Horton Family Happenings

January 2009 Happenings

2009-01-28T20:35:00.007-06:00

Hannah says:
"January has been a blast! We've had lots of birthdays to celebrate...my Daddy, my Nana, and my friend, Christian! Christian had a really cool party at Peter Piper Pizza where we played lots of games and ate some yummy pizza and cupcakes! This is me on the race car...

Here is the birthday boy, Christian, plus me and Natalie sampling the cupcakes. We decided we REALLY liked them, especially the icing--which is the most important part!

Daddy is really good at all of these games! You wouldn't believe how many tickets he kept winning! We were able to pick out some serious prizes at the end!

This is my friend, Ms. Carol, who goes to our church. Even though it was after Christmas, she invited Christian and me over to her house to see her AMAZING Christmas village that she sets up every year in her living room. Mommy didn't get a picture of the village because she was running after me worrying that I would knock it all over or something...she muttered that under her breath, I think... BUT...Christian and I were really good and had fun during our visit with Ms. Carol.

One of the best parts about going to Ms. Carol's house is...you get to take real homemade gingerbread cookies home with you to eat! Yummy!"

50 Years of Wedded Bliss

2009-01-27T23:40:00.008-06:00

December 2008 was a BIG month for our family...not only did we have fun during the holidays, but we had a BIG anniversary to celebrate! Chuck and Ada (Dawn's parents/Hannah's Nana & Papa) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! We had a nice reception for them at the church and so many of our friends and family came from near and far.

Here is the happy couple "cutting their cake"...

Here is a 3 generation picture...Hannah had so much fun at the party! She visited with everyone and tried to be as entertaining and social as she could.

Chuck's sisters, Martha and Willie, came for the big occasion, as did lots of our family! Cousin Jeff even came all the way from Spain! It was truly a special occasion!

These are some of our sweet friends who helped make the party a big success! We couldn't have done it without Megan, Jamie, and Kim. We also had a lot of other "little helpers" who you see in the picture below!

We "had ourselves a merry little Christmas..."

2009-01-27T23:11:00.008-06:00

as told by Hannah...
I had SOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun all throughout the holidays this year! I got to sit on Santa's lap at my pre-school and I could just tell...he absolutely loved me! In this picture, I think I'm getting EVERYTHING I could possibly wish for...a dollhouse, a camera, on and on... Maybe Mommy & Daddy won't tell him about all of my 2 year old shenanigans! Tee hee...

See...I'm whispering into Santa's ear & telling him not to believe everything he hears on the good and bad list... It's all a conspiracy! I guess Mommy & Daddy have been pretty good this year. Maybe Santa will bring them a Wii or something fun???

Here I am at my friend, Natalie's birthday party! We jumped and jumped until our legs were sore...okay...at my age, they never really get sore. I just heard my Mommy talk about how that can happen... Happy Birthday, Natalie!

This picture was taken at the Christmas Parade in town... I LOVE to go to this! Well...I don't love the loud sirens and all, but the endless candy being thrown at me makes up for it. If only Mommy would let me eat it all at once! If she wasn't looking, I bet Nana & Papa would let me...

How do you like my cute reindeer shirt that we made at school? Mommy wanted me to show it off...and well...I'm pretty good at that! I like standing in front of the tree anyway because I can sneak a peek at all of the packages while I'm there!

On Christmas Eve, Mommy, GiGi, Nana, and I figured we'd better make some cookies in case Santa Claus comes to my house. I think he likes chocolate chip cookies with little mint sprinkles on top. It's too bad that he won't actually get to have the little sprinkles...I couldn't resist and ate a lot of them before I got caught. YUM!

On Christmas morning, Santa must have realized how good I've actually been, because he CAME to my house! He brought me a BIG dollhouse and a digital camera for kids that can be dropped and tossed into the toilet if you want (not that I do that)! Then...we opened lots and lots of presents from all of my family. We had so much fun!

Mommy got me and Daddy an electronic violin. I think Daddy liked it even better than me...He kept saying he was trying to teach me how to hold it and play it, but he sure hogged it an awful lot... I'm really learning, though, and maybe I'll be a world-class violinist someday if I keep practicing...

Oh...Mommy & Daddy DID get a Wii after all! We have had a LOT of fun playing with it. I don't get much of a chance to play, unless it's the racing cow game where you run into scarecrows! FUN!

Thanksgiving 2008 in West Texas

2009-01-27T22:58:00.006-06:00

We visited our family out in Odessa for Thanksgiving, which is always a treat! Hannah enjoys catching up with her GiGi, Grandpa, and all the rest of the Horton clan. Last year, we lucked out and got some snow, but this year...not so much...just nice weather!

Hannah & GiGi are best of friends!

We always try to get a good family picture...one never can be sure how photos will turn out with a 2 year old...

And...Hannah loves to sit in Grandpa's lap...plus now he has a cute little dog, which makes things all the more exciting!

Happy Halloween 2008!

2008-10-31T23:20:00.008-05:00

I am Princess Hannah Grace! Don't try to define me as one of the specific princesses you may have heard of--I am who I am! Happy Halloween to everyone...hope you got lots of candy!

By the way, my GiGi made my beautiful dress...I have truly enjoyed wearing it to the church Fall Festival, the pre-school Parade of Costumes and again for Trick-or-Treating! I am off to the ball in the next picture...with just a wave of my wand, more chocolate appears!

Here I am with Mommy & Daddy at the church Fall Festival hayride pulled by my very own Papa on his tractor!

We had FUN at pre-school this week! A Parade of Costumes AND a Halloween Party with cupcakes and my favorite friends...

These cool glasses were a party favor at the Halloween Party at school... Mommy says they don't really go with my princess dress...maybe if they had a few rhinestones around the rim!

Back To School!

2008-09-02T12:14:00.006-05:00

Hannah has been anxiously awaiting the day that Playday (her preschool at our church) began! All summer, she has asked me, "Mommy, Playday today?" Well, it's finally here! This year, she attends two days a week and has a nice new teacher.

Hannah at the Meet the Teacher Event with her new teacher, Ms. Stephanie...

We were all smiles this morning as we got our things together for the 1st Day of School! Hooray!

And...the mommies were certainly all smiles, too! Mommy and Hannah had a really fun summer together at home, but it is definitely time to get back into a routine... Off we go into a new school year of adventure!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T12:09:00.004-05:00

GiGi came to visit us on Labor Day weekend! We went to the Dallas World Aquarium and saw all kinds of interesting fish and other animals. Hannah's favorites were the otters and penguins!

We also spent some time playing at our neighborhood park. Mommy and Daddy climbed up to the top of the slides while GiGi snapped our picture.

The Gymnast

2008-09-02T12:03:00.005-05:00

Hannah is convinced that she is headed to the Olympic Games sometime in her future! She has been taking gymnastics since May, and really loves it. We attend a Tiny Tots class currently (which means Mommy gets out there and does everything with Hannah--pretty funny sometimes!).

Here is Hannah sporting one of her favorite gymnastics leotards...

Hannah with Coach Annie...She's doing one of her front rolls. Hannah always cracks us up with her "salute" at the end: "Ta-Da!" with arms up gymnast-style!

Beach Babe

2008-09-02T11:54:00.007-05:00

The Hortons held their family reunion at Island Retreat--Port Aransas, TX this summer. Hannah had not yet experienced the beach, so this was VERY exciting for her! She loved jumping in the waves and building sand castles with her daddy and cousins.

Hannah and Daddy heading out into the waves...

Hannah's Great-Nana was along with us on our trip. She had fun playing Ring Around the Rosy with Hannah and her cousins...

We attempted a family picture in front of the ocean...

Garden Girl

2008-09-02T11:46:00.004-05:00

This summer, we (the Mathews' & Nana/Papa & the Hortons) decided to try our hand at a garden! It was a LOT of work, but also a lot of fun, not to mention educational for Hannah and Christian...

Here's Hannah with Papa after he plowed and tilled the garden for us. She was very excited to be a part of this endeavor--especially happy to play & dig in the dirt!

This is our scarecrow that we put together. GiGi (Scott's mom) was here over Memorial Day weekend to help us get him all dressed and up to scare any crows away. Unfortunately, he didn't scare many rabbits away, so we lost all of our green beans!

Hannah and Christian really enjoyed playing at the farm while their mommies and daddies slaved away. This was one of their favorite activities, which kept them out of trouble for the most part!

First Trip to the Dallas Zoo

2008-08-20T23:54:00.005-05:00

In May, Hannah visited the Dallas Zoo for the first time. It was hot that day, but she had a blast! She was so busy looking at animals it was hard to get her to stop to take a picture.

After the hot day at the Zoo, we had to stop for ice cream at the nearby zoo-themed McDonald's. Thanks to Gigi for the afternoon treat and for being there to get a rather large gorilla to pose for a quick picture!

Teddy Bear Picnic

2008-04-21T15:20:00.004-05:00

Playday (my pre-school) had a special Teddy Bear Picnic where our parents & grandparents could come and eat a picnic lunch on the playground with our teddy bears! We had so much fun eating outside, playing, and showing off our bears...

Here's a picture of my Nana and my friend, Natalie's GiGi (Miss Terry). Miss Terry plays piano for The Praise Team that Mommy and Daddy lead. It was so nice to have them at the picnic!

A Little Tea Party...

2008-04-21T15:17:00.003-05:00

My sweet GiGi (in Odessa) made me this beautiful tablecloth! I love to set the table and put all my jewelry and accessories on to have tea. Sometimes, it's just me and Elmo or Raggedy Ann, but whoever it is, they NOW have a fabulous handmade tablecloth and napkins to be served on! Thanks, GiGi!

Happy Easter Sunday!

2008-04-21T15:07:00.006-05:00

He is Risen! We went to church this morning and heard all kinds of great music and saw all of our friends in their nicest clothes! It's a great Easter Sunday!

Here I am in my Easter dress out in the courtyard at the church...

Mommy and Daddy & me and Christian...

Here's another family shot...

After church, we went home and had a yummy dinner! Mommy and Nana really put it on the top shelf--I even got a special cupcake!

PaPa is probably going to be a little upset that his picture is on the internet like this, but maybe he'll get over it! We all just laughed and laughed at these silly bunny ears! PaPa is a pretty good sport!

Easter EGGstravaganza!

2008-04-21T14:39:00.004-05:00

We had TWO Easter egg hunts this year! Mommy and two of her best friends, Miss Kim & Miss Megan organized the event at our church, then we had another egg hunt at the farm on Easter weekend. I am really getting pretty good at finding eggs! In fact, there were SO MANY eggs at the farm that I started putting some back...who needs to have your basket overloaded, right? Mommy and Daddy really just wanted the candy, I think!

Here's Mommy and me at the church Easter EGGstravaganza...We even made the Dallas Morning News with this shot! We are famous!

Mommy and Miss Kim had such a nice time putting our little "family" egg hunt together.

Some egg hunting action shots of me and my friend, Christian...

I love Nana & PaPa's dog, Lucy! She lets me love on her and hug & kiss her all the time.

This is a "Norman Rockwell" type photo, or so my Mommy & Miss Kim say... They think that Christian and I are SO cute... I'm just glad he's my friend! Here, we went on a little walk down the road at the farm...

Happy 2nd Birthday, Hannah Grace!

2008-02-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it? I'm 2 years old! What a whirlwind of a year it has been! My mommy and daddy never get to sit down because they are always up and running after me! Everyone says I'm a really sweet girl, though, so I must be doing SOMETHING right! Good luck if you want to get a word in around me--I talk non-stop and always seem to have somthing profound to share with everyone.

I had the most fun birthday party EVER--a Wiggles birthday party at the Wiggly Play Center! I love to watch the Wiggles on TV, but this really topped it all--to get to sing, dance, jump, and play with all my friends! Here are a few of our 200+ pictures that we wanted to share... We apologize for WAY too many pictures on this entry, but it was just TOO FUN!

This is my friend, Natalie, who I love to play with! We had a small collision...

I love to sit on Daddy's shoulders... He gets kind of tickled when I pull his ears!

Here I am with my mommy... She had a LOT of fun at my party, too!

Lots of my friends and family came to my party! Here's Miss Kim and Christian, two of my favorite people EVER!

Also, my Nana was there with our friend, Miss Becky. PaPa was sick the day of my party so we had to get together with him later.

These are some of Mommy's friends. They are just like other mommies to me and I love them all! It was nice of them to come to the party, too...

These are some more great friends of ours, Miss Daphne & Miss Lynda and Bobby and Brooks.

Time to blow out my candles! Mommy had to help a little bit... Do you like my Wiggles cake?

My GiGi came to my party, too! She was supposed to be helping me eat my cake, but I think she snuck a few bites for herself! Maybe that explains her cute little grin here?

This is what my mommy and daddy call the "classic cake shot!" It was SO yummy and there's just no lady-like way to eat it!

We had another family birthday dinner after my Wiggles party. I just love to cheese it up for the camera these days!

After dinner, I showed everyone how I have learned to do "Princess Hands." The photographer taught me this a few days ago when she took my 2 year old pictures! How cool is this! Princess Hannah Grace!

Here's me and my PaPa opening some presents... I was sad that he couldn't come to my Wiggles Party, but we always have fun together, no matter where we are!

In closing, I have truly had a wonderful 2nd birthday! We'll see what this year holds for me--probably lots more fun and good times. I am going to try real hard to still be a sweet girl, even though I've heard Mommy talking something about the "terrible twos..." She probably doesn't know what she's talking about anyway... He he he...

It's Christmas morning!

2008-01-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

Well, let me tell you--Santa Claus came to our house this year! Hannah Grace had quite a loot waiting for her Christmas morning! Two of her "big" items that she got were a vacuum (which Hannah calls "ba-cum") and a tricycle (a.k.a. "cycle"). She was so thrilled with these two things and everything else, that we named this Christmas the "OH MY GOODNESS" Christmas! That was Hannah's key phrase all day long--very sweet! Here are a few pics of her with her goodies...

Christmas Eve 2007

2008-01-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful time with your families! Christmas Eve, we are always at church for a portion of the evening, since Praise Team (the contemporary praise & worship group we lead) sings at one of the services. Hannah really enjoyed the candlelight service and thought it was fun to get all dressed up! Here are a few pictures of her (and us) with her fancy red dress...

After we got home from church, Hannah wanted to try on Mommy's heels with her dress... So grown up...

Oh Christmas Tree...

2007-12-10T23:05:00.000-06:00

Hannah is quite the decorator--of Christmas trees, that is! She loves to rearrange the ornaments and bows, despite how Mommy may like it! We are definitely enjoying all of the decorations, lights, and preparations for Christmas. This year is sure to be the most fun Christmas yet!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-12-10T23:00:00.001-06:00

We traveled to Odessa, TX to visit Scott's family for Thanksgiving. Of course, we had lots of fabulous food and a good visit with everyone, but one of the highlights of our trip was that Hannah got to play in the snow for the first time! She was very impresssed and didn't much want to come back inside.

Howdy folks!

2007-12-10T22:53:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween to you! Hannah fell in love with Big Tex at the State Fair this year (for those out of state...Big Tex is a 52-foot tall cowboy who welcomes visitors to the State Fair of Texas)! She liked him so much, she decided she wanted to be a cowgirl for Halloween! Not only did she have the cowgirl outfit, she learned a little cowgirl lingo, too... One of her favorite phrases is: "Howdy folks!" She is also fond of "Yee-haw!" while she rides Rawhide, her trusty horse!

Pumpkins!

2007-12-10T22:48:00.000-06:00

What would Fall be without a trip (or three) to a pumpkin patch? This shot was taken at the Dallas Arboretum--Hannah was in awe over how many pumpkins there were!

First Day of School - PlayDay

2007-09-14T22:24:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe it, but Hannah had her 1st day of school this week! She is attending Children's Creative PlayDay at our church and so far thinks it is THE BEST! She loves her teacher and has some of her favorite friends in class with her. They get to learn, play, go to music, eat lunch, take a nap, and do all sorts of cool things. Here she is trying on her new backpack from GiGi a few days before school started...

And here she is on the big day...all smiles... (Mommy had a more difficult time, but made it through thanks to some help from fellow mommy friends, Kim and Megan, at the nearby coffee shop!)

Labor Day Weekend Fun

2007-09-14T22:14:00.000-05:00

Allen's Celebration Park has a great place for kids to play called "The Sprayground." We aren't sure why we haven't been going there all summer, but Hannah and her friend, Christian, went to play over the Labor Day weekend and had a blast! There were lots of different water features shooting water up, down, and all around...

The 18-month old...Be very afraid!

2007-08-07T14:57:00.001-05:00

Well, here I am! Have I grown up or WHAT? This week, I turned 18 months old and I am sassy as ever! I found Mommy's shoes and thought they might look good with my outfit, so here I am modeling them...

You might ask, what kinds of things is an 18 month old into? Well...I really enjoy being a part of everyone's conversation...I copy most everything my Mommy & Daddy say. I love to be dressed up with a nice matching bow in my hair, I love to play outside, ride in my wagon through sprinklers that are on in the neighborhood, and feel the need to check out what's in the kitchen cabinets on a regular basis! Just this morning, I thought...hmmm...I've grown tired of being in my crib, so I'll just climb out and see what Mommy says! (YIKES! No injuries fortunately!) It's something new everyday, that's for sure!

I'm looking forward to going to school in September--PlayDay at my church! It's going to be so much fun! I'll get even smarter there, hopefully!

Girls Trip to Connecticut

2007-08-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

This was really the summer of traveling for Hannah--three trips within the span of a month & 1/2! She's really getting to be the world traveler! We're actually pretty impressed with what a good traveler she is--fairly laid-back for the most part...

On this trip in particular, Mommy, Hannah, and Nana flew to Connecticut to visit Gina, Mommy's old roomate and dear friend from college. Gina has two sweet boys, Jack and Ryan, who Hannah loved playing with. We went peach picking and to a petting farm, where we are in the picture below on the tractor...

Here's "Aunt" Gina and Mommy with Baby Ryan...

Nana really enjoyed reading to Hannah and Jack--they were in her lap a good portion of the week we were there!

Aunt Gina has her very own bounce house in the backyard! Hannah had never experienced that before, and had fun jumping and rolling around in there with Mommy! (She was a little tentative at first, though...)

We have family in nearby New York--Mauri, Andy, and Will. It was nice to drive to their house for the afternoon. We had a yummy dinner and enjoyed seeing the Hudson River out their back porch.

Aunt Gina and Mommy wanted to deck the kids out in their Longhorn gear to get some pictures. Of course, no one really cooperated (except Baby Ryan who is so little he does whatever you ask of him...), so we just snapped pictures right and left hoping to get at least one with someone smiling... Here was one of the better ones! Hook 'Em Horns!

We can't wait to visit Aunt Gina again! We always have such a great time together.

Off to the West Coast...

2007-08-07T14:19:00.000-05:00

We flew out to the Sacramento, CA area to visit Hannah's Great-Grandma & Grandpa, along with a BUNCH of other family that we don't see too often.

Hannah was quite smitten with her great-grandpa this year and had so much fun playing with him. We got her to be still for just a second to shoot a picture of them together...

She climbed up in Great-Grandma's lap, too, for a little hug. (Again, only momentarily, as there are things to do and places to run!)

This is Hannah's cousin, Brenna, who she followed around the whole time. She wants to be just like the big girls.

17 of the Ricketts bunch went to Vallejo, CA to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom one of the days we were out there visiting. It was like a zoo and an amusement park all in one! Hannah loved seeing the sea lions, walrus, killer whale, penguins, and a whole lot more! It was fun to be there with our family.

Another day of our visit, we took family pictures. Here is a favorite of ours with Hannah and her GiGi!

We'll look forward to our next trip to California--probably next summer!

Happy 4th of July!

2007-08-07T14:01:00.000-05:00

We went to the annual 4th of July fest at our friends, the Thompson's place, in Fairview, TX. This year it was especially fun because Chris, Kim, and Christian Mathews were there with us, along with our families and lots of church friends! Hannah and Christian are best buds and always have so much fun together...

Here's Hannah and Christian with the mommies (Dawn & Kim) on a HUGE turtle statue overlooking Ms. Betty's pond.

You never know what these two are going to get into... Looks like they're about to be up to something good... In fact, later on, Christian decided to dunk himself head first into the bucket you see below! After all, it was a hot day!

Hannah borrowed Christian's hat for a minute to get a good "cowgirl" pose with Daddy...

This is another good friend of ours, Tracy. They decided to say cheese for the camera!

It's always good to get some sugar from Miss Kim!

Here's our gang--Hannah, Mommy, Daddy, Nana, PaPa, and Auntie Granny Martha...We all had a wonderful time eating BBQ, listening to the mariachi band, and catching up with friends!

Horton Family Reunion--July 2007

2007-08-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

We headed out to Odessa, TX for Scott's family reunion (Horton side) the last weekend of June. It was great to see lots of family that we don't see all the time. Grandpa hosted a pool party and BBQ at his house, where Hannah took a very BRIEF dip in the pool with Daddy! She thought it was a good idea, but once in the midst of it decided: "I DON'T THINK SO!" This shot was taken when she was still enjoying splashing...

Here's the "GET ME OUT OF HERE" shot shortly after...

Later that evening, back at GiGi's house, we tried her in a smaller kiddie pool, which was a little more her speed! (at least for now...) She enjoyed splashing around and being sprayed by GiGi with the water hose... After some Water Babies classes (coming soon), Hannah should be good and ready to hop back in Grandpa's pool in no time!

One thing we know about Hannah...she LOVES "cycles" or "Vroom Vrooms", as she calls them! She's always pointing motorcycles out when we're driving and does some great sound effects! Here she is posing with Daddy and Grandpa with Grandpa's Harley... She's thinking...hmmm...wonder if my car seat will fit on the back of this thing?"

We took a few family pictures before returning home from the reunion. Here we are with Grandpa and Nana... It's been a fun trip!

My Beach in the Backyard...

2007-08-07T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hannah has a new sandbox, a.k.a. "our own private beach." We can only go outside and play in the sandbox when it's not raining--which by the way, it has been doing everyday for some time now... But, we get out there when we can and pretend we're on our own little island building sand castles...

Sand between her toes was a little strange at first, but she can't wait to get in there now and find lots of crevices to put sand in! (Ears, belly button, nose, mouth every once in awhile, etc...) More fun for Mommy to clean up, and it's especially neat to get lots of sand in the bathtub later on!

Here is a shot of Hannah's official "funny face" that she will show you on command most of the time... We're not sure where this one came from, but in person, it's pretty funny!

Hannah is 16 months old!

2007-08-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

Such a little girl these days! Baby no more!

Hannah would like everyone to know that she LOVES her new dollhouse! It's one of those "Little People" dollhouses, kind of like her mommy had when she was a little girl, only new and improved, like everything else! It is so funny to listen to Hannah while she plays, because she makes all the people carry on conversations... We have named lots of the Little People with names of our friends and family--Hannah knows which one is which, and will go retrieve them by name! Very funny!

Bluebonnets in April

2007-04-17T14:13:00.000-05:00

As any good Texan knows, your child MUST have a bluebonnet picture!(For those out of state...the bluebonnet is the Texas state flower and we are proud folks down here!) Scott heard about a pretty patch of the flowers from a friend, so off we went in search of the perfect spot. In an old cemetery not too far from us, there was the most beautiful expanse of bluebonnets on a big hill (with about 1,000 other Texan parents out there capturing their kids on film!). Anyhow, we hope to do this each year, so Hannah can see that she is Texas born & bred!

Picking just a few of them...

Whoops...Nothing like a cute little hiney amidst the flowers...

We thought this was a sweet one with Hannah waving her little Texas flag...

Easter 2007

2007-04-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

What a wonderful Easter Day we had! There were a couple of worship services that Mommy & Daddy sang at, then we came home and had a great Easter lunch followed by another egg hunt in our own backyard. (no competition this time!) Wouldn't you know--Hannah still didn't really get that you are supposed to put those eggs in your basket, not just pick them up and adore them! Maybe next year it will all hit home! We had a great time anyway! It was especially fun for Hannah to have her GiGi here (Scott's mom) from Odessa, plus Nana and PaPa...

The hunt is on...

What a BEAUTIFUL egg! I must look at it only, then replace it where I found it, in case someone else might like to see it, too! (Hannah's egg hunting philosophy)

Two grandmothers with their cameras...

Easter Egg Hunt #1

2007-04-17T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hannah had her first Easter Egg Hunt at the church the weekend before Easter. She was truly what we would call a "benevolent" egg hunter, meaning that she carefully picked up the eggs, admired them for a few minutes, then promptly put them back on the ground and showed another interested egg hunter where the beautiful egg was! Never mind that you are supposed to find them and put them in YOUR basket! Nevertheless, it was great fun and we think sharing is a great quality to have... We unfortunately have no pictures of Hannah actually hunting the eggs, since Mommy was running around trying to cheer Hannah on and carry her basket!

There were lots of other fun activities like crafts, bounce houses (which we did not participate in), games, and a family picnic with all our friends.

These are some of Hannah's favorite friends...and their mommies...

We've been FLOCKED!

2007-04-17T13:42:00.000-05:00

Okay...this was a new one for us--WE GOT FLOCKED or flamingoed...or whatever you call it! We got home from church one afternoon and found about 25 pink flamingoes in our front yard with a "ransom" note saying we had to call and pay up to get them removed! Crazy! It turned out to be a cute fundraiser for a church music group and Hannah absolutely loved all the pink birds in our yard...

Denim & Diamonds

2007-04-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

Hannah will be starting to pre-school (can you believe that?) in August at Children's Creative PlayDay at our church in Allen. They have an annual fundraiser called Denim & Diamonds which is a LOT of fun! Hannah enjoyed playing with some of her future classmates, dancing, eating cookies, having lots of pictures taken, and so on... It was truly a fun evening! Here is Hannah dancing with Daddy, her favorite fellow!

Hannah loves Miss Kim, too! She had fun playing with her friend, Christian (who will also be in her PlayDay class).

This is Miss Megan, another mommy that we love. It's so great that Hannah has lots of folks to love on her!

Finally, at the end of the evening, Hannah worked up the courage to "ask" her friend, Christian, to dance! We're not sure he was too interested, but oh well...that's okay!

A visit from Grandpa Horton!

2007-04-17T13:15:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Horton came to visit us the weekend of March 24th. Hannah was excited to get some time to spend with him! He drove in from Odessa, TX to see us.

The Park...

2007-03-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

We have this great park & playground near our house! We get to go there a lot more now that the weather is getting nicer. Hannah is still a little unsure about some of the playground equipment...but we like it a little more each time. Here is Hannah having a little "discussion" with Daddy about whether or not we really have to go down the slide...

Yep...here we go! Wheeeee....

Hannah and Mommy smile for the camera...We're taking a break from all the playing.

As in most things, good times must come to an end. It's time for dinner and Daddy takes us home in the beloved red wagon.

Little Red Wagon

2007-03-23T10:10:00.000-05:00

We just got this little red wagon, which next to the pink car, is probably the coolest thing ever! We try to ride somewhere in it almost every day--sometimes the park near our house, sometimes Sonic Drive-in not too far from home for a smoothie, sometimes just around the driveway or sidewalk...Got to have wheels!

Can you believe how advanced these new wagons are? 4 cup holders, seatbelts, two folding seats (for you & a friend), a canopy (not pictured here), storage underneath...WOW! What happened to those old metal rusty kind that the bolts poked you when you rode in it? Pretty slick these days!!!

Happy Valentine's 2007!

2007-03-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

Mommy and Hannah had a little "photo shoot" on Valentine's Day to show off Hannah's new car that she got for her birthday from one of PaPa's friends who restores antique pedal cars... She really likes driving and will have her license any day, no doubt! We all know how advanced she is! Does it really get better than this? My own car--pink and everything!

Even more 1st birthday pictures!

2007-03-23T09:45:00.000-05:00

Since Hannah had her birthday party over the February 3rd weekend, we decided that she might want to have a little get-together on her "real" birthday (in the middle of the week). Hannah has decided that Chick Fil A is probably her FAVORITE restaurant and place to play! So...we gathered up some of her friends (and Dawn's mommy friends) and went to eat and play...

Hannah actually enjoyed her "mommy-made" cupcakes more than her fancy cake from the bakery for her party! (Guess we could have saved some $$$!)

Mmmmm...these are SOOOO good! Check out this next shot...Hannah getting SERIOUS about enjoying this cupcake!

This is one of Hannah's best buddies--Christian. We think he liked the cupcakes too...

More 1st birthday...

2007-03-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

Hannah went to Praise Team rehearsal with Mommy and Daddy on her 1st birthday. The singers and band members all sang and had cupcakes to celebrate. Here's the Praise Team posing with Hannah for her special day...

Hannah Is One Today!

2007-02-06T09:18:00.000-06:00

Hannah is one year old today! We had her birthday party over the weekend, and she had lots of fun with family and friends who came to wish her a happy birthday.

Hannah now has several words in her vocabulary: Mama, Dada, Wow, Bow, Fish, Papa, Nana. She also uses sign language to tell us when she wants "more" of something. She likes to give hugs, and when she does she says "ohhh." She can stand up by herself, and has taken a few steps. If you ask her where her nose is, she will point at it.

Hannah is somewhat of a dainty little girl - as you can see below, she didn't enjoy getting messy from her smash cake during her birthday party.

Hannah is Ten Months Old!

2006-12-06T21:47:00.000-06:00

Hannah is now only two months away from her first birthday. She likes to crawl, pull up, stand (unassisted), clap, laugh, wave (sometimes), and make sounds that could be "uh-oh" and "bye bye."

For Thanksgiving, we went to Odessa to visit family and friends there.

Since Hannah has to split her loyalty between two fine universities in Texas, she couldn't help but cheer for both of her favorite teams. Check out her overalls... one side says "Gig 'Em" and the other says "Hook 'Em!" (Equal opportunity attire.)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house. Hannah enjoys playing on the floor near the tree. Here she is riding "Rawhide," a gift from Scott's Aunt Patty.

Halloween--Trick or Treat!

2006-11-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

The week before Halloween, Hannah attended our church's Fall Festival, where she had a great time with lots of friends! She went dressed as a duck (which she loves) and got lots of compliments on her costume...

Granny and the little duckling...

This was one tired duck at the end of the Fall Festival! She slept really well that night!

On Halloween, Hannah went as a "Love Bug." You may wonder why two costumes...Granny and Mommy could not decide between the duck and the lady bug, so why not get both?!!! Fortunately, there were two dress-up opportunities! Here she is with Grandad before trick or treating...

Hannah's East Coast Travels

2006-11-05T21:39:00.000-06:00

Since Hannah visited the West Coast this summer, we couldn't let her first year end without a trip to the East Coast, too. We traveled to see our friends Gina, Randy, and Jack in Connecticut in mid-October and had a wonderful time seeing the pretty leaves and running around in the cool weather. Hannah especially had fun playing with Jack and learned all kinds of neat tricks from him!

We visited a pumpkin patch and apple orchard where we went on a hayride, had some hot cider, and saw the colorful countryside...

Here's just a few pictures we took outside Gina & Randy's home...

Even though Jack cried in this picture, we still like it! We are so glad we were able to visit dear friends in such a pretty setting...

Texas/OU Weekend

2006-11-05T21:31:00.000-06:00

Hannah is quite the little Longhorn fan, only when of course, she's not a little Aggie fan! She is going to be awfully confused as she grows up living in a divided household! Since it was Texas/OU weekend, she donned her Texas Longhorn dress and rooted for the Horns...

More proof that Aggies and Longhorns CAN co-exist! For all of you Aggie fans, never fear--Hannah will have "equal opportunity" clothing soon! Daddy is working on it!

Pumpkin Patch!

2006-11-05T21:21:00.000-06:00

Hannah visited her first of several pumpkin patches this fall! We went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina, TX in early October with some friends and enjoyed a day of sitting amidst the pumpkins on the ground with lots of flashes going off... She was 8 months old.

Hannah Grace is 7 months!

2006-09-10T17:31:00.000-05:00

Well, time really flies when you're having fun! Hannah is eating all kinds of neat foods now--from squash to garden veggies to bananas with apples and pears. She is pretty much sitting up on her own (with assistance sometimes...) and is almost crawling! She can move all over the floor with her own combination of rolling, lunging, and creeping--quite the little gymnast! We really have to watch her or she gets away from us before we know it.

Here are a few new pictures of her that we like...

PEAS! Yummy!

2006-08-03T22:22:00.000-05:00

Hannah ate her first "real" food, after the rice cereal--PEAS! She thought they were a little bit strange at first, but decided quickly that she liked them. She acted like a little bird and begged for more! We'll probably be moving on to squash this week to see how she likes it. We're thinking she'll be a good eater!

Hannah's First Trip to California

2006-08-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

Hannah got to fly on an airplane for the first time when we went to the Sacramento, California area for a family wedding. She could not have been more well-behaved! Her parents worried for nothing (especially her mother). When we arrived, Hannah got to meet her great-grandpa.

That afternoon, she ate rice cereal in her grandma's lap. Grandma makes a pretty nice highchair!

At the wedding, Hannah had a privilege that not all kids get to enjoy - she met her 96 year old great-great-grandmother.

Here is a picture of five generations... pretty cool!

Hannah's First Cereal

2006-07-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, Hannah had her first three meals of rice cereal. On Saturday, she wasn't quite sure about it, but on Sunday she really enjoyed it... so much so that she cried a bit when her dinner portion was all gone.

With a full tummy, it was time for a nap!

Hannah is Five Months

2006-07-07T08:04:00.000-05:00

Hannah was five months old on Thursday, July 6th. She now knows how to roll from her back to her stomach, and then from her stomach to her back. She has also cut two teeth. Hannah has learned that you can make noise when you breathe in and when you breathe out, and she also has fun making grunting noises when she doesn't get what she wants.

Trip to Odessa

2006-06-22T00:45:00.000-05:00

Hannah made her first trip to Odessa June 14-17. Here is Hannah with her great-grandmother (Nana).

She enjoyed visiting her Grandma and Grandpa (Scott's parents).

Hannah's Four Month Pediatrician Visit

2006-06-07T08:08:00.000-05:00

Hannah is four months old already. At her pediatrician visit, she weighed 12 lbs 9 oz and was 25.5 inches long. During that week, she found her feet!

Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

Hannah's "Aunt Gina" came to visit for Memorial Day weekend! We had lots of fun playing! We look forward to visiting Gina and her family in Connecticut sometime soon!

Hannah's Baptism - May 14, 2006 - Mother's Day

2006-05-24T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hannah Grace was baptized on May 14, 2006, Mother's Day, at First United Methodist Church of Allen. Reverends Milton Guttierrez and Brian McPherson led the special service, which was attended by lots of family and friends.

Happy Easter!

2006-04-16T19:56:00.000-05:00

This is my first Easter... it's a great day!

Time for church... Grandpa Williams helps Hannah get loaded up in the car.

We had fun taking a few family pictures. After lunch and naps, of course...

Hannah is Two Months Old!

2006-04-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

We took Hannah to her two month appointment with the pediatrician today. She weighs 11 lbs., 4 oz. and she's 23 inches long. She is sure growing fast! Hannah also got her first round of immunizations. She didn't really like that part of the visit, but she got some cute tweety bird band-aids.

Hannah is really beginning to enjoy bath time. She smiles and giggles the whole time.

Here are a couple more recent pictures.

The Easter Bunny is coming!

2006-03-19T22:59:00.000-06:00

Since Easter is just around the corner, Hannah Grace has been playing with some of her favorite bunnies! Here are a few shots from our little "Bunny Photo Shoot" this weekend...

Time Flies...

2006-03-19T22:04:00.000-06:00

Grandma Horton was in town for a visit this past weekend! Hannah loves her grandparents! There is no lack of attention for this little girl!

We can hardly believe Hannah is already six weeks old. Every day she becomes more alert, and she's starting to look more at her Mom and Dad with a little twinkling of recognition. She's also beginning to smile more in response to things around her.

Here's a casual family photo.

We thought this one is a little funny. Maybe we should hold a caption contest...

"Wanna see my tonsils?"
"Aaack, who took my pacifier?"

Grandparents

2006-02-22T21:57:00.000-06:00

Scott's Mom (Barbara, left) and Dawn's Mom (Ada, right) were on cloud nine when they got to hold Hannah for the first time in the hospital.

Here's one of Grandpa Williams. He's been ready for this little girl since the toast he gave at our wedding.

And here is Grandpa Horton...

All the grandparents, great-grandparents (Scott's two grandmothers and grandfather on his mother's side), and great-great grandmother (Scott has one living great-grandmother) are excited.

Two Week Pediatrician Visit

2006-02-22T21:39:00.000-06:00

On Monday the 20th, Hannah went to the pediatrician for her two week checkup. She weighed in at 8 lbs and 21 inches long, so she has gained a little weight and grown! The doctor was pleased, and overall, Hannah is doing well. We don't have another scheduled appointment until she's two months old.

Hunter Meets Hannah

2006-02-18T21:39:00.000-06:00

We decided it was time for Hannah to meet the family dog, Hunter. He's a big black lab, as you can see, and he usually doesn't know his own strength. But, he was very calm and careful when he met Hannah.

Here's a bonus picture for those who have been asking for more...

Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T11:18:00.000-06:00

Who could resist a Valentine's Day picture?

We've had a few comments that Dad wasn't in any of the pictures here. That's because Dad has been the one taking most of the pictures, but here's one Mom took.

The Weekend

2006-02-11T14:34:00.000-06:00

Hannah's first trip to the pediatrician was on Friday morning. The visit went very well. After lunch, Hannah had a nice Friday afternoon nap.

Much to her parents' pleasure, Hannah slept much better Friday night to Saturday morning. On Saturday morning, she started giving us big grins.

Home!

2006-02-09T22:44:00.000-06:00

Hannah and Dawn got to come home on Wednesday afternoon. Before we left the hospital room, we practiced putting Hannah in her car seat. You can see the low-jack on her right foot. Like many other hospitals, there is a security system which makes it difficult for anyone other than an infant's parents to take a baby from Medical Center of Plano.

Wednesday night was an adjustment for all of us, but Thursday has been much better. Here is a picture of her taking a little nap earlier this evening.

Announcing Hannah Grace!

2006-02-07T18:39:00.000-06:00

Well, Miss Hannah had her own plans for arrival. Early Monday morning, Dawn went into labor. We left for the hospital around 7:50 a.m., just in time for some rush hour traffic. Dawn went straight into a labor and delivery room, and after an epidural, starting feeling good enough for a red popsicle. In her words, it was the "best popsicle ever."

When Dr. Diaz came to check in around 3:30 p.m., it was showtime. Hannah Grace was born February 6th at 3:48 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz and was 20 inches long. Wow! What a little miracle!

Here's a picture of Hannah when she was about an hour old.

Contractions...

2006-02-05T18:09:00.000-06:00

Dawn was feeling uncertain enough this morning that she didn't make it to church. She started having some contractions last night while we were running a few errands to Babies R Us and Target. The contractions haven't become very predictable or within the "4 times in an hour" guideline the doctor gave us, but things are certainly moving along. We have our final scheduled appointment with the doctor on Monday afternoon. If we make it that long, she'll tell us then whether to come in on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning to start the induction.

At this point, we have most everything together. If the contractions become regular or Dawn's water breaks, we'll be heading to Medical Center of Plano.

Almost There...

2006-01-23T23:37:00.000-06:00

Time is getting close - if the baby isn't here by February 8th, Dawn will be induced...

Last week we finished up our childbirth and safety classes, and visited three pediatrician offices to narrow down which one we'll use. Dawn and I went for the 38 week checkup today (Monday). The doctor said everything seems to be going well for now. We're getting pretty excited, but also feeling a little overwhelmed at this point.

The big things are done - nursery set up, baby gear purchased, work schedules set, etc.

Things left to do:

Pack bags for the hospital.
Get the car seat base in the Explorer (which is currently at the Ford dealer getting repaired... argh!)
Finish up a little more paperwork.
Wash some sheets, clothes, etc for the baby.

From here on out, I expect things to become a blur...