Randomness for the Grands......

We spent last week @ VBS! PandaMania was just plain WILD! Graham and Gentry both loved it so much. I was blessed with the opportunity to teach the bible story to the threes and fours each day. We had a ton of fun learning that: God made you; God listens to you; God watches over you; God loves you, no matter what; and God gives good gifts! Graham is still singing all the songs and he is finally doing some of the motions, as you will see in the video below.



We are swimming like crazy around here! Hotel Horner is in full swing for the summer season! What a blessing our home has been to so many. Gentry learned to use her puddle jumper this week and is really becoming a pro. Graham is beginning to jump off the side and wants his jumper off more and more so that he can practice swimming.

We haven't been working on our "preschool" curriculum like we should but Graham is learning the books of the Bible and memory verses. Here are the first five......



Graham is also working really hard at potty training! It is all consuming for me. Hopefully he will be a pro soon. He just finished his fourth chart and earned a trip to Bass Pro!
I hope to post G's third birthday party pictures soon so check back.

Orange Beach 2011

We just had the best four day family of four vacation in Orange Beach, AL! The kids did a great job on the trip down. Lots of squeals and clapping from the backseat. Thanks to Mrs. Shelly we made it through the last hour and a half watching Cars. (It was a life saver!) The first night they were so excited to just be in a hotel.


After breakfast the first day we headed out to walk on the beach.


Gentry did not like the sand or the sound of the waves.

Graham couldn't wait to get in, but it was a little chilly that morning. We headed to the Gulf Coast Zoo hoping it would warm up a little.
After naps and a cookie Graham was ready to go to the beach!

Gentry was brave on Daddy's shoulders.

This is a video of Graham's first experience with waves.

Orange Beach Continued....







The days on the beach were fantastic! We also had great food at Lambert's, Old World Pizza, DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen, and Bruster's. Every moment we weren't on the beach Graham was asking if we could go. Gentry's best day on the beach was her two hour nap under an umbrella. She finally let it loose on Sunday as you'll see in the video below.

Can't get Blogger to load videos...... Hope you can see this!


Graham had a great "family party" at home on his birthday. He loved his cheesecake birthday cake and cheeseburger lunch.

Graham Turns Two




I can't believe my baby is two today! We have been so blessed to watch you grow and learn. I hope you have been just as blessed to call us Mom and Dad. We love you so much Grahamyboy!

What Graham loves to do at 2 years old:
He loves to sing (Itsy bitsy Spider and bible songs are his favorites)
kiss on baby Gentry
check the "crops" every morning
Eat any kind of fruit
Use his new tools
Fish in the swimming pool
Climb the stairs
Swim
He told Matthew, "I like Dirt!" while they were planting the garden
He loves to do anything outside
Read bedtime stories and hold Monkey
He can count to 16
He knows his abc's
He still loves baths
He doesn't love milk
He doesn't like mama to brush his teeth
He has started testing the lines we are drawing
He still doesn't sleep through the night but we love "getting" to check in on him and cuddle
He is sleeping in his Great great grandmother's double bed that came over on a boat from England.
He loves his new house and talks about it all the time

Happy Happy Birthday little boy!

To Wet Your Whistle

We have been very busy working on buying a house! Now for the long wait till closing. I promise to update very soon. We have been having a lot of fun lately!! Until then here are a few pictures and videos to enjoy!

Craft time with Nana!
All my favorite people! What a great Daddy!!!
Pap telling Graham about the elephant before church.


This is the first time Graham counted to 13! Way to go 21 month old!

From Our "Weekend"

We are very slowly adjusting to Matthew's new work schedule. I am getting better at being a single parent when the schedule calls for it. We have even gotten out by ourselves a few times this week. LLL was great! Everyone really enjoyed getting to meet Gentry. Graham had a blowout and had to wear Pjs the rest of the night. Somehow I only got out of the house with one diaper for Gentry so I owe the church 3 size ones, that we borrowed. Church went fairly well this week! Thanks to Andrea and Barbra. I noticed on Wednesday that they have installed the TV in the nursing mother's room. That will be fantastic on Sunday! I may actually get to hear/see a whole sermon. Gentry is sleeping about 5 hours and then follows up with 3 hour stretches after that. Graham is still finding his way to our room most nights but goes about 7 hours by himself first. I have been on a video kick lately, so here are two more.... Matthew and I both got new glasses this week and we are working on getting back into contacts. I'll post pictures of our new glasses soon. Hope everyone has a great week!

I Lost my Newborn

Gentry will be seven weeks old on Wednesday! I have already put away all of the newborn clothes. She is fitting nicely in 0-3 month clothes now. I used the last newborn diaper last night. Size one here we come! She has a pretty bad diaper rash, again. I believe she is allergic to the Pampers Sensitive Thick Care wipes. Cloth diapers today and tomorrow should take care of it. She smiled and cooed at her daddy last night for the first time. She is really enjoying her playtime on the floor while Graham and I do "baby bible class" each morning. Graham was helping her pat the Bible today. It was precious!
I had to include these videos of Graham! He loves to play outside! The first video is of us walking to the trash. A daily ritual! The second video is Graham's love for rocks. He loves to count things, but doesn't get it right every time.
I'm loving my twenty month old and almost two month old!

5 1/2 Weeks as a Mother of Two

First off... Do I ever shower? No, this is my lovely self at our Curton Christmas get together. Before children I would have been put together and might of even worn makeup to said event. Now? Not so much. My kids were dressed and looking cute, bonus points for me. Right?














God really blessed us with a great work schedule for Matthew for the last two years. Of which I am very grateful. This year I am beginning to wonder what he is trying to teach me? Peacefulness? Gratefulness? Using my time wisely? Learning to depend on him? Wisdom? Some days I am at a complete loss. I have just finished putting my two children to bed alone for three nights in a row. Gentry has decided that 6pm to 10pm is her "crying time." Graham has a very strict bedtime routine that works like magic if I get to follow it. We watch Wheel of Fortune from 6:30 to 7:00, bath and PJs from 7:00 to 7:30, Three books, prayer, and three songs. Then he is out like a light. The only problem is he has to be snuggled while singing. This means one of us has to lay down and use both arms to hold him tightly. That is how he wants it. I can't "hold" both of them at the same time, so you see I am having quit the time getting both of them off to dream land. I have been "wearing" Gentry from about 7:30 till 10 most nights in the Moby Wrap. Graham hates this and cries "holllld yoooou" until Gentry is finally asleep and I can take her off. So you see my delima.....

The first night they both cried from 7:30 to 8:30, then woke up at 10:30 and cried until Matthew got home at 1:00am. The next night I tried leaving Gentry in a "safe" place while I concentrated on Graham. She cried in the swing so hard and loud that Graham wouldn't go to sleep. He kept saying "Gentry cry." This was with his bedroom door closed and the sound machine on. I just can't make both of them happy at the same time! The third night I let Graham watch Disney channel in my bed with the lights off while I nursed Gentry to sleep. She was almost out and Graham was laying over on my lap while I patted him with the free hand. Then the front door opened. Daddy was home and the party began (Graham got a second wind, like you have never seen before.) What on earth am I supposed to do? I can't reason with Graham and I can't stand to hear Gentry cry. Any suggestions??? Which one do you ignore and for how long? I am so glad Matthew is home the other five nights. He is such a good Daddy and very involved. I am very appreciative for that. For some reason nap time goes OK, which is the same routine minus TV and bath. Gentry usually sleeps through it which is great.













Here is a sweet picture of the outfit Aunt "Coco" Jana bought for Gentry for Christmas.

She is really starting to plump up. Her thighs have a few rolls I actually have to pull apart and wash in the tub. Her long "fluffy" hair is starting to disappear. No actual bald spots yet. She is beginning to be awake a little more during the day. At night she usually goes 3 hours before nursing again. I am only having to change her diaper once in the night. She slept 5 1/2 hours after that first horrible night of crying for 3 hours off and on. That night I sent Matthew a text "come home," it didn't work. I guess the planes can't land themselves.


I had to include this crazy picture of Graham. (A dentists nightmare.) He is nineteen months and talking in complete sentences. He still loves fruit more than anything else. He has had croup this week, which was no fun for anyone. He hasn't stopped playing with his airport and new tractors(both Christmas gifts). He loves his baby sister and wants to "tiss her" all the time. I can't wait until the weather warms up and we can run off some boy energy. The "twos" are beginning to show. Lots and lots of No!! Mama! This too shall pass. Right?




Only the grandparents will care, but this video was from today. I''l try to translate: At first he is saying "Oh Happy Day" from the song, Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away..... Then he is talking about the blueberries. He is saying they are cold and eat it. Then I ask if they are good and he says"no", but then changes his mind and answers yes. Next he is saying Hat, hat, hat, on off. At the end he is saying eyes, eyes.
Well, there is the complete Horner update! Hope you all are well! Hope to blog again soon.

Christmas Card Attempt...
It is almost impossible to get both of them to look in the same direction. It was still fun! Thanks to Nana for the extra help. I finished smocking these outfits in October and could not wait to put them on them! I'm so glad that Gentry has so much hair. I didn't know if we would get to use the hair bow. I think we are going to use the last picture in this group, but I had to share some of the outtakes too. Hope you all have a very blessed Christmas!

"Are we all finished?"

We Have a Walker!!

Graham started walking today!! He is so funny. Still crawls when he wants to get somewhere quickly but is walking a ton. He smiles so big and wants you to clap every time he makes it to a stopping place.

High Ho Silver, Away!





This video is pretty funny! Graham loves to hit his pony to make it go! Graham is really a lot of fun these days.

Here is a little seven month update: He is rolling all over the living room to get to the toys he wants. He is trying really hard to get on hands and knees and rocks till he falls over. He gets upset when you take a toy away. Not much for the trade either. He is trying to pull up on the aquarium and mirror. He loves to talk to himself in the mirror and play "Where's Graham." His squeal really cracks us up. He loves his daddy to tickle him. This last week, he has nursed every 2 hours at night. We are all hoping it is just the teeth he is working on. He loves to sleep on his tummy in the crib. If he is sleeping with us he still likes his back. Crawling Pooh is his favorite toy right now. He smiles so big each time Pooh takes off. We can't wait to see what Graham will accomplish this month.

Adding Solid Food to the Mix














He gets so excited! He isn't trying to get away.

We started with a piece of banana on Wednesday and added rice cereal on Friday. He is really enjoying it. I have been trying to take it really slow, but when he loves it so much it is really hard to stop. Here are a few pictures and a video of the event!

1/2 Birthday
I can't believe you are 6 months old today! You are such a blessing to your daddy and me. We can't thank God enough for letting you join our family. You have already brought such joy to us. You have melted our hearts, sweet boy. I want to list a few things about you so that I won't forget.

1. I love the way you death grip my shirt while you are nursing. (I tell you all the time that I won't put you down before your ready, but still I have to pry your little fingers open every time I put you down to sleep.)

2. I love the way you listen to books at bedtime until you start rubbing your head on the sheets to tell me your finished and ready for sleep.

3. I love the squeal you make when you are playing with your feet.

4. I love to see your face when Daddy walks in every afternoon.

5. I love how you babble in the morning to let us know your ready to start another day.

6. I love how you can sit and play by yourself.

7. I love how you chase the duck around the bathtub using your hands and feet to catch him.

8. I love that you enjoy being outside more than in.

9. I love how you already reach for me.

10. I love that you know what you want, even though it makes it harder for me.

11. I love your smile when we take off your socks or let you be naked for a little while.

12. I love that you relax when I unsnap your jeans.

13. I love your thighs!!

14. I love the way you smile and dive in when you haven't nursed in awhile.

15. I love that you raise your eyebrow just like your daddy.

16. I love the way you study objects and people.

17. I love the way you pat my leg when I sit next to you on the floor. (Like your making sure I am still there.)

18. I love the way you slurp down Tylenol when your teeth are hurting.

19. I love the way you laugh at your daddy.

20. I love your monkey toes.

We love you with all of our hearts! Happy Half Birthday little boy! To celebrate we are going to the Bird's for chili and smores.

Fall Festival @SW


Making fun of my sweet boy, who was just ready to go home. We had a great time with the Kenley's at fall festival. Thanks for letting us tag along. Graham is going to have a lot more fun next year!

The fearless Dragon Slayer (Tanner)

The happy dragon (Easton)

Mr. Charlie Brown (Graham)

Thanks Aunt Stephanie!

First attempt. Didn't really know what to do.

Five minutes later. He loves this thing!!

Pumpkin Hallow 08

We had a great time taking Graham to Pumpkin Hallow this year. We especially enjoyed the awesome lunch at Strawberry's afterward. Best ribs ever!!!! You can't beat the scalloped potatoes either!

Rice Harvest 2008






Matthew and Graham spent the day helping cousin Jason at the farm. Graham played in the rice and had his first four wheeler ride!

First Night

Graham spent his first night in his new crib, at the end of our bed. He did great! This is the same crib his Mama Jan slept in. We painted it a dark charcoal color. It looks really good with the white bed skirt and polka-dot sheets. He has been sleeping about six hours straight for a week now. He likes to nurse to sleep then exactly 50 minutes later he wants the other side. Then the six hours begin. After another top off he can go about 2 more. Bringing his total "night sleep" to 9 hours. 5:30 is his normal wake up time. During the night he cries out when he wants to eat. At 5:30 he wakes up and babbles. I always know he is finished for the night when he wakes up talking instead of crying. The sad part is when he does this at 3 or 4......He usually ends up in bed with us because I refuse to start the day at this insane hour.

101st Post!

It has taken me two years to get to this point and I want to thank all of my followers (even those that don't comment.) I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as we have. This post comes at a very exciting time..... I have finally purchased my first digital camera! I have had two different hand-me-downs (Thanks Robin and Dad!) that have been jewels. I finally decided to retire them and bite the bullet. I purchased a Z812IS last week that should be delivered today. I can not wait to get home to open it and begin shooting. To commemorate this great feat I have posted 101 of my favorite pictures. I'm sure the next few posts will be trying out my new toy with my favorite subject, Graham.

Enjoy, Until then........Lindsay

If you made it all the way through, congratulations. What was your favorite picture?