The Usher House

Slowly but surely...

2011-03-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

(I was chided when I went to Montgomery a few weeks ago for not updating my blog often. I have done some research and after thinking of moving my blog to another place altogether, I decided to give this one more chance. So this is my test entry to see if I'm staying! Haha!)

...I'm catching up! Let's see...it was about 5 months ago since I posted. YIKES! What has happened since then? Well, we had Christmas, Hampton and I went to Disney World in January, and we all did a lot of traveling in March. We accompanied Clint on a business trip to Jacksonville, spent a long weekend in DeFuniak Springs, FL visiting the Ushers, and then surprised my dad on his 60th birthday with a visit and party for him. We were gone for almost 2 weeks. Getting adjusted when we returned was hard, but now we're back in the swing of things.

Clint's job still holds a certain amount of uncertainty. The stress of that is something we struggle with daily. We covet your prayers as he is still seeking a permanent position - a transfer within his company. Our hope is in the Lord, though! For He alone is in control of this situation.

Here are a few pictures from the last few months. I will do some more detailed posts on these later. Promise!

Hampton at his first dental visit. He did GREAT! No cavities!

Hampton in his first Christmas play at church. He was a cow that was part of the animals at the manger .

Hampton hanging out with his Pop

The big surprise! Hampton knocked on the door and greeted Dad with a "Happy Birthday, PawPaw!" As you can see, PawPaw was overwhelmed with emotion!

Hampton and me at Downtown Disney posing with Buzz Lightyear

Lots of updates...

2010-11-03T06:43:00.001-07:00

I posted three new blog entries below (playing catch up!), so be sure to scroll down to see them all.

Company Picnic and Halloween

2010-11-03T06:30:00.001-07:00

Merrill Lynch hosted a family company picnic on Saturday, October 30th. It was a lot of fun! They had some awesome bounce houses which Hampton loved playing in, lots of food, balloon-making clowns, lots of fun music, etc. We wore matching T-shirts that day, so we had a friend take a family picture of us. It was a very fun day!

Of course, the next day was Halloween. After church Sunday evening, we went to a friend's house (the Nunezes) and took the kids out trick-or-treating. Hampton was a "Surfer Dude." There were lots of kids there, but I only posted one picture of Hampton with his buddy Eli. It was a lot of fun!

Hampton is THREEEEEE!!!

2010-11-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! Hampton had a great birthday this year! He had a "Star Wars" birthday party at the park, and it was a blast. So many of his friends from church came. They had a great time playing at the playground and enjoying some cake and snacks afterwards. Of course, I made things interesting by forgetting the forks!! Lots of kids were covered in blue cake icing, as you can imagine! Oh well...

When Hampton woke up, I took his picture, and tried to get him to hold up 3 fingers, but he couldn't understand what to do. The picture resulted in his holding up his fists! Too cute!
His big present from Mommy and Daddy was a bicycle! It has training wheels on it, and it's perfect for him. He was a little afraid the first day to ride it, but once he rode it the first time, he was hooked!! I had to buy him a new helmet because he had already outgrown his other one (big head!). Of course, he got tons of other presents - so many that we spread them out for about 3 days of opening! He has great friends. Now, we are going to sort through his older toys and have a lesson in donating.

Anyway, on to the pictures...

Wannado City...

2010-11-03T04:52:00.000-07:00

...where a kid can do what they wanna do!

A couple of weeks ago, I took Hampton to Wannado City. This was our second trip. We LOVE Wannado City! We invited Hampton's friend Gavin, his mommy Ms. Abby, and his baby brother Blake to come along with us. They had never been and loved it too! Wannado City is really something that you have to experience...it's hard to explain, but it's awesome! Kids can participate in different career fields and earn "wongas" (money). It's literally like a real city built especially for children. There is a fire station, dentist, bank, courthouse, beauty salon, bakery, carnival, city bus system, circus, archaelogical dig site, airport, etc. The kids can "work" and play at all of these places. Anyway, here are some pictures from our day.

Hampton and Gavin waiting to be an airline pilot for Spirit Airlines.

Hampton and Gavin waiting to be a baker and bake their own chocolate chip cookie!

The carousel!

Hampton shopping in Publix. He always shops strictly for produce!

Hampton and Gavin on the Ferris Wheel (they're in the top right car).

Potty Trained!!

2010-08-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that Hampton is potty trained! (Can you hear "The Hallelujah Chorus" in the background? Or at least "I'm So Excited" by the Pointer Sisters? I can!)

We followed a method called 3-Day Potty Training. Three Days?! Well...you know. I think he started understanding the concept at the end of the third day. But he wasn't fully potty trained in 3 days. More like five. But I'll take five days over two weeks or more any day! In the past year, I've tried to begin potty training him a few times, but he just wasn't getting it. Now, I know that I wasn't being as drastic as I needed to. You see, this method requires that on day one, you throw away all your diapers and pullups. Throw them away! No more diapers. Period. Not even at night. YIKES. Gutsy. But throughout this process I learned that DRASTIC was what we needed. If Hampton was given one opportunity to wear a diaper again, he would go back to his old ways!

Anyway, to spare you all the details, I'll sum it up by saying the first 2 days were horrible, he started seeing the light on day 3, and by day 5, I'd say we were 95% there. The last 3 days have been COMPLETELY accident-free (we're on day 11 now!), and if he has one, it's usually at naptime when he might have fallen asleep without using the bathroom. And now, he just goes to the bathroom himself. No fanfare. Just pottying like a big boy. We love it.

Now, I just have to get used to finding all the bathrooms while I'm out somewhere so when he tells me he has to go, I can quickly find one!

That's the big news in the Usher House. Nothing else interesting is going on. When something interesting comes up, I'll let you know.

Thanks for reading.

Trip to Alabama/Trip to Illinois/Father's Day

2010-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

We have been busy since my last post! We have done a lot of traveling, and it's good to be HOME! So here's the quick run-down...

The last week of May, Clint flew to Peoria, IL to interview for a management position there with Merrill Lynch. Hampton and I flew to Alabama the next week, and Clint flew down to meet us in Birmingham. There, we stayed one night with Clint's great aunt and uncle, Doris & Marion Cruce. Their daughter Kathy took Hampton to see her horses. He loved feeding them carrots! This was Clint's week to volunteer at Boys State, so he drove on to Tuscaloosa and we drove to Montgomery for the next week.

When we got to Montgomery, we immediately began playing at MawMaw and PawPaw's house!! Hampton has his own bedroom there now, so he LOVED paying in his room and showing it off to anyone who came over. He has his own bed, toys, play table, chairs, lamp, everything! Hampton helped his PawPaw cut grass and enjoyed playing in their backyard. We went to the children's museum (ArtWorks), which is always a hit! Of course, we had to make a stop or two by Dairy Queen, the mall to ride the carousel, etc. We also made a road trip to Tuscaloosa to hear Daddy speak at Boys State, where we also saw Hampton's Nana and Pop (Clint's parents).

Later in the week, Hampton and I had more family visit us! Uncle Wes, Aunt Nenny (Jennifer), Justin, Griffin, and Graysen came to Montgomery. We loved going to the zoo with them, back to ArtWorks, the mall, and then Hampton's FIRST FISHING TRIP! He reeled in a nice one (a "big one," according to him!) pretty quickly! He caught a cute little bass. He was SO happy! We sure didn't like saying goodbye as we drove back up to Birmingham to spend one more night with Aunt Doris and Uncle Marion before flying out the next morning.

Week three was back to Peoria, Illinois as a family. Clint wanted us to go with him for his second week there, so Hampton and I stayed busy while Daddy worked. We had lunch with him one day, we explored the Peoria Zoo, went to the Lakeview Museum of Arts and Science to see a very cool LEGO exhibit by artist Nathan Sawaya. We all caught a cold at the end of the week, so we spent a couple of days in the hotel room that ended up looking like a "cave" with all the blinds closed and no room service for a while!

But we survived. It was questionable for me for a while because the plane ride home was absolute torture for me...my sinuses protested the airplane pressure! OUCH! So now, we're back home. We have received word this week that we will not be moving to Peoria. We were initially disappointed, but we know that this is God's way of closing a door on something that is "not for us." We are looking forward to whatever BETTER thing He has in store for us!

Father's Day was great! I was able to snag a couple of pictures of the guys before we left for church that morning. They both looked sharp (or "shark" as Hampton says)!

Love to all!

Adrienne (for the whole fam)

Jesus Loves Me

2010-05-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Every time I start to post, I literally don't know where to begin. Since I posted, we have had company. My brother Gerald came to visit us for a week or so at the end of March. We had so much fun, and Hampton LOVED having Gerald here to play with him! Last week, Clint's mom, dad, and grandmother came to visit for a long weekend. Janell (Hampton's Nana) ended up staying for the rest of the week to help us do some purging in the house. It was lots of fun having her here, though we worked very hard each day. Hampton was such a good boy as he entertained himself most of the day. But each day, he and Nana did something special together, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Most of you know that we have been in limbo waiting on information regarding a job transfer for Clint. In fact, the last post was all about this. Well, ever since then, we've been not-so-patiently waiting for SOMETHING! We finally received word today that he has been invited to interview in Peoria, Illinois. Wow! Illinois? It's about the same distance from Montgomery as Miami is but obviously in the opposite direction. He will be going for a working interview, so he will be working in the office as if he has the position before it is actually offered (if it is offered to him). We are certainly praying for the Lord's will in this. I am simply grateful that Clint has a job right now! Any move to any location will be a little scary. All change can be scary. But as my previous entry title states, "I do not know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future!"

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks (months), and I also am trying to post a very cute video of Hampton singing "Jesus Loves Me." What great truth in such a simple song. Jesus loves me. Yes He does! And for that I'll be eternally grateful.

Adrienne

"I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future!"

2010-02-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Posts on this blog usually center around Hampton, but this one will be a little more personal. I just need to share a few things that have been on my heart and mind lately. Within the last week or so, Clint had his annual review at work. We knew this would be a very critical meeting for his career, and it has proved to be just that. Critical. But first, a little background...

Before we moved to South Florida, we were told we would be here for 18-24 months and would be relocated again. Shortly after moving here, Clint's management team began discussing the possibility of his attaining a permanent position here. Of course, we desire to be closer to our families, but this sounded attractive because we were settling in here, making friends, etc. And the possibility of finding a city closer to family was a slim one. So we have been setting our hopes on staying in South Florida.

But God now has other plans.

Clint was not offered a position in his current office at his review. He was sorely disappointed in this, though we knew in the beginning that it was the original plan. I am disappointed too. I have made some of the most incredible friends here that I could ever imagine. They have become our family. I never realized how difficult it must be for military families or others who relocate on a regular basis. Until now. I guess after the first move, it gets easier. Or so I've been told.

But even though I'm disappointed that we will not stay here, there is a part of me that is SO excited! I have learned through my move here (the story of which would need it's own blog!) that God doesn't shake things up in your life unless He has something bigger and better for you. God doesn't make mistakes. His timing is always perfect. He is always looking out for our best interest. He loves us and cares about every single little itty-bitty detail of our lives. He is in control, and if He can keep this magnificent universe in motion, He can certainly see me through the next few months.

So, I can't wait to see what He has planned next!! He met (and exceeded) every need we had in our move here, and He will do it again!

There we are. I have no clue WHERE we will be moving, or WHEN we will be moving. Please pray with us and for us. He will be traveling to another office in the country (location also unknown) soon, and he will be interviewing for position(s) that are open. Please keep us in your prayers in the following ways: 1) favorable location in the country - close to family and friends, 2) wisdom for the decision-makers in Clint's relocation, and 3) peace and wisdom on our part as we go through the scary part of transition.

Someone told me recently that it's times like this that I can one day look back on and tell our kids how awesome our God was in bringing us through!! That's what I look forward to. And I promise not to wait years to tell my kids. I will begin right away telling everyone I know how my Jehovah Jireh has DONE IT AGAIN!

"I Wanna Be in Pictures!"

2010-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

We took this video at dinner tonight. Hampton was being so silly! He wasn't wearing a shirt because he wanted to "take shower." We talked him into waiting until after dinner (since he asked while I was cooking!), but he refused to put his shirt back on. I decided that battle wasn't worth fighting, so...

Anyway, here's a video of a not-so-typical (well, probably typical) dinner at the Usher House.

Christmas 2009 and beyond...

2010-01-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's been brought to my attention that I needed to update the blog, so I guess I'd better snap to it! HAHA! I'm sorry I haven't kept current on it. I'll try to do better.

We haven't had too many interesting things going on since Christmas around the Usher house. That is by design!! We had a nice, quiet holiday this year. Hampton enjoyed Christmas, though he didn't really understand what all was going on. We Skyped (video called) Mom and Dad while we opened presents, so they could see Hampton's excitement.

A few days after Christmas, my dad and brother (Hampton's PawPaw and Unka Jerl) came to visit. We had so much fun, but we forgot to take pictures!! We were so upset with ourselves everytime we'd forget our camera. Time just flew by too quickly. We enjoyed visiting the International Game Fishing Museum. We saw an alligator, fed Cheerios to some of the fish (not sure if this was "legal" or not!), and saw a few iguanas. We found lots of iguanas around town while they were here. We also went to the park, drove around downtown Fort Lauderdale and the A-1-A, and just played a lot here at the house.

So here are some pictures from Christmas and snapshots I've taken since...enjoy!!

Hampton fell asleep in the chair drinking milk (just too cute!)

Some of our Christmas decorations

Our stockings...(from L to R) Lexie, Clint, Adrienne, Hampton. Veggie Tales on the TV!

Hampton in front of the tree on Christmas morning

Hampton got Play-doh for Christmas, and he loves it!

Adrienne's "Mickey Mouse in doh"

Is this a "Clint Usher" look-a-like or what?!!

Hampton being silly

Brushing teeth after bathtime

Christmas Questions

2009-12-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? definitely hot chocolate. I hate egg nog!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? I'm not sure...this is our first year to do Santa with Hampton, and I'm not sure he'll even understand yet.

3. Colored or white lights on tree/house? I prefer white for our tree, but I like colored on Hampton's tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I would if I knew where to get it and how to hang it.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Whenever I MAKE myself do it. I love it when it's all done, but I do not enjoy doing it.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Not sure...?

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? When my parents tricked me about a gift I wanted SO badly. They found a similarly-shaped box and wrapped it up. I was so disappointed when I opened it because I just KNEW I was getting what I had asked for! Of course, they gave it to me, but I had to sweat a little.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I really don't remember truly believing in Santa, but I do remember seeing my dad sneak past my room holding my new basketball.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? not usually.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I have enough Victorian ornaments to decorate a full tree, but lately, I have been decorating using ornaments from Clint's and my childhood. Hampton has a tree with his own ornaments too.

11. Snow? Love it or dread it? I like it, but we don't see it often. When we lived in Alabama, we'd get enough to stick about every 4-5 years. Of course, we get NO snow in South Florida. We're lucky if it drops below 60 in winter.

12. Can you ice skate? Uh, no. I can wobble around holding the rail, making a fool of myself.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Oh yeah...It was a softball glove. The most awesome one ever.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with my family and seeing everyone healthy and happy. Hampton's joy will be cool to see.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Divinity. But I also discovered Panettone last year. That stuff is AMAZING!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Opening gifts together Christmas morning.

17. What tops your tree? A big gold ribbon that cascades down the tree.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Both. I honestly LOVE to give more. But I love it when people care enough to give me something to let me know I was thought of (even tiny cheap things).

19. Candy Canes, yuck or yum? YUM.

20. Favorite Christmas show? It's a Wonderful Life

21. Saddest Christmas song? Christmas Shoes (by far!). That song makes me cry almost every time I hear it.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, and I Want a Hippopatamus for Christmas. :)

October 2009-Hampton's TWO!

2009-11-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

It's been MUCH too long since I've updated, so I had to do 2 posts...check the one labeled "September 2009" for more!

October was a busy month for the Usher House! The best way to post the pictures is probably a list, so here goes...

1. We started the month by driving to north Florida to visit Mamaw and the rest of the Ushers. It was a very long drive - 11 hours!! When we came home, we split it into 2 days. Hampton had lots of fun playing with his cousins and grandparents, and he even got to meet BJ the Pig which belongs to Clint's brother Wes!

2. A few days later, Hampton's MawMaw & PawPaw flew in for a visit for Hampton's 2nd birthday. They bought him a tricycle for his birthday, and he LOVES it! I bought him some elbow & knee pads and a helmet, so he had fun wearing those. He played in his tent with MawMaw & PawPaw too.

3. We had a birthday play-date for Hampton at the park with his friends from church. It rained SO hard that day, but the kids all had a BLAST! So it was a success after all. We love our new church family!

4. A few days later, the Usher family drove down to celebrate Hampton's birthday, and we had MORE cake and ice cream! Hampton enjoyed daily wagon rides and walks with Nana and Pop. He even saw a huge grasshopper one day. He still asks to see it every day by saying "hopper again" Of course, the "hopper," as he calls it, hopped away a long time ago.

5. Finally, Hampton went Trick-or-Treating on Halloween as a Safari Guide. He wasn't going to wear his hat at first (which made his costume), but we told him he could get candy if he wore his hat. That did it! He put it on right away! We had a great time at our friends' the Nunez's that night. Hampton's buddy Eli is the one dressed like Thomas the Train.

September 2009

2009-11-05T05:09:00.000-08:00

SO sorry it's been so long since I've posted! And so many BIG things have happened since I posted last, so I will have a couple of posts for you to read. These are a few misc. pictures before we get to the big events - the alligator in the lake; Hampton "tasting" a butternut squash, and a very beautiful sunset! We are SO glad fall is here! The weather is finally getting a little cooler here in South Florida, though it's still HOT!

In September, we visited the Miami Metro Zoo in September with our friends Ms. Shannon, Katelynn, and Kristen Tucker. Hampton loved the aquarium and seeing all the animals! But we picked one of the hottest days to go. Shew! It was hot...

Summertime Fun

2009-08-21T05:26:00.001-07:00

We have been so blessed with great friends here in South Florida! I have lots of "mommy" friends, so Hampton has lots of friends to play with. Just today, all that was on my agenda was grocery shopping, and the Lord blessed me with the chance to meet my friend Shannon for breakfast and we shopped together! We've been able to do several fun outings recently. On Wednesday, we went to Hollywood Beach and played in a splash park before going to the beach. Afterwards, we came home and swam in the pool with lots of friends. Yesterday, we went to a place called Monkey Joe's. It's a huge place with lots of inflatable jump rooms. The funny thing about this place was that they had 2 jump rooms for kids under 3, but Hampton was afraid to go in them. BUT, he was not afraid to go down the slides that were probably 10-15 feet high!! He was a little daredevil! He zipped down the slides so quickly that it was hard to get a picture of him. Katelynn Tucker was my life-saver and helped me keep him entertained since they wouldn't let adults on the slides. Since he picked the "big kid" slides, he had to do it himself. Thankfully, she was there to help him out. Anyway, here are are some pictures of our eventful week...

Katelynn, Kristen, Nathan & Hampton playing in the splash park

Katelynn and Hampton

So much fun!!

Shannon and me on the beach

Katelynn and Hampton

Hampton checking things out

Hampton exploring our backyard

Kristen and Lily

Nathan and Dylan

Katelynn helping Hampton climb the ladder for the slide at Monkey Joes.

Zipping down the slide!!

Mommies just hanging out (trying to stay sane - it was LOUD!)

Hampton and his buddy Katelynn

Katelynn and Hampton in the tall jump house

Formal vs. Casual

2009-07-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

As you can see from these pictures, Hampton has experienced the extremes this week - he looks so sharp in his new navy three-piece suit, but he also knows how to kick back and relax! We've been doing a lot of swimming lately. He always looks so cute after a swim all wrapped up in a towel! In the picture of him sitting with Clint, he and Daddy were doing their Sunday morning routine of having a breakfast bar on the patio together. I love this picture because they look so much alike!

We are flying to Birmingham tomorrow for cousin Erin's wedding. It will be a quick trip because we'll be back on Monday. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures and have a new post next week. Bye for now!

What's new? Not much.

2009-07-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

There are not a lot of new and exciting things going on in the Usher House. But since I haven't updated in a while, I thought I'd post. Hampton is talking a LOT now! He picks up new words everyday. He is learning people's names too. That is so cool! This morning, he was looking out the window at our pool guy calling "Abel!" So cute.

This weekend, we had fun playing in Hampton's "new-to-us" tent. Lexie even got inside!! The pictures are a little blurry, but you'll get the idea.

I have accepted the role of Nursery Supervisor at our church. It has been demanding but lots of fun. We rearranged the nursery and implemented the use of several forms and policies. So far, everything has been well-received and seems to be working well.

Hampton has been having sleeping and bedtime issues lately. For a while, he was screaming when we'd put him to bed. When I say screaming, I mean SCREAMING (it's a wonder the neighbors didn't call the police for abuse)! He got over that, and now for the last couple of nights, he has awakened in the night crying. Last night, I brought him to our bed, and wow! I don't want to do that again! He stayed awake for an hour after coming in the room, and then he flails and flops around like a wild horse! Neither Clint nor I slept well last night. And he woke up SO early this morning. Tonight will be a battle, but I must be strong and break this cycle. UGH.

At the end of this month, we'll be flying to Birmingham for Erin and Caleb's wedding. We can't wait to see everyone. Lots of people in Clint's family haven't seen us in a long time - long before we moved. So it'll be good to catch up. Mom and Dad will get to come too to see us before we have to fly home. It'll be a short trip, but we're looking forward to it.

I think when we get back, it'll be time to revisit the "potty training" topic. We'll see...

So maybe we DO have a lot of NEW going on! I guess with an almost-two-year-old, there's always something new!

Haircut time!!

2009-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

I've been letting Hampton's hair grow, wondering what to do with it. His hair got really long, and since he has both Clint's and my hair genes (straight as a board with lots of cowlicks!), it was starting to look really rough! He was working on a pretty nice mullet, so we had to intervene! :-) My friend Tami came over and cut it for him, so this was his first haircut at home. He was so still and relaxed! Here are pictures in progress...

BEFORE

He's hypnotized by the clippers!

Bye Bye Mullet! Now, on to the bangs...

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!! I love it! What a difference from the "before" picture!

Doesn't he look like a little man (other than the drool on his chin)?

Catching Up AGAIN-June 2009

2009-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

The last time I posted, I was behind and posted a lot of things...well, here I am again!!! I'll be posting several entries today, so check them out. I will try to get better about posting more regularly so I can stay up-to-date. Hampton is growing by leaps and bounds, and we are dealing with all the "growing pains" that come with that. We are trying to learn to deal with his new little attitudes and figuring out how to understand his stretch for independence. Welcome to parenthood, right? Clint and I have determined that we need to just hold on tight because, as he put it, we're only about 10% of the way through our parenting responsibilities, so the road is going to be a long one! Hampton is such a sweetie, though. We have lots of fun watching him and interacting with him as we're on the "road" together!

I missed my DADDY!

2009-06-13T08:10:00.001-07:00

When Clint got home, Hampton could not keep his hands off him! He missed him so much. It was great to see him so excited to see his Daddy!

AL Vacation II - Hanging with the Fam

2009-06-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is my cousin Griffin. I loved reading books with him!

"Whussup?" I was wearing Griffin's Bama hat. I'm not so sure I like it...

Mommy calls this my GQ look. I'm not sure what that means.

I think this is my GQ look! I can't wait to swim in these goggles...

Me and Unka Jerl. He's my buddy!

AL Vacation I - Boys State

2009-06-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Alabama recently. We flew in as a family, but Clint spent the week in Tuscaloosa at Boys' State. We drove over on Sunday evening to hear him speak. It was GREAT! This was Hampton's first Boys' State (well, he went 2 years ago when he was still in my belly!). He listened very intently as his Daddy spoke and was very still. He even got to pose on stage with Daddy for a "bowtie" picture in front of the big flag! Hampton's cousins Justin, Griffin, and Graysen came with their mom Jennifer Usher (Aunt Nenny). Also, Hampton's grandparents PawPaw and MawMaw and Uncle Gerald (Unka Jerl) came. Daddy wasn't smiling in any of the pictures because he was a little nervous before his speech (but he's not too much of a smiler in pictures anyway!). We had a great day together!

Catching up...

2009-05-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a WHILE since I've posted, so I'm catching up. I am posting 3 new entries today, so check all of them out. We've been busy this month. Clint's been working long hours, and we have had a lot going on. All good stuff, thankfully! Clint is taking this Friday off so we can go to the beach together as a family, so stay tuned for pictures from that day. Also, at the end of this month, we're going to Alabama, then we will have friends visiting in early June. We can't wait for all that is to come!! This is a cute video that I thought you would enjoy - it proves that we are a little crazy in our house sometimes...nah, we just have FUN!

Trip to Montgomery

2009-05-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

We went to Montgomery a couple of weeks ago to visit with MawMaw, who was in the hospital. She's getting much better now, and we are SO thankful for that! Even though we were busy going back and forth to the hospital, it was a good trip. Hampton enjoyed reading with MawMaw, walking with PawPaw (holding on to his jean loop), and just hanging out! Here are some pictures from our journeys...

Beach trip

2009-05-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Even though these pictures are a few weeks old, I wanted to post them. Hampton had such a great time the day we went to Deerfield Beach with our friends Tami and Anna. He loved playing in the sand, letting the waves crash into him, and riding Anna's boogie board! Here are some pictures of our day...

Two Great Videos-Hampton TALKS!

2009-04-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

(PAUSE the music on the playlist on the left before viewing videos)

I have a couple of videos to share with you that are just cute. The first one was last Sunday, and Hampton was sticking his tongue out and doing weird things with it. You also get to hear him say "all done," which he says after meals (usually only when prompted).

I captured another great video of Hampton this morning. He's learning to nod his head YES, and as you will see he does it with great enthusiasm! He almost has to hold on to something so he doesn't fall over! He also says a few "real" words here too - "YEAH" and "BYE". I almost cut it off too soon at the end, but you'll hear it! Unfortunately, you get to hear his nasty cough that he's had for a few days too.

Enjoy!

One for you...One for me...

2009-03-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

This was so cute - I had to share! I gave Hampton a bowl of cheese crackers for a snack, and he sat down right next to Lexie to share with her. Of course, she loved it! One time, he held out the bowl to her. In that picture, it looks like she's snarling, but she must be licking her lips!!! I finally had to take the bowl away from him because he was giving her too many. At least he likes to share, right?

WEEKEND IN OCALA

2009-03-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

We went to Ocala this past weekend, and we had a great time! Mom and Dad met us there, as it is almost a halfway point for us. We had hotel rooms right next door to each other, so we were able to spend a lot of good quality time together. It was a blast! Hampton spent the nights with his MawMaw and PawPaw. Sunday was Dad's birthday, so having Hampton wake up in his room was a great birthday present for him! Hampton is running around everywhere! He loved running to the end of the hall to look out the window. We took a day trip on Saturday into Gainesville and surprised my Aunt Mary Jo with a visit. She loved seeing Hampton! He played with her dolls at her apartment and carried around an Easter basket that he found there. While we were in Gainesville, we went to a butterfly place on the campus of The University of Florida. It was so beautiful! Hampton loved seeing the butterflies, but he must have been a little afraid because he didn't want to be put down to walk. We carried him through the exhibit. We took Aunt Jo to dinner, and Hampton had the best time flirting with the servers! He was something else! He "talked" to them so much, that we had to take his picture with them! His favorite one was the girl in the top right. We had a fun night. I finally found Hampton a little boy belt, and you can see him modeling it for me in the picture above. As you can see, when we made it back to the house after our trip ended (it was much too short!), Hampton got IN his toy box to play. It was so cute, I had to take a picture! What a great weekend!!!

Our little conductor - the evidence!

2009-02-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had caught Hampton on video "directing" music. He LOVES to do this, and we really can't figure out how he picked up on it. It is SO CUTE, though! Anytime he hears music - from a toy, on TV, on the radio, etc - he swings his arms around. He does a pretty good job at keeping rhythm with the music too!

I was practicing a song with our ladies ensemble at church when I shot this video. He marched up to the piano amidst the ladies and began to "direct" us. Too cute!

Our Little Conductor

2009-02-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been VERY busy chasing this little boy! I've also been battling a cold or something which makes things more difficult. I feel much better now, so I thought I'd update you on Hampton's world a little while I have a few quiet minutes (he's napping!). Hampton is into EVERYTHING. I know I've said that in previous posts, but he kicks it up a notch every day! On Sunday night, Clint and I were getting dinner ready to put on the table, and Clint looked over and told me to look at Hampton. Hampton had climbed up in the kitchen chair by himself and was sitting there holding his spoon up as if he were saying, "bring me something to eat!" We couldn't believe it! I said then, "Please help me, Lord!" I wasn't being facetious either! With him learning to climb like this, it raises the danger level and will make me stay on alert like never before! I had a "safe" zone that was out of his reach, but now that he can pull things up and climb, that idea is shot! Oh well...

He is SO much fun, though. He is starting to talk a little. His favorite food so far is PIZZA and he can say that word pretty clearly! I can get him to eat that when he won't eat anything else. As you can see in the pictures above, he REALLY enjoyed it this day!

The other picture was just really cute. He was in his PJ's and still had that sleepy look, so I wanted to take his picture.

The funniest thing about Hampton is that when he hears music, he waves his arms like he is directing it. We are not sure where he learned this unless it was when we took him into our Sunday School class at church and he saw the music minister doing it. It is the CUTEST thing! The other night, I was practicing with the Ladies Ensemble at church, and he was standing by the piano "directing" our group!!! I actually caught him on video on my cell phone doing it. I cannot figure out how to transfer that to the blog though. I'm going to keep working on it or see if I can catch him with the video camera. I think we have a future orchestra conductor, minister of music, or band director on our hands!!

Well, that's all for now. I'll try to be better about posting something sooner. Hampton's Nana, PawPaw, Mamaw and Tobie are coming to visit on Friday, so we'll have some pictures to share from that.

More to come,

Adrienne (for the three of us!)

My little boy is growing up!!! sniff...sniff...

2009-01-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hampton is such a big boy now, that I had to post some pictures I've taken of him in the last couple of days. He loves his swing that Mamaw got him for Christmas. And check out the view he has when he swings! What's not to love?! I want to go back and find an infant picture of him in his crib so we can see a side-by-side comparison of how much he's grown. I remember, though. He used to be so tiny all swaddled up in a blanket. Now, he sprawls out and almost takes up the whole bed! We tried his little Bass Pro Shop folding chair again this week, and he can finally sit in it. It is still a bit big for him, so he slouches, but he had fun sitting in it, pushing it around the room, and folding and unfolding it over and over again.

He is SO MUCH FUN! I never dreamed I could love someone so deeply. I love my husband, my parents, my brother, my extended family and in-laws, and my friends; but the love you have for your child is just something special. It's a truly sacrificial kind of love, and it's taken me to a whole new level. He is amazing. His personality is becoming more evident. He is so sweet. He loves to give kisses and smile! He is walking everywhere now. His favorite thing to do is walk laps around the church after services. He is doing much better in the nursery too.

One quick funny story...we went out with some friends to Wendy's after church Sunday night, and their 5 year old son was asking me what words Hampton can say. So I told him his few-word vocabulary - mama, dada, uh-oh, no, hey, etc. I forget what happened to prompt this, but Hampton pitched a little fit about something, and I told him (as I VERY often do), "Hampton, watch your attitude." He responded very clearly with "aa-tude." The table erupted in laughter! I was amazed. Then he said it again! So, as you can see - either he's heard that so much that this is now part of his permanent vocabulary, or he was just mimicking me, which he really has started doing. It was TOO FUNNY! To repeat a phrase my parents always told me, he's "getting too big for his own britches"! HAHA!

Oh well. Enough narrative. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed reminiscing! Parenthood...what a ride!

It's a girls night!!

2009-01-21T19:06:00.000-08:00

My good friend Becky Evers is moving back to Georgia in about a week. I am SO sad about this because she and I are best buds! the Lord truly sent her to me. We are very close - like sisters. She and I joke that it takes both of us to make a whole person...definitely a whole brain! We are each other's sanity sometimes!! She is such a wonderful friend. I told her I absolutely refuse to accept the fact that she's leaving until she actually pulls away in her car. With this in mind, I had a girls' get-together last night. But is was NOT a going-away party! (Remember, I'm not acknowledging that she's leaving yet!) No really, we had a blast hanging out together. There were several of our girlfriends who couldn't come for one reason or another, but the list that was there was (in the group shot from left to right) Mayleen, Angela, Kelly (top), Jennifer, Lynda, Becky (top), Tami, Me & Hampton, Tara, and Natalie (not pictured as she had to leave before we decided to take a picture). Of course we had to do a silly picture too (after much sugar and caffeine).

Happy New Year! Another year for FIRSTS.

2009-01-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

We have experienced a lot of FIRSTS lately.

1. We are so excited that Hampton has started walking now! He took his first "official" step back in November, but it took him a while to get the hang of doing it full time. He is a pro now. Well, you know...he still has the "mummy walk," but he gets around pretty well. In fact, Clint and I have seen him do a little run a couple of times this past weekend. So he's getting more confident. I posted a video so you can see him walking too.

2. Hampton got his first haircut last Saturday. His hair was really getting long, and it was looking a little messy, so we took him to Cartoon Cuts at the mall. We were bracing ourselves for a stressful experience, but it was great! He sat there like a perfect little gentleman and let them cut his hair. He had been really cranky that day too, so it was a real surprise. We gave him a lollipop afterwards, and he loved it. I mean he really LOVED it - a real passion for candy! Uh-oh. And boy, was he wound up afterwards! We've never seen him so hyper! We love his haircut. I was so nervous and didn't want him to be scalped. I was made even more nervous when the hairstylist spoke virtually no English. But it turned out to be a really cute hair cut. Check out the pictures below. He looks like a little man now. You may want to click on the second picture so you can see it enlarged...check out his facial expression! I love the crooked smile!

3. He used a fork for the first time. I know...big deal...but this is my blog and my baby, so I can write about it if I want. HAHA! I'm proud of him!! I tried to catch him on video using it but to no avail.

Well, I hope you enjoy catching up on the "Hampton Happenings" for the week. Maybe I should've given the blog this name because it is all about our sweet little guy lately. We're boring, but he is the life of the party! Check out the video of him laughing...it is too funny!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was so much fun! Mom and Dad drove down to visit us for the week. We were SO glad that they were able to come. The time went by much too quickly, but we savored every day together. Hampton loved playing with his MawMaw and PawPaw and enjoyed getting lots of attention (and sympathy, when needed) from them. We went on an outing to Fort Lauderdale to get some pictures of banyan trees, which are native to this area and are quite unique. Mom did some painting by the water, just off Las Olas Boulevard. It is so pretty down there!

Christmas morning was so much fun. Hampton tired of opening gifts once he found a favorite toy or two to play with. We shared our day with our friends the Evers family - Richard, Becky, Hannah, and Aubrey. They opened their presents here, and we all enjoyed a HUGE (did I say "huge"?) steak dinner together. After everyone snoozed a little, we settled in for a lazy afternoon. As you can see, the presents were plentiful, but most of all - the blessings of being surrounded by family and friends outweighed all of the gifts. We are looking forward to a great new year!

P.S. Hampton is walking now!!! I'm going to try to post a video soon of his walking. Even though he took his first steps on Nov. 19, he is walking all alone and everywhere now! YEA!

"My Play Date" by Hampton

2008-12-16T19:01:00.003-08:00

I have a friend named Isabella that lives next door to me. Her mommy came to our house this week to hang out with my mommy, so we played together. She is only a few months younger than I am, and I think she's so sweet...even if she did poke me in the eye! Mommy says she didn't mean to. Mommy took these pictures of us while we were playing with the sit-n-spin. We had fun!

Early December in Dallas

2008-12-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind on my blog posts, but I want to post some pictures from our visit to Dallas the first week of this month. Clint had to go to Dallas on a business trip, so Hampton and I tagged along. We had to get creative with what to do with our days since Clint was working all day. Our biggest and BEST outing was to the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. It was SO beautiful. The weather was a bit chilly that day due to the wind, so Hampton is bundled up in most of the pictures. We would stroll a while then stop and let him explore the natural surroundings. We both loved it! If you ever find yourself in Dallas, you must visit this place! Also, Hampton had fun playing in the curtains of the hotel suite we stayed in. He loved looking out the window to see if Daddy was coming home! The last night we were there, we joined Clint at The Grille on the Alley for a very nice dinner with his co-workers. I was a bit nervous taking Hampton to such a nice restaurant, but for the most part, he was a perfect little gentleman! The last pictures were taken in the mall (and outside). The decorations were breathtaking!

Thanksgiving in DeFuniak Springs, FL

2008-12-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

It's finally time to post another blog from our travels a couple of weeks ago. This has been a busy week, so I apologize for the delay. After spending a week in Alabama, we all packed up and drove to North Florida the day before Thanksgiving. This was a new thing for us because in past years, everyone has always come to our house for Thanksgiving. But we are no longer centrally-located, for sure! Clint made the long drive north, so we were glad to see Daddy when we got there!

Hampton had fun exploring the new environments and seeing all of this cousins, his Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Wes, his grandparents Nana and PawPaw, and Mamaw - his great grandmother. We saw a lot of extended family as well on Thanksgiving Day at the big dinner at the community center. We celebrated Clint's birthday while were there too.

One of our biggest projects, as you can see above, was getting Hampton's handprints and footprints for some picture frames I am giving as Christmas presents. It was interesting to say the least!! It was supposed to be "mess-free," but Hampton's hands and feet were already bigger than the mess-free ink pads! So we had to put the ink on his hands and feet. As you can see, apparently his face started itching while he had ink on his hands! It went from bad to worse, so we had to take pictures of him! We had lots of fun!

I'll post more pictures later from our week in Dallas.

Adrienne

A few pictures from our stay in Montgomery

2008-12-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

A note from Hampton....

As you can see, I had a great time in Montgomery! I loved seeing everyone and playing with my MawMaw & PawPaw and their dog, Dakota. The Joiners, my MawMaw & PawPaw's next door neighbors, brought their granddaughter over to see me. Don't tell anyone...but I kissed her! I loved getting dressed up to go to church at Calvary. I had so much FUN in Montgomery!!!

Catching up on the last month...

2008-12-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

It has been a LONG time since I posted a blog entry, but we have been busy. We have been out of town for about 3 weeks. We enjoyed visiting with all of the family! Hampton loved spending time with his grandparents and cousins. I have to admit, though, that it is good to be home. I look forward to decorating for Christmas (hopefully!), doing a little baking, and finishing my Christmas shopping this week. I hope my goals aren't too lofty!

We started our journeys on November 18th in Montgomery. We stayed with my parents and loved catching up with "old" friends. Hampton had a BLAST with his MawMaw and PawPaw and Uncle Gerald (aka Unka Jerl). He took his first steps on his MawMaw's birthday (Nov 19th)! He still prefers crawling, but he's OH-SO-CLOSE to walking full-time! He can walk with someone who is holding only one of his hands. His balance is getting much better. He did many fun things that week, including riding the lawn mower and feeding deer with PawPaw and meeting MawMaw at her job for lunch and getting pictures with Santa at Bass Pro Shops.

The day before Thanksgiving, we drove to North Florida to meet Clint and his family. Hampton had fun exploring his Mamaw's new house (this is his great grandmother) and playing with his cousins - Justin, Griffin, and Graysen. Of course, hanging out with his Nana and PawPaws while Mommy, Aunt Ninny and MawMaw went shopping on Black Friday was fun too!

We spent most of Saturday and ALL DAY Sunday in the car driving home. We crashed in bed that night, got up the next morning to re-pack, then we flew out to Dallas. Clint had a business trip, so Hampton and I tagged along for the ride. While Clint worked, we spent our days trying to recover and relax. But we did some fun things too - like visiting the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. It was so beautiful!

OK...stay tuned for pictures of our travels...I took a lot!

More to come,
Adrienne

2008-11-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to add tonight, but this picture was too cute not to post. Hampton's hair is long enough that I have to style it to keep it out of his face, but it is not long enough for his first haircut. It is so cute when I first style it, although it doesn't stay that way long!

Don't we have the most handsome boy ever?!?!

Problems viewing videos?

2008-11-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

I tried to view the video and couldn't initially view the second video, but I hit REFRESH and it showed up. I'm not sure if this will work for you or not. It may have to do with the connection speed of the Internet. Hopefully you can see it. This is his dancing video and is too cute!

He gets cuter every day!

2008-11-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

I've never posted a video before, but I thought I'd try my hand at it. I put Hampton in the shower with me this morning since he didn't get one last night. After getting him completely ready, I started getting ready, and before I finished drying my hair, Hampton was dozing off and bumping his head on the bouncy seat I had him in. It was so cute. His hair is long enough now that I have to style it with gel and hairspray. It looks so cute when I get done! (Unka Jerl would be proud!)

The next video is of Hampton "dancing" with his friends Aubrey and Hannah. They come over a lot and are great friends. Hampton always has the best time playing with them - as you can see. He's just started this "dancing" thing when he hears music or anything with a rhythm. It is too funny! We're not sure where he got it because neither Clint nor I have an ounce of rhythm in our whole bodies! But Hampton can keep with the beat pretty good...too cute!

That's all for today - sharp hairstyle, cute dancers, sleepy fella.

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hampton dressed up like a turtle tonight, and we walked around (Hampton rode!) with some of our neighbors. Of course, we did not participate in the trick-or-treating, but we enjoyed the walk. Hampton was very tired & needed to go to bed early tonight. Mommy & Daddy were too.

I'm a Big Kid Now!

2008-10-31T05:31:00.000-07:00

Hampton has had a big week since his birthday on Tuesday. He has had so much fun playing with his toys. As you can see, our living room is beginning to look like a day care center, so we're trying to come up with another plan to store toys! Not that we mind toys in the living room (because that's where we spend our time during the day), but sometimes it's hard to walk without tripping! He got to use his new car seat on his birthday. He loves being able to face forward and see what's going on. He looks so big in his seat. I looked back once, and he was drinking from his sippy cup in one hand and had his ball in the other!

We went to downtown Ft. Lauderdale yesterday to have lunch with Daddy. We had lunch at The Samba Room. It was so nice that we sat outside to eat. Hampton loved it. He tried french fries for the first time, and (no surprise) he loved them - what have I started? We then went up to Daddy's office, and Hampton enjoyed sitting in his chair and crawling around trying to find something to get into. We didn't stay too long because it was too hard to keep him quiet and out of trouble.

We have a big day ahead of us. Daddy took the day off, so we're getting Hampton's one year portraits done, and we're taking family portraits too. Tonight, Hampton will be dressed as a TURTLE for Halloween, and we're going to our church's Fall Festival. We'll take lots of pictures, so stay tuned...

One Cool Dude.

2008-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

This morning, Hampton and I went for a walk with his new red wagon he got for his birthday this weekend. He loves it. I was finally able to get him to see the benefit of wearing sunglasses! It was so bright outside, so he actually kept them on. This was a first! He was still in his PJ's too, so that made it even cuter. When we got back, it was time to eat breakfast, and he kept them on while he ate most of his breakfast! It was so cute. So maybe now, he'll wear them when the sun is in his eyes...

First Birthday Party

2008-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

We had Hampton's first birthday party yesterday. It was so much fun! He was pretty cautious about eating his birthday cake. He mostly just smeared icing on his face. I finally cut the cake so he could actually get into the cake itself. He really had fun opening his presents. Well, the children at the party opened them for him, but he loved playing with them. Although, I felt like the worst mom ever because I bumped his head on a box while opening it. He got a red wagon from his MawMaw & PawPaw in Montgomery, and when I was buckling him in it, I clipped his skin from his belly into the clip. I really felt horrible!! Poor guy! He has a little bruise this morning, but I think he'll be fine. He played and played all day, so I guess he forgot about it.

I can't believe my little guy is one! WOW! Time sure flies. He'll be walking very soon, I'm sure. He's standing and walking behind toys and holding onto furniture but still not walking on his own. That will come soon enough. Until then, I'm enjoying the last bit of his crawling days before he grows up and gains a little more independence from his mommy...

Grandparents' Visit!

2008-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

My Nana & PawPaw are here for a visit from North Florida. MaMaw and Tobie also came too! They got here yesterday, and we have had so much fun since they got here! Yesterday, we just stayed around the house and walked around the back yard. I had so much fun sitting on the patio and picking grass and pointing at airplanes!

Today while PawPaw and Daddy watched football, Nana, Mommy, MaMaw, and I went shopping. I got some COOL birthday gifts (but I can't tell you what they are yet!) and some new PJ's. Then, Mommy & Nana went to Publix and I got a BALLOON!!! I loved it so much that I didn't even want them to take it so they could pay for it! I played and played with it. I tried my best to pop it...oh well, maybe tomorrow!!

We had a great dinner - baby back ribs, grilled chicken, roasted corn, sauteed veggies, and key lime pie. Well, I ALMOST tried some sauteed squash. I ended up eating lots of Cheerios and some baby food from a jar. I was SO tired that I didn't even finish my bottle before bed. I just couldn't stay awake...oh well, maybe tomorrow!!

Can't wait to get dressed up for church tomorrow! More later...

Hampton

Hampton & Elmo!

2008-10-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken at Chase Ortiz's (our next door neighbor) 2nd birthday party. It was the COOLEST party ever! Elmo came to the party to play games with the kids and dance with them! Hampton wasn't afraid of him, but he wasn't so sure...

Hampton-proofing...

2008-10-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Since Hampton is into everything these days, I spend most of my day chasing him and trying to keep him out of things that he can either break or will hurt him. I thought the "baby-proofing" thing would be easy, but it's one of those things you have to just do all along the way as you notice things that are problems. Of course, we've covered outlets and latched cabinets that have dangerous items in them. But, we're seeing that an avalanche of pots and pans may be dangerous too! So we're going to have to latch ALL cabinets, I'm afraid.

As you can see, I put up a baby gate in the doorway from our kitchen to our dining room. My plan is to contain him in the living room and kitchen areas, and keep him out of the area that contains the stairs and other things he needs to stay away from. I need to pick up one more baby gate, and I'll have that taken care of. Then it will be time for him to discover something else!

We have had a GREAT day today! Hampton took a wonderfully-long nap this morning, so I was able to get so many things accomplished. We are looking forward to a visit from Nana and PawPaw, MaMaw & Tobie (the Daschund - sp?) this week. They will be here on Friday and will be staying until the 26th. We're having Hampton's FIRST BIRTHDAY party on Saturday, October 25th, so stay tuned for pictures from this week! He will be one on the 28th. I can't believe it!

OK, enough narrative (right, Pastor Spargo?...turkey!).

Adrienne

Mommy & Daddy's Handsome Boy!

2008-10-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Look at my new outfit! Don't I look sharp in my new pants, shoes, sweater vest, shirt & tie? You can barely see my tie because my vest is a little big. I wore this to church this morning! Mommy and Daddy says I'm the "most handsomest" boy ever! Mommy even put hairspray on my hair to keep it looking nice (it lasted a few minutes, anyway).

These clothes are a little hot for South Florida, but they'll be perfect to take to Alabama when I go there next month! Mommy's trying to hurry autumn along by wearing fall clothes too!

These Shoes are Made for Walkin', Look at My Hat, and Bad Hair Day

2008-10-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hampton was full of personality the last couple of days!

We bought him his first pair of official "walking" shoes since he'll be learning to walk soon. Aren't they cute? We bought these and a black leather pair that he can wear to church. He is so cute in them! He's not used to wearing shoes though. It's too hot in South Florida!

Also, he NEVER will leave a hat on his head, but for some reason, he played in his beach hat for about 5 minutes yesterday. Here, he is trying to give Lexie a collar he found in her...I mean...HIS basket of dog toys!

When he woke up from his nap today, I had to take his picture. This beat all of his bad hair days by far! But even if his hair is messed up, it's still the cutest head in the world!! He is so precious!

Misc. Happenings

2008-10-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

I guess this is a miscellaneous blog because I have a couple of unrelated pictures to post. One is a shot of all of us at the CNN interview supporting Sarah Palin. We were not able to stay on the set long because Hampton decided he wanted to "talk" too, but overall, the interview went well. It aired tonight. Hampton and I got a total of 2 seconds air time. Oh well.

Another picture worthy of posting is the absolutely beautiful sunset we had last night. It was magnificient! In spite of all of the shortfalls of living here, we live in a truly beautiful part of the country, that's for sure!

Busy Day Today!

2008-10-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

We have had a FULL-filling day today! It has been tiring but lots of fun. I had an amazing opportunity this morning to participate in a CNN interview in support of Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. My new friend, Tami Nantz, has a blog (http://moms4sarahpalin.blogspot.com/), and it recently received media attention from the Sun-Sentinel, our main local newspaper. This caught the eye of CNN, so they scheduled an interview with her and asked her to have several friends present. I went and took Hampton, which turned out to be not so good because we had to leave the set as he babbled through most of the questions. We were in some early shots, although they may be edited out. The piece is set to air Wednesday night on Anderson Cooper 360 - I believe at 9:00 pm EST.

After that, we had lunch out with some friends, and I brought an exhausted Hampton home. He didn't really get a nap, so he got into a lot more trouble tonight than usual! Poor fella. He played hard though. I'll post some pictures of his explorations.

Last night, Clint and I installed cabinet locks on his "favorite" cabinets (the ones with the trash and the dangerous chemicals!), so tonight he was disappointed to find that he couldn't open them. You'll see he had his paci in his mouth like a man on a mission...doesn't he look like a carpenter with a pencil in his mouth or something? I'm not sure why he had it that way! Also, because Clint was studying tonight in his office for an upcoming test, I closed his door. Hampton loves to crawl in there too. Hampton crawled over and was lying on his belly wiggling his little fingers under Daddy's door. When Clint saw this, he came over and put his fingers under the door too. They played for a few minutes, so I ran to get the camera. It was too cute. Hampton laughed and had a lot of fun!

He went to bed early tonight after his nice warm bath. It won't be long before Mommy hits the sack too. I feel like I have a little cold coming on or something...ugh. Maybe it's nothing. Oh well, here are the pictures...enjoy!

Just some thoughts...

2008-10-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

No pictures to post tonight, although I should've taken a picture of Hampton's first little sunburn. It really isn't bad at all, but he has a little pink face from sitting outside today (and we were in the shade). He is not in any pain, thankfully!

So Clint and I have been talking a lot about discipline lately. Wow, is it ever hard to know what to do with this topic. Hampton is starting to express himself a lot lately and is exploring everything all the time. This gets him into things he shouldn't be exploring sometimes.

I have to say, first of all, that we are SO grateful to our Lord - the Father and Creator of all and Giver of every good and perfect gift (like our little Hampton) - that Hampton is a healthy, normal baby. So this adventurous spirit of exploration and the new desire to test our limits as parents is all normal. There are many babies with developmental problems and disabilities that keep them from going through this phase, so again, I'm not complaining at all!

With that said, we are still trying to find that balance of discipline methods. I mean, he is only 11 months old, but there are undesirable behaviors already manifesting themselves that we cannot ignore. When we tell him "no" if he is doing something unsafe, for example, we are doing that for his protection. If he really wants to do that particular thing, he really gets a bad attitude and kicks and screams. You cannot let that go unpunished, right?

Even as I write this, I had to take a break. He is in bed now, but I heard him crying histerically upstairs. Yet another example of a decision...let him cry it out, or go in and console him? He sounded very afraid, so this time, I went in and held him until he fell asleep again. See, the dilemma continues.

I have tears in my eyes also as I write because of the overwhelming love I have for that baby. It's a love only God can give because it's just too big and too unexplainable! When he laid his little head on my shoulder and snubbed from crying so hard, he instantly relaxed and fell asleep again. Isn't that how we are with God when He wraps us in His arms as we feel His presence in our lives? We let out a long, quiet "ahhhh" as we lay our head on His strong shoulder as He cradles our head in His hand.

So, I still have no conclusion on discipline except this - I know I will try my very best to do whatever it takes to protect him from what will hurt him, teach him all about a Father who loves him, and let him figure out on his own that his mommy and daddy love him more than he can ever understand...until he has a child of his own.

Dr. Jeffrey Simon, our pediatrician in Montgomery, told me that the reason we have children is to draw us closer to Jesus. It's true. I must stay on my knees.

Oops...He's crying again...

More Beach Pictures

2008-09-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

We were able to go out onto the beach one more time. Here are some more pictures we took on the second trip out...

Hampton's First Beach Trip

2008-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, even though we live at the beach, we have never taken Hampton TO the beach. So here we are on vacation in Marco Island, FL. It's off the west coast of Florida on the Gulf side. Until today, it has been cloudy and rainy! You'll notice Hampton playing on his swim float inside in a picture below. We went to the beach this morning anyway, in spite of the fog and clouds. I put Hampton's feet in the surf, but the waves (tiny waves) scared him. So he sat on the beach with Daddy while I picked up some beautiful shells. I want to make a shadow box frame with them and put his picture inside.

We're enjoying our time together as a family! We've shared some great meals and enjoyed just hanging out and relaxing together. We are sitting outside a Starbuck's now, borrowing their Internet service...and enjoying a frappucino also, of course!

We will go back home tomorrow. I am posting some pictures that we've taken. It's beautiful here. The gulf has been as smooth as glass, and we watched dolphins play in the surf this morning. Peaceful. Serene. Good to get away.

Adrienne

RIP Hippity Hoppity

2008-09-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am sad to report that we have lost yet another toy...our favorite...Hippity Hoppity went to toy heaven (which means he's probably in the hands of some other kid!) today while we were shopping at JCPenney's. He sailed overboard from the stroller on numerous occasions and was rescued; however, on one not-so-fortunate ejection, he was not recovered. After a brief Search and Rescue effort, it was finally determined that Hippity Hoppity had moved on to bigger and better things...sniff. sniff. Really, we'll miss him.

The Hair Experiment

2008-09-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

I admit...this is total and complete exploitation. BUT...it was SO fun! Bath time just lends itself to playing with different hair styles. Here are the photos...

Mohawk-Punk Look

Comb-over

Finger-in-a-Light-Socket Look

and finally (my personal favorite)...

Alfalfa Look

Little Drummer Boy

2008-09-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hampton LOVES to drum and hammer on things! The louder it is, the more he likes it. Tonight, I let him play with some bowls and a wooden spoon, and he had a BLAST! He almost broke the spoon several times (he doesn't have a gentle bone in his little body!).

He is learning the meaning of "no-no" more every day. He hears it a lot! Mostly when he is getting into the dog's food or water bowls, hammering the metal clip on Lexie's leash against our GLASS door (yeah!), and opening drawers and doors on the entertainment center. Oh, or opening the trash cabinet! See, he's a busy guy.

We're planning a weekend getaway to the beach at Naples this weekend, so look for pictures from the trip next week.

Here is a picture from tonight's kitchen activity.

"Personal Pool Party" by Hampton Usher

2008-09-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Guess what? I went swimming TWICE today! My friends Mrs. Becky, Hannah and Aubrey came over today, and I went swimming with them. Mommy was inside doing boring things like organizing my clothes and doing laundry. She said she was so happy to get it done. Why wasn't she swimming? I don't understand...Oh well.

THEN, tonight when Mommy was getting dinner ready, she put it in the oven and Daddy, Mommy and I went swimming again! I splashed and kicked so much! It was so much fun. Mommy went in and got the camera and took our picture. In one of the pictures, I was pointing to an airplane that I heard, but we couldn't see.

Mommy wasn't in the pictures. I guess she didn't want anyone seeing her in her swimsuit...

Hampton loves to explore!

2008-09-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hampton is crawling EVERYWHERE! He is getting into EVERYTHING! This morning, it was the dog food...don't worry...I caught him before he...you know. He was crawling under the kitchen chairs, under his bouncy seat, and yes, he's discovered the stairs. I'm planning to put up the gate today! He certainly keeps his mommy busy - that's for sure! He is such a big boy that he doesn't want to be held much because there are things to do and places to go! He never meets a stranger either. If we're eating out, he always finds some new friend to share smiles. His new thing is that he points at everything. He doesn't just point with his index finger either; he points using the "I love you" sign. It's so cute! He knows how to point out airplanes and birds in the sky. I think he is very close to actually saying "bird" because when he points, something like "bruugh" comes out! Isn't he BRILLIANT?!? :-)

Watching him learn and observe other people is the coolest thing ever! He loves to copy what you do. Now, if I can only teach him to blow his nose...

Up from my nap & Movin' about!!

2008-09-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Hampton just got up from his nap. He is such a big boy now that when I go in to get him, he is STANDING in his crib! He has a new look to his room, thanks to his MawMaw! When she came for Labor Day week, she painted a mural on his nursery walls! We love it. He now has a monkey/palm tree theme in his room and bathroom. Check out the photos...

Even as I type this, Hampton is gliding along the ottoman for the FIRST time. He has been pulling up on furniture, but he hasn't realized until today that he can move his feet and go places...I'm in trouble. If I thought his crawling kept me busy, this is only the beginning!

Welcome to our blog!

2008-09-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

OK, I promised I would give credit to Pastor Spargo as the person who suggested I create this blog to keep people updated on our lives, so THANK YOU Pastor Spargo! I must also mention Lindsay Mims, considering that she has been hounding me for MONTHS to set up a baby site for Hampton. Combining these two, I NOW HAVE A BLOG! (Also thanks to Jonathan and Stephanie for inspiring me with your wonderful site and great pictures of Adison!)

The key for me will be actually making regular posts. If I know I have an audience out there depending on me, I'll do better. Of course, family and friends that we miss so badly are the reason I created this.

So here we go...I'll start with posting some recent pictures. I know I have lots of catching up to do, so bear with me...

MORE TO COME!

Love to all,
Adrienne (for the 3 of us)

I LOVE swinging at Vista Park!!! My mommy takes me there with my friends Aubrey and Hanna. Her friend Mrs. Becky comes along too, and we always have so much fun. The best trip of all was when my MawMaw and PawPaw took me!!! They loved pushing me on the swing. It was so relaxing and fun for me that almost went to sleep...OOPS!