Painted Nails and Pigtails

Painted Nails and Pigtail

Hello all. As we embark on this latest adventure, I hope that each of you are well. As for the Hall family, we are alive and kicking, having just survived our first family vacation with both Addy and Avery to the mountains of Colorado. Wow. That word pretty much sums it up. Whether it be good or bad, Wow surely does it.

We went on vacation with my parents, as well as my brother and his wife Ashley. Things were a lot different with two small children in tow. In a care for 12+ hours. Pants were peed, tears were cried (not just by children), and we were able to organize our first scream-o song as a family band when Chubbs (Avery) decided to scream the last 50 miles of the trip. FYI, turning the radio up will only make them scream louder! At least it wasn't 51 miles.

  

                                                

                                                            Crank it up to 10!

                                                          

You notice things when traveling with children. It's like all parenting somewhat goes out the window...along with your sanity. If candy will keep them quiet, let them have it. If Addy would rather not watch the movie, but simply replay the title screen theme song for 2 hours, learn the words. And lastly, no matter if you have had to pee for the last 276 miles, if both children are asleep, we keep on truckin'. You learn these things, and you learn them quickly. 

Miss Priss

Ready to fish

At the honey hole

We also found out that while we may realize that we have lost an hour changing time zones, Chubbs did not. In fact, her circadian rhythm was all kinds of messed up. I guess she thought mountain time meant for her to be up and down like the mountain roads we climbed. Up and down, up and down, at 10 pm, then midnight, then 1 am, and 1:35 am. You get the picture, and sleep wasn't in it. That's when having a great wife comes in. She's always let me sleep. I offer of course to help, but making milk isn't an attribute that is a 10 for me, so I sleep.

               

                                       

                                                 Who needs sleep??

                                                          

Great memories were made on this trip. Addy has become so vocal, and her attitude is making its presence known. I did figure out that my future is taken care of. Professional Bass Fisherman make a good living huh? At least we will have one of those cool looking boats. I've never seen a 3 year old cast a line like this girl. It's crazy. She caught her first fish, saw some deer, and we discovered that she took a little too much pleasure in breaking the worms apart to bait the hooks, or as she would call them, "no, they are snails dad". 

             

                                              

                                                           Learning the basics...

                                   

                                            

                                                          Pro. Boom.

   

                                                       

Avery is all over the place, and we are in trouble. That girl has the fastest one-legged army crawl you have ever seen. Don't worry, if she gets stuck like a turtle on its back you will hear her....even if you are in Texas and we're in Colorado. Thanks Lamont gene. Anyways...

    

                                        

                                                   Me? Loud?....Nah

While it was VERY different, it was amazing. Being in that beautiful country with my beautiful family made me realize how blessed I am. How blessed we ALL are. We live in a great land, with freedom to go and do as we please. This freedom should never be overlooked or forgotten, and we should thank God each day we get to live in this beautiful world he has created for us.

Vacation came to an end, and reality has crept back to the forefront of our lives. But when all is said and done, my reality isn't something that I dread. I look forward to the reality of my life, my wife, my children, and this beautiful life that we all share. I am a lucky man....and they are pretty lucky too.

Until next time.

And Then There Were Three...well Four if you count Kelly

WE'RE BACK!!

Hello All.

It's been a while. A good long while. Some might ask "how long"?? Well, to put it simply Addy and Daddy have had to make room for one more in the bunch. That's right. It has been long enough to make another baby, and for that precious little girl to be 9 months old. A lot has happened since I last wrote, so we will start small, and I promise to be better about writing in the future. 

Let us start with an introduction. A little girl whose smile can not be rivaled. Whose blue eyes pierce the depths of your soul. And whose slight obsession with food has created those ever so coveted "Michelin Man" legs and arms all babies deserve. World, say hello to Avery Dawn.

Check out my rolls

So, like my first born Addalynn, aka "The Beast", Avery has acquired a nickname as well. In our household, she is known as "Chubbs", or as Addy likes to call her, "Chubbies". This little girl will melt your heart with her smile, and then blow your ear drums out the next second with her teradactyl-like shriek.  She has been a blessing over the past 9 months, and everyday with her is an adventure. A REALLY. LOUD. ADVENTURE. A trait no doubt inherited from her mother. Never fear, keep that pacifier handy and BOOM! All is well. I've come to be an expert in pacifiers since Chubbs was born. It's no easy task manning the pacifiers. You must always be prepared. And by that, I mean being equipped. One in the mouth out the door, an extra in the backpack, one in your pocket if you're making a day of it, and of course with a special pacifier that has a longhorn attached so you can safely reach back in the truck, find the pacifier in the car seat, plug her up, all while not killing your family while driving 70 mph down the highway. It's a talent, I know. Avery is a lazy one. Perfectly content with being hauled around on someone's hip, or simply rolling to where she needs to be. If she can't get there...(insert teradactyl scream)....until she is picked up. She is always smiling at everyone and everything, and her whispy little hair, the little she has, sways back and forth.

Who is this crazy man??

Enough about Avery. Back to the little one who started it all. Now, she's not so little, at least in her eyes. Addy is 3 now, and she thinks she runs the house, and the world more than that. We've entered the stage of "I don't have to", and "I don't want to", and my personal favorite "Don't touch me dad" (which she has the uncanny ability to say at the perfect times to draw the attention of a crowd as if someone was being mauled in the coliseum by a tiger). She also wants to do everything by herself, and asks everyday to go to school. I tell her to trust me, she will get plenty of schooling. She says "Ok daddy. But I need to take my pack-pack and animals to show my friends". Maybe it's really just daddy that doesn't want her to be at that point yet.

I digress...

Don't worry Jax....you're next!

She is a little girl now, and growing so much every day. She talks, swims, poops on her own...she's a little human being. Her personality is amazing, and her beauty unmatched. Her laughter brings me such joy. I guess while we are talking about additions, we have to mention Addy's new sidekick, a chocolate lab puppy that she named (she really picked the name) COCO. Like Addy, Coco is wild and crazy, and into everything. Unlike Addy, she spends her days chewing on socks and destroying my house. Well, maybe they aren't too different, but Coco does edge her out in number of socks eaten in their life. I'm a lucky man to have the three amazing girls in my life, and Coco too, and I thank God each day for them.

If it works as I plan, and in this life what truly ever goes exactly as planned, they will grow up in the image of their mother. Joyful, loving, faithful. They are special little girls, and even writing these words brings a smile to my face.

There's no greater blessing in this life than family, especially a family you know is always there for you, and whose love is unending. Things have done a swap in our household. When it was me and Addy, I watched her all weekend while Kelly worked at the hospital. Now that I am working in the hospital on the weekends, Kelly works during the week and I have both girls FIVE DAYS A WEEK! It's not too bad. I mean, the world needs more men who can change a diaper while standing up holding your daughter, and that sacrifices your jeans as a snot cloth so your daughter's nose isn't runny. Is it chocolate or poop? You aren't afraid to taste the answer. Lastly, it never hurts to be able to quote every line and sing every song to every disney movie. EVER. If only I got a hit or view for every time that goes on in my house......anyways. I cherish my girls, and am grateful for the life I have.  So from Addy, Daddy, and the new member of the wolf pack, Chubbs, Keep on keepin on.

Until next time.

P.S. I ALMOST FORGOT!!!

Addy's bluebonnet picture this year was simply amazing...drink this in, it always goes down smooth.

NO FILTER #LOL

Walking, Talking, and Tearing the House Down

Hello All.

It has been a long time. Probably way too long, but as you know, life happens. I have gotten away from writing, but now I AM BACK!

A lot has happened since we last explored the happenings of "The Beast" back in January, so this post is a little longer. We are in a new home, which we quickly found out was nowhere near as baby proof as the one we left. Stained concrete floors, stone fireplace, multiple cabinets to explore. You see where this is going? Needless to say we have encountered many bruised foreheads along with finding what should be in the bathroom drawer in the refrigerator. We left off after having talked about the holidays and ear piercing. Addy still holds a grudge for the ear piercing just so you know. Who knew ear piercing would cause issues long after the horrific screams that day that the lady put them in? Nothing too serious, but let's just say we have spent lots of time crawling on the carpet looking for earrings or the backs of earrings that were pulled out by towels or grubby little hands. All I can say is good thing we only went with the 1 carat diamond earrings. Just kidding. 

Let's do a quick photo show-n-tell of some things that you missed...

Got our first Watermelon

Saw our first Firework Show

Laid out by the Pool

Sat out by the Pool

Mastered our Climbing Skills 

Whacked-A-Mole

Went down the Big Slide

Mastered eating while Sleeping

Had our First Swim 

Learned to Wash Dishes

Scaled a Mountain

Watched the Rangers...

...until I found the Ice Cream

Rode a Wild Tortoise

Found Nemo

Kissed a Monkey

We had Addy's 1st birthday! It was a great day spent at the Ft. Worth Zoo. She lasted a couple hours in the heat, ate her cake, then passed out in the stroller. Overall a good day. We did have neon-colored poops for a few days. It is crazy that it has already been a year, and I find myself wondering how time has flown by so fast.

Birthday Cupcake

1st Birthday Gifts

Addy is walking everywhere now. She hasn't graduated to the run, but she does attempt a good little waddle with head leaned forward, so her momentum gets going, especially if we aim her downhill. The only problem is she hasn't mastered the stop. So most of the time now, she will turn toward what appears to allow for a "soft landing" and just lunge, head first, into this intended backstop. However, she hasn't really become an expert in the difference between soft and hard objects. So, more forehead bruises.

We have progressed in the realms of communication as well. We started with sign language. Rub the tummy for please, put the hands together for more, and shake the hands for all done. It was a good little system we had going. Then she found her voice. And by voice I mean her scream. Why should we have to do all these hand gestures when I can just scream really loud to get my point across? We have since moved more into actual use of words. It is wild to see how what seems like overnight she has discovered how to communicate. Now we say "Peas", "Dank Do", and my ultimate favorite..."Poo Poo". Now I don't even have to check her diaper because she will run around the corner, stand in front of me, grab her diaper and yell "Poo Poo". I always give the standard one minute window to allow for smell confirmation, but 80% of the time she is telling the truth. 

So at an early age, it is clearly obvious what the future might hold in terms of career for my beautiful daughter. Boxer, Dancer, or Extreme Mountain Climber. We entered the slapping phase, throwing toys, you know all that good stuff. So in something that may not have been my finest moment I tell Addy, "If you are going to punch, you are going to do it right." So I proceeded to show her how to make a fist and punch for the nose. All in good fun right? Think again. One day Addy and I were playing, and she started slapping me in the face. She had been getting in trouble for this throughout the day, so when she slapped me I looked at her and again asked, "What did I tell you about hitting?". She looked at me briefly, then she clinched her little fist and punched me in the nose. You may think "Wow, that's not good". I say lesson learned my friends. On a different note, let's explore the mountain climber career. School started back up for me, and of course Kelly had put my hole punch and stapler in the spot where it belongs, and needless to say, I couldn't find it. So, once I remembered where it was, I ventured to get it...in the attic. So Addy is laying in the floor watching Toy Story drinking her juice, so I make a dash to go into the attic to retrieve my supplies. I closed the door to the garage behind me and made my way into the attic. It couldn't have been 2 minutes when I began to hear some tiny little grunts coming from behind me. I thought to myself, "No Way". And then I turned around to see two tiny little eyes and a gleaming bald head staring at me from the top of the attic steps. I turned slowly to see her smiling like she had accomplished climbing Mount Everest, knowing if she saw me worried, she may get worried and let go. There was only one option; leap from the attic and catch her on the way down because I just knew she was going to let go. But no. I land in the garage floor prepared to catch a falling baby, as she looks down at me with a look like "Why are you laying in the floor". I brought her down, disaster averted. Lastly, let's just say that at a young age Addy can shake it. She loves music and dancing, and from the song that she prefers to dance to, we have found out that she is "Sexy and She Knows It". 

Into the Attic We Go

Gangsta Rap Dance Outfit

It's a wild ride, and I know that we are still being pulled up the hill. We are ready, waiting to take the plunge, and excited to do so. She is a clear picture of joy and shows me everyday there is so much to live for. Stay tuned, because it will only get better.

See Ya Later!!

Until next time...

Blessings,

-SH

New Things for the New Year

Hello all, and welcome back to the blog. It has been a while and a lot has happened, so I will try to makeup for lost time, and also not allow such a lag from now on. Brace yourselves, this is a doozy.

I guess we should start at Christmas. We covered Thanksgiving and all of it's goodness, so we shall press on. Christmas this year was great. Great time with family and friends, and I became an expert packer. Between Addy, Bella, Me and Kelly, and all of our luggage, gifts we were taking to Christmas, and then gifts we were bringing back (I'll let you figure out who most belonged to), we almost had to leave Addy!

We did our family Christmas a couple weeks before Christmas, partly because I thought it would be cool to have a Christmas every week for three weeks, but mainly because I am inpatient and wanted to give (and receive) my gifts. We had an awesome Christmas. Addy got some toys and books, Kelly got some Scrubs and a Nook Tablet, and I got some clothes and a recliner. Aside from all that, just to have a beautiful wife and a happy healthy baby girl was more than I could ask for. We are truly blessed.

Merry Christmas Daddy!! 

We started off by trekking up to Red River, NM the week before Christmas to spend the holiday with Kelly's family. Addy had never really been on a road trip in the car other than a couple hours, so we figured we'd break her in right and just jump to a solid 11 hour trip, no big deal. She surprised all of us and lasted the whole trip up there without being the cause for our stop. We'll blame that on Kelly and her tiny bladder. She always has something to say about having to drink a lot of water for milk production...blah blah blah...Either hold it or Pamper up with Addy is what I'm thinking. Anyways, we made it there for a nice time of skiing and relaxation, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Then came the ride home. We had planned on leaving out Thursday afternoon, but after checking the weather, we found out a storm was heading our way and we needed to head out as early as possible. So we packed up and crammed everything into the car and started off on what would be a 16 hour trip home with a 7 month old baby girl. A little info to set the stage...Addy had been kind of constipated, only pooping every other day or so. But what better time to loosen up that stool than when trapped in the car for 16 hours in the wrath of El Nino. So, we would stop and change her, and to save time Kelly would feed her while we were stopped. We would load back up and get going, and no sooner than we were 30 minutes down the road the grunting and pushing started, and we had some more turds. It was great. Due to the blizzard, we traveled 95 miles in the first 5 hours, went 3 hours out of the way to stay on the main, clear highway, and 6 poop filled diapers later, we rolled in the driveway. It was a great trip even with the bad weather.

We had to keep our head warm!!

Santa Clause showed up at the cabin in Red River.

Me and Daddy...looking good as always.

We got home about 1:30 a.m. Friday morning, we slept a little, and then we both had to work Friday. We made it through, washed our laundry, re-packed everything, and loaded up to head to my family's house to spend Christmas. Round 2...Ding Ding.

This about sums it up after our epic journey

This time we only had to travel 2 hours, and Addy slept the whole way, as did her mother, and I don't really remember getting from Hillsboro to Alvarado....I digress. We made it home to spend several days and relax a little bit more and enjoy our family and friends. After Christmas morning, I was in awe. Not at the great time we were having, not at all the gifts we received, but at the fact that I was not going to be able to afford a 2500 sq. foot home to house all of Addy's toys she had received over the last two weeks. You only need one kidney right? Anyways, lets just say we took one car there, and left with two fully loaded cars. It was a great time, and I can't wait until next year when Addy can really interact.

We had to feed the chickens and collect the eggs for Christmas breakfast.

Everyone is happy on Christmas morning!

After Christmas, we decided it was time. You think you're ready, but you have no idea. But, we needed to get it done, and so we did..WE PIERCED HER EARS. I should have known it was going to be bad when the lady told me to pin her arms down and squeeze to where she couldn't move her head. Talk about scarring your child for life. And who knew that the piercing gun was a blunt screwdriver type thing that they torturously squeezed through your ear. I always thought it was like a spring loaded gun that shot in and out no problem. WRONG. So the lady pops her earrings in and Addy goes into a new cry that we had never heard...and so I dubbed it "The Piercing Cry". She wailed and screamed and cried big 'ole tears and would have nothing to do with her mean father who let them do this to her. It's funny because even if you have no idea about the trade/event that is taking place, if it involves your kid you instantly become an expert. I was certain that this lady that has probably pierced ears every day for the last 10 years was an idiot and didn't know how to do her job right and why doesn't she let me punch a hole in her with that thing...you know what I mean. So, it was done and over, and let's just say I am glad. However, her beauty has climbed to a new level with her little daisy earrings in.

Check out the bling!

So Christmas was great, and the New Year was upon us, and boy did Addy have some things in store. First off, she was baby-talking up a storm. Kelly and I like to sit and watch her and try to guess what she is saying. It burns the time. She then decided that she was tired of having to wait on us to sit her up, so she would do it herself. After hearing some banging coming from what sounded like Addy's room, we went into her room where she was crying after a nap and she was sitting up against the back of her crib banging her head against the wall. We were so shocked to see her sitting up on her own, as it was very rare for her to do it. We laughed and cheered her on and went about our day. No lie, the very next day the same scenario. Addy was asleep for a nap, when we hear a faint pounding noise coming from her room. We walk in and there she is standing up in her crib looking like King Kong trying to rip her mobile off the crib. It was great. Now she is pulling up on everything, even Bella, she talks constantly, and is growing up way too fast. As of today, she crawls/scoots all over the house. I sure am going to miss the days when she couldn't move in more than a 3 foot radius, but I know that great fun (???) is in store.

Time to bolt everything to the walls!!!

My hair slowly grows in as PawPaw's slowly falls out

She amazes us everyday of our lives, as well as reminds us of the beauty and joy that we can find in each and every day. She's one special little girl, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thanks again for reading.

Until next time...

Blessings,
-SH