HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM....

....not really but it's a good lead in to our day spent at NASA (Houston Space Center) on Friday. Our day was spent learning very little and playing until I pushed my kids out the door. Not without a trip to the gift shop first though. Why do kids do that? Or is it just mine? We spend a whole day at a really fun place and they want to go to the gift shop to purchase some ridiculous toy or souvenir that will be lost in a week. Anyways, Nasa is set up so there is a lot for all ages. My kids wanted to have less to do with the educational things and more to do with the just plain fun. And since we only had 5 hours, I played nice mom and just let them play.

Our first adventure, Colson was very excited about, prior to the release of his feet from this little platform. I went first (mainly to releive Calli of her fears) and I basically couldn't hold on to what I'll call a trapeze and immediately dropped to the inflatable devise underneath me. After watching other people, that was what most people did...it's much more difficult than it looks. So, I drop to the bottom and get my camera ready for a very excited Colson who is going after me. He sets up with the help of the worker guy, releases his feet and swings forward and back then forward and back...you get the picture. I hollar at him to just let go which is when I got this face.

Shear panic had overcome him and he DID NOT want to let go. I am sure the people around me that were watching and saying "poor kid" didn't think to highly of me as his mother taking pictures of him when he was terrified. But you have to capture the moment don't you? And really there was nothing for me to do. The guy working couldn't reach out and catch him to bring him back to the platform. I could not reach him to pull him down even if I were to climb up on the inflatable. I was just waiting until his hands got tired and he couldn't hold on anymore. He finally let go or fell and I helped him get down holding him in my arms. Then in deep sobs he says "I want to do it again." Everyone around burst into laughter. Of course Calli had overcome her fear, jumped and fell. No pictures though because I was consoling Colson.

The rest of the day was spent jumping on the trampolines with these harness sets and rubber bands as well as climbing, balancing and a whole lot of other fun stuff. It was a great day and we stayed long enough to sit in Houston traffic on the way home. Both kids fell asleep which shows how hard they played and made for an uneventful ride home.

OUR POOR DOGS!

Well I find myself with a little free time because ADVENTURE WEDNESDAY has been postponed. This is the first Wednesday in a while that we've all been available to do anything and of course the hurricane is here. I had everyone loaded in the car ready to head down to NASA and thought, maybe I should check the weather. While I know the hurricane isn't hitting Houston we'll still have a lot of rain from it and I really don't want to get caught in high water roads or even wrecks and traffics. I guess my gut said don't risk it while the kids screamed PLEASE! I told them we would go see Wall-E at the movie and try SPACE CENTER HOUSTON on Friday. So I think with our schedules this summer we will now just call our outings Adventure Day and shoot for Wednesday.

I post this picture in hopes that when my friend Shellie reads this she won't turn me in for abuse. Colson loves to torture our dogs. Not that he hurts them although an occasional tail pulling is sometimes seen (and he is scolded for it) but I know their playmate of choice in the family is NOT Colson. Here Colson put his clothes on Jax and never wanted to take them off. He even put his underwear on the dog and said he would just empty it out when Jax when poo-poo. I told him that was disgusting (one of his favorite words).

We also headed to the dentist yesterday for good reports. Can I say that both my kids LOVE the dentist! Calli had a really loose tooth and so the dentist just pulled it right out.....like picking eggplants she said. I've never picked eggplants or eaten them so I wouldn't know what she is talking about. Anyways, we need to fire our tooth fairy because for reasons unknonw to us, she didn't come. Not quite sure what happened there but Calli will try again tonight. I guess there were alot of teeth lost yesterday.

COLSON'S LUCKY NUMBER....

155,000

Okay maybe lucky is not a good term but favorite? Absolutely! Anytime Colson tells you anything that requires a number, 155,000 is always what he throws out there. And of course right mom/dad is always behind it. For example,


"It takes 155,000 miles to get to Stina's house" right mom?
"I ate 155,000 hot dogs" right dad?
"It take me 155,000 minutes to fall asleep" right mom?
"I held my breath for 155,000 minutes" right dad?

I have NO idea where he got that number and it's one of those things that the first few times you could tell he was just trying to make up a really big number and he landed on that. Now he doesn't try to think up a new number, he just says 155,000.



Very cute! Speaking of cute, did I tell you I have a really cute nephew now. Here are a couple more pics now that he is at home in the comfort of his own home.

These are pictures from yesterday! The one below is pre-epidural. That is Wes on the left and Scott on the right. Both professional "coaches" and comforters during her pain. This was a sweet moment!

The proud aunt holding my new nephew for the first time!

Calli was so excited!

Colson was equally excited for a few minutes then he was all about spending the night with someone other than us.

BABY HUDSON MADE HIS ARRIVAL!

Let's just say today was very EXCITING to say the least and EXHAUSTING and I wasn't the one spitting out a child. Hudson made his arrival around 5:05 pm today and weighed in at 6 lbs and 1 ounce. He was 19 1/4" long and he's beautiful! Christina was a trooper and toughed out what was a rough and "uncomfortable" morning. By 1:30 she had her modern medicine wonder drug and was fine the rest of the way. Very easy, very smooth...just as we had prayed!

Okay, there are no pictures to enjoy because....I don't know why?!?! Blogger is not wanting to upload so I will try first thing in the morning. I'm tired and I have a feeling my kids will not be sleeping in as I hope because they want to get back up to the hospital.

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!

Hopefully in the next 24 hours, we will have a new addition to the family. My sister checked into the hospital late this afternoon and we've already had our pre-party. They did a little to her tonight but I think the true modern medicine "let's get this party started" will come in the morning.

Let me explain the doo-rags. You can't really see Calli's but she has one on. This weekend, we all watched the birth of Calli (and Colson) to TRY and ease Christina's anxieties in the physical act of giving birth. My deliveries were SO EASY and I know Christina's will be the same way. Christina was in the room for both births and for Calli's she was a Senior in High School and wore a doo-rag as an accessory....like a fashion statement. We gave her a really hard time as we watched the video. So, Calli and I walked in tonight ready to play the part.

Along those lines, it was really fun to watch those videos. I should say that they were all G rated. Calli LOVED them. Colson wanted to watch his over and over but then he really wouldn't watch it. When he did he would refer to him in 3rd person. He'd say "Why is he crying?" and we'd say that's not just any "he" it's you. He would pause and say "Well why am I crying?" I am sure there was a point when Scott and Christina were like, okay, how can we get out of here...we've seen enough. But we kept them there and the video running. Calli was so incredibly adorable in the video when Colson was born. She was a little over 3 and neither Wes and I remember her being so cute. She loved her brother! It also made us miss Dr. Campbell (my doctor who is now retired). He was amazing back in the day!

Tomorrow these pictures will be of a new creation. As our pastor read this evening from Psalms "You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laikd out before a single day had passed" Psalms 139: 15-16. God knows what Hudson looks like right now and we can't wait for the reveal. He knows all of the joys and sorrows we will experience with him over the next however many years. I know the next few days will be filled with JOY beyond words. The miracle of birth is amazing!

NEW ARRIVAL COMING SOON!

My only sister is pregnant with her first child and due July 20th. She went to the Dr. today and it looks likes she'll be induced on Sunday evening so I imagine I'll be holding a teeny tiny little baby by Monday afternoon! Can I tell you how excited I am...we all are? Calli and Colson are super excited. I went ahead and told them today with the risk of being asked 35 times when Monday is by Colson. Calli can't wait to teach the baby to walk and Colson can't wait to teach him to eat. I did have to warn Colson though that babies don't eat right out of the hatch (or eat as he knows it). I can just imagine Colson bringing cookies to the hospital and shoving them in the kids mouth the first chance he gets.

It will be a boy and his name will be Hudson Carter! So, we are anxiously awaiting Monday's arrival. I had hair appointments for me and the kids on Monday so this baby is really screwing those plans up...ha ha ha! I guess new life comes before vanity!

We are praying for a healthy baby and easy delivery! YEA YEA YEA!

OUR INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION!

Happy Birthday America! I am truly grateful for the country that we live in and the freedoms we are allowed yet I don't think I can truly grasp the magnitude of this freedom or the scope of what it took to attain it and keep it. Much of this day is history stories and even though I see the current war, I still don't think my mind allows me to experience what this day SHOULD mean to me. That probaly doesn't make any sense but none the less, I am grateful for those that have gone before me and my family (including my Dad) to acheive what I take for granted everyday...FREEDOM!

Most of our day was spent piddling around the house finishing different projects until it was time to head to our church picnic. This is an annual event and I can only remember one year that we didn't go in the last 12 years or so. So I would say this is pretty much a tradition. We spent the afternoon eating, fishing, relaxing and visiting with those we love. Calli even picked up someones bike for a ride or two.

A want to stop and blog about my dear friend Carole with whom I love to give a hard time. By many of her recent comments and teasings that she has given to me, I feel she is really wanting to appear on my blog...so here she is....even posing for the camera! She's my thirty-something wanna be who is lots of fun to be with (I know she looks 30 but she's really not LOL!). She is a great sport and has been an encouragment to me many times!

After we left the church picnic and after much begging from Calli, Wes broke down and went and bought a few fireworks of our own. This too has become a tradition and why Wes thought he could get away with NOT doing it this year because it's a little "dry", I don't know. Like any 5 and 8 year old cares about it being dry. So, we had some fun with our fireworks and Uncle Scott was in charge as daddy wasn't really in the mood. The kids were maniacs and acted like we were taking them to DisneyWorld.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN!

Our Senior Year in High School (1992)

I have a friend that I'd like to honor today before the clock strikes midnight and her special day is over. I moved back to Conroe the summer before my 6th grade year. When I started school in the fall it was difficult to break into a place where long time Conroe kids had grown up and friendships had been established. Having a September birthday, I decided that there was no better way to make friends than to invite all the girls to my 12th birthday slumber party! (Yes my mom was nuts!) So, about 13 preteen girls took over my house for a crazy celebration (10 years later we were still finding silly string behind furniture).

Anyways, I have digressed. Robyn was one of those girls that was invited and attended although we laugh now because she told her mom she didn't want to go and her mom was nervous about her spending the night because "she didn't even know my parents." Robyn and I were inseperable from that day on and really so were our moms. Where one of us was, the other was. What one of us did, the other did. I always say if it wasn't for Robyn in High School, I am not sure I would have been as strong in my faith and probably would have gotten in a lot more trouble. We knew that we could stick together and resist so many of the temptations that teenagers face by doing so. The amazing thing is that our friendship still remained even after living together for 4 years at A&M.

There are so many funny memories that I have shared with her. If I shared some of them now, I promise you would pee in your pants...okay maybe you wouldn't, but I think Robyn and I would as we relived them in our minds. We've also been through some tough times. She is an amazing person with so many qualities that I admire. She's loyal, self sacrificing, sensitive, compassionate and just fun to be around. She's an awesome wife, mom, daughter and FRIEND! Countless tears, struggles, laughs and heartache have been shared.

God has blessed me with some truly amazing friends. As I look at the world around me and meet different people throughout my journey in life, I am reminded of the unique and awesome friendships that I have been surrounded with. Robyn is one of those life long friends that I can't imagine being without. Thank you Robyn for putting up with me for the last 22 years (we can't be that old can we?) Happy 34th Birthday Ra!