Our Trip to the Osarks

*WARNING* There are lots and lots of pics so please be prepared!

This past week the family and I went to visit my parents in Northern Arkansas at their brand new River House. They just finished it and it's not completely furnished yet, but it is absolutely beautiful. It literally took my breath away and the property is amazing. I know now why they love it there. It's so quite and serene. We had a great time, and I even caught my own dinner!



Enjoying totties by the camp fire


Moma in her new kitchen!

This is the most enormous table I have ever seen. They had to use a crane to lift it in the house!

There are actual logs that are in the middle of the house. This picture does not do it justice but they are enormous and take your breath away!

Showing the loft area

The "wall of windows" showcasing the river in the backyard

My happy boy

He loved getting in and out of the canoe.

Playing by the firepit

Throwing rocks into the river..he so much wanted to get in the water!

My boys

Playing on the tree swing. Tristan actually hung on!

And boys will be boys

Watching the bulldozer that was leveling the backyard.

Our trip upriver

Warren was playing around with the camera but I love this nighttime shot.

Both boys throwing their reels.

Watching DooDa bait a hook.

My one and only pic with my baby...

My fly fisherman! Looks like he caught something!

My boys and the beautiful White River.


Thank you Chee Chee and DooDa for a wonderful trip to the River. We cannot wait to come back and look forward to years of wonderful memories!

Happy Fall!

(Hay Ride)
At the request of my mother, I am updating my blog. A few weeks ago, our camera broke and I have been at the mercy of friends uploading and sending me pictures. Tristan is now 16mths and is non stop! He is excited to go to Mother's Day Out and now says "bye bye Momma" and pushes me out the door. I can't even explain how it feels to watch this baby turn into a little boy. Sometimes I just sit in awe at how he understands what I say and talks right back to me (although usually I don't understand it). It's amazing to me that he has become a little person....I guess I just always thought of him as an accessory...kind of like a puppy! But he really does have a mind of his own and no one can explain this feeling you get as a parent...until you are one.

The first few pics are from a visit to Sweet Berry Farms and their Pumpkin Patch. He loves pumpkins...even says it! He got to go on a hay ride behind a "trac-tor" and feed the baby goats who ate his fingers and he loved it!

Last night was an exciting night...Halloween!!! It only took him a few houses to get the hang of it. We went with another couple friend of ours and their daughter Emma is 2 so she knew what to do and he followed her. It was so much fun and Tristan really enjoyed it...as did we. He took a pretty bad fall the day before so that explains the road rash on his face!


Emma and Tristan holding hands in the car on the way to the pumpkin patch.

Must be nice to be strolled from door to door!

Trick or Treat!!

Watching Emma...intently

He's figured it out!

Off they go...

He has a thing for older women!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Ashton & Tristan sitting in a tree.

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

Today we had a playdate with our neighbors and Tristan chased her around trying to kiss her. She did eventually kiss him back but mostly just wanted to get away from him. She kissed him bye and then they did it on their own while they were having a snack. So freakin' cute! We had a playdate with a little boy on Wednesday and Tristan didn't want him to touch any of his toys...so I guess we know what his sexual orientation is! Not that we would care either way!

The end of this video he finally gets his kiss!

Goodbye Curls & Cast

Tristan's calendar was very full today with several appts. First we went to the park which is what we usually do. Then we came home, had a snack and waited on our very own hairdresser to arrive at our home to give Tristan his first haircut! He acted really well but I will thank Elmo and Sesame Street for that. My neighbor is a hairdresser and offered to give T his first haircut in the privacy of our own home. Totally made it less stressful for him and for me! I will miss the precious curls, but this new do is so cute. The only reason I cut it is b/c of this massive swirl he has going on and the hair is not growing underneath the curls. Hopefully this will straighten it out and then I won't be cutting the curls again.

After Tristan woke up from his nap we had another appt to get off the cast!!! Mommy was very excited about his one. I don't think it has affected T at all. It never slowed him down or prevented him from getting into trouble. But he would bang on his crib or his changing table or his highchair or kick you with it and it hurt like hell! So now we are cast-free...for now! ha! The doctor did say that it is normal that he may limp for up to 4 mths. But that all will correct itself. He's been running around ever since. I don't even think he knows it's gone. So weird! We kept the cast for Warren though.

the finished product

Big Boy waiting in the doctors office

He actually started laughing as they were sawing the thing off!

I'm free!!!

"See Mom. I can walk just fine without it."

And on we go to the next drama!!!

Meet the future Mr. & Mrs.Tristan Ealy

On Friday some of our best friends were in from California (they are moving back toTexas!) and so we met them at their lake house to have a day in the sun. Their daughter, Aiden is 4 weeks younger than Tristan. Catherine and I were due 1 day apart but Tristan came 3 weeks early and Aiden was 1 week late. Thoughout the pregnancy we would joke about them being each other's furture mates. But they really did have a great time together. They even went off on their own to have a complete conversation. So freakin' cute! We enjoyed them and are so happy that they are back in Texas! Welcome home Catherine, Scott and Aiden!


















babies in lifejackets! so funny

Baby version of tubing

Weekend on the Farm

Playing Dress Up with Chee Chee's pearls....notice the car in one hand and the tractor!
Shhhh, don't tell his daddy he was wearing a necklace!


Longing to go outside


Riding on the wagon eating ice


On the tractor--his new favorite word!


I think we rode the tractor a million times!

So excited to see the moo cows! Yes, we were drinking and driving the Ranger.

No babies were harmed in the making of this photo!

Pears he picked from the tree

Waiting for his DooDa

I just think this picture says so much more than I could write.

Then he took off in his hat!

And here is where the trouble started....

.......and continued....

This is my highschool girlfriend's son, Mason McMinn

And here is Tristan feeding the chickens

And here is Tristan "picking" eggs.....or balls as he calls them

and you can see how he could get confused......

New pictures

Tristan's 1st donut--from the famous Round Rock Donuts


This picture has a story....now you can see how easily he broke his leg! Warren was downstairs, I was upstairs, Tristan didn't want to be downstairs with Daddy so he pushed the kitchen chair all the way across the living room and up against the baby gate. Then climbed into the chair on his own and stood up to yell at Mama. He is smiling up at me since Warren had to call me to see what he did! Just shows you how quickly their little minds work.


I think this picture looks exactly like me when I was little...and that look is so Lockie!


I feel like that Gerber commercial where the mom is having to talk over the kid banging on the pots and pans. He is constantly in my cabinets and now he insists on toting his cars/trucks in their too!

Check out Tristan's workout video on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JWBKU9mrOM