"Blog Name PENNding"

Race for the Cure

2010-07-03T23:47:00.003-05:00

I am playing catch up again... we have been very busy and here are just of the few things we have been up to. In APRIL (yes I know it has been that long)... I ran in the Race for the Cure. It was a blast. Abby Boerger organized it all and it was amazing. She even had a newspaper article written about her and her family. The race was AWESOME! Here is a picture of the team...

2010-03-28T21:45:00.002-05:00

Most kids say da-da or ma-ma for their first word right? Not our children. Abby said PUP-PUH (puppy) first and here is Coop saying CAT first. (Nana (our sitter) had kittens last week and Coop is OBSESED with them.

Christmas #1

2010-01-06T17:58:00.005-06:00

Christmas #1 of 2009 was fun. It was a busy weekend with Coop's party and finishing up school stuff, as well the fact that we are just busy peopole. The Nichols bunch (Nani and Gene Pop's family) all gathered at my mom's house. We ate yummy mexican food, had a gift exchange and just hung out. The kids put a new spin on things and are making it so fun. I love to watch them play. Abby loves to play with them. Since her 1st cousins live in another hemisphere, it is nice to have 2nd/3rd cousins around sometimes. All but 3 of the whole crew were there (minus Nani and Gene Pop who I am sure peeked down on the craziness).

The Herron/Pennington Bunch

Ethan and Cooper-- check out Coop's expression---

"The girls" only 2 girls out of 9 cousins.

Our tradition is a stair step pictrue. We have one every year since we were tiny. Age does not factor in anymore and the old ones are moving toward the shorter end. Every year the boys fight and measure to see who moves. Several years ago we started holding legs... not exactly sure where that all came from (possibly Gene Pop's prostetic leg). We are wierd- I know. This year the order was- Cade, Connor, Trent, Zack, Seth, Bart, Heath, Haley, Camryn.

The great grandkids (9 in all minus Reese who was sick) performed for us. It was hillarious becasue we could see the personalities of the parents coming out. Our kids act just like we did when we did all this stuff when we were young. Abby is a ham and I can't begin to imagine where she gets it. They sang, did finger plays, and read the Christmas story. Video to come- it was cute.

Abby and Madison- only 4 months apart.

More of the performance.

Cooper's favorite passtime-- eating.

Random December Stuff

2010-01-06T17:37:00.004-06:00

Maybe not in December but close-- Abby and I went to the A&M/Baylor game with Emily. This was the first time that Abby got to "experience" Aggieland. We had a great time with Emily. Abby stayed with Sean and Mindy (thank you) during the game. We then took Abbs picture all around campus and then, I erased my whole camera!!! UGH!! These pics are compliments Mindy's facebook. These pics are of exhausted Abby, Yell Practice after the game, and a few around campus.

Gingerbread house making....

Can you say=-- sassy?

December has been super cold. One of these cold evenings we joined the Richardsons at a friend's church for a hayride. We went inside for some hot chocolate and cookies. Lets just say that the church will never be the same after the boys and Abby got a hold of it.

Cooper is ONE!!

2009-12-22T15:49:00.007-06:00

Cooper is one. How did this happen? I am not sure where the last year has gone. We celebrated Coop's 1st Bday this year with John Deere theme. It was really fun. Tons of friends and families joined us at Dennis and Cindy's. The kids enjoyed the "playroom" upstairs witha bounce house toys and everyone had a great time.

Here are some pictures of t he day (they are in reverse order but you get the idea).

Here is Coop and Grandpa.

Coop and (Great) Grandaddy

4 Generations

Coop got tons of fun toys and a really cool book that our friends made with an abc's of things and people that we know. His favorite present has continued to be his bike. He LOVES it.

We took all the kids pictures in this cut out- some of them were cute and some of them wouldn't cooperate - like big sister!

Here he is "eating" his cake. He wasn't a huge fan of it and insisted on using a fork. But it was his first cake.

Cooper and Will- I forsee trouble from these two.

Candie turned "25" the day after Coop. Here are the two Bday Kids ....

Some of the Decorations

Halloween 09

2009-11-02T19:59:00.007-06:00

We had a blast on Halloween. I didn't get as many great pictures as I would have hoped but here are a few. We started with a party, moved onto a church carnival, and topped it off with a city wide event. Abby had an amazing time. She settled in on a princess and looked adorable. She loved putting on make up and sparkles. Cooper was such a trooper and looked so cute!!

Elyjah's bday happens to be on Oct 31. Here are a few shots of the festivites.

Here is Ladybug breaking the pinata. Isn't the "rope" great!

This is Sadie and Abby. Abby is still talking about riding this horse. She kept saying YEEHAW and laughing. It was adorable.

This is a random pic before bed. She is just getting too big!!

Horse or Princess

2009-10-29T23:07:00.005-05:00

I wanted Abby to be a My Little Pony for Halloween this year. She has other plans. She wants to be a princess from her dress up box. I guess we are already choosing our battles. She refuses to let me fix her hair or put on a crown. She has fun dressing up though so whatever I guess. Here are some pics of our trial run from the fall festival at Meadowridge Cooper was the most adorable zebra (hand me down from sis). He looked just like her!

Abby refused to turn around for this pic.

"CWOOEEE'S" Visit

2009-10-29T22:43:00.005-05:00

Todd and Courtney came down for a visit last weekend and we had a blast. Abby loved playing with Chloe (CWOOEE). They became quite fond of each other and Abby still says "Is CWOOEE gunna be der" anytime we go anywhere. I wish they would move here so the gals could play more. : )
Saturday we took an impromptu trip to a Pumpkin Patch. I would have prepared and dressed the kids cuter for the great pics but we went on a whim and had a great time.

There is a huge slide and go carts for the kids as well as they hayride, pumpkins, a HUGE tree house and mazes galore.

So that the other adults could enjoy the TX/OU game- Cindy and I took the kids to the park. It was a BEAUTIFUL day.

Shad was so upset to find that the only gear Abby has is all A&M (which I am quite proud of). In support of beating Texas I gave in and let her sport some "tattoos" for OU. She loved them but refused to pose for a pic.

Bathtime.....

Cousins playing-- we really missed the boys this weekend. It just didn't feel complete without them.

A Few Updates

2009-10-29T22:17:00.003-05:00

Our little guy is growing so much. I am amazed that Cooper will be a year old so soon ( a little over a month). Where has this year gone? He is so close to walking but still likes you to hold his hands- cruising everywhere, babbling like crazy, and smiling to melt your heart. He has learned mama and dada. Most other words he says AAAAAAAAAAAA (which Abby swears is him saying her name.) He almost uses the baby sign for more but mostly just claps. He can wave and enjoys wrestling with his big sister already. We love how laid back he is except when he is hungry).

We are having a blast with Abby also. Her vocabulary never stops growing. She is so keen to everything we say and picks up on things faster than I ever imagined. She loves to go "besploring" (exploring) and is very social. She starts "school" on Tuesday and is very excited about it. For several weeks she has been going to "Honey's school" on Thursdays and here is a picture of her with her teacher.

Playing with Friends

2009-10-18T23:16:00.007-05:00

These are some random pics I "stole" from being tagged on facebook.....

Abby... can you say NERD

Story about the photo below.... Abby was using the potty and heard someone say "say cheese" and came running to butt her way into the pic. What a ham.

Future Prediction?

Check out this hairdo on Abby...

Notice here the mess of a room. Messes mean fun right. Elyjah's daddy is so proud of his pink boots and love of dress up. :)

Sherman

2009-10-18T22:55:00.009-05:00

We took a little trip Labor Day weekend (I know, but better late than never) to Sherman. The kids had so much fun, (and so did we!) Shad and I were able to relax and have fun. There was plenty of yummy food, fishing, hunting, riding the gators and 4wheelers, and naps. Abby and Shad even went for a swim in the FREEZING water. Honey, Buzz, Cade, Grandaddy, and Heath were all there for the fun. (I have more pics that aren't downloaded off my camera yet and yes I realize I am horrible for not being better at blogging more often).

Here is Grandaddy and Coop. Makes me wanna cry they are so cute.

A little shooting lesson from Country Bumpkin Cuzin Jed (I mean Cade).

We spend most of our time on the porch. It is just such beautiful land.

Abby LOVED fishing. Everyone has said this looks just like me when I was that age. Her hair looks crazy but isn't she cute!

(Isn't Heath cute!!)

Cooper love riding his car...

Bowling and Bears

2009-08-30T21:04:00.006-05:00

One day it was pretty hot and swimming was sounding too redundant so we took the kids bowling- yes I know Abby is only 2 but she still had a blast! Here are some of the action shots.

Abby and I had a girls night out with Mindy Lou planned before school started. We met in Waco and enjoyed some yummy Roadhouse and some crazy good ice cream. Mindy and Sean brought Abby back a "tiger" from their vacation and Abby still carries it around like a very special friend. Abby and I also made a little stop to see the Baylor Bear. I took an excessive amount of pics but she sure had a blast. She kept calling them polar bears and still talks about it every day. We have to take her back very soon!

A few random catch ups from this summer...

2009-08-30T20:15:00.008-05:00

This summer has absolutely flown bye. I was really sad to see it go. I am still mourning. UGH. I haven't blogged in a very long time so here are a few things I need to get off my camera.......

One of our favorite things to do is pack as many people as possible into the Richardson's and we do it often! Here are a few of one crazy evening. A few times all of the neighborhood kiddos join us and then the real crazy begins.

Baby McKenna was born (on the right day-) August 9. (This will be very easy for me to remember because it is Jordan's bday too). Here are a few shots....

Honey came for a visit before she had to go back to work. Here is some cuddle time with Honey, Abby, and Elizabeth while Lizbeth's sister was being born.

Here is Coop and his bud Will. We foresee trouble in our future.

Lauren turned 3 and had an awesome bday bash in the amazing Boerger Backyard! The kids loved it and the adults had fun too. Abby (the Elder) outdid herself with amazing decorations and really cool cupcakes! Here is the bday girl opening some presents...

Way to go Candie! (She slimed Shad with the cupcake!)

Kristina and Cooper

Water slide

Slip-n-slide fun

The younger gaggle-- Abber, lizabeth, Cat, and Lou
Check out the awesome Popsicle holders!

TWINS!

Abby loves loves loves her new ride!! She isn't that great at steering but she loves to ride this cute handmedown!

b
y

4th

2009-07-06T13:49:00.006-05:00

We had a great 4th this year. We joined a bunch of our friends to celebrate. We all headed down to Dinosaur Valley State Park and played in the water after naps. After the river we cleaned up and headed to Grandbury for awesome fireworks. The kids had a BLAST! Abby loved the fireworks and as always loved the river.

Trip to Honey's

2009-07-06T13:33:00.005-05:00

We spent the tail end of this week in Celina and had fun relaxing and playing. We had a special treat too! We went to visit TIO at the Firestation. It was great!! The kids (the Richardson's came and met us) loved it! Tio was so gracious to explain everything and let the kids play. The other firefighters were so kind.

Here is the truck pulling off to a call.

We visited a little splash park in McKinney before going to the station.

Sleep Over

2009-06-24T23:07:00.002-05:00

Abby had her first overnight guest this evening.... Judah and Coop went down early but Elyjah and Abby had a great evening watching George, reading books, and going to bed.

Father's Day

2009-06-24T22:50:00.005-05:00

I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing Father's. I have a great dad of my own, an especially amazing husband, wonderful grandads and a great father in law. We all gathered together at Shad's parents to celebrate Father's Day this year. Here are a few shots.

Cooper jumped up and down on Jordan's tiger for a long time. He had a blast. It made me miss the PennBs so much. I wish that they were here to celebrate with us. Look at this smile would ya...

June Catch Up

2009-06-24T22:21:00.007-05:00

Definition of Crazy--- 6 (and 1/2) kids at On The Boarder-- nuff said.

Our Silly Girl--

I was trying to snap a pic of her HUGE boo boo from her fall the other day. Look really hard at her nose. Notice that she chose her pink rain boots to wear out. She has become quite opinionated about her wardrobe lately. The other day she wore her dress up cheerleader uniform to Wal-Mart. You have to choose your battles I guess.

Coop's "spot" at our pool.

Madison's bday party....

Coop's "spot" at the Y.

Honey thought Abby needed her nails done so she took her for her first mani/pedi. Abby was in heaven. She thought it was so cool. She still ask to go get her nails painted. I think Honey has started something.

This is Abby's last visit to my class this year. We had fun with the SMARTBOARD. My students love when the kids come for a visit. Abby had a great time and Cooper was a trooper. Ab thought she was just as big as the rest of them.

Cooper's first swim in the back yard....

Abby loves her rainboots--thanks Grandma! :)

Here is Abby "feeding" Cooper- she is so "helpful!"

Random Summer Pics/News

2009-06-19T10:46:00.009-05:00

I have not been good at all about updating but here are some pics (that I stole from friends on facebook :) b/c I haven't downloaded any of mine yet).

Our summer has been busy but great. Nothing overly exciting but we are always on the go. Cooper has developed quite a personality and is sitting up, rolling over, and talking to us all the time. Abby is a very proud and helpful big sis. She is basically potty trained and has finally started telling us when she has to go and been dry for many days in a row. (M&Ms seemed to have done the trick). She currently has a huge ugly scab on her nose from a catastrophic fall. She is always singing, talking on the phone, or reading. Honey made it back from Sweden/Europe and we are about to celebrate Father's Day with both sides of the family on Sunday. We spend most of our days swiming (am and pm) and playing with friends. Shad is studying hard for his upcoming test. That about sums us up...

Playing at the park with pals....

Some swimming....

Just cute...

Old but good pic of the gaggle and our moms...

How precious are these smiles?

Random pic from the river- Kristina, Me, Candie

Madison's bday party (more pics to come)-

Here is Ab, Madison, and Reese

This grin... melts my heart...

Cutest Cowboy I ever saw....

Blog Name--

2009-06-14T21:39:00.002-05:00

Yes... I know Pending is spelled PENDING but we thought it was funny to spell it "Penn"ding because of our last name.... My very talented pal made this cool header and as soon as I can smooze her into making a new one we will come up with something more creative.. (HINT :) Kristie)...

Bosque/The River

2009-06-02T10:08:00.005-05:00

I just love my gaggle - We enjoyed an amazing blessing this past weekend. We were able to steal 30 hours and spend the night away. My aunt and uncle graciously aloud us to use their place to relax and have fun. Our husbands were amazing to take care of the kiddos! We had a blast. Friday night we went down and spent all evening enjoying each others company in the midst of beautiful weather and beautiful views of the sunset and river. We giggled plenty and had fun with mice, doors, and mosquitos. We took a little hike and got eaten by all sorts of insects but it was worth it. On Saturday we did some shopping in Cleburne with amazing finds at a thrift store (thanks Candie). The rest of the afternoon was sit lazily in the river. It was exactly what we needed to recharge our batteries!More pictures to come- I haven't even downloaded mine yet.

---- I love you gals and can't wait for another trip.

Bon Voyage

2009-05-04T21:03:00.007-05:00

So- H is flying far far away as Abby would say. Heath left Saturday to go play ball in Sweden. We spent Friday night celebrating with a send-off party/graduation party. Here are some pictures of th evening. I have a lot more pictures of all of the friends and family that were there but I will upload those later.

Dad, Grandaddy, Coop, Heath, and Shad

Reese and Abby (the kids were all so busy they were REALLY hard to get a picture of)

Heath and Grandaddy

How cute are they?

Here is Dylan and Heath (for those of you who don't know, Dylan is our adopted brother. My mom watched him for MANY years and we still claim him).

Pretty cool cake huh!! All edible.

Some of the decor---

(If anyone can help me figure out how to turn this rightside up that would be great). This is a little diddy my dad wrote for Heath.

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T21:55:00.008-05:00

This week began in a sad way (Gene Pop's passing on top of the many other stresses in our lives) but ended on an upbeat great reminder of our risen Lord and good reminder of are awesome family. Friday night we got to spend some good time with friends at a dinner for 6 and see Shad's grandparents who had come into town. On Saturday morning we had a great time at our church Easter Egg Hunt.

Abby had a blast. There were Tof eggs and not a huge amount of kids. The little ones took quite sometime finding all the eggs, but enjoyed it none the less. Cooper had a great time too!

After the hunt we headed back to Dennis and Cindy's for a delicious lunch to celebrate Easter and Shad's birthday. We were stuffed and enjoyed naps afterward. On Sunday we went to lunch at Aunt Kathy and Uncle Van's. (Yes, we missed church on the highest attendance Sunday, but we did have a good sermon in the car. )

The whole crew was there minus my oldest cousin and his family. We ate a HUGE meal and then enjoyed watching the Easter Egg hunt. Finally the kids are big enough for the fun again. (It has been a few years since we have had anything competitive like the old days). It wasn't competitive but the kids LOVED it. Abby took away more candy than would ever be possible to eat. Camryn and Connor did a great job stuffing the eggs and hiding them. Abby's basket got too full very early on so Shad and Heath helped her with their pockets. The kids had fun opening all of their eggs but were sad when we limited the candy they could eat. (Abby even hid a piece of candy under her dress and tried to open it!!)

I just love when the whole Reynolds/Nichols clan gets together. Now that there are little kids again it is even more fun. We missed Gene Pop, but I am confident that he and Nani were both looking down enjoying our celebration of Easter. After all of those festivites we went to visit Grandaddy. We watched the end of the Masters Golf Tourney and then ate some pizza. We missed Grandmother being there but she is celebrating EAster better than any of us with Jesus. Doesn't Coop look big?

(Thanks Mindy Lou for the adorable bunny outfit!)

Abby is 2

2009-03-08T14:47:00.007-05:00

I can't believe our girl is 2 years old! These past two years have FLOWN by. Saturday we had her party at Trinity Park. We were so blessed to enjoy the time with friends and family. Abby had a blast with the cake, presents, and especially the train ride. The kids all seemed to have a good time. It turned out to be quite a crazy day and I didn't get all the pictues I would of liked but here are a few memories of the day.

While we were trying to get a picture of Abby with her cake she did a nose dive into the cake to taste it. It was adorable. (NOTE TO PARENTS-- NEVER ORDER RED FROSTING ON A CAKE- BAD IDEA!)

Here are the conductors...

Cooper had a big day too.... He is a tooper

Here are some other shots...

(I didn't get pictures of some of the kiddos-- they were hiding I guess :) )

Long Overdue Haircut

2009-02-26T21:56:00.002-06:00

Before

After

Cooper Update

2009-02-26T21:46:00.003-06:00

We went for Coop's 2 month check up and all is well. Dr. Senevey said he couldn't be healthier. He went from the 30th% to the 75th% in weight and remained 75% in height. He is filling out but is not near as chunky as Abby was. He is doing well sleeping through the night for the first part and smiling like crazy. He is strong and enjoys holding his head up all the time. He is rolling over sometimes (especially when he is mad). He is precious!

Playing with Friends

2009-02-13T22:26:00.002-06:00

I am so blessed to still be off on maternity leave. The kids and I are having a blast playing with our friends. Here are just a few pictures of what eats up a lot of our time.

Big Church

2009-02-13T22:20:00.006-06:00

Abby (and all the other kids at Meadowridge) joined us in "Big Church" last Sunday. It was crazy and great all at the same time. I love that she was able to see worship like that. She enjoyed clapping and yelling at "Stevie" singing on stage. It was hard for her to keep still during the sermon. The best part of the service was Randal announcing that our church family is COMPLETELY DEBT FREE! God is good.

Disclaimer: I know it was silly of me to take pictures during church..... I couldn't resist.

Valentine's Party

2009-02-13T21:40:00.004-06:00

Samantha was so sweet to host a Valentine Party. It was blast. Abby had so much fun making cards for her friends and passing them out. We played in their fabulous backyard and ate tons of Valentine goodies. It was a great day.

Cooper enjoyed the party as well.

Things I want to Remember

2009-02-09T22:12:00.002-06:00

(A friend did this on her blog and I thought-- wow! I need to do that too- good idea Stacey! :))

Abby is at such a fun age and there is so much I want to bottle up and make sure I remember. Her sweet little voice melts my heart. She absorbs everything and is learning so much. Here are some of my favorites...

* Buzz taught her to tell stories. When we tell her to tell us a story she finds a place to sit down and gets the most adorable look on her face before she begins. Then she says... "One tiiiiiiiiiime.... Abby....." What follows is a string of short broken sentences about herself and people around her usually going to the stock show or the zoo and what they saw there. Her imagination is phenomenal. She really does come up with logical stories and it is precious.

* Just a few days ago she started covering her eyes and counting and the saying "8,9,10,11, 8, 9,10,11, wed or not, I come" =8,9,10,11 ready or not, here I come. We aren't sure where she learned to play hide and seek but she did. She claims Drew and Elyjah taught her "feeze tag"= freeze tag and she runs around touching people and yelling feeze tag but she doesn't understand the whole concept.

*When Cooper is crying she starts yelling "comin' dude" and tries to help me comfort him. She is a great big sister! She tells me he is "hungee"=hungry. She also says "hewo bub"= hello bub every morning, followed by a kiss.

*She loves to ride her "bi-s-cycle" even though she can't figure out how to pedal.

*When we are driving Abby tells me which way to turn and screams if I go what she thinks is the wrong way. She constantly tells me- "watch out mommy.... cars comin" and "Abby safe" meaning she is buckled correctly.

*She is doing phenomenal at potty training. She tries to do it "self" =by herself. We are still working on the pooh but she has mastered the teetee.

*She recognizes her name and each letter in it. She also knows H, O, P, and Z. Sometimes she knows other letters but her favorite is O. She is confident with all of her shapes including triangle, heart, start, kite=diamond, circle and square. I am amazed at how bright she is. She constantly amazes us.

* Clifford is her favorite show and when she sees it is almost over she begins saying "mo Cifferd comin dad"- meaning she wants more.

*She loves to point out the obvious- "Fido baaarrrkin" = Theo is barking, "Lissen mommeee, musik"= listen mommy music, "mess"= I made a mess

*Abby remembers eveyone we meet. She talks about her friends constantly. Some of her favorites are Stevie and Kriddy= Steven and Kristie, E-B and Nonathan= Elizabeth and Jonathan, Naren and Bevany= Lauren and Bethany, Canny, JOOOda, and lysomething- Candie, Judah, and Elyjah, Tina, Dew and Cat Cat- Kristina, Drew, and Cathryn. She says other names really funny too like cousin Madison was Shauna forever. She talks about Dordy and Vevor= Jordy and Trevor like they are here all the time (which I wish they were but she hasn't seen them in over a month). She can name everyone in her Sunday School class and notices when they aren't there. She told us just this Sunday "no Bayden der"- Brayden wasn't at church. Every night we pray for our friends and family and she list them all by herself. It is precious. She LOVES people.

*She loves to sing- sort of. She isn't the greatest at it but loves silly songs and yells "funneee!!" She sings to Cooper often and rocks her babies in her rocker while she sings "wok abye Cooper, tree, fall, etc" = rock a bye Cooper....."

*She is obsessed with animals, what they eat, and sounds they make

*She demands picking out her clothes already- we are in for it! We have to be creative about letting her "choose".

Gene Pop's bday

2009-02-06T08:33:00.003-06:00

Gene Pop had a birthday on January 25th so all of the Nichols bunch gathered at Van and Kathy's to celebrate. It was really fun. Here is a picture of all of Gene Pop's great grandchildren-- not so easy to get a picture of.

Random Pictures

The kids and Gene Pop were especially excited about the cake....

Here are Reid and Abby playing on the stairs. My aunt Kathy saved many of my cousins toys from when they are little and the kids love going upstairs to play with them.

Random Pictures

2009-01-24T13:34:00.005-06:00

"I do it self" translation: Mom I don't need you anymore :(

Playdate with "Riyah"

Little People Park

My favorite new phrase "it otay dude, it otay"

Sweet sister-

See-- no smiles (we must have drugged them)

And I quote "Otay hunnee"

Abby let me "scrunch" her hair and it was adorable but she refused to smile.

Stockshow Take 1

2009-01-24T13:27:00.007-06:00

My dad called, last minute Friday afternoon and said he had passes to the stock show so we loaded up really fast and headed down there. Abby was in Heaven she loved it. Cooper was a trooper. (He even stayed awake most of the time).

When we got there our first stop was the pony rides. Abby was a champ- not the least bit scared and suprise, suprise picked the pony with a pink mane and tale. She had a blast and screamed bloody murder when she figured out it was time to leave.

We moved on to the petting zoo and other exhibits. I think her favorite thing was watching her in her boots and hat as well as her obsession with the tractors. In he exhibition hall there are tons of tractors for sell and Abby thought they were hers.

Shad's Amendment for Farthest Traveling Visitor

2009-01-18T01:08:00.002-06:00

Actually I would have to say that award would go to Brian, Jenn, Jordan, and Trevor, having come all the way in from Costa Rica (even if for Dad's Surgery). I will say though we did have a Grand Ole' Time with Sean and Mindy. I do my best to keep this woman straight.

Cousins

2009-01-17T23:37:00.007-06:00

I have 9 first cousins on my mom's side. Growing up we got together A LOT! Our family was closer than other famlies I knew/know. (Mostly because of Nani's determination). Over the years we have all grown up and aren't able to get together as much but always have fun when we do. (Especially now that the oldest 5 of us are married and have kiddos.) During the holidays we do get to see each other more but this year just the cousins (not the aunts and uncles) got together before the college guys returned to school. (Everyone got to come except the oldest- Bart and his family because they were skiing). Here are some pics of the night- none of which are quality but they do document the evening. The adults mostly ate and played WII while the kiddos ate.

Ethan (cousin Zack's son) also celebrated his 3rd b-day. It was so fun to go and play. They had the party at a very neat place in Denton called Heros. It was a fantabulous place to have a party and Abby enjoyed herself very much! (Both pics I have of the birthday boy are blurry- he is a mover so that is probaly why :()

Christmas with Chloe

2009-01-17T23:21:00.004-06:00

Our last and final Christmas celebration was with Chloe, Todd, Courtney, Dennis and Cindy. Abby and Chloe had a blast playing together (they are only 5 months apart). Abby loved getting more "prizes" and giving them as well. We wish that the whole family could have all gotten together but it was good that we did get to see everyone even if it wasn't at the same time. Abby received a bike (a real bike) from Dennis and Cindy. She hasn't actually mastered peddling herself yet but she loves to sit on it and be pushed.

Playing Stay at Home Mommy

2009-01-17T23:17:00.008-06:00

I still have around 8 weeks left of maternity leave (wow how it has flown). I am enjoying it so very much! We are having such a blast playing with our very social friends. I am also trying to be quite productive at cleaning out junk and getting our lives more organized. It is not exactly clear to me how I am going to be able to do all of this and work 40 hours a week but we will see....

Here are some pics of us playing...... (only some of these are exactly recent but they are all of the playmates we have been playing with-- hehe!)

Farthest Traveling Visitors

2009-01-17T23:14:00.004-06:00

The award for most miles covered to meet Cooper goes to...........

Mindy and Sean!!! It was so good to spend the afternoon/evening with the Holsters not too long ago. We had a blast catching up! Abby still asked where "Minnie" is every time she sees her picture in the office.

Cooper is a Pooper and a Trooper

2009-01-17T23:01:00.006-06:00

Cooper had his one month check up Friday. He is a growing kid and has more than made up for his significant early weight loss. He has decided that eating is sometimes better than sleeping and his weight gain is showing that. He weighs 9lbs and 31/2 oz and is 22in long. We were used to the 85-95th percentile numbers with Abby and Cooper is only in the 30th in weight and 70th in height. Dr. Senevey (the greatest doc ever) was pleased with his stats. He is such a good humored baby and rarely fusses unless he is hungry. We haven't established as good of a schedule as we would like because he enjoys sleeping more than anything else and is quite hard to wake, but we will get there.

I just think infants in shoes are hilarious..... aren't they cute!!

Here he is with his blanket that Grandmother made him. Notice also his extremely large hands...

This is pretty much what he does all day....

Ohh look... grab the camera fast his eyes are open!

And look.... now he is hungry.

***I promise some "posed/cute" pictures are coming. Maybe one day things will slow down-- ha! It is so sad to me that what everyone said about having a second is already so true. With Abby everything was done extra early and very detailed as far as baby book, pictures etc. We are already behind on Coop but I am determined to get busy!

Big sister is crazy about him and continually asks about him if he is not visible to her. She loves to "help" burp him, change his diaper, share her food, give him his paci and hold him. Abby worries about him when he is crying and says "otay coop, otay coop" as she pats him as well as points out to me that he is crying as if I can't hear him. When he got his shots at the doctor she cried very hard because she didn't like him getting a shot... it was precious. She is adorable!! I can't believe how much older she already seems. People warned us about this too but it did--- it happened so fast! We expect more of her and she responds. She is Miss Independent and does many funny things. Her vocabulary has expanded leaps and bounds and her sense of humor is great. Her range of emotions is huge. "Pockets" (ring around the rosies) is what she wants to play constantly and she also enjoys coloring, playdough, playing outside, and especially cooking in her kitchen.

Shad is doing well too! :)

Praise the Lord for such a wonderul family! I am blessed!

That is a lot of diapers

2009-01-17T22:53:00.004-06:00

We heard that two kids in diapers meant serious trash. Well I don't think we realized just how much trash. Here is our curb after 2 missed trash days due to being in the hospital etc..... Shad is tired of taking out the trash.

Abby was going potty on her ELMO potty very regularly before Coop got here but due to a little distraction on her parents part... she has since regressed. We are going to step it back up this week and hopefully by the end of the month only have one kid in diapers.... we will see. (I know this is a tall order for a 22 month old but did you see the heap of trash?)

I know, I know

2009-01-17T22:49:00.002-06:00

I haven't blogged in quite a while...... it has been a bit crazy with two sick kiddos, visitors, recovering from the holidays, and just living the normal Pennington life (we don't know any different). Cooper is doing well and I will catch you up on him very soon.... I will also change the blog title as soon as I have time to sit down and do it.

Camping

2008-12-27T23:01:00.004-06:00

While watching Clifford with Honey one day, Abby learned about camping and did not stop talking about it. So Honey, being the Honey she is, went to Target and bought all of the necessities that an almost 2 year old needs to go camping. One night she and Buzz took Abby camping at their Crowley house (It was a bit chilly outside). Abby had a blast- (I think Honey and Buzz enjoyed it more though).

Random Coop Pics

2008-12-27T22:06:00.004-06:00

Talk about a good baby.... Cooper is the best! He hardly fusses and if he does it is because he has a dirty diaper. He seems so laid back. He has given us a few scares because he has decided that he is already ready to roll over. He sleeps ALL of the time and loves to cuddle. We couldn't ask for anything better. God has given us another amazing blessing.

Buzz and his favorite grandson....

One of the few awake pics...

Big sis loves him!

Great Grandaddy Jack

Uncle H is a huge fan.

He did not enjoy his first bath but his tiny cry was still precious.

Christmas

2008-12-26T00:35:00.008-06:00

Christmas looked very diffrent this year. Due to my c-section and a 5 day old baby- we didn't do anything our "traditional way". (Round 1 was actually a week or so ago with the Nichols (see below) but as for the week of Christmas, here goes.

Abby began her crazy Christmas week with a visit to Santa. Honey and Buzz had to take her this year due to mom's recovery from the surgery. She loved it and especially loved playing in a car while they waited in line for 2 hours...

Round 1- Since the Penn Bs had to return to Costa Rica we opened presents with them before they left instead of mailing them. It was great fun to actually watch them open everything. Abby had fun opening a few of her own.

Due to the last minute of this and the craziness of the week..our fancy Christmas dinner was.... chicken nuggets, fries, and Logan's rolls--- hey you do what you can.....

The most exciting present of the evening was the Wii for the boys. They were super excited.

Round 2-Abby did get to go though with Buzz and Honey to my Great Uncle Roberts to celebrate with my extended family. She had a blast. Shad, Cooper and I hung out at home but the Abbster had a blast- she was exhausted though.

Here she is opening some presents with her cousin Ethan and a picture of Gene Pop and Heath.

Round 3- Christmas morning Shad, Abby, Coop and I celebrated for the first time as our own little family unit. We read the Christmas story and tried to talk with Abby of the meaning of Christmas but in her 21month old mind she could only concentrate on what was under the tree. Santa was very good to us this year. I do have pictures of this but they are on the video camera and I am still learning how to upload those, you will just have to trust me for now that it was cute. Abby ohhed and awed over her presents and we had fun watching her. She loved opening her "prizes".

Round 4- Honey, Buzz, and H came over for lunch and more "prizes". We all exchanged gifts and the highlight of Abbys day was opening her kitchen.... She played with it ALL afternoon and is still playing with it. She has quite an imagination and shops for her food and then brings it to us to sample. It is so fun!!

Round 5- The Herron clan celebrated at our house this year. We thougth a change of scenery might make the heartache of our first Christmas without Grandmother easier for everyone, plus it was easier on me to not have to travel. So, for dinner (which my mom cooked and was very low stress for me:)) Tio, Amy, Katie, Matthew, and Grandaddy joined the rest of us. This year for Christmas we all pitched in to help a family in need for their bills and Christmas presents so there weren't too many for us to open but Grandaddy made sure that Cooper and Abby had something to open. We also played a white elephant exchange which was fun and a good change of pace. (Usually after this the Inge's part of the family and Aunt Jean come to join us but this year was diffrent so we didn't get to see them).

Isn't Grandaddy so cute... here he is telling us about the "stuff" (mascara) that he found in Grandmother's drawer and used to darken his eyebrows.

Round 6 and 7 are still to come with the Pennington side of the family. Everything is out of the ordinary because of the extrodinary circumstances of the past two weeks. Praise the Lord that we have made it through and it is all due to his grace and peace. What a Christmas to remember.

That's a picture we didn't think we would have....

2008-12-24T19:53:00.003-06:00

In the midst of all of the craziness from the past week and the immense blessings that came, another huge blessing got to us. Due to Dennis surgery the Penn-Bs got to fly home. It was so special to simply spend time with them but even more special that they were here when Cooper was born. We wish they didn't have to leave but it was so nice while they were here.

Here are just some random pics from the week. Abby LOVED playing with the boys!!

Grandmother

2008-12-24T19:43:00.003-06:00

Talk about tears....

Grandmother didn't get to meet Cooper but she left something very special. When Grandaddy met Cooper he brought with him a card and a blanket. Grandaddy wrote....

Hi Cooper-
Great Grandmother Radean went to see Jesus a few months before you got here so she made this blanket with lots of Love and Kisses just for you. She would have been very proud of you. Love Great Grandaddy Jack

She always made very special blankets for special occasions. She gave her grandkids baby blankets, Shad and I wedding blankets, Abby her baby blanket and everything else in between. She was known for her great detail in crocheting. I feel so blessed that she had enough forethought to make one for Coop. She passed away about a month after we found out that we were pregnant.

The Gaggle

2008-12-24T19:38:00.002-06:00

To celebrate Christmas this year the gaggle decided we would all go to Simply Fondue. It was very fun!! Here we are before....

Cooper's Arrival

2008-12-21T19:37:00.016-06:00

December 18, 2008 8:05AM 8lbs 0oz. 21 in (and he was early!)

It has been quite a week!! We began with the arrival of the PennB's- wahoo and got to spend some great time with them. Dennis' brain surgery was on Tuesday (which went GREAT-praise the Lord). He is doing very well. Wednesday was full of hustle and bustle and after visits to the hospital etc, we went to eat with Brian, Jenn, Jordan, Trevor and Heath at Chili's. A bit into dinner I got sick and started feeling not quite right. (Remember that I had a C-section scheduled the next morning at 7:30.) Shad and Jenn talked me into going to the hospital even though I refused to admit that I was having contractions. They weren't terrible but I am glad that we went. About 10:00 they admitted us and monitored Cooper. The contractions weren't terrible but they did increase throughout the night. Around 3:00 am we discussed an epidural but went with some oral pain meds and followed through with the c-section at 7:30 so that Dr. Alexis would be the one to do it. I was awake and remember WAY more than I did with Abby. The whole experience was calm and went well. We had TONS of visitors and were blessed so much. He is an amazing little guy who mostly sleeps.

Big Sister is VERY proud of him and doesn't seem to be jealous at this point. She wants him to eat all the time and often tries to share with him.

(Abby called his bed Cooper's wagon and we all got a kick out of it)

Some Visitors (still downloading some others)

Christmas- almost

2008-12-21T19:34:00.005-06:00

The Nichols clan descided to celebrate Christmas rather early this year. We all gathered at Van and Kathy's this year and ate and opened presents. We all had a blast, especially the kiddos. I took a bunch of pictures but here are a few...
My immediate family....

Every year the cousins take a stairstep pictre and the boys fight over who is the tallest. We used to be in order by age but now it is all rearranged. (Don't ask about the leg- I am not quite sure why that got started but now we do it every year. )

Here we are trying to get a picture of all the great-grandchildren (easier said than done). I didn't get a good one. :( Kathy saved all of her kiddos toys from when they were little. Here are the kids playing with Ninja Turtles.

Abby had a blast with all of the kids. She and Madison are close in age and they had a ton of fun laying tea party and ring around the rosie. Abby and Ethan thought wrestling was quite fun.

Halloween

2008-12-07T17:42:00.008-06:00

Better late than never.........

Abby was a "hehe" for Halloween this year. She had a ton of fun in her horse costume and look adorable. Here are a few pics of the evening.

Here is Daddy... isn't he cute????

We met all the grandparents at Wedgwood and made the rounds.

After that we hopped over to Southcliff (which had an AWESOME setup). Abby LOVED the petting zoo.

DeHart Visit

2008-12-07T17:31:00.003-06:00

We had such a blessing in November! Meghan and Reese came to visit us from West Virginia. It was full of fun new memories and a good time had by all. They need to come visit more often- we miss them too much. (Andy can come too. :)) Here is a pic of girls night out. Somehow Meghan got to hide her prego belly in the back. Mine is there front and center. Isn't this the greatest gaggle of gals you ever saw!!

One night my gaggle and all their families (minus 1) came over for some fun. Here is a picture of the baby gaggle.

Here are Abby and Reese in the bathtub. They thought it was the greatest thing on earth. Abby misses Reese. Even now she walks through the house looking for "Weese"

Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T17:21:00.006-06:00

Whew- another whirlwind Thanksgiving! We had a blast seeing all the family. Abby enjoyed playing with her cousins from both sides. The food was delicious!!

Here she is with Ethan and Madison watching the cows. These guys played outside the majority of the time and by the time we all left smelled of the farm. :)

Chloe and Abby and tons of fun too. They were very friendly and love chasing each other around......

The Zoo

2008-12-07T17:08:00.005-06:00

Wednesday before Thanksgiving "ampa", Shad and I took Abby to the zoo. It was perfect weather! Abby LOVED the whole day. She was obsessed with feeding the birds. The moment we entered she started chanting "birds hungeee mommy". Here are a few pics of the day....

Weekend with Honey and Buzz

2008-11-06T20:44:00.004-06:00

Honey and Buzz were here to help with the nursery and play with Abby. Of course they did everything they could to entertain their favorite grandaughter. Here are a few pics of when they went hunting for he-hes in Cleburne. They didn't see the horses they went to find but they had fun at the park with the ducks.

We did find some horses later that night- in a parking lot no less- but Abby did get to ride and LOVED it!!

Here is how Honey entertained Abby at Home Depot while we gathered supplies for the nursery.

Fairy Tale Feast

2008-11-06T20:40:00.005-06:00

First Grade Teachers definitely have the most fun. Every year after our fairy tale unit we have a fairy tale feast. The kids dress up

like their favorite fairy tale character and we (the teachers) dress up like fairies. We look ridiculous (especially the one in pink with a great big bump in the middle of the belly) but we have fun and the kids love it. This year, two of our six were weenies but here are the four of us to represented. :)

Shad and Chief

2008-11-06T20:37:00.003-06:00

Just about every Tuesday I come home to Shad and Chief (Abby's nickname for Steven, sort of) playing FIFA. They actually rearrange the whole living room to fit their game playing. It makes me laugh everytime.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-22T11:10:00.007-05:00

Shad and I took Abby to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago. She had a blast! We had a blast watching her with the "punkins". The picture above shows Abby picking her pumpkin. I think she is pretty darn cute.

Here is a fun face when she figured out she could actually pick the pumpkins up.

Here Ab is riding her "bike". We could hardly get her off of it. After we picked pumpkins and rode bikes we played for a while on the playground and walked through the maze.

There were tons of things to do like picture spots and animals all around to mess with. The animals were probaly her favorite part.

More pics....

Another highlight of the day was the hayride. Abby was enamored with the tractor. It was so fun and I can't wait to take Coop next year.

He-hes

2008-10-05T21:41:00.006-05:00

Abby is obsessed with He-hes (horses) lately. Buzz has taken her to see horses often and she loves them. Anytime we see anything related she starts neighing and yelling he-he. (She also thinks that mommy is a he-he that she should ride all the time. Here are a few pics of a visit to Van and Kathy's to see some.....

September 08

2008-10-05T20:42:00.008-05:00

Below are just a few pictures of randomness from the past month.... a little bit of catch up.

Here is Ab in her BIG GIRL BED! It is a lot cuter than this picture shows. She was just taking a nap so it is not made pretty and she isn't in PJ's- but she is growing up way to fast!!

We went "camping" with people from church last Friday. Abby was in heaven. She got to run free, play ball, drink lemondade, and play with her friends. We didn't spend the night because the prego belly couldn't take it. It was a blast though.

This face explains Abby in full....

Here are some pics of Abby getting ready for a wedding....

This is Abby and Shad giving Eskimo Kisses. Ab just learned how to give these and butterfly kisses and wants to do it ALL the time!! It is precious.

Abby's First Bobcat Football Game

2008-10-05T20:38:00.004-05:00

Abby attended her first Celina Bobcat Football game on homecoming this year. She was very excited! She enjoyed yelling Go! Go! Go! and Touchdown. The most exciting thing of the night was that my cousin Katie WON HOMECOMING QUEEN! The whole family was there to see it and it was super exciting. (More pics of Abby to come- my camera died but Buzz got some cute ones!)

Here are Katie and Tio on the field awaiting the annoucement...

She won! Only in Celina do you ride a Gator off the field! :)

18 Months Old

2008-09-13T21:06:00.028-05:00

I CAN"T BELIEVE IT! Abby is 18 Months old! This time with her has flown by. We naturally think she is the most adorable thing on the earth. She continues to become more verbal and active. Here are some updates on her.

At her 18month check up she weighed 26 lbs and measured in tall. She is saying so many words it is hard to remember but she learns a new one all the time. My favorites are the ones with emotion behind them- her favorite is NO. She loves her friends and families names and enjoys being reading books. She climbs and runs everywhere she goes. She is instant on picking out what she wears some mornings and likes to try to dress herself. She is a girly girl who loves playing tea party and wearing bows and other accessories. Abby tends to be a picky eater but a somewhat healthy one. She really likes "geen beans" and "mook" =milk. She is full of joy and always has a smile on her face. The doctor said that he could tell her great intelligence due to her verbal skills. Marianne (her sitter) tells me every day about the "amazing" things she does and how fun she is. (I can repeat that because I am that proud mom). She is constantly trying to figure things out and amazes us with what she does figure out. I am cherishing these last few months with our family of three.

Chancho Pennington

2008-09-13T20:47:00.005-05:00

Christmas this year will look very different but a special surprise will make it even more sweet. It is true. Baby Pennington #2 is on his way! He should be here December 18th. I am just around 6 months pregnant and doing great. We purposely haven't made a big announcement for several reasons but it is now time. My belly is getting quite large. The baby is apparently the size of a corn cob. We know for sure that it is a boy(and we are super excited). I have (cross my fingers) stopped getting "morning sickness" (which by the way is the worst misnomer in the history of pregnancy for me). I stopped 4 weeks earlier than I did with Abby and haven't had to take Zofran in several days now- PRAISE THE LORD!! We do have a name- but we haven't nailed down the middle name yet. We will share when we do... For now, we will use one of Brian's suggestions and just call him Chancho. These are some of the sono pics that we got about a month or so ago. It is a picture of he head and torso. The picture at the bottom is a 3D picture that we just happened to get. If you get past the scariness of it then you can really make ot his face (up and down on the left). The other pics that, I didn't scan, show his boy parts, arms, legs, heart, brain, etc.

San Antonio

2008-09-07T16:27:00.006-05:00

Shad and I had the chance to get away this weekend to San Antonio. We didn't realize how nice it was until we actually did it. It wasn't anything fancy but it sure was wonderful. We didn't do much of anything except relax. (Shad has a TERRIBLE case of poison ivy from last weekend and my pregnant self loves to sleep these days, so we were just fine with nothing exciting.) On the way down I learned that Shad had never been to the Alamo before. I was floored. I could not believe it. What a disgrace!! He has even been to San Antonio before and never seen it- UGH! So- we had a short history lesson on the way down. He claims he is "from" OKC so he didn't have to know Texas history, but I disagree. For any of you who have lived in Texas for lets say more than 3 or so years.... get your self up to date on some Texas history and visit the Alamo! We spent some time shopping in San Marcos and had a great visit to Gruene. Shad had also never eaten at the Grist Mill. We both thoroughly enjoyed our evening there and bought Baby #2 some decor for the nursery at a local shop. (Those of you who have never been there should go also-- it is a Texas treasure and makes a GREAT weekend trip.)

**Aren't all of these beautiful pictures lovely-- ohhh wait- Shad erased them from my camera because he didn't want anyone to see his poison ivy!!

"Ba"ball

2008-08-25T12:28:00.002-05:00

Well Uncle H played minor leauge ball this summer for the Beach Dawgs in Corpus Christie. Abby LOVES to watch him play. Buzz got her a glove and ball and she enjoys playing as well. Anytime baseball is on TV she sits down and watches it to "look for H". It is precious. Here are some pics at one of the games we got to see.

Summer Pics

2008-08-24T22:49:00.012-05:00

I haven't had time to sit down and blog much lately but here are a few quick updates on the past month or so.......
Here is our little Olympian... She actually loved watching the Olympics, especially "Wimmin" (Swiming). She is buff huh!

These are a few of the pictures from the quite humerous Olympic Party.

Playday with some pals "Nauren and Bef".....

Zoo day with the Skippers...

Promotion

2008-08-24T22:36:00.004-05:00

Our little girl is growing up. I can't believe how big she is. Today was promotion Sunday- YIKES! She isn't in the baby nursery anymore. All of the girls are growing and changing so much. They had a great day in their new class. (The pics didn't turn out so great but I had to document.... :)

Abby's Favorite Person

2008-08-24T22:30:00.004-05:00

Abby is very fond of many people. One in particular is Kristie. Abby talks about Abby CONSTANTLY- even when Kristie is nowhere around. When we are driving down the road and Abb sees a car similar to Kristie's or anything that makes her think of her, she starts chanting Krity, Krity. (Now I don't think this bothers Kristie one bit). Tonight was a quite funny- Abby went to bed and was fussy because she didn't want to go to sleep. After a bit she started yelling for Krity. This made me a bit sad since I am her mom...... but it makes me so proud that Abby is surrounded by people who love her and that she loves so much.

This picture is of Abby DEMANDING Kristie.

SPIDERS!

2008-08-04T22:34:00.003-05:00

Did you ever want to hold a tarantula? Well if so, just venture down to Costa Rica. If you are 6, like Trevor, you will act like it is no problem and let it crawl right on you- no problem. The other boys did it with a bit more apprehension. CRAZY!!! (Brian did it as well but my picture of that turned out blurry).

Costa Rica

2008-07-29T12:42:00.014-05:00

Whew-- we had an AMAZING time visiting the Penn-B's in Costa Rica. (It really made us miss them more though.) What a blessing it was to see Brian, Jenn and to spend time with the boys. We will try to fill you in on everything but it might take a bit. It was so reassuring to see that they are okay and to have more insight into their everyday lives. We met some really neat people that they know and go to school with. Here is the story.....

Our journey began in the wee hours of the morning and we headed out in plenty of time to make our flight. We were a bit skeptical because we were flying standby but had absolutely no drama with the standby... our problems were with weather. When we arrived our plane to Atlanta was delayed which meant we would not make our flight to San Jose. So we waited..... and waited. We got on the flight finally and made it to Atlanta. We knew we had a bit of a layover for the next flight but it ended up being VERY LONG. Sleeping in an airport is not so comfortable and we were VERY anxious to see the fam. We got on the flight (which was also delayed) and arrived late into the night. Brian and Ronnie Jr. were there to pick us up. When we arrived at their house the boys were snoozing but we still got to see them and Jenn. We went quickly to bed and slept late the next morning. Here are some pics of their home sweet home.

When we woke up Jenn brought the boys home from school and we played with them. They took us to a park and showed us around a bit. It is a quite humbling experience to be at the mercy of a almost 9 and 6 year old. They were not only our guides but our translators as well. They (along with Brian and Jenn) taught us about Gringo Traps, dog pooh, and the other many interesting characteristics about a San Jose neighborhood. One of the most interesting things to me was that their are no addresses..... Brian and Jenn handed us a piece of paper with their "address" to give someone if we got lost. Basically it consist of white house, black bars, so and so many meters south of Parque de Bosque (Forest Park) in San Francisco. We also learned that it really does rain everyday. Ticos (Costa Ricans) just go with it and it doesn't affect them much.

When Brian and Jenn got home from school we ventured out to the Jumbo (pronounced Juuumeboe). It was our first look at life for the new missionaries. Jumbo is their grocery store. You can even pay your bills there. American food (although there was no Dr. Pepper here) is very expensive. They have everything you need including cleaning products in bags, peanut butter and bar like dishwashing soap. We came home and grilled out some yummy chicken. The boys introduced us to some crazy addicting games and we played for the majority of the evening. We also got to share some goodies that we had brought from the states and that was fun.

The next day the boys stayed with us while Brian and Jenn went to take test at school (fair right
?) :) We waited for their empleada,(housekeeper) and told her not to worry about cleaning the room we were staying in. Jordan then ask her if she would teach us how to make arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) also very tasty. The boys took us to another beautiful park and we enjoyed watching some ducks and playing on some monkey bars. After the park we went to their school and watched the teachers do some traditional dances in the gym and then we ate something that basically looks like a big tamale wrapped in a banana leaf, it was very yummy. We went to eat at Otero's Pizza. A new misisonary family arrived that Brian and Jenn are big brothers to, and they went to eat with us. The pizza was yummy and a nice taste of home.

On to the big hoorah of the trip. We left early in the morning to go and see some beauty in Costa Rica. All the Penningtons along with Karen, Victoria, and our driver Ronnie drove around 4 hours to visit Los Lagos Resort. It is located at the foot of a Volcano and I can't explain the beauty that we saw. The ride there was gorgeous as well. We saw great coffee fields, waterfalls, and fauna all around us. (Check out another post for more pics). We arrived at Los Lagos and were taken immediately by the amazing sights. The hotel was AMAZING!! The roadsides were unmatched. We were literally in the jungle. We spent most of our time in the pool/hotsprings, hiking around, or looking at the volcano. At night we ventured closer to the volcano to see the lava flowing. I (Haley) spent a bunch of time napping- A BUNCH. It was great!

Our driver Ronnie was hilarious and we also got to know another family headed to Peru on the trip. (Karen and Victoria). It was a blessing to spend so much time with the boys and Brian and Jenn.

Ronnie and the boys.

We returned to San Jose. It seemed like life as normal, as if no time or space was between when the Penn-Bs were right down the road from us. After a few more relaxed days it was time to say goodbye. We set off on our trek home, very early again and finally made it home late that night, excited to see Abby. What an amazing trip! The best part was visiting with the family and know that they were okay- great even. (BUT we still miss them terribly.)

(Disclaimer: There is PLENTY that we left out for sake of your boredom with details- we will fill you in on whatever you may want to know. :)

Mi cunada incredible!!!

2008-07-29T10:25:00.003-05:00

Yes that is right!! My sister-in-law is amazing.

God's Majesty

2008-07-29T09:21:00.003-05:00

Here are just a few of the beautiful pictures that we captured. Costa Rica was even more beautiful than these pictures can describe but God's majesty was EVERYWHERE.

Older pics

2008-07-08T23:30:00.004-05:00

I just came across these pictures that seem so long ago... (only actually a year and a half ) BUT WOW!! I cant believe how little Abb was or how dark her hair really was.

We miss swiming with Jordy and Trev. Abby loves "dordy and ttttttttttv).

These were special to find after Grandmother's passing..... (and Aunt Jean just because)

We've got some crazy hair!!

2008-07-08T23:17:00.002-05:00

The Fourth

2008-07-08T22:51:00.004-05:00

We had such a great weekend celebrating the fourth with the fam. Not everyone was able to make this year but we enjoyed it still.
Here is Abby in her Fourth of July outfit... (Honey makes sure she has one.)

Abby got to spend a lot of time with Honey and Buzz. They really enjoyed showing her the "moo cows" (that she is still talking about). They had a blast riding on the gator and chasing the cows down.

And there was some food....................

Other Random Pics.....

(Check out Abby's face in the pool!)

Hay sure can be fun.......

And rocks are fun too.....

More pictures of oh so fun watermelon eating to come.......

Cousins

2008-06-22T22:07:00.004-05:00

I (Haley) am blessed with many cousins. On Saturday several of us all hung out. The highlight for Abby was of course the swimming but also hanging out with Madison. (my cousin's daughter who is 12 months old). They had a ball. They were very sweet and played well together, except for the lack of knowing how to share. Abby had a blast in the pool and sand box but really enjoyed crawling back and forth through the doggie door.

Playing with buddies

2008-06-22T21:59:00.005-05:00

Abby is very social and loves playing with her pals. Here are a few shots.

Abby in the Water

2008-06-22T21:50:00.005-05:00

Abby LOVES water. She doesn't care if it is the bath, a kiddie pool, a big pool or even sprinklers. Here are a few pics of her loving it!

Here she is in Dallas playing in the most fun "sprinkler" you have ever see.

This is the backyard. She loves swimming with Mia. Mom is especially proud when she drinks the water like Mia. (YIKES)

Grandmother

2008-06-22T21:47:00.001-05:00

Thank you for praying for our family during this time. Grandmother has gone home. She passed away last Saturday (the 14th) after a difficult but relatively short significant battle with brain cancer. Thank you for all of the love that you showered on our family during this time. Keep praying for all of us but especially grandaddy as we learn life without her.

Grandmother

2008-05-18T21:14:00.007-05:00

Today the whole Herron clan gathered and took A LOT of pictures for memory's sake. Here is what we ended up with. :)

4 generations Great Grandmother The Herron Boys

Originals Grandkids Great Grandaddy

Everybody The Girls

Just Fun G&G Abby

Okay Prayer Warriors. Get on your knees. My Grandmother was just diagnosed with Brain Cancer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glioblastoma_multiforme Here is a definition for the specific kind you have. Notice that the outlook is grim. She has opted for surgery but that in itself is quite dangerous. She is active and overall healthy and lives fully for the Lord and her family. Pray for wisdom, good doctors, steady hands, peace, strength and especially for my Grandaddy. They (we) trust God completely but covet your prayers.

Uncle H

2008-05-18T20:47:00.004-05:00

My brother Heath is man of few words- very few words. He and Abby share a special bond that doesn't need those words. Abby calls him H and has been able to say "h" for a while now. It is simply precious to watch them play together. Abby loving yells Babll (baseball) whenever she sees H or sees baseball on TV. (Did I mention that Heath got ALL Conference for Tarelton and ended his career with a batting average over 400.) Here are a few pics of them playing together.

(Heath also refuses to smile in pictures. :))

Ranger's Game

2008-05-18T20:39:00.003-05:00

Steven and Kristie invited us to a wonderful date night to watch the Astros and Rangers duke it out. Good ol Rangers killed the Astros and it was a funtime had by all.

Shad and Steven were more blown away by the Cowboys stadium next door than anything else.

The Penn Bs

2008-05-04T16:44:00.004-05:00

Brian, Jenn, Jord, and Trev were here for a whirlwind week before their adventure in Costa Rica began. We were blessed in so many ways while they were here. We were reminded how much we love and miss them but also reminded of their call and the amazing impact they are going to have. Here are a few of the highlights of the trip. My favorite was that Abby started saying "Jordy". She still sees their picture and says Jordy. It melts my heart. Trevor also was baptized and it was so special that we got to share in the experience. (Our pictures didn't turn out but we do have videos). :(

We ate dinner together every night (mostly at Grandma and Grandpas)and had plenty of time to get ice cream (a Haley and Jenn unspoken rule always). Jenn and I got some good girly time with massages and facials. What fun!! Brian and Shad played some bball at Wedgwood just like old times.

One afternoon in the midst of packing I stole the boys away and we made a quick trip to the duck pond. Abby loves playing with her big cousins.

She thinks they hung the moon.

While they were here we also got the special privlage of spending time with the fourth cousin Chloe and Aunt Courtney and Uncle Todd. We took a huge Pennington family picture that I will post as soon as I scan it.

I think Abby enjoyed the time more than anyone. She was exhausted all week.

I wish I had documented better with pictures but I kept forgetting my camera. All I do know is that we had so much fun and we can't wait to go visit them this summer. Keep up with Brian and Jenn at livinwithllamas.blogspot.com

Abby's New Tricks

2008-04-23T10:19:00.002-05:00

I thought I should update on some of you on Abby's new tricks. She says many new words including her famous "hi", more, please, outside (owww), puppy (puppa), baby, ball, and a few others. She can also do signs for most of those words. She can walk and run well and throw a ball. She feeds herself finger foods and has started attempting with a fork and spoon. Her newest trick.... TAKING HER DIAPER OFF and most likely eating the pooh while smearing it everywhere. She now will ALWAYS have on something that snaps.

Easter 2008

2008-04-04T09:36:00.006-05:00

Whew!!! Easter was a whirlwind- What great memories from Abby's second Easter. We began celebrating Christ resurection early. The Boerger's had us all over for hot dogs and a little hunt on the Saturday before. Here a few pictures.... (my camera took mostly blurry pictures but this is what I got). The Boergers, Alexanders, and Lyles were all there for the fun event.

After the hunt we met up with Shad's parents and had dinner. This is Abby's Easter Dress (well one of them).

On Sunday we went to church and then drove to Van and Kathy's (My extended family's in Celina). We enjoyed the company and delicious feast. Abby especially enjoyed playing with Madison (my cousins daughter). A lot of our family was missing but it was still great fun.(Note: Aunt Kathy gave the girls Easter suckers from New York- this is the most sugar either has EVER had- needless to say they really enjoyed it!!!

Tarelton Baseball

2008-04-04T09:15:00.004-05:00

I am so proud of my little brother. He has played baseball since he could barely hold a ball. Now he lives and breaths it. Right now he is showing of his skills playing for the Tarelton Texans. Wenesday a huge chunk of my extended family all went to watch him. He did a great job and was 4 for 5. Just recently he tied a school record twice in the same day for hits. Abby loved the game! She clapped and yelled and played the whole time. She fell asleep before she got to see Uncle H . Heath was recently named Hitter of the week.... check out this cool article- about my brother!! http://www.tarletonsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=12574&SPID=727&DB_OEM_ID=2500&ATCLID=1425499

Here is Abby enjoying the game.

DC Trip Part 4

2008-03-22T08:35:00.005-05:00

We were blessed enough to spend the night with Andy's uncle and aunt outside of DC. When we all woke up we headed back into town. It was a big day. We got to tour the Whitehouse and see some really cool stuff there. We then walked about a million miles and made it to the Capitol building. Along the way we got to run away from a war protest and see a lot of interesting people. After resting a bit at the Capitol we ventured into one of the other Smithsonian Museums (air and space). Meghan and I found Dr. Pepper (which was hard to do) and were loving it. We then found our way to the metro (which is what adults do and we are adults- right Andy?) and rode it back to where we had parked our cars. Andy's Uncle and Aunt then took us out to eat for some yummy crab cakes at a Mediterranean restaurant. We collapsed after our full day. The next day we got up, went to breakfast and headed out of town.

DC Trip Part Three

2008-03-22T08:23:00.007-05:00

After our trip to Richmond, we returned to our hotel and slept. The next morning we met up with Meghan, Andy and Reese near the Pentagon. We rode the metro around for a while and ended up at the national zoo. The girls were not overly impressed. They mostly ate and slept.

We did A LOT of walking. There weren't very many animals out for us to see but it was so wonderful fellowshiping with our good friends. It was really cute to see the girls interact. Reese has grown so much.

DC Trip Part Two

2008-03-21T10:20:00.006-05:00

After a restful evening we woke up and headed south to Richmond, Virginia. The "Penn-B's" are staying at the ILC before they head off to language school in Costa Rica. It was great to see what they have been talking about for the past few weeks and be able to experience some of their life there. One of the neat things we got to do was experience cultrual worship with them. (Southeast Asia style). We spent most of the day just hanging out and playing. Jenn and I got ice cream and ate Mexican food so we were happy. :) We can't wait to see them again before they leave for Costa Rica.

DC Trip Part One

2008-03-21T09:46:00.007-05:00

Our trip began by flying to Washington DC and meeting up with Brian, Jenn, Jord and Trev. It was so great to see them! We miss them constonantly and couldn't wait to spend time with them. Our short time with them was packed full and wondeful. After we met up with them we hopped on the metro and visited the Smithsonian. We saw a lot of neat things and had fung watching the boys experience all the fun. Here is a picture of Jordan looking at some butterflies.

Abby was totally wiped out but she still had fun.

After we visited a some of the musuem, we ventrued out into the mall and did some sightseeing of the surrounding monuments.

DC Trip

2008-03-20T09:40:00.005-05:00

Well- we just returned from our first official family vacation to Washington DC. Our trip was exhausting but extremely wonderful. The two highlights were getting to see Brian, Jenn, and the boys as well as the DeHarts. Here are a few pictures of Abby on her first plane ride and at the airport.

Indoor Recess

2008-03-09T20:44:00.013-05:00

Here are a few fun pics from the playplace at Hulen Mall. Abby loves anywhere that she can run free. She enjoys being around people, and especially kids. We met some friends and took some pictures but in pictures of more than one person noone was looking at the camera:(

Home Depot

2008-03-09T20:44:00.006-05:00

I think that Home Depot is now one of Abby's favorite hang outs. She was beyond friendly to all of the workers with her famous "hi". She really enjoyed pulling petals off of flowers as well.

She's One ????

2008-03-09T20:13:00.003-05:00

Where did the past year go? Abby is officially one year old now. Our life has been blessed in so many ways by our little princess. We can't imagine life without her. Here are a few pictures of her since Christmas. (I have been bad about updating the blog- sorry).

And there was cake....

2008-03-09T20:04:00.002-05:00

Abby LOVED hear first cupcake.

Abby's First Birthday Party

2008-03-09T19:35:00.006-05:00

Whew! What a night! We had great fun celebrating Abby turning one. We had friends and family over to celebrate. What a blessing! The guest included..... Honey, Buzz, Great Grandmother and Grandaddy, Great, Great Aunt Jean, the Boerger family, the Skipper family, the Alexander family, and Emily. Here are a few pics of the fun.