Just a quick note about the Jones...

I figured I haven't given an update in a while (since Hud's birthday!!)so, it's time. We have been busy, but nothing major to really speak of, so I just kind of let our blog fall to the wayside. But, winter is just about here, it's snowed a few times already, and I am sure we will have some "fun in the snow" blogs soon. Especially since it's Hudson's first winter. (Well, that he will notice the snow anyway.) Should be fun. So anyway, until then I added just a few little pics that are recent, and that I love. :)


My boys, before church and the primary program. They are so handsome when they are all spiffed up. I love Hudson's little outfit. So.Cute. Austyn wants one too, so we are on the lookout for a bigger version for him. He likes to dress up like that, and I love it. Such handsome little men. I wish we would have gotten a family picture that day. Maybe next time.



Halloween, obviously. hehe. One of my favorites. It's so fun. Especially when your kids are still young enough that you get to pick their costume out. ;) Austyn is at the age where he likes to me "scary" things, so he was "jigsaw" from the Saw movies. Yuck. The mask did not scare Hudson a bit, I was actually a little surprised. I have a feeling next Halloween will be a different story. Hudson was a giraffe. I was originally going to have him be either a monkey (to go along with my whole monkey theme I have for him, because I love monkeys :)) or a skunk, because, well, it would have been ADORABLE! But, I found that giraffe costume at a garage sale this summer for $1, so a giraffe it was! I love a good deal, and really?? ONE DOLLAR for a Halloween costume?!?! Can't beat it, I had to buy it. The skunk may happen next year. After I saw all the monkeys this year, I have kind of given up on that idea. Unless I find a monkey costume at a garage sale next summer. haha


And lastly, Austyn's football season ended about a month ago. I think their record was 2-6. :( BUT, that's ok, they had fun, and that's what matters. He loved playing, loved his teammates and loved his coach. I think Austyn's was the only coach out of all the teams that you couldn't hear screaming. haha. He had one mishap during the season, that resulted in a trip to the E.R. in an ambulance. It was probably the scariest moment I have had as a parent thus far, and hopefully forever. It was terrible. He tackled someone, and hit them wrong or something, and hurt his neck. They made sure he could move his fingers and toes, and were pretty certain that his neck wasn't broken, but they wanted to take every precaution (better to be safe than sorry)so they called an ambulance, strapped him to a backboard and took him in for a c.t. scan. All was ok, he had a sprained neck, fixed with some ibuprofen and a neck brace. That happened in the second to last game of the season, and luckily, he was still able to play in the last game, in the dome. He had to wear a different jersey for the last game, since his was cut off in the E.R. He kept it for a souvenir. :) And, it didn't scare him out of playing football. So, I was sad to see the football season end (I love watching my kids play sports!!!) but have something to look forward to next year.
So, there is my quick little update. Sorry, no super exciting news this time, but, it's better than bad news. All is going great with our family, better than ever probably, and just keeps getting better. :) We are looking forward to the holidays, and will be posting updates as they come. Thanks for stopping by. :)

HUDSON IS ONE YEAR OLD!!!

1 year ago, on October 1, 2010 at 7:58 a.m., Hudson Tyler Jones made his appearance into our lives, and changed them forever. :) He wasn't due until the 9th, but decided he was ready to be seen beginning on September 30th. I think he might have then changed his mind because he just would.not.come.out!!! So, after many LONG and PAINFUL hours of labor, an emergency c-section was required to get his stubborn behind to finally join us. He was worth every single miserable second of labor. So, here are a few pictures of his birthday party, and I will give little tid bits of info on him along the way. I hope you enjoy...


When he was born, he was 7 lbs 2 oz and 19 3/4" tall (haha, that's not really "tall" but you get it). That was the 25/50th percentile for both height and weight. I year later, he weighed in at 23 lbs 3 oz and 31" tall, which is the 50-75th percentile for weight and 75-90th for height. So, it appears, so far, we are going to have a tall and slender boy on our hands. We will see. He was bald when he was born, and for the most part, still is. :) He has a few little curls in the back, that are absolutely adorable, but that's about it. He is still the cutest baby ever, hair or not. Although, my opinion is probably considered biased. hehe. But seriously, he is a CUTIE!!


Hudson is, and always has been, a very happy and healthy baby. He has a very calm demeanor, RARELY crying or "mad". He usually has some sort of thoughtful or concerned look on his face, which I think means he is a thinker. He is very attentive of what is going on around him, and loves new things, places and people. I swear he is in a good mood, smiling and laughing about 80% of the time. He is, and always has been, a good eater, good sleeper and well behaved little guy. He just has an awesome disposition. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful baby. This first year could definitely been harder, but we have been lucky. I can't explain how excited we were to find out we were finally gonna have a baby, then to finally meet him after a long 9 months, then, the icing on the cake, he is practically perfect! :)


Hudson rolled over for the first time at 1 month old, no joke. I think it was a fluke, because he didn't do it again until he was 6 weeks old, and even then it was still sporatic. He was laughing at just under 4 months old, and I still love that sound! He crawled by 6 months and was walking by 10 months old and was waving bye bye at around 8 months old. Now he has discovered that he can climb onto things, and he loves it. He is out little monkey boy. He loves to be outdoors, at the park or on walks or even just playing in the sidewalk in the front of our house. He is a very curious little man. Always learning, quicker than we can keep up.


For his first birthday, we had some family and friends over for a little party. My stepmom made 2 birthday cakes, both pictured in this post, that were awesome!! One was for all of the guests, and one was all for Hudson. We just put it in front of him and let him go at it. He has a good time, as you can see from the pictures. The party was perfect, good food, good people, good times. We are grateful for everyone that came to share the special day with us, for all the help from everyone and for all the great gifts. Hudson had no interest in the gifts during the party, so we opened them later (Austyn helped with that). Everyone gave wonderful gifts that will be put to good use. :) THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!


So, this first year has been fun. As I said, it could have been harder, and we are so grateful to have such a healthy and happy baby. He keeps us on our toes, that's for sure, but it's all fun and exciting. He has hit some pretty huge milestones already, and has so much more, we are just enjoying all the new things everyday. Still waiting on some hair, and a few more teeth, but we're getting there. haha. :) We love, love, LOVE this little man. Both of our boys are amazing, in their own little ways. I am one lucky momma!! Looking forward to many more special years with my kiddos. :)

Football Season Is Here!

It's finally here, FOOTBALL SEASON!! I am always sad to see summer go, but I love, love, LOVE football! It's sort of a comfort for the inevitable end of summer. Fall is my second favorite time of the year. I love the smell of fall, the colors, school starting again (haha), Halloween, pumpkins, spice scented everything, homecoming parades and football! Just to name a few. ;)


So, with all that said, I am super excited that this year Austyn started playing football too!! One more reason to be stoked for the football season. I have always loved watching football, but I think watching your own child play makes it so much better. It's so exciting and gives me such a proud and overwhelming feeling watching him play.


It's crazy how times flies, and I remember thinking, "I can't wait till Austyn is out there on a football field."


He's is doing good, too. He plays on the offensive and defensive line, as well as kick off's and kick off returns. He knows football is about hitting, and he's a hard hittin' kid. I think he is going to do really well with this sport, and I love to watch him play. I was kind of shocked to find myself yelling on the sidelines at his last game. I was really getting into it! haha. I didn't think I was one of "those moms", but I guess I am. Nothing crazy, of course, but I was a little worked up.


This is Austyn, on the ground, after knocking down a kick off ball, and laying on it, to give his team really good field position. So far, they have played 2 of their 6 games, and are 1-1. The last game was a little rough for them. But, hey, you win some, you lose some. It happens. They are all having fun and learning how the game is played, so that's what matters.


And this was him in uniform before his first game. I think he was a little nervous, but he did so good!! His team had the first game of the season, and Austyn got the first tackle of the season. It was so cool hearing them say his name over the speaker. It's things like that, first days of school, games days, dances, hearing your kids name announced during a sporting event or spelling bee or whatever it is that they do and love, that make you feel so overwhelmed with love, happiness and pride. I couldn't be more proud of Austyn, and it makes me feel so good seeing him out on the football field, playing a sport that I love, but more importantly, that HE loves. :) That's my boy!!

Busy little summer...

It's been quite a busy summer for us this year, which is probably why I haven't blogged in a while. We have been trying to make the most of the summer... nice weather, fresh air and sunshine. I love it. So many things have been going on, I don't know where to start. I am sure I will leave stuff out, of course, but just a little update to touch on a few things going on. Oh, and I got the camera working, so there are pictures in this one. :)



Andrew and I had the opportunity to go to Mackinac Island last weekend. Very exciting! :) Kind of last minute, but I was stoked. I had only been there once, when I was in 9th grade, so I was really excited to go again. It was just one night, but it was fun. We are already thinking of making it a family trip for next summer, for at least a long weekend. It rained while we were there, so it kind of put a damper on things, we cut our trip short and it was hard to get good pictures, but we still had a wonderful time. So, the top picture is the lighthouse, obviously. Very cool. And the bottom one is Andrew on the boat on the way over. I am not a fan of large boats or being on one in a huge body of water, so I stayed put in my seat. He was lucky to even get me to sit on the top section!



We were also able to take a trip to my mom's house for a long weekend. That was nice too. We hadn't been down in a while and I was missing everyone, A LOT! The weather couldn't have been more perfect the entire time. My mom has a garden, and it.is.huge!! She has everything imaginable in it, just tons of deliciousness and beautiful flowers. Hudson was a fan of the garden. She also made some awesome jam while we were there to take home. LOVE IT! Thanks mom. Hudson also enjoyed a little sunbathing on my mom's deck, drinking from the hose, as you can see below. I was pretty surprised at how quick he learned to drink from the hose, as in, almost immediately! Such a smart little guy. ;)




Ahhh, the piano. Andrew has been wanting a piano for quite some time now. I found one on craigslist for $50, but it was in Calumet. Well, we didn't think we would find a better deal than that, so we made arrangements to borrow a truck and have a few helpers to go get it. The day we were supposed to go get it, we were informed that a family from the church had one that they were giving away!!! And they lived in the same town as us! SO, a FREE piano AND we didn't have to drive 2 hours to get it!! Can't beat that. :) So, this is the latest addition to our home, Andrew has been playing away already and really enjoying it. It's nice. Thank you very much to the Shearer family for the piano and to all who helped move it. We couldn't appreciate it more.



I planted a "garden" of my own this summer. Just a little test one to see how well I would do. So, I planted 2 rows of sunflowers (my favorite), a tomato plant, a pumpkin plant and a few creeping phlox. So far, so good. The tomato plant has tomatoes on it, the pumpkin plant is alive and flowering although actual pumpkins are questionable at this point, the flowers did pretty well, and my sunflowers are blooming!! The picture below is the first one to bloom. I was soooo excited. It's so pretty. Love it!

Lets see, what else... OH YEAH! Hudson is walking!! He has been scooting around the furniture or making his way around via overturned laundry basket for a few months, but over the past 2 weeks, he has managed to go from that and the occassional few steps from mom to dad to full blown walking. He can make it from the living room all the way into the kitchen. He is still a little tipsy and crashes quite a bit, but he's pretty much got it down. Our little guy is getting so big! So exciting, yet so sad at the same time. Austyn started tackle football this week. Crazy! He is doing really good though, and I plan to get some pictures and do a seperate blog on that soon. So watch for it. ;)
So, that was my "quick" little update. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. We sure are. Au revoir.

July Fourth Festivities

We had a wonderful weekend. It was busy, but it was a fun busy. Unfortunately, we had a camera that wasn't working, and Austyn took a trip downstate, so we didn't have him with us until the fireworks on Monday night. But, he had fun down there, visiting with family, so it wasn't all that bad of a thing for him to go. The camera not working was a real downer, especially with it being Hudson's first 4th of July experience and he also had his first camping experience. But we made the best of it, and will always have the "mental" pictures for our own memories. haha.
We went camping at Van Riper State Park on Saturday with my Dad and Connie. It.was.packed!! There wasn't a single open campsite, so I'm glad I thought ahead and reserved a site. It's a really nice campground, with a TON of camping spots, but I don't think we will go again on a holiday weekend. I like my camping to be a little more low key than that. They have a really nice beach there, with a park, so we took Hudson down to the lake to check it out. We have a short video of it on here (if it works), and as you will see, he wasn't a fan of the water. Yet. We are working on it though, and I'm sure he will be a little fish by the end of summer. :) He likes his baths, but I think the fact of it being the biggest bathtub ever, along with waves, was a little overwhelming. He did thoroughly enjoy the sand though, and was quite intrigued when I buried his legs. He's so cute. He also did very well sleeping on an air mattress in a tent for the first time. I wasn't sure how he would handle it, but he slept better than I did. He is just such a good and easy going baby. Perfection.

For the fourth, we headed down to the parade in the afternoon. The weather was beautiful. A little toasty to be sitting in the sun for a parade that lasted an hour and a half, but I'm not complaining. I am sooo glad summer in finally here. Hudson wasn't overly excited about the parade, just very interested. He was checking everything and everyone out very intently. We made it through most of the parade without any mishaps, until the end. The fire trucks came by, honking horns and blaring sirens, and that was it for him. His eyes got huge, his lip went out and then came the tears. I felt so bad for him. He wrapped his little arms around my necks and held on for dear life. Poor little guy. It was a little traumatic for him, but he made it through like a little champ. :) After that incident, we headed out to Beth and Stuart's for a family get together. It was good conversation and good food with great people. By the end of that, Hudson, and his sweaty little red cheeks, were whipped! He was asleep before we got home. And I think it's safe to say, he didn't attend the fireworks this year. I was impressed, however, that he didn't even wake up when all the fireworks were going off, considering we only live about 6 blocks from where they shoot them off. Good little sleeper!! Austyn, Andrew and I enjoyed them from the courthouse steps. They had some really cool ones, and an impressive "grand finale". Again, no camera, BOO, so no cool pics. Very disappointing for me. Guess it's time for a family gift to ourselves pretty soon. With kids (especially as cute as ours! hehe), sports, family functions and events, you really can't be without a camera these days. We will work on it.

Well, I hope the video works. And I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday, and took a moment to reflect on why we celebrate the Fourth of July. Remember to thank our troops (past, present and future) who make our freedom possible. I am grateful everyday for the sacrafices they have made and continue to make for our country, and a proud sister of a soldier, hoping for a safe return home for my brother.

A little video....

Just trying out the posting video skills. A quick little clip of Hudson's first attempt to walk. Enjoy. :)

School is out!!

As of Friday, school is out for the year. Yay!! Austyn was happy to be done for the year. Also, this was his last year in elementary school. Next year, it's off to middle school already. That's crazy to me. I can't believe how old he is getting, or how old I am getting!! :) Either way, we are proud of him. He is growing into quite the young man,(even if it is too soon!). Once again, for the 2nd time this year, Austyn got all A's on his report card. So, for 2 of the 3 semesters, he got all A's, and the first semester he got the same except one little B. But that's ok, can't complain about that!.



On Wednesday, Austyn had his last cubscouts meeting. They got their Arrow of Light award. The highest award in cub scouting. Very cool! Another reason to be proud of him. I love this kid!! Next year it's on to boy scouts! YAY!! He really likes it, and looks forward to it every week. I really think it's a great program and really hope he sticks with it.


A picture of the "family" part of the group, sans Andrew.


And here is one with Andrew and Austyn.

We spent the weekend doing more stuff to the house. My sister and I tore off the wallpaper in the office area and painted it green. It used to be this really dark brown color with a wolf wallpaper along the top. Way too dark for that room, and not really my style. So, since she is moving in with us for a while and we needed to clean it out anyway, it was the perfect excuse to paint it while it was empty. It was a little more work than I expected for such a small room, but it turned out awesome and looks sooooo much better now. I am glad we did it. I think the next project will be to get rid of the wallpaper in the breakfast nook and paint that too. Maybe next weekend, or.... :)

And finally, the last bit of "news" for this weekend update... I got Andrew a flip for a Father's Day/birthday gift. We have been wanting a video camera for a while, so what better excuse than a gift, and killing 2 birds with one stone at that!! (Even though I hate it when people combine my birthday gifts with Christmas gifts. hehe) It's small, quick and convenient. We love it. I tried to upload a video, but it didn't work. There is one of Hudson on each of our facebook pages that you can see (if you're on our friends list). If not, keep checking back, I will keep trying to figure it all out. Until then, thanks for stopping by and have a great week.

Yard Beautification...

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL! So, we spent the weekend cleaning up the yard, again, and adding to it. I decided that I didn't like our lame excuse for a front yard, and, with the help of my sister, ripped out the "grass". That was A LOT of work. Then we put in bricks around the edge, stone pavers to walk on, some hostas and other pretty little flowers. And, to top it off, covered it all up with some red mulch. It looks amazing! Like I said, it was a lot of work, I have the bruises, sunburn and sore muscles to prove it, but it was worth it. I am really glad we did it, and glad my sister was here to help. :)



This is a picture of our hard work in the front of the house. The picture doesn't really do it justice, I couldn't get a good picture. So, if you want to see how awesome it really is, you are just gonna have to come see for yourself. :)


Huddy came out to "help" in the yard for a bit. He just loves to be outside, but he doesn't like his knees to touch the grass, as you can see by this picture. Before we did all the yard work, my sister and I took Hudson for a nice, long walk downtown. I like to go check out the little shops downtown, and he likes to just chill in his stroller, or sleep, which is what he did most of the time.


This picture really has nothing to do with the weekend, it wasn't even taken this weekend, but I love it! Hudson looks like he is jammin' out, it's hilarious!

So, anyway, that was our weekend. It was pretty perfect I must say. Could not have asked for better weather or better results from all of our hard work. I hope everyone else has as great of a weekend as our little family did. Till next time...

50 Random Facts About Me...

I rarely, if ever, do a blog about just me. I don't even know who reads this, or what they want to read about when they do, but I figured I would mix it up a bit from the normal "family life" blog. Don't get me wrong, I love my family more than anything, and like writing about us, but I thought something different would be a fun, nice change. So, I decided to post some random facts about me (as the title states) that whoever reads this may or may not have known. So, here they are....



1. My birthdate is December 15, 1978.
2. I am the oldest of 5 children. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister.
3. I lived in the Grand Rapids area until the 8th grade, when we moved to Benzie County (near Traverse City).
4. I moved to Marqette in 2007.
5. My favorite color is green. Followed closely by pink and orange.
6. My favorite flowers are sunflowers and carnations. Daisies are a close second.
7. I have only been to 2 concerts in my life, both of them were Gary Allan concerts, and I would go again anytime. He is amazing!
8. I can't decide if I like summer or fall better. I love the heat in the summer, but fall is beautiful and I like the smell outside during the fall. :)
9. I make lists for almost everything I do. Which, some may say is more work than what the list is for, but I like to do it, and I actually need to do it.
10. Even with my lists, I forget stuff.
11. I was a cheerleader in high school for basketball and football for the entire 4 years. Captain most of the time.
11. I ran track in high school for one year and fastpitch softball for one year.
12. I only weighed 97 lbs. when I graduated high school!! Kinda weird!
13. I can't decide on just 1 favorite food, I like so many things.
14. I LOVE cheesecake. So much that when I was a little girl, I didn't have birthday cakes, but cheesecakes instead, courtesy of my awesome mother.
15. I am allergic to latex, demoral, walnuts and random fruits, like bananas, kiwis, papaya..
16. I can pop my hip in and out, it's pretty gross actually.
17. I have had 5 surgeries on my left knee.
18. I love to go fishing, out on the lake, rain or shine, warm or cold.
19. I can swim, and love to,but have a fear of jumping off of boats, docks or anything else floating in the water that I will have to swim back up to. I will only enter and exit the water on foot, from and to the shore. PERIOD!
20. I have never been to college, but wish I would have gone.
21. When I was a little girl, I wanted to go to school to be a vet. Of course.
22. If I could go to college now, I would probably choose forensic science. I would love to be a forensic scientist or crime scene investigator.
23. I love scary books and movies, but have found out the hard way it's dumb to watch them alone, day or night! haha
24. I had my first child at 21 years old, and waited 10 years to have another one!
25. My mom and my sister are my best friends.



26. My non-relative best friend lives in South Carolina. We have been best friends since high school, talk almost daily, and we are proof that distant doesn't matter for TRUE best friends.
27. I have never been any further west than Iowa. Lame, I know.
28. IF I EVER get to go on a real vacation, I want it to be Hawaii.
29. I hate to have my picture taken.
30. There are rarely any pictures of me without my tongue sticking out.
31. My best subject in school was English, although you probably couldn't tell from my writing skills now. :)
32. I HATE clutter.
33. I'm one of those people that usually tells it like it is. Some people love that about me, some hate it. I have learned over the years though, that there are ways to say what needs to be said without being hurtful, usually.
34. I bit my tongue off when I was a little girl, jumping from the couch to the coffee table. Gross!
35. I hate shopping, all kinds, unless its for my kids or my husband. I can always find a million ways to spend money on them, but never myself.
36. I have never wanted to be a stay at home mom, until recently. And even now, I just wish I could be home at least part time. Not sure I would want to be a full time stay at home mom.
37. I have recently discovered that it's harder than you think to come up with 50 random facts about yourself. hehe
38. My hair is naturally curly (more like wavy actually), I just straighten it every day, and I hate it!
39. I do not like politics AT ALL!
40. The only sport I really like to watch on T.V. is football, and I LOVE IT!
41. I have never been on an airplane.
42. I think a cruise would be cool but I am terrified of huge ships, I don't know why.
43. I am more afraid of june bugs than any other bug, except maybe spiders. It's close.
44. I have had 5 cars in my life. They were all either white or red. strange.
45. I have 3 tattoos.
46. I love the smell of gasoline. So weird.
47. I am still afraid of the dark, or maybe what's in it. Not sure, it's just creepy.
48. I love the 4 seasons, but not a huge fan of winter time. After the first snow, I'm over it!
49. I get excited over stupid things, talk too fast and laugh at inappropriate times, but that's what makes me ME!
50. I probably could have come up with more things about myself, maybe more interesting, maybe not, but I always have a million things running through my head at once, so this is what you get! HA

So, there's a little about me, hope you enjoyed it. Maybe I can get Andrew to do one next, although I doubt it. :) We'll see.

AUSTYN TURNS 11!

May 17,2000 at 6:30 a.m. I was admitted to the hospital and tried to prepare myself for the birth of my first baby. He wasn't supposed to be here until May 23rd, but I was excited to have him coming early, especially on the 17th, my lucky # and softball #. My labor wasn't really that long, or particularly hard (especially to what I would experience 10 years later! :) We didn't know if it was going to be a girl or boy, but I just had a feeling it would be a boy, and I was right! At 6:33 p.m. that night, Austyn Andrew Tabbert entered the world at 7 lbs, 4 oz and 19 1/4 inches long. He was so perfect. His head was filled with fuzzy black hair, and his 10 tiny toes and 10 tiny fingers were the smallest and cutest things I had ever seen.

From the time he was born, Austyn has always been an "easy" kid. He is fun loving, well mannered and polite, smart, thoughtful and kind and has a wonderful sense of humor and personality all around. He has given me challenges along the way, but what kid doesn't. But, I do have to say I am lucky and grateful to have had the honor to be the mother of such a wonderful kid. He is an all "A" student, has lots of friends, loves his family (especially his baby brother), very helpful, athletic (which I really love since I am too) and almost always makes a good impression upon meeting people. (he is an eleven year old boy after all, haha)

So, this year we didn't do a birthday party for him. I have given him a party EVERY year since his first one, and decided it was time to slow down on that. We told him last year that he could only have one every other year from now on. He was ok with that. I did make cupcakes for him to take to school on his birthday, and we also made a cake at home for him that night, in addition to his dinner of choice, spagetti. So, I still did my best to make it special, without going all out.

Here are some pictures of him opening his gifts in the morning. Of course, Hudson had to be a part of it too. Austyn didn't mind, and it was very cute. Enjoy. :)


A cool new shirt. Hudson is just noticing that something is going on over there.


Some more clothes...(I know, boring, mom!) I can't help it, his birthday is the perfect time to get him stocked up for summer clothes! Hudson also got more into it, and helped unwrap these last ones.


And, a video game. Finally! something cool. "Thanks mom"! haha. And then there's Hudson, confused that it was over so soon.
I love my boys, both of them. I can't believe it's been 11 years since I had my first "little" boy. They grow up SO fast. It's kind of sad. But it's been so fun watching him grow into a young man. And I am so proud of him, I couldn't have asked for better kids!

MAY 15TH.....

2 years ago today, Andrew and I were married at the Landmark Inn. It was a small ceremony with mostly family, and a few friends. It was perfect. The food was delicious, the ceremony was short and sweet, and the company was good. It was very pretty, nice and relaxed, and most of all, the first day of our new life together as husband and wife. :)
So, I decided to do a short (hopefully) blog about why I love my husband. And have included some pictures of us together.


I love Andrew because he is kind and thoughtful. He always does nice things for me, even if I don't ask him to, and doesn't ever complain about it. Even if it mean going out in the cold to put gas in my car (seriously, I think I can count on 1 hand how many times I have put gas in my own car since we've been together. :)) And that's just one small thing, I really don't have enough time or room on this blog to list all the nice things he does for me. Just trust me, he's awesome.


I love Andrew because he makes me laugh. Even when I don't want to laugh, even if I am very sad, or extremely mad, EVEN AT HIM, he can make me laugh or at least put a smile on my face. He has a silly side a lot like mine and likes to goof around, sometimes too much, but I love that about him. He doesn't let things get too serious.


I love Andrew because he knows me. He knows what I love, and what I hate, and pays attention to ME. Which is nice for obvious reasons, but it's also nice because he gets me the most perfect gifts!! :) The last 2 he got me seriously made me cry. They were SO thoughtful and beautiful. It was almost like he knew me better than I do. He knows when I need a nap (and takes care of Hudson and/or Austyn for me so I can take one), when I need help around the house (and does it without me asking), when I am hurting he gives me feet rubs and back rubs, gets take out when I am too busy or tired to cook... the list goes on and on. You get the idea I think.


I love Andrew because he is smart and determined. He is always working very hard at work (and at home), and doesn't complain when there is MORE to do. He is very ambitious and tries his best to do the best he can for us. Even if he works late or had an especially rough day at the office, he still comes home and helps Austyn with his homework, does the dishes or other housework, and helps with Hudson, and DOESN'T complain. He might pass out on the couch shortly after that, but can you blame him? :)


I love Andrew because he is a wonderful father and stepfather. He is so good with Austyn, it's almost like he has always been a part of his life. He helps with his homework and cubscouts stuff. If Austyn has a sporting even, Andrew helps him practice and is always at the game to watch and cheer him on. He is always very supportive of Austyn. When I was in the hospital and right after I got home and was busy with the baby, he made sure Austyn still got to football and got rides to his friends' house to hang out. He took him to the movies and out to eat, and made sure he was getting attention and not getting too bored when I wasn't able to do those things. While I was pregnant, he did all the things I couldn't, even if it sucked or wasn't really his thing...(cleaning the bathroom, laundry, grocery shopping...) He made sure I was taken care of and as comfortable as possible. When I came home with the baby, I slept on the couch, with Hudson in the pack-n-play, because it was easier than getting in and out of my bed after a c-section, and Andrew slept on the floor or on the loveseat in the living room with us. It was soooo sweet. He did ALL the running around, cleaning, and cooking (aka getting takeout, but he tried :). I just can't express enough how much that meant to me.
These are just a FEW reasons why I love this man so much, and why I love him more and more every day. He gives me a new reason every day and I cannot wait to see what the rest of our lives together brings.

Hooray for May!

YAY! Spring is FINALLY here!! Although this winter seemed shorter and more mild than the previous years, the last little bit seemed to drag out and was very close to torture. But, it's over now, and the nicer weather is here, and I am looking forward to days at the beach, picnics, bbq's, having the windows open, flowers, sunshine and sunkissed skin. :)
In the meantime, we have been spending time outdoors when we can, even if it means still wearing a jacket. At least it's not layers and layers! May is a busy month here in our home, and this May even more so. On top of Mother's Day, Austyn's birthday (17th) and mine and Andrew's anniversary (15th), my mom, sister and I did the Mother's Day craft show at NMU. It went well for it being our first time, it was kinda slow, but not too bad. I guess in years past it has been MUCH busier (according to the other crafters who have been there before). So, we will go again next year I'm sure, and hope for a better turn out. It was fun though and I am looking forward to the Christmas craft show in December.


So, as I said before, we have been spending more and more time outdoors, weather permitting, and really enjoying it. Hudson, especially seems to be very fond of the outdoors. We usually go for a walk or over to the park for at least a little bit everyday. As soon as we step outside he is all smiles. He is very curious about the outside, as you can see from the picture above, where he found a leaf. He is just too cute. I love to watch him explore everything around him.






Austyn is signed up for football this year. And this time, it's not flag, it's tackle, the real deal. :) He is pretty excited about it, and actually, I am too. So, he is trying to be prepared, somewhat, and decided that when we go to the park, he needs to bring a football to practice. Not a bad idea. I admire his ambition and drive for the things he really loves to do. (I just wish he had that much ambition for his chores! haha) So, he and Andrew threw the ball around for a bit.



This is me (and my mom in the background) and my boys on Mother's Day. I just LOVE both of them soooo much. As I said, I did the craft show with my mom, so it was awesome that I got to spend Mother's Day with her. She is, hands down, the best mom ever. I could not have asked for a better mother. She is my best friend, my support system, my advice giver, listener, teacher and SO MUCH MORE! So I was glad she was here for the extended weekend. The show went well, Andrew and Austyn were VERY helpful with the house and Hudson, they came to visit us at the show so I didn't miss them too much, and they even got me a really great gift from a vendor there that I absolutely L.O.V.E.! We walked down to Aubree's Pizza for dinner, then down to Lower Harbor park for a bit, then back home to relax. I could not have asked for a better Mother's Day. I am so lucky to have 3 wonderful guys in my life. They mean the world to me.


And lastly, Austyn's art was featured in the DeVos art museum during the Children's exhibit. I was so excited for him and so proud of him. This is the second time his art has been chosen to be in it. Last time was a painting, this time it's a sculpture. He is very talented and seems to really enjoy art. I think it may be time to get him into some art classes. I want to encourage him to continue with his creative side. So, the picture is him with his art. His was a little embarrassed because, well, he is just at that age now where it's embarrassing to go places with your parents, especially when they want to take pictures. Haha. He will just have to get used to it, these are the kinds of things I want to always remember.
So, I hope you all had as wonderful of a Mother's Day as I did. I can't wait for next years. There aren't many days that are just for me around here, so I really cherish them. :)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you all had as wonderful of a day as we did. We woke up this morning to a smiling happy baby, and the day just seemed to get better and better. We all got up and got ready for church and headed out. After church, it was back home for me to hide Austyn's eggs for him. This was the first year in many that he actually wanted to color eggs. I think he forgot how fun it was, because when we finished 12, he said..."that's it"? haha. We had a lot of fun together. So, Andrew dropped me off after church so I could get them hidden. Austyn is aware of the Easter Bunny situation, but he still has fun looking for eggs, and presents!

When we got all done with that, it was time to start my first attempt at a "formal" Easter dinner. I have mastered Thanksgiving, but had never done Easter. I have never cooked a ham. And I know, they are already cooked, but you still gotta "season" it and throw it in the oven. I am not a huge fan of ham, but Andrew is, so that is why I cooked it to begin with, and I wanted it to turn out good. And..... it was DELICIOUS! A success! I am quite pleased to say that I am turning into quite the good cook. :) Along with the ham, we had... redskin potatoes with butter, garlic and herbs (YUMMY!!), corn and biscuits. It all turned out very good, and was done right on time. I also made an "Easter basket cake". Which, 1. I forgot to take a picture of, and 2. not that sad that I didn't get a picture because, of course, it didn't turn out quite as pretty as the picture in the recipe. But, isn't that always the case? Not really a cake decorator either, not really my thing I guess. Oh well, it tasted good, and that's all that matters, right? (it wasn't THAT bad, I just am not satisfied with my work unless it's PERFECT, that's just me, though.)

We had our neighbors over for dinner. So, there was 8 of us total. Hudson slept right through dinner, which was actually kinda nice, especially since he gets around pretty good now. I was able to eat all of my dinner at once, while it was warm. :) Jen, our neighbor, brought me a beautiful Easter Lily, pictured below, and I loved it! I used to buy my mom an Easter Lily every year at Easter, but have never gotten one myself, so it was really nice, and kind of extra special for me since it brought back the memories of Easter with my mom that I have missed out on since I moved up here.

After dinner, Jen went home along with her oldest son, and Andrew and I took her two youngest kids on a walk with our family. Hudson absolutely loves to be outside, he just can't get enough. He smiles and screeches and coos, it's so cute! We walked up to the school and let the kids play at the park for a while, then did a little loop back around to our house. The day was gorgeous, the food was delicious, the kids were so well behaved, I really could not have asked for a better day. So, again, I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as much as us. Please enjoy a little taste of our wonderful day with the pictures below. :)




My beautiful Easter Lily. It smells wonderful too!!



Hudson in his Easter outfit. Too cute for words really!




Our family photo before church this morning. Thank goodness for self timers!

Spring break, vacation and a half birthday...

Wow, spring break has come and gone. It kinda snuck up on me this year. I guess we have been pretty busy, between working full time, getting settled into a new house and taking care of a new baby, things go by pretty fast I guess. It's all been great though, and I have no complaints. Most people I have talked to say that the winter dragged on and was too long. I usually feel the same, but this year it seemed to be very mild compared to most winters, and it seemed to go by fast. Here we are, into spring, heading towards summer, and I am EXCITED!

First things first, AUSTYN GOT ALL A'S ON HIS REPORT CARD!!! We are so proud of him. He always does well in school, but ALL A's?!?! I rewarded him with $5, and I was thinking I should take him to get a book or see a movie also. I really want to encourage good grades, studying and working hard at school. It's important to me that he understands how important it is to do well in school.

We went downstate for spring break, which seems to be our "thing" the last few years. The weather wasn't great, but not that bad either. It was what was to be expected for the first week of April in Northern Michigan I guess. I don't mind at all though. I get to see my family, for a whole week, which I love. It's really tough living so far away from them. I have always been very close to my mom, so my week at their house for spring break, no matter what the weather, is very important to me. We didn't really do anything to specatular or exciting, but it was fun in any case. My mom, sister and I did some crafts. (to prepare for the craft show we will be a part of in May at the Superior Dome.) We did some shopping, I got a lot of great deals at second hand stores for Hudson's summer wardrobe. My brother came over just about every day to hang out too, which was awesome. We all just hung out, grilled out and chatted. It was a really good time.

Austyn got to take his BB gun and get some target shooting in, which he was excited about. My mom has chickens and ducks, so Austyn was in charge of collecting the eggs in the morning and evenings for her. I think he liked it, it made him feel helpful. :) Which he was. After the first day, he asked if we could get some chickens. I don't think we really live in an area that is, uh, chicken friendly. haha. But, if we ever move to a farm, I will keep that in mind. Hudson was quite interested in the chickens and ducks as well. We took him out to see them, and he would just stare and stare, not really knowing what to think. It's fun to see him check out all the new sights and sounds.

On our way home, we stopped in St. Ignace to stay the night in a hotel with Dewey and Susan. The boys got to play in the pool. Which, this was Hudson's first time, obviously. He didn't really know what to think at first, but then he seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit. His little legs were just kickin' away under the water. It was cute. :)



The stay at the hotel was pretty nice, it broke the long drive up nicely. We came home on Sunday, early afternoon, and that was convenient. We had time to get everything unpacked and put away, and get all of our laundry done. Then, since it was so nice out, we decided to take a little stroll. Austyn was finally able to get his bike out from the winter storage, which he has been dying to do, and Hudson got to relax in his little stroller while daddy pushed him along. He was having a good time. We walked up 7th, and through the cemetary. I really love the location of our house, it is soooo convenient. We are both so close to work, Austyn's school, the park and the beach. We have all kinds of "routes" to take for family walks. I LOVE it!!

As the title mentions, Hudson is 6 months old now!!! Time is just flying by! I can't believe how fast the first 6 months have gone by, maybe a little too fast. He is getting so big, it's just crazy. He hasn't had his 6 months check up yet (that's tomorrow), but when he was sick a few weeks ago we took him to the doctor, and he was almost 20 lbs! He is a big boy. He is trying to crawl now, he can get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth, but so far, no forward moment to speak of. He can scoot backwards, but it usually just makes him mad because he is getting further away from his goal. It's cute though. He is still such a good baby. He giggles and smiles all the time and it just melts my heart. He seems to be interested in everything now. He grabs at things, and looks at everything so intently. We all just love him so much, he really is a wonderful baby and a joy to have in our lives. I am the luckiest mom ever to have the 2 most handsome and smart guys for my boys! :)

These are a few of my favorite pictures from spring break. The one on the top is Hudson checking out the chickens. haha. You can tell he doesn't know what to think of them. (p.s. that is the hat my mom made for him and its absolutely ADORABLE!) And the one on the bottom is, well, just perfect! What a great smile. So.So.Cute!

Mid-Winter Fun

We are about half way through the winter, and I think everyone is getting a little cabin fever. This last week was VERY cold, the coldest days of the winter so far, but it warmed up nicely for the weekend. It was a nice change.

Hudson had his 4 month check up on Monday, and shots :( , but did well. He is a healthy 15 lbs, 10 oz and 25 1/2" tall. He has over doubled his birth size. The doctor was very pleased with his growth and development, and so are we. He is so fun, and such a good baby. He sleeps through the night now, for about 10-12 hours at a time, and that is awesome!! We are so lucky to have such a healthy, happy baby. Not to mention how absolutely adorable he is! ;) I think the picture above is hilarious, his face is so funny. He is full of expressions, all of them so fun and cute, there are just too many pictures to take and share.

So, on Saturday, I was in the kitchen doing stuff, and I heard Hudson start to fuss a bit. So I went into the living room to get him and he wasn't on the floor where I had left him. I looked at Austyn in the chair and was about to ask where the heck Hudson was, and saw this perfect moment. Austyn has picked him up and put him in the chair with him to watch some you tube videos. It was so cute. Hudson is always amazed with Austyn and loves to watch him all the time. If Austyn is in the room, Hudson stares and stares at him, distracting him from anything else he is doing. I love it.


Since the weather was so nice this weekend, we decided to get out of the house for a bit, and enjoy it. We figured it was even warm enough to take Hudson out to see the sights of winter. It was his first winter outing, other than the occassional trip from the house to the car for trips to the store and such. I am not sure how he felt about it, he just looked around. I think we had him bundled up pretty good, so I don't think he was cold. He didn't like the wind in his face though. He just hung out with daddy, watching Austyn sled down the hill at the park next to our house.

His little face is so cute, all chubby and packed into his snowsuit.

When we got home, Austyn and I decided that we hadn't had enough of the outdoors yet. We wanted to soak up all the "warm" weather we could while it was here. Besides, it was perfect snow for making a snowman. So, that's what we did. We didn't have carrots and coal for the "normal" snowman making, so we used pine cones and branches. And we decided instead of a hat, we would give him hair with the bare branches left over from his arms. After the picture taking of our wonderful snowman, Austyn decided to take him out. So, he was soon just a smashed up pile of snow and pine needles.

After the snowman, we decided we wanted to make the biggest snowball we could. So, here it is. That thing was so big, and heavy, it got to the point of being impossible to push anymore. This picture is of Austyn trying to give it one last push, to add as much to it as he could. After we got to that point, he told me that I should go in the house with Hudson, and send Andrew out to help him finish our massive snowball. Since Andrew's muscles are bigger. :) It was a lot of fun, and turned out to be quite impressive in my opinion. That is a huge snowball!!

All in all, it was a nice weekend, with lots of family fun. We enjoyed our time outside, but I think its safe to say we are all ready for winter to be over and springtime to get here. We can't wait to be able to spend more time outdoors, without the cold, wet and bundling involved in it now. Not much longer, hopefully. :)