twelve months of hudson jude!

Our sweet baby boy is ONE! Isn't the first year absolutely AMAZING!?! It is insane how much they grow and learn in twelve months. Incredible! We are so excited to celebrate our Hudson Jude this weekend!

Halloween 2015

Greetings from Naboo...

Duh-dah...dah-da-duh-DA-duh...dah-da-duh-DA-duh...da-duh-da-DUH...(trying to cue the theme music here ;)

This year, per Sawyer's request, the whole family took part in some STAR WARS action! I really thought by now the kids would be over the theme thing - but they surprised me and get so excited thinking about things that our whole family can be, together! Jacob and I haven't really dressed up in years, but I thought about how excited the kids would be to see us sneak up in costume...STOKED! So priceless. So, this year, we have: princess leia (okay, as a kid I was more into Han Solo who doesn't love leia and her buns ;)? Darth Vader, Padme Amidalla, R2D2, a Storm Trooper, and, of course, Yoda. Everyone chose their costume - except Yoda - that was kind of a no brainier. We went the easy route and ordered the costumes this year - I only had to make the costume for Yoda (since all he had was a hat). I also had to alter some of the costumes, because apparently our children are ewok sized. 

We went to McKinney Falls State Park to do our pictures this year - Sawyer hand-picked the location because he thought it looked kind of like Naboo. He was extra excited about taking our Halloween pics this year! You should have seen him running around and breathing like Darth! We took a few hikers by surprise, let me tell you. Ha! They loved it! We had fun taking some pictures, and then we had a picnic dinner. So fun! I'm not sure how much longer they'll let me take their pictures in costume...but for now, I have loved it every year and now have quite the treasury of our Halloween season with super excited littles...something I know will bring them smiles as they grow older and look back - and us as parents, as we sit in rockers all old and gray saying "remember when..."? 

If you need any ideas for costumes this year - click below to see the history of our family's costumes. Most of them I made/put together...just this year and last I went the easy route. So fun to look back! One day, I will have to compile them into a Halloween Album for the kids!

2014 - Our Super Heroes
2013 - A Pirate's Life for me!
2012 - Howdy Ya'll
2011 - Little Red & her Big Bad Wolf
2010 - James Dean + Sandra Dee
2009 - It's a Bird, It's a Plane...
2008 - Little Skeleton

Wishing everyone and safe, happy, and fun Halloween!

life lately // september

Summer does not end when school begins here in Texas. September is one long hot month. It's a nice transition as we get back into the swing of a new rhythm - and though we are ready for a cool breeze and to be able to throw the windows open...a few more dips in the pool or splashing in the river, well - you can't go wrong by that, now can you!?!

1. always into errr'thang these days
2. summer is still alive and well in central texas
3. aaah, the pool life
4. you never know what you'll find in our back yard
5. hula girls
6. finding the perfect picnic spot...
7. ...or a secret ewok hideout
8. keeping cool in the Pedernales River
9. our littlest river rat
10. homecoming parade right through out neighborhood
11. and homeschool begins...with abcs and 123s
12. proud of her school work - learning to use glue
13. growing up way too fast
14. thinkin' about it
15. those magnets buy me 30 minutes of dinner prep time most afternoons
16. wild and free group at bull creek!
17. we went to the zoo
18. just a little excited about her first day of swim class
19. mums to celebrate autumn - or beckon it's arrival?
20. first day of nature preschool - so fun!

Hudson at 11 months

How did we get here so fast? Tonight he'll be eleven months old. Officially on the countdown to his first birthday. He lights up our life in ways both big and small, and all of us are head over heels for our happy baby. What a gift he is. He is proof that God listens...and provides a way when the way sometimes seems impossible. Feeling so lucky, so thankful, so blessed to be his mama, and that out of all of the wonderful families in the world...he chose hours. 

Outings // Austin Zoo

We have been teaching our kids about finding value in experiences as gifts, rather than just "things". So, for Hazel's birthday earlier in the summer, the kids decided to give her the gift of a trip to the Zoo, because she sure loves animals. So, we found a Groupon deal for the Zoo, and purchased it. We then printed it out and put it in a white envelope, with a card the kids made for their sister. They decorated the outside of the envelope, as well - and were very excited to give it to her. She was thrilled with their gift! 

Well, finally - though still in the mid-90s - it has cooled off enough that we could help Hazel cash in her visit to the Zoo. Lucky us - it was a gift for us all! We spent several hours looking at the animals, feeding the goats, and enjoying a picnic lunch. A great time was had by all. She may have cashed in her gift - but in return, we all banked some mighty wonderful memories of a fun-filled day together. Now that is a gift that is a winner!

Things I want to remember...

-Sawyer and Aspen getting so big, carrying their very own canteens around the Zoo. 
-Hazel's sweet, excited voice as she gazed in at the "OX! Mama, look at the OX!" (Some of us would say, "Fox!" but she leaves off the beginning of some of her words and it is pretty darn cute, once you learn her language ;)
-Hudson's sweet baby blues and his tiny birkenstocks. And how big his eyes got when the goats ate out of his hand.
-Jacob getting just as excited as Sawyer when we looked at the reptile house.
-Sawyer so good with his Zoo map and directing us where to go next.
-Aspen with just being her sweet, happy self. And how she loves to bring her rag doll "Coco" with her on all sorts of adventures (I made her the rag doll for Christmas last year, and she is now getting pretty dirty because of so much love - warms my heart!)
-The way Hazel was just as fond of the butterflies as she was of the tigers.
-The excitement that lit up Aspen's face when we read that one of the pack of gray wolf sisters shared her name.
-The way Jacob asks if he can push the stroller, like he is truly excited about it and wants to give me a little break.
-The way I feel when I'm surrounded by my little family tribe...my heart could burst!