Rodeo Kids

Bill and I have lived in Houston for a while now and we have been lucky enough to attend the rodeo and concerts at least once a season if not more. We always have a great time. Our absolute favorite is to watch the 5 year olds Mutton Bust and it is on the list for Liam for certain! The bull riding is a close second as it is so intense to watch and the crowd goes wild for those who manage to hang on the entire 8 seconds. This year we got to watch Amazing Race's Cord McCoy ride which was an extra treat. And I cannot watch the girls ride barrels without reminiscing about my very own barrel racing experience. I completed the race without falling off and red floppy bow in tact. I always had adventures with Lauren Holmes and I did learn a few things that day:

1. Walking a horse near an open door arena means "Go" to the horse

2. Yelling "Whoa" to a horse only works if you are not digging your heels into their sides holding on for dear life. This only encourages the horse to go faster.

3. Always wear your number while in the arena or the announcer might dis-qualify you whether you are in the race or not

4. Always wear a floppy bow so that Billy and Charla can identify you. They need to contemplate how in the hell they are going to explain this one to your parents.

5. And last, but not least don't agree to walk a stubborn horse unless you are a much more experienced rider! Love you Lauren!

A Talk with the Animals

We dusted off our boots, dug out the pearl-snap shirts and denim jackets, turned on the country radio station and practiced our Howdy greeting. It's Rodeo time in Houston!

Two By Two

As his name suggests, Noah's second birthday came in twos. After celebrating with all of his smaller friends at Gymboree and a nice long nap, it was time to party with the 'older' friends. Older friends meant fajitas and margaritas. Pulling down the lever to release the frozen green stuff proved to be quite entertaining.

Ringmastered Two

I remember the day that Noah was born. Bill was mowing outside when I got the call that he had come early and I must have screamed pretty loud because Bill came running to the door to see what all the excitement was about. Excitement quickly turned into panic as I had not put the final touches on the baby hospital box I was gathering for the new arrival. I mean, I thought I still had two weeks and with first children, everyone knows they almost always miss their due dates, right? When we got to the hospital we were introduced to the most amazing little 7lb baby boy.

Animals

We were finally able to catch a little of the animal game on video last night even though he did not make any of the animal noises and he cheated at the end mostly because I think he was over it! I wish he would do it the way he does when camera's aren't watching. His animal impressions are hilarious... maybe his mommy just thinks so!

Special thanks to Mea's CBS friends for picking out the foam animal cutout book! As you can see, we took them all out and have lots of fun with them! Liam stashed the chicken somewhere... hummm.

Ba Boo

When is the cutoff for counting in months? In any case... we just celebrated month 13 and it was a big one! There was so much to celebrate! We received the best present in the mail from Paige of PLO Photography! Our birthday photos! Thank you again Paige for bottling our precious memories!

A Playhouse

Last weekend my parents came in town to visit and now that both their children and grandchild live within a 2 mile radius, all their ducklings were together. It has been wonderful to have Uncle Steven so close and Liam just lights up when he makes a stop after work. He has already taught Liam how to make the vroom sound of a car and it is adorable the way he chases him around the house with an arm barrier in case he falls. He is so protective and an incredible uncle. He even changed his diaper like a pro and helped with the incident involving a bath, poop, and a baby!