Disney on Ice

During the Oklahoma State Fair, Hudson and I were invited to go to Disney on Ice. I hadn't been to Disney on Ice since my parents took me to see Beauty and the Beast when I was a little girl.  I knew Hudson would have a great time and I couldn't pass up the chance to spend time with my best friend, Lauren. 

Once we finally arrived and got settled in, we had a great night.  The popcorn was good (Hudson's must-have snack), the show was great and the company was wonderful!

Thanks for inviting us, Lauren!

Dove Hunt

This year, Hudson got to go on his first dove hunt with his daddy.  Opening day he got up bright and early for donuts and coffee before his big adventure. 

They finished less than an hour after sunrise and came back with their limit.  Hudson was grinning ear to ear as he told me the details of his morning hunt. It didn't take long for him to crash after we got in the car, after all, hunting is a lot of work when you're little.

Every Superhero Needs a Sidekick

On August 9, 2014, our lives were once again changed forever when I found out that I was expecting our second child. 

This was big news for our family.  After a minor hiccup with my health, Kyle and I wondered if we'd ever get to give Hudson the gift of a sibling. Hudson was staying with his Grammie and Papa when we got the news, so we carefully crafted a plan as to how we would tell him. 

 

The next day, we got the video camera ready and spilled the beans! He was so excited and slightly confused but was instantly ready to take on the duty of big brother as he went through the list of things that are necessary to take care of babies. It has already been such a joy to watch Hudson's love for "his baby" grow that I can't imagine what it will be like when he/she is here in our arms. 

 

It's going to be tough, but we have decided to not find out the gender of this baby. The expected due date is April 13th, so we will all be surprised in April!



Your Great-Great-Grandpa

Your Great-Great-Grandpa, George Bruce Ensey, was born September 3, 1925 and would've turned 89 this year. He was a wonderful man, WWII veteran and loved your Great-Great-Grandma Helen with all of his heart. He went to Heaven on June 21, 2014.

I want you to know what a blessed little boy you are.  Not many people have the priviledge of knowing their great-great-grandparents. You had 3 1/2 years with him and although you are still little and probably won't remember, I promise, he loved you very much.

Two weeks before your Great-Great-Grandpa George went to be in Heaven you and I took the day off and spent several hours at the hospital with him.  That was one of the greatest decisions I've made.  When we arrived, it was just the three of us.  You sat on his bed and talked all about your new puppy, Jess. He agreed that every little boy should grow up with a dog of their own and he was very happy for you.  He told us both about what he'd been watching on TV,  his hospital stay and how he wanted us to "break him outta there." We laughed some, I cried some, but it is a day I'll always remember.

It wasn't until the celebration of his life that I heard one of the most meaningful stories that I had ever heard about him.When all the great-grandkids were little we would often wonder about some of the quirky Christmas and Birthdays gifts that we would receive from your Great-Great-Grandpa George. Rabbit's feet, silver dollars and pocket knives just to name a few. The story I never knew was that he was on his way home from a job one evening when he saw a terrible car accident. The car was engulfed in flames and a little girl sat on the side of the road crying while emergency responders tried to console her.  That next morning he read a story in the paper about the accident and learned that the mother of the girl had been trapped inside the car, couldn't get her seatbelt loose and died at the scene.  He wanted each of us to have a pocket knife at all times in case we were ever in a similar situation and a silver dollar for good luck. 

I hope that you will spend time with all of your grandparents and listen to their stories. Someday you will be so thankful for those relationships and memories.

Little Green Giants

On June 14th, Hudson had his first tee ball game. To say I was excited is an understatement...more like thrilled.  Growing up, I never played tee ball, or a game of anything, ever in my life.  But, I do love watching sports.  As his mommy, I'm his biggest fan in life and I know that will carry over into everything he does.  He had more than just me in the crowd for his first game; his daddy, Uncle Cole, Aunt Crista, Grammie, Papa, Grandpa Kelly, Kelli, Shelby, Kenny and Ashley were all there to cheer him on.

Being that it is tee ball, Kyle and I want nothing more than for him to have fun and finish the season with a basic understanding of the game.   So far so good; he finished his first game with a few great hits, some throws and a big grin on his face.

 

Zoo Crew

For Mother's Day, your Grammie wanted nothing more than to take her two favorite boys to the zoo.  We couldn't arrange for everyone to be together on Mother's Day, but the Saturday following we were able to make it happen. 

It was literally monkey business all day long with you and Wake. You are at the age where you love to mimic all the animals and every noise, grunt & growl, you have mastered.  It was a cool day and all the animals were out to play and enjoy the lovely weather.  We finished the day off with a yummy barbecue lunch at one of our favorite spots.

Who's that girl...it's Jess!



About a year and a half ago, we sadly had to find a new home for Hudson's basset hound puppy.  Hudson just wasn't quite old enough yet, and we didn't have the time and space to devote to him.  He now happily resides with a wonderful veterinary student here in Stillwater, who happend to have a female basset hound that could be his friend.

So, in late January we finally decided to re-introduce a pet to the family.  We were about to move out of our apartment, and it was the perfect timing.  We adopted Thomas, an adult Coonhound with the most mild temperament; a perfect companion for Hudson.  Within a few months we realized that Thomas was in need of a four-legged friend to play with during the day. 

Kyle and Hudson were keen on the idea of a retrieving dog that they could train and eventually take hunting.  I wasn't on board with the idea of a puppy at first, but I must say, she has stolen my heart. Jess, is the most perfect little yellow lab with lovely green eyes.  I am a little obsessed with the TV show, 'New Girl,' and defintely feel the need to sing that theme song to her every time she comes into a room ("Who's that girl? Who's that girl?...It's Jess!").  Plus, there is finally another girl in the house and within an hour of having her, I went out and bought her a pink collar to celebrate. 

I admit I have my hands full; Hudson, work, house, Thomas and now Jess, but, I'm embracing the craziness of it all!



Camp Director

We recently took Hudson on his first camping trip. It didn't seem right that he was nearing 4 years of age and had never been.  Some of the happiest memories of my early childhood are of camping at the lake. 

A weekend of family, four-wheelers and camp fires was just what we needed. 

We loaded up our SUV with supplies and headed southeast to my great-grandparents' ranch in Sasakwa, Oklahoma.

Busy Bunnies

This Easter we had a wonderful weekend with our families. Friday and Saturday night we got to spend time with Kyle's family.  Hudson had a blast dying Easter eggs at his Nana & Papa's.  He a lot of practice hunting Easter eggs at their house and by Sunday, he was an expert.  He woke up Sunday to a basket filled with yummy candy, a new movie and other fun Easter toys.  Before we left, I had to snap a picture of him with his Nana & Papa.  Kyle has such wonderful grandparents and I'm so happy that Hudson had the opportunity to spend time with them.

 

Sunday afternoon we headed to my parent's house.  My mom was hosting an Easter party and for the first time in a long time most of our family was able to attend.  Hudson found so much excitement in hunting Easter eggs with Wake and Dalton.  Between the three of them, they had around 90 eggs to find.  As you can imagine, each boy ended the hunt with baskets that were filled to the brim and overflowing. As "Hallmark" as it may sound, my heart felt much like their baskets by the end of the weekend, filled to the brim and overflowing with love for our wonderful family and our Savior.



Sharp Dressed (lil') Man

As the song says, "Every girl's crazy bout a sharp dressed man." In my case, a sharp dressed little man. On March 29th, we had the priviledge of watching two friends, Chase and Allison become man and wife.  Both Kyle and Hudson were honored to be a part of the ceremony, but perhaps no one was quite as happy as Hudson.  After several mishaps, we finally got Hudson's little tux, and I've got to say it was well worth it. He was feeling snazzy and ready for a party.

At the reception, he didn't waste any time finding the dance floor.  He found the flower girl and they danced the night away. It took some convincing, but after a long night, he was ready to head back to the hotel at about 10:30.  On the ride back, he informed me he was a big fan of weddings because you can dance and have cake!