The Great Outdoors

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the snow on the ground just sparkled. I have been so greatful to have a mild winter this year so Peanut can get out and explore his new world. So yesterday we packed a lunch and headed out to the Arboretum. Thank you so much to my loving in-laws who gave us a family membership. What a wonderful gift of nature for my little boy!

We started off inside and enjoyed an art display, peeked into the restaurant, strolled the gift shop, and just did some exploring...

                                                                      I love this room! 

                                                             The Indoor Conservatory

 I know that the Spring will be a beautiful time outdoors at the Arboretum, but so is the Winter we discovered

                          This tree is my favorite picture of the day (of the non-Peanut pics)  smile.

Some of the roads were not shoveled so we just had to wonder what other beautiful winter scenes they might lead us to...we will be back to travel them soon.

                                              This is how we felt about our day

TGI....S?

Thank God It's Sunday! We do love our weekends around here, but sometimes they're packed so full of family fun that we're exhausted by their end. Which is really a great thing. Smile. We started this one off Friday night at Best's company Christmas party. Such a hoot! We played the gift exchange game and I scored this sweet t.v.

   

(Details on Super Bowl party coming soon...)

Peanut spent the night with his sweet Aunt and cousins who just love to spoil him rotten. Mommy is so thankful to have them. The next morning we swooped him up and were off to the mall for family portraits

They asked if we would be willing to allow our pictures to be used for advertising and we obliged by signing a release form.  If you happen to know that they ask everyone to do this, please don't tell us.  We are feeling pretty special.  Smile.

We then enjoyed some LeAnn Chin in the food court. If you have not had their Bourbon Chicken I highly recommend it.  I picked it because Best got it and I have learned that he is rarely wrong about most things, and never about good food.

Best then had to scoot off to a hockey game and Peanut and I headed home to rest before our evening festivities began. I figured he would be exhausted after his late night with his cousins and no morning nap....but there was something else on his mind.

He is crawling like crazy, starting to pull up, and facinated with electronics...hmmn...wonder where he gets that from

So sans nap, I apprehensively decided to go ahead and attempt to join Best and his hockey team for a night of bowling. Here are the pics to prove it:

Alas, Peanut and I didn't make it but about 6 frames... We started out ok, but then someone got a little grouchy and we knew it was time for bed.  I think Peanut was ready to go too...  Tomorrow he is hanging with Best at the rink while I go to see a very special friend who is going to be blessed with her own little Peanut soon!  Motherhood means so much to me now.  I cried as I wrote the card to accompany her gift.  There are just no words, but she will soon know that. Smile.

Home Sweet Home

Leaving family and friends is always tough, but coming home to see my Best and little Furry Pants reminds me that this is where I belong. We had a great ten days in the Lone Star State!

                                                                  Four Generations

 The new "scrunchy face" Peanut is making now that I just think is the cutest thing ever!! 

Grandpa and Peanut had fun reading one of the books that Grandpa bought him for Christmas.  It is a CD player too so Grandpa got to sing some Sesame Street songs.  And last but not least, we gave him a pop quiz to see if he could name all of the characters from the show... he did pretty good!!!

I realize that he will probably never read this blog, but I just want to say a very special thank you to Vince from Delta who made our return trip so enjoyable.  He really saved the day when he spied Mr. Owl who had fallen beneath our seat.  We would have been so sad to lose him. 

 

Peanut now has 6 flights under his belt and he always does great.  Someone must have put a bug in his ear, because the Captain came all the way to the back of the plane where we were seated to say hi to Peanut.  We noticed that he also used the only aircraft restroom while he was back there but we are sure that was just an afterthought.

And just to set up the following video clip:  Peanut celebrated his 7 month birthday in Texas and decided he would just get that crawling thing going the very same day!  He had been rocking and taking a few scoots for weeks, but now he is MOBILE!  LOVE IT!  It is so fun to watch and see where he chooses to go and what he decides to investigate on his own.  I was so touched when we got home and Best had not only cleaned the whole house (tubs included!), but had also baby-proofed!  Its so great to not have to say "no" every minute, but to let Peanut explore his safe surroundings.  Don't worry, he is always under a watchful eye, but padded corners and covered plugs are a great help.  So, without any further ado... I present to you "Peanut Mobile" (and no, that is not a new app for your IPhone)

Wild Wild West

Just feel like a kid again being at my Grandma's house and so happy to see her joy as she and Peanut get acquainted.

He is just as busy here as he is at home and I'm glad I packed plenty of toys, although some new things have captured his interest.  Like the piano...

It was great to see some more relatives and enjoy good food and catching up on family news together

There are so many interesting things in this house and reminders of the past.  Here is a picture of my mother at 13 yrs. old.  I think it is beautiful, but that she looks much older than 13!

Wanted to capture the landscape and wildlife here so I took a little photography excursion this morning, but it was very cold and I didn't see the deer that I saw last night.  Maybe later today.  Anyway, here is a sampling of the terrain

Peanut is down for a nap now and I have an important decision to make...get my hair done or just lay on the sofa while I have the opportunity...hmmm.  might be a ponytail kind of day.  So just in case I spend every last second right here with my feet up, here I am yesterday when I "had my hair did".

And last but certainly not least, I miss my husband very much. 

Full Circle

There is just a very special kind of comfort and love shared with those people you have known your whole life. Seeing my very special Aunt and Uncles who played with me as a child enjoying my baby warms my heart. Remembering fun times at my grandma's house with my cousin while we watch our children play together feels so good.

The big kids had just as much fun...

Looks like a serious discussion... later the boys retired to the lounge for a few games of pool while the ladies enjoyed girl talk and baby time. :-)

 At the end of the evening we gathered together and sang to Peanut.  He loved it.  He looked a little mesmerized as he scanned the room.  He may have been a little confused, but I wasn't.  I knew exactly what was going on.  I was sitting in the middle of a whole lot of love.  To think that my baby was the focus of all of that love at that very moment was incredible.  A very smart man I know, who we were so happy to have join us that day...

...summed it up quite nicely I thought.  He said that when each baby is born there is a line of people that love that particular baby.  It starts with the mother and goes on from there.  Some babies have longer lines than others.  This day just reminded me how long Peanut's line is, and how long mine is, and how many of the same people are standing in both of those lines.

Deep In The Heart

Peanut and I were getting a little chilly so we headed South.  The warm weather was nice, but the real reason is:

Grandma and Grandpa were missing him so much they could barely stand it! 

                           Feeling right at home barefoot in the park on a January day.  Smile

           Peanut likes to inspect small things closely.  Mommy and Grandma are on the watch for ants... everything's bigger here.  Smile.

I love putting Peanut on my shoulders, but I only do it when I have someone to help me pry his little hands from my hair when we're done. Ouch! (Smile.)

 Modeling is tough work.  Time for a rest.  If I could just find a couple of people willing to stroll me down the nature trail while Mommy takes some pictures...

If you ever hear my Dad bragging about a great shot he got of a Northern Cardinal, make sure it's not this one.  This one's mine!  :-)

Nature...beautiful and makes a good second subject when my favorite is resting.  Smile.  Stay tuned, this vaca has just begun.  Smile.