter's Summer Fun

2010-06-23T21:28:00.002-05:00

Hunter has a new, amazing toy this summer. He helped his daddy set it up and as he says, he "played, played, played." He's fearless! We've had lots of fun sitting outside and enjoying his new pool. We can't wait to invite his friends over to play. Daddy has done his share of playing already!

Tanner Steven Update

2010-05-14T11:19:00.004-05:00

Hunter's baby brother is still cooking. Tanner is doing great! Last week (30 weeks), the doctor estimated that he weighs about 4 lbs. Momma definitely looks like he is a big boy. After weekly checks to make sure everything was going well, we have recently cut back to 3 weeks and now 4. We are praising God that things are going so smoothly! Looking at our last ultrasound pictures, he may look a little like his big brother, which is just grand with me. Hunter is a precious, beautiful baby. We are really looking forward to meeting this tiny guy.

Cowboy Hunter

2010-05-14T11:06:00.004-05:00

My school had Texas Day last week. Granna and Daddy were out of town and Momma had to be with her class, so Aunt Sassy took Hunter to play. Not all 2 year olds got to take part in the fun of Texas Day. Hunter wore his red cowboy hat and had so much fun playing. I loved having him there since he loves horses, tractors, and playing. Thanks Aunt Sassy for having fun with Hunter.
Hunter found Momma's class and ran over to see me. He melts my heart. There is nothing like seeing your sweet boy running toward you in a cowboy hat! I love it!!
Hunter went on a hayride around campus. He got to ride on the saddle the whole time. Thanks Sass for taking pictures.

This is Hershey. Hunter adores horses and so this was a very special treat for him to get to sit on a horse. I am pretty sure he has never gotten to do this before. He has seen horses from a distance and has petted a horses nose near Daddy's work, but he has never gotten to sit on one.
Momma's class was making their own brands so Hunter made one too. He wasn't overly interested, but Momma (and her students) loved having him there. I love showing this kid off!
Sassy helped Hunter roast a marshmallow. I'm pretty sure that he had the best marshmallow of the day. Most of them were burned, but thanks to Aunt Sassy, Hunter's was perfectly toasted. Please excuse the hair, it was very windy that day.
Hunter enjoying his marshmallow. He took a good, long nap that afternoon. What a blessing to work at a place that understands my love for my kid and lets him come play, even when the activities are for the big kids. Thanks Sassy for helping sweet Tunter have such a fun day.

Big Boy Bed

2010-05-14T10:52:00.002-05:00

Hunter is now officially a big boy. He is, thankfully, no longer sleeping in his crib. He has been promoted to his big boy bed. He l-o-v-e-s it! He seems to be sleeping better. He wants to go to bed some nights. The best part is that we don't have to worry about him crawling out or in his crib. Hunter got to help put his bed together and use tools. One of the most common things we hear these days is, "Tunter telp" as he shakes his head yes. He is a good little helper too. We've been doing all kinds of projects around our house and he has helped with every project. He even has some of his own tools. He loves his hammer ("tumah" ha!) Hunter's daddy couldn't ask for a better helper.

He looks a little devilish, but he was oh so happy to be holding the drill.
Hunter's first night in his big boy bed. He slept great and didn't get up at all. He has his bedtime routine down. He wants momma and daddy to "peep" in bed with him occasionally. Of course, he gets excited so that doesn't last too long. He looks soooo tiny in that big bed. He hardly takes up a fourth of it. Some mornings, we find him sideways across the bed, on top of the covers. I can't believe my baby is big enough to "peep" in a big bed. It is even more crazy that in 2 short months, that Hunter's crib will be occupied by another sweet little guy. Geez Louise! God is so good to us!

Happy Belated Easter!

2010-05-14T10:27:00.005-05:00

I apologize for the lateness of the Easter post. Better late than never. . . . right? We had a fun-filled weekend in Arlington this year. We went to the Fort Worth Zoo, an Easter egg hunt, and as Hunter says, we "played, played, played." I love that Hunter is old enough to enjoy many of the things we enjoy. He is such a joyful kid, always laughing, smiling, and loving. He has got his momma and daddy wrapped around his little finger. I really can't explain the first picture. He is a goofball through and through and I love this picture. What a clown.
On the Thursday before Easter, Hunter's PDO class had an Easter egg hunt on the playground. I gave my camera to one of my fellow teachers at school and hid around a corner to watch him find the eggs and play. I didn't want to upset him. He threw several eggs and laid in the gravel. He was precious, nonetheless.
This picture is one of my very favorites from the weekend. Hunter and Uncle Daniel were good buddies at the zoo. We were at the hippo exhibit so Hunter and Daniel were showing me their hippo mouths.

Hunter trying out the stagecoach in the Texas area of the zoo. I adore those curls!!
Saturday, we went to church with Jared and Maci and the boys for an Easter egg hunt. Hunter couldn't quite keep up with Joshua and the bigger kids. Hunter loves his cousin. He loves playing with him and asks about him often. The weather was beautiful and the kids had so much fun together.

Sweet cousins holding hands.

Hunter looking for eggs. I love this smile.

All of the Holloway boy cousins. Landen, Joshua, Hunter, and Peyton. Hunter doesn't quite fit in with his dark, curly hair.

Oh, Hunter does love his suckers.

Easter morning. Momma and Hunter

Family picture. All 4 of us.

After church and lunch, Mimi and Papa hid eggs in the front yard and let the boys pick them up. Apparently, Hunter was thinking very hard about finding those eggs.

Sweet Baby T Update

2010-04-22T11:49:00.003-05:00

Tanner Steven

So far, so good!! It's a relief to say that after Hunter's exciting pregnancy. We are all ready to meet this kid and we will no later than July 5th. My due date is July 15th, but my OB and I decided that the 5th sounds better. She doesn't think I will make it that far, but if we do, we will induce on the 5th. I'm feeling patriotic already! At 36 weeks, they will take out the stitch that was put in to help prevent problems like I had with Hunter. After that, whenever he comes is up to him.

I am thrilled with the bedding we picked out. It arrived this week and I can't wait to see the nursery painted and finished! I will post pictures when it's finished.

Last night, Hunter and I were lying in bed and he was feeling T move and said, "Momma, I [want to] see baby brother?" It just about melted me. I love that kid.

I promise to catch up on Hunter posts and pictures. He is so sweet and busy. Easter pictures will be up soon as well as his new big boy room. We have been out of our house for about a week so I haven't had my normal computer access since our house is being painted. I'm just having a hard time grasping having 2 boys running around, but I can't wait either! Hunter will have so much fun with a buddy to wrestle with, besides his daddy, who is an excellent Hunter wrestler.

We are thanking God for an uneventful pregnancy and for amazing doctors who are taking such good care of us. I am so thankful for Jimmy for being patient with me and my aches and pains and whines and who gets me whatever I have a whim for. I am so thankful for my sweet Hunter who is full of joy, smiles, giggles and love. I am thankful for all my family and friends who have committed me and Tanner to their prayers. I am so blessed and loved!

February in Hunter World

2010-03-12T21:26:00.007-06:00

February was a busy month for Hunter. For Granna's birthday, we went bowling. Hunter didn't quite understand that he had to take turns. Everybody's turn was "Tunter's turn." He did great!

We couldn't find Elmo and blanket the other night when spending the night at Granna's. Elmo and blanket are must-haves at bedtime. When we went to look for our bedtime friends, this is what I found. Elmo decided he needed to watch a movie like Hunter, I guess. The imagination of this kid blows me away! Elmo also likes Hunter's paci when we are getting ready for bed. Oh Elmo, don't be silly!

For Momma's big 3-0 birthday, we went with some friends up to Ruidoso and had an amazingly wonderful time. One of the best things we did was going out and sledding. Hunter has a ridiculously bad momma who forgot to pack his coat and gloves. Who does that?! He is layered though so no worries. Hunter's sweet friend, Kamber, let her borrow her coat and he is wearing momma's gloves. Nothing tacky about this kid! Ha!!

Hunter and Daddy getting ready for a ride down the hill.

My favorite pizza in the world. Sharing it with Hunter is a special thing. I love this kid more than words can express. He lights up my life with his constant laughter and funny sayings. One of his most recent things is to show us how fast he is. When it is time to change his diaper, he will stand at the other end of the hall, yell, "Momma, ready?" and then "I past (fast)" and then he runs down the hall as fast as his little legs will go, sometimes screaming, then he falls into my arms and laughs.

I love his little vocabulary right now. He doesn't quite get the verbs yet. For example, the other night when Jimmy was getting ready to put him to bed, he said, "I peep Momma" (I sleep with Momma). We were going to eat with the family Monday night. We always go through a list of the people who will be there. This past Monday, he told us, "I eat Tita Bobby". Very cute. What a blessing this kid is!

He is already in love with "baby brother". We can't just call the baby "brother." Hunter corrects us everytime. He loves to kiss my tummy and say, "Love you baby brother." Almost every night, he pulls my shirt up and lays his face on my tummy. It melts me every time!

One of my most favorite things about Hunter right now is how he says his name. He is "Tunter Jays Tallyay."

He can count (most of the time) to 10, sometimes to 5, it depends on his mood. We are working on memorizing a few verses. If we say "Obey" he follows up with "Obey Momma Daddy." (Yes, we are using that verse to our benefit!). We working on "This is the . . . (day), that the Lord has. . . (made). . . I will (rejoice). . . and be glad (in it). He just fills in the blanks, but he does it so well! It makes me smile everytime.

I wanted one more picture on here of Hunter wearing his daddy's shoes, because that is one of his favorite things to do right now, but it wouldn't load for some reason. I tried several times. Maybe it will show up if I try again later.

Thank you God for my precious son and how he is growing up and learning so much and making us smile everyday! He is a joy!

Hunter vs. The Coffee Table

2010-02-04T21:56:00.004-06:00

On January 19th, Hunter went to greet his daddy but instead, met the coffee table with his face. Poor baby. We ran him to the Minor Emergency Clinic. Mom and Dad were cool, calm, and collected the whole time. They glued our boy back together and all is well. He had and still has the remains of a pretty good shiner. For a few days, his eyelid was a lovely shade of purple. He has enjoyed showing people his "boo-boo" and getting sympathy. I am so thankful that his injury wasn't worse than it was. His angels were working overtime!

Several Days Later. Still quite swollen and check out that shiner!

Hunter got a new Elmo (Nano). He likes carrying Elmo in his pocket. Aunt Sassy put Elmo there, so that is where Hunt thinks Elmo should be. Elmo makes everything better. The interesting thing is that Hunter and his Momma will have matching scars now, in the same place.

Sea World Fun

2010-02-04T21:40:00.002-06:00

Hunter and Daddy checking out the Clydesdales.

We went to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl and decided to take our sweet boy to Sea World. We had so much fun. He is still talking about Shamu jumping out of the water. He loved the horses. I'm sure no one is surprised about that! He had a blast feeding the sea lions and dolphins. We got to see parts of his favorite movie "Polar Express" (otherwise known as Choo-Choo 'Press) in 4D. He did great during the shows. We looked for Nemos in the aquarium. He was such a trooper! Love that kid!

Hunter wouldn't watch Shamu with anyone but Poppa.

I love the pure joy on this kids face. Notice the fish in his hand. He walked around for awhile with his head in the air and his mouth open, making the noises the sea lions were making.

Watching "Choo Choo 'Press" in 4d.

"Dolphins go?"

(One of my favorites!) Looking for Nemo.

Hunter was such a trooper, he got a special treat. He will bring me Shamu still and tell me that Ah-oo jumped out of the water.

Thank you God for this special experience with my sweet baby boy.

Two Year Old Party

2009-12-30T22:37:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hunter and his friends had a blast at Jumpin Jungle! He didn't walk a single step. He ran the whole time we were in the jump room. Thank you friends for coming and celebrating with my precious boy. We felt so blessed to have each and every one of you there with us.

Hunter is 26 lbs. 2 oz. (As best we can tell, he was very busy on the scale!). He is 34 inches tall. Growing so fast. He's working on his 2-year molars which isn't much fun. He loves to talk, climb, play with his tractors and choo-choos. He can spot them a mile away while driving down the road. He is our precious boy and we fall more in love with him every day. He makes us laugh all of the time. He is silly as a goose and loves attention. We can't believe how big he is. We are about to get him a big boy bed since his crib no longer holds him if he wants out. He wants grilled cheese for every meal but still loves his veggies. Wow! I can't believe it has been 2 years since he was born. We are so thankful to God for giving us such an amazing kiddo.

Hunter's Christmas Program

2009-12-30T21:53:00.003-06:00

Hunter got all dressed up for his Christmas PDO program. He was the most handsome one there (and I'm not at all biased, I promise!) He didn't sing a word or do any of the motions, but he sat in his chair which is saying something for my busy boy. He was very serious through all of the songs. At one point, he slouched down and rested his head on the back of his chair and looked at the ceiling like he was just bored out of his mind. So funny. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

Thank you God for this handsome boy.

Coming Soon!

2009-12-18T17:01:00.002-06:00

The Holloways will become a family of 4 in July!

We are so excited! I some how forgot to update the blog with this information! Hunter will be a big brother, and what a great big brother he will be. I guess we will have to change the name of this thing, or I can just start another blog devoted to #2! Ha! I can't seem to keep up with this one any more.

I am 10 weeks along and feeling good, just very tired, but that's to be expected. We are so excited and thankful for the things God is doing in our family!

More blogs to come on the happenings in Hunter's life: school program, birthday party, etc.

Catching Up

2009-12-02T21:15:00.006-06:00

Well, I realized recently that it has been a very long time since I wrote anything about the happenings in Hunter's life. Hopefully I can get caught up!

Halloween (I told you it's been a long time!)
Hunter's Mimi and Papa came to Lubbock. Jimmy and I went to a Tech football game while the three of them played, and played, and played. We took Hunter to our church's festival. He l-o-v-e-d the bounce house. I had to grab him by the ankle to pull him out. As I was putting his shoes back on, he tried to run away and get back in to jump some more. He also had fun on the tricycle course. That weekend, Hunter also discovered that he can crawl out of his crib. That made for a long Sunday with no nap for Momma. Thankfully, after about a week of letting himself out of bed and turning off his monitor, he decided it wasn't really worth the effort and has stopped climbing out. I guess it's time to start looking at big boy beds.

Polar Express
Hunter's most recent obsession is "choo-choos". We recorded Mickey Mouse Clubhouse's Choo-Choo Express. He asks to watch it 20 times a day. He watches Polar Express all day at Granna's. Surprisingly, he even sits still for a little while when watching! We heard that the Polar Express Train was coming to town, so we decided to make it a family outing. Sadly, Hunter decided at that time to cut 4 teeth at the same time, so he was not the happiest of riders on the train. We had a great time though! Hunter wore his Christmas pajamas. We had hot cocoa (which got spilled on Jimmy), sugar cookies, sang Christmas carols, danced, and had lots of fun riding on the train. We rode all the way to the North Pole where we found Santa and his elves dancing. They joined us on the train and talked to all of the little boys and girls and Santa gave Hunter a bell. We will definitely put this on our holiday to-do list again!

Thanksgiving
We went to Arlington for Thanksgiving this year. Jimmy's Nanny was in from Miami so that made the holiday special. Hunter and Joshua had a great time playing in the cul-de-sac, as always. I had to be a mean momma and bring Hunter in from the fun to take a nap. Hunter got to spend a day with Mimi and Papa without mom and dad around, which is always fun. We went to the Tech/Baylor game. The stadium is amazing! We are sure thankful this year for all that God has blessed us with. I just stand amazed at His goodness to us!

Hunter's vocabulary has just exploded over the last few weeks. He surprises every day with new words and new terms. Today's new word was cheese toast (clear as day). He has said it before, but it was in no way clear enough for most people to understand. H asks for grilled cheese for almost every meal. He loves his juice. He loves his puppies (Wyatt (Yie) and Dixie (Dictie) and Tucker, Toby, and Moo Moo (Maggie). Today, he was trying to put a hat on each of them and told them repeatedly to "meer" (come here). Very cute!

Hunter has also started using the potty. He will occasionally tell us when he needs to go. We are not rushing him to potty train in any way. He is doing this mostly on his own. He likes to sit on the potty. He gets fruit tractor chews when he goes. Great motivator for this boy!
This kid has my heart. I just melt every day. He is full of hugs and kisses and laughter. He is a clown that has his momma and daddy wrapped around his little finger. We can't believe he is almost 2! Where has the time gone!?

We are so blessed!

My Punkin at the Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-06T21:23:00.004-06:00

Hunter has been intrigued by the pumpkin patch near our house. Everytime we drive by, he points out the window. We took him on Halloween to see the pumpkins and take some pictures. Well, Mr. H is one busy fella and taking pictures is not always easy. I seem to end up with lots of pictures of the back of his head as he is moving away to his next destination. I got some great shots. Here are just a few.

H loved the tiny pumpkins. Of course, he thought the were balls and needed to be thrown, so we had to move away from them quickly.

Hunter repeatedly tried to pick up the pumpkins. He was drawn to the largest pumpkins in a pile. So strong!

A sweet family photo.

Momma and Hunter. I love this kid and his "cheese" face.

Wreck Em Tech!

2009-11-04T20:36:00.004-06:00

Hunter went to his second Tech football game when Tech played A&M. He did pretty good for all of the pre-game excitement. He loved looking for the horse (of course!). There were so many things to see. He was passed around our group and seemed to have a good time. Right about the time the game started, he decided he was done with football. Momma and Hunter walked around for most of the first half until Aunt Sassy could come pick the stinker up. So, maybe Hunter is not quite old enough to enjoy a football game. Hopefully next year.

"Get your guns up!"

State Fair 2009

2009-10-12T21:51:00.005-05:00

We have made our annual trip to the Texas State Fair! I say annual, but we haven't been able to go the last two years because of problems with my pregnancy in 2007, then Jim, Hunter's Papa had heart surgery last year. There was no way that we were going to miss it this year!

We decided to fly to Dallas at the last minute. We have traveled so much recently that we just weren't look forward to five more hours in the car. We packed our suitcases and headed to the airport. Hunter loved watching the planes take off. He did a great job spotting them. He was so cute sitting on the air vents by the window letting his curly hair blow in all directions! He did great on the flight. For such a busy kid, he has always done well on planes. He loves pushing the window shade up and down.

Getting Ready to Board the Plane

Hunter has recently started saying "cheeeese" and smiling big when we get the camera out. No one is sure where he learned this. In the above picture, as you can probably tell, he is right in the middle of saying "cheese" quite loudly!

Watching for the planes. He was fascinated.

Saturday morning, we got up and got ready to go to the State Fair. I think I was more excited than anyone. Uncle Nathan, Uncle Jared, Maci, and the boys (Joshua, Landen, and Peyton) met us at Mimi and Papa's house so we could head out to the fair.

Our first stop was the petting zoo. We weren't sure how Hunt would do after his refusal to enter any of the animal buildings at the Lubbock fair earlier in the week. Jimmy carried him in. Hunter was intrigued by the many animals, but did not want to be put down. He even pet several animals. The baby goats were especially cute. Hunter also pet the donkey. He was a big boy! So brave!

Since our kid loves horses so much, our next stop was the horse house. Hunter said hi to all of the horses in the stalls. Two horses were out walking. Hunter watched them for awhile. He made sure his daddy saw them too. Jimmy was holding Hunt, but Hunter repeatedly turned his face to make sure that he was looking at the "sorses". I too like the horse house, especially the police horses. They are so beautiful!
We set off into the fair park. Hunter and Joshua rode in the wagon, most of the time. The boys were fascinated by the water fountain. They both watched it intently. Hunter even tried to climb in. The kid loves bathtime, what can I say?!

Uncle Nathan helped Hunter climb a pole while some of the other family were getting food. Yummy! State Fair food! It's tough to beat it!
Once we all had our food, we found a picnic table and sat down. Most of us ate Fletcher's Corn Dogs. Delicious and fried! All of the boys had a great time running around the open space. Hunter chased Joshua all over. They screamed and screamed! Fun times for cousins. It is fun to see Joshua and Hunter playing together now that they are closer to the same size. They don't quite get the sharing thing, but it will come.
There was a great train exhibit. Hunter, being a lover of all things "choo-choo" was in heaven! Everytime one of the trains would come by, he would get very excited, make his train noise, then make sure we all saw the train too. He could have stayed and watched the trains all day.
Another of our regular stops is the car building. It is always fun to see the new cars and new features. Cars are another of Hunter's favorite things. He loves to drive our cars and often has a meltdown when we let him "drive" and it's time to get out. There were so many cars that this kid could drive! Hunter "drove" several cars. He kept pointing to Nate and telling him to get in and close the door. He wanted to take Uncle Nate for a drive! So cute! He is serious about the car business! His daddy couldn't stay away from the new Cameros. Hmm. . . I wonder where Hunter gets it?!
We made another stop on the other side of the train exhibit. This time Papa showed Hunter the sites.
One of our favorite stops this year was the Science Building. They have a great area for little guys. They have science experiments like bubbles, and noise makers and dinosaurs. One floor was designed just for little guys.
They had a great play area for children under two to play. Hunter preferred to play on the big boy side with Joshua and Daddy and Uncle Jared. No one else was around, but us, so we had a great time! Hunter (with Daddy's help) climbed a rockwall. There was a big rock that the kids crawled through. We stayed there for awhile. There was also a farm exhibit with trikes and rocking horses. One of Hunter's favorite parts of this area was a fire truck with a slide. He went up and down the slide. He wanted all of us to go with him. He did not want to leave the Science building. He was having way too much fun!
It was time for more food. I decided on a spiral yam (a curly sweet potato on a stick covered with cinnamon. Quite delicious!). We wandered around for awhile, looking at the sites. It rained for a few minutes so we sought shelter in one of the craft buildings. We all shared some popcorn. I then had a chocolate dipped nutty ice cream bar. Hunter sacked out about 2:00 and slept in his stroller for a good while. A drum line marched by while H was sleeping. He didn't even stir! We made our way through the Midway, seeing the new rides and crazy people. I had a funnel cake, which is a State Fair essential food. It's a miracle I don't tip the scales after this trip! It's a good thing we walk so much and burn a few of those calories!
We were all pretty pooped and the rain was coming in so we decided to head home. It was a great day! I think Hunter's first Texas State Fair was a success!

We woke up early early Sunday morning to head home. H was a trooper! We had two rows to ourselves for the flight home so we could spread out. Hunter had two seats so he could move around, which kept him quiet. He had a good time listening to music with Dad and playing with his phone. We got home, took a good long nap, and rested up.

Thank you God for sweet times with my boys and special memories.

South Plains Fair 2009

2009-09-29T21:48:00.004-05:00

We have made our annual trip to the fair. This was Hunter's second year to go. I left the good camera at home in my rush out the door. We were so excited to get there! Seriously, you can't beat free tickets. I took a few pictures with my phone so the pictures aren't great quality.

My first stop as we walk in the gate is always the fried pie booth. I get two apricot fried pies. It is best to eat one immediately and save one for breakfast the next day. It was delicious this morning, by the way. Our next stop was corn dogs. Hunter and Momma shared a corn dog. We consider South Plains Fair corn dogs our warm-up for Fletchers corn dogs at the State Fair, which we will be going to on Saturday! Lemonades (regular for me, strawberry for Jimmy), roasted corn for Jimmy (and a cup of roasted corn for Hunter, see, I'm a good momma and make sure he has veggies, even at the fair.), finally, carmel apples for dessert. We were stuffed to the core.

Our two goals, besides eating, were seeing the tractors and horses. We visited the tractors three times and let Hunter "drive" them. Hunter has become fascinated with keys, but only keys with remotes on them. No baby keys for my boy. He held Jimmy's keys and tried to start the tractors. He turned all of the knobs and levers and steering wheels. He "drove" probably a dozen tractors.

As you know, horses are one of Hunter's favorite things in the world, except last night. He was not a happy camper in the petting zoo, which we figured he would love. His little lip started trembling and he was holding tight to mom and dad. He wasn't even happy looking at the chickens. We couldn't even walk into the cow's and horses' barn. Oh well. Hopefully this fear will pass before Saturday. I will not forget my camera then and will share that experience with you in my next post.

Thank you God for time with my boys and for yummy yummy food.

Horses and Hunter

2009-09-13T20:58:00.003-05:00

This picture pretty much sums up our Saturday. What a fun day we had, despite the rain.

Jimmy went to Wyoming/South Dakota for a Texas football game and some incredible sightseeing. Hunter and I stayed at Granna and Poppa's house Friday night. Saturday morning, we got up early and took Hunter to see one of his favorite things in the entire world. . . horses. Since going to the races last Memorial Day, H has loved the "sorce" or, more recently, the "ho-wus". The Cowboy Symposium was in town and they were doing a horse parade. We just couldn't pass up the chance to take H to see the horses. We weren't exactly sure where to go, so we drove through downtown. Just as I was about to turn onto Main Street, we looked to our left and the horses were about a block away. We parked and jumped out of the car. We had the whole parade almost to ourselves. The cowboys and cowgirls all waved at Hunter and said, "good morning!" He smiled and waved the whole time. I love that he held onto his little horse the whole time. What a blessing to share this time with my kid seeing the excitement and joy on his tiny face!

After the parade, we drove to the Civic Center and ran into the parade again. We watched it for a second time. He loved it just as much then! My silly goose found a coil of bright orange tube that was running near the street we were sitting on. He climbed on it and started riding it like a horse. So smart! That picture will have to come later. I didn't get it on my camera. I think Granna got it though. There is nothing like seeing my kiddo smile and laugh and enjoy the world!

Sitting on the curb watching the horses.

H holding his ho-wus and watching all of the big horses. He looks too big here!

I love the look on his face!

Momma, Hunter, and Granna at the horse parade. (Look carefully at Hunter's face. What a clown!)

After the horse parade, we headed out to Idalou for the Apple Butter Festival. It rained on the drive out, but we hoped the rain was heading away from us. As we paid and walked it, in started pouring!! Not just a little sprinkle, but the sky opened up. We made our way over the petting zoo, umbrellas in hand. There were rabbits and sheep. Hunter had no fear as he stuck his little hand in the pen. We ate a yummy lunch of BBQ sandwiches, potato salad, and beans. We had some apple turnovers, which would have been better warm, but were still "num" as Hunter says. As the rain stopped, we walked around a little more. There wasn't just a ton to see, but we got to experience it, mud and all. Again, Granna got some good pictures that I didn't get. I've already drowned one camera this year. I kept mine in a nice dry place this time it rained!

We headed home after a full morning of fun and took a nice long nap. Granna, Poppa, and I headed to the Tech game while our sweet Aunt Jody watched Hunter. She thinks he is pretty smart. She said he talked all night, which is no surprises to any of us! (I think he gets it from his daddy!) They had a fun time!

Jimmy is home now and we have had a restful Sunday. All three of us took 2 naps today. That doesn't happen very often! We are glad to be back together again for many many more adventures.

Kisses

2009-09-07T21:43:00.002-05:00

Hunter's new thing: kisses for his ouchy bobos. He has just recently started pointing to his ouchies and making his kissy face. After I kiss the place that hurts many many times, he switches arms, legs, hands, etc. and asks for kisses again. Then, back to the first ouchy for some more loving. Have I mentioned that I love this kid?

Big Boy Potty

2009-08-31T20:16:00.002-05:00

When I got home from work today, Hunter's Granna had some big news for this Momma. Not only did Mr. H get a big boy potty this morning that he got to pick out, but he also used the potty. He skipped the easy part and went straight for a #2 in the potty. According to Granna, H woke up from his nap and asked to use the potty. She wasn't sure which word he had used (it sometimes happens. His words sound a little bit alike at times) so she took off his diaper and put him on the potty. They discussed things while he sat and lo and behold, he stood up and Granna had a surprise! Way to go kiddo! Proud of you!

First Day of "School"

2009-08-25T21:18:00.003-05:00

Today, my sweet Hunter started his first day of "school" in the Early 2's class. He is too big! He woke up early and had breakfast, put on his new shirt with his name on it ("H is for Hunter" with a "sorse" (horse) on it. So very Hunter!) We packed his lunch, backpack, and nap mat and headed to school. Momma and Daddy walked H in. Daddy had to carry his backpack because it was too big and heavy for H. It knocked him over when he tried to walk in the building. We helped him put his things under his choo-choo name badge. Then we took the beloved first day of school pictures with the new supplies, and the very proud Momma and Daddy. We walked him down to his early class, since mom has to be there early for Bible study. He wanted to fuss a little, but one of his teachers from last year grabbed him up and he did great! The teachers at his school LOVE him and think, just like we all do, that he is just the greatest thing alive! (Okay, maybe that's a small exaggeration!)

I checked on H about 9:00. He was playing and happy and cute as can be. His class was getting ready to go to the playroom, so I sat at the top of the stairs so I could watch him go without being seen. Yes, I am the obsessive mom! His class walks through the building on a rope with plastic bracelets/rings tied to it for the kids to hold on to. H did not want to hold his ring. His teachers kept gently reminding him to hold on. I think he finally figured it out. I loved the look he gave them. It looked like he was telling them that he was just fine walking on his own and he didn't need a rope. So silly!

All of my worries about the napmat were worthless, just like everyone said they would be. I went by during my lunch break and he was sacked out, lying crooked on top of his mat. I asked if it took much to get him down. Apparently, his teachers just reminded him he had to stay on his mat and he fell asleep on his own. Yea! I'm so impressed. I really wanted a picture through the window, but I didn't dare wake him. No more lunch dates with momma, I guess. It's okay though because I can sneak peeks at him whenever I can. I love it!

Hunter had a great first day at school! Thank you God!! He came home in a great mood!!

Daddy and Hunter before school.

Hunter and Momma

Hunter's super cool backpack

On a completely unrelated note, I have graduated from my cake decorating class. Tonight was our last night. Hunter's Granna and I had a fun time learning from this funny little lady at Hobby Lobby. Here's the final cake I did. Jimmy said it was tasty.

Close your Eyes

2009-08-16T21:01:00.003-05:00

Friday night, we headed to Arlington. Hunter talked non-stop for the first 3 hours of the trip. He got louder and louder. After we put in "Na-No" (Nemo) he settled down but did not want to go to sleep, even though it was getting late. One of us suggested that H close his eyes for a little bit. Well, Mr. Smarty-pants, dropped his head to the side, closed his eyes, then popped right back up and started laughing his head off. Of course, Jimmy and I were laughing just as hard! He did the same thing every time we asked him to close his eyes! This kid cracks us up! His laugh is so contagious! I want to get a bottle and grab some of it up and just open it when I need a smile. I wish I had my camera in my hand so I could have gotten video. Maybe he will do it again soon.

Thank you God for my kiddo's laughter and smiles!

Big Enough for Nap Mat

2009-08-12T22:25:00.003-05:00

I truly can't believe that Hunter is big enough to sleep on a nap mat when he goes to "school" in a few weeks. Hunter is a super busy kid who has a hard time sitting still for a few seconds. He only sleeps in his crib, not in bed with mom and dad for a nap or anything, only in his bed. This momma got a little anxious when I found out that we needed to buy our big boy a nap mat for nap time. There is no way that my child will sleep on the floor! Everyone assures me that peer pressure is a great thing, even in Hunter's class. His teacher tells me she will sit on the floor next to him to help him, but I'm still a little nervous. He is such an amazing, great kid! Super flexible, surely he will catch on to this quickly too. He does love his nap mat. He gets very upset when it is put away (I have to keep it nice and new for school, of course!). I love the mat too! I think it is great! Nice and thick and cute as can be! I really can't believe how big Mr. H is getting!

I go back to work on Friday so blog posts may not come as often! I apologize in advance.

Thank you God for health and growth for my sweet baby boy and for a great "school" for him to go to on Tuesdays/Thursdays so he can be close to Momma.

***I need to give credit where credit is due. I found this mat at www.napmatsandmore.com. I'm very impressed with their stuff!!

Mr. Putt-Putt

2009-08-11T15:54:00.003-05:00

A few weekends ago, we decided to do something fun with Hunter, so we decided to take the kiddo to Putt Putt. He likes hitting balls here at home, why not there, with the greens and animals. Sounds like fun! Well, it was a hot, still day. Surprisingly, there was little wind so it was HOT! We had a great time on the first 4 holes. Daddy showed H how to hold the club and swing. Hunter ran after his ball and picked it up and put it in the hole. All great fun! Then, Mr. H had a meltdown about hole 5 and he didn't want to play any more. Our Putt Putt adventure turned into a game. What can we do to make this fun for Hunt? He loves throwing balls so let's try to roll/throw the ball toward the hole. It worked for awhile. Thankfully there weren't many people there so we could take our time or hurry. I love any time that I can spend with my boys, fussy or not (Hunter that is, not Jimmy of course!) I'm pretty sure that I would have won if we had kept track of our strokes. I had mostly holes in 2, but I believe I did have a hole-in-one. (Don't tell Jimmy. He might think he won, but I'm pretty sure it was me!)

Daddy showing Hunter how to golf.

Hunter sitting in front of the pretty waterfall.

I loved this picture. They did this on their own. My precious boys.

Push Toy Goes for a Swim

2009-07-29T14:52:00.002-05:00

(Mama Bonk, this post may be too much for you and other germaphobe friends. . . just a warning!)

Hunter has a new fascination with the toilet. We have caught him several times opening the lid and trying to touch the water, or putting the toilet brush in the water, once he even put his juice cup in (it went straight to the dishwasher, no worries). Today, I found him with his singing push toy coming out of the toilet. What am I going to do with this kid?!

A Fun Weekend in Arlington

2009-07-21T21:43:00.002-05:00

We just got home from a visit to Arlington. We had lots of fun. Of course, everything is more fun with Mr. H around! Friday night, we drove in and had dinner with ALL of the Holloways. It has been awhile since all of Hunter's uncles have been together. Someone always has to work or has a softball game. Hunter and Joshua swam and had a great time in their matching swim trunks (sorry, the camera didn't make it out of the bag for this photo op).

Saturday, Jimmy played in the annual BEGE poker tournament with his college fraternity brothers. He came in 2nd for Player of the Year! Way to go! Aunt Maci and Joshua, Peyton, and Landen, came over for awhile and the boys had a fun playing together and practicing sharing. They really like to yell together. It was quite funny! My favorite part of the day was naptime. Always a favorite, but Hunter actually laid on the couch with me while "Cars" was on and fell asleep. Such a sweet cuddle time! We went to IHOP with Mimi and Papa for dinner and then came home and played a little more. Since dad got home late, Hunt was already in bed, but I did catch a picture of him waiting for daddy to come home. (He is standing in the window. He is a little climbing monkey!)Sunday, Jimmy drove home with Dixie and Wyatt while H and I stayed to play a little longer. We went swimming at Mimi's friend Teresa's house. He is just a little fish. I love that he has no fear of water. Sunday night I met my college roommate Sara for dinner. H was a little worn out at this point, but we had a great time catching up anyway.

Monday, H and I drove over to Frisco to see Becky and Jorja, Alysia and Holly. (I only got lost once on the way there, but Daniel set me straight, and thank goodness for my Iphone!) We went to the mall for Chic-fil-A and rode the carousel. I tell you what, H can't get enough of the "sorses". He loves them!! We rode three times and he was still upset when we had to get off because we were out of tokens. Hunter waved at Alysia, Becky, and Jorja everytime we passed them. After naptime, we went for a walk, then Holly came over. What fun to be with my girlfriends! It has been way too long. I love these girls! We spent more time talking than taking pictures, sadly.

(Is this blackmail worthy or what?!)

Tuesday, Hunter and I got up extra early to fly home. I was a little nervous to fly with such a busy boy, but he did great! Mimi helped get our luggage checked. She sure was sad to see H go home. We had the last row on the plane to ourselves, which was such a blessing! The man across the aisle had three kids, so he said listening to Hunter was music to his ears. Hunter spent most of the flight in his own seat wearing his big boy seatbelt. He got a little restless because he was so sleepy. It's hardwork keeping a 19 month old kiddo quiet on an airplane! Daddy was at the baggage claim to pick us up! What a fun thing to see my boys welcoming each other! It made my heart swell! We stopped for lunch and Granna just happened to be at the same restaurant! She had been missing her girl and baby boy! Then we came home and took a nice long nap.

Hunter in his own seat on the airplane

Thank you God for such a great weekend with friends and family and for safe travel home!

Summer Fun at Joyland

2009-07-16T21:34:00.003-05:00

We have been serving lunch to a group of middle school kids who are in Lubbock this week working with World Changers. Wednesday night, the city hosted an appreciation night at Joyland Amusement Park, so we and some of our friends, the Wolfs, decided to take our boys. I never could have imagined how much fun Mr. H would have. I tell you, he is a true dare devil! He especially loved riding with Daddy. Hunter loves horses ("sorse") so we guessed that he would enjoy the merry-go-round. Boy did he! He smiled his huge smile and laughed the entire ride! Hunter looked for Dad every time we went around and waved and laughed everytime he saw him (see video below). He rode several rides without mom or dad, just him and his friend Weston. He sat very still while the ride was going. Hunter especially loved the train around the park, which we all got to ride. He repeatedly said "choo-choo" the whole ride and laughed! He rode in a fire engine, a car, a spinny thing (of course, it is Joyland and everything spins!), and a helicopter. The kid even rode on a mini-roller coaster with Dad! I could barely see him, but Daddy held on tight. He signed "more" after the roller coaster. He did not want to get off of any of the rides. We will definitely have to go back again.

How cute is that little head sticking out of the window?

Despite the bored look, he loved the choo-choo

This smile is priceless.

No Dad, don't make me get off!

Thank you God for my boys, smiles, and laughter.

Mommy and Me Swim Class

2009-07-03T21:01:00.004-05:00

Hunter and I have been taking Mommy and Me swim classes at Tech the last two weeks and we loved it! Hunter learned how to kick, kick, kick, scoop his arms, and blow bubbles in the water. Well, actually, he just opened his mouth and put it in the water most of the time, but he's a little guy so it's okay. Swim class was at Tech's new leisure pool which is very nice and fun with a lazy river, fountains, a diving board and slide, and much more! Very cool! The weather was beautiful every morning, except one, but we still got to swim. Hunter got to to off the diving board two days. His teacher was waiting in the water as I dropped him slowly into the water. Hunter liked to jump off the ledge. . . one, two, three, JUMP! He was pretty good at this one! They gave us little bath toys everyday. One of our favorite things was to throw the toy and then swim over to it, with mom holding on to him. The last day was free swim. The current was turned on in the river, the fountains were all on, and we got to do whatever we wanted. We got to go early and we had a great time! We are sad that class is over. We loved swimming everyday and met some really nice people. Of course, we knew Belle and her mom. Also, one of my very good friends since 2nd grade, Averi, and her son were in our class. It was nice catching up with her. Thank you God for my son, beautiful weather, and swimming!

**This blog was edited with bigger pictures. Somehow I figured it out. Duh! :)

Rangers Game and More "Bay-Bah"

2009-06-23T13:16:00.002-05:00

We took Hunter to a Rangers game a few weeks ago. We had so much fun! The weather was crazy (humidity, tornado watches, lightning, etc.). H looooovved the food so much! He ate almost a whole hot dog by himself, shared a large popcorn with Joshua (H was double-fisting the popcorn! Ha!), then he shared my lemon chill. How is he not huge?! He loves "bay-bah" (baseball) so what little he watched of the game, he seemed to enjoy. H spent most of the game walking around with his Mimi, Papa, and Joshua.
Mom, Dad, and Hunter before the game

First, he ate a hot dogThen, he started in on the popcorn. Oh, he loved the popcorn!

The crazy weather all around with a beautiful rainbow.

We celebrated Father's Day early on Saturday. Joshua, Peyton, and Landen came over with Jared and Maci. Uncle Daniel came over after his softball game. The boys had a blast playing baseball in the front yard. Hunter tried really hard to do the things Joshua did, but he was still a little small. He laughed everytime he and daddy hit the ball. Thank you God for cousins and baseball!

H and Joshua playing basketball

H and Daddy hitting the baseball.

Cousins having fun!

Happy (Half) Birthday Mr. H!

2009-06-11T21:48:00.005-05:00

Today is Mr. H's 18 month birthday. I cannot believe that he is that old already. This kid is full of joy and silliness! He keeps us laughing. He gives the best slobber kisses and great big hugs. We love every single second we get to spend with our kiddo. I am so thankful God gave him to us and continues to bless our family daily.

Today Granna and I took Hunter swimming at a big pool for the first time. He swims in his little pool and in the hot tub regularly, but never in a big pool. He is a little fish! He was a little hesitant at first, but after a little lunch, he was ready to go. He wanted to wear his floaties on his arms and walk around the 2 foot pool, which is perfect for Mr. H! He tried to make friends with some of the bigger boys in the pool who threw the ball with him for a little while. Hunter loved it and laughed so hard. He tried copying the big boys who were jumping and swimming. He felt very big! He spent a lot of time just walking around in the water. As the day went on, he got braver and braver. Hunter played to exhaustion and a little beyond! He fell asleep soon after we got in the car to head home. Of course, once he got in his bed, he talked to himself for about 30 minutes before finally closing his little eyes.

We love you more than words sweet boy and wish you many many more (half) birthdays.

The Mystery of "Oash"

2009-06-07T20:37:00.003-05:00

Hunter has been using a new word lately and we couldn't for the life of us figure it out. It didn't sound like anything we knew and we were just stumped. "Oash". What could this strange new word mean?!

After days of trying to figure out "oash," we finally learned the meaning. I realized that Hunter used the word most when he had his cup or wanted a drink. It didn't matter if he was drinking milk, juice, or water, he said "oash". Finally, I just asked. "Hunter, what is 'oash'?" He pointed to his cup and repeated "oash." Aaah!! Now I get it! The mystery has been solved. "Oash" is whatever H is drinking. I'm thinking maybe it started as juice and he made his own word.

So, this summer, we will enjoy lots of "oash" and have lots of fun just hanging out together!

He has been known to babble and make up words. My favorite and the cutest is "dab-ah-dab-ah-dab"! He walks around repeating it. I'm pretty sure he has his own little language and I'm thankful when I get to be a part of it and learn the meaning of "Hunter words". I sure do love this kid and I'm thankful God chose me to be his Momma.

Big Boy at the Park

2009-06-04T17:15:00.002-05:00

Momma and Hunter went to the park this afternoon. What a fun time we had! H is a big climber and loved climbing up and down and all around the jungle gym. This is a great little park with smaller slides for my little guy and lots of steps to climb up. Most of the parks around us are made for the big kids. It's slightly a bummer for little guys and their mommas. Hunter had so much fun that he didn't want to leave. As we were walking back to the car, Mr. H slipped his hand out of mine and ran back to the jungle gym and headed straight for the slide. Of course, being the good momma I am, I let him play a few more minutes. Momma had an appointment with Aunt Sassy for a haircut, so our time was limited. We will definitely be heading back to the park for another go-round soon.

Lubbock friends, if you know of any fun spots for little guys to play, please let me know. I would love to take Hunter out to play around town, but I'm not sure where the good spots are.

**Note: Pictures taken with my IPhone so the quality isn't great!

It's a pencil salesman, no, it's Superman!

2009-06-01T12:14:00.003-05:00

I just had to post pictures of Hunt in his church outfit yesterday. He looked so cute that I just couldn't resist. Seriously, we have the CUTEST kid in the entire universe. Who could resist that smile?!
Today is our first official morning home together for the summer. My Superman found him a cozy spot this morning. I missed the picture where he was relaxed against the pillow wrapped up in the blanket. So precious! He has started carrying a blanket around the house around his shoulders like a king's robe. He has also fallen in love with his "orse" (horse). We took him to the horse races in Ruidoso last weekend and he loved watching the horses and tractors. Since then, he says "orse" often and plays with his plastic horse and rides his zebra. He even found a horse in a book from Nana and points at it everytime we read the horse page! So smart! His other new word (that I have discovered) is "ash" (pacifier). Silly goose loves the thing, especially when he is sleepy. You can probably tell by the pictures that Hunter finally had his first haircut. He looks so handsome. I will get pictures from Hunter's Aunt Sassy and Granna and post that another time. Happy Summer Hunter Fans! Be blessed!

The Life of Hunter

2009-05-22T16:27:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned how much I love this kid? Crazy about him . . . head over heels crazy. Since my camera drowned, I haven't taken many pictures. Here's a few I've taken lately. The kid loves to eat. Sadly, he inherited the sweet tooth from mom and dad. He loves his veggies though so it's not too big of a deal.

He also inherited the sleeping gene from us too! I went to check on him a few nights ago and this is what I found. Sleeping sideways, foot hanging out the crib. I am so blessed that my kid loves to sleep! Everytime I look at him sleeping in his crib, I realize how big he is getting. He's not the tiny baby that was once there. I keep telling him to slow down!

One of his new favorite things to do is put on mom or dad's t-shirts that are laying around. Yes, there is laundry on the floor. Summer is here and the house will be cleaned. He is absolutely adorable walking around in our clothes. This is his cabinet where his cups are. He loves to play in them. Thankfully, he is decent at putting them back up. I always know he is thirsty when he starts drinking from an empty cup he has pulled out. So smart!

My baby is in Ruidoso without me. I'm going to say "so long Hunter fans" so I can hit the road to go hold my baby boy. Jimmy is sick with the flu. . . no, not swine, I promise. Blessings to each of you who reads this and loves my kid too!

Zoo and Monsoons

2009-05-07T20:46:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, we went to Arlington. We had a great weekend planned! Fort Worth Zoo Saturday morning, Rangers game Saturday night! Can you beat that?! No way!

Saturday started out pretty overcast and very humid. Hunter did great at the zoo. He's still a little young to notice and enjoy everything, but we had a great time, nonetheless. We went with Hunter's Mimi and Papa, Uncle Jared and Aunt Maci and cousins Joshua and the twins, Peyton and Landen, as well as Uncle Daniel. Hunter and I rode on the train with Maci and Joshua. Hunter smiled and laughed when the train started moving. He really enjoyed the bears! One was up and moving around. He watched him very closely. One of my favorite things was a gorilla sitting right up to the window, looking very grumpy. H walked up to him, tentatively, and looked at him real close. He decided that wasn't for him and he turned around and tried to get anyone close to pick him up, not realizing where mom and dad were. He went back and looked at Mr. Grumpy Gorilla a few times. Love it! About the time we finished up, we noticed that it looked like rain was coming in. We decided that we better head to the car before the rain started pouring. We had Hunter in his stroller, Joshua in the wagon, and Peyton and Landen in the double stroller. We had been walking about 2 minutes when the skies opened up . . . I mean, seriously, a downpour! We RAN to the car . . .soaking wet. . . and having a blast! We all made it to the car in one piece, thankfully. No one shrank or melted!

Hunter was asleep in his car seat before we left the parking lot. I guess we wore the poor kid out! We had planned on going to the Ranger game that night but decided that we had been wet enough for one day. Thanks Jared and Maci for the yummy burgers and fun time instead of the game! You're so sweet! :)

Sadly, I cannot post any pictures of our super fun zoo trip. Our nice new camera that I got for Christmas drowned in the monsoon. I got Hunter covered up so he wouldn't melt, but the camera was sacrificed in the process. So sad!

Thank you God for family, animals, and good times!

16 months

2009-04-26T21:42:00.003-05:00

Hunter James is growing like a weed. He is busy busy busy all of the time. He n-e-v-e-r quits moving, even in his sleep. I think that is why he can eat so much and not gain much weight! He is a silly goose!

He knows several animal noises: "ooo" (cow), "oo oo oo" (monkey, which he can point at in his bedroom), "zzzz" (bee), "ha hoo" (a very monotone party animal). We have worked on puppy dog, but he isn't too interested in that noise. Strange considering he thinks he is a puppy dog.
He points at his belly button (and shows it), his eyes, ears, teeth, nose (you have to watch the order you ask, you can't ask nose then teeth, it's slightly problematic!), and feet.
You ask him where someone is and he will point and smile. If we are looking at a picture, he will tell you who is in it.
He loves to get his "DIAAAAA-puh" (diaper) changed.
He loves reading books and having them read to him.
He loves to go outside and play. He discovered that the ground gets hot last week and it startled him.
He's a great sleeper (like his mom and dad).
Hunter has learned that it is great fun to hold Wyatt by the beard. "Diss" (Dixie) is one of his favorite words and things.
He is cutting some big fat teeth right now, so he has been super grumpy and whiny for about a week. No fun for the grown-ups. When he wants something he points and says "nya" over and over. Spoiled a little?!
He l-o-v-e-s to throw "ba" (balls). In fact, everything is a ball and can be thrown.
Hunter loves Daddy's "aah" (hat). He wears it anytime he can, forward, backward, and sideways.

I'm sure there a million other little things I could post about my sweet boy, but I will have to end it here. Someday, I will post about our lunches on Wednesdays and other fun things we do. The countdown has begun. . . 21 days until summer! Yahoo! Man, we are blessed! Thank you God for my sweet little family.

Our Day

2009-04-13T19:44:00.003-05:00

I had today off! I love 4 day weekends! Hunter and I had a very fun day together doing a whole lot of nothing. Here are some highlights from our day:

Eating dog food
Climbing through the doggy door
Reading lots of books
Eating snacks
Taking a non-nap (meaning he stayed in his bed talking for about an hour)
Getting into everything he is not supposed to
Playing on mom and dad's bed
Torturing Dixie and Wyatt
Learned what a giraffe says (insert tongue here as giraffes don't have vocal chords)

Here's the highlight of my day. I was about to hang up Hunter's clothes in his closet (which didn't get finished by the way) when I realize that my sweet busy boy has disappeared. I go to follow him when I hear a dog-like noise coming from our bedroom. I walk in to find Hunter face in the dog's water bowl getting a drink. Sigh. After a good talking-to and face wash, we got on with our day. Granna knows what a struggle it is to keep this boy out of the dog food. What do I do with this kid?! I love my days home with this crazy kid!

More Hunter Pics

2009-04-13T14:19:00.004-05:00

Visit http://anewlifeformel.blogspot.com/

There are some great pics of Mr. H in his Easter outfit and hunting eggs. Just precious. Thanks mom.

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-12T20:44:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter from the Holloways! We had a blessed day today with our sweet boy. He is a hoot! We did a practice run with picking up Easter eggs on Saturday night. Mr. H thought the eggs were balls. As he picked them up, he said "ba" and threw the egg. Little stinker. I thought we were going to have to put his basket in his crib with him last night! H looked very handsome for church in his sweater vest, hat, and matching socks. Granna took better pictures of just H. He was getting a little sleepy so I didn't attempt the Hunter only pictures. We went to Aunt Jody's for lunch with the family. Of course, Hunter was the center of attention! Thank you for the sweet presents for H! We are truly blessed this Easter.

He is Risen! Praise the Lord!

Where Did He Go?

2009-04-08T20:04:00.002-05:00

We knew the day was coming when our sweet boy was going to go through the doggie door. He is fascinated by it. He loves looking out the door, especially when Dixie and Wyatt go out. He has been sitting by the backdoor, looking out waiting for them to come in. When he sees them coming, he starts wiggling all over and laughing. Most of the time, D and W run over him and he loves it! Tonight, he was sitting by the door. I walked into the other room for 2 seconds and I came back into the living room just as his little foot went through the door. He thought he was pretty funny. He tried to do it again (as you see in the pictures). We will have to keep the doggie door closed while Mr. H is at play from now on! Just another toy I guess. What a funny kid we have! He is full of joyous laughter, smiles, and silliness.
See ya later Bud!

Growth

2009-03-31T20:07:00.003-05:00

There are days when I look at my sweet baby boy and realize that he has changed. I'm talking about physically looking bigger overnight. How does that happen? Today, I looked at Hunter as he ran past me and thought that he looks so big. He is taller. He looks older, less like a baby and more like a big boy. I don't get it! I see him every day. How can my baby change before my eyes?

Daddy and Hunter feeding the ducks on our trip to the park on a windy Saturday.

Also, H has been promoted to the Toddler class in Sunday School! Oh my! He looked so big in there playing with the big kids. What a fun and blessed time in the Holloway house.

Welcome Wyatt

2009-03-24T22:03:00.003-05:00

This is our new friend Wyatt Griffin Holloway. He is a sweet, shy little mutt (blue heeler/terrier mix). We adopted him today from the Morris Shelter, a very nice safehouse for dogs. He has gotten along well with all of the dogs and Hunter today. He seems to have a very quiet, sweet spirit. He just clicked with our family. He even took Hunter for a walk while we were filling out paper work! Ha! While looking at the dogs, he and I just connected, for lack of a better word. We can't wait to introduce him to our friends and family. Just another of God's blessings in our life.

Kiss Me, I'm (a little) Irish

2009-03-18T23:01:00.006-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day members of the Hunter fan club!

We are l-o-v-i-n-g Spring Break. The weather has been beeeautiful! H and I are just hanging out, running errands, doing some spring cleaning, etc. Yesterday, while waiting for our taxi to come pick us up (aka Granna) because I hadn't been cleared to drive yet, Hunter, Dixie, and I spent a little time outside. FYI, I have the most handsome young man around. He looked like the cutest little man in the whole world! I'm no fashionista, but I must say, he looked pretty sharp! I love my job for this reason, I get these little breaks to spend with my kiddo. Happy Spring Break friends. I pray it is blessed for each of you, just as we feel so blessed here at the Holloway house.

Above: St. Patrick's Day 2009
Below: St. Patrick's Day 2008
When did my baby turn in to a little boy?!

Some Hunter Updates:
*Words: Uh-oh, Up, Poppa, Daddy, Dixie, yes, please (mostly signs, but signs "cheese" instead of please, whatever, he's communicating. I know what he means!)
*Hunter loves to dance (he does a great happy dance, has started a new washing the hair type move, and has started spinning. He doesn't get his moves from his momma!)
*He loves cars. He rides his rider/pusher car around the house making car noises. Very cute. He likes playing with his garage, especially now that he has seen his big friend Talyn do it.
*He loves phones. Anytime Jimmy is home, Hunter has his phone. He carries it around and talks on it. He knows how to make it light up. He knows a real phone from a fake because he knows how to turn all of the lights on. He has made several accidental phone calls. He puts cars, shoes, his cup, etc., up to his ear and says "hello" (well, I'm sure that what he's saying! Ha!) and laughs. He has the BEST laugh in the entire world.
*He loves playing with anything and everything that he is not supposed to: dog food, the remote to the massage chair, picture frames, the tv remote (for some reason, it always ends up on QVC when he grabs the remote. I don't get it!), and the doggy door (some day he is going to actually go through it, I'm certain!)
*He loves to eat. The kid loves his veggies and sweets! He gets so excited at meal time. Someday I will get a picture of his excited face. It's hilarious! He has also figured out how to open the pantry and has gotten himself a snack once or twice. I guess it is time to baby proof the pantry! I'm afraid that means mommy proofing it too!
*The kid runs everywhere! It's tough keeping up.

Helping pull weeds. (Yes, Dixie is wearing a pretty green scarf. She didn't want to get pinched!)

H making his car noise.

My precious big boy riding his turtle on a beautiful spring day. What a smile!

Was Blind but Now I See!

2009-03-16T22:15:00.003-05:00

It has been an interesting weekend at the Holloway house. Friday, I had laser correction done on my eyes. (Please excuse any typos, my vision is still a little cloudy). I slept for about 3 hours Friday afternoon. FYI, Hunter has a pretty cool daddy who kept him quiet and played with him so I could rest. I felt pretty good, vision was pretty blurry. I put my cool goggles back on and went back to bed about 11. Valium + Vicodin+ Really good sleep!

Saturday, I woke up and saw the clock for the first time since I was about 5. What an amazing feeling! I felt okay, until I got in the sunlight, in the house, with the blinds closed. So, I scrambled Hunter and egg and made him some toast in the dark, with my cool, medical sunglasses on. Jimmy and Hunter took me to my check-up. Everything looked good. . . irritation was normal (like sand in my eyes! Ouch!). . . Light sensitivity normal (but not fun). . . blurry vision is normal. I went home and H and I took a good nap.

Our good friends Todd, Tiffany, Talyn (and Tatum coming in May) came to LBK to see us and some other friends. I was definitely not the hostess with the mostest. It felt best when my eyes were closed, so I think I slept awhile Saturday. We did meet them for lunch at Fazoli's. You know you have good friends who don't mind being in public with you with absolutely no make-up on.

Sunday, I thought we might make it to church, but my eyes wouldn't stay open in the light. Yikes! The feeling of something stuck in my eyes was gone, but wow! who knew the light was so bright in our house! More sleeping on Sunday. We did go out to a great dinner at Red Lobster though. Yummy!

Today was a much much better day. Light sensitivity almost gone, no irritation, just a little cloudy vision. Still no make-up. Ran errands with mom and Aunt Sassy and Hunter. I go back to the Dr. tomorrow for a check-up and hopefully to get my bandage contacts out. Thank you for your prayers. If you see me, please don't be frightened! Ha!

Mr. H has been a trooper through this all. He thinks my goggles are quite funny. I have to wear them any time I sleep or play with him. I tell you what, God gave us the happiest kid in the world. He laughs and smiles all of the time.

Our Sweet Oscar Bob

2009-03-05T21:17:00.003-06:00

How we love you and miss you our sweet boy.

Last Saturday, our time with our first baby ended. Oscar was diagnosed with cancer in October 2007. After surgery, he gave us another 16 months. We miss him every day. Our lives just won't be the same without you Bob.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T20:34:00.004-06:00

I have to brag on Jimmy a little. I have the BEST husband in the entire world! I had a little bit of a busy week. I had close to 5 million papers to grade throughout the week. Jimmy spent 3 hours Tuesday night grading papers with me. No tv. Just the 2 of us and a stack of papers! I couldn't have done it without him. I think he kept me from a panic attack! Ha!

Friday, I got home from work to find the house cleaned. What a blessing! There were beautiful pink tulips in the kitchen (my favorite) and the sweetest card! We got to get all dressed up and went to Double Nickel Steakhouse just the 2 of us. He arranged for H to spend the night at Granna's. I got to sleep in until 11 this morning! I can't tell you the last time I did that! I love sleeping so that was a big gift. We hung out with our sweet boy this afternoon. All of this after we discussed not doing anything or buying gifts for Valentines! Thank you God for such an amazing husband!

I am a lousy wife. I didn't buy Jimmy a gift so I made dinner Saturday night. One of his favorites, spaghetti. I also did the dishes! Usually, I cook and he cleans. Sorry I'm not such a good cook, Babe.

You know I can't write a blog without a mention or picture of Hunter so here you go! Tonight was H's first experience with spaghetti! This was also the first time he has actually eaten off of his plate. In the past when I tried to serve him on a plate, he has dumped it onto his tray and thrown the plate on the floor. He did a great job and didn't get TOO messy. He is such a great eater! My kid is growing so fast!

I love both of my boys so much I think my heart might explode!

Welcome New Cousins (and Superman)!

2009-02-14T20:25:00.002-06:00

Peyton Thomas and Landen Michael joined the Holloway family on January 10, 2009. We are so excited to welcome them to the world. We went to visit the new guys a few weekends ago. They are sooooo tiny! We had a blast letting the "bigger" kids get to know each other a little bit and loving on the little guys. Mimi and Papa had a fun time with ALL of their grandboys! We went to the park to feed the ducks. Hunter ate the bread I gave him to throw (no worries, it was fresh bread! Only the best for these ducks!) We played on the slides and swings. What a fun day!

Mimi and Papa bought H some new pjs for Valentines. What a cutie pie this kid is! He wore his Superman jammies very proudly. One of his new favorite toys is his daddy's hat. If he can get his hands on it, he wears it backwards on his head for the longest time. He also LOVES phones. He will pick up any phone he can get his hands on. He has his own that doesn't work, but that's no fun because he loves the ones that light up! H puts anything that looks like a phone up to his ear and either laughs or says hello (ok, it just sounds a little like hello!) He is precious!!!

January Update (13 months)

2009-01-31T22:22:00.002-06:00

We are just having a blast in the 2009! Hunter is walking everywhere. We can't keep up! He is busy busy busy all of the time. He is a true joy to us all! Hunter finally hit 20 lbs a few weeks ago. Such a big boy! He eats like a champ. It's a wonder he isn't bigger than he is! He loves giving slobber kisses and petting the dogs (Oscar is not amused by Hunter). He loves phones and remote controls. He has a gazillion toys, but only wants to play with the things he isn't supposed to, like cell phones, the tv, the doggy door, etc. What a mess! We are head over heels in love with this kid!

Hunter went to his first Tech basketball game. As always, he did awesome! He is a trooper! I'm always surprised at how well he does when we are out. We were out of the house for a long time and missed a nap. Mr. H never got fussy! I love sharing the things I enjoy with my sweet boy! We did spend most of the second half walking around the arena in the stroller, but it wasn't much of a game so it didn't matter much!

Hunter has found a new toy. An orange Toy Story cone from Jimmy and my visit to Disney on Ice several years ago. He LOVES it! He talks into it, like a megaphone. He loves anything that makes his voice loud (even shoes!). He puts it on his head. He chews on the end. Also, as you can see in the picture, he has discovered his tongue. It has been out of his mouth most of the last few days. He walks, plays, crawls, reads, does just about everything with his tongue out.

He has started saying "Uh-oh" when he drops something or runs into something. Very very cute. The problem is that our Dixie dog is very very sensitive to that word and runs and hides when he starts saying it. What are we going to do with these 2?! He will tell you that a cow says "ooooo". We are working on other animal noises, but H is only interested in the cow's moo right now. We are also working on pointing to various body parts, but he isn't very interested in that either. It will come! He will occasionally show you where his teeth are, but that's about it. Bath time is one of his favorite times. We will follow him as he walks around the house. Several times, he has walked to the tub and tried to climb in. He is working on saying "bath". Very cute!

Our times with our sweet boy are so blessed. He is full of laughs and smiles all of the time. God truly blessed us with this kiddo!

Tagged

2009-01-17T20:59:00.004-06:00

Well, it finally happened. . . I got tagged. Not to be a poor sport, I will participate! Here we go!

My precious Hunter is in his jumper for one of the first times. Sadly, I'm not sure when this was taken! I got a new computer and was not as careful as I should have been about saving pictures! Oh well. I will guess that H is about 5 months old. I can't believe how little he looks! He loved his bouncer. I loved his bouncer! So long good friend! We put the bouncer away when we put up Christmas. Sorry, wish it were a more interesting pic! This "tag" did give me a good reason to put my pics back on my computer from a flash drive. Thanks Mama Bonk!

Now, I tag:
1. Kerri P.
2. Kristin Mc.
3. Becky J.
4. Ashley S.

Be blessed fans of Mr. Hunter!

Girlfriends with Strollers

2009-01-15T22:24:00.003-06:00

We recently went to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl. We stayed at the Westin Galleria and spent quite a bit of time shopping. Thankfully, 3 of my favorite people and longest friends live close by. Becky (and Miss Jorja) and Holly met us for lunch and some strolling and catching up. We missed Alysia who had volleyball (as usual). It has been so fun going through the many stages of life with these girls. Now, we have entered motherhood (and future motherhood) together. We went from teenagers at the mall shopping to moms shopping with strollers in the blink of an eye. Such sweet friends.

Hunter (12 1/2 months) and Jorja (17 months).

It's a miracle we got a shot of everyone looking at the camera! Ha! It was a busy lunch. I think Holly was in shock by the end! :)

This is a better picture of what lunch was actually like.

Busy bee Hunter and Sassy pants Jorja!

Thank you Becky for replacing my lost pictures! What would I do without you?!

Blessed beyond measure by sweet time with friends. Love you girlfriends!

For Moms

2009-01-12T21:08:00.000-06:00

Disappointed

2009-01-12T21:01:00.003-06:00

I was ready to post new pictures from our recent trip to the Cotton Bowl, Galleria, etc. I got a new camera from my sweet husband for Christmas. I downloaded the software that came with the camera and initiated the download. Well, something happened and the software didn't work correctly and my pictures are gone. I have lost my pictures. Here is a list of what would have been in this post if my computer/camera/software had not gone berserkers on me.
1. Hunter, Momma, and Daddy in our Cowboy jerseys (maybe this is good since Momma didn't have on make-up!) Still cute pics of my boys!
2. Before/After pics of our house after Christmas
3. Jimmy and I at the Cotton Bowl
4. Sweet pics of friends Holly, Becky and Sweet Miss Jorja at the Galleria.
I am bummed out that I lost these pics. Sigh. So much for updating the blog.

This is a Christmas pic, but I love it. Blogs without pictures are boring. I had to add one!

As for Mr. H. He is really working on walking. Today he has become a brave boy taking more steps and becoming more steady on those legs. He has 4 teeth, which are sharp (ask Granna!) Words are coming slowly but surely. He recently learned what a cow says but doesn't quite get the "m" sound so it is just "oo". He is good at Dada, but refuses to say Momma. He did give in today. At lunch, he said "my dada, mamama." It works for me! Life is fun around these parts. Hunter is full of laughs and sillies all day long! I sure wish I had pictures to share with you. Pictures or not, we are blessed.

Christmas Scrapbook

2008-12-30T23:45:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Life with Hunter

2008-12-19T22:54:00.002-06:00

Each day is a new adventure with our sweet boy. I wake up never knowing what to expect out of our silly goose. Here are a few examples of his silliness:

Saturday morning Jimmy's family was in town for H's birthday party. H wakes up, I give him some milk and put him back to bed, per our normal Saturday morning routine. He was mostly asleep when I laid him back in his bed. I crawl my sleepy self back into my warm, comfortable bed looking forward to a little more sleep. About 5 minutes later I hear a "thud" through the monitor. Hunter is known to throw his pacifiers out of the bed when he doesn't want to be in his crib. He wasn't fussing or talking, so the "thud" was unexpected. I know the sound of the pacifier falling, it definitely was not the pacifier. I jump out of bed, with no regard for Uncle Nate sleeping on the couch, and run (yes, flat out run) across the house to find my sweet, barely one year old sitting on the floor in his room looking around. He started crying once he saw me. Silly goose! I had never seen him even attempt this before. I guess he learned his lesson. It doesn't have to be said, but daddy and Uncle Nate lowered the crib that night. No more kamikaze baby around these parts!

Another example of H's silly life:
Today at lunch with Granna and Aunt Sassy, I had a root beer. Mr. H took the straw in his mouth and started drinking. Thankfully the cup was almost empty because I think he would have finished it off. Somehow, the silly goose learned how to drink out of a straw overnight. We have tried several other times with no luck. Now, out of the blue, he can do it without any hesitancy! He has been drinking out of a straw all day. Oh my, he is getting too big!

I have been a little on the grumpy side today. No reason, just a grumpy day. After bedtime Hunter kept waking up and fussing so Jimmy went to check on him. H and I sat on the couch for a little while cuddling. Hunter decided to be very silly. He started giving tummy raspberries and laughing his big belly laugh. After we laughed and laughed at his silliness, I told him that it was time to go back to bed. He could either lay on the couch with me for a few minutes or go back to bed. Then the goose started trying to fake me out by putting his head part of the way down then pulling it back up and laughing. I was rolling! I truly needed a good laugh tonight. God gives such sweet times when I need it the most. He is just my joy! Hunter's laughter is truly the best medicine for a grumpy momma!

Hunter now has 4 teeth. The second one on top finally cut. It didn't seem to bother him nearly as badly as the other top tooth did. The bottom 2 just popped right in without any problems.

I just thought I would share a few of Hunter's newest achievements with the members of his fan club. (Can you call crib jumping an achievement?) I say it again and again, we are truly and absolutely blessed beyond measure.

Santa Baby

2008-12-19T12:24:00.003-06:00

We went to see Santa at the mall (and start our Christmas shopping! Yikes!). Hunter laughed at Santa from a distance, but the second Jimmy tried to hand Hunter to Santa, it was a no go. Hunter clung to Daddy with all his might. After some unsuccessful crying pictures (even the pacifier didn't help!), Momma stepped in and saved the day. Of course, I hadn't planned on being in the picture or I might have looked a little nicer. Maybe next year will be a little better. I hope Hunter's crying doesn't keep Santa away! Ha! Merry Christmas to all of the members of Hunter's fan club!

One Year Stats

2008-12-17T21:39:00.002-06:00

Hunter went to the doctor on Monday. All looks good. . . healthy and strong!

Weight: 18 lbs. 12 oz. (Yes, a little guy, only in the 5%)
Height: 28 1/2 inches (about 25%)

We are a little bummed that Mr. H isn't quite big enough to turn around in his car seat. He eats like a champ. Today for lunch he had green beans, pinto beans, chicken, pears, and a slice of wheat bread. Then he ate part of my lunch. A few bites of a mini-cheeseburger, some mac and cheese, and most of my fruit cup (with a little whipped cream and marshmallows). FYI-This is not my normal lunch, we had our Christmas party for 6th grade today. Maybe he will hit that 20lb mark soon. We already bought the seat. We can't wait to use it! Hunter sits in the car and makes all kids of funny noises and talks to his mirror and sometimes tries to sing a little with momma. Soon we will be able to watch him do these things!

It's Party Time

2008-12-17T21:12:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy Birthday Hunter James!

2008-12-11T21:41:00.005-06:00

What a year this has been! It has flown by with lightning speed. I sat tonight rocking my sweet boy to sleep (and nursing for the last time, sigh) thinking of all of the amazing things that have happened this year. All day I have been playing December 11, 2007 through my head. Every time I looked at my watch I tried to remember what I was doing this time last year. I can't believe my son is a year old! It is absolutely amazing to see God's handiwork as I look back. I can see His fingerprints with every thought and memory. I see His love and goodness every time I look at Hunter. What a mighty God!Hunter James December 11, 2007

December 11, 2008 (the booger wouldn't look at the camera for anything! So busy!)

As the cherry on top of the cake, my sweet Mr. H took 2 steps by himself today! What a cool thing that we can always remember Hunter's first 2 steps happened on his first birthday. Okay, so maybe the steps were more like stumbles and completely accidental, but they were steps by himself nonetheless. I am amazed everyday by this amazing kid that we have been blessed with. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this cool kiddo.

Now for the big birthday party this weekend. Party on little dude!

November

2008-12-02T21:37:00.005-06:00

Hello Members of the Hunter Fan Club! Happy Belated Thanksgiving! Here are some pictures to catch you up on the happenings in Mr. H's exciting life. Enjoy!

Hunter spent an evening helping Granna and Aunt Sassy put up the Christmas tree. He is a big helper! Of course, as always, we need to taste everything.

*Adult supervision close by*

Hunter's first Thanksgiving was a BLAST! He is a champ when it comes to eating. He will eat anything he is given. You would think he would be bigger than he is. He is still a little guy. Most people can't believe he is about to turn one. 9 month pants are still too big for my tiny hiney.Poppa taught Hunter to say "gobble gobble" which is "ga-ga-ga". So very cute!

Hunter's first post-turkey nap.

Hunter got new hat and mittens for winter. He is absolutely the most adorable little elf in the entire world! I've never seen anything like Mr. H in his hat.

My favorite!

H has a special drawer at Granna's house for his toys. He decided that the best thing for him to do would be to climb on into the drawer so the toys were at his fingertips. So clever!

As of today, Mr. H is cutting some more teeth. Life is not so fun for a little guy when his mouth hurts. Come on teethies, let's get here already! Poor poor Hunter. He is such a sweet angel baby. I can't believe he will have a birthday next week. Where has the time gone? This has been one of the most amazing years of my life!

11 Months . . . This may get sappy!

2008-11-12T22:04:00.007-06:00

Sweet Mr. H (almost 11 months)

My sweet Hunter turned 11 months yesterday. Where has the time gone?! This time last year I was on "home rest", 33 1/2 weeks pregnant. I absolutely loved being pregnant, even with all of the problems we faced and the fears we had. Who knew that I would love being a mommy so much more than I loved being pregnant? I stand in awe of God's handiwork every day when I watch my sweet boy growing, learning, and constantly changing. I love to lay in bed and listen to my little man breathing his deep sleep breaths. I love the sweet hug I get every morning when I get him up to eat and when he lays his sleepy head on my shoulder. I love slobber kisses, over and over again. I love how he lights up when I come in at lunch and after school. I love praying over him every night before I put him to bed. I love every smile and every belly laugh. I love that he has learned to pull up our shirts and plant a big belly raspberry! I love every tickle spot. I love his "I'm being a toot and I know it" face. I love watching him try new foods (most recently whole milk!). I love falling asleep on the couch on Saturday mornings with Hunter on my chest for a short nap. I love watching him throw a ball and make a basket. I love watching Jimmy and Hunter playing together and doing manly things. I love catching an unexpected glimpse of Hunter and realizing how absolutely beautiful he is. I love when he shares his pacifier with me. I love showing Hunter off to my friends and co-workers and students. I love when strangers stop to talk to him and tell me what a sweet baby I have (I whole-heartedly agree!) The list could go on and on! I find new and exciting things every day to fall in love with. God went above and beyond when He blessed Jimmy and me with our Hunter James. I stand in awe of God's huge love for us and for our sweet boy. Thank you Father for our sweet baby boy and for the first 11 months of his life. I can't imagine how great the future will be!

One year ago, seems like yesterday. 34 weeks pregnant.

Happy Veterans Day

2008-11-11T10:28:00.002-06:00

Thank you Veterans for protecting the freedom of my family. . . of my precious son.

Thank you soldiers fighting now.

God Bless the USA!

Wreck 'Em Tech

2008-11-02T00:22:00.003-05:00

Go Tech! Hunter has learned to clap. He was a great sport!

Tonight was Hunter's first football game. We thought it was appropriate for Hunter's first game to be the Tech vs. Texas game since we are a "house divided". Hunter did really well with all of the noise and excitement. He took it all in. We left the house about 4:30 and had dinner in the Red Raider Club, got settled in our seats and had about an hour to take it all in. Hunter made it about 10 minutes into the game and sacked out. How he could sleep with all of the noise is beyond my comprehension! What a mad house! It was an electric atmosphere. Easily the most exciting game I've ever been too! Aunt Sassy came and picked up the kid and put him to bed. Just too much excitement when you are 10 1/2 months old! Texas played really well. It was a close game. I might have an ulcer now because of the stress and nerves in the fourth quarter. Tech managed to pull it out in the last second (literally!)

Guns Up! Hunter and Momma!

A House Divided
**We have season tickets. Jimmy may look like a Tech fan, but he was secretly cheering for Texas. We must keep the peace in our section. Not everyone is friendly toward the enemy, sadly.

You can probably tell that Kristen wrote this post and Jimmy had no input! For Jimmy's sake, I will put a very tiny "Hook 'Em" way down at the end of the post to keep a little peace in our household. :)

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-02T00:03:00.003-05:00

Happy Belated Halloween to all of Hunter's admirers.

We had the most precious baby in the whole world for Halloween. He had not one, but two, yes two Halloween costumes. Can you say spoiled?! Not my baby! During the day, Hunter was a giraffe. He got to go to Toys R Us with Granna and Sassy. They even marched with Geoffrey in the Halloween parade. Big giraffe and little giraffe how cute! Momma met them when she got off work. What a fun time! Then we went and Trick or Treated at Moe and Grandad's house. They were waiting. They knew that Mr. H would be by sometime. He was one pooped little guy by this point. Still precious though! Click here to view Giraffe Hunter.

Halloween night we went up to our church for the fall festival. On to costume #2, the tiger. Most of the games were too big for our little guy but he seemed to have fun anyway. We spent a little bit of time in the preschool booths. Hunter played with the rubber ducks and dug in the plastic balls and played a little basketball. No candy for baby yet. Momma did take a few pieces for herself though (shh, don't tell!) Our favorite part was taking Hunter down to get his face painted. He sat so still in Momma's lap as he had a nose and whiskers painted on his face. Hunter's friend who painted his face said it was the most fun face she had painted all night.

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My! Hunter and Andie and their Daddies.

To wrap up the night we went and Trick or Treated at Granna and Poppa's house. Aunt Jody came over the see Mr. H. He is truly the most precious baby in the entire universe. Have I mentioned lately how blessed we are?!

Our Trip to Waco

2008-10-19T20:35:00.005-05:00

Hunter and I decided last week that we and our friends Garrett and Jen needed to go visit our Waco friends, Becky and Coralyn. We packed up and headed out on Friday. We had a great trip down. Hunter (10 months) and Garrett (5 1/2 months) traveled so well! We stopped and dropped off Garrett's big brother, Preston with his Lolly and Hoss and kept on heading to Waco. Somehow, Jen missed a turn off and we ended up in Dublin Dr. Pepper, TX. I always wanted to see that city so it was a nice little detour! The guys were sleeping soundly in their car seats while the mommies navigated our way to Waco.

(Jen frustrated after realizing we missed a turn and no we didn't stop and get a DP.)

We got to Becky's house about 11 with 2 very sleepy baby boys. After the guys got to bed, the mommies stayed up waaaay too late chatting and catching up. It had been too long since we had seen Becky and Coralyn. We were so glad we decided to make the trip.

Saturday, we got up and took our time getting ready. We took the kids to a little pumpkin patch to take some fall time pictures. Of course, Mr. Hunter would not look at the camera so I didn't get any good pictures of his precious face. Jen, our favorite amateur photographer got some great pictures of Coralyn though.

Hunter was very curious. He picked up and "threw" several pumpkins. "Throwing" consists of picking a ball up over his head and throwing it down. Strong man! It was fun watching him explore the hay (of course, he had to taste it too) and pumpkins. I took a ton of pictures, some were not great, some are beautiful of my kid! What fun!

We spent the weekend playing, taking pictures, and just being friends. We are so blessed to have such good friends, near and far. Jen and Becky, thanks for a fun, memorable weekend. We can't wait so long to do it again!

Have I Mentioned . . .

2008-10-06T22:23:00.003-05:00

I love these guys. They are my pride and joy.
There is nothing more special than seeing the two of them playing together.
No one can make Mr. H laugh like his daddy.

Sundays have always been nap days in my world. I function better throughout the week with my Sunday afternoon nap. I am so blessed to have a husband who lets me have my Sunday nap uninterrupted. Jimmy goes in when Hunter wakes up from his nap and they play until Momma wakes up. He won't even let me turn on the monitor in the bedroom so I don't hear Hunter when he wakes up. This is such a huge blessing!!

I love to sneak in when the two of them are playing or rocking and just watch my two guys hanging out, spending time together. Jimmy is just crazy mad in love with this kid. We both are! It's a little ridiculous.

Thank you Jimmy for being such an amazing husband and daddy. I love you.

Just a Little Funny!

2008-09-25T21:12:00.005-05:00

I got this email at school today from our T-1 Teacher. This is a true story! I thought it was so cute I couldn't help but pass it on!

From a Transitional First Grade class:

Today in Computer, the teacher was reviewing parts of the computer, etc. “Boys and girls, what is the arrow called on your screen?” The kids in unison screamed, “The cursor!” “That’s right and what do you call it when you click and drag the cursor?” All was quiet for one brief moment… then one student responded, “Cursing!”

Here's a little sixth grade funny. First let me give you a little background and prayer request. Jimmy's dad is having bypass surgery on Tuesday. As I am telling my homeroom class and asking for their prayers, one of the kids asked, "What's his last name?". Duh! All of the other kids looked at him like he was crazy! The funny thing is that question was asked twice that day by two different students.

I love the things kids say! I can't wait to hear some of the things that will come out of Hunter's mouth when he starts to talk!

It's Fair Time

2008-09-25T20:44:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite things about fall is the fair. We almost always go to the South Plains Fair and the Texas State Fair. We took Hunter to his first fair on Tuesday. What a fun experience! I love being with Hunter watching his expressions and interest in new things. He was very content throughout the evening.

I am slightly embarrassed to admit how much Jimmy and I ate in a short amount of time, but, man, was it delicious! Corn dogs, an apricot fried pie (the reason I go to the fair), Jimmy had roasted corn, we both had the best lemonade in the world (Jimmy's was strawberry lemonade), we split a funnel cake, and candied/carmel apples. I even got another fried pie for breakfast the next day! Yes, we were sick when we left but it was totally worth it. No worries though, our sweet boy had green beans (not fried, of course) while we ate away at the fried food.

There were these robot guys walking around dancing with music blaring. Hunter was quite interested in these strange beings. The face he is making in this picture was a common one throughout the evening as he saw new and exciting things. He wasn't quite sure what to think! He had an awfully comfortable ride though! This is Momma and Hunter standing in front of the Midway. I can just imagine him begging to ride some of the rides in a few years. How fun will that be?! The sun was still up while we were there so Mr. H didn't get to see the night lights of all of the rides.

One of my favorite things was taking Hunter into the petting zoo. Although there just a handful of animals in there, we thought it might be fun for our guy to experience it. He spends his day with 5 dogs so he learned to pet gently at an early age. Hunter got to pet a baby duck and a goat. The emu didn't care to have anything to do with us. As you can tell, Hunter wasn't terribly impressed with the baby duck. Maybe Momma and Daddy were more interested than the kiddo!
As we were getting ready to head out, realizing we had seen all we came to see and eaten all our stomachs could handle, we saw that many of the people walking past us were looking at the stroller and grinning. As we assumed, Mr. H had sacked out. Enough excitement for one night! (Here is proof that we try to be good parents, please note the green beans left on the tray!)I couldn't resist taking a picture of the beautiful West Texas sunset. We have had so many pretty nights lately. These are my wonderful guys and a great sunset. Who could ask for more? What a great night. We are so blessed. I love being with Hunter to experience all of his firsts. I just can't wait for him to be able to experience the wonderful fair food too! Ha! Of course, that will have to wait quite awhile.

Some Fun Random Pictures

2008-09-10T22:32:00.002-05:00

Poppa and Hunter at the horse races in Ruidoso. Mr. H didn't really care too much!

This has to be one of my favorite pictures of my boys ever! Amazing!

I set him down for a second while I went to the bathroom. This is how I found him. Such a sleepy head!

Again, he's sleeping. After church at Lujan's with our friends. He fell dead asleep in his high chair. That was a first for our normally super busy kiddo!

No real explanation for this one. Poppa put him in the back of his truck. I just think it's funny!

Hope you enjoyed my random pics as much as I have. I just thought I would share and catch you up on my sweet boy's 8th month of life.

I can't believe he will be 9 months tomorrow! Where has the time gone?!

Thank you for your concern and prayers for our little guy. He is feeling much better.

What a Big Boy

2008-09-10T22:22:00.004-05:00

Hunter has promoted from baby to a big boy over night! Today was Mr. H's first day of "school" (PDO). He gets to go to school every Wednesday with Momma and play with his new friends all day long! He did well today. His note said that he was happy. I tried not to sneak downstairs and check on him too much. I did take snacks for the teachers. I'm not above bribing them to love my kiddo! :) I loved being able to go downstairs at lunch, grab him up, feed him, then show him off to my friends. I love any time I get to show my kid off!

Daddy met us at school for Hunter's first day of school. He went straight to his teacher and didn't look back. He had an easier time than Momma! I have to admit that I cried a little bit after dropping him off. This is such a big thing in my little guys life. I am so thankful that God has put me in a place that I can have my sunshine in the same building and I can see him during the day. I am also so thankful that Hunter's Granna loves keeping him the rest of the week. We really couldn't ask for a better situation! Blessed all around.

I went in at lunch and Mr. H was sitting on the floor with Miss Amber while the other babies were sleeping. He woke up a little early for his nap. I like to think he was just so excited to see me he couldn't sleep! Ha! After school, he came to me and grabbed my face and gave me big old slobber kisses (my favorite kind!) What a welcome. Hunter was pooped! He fell asleep on the way home from school and went to bed very easily. I would say our first day at school was a success!

Hunter and Miss Amber playing.
(I didn't want to come in and get a closer shot in case he got upset!)

A Long Hard Night

2008-09-01T21:27:00.002-05:00

First, I am thankful for long weekends, mountain rains, and time with my family.

That being said, the Holloways had a little bit of a rough weekend. Saturday morning, Mr. H woke up about 3am feeling a little warm. We were in Ruidoso having a really nice long weekend, but sleeping in a pack n' play is not nearly like sleeping in a nice crib. Momma crawled in the bed in Hunter's room and we "slept" until about 7 with Mr. H on Momma's chest. Hunter had a bit of a fever. We all figured he was teething so we called the pediatrician and started medicating the poor baby. He did pretty good until Saturday night. About bed time, Hunt's fever went back up. When we took his temperature (the fun way) we realized that 103.5 is not teething. He was way more cuddly than usual. Okay, maybe cuddly isn't the word to describe it. He was just lethargic. He is normally such a busy busy boy. All he wanted to do was lay on Daddy's chest. Not normal in any way shape or form! Momma went into worry-mode. We called our good friend Dr. Happel and woke him up (Thank you Chris!). Momma, Daddy, Hunter, and Granna took a trip to the Ruidoso emergency room. We were the only ones there but it still took way too long to get back. The nurse was very sweet with Hunter (once they realized we were there and waiting). The doctor (from Great Britain and not real easy to understand at midnight!) came in immediately and checked my sick boy. Diagnosis: double ear infection, sore throat, and teething. Not fun for my little guy! He got a big dose of tylenol, followed by a wait. Then a big dose of motrin, followed by another wait. Then he got another big dose of amoxicilan. We then had to wait for his fever to break before they would release us. I got the sweet boy to go to sleep and finally, the sweat came. We left the ER about 2:00am Texas time. What a night!

Thankfully, Hunter is starting to feel better. His fever went back up a little today, but we were in the car driving home. He slept most of the way home and is now sleeping soundly in his bed like a big boy. His temperature is 99.3. Praise the Lord! That number was a big relief for Momma and Daddy. We are glad to be home, safe and sound, with a sweet baby boy on the mend.

There is nothing worse for a Momma's heart than a sick baby.

We Made It!

2008-08-25T21:10:00.002-05:00

I've been back at work for a week and Hunter and I are doing fine. I actually did a lot better than I expected. I cried a little before I went back, but once inservice started, I was okay. I think about Mr. H all of the time. I have my digital frame sitting on my desk filled with pictures of my sweet family. If someone walked in during quiet times in my days (which are few and far between) they would think I was crazy talking to the frame on my desk! I just can't help it!

Hunter is doing great with his Granna. We are still working on getting a new schedule going. Naptime has been a struggle. Mr. H doesn't think he needs one, Granna thinks he does. What to do?! I get to go see him at lunch almost everyday which is a joy and blessing.

One day, I walked in after school. Hunter and Granna were playing on the floor. When I said hi to Mr. H, he grinned a big fat grin and put his toy down and came right to me. He pulled up on my leg (so big) and I grabbed him. He gave me a big fat juicy slobber kiss. (He gives the best kisses!) That made my day! He is such a happy kid! We are so blessed.

Thank you for your prayers as I went back to work. I could definitely feel them covering me. I think we'll make it!

My New Favorite

2008-08-25T21:04:00.004-05:00

All of my blogs so far have been about my sweet baby boy. This one is not a Hunter blog. Some of you may stop reading now and that is okay and won't hurt my feelings. I would just like to share one of my new favorite things with you. . .

Sheridan's Frozen Custard has won a very special place in my ice cream loving heart. I have discovered the Honey-Nana-Nut Wowiechino, the most delicious of all! It is a frozen coffee drink with honey, bananas, and peanut butter. With each drink, you get a different explosion of flavors in your mouth. It is a very layered dessert. At one sip, you will taste the peanut butter, but wait a second because here comes the bananas, then after another second, the honey pops through. Delicious beyond delicious! I crave these things! Sadly, Jimmy and I are trying to watch what we eat and my Honey-Nana-Nut is not on the menu. We do splurge and treat ourselves occasionally. Thankfully, tonight was one of those nights. My mouth is very happy!

Our Oscar Bob and Dixie have also fallen in love with Sheridan's. They have puppy cones! How cool is that?! Puppy cones are little tiny cones filled with vanilla custard. Our babies loved them! Oscar went crazy over a little ice cream. Just like his momma. We can't wait for Mr. H to have his first ice cream. (Okay, I had to get a Hunter mention in the blog, I couldn't help it!)

A Busy Week for Mr. H

2008-08-16T23:34:00.003-05:00

Since last Friday (8/08), Hunter:

1. Cut 2 teeth. It hasn't been too bad. He's been quite a trooper! We still haven't actually seen the teeth because Mr. Stubborn won't open his mouth, but we can definitely feel them.

2. Begun crawling on his knees. No more "army crawl" for this kid!

3. Started "cruising" the furniture. He doesn't move too quickly, but he gets where he wants to go. He gets stuck at corners and ends of furniture. He hasn't figured out how to master turns yet!

Yeah for Hunter!

Momma is so happy that these 3 major milestones came in her last week home with the kid. Hunt has promised that he won't take his first steps without me. I made him promise! Ha!!

Back to work on Monday.

Hunter at 7 Months

2008-08-06T16:41:00.004-05:00

Hunter is getting so big! I am so thankful that I have gotten to spend this summer with him watching him grow and learn and change! What a huge blessing. Sadly, school starts in about 2 weeks so my time with him has entered the countdown. *Sigh*

Here's what's been happening since the last post:

Hunter has found his voice. He loves to scream at the top of his lungs. I truly think most of the stages he has gone through are precious. . . this one, not so much! He does love to scream though.

Mr. H has learned how to pull up. He is standing up all over the place. His balance isn't too bad! Yesterday, while I was getting dressed, he pulled up on his vibrating chair (which is just collecting toys in our room since he is too busy to be strapped down anymore!). While standing there, he decided he would try to climb in. With mom right behind him, Mr. Independent had both feet off the ground. Once he realized he wasn't quite ready for this big move, Momma grabbed him up and gave him a big hug. I can't believe how big he is!!

He can also sit up from his tummy. What a surprise to have your kid scooting around on the floor playing and you look away for a second and the next thing you know he is sitting on his little tiny hiney. I am just astonished at his growth and achievements recently. I know they are little things, but big in our world.

Little Man has gotten his knees under him a few times as he attempts to crawl, but it is still mostly army-style. His Sunday School teachers have mentioned several times how mobile he has become! It seems like in a matter of weeks he went from being the littlest in the class to being in the middle and getting to play on the floor with his friends. He is a busy busy bee!

Hunter is now eating all of his green and yellow veggies and some fruits (we are still introducing a few of these). He can be a little bit of a picky eater, but we are praying that it passes.

I truly think being a momma is the best job in the entire world. I eat up this kid every day. I live for his laughs and slobbery, open-mouth kisses. I love sitting on the floor watching him play and tickling him. I cherish bath time and bedtime. Thankfully, God has given me a job so that I can be home with him as much as possible. Being a teacher is a great thing! I just wish summer would last a little longer.

A Fun Day

2008-07-15T11:26:00.006-05:00

Last Thursday, was a fun day for Hunter and Momma.

Aunt Tita invited Granna, Momma, and Hunter to pick apricots with her. Momma loves loves loves apricots so we jumped at the opportunity! There is nothing better than apricots right off the tree! I learned this at an early age when I would stay with my Aunt Jody and Unc. They had an apricot tree hanging over the fence into their yard. We would go pick apricots and eat them. Yummy! This is one of my favorite memories of a man I loved dearly and miss dearly. He loved me too! I know he would have loved my Hunter so much. Sigh.
While we were there we took a few pictures for Hunter's 7 month birthday. He's growing too fast! It's amazing watching him grow and change so quickly!

Daddy had Guys Night with our friends from church so Momma and Mr. H had dinner with Granna, Poppa, and Aunt Sassy. We did a shrimp boil . . . lots of messy fun! No plates or silverware! Just eat off the newspaper! Love something different!

After dinner Mr. H went swimming in the hottub again with Momma, Aunt Sassy and Poppa. He loved the waterfall part! He is so much bigger than he was the first time he swam. He can sit up in the seat now without leaning. He had a really good time playing, but tuckered out pretty quickly. He has the most beautiful wet eyelashes! Ridiculous! Any girl should be jealous! Ha!!

Have I mentioned that I am crazy about this kid?! Man, we are so blessed!! We thank God for apricots, yummy food, family, and beautiful evenings.

Train Up a Child

2008-07-14T21:35:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday was a very special time in our family. Jimmy and I dedicated ourselves and our sweet Hunter to God. The time was so amazing. I will always remember standing before the Lord, our families, friends, and church committing ourselves to raising Hunter in the Truth and to live our lives as an example of Christ's love for Hunter to see. What an awesome and precious responsibility we have! Brother Jerry challenged us and reminded us of the calling that we have as Christian parents. Hunter received his first Bible, a prayer shawl made by the ladies in our church, and an unlit candle. One of the traditions in our church is to light a candle when you are baptized. Some day, this candle will be lit when our sweet boy accepts our precious Jesus into his heart. My prayer for Mr. H is that God will grow him into a mighty man of God.

We are so thankful to have so many people standing beside us at this special time. Both sets of Hunter's grandparents were there as well as Hunter's Aunt Sassy and Uncle Daniel. My Aunt Jody and cousin Brent, Tita and Bobby as well as our sweet church friends. Thank you for sharing this special time with us. We love you all.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Life is Hard When You're So Little . . .

2008-07-09T16:27:00.002-05:00

Nap time for Mr. H is no treat! No matter how sleepy he is, he will fight with all he's got. This is how I found him a little while ago. Please note that when I laid him down his head was on the opposite end of the bed so in his fit, he turned himself completely around. Life is hard.

Not Much Going on the Holloway House

2008-07-08T14:33:00.010-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,
This is a post to tell you that not a lot has been happening in the world of the Holloways, thus, no recent posts.

Here's a snippet of the not so interesting:

A Visit to see Dad and Poppa at work:
Hunter is quite the business man. He loves "typing" on the computer. While he was in Poppa's lap, he quit typing long enough to grab the red pen off Poppa's desk. In the process of putting it in his mouth (as everything goes into the mouth of course) he decided to decorate his face a little. No worries. Although it looks like my child is bleeding, it is actually just red ink on his precious face.
Fourth of July:
We had fun with friends. A beautiful West Texas evening. Good burgers and brats and fireworks. Mr. H went without a nap all day (his choice, not ours). He finally fell asleep on my chest during fireworks. The first few pops scared the little man, but once he realized there were pretty lights going with the loud noises, he was fine and watched attentively (until he fell asleep of course). During the course of the evening, it escaped me to take pictures of Hunter's first 4th. I will post one when I get it emailed to me!

The Army Crawl:
Hunter has successfully mastered the art of the Army Crawl. He can move! It's tough keeping up with him sometimes! He pushes himself with his left leg while the right leg acts as a rudder turning him wherever he sees something interesting. If there is something he doesn't need, like shoes in his mouth, that is the first place he goes. We have had to move the surround sound receiver because it was a magnet for our mover and shaker. He doesn't have his knees under him yet, but it probably won't be long. Mr. H is a busy bee!

There is a cuter video of him army crawling, but it wouldn't load! Shucks!

He has even mastered the kitchen step a few times. I have watched him gets his arms up on the step then pull the rest of his body up onto the tile. Having a moving baby makes you realize how much cleaner your house could be! Yikes!

Fun at the Park:
We have been to the park a few times recently. We went with our church for hot dogs and fellowship Sunday night. Mr. H had an explosive poop. (My apologies to all who had to witness the catastrophe). Of course, he was wearing his back-up outfit so we had to leave early.

Every Tuesday we meet the girls from Sunday School and Hunter's friends at the park for lunch. Today, as we were finishing our lunch, it started raining. Hunter was not in his stroller at the time so Momma held the kid a little tighter, grabbed the stroller and made a mad dash for the car. Mr. H thought that was lots of fun! Now, after putting up a good fight, he is finally down for a nap. Let's pray he sleeps for more than an hour, but I'm not thinking that will happen.

Food:
So far we have eaten peas, zucchini, green beans and spinach. It seems that Hunter's favorite is spinach followed closely by zucchini. On to the yellows!
Mr. H will turn 7 months in just a few days. . . . where has the time gone. I am so blessed to be able to spend this time with him this summer.