Hubley Happenings

Celebrating 5 Years

2012-01-02T11:59:00.001-06:00

Better late than never. We went up to Wisconsin in October to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. We left the kids in Canyon and spent a week relaxing and refreshing. We started in Minneapolis with a visit to our good friends who just relocated to the Twin Cities from Fort Worth. We stayed at their cabin for a few days before driving over to Appleton, Wisconsin at the end of the week to celebrate Nate and Kendra’s wedding. We had lots of good food, good beer, and of course all sorts of local cheeses from Wisconsin. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Jennifer worked on her knitting early and often

We took a walk in a great park near our friends’ house

The fall color was magnificent. Check out this tree!

Here was our view from their beautiful cabin. All we did was sleep, eat, read, knit, watch movies, and canoe around the lake. So relaxing! (We should be receiving our AARP cards soon )

This was my favorite restaurant. An old fashioned drive in with hand made root beer. I stopped in there almost daily for refills.

The food was outstanding!

One day we went over to a state park to do some hiking and take in the fall color. Here we are recreating our honeymoon pose.

Jennifer saw a bald eagle fly over while we were at this scenic overlook.

We had some great German food as several of the local towns were celebrating Oktoberfest.

On the way to Appleton, we visited the Leinenkugel Brewery in Chippewa Falls. The samples hit the spot (even if it was only 10:30am).

This probably summarizes our trip the best. We saw hundreds of big red barns.

We were so busy at the wedding that we didn’t even snap any pictures, but we had a great time catching up with old friends and celebrating Nate and Kendra’s big day.

Merry Christmas from Canyon and Angel Fire!

2012-01-01T18:18:00.001-06:00

We had a great visit in Canyon with everyone. We drove up to Canyon on Christmas Eve and arrived just in time for dinner with turkey, dressing, and all the fixings. Before dinner, we did a balloon release for Anne. She loved celebrating Christmas. We wrote her messages on each of them and sent them her way.

Hannah wasn’t too crazy about letting her balloon go, but luckily Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Jon Michael thought ahead and got her two backup balloons, which she eventually also released.

After dinner, we exchanged gifts. The big hit for Hannah was her Tangled coloring book (can’t you tell that’s what she has on her head?)

Hannah also got some new snow gear which she was able to put to good use with some cross-country sledding on Christmas morning.

Here is a video of all of us getting in on the sledding fun:

(note: if you are trying to view by email or on your phone, the video may not work and you will have to access our blog from your computer)

Sledding in Canyon

The next day we drove up to Angel Fire, NM to ski. Hannah is our newest little ski bunny. She skied two days for about an hour each day. The first day she skied with me in between my legs. The second day she took a lesson from a ski instructor named Johnny. When we told her that Mr. Johnny was going to teach her to ski, she said “No, I want Prince Phillip,” her favorite prince from Sleeping Beauty. To be on the safe side, Johnny agreed to be Prince Phillip for the day. Now, when Hannah is telling us the Sleeping Beauty story, she says, “…then one day along came Prince Phillip and he taught her to ski then he kissed her and she woke up….” He obviously made a pretty big impact on her.

Getting fitted for her boots.

The Hubley ski bunnies

Ready to go

Skiing with Dad

Here are a couple videos of her skiing:

On the mountain (with no kids )

After skiing, Hannah also tried her hand at downhill sledding. She had a blast doing that too! Here are a couple of videos:

Christmas in Southeast Texas

2012-01-01T18:15:00.001-06:00

We went down to visit Nan and Pop the week before Christmas. Hannah LOVES playing with her cousins. We all had a great time even though it was a short visit. We can’t wait to get back down there soon.

Hannah definitely has the “presents thing” figured out.

Pop is always ready to help open gifts and put new toys together.

All the cousins in the kitchen. Hannah and Betsy had to be dressed alike.

Nathan liked riding in the buggy with Nan.

The kids piled up on the floor to watch a movie.

Saturday evening, Pop cooked us a big steak dinner and then we headed over to Devers the next morning to visit with Mimi and O. We had a good visit with Granny, Donna, Cheryl, and Tara. Cousin Josh and Beth Anne even made the drive to play dominoes. Again, it was a quick visit but we had a great time.

Here is O with the youngest grandbabies.

Hannah busy at work opening gifts. Her technique and pace reminded us of Anne.

A couple of times, she didn’t quite finish the job…

All of us in our new gear.

Here is O and Nathan.

On Monday morning, we rode out to Aunt Mae’s farm to check on the cows. We gave Broady a test run as a cow dog. I’d give him a grade of C+. He definitely felt at home around the cows, just didn’t know what to do. He kept jumping out of the truck on the way home and running back towards the herd. After the visit to the farm, we loaded up the Toyota and headed back to Fort Worth. We looked like Santa’s sleigh loaded down!

Meet the Norberts

2012-01-01T18:11:00.001-06:00

Scott and I have been blessed to be a part of a wonderful small group in our church. We meet weekly to hang out, study God’s word and eat some really great desserts!

Over the past six months, our grouped has also started ministering to a refugee family here in Ft. Worth. They attend the Swahili service at our church and need help adjusting to life here in the US (that’s actually an understatement). They were in a refugee camp in the Congo for 10 years. I’ve read a little about life in a refugee camp and I can’t comprehend just how bad it probably was for them. Their mother died (we think during childbirth) while in the camp, leaving Norbert (the dad) with five children.

When our church first heard about this family they went to their apartment and literally found roaches everywhere. One volunteer said they were like a blanket on the floor, in the beds, and all in the food. The kids rooms smelled like urine and there was no food in the cabinets. A big group went in and literally fumigated their apartment and cleaned it as best they could. Our church furnished them with furniture, bedspreads, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, food, etc. But this was only the beginning. What this family needed was someone to come along beside them and show them HOW to clean, HOW to grocery shop, HOW to cook, HOW to use a washer and dryer…basically, HOW to live. The easy thing to do (for me anyway) is just throw money at them and walk away. Give them things and walk away feeling good about myself. The harder thing to do is give them our time, but that’s what this family so desperately needs.

So, we go over and hang out with them once a week. We help with homework, filling out forms, cooking dinner and anything else that might come up. We had a little Christmas celebration with them and this really seemed to take our relationship to a new level. We had them over to one of the couples homes and ate dinner, opened gifts, and talked a lot about the differences in our cultures.

Here is Amos really enjoying his meal.

Mandolini really wanted some Hello Kitty shoes. She was so excited to open them, she didn’t even care that they didn’t fit. I had to convince her to let me take them back to the store to get a different size.

I don’t care what culture you come from, a little girl just wants a pretty dress. This made her so happy.

If you would like to read more about refugees, you should go on over to Heather’s blog and read this.

Merry Christmas Eve from Fort Worth!

2011-12-24T09:20:00.001-06:00

Our family celebrated Christmas this morning before we departed for Canyon. Our sweet neighbor Ms. Wanda joined us. We celebrated by exchanging gifts, eating birthday coffee cake, and then Hannah led us in singing “Happy Birthday Jesus!” From our home to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Nathan Walks!

2011-12-22T19:39:00.000-06:00

This just in, Nathan can walk. Reported by Dad!

December Happenings

2011-12-12T21:02:00.001-06:00

We’ve been having lots of fun this month getting ready for Baby Jesus’ birthday. Scott says he feels a little like Ricky Bobby because we talk about Baby Jesus so much. We pray to Baby Jesus, we sing to Baby Jesus, we read about Baby Jesus, we play with our nativity Baby Jesus. Hannah thinks all the lights on people’s houses and all Christmas trees and all the presents we wrap are for Baby Jesus. She is so excited about it all.

We put our tree up right after Thanksgiving and have had Christmas music playing pretty much everyday. Dance parties are an everyday occurrence around here.

We hung our stockings…

and wrapped our presents.

A sweet friend gave me this candle to light everyday to help us count down to Christmas Day. Hannah has really enjoyed this.

She loves picking out her verse and fun activity from our Advent calendar each day.

We took the kids to a Christmas pageant at a local church one night and she really loved that. When Mary and Joseph were walking up the aisle it was really quiet and Hannah yelled, “Hey, there you are!” It was pretty funny. She watched the whole thing very intently.

Especially when a ballerina and angels made their appearance (she’s so into dancing).

She wanted her picture taken with the angels after the show.

They had a camel and donkey outside.

We made some Candy Cane Kiss Cookies for our neighbors (Hannah ate a few before we delivered them.)

She also enjoyed making S’mores by the fire (and eating them).

Little Brother just liked watching the fire.

He also really likes bath time (It’s not really related to Christmas, but sooo cute)!

Hannah likes showing Baby Jesus and all the other nativity people the Christmas tree and informing them it is for Jesus’ birthday. She holds them up to it and says, “Look! Look! It’s Jesus’ birthday! Look!”

She also likes to put them in the tree…

Scott and I got away for a date night downtown….so nice.

And last night we drove around to look at Christmas lights. This is a house in town that goes all out with lights. They even had Frosty and Rudolph!

I told Scott this is the first time I’ve been this excited about Christmas in a long time. In order to prepare our home and our hearts for Advent, we’ve had to plan and be more deliberate with our time. In doing so, I have a peaceful anticipation that has been missing in years past. Also, it’s just so fun to see Christmas through Hannah’s eyes. Her excitement, her innocence, and her explanation of what and why we are celebrating is refreshing in the midst of all the commercialism that surrounds this season.

As Hannah says, “We’re waiting on you Baby Jesus.”

Playtime

2011-12-12T12:50:00.001-06:00

Hannah and Nathan were playing in Hannah's room and this is what I saw when I walked in. Hannah shouted, "He's an angel!"

Anne’s Beads

2011-12-11T14:24:00.001-06:00

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree

how lovely are your branches.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T16:16:00.001-06:00

This year we really wanted to do something that would help our family focus on our many blessings during Thanksgiving. Although we are in the midst of a difficult period and it’s sometimes hard to give thanks in the midst of tragedy, that’s exactly what we needed (and wanted to do).

I’m sure you’ve seen the many Thankful Tree ideas out in blogland or on Pinterest. We decided to make a simple one for our family. Hannah helped me find branches in our yard and I made a leaf pattern and cut out one for each day. At night we talked about what we were thankful for that day and tried to focus on giving thanks in all circumstances. Here are a few of my favorites from Hannah:

-Daddy (this made the list almost everyday)

-applejuice

-Dr. Murphy

-the park

-Ballerina movie

(the leaves look a little like fish to me. I’ll get a better pattern next year.)

We spent Thanksgiving day with Scott’s family at Mama Jo’s house. All I had to do was make two pies and show up for some seriously good food!

Hannah helped out as much as she could.

Three generations in the kitchen.

Scott and John carved the turkey for us.

And I always forget to get pictures of Mama Jo’s pretty table, but not this time!

Isn’t it beautiful!?!

Hannah even had her own kid’s size china place setting (I’m so glad she didn’t break it).

Hannah made everyone place cards. I think they match perfectly :)

Then there was the food!

…and more food.

It was all so wonderful! I ate oh so much…and then I ate some more. We lounged and watched the Cowboys win and then we watched our dear Aggies lose…sigh.

The Hubley’s are truly blessed and humbly thankful.

Nathan 9 1/2 months

2011-11-29T10:27:00.001-06:00

Well, you’re a busy little boy! You started sitting up around 8 months and from there it has been one thing after another. You pull up on everything and have started walking around all the furniture. Sometimes, when you know someone is watching, you will let go of the couch and hold your hands up for as long as you can. We all clap and you are so proud of yourself. This stage is so hard because you are wanting to go so fast, but your coordination is not there yet, so you fall and hit your head all the time! Maybe we’ll get you a helmet for Christmas.

You started clapping and waving bye-bye around 9 months and you love playing Patty-Cake and Peek-a-Boo, especially with Hannah. You had 4 teeth (top and bottom), but just recently a new one came in the upper right side, so you now have 5 total. At your 9 month check-up you weighed 17 pounds 14 ounces (40th percentile) and were 28 inches long. Your head came in at 18 inches which is apparently large (80th percentile).

You are still wearing a size 3 diaper (mainly because I’m trying to finish them off before getting a size 4) and 9 month clothes. You take 3 bottles a day (unless your with a grandmother) and eat 3 meals with 2 snacks (approximately). Your 2 naps are getting longer and your night time sleep is getting better also. You still love playing with Hannah but now that you are on the move, she’s a little ~~stingy~~ cautious with her toys. Don’t worry, she’ll come around.

Here you are with your Dad in Canyon at the end of October. It was your first snow.

I can’t believe you’ll be one in less than three months! Let the party planning begin!

Where's Hannah?

2011-11-28T16:02:00.001-06:00

LOL

2011-11-25T17:37:00.001-06:00

Pumpkin Village

2011-11-15T15:03:00.001-06:00

A while back, Mama Jo and John treated us to a morning at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens to see the beautiful Pumpkin Village. There were pumpkins everywhere! (Side note: Most of them came from the little town of Floydada, TX. That’s where we bought this pumpkin last year.)

Mama Jo wanted some of the “Photo Shoot Pose” Action.

Photo Shoot

2011-11-15T14:39:00.001-06:00

While I was de-cluttering our closets, Hannah decided to have a fashion show. One man’s trash is another little girl’s treasure…

Hannah, say “cheese!”

Now show me a surprised face:

Now look nervous…

Excited…

Cold…

Think about something…

And give me one more good pose…

And that’s a wrap.

Oh yeah…afterwards, she thought she needed lipstick.

She was very proud of herself.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:41:00.001-05:00

We spent Sunday afternoon on the back porch carving and decorating pumpkins. My friend gave Hannah this book for Halloween and she has been so excited about carving a pumpkin.

Daddy’s pumpkin:

Hannah’s pumpkin:

We were enjoying the weather so much that we decided to bring dinner outside.

Scott built this little patio so we were able to enjoy a warm fire.

Hannah liked warming her hands.

Tonight we went trick-or-treating with the kids. Guess what Hannah wanted to be? A princess of course!

I found this cute lion outfit for brother and decided they could be….

Beauty and the Beast!

Oooops.

Hannah loved “wick-or-weating” and socializing with all the neighbors.

Nathan just enjoyed the ride.

We told her she could pick out two pieces of candy for tonight. It didn’t take her long to decide.

Happy Halloween!

Double Take

2011-10-19T15:51:00.001-05:00

Hannah’s Boo-Boo and Mommy’s Lesson

2011-10-18T10:55:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, while pitching a fit in the parking lot after bible study, Hannah went limp noodle and because I was still holding her hand…her elbow popped out of the socket (I didn’t know that at the time). She started screaming and holding her arm. It was not my proudest moment…ever. I had Nathan on one hip, Hannah flailing around on the ground and lots of ladies with their well-behaved children looking at me. Not to mention, Scott was out of town. Lord help me.

The doctor said she had Nursemaid’s elbow (that was another blow…I felt like an abusive parent) and that it was an easy fix. Well, three doctor’s visits and one sling later they finally got it back in place. Just to be transparent, I cried a lot those two days. I was mad. I was tired. I was angry. I didn’t feel like a good mom. I mean, my husband was gone for two days and I was a mess! Shouldn’t I be able to handle this? Isn’t this my job? And for some reason I felt like my problems were too small to take to the Lord. I felt like with all the other horrible things going on in the world, my day to day “troubles” were too insignificant for God’s promises. When I read… “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest,” for the first time in my life I felt as though those promises weren’t for me. Aren’t they for the people who are really hurting? Who have real problems?

A friend gently pointed me to truth. Yes, those promises are for them…but they are for me too. God put me here just for this. He put me here in my family to learn these lessons. These are my trials. And those are my promises. So I will cling to Him. I will cling to his goodness. And I will be thankful for this season of something a sweet friend calls sanctification through motherhood.

Family Time

2011-10-13T14:08:00.001-05:00

Aunt Anne came in for a visit a few weeks ago and we enjoyed a nice day at the zoo and then some quality down time at the house.

She makes the best cookies!

First Day of School

2011-09-23T22:19:00.001-05:00

Hannah started a new school (mother’s day out) this year that is closer to our house. So far she is loving it. She was also pretty excited the first day. Quite the difference from the first day last year.

Nathan- 7 months

2011-09-23T22:07:00.001-05:00

Little man is still a happy baby….most of the time! He enjoys rolling around on the floor and watching Hannah’s every move. He started army crawling a few days ago and now he can pretty much maneuver his way around the room (if he see’s something worth grabbing and putting in his mouth). He will occasionally get on all fours and lunge forward or Hannah will “help” him by pushing him forward. I think he will crawl pretty soon.

At his 6 month check-up he weighed in at 16 pounds which put him in the 45 percentile. I looked back at Hannah’s baby book and she didn’t hit 16 pounds until she turned one! He might be average, but to us….he’s a chunk!

He’s wearing a size 3 diaper and size 6-9 month clothes. He nurses 4-5 times a day and is eating 3 solid meals. I give him lots of bananas, pears and avocados because they are easy to mash up. Other than that he’s had applesauce, squash, sweet potatoes, roasted peaches, carrots and green beans.

His sleeping pattern is…well…not that great, but it’s getting better. He takes two naps most of the time (if they are short, we might slip in a third nap in the evening), and he goes to bed around 8:00. He’s finally sleeping through the night on a more predictable basis, so I’m getting more rest (insert Happy Dance)! He wakes up around 6:30-7:00 and sometimes goes back to sleep after he eats.

Nathan…I will take more pictures of you for your next update. Promise!

Giving Thanks

2011-09-06T11:16:00.001-05:00

July blessings cont….

21. sweet giggle

22. baby smell

23. cousins playing together

24. time spent playing on the floor

25. backyard scavenger hunts

26. Family visiting

27. air conditioning in Texas summers!

28. clean laundry

29. her imagination at work

30. cleaning peanut-butter off her face

31. a husband hard at work

32. a husband walking through the door after work

33. dishwasher

34. Hannah memorizing scripture

35. little brother rolling over

36. time with daddy in the evenings

37. her button nose

38. little brother sucking his thumb

39. air conditioning (I’m going to count this one twice)

40. little brother rolling on a blanket made by his great-great grandmother

41. Hannah in her PJ’s

42. Scott’s kettle corn

43. family movie nights

44. breezy mornings on the swing

45. clean water

46. Hannah playing dress-up

47. our church family

48. talking on the phone with parents

49. wise counsel of friends

50. library books on the floor….

Entertainment

2011-09-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

Clothesline Busy Bags

2011-08-21T16:04:00.002-05:00

*Ok…I’ve been super excited about this! Recently, I participated in a Busy Bag Swap with 25 other moms. What is a Busy Bag Swap? It’s simply putting together bags filled with different age-appropriate games that will keep your little one busy. What’s better than that? I put together 26 bags of the same game. At the end of August, all the moms will meet and swap bags. So, I will end up with 26 new games for my kids! It’s a great deal, seeing as I only spent $27.

This is a post that I wrote for Kirby (the organizer) to put on her blog explaining how I created my bag. I will give you an update when I receive the other bags!!

I was so excited when Kirby put together a Busy Bag Swap and I was able to participate! My name is Jennifer and I have a two year old daughter, Hannah, and a six month old little boy, Nathan. We share a little bit of our journey over at our blog, Hubley Happenings.

Here are a few more fun facts about us:

-How do you spend your free time?

I’m a stay-at-home mom, so when I’m not with my babies (during nap-time) I enjoy reading and sewing.

-When you were a child, what was one of your favorite ways to spend your day?

I loved playing outside with my cousins. We would build forts and ride bikes all day!

-Fondest memory with your mom as a child?

I remember my mom reading to me as a child. I loved listening to her read Happy Birthday Moon and Runaway Bunny at bedtime.

-What does special time with your children look like?

Special time is when we get to do things as a family. We love walks in the evenings when Daddy gets home and storytime at night.

-Favorite outdoor activity with your kids?

Swinging on the back porch and swimming!

-Favorite blog for children's activities/crafts/parenting?

1. I can teach my child

2. Homemade by Jill

-A favorite tradition that you want to pass down with your children?

Celebrating Advent!

Now on to the busy bag! I was blessed to be assigned the Clothesline Busy Bag that MoneySavingMom created. So although there was not much variation….there was a lot of cutting!

For 26 bags, I started out by cutting 416 pieces of felt clothing (16 for each bag). Since I was cutting so many pieces, I used my cutting board and a rotary cutter. This allowed me to cut out four at a time. I used these patterns to create a shirt, shorts, pants, and a dress. I used five different colors of felt: green, purple, orange, red and blue. There were a total of 16 clothing pieces in each bag (four of each kind of clothing). I also included about 3 1/2 feet of clothesline and 18 clothespins in each bag in addition to these instructions from MoneySavingMom.

Here is a breakdown of the materials I used to create 26 bags:

1. About five yards of felt (one yard of each color). This is an estimate because I initially bought way too much fabric! (I purchased the felt at Joann’s using a 40% off coupon for each yard of fabric. It totaled $15)

2. 500 clothespins (5 packs of 100 for $1.88 each at Walmart)

3. 100 ft of clothesline (2 packs of 50 ft for $1.50 each at Walmart)

4. Direction and Variation sheet via MoneySavingMom.

I spent around $27 total (and I had some felt left over).

So how does it work? Well, in it’s simplest form, just tie up the clothesline between two chairs and let your little one go to town hanging them up with the clothespins!

MoneySavingMom also gives two fun variations on her instruction sheet which include an Outdoor Laundromat and Clothing Patterns.

Since Hannah is two, she is not quite able to manipulate the clothespins, so I have to help her out a little. But it has been a great tool in helping her with color recognition and counting! I have her sort all the clothes into different piles of colors and then we count them together as she hangs them up.

She has literally played with this game for hours!!

I hope your little ones enjoy it just as much!

Good Sport

2011-08-17T22:00:00.001-05:00

Some days he’s one of her dolls…

and some days he’s her sticker book.

Good luck Nathan!

Breastfeeding 101

2011-08-17T21:45:00.001-05:00

The other day we told Hannah to feed her babies. This is what she did:

That’s how we roll…

Journaling and One Thousand Gifts

2011-08-12T16:40:00.001-05:00

I’ve always loved the idea of keeping a journal, but I’ve never been successful at doing so. I have stacks of unfinished journals in my nightstand. I love the idea of preserving thoughts, emotions and prayers in a little bound book all penned with my hand. I think about my children reading the prayers of their mother years from now and it stirs something in me. So I start. I get excited. Then, over time…the excitement fades. The entries grow farther and farther apart. Then, I stop. That’s been the extent of my journaling. I hate it, but it’s true.

Then enters Ann Voskamp and One Thousand Gifts. I’m sure most of you have heard of her or read this book. If you haven’t….stop what your doing (yes, stop reading)….click on this link….and buy the book. Or rent it from the library or call me and I will lend you my copy….seriously…it’s that good.

It’s given me a new understanding of what it means to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). How to give thanks in the hum-drum of everyday life. How to look at a world so messed up and hurting and give thanks to the God who holds us all in His hand.

So, like Ann and countless others, I’ve started journaling my blessings. Looking for God’s goodness everyday. The goal? Count 1000 blessings. Write them down and remember the moments. I’m not sure how long it will take me. Maybe six months. Maybe a year or longer. I started counting in a journal back in June, but I also want to record them here. I’ll catch you up…

1. saying goodbye to good friends

2. a packed house

3. sprinklers in the hot summer

4. pancakes for breakfast

5. quiet when the babies are in bed

6. date nights with Scott

7. swinging on the back porch

8. eating popsicles with Hannah

9. vacation in the mountains

10. view of the mountains

11. walks with Scott in the cool air

12. kissing in the cold rain

13. watching hummingbirds on the porch

14. middle of the night feedings with Nathan

15. learning a new hobby

16. Nathan’s toothless smile

17. Hannah’s curls

18. potty training

19. ten tiny fingers

20. ten tiny toes…

Milestones

2011-08-08T18:30:00.001-05:00

This summer we tackled two milestones with Hannah: (1) potty training and (2) transitioning into a big girl bed.

Potty Training

(This is the only appropriate picture I had. Can you tell what’s on her mind?)

The potty training was actually her idea. It couldn’t have been any easier. She just decided one day that she wanted to go in the big girl potty. I had a little potty chair sitting out for a while just so she could get used to it, and we talked about it a lot around the house. Then one day, she just started taking off her diaper and going to the potty. Then we got her some princess panties and said bye-bye to diapers (except for naps and bedtime). It was that simple. No three or five day method. Just going in the potty.

I know. If you’re a mom, you hate me. Please don’t. I’m sure I’ll get my fair share when Nathan’s turn comes around.

Don’t get me wrong. We’ve had our fair share of accidents and now she’s developed a fear of pooping in the potty, but overall she’s done a great job!

Big Girl Bed

Next, we decided it was time to get Little Brother out of the pack-n-play and in the crib. That meant Big Sister had to give up the crib and start sleeping in her big bed. It was so sad the day we decided to move the crib. She cried the whole time Scott was wheeling it down the hall. It was very traumatic (I think we did everything the books say not to do). But this twin bed had been in her room for several months now, and like the potty, we had been talking about how it was going to be her bed soon, so we didn’t do everything wrong I guess.

This didn’t go as smoothly as the potty training. There…I already got my pay back. Happy now?

She pitched some HUGE fits when it came to naptime and bedtime. She also simultaneously started getting scared of her room and it was literally a nightmare trying to get her to sleep. We would leave the room and she would get up and take her diaper off and pee on the floor (oh yes…she did). She would take down all her bows and throw them around the room, then stand there and just scream…I mean…scream. She would bang on the door and roll around on the ground. I know what your thinking. “No, not sweet little Hannah.” Yes, I’m talking about my precious daughter. The same one who was singing hymns with me not too long ago. This same little princess…

Well, we figured out she is motivated by two things: stickers and sweets (or as we refer to them…sweet treats). So I made a chart for her to put stickers on when she didn’t pitch fits and went to bed. After a certain amount of stickers, she would get a sweet treat (I would show it to you, but she ripped off all the stickers a few days ago).

We also invested in The Goodnight Light….and I have to say….this really helped. She knows when Mr. Moon comes on, it’s time to go to bed and Mr. Sun lets her know it’s time to wake up.

After about a week or so, she settled down and now we really don’t have any problems. As we speak she is sitting in her bed “reading” to her babies. She does this for about thirty minutes before quietly falling to sleep…mission accomplished!

Oh, except the pooping problem. She gets up and stands in the corner of her room and poops in her diaper during naptime. I’ll let you know when we work through that one….

Nathan’s First Meal

2011-08-06T15:09:00.001-05:00

Oh wow! This looks fun!

Uh…what do you want me to do mom?

Disgusting!

More please!!

Saying good-bye…

2011-08-02T20:48:00.001-05:00

Back in June, our family said good-bye to sweet friends. They packed up and headed north for cooler temperatures…who can blame them!?! In my opinion, we met them way too late in the game. We really just started getting to know them over the last year or so. I wish we could have had a few more years. But…the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. I’m thankful for the time we had.

You see…they were a lot like us. She and I loved sewing, crafts, and taking walks with the babies. Her husband and Scott both enjoyed biking, running, camping and such. They had two children the same ages as Hannah and Nathan, we went to the same church, should I go on?

Hannah absolutely adored their son. You remember their camping trip? She always asked if he was going to be at church and he was the first one she listed off as being her friend. I was so worried she was going to be scarred for life because her “best friend” was moving away. I worried she would ask where he was and I would have to console her when I told her he was gone. I braced myself for a long conversation about “Owen moving to Minnesota” and how we wouldn’t see him for a long time (if ever). I mean, I guess I thought she was ten. I way overestimated my two year old. After he left, she said very matter-of-factly, “Owee moved to Sota.” Sorry Owen…no tears. Obviously, she doesn’t know how far “Sota” really is.

We had the opportunity to have them stay with us a few days while they were in between houses. We had a great time just visiting and enjoying them being in our home.

Thanks for being such great friends…we’ll miss you down here in Texas, but we’re excited to see what the Lord has in store for your family up north. Enjoy the weather!!

Heat Wave

2011-08-02T20:22:00.000-05:00

Just because it needs to be documented....our family (and millions of other Texans) are in the midst of a heat wave of epic proportions. This summer has been the hottest since the infamous summer of 1980. We are at 30+ days of 100°+ heat with no sign of slowing down (August just started!?!). This makes for long days for Jennifer and the kids as they can't really go outside because it is too hot. It is also just generally uncomfortable to do anything or go anywhere. I must say we are blessed to have an air conditioned house we can cool off in, and I have a desk job that keeps me out of harm's way for the most part. That being said, here is the forecast for the next few days:

Hubley Saturday Morning

2011-07-30T10:31:00.001-05:00

Here are some typical views around our house on any given Saturday morning:

Pancakes

Hannah dressing up like an “angel”

Nathan sucking his thumb

Can’t beat the weekends!

4th of July in Canyon & Angel Fire

2011-07-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

Last month we went to Canyon for my 10-year high school reunion over the 4th of July weekend. We stretched the long weekend into a whole week and ran up to Angel Fire to get a break from work and the hot Texas weather.

While we were in Canyon, we made it down to the Fair on the Square for the 4th of July parade. We had a great time, and Hannah was especially impressed.

Eager anticipation of the parade

The streets were packed. It is a pretty big deal

Some of the crew and cast of the Texas play in Palo Duro Canyon

Smokey the Bear even made an appearance which is pretty timely considering the extreme fires we’ve had this year

Like I said, Hannah really enjoyed her first parade. We decided to leave Hannah with Nana and Pappy in Canyon while we went to Angel Fire for the rest of the week with Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Jon Michael. We figured 4 on 1 for Nathan’s first trip to the mountains would make for a pretty restful week, at least comparatively speaking. It reminded us of Hannah’s first trip to the mountains when she was about the same age.

When we got to Angel Fire, we were a little disappointed to learn that the forest was closed due to Stage III fire restrictions. Basically all the state parks and national forests (any public land) was closed for hiking, biking, camping, everything. Since we couldn’t hike in the forest, we took several walks up the hills around town. These were the typical views from our walks – not a bad substitute considering the circumstances.

Jon Michael and I played golf at the Angel Fire course. It was the first time I have played there and the first time I’ve played in a long time. We had a really good time (JM won). Here is the view from the #6 tee box. 200 yd Par 3 and the green is ~250+ ft below the tee box. Pretty fun to watch that little white ball drop

We made the obligatory trip to Taos one day and got massages, shopped around, and ate at our favorite Taos Pizza Outback.

While we were on the trip Nathan found his toes just like big sister.

Jennifer and Rebecca took a knitting class in Taos and spent the rest of the week working (and re-working) scarves. Nathan thought it was pretty neat.

Another one of the casualties of the fire restrictions: outside charcoal fires were banned so we cooked our steaks inside.

Overall it was a great time with Rebecca and JM and lots of special attention for our little Nathan. We can’t wait to go back!!

62nd Annual Fling Reunion

2011-07-19T14:25:00.001-05:00

Not sure if you can tell yet, but we’ve had a busy summer! I’m trying to keep up but I’m failing miserably. So I’m going to stop worrying about putting all these events in order. That’s right…I’m getting’ a little crazy! Let’s go back about a month.

All the way back to the Family Reunion. When the second weekend in June rolls around, there’s only one place you will find us (and about 150 of my relatives)….the Fling Reunion. Three words describe it…

Food…

Fun…

and lots of Family…

Did I mention some of us are a little crazy?

This year, just like every year I can remember, we gathered at the lake and had a great time visiting and eating and swimming.

Mike led the auction.

We raffled off a beautiful ring and necklace made by Fling Jewelers in Bryan.

Aunt Margo made this beautiful quilt that sold for $600!! That’s Mama and Granddaddy Fling in the middle. I never got to meet them, but they left a legacy that long outlived their time here on earth.

The kids are always so proud of their trophies after the fishing tournament (even though I think they all get one)!

As always, I feel so blessed to be a part of this legacy and love that Hannah and Nathan get to experience it too.

Can’t wait until next year!

Welcome Davids

2011-07-17T21:22:00.004-05:00

Last month we hosted Davids, a pastor from Latvia, for a weekend at our home. We found out about the opportunity through our church and we're so glad we decided to say yes! Davids was in Dallas for three weeks as part of the Global Proclamation Academy at Dallas Theological Seminary. Saturday evening we gathered at a home with all the host families and pastors to hear about their ministries. Christ Chapel hosted pastors from Latvia, India, Nepal, and Jordan. It was such a great experience for our family to see what God is doing around the world in other countries.

Back home, he is a full time chaplain in the Latvian army and also pastors a small church. He has a wife and two young daughters so he fit right in at our house. He works at the basic training facility for new recruits before they ship out for duty. His biggest prayer for his ministry was that Christians both in his home country and around the world would be truly united by the love of Christ (Phil 2:2). Below are a couple of pictures from our time together.

Group shot – notice he spent much of the weekend holding either Hannah or Nathan :)

The highlight of the weekend: cattle drive in the Stockyards

Again, this was such a great experience for our family and we can’t wait for the opportunity next year.

Superhero Cape

2011-07-11T22:23:00.001-05:00

For Cousin Sam’s 3rd birthday, I decided to make him a fun superhero cape. My sister told me he was in to Power Rangers and thought he would really like a cape. I found an easy pattern here and attached a lightning bolt to the back.

Hannah was my model but she was a little wiggle worm. I couldn’t get her to stand still. These are the best pictures I could get.

Happy Birthday Sam! You make a great superhero!!

Hannah’s 1st Haircut

2011-07-11T22:06:00.002-05:00

It’s hard to believe that I waited two years to get my little girl's haircut but it’s true. I finally decided that the stringy strands of hair had to go.
We talked about getting a haircut for a long time before we went because I was really afraid she would freak out and it would be a huge ordeal. She was a little skeptical at first and wanted to sit in my lap, but overall, she did great! She only slapped at the lady once or twice…ooops.
Before

After

Look at those cute curls!

Billy Bob’s

2011-06-28T17:09:00.001-05:00

“You have a baby….in a bar?” (Sweet Home Alabama).

That’s what kept going through my mind when we took the kids along to Billy Bob’s with Mama Jo and John. It was actually my first time to go to the famous honky-tonk….I’ve always wanted to, I just never thought I would have my kids with me!

Nevertheless, it was lots of fun. We went early and ate some BBQ and then hit the dance floor. They were teaching swing lessons, but we got to dance during the breaks.

As you can see, Hannah really enjoyed herself (maybe a little too much)! She ran all around the floor chasing the lights and loved that everyone was watching her. I’m hoping she got her fill and will never want to go back again….unless, of course, she brings us along:)

Nathan- 4 Months

2011-06-28T15:48:00.001-05:00

At four months, our little guy weighs in at 14 pounds 11 ounces…that’s in the 50th percentile! We never see those kind of numbers with Hannah. At her 2 year check-up, she was only 23 pounds. So watch out sister, little brother is catching up fast.

These pictures describe little brother perfectly…happy. He smiles all the time and seems grateful to just be here. He gets a little fussy at bedtime, but other than that…he’s all smiles!

Mr. and Mrs. Jon Michael Jones

2011-06-21T14:46:00.001-05:00

Aunt Rebecca got married!!

Back in April we got to celebrate the union of Scott’s sister, Rebecca and her love…Jon Michael. The service was was so sweet and we couldn’t be happier for these two. We had a great time celebrating them and getting all dressed up for the festivities.

Scott, Hannah, and I were all in the wedding party so it was definitely a family affair! We were all nervous that Hannah would either run down the aisle or not go down it at all, but she surprised us by doing EXACTLY what she was suppose to do! She walked straight down that church aisle and smiled the whole time. BUT it was a different story when she sat down and had to be still. Luckily, we had a plan of action in place. Uncle William scooped her up and took her to the nursery…she was screaming the whole way out! Thanks Aunt Becca and Jon Michael for being such good sports!

Here are some great pictures from the photographer…

Little Nathan (2 1/2 months)

Hannah and Nana

Me and the beautiful bride

Brother and Sister

Silly Sisters

The cutest flower girl ever!

Here are a few more that I got (I’m sure you can’t tell they are not professional).

We turned up the music right before the ceremony and the bride couldn’t contain herself….good times!!

The Whitaker Family (Little Kate wasn’t here quite yet).

Candace and Kolby

Mimi, O, and Nathan

Rebecca and Jon Michael, thanks for letting us be a part of such a wonderful celebration. We love you!

Nathan’s Dedication

2011-06-01T14:33:00.001-05:00

Just like Big Sister, Hannah, Scott and I, in front of friends and family, committed to raising little Nathan Scott in a Christ-centered home and setting an example for him so that he might have the opportunity to come to know the Lord.

We pray this for you sweet Nathan,

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:17b-19

Hannah got a little bored during the prayer and started playing with Mommy’s hair.

She then moved on to sticking Daddy’s name tag on his nose.

All the family…

Then everyone headed back to our house for Hannah’s birthday party! We decided to knock it all out while everyone was in town. It was busy, but such a special day for the Hubley’s!

Real life…

2011-05-27T15:09:00.001-05:00

To all the tired mamma’s I know out there, read this and take comfort.

http://thegypsymama.com/2011/05/why-motherhood-should-not-be-graded-on-a-curve/

Sweet Cousins

2011-05-23T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here are our cousins on the Fling side of the family...Sam and Betsy.
Aren't they too cute!?!

Hannah’s Ice Cream Party

2011-05-23T15:35:00.001-05:00

When I found these invitations on clearance at Hobby Lobby back in January, it was a no brainer that Hannah was going to have an ice-cream party for her 2nd birthday. I mean, what’s better that ice-cream and swimming for a summer birthday?

I had lots of fun planning for this party. I won’t claim any of the ideas for myself though… I got most of them from the internet. I also had lots of help from my sister-in-law. She designed the text for the invitations, cup-cake toppers, and labels. Thanks Candace!! (If anyone is interested, her company is called Pearl Box Prints and she does a great job)!!

Here is the Ice-Cream Bar. We had all sorts of yummy toppings!

I also made a cake and fun ice-cream cone cupcakes for the kids. I really just loaded them all up with sugar and sent them home…your welcome parents!

However, we did have a little bit of fruit and cheese and crackers for our healthy guests.

And a party wouldn’t be a party without a birthday banner right?

For the favors I made these ice-cream cone shaped crayons. I found the idea here.

I put them in little baggies and printed off a personalized coloring sheet from the Twisty Noodle that read, “Hannah’s Ice Cream Shop.”

Now, on to more important things…the birthday girl! She had such a great time running around playing with everyone.

She loved it when everyone sang to her. She had been singing happy birthday to herself pretty much all week, so she knew the song well. I was so glad she cooperated and wore her birthday hat. I found that idea here.

We tried to get a family shot, but Hannah was focused on the cake (Nathan is in the sling).

She was pretty much focused on eating as much sugar as possible the rest of the party. Every time I saw her she had a mouthful of cupcake or cake or ice-cream. Here are a few examples….

And it wouldn’t be a party without Aunt Anne!!

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate our little girl! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family that come alongside us in life to help make such wonderful memories.

Hannah's Dance Party

2011-05-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

As many of you can attest to, Hannah loves to dance. Here are some clips of her favorite moves.

Hannah “Mae-Mae” Hubley- 2 year update

2011-05-21T12:11:00.001-05:00

Prepare for a long post. It’s been a while since I’ve done an update!

May 4th, 2010

May 4th, 2011

Wow, another year gone. Just like that. I know it goes by fast, but that was too fast. After Nathan was born, I looked up one day and saw that my sweet baby girl wasn’t a baby anymore. You are now officially a toddler. I got an email the other day from the church saying you are about to be “promoted” to the preschool wing! It’s too much for this mamma to handle. But handle it I must. It’s worth noting, however, that you’ll always be my baby girl.

We can already tell at two years old that you are very….let’s call it strategic (I wonder who you get this from). For example, one night you wanted to get something off the counter and we told you clearly that you could not have it. At the sound of “no" you started one of your fits. Arms were flailing, feet were stomping and then came the rolling around on the floor. Then, all of a sudden…you stopped…just as quick as you started. It was very obvious that you just had an idea. You got up and ran out of the room. Your Dad and I looked at each other not knowing what just happened. Then, you pranced back in with a huge smile on your face carrying a stool. You were so proud of yourself! You figured it out…or so you thought. You were still too short to reach what you wanted even with the stool.

You also love working puzzles. You sit for long periods of time on the floor taking pieces out and then putting them back again. Once you have done several puzzles one at a time over and over, you move on to something a bit more challenging. You take out all the pieces to four or five puzzles, mix them all together and then work on putting them in the right place. You get in the zone. Can you say one. track. mind?

You also go around counting everything. Except we can’t get you to start with “one.” You start counting at five and end at ten (most of the time you skip seven). Good try though.

We spend most of our time outside these days. You have fun with your water table, sand box, picnic table, and most of all playing with Broady. I should actually call it yelling at Broady. You walk out the door shouting “No, no Broady!” and pretty much keep that up until we go inside. You just started telling him “back, back” and you make a hand motion like you are pushing him back. It’s really funny (you also do this to us when you are pooping and want us to leave the room…you like your privacy).

You are still 100% a daddy’s girl.

When he comes home from work at lunch or in the evenings, you can be heard yelling, “Daddy home, Daddy home!” This is your favorite part of the day. You enjoy bike rides with him in the Burley and running errands with him on the weekends. You absolutely love riding in his truck. In the mornings when you wake up, you always call out for “Mae-Mae’s Daddy.” By the way…everything and everyone belong to someone (and usually that someone is Mae-Mae). This is the dreaded “mine” syndrome that I think or at least I hope most two year olds go through. One morning I said “I’m Mae-Mae’s Mommy.” You looked at me and then at Nathan and said, “No. Nate’s Mommy. Mae-Mae’s Daddy.” Don’t worry. I know you love me.

You also love your brother. You love giving him hugs (ie squeezing him very tightly), singing him songs (ie screaming very loudly), and reading him books (ie commanding that he “watch”). This is usually his face when he hears or see’s you enter the room.

You love, love, love princesses or as you like to call them… “angels.” When I heard I was having a little girl, I always said you wouldn’t have all that “princess stuff” but I was so wrong. You love to play dress-up and dance all around the house.

It is amazing how God made little girls to love this stuff even at such an early age. We tell you often what a pretty girl you are. You put on your necklace, your bracelets, grab your purse, put your baby in your stroller and say, “bye-bye mommy.” I laugh every time but also hold back tears because I can just picture you loading up your car, turning to say good-bye and heading off to college. I know…I know…give me a break. Your only two. But for the record, I’m seriously going to need medication the day you start Kindergarten (your momma doesn’t deal well with change.)

Your two favorite songs are (1) “Angel Dance” (the song from Sleeping Beauty… “I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream…). We sing this ALL DAY LONG! Gone are the days when I listened to the radio in the car. You tell me, “off please” when I turn it on (at least your polite). But that’s ok. I LOVE singing to you. You are the best audience because you always ask for more and you never get tired of listening to me. And (2) you love the “Aggie song” (The Aggie War Hymn)! Your dad has been singing this song to you since you were born and now you love it. You even sway and whoop at the end! When we finish singing you say, “more saw off.” Now, don’t judge. Some might call it brainwashing at such a young age, but we like to think we are simply helping you make a great decision about your collegiate future.

When we pray throughout the day (and especially at night) you like to add your own blessings at the end. You always want to bless all your grandparents (one by one), Dr. Murphy, your pediatrician, any boo-boo’s that you have and you end by being thankful for your eyes and nose. This lists changes from day to day, but these are pretty much constants.

Hannah you are so fun and you teach me more about myself everyday. You can make me laugh, dance, sing, cry, and want to pull my hair out all in the same day (let’s be real…your two). We love you so much and this is still our prayer for you, sweet girl…

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…”

Colossians 1:9-10

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Princess!

Camping

2011-05-02T19:39:00.001-05:00

Hannah and I joined her good friend B and his dad on Friday for an overnight camping trip at Mineral Wells State Park. This was the second time we’ve taken Hannah camping, the first was last August. She did considerably better this time around but we still need some more practice. We had perfect weather. All around, it was a great trip. Here are some pictures:

As soon as we got there, we set up camp:

Then we ate some dinner

and took a short hike before sunset

Then we headed back, changed into our PJ’s , and hit the tent at about 9:00. Hannah finally went to sleep around 10:30.

She slept pretty hard once she finally got comfortable. She even slept until almost 8am the next morning.

We had cereal bars for breakfast on Saturday morning

The next morning we took a short hike down by the lake and to Penitentiary Hollow. Of course we had to stop for a cookie break

Taking a rest with her camping buddy

On the way home, all smiles

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-16T13:43:00.001-05:00

Some of our friends from the church organized an Easter egg hunt at the Botanic Gardens today. It was a beautiful spring day. No wind, no clouds, just sunshine. We had a little picnic with everyone and then we got down to the serious business of egg hunting.

Hannah getting ready

Group shot

On the hunt. We helped her with the first one and then she figured the drill out pretty quickly.

Success

Afterwards, she headed straight back to her spot to count her winnings.

Satisfied egg hunter

Checking out the fountain

Happy Easter everyone! We pray your hearts would be encouraged as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection!

Sweet Sounds

2011-04-14T15:24:00.000-05:00

During the season of Lent, I have been reading this little devotional book to help focus my heart and mind on the incredible truths of Easter. This week’s readings are entitled “Sin and Death.” After reading one morning, the old hymn Jesus Paid it All came to mind. I started singing it while doing some chores around the house. Soon, I noticed Hannah was following right behind me and singing her own version of the song. I stopped to listen…

“Jee-hus paid ALL!”

How sweet to hear my little girl sing such piercing words. I pray one day she will grasp this truth for herself and know how much he loves her.

Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.

That time of year

2011-04-07T20:30:00.002-05:00

Now that spring is in full swing, we’ve been trying to get out and enjoy the weather more. Walking, running, bike rides, or just playing in the yard, Hannah enjoys it all. She especially likes riding in the Burley. This evening we took a ride down the Trinity Trails to a little waterfall. Hannah was not overly impressed; instead she kept asking where the ducks were. We made a special stop later on the river to see the ducks.

We are also gearing up (literally) for camping season. The other day I snagged this mega-tent from a guy at work for dirt cheap. It is pretty huge. I didn’t realize it was so big when I bought it. The good thing is that if we ever default on our mortgage, we’ll do alright. Hannah was right in the middle of the action when I did a dry run in the yard. We have a camping trip scheduled later this month with a friend of mine and his son B (Hannah’s best friend). Stay tuned for more pics.

When we are not outside enjoying the weather, Hannah enjoys lounging in the house with some relaxing reading or coloring material. Note that her favorite spot is Nathan’s bouncer.

Green Crackers

2011-04-07T19:19:00.001-05:00

Like most children, Hannah sometimes has a hard time eating her veggies. She went through a phase where she loved green beans, and then all of a sudden…she wouldn’t eat them AT ALL. So the other night at dinner, we had some sort of chicken with green beans and she was avoiding them like the plague.

Then my genius hubby says, “Hannah, why don’t you taste your green crackers?” She looked puzzled and looked down at her plate. “Oh yeah,” I said. “These green crackers are so good!”

She took one cautious bite, then devoured the rest of them. So, now we refer to green beans as “green crackers.”

We’re not really lying right? They are green.

Generations of Love

2011-04-06T14:39:00.003-05:00

After Nathan was born, we were blessed to have a lot of family guests in town. At the top of this list was our grandparents. I love to watch them love on our babies. There’s just something about my grandmother holding my child that makes my heart smile. I look at her face and I know it was probably the same expression she made when holding me for the first time….a big smile and eyes full of love for God’s newest miracle. These moments are precious.

Me-maw

Mama Jo

G.G.

Thank you for all the sweet memories. We look forward to making many more with you and all of our other great-grandparents!

The Many Faces of Nathan

2011-03-27T14:28:00.001-05:00

At 6 weeks old, Nathan has started smiling and cooing quite a bit and I can’t get enough. I always try to catch him smiling with the camera, but it always seems to disappear when I snap. So while trying to capture a smile the other day, I got all these other funny faces instead….I guess they’ll do.

And then finally…success!!

By the way, after I finished with this little photo shoot, I walked in the kitchen to find this…

Needless to say, she still likes stickers.

Nathan Update

2011-03-15T20:31:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple of shots of our little guy when he was 2 weeks old (we are a bit behind). We haven’t been taking enough pictures lately but we’ll try to catch up in the coming weeks.

Happy Valentine’s Day

2011-02-24T20:01:00.001-06:00

This Valentine’s Day was not filled with wine and roses by a long shot. It was our first day home with two babies and we were overwhelmed to say the least. But amidst the madness there was also a quiet calm in our home. It brought me so much joy to see Scott in full husband/father mode. He served our family with joy and patience. So although it wasn’t the most romantic day of my life, I have never felt more loved. Thank you hubby. My cup overflows!

Nathan Update

2011-02-19T13:33:00.001-06:00

We’ve been at home almost a week now, and we are slowly adjusting to life with two kids. Mom has been on Nathan duty, and Dad is on Hannah duty. Nathan is doing really well, just eating and sleeping. Hannah is having a tough adjustment at times, but doing well overall. Yesterday I asked her if she was upset and she said “Yeah”, and I asked her why and she pointed at Nathan and said “Baby”. We did our best not to laugh. Here are a few more pics

Leaving the hospital

First ride in the carseat

Nathan sleeping between feedings

Stretching out some

Hannah found a new dancing outfit

Hannah likes to hold him in the evenings before bed

Hannah and Dad went to the zoo to get out of the house one day this week. Hannah has really been getting into animals in her books, and it has been awhile since we’ve been to the zoo. It was really fun watching her name all the animals and imitate their sounds. All the animals were active. We saw monkeys swinging around, penguins diving, otters swimming, lions roaring. Here are a couple of pics

Penguins

Looking at the big “kitty”

She loved the “choo-choo”

Nathan Day 3

2011-02-12T20:31:00.000-06:00

Not many pictures today. We had a pretty quiet day and rested. Nathan and I put on our game day gear to watch the first of many Aggie games together. It was a good time, especially since we won. Here are a couple of pics

Nathan Day 2

2011-02-11T21:21:00.000-06:00

We had another good day with Nathan today. Breastfeeding is coming along nicely, and we had lots of visitors. Big sister Hannah also got in on the action. Below are some more pictures of our little guy

Nathan Scott Hubley

2011-02-10T20:48:00.000-06:00

It's a boy! Nathan Scott Hubley was born at 1:46 pm. He weighed 7 lbs 0 oz and was 19.5 inches long. Mom, baby, and big sister Hannah are doing well. Below are a couple of pics. More to come soon

Snow Day

2011-02-05T19:16:00.000-06:00

We are finally thawing out from probably the coldest weather we’ll see all year. The mercury finally got above freezing today for the first time since Monday including several nights with lows in the single digits. During that time we had two doses of snow that kept us homebound for most of the week. We finally decided to get out and play in the snow on Friday afternoon. Below are some pictures.

Hannah had a rough time at first after an initial faceplant.

She mainly just liked to walk around in it. Her new Christmas coat came in handy.

Snow day classic – snow angel in the front yard.

She loved making tracks in the snow.

Hannah and Mom. She was not ready to go inside yet!

Snow bunny

She also thought it was funny when I threw the snow at her.

That night before bed, she was ready for another round. Dad’s hat and gloves should work fine, right? I’m not sure why she needed the backpack.

2011 Stock Show and Rodeo

2011-02-04T17:42:00.001-06:00

Since we have lived here, we are embarrassed to say that we have never been to the famous Stock Show and Rodeo. My parents were in town last weekend, along with cousin Sam, so we decided it was the perfect time to go.

Check out our cute little Cowgirl and Cowboy!

Mom brought these overalls for Hannah. I thought they were so cute and very fitting for the occasion. She loved looking at all the little animals.

Nan and Pop with their grandkids (we couldn’t get Sam to look at the camera).

It was all lots of fun but the kids liked the pony rides and petting zoo the best. Dad is now convinced that it’s time to get a horse for the grandbabies. He’s starting them even earlier than he started us!

Hannah LOVED riding the horse. Unfortunately, she pitched a HUGE fit when the ride was over…it was not pretty.

Thanks Nan, Pop, and Sam for coming to visit. We had a great time!

Cotton Bowl

2011-02-04T17:12:00.001-06:00

We got tickets to the Cotton Bowl for Christmas so we could watch our beloved Aggies play the LSU tigers. It was supposed to be a good game but kind of got away from us after our senior linebacker got hurt early on. LSU played a great game, and they were definitely the better team. We ended up running out of time when the score was 41-24. We had a great time in spite of losing. Below are some pictures.

Headed up to the stadium.

We arrived just in time to watch the band march in.

Here is the view from our seats. Not bad!!

Here was the “other” view from our seats. Not as good

Thanks again Nana and Pappy for the tickets. We had a great time!

Hubley Baby #2 Baby Shower

2011-02-04T17:01:00.001-06:00

"A friend loves at all times..." Proverbs 17:17
Two of my sweet friends here in town gave me the best baby shower a couple of weeks ago...
Aren’t they cute?!?

This is the delicious lemon cake that Elyse made.

They made the cutest party favors consisting of tea bags with prayers for our family.

Candy Gram that Mama Jo made. It was a hit!

Mama Jo and Me

These girls guessed I am having a boy

and these girls guessed I am having a girl

Hannah even got a gift

She had the most fun playing in the wrapping paper

I'm always overwhelmed with people's love and generosity for our little family. Not only do these friends offer to help when a new little one comes along, but anytime we need anything! Each one of you have blessed my life and I'm so grateful the Lord thought it necessary for our paths to cross. When we moved to Fort Worth I had no idea the kind of love that would be poured out to us by our community and church family.
Thank you all for helping us celebrate our new baby!

Christmas Quilts

2011-01-13T22:02:00.004-06:00

After making my first little quilt for Hannah, I decided to try and make my niece and two nephews quilts for Christmas. I started several months ago planning and buying the material, but I was sewing up until the last minute. Not necessarily because they are too terribly time consuming (although they did take a while), I just kept procrastinating.

But after lots of cutting, pinning, pressing, machine quilting, and even a little hand sewing, I had them finished. It felt so good when I sewed the last stitch. I got the pattern here. She calls it the Road Trip Quilt and it's great for beginners.

This Sock Monkey quilt was for our nephew, Liam. He just turned one and I fell in love with this fabric when I saw it.

Sam (3) and Betsy's (1) quilts:

I made Sam's a little bigger since he's not really a baby anymore. My sister sent this picture...I think he liked it!

Celebrating Christmas and the New Year with the Fling's

2011-01-06T20:20:00.015-06:00

Last weekend Mom, Amber, and her two kids, Sam and Betsy came up to wrap up our Christmas celebrations and help us bring in the New Year. Despite ALL three of the kids getting sick, it was a great visit.

They got here late Thursday night (Hannah was already in the bed) and Mom brought all the gifts in the house. Her car looked like Santa's sleigh! Since Hannah wasn't feeling that great, she woke up coughing around 3:00am and couldn't go back to sleep. The events that followed were pretty funny and not surprising at all because of the size of our house. Soon after Hannah woke up, Amber came in the living room saying she couldn't sleep. Then in a few minutes, here comes Betsy toddling down the hall with Mom behind her saying Betsy wasn't feeling good and couldn't sleep either. Within about 30 minutes, Sam woke up because Amber wasn't in the bed anymore and then around 4:00am Scott comes dragging in (he said he couldn't sleep because he just kept thinking about our sewer problems...this was before he fixed it).

So there we were...all the adults worn out and all the kids (even though they didn't feel good) wound up because they were so excited to see each other. Around 5ish, we decided to go ahead and open Christmas presents since it was clear no one was going back to bed anytime soon.

Scott got some pretty cool snake boots for his hunting excursions. Maybe now he won't come back with poison ivy everytime.

One of Hannah's favorite gifts was this vacuum. It has really come in handy when I need to do housework.

Another winner was this little kitty from Sam and Betsy. She loves it! I know we're going to have to get her a cat one day but this will do for now (and all the cats she gets to see when she visits Aunt Anne). She holds it real close and pets it all the way from its head to the tip of it's tail. Then she looks at it and commandingly says, "Walk....Walk!"

Amber and Betsy in the wee morning hours.

We all tried to get some sleep the next day, but that's not really possible with three toddlers in the house. It's amazing...they can just run on fumes!! But later that day (while poor Scott was working on the sewer) we did manage to go cheer Amber on as she ran a 5K down at the park along the river. Here is a shot of her crossing the finish line. She's in super good shape (I'm having lots of sister jealousy right now as I sit and type this post while balancing peanut M&M's on my big pregnant belly).

Afterwards, we crossed the street and ate some great Mexican food at Chuy's and then went to look at the Christmas lights downtown. By the time we got back, Scott had the sewer fixed and we could finally use our own bathroom and take showers....YEAH Hubby!!

After another almost sleepless night (Betsy was getting worse and Hannah still didn't feel good), we tried to make the best of it again. Amber and I took Hannah and Sam to the museum while Nan and Betsy took a nap. Then Scott let Mom, Amber, and I have a break from the kiddos and let us go to the movies while he took a turn. We put them all down for a nap and headed out to Movie Tavern. It was my first time to go and it was really fun! The three of us NEVER get to go hang out by ourselves, so this was a very special time for me. Good mother/daughter/sister bonding time!

After the movie, I was getting a little worried about Scott handling all three of the kids when I received this text: Snacktime!

He had it all under control. It's amazing how good kids are when they're away from their mothers!

We rang in the New Year that night at around 9:00 and I think we were all in the bed by 9:30pm! We were exhausted and figured a sick kid would be up at some point in the middle of the night. Sure enough....it was Betsy. Poor thing....she is so sweet even when she's sick.

All in all, we got through it and had a great time. I love watching Hannah play with her cousins. She tries to imitate everything Sam does and bosses Betsy around like crazy. I think she will be a pretty good big sister OR I might have my hands full....one of the two!

Thanks Mom and Amber for dragging the little ones up here. We love you very much (and we missed you, Pop)!

One more shot of Nan playing with her grand-babies.

Stickers

2011-01-06T19:49:00.005-06:00

Hannah has been going through a phase where her FAVORITE thing to do is "stickers." I'm not sure what got it started but it's a really big deal around here lately. She wakes up saying, "stit-ters...stit-ters" and goes straight to her table. It's kind of nice because it is about the only thing that will keep her in the same spot for more than five minutes!

We still have to help her get the stickers off of the sheet but then she puts them in her notebook by herself. Here are some pictures of her enjoying her favorite pastime and a couple of shots of her handiwork.

As you can see, we go through a lot of "stit-ters" around here. So if any of you have any of these jewels lying around your house and you don't think you'll ever use them....send them our way! I promise we will put them to good use!

Sewer Repair

2011-01-01T15:03:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year from Fort Worth!

I spent the last 3 days repairing my sewer line in the front yard. This is the type of project that makes me appreciate my desk job. We have had a slow drain recently, and all my efforts of snaking the line were not successful. We had the City come look at it and they located a damaged portion after running a camera down the line. I called a plumber and they gave me 2 options: clean the line with a high pressure jet of water for $500 (temporary fix) or repair the damaged joint for $3200 (semi-permanent fix, this would require a permit from the city and would lead to other improvements to make everything meet current code which drove up the cost).

I decided to do it myself. It cost me about 20 hours of labor and $50 for parts. As you might expect, it included several trips to the hardware store, including one on New Year's Eve after Home Depot had already closed (I knocked on the door and they ended up "donating" the parts I needed because their computers were already turned off). Special thanks to Jeremy (digging the hole) and Craig (plumbing/pipe fitting) for their help. I wouldn't have been able to do this without them. I'm still praying that my work sticks. Below are some pictures.

This is the damaged joint. I was expecting a bend but found a wye. This was when I learned that I had 2 service lines coming from my house.

This was the scene in my front yard for most of the project.

Here is the repaired joint.

This is the hole filled in.

Merry Christmas from Fort Worth!

2010-12-25T18:47:00.009-06:00

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We had a good celebration at home by ourselves for the first time this year. Jennifer was a little nervous and emotional (as stated in her previous post) at first about being here for the holidays with only the three of us, but it turned out to be one of our most memorable Christmas' yet. Here are some pictures.

Christmas morning PJ's (courtesy of Mama Jo).
Look how much Hannah has grown since last year.
We started the weekend off right by making coffee cake on Christmas Eve morning.

Jennifer in the kitchen cooking away.

Jennifer made Hannah some play-dough for Christmas, and she loved it! Here is where she found the recipe.

Hannah opening her mop and broom. Now she is equipped to help clean the house.

We put an orange in her stocking. "I think this is how you eat it, right?"

We also got her a new winter coat. Look at our little model. I think she likes the camera :)

Here is the spread that Jennifer made for lunch. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, glazed carrots, rolls, and double chocolate cake with white chocolate icing. Yikes! We were so stuffed that we promptly passed out right after lunch! And, yes, that is our nice china and Pyrex on the same table...don't laugh.

I think it was the cake that put us over the edge.

A final parting shot from Hannah......Cheese!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you had a blessed day celebrating Jesus' birthday!

"La Posada" (The Inn)

2010-12-25T18:41:00.008-06:00

I looked and looked for a live nativity in the area to take Hannah to this Christmas and finally found a great one last Monday night not too far from our house. They had it set up where a crowd gathered at a church one mile from the actual nativity scene and we walked behind "Mary and Joseph" to remember their pilgrimage to Bethlehem.

And I have to say, it was pretty emotional for me. When your 8 months pregnant, you cry at just about anything (this has been true of my pregnancies anyway). I cry pretty much on a regular basis now. I cried one night when Scott was reading to Hannah because I thought it was such a sweet moment, I cry pretty much every Sunday in church, I started crying the other day when I was making our holiday grocery list, and I cried today when I saw a lost dog sign because I started thinking about Blue and Sarah. So the scene of Joseph leading Mary on a donkey to bring our Savior into the world sent me over the edge. I was trying to hold back a river of tears because there were so many people around. I didn't want them to think I was going into labor.

But I couldn't help but think of how Mary felt. I mean I only walked a mile and by the end I wanted to push the fake Mary off the donkey and ride it myself. I was uncomfortable and tired. I kept thinking if I do go into labor right now (for some reason) I could go to a clean hospital with wonderful physicians to have my baby. Mary was walking toward uncertainty...toward a dirty stable and barnyard animals. Yet she trusted God. She trusted His plan and brought Jesus into the world. What a wonderful way to usher in the Christmas season! Remembering the baby. Remembering Him. Our perfect Savior with the perfect plan.

Here are some pictures from that night:

Hannah kept wanting to eat the candle at the church.

She made the pilgrimage in her back-pack.

Mary and Joseph. We kept telling Hannah that a donkey says "he-haw," but she insisted that it sounded something like "brrrrr" and proceeded to make that noise the WHOLE mile.

The angels appeared to the shepherds in the field.

The wise men came to worship the Baby King! (This was a really cool to watch).

They also had a petting zoo set up nearby, so after the story was told, we let Hannah go see all the other animals.

We had such a great time and I hope to make this one of our annual Christmas traditions.

Christmas with Nana and Pappy

2010-12-25T18:40:00.004-06:00

Since I'm almost 8 months pregnant, we decided not to travel for Christmas this year. However, our families have been very gracious and decided to come see us instead. Last weekend the Canyon crew made the trek to Cowtown and we celebrated with them and Mama Jo.

We started with a wonderful meal at Mama Jo's (sorry Mama Jo....I didn't get any pictures). But you should have seen the spread. She had a beautiful table set and filled our plates with beef tenderloin, salad, homemade macaroni, broccoli, and pecan pie for dessert....it was delicious!! She gave us all sock monkey pj's (I'll post a picture of those later). Thanks Mama Jo!

Then we came back to our house and opened presents with Nana, Pappy, Aunt Anne, and Uncle Wiwi (William). Here are a few highlights...

Hannah got us started by opening hers first. She loves to open presents. She says, "Oh wow!" over and over.

Later in the day after Dad and Pappy put it together. It's called a Kid Active (which is perfect for my active kid) and she loves it. She jumps and jumps all her energy out!

Uncle Wiwi (the tennis player) got Hannah her very own racket and tennis balls.

Hubby scored big time and got some Cotton Bowl tickets (I get to go too)!!!

Hannah also got a tent and sleeping bag...she got a little static electricity while playing in it.
Thanks everyone for coming to see us this year. Christmas wouldn't have been the same without your visit!

Twas the night before Christmas

2010-12-24T19:47:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve!

Stylin'

2010-12-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

Hannah and I were staying warm and stylin' yesterday in our track suit and Uggs. There is something I love about dressing like my daughter....sorry Hannah.

Handmade Holidays

2010-12-20T21:05:00.009-06:00

This Christmas season we've had lots of fun around the Hubley house making things for others and ourselves. If you know me at all, you know I love Christmas. I love the smells, the music, the aromas, the family gatherings, and most of all the expectant waiting of the birth of Jesus (more on our family advent in a later post).

I'm one of those annoying people who starts listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving and I light my "Fire on the Mountain" Circle E candle everyday. Scott is really a trooper. So with the music turned up loud and the smell of cinnamon in the air, Hannah and I have been creating a few things for the holidays.

First, I saw on Kirby's blog this adorable (and simple) little dishtowel dress and thought it would be so cute on little Hannah Mae. Sorry about the dark photos. I used my phone to take them.

Then, I was trying to think of something to give Hannah's teachers and a few others and thought this sugar scrub was perfect! I used the recipe from good 'ole Martha Stewart. I added peppermint essential oil to give it a refreshing holiday scent.

Next, Hannah and I made these Candy Cane Kiss Cookies for Scott's co-workers and some of our neighbors. A friend made them for me and they are officially my favorite Christmas cookie. Hannah really likes helping me bake...especially when we're making some sort of chocolate cookie!

And I finally got our stockings finished! I found all this great material at a garage sale in our neighborhood about six months ago and had no idea what I was going to do with it. I just bought it because I knew it was really $$ in the store. I finished them a couple of weeks ago and had them embroidered. Now, I need to make one more for next year! (Disclaimer: I can't remember the website where I found this tutorial, so I apologize stocking blog lady. Please don't sue me.)

I have a few other projects I've been working on, but they're gifts so I can't show them yet....stay tuned! I know...such a cliff-hanger.

Merry Christmas!!

Bubble Wrap

2010-12-14T21:41:00.000-06:00

You know it is going to be a good day when you get a package with an excessive amount of bubble wrap ;)

Haitian Purse Party

2010-11-28T20:39:00.005-06:00

Remember when I said I was going to have a purse party? Well, the purses came and the party was a success! I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends. Their hearts were opened for this ministry and I pray they are richly blessed.

I still have some purses left, so if your interested in getting one for yourself or perhaps for someone on your Christmas list, please contact me. You can come over and look at them at my house, or if you don't live around here, I can give you directions on how to look and pay for them online and I can mail it to you.

I'm pushing them really hard (I know and I'm sorry) but I believe it's such a great ministry. We can tangibly make a difference in the lives of mother's and their children who are in desperate physical and spiritual need. You can read more about Haitian Creations here.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T20:30:00.003-06:00

We are truly blessed.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

Gig 'em Aggies!

2010-11-09T19:21:00.002-06:00

Here's to a few more wins this season...WHOOP!

Massive Halloween Post!

2010-10-31T20:35:00.009-05:00

Thanks to Hannah's Grandaddy-0 and Mimi, Hannah was a cute little cowgirl for Halloween this year! They supplied the hat and boots and Hannah supplied plenty of attitude. We went to several Halloween festivities, so get ready for a lot of pictures!

First, her Mother's Day Out program had a party that was super cute. All the kids dressed up and marched around the church in a little parade. Hannah's class rode in a buggy and she was excited at first....but then she got tired of it and wanted out. Can you tell she's upset?

(Am I awful for taking this picture?)

Then, we went with some friends to Boo at the Zoo at the Forth Worth Zoo. Hannah was super overwhelmed and it took her a while to warm up, but she finally realized if she played the game, she got to put her hand in the big bucket of toys...fun stuff!

Here she is with her first sucker. Scott kept saying, "Come on Mom. Let her have some candy...it's Halloween. She likes it!" How can you argue with that? Oh yeah...what about rotten teeth and cavities! Oh well, she really did like it.

Scott carved our big pumpkin at the house and lit it with candles. Doesn't it look great!?! Hannah seemed to really like it.

Finally, tonight we went up to our church for Trunk or Treat. She got to play more games and pick out more candy. She loved putting her hand in the candy bowls and moving the candy around. It took her forever to pick out one piece.

And then I had to share these pictures because she just looked so stinkin' cute!

Now this pregnant mama has to find something to do with all that candy before I eat it all!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Saturday afternoon

2010-10-30T15:26:00.001-05:00

Jennifer napping in the hammock and carving our giant pumpkin while we
listen to the aggies. Hannah is napping in her crib.

Mother's Day Out

2010-10-27T19:44:00.003-05:00

In September (I told you I was playing blog catch up), Scott and I decided to start Hannah in a Mother's Day Out program at a local church one day a week. Hannah loves it...I love it...therefore, Scott loves it....it's a win-win-win for sure!

I just had to share these pictures of her getting ready on her first day. She woke up on the wrong side of the crib and nothing was going right. I wanted to get some cute pictures of her with her back pack, but this is what I got...

She wanted nothing to do with it. She did, however, really like her lunch box!

Now she gets really excited about "school" and loves going to play with all her new friends. Her teachers are precious and did I mention....I get some time off! It might sound selfish, but I said it. I don't take it back. I like it!

Broken

2010-10-10T20:13:00.007-05:00

During the last year, I've had a phrase in my head that I try to pray several times a day. It's short and simple. "Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours." It comes from the lyrics of this song by Hillsong:

Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks yours. Everything I am for your kingdoms cause, as I go from nothing to Eternity.

When we sang it in church, this particular part of the song stood out. I realized I don't see people the way the Lord see's them. I don't love people the way the Lord loves them. My heart doesn't break for the things that breaks the Lord's heart. Can you see the problem? I found as I examined my heart, that I'm human...and I'm selfish. That's it. That's the hard truth.

So, I started praying that the Lord would change me. That he would truly open up my heart and my eyes to see the people around me that were hurting. That were in need. I prayed that he would break my heart for people and to help me understand what it really means to love my neighbor as myself.

Well, he has been faithful. In so many ways, he has been faithful. He as shown me through many different circumstances, that there are so many hurting people in our world. So many women and children in slavery and bondage. So many orphans in need of love. So many people in my city and around the world suffering from starvation and malnutrition. So many broken hearts...

But what can I do? Can I really make a difference? Where is he calling me to go? What is he calling me to do? How can I help orphans and widows in my city? In other countries? This is where, in the past, I always seemed to get frustrated and give up. After all, I can contribute to a good cause, but how do I know it's a reputable charity? Where is my money going? Is it really getting to the people who need it?

Well, there are great places out there that are doing amazing work. They are loving on so many people in need and most of all, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

Here are a few things I've found I can do right now (FYI...these would all make great Christmas gifts. Wouldn't it be so much more rewarding to purchase something from someone where you know your money is making an immediate impact and going directly to them and their families instead of Wal-Mart or Target or Pottery Barn?!?):

I can go here and purchase a handmade bag or host a purse party (which I'm in the process of doing...so excited) to help women in Haiti learn how to take care of their babies, learn life skills, be listened to, be loved and hear God's word.

I can go here and purchase beads from women in Uganda who are trying to maintain a sustainable income for their families by working hard instead of resorting to slavery or prostitution.

I can go here and buy shoes from young women in Uganda trying to get a higher education.

I can go here and sponsor a child (which means giving them food and clean water, education, the gospel and so much more), or donate $10 for a mosquito net, or give to help a mother in poverty have a clean birth experience.

I can go here and buy a goat or pig or cow or anything else you can think of to help support a family in need somewhere around the world.

But what about locally...in my own city and neighborhood? What can I do? Well, there are community centers and homeless shelters that need volunteers, elderly in nursing homes that I could visit, neighbors in need that I could cook a meal for, etc, etc, etc.

Now, is this all overwhelming to me?...yes. Am I doing all these things?...NO, not by a long shot. But I've realized I can't NOT do anything anymore. I can't sit in my house with my nice furniture and my car and my closet full of clothes and my pantry full of food and ignore those in need. Even though I've done it my whole life, I just can't anymore.

Fall is here!

2010-10-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

We are so glad fall and the cooler weather has finally arrived. Here is a "seasonal" shot of Hannah to commemorate the occasion. Enjoy!

Miss Priss

2010-10-04T22:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, somehow, Jennifer still says she thinks our daughter resembles her. Unfortunately, I don't agree.

Pregnancy Pictures....finally!

2010-10-04T12:55:00.004-05:00

Baby Hubley #2 is 21 weeks old and finally making his/her debut on the blog....sorry baby. I will try to do better. But as a friend put it, being pregnant with your second baby is way different than being pregnant with your first. She says,

"Not only do you feel way different, you no longer have those delightful evenings of coming home from work, kicking your feet up, and waiting for hubby to prepare you dinner and graciously attend to your every need, but life is just busier. Way busier. There are long stretches of time when I completely forget that I am pregnant!"

Amen sister! I feel like these past 4 1/2 months have flown by! But in an attempt to catch up and not let this pregnancy slip past us without any documentation, here are a few random belly shots.

13 Weeks

20 Weeks

21 Weeks

(this is an awful white on white picture I know, but that's what's on the camera at the moment)

I'm feeling great right now and everything is going well. I was only sick for about 10 weeks or so, and for that, I'm very thankful. I think everyone knows by now, but we decided not to find out the gender of Hubley Baby #2. Everyone keeps telling me that we are having a boy, but I can't tell. I don't really feel any different this time. My cravings are definitely the same...sweets! I'm trying to do better and have come up with a new rule for our house: We only eat sweets if we bake them ourselves (including ice-cream). This was an attempt to cut down on my sweet-tooth intake, but I just find that Scott and I are baking a lot more than we use to. Oh well, it's healthier if we make it right?

Water Hose Fun

2010-09-30T14:07:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know I'm late on this, but I'm trying to play blog catch-up. I have a list of things in my head I want to post, but haven't gotten to them yet. Be patient. They will come.

Here are some pictures of Hannah back in the heat of the summer. She found some relief in the evenings by getting to play in the water hose. On one such occasion, Scott was bathing Broady in the yard and Hannah decided to take over. She was a mess, but had such a great time.

Well-Balanced

2010-09-29T14:01:00.005-05:00

As a young girl growing up I can remember enjoying activities like ballet, barbies, and dress-up. But I also fondly recall hunting, fishing, and cowboy boots. Since my dad only had two girls, we went right along with him to the hay fields and the hunting leases. They are some of my favorite memories.

Here are some examples of a well-balanced Hannah Mae.

She loves to play dress-up in her pretty princess clothes (thanks Nana)....

But she also loves helping her daddy fix a leaky faucet.

(Here you go Daddy!)

I pray one day Scott has a son, but for now, I think daughters and daddies are pretty sweet!

Piano lessons

2010-09-26T09:37:00.000-05:00

Thanks Zinneckers for the mini lesson

Big girl seat!

2010-09-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

Hannah finally graduated to her big girl car seat. Thanks Mama Jo!!