Updates... a little more detailed than my Christmas post!

It's been a WONDERFUL 2009, and makes me hopeful for 2010, and maybe a little bit ready to turn 30. I had a list of things to accomplish before the big day.... best shape of my life (very generic, I know!)... don't think I quite made it, but did run 2 half marathons, so I'll check that off my list! Started my business- check. Worked on my attitude- check (okay- so I still need help from time to time to time to time), but I am getting there! I don't ever want to stop improving myself... I never want to think I know everything. I never want to become so cynical that I can't understand why another person behaves the way they do. Maybe this is a start to 2010's list! Also- just got an iphone... didn't really want one to begin with.... but these apps are AMAZING!!!! For anyone wanting to lose weight this year... lose it is an awesome app. I am obsessed with entering my food in!
On to the the family.... Channing is SOOOOO easy these days. We love to hang out together, and she just lights up the house with her laughter and mischievous grin! She is learning so much at school, and she is really good in gymnastics. Her favorite move is "skin the cat". She uses lots of big words, even if they don't go with the sentence! Jaxson is precious, can say so many words at 18 months (hungry, hold me, my momma, cat, cow, dog, horsey.... pretty much anything), and makes us laugh, but he is really difficult right now, wanting me or Paxton by his side constantly! I can't go to the bathroom alone anymore! I am so exhausted by the end of the day- I tell Paxton I am one kid away from becoming an alcoholic. He thinks I am kidding. Paxton is doing great- loving his office and agents, and we just found out we won the Austria trip in April---- yipppeeee!!!!! Oh- and we decided- for now at least- no more babies. 2 is a good number, and I don't want to be institutionalized at 30.
Well- that is about it for now. By the way- thank you to my best friend Stacie for taking me to her Dallas Cowboys Christmas party! It was a blast, and fun to see what all the rich and beautiful people look like up close(I think even the 20 year olds have had face lifts!) Oh- and the food was AWESOME!!!!
Happy New YEAR!!!!!!

Merry Christmas

Who did we see? Where did we go??
Frisco to see Pappy, Nanny Deb, Aunt Kristin, Uncle Sean, Chloe, Molly, and Caden
Farmersville... Wright Christmas on Sunday, Dallas Cowboys Party on Monday, Ice sculpture on Tuesday, Daddy arrived on Wed., Hurst Christmas Thursday, and to Abilene for my side of the family on Friday.

November Updates

Can't believe it is already November! I really love it! Hate the time change, but love the cooler weather and holiday season! We have been doing well, lots of traveling and company. I did my first "real" wedding a couple of weeks ago, and it went well. I also photographed 2- 3 week old babies--- I LOVED it, and the pictures really turned out pretty good! Juli did a great job with the enhancements. Paxton is doing good as usual, and has decided to try to get up earlier, and finally wants to start exercising again. The kids are both wonderful.... Channing is still loving pre-k, and Jax goes to the little gym on Wed. He really likes it, but I think I may consider a different activity when this runs out. He is almost 17 months, and is talking lots, but "hungry" is definitely his favorite word! What else..... he is getting picky, but when you find something he likes, he will eat and eat and eat. He is very fast, and loves to run. He is lovable sometimes, gives good hugs and kisses. He tells Channing "my momma!" when she hugs me. He bugs her as much as he possibly can, and she cries and runs from him like he can really do some damage. I guess that is what girls and boys do! I'm going through a rough patch with him right now- he is very difficult, wanting to be held a lot, climbing on top of everything, crying more than usual-- I think he is getting teeth again. I will be so happy when all of these teeth come it! Channing has been really, really good. Sometimes I feel bad that she gets a little left out because he demands so much. But we do our best and she doesn't seem to be affected. More later!

Happy Halloween!

This was the best Halloween yet, hands down. Not that we did anything spectacular, but just having both kids, and watching them enjoy everything was great. Wed. before Halloween I took the pictures for Channing's school fall festival, and then on Friday Jax and I went to her class party. Jax was a total mess.... of course he had the biggest poop ever which ended up all over his pants, so he spent the last half of the party in his diaper... we looked like real winners! And then he dove (is that word??) head first into a box of goodies one of the students brought. I guess he was Channing's show and tell for the day! On halloween, we went to the Little Gym for a little carnival, then to a retirement home to trick or treat.... that was cute.... and then to the community fall festival. Chann and Jax were raggedy ann and andy- so cute! JAx would not keep his hat/ wig on of course, but just to get a few pictures was enough. Channing was so cooperative this year and went around with her long yarn hair all day!

Fun in Fredericksburg

Things here have been going great! Jaxson had a 4 day fever last week, and after a dr. appt. complete with nose swab, finger prick, and complete meltdown, he got a clean bill of health- just a little virus. The swine flu has everyone jumping through hoops, but I guess it's worth it to avoid being one of the "rare" cases. He is almost 16 months, and his new big word is "hungry", which he uses CONSTANTLY! He also pats me on the leg and says "momma" over and over when I am not giving him my undivided attention. His hair is as wild as the wind, and he loves to provoke "sissy". Channing is memorizing every song that comes on the radio, and asks very detailed questions about everything. She LOVES pre-school this year, which is a change from years past. Taking her to mother's day out was always such a beating, but now she is up and at 'em on school day! I love it, and she is learning so much! Photography is going well, too. We have done many sessions this past month, and have more scheduled. It is fun, and I really believe it is what I supposed to be doing (part-time, and of course aside from taking care of my family, which is still top priority). I am doing a wedding in November, and can't wait. I met the beautiful couple a few weeks ago, which got me even more excited! Paxton is doing awesome as usual, and I love him more everyday!

We met Jeff, Ally, and Sadie in Fredericksburg to get together, and also so I could do their pictures. We had such a good time- I hated to leave them! Sadie is almost exactly the same age as Jax, so they had fun. And Channing loves to mother all the little ones!

new website....

I have had a lot of you say that you saw I had my business up and running, but didn't know the website name.... it is http://pocketfullofposes.org/. Sorry about that! Here is a recent portrait!

Vacations!!!!!

speaks for itself

..........

View from the pier at the Gaylord- gorgeous sunset

Our friends Ally and Sadie

Hurst family in our matching t-shirts!

night of the big bash! lots of fun and entertainment

Me and my "happy" little person

Our group- Atascosa county

Jaxson in Shamrock playing in the bird bath

Jax, Molly, Caden, Channing, Chloe

Me and and my lovely husband

My little sidekicks

Caden helping out Grandpa

Can't believe I haven't posted pictures from DC- especially since it was Jaxson's first real vacation! We had a great time in Washington... Paxton won the trip, and we LOVE to go and hang out with all of our friends from back home, and also to spend more time with the people we are just getting to know! The other pictures are from our trip up to the panhandle this past weekend. I really dreaded making a 9 hour road trip with the kids, but I was pleasantly surprised. At least with the ride up there- coming back was a little rough! But seeing my grandmother, and the rest of the family was well worth it!!!! I can't believe how well she is doing! Also- Channing and Jaxson enjoyed spending time with all of their cousins, and there was so much room for them to run and play! Jaxson is now 15 months old, and he is quite a little comedian. Something about his gap teeth and squinty little smile make me laugh!!! Channing is doing GREAT at her new school. She loves to go, gives us no trouble in the morning, and is in the best mood when we pick her up.

Chann's Party!

What a fun dress up party we had!!! It was right up Channing's alley, with all the little girls running through the house dressed up like princesses- oh and of course we had one "Super Girl" because she was just too old to dress up like a princess :)! Channing was Cinderella, and she was just so happy all day! I liked having a morning party because we got it over with, and everyone could go on to enjoy their weekend- but it's kind of crazy from the the time you wake up until it is over! I had Paxton take Chann and Jax to get balloons and the pinata so I could do all the last minute stuff, and that was a lifesaver! During the party, the girls played in the playroom, ran shrieking through the house, decorated princess hats, and of course had a ball blasting that pinata in our "beach" yard! I can't believe she is 4!!! Time flies!

August Updates!

At the parade

Fun at the beach!

Channing's bday celebration and the ranch

I have so much to update! I don't even know where to start. I still have pics from DC to update, but haven't gotten around to it. We went there near the same time we were moving, and it has all run together. Channing just turned 4, and is having her party this weekend. We celebrated with family last weekend. She is getting so big!!! And I just love watching her and Jaxson interact. They are starting to fight and bicker already, and it is hard not to laugh! We had a fun week last week..... we went to a big play land, and they LOVED it!!! We also went to the beach on Monday, just Juli, Tanner, and me and the kids. We had a blast!

WE'RE IN YEAHHHHHH!!!!

front porch

Backyard

master bath

kitchen

view from family

guest room

channing's room

dining room

family

family from entry

We are all settled (except for our disastrous yard and garage), and LOVING THE HOUSE!!! Yes- the floors are just as hard to keep clean as I thought they would be, but aside from that- I wouldn't change anything! It's wonderful to have a slightly smaller house to clean, but it is so organized and useable, that I don't even miss the space!!! And honestly, at this moment, I feel better than I have felt in 3 years probably. I am exercising again, getting dressed on a daily basis (big victory for me these days!), and really enjoying being with kids, cooking, and even cleaning!!! Hopefully this feeling lasts! It helps that the kids sleep all night almost everynight now, and they are both doing well by the way. Chann has an ear infection right now but seems okay during the day, and Jaxson is teething on and off. Good days are great- the bad days are pretty horendous, but I know they will pass. Here are some pictures of the interior of our new house. I got an entire week without the kids to decorate and put things away- so when they got home it was like extreme home makeover. Maybe that's a little dramatic, but that's how I felt tying up all the lose ends the few hours before they got home!!!