Thanksgiving Fun!

Last week Klay, Tucker, and I made the long trip down to Houston to see my sister and her family. Tucker made the drive with no problem and we had a great time spending time with family and cousins. The boys played endlessly, Katie and I cooked, and Friday Roy and I braved the long lines and took advantage of the great sales at Best Buy.......at 3 A.M. We attempted to get Christmas card pictures of all the boys in their new outfits (thanks Sassy!)......and it was definitely a small circus. Here are some of the best that I was able to get:This is a picture of my sister's boys Tate and Reece. These boys had a great time all week!We had a great time and so ready to see these guys again in a few weeks!

Happy Halloween I wish you!!!

This Halloween, we had the force........

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween. Bring on Turkey Day!!!!

Long LIve the Matadors!!

In our family, fall is the absolute best time of the year. The weather is changing, school has become routine, but best of all.....
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL!!!

Yes, they have been struggling this season, but we totally support the new staff and what they are doing for the program. In the mean time we have been teaching Tucker:

1. Guns up 2. Fight Raiders Fight

3. How to sing along with R-A-I-D-E-R-Sssss!

4. Catching the ball with 2 hands

5. and form tacklingNumber 5 tends to be his favorite thus far.....
We are all excited and nervous about our upcoming game this week, and you can count on us rooting for the Raiders all weekend long!

Kitchen Entertainment!

Don't you just love how cornstarch feels in between your fingers? Tucker sure does!

Last night I was cooking dinner and was needing to entertain T-man at the same time....so I improvised....and Tucker loved it!
Well, somewhere in between the phone ringing, cornstarch in my eye, and my pasta water boiling over, I thought it would be a good idea to let Tucker have some chocolate pudding.....

Of course I let him feed himself!

Did I mention the part where I didn't think to clean up the cornstarch first? Oh well, Tucker thought it was still good! However, an IMMEDIATE bath was necessary!

So our kitchen, clothes, bathroom, and tub were huge messes, but he sure did have fun!!

Family Pictures

Here are some of my favorites from our session with Cristy Cross this past spring. I realize that was a while back, but these pictures are timeless and amazing! She does great work!! Check her out!

On a side note, happy Friday and Happy Football Season! It is most definitely the most wonderful time of the year!

Morning Routines and 37 Years

I've really enjoyed being home with Tucker this summer. We've done lots of things....walks in the morning, playing with the water hose in the afternoon, and we've even made it to the Abilene Zoo a few times.
One of the things I think he enjoys the most about mom being at home is his spoiling I mean morning routine that he has gotten so dependent on. Granted, I must admit I need a few minutes to wake up in the morning, and obviously so does he, he just has a very certain way of doing it......and it includes a brown blanket, apple juice, Baby Einstein, and an oversized dog.

Have I mentioned how much he loves Baby Einstein?
We are stuck on Baby Noah currently. He has seen the movie so many times he knows each scene by heart. He makes noises with the dolphins and he plays "peek-a-boo" with the elephant puppet when it goes into the ark.

He is even signing and screaming for 'MO! MO!' 3 scenes before the end credits.

Also, I want to give a well deserved shout-out to my parents....today is their 37TH wedding anniversary! Congrats mom and dad! I'm so glad you guys said 'I do' on this day back in '73. Their marriage has been a blessing to mine and my family's life, as well as many many more!

Lock Up Your Wipees.....

We've recently had a break-in at our house. The bandit left a rather large mess.....
He even left a trail to his get-away.....So the next time I heard the robber going through our cabinets I grab the camera to see if I could catch him in the act......and I did!

I immediately called for backup and we caught him!

But he wouldn't go down without a fight.......He finally gave in.....but I'm not so sure that the cabinets are completely safe anymore!
However the robber did promise to be good and sealed with a hug!

Tucker McWilliams, D.D.S.

There's no denying it, Tucker has way too many toys.

This is a picture of his play room after his birthday party. Granted, he had help making this mess, the point is is that it is all his stuff.

So what do you think is his favorite? Would you choose:

A) trucks, cars, and tractors? B) books, books, and more books?or....

C) a $2.50 green toothbrush?

If you choose c, then, DING! DING! DING! You got it!

This little guy is serious about some dental hygiene. He would brush his teeth 10 times a day if we would let him. I know, I know, I'm sure your thinking, "duh, Lauren he just likes the taste of the tooth paste!", but no, that is definitely not the case. He knows how and wants to brush his 7 little teeth, as well as rub the brissles all over his gums.

So I guess this goes to show one of two things: 1) we spend way too much money on toys, and 2) I think we have a future dentist on our hands.....or a dental hygienst......

Until next time!

Lions and Tigers and Bears.....OH MY!!

Today Tucker, Sassy, and I went to the Abilene Zoo.

This is Tucker and his Sassy. They are the best of buddies. The weather was most cooperative for a July morning....not too hot, not too humid.....very enjoyable.

This first picture is of Sassy and Tucker checking out the fl amigos. These beautiful birds were most interesting to Tucker because of their color and they were very active. He also really enjoyed the ducks that were in the same area. He pointed and yelled "DU! DU!" every time one came near. It is so fun to watch and listen to him......you can literally see him learning new things each day.

He picked up on quiet a few new words today such as:

"Ni-no" = Rhino

"Ion" = Lion

and "Issss"=Fish

Tucker wasn't too sure of the giraffes and their blue tongues..........but then we learned that what was so upsetting was that Sassy was giving the giraffe the cracker and not him. So, Tucker stole one from the giraffe and enjoyed it himself....YUCK!I guess we don't have to worry about him getting his daily dose of fiber today!

Until next time....

1st time Blogger!

Well, here we go.....it's official, I'm now (or attempting to be) a blogger! I love to read and follow the blogs of others, so now I think I would like to try.

My family and I live in the small town of Rotan, where I was born and raised. I will be teaching at the elementary beginning in the fall.

Klay is currently working at the Fisher County Hospital, but will be returning to school in the fall to pursue a nursing degree. He will have a couple of semseters of leveling courses, but hopes to start nursing school the following summer.

And then there's Tucker.......

Tucker is our son. He is 15 months old and full of energy. He loves cars, trucks, books, and Baby Einstein videos (particularly Baby Noah). You can bet on the fact that majority of all posts will be about this angel. This picture was taken by my sister-in-law, Kelly, at Tucker's 1st birthday party back in May. He had a wonderful time and we had a great turn out!

Well, I'm excited about my new blog and I hope that I can keep up with it......we shall see! Until next time!!