Grandmama and Granddaddy visit!

Meeting the newest grandson!

Hi, Grandmama!

So happy to see Granddaddy!

Dad and Nathan grilled steaks on our new (happy anniversary and Father's Day!) charcoal grill. Mmm! See the little girls playing with the hose (I mean watering the vegetables) in the background?

Loving Grandmama

And Granddaddy too!

Nathaniel loves his Daddy! And Daddy loves his Nathaniel. =)

Sweet smiley boy!

Sisters and cousins - May 10th

What a treat to drive just an hour to visit Lydia and girls in their new home (Tom was still working in Maryland during the week)! Abigail and Hannah couldn't wait to get there and Nathaniel sweetly slept the whole way there (and cried the whole way home - sorry Erika!).

We had a fun lunch on their back porch. . . the girls thought they were grown up enjoying their goodies at their own table! Lydia is eight months pregnant and didn't want pictures, so I just took ones of our little girls.

Popsicles/icecream afterwards were yummy and messy!

Hmmm. . . I think we turned the hose on to rinse fallen popsicle and then sticky fingers and then little girls claimed it. And they all ended up soaked. =)

Happenings around the one month mark

After my second migraine in a week, Mom came to help. . . and stayed almost a week (through two more migraines and a bunch of appointments). Her care for the children was such a blessing - enabled Nathan to go to work when I was incapacitated. Dad came in for the weekend - to meet Nathaniel and catch some time with the granddaughters.

 Think Abigail enjoyed having Grandpa visit?

 My three precious little ones. . .

 Sweetly sleeping boy

 One of his 327 kisses for the day

 Little man one month old!

 Pushing up on the Boppy - he's strong but not happy about the exertion

Lamour (a dear teen from our Shepherding Group) came to help me a couple of days while Nathan was out of town. She brought her schoolwork, but didn't get much done despite lots of help from Abigail and Hannah!

Five little cousins - March 27

Hannah, Lydee, Bella, (Nathaniel) and Abigail had so much fun together! These may be the best pictures we've gotten of the four girls together - all smiling and sort of looking at once! =)

 So excited that Bella and Lydia are moving south again tomorrow!!! =)

Cutest twins in Maryland!

Bella seems proud to be holding Nathaniel - and he's rather taken with her. =)

See Baby's eyes?

 

Hannah won't be left out

The confident biggest sister Abigail

 

Tom and Lydia in front of their home (for another month). Thanks so much for having us! We loved the time with you all. . . and can't wait to have you close by again so visits can be more frequent again. =)

Big trip, baby in tow (March 26-28)

Last October when SouthWest made their local announcement (before we knew what baby God had for us and when that baby would be born), we purchased tickets (and got all four of our tickets for what one would normally cost!) to fly to visit my sister Lydia and her family. Since Nathaniel was born 2 1/2 weeks prior to the trip dates, we considered postponing the trip, but Lydia and family would actually be moving soon, so it was "now or never!" Five o'clock in the morning on March 26 we packed up our family of five and headed to the airport (craziness!). The girls were overjoyed with the prospect of riding on an airplane and of visiting their cousins. Nathaniel was content to be snuggled close to Mommy (yay for my new Moby wrap - except for airport screening points when they made me take it off).
Ready to go!

Hannah's first time on an "air-pane"

Abigail's ready

Moving sidewalks are exciting!

With the cousins by breakfast-time!

Bella and Lydee holding Nathaniel - won't be long till their baby sister Maria arrives!

Bowling with littles =)

Hannah can do it!

Visiting the horses at the Army Caisson

Playdough with Uncle Nathan

=)

Georgia visit - January 25

Visiting Grandmama and Granddaddy is always a treat! We stopped by the ranch office where Grandmama works and Abigail immediately spotted "Sally," the stuffed puppy she'd sent to keep Grandmama company a few months before.

Grandmama took around the ranch to see some of the animals. Abigail loved the animals behind fences and at some distance. . . and Hannah called excitedly to any horses she spotted. Touching distance though was a bit overwhelming. . . those things are big (especially when you weigh 18 pounds!).

This was her "spotted a horse!" expression - while standing in Mommy's arms and calling to it.

We had lunch and nap time at Great-Grandmother's. She has some 25 great-grands and is so sweet and loving with little ones.

Hannah, Daddy and Granddaddy (on a break from upholstery) - caught that baby grin!

Granddaddy and Abigail have always been buddies and enjoy silly pictures together. Abigail's hair color probably comes from Granddaddy (lots of people ask! =).