Jordyn's Visit and a Quiet House

Last weekend, I went to Murray for one night for a pre-wedding girly party for my niece, Denisha, who is getting married next week. I surprised her at the party, because it was a last minute decision on my part and I had told her that I was not coming. She was very shocked to see me come in the door, but it was funny. It was a lot of laughs and I'm sure something that she'll never forget. When I headed home last Saturday, Jordyn (my middle niece) decided to join me. It was her first visit with us in our new home. We enjoyed her visit and I hope that she had fun too!

Last night, my in-laws drove up to pick everybody up. Jamie and I are headed out of town for a Pastor/wife retreat. I tell ya, the house was way too quiet last night and this morning. Jamie and I actually got to sleep in this morning, which is a rare event around here. They were excited about going, but I'll admit, that I don't enjoy giving them up very easily. We will all be home on Saturday.

I Think We Owe Someone $5!

At the beginning of the summer, we told the kids that whoever learned to ride a bike without training wheels first would get $5. We are not ashamed to use a bit of bribery and competitive edge in our parenting :-) Abbi was bound and determined to learn this skill and has been working diligently on balance and control of the bike. She has gotten frustrated on some days, but would come right back to it the next. Some days she would want a bit of help, and others she wanted to be left alone. As of yesterday, I think she is finally an official bike rider and the first of the Hughes children to conquer this rite of passage. So, I think we owe her $5! We are very proud of her and she is proud of herself too!

Waiting for Dinner is Hard Work

Yesterday afternoon, we decided to go out and play all afternoon. Most days, we wait for Chloe to get her much needed nap in before we head out. Sometimes, she does OK without a nap if I get her to bed early, so I thought she would be fine to enjoy the afternoon. By the time we came in, it was time to begin dinner.

When we came in, Chloe took her shirt off, because it had a little bit of milk dribbled on it and asked for her "blankie." She climbed into her booster seat and was waiting for dinner. My back was turned to her most of the time as I was busy at the stove. Jamie comes into the kitchen and said, "Chloe is asleep". I turned around and all I could say was, "AWWWWW". So, Jamie went and grabbed the camera for this very cute moment.

I think she would have napped there all night if I had let her. I tried to wake her when it was time to eat, but it was pretty useless, so I just moved her to the couch. She slept about an hour, but I guess waiting for dinner is hard work!

Another Kind of Blessing

I'm going to divert away from the family for a bit to post a YouTube that I have found truly awesome. It is amazing that we serve such a forgiving God. I think sometimes Christians forget that we are also suppose to forgive others just as Jesus has forgiven us. There is no sin that is too ugly or bad for God to forgive.

I am friends with people that have recovered from drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality and abuse. But, they are forgiven and washed in the blood of Jesus. They are children of the King! If we look in the mirror, we would all find things that God is displeased with. Using judgment and condemning someone will really only hurt you and your relationship with Christ.

Watch this video. What is your Cardboard Testimony?

We Finally Caught the Ice Cream Truck

I've had some cash stashed on my dresser for over a week now waiting for the ice cream truck. Shania was disappointed that he never came by last week. She actually called last night to see if he had ever shown up. It is very unusual for us to go 2 days without hearing that all familiar music. We have never taken advantage of the tasty treats, because he never seems to come at a good time, and last week we wanted him to come and he didn't show up.

Tonight, Jamie jumped up out of the chair when he heard the ice cream truck in a distance. He was in the subdivision across the way and we went out and waiting with anticipation. Here are all the kids in their pajamas waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for him to come our way.





Well, after a few minutes of waiting and excited children, we noticed that he turned the wrong direction! So, what does any good parent do? Well, chase the ice cream truck man down, of course. So, we all jumped in the van with our windows rolled down trying to locate it. We found him a couple of blocks down and was able to buy the kids some treats.





The kids were excited and as we drove back home, Chloe said, "I caught him...ice cream truck!"

Lunch Boxes and the Library

It was much too hot to enjoy the outdoors today. We were feeling a little cooped up, so I went and got my library card. We are some of those nerdy people that actually enjoy going to the library for fun (well, "we" meaning the kids and I). So, I got my temporary library card (I'll get the real one in the mail) and we checked out 2 chapter books to read with the kids. So, I have enjoyed reading a few chapters of "Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing" to my kids tonight. Brought back some warm fuzzy memories too!

We also headed to Wal-Mart (where else!?!?) and got a few essential items and decided it would be a good time for the kids to pick out lunch boxes. I was excited, because they are making the old tin lunch boxes again just like when I was a kid. So, we ended up with a Tinkerbell box for Abbi, Spiderman for Micah, Hannah Montana for Hannah (how appropriate), and Dora for Chloe. Yea, we caved and got Chloe a box too. She has been carrying her sippy cup around in it.

The Weekend is Over...

And so is Shania's visit. We had a great time having her in our home for a week. It worked out fantastic that a friend from their church just happened to be visiting Owensboro this weekend and she was able to hitch a ride with them. We didn't do anything all that adventurous, but I think we all ate too much junk food and laughed a lot. She teased that we might not be able to fit into our bridesmaid's dresses in a few weeks;-)

While she was here, we went out to the splash park a couple of times. It is easier to go when you have an extra set of eyes to keep track of the kids running in 4 different directions.

Micah's favorite thing is to stand underneath this big spray of water. We have to talk to him about not "hogging" the thing from other people!



There is actually a picture of Hannah getting wet. She can play all day and never really get all that wet. Abbi is in the background running around. I didn't get a picture, but Abbi was quite the social butterfly and ended up sitting in a group of little girls chatting for some of the time.


Chloe thinks she is as big as they are and can run around with the best of them


I've been busy on the phone trying to get us all nailed down with some doctors in the area, which I think I have accomplished. Yay! And yay for the chiropractor and pediatrician's office being 1 mile from my house!

Hot Summer Day of Fun

Yesterday, was one of those days that was really hot and humid, but you are outside having fun and it really doesn't matter. One of those days where you throw your comfy clothes on and just get dirty, messy, eat junk food, and act silly.

While Chloe napped yesterday, we made sugar cookies and iced them. Nothing fancy or anything I would serve to company, but fun for the kids and yummy to eat.


When Chloe woke up, we decided to head out to the front yard. There are a variety of things for the kids to do outside and they will bounce around from one thing to another. Yesterday was no different. Shania decided that she wanted to learn to ride a skateboard. She started out on her feet, but ended on her stomach using her hands to push her along.



Jamie even went into the garage to add WD40 to the wheels to make the ride a little faster. When she went down again without much gusto, he decided to show her how it was done.



They finally decided that the skateboard was at fault for them not speeding down the road at dangerous speeds.

Micah loves to jump rope, so he spent some time doing that as usual. He needs to learn some new jump rope songs though, because we are all tiring of the same little rhymes for the millionth time this summer.



Chloe was riding her Clifford dog. She get very defensive when anyone tries to play with it. The poor thing has no eyes anymore, but is still going strong.



Hannah is such a little mother. I let her bring her stroller out so that she could take her baby for a walk. I can remember doing the same thing when I was a child.



Last, but not least was the hula hooping queen. I really think that Abbi could hula hoop while talking on the phone and eating a sandwich. She makes it look so easy and only stops, because she is bored or tired (not because the hula hoop falls to the ground). She has mastered the art of doing more than one at a time and makes it seem so effortless.



We ate hot dogs and nachos (my favorite) on the back porch and somehow we all started in the hula hooping action. We finally decided that we are way too old, because it immediately falls to the ground no matter how we move our hips. I used to be a pro myself when I was a kid, but I guess hula hooping is not like riding a bicycle!

Jamie, Shania, and I were a pitiful example of how to hula hoop, but it was lots of fun and laughs just the same. Shania and I ended up in a contest of who could hula hoop around their ankle the longest. So far, I'm the champ for a whopping 13 seconds! Woohoo!

School and the Water Park

So, yesterday we had to go to the Kindergarten Evaluation, which is mandatory here. The letter said that it would take about 45 minutes. I thought, "perfect" since Shania is in town, she could play with the other 3 outside while Hannah and I get business done. Well, they were a wee bit off on the amount of time that it would take. 2 hours and 15 minutes later we walked out of the school with everybody tired, hungry, and bored to tears! It pretty much killed the entire day or any plans that we might have had, so there is really not much to report.

Today we decided to go to the splash park. It was a bit warm for Shania and I as we watched the kids play. Tonight we are off to church for our regular Wednesday night stuff. I missed on Sunday, so it'll be good to be back.

I didn't want to post a blog without pictures, but I forgot my camera when we went to the park (oops!), so here are a few of my favorite pictures of the summer instead:

This one was taken for a Mother's day present. I rarely get a cute picture of all 4 of them. I love it because it is so sweet, but now I love it for the tire swing and hill we left behind (the kids ran many miles up and down that hill).



One night before we moved, the kids decided to snuggle up and watch a movie. How cute and innocent they look here:-)



I admit that I'm usually the one with the camera in my hand, so most of the pictures you see were taken by yours truly. However, Jamie is talented at getting good shots as well. Here is an adorable picture we took of them while on vacation.

My 1st Murray Road Trip

The kids and I left early Friday afternoon for our first venture to Murray without Jamie leading the way. I will admit that I was a bit nervous about traveling with the children by myself. I bought myself a TomTom GPS before we moved so that I would be able to conquer this feat and I am happy to report that it got us there and back again. That was the best money ever spent by the way!

While we were there, we stayed with my sister and her family. They are in major crunch time for the wedding planning and preparation. The wedding is in less than 4 weeks for my oldest niece Denisha and her fiance Trevor. I had a dress fitting Saturday morning and we had a bit of a wedding dress emergency so Denisha and I headed to Paducah to help remedy the situation (thank goodness that all worked out fine!) and Sunday there was a shower where they got many things that they needed for their cute apartment in Murray. I also visited both sets of grandparents and Poplar Spring for their morning service to catch up with my other church family. It was an enjoyable yet tiring weekend.




Shania, my youngest niece, rode back with me and we are excited that she is here to stay the week! We should have fun showing her around Owensboro and the kids love having her around.



We had not seen Jamie in a week, so it was good to be home with my love. He was a lonely camper this weekend apparently

Playing, Sleeping, Bored, and Cold

We had to run some errands this afternoon, so we didn't have much downtime. Our plan was to go out and play (which we still may do after supper), but Chloe fell asleep so we are stuck inside for now. She has gotten to where she fights her naps even though she desperately needs them. The joys of living with a 2 year old...gotta love 'em!



Hannah said she was cold, so she wrapped herself up like a cocoon. I suppose she will be warmer like this, but she sure does look cute too.



In the meantime, Abbi was being her creative self. She always uses her imagination and can pretend something is anything she wants it to be. As you can see, she was playing her guitar.

Micah was just sitting here bored. I hear that a lot anymore. He is in the "I'm bored" stage. Once they get to that stage, I fear that he'll never return!




Tomorrow the kids and I are headed to Murray after lunch. It will be a weekend full of visits to family, dress fittings, church, and wedding showers. Monday I will have an extra passenger for the ride home. Shania will be our first visitor since we've really "moved in". Should be fun!

Thunderstorms and a Hair Mishap

Today we had a few storms roll through. We were able to get out for a couple of hours this afternoon between things, which was good, although it was very muggy and humid. Nothing much to report except that this morning, Chloe decided to put a doll "top" in her hair. You crank the doll up and it twirls like a top. It is a very cute toy except when you put it in your hair! So, I worked and she was screaming, so I ended up having to cut a lock of her hair. If you look closely at Kelly's foot you can see the hair that is still spun up on there.



On another note...Jamie is at Tybee and having a good trip so far.

Jamie is gone for the week

About 5:00 this morning I was awoke with a kiss and Good-bye from Jamie. I think I mumbled something in return, but hardly remember. I'm sure he will be a weary traveler (or rather...driver) by the time he gets to Tybee Island, GA. I expect it will take him 12 hours or longer, especially since he is traveling with a group of 12 youth and 2 other adults.

He was very anxious about going (as usual!), but especially this year since he was leaving us in our new surroundings. We are totally fine though and I expect that we will have a pretty uneventful week. He was also anxious about forming stronger relationships with the new group. The past month has been great and we have gotten to know people, but there is nothing like living with people to get to know them through and through.

I can't say that I'm jealous, because being in a car for 12 hours and spending a week with severe sleep deprivation doesn't sound fun to me right now. I'm sure he will find some cures for the sleep deprivation along the way though:-)

Fireworks and Keeping Cool

Last night we went down to the riverfront to watch the city fireworks. They weren't too bad. Abbi has always had a bit of a fear of fireworks (she gets it honest), so she looked like this most of the time.

Notice that she has her baby blanket that she sleeps with and fingers in her ears to distract her from the noise. She wasn't the only one not fond of the noise.

Chloe was fine as long as Jamie had his hands over her ears. I can't say that I blame them! By the way, while we were waiting for the fireworks to start, Jamie had to be playing with his new phone. Now he thinks he is super cool with his new gadget.


Today we spent the afternoon playing out front. The kids have been enjoying the sidewalks around here to ride their bikes and skate. We also broke out the sidewalk chalk, which is almost a daily thing to do anymore. When we were finished playing, Jamie was cleaning the chalk off our drive and all of a sudden, he had company trying to keep cool. Chloe started the fun, but the others soon followed.

Trains, Bikes, Scooters, and Dolphins

Yesterday we were getting a few scattered showers, so we went out front to the garage to play. I spent the majority of my time pushing Abbi on the bike. She is determined to learn to ride without training wheels and is doing quite well. She was actually mad last night when we made her come in, because she wanted to stay out there until she was riding a bike completely on her own. She doesn't understand that it could take her a few days (or weeks) to get the hang of it.

Hannah chose to spend most of her time riding around on her scooter. She thinks that she is cool like the boy down the street, because she is doing something like a bigger kid. What she doesn't know is that his scooter only has 2 wheels (unlike hers with 3).

Chloe mostly ran around and tried to be like them. She ended up taking a blow-up dolphin that we have and riding it around like a horse. Of course, she had to have a helmet on for safety.

Micah isn't too interested in learning to ride a bike (yet!). So, we brought the train set out and he had fun building a track.