The Thursday Boys...and Ainsley!

Time for a new post. I get sad when I open up the blog and see Sweet Buddy! Lots of updates to write - slowly but surely.

This picture was actually taken in October, but Carter's book would not be complete without it. These are the "Thursday Boys" and Miss Ainsley. Ainsley is Will's big sister. Laney was there, too. Not sure why I didn't put her in the picture. Rest assured, however, she was frolicking in the grass munching on leaves close by.

Pictured are: Ainsley, Cooper, Carter, Andrew, Asher, Liam, and Will.

They are cute as buttons, and it's been so fun watching them grow. And now we're all in the "terrible twos" together!

Goodbye, Sweet Buddy

It's true what they say: Dogs really are man's best friend.

And we couldn't have asked for a better one. Sadly, our time was just too short with him. We said goodbye to sweet Buddy this week. To say that he was a good dog and will be missed would be a gross understatement. They just don't get much sweeter.

There are so many things I will miss about him, I don't even know where to start...

I miss how he would bathe Scooter for hours - literally - each night. I miss how he used to put his wet nose in my face if he needed to go out or I needed to get up. I miss how he would take off on our walks at the ranch and always beat me home. I miss how he was so sneaky about taking food off of the counter. I miss how he could be so still, but his eyes were always following you. I miss how he would whimper in the middle of the night if he was having a bad dream. I miss how he would eat and then go to the rug and stretch and clean his paws. I miss how he would let me dress him up in all types of holiday attire for pictures (or in Whitney's case literally ALL TYPES of holiday attire!). I miss how he would lick his paws only in the direction that his hair grew - and then look at me like he was really irritated when I would mess them up right after. I miss how he was scared of tight spaces. I miss how he would back up on tile so he wouldn't slip turning around. I miss how he was a good retriever until we got Scooter - and then he always let Scooter get the ball. I miss how he got car sick. Well, not as much as the other things. :) I miss how Carter would tumble all over him, and he would sit there and take it. And then when Carter left, he would quietly get up and walk away. I miss how he would crawl under the bed to find Scooter. I miss how he loved to be in the front yard with me - just hangin' out.

I just miss him.

It's different here without him. Even though he wasn't up to doing much the last couple of weeks. His decline was quick; even Joel commented on how much he'd changed his last few days.

I'd like to think we gave him a good life and a good home. He certainly did that for us. He helped make our house a home and was a big part of our family. I feel sorry for those who have never experienced the love of a dog and who have never loved one in return. Buddy was a stranger to no one and was definitely loved by many.

Certainly not an easy post to write, but I want the kids to remember him when they're older. I only have "digital memories" from the past few years, but I'll always treasure my pictures and memories. Here are a few to share with you.

To the AKC, he was 'JED's Red Runnin' Rebel.' To us, he was Sweet Buddy.

August 14, 1996 - December 1, 2009

"...gone from our life, but never absent from our heart" ("Rainbow Bridge")

Confessions of a Leaf-aholic...

Laney was 9 months old on November 4th. She is a happy, happy baby. She loves to play, loves her brother, loves to be outside, and SHE LOVES LEAVES. I did not intend for this to be a 'leaf session,' but I think I only ended up with just a handful of pictures that were sans leaves (there were a lot more than this!).

Laney hasn't had her official 9 month check-up yet (11/18), but she was 18 1/2 pounds when I took her in for an ear infection on Monday. She's not crawling yet, but she'll get to where she needs to go one way or another. She still goes 90 to nothin' in her Jumperoo and likes to stand up at her toys and bounce.

She is such a sweet-natured baby. I love that she is the perfect combination of determination and gentleness with a little dash of silly. She still thinks Carter is the best thing ever and smiles SO big when her daddy gets home.

Besides eating leaves, she has lots of other favorites. I think German pancake and mac and cheese may be at top. She ate a little bit of everything off of my Luann plate the other day at Luby's! I still give her some pureed food, but she is a great eater and tries pretty much a little of whatever we're having. She has 6 teeth, but she just cut the last 2 so you can't see them too much yet.

She can clearly say, "Mommy, you're the best." Ok, not really. But she can say "mama" and "baba" - so we're getting close.

Love her, love her, love her.

Lil' Hills' Halloween

I don't have too many shots from Halloween, but I was able to snap a few at some of our outings.


"Trunk or Treat" was the Wednesday before Halloween at the kids' school. Cute idea - designated cars are set up in the parking lot with their trunks open. They are all decorated differently, and the kids trick-or-treat around the parking lot. They had a dinner and some other fun things too. It wasn't the best day to be outside though. We got sprinkled on quite a few times.

Anyway... I decided not to waste money on Carter's costume this year. He would rip it right off. So... we went with what we had (and borrowed a hat - thanks, Debbie!). He was supposed to be a conductor, but he kept shedding parts of his outfit. 'Farmer' was an acceptable guess, too!

Laney just looked on. I didn't have it in me to dress her up, too. It was way too warm!

Friday morning was playgroup Halloween Party and the Halaskas'. So cute to see all the little ones dressed up, and Heather's house was so festive. Laney got to debut her ladybug costume. It was a tad big, but I don't see how a 2T could fit into that. Joel said she looked like a bear. She reminded me of some high school mascot with the giant fuzzy head. But she was so darn cute it didn't matter :) I think she's trying to pull the head off in every picture we have of her in the costume.

The little ones on the couch were all born within weeks of each other. Actually, Laney, Claire, and Allie were all in the same week! The older siblings were there, too, but it was like herding cats to try to get everyone in the picture. We just settled for the babies. (Laney is the crying ladybug in the middle!) I only wish I had audio for this picture.

Carter and Lindsey were busy crafting something wonderful outside. And eating candy. Lindsey looks like a giant compared to Carter in this picture, but I think they were just in different chairs.

Daddy and Carter went to Super Hero night at the church Friday night. No pictures, but Bee Bop went dressed in his Super Hero pj's. Actually, from Lindsey! He kept Joel busy, and Laney and I got to enjoy a night together.


Saturday evening we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa's to say hello before heading out for candy.

Cousin Bethy and Mark invited us over to their annual shin-dig in Bellaire. Their neighborhood goes ALL OUT for Halloween. We had a great time visiting with friends and family. And of course they had a ton of yummy food. Carter really got into the actual trick-or-treating this year. Last year, our little frog prince only wanted to slide down the bouncy slide. This year, candy. No hat or bandanna by the time we got to Beth and Mark's, but oh well. Laney had fun with Cousin Charlie (Batman), too. He was so sweet to her!

All in all a fun, fun weekend for the kids. But Joel and I were worn out!

Meet Breezy...

Last Saturday, we welcomed a new addition to our family: Breezy, a two-year old Boxer.

Sadly, crime is up in our area of town. Joel wasn't excited about me running by myself (and neither was I really), so we started the search for the best answer to both. After much reading and a crash-course in dog breeds, we figured this would be the best bet for us.

And through Lone Star Boxer Rescue, our best bet was waiting.

I'll keep it short, but we have been so pleased with her. I know we're still in the 'honeymoon' phase, but you'd think Breezy (we kept her given name) had been with us for years. She's a sweetheart for sure. She is great with the kids - dishing out lots of kisses! Very gentle with them. She gets along great with Buddy and Scooter. Actually, she and Scooter are becoming big buds. At almost 14, Buddy has earned the right to a little peace and quiet! Scooter - not so much! She even gets under the bed with Scooter and shares "pilly" (Scooter's pillow).

Breezy has passed her watch dog test with flying colors - and then some. She's extremely alert and follows me around like a shadow.

I'm sure we'll have many "entertaining" to share as the months and years go by. Until then... here are a few more pictures of our big girl.

My "Chesed..."

This week has been crazy. Not crazy in the sense of 'look how busy we are with all the fun things we're doing,' but crazy in the sense of 'sick toddler, teething baby, husband gone, filthy house, etc.' It never fails though, that each Tuesday I get a dose of relief. A hit-the-nail-on-the-head type of relief. In fact, that is what our lesson was about: 'Relief in the Midst.'

I have been fortunate enough to attend a Tuesday Bible Study at church with Pam Thompson - Becoming a Woman of Influence. Let me tell you... this was an answered prayer. A TAILOR-MADE study for my struggles right now.

This week's lesson dealt with finding God's mercy, kindness, goodness, RELIEF in the midst of adversity and the obstacles of tricky circumstances. It's such music to my ears to hear, but it's so hard to realize this 'chesed' in the midst of chaos. As I looked through pictures while writing previous posts, I had to laugh. It's there. God provides it. It's in the smiles, the giggles, my baby girl's face covered with veggies, the crayon-colored ears of my sweet little boy, the diaper piles, the sticky floors, the snuggles, the cries... it's there. I have certainly been 'Janie Yells-a-lot' (as nicknames go in our house) the last few days, and it's nothing I'm proud of. And to keep up my social calendar, I have thrown myself quite a few pity parties lately, too. But I am so thankful when God helps me (sometimes with a gentle nudge and sometimes a whack across the back of my head) shut my mouth and open my eyes to find my relief in the midst.

Wouldn't trade them for all the tea in China. It's a lesson that easier some days than others, but it's well worth the reward in the end.

Headless Horseman - Meet Faceless Pumpkin

Our pumpkin has taken on a new level of creepy now that Carter gnawed the face off.

(and no, the wall isn't leaning. I was!)

Adventures with Aunt Amy...

Aunt Amy came in town to visit while Daddy was away on business. Poor thing... she quickly became accustomed to 'a day in the life of the Hills!.'

After a not-so-restful first evening, we got a late start to our Monday. Amy was going to finish feeding Laney while I took the dog for a quick jog. However, Laney, who has mastered the stiff arm and arm swat, had a different plan:


If you were to follow the trail of prunes and apricots, you would find the bowl upside down on the floor.

Not 10 minutes after this happened, Carter (who had been awfully quiet for the last couple of minutes) decided to change his own diaper and bring her the... well... contents.

After all that, we decided to postpone our trip to the zoo and headed to the pet store to return some things and check out the pets. I'm pretty sure every time someone asked if he or she could help us, it really was to help us find the door.

Fast forward past lunch and naps (for everyone).

We had a super-fast tour of the zoo after a walk through the neighborhood. Our last stop was 'Duck Lake' where Carter B proceeded to get bit by a duck (do ducks bite? did he get 'billed?'). He was fine, of course, but it scared the dickens out of him.

Anyway, we enjoyed her visit and hope we didn't scare her off forever!!

Old Frog, New Frog...

This is Carter's OLD favorite frog who lives under the patio...

This is Carter's NEW favorite frog who now lives on top of the patio...

Ok, so it looks more like a frog when the lid is on and you can see the big eyes.

GranJan even took a whirl in it.

We haven't seen the first guy peep out from under the patio in a while. He probably thinks it's World War III with the way the acorns have been falling on top of his house.

Anyway, not a bad purchase for $20! Balls included!

Two...

**Disclaimer: First, this post will pretty much cure you of any insomnia. Sorry, I could write about The Bop forever... and kinda' did. Second, I didn't realize until AFTER his party (of course) that one of my lighting settings was WAY high on my camera. Just wasn't paying attention. The lighting on some of the pics is fine, but on some it's horrible! Third, you can click on the link if you want to skip the babble and just see some pictures. The first set is from Friday; the second set is from his birthday party. Tried to get everyone, but...

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbOW7Vm3ZN2LCkg

Happy Birthday, Carter! Well... belated at this point, but... our Lil' Bop turned 2 on 9/25. Not sure where the last couple of years have gone! These pictures don't seem all that long ago.

We had a great weekend celebrating. Friday morning Carter, Laney, and I started the morning with breakfast at Cue's - yum. Daddy was in Dallas, so it was just the three of us. Next up was playgroup at a park in West U with birthday buddy - Cason - and friends. (random weird fact - his mom and I have birthdays one day apart, and our boys have birthdays one day apart, too!) Jeri brought lots of goodies for the kiddos, and all had a good time. Carter almost fell asleep in the swing before we left. They were both asleep in the car on the way home. We had a great surprise from Daddy Dave and Sheryl and put together his birthday present from mommy and daddy when he woke up from his nap.

Saturday morning was his birthday party at the neighborhood park. We had lots of breakfast goodies and cake and had a wonderful time with friends and family. Carter was in a GREAT mood and handing out hugs and high-fives to everyone. I think he got a little anxious though when we all started singing to him. He didn't quite know what to do!

Carter is such a funny, sweet little boy, and he continues to entertain us daily! He has SO much energy that I usually get worn out just from watching him. He loves to play in water. LOVES it. Dog bowl, bathtub, water bottle - doesn't matter. It's so funny to watch the things he imitates us doing. Of course he knows how to use all of our phones - even when they're locked. His tools are some of his favorite toys right now. He pulls tools from all different sets of toys and uses them together. He got a tool puzzle last year and uses the hammer on everything. Our house has no shortage of blocks either, and 'tow-tows' (aka 'towers') are a big hit.

Carter is really doing well in school. His behavior has changed SO much - for the better! We are certainly not out of the rough phase totally (though I don't know that you ever are with a little boy), but he really is doing so much better now. He loves his school art projects and is dancing and singing more and more.

Carter and Laney just give us more joy than we could have imagined. Laney thinks Carter is just too funny. It doesn't take much for him to have her belly-laughing. Joel and I love to watch it! He is so sweet to her and really tries to "help" me with her. He knows when to bring her clothes and shoes, he tries to bring me her car seat, he tries to CARRY her car seat, he tries to carry HER, he brings her blanket, and on and on. They are so entertaining in the bathtub; she doesn't mind him stealing toys, and he doesn't mind her splashing and kicking him. I have to keep a close on Carter (though that goes without saying) since he tries to bathe her and rinse her off, too!

Seems like a lot has happened in two short years. This little boy has grown up quite a bit! Hard to believe he's been in a queen-sized bed for 9 months and has an 8 month old little sister! Carter still thinks his daddy is the best thing ever (well, Laney and I too, but... I digress), but he saves lots of hugs and kisses and snuggle time for mommy.

We are so thankful for the little friends Carter has through Sunday school and our neighborhood group. It's been so fun to watch so many of them growing up together! I am also thankful for their mommies! Playgroups aren't just for the little ones!!

I have probably already lost anyone who is reading this, but... one quick story Joel just reminded me of. Carter loves to give five! To anything and anyone! He carries around his Mr. Potato Head hand and gives himself five throughout the day (though Mr. PH is actually four). Today, he picked up the stuffed pumpkin I just put out and gave him five as well. It's pretty funny to watch.

So love that little boy "bunches like bananas" (to quote my old history teacher, ironically, Coach Carter).

Happy Birthday, sweetheart. And bunches more.