Mother Hubbard

Let's Be Friends!

2009-05-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

I really want to blog. Really. I even started a post tonight. But what's a post without pictures, right? I have the most difficult time getting my pictures to upload and in the right order. And that, my friends, is why I am loving facebook! So quick and easy!! Every. Single. Time.

And, blog, I'll be back. But you need to get things straightened out with Blogger, because I've got things to do and a life to live. I can't sit around all day waiting on you.

So...if you stalk me here it's time we become friends... Find me on FB and see what's been going on.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

Time Keeps on Ticking...

2009-02-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Once again life got way ahead of my ability to keep up with this blog. Perhaps one day I'll be able to come back to separate and elaborate on each event. Perhaps not. So, to at least serve as a marker of what's been going on with us, here's a review....in reverse order, thanks to blogger....

Valentine's Day. Jenae came down with a fever and wasn't able to go to her party at school. We did receive roses in the mail and we tried to be happy about that!

A lovely bouquet from Jordan
One sick girl.Avery hasn't let anything slow her down. Although she has been fighting the same virus/fever plus more teething.
She's now officially on the move. The girl finally figured out how to crawl on Sunday afternoon. She turns 10 months next week, so it was about time.
Avery also started clapping and waving during our trip to Disney. Now she does it all the time. She's so proud of all she's learning.

Here's THE photo of our recent trip to Disney World. Jenae LOVES Cinderella. She's been dressing like her, complete with glass slippers, for over a year now. Getting to meet her face to face was a dream come true. We all loved watching these two together. It was worth the price of the whole trip!

It's tough to be a bug....
Cruising along in the rented stroller. It was so cold in Florida. Seriously!!! We had lows in the 30's and some days the highs didn't make it over 60. Burrr. I also say rented stroller because even though we gate checked our strollers, they didn't arrive for 2 days. Go figure!! Of course, this was a trip spent losing and finding things. Here's the short list of things that were lost: my cell phone, 2 strollers, tube of lipstick, credit card, Jordan's iPhone, clothes at the hotel...I'm sure there's more, but we're trying to block out those memories. :o)
Lovin' Mickey's Playhouse!
Back in January, Jenae had been on a kick about wanting to go on a picnic. We had one of those bizarre warm days, and went for it. At the playground after we ate...

Rub a dub, dub...now there's two girls in the tub. This sure makes bath time go quicker!!!
One of the nicknames Jenae gave Avery very early on was "Choo-Choo." Strange, yes. But, it stuck. In fact, most of the time we don't call her Avery. It is usually "Choo-choo," "Chewy" or some other variation. Jenae recently started called her "The Chooch." We're hoping that one doesn't stick.
Instead of trashing the diaper box, we decided to decorate it and play. The girls had so much fun pushing/being pushed around in the train. Here's Choo-Choo in her train.
We met the cousins in Abilene to see the Paramount's production of Aladdin back in January. One of my dear friend's daughter was performing so we all went and enjoyed a night on the town. Avery stayed home with Daddy. Jenae and I stayed in Abilene with the cousins and Shasha at a hotel.

Jaycie and Jenae with one of the "princesses."
We have been so busy and so blessed. Much of our time has been spent traveling and with family and we love those two things. Hopefully both girls will be well soon. We've been couped up since last Wednesday and it's about to push us all over the edge!
BTW, is it "normal" for a 9 month old to stop taking her morning nap? Mine has and I. Don't. Like. It.!!!!

Good Morning!!!

2009-01-11T13:55:00.001-08:00

This face is what makes getting out of bed easier each morning:

Literally speaking

2009-01-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read the previous post, you should do so before reading this. Somehow, it will only make this funnier.

It's like Jenae's been studying the dictionary lately. She knows her words and she knows what they mean and when to use them. Our conversation:

Me: "Jenae! Be gentle with your sister."

Jenae: "I am."

M: "Be careful. Don't hurt her." (as she overwhelms Avery with her Love)

J: "I'm not hurting her."

M: "Jenae, don't poke her ear!"

J: "I'm not poking it. I'm pulling it!"

Okay, well, continue then! ahhhh! What am I going to do with this child?!

Keeping it Real!

2009-01-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm so far behind (again) I'm not sure where to start! So to avoid all the posts that I should be doing....you know...Santa pics, Christmas morning, all the extended family...I'll just jump back in with a story from this morning.

We've been trying to reduce Jenae's sugar intake in a effort to help correct some "attitude" problems we'd encountered. It really has been helping, yet one of our biggest struggles continues to be with how much juice she drinks.

This morning she went to Jordan to ask for some juice...I wasn't there, but I hear it went a little something like this:

Jenae: I want juice, Daddy.
Daddy: No, Jenae.
J: YES!
D: No, Jenae. No juice.
J: YES! YES!
D: Jenae, don't yell at me.
J: I'm not yelling. I'm whining.

There ya go!! We may not know all our ABC's but we know the difference between yelling and whining!

Bring it on 2009!

Little Angel

2008-12-18T20:50:00.001-08:00

Jenae's first Christmas program at Mother's Day Out was this afternoon. She was the sweetest little angel. So precious!!

Jenae,
I was so proud of you today! I pray that you will always be one of God's messengers who announce the Good News about Jesus! I love you!
Momma

My Cutie!

2008-11-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

a new record

2008-11-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

First, I hate blogging without pictures. "My" computer at home is only useful for getting online. I don't even have sound or software. It was Jordan's bachelor computer and all he did was play those ridiculous games on it. Also, all of our pictures are on the Mac (Jordan's laptop). I'm not complaining, because I used to not even be able to get online without J's computer. But, I can't do any fun stuff unless I can "borrow" the laptop...which is hard to do since he works full-time and is in two graduate school classes this semester. So, that leaves you, the reader, with either 1) no posting, or 2) just a bunch of words from me.

Well, today is your lucky day....you are getting the second option!

NOW that we've gotten that all out in the open.....

I just wanted to say that Jordan and I put up our Christmas tree in record time last night!! I didn't actually time it, but everything that usually causes a problem went smoothly. So smoothly that we are a little cautious that the whole thing will just collapse at any moment. But it hasn't...and we're excited. And, (true confession), the thing that took the longest was finding the plug!!!! Ha!

Maybe when Jordan finishes all his papers and takes a day off work, you'll get to see our tree. Until then, know it looks great!! Now, I've got to tackle the rest of the house. We have our annual Holiday Open House on the 6th. It will be here soon!

Have a great day, bloggies. I'm gonna go crank the music and get busy. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....."

Free Giveaway!!

2008-11-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

I read lots of blogs that do giveaways and always thought it would be fun to do, too! So...courtesy of Oprah....I have my first FREE giveaway to announce.

It is a FREE photo book from Snapfish.com!!!

Her show yesterday was about decluttering and organizing your home. Her expert, Peter, offered a great solution to all the treasured art work kids bring home from school. He said to take digital pictures of the art and then upload them to Snapfish and print them out in a nice book. Great idea, huh?! Because of my (and Oprah's) generosity, I'm passing that idea on to you for FREE!! :o) What can I say, it's the holiday spirit!!

Go to Oprah.com and register (or LogIn if you're already a member) with Snapfish.com. You have do to this before Midnight on Friday. This will automatically give your account a photobook credit (value $29). You have until Sunday to make your book and place your order! So get busy, gals!!

Here's the great part...it doesn't have to be a book of children's art work...think of the possibilities...and Christmas gifts...you could make. A book for your favorite vacation, baby's first year, 2008 Album, something for the grandparents. I'm really excited to do this and just had to share this FREE idea will all my bloggies!!!

Hopefully, Oprah and I can team up and offer you more great deals for the holidays!! Have fun! And remember, you heard about it here! :o)

A Tooth

2008-10-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

I finally can feel the top of Avery's first little tooth. She's been working on these things for months! Seriously! Bless her heart. Now maybe we can cut back on the drool. She can completely soak 5 or 6 bibs a day. And...she can get her hands on some real food. Everytime we eat in front of her she looks so sad. Won't be long now, baby! You're on your way into a whole new world! It's called food! You're gonna love it!

Let's hear it for teeth!

Trick or Treating with MDO

2008-10-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak peak...

'Nastics

2008-10-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Monday evening was "Parent Night" at Jenae's gymnastics class. Jordan's class in Abilene was cancelled so he got to go along for the show...or maybe the show was just for him, I'm not sure. Needless to say, little miss really put on a show!
(Warning: If you are not family, or better yet, if you're not Jenae's grandparents, you probably will get nauseated after about the first bazillion pictures...but hang on 'cause I posted a gazillion of them. Sorry!)

These first ones were taken during the warm-up. They rotate continuously through different stations.
Tumbling....

Jumping...
Horse tumbling...

After about 10-15 minutes they stop and do some stretching and musical 'circle' games...
Back flips...

For the rest of the time they break into small groups and do different stations than before, rotating every 5-10 minutes.

Uneven bars...

Floor exercises...

Jumping and balance...

This is the one thing I didn't know they did. I was a little leery at first, but Jenae loved it. In fact, she giggled almost the entire time. Silly girl. Her coach told me he thought she was "fearless."

High in the sky...getting ready to swing....
Loving every minute...

Trampoline...

A few push-ups to end the session....
Whew! I was tired just watching her!!! I really was so proud of her. The class is for 3 to 5/6 year-olds. Jenae was technically still 2 years old when classes started, but her coach agreed to give it a try. The very first day we stayed for about 10 minutes before the coach "encouraged" us to leave. During those 10 minutes it was very clear that Jenae was the smallest, youngest thing out there. She hadn't started school yet either, so this was her first structured class and her first thing to do without Momma and Daddy being right there.
I'm not going to lie...Monday night you could still guess she was the youngest. She doesn't know her left from her right. She's not the first to follow instructions. She'll let others go before her in the line. She's in her own happy place. But what I loved was seeing her be proud of herself, doing things someone else had taught her, and knowing that she knew we were proud of her!! I can already tell you I'm the mom who's going to need tissues at the little PTA choir performances. (Whaaa!)

I love my little gymnast!!!

One

2008-10-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my friend Tonya for this little exercise. I really don't like doing these. I think I always try to over analyze my answers. I'm sure there's a label for this sickness. It probably should be one of my one-word answers somewhere down the list. See...there I go re-thinking my answers again. Sheesh!!

TYPE ONLY ONE WORD FOR EACH ANSWER. IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen

2. Your significant other? Jordan

3. Your hair? brown

4. Your mother? giving

5. Your father? leader

6. Your favorite thing? pictures

7. Your dream last night? Zzzzz

8. Your favorite drink? Coke

9. Your dream/goal? health

10. The room you're in? messy

11. Your fear? loneliness

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? settled

13. Where were you last night? Comanche

14. What you're not? patient

15. Muffins/donuts? both :o)

16. One of your wish list items? grace

17. Where you grew up? Army

18. The last thing you did? blog

19. What are you wearing? pj's

20. Your TV? off

21. Your pet? none

22. Your computer? Mac

23. Your life? Full

24. Your mood? grateful

25. Missing someone? friends

26. Favorite pastime? reading

27. Something you're not wearing? make-up

28. Favorite Store? Target

29. Your summer? pool

30. Your favorite color? red

31. When is the last time you laughed? daily

32. Last time you cried? yesterday

33. Who will/would re-post this? Amanda

34. Four places I go over and over? Church, IGA, Wal-Mart, Sonic

35. Four people who e-mail me? Homie, Dad, Mimommie, FlyLady

36. Four of my favorite foods? chicken, pizza, coffee, sweets

37. Four places I would like to be right now? bed, hotel, home, DisneyWorld

38. Four people I tag? Homie, Amanda, Jennifer, Karen

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-25T19:11:00.001-07:00

We finally made it to a Pumpkin Patch to get some pictures. I was afraid we were going to miss out this year. I couldn't find one around here (surprise!) or even in the Abilene area. We finally stopped in at a nursery in Brownwood, not really a "pumpkin patch;" more like a pile of pumpkins in the parking lot. But, hey, the week before Halloween, beggars can't be chosers! Anyhoo...back to the pictures, right?! Well, I must say I was thrilled with the shots we got. I didn't even have to curse. Although I did learn a very valuable lesson: bring the dad along. He's great at corralling, making the kiddos laugh, and I even got to be in one of the pictures. What a deal!!

Momma and the girls:I included this one just to say, "Look at that hair?!!" Seriously!!! That's why the bows are so big. They help hide all that choas going on back there! :o)

Sweet Sisters!

Jenae:

Avery Joy:

And, my FaVoRiTe shot of the day:

Pumpkin Carvin'

2008-10-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:

Happy Girl, Boring Pumpkin

AFTER:

Happy Girl, Happy Pumpkin

Last night I made the plan for today: pumpkin carving, library, naps and then gymnastics. Well, I woke up grumpy, or maybe it was Jenae...or maybe both of us. Needless to say, we weren't really getting along. Scratch the pumpkin. Too messy. Too likely to fight. We're not going there today. Avery went down for her morning nap, things seemed to have settled a bit between Jenae and I, so...we went for it. I'm so glad we did. We had lots of fun planning our face, getting the slimy strings out of the pumpkin, and then admiring our hard work.

One of the fun things about this activity is that after all your hard work you get to eat a snack!! Add a little salt, a little butter....spread them on a cookie sheet...in the oven at 300 for 45 minutes...and Yummy! Roasted pumpkin seeds!!! A remember making this delicious snack in school when I was a little girl.
This was a fun morning! Good-bye, Momma and Daughter Grumpy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Messin' Around at the Playground

2008-10-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to pass the time waiting for Jordan/Daddy to get back from Nashville, the girls and I headed down to the playground this afternoon. Jenae loved running around and playing. Avery hated not being able to run around and play. Soon, baby, very soon.
I, on the other hand, divided my attention between consoling Avery and trying to figure out more about my camera and getting some fun shots of Jenae enjoying herself.

I LoVe this picture of Jenae. It also let me know it was time to end our little photo shoot :o)

Friday Night Lights

2008-10-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

We've had a strange football season this year. We only have a total of 4 home games. We were out of town for the first. The next two Jordan is/will be out of town...read: Debbie with 2 kids at game by herself :o). The last one is Halloween. I imagine there will be many more ghosts and goblins than "blizzards" at that game. Regardless of our family schedule, Friday night football is still where it's at in this West Texas town. Here's some shots I got before the last home game:

For all of my Belton (5A) friends...yeah, that's the ENTIRE band of the visiting team...and I'm pretty sure it is the high school and junior high combined. Not exactly the Marching 100, nor Tiger Field.

Here's the Blizzard Band:
The best part of football is hitting the concession stand and enjoying a special treat.Momma and her girls heading home at halftime. It was Homecoming and we at least waited until we saw all the girls in their "princess" dresses. Several of Jenae's gymnastics teacher/helpers were on the court. So it was fun to see them.

I'm a Little Cutie...and I Know It!!

2008-10-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

J-E-N-A-E

2008-10-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

The other day we were writing cards for the birthdays and anniversaries of folks in our church. Jenae often wants to help and people enjoy seeing her "signature" so I let her help. Little did I know she was about to write her name for the first time...all the letters...in the right order. We went ahead and mailed the card, but I did take a picture first! Good job, 'Nae!

August 21, 2008

First Day of School

2008-10-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Jenae started "school" this year. She is going to a Mother's Day Out program one day a week. It is held at the Methodist church in Ballinger. She was very excited about school, regardless of what the pictures show. She was more than thrilled when she got a Princess lunchbox from Homie for her birthday. I'm sure it will make those peanut butter sandwiches taste so much better!

Since I'm playing "catch-up", as always, I'll note that her first day was September 2nd, 2008.

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

2008-10-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

These pics were taken August 31st. Avery had just turned 4 months old.

Southern Belle

2008-10-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

You may remember at the end of last summer Jenae and I traveled with Mimommie up to Pennsylvania in the motorhome for her Sojourn. We had the best time! The driving was fun as well as all the sightseeing we got to do (Amish country, Philadelphia and Hershey).
One of the best parts was getting to meet Mimommie's friends. They are wonderful...and not just because they would go eat ice cream EVERY night. They love the Lord and are using their time and money and lives to serve him.
Well, Jenae hit it off with a couple from Alabama named Ann and Leo. I wish you could hear Ann say "Alabama." It's so cute and d-r-a-w-n out. Love it!
Little did we know then how talented our new friend Ann is. Mimommie called us one day in July and wanted Jenae's measurements. She said Ann wanted to make her a dress. I didn't think a whole lot about it until we received the package in the mail. Then, I couldn't believe my eyes. Who knew a person could actually make something like this!! I knew you could buy it at the store...if you wanted to spend that much money...but...WOW! Check it out:

Thank you, Ann! We love the dress! What an absolutely wonderful gift! May God continue to bless you as you are such a blessing to so many!!

Busted!

2008-10-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

So maybe this is why you aren't supposed to use the Bumbo on raised surfaces.

Table Cloth Skirt and Dinner Party Top GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-09-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

Table Cloth Skirt and Dinner Party Top GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Future Picasso

2008-08-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

No more watercolors for us. I got brave and finally got out the "real" paints her grandparents gave her for her birthday LAST year. I think she loved it! We might take this show on the road...singing and painting.
(This is also my first attempt at video on the blog. Still not sure why it is turned sideways. Sorry.)

And, just so you know the other child is still alive and well...an action shot from the swing:

Thanks, Jenni

2008-07-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

We LOVE the new aquarium!!

Silly Faces!

2008-07-28T17:57:00.001-07:00

It Shouldn't Be this Hard...

2008-07-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

...to get a decent picture of my daughters together. Our Aunt Gaylene gave the girls their first set of matching clothes. They looked so sweet together for church on Sunday, but you'll just have to take my word for it because it was quite difficult to capture all of the "sweetness" in a single photo. Don't believe me?! Just take a look:

Yeah, I told you!! But I did capture three that I thought were worth saving:

River Rats

2008-07-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a few days down on the Guadalupe River at Hunt, Texas. We had a great time with several of our friends from church. It was such a relaxing trip. I can't wait to tell more about it, but for tonight here are the pics...

New Favorites

2008-07-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

Avery Joy, 2.5 months

Christa Jenae, almost 3

Avery's First Tea Party

2008-07-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I like it, but I seem to be in a much bigger hurry for Avery to "grow up" than I ever was with Jenae. Although I think I know why I feel this way. I can hardly wait for all the fun these two are going to have together. These are sweet days that I want to treasure, but I'm always looking forward to tomorrow...and the next day...and the next. May God bless us with many glorious days together!
I don't know when this happened, but this is where I found the tea set this morning:

Girls (+ Vincent) Weekend

2008-07-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Too bad my sister didn't have a little girl, then it would have been an all girls weekend...no offense Vincent, but you were the only boy! ;o)
A few weekends ago I took the girls and met my mom, sister and nephew over in Ft. Worth. We had a fun time together and Jenni got to meet Avery for the first time. We stayed at a Residence Inn by Marriott. I highly recommend them! We had a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite, complete with separate living room and full kitchen. It was so perfect for us. Oh yes, and it had a sleeper sofa. But we just wanted a place to hang out and swim, since we knew we wouldn't be hitting the malls with 3 kids under 3 years old. Oh my! Could you imagine?! Anyway, splitting the cost of the suite was MUCH cheaper than if we'd each gotten a room, plus we had the living area. And, they served a full, hot breakfast each morning. It really was a great deal.
Here come all the pictures. Most of this is just for my family's benefit. I won't be offended if you don't look at all of my relatives. Just be warned there are a lot of pictures. (It was easier for one of us to take the shots, than for us to have had all three cameras going at the same time.) Also, it's taking too long so these aren't going to be in any order...except that my 3 favorites are the first three. :o)

Grandma & Avery

Grandma and the girls

(This is my new favorite photo...I can't believe I actually took this pic)

Great-Grandma Rasure & Avery

Jenni, Vincent & Avery

Jenni, you look good with 3 kids! Ha!

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

A PROUD Snow White. Grandma made the dress for Jenae.

I need to Zoom and Crop these two pictures. Everyone's faces tell the story. It's great!

"Swimming" inside since the rain kept us from the pool

Grandma, Me and my babies

Four Generations

Sharing snacks

Playing "princess" dolls

Playing cars, too.

Thanks girls and boy for such a good weekend. It was nice to only drive half the distance to get to see everyone. We are already looking forward to seeing you again in August!

Happy Birthday, Jordan!

2008-07-09T22:15:00.001-07:00

What do you do for the birthday boy who is on a diet and doesn't want a birthday cake? You get creative! You decorate Birthday Eggs! (He's doing awesome on his diet and I didn't want to sabbotage all of his efforts.)
Jordan is really in to collecting comic books, so we decided to throw him a Spiderman birthday party. He loved it!
Jenae worked hard making decorations.
When he came home at lunch we had his party. Jenae was all ready in her mask. Here they are shooting their webs:

Spidey and his two girls.

Spider Sisters

Baby Spider

Jenae was very excited about all the presents.

So was Daddy!!! :o)

We hope you had a great birthday, Jordan! We love you and had a great time throwing you such a special party. You are our "Super Hero."

4th of July

2008-07-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 2, some of our friends had an early 4th picnic. We went over to their place after church and enjoyed a great night of fun. It was a yummy potluck and they had one of the local bands come and play. Since I knew we'd be at the lake on the 4th I used this opportunity to have the girls dress up in their holiday shirts! (Thanks, Aunt Jenni!)

Okay, so if I thought it was hard enough to get a good picture of Jenae by herself..."sit still, look at the camera, smile, no, a real smile" etc., etc. You can only imagine how much more difficult it became when I added "hold your sister" to those instructions. Ha! Impossible! But I tried.

I do have hope, though. Below is a picture of Jenae and her cousin, Jaycie. They are exactly two years apart in age. Yes, they both have cheesy smiles, but they are smiles and they are looking at the camera. So, I'm thinking in two more years when Avery is Jenae's age and Jenae is Jaycie's age...THEN I'll get some good pictures of my girls.Each year on July 4th a family from church hosts a group of us out at their lake house in Brownwood. This was our second year to go and we had a blast! Jenae was just like a little fish swimming all over the place. We rode in the boat and Jenae even took her first ride on a jetski. So many times I wished I'd had my camera, but it wasn't worth having it lay around the deck with the potential risk of losing it. But, here are some shots I did get:

Jenae and Daddy taking a break from swimming

These stairs led from the dock down into the lake. They were wonderful!
Jenae spent so much time just going up and down and up and down.

Swimming

Getting some sun on the top deck with Momma

Avery just chilled the entire time. The first afternoon she slept almost 5 hours down on the dock. I think she loved the motion of the water and the cool shade.

Sweet, baby girl

One exhausted little girl.
This photo was taken about 6 pm, so you know she was wore out.

Today

2008-07-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have so much back-blogging to do it is not even funny. This summer has been crazy with one event right after another. That, plus sharing the computer with my husband who takes it to work everyday, doesn't leave much time for me to play. So, I'm starting with TODAY and will try to get some other things documented before they are too long past.

I'm still playing with my new camera. Sometimes I love it and get the perfect shot; other times I get the perfect shot with the wrong setting and lose having the perfect picture. That happened today with some of Avery's big smiles. This child has been much "harder" than Jenae was, but when she smiles I can barely contain myself. It melts my heart. Here are some not-so-perfect pics from TODAY:

Potty Training, Take 2

2008-07-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

You may remember we tried Potty Training back in February. It was not fun. We tried again and have had AMAZING success! I cannot believe how easy it has been this time around. I'm kind of glad I had one failed attempt or I wouldn't have ever understood those who lament about how hard it can be. Here's what we did:
We started by talking it up in a big way. We talked about needing to be a big girl to go to school in the fall, wearing panties, watching her cousins (whom she adores!), no more diapers like baby Avery. Then her Daddy promised her a new princess dress when she decided she was ready and started putting her pee in the potty chair. We knew this time around it would have to be on her timetable, not ours. Well, somewhere along the way all of this talk got twisted in her mind with her birthday party...which isn't until the end of August, and only one week before playschool starts. So we needed a plan...and a party...fast!
We set a date (June 16) for her "Princess Potty Party" and started counting down with her. The diaper stash was not being replinished. The night before I let her choose if she wanted to use her little musical potty chair or the big potty--she wanted the big potty, yea! We tried on all of her panties--Princess, My Little Pony, Elmo and Dora. They all fit. We were ready to go. So, the next morning she woke up to this:We picked out a pair of panties and she was a big girl. Until about 10:30. Thankfully she was on the tile. Try again. We almost made it to the potty chair. Our second accident occured on the bathroom floor. Hey, at least it was the right room. Try again. And that has been our last pee pee accident. More than three weeks ago. I'm so proud of her. What's most remarkable to me is that she hasn't even had accidents during her naps or at night. She was ready and just needed the right motivation. We've also travelled with her every week since we started panties and she's done just fine and she'll even get out of the POOL to go to the potty. (How many kids do that?!) Oh, I'm just so proud of her!!
Her reward? The Princess Potty Party.

Showing off her sticker chart

Daddy kept his promise...a new princess dress! And, it's PINK!!

Daddy got to have the first dance

Working hard on the Potty Party cake.
(Notice the Cinderella panties!)

All the cousins came to celebrate!

Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty
(Don't smile, Jaycie!)

Ha! Gotcha! The fun never stopped.

They were still having fun the next morning.
And they both had on their princess nightgowns! Such fun!

Father's Day

2008-06-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

"Two Girls"

I started to title this post Happy Father's Day, but you don't see a lot of "happy" in these pictures. Oh, these holidays on Sundays are just not much fun for the preacher's family. Sunday morning just about wipe us out as it is, much less to come home and take pictures. I guess you're getting to see the real us and not just our picture perfect blog life.

Daddy and Avery

Jenae and Daddy

Reading Daddy's new book, "I'd Be Your Princess"

Jenae gave to him.

Look! Glass Slippers

2008-06-30T09:20:00.001-07:00

When we went to Disney World at Christmas last year we tried and tried to find a Disney souvenier that Jenae would like. We showed her every set of mouse ears we saw but she could have cared less. We showed her stuffed animals galore...everything from Mickey to Pooh to Ariel. She thought they were nice but never anything she had to have. We were getting a little disappointed. You come expecting your child to beg for everything they see and Jenae would just look at it all and move on. (Maybe she didn't know they were for sale and we could take the stuff with us.) :o) Not a bad tactic!
On our very last night, at Epcot of all places, we went into a gift shop looking for a certain shirt we'd seen earlier in the day. Jenae was exhausted, barely keeping her eyes open as we pushed her along in the stroller. I parked the stroller as I started to look at some shirts only to find out I had parked right by all the Princess stuff. They had each princesses dress, tiara, wand, gloves, wigs--you name it, they had it. And, right at Jenae's eye level were all the shoes. Aurora's shoes, Belle's shoes, Snow White's shoes. All the Princess shoes. I turned around from my t-shirt shopping to find Jenae sitting in the floor underneath all of Cinderella's stuff. She had her shoes and socks off, and was grabbing some of Cinderella's shoes. "Look! Glass slippers!" Finally, we had discovered what Jenae wanted for her Disney souvenier. Glass Slippers.
I've had this post in my mind for a long time. And, I 'd wanted to take some pictures for a long time. (Ahh, such good intentions!) Because, you see, Jenae LOVES her glass slippers. She wears them all the time. When she first got them they were the last thing she took off each night and the first thing she put on in the mornings. In fact, we knew she was up because we could hear the 'clack, clack' of her shoes coming down the hallway. She has worn them with her nightgowns, she wears them to church, she goes to the store. She loves those shoes. The reason for the post is that we are about to outgrow the glass slippers. I don't know what we are going to do. I guess go back to DisneyWorld! :o)

My Breakfast Buddies

2008-05-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

I Scream, You Scream...

2008-05-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

We all scream for ICE CREAM!! Here are some fun shots from the DQ last night. (Can you tell I'm enjoying my new camera?!)

Jenae must have had a brain freeze because she was flashing smiles I'd never seen before:
Poor Avery knew she was missing out on some yummy treats.
Notice her fuzzy hair! She hasn't lost any of her hair since birth. In fact, it's growing really quickly. She's going to end up needing a haircut before Jenae :o) I don't care how long it grows, I just hope it will learn to lay flat--soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful today to wear the name "Momma" for these two precious little girls.

Avery Joy - 2 1/2 Weeks

Christa Jenae - 2 1/2 Years

Also, thankful today for these two ladies who've taught me what being "Momma" is all about. Happy Mother's Day!

Off to Church!

2008-05-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 4, was Avery's debut at the Winters Church of Christ. There is no doubt she is going to be well loved. We may end up seeing the worst in some of these "grandmas" as they fight over who gets to hold her. One lady even showed up early on Sunday evening hoping to be the first to hold Avery. She was disappointed to see Avery in someone else's arms already. :o)

Sunshine & Rainbows

2008-05-09T08:36:00.001-07:00

We were all hanging out on the back porch yesterday afternoon when Jenae created this masterpiece. She's been drawing rainbows for a while now, but this was the first time she added sunshine. I thought she did a pretty awesome job!

2008-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Keeping up

2008-05-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my house isn't the only thing that I'm getting behind in keeping up. Avery will be two weeks old tomorrow. Wow. There's lots to be said there, but I hope to get some pictures and post about these last two weeks tomorrow. Yeah...right! I still haven't put up pictures of Avery's nursery. And, as I've worked to fill out her baby book, I've looked back at Jenae's and know that my good intentions are "often" only that.

So, to get the most up-to-date events on the blog, here are pictures from Mayfest this past Saturday:

Avery's First Day

2008-04-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

Check out this slideshow...and grab your kleenex's! :o)

http://www.marcelainphotography.com/

Thanks to Shasha and Bappa for this precious gift.

Avery Joy Hubbard

2008-04-24T11:54:00.001-07:00

Avery Joy arrived on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 4:22 pm. She weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 19.5 inches long. We are all at home now and learning how to be a family of 4. Thanks for all the prayers.

We are blessed!

Stay tuned...

2008-04-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

The day we've been waiting for is almost here. We went for my check-up this morning and got scheduled for an induction tomorrow morning! Yeah! We were hoping this would happen and now that it is we're running around trying to make sure we really have everything ready. I had progressed to a 3 this week and effaced even more, plus my blood pressure was up just a little so our doctor mentioned the idea of inducing next week. Then we started our sad story of how this week would really be better for us for several reasons...and he's on call tomorrow anyway, so we were scheduled!

We report at 5:30 am so hopefully we'll have our little girl in our arms by early afternoon! Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. We'll try to get the news posted as soon as we can!

Big Sister is Ready

2008-04-20T13:11:00.001-07:00

Jenae loves the idea of being the big sister. She has been playing with "Baby Sister" doll for weeks now. She loves to take care of her, put her down for naps, read books to her, and feed her. There have been many sweet, sweet moments watching Jenae love her baby sister. I can't wait for her to meet the real thing. However, this has also been a good learning experience for Momma, too. Like watching Jenae put the doll in the car seat and then sitting in the dolls lap. Or the time I walked in to find the doll lathered up in Germ-X only to receive the explanation that "I give sister a bath." Oh, Okay! I guess all together it is a good semi-dose of reality for both of us. There will be sweet moments, but don't take your eye off the big sister. :o) Fun times are ahead!

Enjoying the flowers that we've been watching and waiting to bloom.

Chutes and Ladders is basically a counting game, right?! Jenae can count to about 12 or 13 on her own, so we thought it was a great time to introduce her to the world of board games. Well, there are some other spacial and sequntial skills that are needed for this game, that we don't yet have mastery over. So, for Jenae, is more like "paperdoll playground." The little people love to go up the ladders and down the slides. And, Jenae loves to have her friends, ie Pooh and friends, play with her. Pooh got in trouble the other day for not doing the spinner the right way. I love to hear her conversations with her "friends."

They always seem to work out their differences and are still best friends at the end of the day!

Baby Shower

2008-04-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday afternoon (April 13) the sweet ladies at the Winters church hosted a baby shower for us. It was so much fun and we received lots of new goodies for our little girl.

Some of the hostesses with Jenae and me
(Sondra, Pat, Billie, me, Kay, Kaylene, Brenda and Lauren)

Mimommie, Gaylene, me, Denecia and Jenae

Who Loves Baby?

Matching outfits from Gaylene! :o)

Jenae received her "Big Sister" necklace at the shower. She was so proud of it. If you ask her now what it says though, she will say, "Baby sister had a party."

They even made a special cake for Jenae. They know how to make the big sister feel special, too!

Some of the goodies!

Big Belly, 38-39 Weeks

2008-04-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm posting these pictures, but here goes. I kind of like this top one of Jenae and me, but I'm afraid it makes me look a bit larger than reality. So, I've included the one below for a different perspective and angle. The truth is that I have a big ole belly right now, and I'm ready for it to stop growing.

We went last Monday for a check-up and were given the kind of good news that isn't really good news, just something to hold on to for hope that this pregnancy will end soon. I was already at a 2 and 50% effaced, but obviously that hasn't done anything this week to make our little girl arrive. I was excited to learn I had lost 3 pounds from 2 weeks before! Although I'm certain that had a lot more to do with the food poisoning I got the night before than any healthy lifestyle I'm leading right now. We go back to the doctor in the morning and here's to hoping for an accidental breaking of the waters or a discussion about inducing soon. I'll keep you posted!

A Zoo "Trip"

2008-04-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

This was the damage after an exciting day at the zoo. Jenae was perhaps a bit more excited than the rest of us, because she couldn't seem to keep her feet under her. About 50 yards inside the main entrance she tripped on her own feet and landed face first. OUCH! She toughened up about the time to feed the giraffes. Poor thing!
This picture was actually taken a couple of days after the "trip" and within a week the scabs were gone. These kids sure are resiliant!

I Haven't Forgotten...

2008-04-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

that I still have a blog. I've just been so busy (and tired) trying to get everything ready for our new little girl. We're almost there and have lots to catch up on before her arrival. Be checking back this weekend for pictures of the nursery, big belly shots and our baby shower. It's getting close and we can't wait. Actually all we're doing is waiting...we're ready to meet her!

Cheese!

2008-03-26T08:05:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago at a potluck someone had brought a huge bowl of orange slices that were delicious! Ever since then I haven't been able to get enough of these large California naval oranges. Love 'em! I guess if I'm going to crave something, better an orange than the french fries I always wanted when pregnant with Jenae.

Getting Ready for Sister

2008-03-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Why We Love Mimommie

2008-03-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

This picture perfectly captures one of the many reasons why we love Mimommie. Let me explain what is happening: the lady is down on her hands and knees, hand-stitching the old bumper pad from Jenae's crib, Jenae is riding on her back like she's a horse, and she's smiling through all of it. Oh yes, and did I mention, she's still in her pj's. All of this activity is before getting dressed for the day. The woman can do it all!

Lauren & Jeffrey's Wedding

2008-03-10T18:51:00.001-07:00

I'm in a hurry tonight, but many have asked about pictures of the big day. Here they are! I'll come back and edit and tell the story soon.

I LOVE this Girl!

2008-03-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Curl Practice

2008-03-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

Jenae was asked to be the flower girl in some our good friends' wedding. We had the dress, the shoes, and the pantyhose. What we didn't have was any clue what we were going to do with her super fine, straight hair. A couple of weeks ago I started trying a few things with the curling iron, hairbows, bobby pins, and LOTS of hairspray. Here were some of our options:

It was amazing to me how a few curls could totally change her look. She was always such a good sport, sitting still while I curled away. Something about mentioning the words "princess" and "hair" made the whole process fun for her.

Bedtime Prayers

2008-02-27T19:46:00.000-08:00

Some of our sweetest moments with Jenae come at the end of each day when we get in her room to pray before she goes to sleep. We started by always praying over her. As she grew, we moved into the repeat-after-me prayers, which were also precious. And, now she prays by herself...most of the time.

This journey has been amazing to me. Many nights she would be fussing in her crib and we'd go in there to try to calm her down. If we just talked to her she'd keep crying and asking to get out. However, the moment we'd start to pray she would get still and quiet and just listen. It was wild. Sometimes that would be enough and she'd go on to sleep. Other times, she'd hear the "Amen" and go right back to fussing. During the prayer though she'd always quiet down. I hope as she grows she continues to have such a heart for prayer.

Tonight I just wanted to share some of the things I love about my little girls' prayers:

She can't pray if she isn't moving. The moment she starts praying she starts to wiggle and she doesn't get still until she says, "Amen."
If you try to guide her prayers, helping her name things, she will stop, look at you and say, "Sshhh! It my turn. Sshhh! It my turn." She always says it twice. Sometimes even if you didn't say a word.
For a while, she would start her prayers, "God, our Father." We think she got this from a prayer song we sometimes sing at meals...which doesn't count as a prayer to her. Even after we sing it she makes us hold hands to say a prayer. Now, she usually begins her prayers with, "Dear God..."
I love to hear what's going on in her mind. Most of our prayers are "Thank you, God, for..." The ones that always melt my heart, and usually at the front of the list, are: Momma, Daddy and Baby Sister.
Some of the more unusual thanks include: her diaper, walls, pillows, closet, pink light, fan, door--basically anything she can see in her room. Tonight, wearing our princess night gown, she prayed for Sleeping Beauty, Arial, Belle and Cinderella, and the Mean Cat. She often thanks God for her 'friends' and her 'new friends.'
We always kiss hands and give squeeze hugs after our prayers.
Her Daddy would want you to know that the first time she, on her own, told him she loved him was with a hug after our prayers. "I love you, Daddy."

I think I'll go now and thank God for a few of my blessings, too. Good night!

Valentine's Day

2008-02-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

A Photo Essay

Jenae Pics

2008-02-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

As if you couldn't get enough...

Here are some of the ways we fill our days lately:

Playdough!

Drawing pictures

Dancing with Daddy...while singing Little Mermaid songs

She loves her Daddy!

You may have noticed by now that in all her pictures lately Jenae has always accessorized her look. Everything from her jammies, t-shirts, Sunday dresses. The first thing she does each morning is to put on her necklace ("I careful with necklace"), earrings and princess watch. Okay, she doesn't put them on, she brings them straight to me to put on her. Even if I am still in bed, she will hand me her necklace first thing. Most days these are also accompanied by her Cinderella slippers ("Look, glass slippers!") that her Bappa bought for her at DisneyWorld. The only time these things come off is when she goes to sleep. You may think I'm exaggerating, but take a look back at her potty pictures. Purple nightgown, potty chair, and glass slippers.

Is there any turning back?! We have ourselves a girly-girl!

Potty Training, Take 1

2008-02-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

You can't say we didn't try. We did. Very hard for four days. Only one of us was trained. It was so frustrating. She didn't care if she was wet or dry. She'd wet herself and still tell me she was dry. She got to where she would "hold it" for up to 6 hours. The only "successes" we had were when I knew she had to go and could wrestle her to sit still. If she didn't need to go, she would sit there for hours. And, the only times she went during the entire four days was when she was in the bathroom by herself, with no books, no movies, nothing. We tried M & M's, prizes, lots of liquids, dances, parties...anything to celebrate but she wasn't impressed. Needless to say, we are back in diapers and I'm okay with that.

P.S. One week later, she is now telling us when she pees and poops in her diaper. She doesn't like it and wants to be changed. So, I guess we made some progress.

Cruise in Review

2008-02-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

The last week in January Jordan and I took our last chance get-a-way before this next baby arrives. We did a 5-night cruise on Navigator of the Seas. We love to cruise and just enjoy the down time, sleeping in, great food, laying in the sun and being together! It was a perfect week away. We had great weather all week and our ports of call were in Cozumel and Belize. Truth be told, it didn't really matter. I could just look at the water all day. Seriously, look how beautiful it is...and, no, that's not the swimming pool.
Enjoying the tender ride into Belize City.

The nation's only lighthouse. We took a city tour and learned lots of little facts about this small Caribbean country. For example, the entire country only has four traffic lights, and our tour passed by two of them.One of Jordan's favorite things is to go walk around the deck in the evenings. This night it was so windy! We were walking into the wind which Jordan thought provided a great photo of the "baby bump." So, there you have it... 27 Weeks Pregnant!

Here is our room. This was the first time we've ever had a window. It's actually an interior cabin (so it was cheaper), but it overlooked the Royal Promenade.
It made it nice to watch the parades from our room. :o)
The famous towel animals.
These flowers were waiting for me after our formal night dinner. Jordan takes such good care of me!
Sorry, no pictures of the prego in her swimsuit...actually, I know you are relieved :o)....but trust me, we spent a lot of time hanging out on this part of the ship.
Like I said it was a great week. We took a cruise before Jenae was born too and it was perfect. I told Jordan that I didn't need the typical "thank-you-for-birthing-my-child" present as long as he keeps taking me on cruises before each kid. It's just been a wonderful time for us to reconnect and recharge. I highly recommend it!

"Love Bug"

2008-01-16T20:57:00.001-08:00

Let's hope the doctor is right and we're having a girl. If not, let's hope it's still cool for guys to like pink come April. This is the bedding I've chosen for our new little girl. It is so sweet and girly and I love the chocolate and soft pink together! The polka-dots make it fun too. It is Carter's new Love Bug collection.
Below is a picture of the whole collection, which all together I think is a little obnoxious. It is hard to see the details in this one, that's why I put the first picture up.
We've moved "grandpa's dresser" into the baby's room and have traded cribs with Jordan's parents so the nursery will have dark woods to blend with the bedding. I think it will look really classy when we're done. I just wish I had Sue G. here in Winters to help me with the walls. (Hi, Sue! Hope you stopped by to check on us.)

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and all is well. I also confirmed that my due date suspicions were correct. He first told me May 6, but the math didn't add up to our experiences. I didn't think he was way off, but a week or two late. Well, based on our ultrasound, the measurements are showing a due date of April 26. He said it's not a great enough variance to change the original due date, but we'd keep an eye on things. He's just afraid to admit that he was wrong and I was right! Ha! I guess the truth is that time will tell, but in the meantime, I'm going to update the ticker with MY due date :o)

Big Girl Bed

2008-01-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we moved Jenae into her "big sister" room, formerly known as the guest/junk/office/storage room. We got the bed set up and all her clothes and toys moved over...still not officialy decorated, but she's not complaining. In fact, she loves it! She is so proud of her big bed and pink light. She plays in her room a lot more since there's more floor space. And, the part I love, her naps have been so long in her new bed. Makes me wonder if she really felt that cramped in the crib.
She has done better than I imagined she would. The very first night, she'd been down about 40 minutes when she appeared in the living room. We put her back in bed and that was it. Since then she naps well and has never gotten "up" once she's gone down for the night. Now, even when I ask if she's ready for her nap or if she's ready to go lay down, she says "yes" and runs to her room.
I can't wait to get her room finished so we can get to work on the new nursery. I'm really excited about it too.
First nap in the big bed.

It's a...

2008-01-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

We had our detailed ultrasound the Wednesday before Christmas and had the doctor seal the gender in an envelope so we could have a Christmas surprise. We opened the envelope at Disney on Christmas Day. I was really surprised! My health has been so different this time that I was just convinced it had to be a boy. Once we got over the "shock" of being wrong...I mean, how often does that happen?!...we are very excited. I'm glad I'll get to use all those storage boxes of Jenae's clothes that I've kept out in the garage. It will be fun to have sisters in the house. It just means double the hair bows, tea sets and Barbie dolls. Matching dresses for pictures. Sharing a bedroom. And double the giggles, hugs and kisses. We can't wait!

Disney Christmas

2008-01-12T15:13:00.001-08:00

We simply had a magical time at Disney World this Christmas. We were actually in Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. So much fun! Between all the family photographers, there are hundreds of pictures that I am sorting through. There will be more, but for now enjoy the castle.

Christmas Lunch

2008-01-12T14:59:00.001-08:00

Christmas Cutie!
It was fun to have most of the family with us for Sunday lunch. (Jason and Amy were already at Disney.) It wasn't too fancy...I mean, I served taco salads...but everyone had places to go and things to do before we got on the plane at 6:00am the next morning.

I just love my house at Christmas and so it is great for me to get to share it with others.
The table.
The place setting.
The family: (L to R) Mimommie, Shasha, Jenae, John, Gaylene, Jordan and Debbie. Thanks to Boppa for taking the picture.
Jenae and the family dog, Reyna Belle.

Christmas Morning at Home

2008-01-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

For the first time in our married lives...yes, I know, all four years of it...we actually had a Christmas celebration at home. It was so nice. We were having such a hectic week leading up to our Christmas trip that it was nice to take a break and just enjoy being together.
Checking out her stocking:
Jenae's present for her Daddy. A "how-to-draw" Spiderman book.
Jordan's gift for me. A parafin spa. Can't wait to use it!
Jenae and Momma looking at our new sticker book.
What is it?
She was so neat and serious in her unwrapping. Every little scrap of paper had to be placed in the trash before she would unwrap more. It took a while, but was very sweet.
Yea! A new purse!

Can you tell we were trying to get her ready for the big trip? She needed her princess dress. Jordan wanted so badly to give this to her and at first she was not too interested. I felt sorry for him. By the end of the morning she had it and all the accessories on. And since our Disney trip it is the gift that is getting the most use. She loves it and especially the earrings that came with the tiara.It's Mickey and Minnie!
We are ready to go!!
Helping Daddy build the new play house.
Come on in! It's great inside.
Jenae and Daddy
Our little princess.

Mimommie's House

2008-01-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

We spent my birthday weekend in Lubbock with Mimommie. She always treats us so well. She had her house all decorated and even had a "fire" going. Jordan and I got to do a little more Christmas shopping and we went to see a movie...in a theater! I don't remember the last time we did that. We saw "Enchanted" and loved it! Of course, we were already in the "princess" mode as we were gearing up for DisneyWorld.

Jenae always has a great time playing with Mimommie. They always paint their nails and find lots of fun things to do. This weekend there was just enough snow for a Jenae-sized snowman.
And nothing beats a good winter nap in Mimommie's lap:

Mimommie also took us to a place called Holland Gardens. It was incredible! The whole store was Christmas things. All the trees had a different theme. It was so fun to look at all the wonderful decorations. Jenae was pretty impressed too!

Perhaps one of the best parts of this outing is that we ended up with a family photo deemed worthy enough for the Christmas card this year. Thanks, Mimommie, for taking care of that chore for us!
On the way home Jenae found a new use for a pair of gloves. Simple pleasures!

Sweet Baby Jesus

2008-01-12T13:55:00.001-08:00

Pecan Pickin'

2007-12-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

Jenae & Jaycie Jo

Tea Parties

2007-12-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Jenae has been in a huge "Momma only" phase lately. While it is quite flattering, it can also wear me out. Not to mention her Daddy's feelings. The guy simply adores her and wants nothing more than to love on her. In fact, lately he's gotten more than his share of, "No, Momma do it" and hands pushing him away. Poor guy! The funniest one though was just the other day. He went into her room to help her with something and she replied with, "No! No, BOY!" We laughed and laughed.

I say all this to let you know that Jordan has been going the extra mile trying to find something or someway to connect with Jenae. The answer: Tea Parties! They have the best time playing together. The other day he was over at the office and I saw Jenae playing "tea party" by herself. I'm always celebrate the moments when she will entertain herself.
It wasn't until I got a closer look that I knew she was wishing her daddy was there with her. She had a very special guest of honor at the tea party. One of Daddy's best friends:
Sweet, sweet girl.

Making My List

2007-12-10T09:52:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid we would go through the Big Sears Catalog and look at all the toys, circling the ones we wanted for Christmas. Through the years the Sears catalog has changed, as have some of our personal tastes. Jenae may never have that experience. However, don't feel sorry for her very long...Here's Jenae checking out the new Pottery Barn Kids catalog that came in the mail. Watch out Santa, the prices just went up!

Getting to know (you) me...Christmas Edition

2007-12-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun email my friend Julie sent. Feel free to play along!

0. Name? Debbie

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper with lots of tape…no peeking!

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial and pre-lit. I like the idea of a real tree, but our allergies are too bad.

3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend. This year we actually got it up before Thanksgiving. It was so nice to return home and have it already done.

4. When do you take the tree down? After the new year. I hate taking all the decorations down, makes the house seem so bare.

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Cabbage Patch Dolls and a birthstone ring. Still have both.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Fischer Price. Jenae loves to make the angel above the stable sing, “Away in a Manger.” Great dancing music.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My brother and his family. They seem to have everything they want.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Jenae

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? There might have been a sweater or two in my past… :o)

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Definitely mail!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf is pretty fun, but it’s hard to beat the classics…Frosty, Rudolph, Miracle on 34th Street

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The sooner the better. I’m almost done this year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Can’t say. It might have been something you gave me.

15. Favorite thing to eat/drink at Christmas? My Grandma’s homemade fudge and turtles were always my favorite. My mom’s cheese log is a good treat that’s NOT chocolate.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear lights! Jenae chose “rainbow” lights for the tree in her room.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I love it all! Jenae is a huge fan of the “Hallelujah Chorus” this year. She giggles all the way thru it and when we get in the car it is always her first request.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Are you allowed to stay home? Never tried that! ;o)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Pretty sure I could. Might have to sing their names though.

20. Angel on the tree top or a Star? Star. I say that even though we don’t have a tree topper. In this house our tree top touches the ceiling. There is not room for a topper.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas day. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing this change. My family had pretty strict present opening rules…still do!

Hope everyone is getting all their "stuff" done. Only 20 more days until Christmas!!

Christmas Open House

2007-12-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

'Tis the Season

2007-12-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

We've had so much fun getting ready for Christmas this year. Decorating in a new house for the first time takes a little more thought than just putting everything out where you had it the year before. Jenae is being such a helper and her joy is contagious. We've done a lot of baking in the last week, too. We hosted a Christmas Open House and had to get all the goodies ready. Take a look:

Jenae was pretty excited to have her OWN Christmas tree in her room.
The early part of last week Jenae spent with Shasha so I could do some cleaning and cooking for our Open House. They made a "Cracker House" and we brought it home to help decorate for the party. So far we've only lost half a cracker to a hungry little girl.

Here she is ready to cook! She is sporting the new apron that Homie gave her for her birthday. Looks good, huh?!She was a good helper. I let her help measure flour and sugar and she did lots of stirring. My only rule was that Momma got to do the eggs all by myself. I wasn't taking any chances there. Later that day, I found Jenae up on her stool making eggs. She IS a big girl after all. And, she's TWO. "I can do it by myself!"

In case you couldn't tell here's a closer shot. Those are her play eggs. Complete with tags. She went to her room, to her kitchen set, got her own eggs and brought them to the kitchen. Smarty-pants! Momma and her helper!

Jenae also helped unwrap all the candies we used to make treats. It was a great job for her and she only tried to sneak a bite once...and I caught her! So it worked out well. She is so proud when she is able to contribute. And, most of the time, it really is help.

Pictures with Vincent

2007-12-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

While we were in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, Grandma wanted to have pictures of the kids made. It was quite the experience! It took Vincent a while to get warmed up to the idea and by then Jenae was about finished. The pictures we got turned out well, but that's not to say we didn't almost give up. Cousins are so fun!

November, 2007. Jenae is 27 months. Vincent is 23 months.

Halloween. Meow!

2007-11-01T20:58:00.001-07:00

Here's just a teaser! We had so much fun last night and I look forward to telling you all about it. However, today is my anniversary...it's getting late...and I'm going to bed. So, until I have more time to tell all the fun stories and post all the pictures this one will have to do.

This is Jenae about half-way through Trunk or Treat. She just had to stop and check out what everyone was putting in her pumpkin.

Fun at the Zoo and Pumpkins, too!

2007-11-01T20:31:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning we got an early start and drove into Abilene to go to the Zoo! It is a great, small zoo. Jenae and I can easily walk it all in about an hour. Just the right size for little legs. Also, the animals are caged so that the kids can get real close and actually see them. Jenae is quite familiar with the zoo and would grab Vincent's hand and say, "Come on, Vincent!" Of course, many times Vincent wouldn't walk at all unless the were holding hands. It went both ways. They were pretty cute!
First stop, the flamingos and ducks.
Saw a peacock on the way to the monkeys!
The bears were very interested in our animal crackers.
"Come on, Vincent! Up the bridge to the giraffes!"
Don't be scared, Jenni. It's just a giraffe tongue. Besides, Vincent is watching. Be brave.

There you go! Good job!

We finished the zoo, grabbed some Sonic, ate cookies at Shasha's house and then went to look for a pumpkin patch. Couldn't really find one without driving out in the country, so we settled for this display in front of a nursing home.
Vincent decided he was done for the day. No pumpkins. No Jenae. No holding hands. No pictures. Nothing!So, we just took a few of Jenae and got in the car and headed back to the house.

Visitors from Oklahoma!

2007-11-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my sister, Jenni, her son, Vincent, and Homie came to visit us for the weekend. We had a great time showing them all the fun things to do in Winters...and all that happened before dinner. :o) Just Kidding. (kind of) The kids had a great time out at the Friday night football game. We hooked Vincent up with some Blizzard gear.

Jenae and her daddy sharing some love!

Bedtime stories are best when shared with a friend!

This was actually taken a different night...after a full day at the zoo. The little thing
just slowly faded as Homie read her last book of the night. So sweet!

Fall

2007-09-14T08:17:00.001-07:00

This is the best I could do. I was trying to get a nice full-length shot of Jenae. However, everytime I would squat or bend down to get on her level, she would imitate me. So, just imagine she's standing there, nice and tall, in front of the tree. :o)

Football

2007-09-14T08:01:00.001-07:00

Jenae is so proud of her "ball" shirt. In fact, the last two weeks after the game she has slept in her blue shirt and then worn it all day Saturday too! I think she is proud to be a Blizzard!
Here are the boys in action. I need to get some better shots to show some perspective. Coming from Belton-a 5A school, to Winters-a 1A school, there are some slight differences in proportions. The bands look tiny, the stadium is small, and the sidelines aren't lined with reserve players. One thing I think is sweet is that now whenever we drive by the stadium, which is just down the street from our home, Jenae always says, "Go, Blue!"
The funniest thing so far this season has been Jenae's understanding of the team mascot. We are the Winters Blizzards. It's a horrible picture, but everyone always asks exactly what does that look like. Well, here it is:
Folks are always asking Jenae, "Where's the Blizzard?" "Do you see the Blizzard?" Come to find out, Jenae is only picking up on "Where's the Lizard?" "Do you see the Lizard?" I know this because she sits with me and asks "Gecko?" Even as I'm posting this, she saw the picture and said "gecko!" She must think we are all crazy though. She knows what a gecko is and what it looks like. She's got to wonder how this "blizzard" mascot resembles a gecko at all. I'm sure it's her first instance of wanting to roll her eyes and say, "Whatever!"

So, Go, Blue! Go, Geckos!

Bubbles

2007-09-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Swimming

2007-09-13T07:30:00.001-07:00

What a fun summer this has been! We've spent countless days at the pool. At the pool here, it only costs 50 cents for Jenae to get in...so we went...a lot! I am amazed at how bold she's become. At the beginning of the summer she was so clingy, couldn't float upright in her swim vest, but she loved the water. So we kept hitting the pool. It was on our sojourn trip with Mimommie (which I still haven't blogged about, I know) that I actually let go of her to see what would happen. She just took off! I laughed and she was so proud of herself and giggling that I bet she swallowed a gallon of water. Since that day there's been so stopping her. These pictures were from the last time we swam with the cousins.

The Cake!

2007-08-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

I agonized over what to do for Jenae's fish brithday cake. I don't know anyone here who does cakes, and I wasn't thrilled with the ones you find in the grocery store bakeries. Last year my friend Jennifer made an awesome cake for her birthday, so I knew the stakes were high. Plus, my sister took a Wilton cake decorating class last year and has become the pro and I knew she'd be eyeing my work pretty closely too. I'd seen some really cute ideas online, but thought there was no way I could replicate them, seeing as I'd never done cakes before. However, with a "little" coaching from my mom and lots of STRESS, I did it. I'm pretty proud of my little fish cake:

Here's the cake Jennifer did for Jenae's 1st birthday:

Happy 2nd Birthday, Jenae!

2007-08-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was Jenae's birthday. She "o-FISH-ally" turned 2 years old. That's right, and don't be surprised that we had a fish party to celebrate. This little girl has just stolen our hearts and it was so fun to have a whole day to do all things Jenae.
We had been preparing for this moment all week...practicing singing "Happy Birthday"...blowing out candles...she was ready. This picture below is of her delight at everyone singing her birthday song. She giggled the whole time.

Jenae with her dear friend Karen, from church, reading some of the new books she received.

The new art easel from Grammy and Grandpa Smith.

Puzzles

"Clack-Clack" dress shoes from Aunt Jenni

Jenae's best friends: Brenda, Lanny, Karen & Phil.
It wouldn't have been a party without them.

Getting ready for the big reveal. A surprise present from Momma & Daddy, Shasha & Boppa.

A kitchen!!

Her favorite feature on the kitchen set? The cordless phone. That's right. We are now seeing art imitate life. Watch out Momma, you're about to see yourself in action.

Pennsylvania or Bust!

2007-07-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

At 5:30 in the morning Mimommie, Jenae and I are heading out on our Pennsylvania adventure. We're traveling with Mimommie in the motorhome to her Sojourn site. We are very excited. We'll be driving for 3 days and arrive at the camp on Wednesday. Then the real fun begins! We are going to spend one day in Philadelphia, one day in Hershey and one day in Lancaster with the Amish :o) Many of the Christian fiction books I read are about the Amish set in Lancaster county, so I can't wait to explore this part of the country. Jenae and I will fly back to Abilene next Sunday, then Mimommie will begin her work projects.

Please pray for us during the next week. Pray for Mimommie as she drives. Pray for Jordan as he stays at home without his family. I look forward to sharing more about our journey as we go (if possible) or once we return.

Tomorrow we'll be in Arkansas! Good night!

Painting the Parsonage

2007-07-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

The parsonage the church provides us is such a blessing! We love being this close to our church building and it's been so convenient on numerous occasions. There are many things we love about this house and the things we don't we simply say, "It's okay we didn't choose this house." Except for one thing...the dark, glossy paneling that was everywhere! This house doesn't have many windows, and with the paneling it was just too dark and depressing. In the middle of the afternoon you'd have thought it was time for baths and bed. So I started talking to people who talked to people until I got permission to paint it! :o) I was scared and excited. I took several before and after shots. Neither really show how bad it was or the true color it is now, but hopefully it will give you an idea of how much it changed.

This is the entry way, obviously looking towards the front door:

This is looking into the family room from the entry way:
This is in the family room looking at the back door and breakfast area:

My next projects are to update some of the light fixtures, like the one above, and to try to put down some wood flooring in the entry way. The tile in there now is definitely from the 70's. I'll keep you posted on those too. It's so fun working on a house that isn't "yours." No worries if you "mess up." Ha!

Making Cookies

2007-07-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

The Hubbards have a delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Denecia always has some frozen cookie dough where she can make fresh cookies in the blink of an eye. It is a proud family tradition that Jordan is passing on to Jenae. Making a batch for Homie:

4th of July

2007-07-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Momma's Lil' Firecracker!

We had such a fun 4th this year. The last couple of years we've been at church camp on July 4th, so it was nice to do more traditional things this year. Homie flew into Abilene in the morning. We did a few errands and then came back to Winters. After gathering all our gear we headed out to Lake Brownwood. A family from church has a lake house out there and many of our friends met out there to celebrate. Jenae was pumped! Anytime we drive by water (of any kind or size) she starts talking about the fish. So we kept telling her we were going to "where the fish live." When she saw the lake it was like "jackpot!" She was very excited. Lewis took us out for a ride in the boat, but it didn't take her too long to figure out we weren't getting in the water...just riding on top of it. She didn't like that...she wanted in the water...with the fish! :o) After we got back to the dock, our dear friend, Karen, took Jenae swimming with the fish. Jenae LOVES to swim.

After all the swimming we ate a delicious meal that Phil cooked. The man knows how to BBQ...brisket and ribs. So delicious! Jenae started fading fast...she only took a 45 minute nap...so we headed back to Winters and enjoyed watching all the fireworks in the country as we drove back.

Lanny!

2007-07-17T21:04:00.001-07:00

This is Lanny. He was Jenae's first friend here in Winters. The other night I was able to capture a photo of how he became her favorite. Swinging! He always asks her, "Jenae, do you want to swing?" She loves it!
Their relationship is starting to cause a few "situations." Lanny is one of our deacons. He's always doing something during the worship service--leading singing, saying a prayer, counting attendance. Well, now, whenever Jenae spots him she just starts saying, in her cute little voice, "Annieee! Annieeee! Annieeee!" (No "L" sound, just anniee, with emphasis on the "EEE")
There are so many people who love on Jenae. I'm so grateful for this little girl and the joy she brings to so many people. Thank you, God, for surrounding us with folks who give us joy in return.

Popsicles!

2007-07-17T21:03:00.001-07:00

Father's Day

2007-07-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

This was Jordan's first Father's Day as the preacher. Since Sunday would be such a busy day, Jenae and I gave him his gifts on Saturday night. The Disney princess bag confused him. He thought he was getting a trip to DisneyWorld. I just used it because it was big enough. Poor guy!

Jenae enjoying all the wrapping!

Daddy and Jenae. We tried once more for the "perfect" shot...one without a green fruit loop showing...and this is what we got:
At least Jordan was a good sport and went along with it. Jordan is a wonderful Daddy! Jenae simply adores him. They love to play and laugh and sing together. They also enjoy watching vidoes on the Internet and playing video games and the Wii. She always cheers when he comes home from work. How great that must be!

Pretty in Pink

2007-07-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

So sweet! These girls are Bible class buddies. Cheyenne and Alicia ride the buses on Wednesday nights and go to class with Jenae. They all looked so cute the other night in their hot pink shirts!

Farming with Phil

2007-07-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Colburns go to church with us and back during the wheat harvest they invited us to come out and ride in the combines. We felt like such city slickers, asking so many questions about the whole farming process. It was so fascinating! Phil and his boys farm over 4000 acres. Karen, Phil's wife, is one of Jenae's best friends here. They always sit together at church and talk about fish. :o) Imagine that! I love all that we are getting to experience out here in the country.

Hey, Homie! This is for you!

2007-07-17T20:30:00.001-07:00

Homie came to see us at the beginning of July and we had a great time showing her Winters! Ha! Acutally, since there isn't much to do around here it was fun to just sit and visit and play. Homie loves my little girl and wanted everyone to see their pictures! This first one is from July 4th at Lake Brownwood.

Sunday afternoon "naps."

Thanks for a great time! Come and see us again soon! Real soon!