Monday, November 25, 2013

Rylan is Two!




Because Rylan's birthday falls on or near Easter weekend, we will have the privilege each year to celebrate multiple times with all of our friends and family. Our first celebration this year was on Easter Sunday, March 31st. After church, we joined all the family at Papacita's in Longview for Easter lunch and Rylan's family birthday party. There were 28 of us total, and the restaurant always takes great care of us with a nice, private room upstairs thanks to my mother-in-law's service to them over the last 20+ years.
 
Rylan's 2nd Birthday Cake
 
Being loved on by his sister at all times...
 
Opening gifts
 
The hit of the day...Spiderman 4 wheeler
 
We filled our tummies with yummy Mexican food and then begin the birthday celebration. Rylan enjoyed opening all of the gifts. He received so many wonderful items, but the hit was definitely the Spiderman 4-wheeler from Grandad Killian. He rode it around and around the long table for quite a while. Thank goodness it was the last gift he opened, or we might have lost his attention earlier. We thank all of our family for celebrating Rylan's 2nd birthday with us!

The second celebration was on Saturday, April 6th at Pump It Up with all of our friends. Rylan loved Pump It Up last year when we had Kaelyn's birthday party there, but this year he loved it even more.

 Sliding with Daddy
 
Loving anything that involves sports

All of our Party Guests and Friends 
 
Ready for cake



Rylan,
We are so thankful for the precious two-year old that you are! You are such a sweet boy who loves his sister unconditionally, even when she's taking your toys from you. We love your enthusiasm for sports and love that you are becoming independent and asserting yourself in all you do. Your vocabulary continues to amaze us weekly as you learn new things at school. We love you with all of our hearts and are so thankful you are our son!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy






Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Prince's Night Out

Since our church doesn't officially host a father/son night, Robbie decided to get all of the dads and sons together from our small group for a father/son outing to GattiTown for March Madness 2013. We talked about the special "Prince's Night Out" for several days with Rylan prior to the big event. On Friday, March 22nd, Robbie and Rylan dressed alike in their Alabama jerseys and jeans and headed to GattiTown to meet the rest of the boys. Rylan was so excited to dress like daddy and gladly waved bye to Kaelyn and I as they left the house. (Kaelyn was a bit disappointed to not be "allowed" for the boys night out.)


Robbie said the night was great and they had a wonderful turnout. Rylan loved playing the bowling game with the balls. He's very into any sporting activity involving balls right now. Robbie taught him the phrase "No Girls Allowed, Only Boys" in the car on the way there. Apparently, Rylan loved saying it over and over and the other boys (Rylan is the youngest) thought he was hilarious. He says it often still today in his loudest voice possible. We laugh over and over because it's so precious.

I count the Lord's blessings daily with our sweet little family. It's times like these when I'm especially grateful for a wonderful husband and daddy that takes time to plan and attend such important events with our children. These are the moments Kaelyn and Rylan will cherish forever. Robbie is such a special daddy and best friend to me, and I'm so lucky he chose me!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Princess Ball 2013



On Friday, February 1st, our church held their annual Princess Ball for dads and daughters. Kaelyn looks forward to this event every year and talks about it non-stop leading up to the special night. It's hard to believe that this was her 4th year to attend. Don't get me wrong...Daddy loves this night just as much as Kaelyn does.

This year I decided to take Kaelyn shopping for her dress, so that she could pick it out. It was our first "real" attempt at a girls shopping trip, and I loved every minute of it. Kaelyn knew that she wanted a pink dress and she wasn't going to stop the shopping trip until we found it. And...she's Mommy's kind of girl, a sale shopper. The dress we found was just perfect for her and at a great sales price! She also insisted on pink shoes to go with it. Kaelyn is very particular when it comes to clothing and what she chooses to wear these days.

Before they left for the dance, Daddy had two gifts for Kaelyn. One was a big heart with lots of little hearts all over it. This gift was just perfect for Kaelyn because she is really gotten into "hearts." Daddy made this gift all by himself. The second gift was a sweet little heart charm necklace for Kaelyn to wear to the ball. She loved it! We have one special Daddy!

We met our small group friends and all the girls and dads took pictures together ahead of the big evening. It's always so special to see all the girls dressed up and loving on their daddys. This year, Robbie's brother, Bentley and precious baby Landry joined Robbie and Kaelyn for the special night. Kaelyn adores her cousin Landry and was excited she was going. It brought memories back of when Robbie took Kaelyn for the first time at 6 months old.

Needless to say, Robbie and Kaelyn stayed until the lights came on at the end of the night. Even though her friends had left already, she wouldn't stop dancing until someone kicked them out.

One sweet Daddy and his little girl.

Her own pose...Can I just keep her this small forever? 


Their own little secrets...

From left to right, top to bottom:
Harper Hughes, Kirklynn Stewardson, Ryleigh and Aubrey Cox
Kaelyn, Haley, and Zoe Feekes

Zoe, Kaelyn and Sarah Kate Blackstock

Pictures taken at the Princess Ball by the photographers...

Sweet Landry holding onto her daddy.



Silly photo time...


Coming soon...Daddy is ring-leading a boys night out for basketball and pizza with Rylan for March Madness fun.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

A Season of Change

My vow of being a better blogger has failed yet again, but I have an excuse. Or at least I feel it's a valid reason for my inability to keep up. Since the beginning of July, our family of four has experienced a season of change and craziness. So...get ready for lots of updates and 6 months worth of pictures!

It started with the quick sell of our house (2 weeks from contract date to move out) and the vigilance of watching over the construction of our new home to ensure everything was done according to our plans. We moved into a two bedroom apartment and lived among boxes for over 4 months. In the beginning of August, I went back to teaching 8th graders and Kaelyn and Rylan started a new school. Actually, Rylan started school for the first time which is always an adjustment. With my return to work, Robbie and I have had role changes and more added to our plates. Then in November it all changed again. Our new house was completed and we moved in on November 17th. Along with the move of our family, Robbie received a job offer that we couldn't refuse and started his new position  on December 3rd just after our big move. It is has been such an adventure, and we feel so blessed by the Lord for all the new beginnings!

Kaelyn amongst all the boxes in our living area in the apartment
 
Mommy with the kids at the apartment



Our Sweet Kids at Aunt Karlene's loving on each other 

During the summer, Kaelyn enjoyed her first dance class through the Frisco Athletic Center with two of her Stonebriar Preschool Pals classmates. She loved it and we got to see her small recital at the end of the summer classes.

Kaelyn and Avery (We somehow missed a picture with Lucy)

Thumbs up, Mommy and Daddy. She's too cute when she's excited.


I am happy to say that we are settling in our new home and loving every minute we spend there. With the move, our kids struggled at times to adjust to the new environment or understand exactly our method of living temporarily among the boxes. Our kids have never had to share a bedroom, and I can say that they still have never shared a room because Kaelyn shared a room with Robbie and I instead. What fun times! Now that we are in the house, they are both back in their own rooms, and Kaelyn has moved into her big girl bed! My favorite room in the house is the kitchen, and I'm actually enjoying cooking again. It is definitely nice to have everything we own under one roof again.

Kaelyn enjoying her books in her "big girl bed"

Teaching 8th graders has also been a blessing this year. I've wanted to get back to teaching for over a year now, but I was apprehensive about how it would affect our family time together and my ability to manage home and work. Some weeks are definitely better than others, but I definitely feel that being a mommy makes me a better teacher! I have some amazing students this year who are dealing with far bigger issues than my ability to manage my life. I have one sweet girl who has leukemia and will come to school after undergoing her morning chemo therapy treatments. She amazes me each day! I have another student battling Crohn's disease, and you would never know anything troubles him. I have also been touched by many students who see in my teaching my christian faith and ask me about my walk with the Lord. I even had one young girl ask me if there was anything she could be praying about for me. I am so thankful for "See You at the Pole" leaders and the ability for implementing christianity in the small ways in the public school environment. Now, don't get me wrong...there are days that I want to walk out and not return, but thankfully those days are few and far between.

Kaelyn and Rylan are flourishing at their new school. Kaelyn quickly made new friends, and her teachers realized what a leader she is among her classmates. At a recent parent/teacher conference, Ms. Alicia said "Kaelyn is such a great leader and always has her listening ears ready." We are so proud of her learning and behavior at school. Rylan has also changed so much in the past few months. At 23 months, Rylan is talking with new vocabulary each and every day. He loves to learn new words and enjoys playing outside. Recently, Rylan had tubes put in his ears to help with ear infections stemming from catching so many colds. His little immune system has taken a beating since August, but we know it will help prepare him for grade school. He has also taken a strong interest in kicking and throwing balls around the room which makes Daddy happy. We adore these two precious children and their love for one another.

Kaelyn with her new best friend, Peyton


Halloween was a lot of fun this year with Kaelyn and Rylan. We took the kids to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch and they loved seeing all the pumpkins and characters from television. We also enjoyed our small group's annual Trunk or Treat party and seeing all the costumes of our friends' kids. They are such a sweet group of kids who all love each other.

Look who found Piglet! 

Rylan in amazement at all the "balls"

Bounce House and more...


Mommy just wants a picture of them together...
Cheesy Kaelyn and one little boy who refuses to look. 

So...I'll get a cute one of Daddy and Ry from behind

Kaelyn got excited about the "stinky" pigs


Sweet boy

Precious little girl

Enjoying a family hay ride


And we found Tigger...but still not looking at the camera.

As if this was made just for us...Piglet in a Tigger costume...pure delight on that face.

And more of our favorite characters...



Our own Strawberry Shortcake cutie

Kaelyn with her girl friends, Sarah Kate and Edie

One sweet Elmo

All the small group kids in their costumes

On November 3rd, Kaelyn made her debut as a flower girl in my cousin, Bre's wedding. Kaelyn walked down the aisle like a little princess. Robbie and I were a little concerned that she might be too shy, but we were pleasantly surprised and she even smiled for most of the pictures. At the reception, Kaelyn and Rylan both enjoyed all the dancing and hanging out with the family. We are so happy to welcome Ben to the Perry family. Congratulations Ben and Bre!

Kaelyn getting her first manicure and pedicure at the bridal brunch.
Daddy is in trouble because she loved it just like her mommy.

Mommy with kids before the wedding

Kaelyn with Aunt Karlene

The beautiful bride with her bridesmaids and the cutest little flower girl
 
One of my favorite photos of Kaelyn from the wedding.
 
Photo Booth pictures from the wedding.
Mommy and Ry missed out because he was sleeping.

Daddy, Kaelyn and Kade: Goofy Style

Robbie spent time preparing to run the Dallas Half-Marathon with my brother, Keeton on Sunday, December 9th. It was fun to have my family in town to cheer them both on to the finish line. In addition, Robbie is really enjoying his new job as in-house counsel for an oil and gas company in Plano, which is much closer to home. The recruiter originally contacted Robbie in early March about this opportunity and it finally came to fruition early in November. Robbie has been nothing short of amazing in his love and support for me as I transitioned from stay-at-home mom to mommy and teacher. I am such a lucky girl and love him more and more each day! I think Kaelyn and Rylan have enjoyed having more Daddy time also since he takes them to school each day and gets to spend an extra 45 minutes with them alone in the mornings. He says they have great conversations as they make their drive.
 
Another haircut for Kaelyn...She looks all grown up. 

It is definitely an exciting time in the Hudson household. We enjoyed the holiday season and getting to spend time with family and celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas is always a fun time to be able to give to others and enjoy more time together. It was such a blessing to have two full weeks with Kaelyn and Rylan at home and meeting Daddy for lunch dates.

Kaelyn ice skating before Christmas at the Galleria

Frisco's Merry Main Street
"Tree Lighting" Ceremony


Dasher the reindeer made an appearance at Merry Main Street

Rylan loved helping Daddy with the firewood for the bonfire at the Robertson's farm

Kaelyn and Rylan on Christmas Eve

Rylan with Kathryn

Kylen and Karlene

Rylan's cute new face of excitement and wonder...

Kaelyn with Madalyn

Keeton and Karlene
(It's impossible to get pictures of my siblings together)

Daddy and Keeton got nerf guns and night vision goggles. 

Kaelyn got a new scooter from Grandad Killian,
and a princess outfit from the Maines's. 

It snowed on Christmas Day in Frisco and the kids got to enjoy
the "White Christmas" as we made it safely back to town.


Rylan's first glimpse at snow. He liked it after a little while. 

Rylan and Kaelyn with Landry at Hudson Christmas


Rylan with his Memaw

With the beginning of the 2013, there are other exciting activities. My brother, Keeton, is living with us for the next few months while he completes his internship and prepares for chiropractic school. Kaelyn and Rylan love having Keeton around even as busy as he is. Kaelyn also started gymnastics in February. She loves every minute of it. Our kids are at such a fun age and we enjoy the time we get to spend together each and every day.

Our First Gymnastics Class