Happy New Year.......

.......22 days later!  It has taken me a few weeks to get back in the swing of being online again.  We finally got internet service at our new home a week ago, and after catching up on some other things, I have finally gotten around to the blog! 

Let's see.....the move went well, and we are loving our new home.  Hudson loves the room he has outside to run around, and his favorite thing to do inside is make circles around the bar in the kitchen.  Being 10 minutes outside of College Station isn't nearly as convenient as it was when we were right in the middle of town, but we have settled in great and are loving everything about this place!    

Less than a week after we got moved, Christmas was here!!  The days leading up to Christmas were full or packing and more packing, but we made time to make sure Hudson KNEW it was definitely Christmas.  One night before we moved, we took him to Santa's Wonderland just outside of College Station.  It was amazing!  You would not believe the lights, and the music, and the fun!  There was so much to do and look at.  I would recommend it to anyone.  It seems to get bigger and better every year. 

We had a wonderful Christmas.  We spent Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve morning at our house, and then put about 90,000 miles on the the Hummer....just kidding, but it was worth it.  We love traveling to see family....it's just the traveling home part that is never fun.  We had Christmas in College Station, Wortham, Jacksboro, Henrietta, and Tehuacana.  We are so blessed and thankful. 

Christmas with Hudson was fun last year, but it was a blast this year.  Last year, we were just getting him healed up from surgery the week before.  This year, he was healthy and knew everything that was going on.....from unwrapping gifts to the "star" on the tree.  Seeing him soak in the spirit of Christmas was amazing.

Of course, we had to get Christmas Pictures made.  There were so many good ones, but these are our favorites!!  And does he look like a 15 month-old to you?  I think he looks so big!  The one in the blue sweater...He looks like a 3 year-old!  Sweet boy is getting big too fast.

Hudson has changed a lot in the past six weeks too.  His vocabulary is growing every day, and he is definitely a little chatter box.  He is very strong-willed and sometimes even a little stubborn.  His love for music shows more and more every day....and he will sit in his room and look at books on his own for almost an hour at a time sometimes.

He had his one year post-surgery follow-up at Texas Childrens on January 5th, and everything looks great.  His upper lobe of his lung has filled in the whole empty space that was left by taking his lower lobe out.  There was absolutely no fluid build-up at all, and the doctor said his x-ray looked exactly like he wanted it to.  We are so thankful for such a great surgeon and God's grace through that whole ordeal, and we are so blessed that everything turned out so well the way it did.

These next pictures are from just the last couple of weeks. 

Getting ready for the Cotton Bowl

With one of my good friends from high school, Mr. Jeff Lang, at Seth Johnston's wedding

With the happy couple, Seth and Emily

Hudson LOVED the band at the reception.....so they let him play a few.

Oh my goodness!

Yes...I know I haven't posted anything since November 8th.  Free time seems to be a precious commodity around here lately.  I have snagged a few quiet minutes right now while Hudson is looking at his books.
So...to sum up the last three weeks, here are a few pictures!

Dumping his pumpkin's guts

Turned around for 20 seconds to pick up some sticks, and this is what I found.

Soaked from his neck down.

At the TSCRA Ranch Gathering.  Don't know if Santa can fit this in his sack.

Tailgating for the A&M/Nebraska game.  Showing Miss Avery his wheels.

The last couple of weeks have been filled with Juice Plus+, traveling for Thanksgiving, and getting ready to move on December 17th.  We had a great Thanksgiving in Jacksboro and Wortham. Hudson got his first really bad boo boo.  He gashed his chin on the fireplace in Jacksboro.  It probably could have used a couple of stitches, but once we saw that a butterfly bandage would hold it together ok, we decided to skip the trauma of the ER for Hudson.  It has already started to heal up just fine with lots Bio Oil, Neosporin, and extra Juice Plus+. 

Asleep after getting his boo boo all fixed (grilled cheese in hand)

Swinging with Papa T. in Jacksboro

Loved all the "stars!" on the tree in Wortham

It actually got cold here for a couple of days, and Hudson loves to bundle up and play outside.

This week we have been trying to get everything in line for moving to our new home on the 17th.  Though I am more than ready to get out to our new place, I am really dreading the actual moving part.  I hate packing!  There is just no fun in it....I guess because I have done it so many times already.  This move will not be nearly as hard as our last one from Pleasanton to College Station.  This time we are just going 8 miles, but still....

Last night between our "move planning", Hudson and Daddy found some time to wrestle.

I LOVE these boys

Hudson has really been talking the last couple of days.  He always jabbers and has never really been a quiet boy, but we have noticed lots of new words coming  from him just since we got home from our Thanksgiving travels.  Some of his new words are, "Lemon, grapes, tractor, and hush."  Yes, hush.  I am really going to have to start watching myself because he has really started to repeat things.  Just today we were driving with his window down and he heard a crow.  Out of no where he says, "Bird! Caw caw caw!!" and he sounded just like the crow he heard outside!  His other words include, "bird, stars, moon, brown, bus, bath, mama, daddy, Dus, ice, get down, banana, strawberries, and baby."  We are really working on, "Thank you and Please".





Another week has flown by!  Last weekend Dustin and I had both our families here for the annual family rivalry of Texas A&M vs Texas Tech football.  It was a fun weekend with Hudson.  He sported both team's colors and went to tailgate with us before the game.  And....the Ags won!  Whoop!

 

That Sunday night we took Hudson out for his first trick-or-treating adventure. He was a Nome! He might have looked a little more like he belonged to Snow White, but he was cute either way. We still can't believe he wore the beard the whole time!

JP+, New House, & Zoo!

Oh, geeeez!! Yes, I know.  It has been a while.  The past week has been a whirlwind but definitely worth telling about!
Last week, my mom and I went to the Juice Plus+ National Conference in Orlando, Florida.  It was amazing!  Fun, exciting, invigorating, informational, inspiring, exhausting,....and did I say fun? I began my Juice Plus+ business this past March after having been on it since I was 20 weeks pregnant with Hudson.  A dear friend told my mom about it when we found out about Hudson's lung mass, and I firmly believe JP+ and lots of prayer are why Hudson is here today.  Believing in it so much and knowing the strong scientific studies that support it's benefits, I wanted to promote it to everyone I know!  I must say that Juice Plus+ has been a wonderful blessing both health-wise and financially! 
At the conference, we got to meet Bear Grylls (Man vs Wild on the Discovery Channel).  He is going to be the national spokesperson for JP+ in the coming months.  He has been taking JP+ since he was a teenager; took it to climb Mt. Everest, takes it everywhere he goes, has his entire family on it, took it while in the England Special Forces, and calls it "Gold Dust".

This was as close as I could  to get to Bear while clicking my camera....but I did get two things signed by him!

We were only in Orlando Thursday through Saturday.  Hudson stayed in Wortham with Great-Grandmommy and Great-Grandaddy.  He played with the bok-boks, watched the trains go by, played in the leaves, rode the tricycle, and definitely kept them busy.

Monday was Closing Day for our new home!!  It is our's now!!  We have been renting a cozy little home in College Station since we moved here last September, but we have found one outside of town that we are ready to call our own.  It is perfect with lots of room to run and play.  We closed on Monday, but we won't be moving until December.  Our lease doesn't run out until then, and the previous owners are building, and their house isn't quite ready, so it all worked out just right.  We are anxious to get moved soon!

Annie's Kitchen

Dustin's Kitchen

Looking from the front sidewalk down the driveway

Yesterday was my birthday, and I am only mentioning it because it was so great!!  I will skip the part about turning 28 because I just as soon be 23....but anyway.  I had lunch with my mom and Hudson, and then when Dustin got home, he took me to get a new iPhone 4!!  I was so excited and am still working on figuring it all out, but it is so much fun.  I know I am behind the whole iPhone era, but I will catch up quickly.

Today, Dus and I decided to take Hudson on his first trip to the ZOO!!  He loved every bit of it.  From his reactions, we think the giraffes and the lions were his favorite.  Cameron Park Zoo in Waco is a great little zoo.  It took us about an hour and a half to get through it, and we finished right before the rain began to pour.  AND THEN....to continue my birthday weekend, I had a request for Poppa Rollo's Pizza.  Can I just say, "Mmmmm".  If you haven't had it....Go!  My parents used to take Blake and I there when we lived in Waco all the time, and I do believe it is the best pizza I have ever had.

This next week's agenda includes finding a Halloween costume for this sweet boy, the A&M vs Tech game, and trick-or-treating with Hud!  Can't wait!

Red Mango, Venison, and Choo Choo's

This past Wednesday Dustin and I celebrated 3 years of marriage.  We had a great date night...steak at The Republic, yogurt at Red Mango (our newest favorite in town...sooo good!), and Wall Street at the movies!  So much fun with my sweets.

On Thursday Dustin went to Rock Springs for his bow hunting trip.  He got a doe so that we could put some meat in the deep freeze.  I do have to brag a little bit because Dustin shoots a traditional long bow and wooden arrows.  Compound bows have a huge advantage as they can be drawn way before a critter gets close enough to hear it being done.  Dustin's long bow, on the other hand, with 75 pounds of pressure (I think it's 75), has to be drawn right when ready to shoot...and this is hard to do when a skiddish animal is less than 25 yards away.  My savage did it though!! 

While Dustin was in Rock Springs, Hudson and I were in Georgetown.  We finally found a StrideRite store so that Hud could get some good shoes.  Lakeline Mall has so many neat things for kids!!  Of course, Hudson had to ride the choo choo, and he grinned from ear to ear the whole time.

3 Year Anniversary

Dustin Tyler, I am the luckiest girl in the world.  Three years ago today, God blessed me with getting to marry my best friend...the one who makes me laugh, gives me strength and confidence, understands my fears and quirks, lifts me up, supports my views and opinions, showers me with gifts, gave me the most precious little boy in the world, and loves me to no end.  We work together, survive together, and flourish together....and there is no one in the world I would rather live this amazing life with than you.  I love you to the moon and back forever, and I am so so very thankful for you and our fun and amazing and real marriage.  "This is my solemn vow...."

 The first few of our six years together

Ocotber 6th, 2007

And now this precious little angel has taken over, but we wouldn't have it any other way!

His love is truly shining on us

Calame Get-Together

This past weekend we got together with the Calames, my grandaddy's side of the family, in Kirvin/Wortham.  Not everyone was there, but it was great to see those who came.  Hudson had fun playing with his cousins and sliding on the slide.  He looked so big in his big-boy jeans and shoes, and now that he is walking everywhere he thinks he is just too big for his britches!

Swinging with Daddy

Busy Busy

Big Boy

Uncle Blake and Great-Grandaddy

Hudson and His Great-Grandaddy

Hudson's Great-Great -Grandmother