HeltonTexas

July 4th, 2011

2011-07-10T16:58:00.001-05:00

Fun with our Firecrackers.

My friend Nicole made their awesome 4th of July shirts! totally love them!!!!

We swam and had lunch with Michael, Sarah, and Derek.

Then we went to watch fireworks with our friends the Downeys, who are moving to Chicago this week

:( , and Michael and Sarah.

I also had these shirts made for my friends, the Kelly's. The big kids are having a birthday this month and the baby just had to have one too :o)

so.... we are still on summer down here in TEXAS. IT'S HOT!!!

well, it was the front yard

2011-06-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

...that made us Yard of the Month for July!

no way....

I am way too excited, maybe the highlight of the year.

Really, we do work hard at our yard and flower beds. Will and maybe 2 other people on our street actually cut their own grass. I do almost all the flower bed work: planting flowers, weeding, watering, triming bushes, etc.... So, the yard as a whole is a group effort and Jaxon sometimes help picking weeds and watering but I have to highly supervise that or he pulls up whole plants and waters his brother.

You've seen in other posts how much the boys enjoy getting out there with their lawnmowers too. Will thinks he's training them to take over his job in a few years. ;o)

So, here's the yard. I admit it's nothing fancy but it's good and I like it.

he's our newest friend from AR (Will's bday present from my mom) and the boys LOVE HIM!

Our backyard flowers

2011-06-29T02:12:00.010-05:00

MY DOVE. and her two babies!

Just thought I'd post some pictures of my back yard plants. We've worked hard this year and keeping everything watered is a family event. ;o)

The dove nest is in this corner of the fence, under the giant curly willow tree, which I LOVE!

lookin' up

my favorite. brings me so much joy.

but really they all do.

YEAH for flowers!!!!

"Do not underestimate the power of the flower"

Yani, Will's friend, flower shop owner

Summer Summer Summer Time, HeltonTexas Style

2011-06-28T14:09:00.002-05:00

The pool is our #1 entertainment:

Jimmy is our fearless BIG JUMPER!

He is now teaching himself to swim and float on his back. He's crazy!

THUMBS UP!

Lots of bike rides and trips to the park!

followed with popsicles!

Then, they've learned to float in their rings.

Time with friends!

This is the pool at our Athletic Center. LOADS of fun here! Especially the lazy river!

Chasing bunny rabbits!

Checking out tents at Cabela's

Lawnmowing and lawnmowing supervision:

some self-stuck temporary tattoos

A few scary storms!

And a few nice, sweet moments!!!

Jaxon's last day of MDO

2011-06-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

Jaxon had two wonderful teachers, Ms. Stacy and Ms. Laurah, at Mother's Day Out this year. I think he learned a lot and enjoyed making new friends. He made lots of crafts, which was his favorite and took a nap everyday. We never had a bad report. He got so much better about not crying at drop off time and even seemed disappointed when I came to get him. I'm still discovering everything he learned like a few days ago, I found out he knows the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and I didn't teach him :o)

So, let summer begin!

oh yeah, we already did!

Free Cards

2011-06-27T13:58:00.000-05:00

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Gosh, shutterfly is loving me lately. So I just wanted to post this awesome deal I just got. 10 free cards!
So I had some cards made for Jimmy from his recent birthday for those that were gift givers and I went ahead and had some cards made of Jaxon too.... duh.

Jimmy's second birthday!

2011-06-23T14:04:00.000-05:00

Hello!!! It's Jimmy's 2nd birthday!

In his BIRTHday suit :o)

LOVE THIS ! Granmama made it :o)

We always go to the mall and have chick-fil-a and ride the carousel on their birthdays. This day was no exception!!!
We all had a great day!

The kids had so much fun ...

until the fun ended!

But then we came home and had a big new present!

Then we ate Jimmy's favorite: Spaghetti!

He's so mafia. Jimmy the fish

More fun at home. Watching the MAVS game and then cake, ice cream, and more gifts. Oh yeah! the homemade ice cream that was not meant to be. It wasn't freezing well then Will dropped salt covered ice in there. BOOO. That's what I get for trying a new recipe.

Matching shirts? Monster truck shirts? you get a hug for that!

and his very own plasma car!

Jimmy's two year stats:
Height: 37 1/2 inches 98%
Weight: 29 lbs 4 oz 66%
Head 20" 94%

and one trip to the ER so far ;o)

Love you my Jims!!!

Jimmy's trip to the ER

2011-06-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

It really comes to no surprise that Jimmy was the first kid to take us to the ER and let us earn our stripes as a real parent. HOLY COW. So stressful. When you see your baby like this, you'd rather saw your arm off. I promise you. I've waited over a month to blog this and I still feel so raw about it.

Jimmy tripped over nothing (aka his own two feet) and landed right on the edge of our leather topped ottoman's wheel on the bottom. He caught the corner of his left eye and sliced it pretty good. He was fine within a few minutes then we realized it needed further attention. Meanwhile, he ate about 3 bites of his dinner.
So we got Jaxon situated with Will's brother and sister in law and we headed to the ER. It was around 9pm. They said "yep he's gonna need stitches" and "yep he'll need to be sedated" and "yep you'll have to wait 5 hours until he can be sedated since he ate dinner"

WHOA

5 hours?

They didn't start the IV process until around 1 am. He had 3 miserably failed attempts at the IV. That was the hardest part. Sheer torture for him. (and us) The nurses were supposedly the best at this but they sucked at it. He finally fell asleep with some oral sedation, then they were able to do the IV. Then, he had to have 1 1/2 times the normal med during the surgery because he was waking up. Pretty hard location for those stitches, even for an adult. He got 6 sitches on his eye lid, right by his eye lashes.
whew....
Then, an hour later, he had to be woken up to make sure he could drink without vomiting.

WHOA again

Bear!!!!! He was so cranky: crying/screaming/flailing/pissed off.

We got him in the car and he cried the whole way home then cried for 2 more hours at home. The kid finally passed out at 6am and daddy had to go to work and then brother woke up.

You can only imagine the next day. Goodness gracious.

Took us a week to recover.

But, as always..... I'm glad it wasn't worse.

(oh yeah, I had just gotten home from kickboxing work out. little gross???)

next morning! swollen!

Jaxon giving daddy loves when dad came home from work and passed out!

never too sick for a paci smile

Camping in Possum Kingdom

2011-06-22T14:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, what an incredibly awesome summer we are having! HeltonTexas is wasting away at the pool getting my little fishies all wet almost every day. The boys are brown biscuits.

Will's parents left their northernly perch high in the Shenandoah Mountains and sweated thru a week of our Texas heat with us. We all went to Possum Kingdom State Park for a little get away. I somehow got the job as the main party planner which made me very nervous. Proved to be no small task. The only cabin in the whole state for 8 people was at PK Lake. UH-OH. Wasn't it burned down????
In April, something like 150,000 acres burned in a raging wild fire and many houses were lost. So before I booked a cabin surrounded by ash and soot, I did a little investigating. Seems that they got a lot of bad press. Yes, all those acres were burned, but the park was in really good shape. I booked the cabin and a party barge for half a day and the clan loaded up! It was a great trip with Grandad, Granmama, Michael and Sarah. We did quite a bit of boating on the lake. The lake was very beautiful but their was some damage to trees and homes. We saw lots of homes burned to the ground. Quite sad.

Granmama's blog is really the authority on our trip but here's a few more pics.

Jimmy is so fearless. His mafia name is now "Jimmy the Fish". He LOVED jumping in the water and got very mad at first when he wanted to jump in right away. Jaxon was a lot more shy and scared. He enjoyed just chilling on the boat.

Jaxon's skills were fishing. He caught a few fish in the water but most were just his little red practice fish on the land - LOL.

(see all the burned trees behind him)

S'MORES!

ready to go boating

prior to this pic was WWIII getting that life jacket on Jimmy. He hates all accessories to save his life (helmets, life jackets, water wings, etc) but he does love sunglasses generally.

world's largest wheelbarrow

burned trees with the beautiful lake in the background

yeah, hot Mike.

Monster trucks...outside....all day.

fishing pole in hand...outside....all day

hummingbirds

this was at the PK Lake Marina. A very cool shop and where we rented out boat.

Go visit if you want to go camping --- he said this summer might shut them down if they don't get more business (because of the bad press about the fire damage)

And on the way home: DAIRY QUEEN!!!!

This weekend was really an excellent time for all of us. It was simple and oh so good. Next time: we will not leave home without the pack n play. JIMMY!!!!!!!

Jimmy 2 yr bday

2011-06-22T14:07:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

We run on Dunkin

2011-05-31T12:19:00.000-05:00

It is not uncommon for us to run on a weekend morning to Dunkin Donuts for a special yummy treat. But we were starting our big day out in the BIG D with a trip to eat inside. Jaxon always says he wants to "get out" as soon as pull up anywhere, haha. So this time we ate inside and look at the mess.

Holy cow. Jimmy looks good in anything he eats.

he ate the top off the chocolate donut with sprinkles, here he's actually eating a sausage kolache.

Jaxon loved the red, pink, and blue donuts. As well as the "hot dogs" as they call them.

Jimmy is saying "cheeeeeese"

It took a LOT of paper towels, a trip to the sink and almost ruined his shirt. Now they are eating outside with the monster trucks and cars.

Let's go, little Men, time to go to the Big D!

Jaxon's first fish

2011-05-31T10:53:00.000-05:00

We went to our friend's farm where we saw lots of cows and fish! "Uncle Tad" is a Firestone store manager and they had some of us out for the day for a cook out and to have fun on the farm. It was a great day for the boys, they were very tired and very dirty!

Jaxon caught his first fish. ALLLLLL by himself!

This cow's name is Big Mama!

Jimmy would not get close to the cows or the fish. He's still scared of all that.

Easter morning, the Easter Bunny was here!

2011-04-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

The boys were so happy the Easter bunny dropped them off some tractors, backhoes, and a little bit of candy.

The only problem is the Easter Bunny was also supposed to leave some race cars, but they might have gotten lost.......ugh.

can't find them anywhere

Jaxon woke up and he found the loot!

look at this video!

(he still thinks this is a carrot, I'm so not joking)

coooool egg, dad

now Jimmy woke up!

and he also got a tractor

and then we had a fight. imagine that.

Jaxon loved actually driving this tractor with the little steering wheel but he calls it a tire.

Easter egg dying

2011-04-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

We have never dyed eggs together but I really wanted to do this with the boys this year. They actually did quite well, but we all had dyed fingers too.

I was glad we went outside in the garage though.

This one was pretty excited!!!

Bluebonnets 2011

2011-04-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

I really do love the bluebonnet photos we get every year. Living in Texas with them all over everywhere is so fun! Each year, our photos are so different depending on who has their smiley face on or who's into running (not walking) everywhere!
Couldn't buy a photo of the two boys smiling at the camera this year.
Oh well...
The pictues are still adorable!

(Jimmy kissed the concrete at our park the other day...his forehead takes so much abuse!)

Our very temporary bunny

2011-03-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

We have rabbits in our yard pretty often but a bunny got in our garage while Will was doing yard work recently. We eventually caught him and he lived on my kitchen table for nearly 24 hours.

This bunny was in shredded carrot heaven. We think he might have eventually ODd on the wonderful orange nuggets that he most certainly cannot find in the wild neighborhood of Panther Creek.

No one was disturbed by the fact that a wild animal was living on my table except me. The table was bleached very well after the bunny died.

Our Rabbit Died.

No, I'm not pregnant.

RIP Charlie.

meanwhile....back at the ranch.....

2011-03-25T15:39:00.000-05:00

lots of lovin and sugar stealin goin on

:o)

Look at this wreath! Will's mom made it for our front door. I LOVE IT!

I told them they should go into business as the "Sisterhood of the traveling babysitters". Great idea, huh????

I really just have to say it again: THANK YOU for keeping my kids safe and sound and happy and healthy.
We couldn't have enjoyed ourselves anymore and knowing these kids were ok, made all the difference :o)

Cancun 2011

2011-03-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

Will and I were able to go on a wonderful trip to Cancun. Very very beautiful location and a much needed time off for us. I couldn't have enjoyed it more.

The icing on the cake was that the kids were extremely well taken care of by their Granmama, Aunt June and even Uncle Nolan aka Uncle Golan.

(that's a window in the shower above the bed)

the food was fabulous!

This was our last morning, excited to go home but sad to leave too.

mmmmmmmmmmm

Jaxon - born to ride!

2011-02-21T13:43:00.000-06:00

Santa brought Jaxon this awesome Harley Davidson bicycle and it was just a tad too big. But no longer! Daddy and Jaxon went outside and Jaxon was a riding pro in a matter of minutes!

We were so proud of him!

I was truly amazed :o)

Jimmy clubbing a golf ball

2011-02-21T13:38:00.000-06:00

This video really made me cry laughing!

I had the golf clubs hidden for a long time. Jaxon just got too wild with them around Jimmy.

WOW, haven't the times changed now???

Jimmy is a wild man TOO!

At the very end, Jimmy switches back to football and get's so happy when he makes the touchdown pass!

These Silly silly boys!!!

Catching up in February 2011

2011-02-18T14:48:00.002-06:00

So after all the extreme weather we had, we have just kind of been on the go a lot.

We are busy with Jaxon's school, mama's work (at church childcare), working out, and playing with friends.

We had a visit from my cousin Ida, her husband and their baby boy (they are almost done adopting), Carter. They were in town for the birth of my other cousin's baby boy, Ethan!

It was great times to have a little company for a couple of days.

Jaxon and Carter.

Jimmy was having a fun time eating Ramen noodles. The kid eats a lot and this face is too precious to not include all three pics. :o)

BLANKET MONSTER!
Jimmy came and grabbed my leg when I was in the kitchen because Jaxon had become the monster! I didn't know they were playing this game so I grabbed the camera real quick.
(Will does this and it scares them///thrills them/// to death!)

jimmy

two blanket monsters

the only trouble is the whole world doesn't disappear, Jimmy. Poor thing cracked his head on the table and he didn't flinch. tough kid!

here we are!!!

Dunkin Oreos!!!

You cannot imagine how chocolatey and messy this kid was! This was after several cleanings. I hope the shirt is not ruined.

I gave them oreos after they both ate a great lunch. Jimmy was half-way thru when he started asking me for "apple juice". I knew he meant MILK so then we all had to have a couple more cookies, right???

Last week was subarctic here in NO TX, today is 80 degrees.... ok, we are rolling with it!

Valentine Playgroup

2011-02-18T14:29:00.000-06:00

We had a great Valentine Playgroup in our neighborhood with lots of friends.

Jaxon and Jimmy had a great time and even made a special craft. Jaxon loves making crafts. He's kind of artsy....everyone tells me he's very into that at school and church....Lefty!!!

Happy Valentine's Day -- 2011

2011-02-18T14:20:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty lucky that these two kids are the sweetest and best Valentine I could ever want.

got lots and lots of gooooooooooooooo sugars!

xoxo

Snow Week February 2011

2011-02-04T14:17:00.001-06:00

Our crazy week here in North Texas started out on Monday night/Tuesday with a lot of ice. The whole Metroplex began to be paralyzed then.

School cancelled for the day....

then Weds....

then Thurs....

then 6-8 inches of snow....

then cancelled FRIDAY TOO!

Our temps were frigid.

There was a statewide power emergency on Weds that led to rolling black outs for a few hours Weds morning. We lost power twice for 25 and 20 mins.

Will worked from home on Tuesday but he had to go to work the rest of the week. I don't know how he made it...but he did!

I have to share this article with you, it was soooooooooo funny and sums up how I feel...totally!

Dallas-Fort Worth stricken with cabin fever, click here

so stinkin funny!

I guess Day 5 will be more of the same of Day 4. I might be able to get out tomorrow but so will everyone else so I'm not sure it's worth it.

Well, the boys and I didn't venture out in the yard until today. It was a literal skating rink on our street, grass, sidewalks, the WHOLE METROPLEX was affected with ice ice and more ICE. But I thought they'd enjoy playing in all this snow!

Being stuck in the house for days upon days, has been rough but we've survived! Today, I cleaned my oven! That's how uneventful my life has been.

play-doh. painting. markers. crayons. basketball. some movie time but not much!!!, markers, play-doh. Oh, I already said that??? we did it A LOT!!!!

So, here are our pics of this morning in the snow. It took us longer to get dressed than we were able to stay outside. But I got some cute pics at least.

xoxo

Jimmy was very gung-ho. full steam ahead. c'mon Jaxon.

6-8 inches. I don't know.....just A LOT!

I was kinda scared to get them out because of the ice underneath.

but a lot of kids were out so I figured it was ok.

Jimmy's trying to walk up on the curb.

they made it up the curb and then Jimmy had an attack of

THIS SUCKS

I WANNA GO HOME

GET ME OUT OF THIS SNOW

I'M COLD

I'M HUNGRY

MAMA HELP!!!!!!!!!

Then Jaxon starts telling me he wants to build a snowman.

Jimmy is literally so mad I was almost afraid he was frost bite or something.

So I promised Jaxon a cookie if he'd go inside!

Then we came inside and had lunch, nap, and dreaming of > 32 degrees

I remember last week when I thought snow days and snow was a "cool" thing.

but it leaves much to be desired.

My Boys' Pictures

2011-01-19T15:56:00.000-06:00

Just a little last minute photo shoot we threw together.

My fave of them. I got this 10x10, retro color.

A perfect Apple iPhone ad, right???

what's up???

Hop! They were dancing to Peanut Butter Jelly time. Go look it up on YouTube.

I <3 NY Pajamas.

I could really eat them up in these.

SO SWEET!!!

Horseplay........every night at HeltonTexas.

my 2 sweet bozos!!!!

http://www.holdmymemories.com/kidscontests/momentdetails/3183963?hmm=true&page=6

http://www.holdmymemories.com/kidscontests/moments_vote

Please click here to go vote for Jaxon and Jimmy as the cutest kids so I can win some more photography money!!!!

Bluest eyes in TX. New pictures!

2011-01-18T22:29:00.002-06:00

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-30T15:09:00.000-06:00

We wish you a merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

I had extreme technical difficulties, so I deeply apologize to some friends who have still not recieved our card. This is not how I like to be, but no choice right now. I am still working on my printer and I will still send it out to you, I have envelopes stamped and addressed....

Regardless, we love you a lot. Merry Christmas!

Jimmy, the 18 month old

2010-12-16T13:26:00.000-06:00

My baaaaaaaaaaby is 18 months old!
woweeeee. big boy!

Jimmy went to the dr today, little sweetie. He got one vaccine and one finger prick to get some blood. He thought the blood work was hilarious, and it took a lot of squeezing to get a few drops. He laughed and laughed.

big boy! he seems bigger than Jaxon but he's not.

The shot didn't make him happy at all :o(

check out the bandaid boo boo.

But he cracked up when we got home. Brought me Jaxon's minky blanket, and wanted to sit on the couch with his milk (which he calls "apple juice" and is the CUTEST thing ever)

Before the dr, we went to Kroger. Loved the cart.

and going up and down the curb

Just a couple other random pics:

Jaxon says "baby deer"

riding brother's car when he was gone to school.

more baby deer

and a video for you:

I <3 Jimmy!!!!

Our California Cousins

2010-12-15T09:57:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to make a special post from the pictures from Aunt June and Shannon. Jaxon and Jimmy loved "meeting" their older boy cousins, Elijah and Zeke. Elijah and Jaxon were big buds, we appreciated Elijah loving on Jaxon so much. It was pretty fun seeing these boys together. Jaxon asks if they are coming over EVERY DAY!!!

This is Aunt June's "toy". a little slot machine, lol.

Uncle Nolan, Russ, Greg and the boys.

Elijah is holding on to that nerf gun I see :o)

Greg and Shannon

aww, can't wait to see you all again ~~~

xoxo

AR vs LSU - Pour some Sugar on me!!!

2010-12-12T15:41:00.000-06:00

The end of the game was so fun, this guy was hilarious.

Everyone was dancing and they played "Pour some Sugar on me" on the loud speakers. Awesome!!!

Sugar Bowl here we come!!!!

WOOOOOOOO PIG SOOOOOIE!!!!

Will and I were so excited to get to go to the Razorback game in Little Rock. The tailgating there is so fun, we hadn't done that in more than 10 years. YEAH!!!!!!

This was a very exciting game. We got tickets right in the middle of the purple section, yuk! but we still had a great time!!!! SCOREBOARD BABY!!!!!

At the end of the game, the players go around and slap hands. There's Ryan Mallett.

Thanksgiving 2010 - Part 2 - AR!

2010-12-12T15:24:00.000-06:00

Yes, this road trip was full of not fun, very intense Thunderstorms.

I was actually really scared several times! Thankfully, we made our destinations fine, the kids were very well-behaved in the car, and life was grand!

At my parents house:

Baby goats!

At our favorite restaurant in Conway, MarketPlace.

The silly boys.

At Memaws.
The boys played outside more here.... Memaw loved watching them play football!

My dad with Jimmy and Julia!

Jaxon and Jimmy stayed with my Aunt Charlene and Aunt Della and their families when we went to the Razorback game. Here's Jaxon with my cousin's deer he shot that morning.

It was a great time in AR, the boys had a fabulous time going here and there seeing more and more people. Jaxon says "lots of people". We stayed with my brother Nick, it was wonderful being with them.

My camera is dead so I wasn't the greatest at taking pictures ~~~

darn.

Thanksgiving 2010 -- Part 1

2010-12-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

Well, we sure do have a lot to be thankful for every day.

But when we are able to gather together and be with family on any day, that makes it very special. We had lots of special days on the week of Thanksgiving. We traveled to TN for Will's family Thanksgiving. We saw so many people, it was very wonderful. All the fun, family, friends, food!!!! Amazing!

Then, we went to AR for a few days to see my family. Saw lots and lots of them and it was equally as wonderful. We were also able to attend the Razorback vs LSU football game on Saturday. Another victory for the hogs!!!!

ROAD TRIP!

I am thankful for:

the iTouch.

Kept Jaxon occupied for a long time on the ride up to TN.

Since we were staying at lots of locations, I brought Jaxon's nap mat. Came in SO handy all the time. He was able to nap and sleep on it at night very easily.

Big Mama and Uncle Johnny

Our boys have never played in leaves like this.

Uncle Johnny got a kick out of that, talking about our "manicured lawns in our subdivision"

haha

Big Mama loves babies! She's 95 years old!

Will volunteered me to make pinto beans and cornbread for Uncle Johnny. Now this is pressure. It's like cooking gumbo for Cajuns or Spaghetti for Italians. I just couldn't believe he wanted me to do this. But I did. No one vomited and everyone said it was good....so I guess I believe them.

I also made Chocolate Pie and Country ham!

A visit with Papa

Kissing those bobos. I love these two pictures.

Papa fell in October and broke his femur bone. He's been recovering quite nicely but it's been a bit of long road and Aunt June is staying with him again 5 days/week.

This is Aunt June's bathtub. The boys had so much fun (and so did I when I got to take a bath all alone once or twice :O)))) I could live in her bathroom alone. Love their house!

Will took Jaxon fishing. He still talks about needing to find some worms.

Oh --- another FUN cooking experience. I fixed chili and jalapeno popper yummies for about 20 people! Will's contribution was cleaning out the peppers for me, a good trade off. That makes my eyes cry every time. It was a ton of food, very good, but I was so nervous. YUM AGAIN!

These pics are courtesy of Elijah. Our 10 yr old cousin. I'm gonna do a separate post about them....Jaxon's new best friend.

The amount of football outside was insane. They played outside around the clock.

ok, I'm gonna make a separate post about our AR portion of the trip....

it began on a dark, cold, stormy road trip, between Memphis and Little Rock!!!

.........stay tuned..........

Fun with my iPhone

2010-12-06T18:57:00.001-06:00

Don't know if I mentioned it before, but Will and I finally joined the rest of the Western Hemisphere and got an iPhone.

It is a super and ummmm FUN thing to have.

This is an app that I've had a lot of fun with.

Jaxon -- the star student in MDO

2010-12-06T15:56:00.000-06:00

My little star student of the class.

Ms. Laurah and Ms. Stacy's class

2D T/Th

They were asked to bring in some pictues at the beginning of the year and then they made this bulletin board for him. We got to bring all of that home and now it's hanging in his room. Jaxon loves it!

(a tiny little Vanna action)

My nephew! Roman Christopher Popham

2010-11-12T05:00:00.001-06:00

My little nephew was born one week ago.
Yea, my boys have a cousin!

Roman Christopher Popham

11/5/2010

7 lbs 5 oz

20 3/4 inches

Proud mommy and daddy in Eskimo Country, Elmendorf Airforce Base, Alaska.

We love you and can't wait to meet you soon, little fella!

a little jump jump action

2010-11-11T15:57:00.001-06:00

Boy energy never dies.

No couch potatoes here! Just couch jumping beans!

yes, Jimmy jumped. He doesn't care if you catch him or not. he just loves being like his big brother!!!

Scare mama.

Jaxon lately

2010-11-11T12:13:00.000-06:00

Jaxon really loves school and his teachers. He talks about them all the time. He is learning so much. I have to share is recent work:

Mr. Serious.

(a hat)

I was stunned to see this at first but now Will and I are agreeing with the nickname his teachers have given him. They say he is cautious when a new activity is introduced, studies it, then will participate when he's ready. He is very serious about tasks and is dialed in on his activities.

this is a serious lawn mower.

HE LOVES IT!!!

he wears his safety glasses, mows up and down, follows daddy at a good distance, and won't quit til the job is done.

but, he's all boy too:

2 minutes with a bag of dorritos and this is what happens.

I had to include this picture because it is Jaxon's favorite thing.

Christmas tree and Razorbacks all rolled into one! He loves his tree and has to sleep with the lights on every nap and bedtime. I was pretty excited to get this for him :o) He is obsessed with anything Razorback.

That's a glimpse into little Jaxon's world right now....

Jimmy - 17 months old!

2010-11-11T11:55:00.000-06:00

Jimmy is truly Mr. Personality! I love his little fiesty spirit, he is definitely keeping me on my toes for sure.
He is starting to love tv shows and has some favorites. He still loves throwing the ball, climbing everywhere, and eating! He's working on jumping and even jumps off the couch. It's scary!!!!
He can say a few more words now and some recents are juice, football, cow, and moo. He tries to say everything and he is convinced he can talk a lot.

shhh....we bought Toy Story 3 the day it came out (for the man in the big red suit)

This is the sweet boy taking a nap (he usually gets two naps a day still). I love this picture because it shows his hair so good. He's getting a lot more hair! The cowlick in the front is very pronounced now and he's a blondie FOR SURE. I'm not cutting his hair til closer to Christmas probably.

So, this is the outfit Jaxon wore when Jimmy came home from the hospital. UMMMMM.... hello, Jimmy is now the age Jaxon was when Jimmy was born. It BLOWS my mind.

my boy is ready to go all the time. He doesn't like getting in his car seat (or being buckled in to anything ever) but he likes heading out the door.

here is his saying "wow"

look at that rain!

It is so fun getting kids from school in the rain, by the way. I was SOAKED! I have to put Jimmy in the stroller and get Jaxon every day because I never know if Jaxon will be a friendly or grumpy bear in the afternoons. It's fun.

oh, here's Jaxon's favorite thing: UMBRELLA!

visiting Dada at work.

They love doing this and although it's 30 miles one way, it's worth it when all three of my boys are smiling ear-to-ear!

Jimmy, we love you sugar bean. You be sweet.

candy corn and peanuts

2010-11-02T13:08:00.002-05:00

how much have you eaten this year????

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T12:28:00.000-05:00

We all had a great Halloween weekend!

Will and I went to an adult party that was mostly with some work friends. We got a very generous babysitter -- THANKS CHRIS AND AMANDA!!! -- and headed out for the night with Michael and Sarah.

Biker people.

bitter sweet for me.

Bret Michaels and his 80s Rocker Chick Girl...

Love their hair!!!

Then it was all about the kids Sunday night!

Chris and Amanda brought Christian to trick or treat with us....try to get 3 toddlers in a picture. ha ha ha ha
take 1

take 2

take 3

take 4

ok..........

let's go get some candy!!!! So fun!!!!

Jaxon eating THREE suckers at once.

Jaxon and Dylan. Yes, that is THE great pumpkin, my kids are convinced and that's all that matters.

It was over 85 degrees that day (today is in the 50s/60s). So they couldn't wait to get that hot monkey suit off.

but Jaxon couldn't wait to check out the candy!

fun times! We love spending all these exciting holidays with the kids and friends and family :o)

Grandparent - Part II

2010-10-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

So after the Helton's left, My mom and two sisters came down from AR for the weekend. It was great to see Anna, Julia and Mimi! They couldn't believe how much Jimmy had changed since July. I agree. Since he's been walking, he has a different look and personality and he's just a little boy now. No baby really.

We just hung around the house, watched the kids play and mom taught me how to sew the boys pajamas. That is truly a "whole other post" so I'll get there eventually....

Let's just say: I made Jaxon a shirt that fit Jimmy. OOPS. Good thing he has a little brother :o)

Oh, Mimi brought Jaxon and Jimmy Razorback footballs. FINALLY. Can you believe my kids didn't have this??? They thought it was pure gold, loved them so much!

Who's coming next?
Hotel HeltonTexas always open, we'll leave the light on for ya :o)

Grandparents, Part I

2010-10-24T21:47:00.001-05:00

Will's parents were here the weekend of Grandad's birthday. We had a lot of fun being all together for that and for a Razorback and Cowboy and Rangers game.

Jaxon's getting ready for the birthday!

Granmama made THE BEST German chocolate cake --also the biggest!-- and she also made a few cupcakes. Jaxon got the first bite.

Gran DAD and Gran SONS

And one son.

Jaxon is so into birthdays. He loves singing and blowing out the candles (even if they aren't his!) and opening presents!

THE WHOLE FAM

my two little Romos

ha ha. Jimmy's medicine dropper.

I LOVE THIS KID.

Granmama trying to get them to eat their oatmeal.

Jaxon was pretending to be a baby --- or was it a puppy?

skelly boy

Grandad went to the airport Monday, Granmama Tuesday.

Jimmy and I took her and met Will for lunch that day. Jaxon was at school.

Please click on this picture to see larger and look at Jimmy.

a. toothpick.
b. recognize the outfit???
same one Jaxon wore when Jimmy was born! WHAT???????? no, say it isn't so.

he loved that toothpick and was pretty sad when we had to take it away, not a good toy for a 16 month old.

We all had a wonderful time together.

See ya again at Christmas....

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-12T12:16:00.001-05:00

http://heltontexas.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkin-patch.html

Wow, big changes since last year at this time. Look at my Jimmy all grown up :o)

The pumpkin patch is always a big hit with my kids. They love the pumpkins, the hay ride, the animals.

We trekked out to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm again this year and it was following another big rain so we were very muddy AGAIN! In fact, about half our friends didn't want to come because they thought it was just going to be a big ole mess. But a few of us crazies and our adorable kids took the plunge...

the stroller babies

on the hay ride! They loved it!!!!

Mama look at this big cow

whoa

two musketeers!

really, I just wanted a picture of us three......ugh.

Nicole and her adorable girls Brylee and Brianna

Dylan and Jaxon running around, imagine that.

Jamie and Sydney

Dylan MIA, probably running with Jaxon.

A fabulous fall day!
I love it!

Sorry, No Bugg

2010-10-12T11:51:00.000-05:00

This is just a notice that unfortunately, I made a bad decision and Bugs-Leigh just wasn't working out in our family.

There are tons of reasons why but it sort of boils down to, I don't think I am an inside dog person. I tried but I just can't do it.

So, one day, when we have a big yard, we'll get the boys a big dog for outside.

She went to a good home I think and she'll be well-loved by her new family.

I reallly almost cried when she left and Jaxon has asked for her several times. It is sad but we say she went to her mommy's house.

We got a BUGG

2010-09-27T18:28:00.005-05:00

A BEETLE???

no...

an INSECT????

no....

A DOG???

YEP!

What is a BUGG dog?

Well, basically it's a mix of a Pugg and Boston Terrier. Just a fancy way of saying "Mixed".

It's amazing to me the types of breeds they are trying to start now by just mixing one type of dog with another. Some are very genius, some are just silly though.

But this is our new dog, regardless. She's sweet so far and the boys love her. My boys wanted a dog so badly. They love dogs!

Call me crazy, I know.

*this is the 2nd time I've uploaded these pictures and they keep coming out sideways. Maybe I can fix it later. sorry :o\

So the story goes:
My friend Nikki across the street told me about this listing she saw on Frisco-online Saturday. These dogs for sale, only $15. I think I had told her we were thinking about getting a dog for Christmas for the boys. She is an animal lover, always on the look out for good deals, and just a sweet thoughtful gal..... (and forever my dog's Godmother)
I told Will about it, he seemed open so I contacted the seller. They never emailed back on Sunday so I resigned myself to no puppy. Oh well. Then, at midnight he emailed. I checked my phone when Jimmy woke up at 1am. Then I could not stop thinking about it....
"Were we ready?"
"did we really need a dog right now?"
"was I ready?"
"would the boys be nice to a dog?"
"but they love dogs"
"I can do it"
"a small dog won't be bad"
"a female dog won't be bad"
then I fell asleep sometime after 4 am and dreamed about DOGS

Will was going to meet me at their house to look at the dogs but he couldn't make it so Sarah went with us. Will knew that sealed the deal, Sarah is a BIG animal lover.
I climbed up in the attic, got down all the old Dozier stuff, and now we have a cute
lil' puppy dog

We think her name is Bugsie

Welcome to the family!

Oh yeah, we went to NYC

2010-09-24T18:10:00.000-05:00

Admittedly, I am so behind on blogging. I blog for many reasons. I love keeping up with our life so I can have a record for the future mostly though. I look back and refer all the time. Jaxon was a HUGE fan of NYC so I gotta write about it, although I am very late.

Will and I got to go see a Broadway Show, it was so awesome! Rock of Ages was Will's first Broadway show to see, we enjoyed it a lot!!!

Here's the view from our hotel room. It was right near Times Square.

Jaxon's favorite thing was riding the bus. It was one of those tall 2 story bus tours. You can just hop on/hop off and the pass we bought was good for 2 days. Jaxon talks about the bus still!

One afternoon he totally fell asleep on me. It was so sweet.

FAO Shwarz, the giant toy store, was really fun!

Oh, this ticked me off. This girl was demonstrating some kind of markers. The package said for kids 3 and up so she wouldn't let Jaxon do it.

this me like "are you serious????"

And we went to Central park.

to play in the sand...

water....

run...

This is when we were ALL DONE. Juice break! It was a long day and we were ready to go!

Dylan's Candy Bar

A very cool candy store with an awesome little ice cream and cupcake shop upstairs

Jaxon loved the gumball machine!

A kid in a candy store.

asleep????

It was TOO PRECIOUS

We got up early and went to the Today show. Look upper right corner.

A city playground

Jaxon fast

Jaxon chasing pigeons

Lombardi's pizza!

We love it!!!

ALL GONE!

And if you thought a trip to the city was luxurious....

It's nice but it can be hot and tiring too.
This boy was done :o) He had the stroller and his brother did what he likes best: walking! He walked a lot, except when we rode the bus of course.

A lot of people enjoy going to NYC for the shopping. This was our 4th visit and I still haven't gotten around to that really. We do a little bit but now it's hard with the kids. We also enjoy eating. We enjoy the Italian food and pizza so much. I know the Heltons are really burned out on it, but we love it and are glad they play along when we come ;) I don't want to live there but we like the city a lot!

Jaxon-isms:
New York City
Big Apple
Ride Bus

Jimmy the snot nose

2010-09-23T06:55:00.000-05:00

ahhhhh, but no more!

Jimmy has had a perpetual runny nose for months and months. So at his 15 month check up last week, my doctor suggested trying rice milk.

He usually drinks 3 cups of milk a day and we've been through one jug of the rice milk and the runny nose has stopped!

I am not 100% convinced of this little miracle yet but I'm holding on to hope for the runny nose part of his life although it isn't easy keeping him away from all milk, milk products, etc. So we'll see how it goes. I am reading about proper nutrition and making sure he gets all his calcium, Vit D, fat, etc from other sources too.

Why does a kid look at a green vegetable and think "I'm not eating that???"

Eventually, he'll be allergy tested but they like to wait until 2 unless it's very serious.

So here we go. My man.

Jimmy, Teach Me How to Dougie

2010-09-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

Jimmy loves to dance! Here he is in the car, bobbing his head to the beat!

My 15 month old.
measuring: 33 1/4 inches 96%
weighing: 25 lbs 12 oz 68%
head: 19 1/4 inches 91%

And he got two mean ole shots today. Boo hiss.

Jimmy 15 months

2010-09-11T13:44:00.001-05:00

A look at my littlest bo

preciousness

"bam bam"

Daddy cooked him a good breakfast and he loved it!

at the splash park. this kid is not scared of anything.

his 3rd haircut. he had to get a new back to school look too.

just a sweet face.

in the car ~ imagine that.

Jimmy on Jaxon's first day of school.

so no one is going to take this away from me????

mama's chocolate pie

he was asleep in the car and I brought him in and laid him on the floor. He slept like this until I woke him up.

sittin' out here watchin' airplanes.

literally.

Friday Night Lights.

Keller vs. Plano East in Keller with the Paddacks.

Jimmy LOVED it!

today.

Mr. Penn State 2010.

Jimmy is so full of himself and is really a lot of fun. He is usually the most easy going, happy kid ever. He has a little song in his heart and will bust out in a dance at any good beat he hears. He loves football games too, just like his big brother who is TOTALLY obsessed with football and the Razorbacks and the Cowboys. Jimmy is currently working on teaching himself to jump. It's so cute and he feels so successful when he gets a little hop going.

We have a 15 month dr appt next week so I'll post some stats then. I'm sure he's off the charts in cuteness, that's for sure!

Jaxon's first day at Mother's Day Out

2010-09-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

Jaxon's first day of Mother's Day Out! He will go just two days a week from 9-2:30 at a nearby church. Jimmy and I will miss him but hope Jaxon has a lot of fun and learns a lot.

We talked it up for days and days...

He was ready!

What's your teachers' names?

Ms. Stacy, Ms. Laurah

He knew what his nap mat was, his lunch box, his back pack...

He had it all down pat.

We are unloading some items...

Jimmy looking all innocent....

putting the back pack where it belongs...

And now for the handoff....

oop...

Love you...

have a good day...

see you soon...

I knew he would quiet down quickly but Will and I were still torn all day. So I told Will to be ready to video when we got there to pick him up. Jaxon was ALL talk when we picked him up and when we got home.

He didn't take a nap the first day, but we'll try again Thursday.

Return flight home

2010-08-28T21:12:00.000-05:00

You remember my flight to PA???

refresh your memory.

Well, my flight home was 10 times worse. Maybe 100 times.

Plus you know that feeling of coming home from a long trip? You just want to GET HOME. ASAP. You miss your bed, your house, your car, your hubby (or in the boys' case: your DADDY!) ... You had a great trip, you've said your sad goodbyes, but it's time to go home now so let's just get there already!

No one granted me my wish. It was a hard day's work.

I probably should have pushed the easy button or the redo, start over button as soon as we woke up and Jimmy got poop all over my travel clothes and Grandad's work shirt (and by travel clothes, I mean Nike Shirt to match my Nike shorts). I think that was my first sign. But we got out the door without a hitch really and Granmama drove us to Philly without incident (except for stopping about 6 times for tee tee head = J1 goes frequently). I am forever thankful to the one nice lady of the day in the PHL airport who gave Martha a gate pass. This saved our lives.

Getting through security was our next step. Not so easy normally but when you add two TSA unhappy women in the mix, you get ---- SEARCHED. I ask you: do I really look like a terror threat to you? I couldn't organize a bake sale much less an attack. I can't even sneak 1 jar of orange play-doh on a plane, much less any weapon of mass or small destruction (unless you count a poopie diaper then my kids can help you with that). So my double wide stroller and my extra giant car seat won't go thru the x-ray. It's got to be hand swabbed. The stroller swabs set off more alarms. Don't know what they are testing for but I guess it was red hot on juice droplets and gold fish crumbs. yep. She asked me if I was traveling alone, and I said "no, I've got these two cute boys to keep me company". She then had us come in the glass room and I wasn't supposed to put anything back together (after going thru security) oops. Martha was going in with me and she yells at Martha to "GET BACK MA'AM". And other nonsense to me that she "thought I was traveling alone" "why did I lie to her" etc...... Martha isn't traveling with me, she is just going to the gate. Didn't lie.

ugh.

She should have asked the question better and then realized that maybe I need an extra hand in there with my two kids who love to push buttons that of course they couldn't touch. Then, I had to be patted down. Well, my pockets were full of tissues (runny noses), a couple of fake monies that Jaxon likes, 2 pacis for Jimmy. She was highly concerned about everything in my pockets.

While I appreciate the matters of security, there is no reason to be a grouch about it.

Kindness goes along way.

And a little sympathy would be nice.

Boy --- those words ring true through my whole remainder of the trip.

zero kindness.

zero sympathy.

Martha wasn't allowed to help me, so she photographed.

continuing on in my crazy day....

Remember how nice the attendants were in Dallas??? She let Will hold the kids for me while I buckled in the car seat, let us have 3 seats, talked to me like was a human, etc.

no.such.luck.in.PHL.

NONE.

I asked if I could load the car seat first. nope.

I asked if I could board early. nope.

Martha asked. nope.

Martha asked for an assistant from American Airlines to help me. nope.

Martha got angry. So did they. It was not pretty.

Lots of passengers helped me. There was a man, a complete stranger, watching Jimmy in the stroller outside the airplane on the jetway when I went to buckle in the car seat. Then a nice lady did the car seat for me so I could hurry and go get Jimmy from the complete stranger.

THEN we waited over an hour and a half on the plane.

At first the wait was going to be 30 mins to replace a part. Then we didn't hear anything at all for a while.

My kids ate all their goldfish, drank all their juice, and used up 1.5 hrs of good behavior.

The Flight Attendant sent a passenger off the plane to go ask what was going on since we hadn't heard in about an hour. Apparently, passengers can go ask for "passenger assistance" but the flight attendants can't leave the plane. Martha was still out there waiting on us to take off and she saw the RUDE gate attendants tell that man to get back on the plane and a big argument insued after that. Gosh, they were just horrible.

We were finallly told this flight was delayed significantly. We had to take all of our belongings and de-plane.

Wow! Are you kidding me????

We got off the plane and Mr. Helton got us another flight that left a few hours later.

The boys had some fun with some other older boys.

They were so sweet to play ball with Jaxon and Jimmy. They were trying to teach them how to catch and even gave Jaxon a ball they were playing with. Jaxon was trying to teach them to "hit ball" with anything you can find, this time, it was a fake Elmo phone. Those boys thought that was hilarious.

There was a "playground" nearby.

Right before our second flight boarded, Jimmy finally fell asleep.

I went to the desk to ask again for early boarding, or if Martha could keep the kids while I loaded the car seat. Guess what? It was 2 of the same women as earlier. How great is my luck? She just stood their with a mean glare. nope. nope. nope.

Then I loaded up the kids and the same stranger from the last flight was going to help me. He was in a preferred boarding group - I was normal "Group 1". I asked if I could go with him since he was going to help me. That's when the personal insults starting flying.

"who do you think you are?"

"Look at them get in line in front of a man with a cane"

And we faught back...mostly Martha faught back.

"Lovely mother you've got there"

"Stay right there, you are going to be escorted out. Do not leave."

Don't worry, Granmama didn't spend the night in jail.

I got on the plane with zero help from any airline or airport person.

Both boys were miraculously asleep for about 30 mins. I breathed in and out.

Then --- they both woke up ANGRY!!!!

They screamed bloody murder for over 30 minutes. The man with the cane was sitting by me. He helped me a lot actually over the course of our over three and a half hour flight. We sat on the run way for about 1 hr 15 mins. They screamed until the plane started going. It was horrible. There was absolutely no consoling them. A walk in the grass was the only answer. They just had to get the cry out of their system. They finally did and then we had a half way ok flight after that. Yes, Jaxon pooped in his pants but that was par for the course. We got a new DVD player (thanks Grandad!) because Jaxon broke ours on the first flight. They drank tons of juice, ate a lot of chips, Jaxon tee-teed in a water bottle during take off, played with more new toys.... Then when the pilot said we'd be landing at DFW in 30 mins I breathed in and out again. We settled in for the landing by reading "Panda Bear Panda Bear What do you see?" at least 5 times. It was such a nice landing. We got off the flight. Another kind lady helped me...had some sass from the flight attendant...went to see our daddy!

*And Jaxon walked the wrong way out of security and set off the alarm to the baggage claim area and shut down that door.*

Daddy had Chick Fil A waiting for us in the car! Went home and gave the boys a bath (almost all in antibacterial soap, haha) Jaxon was still asleep during the bath I think. The most important thing was now we are all together and so glad for it :o))))

We really did have a wonderful wonderful three weeks in PA. Jaxon still talks about all of his experiences:

big cow, big yellow, Dozier, Grandad, Granmama, golf course, baby deer, baby Kate, Hershey Kiss, New York City, Bus, Sand

It's just a shame I still have nightmares about the airplane.

"airpane, in the sky"

(-Jaxon)

BABY KATE!

2010-08-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

oh and Sarah too

ha ha

Sarah, if you haven't figured it out yet...you are the baby's accessory and not the other way around.

We were so honored that Sarah and Baby Kate drove up to see us. Usually our trip consisted of a stop in VA to see Sarah and my uncle but this year, I just couldn't swing it with both kids at this age. I was dying to meet Baby Kate and was sick at the thought of not seeing them this year. Luckily, Sarah was able to come see us for the whole weekend. It was so great! She is such a little cutie and a wonderful baby.

I loved this because Jaxon was really studying her. He's like "what's that pink thing???" But he was talking about Baby Kate for days before and after. And now, most babies are just automatically "Baby Kate".

It's funny because Jaxon and I started calling her Baby Kate way before she was born. The name stuck and she's that to everyone. I take full credit!

Jimmy Walking!!!!

2010-08-22T13:44:00.000-05:00

Now I can post that Jimmy is a walker!
He walks well over half the time now!

I am so proud of him for finally learning and he's really proud of himself too. What's sweet is that his big brother Jaxon is really really proud of him. You can see this on the video and the pictures. too too cute....

Thank goodness Will was here last week so he was in on the walking action and when we get home next week, he'll be really surprised at all Jimmy's progress for sure.

Here's my big boy today:

Jaxon has a new toy...the baby swing. ha ha. He loves it. And it's perfect for him to sit and clap and watch Jimmy walk without being "in the way".

Daddy's new shoe purchase for the boys. Guess it will be coming in handy for Jimmy now and won't only be just a fashion statement. Jaxon shoes are so dirty....

"Jaxon fast!" (his words)

Amish Country 2010

2010-08-22T13:18:00.000-05:00

I know everyone gives me a hard time for loving the Amish Country so much.

But...... what's not to love?

GOOD FOOD! Beautiful countryside! Great crafts! Fresh and organic produce!

Jaxon can add to the list of things he likes:

neigh neighs a plenty! barns! corn!

We didn't have a lot of time to explore but we went to a wonderful Dutch Restaurant called Good N Plenty and it is GOOD and PLENTY! SO YUMMY!!!!! The best Fried Chicken. ever. Also homemade ice cream and about 5 other desserts.

Man, my pants are getting so tight these past few weeks.

Near the restaurant, thank goodness, there was this cute little petting zoo next door. It totally saved us. The boys were D.O.N.E. with the traveling and sitting still. And they were so loving all the animals. Jaxon got brave enough to feed the goats!

my two little Amish boys. ha ha

off to dream land.

with their new Hershey toys. (and Jaxon still listening to the headphones)

And just as a reminder, here were last year too. 2009 Amish Country Trip

Hershey Chocolate World! Hershey, PA

2010-08-22T12:51:00.000-05:00

A favorite destination of ours is Hershey World in nearby Hershey, PA. We usually go checkout the hotel and the Hershey Park food and gift shop. They actually have a lot more to do in this CUTE little town but that's all we usually do and trust me, it's a fun day and enough chocolate for everyone. But once, we went to the Hershey Spa --- which was FABULOUS and I bathed in Chocolate --- but not this time. Stuff like that is just too hard with two kids.

Hershey Hotel:

this was actually Will's first time in Hershey!

My FAVORITE picture of us!

eek, get the baby!

Granmama and Grandad, look how well they match the flowers!

wishin'

Chocolate World!

AS SOON AS we pulled up and Jaxon saw the Chocolate World sign and the Hershey Kiss, he was so excited and kept yelling out "Jaxon shoes, Jaxon shoes" Because the Crocs he was wearing have the little Reese's and Kiss Jibitzs. It was sooooo funny that he associated that right away. And the saddest part of the day was that they didn't have anymore of those shoes. Darn. He really needed a new pair.

These pictures are on the Hershey Kiss "ride". It's a tour that explains the chocolate making process. Full of singing cows, riding a "boat", smelling chocolate!!! YUM!

And Click Here for the first time we went to Hershey in 2008.

What a fun time in Hershey World! So glad Will finally got to go!

and I just wanted to show you these shoes...The Hershey shoes that he wears like every day. They are so worn out.

My kids on YouTube

2010-08-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

Jimmy is walking....sort of....
He's not an expert yet but he's trying hard!

He hadn't been trying to walk but maybe a couple of days here. He thought he was a pro but he's so fearless in the water. It's so scary to me!

If you stand him up on the side, he will purposefully fall down in 2 seconds.

Jaxon is a freak for hitting the ball.
"hit ball" is his favorite phrase. Baseball, golf ball, football....doesn't matter. Today he taught Jimmy how to it. It was pretty priceless and of course we missed the best hits of the day but you get the idea.

And last night we had a popcorn snack after dinner. This is really Jaxon's favorite thing ever and yes he did wake up this morning asking for more for breakfast. Anyway, we had to get Jimmy on video chowing down too. It was pretty funny.

Last night the temperature was about 73 outside on the deck. SOOOOOOOOO nice.

Dada airport. big cow.

2010-08-18T22:17:00.001-05:00

yes, we all talk just like Jaxon now.

this is how he talks.

Dada Airport.

Big Cow.

What he means is:

let's go get daddy at the airport and drive by to show him the big brown cow on our way home.

Jimmy and Jaxon were SO excited to see Will but Will was even more happy to see them. And probably a little happy to see me & his parents. ;)

As you can see, this is one big cow!

Jaxon thinks this is the funniest thing he's ever seen and he loves it. He talks about it all the time and he wants to see it every time we go somewhere. It's about twice the size of Will so that means it's well over 12 feet tall.

Crayola Factory

2010-08-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

The Crayola Factory is only about 1 1/2 hours away from the Helton's in PA. I've always remembered seeing the Sesame Street spot about crayons being made and thought how cool that was! And a world of crayons - what could possibly be more fun for two kids??? So off we went....

now if I could find a peanut butter factory around here, we'd fulfill all my childhood dreams ;o)

the car ride! 2 juice cups to go!

The world's largest crayon
(and Jaxon had the only shopping cart available at the moment - pink!)

watching the man "make" crayons

the first art project we made

Granmama made this mask for Jimmy.
see it's fun for adults too!

I'm gonna get you.

see....
I just wanted to take this one picture -- CHEESE

this is modeling clay but Jaxon called it "cook"

The upstairs of the Crayola factory is a museum for trains and canals.

What are you? A crayon model? yes. you little adorable boy.

this was a BIG yellow crayon about 3 stories tall. Jaxon called it the "Big Yellow"

----this is supposed to be the last picture --- but my post is getting all messed up and I'm tired ----
I think Jaxon is dreaming about the Big Yellow. He fell asleep mid-animal cracker-snack.

Of course we stopped at the Crayola store on our way out. Now Jaxon and Jimmy have a colorful new Crayon wardrobe, some great new crayons & coloring books, an umbrella, and even a golfball for daddy's collection.

Remembering Don...

2010-08-11T08:57:00.001-05:00

In Memory of Don Ashton

We love you and Kelly and think of you every single day.

August.11.2007

Feed the ducks

2010-08-09T15:58:00.000-05:00

We went to the Lake this morning to feed the ducks leftover biscuits and pancakes. The boys were really excited!

Jaxon was laughing and calling the ducks "quack quack" and had a BALL throwing the food at the ducks.
Jimmy loved seeing the ducks but it looks like he has other ideas for his biscuits.

I told you he had other ideas for his biscuit!
"Don't let a good biscuit go to waste," he always says.

I guess the ducks got full. Jaxon wasn't even about to let them get away without a good chasing.