Why are you so funny?

Hill has been doing some monstrously funny things lately.  He can communicate really really well.  If he wants something he can ask for it or give you direction to figure out what it is he does need or want.  He’s very good at saying No.  He has never said the word Yes, he only says “ahh” like in a ‘that was refreshing’ type way or starts laughing.  If you are sitting down and he wants you to get up to get him something he will pull your arm and grunt while trying to lift you up.  He usually needs me to be doing something for him so it’s always “mama geh up!  Ugh! (grunt pull grunt) Geh up!”

He’s obsessed with trucks, fire trucks tractors and anything that has wheels.  He’s always sure to point out the “wee-eews” (wheels).  He has learned that there are men that drive fire trucks and they are evidentially called fire truck mans.

He understands that there are different kinds of balls.  You have baseball (bayball), basketball (back ek ball), football (boo ball), but my favorite is soccer ball (caca ball).

He knows that his name is Hill Hawkins and if you ask him to say it he usually will unless he’s being really shy.  It’s pretty much the cutest thing ever to hear him say Hawkins.  He pronounces it very clearly.  The other thing that he pronounces fantastically is the name of his chapstick.  It’s called Baby Kisses and it makes me want to eat him up when he says it so precisely. 

My son is a male diva.  I don’t know what you call a male diva but he is so vain.  He thinks my cell phone is dedicated to pictures and videos of him.  If he sees my phone (or Chips) he says “picture Hill” meaning I know you have pictures of me in there and we need to sit here for 3 hours and look at them over and over and over.  If he finds my phone sitting alone somewhere he can reach he will grab it.  The boy knows how to open the smart phone.  Push the button at the bottom then slide the bar across with your finger.  My password seems to aggravate him because he can’t get past it.  So so vain. Wait until he finds out he has a blog that’s mainly about him one day.  We will all be up a creek then.

The kooky things he still does is obsess over his shoes, socks and shirts.  He MUST pick out his own clothes otherwise it makes for a long long morning.  I’ve come to the conclusion that some kids have their pacifiers, others their blankets…Hill has his shoes.  He has specific names for them.  There are his cool shoes (kooh shoe), tennis shoes (tennih shoe), his car house shoes (car shoe) and many others but those are the main ones that have a name.  If he doesn’t have them on when he goes to sleep then he requests them in his bed and before he goes to bed he usually puts them on himself - - the correct foot 98% of the time.  And I’m sure that you didn’t know but there are certain shoes that require certain socks depending on the mood of the day.  Yes it’s true and my son prefers navy blue socks if I give him a choice.

The latest is manners.  Daycare has done an outstanding job with teaching him manners.  No ma’am, please, thank you, welcome.  He always tells me, “thanks ma.”  So nonchalantly.  Ma?  Really?  What are we the Walton’s?  Night John Boy.

We’ve established he’s a good eater.  I hope he doesn’t become obsessed with eating but at this age I never know if he’s really hungry when he says “eat” or if it’s just habit?  He’s just as bad with his eating set up as he is with his shoe fetish.  If he’s eating a snack he likes them to be in a bowl.  He can go to the cabinet and pick out his plastic bowl of choice then bring it to you to put his snack in.  His sippy cup debacle usually causes the most drama. He associates his cups with people, situations and likes.  He likes the movie Cars so he likes his Car sippy cup or his Truck sippy cup (the red one specifically not the yellow one with trucks on it.)  He likes the juice bottles that have batman or superman or some type of figurine on the top to drink out of - - that is what he calls a “man bah”  - Because it has a man on it and it’s a bah-bah (aka sippy cup).  Capri Suns with the surfer on it is a man bah as well.

Those three types of cups are the ones I can usually get him to drink out of without drama.  Sometimes I’m supposed to read his mind and know that he wants “Harvey’s bah” which he and Harvey have an identical sippy cup so it’s called the Harvey ba.  Then there is “Addie’s bah” which one time when cousin Addie came over she drank out of it so now it has been dubbed her bah.  It’s obscene and a tad overboard on the OCD’ness.

He’s a hoot. Says and does the most hilarious things.  As Thanksgiving approaches he has been coloring and making crafts with lot of turkeys so after school he hands me his work of the day and says, “Chicken!”  Like one of our friends say – Turkey / Chicken whatever they all eat good.  J

Ok so the mother of all stories…the other day I was working in the yard.  I was on all fours picking weeds and Hill came up behind me and pulled the waist of the back of my pants and said, “Mama! Poo Poo?”  We are always checking his diaper by doing the same thing so he was just looking out incase his mama had a stinky hiney!

Love him!

School picture 2011-2012

Have you happened to see the best school picture in the history of all school pictures?

Sukie, my love, you never cease to amaze me.

My 2nd favorite day of the month

Every year my brother gives me the Southern Living magazine subscription for Christmas.  When I open the mailbox once a month I always feel like I’m 9 years old and got a piece of “fun mail.”  You know those days before the bills and donation forms had your names on them.  I get that exciting feeling when I receive my Southern Living magazine. 

I’m glad to say that my son feels the same way.  The other day we sat down and looked through the Thanksgiving edition and Hill got hungry.  He asked me to get him a spoon so he could eat!

That silly nut!  I will say that he knows who the cook around here is….not his mama.  When he’s hungry he says “EAT!” then climbs into his highchair and sits down (yes he insists he climb up all by himself)  sometimes he says “Dada, cook.”  If he wants a snack then he knows to come to mama and say what he wants…which may be gold fish (ish), gummy snacks (nummies), popcicles (pah kikle), or my favorite dried cranberries (nuts.) 

He still prefers broccoli, peas or lima beans over corn dogs or other fun fattening foods.  He could eat fish for every meal but chips and french fries trump everything.

Maybe his mama will find time one day to cook like the Southern Living people.  In the meantime he can just pretend to eat the delish food they take pictures of.

Extra Protection

The phase of wanting to potty train himself that he started at 19 months has since dissipated.  I didn’t push him only encouraged, so big boy potty is only brought up occasionally when I think he may need to go.  It usually involves taking his fire truck or tow truck or 3 boats (Mama boat, Dada boat & Hill boat) to make the process fun. 

Yet there are times Hill feels the need to be extra careful.  Sometimes he instructs me to put on his diaper then his pants then another diaper.

This way he can safely....

Pick out books

Pose for pictures

Mr. Potato Head approves

play outside

and sweep

The world is officially a safer more protected place now.

Pumpkin Patch

We had an AWESOME day Sunday the 30th of October.  My friend Marsha recommended a pumpkin patch about 40 minutes away in Duck Hill, Bull Bottom Farms - so the husband, son and I loaded up for a Griswald Hawkins Pumpkin Patch Extravaganza!

Hill waiting patiently for us to get ready to go!
He pulled the box of dish detergent out to sit on and wait.

We arrived at 2:20 pm and time flew by so fast after an hour and a half we had done so much and had so much fun!

There were goats, cows and bunnies.  Hill loved them all!  He’d hop like a bunny and try to shove grass in the goats mouths all the while laughing his sweet belly laugh that makes my heart melt.

They had a slide that was in like a homemade sandbox, but instead of sand it was filled with corn!  How stinking creative is that?!  I think these people KNEW how much I hate sand and glitter and didn’t have any of that jazz anywhere.  I love them for that.  The corn was neat!  We buried Hill in it and then Chip asked Hill if he knew what that was?  “It’s corn, Buddy.”  So what does Hill do?  Shoves a hand full in his mouth!  Yuck!  

 

My little Scarecrow

We swung in the swing and Chip decided we had to get this type of swing if Hill is a good boy for Santa to bring or maybe for his birthday?  I love watching his blonde blonde hair sway in the wind back and forth like when the breeze hits the corn stalks in the field.  Hill’s big sweet smile that comes from the tickling in his tummy because his Daddy is pushing him higher and higher.  That’s what life’s all about.  Those moments….these moments…

After that we walked through a corn maze.  I showed Hill that the corn came off the stalk or “stick” and lived underneath the shuck or “blanket.”  He carried two shucked pieces of corn around the whole maze.  Then when we got out of the maze I asked him to put them down and he opened his arms and just dropped them as if his obligation of carrying that corn to civilization was accomplished.

They had a mini hay bale maze for Hill sized kiddos.  He liked to crawl over the hay to get to where he needed to go.

Then the Mother of all Mothers… we loaded up on a trailer for the TRACTOR to take us on a hay ride to the pumpkin patch!  Hill just sat and stared as if this was the best day ever – he was being pulled by a tractor!  He’d say “tractor vroom vroom.”   

We came over the hill and there it was - - the pumpkin patch.  Hill yelled out “PUH-KIN!”

He got two little pumpkins.  He liked the greenish colored ones best and didn’t want to run through the field with all the pumpkins just stay in his one little area with all the little pumpkins.  

After we got back to where the activities were we decided to call it a day.  We certainly had a blast and would recommend Bull Bottom Farms to anyone looking for a good wholesome family fun time.

Hill brushed the pumpkins "hair" all the way home.

Halloween 2011 - Bam Bam

This Halloween there seemed to be a lot of Spiderman’s and Pirates….but not Hill.  If you recall, we Hawkins parents take full advantage of the fact that our son doesn’t yet have an opinion of what he wants to be for Halloween.  Last year Chip got to choose…

The infamous Tree Car Air Freshener

This year I got to choose…

My Little Bam Bam

I capitalized on the fact that my son is a spitting image of Bam Bam from the Flintstones.

We had so much fun this Halloween!  Wednesday, the 26th we were invited to go to the Methodist Church Halloween Carnival.  We ate hot dogs, jumped in the bouncy house, bobbed for apples, colored, threw bean bags and played Plinko.  Our good friends The Pettit’s invited us, as they always do, to their fun events.  Even our buddy Harvey was there and we got to see our friend that we met back at Easter, Cobb Hendrix.  We had a blast!

Hill loved the apple bobbing (with a net)
He handed me his hat as he walked up like
"Hey Mom, hold my hat - I've got this"

And he did have it!
He got 2 apples and a bunch of candy from Mrs. Jennie Cook 

Jumpin' in the bouncy house!

Coloring his 'puh-kin'

Sweet Harvey resting his horsey while he colors.

Tanner, Hill & Harvey

Cowboy Tanner & Bam Bam

Two cowboys and a caveman

I'm not too sure what Hill is doing to Cobb here.
They sure are cutie patooties though!

Monday afternoon, Halloween Day, our local stores on the Square do trick or treating from 3:30-5:30.  Some retailers dress up, some just have huge bags of candy to hand out to the swarm of children (and the occasional teen) as they round the Square in their costumes. It really is neat that our community comes together to do this.  I picked Hill up early from daycare to go to Nana & Papa’s house to put on his costume.  Nana had so much candy and toys for Hill that it filled his pumpkin to the top!  When we got in the car I had to pour it into a sack so that he could make room for more candy!  (Chip started his diet 2 days before Halloween - - bad idea - - didn’t work)

Off to the Square we went….my office is on the Square so Hill and I had to make the rounds to show off his cuteness to my work people.  I really think that they were waiting to see what Hill would be this year because everyone at work kept talking about the hilarity of his being an Air Freshener last year.  Chip met us up at my office and by the end of our trick or treating stint on the Square Hill was a pro.  He knew to put the candy in his ‘puh-kin.’  We did at one point have to sit in the middle of the floor of loan operations and eat a tootsie roll.  

Mr. Toby Tyler & Hill on the Square

 After the Square we went to go see Ed and Daisy Dog.

Daisy Dog

Ed & Hill

We tried to go to the Cheeks (Stephen & Sherrie), because that was the 1^st house Hill ever trick or treated in his whole life, and they always go all out - - but it was early and they weren’t home yet.  

We did however go to our friend Hollee Cheek’s house.  We were her 1^st trick or treater ever!  She’s lived in that house 3 years and never has had a trick or treater before.  So of course we had to make it a picture-esque moment.  You see, Hill has always had a crush on Miss. Hollee but she will be getting married in April and so Hill has had to reevaluate their relationship and I think he’s comfortable with it now.  Candy always makes situations better.  Thanks Miss. Hollee!  We love you!

Love this picture of both Hollee and Hill

I've decided this is next years October Southern Living magazine cover.

 I apologize in advance I cannot get the rest of the pictures to turn right side up....

This crazy gourd was on Hollee's porch

She even made pumpkin people!

After a good 2 hours of gathering candy, taking pictures and being stopped by people walking or driving in their cars to tell us that he hands down has the best, cutest costume they’d seen this year.  We had one more special stop to make.

Sassy & Pop’s house! (Sandra & David Landrum)

Hill had so much fun at Sassy & Pop’s house…they always have something special for him.  Not only does he and Pop love Smarties as their favorite candies, but Sassy knows what Hill likes too – trucks!  Especially a truck with Ole Miss on it!  He calls it his “webel truck” (rebel truck.)  Macie dog was there and Hill and Macie played and played so much that Hill woke up the next morning still talking about Macie dog.  

Hill and Macie

Sassy, Hill & the 'webel truck'

Thanks so much to everyone for making this Halloween so fun and memorable.  We only have 364 days left to plan his next costume!

Bloody Nose & Busted Lip - Friday Night Fight Night

Last Friday night, October 28th, Chip was out of town to Oxford because he and Al went to go hear Snoop Dogg play at the Lyric.  I know, hilarious right?  These boys will never grow up, which is fine because they have the best time.  So, I sent a text to my sister in law to see if her and my nephew wanted to come over and play with Hill and me.  

Meryl and Shane Preston came over and those boys were in full testosterone mode.  Trucks, jumping on beds and furniture, blocks, Mr. Potato Head, more trucks, Disney channel and imagination galore.  Then things got a little rough, not sure exactly what happened because I didn’t see it, but Hill ended up with a bloody nose and busted lip screaming crying.  Poor Shane Preston was as scared as could be.  It was way past everyone’s bedtime and I think it involved doing back flips out of a chair and then hard tile floors – none of that meshes well together.  

There was blood everywhere.  I have to say that I kept my cool.  Hill was in tune to my chilled out mode and did most everything I asked of him.  We kept his nose cleaned and tried to see what damage was done to his cleft repair.  Even though it was 9:30 pm I called my friend/ neighbor / nurse who is an angel and always there for us accident prone sickling Hawkins people.  I rushed him to her house and she was able to look in his mouth and see that the connector thing between his lip and gums (“connector thing” is a medical term in case you didn’t know) was possibly separated and his lip was so fat and swollen we couldn’t see much else.  Swollen like when he just gets out of surgery.  The only thing that kept me from going to the ER was that Dr. Shell wouldn’t be there and he’s the only one that I would let do anything to my son’s mouth.

We didn’t get to bed until almost midnight.  Hill ate two popsicles since that is the only way I could keep cold on his lip and then he wanted to sleep with his Mama.  Which was A Ok with his Mama. The dogs woke me up at like 3 am because it smelled like there was a skunk in our house and I was afraid to let them out so I had to sit up with them to keep them quiet.  

During that hour I prayed and reflected over Hill’s journey.  I wondered if he was the only crazy clumsy little boy that has had cleft repairs and inevitably jacks up his lip every few months after a surgery.  I found comfort in the fact that 1) His muscle reconstruction was a year and a half ago and had hopefully healed and weren’t damaged by the accident of the night and 2) When he had his first accident “The Big One” back in June 2010 and he hit his lip on the stroller bar and it MADE A HOLE in his face under his nose.  Ugh, that makes my stomach ache every time I remember that day.  That goes down in the top five worst days of my life. I remembered that I was sure Dr. Shell had fallen off the cuckoo wagon when he told me that the hole you could fit a straw through would heal itself.  No worries, no stitches.  And he was right; it healed up all on its own.  Why should I worry about a fat lip and potential disconnected connector thingy?

I finally went to bed at 4 am and woke up at 7 next to a blue eyed happy boy with a swollen lip.  I sent Chip a text to give us a call when he woke up.  I didn’t tell him about the accident the night before because there was nothing he could do from Oxford and I didn’t want him to worry about “Hizzlle” as he watched Snoop Dogg.

Throughout the day Saturday Hill would occasionally say that his nose hurt.  I think he was talking about under his nose inside the top part of the upper lip - - which in Hill terms would be his nose.  

But it must not have hurt too bad because he was still able
to request BACON for breakfast.
What can I say, the kid loves bacon.

We laid low Saturday other than going to Rhodes Develin’s 1^st birthday party.  Chip, Hill and I went to go buy Rhodes a birthday present and Hill learned how to play the pity card with his Dada.  So not only did Rhodes get a truck…so did Hill but only because according to Chip, “he’s had a rough time with hitting his lip and all.”

The birthday party was fun!  We had a good time playing with everyone and hanging out.  I only got one picture of the birthday boy because I had my camera but the battery was in my car, which Chip had.  So two halves don’t make a whole.  

I used my cell phone to grab a pic of this cutie patootie!  

Happy 1st Birthday, Rhodes!

Uncle Jason's Wedding

Friday, October 14^th we loaded up the family SUV and started our adventure to my brothers’ wedding in my homeland where everything is bigger…good ol’ Texas.

Have you ever traveled with a 21 month old for 9 hours?  I was worried, but seriously had nothing to be worried about!  Hill was an absolute trooper.  Only once did he have a fit because he didn’t want to sit back down in his car seat after a pit stop.  All we had to do was coax him with “Do you want to go see Hannah? (his cousin) Then you have to sit on your hiney and buckle up.”  He plopped down and was ready to see his Hannah!  

I drove the way there because we knew that Chip would have to drive back since we were going to pull a trailer.  Never could we ever make a simple trip, we always have ulterior adventures going on like hauling a U-Haul with my mom’s twin Jenny Lind beds so that I can redecorate my guest room.  I’m all about killing multiple birds with one stone. Wedding and beds in one fail swoop.

Anyway we stopped in Baton Rouge for lunch.  Chip had found a French restaurant called Maison Lacour via Google maps on his cell phone.  We walked in and it’s a little quaint house turned restaurant.  It was quiet in there, maybe 14 tables total. Should we even attempt this with a child under the age of 16?  It looked fancy and they didn’t have a kids menu.  Which to be honest with you was fine with me because we don’t like to order Hill food off the kids menu anyway…I was just worried since they didn’t have a kids menu or highchairs - - we were we breaking the rules by having a rug rat there.  We were hungry and the menu looked divine so we stayed.  Hill was a pro.  He acted like eating at a nice restaurant was something he did every day.  He split my stuffed fish with me and ate all my veggies and the waitress was confused why he wanted her to leave his broccoli plate as she tried to take it away.  Hill would rather eat broccoli than corn dogs.  He’d rather eat lima beans than cake.  It’s true and I love it.  

We praised Hill for doing so great and right before we left he went to the fireplace where there were decorative duck statues and he squats down and goes “DUCK!  QUACK QUACK!” really loud. It was hilarious.  He did great though.

We got back in the car and taught Hill how to make the 18 wheeler trucks honk their horns.  You know the ol making a fist and tugging your arm in an up and down motion to signal the driver to toot his horn.  Hill thought it was hilarious!  I’m sure Chip and I looked like big overgrown dorks signaling the truckers to honk - - knowing my back seat windows are too dark to see the tiny tot giggling his face off.  I found that truck drivers these days aren’t as giving with their horn honking as they were when I was a kid. Maybe they didn’t see my kiddo in the back…that’s what I’ll keep telling myself anyway.

We arrived to my dad’s house just in time to hang out for a minute and then to start cooking dinner.  Grilled steaks and chicken.  Yum!  Hill and Hannah played and played and had a great time. 

Hill (21 months) & Hannah (10)

Hannah showing Hill Papi's new
100% electric car
2012 Nissan Leaf

We were beat so after dinner Hill and I crashed in Hannah’s room.

Saturday morning we woke up and showered (because my dad doesn’t have bathtubs at his house.) Did you know that it is super hard to clean a slippery baby who doesn’t like water pelting in his face in a shower?  Well it is, and it’s a team effort for naked mama and baby to communicate in the shower…a walk in shower with no door and oriental rugs.  We survived and I hope the mental image has not scarred your brain.

I left Hill with everyone (because it takes a village) and I went to visit Meredith, Gavino and their new tiny sweet precious baby boy.  Asher Tate Arsuaga was born on August the 23^rd and I have been DYING to get my hands on his chunky self.  Since we drove from MS I was able to bring her all of the clothes Hill has grown out of (see I’m killing birds here – hand me downs, Uhaul, wedding mmm hmmm.) I was too engulfed in being with my people that I only got like one picture of Asher and his sweet Daddy.  

I hate Hill didn’t get to meet Asher this trip but Asher hadn’t had his 2 month shots yet and Hill is full of daycare disease so I wasn’t comfortable with the coming together of the two just yet, but next time! Just you wait!

It was so good to see my people.  I always tell Gavino when I leave Mere - and now Mere and Asher - for him to take good care of my people.  He does, he’s a good keeper of my people.  I love Gavino and am so glad he’s in Meredith’s life.

I had to leave though. It was almost time for us to go to my brother Jason’s wedding but I wanted to make one quick stop since I was by myself before I headed back to my dad’s house.  I drove by my grandmother’s house.  The house that my grandfather had built over 50 years ago, it’s the coziest 5 acres I’ve ever known.  When I was little it was the widest safest open space for my two feet to run until I fell over.  We’d feed the cows, till the garden, shell pecans from a pecan tree that is over 200 years old and takes up nearly half an acre.  My grandparents would pay their property taxes from the sale of the pecans.  Now days – 20 years later my grandma’s house is nestled up in the middle of the busy life, subdivisions, highways and grocery stores.  It’s almost hard to get to through roads that didn’t exist even 5 years ago.  You’d have to know the lay of the land to figure out how to get there now.  I got there and drove through the row of trees that are big and healthy that my dad planted when he was in high school.  The big for sale sign in the pasture made my heart sink just a little bit. The house looked sad.  It has a renter in it; it wasn’t neat and tidy like Mamaw kept it.  The big 40 year old sago palms weren’t there and the landscape looked desolate.  The pecan tree shaded everything, it was like a big protector, a shelter, almost as if it was a big hug from its gigantic arms around the property.  I pulled into the drive way glanced from my car window and then drove away a little sad, but giving me closure on the fact that this land isn’t what it used to be. I can keep the sweet memories we made there, but the property itself doesn’t belong in the busy life it’s been placed in anymore just laying there with a windmill in the middle of the pasture.   It will be sold as commercial real estate which even though money can’t buy the memories made there I feel it’s just an extra special way of my grandparents saying it’s ok – a way to show that they continue to take care of us.

Uhhh, sigh, breathe in and breathe out.  I needed that 5 minutes alone before I went back to my hustle and bustle busy life outside of those 5 acres.  So I made it back to my dad’s to get ready for the wedding.  Hill, Chip, my dad and I all rode together.  Hannah and Pam stayed back and went to the dinner theatre.

We got to the wedding and it was a beautiful location right outside of Bay City.  Jason had graciously pulled the Uhaul from El Campo on his wedding day that my mom loaded up with stuff for me to take back.  Thanks guys!  You saved us about 2 hours of travel time!  We got to see a bit of family and meet Maria’s family.  They are all precious and her sister has a little boy the same age as Hill and they just played and played.  

My mom did the food, which as always was fantastic!  We had food, family, fun, a beautiful day with a beautiful location with beautiful people.  Wonderful is the word I would use.  Everything was wonderful.  

Mama Lou & Hill

Jason & the preacher

Papi, Hill & Mama Lou

Hill had this fascination with rolling on the rug

Mama Lou's good cookin'

Aunt Rosemary

Hill dancing to the iPod

Anyone wanna dance with me?

Entry to the patio

Hill and Landon

Patio scene

Me & Jason

Still rolling on the rug...

Hill and Landon rolling on the rug...

Sweet Maria & Hill

All the boys dancing & jumping

Hill was a hoot and had a great time dancing and playing.  My dad and Chip seemed to forget that we were pulling an Uhaul back to my dad’s house in Sugar Land from the wedding (45 minutes away) so yours truly ended up having to pull that hoss down the winding back roads.  I did a good job and got us all home safe and sound.  

Sunday morning we loaded up and headed out – back on the road to Mississip’. The only thing I remember about the drive home was that I wanted to kill Barney the Dinosaur.  I wanted to physically reach through the tv in the back seat and strangle him and the singing happy little children.  If it wasn’t for the alternative (Hill crying wanting “more Barney”) then Barney and Friends would live on the side of Interstate 12 between Baton Rouge and Hammond, LA somewhere.

We got home Sunday at about 6:00pm.  Chip wanted to unload the Uhaul so we wouldn’t have to jack with it on Monday morning.  I have to admit that I was a little nervous to open the Uhaul not knowing what all my mom had packed in there.  I felt like Geraldo Rivera unveiling the Uhaul of Jimmy Hoffa or something.  She’s always trying to give me all of her stuff or my old stuff so she had a prime unsupervised opportunity to load us up this trip.  She did a good job though.  I have to say that I was worried a bit at first when I saw we are the proud owners of no less than three grosses of Beanie Babies now.  Yet it’s worth it because Hill now has a table and chairs in his room to color at, I have everything I’d ever need to decorate my guest room with and a few heirlooms that are neat keepsakes.  I had to call the rest of the family who was waiting patiently to know what all Mom packed in the Uhaul to let them know it was all ok.

We had a great time in Texas.  Congratulations to my wonderful brother Jason and his beautiful bride Maria.  Best wishes and we love you guys!