Blog Blitzkrieg

Making up for lost time in the blog posting department.
My apologies for bombarding you with posts... ;)

Speaking of Buddy...

A couple of favs from April/May...

Learning about plumbing and sprinklers from Daddy.

Mohawk Man.

My two favorite guys. In their tie-dyed matchy-ness.

I had my back turned for less than thirty seconds, I swear, and this is what I came back to.
(He was just SO PLEASED with himself.)
Lesson learned: Always use the straps.

The Great Outdoors

Our little guy is a HUGE outdoors enthusiast. (I guess that's part of being a boy. :))
Needless to say, the backyard is his favorite spot.
Here he is in his element...






Here's to many more years of a boy playing in dirt!

Easter

We had a busy Easter Sunday around the Hughes Zoo.
Sunrise service at church.
Home for a quick egg hunt in our new backyard!
Brunch gathering for Easter with our Sunday School class. (and Egg Hunt #2 for the kids)
Home for a quick nap.
Lunch with family. (and Egg Hunt #3 for the kids)

Extreme Couponing

I took this picture WEEKS ago with the intent to post my own little 'bragging lounge'.
I'm afraid it has lost its proverbial punch in the interim as I can no longer remember the details of the transaction. :)

4 boxes of cereal
1 pack of Pull-ups
1 pack of diapers
1 box of Lipton tea
4 boxes of band-aids
1 bag of cough drops
1 bag of jelly beans
1 bottle of eye make-up remover
1 package of Claritin


I do know that it cost a total of $23. TWENTY-THREE dollars.

And the Claritin has a retail value of almost $20 (or more!) all by itself. Not that I would ever pay $20 for it, but...

Yay for coupons!

Home Improvement-- Backyard

For Valentine's Day this year, I only asked for one thing:
A usable backyard.
Yes, I am that romantic.

We knew it would take a lot of work to get it cleaned up, so we both planned to spend our upcoming Spring Break working out in the yard and getting it ready to go.

As it turned out, we hired contractors to save Bill's back.
(Best. Money. Ever. Spent.)
Bill did a ton of work on the sprinklers, and we spent most of yesterday laying the sod ourselves.... but we let the hired help do all the heavy lifting, so to speak. ;)

Here are a few slide shows that show the before, after and work-in-progress shots:

yard- view A - slideshow maker

yard view B - slideshows

yard view C - slideshows

yard view D - slideshows

Glue and Gum

Two funny Lexy stories from the past week:

First...

One day after school last week, Lexy casually mentions to me "I told Brooke she needed to take a bath tonight." I had that internal shudder-of-fear for what might come next. We often joke around the Hughes Zoo that someone needs to take a bath because they are a 'stinky, dirty bird.'
Thankfully, she continued by saying, "She had glue all over her hair, Mom. ALL OVER." I breathed a sigh of relief. And silently chuckled to think that Lexy has become a little mother hen of her friends.

Fast forward to Monday morning. I am waiting at the kindergarten drop off gate before school when Brooke's mom approaches me... She says,

"So, apparently Lexy decided that she needed to let me know what was going on with Brooke's hair. She sent me a note-- stuffed in Brooke's pocket. She drew a picture of a girl with long hair, pointed an arrow towards it and labeled it 'Brooke'. Then she drew another arrow to her hair and wrote 'Glue In Hair'. I asked Brooke about it, and she said, 'yeah, she wanted to make sure you knew what happened.'"

Oh My Word.
Mother Hen to to the nth degree.
And so cute. :)

Second,...

The kids and I surprised Daddy on Valentine's Day by bringing him lunch during his work day. We happened to arrive on campus at the end of the brunch passing period. As we were pulling into the parking place, I looked around and realized we were totally witnessing Valentine's Day gift exchanges between young loves... And all the other things that hormonally-charged teenagers are wont to do. But no matter; we were not deterred. The girls took the food to Daddy's classroom, Daddy was equally surprised and delighted, and we went on our way.

Later that night, as we were all going through the bedtime routine, Lexy says to Bill, "Daddy, today at your school, I saw this boy and girl... and they were kissing. I think they were switching gum, or something. I don't know. I think they were maybe boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't know though, don't ask me." Bill and I both had to bite our lips to keep from laughing.

"Switching Gum."

I love it.

And thankfully, it sparked a great conversation about kissing-- who kisses, when it's appropriate to kiss, etc.

Teachable Moments!

Button Up Buddy

Our children have many nicknames.
And, generally, Bill is the one who creates them.

When Lexy arrived on the scene, he started calling her "My Only Daughter!" in a very exasperated voice with a hint of a Spanish accent. Really, it was a movie quote. Which, if you know Bill, should come as no surprise. (It's from "Fools Rush In")

Lexy was also dubbed "Lexy Lou" from early on.... And sometimes just "Lou".... and sometimes just 'L'. And sometimes L-Dawg.

You get the picture.

Tori was born and immediately became "My Second Daughter!" as Lexy morphed into "My First Daughter!" said with the same flare. And then came a flurry of other nicknames for Tori-- "T Bone", "Tori Toops", "Toops", "T" and "LB" (for Little Bill, or the abbreviation for pound, which she was a lot of :) ) just to name a few.

So, it did not surprise me in the least when I started hearing Bill call Liam "Button Up Buddy." I had no idea what the origin of that nickname was, but I went with it, never questioning its meaning. I thought perhaps it had something to do with his little sleepers that had to be buttoned up from his toes to his neck every time we changed his diapers (read: a lot).

I carried on calling him Button Up Buddy for probably a good month or two until one afternoon when Bill overheard me and began a little internet search. Next thing I knew, I had an iTouch in my hands that displayed the following:

Apparently, "Button Up Buddy" was really "Bud, not Buddy."
Who knew?

Bill had that title stored somewhere back in the deep dark corners of his brain from his time as a middle school teacher in south central Los Angeles.

I had been referring to Liam as "Buddy" quite a bit, so (naturally?) Bill had made the progression to "Bud, not Buddy".

I guess I should get my ears checked.


Since then, I have actually read the book--and it is really good!
(Turns out those Newbery Medal & Honors people know what they're doing.)
We now own a copy for our own little Bud, Not Buddy's personal library.

Snow!

About every 20 years or so, there is a weather anomaly that happens and it snows in our normally sunny, southern California town. The last time it happened was in 1989, when I was in junior high. I distinctly remember making a glorious snowman at the local elementary school yard, and later driving across town with my dad through snow flurries because I *had* to have a new padlock for my gym locker at school. (For any of you local readers, we were driving to the then **NEW** Target shopping center, which at the time, was a good 2 miles north of any other development here in town. In other words, way out in the middle of nowhere. Funny how things change.)

So, flash forward to January 2, 2011, and the magic happened again. SNOW.

And we weren't even home to see it. :)

But...

We were up in the mountains enjoying the fluffy white stuff. Lots more of it, actually.

still shot before they head down the hill

These pictures were all taken in the morning, before it started snowing. The storm that brought 1 inch (or so) of snow to our hometown brought about 12 inches of snow to the mountains that afternoon and evening. It was a winter wonderland. And I didn't take any more pictures. But it was gorgeous. :) And we were thankful to make it home, fearing we might be snowed in. Neither Bill nor I were raised in snow, so clearly our perspective is a bit skewed, but it seemed like it was DUMPING snow us as we were driving home. With chains. CRAZY.

Such a fun weekend, and so thankful that our kids get to experience the fun of snow!

Florida Recap

Christmas Morning Sunrise
Pompano Beach, FL

Well, despite my commitment to finishing out the month of November with a 'thankful' post each day.... I fell short. Didn't finish the last 5 days, but that doesn't mean I wasn't thankful. :) Just busy.

No matter... I'm back, and more thankful than ever!

So, I missed the whole month of December in between--
recap: Bill had a birthday, we traveled to Florida for Grandmother Hughes' 90th bday (Dec 24th), and, of course, Christmas! (more on that later)

Our trip in Florida started out like this.

Southernmost Point of the Continental Unite States
Key West, FL

And then we did a lot of this.

Beach time with Daddy

And this.

Swimming in a warm hotel pool.

And this.

Liam's first east coast beach outing.

And this. (Lexy's favorite part, actually)

"Meeting New Cousins."
(or, meeting 2nd cousins for the first time)

And this.

Snuggling with GPa.

And this.

Celebrating Grandmother Hughes.

At Grandmother's Birthday Party
Christmas Eve 2010

And on Christmas Morning in the hotel, we had a very small celebration of Christmas. The girls have been asking for "Space Buddies" for the past 2 yrs, and despite our efforts, we could not produce. It is 'out of print,' so to speak. But, we were fortunate to have been given a used copy by some friends who were cleaning out their DVDs, and we knew we'd have some THRILLED little ladies because of it. So we captured their reactions....
I'll count that as a Christmas Success!

Thankful Day 25

Today I am thankful for 5 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
May not seem like much, but it is the most I'd had in longer than I can remember.

Liam and Lexy both currently have double ear infections. This on the coattails of the single ear infections (and prescribed antibiotics) they had last week.

Needless to say, I've spent a lot of the nighttime hours awake, playing the role of comforter and nurse.

Last night, Bill took over with Liam and let me sleep.
It was glorious.

And I feel like a new woman.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

Thankful Day 24

Today I am thankful for three children all napping at the same time.

It is a rarity.... something to be celebrated when it happens.

So, today I celebrate.

I am savoring the silence, knowing that in a very short time, the house will be full of laughter and chatter once again. And I will still be thankful.

Thankful Day 23

Today I am thankful for heaters.

Yet another modern convenience that makes me realize I am so not cut out for life in a prior century.

What a blessing it is to be in a WARM house.

Thankful Day 22

Today I am thankful for my husband.
I am thankful for him EVERY day, but today I will tell you why. :)

He is absolutely passionate for the Lord, and his passion is contagious.

He has a fantastic sense of humor and makes me laugh. (most of the time. :))

He loves our children and yearns for them to know God.

He has such a servant's heart and is always looking for ways to help others.

He is a faithful and loyal friend, both to me and to countless others.

He is dedicated and disciplined, waking up before the sun most days to train both physically and spiritually.

He consistently provides for our family, even on days when he'd rather stay home with us.

He has a "can do" attitude in his approach to just about everything life throws his way.

He doesn't take himself too seriously, and can humbly defuse conflicts with his wisdom and wit.

He cooks; he cleans; he empties the dishwasher.

He stretches me to see things from a different perspective and encourages me to search my heart.

He knows how to fix things. And if he doesn't know how to do it, he'll figure it out.

He loves sports-- watching them and playing them.

He is enthusiastic about life and loves an adventure.

He is just the man God made for me, and I am so honored to share life with him.
(Love you, Bill!)

Thankful Day 21

Today I am thankful for hope.

We found out yesterday that our former pastor and friend Tom Givens -- the man who married Bill and I-- was recently diagnosed with ALS.

Absolute Blow To The Gut.

It makes no sense. This, for a man who has devoted his life to proclaiming the gospel.

And yet, we have HOPE.
Because God is good. And He is Sovereign.

⁷ But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

⁸ Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be my light.

Micah 7: 7-8

Join me in lifting the whole Givens family up in prayer as they process all of this.

Thankful Day 20

Today I am thankful for my pastor and my church, who faithfully teach the Word of God every week.

⁸ Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
⁹ Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
¹⁰ Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
¹¹ Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

¹² Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
¹³ you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
¹⁴ He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵ He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
¹⁶ the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
¹⁷ He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
¹⁸ “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”

¹⁹ When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
²⁰ they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
²¹ He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
²² “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”

²³ Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
²⁴ Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

²⁵ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
²⁶ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
²⁷ Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

²⁸ Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
²⁹ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
³⁰ Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

³¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
³² Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
³³ Let the trees of the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.

³⁴ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
³⁵ Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”

1 Chronicles 16:8-35

Thankful Day 19

Today I am thankful for hot showers.

As I was standing under the steamy, cascading water in my shower today, I started thinking.

I find it AMAZING how a good, hot shower can turn any day around. No matter how tired or emotional you feel, standing under that running water seems to just wash all your cares away.

What a privilege it is to live in a country where we have clean, running HOT water at our fingertips. Especially in light of the cholera outbreaks going on in Haiti due to contaminated water, access to clean water is not something to take for granted.

I am so thankful. (And clean.) :)

Thankful Day 18

Today I am thankful for 'roots'.

The thought hit me today as I was walking home from Lexy's school....
It is such a neat feeling to live in a community where I have 'roots.'

Backing up a bit....
As I was walking her to school at 7:58am, I came across a friend of mine that I have literally known since preschool who was frantically trying to get her kids to the proper places before the bell rang. With a slight pang of panic in her voice she said, "Jenn, can you take Annabelle to her class for me? I forgot her Pilgrim costume at home and I have to go get it!"

This morning was the kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast, and all of the kindergartners were supposed to come to school in their previously-made Pilgrim or Indian costumes.

So... I grabbed Annabelle's hand-- a child whom I have never really talked to before-- and we all walked the rest of the way to the kindergarten classrooms together, without a second thought.


I stayed and enjoyed the Thanksgiving "Feast" (term used very loosely as the meal consisted of goldfish crackers, popcorn, pumpkin bread and apple juice) with Lexy and her classmates and then headed home.

As I walked home through the gorgeous tree-covered paseos, I replayed the morning's events in my head and I was struck with one of those "I'm so thankful" moments. And for lack of a better word, I realized it was the 'roots'. Being part of a community for 34 years allows for some very long-standing, deep roots, and I am grateful for the blessing they are in my life. AND I am very aware that I may not always have the privilege of being 'rooted' in the community in which I live, so I will celebrate the blessing of my current 'roots' all the more.

Thankful Day 17

Today I am thankful that we have a break just around the corner.

Tomorrow is Lexy's last day of school until the Monday after Thanksgiving, and boy, do I need the break. I'm not sure why, but I just feel exhausted. Like I need some time to catch up. So, this upcoming school vacation-- Fall Break, if you will-- is just what the doctor ordered.

Now, if you'll excuse me... I must head to bed because I have to have my afternoon kindergartner at school by 8:00 am tomorrow morning. Busy, busy morning.... but she'll be FREE by 11:40!
Hooray for vacation.

Thankful Day 16

Today I am thankful for my mom. (Hi Mom!)

It is such a blessing to have her so close-- practically around the corner-- and be so involved in the lives of her grandchildren.

Yesterday, Grandma volunteered in Lexy's kindergarten class. (She is also the Art Appreciation teacher for Lexy's class once a month!)

This morning, Lexy and Tori made their weekly trip to her house for "Tuesday Tea."

This evening, she called and offered to bring dinner over to our house-- Homemade Chicken soup. Mmmmmm. One of my favs.

Thanks, Mom. :)
I am so blessed.