Planes

The Disney/Pixar movie, Planes, was released in August.  I knew it would be an instant hit with Hudson, but especially with my nephew, Wake.  At 18 months old, Wake is quite the plane enthusiast and has the best plane sound/imitation you've ever seen. 

We had never taken the two boys to see a movie together, so one Sunday Kyle, Hudson, myself, my sister, my brother-in-law, Wake and my parents, packed the Stillwater movie theatre. In true movie fashion, we smuggled the best candy in our purses and treated the boys to all the popcorn they could eat. Neither Wake nor Hudson made it through the entire film, but it was a day to remember anyway!

                                                         So excited  about their movie!

Callin' Baton Rouge

Something I hope Hudson always remembers is that when bad things happen, look for the helpers.  I also hope someday he will be a helper.  In this particular instance, many were ready to respond to the devastating May tornadoes. A big way Oklahomans were able to help was through benefit concerts. Benefit concerts contributed millions of dollars for recovery.

One of the concerts that Kyle and I were so excited about was the OK twister relief concert at OU stadium. Seeing Garth Brooks was on my 'bucket list' and it just so happened that Grammie and Papa surprised us with tickets. I have to admit I was not looking forward to seeing all the artists in attendance and definitely wasn't excited to spend the entire day in Norman (it's just the Cowgirl in me), but it turned out to be a fun and memorable day. Some of our favorite performances of the day included Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Sammy Hagar, Ronny Dunn, John Anderson, Willie Nelson & Wade Hayes.

I look forward to sharing mine and Kyle's love for music with Hudson and someday taking him to fun concerts and music events.

                                                Kyle didn't share my same enthusiasm!

Me anxious about the festivities to come...

Happy Birthday, America

This July 4th was one of the best we've had in a long time.  We had no plans, which was a bit disappointing at first, but turned out to be perfect.  Hudson and Kyle and I went to a small cookout at a friend's house in Stillwater and had a lot of fun getting to know some new friends.  After that we took Hudson to Eskimo Joe's while we waited for it to get dark enough for fireworks.

After five years of living in Stillwater, we finally made it out to their big fireworks show at Boomer Lake.  The show lasted well over 30 minutes and we all agreed it was the best show we'd ever seen.

I think we've found our new 4th of July tradition.  It was so much watching Hudson "Oooo" and "Awww" over the fireworks displays. 

Grammie and Papa's Clubhouse

The last weekend in June, my sister and I got the boys together at my parent's house.  To say these two little ones had fun, is an understatement.  They had a blast.  When going to Grammie & Papa's it's more like a clubhouse, a vacation, you could even say a party. 

At Grammie & Papa's they enjoy sweets of all kinds, and you haven't lived unless you've eaten my mom's chocolate chip cookies.  They enjoy tractor rides, play time on their fort, running with the lab, Sammi, playing in the water, and oh so much more!

On this particular day, we decided to take the boys to the splash pad in town.  Forget the splash pad, they had more fun singing and dancing to Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" in the car on the way there.

We all had such a fun day.  I know Hudson can't wait for his next cousin play date with Wake!

Griffin Family Shindig

In early June we had a Griffin family cookout at my Nani & Papa's home in Harrah, OK.  This is something we try to do every summer, and I'm always so glad we do!
I love my family dearly, and unfortunately we are all scattered across the state and don't get the opportunity to see one another often.  But, with 5 kids, 15 grandkids and 8 great-grandkiddos, it's no wonder they love to get everyone together when they can.

I must say some of my fondest memories growing up were spent with this bunch of family.  From cookouts to camping trips, everything we did together was a blast.  I'm so thankful that Hudson will have the opportunity to build those memories as well.

Me, Nicki & Mom



Auntie Jo & Uncle Kyle



Hudson, the little golfer

My handsome daddy and I; there's no mistaking the Griffin genes here.



The cousins

The sweet kiddos; notice Grandpa Jerry racing with a bowl of homemade ice cream in hand.  That's talent!

Me and precious Penny

A Turtle Named Percy

Last weekend we traveled down to Harrah to visit my parents and to also attend a family cookout (more to come on that later).  It had been a few weeks since my parents had seen Hudson and they were very happy to finally reunite.

At some point during our visit my mom told Hudson that they had a "pet" turtle that had been hanging around their shop for a few weeks, stealing dog food eating shop bugs and doing what box turtles do, and that if he wanted to help her do a thorough search outside they were sure to find it.

Of course he was excited at the thought of finding the little box turtle, so, they were off on an adventure.  They soon found the turtle and Hudson was granted the honor of naming it.  After going through several names, he finally decided on "Percy."  Sadly, the situation with Percy soon fizzled out, as it was Hudson's first time to see a turtle and he was actually terrified.  He wanted to keep a safe distance the entire time and I never got a picture of the two of them together.  But of course, I couldn't let Percy get away without getting a few pics of him, and I must say, he was quite photogenic.

Growing Like a Weed

Hudson finished his last day of preschool at the end of May. It was bittersweet because even though we were ready to move on to a new school and experience new things, Hudson had been at the First Christian Church Preschool for two years. There he learned and grew so much.  I'm so happy that I happened to take a picture of him on his first day of school this year. It was amazing to compare how much he'd grown and changed in 9 months.

In some ways it makes me sad because my baby just isn't a baby anymore, in other ways it makes me happy because I can see the amazing little boy he is turning out to be. He is tall, handsome, smart, funny, charismatic and very sweet. I'm so proud of you Hudson and love watching you grow!