The Hankins

Our Sledding Attempt

2012-01-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

We had a beautiful snowfall last weekend and weren't able to get out in it until it was a little on the late side. We ATTEMPTED to go sledding, but it was kinda muddy. :) Oh well, it was good to be outside and burn some energy and have some fun as a family.

Oh Independence...

2012-01-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

Miracles

2012-01-17T10:32:00.002-05:00

#3 is going to be a....

BOY!

Expected arrival: sometime around May 21st

The art of in and out

2012-01-10T17:55:00.002-05:00

Lilly is into carrying containers around. She loves to put things in them and then take them out one at a time. The other day she was eating breakfast while I was busy preparing some food for later that day. She spotted the cream cheese box on the counter and was convinced she needed the box. She kept grunting and pointing to it until I gave it to her. She was instantly satisfied and began placing her blueberries one by one carefully in the box and eating them.

The other night she spent at least a half hour walking around picking up pizza toppings and putting them in her cup, accidently spilling them as she bent over to retrieve another one, and then filling her cup back up.

Lillian Grace is quite the little fire cracker these days. She keeps us on our toes and laughing alot with her silly and fun personality.

Time sure does fly...

2012-01-09T17:48:00.000-05:00

What happened to my baby boy? He insists on doing so much by himself these days. "No, I do it, Mommy!" is uttered many times a day around here.

Not long ago, I was spoon feeding him every meal. Now he peels his own tangerine and eats it himself.

50 Degrees in January?-we will take it!

2012-01-08T17:35:00.002-05:00

Mud and all. I took the kids outside to play on our 50 degree afternoon this week. Lilly plopped right into a mud puddle, but that didn't stop her.

She and Owen rode bikes. Well, Owen rode bikes and Lilly insisted on being pulled by a tow rope without stop.

Big brother pulling little sister

Can you tell how appreciative she is of his help?

Monkey Joes

2012-01-07T22:12:00.003-05:00

Our first Saturday as a family with Jimmy's shift change. We headed to Lafayette to play at Monkey Joes (which is now called "Jump it--but since it has a moose on the sign Jimmy and Owen call it Moosehead Moes--so one of the 3 names should work, right?) Everyone had a blast playing on the inflatable obstacle courses and slides. Our kids are little dare devils. Owen got through almost every one of the inflatables on his own and Lilly went down the slide over a dozen times BY HERSELF. They were both so excited the whole time and SO worn out when it was time to leave.

We topped off the outing with a visit to Great Grandma's and some ice cream. YUM!

Bears for Breakfast?!

2011-12-08T09:10:00.002-05:00

If you've been around our house lately, you'll know that Owen is currently he is obsessed with bears and being a bear. Soo...we made bear pancakes for breakfast today! ...It's the little things that can make anyone's day, right?

When I went to wake Lilly up, Owen came rushing in behind me announcing, "La-lee! I'm eating a bear bekfas!" She was still in a deep sleep and did NOT share in his excitement. At least not yet... Here she is giving her bear an inspection.

And her conclustion was: It's good enough to eat!

(Actually, they both ate TWO bears!)

And here's Owen growling at his bear.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas....

2011-12-05T21:39:00.002-05:00

Our tree is up!!

Here's Owen getting the tree all set in the tree stand with Lilly's monitoring.

Helping Daddy get just the right placement.

Decorating

Little Lilly just couldn't stay up for the decorating part. Tiredness hit and with fighting to get over RSV, she just needed to go to bed. She'll enjoy the surprise when she gets up in the morning. Next year, she'll enjoy decorating. But here she is playing on her stool in the kitchen earlier in the evening.

It makes me smile

2011-12-02T21:51:00.001-05:00

I went downstairs to switch a load of laundy and came up to here both kids giggling. I found them laying side by side in the pack and play (which had been turned on it's side so Owen could "be in a cage") kicking their legs and laughing. They played for 15 minutes together, just laughing, crawling in and out, playing peek a boo in the pack and play.

So fun! A sneak peek of days to come. I hope they are super good friends for life!

Activities

2011-12-01T17:26:00.002-05:00

Owen was playing with moon sand (it's supposed to be like sand but stick together like playdough....it sounds about as impossible to be true as it is) and had a blast creating shapes and exploring with it. I forgot to take a picture of him actually playing with it, but here's what is play area looked like when he was done.

All on his own accord, he got down from his stool on a mission. He came back a couple minutes later with the vaccum and announced he needed to clean up the mess on the floor. I helped him get it all set up and he spent quite some time sucking up all the crumbs. By golly, I think he got every little spec! I was quite impressed!

And here he is stacking beads on a toothpick. (Thanks for the idea, Alex!) So simple, but yet quite the attention grabber. I couldn't believe how long it entertained him.

The joy of birthday cards

2011-12-01T13:35:00.002-05:00

My baby is ONE

2011-11-30T21:15:00.003-05:00

(Sorry for the blurriness. I don't know what's up with my camera.)

Yesterday Lilly officially turned a big one year old. Poor thing was sick...and is now on the mend with her breathing treatments...for her birthday and slept just about all day and night. But when she was awake, she was in good spirits. She's a trooper. She is walking EVERYWHERE and making her presence known. She wants to be everywhere her big brother is and play is everything he does. Her latest favorite thing to do is go the the "snack cupboard" and grunt/moan until I come and find her a snack or she gets the door open and finds something yummy. Then she takes it to her chair and asks to get up in it so she can eat.

She is pure joy and I can't believe she's already one. Where did the time go? We can't imagine life without her.

While Mommy is cooking dinner...

2011-11-17T20:26:00.003-05:00

The kids do their thing in the kitchen too.

I think Owen played with, then ate half the can of black olives while I used the other half in our dinner.

And Lilly toddled around jabbering and asking to be held.

Sun in November

2011-11-15T20:18:00.003-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny day and we took advantage of it. Owen got a tractor ride from the neighbor. Lilly practiced her walking outside (She did NOT appreciate her hands on the cold gravel when she fell).

Then Lilly received her first tractor ride.

And guess who's feet found the gooiest mud puddle and loved every minute of it?

You guessed it.

And this is what Lilly thought of it.

Little helpers caught in action

2011-10-17T20:33:00.006-04:00

Owen has been "working" tonight. He found our contractor's caulk gun and was caulking around the door.

And Lilly thought she would help me load the dishwasher. (I was washing some dishes and looked over and she had climbed up and was playing with the bowls in the top rack...so before I got her down, of course, I had to take a quick picture.)

Then a little later Owen was helping me vacuum. We were emptying the dirt into the trash outside and on our way back inside when he tripped on a step and ended up with a deep cut and fat lip.

Here he is after we got him all cleaned up.

Evening Stroll

2011-10-13T15:26:00.003-04:00

We went to for a bike ride and walk on the trail in town tonight. Perfect fall evening. Beautiful. So fun to watch my kiddos enjoy God's creation. They are so fun. Lilly enjoyed the stroller and playing peekaboo with me as we walked. She even said "aboo." Owen was such a big boy riding his tricycle. He was soaking in EVERY second of it.

Here they are taking a little break down by the river.

2 Little Pumpkins

2011-10-12T15:55:00.001-04:00

The other night we carved pumpkins with the kiddos. The pumpkins we accidently grew in our garden this year. (Some seeds must have gotten mixed up.)

Here they are with their pumpkins.

Lilly just wanted to eat hers.

Owen helped to get the goo and seeds out of his and dictated to me what facial feature to carve next on his pumpkin.

The lighting.

Get ready. Get set.

Glow.

Pretty Girl

2011-10-11T19:41:00.002-04:00

Fun in the Leaves

2011-10-11T15:30:00.003-04:00

It started like this...

then this...

and finally progressed to this...

Our adventurous boy loved every minute of it!

Eventually, Lilly ventured over to see what kind of fun she could have in the leaves, too.

But she preferred to WATCH the boys rumble in the leaves.

Tasty Summer

2011-08-24T16:53:00.003-04:00

Marshmallows. Campfire roasted marshmallows. A tasty summer treat.

The smoke.

Owen kept wanting to cook his marshmallow in it.

Lilly was enamored by it. She kept waving her arms and talking to it in excitement. (I wish I got a picture of it)

She loved her little treat too. Even though it wasn't cooked over the campfire, she was a happy camper.

Day at the Lake

2011-08-23T17:24:00.001-04:00

A few days ago, Jimmy was going to be gone all day and evening. So to break up our day, we took a day trip to a lake in Warsaw with some friends. It was a perfect day! Perfect weather, perfect water temperature, perfect picnic area, perfect beach area...it was great!

Both Own and Lilly were not sure of the water at first. Owen warmed up pretty quick and was a little fish in no time--jumping off the pier (for me to catch him or into 4 inch deep water), running into the water at high speed, floating in his little inner tube, and testing out water wings. He had a blast.

Getting ready to jump!

While the life guards called a "safety break," we took the opportunity to refuel with a snack.

Lilly, on the other hand, did not warm up to the idea of the lake and sand by the end of the afternoon. She did make some strides. But was sure to let me know that she preferred to be in my arms than anywhere else...which is a.ok with mommy :)

A time for everything

2011-08-22T21:13:00.003-04:00

Sunday was a big day for these tuckered out boys. Jimmy led worship and preached his first sermon at church in the morning. Then we piled in the van and headed to a family reunion for the afternoon. It was so nice to see cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. When we returned home, this is where the two boys spent the rest of the evening. Owen, who NEVER sits still, stayed on the couch all night with a 104 degree temp. They are both still recouping today.

2011-08-19T17:10:00.002-04:00

This is the most this girl has every enjoyed a swing! She sat there going back and forth forever! Before today, she has acted a little timid of playground swings. But today was the day she decided to love them.

In Sad Shape

2011-08-18T20:59:00.002-04:00

Poor guy. In the past two days he's gotten hit between the eyes by the end of a fooz ball rod, and then knocked on the eyebrow from pulling on the cord of the wireless router and making it fall. He looks like he's in rough shape.

Mr. Fix It

2011-08-16T22:30:00.002-04:00

A couple days ago, Owen announced to me that the chair was broke. Then ran to his room and returned with a hammer and nail from his tool set. He laid down under the foot rest and started hammering the nail. Then proudly informed me that he had fixed the chair. Whew..that was a close one! I just love him!

Reflections

2011-08-16T22:21:00.002-04:00

Lilly was busy enjoying her reflection in the stove. They were having quite the conversation with one another!

Let the Good Times Roll

2011-08-16T21:52:00.002-04:00

We inherited this super fun gator from our neighbors. Daddy came home today with a battery to get the thing running. (Rather than spending $70 on the 12 Volt battery that is made for the gator, he bought a $20 12 volt battery at Rural King...worked like a charm! --Well except that it doesn't completely fit in the little space on the front.) As you can imagine, Owen was super excited!

And after a little practice, he got pretty good at steering, for a 2 year old. :)

This is serious business, watch out!

Bath for 2

2011-08-13T17:02:00.001-04:00

Beautiful Summer Night

2011-08-12T20:42:00.003-04:00

for a bike ride. Owen has got the hang of pedaling and loves to ride his bike!

We went down the road a little ways to visit our neighbors cows. Lilly thought they were pretty cool.

I tried hard to get Owen to sit next to his sis, but he thought he had better things to do. So this is the best I could get.

What better way to end the evening than with a smoothie pop?! YUM!!

Then inside for baths, and bedtime!

Snip, Snip, Snip

2011-08-04T18:07:00.001-04:00

It's been a long debate as to when to cut O's hair...but the time has come. Here's he is all set and ready to go...sitting up high on a bar stool, watching some Elmo, ready to sit still for the big event...haha, who am I kidding? Sit still? I don't think so.

BEFORE

DURING

And, tada!!
AFTER
Still longer per Daddy's request, but no more raggedy ends per Mommy's request.

Owen's first big boy haircut @ 2 yrs and 3 month old!

A running start...

2011-08-04T17:12:00.002-04:00

Owen's newest favorite pool game (that he came up with on his own) is to get a running start and jump into the pool.

Here's what Lilly thinks of the game:

8 months old and growing up WAY to fast!

2011-08-03T20:43:00.003-04:00

It seems like Lilly is learning how to do new things everyday! She is more and more quick about getting around. Trying new foods and loving them at just about every meal. Babbling ALOT! Interested in tagging along with her brother (and cheering him on as he runs around) and ADORING him more than he currently appreciates.

She's starting to walk around with the lion now, too!

Engineer

2011-08-01T08:40:00.003-04:00

This past week Owen has developed quite the fascination with building train track around the house. Practically the second we get in the door from being gone, he wants to play "choo choo track" or "play Thomas." It's been pretty fun to watch his little 2 year old brain work and put different tracks together. I have seriously never seen this child focus on one thing for such great lengths of time as this!

It started in the corner, like this.

Pretty soon, he was making Thomas travel over little hills using anything and everything as support for the hill.

Then he started to get even more adventurous with the steepness of the hills.

Pretty soon, Thomas was trekking over some pretty daring terrain.

Then Mommy and Daddy decided to splurge and buy Owen more track pieces to build with....so NOW, the track building adventure has taken over our living room and is continuing to get more and more elaborate.

Columbian Park

2011-07-31T16:55:00.001-04:00

On Friday, we spent the day with good friends and had a FULL day of FUN for FREE! We went to Columbian Park in Lafayette. It was soo great! We went to a mini zoo (which is what all the pictures are from) and played on some super fun playgrounds. Next time we go back, we will have to spend the day at the water park. Check out this cute little zoo! So many interactive exhibits = so much fun!

The wallabies--they hopped on the path and all over the place!

A little petting zoo--They had 15 baby goats. Lilly was not so sure she wanted to be too close to those goats.

Our favorite exhibit-The river otters! They could swim on all sides of the tunnel and played really close to us. When one of the otters went RIGHT underneath Owen's feet, we jumped and clung to me like a leach for several minutes..a little too close for comfort!

All the kids got soaked from head to toe playing in the water! Perfect for a hot summer day!

Bike Ride

2011-07-30T17:18:00.003-04:00

And not just any bike ride...a MOTORcycle BIKE ride

and Lil' Sis had fun watching, wishing she could ride too.

Side by Side

2011-07-29T17:05:00.003-04:00

Enjoying the afternoon on our backyard playground

Did I mention that my kids love food?

2011-07-28T17:45:00.000-04:00

First try at a whole banana

First taste of corn on the cob

Swim, swim, swim

2011-07-27T17:56:00.003-04:00

Both of our kiddos started the season with timidness around the water. Owen has been warming up to the idea of swimming and enjoys jumping off the side of the pool into Mommy or Daddy's arms with a little splash.

Lilly did not approve of swimming pools until this weekend. She used to cry if we even walked toward the edge of the pool. But, something made her change her mind...She decided that this baby innertube was pretty cool! She thoroughly enjoyed sitting in here and watching everything going on around her. YAY!

Circus Parade

2011-07-26T17:29:00.001-04:00

The next town down the road has one of the biggest amateur circus' in the world. To kick off "Circus Week" they have a HUGE parade! I took the kids, (sadly, Jimmy had to work so he didn't get to enjoy the fun) to see what it was all about. For the whole 2 hours, Owen sat in the heat watching the bands, clowns, tractors, trucks, lions, elephants, bears, etc. Lilly did really well hanging in there even though she probably would have rather been taking a nap.

One of Lilly's loves

2011-07-25T21:47:00.004-04:00

FOOD! She always gets so excited when it's time to eat...and soo upset when the food is gone!

I just love her and her sweet personality.

FOOD! She

The Cass County Fair

2011-07-25T21:13:00.002-04:00

The county fair was a couple weeks ago and we took the kids a couple times during the week to see the animals and walk around and get ice cream. Owen is still talking about the pigs two weeks later.

Lilly LOVEed the horses!

Why Owen loves our neighbor

2011-07-25T20:56:00.002-04:00

Our neighbor is a collector of tractors. This is one of the reasons that Owen has taken such a liking to our kind neighbor. The other day, our neighbor saw Owen outside trying to learn to ride his tricycle. He hollered across the road that he had something Owen would like. So we followed him over to his barn and he pulled out this pedal tractor. Owen is obsessed! We spent the next hour or so riding it up and down the road,...and Owen's favorite: down the hill! It didn't matter that we were experiencing a heat wave--this boy had himself a TRACTOR to ride!

July 4th

2011-07-08T15:59:00.003-04:00

We went up to South Bend to visit the Rodriguez family and celebrate the 4th. Our kiddos had a blast playing together. Owen and Ryder played hard the whole time...so hard that Owen fell asleep literally 30 seconds after driving away from their house to head home.

Lilly stands up every chance she gets.

Owen shivering at the splash pad.

And, our fireworks show. Here's the audience.

The boys LOVED watching their daddies set off the "booms."

Owen didn't like the smoke in his eyes.

Sparklers

The boys took a trip to the park in Ryder's "swagger wagon."

Thanks, Brandon and Alex, for a great time!

They melt my heart...

2011-07-04T16:48:00.000-04:00

We were ready ahead of schedule before church yesterday, so we went out on the porch to take a couple pictures. (Thanks, Robin, for making the beautiful dress for Lilly! She wears it quite often!)

Aren't they sweet? Owen even decided to give his little sis a squeeze for a couple of pictures.

Blessed

2011-07-04T09:07:00.000-04:00

Being MOMMA is the BEST thing in the world!

One of the many joys of summer

2011-07-04T08:58:00.000-04:00

The always perfect thing to cool off the hot summer heat.

'Nana Pop Buds

2011-07-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Ryder and Owen enjoyed a day this past week playing like mad on our new playset and taking time to eat chocolate covered banana popsicles for a snack. It was a perfect day with good friends!

What are hot summer days for?

2011-07-03T08:36:00.002-04:00

Why, this, of course:

Oh the fun to be had...

2011-07-03T08:10:00.003-04:00

..when Grandma and Grandpa come to town.

A Good Way to Start a Bday

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, Jimmy's birthday was a couple weeks ago. But my boys so enjoyed their breakfast in bed that I had to post them, even though it is much belated. Owen helped me deliver Daddy his surprise birthday breakfast in bed. He saw how much Daddy was enjoying his food and thought he ought to join him. Of course, I obliged.

Little Gardener

2011-07-01T13:00:00.000-04:00

Owen helped me pick our first picking of peas this week. He loves to go in the garden, but I'm not sure the plants enjoy him treking through.

We developed a little system in order to preserve the pea plants and future picking opportunities: Mommy holds the plant and shows Owen which pea to pick. Owen pulls (usually quite vigorously) the pea off the plant and puts it in his bucket.

The boy surprisingly likes the peas raw straight out of the garden or steamed at dinner.

Pinwheels

2011-06-30T22:37:00.002-04:00

"Koko Bee" (aka Kokomo Beach)

2011-06-17T19:11:00.005-04:00

Owen and Addi had a ball playing at Kokomo Beach today. It was a perfect day. They were both a little timid at first, but by the end they were running through the fountains giggling and laughing. Little Lilly was not so fond of it all, however. She clung to mommy quite tightly, and let out little cries every so often to remind us all that she didn't approve.

I love summer.

My Sweet 6+ month old girl

2011-06-17T18:39:00.003-04:00

She's on the move...scooting army crawl style around. However, she doesn't go as fast as she'd like, so that makes the girl frustrated. She'll be crawling very very soon, I do believe.

Ear Tubes

2011-06-09T21:11:00.003-04:00

Owen was a good little patient today (6/9). We all had a good experience. Everyone--the nurses, the doctor, the anesthesiologist,--everyone was so good with our little guy. They made him feel welcome with his very own Elmo balloon as soon as he walked in the room. Everyone was so very friendly and engaged Owen in conversation. He left to go to surgery via a wagon ride--which if you know anything about Owen--THAT is also right up his alley!

He came back just a short time later...groggy and waking up...but doing well. He ate a popsicle and drank some juice right away. Within a short amount of time he was ready to go. He rode out in the wagon and headed on his way.

As Owen put it: "Ear hurt, all gone."

Thank you, Dr. Harmon.

First summery day at the park in 2011

2011-05-14T14:50:00.004-04:00

As you can see, we were hot and tired after playing hard at the park. Just as we should be.

Note #1: The rubber rain boots are Owen's FAVORITE shoes to wear. He wears them EVERYWHERE! (Although he looks awfully goofy in them, especially when it's 80 degrees, he also looks awfully cute--love his little personality!)

Note#2: Lilly now has TWO teeth! Both her front bottoms. She continues to chew on everything...and babble a ton!

Loving life as a sitter-upper

2011-05-13T16:54:00.002-04:00

Shhhh....

2011-05-07T11:33:00.003-04:00

This morning I was working on a couple household chores and needed to run upstairs. Owen was busy playing with his Noah's arc and animals in the kitchen. I hollered around the corner to him that I would be right back and that I was running upstairs real quick.

I hear him respond, "Shh, mommy."

So, I poked my head around the corner to receive a look similar to what I give him when I tell him Lilly is sleeping and we need to be quiet. He repeated, "Shhhh, mommy."

"Oh," I answered, "Are your animals sleeping?"

He whispered, "Yeah"

"Okay, I'll be quiet. I'll tiptoe upstairs so I don't wake them up."

A busy day for a busy boy. Part II

2011-05-06T20:13:00.002-04:00

After supper, Daddy and Owen went over to pay a visit to the neighbor's cows. I was looking out the window every couple minutes, thinking how sweet it is to watch father and son out enjoying a moment together in God's creation---and thinking how we REALLY live the country life as my son's favorite activities include tractor rides, truck rides, and watching the cows across the street. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything!

Then I get a phone call. It's Jimmy. "You've got to come see your son!"

Me. "Why?"

"He just sat in a cow pie."
Of course, I had to go check it out.

As you can see, it didn't even phase Owen. He continued to enjoy the cows. Chasing them.

Pretending to be like them and eat grass.

Then when the boys came back in the house. Owen's ever repeating words were: "Moo, poop, cai (cow), poop." "Yegs (legs), cole (cold)"--because Jimmy had, thankfully, taken his pants off before coming in the house.

A busy day for a busy boy. Part I

2011-05-06T19:24:00.002-04:00

We started the morning off with putting together Thomas the Train jigsaw puzzles.

Later in the morning, we went outside for some puddle jumping.

After lunch and a nap, we went back outside to play. Owen took George for all kinds of rides on lots of different modes of transportation (wagon rides, bike rides, tractor rides, you name it).

A little Serenade

2011-05-06T19:18:00.001-04:00

Miss Roly Poly

2011-05-03T21:29:00.002-04:00

Check out those knee rolls. She is one cute and chubby girl.

The girl wanted her some milk

2011-05-03T21:16:00.002-04:00

Getting all fancied up

2011-05-03T21:08:00.001-04:00

Mr. Fix it (x2)

2011-04-30T16:37:00.001-04:00

First Time in the Jumper

2011-04-30T15:11:00.001-04:00

She didn't get the jumping part of it yet, but I have no doubt she will before long :)

Feet are Neat

2011-04-30T14:48:00.002-04:00

After nap snack

2011-04-30T14:36:00.002-04:00

After nap, it almost always a necessity to get some nutrition in this boy's body. It's amazing how it helps get things off on the right foot for the rest of the afternoon and evening. This particular day, he was eating fruit snacks and raisins (not very balanced, I know) and pushing them around in one of his tractors.

Onto bigger things

2011-04-30T14:15:00.005-04:00

Lilly stared solid food in the past week, and loves it! She has two parents who love food, so I'm glad she got the gene. She had been getting excited at the dinner table whenever the rest of us were eating, so I tried giving her some rice cereal,

...and she cried when the bowl was empty.

so far she has tried carrots, avocado, and banana. She practically dives for the spoon every bite.

(Oh and by the way...Lilly got her first tooth one day before turning 5 months old!)

Owen is TWO!

2011-04-30T13:43:00.005-04:00

THE CAKE!

We played a game of "find the animals in the hay"

Owen thoroughly enjoyed his chocolate tractor cake--as any two year old would.

Papa brought over his tractor and gave the kids tractor rides down the road and around the yard. They loved it! For some reason, Owen didn't want to ride in the trailer with the rest of the kids. He preferred to ride ON the tractor with Papa.

Owen was obsessed the whole evening with carrying around tractors and driving them across all kinds of terrain.

"Hay fights" were one of the big hits.

Owen's friends that helped him celebrate.

To Texas (by plane) and back (by truck)

2011-04-30T13:15:00.002-04:00

A sweet visit to see our dear friends, the Latta's.

Owen was sooo excited to see the airplanes. "Whoa, Mommy!" is what we heard over and over from the minute we parked our car at the airport to the minute we took off in the air.

Lilly's first airplane ride was at 4 months to Tx, just like Owen's.

We did lots of relaxing and just enjoying one another's company in the warmth of Texas sun.

Owen riding side by side with his buddy, Emma. These two really bonded during our visit.

My dear friend, oh how I miss her

A Cool Weather Walk

2011-04-30T10:00:00.001-04:00

It is TIME for warmer weather, please!

Talk-a-tive

2011-04-04T22:50:00.003-04:00

This girl likes to TALK! She squeals and grunts constantly when she is playing with toys; just trying her best to get them to do what she wants them to do.

Hi Mia, Hi Papa

2011-04-04T22:43:00.002-04:00

A new "skill" Owen enjoys...talking on the phone....answering "yeah" to every question asked, and saying the person's name on the receiving end of the line over and over again in excitement.

He can kill me later...

2011-04-04T22:26:00.004-04:00

...but for now, this momma thinks he's pretty darn cute sitting up on the big potty! We are on our way to being potty trained, and having only one child in diapers! Owen has doing fantastic keeping his undies dry (pretty consistently) for a few weeks now! The task that seemed unbelievably daunting turned out not to be so bad! Good job, Owen!

Lesson #1: Love one another

2011-04-04T22:16:00.002-04:00

Okay, so let me explain how this went. Owen wanted to read books with Lilly. So, I set them on the couch together. Owen picked out a book to look at with his sister. Things were going really well at first, until...

Lilly started grabbing at the book and bumped into Owen.

Owen's response:

"La-LEEE!" (which is translated-- Lilly!)

accompanied by a look of "how dare she touch me and invade MY space"

It was spoken in the classic "complaint of a sibling against another sibling" kind of voice. And so, the lessons and training of how to be loving to your sibling are under way....

Ryder's Bday weekend

2011-04-04T21:45:00.005-04:00

Owen's little buddy, Ryder, had his 2 year old birthday party at the carousel in Logansport this weekend. I think everyone had a blast riding the carousel and eating yummy cupcakes with friends.

After the party, the birthday boy and his family came to our house and our kids continued to play hard together until bed time.

Here's Jack and Lilly:

(not as bad as it looks, she didn't even cry...she's a tough one)

The two older ones enjoyed a bath together

...and then a "calming" time of reading a few books before bed.

Sibling Love

2011-04-01T14:07:00.002-04:00

I promise this wasn't posed at all! Owen was eating breakfast and just leaned over and started hugging his sister! Soooo sweet!

Book Corner

2011-04-01T13:44:00.004-04:00

I love it when I find Owen in his room sitting on his stool, reading book after book from his bookshelf. He flips through the pages, pointing and talking to/about the pictures, then tosses the book to the side and moves on to the next book that catches his eye. All of this is usually accompanied by some "mood" music. He turns his stereo on and up and reads away!

A Big Day at the Museum

2011-03-31T15:54:00.000-04:00

The Fowler, Rodriguez, and Hankins families took a trip to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis. We had a FULL day! We had fun watching (or should I say "chasing") our little tikes around. It is fun to join them is seeing things from the perspective of a child. Needless to say, we were all exhausted by the end of the day.

Owen's world

2011-03-23T22:14:00.002-04:00

Owen has been really getting into pretend play all of a sudden. It's like his new way to play. Everything is alive.

When he goes potty, he wants his "utta" (his lovey--NO idea how it got this name) to go potty too...and whatever other toy he happens to bring with for the event.

When Mommy changes Lilly's diaper, his stuffed Curious George needs a diaper, too. George is starting to join us on more and more activities (reading books, going for car rides, etc)

He has been going around to all the doors in the house, putting his keys in the key hole, trying to open the door and calls "hello" when he's able to get it open.

Is it here?

2011-03-22T13:43:00.003-04:00

I sure hope so. This is a good sign spring is here, right?

Yay! Our first blooming daffodil! I hope this little guy isn't too premature. But, nonetheless, it was a refreshing sight to my eyes.

So, what did we do as a response to this little beauty? Cleaned out the flower beds and uncovered all kinds of fresh life sprouting from the ground!

Love those eyes

2011-03-21T19:10:00.003-04:00

Here is Lilly's first time in her exersaucer. She loved it.

I just lover her pretty brown eyes.

Even when she squints (so much you can't see them) with excitment

so beautiful

A Blessed Mommy and Daddy

2011-03-20T21:53:00.003-04:00

These two kiddos are just that--a blessing!

They are so sweet and bring us so much joy!

Mommy and Me

2011-03-19T21:34:00.001-04:00

It's Hat Day

2011-03-19T15:54:00.004-04:00

Owen decided it was a good day to wear hats. He started at breakfast and continued through most of the day wanting something on his head.

Could a day start out any better? A hat, p.j's, a book, and a yummy waffle to top it off.

He was hilarious walking around the yard with his hat. He had his head tipped back so far just trying to see where he was walking.

Then he figured out it was easier to see with the hat flipped backward.

Today = Spring!!! (Oh, how we hope it stays)

2011-03-16T21:35:00.006-04:00

It was 58 degrees today! And, we made the most of it! Owen had a huge smile practically pasted on his face as he ran around the yard, chased Barkley while yelling "Ba-Kee" and laughing, played with his bike, splashed in puddles, went down his mini slide, and went for a walk to the neighors to see their horse and play on their play set. When we came inside for dinner and a bath, he talked about all the things he did outside until bedtime.

Lilly joined us, too. She enjoyed all the new sites and sounds around her. Then, when she had enough, she conked out for a little nap in mommy's arms.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

2011-03-16T21:20:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Lilly rolled over for the first time. Tonight I put her on her tummy and that's all she wanted to do! This girl has got this trick down!

Lillian Grace- 3 months (belated)

2011-03-05T14:42:00.004-05:00

Lilly is growing like a weed! She is an absolute joy and I couldn't imagine our little family without her. She always has a smile for us and has such a sweet temperment about her. She does not like to be alone and enjoys observing the happenings of our household. She is LOVES to sit in her bumbo chair and doesn't mind hanging out on her tummy (Owen hated to be laid down on his tummy.). She is batting at the animals hanging on her bouncy seat and you can just see the wheels turning in her little brain as she tries to figure everything out in the world around her.

A Perfect Fit...

2011-03-04T21:52:00.003-05:00

...for Lilly. Her little body fit inside the basket just perfect!

Owen saw Lilly in the basket and didn't want to miss out on the fun. He got another basket, emptied it out and plopped himself down only to discover it wasn't quite the perfect fit for him. He was stuck and quickly pleaded for help from mommy to get out. But that didn't stop him from trying to fit a couple more times--only to find the same result. I guess you could say it was a little lesson in "cause and effect."

Happy Birthday, Papa!

2011-03-01T11:11:00.002-05:00

(Sorry for the bad lighting!)

If Owen needs to eat...

2011-02-25T15:24:00.003-05:00

...and Mommy needs to eat

...and Daddy needs to eat

...and Lilly needs to eat

...and deer need to eat

...and cows need to eat

...then it only makes sense that choo choos need to eat, too, right?

(excuse my hiccups while recording :) )

All Smiles

2011-02-24T14:33:00.003-05:00

This girl is the smiliest baby!

Her cheeks make her eyes all squinty when she smiles--so cute!

Thanks, Nicole, for the cute outfit :)

Is it possible to have too much fun in the middle of Feb?

2011-02-17T16:08:00.004-05:00

With all of the cold, snow, ice, and now a giant slushy mess outside, it might be possible that we have a bit of cabin fever. (We did go out and play in the melting snow yesterday. Owen loved it. So did Mommy--the smell of spring was in the air!) But, this morning we made the most of our inside time with finger painting, a bath to wash it all off, and cushion jumping. Lilly was a compliant and happy observer of the events.

All by myself:

2011-02-17T13:46:00.003-05:00

I grabbed onto the birdy.

(But the only problem was I couldn't let go for a long time! )

...and I am learning to bat at the animals on my bouncy seat. So fun!

(I had a video to prove it, but I can't get our Internet to cooperate and upload it...I'll try again later.)

Before it all melted...

2011-02-17T13:33:00.002-05:00

Our Newest Addition

2011-02-11T16:48:00.003-05:00

Meet Fish

A Happy Baby

2011-02-11T16:43:00.002-05:00

A Seat for Each

2011-02-09T14:00:00.004-05:00

Today was Lilly's first time sitting in the bumbo. As you might have guessed, there was all kinds of excitement from Owen when I brought the seat downstairs and put the "new" chair on the floor. He told me right away that it was for "Lala" and then he wanted to try it out too. Lilly liked her new chair. She sat in it for a good 15 minutes before she was ready to get out...just looking around and enjoying the new perspective. Owen wanted to be right next to her, so we got his potty seat and the pair sat in their seats like two peas in a pod.

"But don't you know sitting on the potty with pants and a diaper on isn't right, Mommy, " Owen reminded me in his own combination of gestures and toddler words. So we quickly took off his bottoms and they continued to sit like two peas in a pod.

And just because, Mommy and her sweet little girl :)