Who's Your Daddy Now?

We spent this weekend celebrating Father's Day, birthdays and soon-to-be weddings!

My brother, Jason, turned 24 on Saturday, and so we went to Clarksville to help him celebrate. We also celebrated Zoey's first birthday, but I'm going to save those pictures for later since her birthday isn't until this Friday.

Mom made J and ZoZo their own strawberry cakes...
...and I'm not sure who's sweeter - the cake or Zoey?
My big little brother...
Sunday, we headed to 'Nooga for Father's Day. Dawson picked out a card just for G-Pa the Great and gave it with lots of hugs and kisses...
...not pictured is the Old School Dance Party that followed, featuring my son dropping it like it's hot. The child is so ghetto. I love it.
Me, my baby and my baby-daddy...

Mi madre y mi abuelo...
My dad and his sidekick, kickin' it in the F-150...

And finally, my cousin Ryan and his fiancee, Alicia. They will be married next month and then will be headed to PARIS for their honeymoon. Mama's a wee bit envious. :) Congratulations!



We hope your Father's Day was wonderful!

"Ma'am, Please Tell Your Kid to Stop Screaming or You'll Be Escorted Off the Plane."

In a little more than a week, I'll be taking this:

Onto one of these:

To go here:


David's brother is getting married in Minneapolis, and he is a groomsman and is also singing in the wedding. This will be Dawson's first trip to meet his daddy's side of the family, and obviously will be his first time on a plane. It will be my first time flying with anyone under three feet tall.

Which brings me to my question for you - have you ever flown with a small child? Are there super-duper-secret tips to making it enjoyable and less like a root canal? Will we be escorted off the plane and dropped off somewhere awful like Nowhere, Iowa if the D-Word gets more than a little fussy?

I have a plan for things to do to keep him occupied during the two-hour flight, but you never know if those things will actually work. My last resort is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the portable DVD player.

Any advice or tips would be most appreciated.

If I don't get any, I might be blogging from Iowa next week and y'all, that will not make mama happy.

Weekend Wonderful-ness

Wonderful to have a new baby to hold and love on...
We visited Megan, Web, Vance and Baby Jack on Friday night. This is what I like to call his "Thinking Baby" pose.

Wonderful to have friends to play with...
Vance turned their living room into a campsite/toyland!

Wonderful to have friends who share their toys...

"If you think I'm leaving anytime soon, you've got another thought coming, woman."

Wonderful to eat breakfast for dinner at Cracker Barrel...

...and receive the confirmation that your child is, in fact, a genius...

Wonderful to have a sunny Sunday afternoon so Daddy can mow the grass...

...which is Dawson's favorite topless spectator sport.

We hope your weekend was wonderful, too!

The "Haves" and the "Have-Nots"

My baby brother (I say "baby" - he'll be 18 in October) is in Washington, D.C. this week participating in a scholar's program created by his school. He will get to meet heads of state, have dinner with congressmen, tour the White House, intern at the Pentagon - all sorts of fun and once-in-a-lifetime things.

This is Bran and Bud Krogh after their round-table discussion. You may know him better as a member of the Nixon administration who served time for his role in Watergate; he also is the guy who introduced Elvis to Nixon during his infamous visit to the White house.


This is a program Brandon was chosen to participate in by people at Baylor, the private school he attends.

I attended Ooltewah High, the very public Home of the Owls, at which I learned what a doobie was (not by experience) and the closest I got to meeting a diplomat was when I gave a tour of the new wing to a school board member.

My dad, ever the humble public school teacher himself, was quick to remind Brandon when he began Baylor that "there are the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.' We are the 'have-nots'."

I wasn't there for the conversation, so I'm not really sure what exactly we "have- not" of.

Until today, when I viewed this picture of Brandon on his trip to our nation's capitol.

What we have not of?

Is class.



Clearly.

Sweet Baby Jack

Dawson and I visted Megan, Web and Baby Jack on Friday morning. He is so precious!

And not too happy that we unwrapped him!
We brought Web some Krispy Kreme doughnuts...something tells me he was a little too in love with his new son to care too much about the dozen regular glazed. :)

Dawson was very curious about the new little being in the room...as time went by, he'd get more curious and a little closer...
...and a little bit closer...

...and just close enough.

"Mama, can we get one?"


Ask your daddy, son. Ask your daddy.

Ate Dinner at 6, Had a Baby at 9!

My dear friend, Megan, can honestly say that!

Introducing John Webster "Jack" Hutchings!
Born June 4, 2009 at 9:02 p.m. at a very healthy 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 20-and-a-half inches long! He was pink and has all 10 fingers and toes...he is just perfect.
Megan was originally scheduled to be induced Friday morning at 5:30, but wee Jack had plans of his own! I'm thinking it's because he was getting really, really hungry.
Such dark hair! Megan and Web's first son, Vance, has curly, red hair - isn't it amazing how siblings are so different from each other?
Megan, Jack and Web...Big Brother Vance will get to meet Jack for the first time on Friday afternoon!
The "aunts"...we were so, so excited.
There is just something about baby boys...maybe it's because I have one of my own. I also love how Jack is already throwing gang signs.
It was very hard not to cry holding him...I did tear up a little, thinking back to being in same hospital, in a carbon copy of their room, meeting my little baby for the first time, and looking at how perfect and soft Jack is. Babies are such miracles - when you look at them, it's overwhelming to think about all that they will learn, do, see, experience and become. You're holding concrete potential when you're holding a baby, and God's greatest gift.

Congratulations, Megan and Web! You have a beautiful baby boy and a beautiful family.

A Quick Trip to C-Town

David has been traveling for work lately, so Dawson and I enjoyed a quick overnight stay with my parents in Chattanooga (or Ooltewah, as it were...but unless you're from there, you probably have no idea where it is.)

Dawson kept Gran and Papa quite busy with several maintenance jobs around their house...
...watering the flower beds...
...mowing the grass...

A little break was allowed to focus on the fine arts. A little "painting" with G-Pa the Great...
...and then back to property maintenance.

This lawn mower is apparently revolutionary in that it also grates gravel...
My parents have the perfect combination of yard and concrete, so playtime is neverending!
One of my favorite things about 'Nooga - a steak in a sack with provolone cheese and onion rings from Ankar's. So. So. Good. I also try to go by the "real" Krispy Kreme when the hot sign is on, but I also try to prevent sweating Crisco, so I didn't make a run this time.

After the delish dinner and bathtime, Dawson entertained us with a couple of songs on the piano.

How I love that he is 17 months old and he's already playing a chord!

This is how Mozart got his start, yes?