A Beautiful Sunday

Weather in Arkansas has been FANTASTIC!!! Yesterday was just absolutely beautiful! It was in the low 80's! Makes me excited for the fall!!! Hunter helped me wash my car, at first he actually used the rag, but then he gave up the scrubbing for the water hose. He did a fantastic job on rinsing off the soap. Harrison sat in his exersaucer while we did all the work...won't be long until momma won't have to wash her car...the boys will be out there with the scrub brushes!!! Hmm...might see me driving down the road with big patches of "oops missed that part" spots!

Harrison - 7 months old

Sweet boy of mine, you are growing up right before my eyes. You are still such a joy every single day and we are so blessed to have you in our life.

• Drinks 6-8 oz of formula at a time (yes formula...I stopped breastfeeding when he was 6 months old)
• Makes a "mmm" sound each time I feed him his baby food. He does not like green beans and he gags when I feed him fruit that is mixed with oatmeal. He doesn't like the texture of the oatmeal.
• Still not sleeping through the night! But he goes to bed at 8/8:30 each night and he'll sleep until about midnight until he wakes up hungry. After we feed him down he goes again until around 4am. Usually a pat on the bootie will do the trick to get him back to sleep. Not sure why he keeps waking up, maybe a growth spurt? We just roll with the punches, eventually he'll be sleeping through the night.
• He loves to play with my hair, especially when he's tired. He also likes to play with my Hunter/Harrison necklace.
• Still NO teeth...Hunter didn't get his first teeth until he was 9 months old (on Christmas Day!).
• He is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything - Ms. Ruthie (his sitter) calls him her "little medler"!
• Makes the indian sound with his mouth "ya, ya, ya".
• He's in a big boy carseat - still rearfaced.
• Loves bathtime and likes to suck on the wet washcloth (I give him a clean one!).
• Enjoys watching Hunter run and play around him. One day Harrison will be running after Hunter!

Harrison is such a sweet, happy boy. What you see is what you get ALL of the time. A very laid back child! Thank you Jesus!

Hunter a Stutterer?

We have been noticing over the past few weeks that Hunter has been stuttering..."I, I, I, I can't find my choo-choo" and "Where is my, my, my, my choo-choo". It threw me off because he had been speaking so clearly and I just thought it was because he was anxious and in a hurry. I looked it up on the internet this morning and my assumptions were correct.

It's a normal stage of speech development and is usually referred to as psuedostuttering or as a normal dysfluency. This typically happens when they are learning new words and sounds. The stuttering usually comes and goes and is most noticeable when a child is excited, stressed or overly tired.

Some steps you can take to help your child:

• Don't correct them or interrupt him when he is talking.
• Don't ask him to repeat himself or to slow down.
• Don't make him practice saying certain words or sounds.
• Talk to your child a lot by discussing his day, narrating out loud the things you are doing and read books.

I'm guilty...I do all the above!! Of course the last step is a positive one!

Just another joy of having a 3 year old!!! I love Hunter!

Harrison and Nannie Fran

Harrison with his Nannie - these are great pics, just thought I'd share!

Aaron's Baptism

Aaron was baptized on Sunday, August 16th at Springlake Church of the Nazarene by our Pastor, Bro. Phil Stein. I am so proud of Aaron and excited by what God is doing in his life, our lives. I thank God each day for Aaron and my boys!

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every

one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission

of sins,and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:38

Aaron's mom, dad, brother, sister and niece Kaitie and nephew Cooper were all there to witness Aaron's baptism. After church we gathered at our house and ate Larry's Pizza and visited for a few hours, after everyone left at 3pm we all took a 2 hour nap.

Little Rock Zoo

We went to the zoo on Saturday, even though it was HOT, we had a blast! It was Harrison's first trip to the zoo, he enjoyed riding in the stroller and watching all the activity. It was Hunter's first time to really enjoy seeing the animals, but the train was his FAVORITE part. He got a kick each time the train "choo-choo'ed".

Harrison and the pink flamingos


Momma and Harrison...waiting for the train to go!


Hunter and Momma


Daddy, Hunter and Papaw

Papaw and Hunter - his favorite part of the zoo!

Harrison and Daddy

Momma's favorite part - the River Otters! I could sit and watch these little creatures for hours!

Hunter kept saying "Hi Kitty!"

Love the Giraffe's too!

I asked Hunter if the giraffe could go home with us and this is how the conversation went:

Hunter: "Noooo Mommy."

Me: "Why?"

Hunter: "He wouldn't fit in your car!"

Me: "He could sleep with you."

Hunter: "Nooooo, he's too big!"

Harrison took a 15 minute power nap!

Hunter watching the elephant throw dirt on her body with her trunk!

Daddy and Hunter

The other elephant throwing water on her body through her trunk! It was cute!

Hunter feeding the fish!

Hunter, momma, and Harrison on the carousel.

It was a FUN day!

Trout Fishing - Little Red River

Aaron and his brother Chris went trout fishing on the Little Red on Thursday and they took the little boat and caught 8 fish. Chris also caught a SUNBURN! Chris...next time bring SUNSCREEN! Haha!

Yay for ABC Foam Letters!

We have hard floors and Harrison sometimes falls backwards and bangs his head. I'm tired of his poor little head hitting the floor, so I put down Hunter's 'ABC' foam letters in the corner of the living room so Harrison can have a "safe, soft" fall. Of course Hunter wants to take apart the letters, in his words "I put the puzzle together". It's hard to tell him no, but they are there for safety reasons, not for play.

Let Me In The Playroom!!

Harrison is always on the move!!! I have to keep the playroom doors shut now since Hunter still has "small" toys that are not appropriate for Harrison.

Love us some Gray-Gray!

Jeff and Natosha's 7th wedding anniversary was Monday, August 10th so they came to "the city" for the day and they stopped by Jason and Mei's on their way home. We visited with them while they were here. Grayson is getting so big!!! It won't be long until we are planning our boys first birthday party!

Grayson Michael Hart


Hunter, Gray Gray and Harrison


Look at their mouths...they are both open the same.

Project E.L.I.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the McGinley family, especially Jesse and Jodie! Baby Eli will never be forgotten!!!

ELI (Every Life Inspires)

“Thine eyes did see my substance being yet unperfect, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)

God has a special plan for each one of us before we are born. Some people live long lives to fulfill God’s plan, while others live only moments. Eli McGinley is one of those who lived only a few days but has made a huge impact on the world around him. He was born August 3 in Little Rock, Ark., with his twin brother Walker and passed away 5 days later on August 8.

Eli was born with spina bifida, a neural tube defect. His parents, Jesse and Jodie, allowed his birth to be videotaped for a documentary on raising a child with spina bifida. Although they never expected their son to be taken by his Heavenly Father so soon, they knew it was a part of God’s plan. The couple wants Eli’s life to touch many other families. They have donated his organs so that other children can live. The couple has also requested that loved ones donate to the unfinished video project that will now be named E.L.I. (Every Life Inspires).

The goal of the video is to be a source of comfort to families expecting a child with spina bifida. As the McGinley’s know, there are a lot of questions and anxiety that come with the pre-natal diagnosis. They hope their story, as well as the stories of other Arkansans touched by spina bifida will provide strength, comfort and hope to expecting parents.

Donations can be made to Community Connections, a 501(c)3 organization. Checks can be made out to Community Connections/Project: ELI and mailed to 2740 College Ave. Conway, AR 72034. The goal of Community Connections is to positively impact the lives and needs of children and families in Arkansas. The organization offers recreational activities for children with disabilities. For more information http://www.communityconnectionsar.org/.

Harrison's Dedication

I cannot believe I didn't do a post on Harrison's dedication!!! I was looking through all my posts and couldn't find "Harrison's Dedication"!!! Thanks for the reminder Rebekah, I was reading about Cilla's dedication on your blog!

Harrison was dedicated on Sunday, March 22, 2009 at Springlake Church of the Nazarene by Bro. Phil Stein. We make a promise before God, our family, and our church to raise him to know and love God so that he would one day come to Him and receive the best gift... our Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him and
He will direct your paths.
Proverbs
3:5-6

Nannie Fran, Papaw Greg, Aunt Jeri, Uncle Larry, cousins Kaitie, Miranda, Cooper, Uncle Chris and Aunt Deborah were all present for Harrison's dedication. As well as momma, daddy, and big brother Hunter!

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he
is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Mommy, what's this? What's that?

It has begun...Hunter is asking What's this, what's that? And I LOVE it! His little brain is a sponge right now! It's amazing all the stuff he knows and asks about! We are actually having real conversations now, he's saying full sentences and it just amazes me! My baby boy is growing up!!!

Crocodile Dock - VBS 2009

We had Vacation Bible School last week at our church (Springlake of the Nazarene) - our theme was Crocodile Dock. Hunter had a blast! When he saw the stage decorated like a swamp, he said "Where's Shrek?". He looked forward to going each and every night, he would say "Bible School, mommy?" each morning. Aaron and I both took a group of kids around to each station. I had the toddlers, so I was able to witness Hunter's excitement. Each night there was a bible point for the kids to remember and after each bible point, they would scream FEAR NOT and pump their arm up in the air.

DAY 1 - God is with us.

Bible Story: God speaks to Moses in a burning bush.

Exodus 3:1-4 - 4:17

DAY 2 - God is powerful.

Bible Story: God sends the plagues on Egypt.

Exodus 7:1 - 10:29

DAY 3 - God does what He says He’ll do.

Bible Story: God spares the Israelites at Passover.

Exodus 11:1-12:42

DAY 4 - God gives us life.

Bible Story: Jesus dies and comes back to life.

Matthew 27:11-28:10

DAY 5 - God cares for us.

Bible Story: The Israelites cross the Red Sea.

Exodus 14:1-15:21

Although it can be exhausting going to VBS all week especially after working a full day at work, it's such a wonderful and amazing sight to see the kids learning about God and praising God through songs. We are so blessed to be part of such a wonderful church! Hunter is still asking to go to Bible School!

Hunter and Josie "JoJo" - This Little Light of Mine!


Harrison stayed in the nursery during VBS - he was a Tadpole!



Stage was really cool - even had fog coming up under the docks!

Crocodile Claps!

My, my, look how much Harrison has grown!

My little man is crawling and pulling up!!!

He started crawling two weeks ago and started pulling up last week!

I would not be surprised if he is walking by 9 months!

I just can't believe how mobile he has become!

He is even wearing 18 month clothing!!!

He skipped 12 month sizes!

He is definitely going to be our "big boy".

He is a very laid back baby and we could not be any prouder!

He is a momma's boy, but loves his daddy time too!

Every time Hunter talks to him or plays with him,

his eyes light up and hehas the BIGGEST smile on his face!

Harrison loves his Bubba!

Yep, Hunter got this smile out of him!!!

Hunter wore this outfit when he was 15 mo old!

Casey's 31st Birthday

31...wow!

I celebrated my 31st birthday on Tuesday, July 28th.

It was a lovely day (even though I had to work). Aaron sent me
an arrangement of beautiful flowers and Hunter told me Happy Birthday! That
evening Aaron and I went out to eat at Red Lobster for a nice dinner without the
boys. Greg (father inlaw) and Deborah (sis inlaw) came over and watched the boys
for us and they even brought me a cake!

We had a nice dinner and overall it was a nice birthday!

Thankfully we didn't have 31 candles in the house!

Hunter always helps us blow out our candles!

Is Momma 1-3 or 3-1?!?! Oh...13 going on 31! Haha!

Pina Colada at Red Lobster!

Flowers Aaron sent me...awww...

Chillaxin' with Harrison

Harrison was kicked back, bottle in mouth and Little Einstein's on TV (hmmm...Hunter did the same thing at this age!).