Houston

Ta da! Finally, pictures from our trip to Houston! I told you I would come through.

We had a great time. Jagger and Edy fell even more deeply in love (as in love as is appropriate for cousins, of course.)


We went on bike/stroller rides,




Jake fixed delicious breakfasts and even made Edy her yearly letter "E" pancake (which I completely forgot to do on her birthday and would have felt extra-terrible about if he hadn't already done it).


It was our first time to meet Jax. He was precious, chunky, smiley,


and terribly patriotic.


We went to the Houston Zoo. Yes, it was hot. But Edy got to see tigers and lions and elephants, Jagger saw monkeys, Mindy got her Dippin' Dots, and we all learned the important lesson to never, ever eat lunch at the zoo restaurant.




Mindy has always impressed me with amazing multi-tasking skills, and she did not disappoint this time either. I think she could strap another kid or two on there, don't you?



Before I had kids I always laughed at those people who pushed around empty strollers while their children ran free. However, this trip, we became people who pushed around strollers carrying strollers. Hattie was the only one who stayed strapped in (and that was because she fell asleep). Hint: Strollers at the zoo are a waste of time.


And just because his little rear has always been so cute:


The kids really had a blast.


There was dancing to be done and music to be played.


And a bubble bath that will go down in history.



Thanks to the Houston Smiths for showing us such a good time, and especially to Mindy, who scored these fabulous shoes for Edy. She has worn them nearly every day since.


We love you guys. Now come visit us already!

A Birthday

Edy is three today.


Sniff.

But it's been a great day.

She went to school, her favorite thing.


She came home for pizza, pink cupcakes, and a new shopping cart, ironing board, and princess dress. (I realized we were inadvertently preparing her for the life of Cinderella: lots of domestic work and occasional moments as a royalty.)


Plus Prince Charming, of course.



This is the kid we get to spend each day with. We are blessed.

An Update, Finally.

The combination of me no longer desiring to lug around two kids-worth of stuff plus a 10lb SLR camera in my diaper bag and said 10lb camera's final sad demise due to a worn out "sensor" (that camera has taken somewhere around 50,000 pictures) means that we took a small break from picture taking around the Hall House.

Until...we joined the wonderful world of point and shoot camera users! It's so easy. It's so tiny. It goes with us everywhere. It also takes a bajillion pictures. Now we have lots of going combined with lots of pictures, and once again, an overwhelming amount of photos.

We can't catch a break around here.

Needless to say, I have lots of catching up to do. We've been in Houston visiting Jake, Mindy and family but I'll have to get to that later. I'm going to start with the last month or so and bring all three of my readers up to date slowly. Wouldn't want to get folks too used to anything else.

Edy is turning three this week. She now spends most of her time in some form of costume.

Ballerina,



Princess (Thanks to Raegan Greer for the dress!),



and Southern Belle/square dancer/floofy-dress wearer.


They both love spending time with their grandmas,


their buddies, especially Pax (I don't know why Edy looks so grumpy in this picture. What's not too like? Tent. Check. Snack. Check. Paxton. Check.)


and sharing tasty treats from the ice cream truck.


Hattie prefers pointing, waving, and pointing some more.


She continues to praise the Lord. Loudly.


And loves overly-long, wet, open-mouth kisses.


They are a delight to my heart.

And have I mentioned that Edy is turning three this week?


Unbelievable.