It's Mickey!

Remember last year how I was certain that Hudson was going to be a puppy dog for Halloween?! He ended up being a sweet baby cow! Then, I was determined to make sure that I got him that puppy dog costume this year. Well, that didn't happen!! He was something even better than a puppy dog. He was Mickey Mouse!! My sister-in-law was in Memphis shopping a while back and called and told me all about the Mickey and Minnie costumes at the Disney Store. She was getting EK the Minnie one and thought that Hudson needed the Mickey one. I thought he needed it too!! So that was when I forgot all about the hunt for the puppy dog costume and was proud of my sweet, little Mickey Mouse!

Us with our sweet Mickey Boy at Trick-or Trunk.

Mommy and Mickey

Todd with Minne and Mickey!

Thank you Starla!

The week of Hudson's first birthday I was also going to get his one year pictures made. I was so excited! I bought a precious new outfit and we even got his first haircut. I was very exciting about these VERY important pictures! I was not so excited when I got the proofs. They were horrible!!! I was literally in tears when I saw them. The photographer only spent about thirty minutes with us and didn't seem to care how important these pictures were to me. I learned my lesson about trying a new photographer. A day or two later, I got an email from our wedding photographer about doing some family pics for Christmas cards. It was a sign and a slap in the face for trying someone new. I said YES!! I was so glad she was able to fit us into her schedule. She made this mommy very happy! She spent over two hours with us and was very patient with us and Hudson. I am so thankful for her and her amazing talent. She is sure to {capture} that perfect shot!

Look at that sweet red headed boy!

We were very blessed to use my Aunt and Uncle's farm for our pictures. They are very special to us and it meant a lot for us to be able to use their home for these special pictures. Starla also took our engagement pictures here. It was neat getting to take new pictures here now that our family has grown.

Hudson loves to clap! This was one of the only ways we could get a good picture of him...without the paci! He was pretty happy considering the next day was when I took him to the doctor with the flu!

Thanks again Starla for sharing your amazing talent with us! We are so thankful to have you to take all our special pictures.

House Divided!

Everyone knows that Todd is an Alabama fan while and I am a Tennessee fan. This leads to some interesting Saturdays at our house. One that we always look forward to is the Third Saturday in October....which for some reason has turned into the Fourth Saturday in October. Our plan is to make it a tradition to go to the game but haven't been able to make it since Hudson was born. We usually try to get together with friends for the big game. This year we watched it with some other friends who are also a house divided. It is always nice to have some other Tennessee fans to cheer with. We were all on pins and needles the last few seconds of the game. It turned out to be an exciting game and I was really hoping the Vols could have pulled off the upset. Todd was pretty happy with the outcome of the game but he did say it wasn't pretty! I don't think anyone expected it to be that close or that exciting! Until next year........

Homecoming 2009!

A WHITE OUT was declared at Eagle Stadium for Homecoming 2009 as the Eagles took on the Lexington Tigers. It was a great game but the Eagles were defeated in the last few minutes of the game with a final score of 28-21. It was nice to see lots of old friends from High School and the new ones we have made along the way. The Eagles have their last game Thursday night in Jackson against Liberty! It is a huge game and determines where they stand in the play offs. Good Luck Eagles!!

Hudson loved his pom pom.

Presentation of the Homecoming Court

The Homecoming banner!

You can see more information about the Eagles by visiting their website!http://www.ironeaglefootball.net/

Welcome baby Keenan!

A few weeks ago we had a surprise shower for my cousin KB. Her and her husband were in the process of adopting a newborn baby boy. You can read her awesome blog here http://katiebethandpatmac.tumblr.com/. With their first two adoptions the boys were around the ages of two and three so they didn't have a whole lot of newborn things. I also have to mention that this adoption happened really fast and wasn't expected to happen this soon. SO you can imagine the craziness in her world as she was preparing to bring home her newborn baby. She was coming home one weekend so it was the perfect time to shower her with lots of things for her and her sweet baby!

Opening presents

All babies need Butt Paste

KB with her biggies! They were so excited about getting a baby brother. I also think they were ready to dig into that cake!

Meet Keenan Jakobe McCarthy born on October 3, 2009 at 11:45 p.m. He was 6lbs and 12 ounces. He is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! He is an answer to so many prayers! Please continue to pray for him and his new family as they adjust to their new life together. We love you Keenan and we are so happy God blessed all of our lives with you!!

It will happen soon enough!

I just knew since Hudson started crawling so early that he was going to be walking by now. We have several walking toys and he pushes them and walks all over the place. He is just not ready to let go and take off just yet. He has taken four or five steps between the couch and coffee table and to his cousin Miller but that's all. I am honestly ok with that. I have said before that I am fine with the fact that he isn't walking yet. That means I don't have to chase him any more than I already am! There have only been a couple situations when I have "wished he was walking" and I usually take it back after a few minutes. I would love to see him run to his daddy on the football game after a big win or run around with other kids at a birthday party. I know it will happen soon enough and then I won't be able to keep up with him.

Hudson checking out his new toy from Nana and Poppa

I think I will push it....

This is so fun!!

Flu, flu and more flu...

The flu has officially invaded our house! Todd came down with it a few weeks ago and then last Saturday my mom came down with it. Hudson has had a cough for a couple weeks and is also getting four new teeth. Then, on Wednesday he had a low grade fever so I broke down and took him to the pediatrician. Guess what? He had the flu! By Thursday, my sis-in-law Cherith and my niece Ella Kate both tested positive for it. So you can imagine how crazy things have been. Then, I had an awful headache that lasted over a week. I finally had to go to the doctor for my headaches. They did some test and everything seems to be ok...just a headache that is probably caused by stress. So three co-pays, two prescriptions of Tamiflu and some muscle relaxers later......we are all feeling much, much better!!

Friday Night Lights!

Being married to an assistant football coach means lots of Friday nights at the football field! We are loving watching the guys play and see the progress they make from week to week. It's also nice to see that all the hard work and time away from Todd is paying off. I said at the first game, "if they don't win, I am going to be so mad since I never see my husband anymore!!" I am pretty sure they lost that game:) But they are now 2-3 which doesn't sound great but they are 2-0 in the district which is GREAT! That means we are tied for first in the district and still have a really good chance at going to the playoffs! They have already accomplished so much this season, including beating McNairy Central, one of their rivals and a team they haven't beaten since the early 1990's! I was so excited! This Friday is our homecoming game (I am allowed to say "our" since Todd is coaching at my Alma Mater) and they are playing Lexington. It should be a great game and hopefully another moral victory for Todd since he taught in Lexington last year!

Ready for the game!

Here they come!

Ella Kate came for a game. She loved it! She loved seeing Uncle Todd on the field and she really loved the frozen pickle juice....eww!

Hudson watching the game!

A whole new world!

One of Hudson's big presents he got for his birthday was his new front facing car seat. He barely fit the weight mark, especially since he has had two stomach bugs in the last three months. So we were very excited when we were finally able to get rid of the baby seat and put him in his big boy seat. I will admit it was kind of bittersweet. I am happy that he is a healthy, growing boy and big enough for his new seat, but sad that my baby is turning into a toddler! He looked so big sitting up and looking out the window. It really was like a whole new world for him. He was a very happy boy!! We know that this may not last long and eventually he will hate riding in the car period, but for now we are all enjoying the new seat.

My big boy in his new seat

He loved looking out the window! Now...if we could just get rid of that paci!!

First Birthday Bash!!

We celebrated Hudson's birthday last Saturday! It was a great day! Hudson was surrounded by so many of our friends and family that love him to pieces. He loved his party, as much as a one year old can. He liked opening his presents and he LOVED his cake. He wasn't real sure what to do at first but eventually he dug into it. He got so many toys, books and clothes, which mommy and daddy were very thankful for. One of his favorites was from Kealeigh, a dump truck filled with blocks. He loves pushing it all over the place and he is actually playing with it now! He also loves to get in it and be pulled around. He is a mess!! Here are lots of pictures from his party....

Hudson opening his presents....with the help of Kealeigh and Ella Kate!

More presents.......

Hudson's star cake! The big cake was similar but square...it was delicious! We of course had to get a Dumplin's cake since that is mommies favorite and we got Chocolate Chip for daddy:)

Singing Happy Birthday!! I will admit...this was the moment I cried. I could not believe that my sweet baby boy was turing one. I am blessed by this child every day!!

Yummy cake:)

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!

I can not believe that my sweet baby boy is already ONE year old. It seems likes yesterday we were at the hospital waiting on his arrival and were blessed with this beautiful strawberry-blonde baby boy. Our lives were forever changed that day! I knew I would love being a mommy and it gets better every day. Hudson does something new every day and is growing every second. He is waving "bye bye" and has said it a time or two. He also waves hello. He loves giving high fives and climbing on and off the couch! He all over the place! He is in 12 month clothes and size 4 shoes. He loves to eat....anything we give him. He loves anything from the Mexican place...we go there like twice a week so he better like it:) He loves chicken, mashed potatoes, bananas...and the list goes on!! He is crawling all over the place and cruising around the furniture but really doesn't seem to care about walking just yet. That is fine with me!! We are having the big 1st birthday party tomorrow so for now here are a few of my favorite pictures from Hudson's "birth"day!!

On a side note: Hudson woke up on his special day with a stomach bug.....awful!!! He was pretty pitiful this morning but seems to be doing much better this afternoon. We are hoping he is all better by tomorrow so he can eat some cake!!

Look at that hair!!!

I love this picture! We had been to the lake and Hudson was getting a much needed bath. It was at this point I realized it was time for him to get a haircut. I was kind of sad and I hated to cut it before he turned one. It was starting to get way to long in the front ant that "whirl wind" as his daddy calls it was getting a little long in the back. I had also scheduled his one year pictures for the week before his birthday so I decided it was time to suck it up and get it cut. He did great!! He was not real sure what was going on and Mrs. Cathy gave him a clip to hold and he was happy as could be. We were thrilled he made it all the way through without shedding a tear. I love his new haircut but I don't like how big it makes him look. Our baby boy is growing up WAY too fast!!

First snips

Showing off his new hair cut!

Two years already?!

Todd and I celebrated our two year anniversary on July 21. I can not believe we have already been married for two years. It has gone by so fast and we have been blessed with so much during the last two years. Todd was offered a teaching position that allowed us to move back to Tennessee and I was given the opportunity to stay home and baby-sit. We bought our first house and we were blessed with a sweet baby boy! Wow!! God is amazing and proves it everyday! I can't wait to see what he has planned for us next!!

July 21, 2007

July 21, 2008

July 2009

A picture of us with little man before we celebrated our anniversary! I am so so blessed!!

Road trip!!

Remember how I posted awhile back about our new precious nephew Jackson?! And how we were trying to plan a trip to see him?! We had thought this wouldn't be possible with Todd starting a new school and a new job as an assistant high school football coach. Well, luck was in our favor when the head coach decided to cancel football practice on a Friday. Todd calls me on Thursday from practice and asks me what I think about driving to Dallas all night? I respond "I will be ready when you get here"! So I started packing and we were ready when Todd walked in the door. Todd drove ALL night and Hudson slept most of the way and we arrived in Dallas early Friday morning. We enjoyed our visit with Byron and Jennifer and baby Jackson! I loved seeing Hudson with him....he would look at him and giggle and then try to hit him with a toy. Hopefully, he will be sweeter next time! It will be so sweet watching them play together and grow together.

Loving on Jackson....and a jealous Hudson!

Sweet boy!

Kisses from Hudson

Todd and Hudson telling Jackson bye before we headed back to Tennessee. We were so sad to go because we know how much he will change before we see him again. We are looking forward to our next trip to Dallas...just hoping we have a little more notice and can spend a little more time there. Thanks Byron and Jennifer for letting us invade you for a few days!

Top O' the River!

We took a mini-vacation in July along with my parents and Zack, Cherith and EK. We wanted to go somewhere fun, not too expensive but still have choices of things to do. We decided to head out on the lake for a few days in Lake Guntersville, Alabama. We had a blast. It was nice to get away for a few days and spend lots of time on the water. Todd and Zack enjoyed jumping off the cliffs and Cherith even joined them for a jump....I on the other hand was not that brave! We even rented a jet ski for the day and we all enjoyed that. We of course had to throw in a shopping day while we were there and ended the weekend by celebrating EK's 2nd birthday! She was so cute and all day would dance and say "It's my birthday"!! We had a great mini-vacation but we are of course always looking forward to the next one! Here are a few....well lots of pictures from our trip!

Todd and I at Lake Guntersville State Park. Hudson was asleep in the car so he missed out on this picture. It is rare to get a pic of just the two of us! If you are ever in the Guntersville area you will want to take a trip to the park. There are tons of deer that roam around and you are sure to spot a few. Some even will come up to your car for you to feed them.

Gorgeous view from one of the restaurants, Top O' the River! The food was yummy and you got lots of it! The babies even enjoyed looking at the menu!

Sweet Cousins!

Ella Kate was being so sweet! She loves "Hudsy Boy"! I hope Hudson realizes that is not his name because we all seem to call him that since EK does! She loves playing with him and sometimes she even shares her toys with him.

Our family:)

A month and a few days later.....

A month and a few days later I am finally getting around to the 4th of July post. Our family usually gets together at the cabin for the fourth. We usually enjoy a yummy meal together and then head out on the river for a little wake boarding, tubing or anything else you can do on the water!! I love watching the kids play together. Hudson is finally to the age where he can play with his cousins and crawl around after them. He has so much fun and they seem to enjoy it too. Hudson loved his first fourth of July...at least I think he did! He did like the fireworks on tv and danced to the music. Very cute!

Hudson and Miller spending some time together. This is very rare because for the longest Miller would have nothing to do with Hudson. He is finally starting to warm up to him so of course I take pictures of these sweet moments every chance I get!

My little firecracker!!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Jackson Parker is here!!

We are so excited to announce the arrival of our sweet nephew. Jackson Parker Lewis made his appearance into the world Sunday morning around 8:49 weighing 5 pounds and 15 ounces. Mommy and baby are doing great. We are already trying to plan a trip to Dallas to meet the little guy. I will post pictures as soon as I get them! Congrats Byron and Jennifer on a precious baby boy!

We can not wait to meet this precious boy!

Father's Day Fun!

Todd got an early Fathers Day present the first weekend of June. He and his friend Chad flew to Dallas for a long weekend to visit Byron. While they were there they had the opportunity to see George Strait in Concert at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. They had a lot of fun visiting Byron and his wife Jennifer...who was a trooper and went to the concert EIGHT months pregnant. Yay for her! I know she will love telling Jackson that when he is older. While in Dallas, Todd enjoyed some Texas bar-b-que, Whataburger and some authentic Mexican food. He has not stopped playing George Strait since he got home! Here is a picture of Chad, Byron and Todd in front of the new stadium.

For Father's Day weekend we went to St. Louis to visit Todd's parents. Chad's daughter Carissa's also had her sixth birthday party while we were there. We always have fun at Chad's parties and this one was no different. They had a bouncy house for the kids that even the adults enjoyed jumping in. They had lots of pizza and a cute, yummy cake. On Saturday we went to the pool with Chad and his family for the afternoon. Here is a picture of Hudson in the pool for the first time. He loved it!!

Sunday we enjoyed lunch at Hatfield and McCoys with all the family and Todd also got a sweet card from me and Hudson and book called "My Daddy and Me".

Happy Father's Day Todd! We love you!!!