Hot Dog - Hulse and Olivia Turn 4!

My little tiny babies turned four and we celebrated with a Mickey and Minnie themed bash in our backyard. We invited all of our friends and family to come and play with us for our celebration. We had a bounce house, Mickey and Minnie bago, coloring, and of course the trampoline. After all that jumping we were hungry for Mickey and Minnie cupcakes and juice.

One last party detail, was a big gift to open. It was full of balloons and the sign that said "We're going to Disney world". Hulse, you knew as soon as you saw the sign what it meant. Olivia, it took you a second, but once you got it you were both so excited to go on our big trip.

Kiddos,
You have changed so much the past year. You look different, talk different, act different, and have gotten so big. Such a change from three to four.

Hulse, you are smart, rough, funny, emotional,  athletic, and our sweet sweet boy. Welcome to year number four buddy. Your Dad and I are praying for you as you face each new thing that comes your way this year. We love you so much and are so proud of who you are.

Liv, you are smart, beautiful, imaginative, a little insecure, loving, and nurturing little girl. You have grown this year as you've discovered things that you like and are good at. That has been a joy to watch. Our prayer for you this year is that you will continue to know how God has made you to be and that his design for you is perfect. We pray that you will grow in confidence that God made you as a special little girl!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

The Hankins house has wrapped up Christmas 2012 and it was a fun season of celebrating the birth of Jesus.
We have done lots of celebrating at school, at church, at home, and with family. We even did some celebrating in the dark! But, even in the dark we were able to cherish that Christmas is about the LIGHT of the world coming down to meet us in our darkness and bring us His light that cannot be put out. Hulse and Olivia, as you get older and gain a new and better understanding each year of what Christmas means, I pray that you will be able to celebrate more and more the light of Christ in each of your lives. It's not just a sweet story about a baby in a manger it is the story of the cross of Jesus Christ and it's transforming power to save you from your sins. That is the overwhelming prayer of your mom and dad for you, to know Him. If you celebrate loving Jesus and loving others in Jesus name, Christmas will be a never ending celebration for you!

Mamaw and Papaw Hankins House with all of the cousins. Crazy and fun! That night Nana and Papaw gave the kiddos a power wheel to play with at their house. The next day they all drove it until the battery died. I think they liked it!

Christmas Eve we went back to Pine Bluff for more fun!

Then Santa came! Olivia, you asked for a make-up table and a manicure cart this year. Hulse, you asked for a UCA football helmet.

Then....the weather began. It started with sleet and freezing rain around noon and just kept coming. We went to Gigi and Papaw's house early to try and eat and have Christmas before we lost power, but just as we sat down to dinner the lights went out. We had a romantic Christmas dinner by candlelight. You guys were ready to open gifts so we let you open yours by flashlight and then we headed home in the SNOW! Our power went out about 10:30 that night and was out for about 24 hours, so we feel blessed compared to many people we know. Hulse and Liv, we had a white Christmas for the first time in 80 something years, and we may never see it again. So it really was a Christmas to remember.

Party Time

Today the kiddos had a Happy Birthday Jesus party at school. They got to eat lots of fun snacks, sing a little Christmas song, and had a gift exchange. It was a fun party and I am truly thankful for their teacher who always makes everything such fun.

Santa, Mickey the Elf, and A Performance.

December has started off with a bang this year. The weekend after Thanksgiving we headed to Branson for some Christmas fun. We ate with family, shopped, went out to Silver Dollar City, and stopped in a Bass Pro Shop to see Santa.

Hulse, you were ready to see the big guy and give him your list. Olivia, you just weren't that into it. So we stand in line, the camera breaks, we wait for the repair, your cousins go first, Hulse heads up and Olivia loses it. I jumped a barricade and scooped her up before there was utter meltdown. She was wearing a fleece and I couldn't grab her arm well to get her out of the North Pole so I'm sure we looked like a hot mess. So 50% of the Hankins kids saw Santa that day. Cut to this past Saturday. The kids and I were out taking care of some Christmas shopping and went into Wal-Mart in our town as the last stop of the morning. In the toy section at the back, Santa had stopped in and was giving out candy and taking pictures. Liv, you decide  that if you could get a candy cane it might be worth braving. So we go over and get the candy say Hi to Santa and I score it as a small victory. We get all the way back up to the front of the store to check out and you decide you want a picture with him. So I'm not missing this opportunity and we get out of line and head back to Santa. You did it, walked right in, sat down, and we have the photographic evidence to prove it!

Also last Saturday morning our family elf, Mickey showed back up dispatched from Santa for the season. He brought the kids some new PJs and hot chocolate for a North Pole Breakfast. He's been doing all kinds of fun stuff around the house when he returns from reporting back to Santa each night. We are happy to have him back with us!

Kids, you also had your very first children's choir performance at church Sunday night. You like singing in choir and had been practicing your songs so I knew you were ready. You will learn when you have kiddos that things are always more funny if someone else's kids are doing them and we had that experience Sunday night. You did a really good job and I think it's safe to say your class stole the show.

Fall Out

It seems like Fall has come and gone in a flash. I feel like time is at warp speed! This weekend really feels like the end of Fall and moving right on into Christmas so I thought we should wrap up Fall and get ready for some Christmas posting.

We had a fun Fall full of football, travel, Halloween, and a fun Thanksgiving. We kicked off Halloween with a fun party at school, a trip to the festival at church, and some Trick or Treating.  I'm still (don't judge, I'm the mom!) coordinating the kids costumes (until they protest, which may be soon) so I dressed them as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. They were precious and I think they had a fun night.

Thanksgiving was a fun and long day. We headed to both families and ate way to much. But it was nice to spend time with people we don't always get to see. We headed to Fayetteville for the Razorback game on Friday, lasted a half, and then spent the rest of the time in Branson. We had fun shopping and went out to Silver Dollar City to see the lights.

Now the nativity is out, the tree is up, and we are ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Trip to the Patch

We decided a couple of Sundays ago to take a trip out to the pumpkin patch after nap. Well, nap never happened and everyone in Central Arkansas had the same trip in mind. In spite of that, we had a fun and muddy time with our buddy from school and her family.

Falling In

We love some Fall around our house. We get really busy with school and church activities, but it is still a fun time. I love being able to open my windows air our my house and bring out my pumpkins!

Olivia,
This Fall you started a dance class on Tuesdays' at Rock City Dance. You are in love with dance and doing really well at it, in my amateur opinion. You are starting to learn ballet and tap. You have class with a couple of your little friends from church. I think this is something that you have come to really enjoy! You are still taking gymnastics at school and you really like that also. On Wednesday nights you have gotten big enough to go to choir before you have Mission Friends and you seem to really like that also. You love to sing and are learning some new songs! I recently got back from a mission trip to Greece and you did really well while I was away. Your teacher said you got a little emotional toward the end, but you and Daddy did great. I brought you back a pink bracelet with a painted wooden bead on it and a t-shirt. You always want to know what treat you get when anyone goes on a trip!

Hulse,
Your new activity this Fall has been TOT basketball. This is a program at school where you get to learn all the fundamental skills of the game. You like basketball day at school and we will see what you have learned at your program! You have also enjoyed attending lots of UCA and Razorback football games this year. That has been a fun thing for us to do as a family. You are also going to choir on Wednesday nights and love to sing. I heard you in there practicing your Christmas music and you were singing away! You and Daddy also did great while I was away on my trip and I couldn't wait to come home and see you. You got a Greek National soccer team uniform and a slingshot!
Your big news lately is that you lost a tooth! You may be the only 3 year old who has already had a visit from the tooth fairy. You hurt one of your front teeth at school and it had to come out. So we took you to Dr. Kitchen's and he gave you some silly gas, numbed up your lip, and that tooth came right out. They gave it to us in a little box that you put under your pillow that night. In the morning you woke up to find that the tooth fairy took your tooth and left you $5.00!!!! You said that you wanted to use it to buy a toy!

No Time Like the Present!

Nothing like a break for 6 months and then a massive update!

We had a fantastic Summer at the Hankins house. There was lots of swimming, playing, and relaxing. Gigi and Papaw treated us to a showing of Disney on Ice, which was a really fun time for all of us. We also took a family vacation to Branson with our good friends, the Peoples. We had fun in the water, playgrounds, and the kiddos loved the Dixie Stampede. We also took a first visit to a theme park while there and visited Silver Dollar City. It was a great trip.

Hulse,
This was your first year to play an organized sport, T-ball and I don't think you were disappointed. You were on the Cardinals and y'all were a good little team. You really liked playing offense and hitting the ball, but you weren't so interested in the defensive side of the game! It was a good first team experience and you had a really good time.
You really liked Silver Dollar City and were a daredevil, riding everything you were tall enough to get on. You really liked all of the rides and we think you are going to be a thrill seeker as you get older.
One big development this Summer was your swimming ability. You pretty much taught yourself to swim this year and as we come to the end of the year, you are swimming full time with no puddle jumper. We are so proud of how far you have come and think you would love to swim all the time if we would let you. You also worked on your jumping tricks and even started to dive a little bit.

Olivia,

You continued to do gymnastics at school over the Summer and you seem to really like it. Your teacher says you have a vibrant personality, so I thought that was a good compliment. You also liked Silver Dollar City alot, but you liked the non-wet rides, especially the roller coaster. You also liked riding the go-carts and wanted to go faster and faster on the big track. I think you will learn to be a daredevil in your own right!

You also worked on your swimming this Summer. You were a little hesitant for most of the year and we backtracked a little. But as we come to the end of the swimming season you are jumping and going under water with no problem.

You both started a new class at school this morning and are your last step away from pre-school. You both continue to learn so much every day and have worked a lot this Summer on writing your numbers and letters. Your new teacher is Ms. Melissa and I think you are going to learn even more in her classroom. We had a fantastic summer and are looking forward to a fun Fall and Holiday season.

Love you both,

Mom

Happy Number Three!

Hulse and Olivia,

Just like that you are three years old. It's amazing how quickly a year flies by. You are really not babies anymore and have moved solidly into the "kid" category. One was all new, two was lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to what three will bring.



Hulse,
You are such a boy. If it involves running, rough and tumble, and loud noise you are in. You are a fun little guy and have NO problem being the center of attention. There is really not a shy bone in your body. At your birthday party this year you and your friends sat in a circle and told your name with no hesitation you yelled "Hulseman!". I think that in a nutshell defines your persona. I hope that you are always that fearless and outgoing. It's one of the unique things God has made in you and I know he has plans for you to use that character trait. You are lanky like your dad and weigh about 31 pounds. You love to eat and some of your favorite foods right now are squash and zucchini. You enjoy playing sports of all kinds but lately you've also gotten into superheros and pretend playing with your sister. You are officially potty trained as we move into three, have no more pacifiers, and sleep in a big boy bed. Hulse, it was such fun watching you grow the past year. I can't wait to watch and see how you change this year. Happy 3rd Birthday Buddy!



Liv,
If Hulse is all boy, then you are more than all girl. You are so into all things girly, shoes, jewelry, make up, playing mommy, and pink. You are a little more shy than your brother and have to feel out a situation before you are really comfortable. But, you have a lot of little friends and seem to play well with all of them. Even though you can be shy you also have a bossy/mommy/teacher streak that can show up when you're playing. You are weighing in about 33 pounds these days and are a really good eater but can be a little picky when it comes to vegetables, but we're working on that! You are a MILK drinker and like chocolate milk as well. One of your favorite things to eat now are hamburgers, you want one all the time and can put it away if your are hungry. You like to play barbies, dolls, make believe and anything with your brother. You've been potty trained for the better part of 2, have no more paci, and sleep in your big girl bed. Olivia, you are a wonderful little girl full of sweet and sass. It's a great combination. I look forward to watching grow into three. Happy 3rd Birthday Livi Lou!

Holiday 2011

I'm behind on the blog, shocker, so I'm going to just combine Thanksgiving and Christmas before I forget everything that happened.

I hosted Thanksgiving lunch this year for Trey's side of the family and had a really good time doing so. It gave me a chance to clean a little more heavily that I normally would for one thing! I had a fun time preparing for everyone and it was actually really nice to not have to load up the kids for a road trip. We had Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and then got ready to head to Branson. For years it's been the family tradition to go to Branson, when there is not a LR Razorback game, to kick off Christmas. This is the first time we've taken the kids and it was cold and rainy but fun. The kiddos are asking when we are going back so I think they liked it!

I've worked for the state for 8 years or so and I accumulate a lot of vacation time that I never use up so this year I decided to take two weeks off for Christmas. I wanted to not rush through the season and take time with Trey, the kids, and friends that I don't get to see often. It was a FANTASTIC decision. I was so relaxed and really had time to prepare my heart and home for a great Christmas. One of the things I really wanted to do was host a Birthday Party for Jesus for Hulse and Olivia's friends. They are little so it's sometimes hard to explain Jesus and how important is birth is, but almost any kid can understand a birthday party. We had a fun time playing, crafting, snacking, and celebrating the birth of Jesus. The kids went to school a couple of days before Christmas so I could run errands and finish last minute stuff and then before we knew it Christmas eve was here.

My mother in law asked to keep the kids the night before Christmas eve and that worked out really well. We got to take them down to Pine Bluff and have a little Christmas celebration without the rush and let the kids just enjoy the fun. It also allowed Trey and I to confer with Santa on last minute details! Christmas eve is always our crazy night since we travel to three places in one night, but it was fun and wore the kids totally out. Christmas morning the kids woke up, late after sleeping in, to just what they asked for. Hulse wanted a Razorback football helmet and Olivia wanted a Barbie. They must have been good because Santa brought just what they asked for and more! He even left a trampoline in the back yard. We had a good breakfast and just played and played until the kids asked for a nap! We had Christmas dinner with my mom, dad, and grandfather and the kids got to open some more presents. Trey took off the week following Christmas and we just spent a lot of time at home and out doing fun stuff. The weather was beautiful and the kids got to test out that trampoline quite a bit. It was a wonderful Christmas season this year. It was fun, restful and full of the love of Christ which is the beautiful reason we celebrate.

Halloween 2011

Hulse and Olivia,
This year for Halloween you choose to be Mickey and Minnie Mouse! We started all of our fun with the fall festival at church. You got to wear your costumes, play games, win prizes, see your buddies, and have hot dogs and popcorn.

You also had a party at school and got to take candy to your school friends. You made some Halloween crafts and ate some fun treats there as well. While you were getting dressed in your costumes your Nana, Mamaw, and cousin Asher came by to see you. We took a lot of pictures and got ready to go out trick-or-treating. We went over to Gigi and Papaw's neighborhood to trick-or-treat and there were kids everywhere! You got the hang of ringing doorbells and getting that candy! You also said thank you a lot which made me a happy mom. You had a ton of fun and were good and sugared up when we were done. It was a great Halloween!

Fall 2011

August through the beginning of December is a busy time at our house. Football, school activities, Halloween, and Thanksgiving keep us on our toes.

Our whole family (Liv included) went to our first family Razorback game. Liv got a little bored with the game but really enjoyed riding the bus to the game, walking around the stadium, and hanging out at the motorhome. The Hogs beat Auburn and we had a great time.

The kids got a taste of fair rides at a friend's birthday party, so we knew they would like the fair. We took them one morning on kids-ride-free day, and they had a blast riding with thier buddy, Q. Hulse liked the petting zoo - Liv isn't really into animals - and they both loved their corndog lunch. After their naptime we went out to a pumpkin patch in Mayflower and enjoyed the beautiful Fall weather. We rode out to the patch, and the kids picked out some primo pumpkins. It was a fun day with family and friends.

Hulse's First Razorback Game

Hulse man,
Your daddy took you to your first Razorback football game on 9/17/11. You had a blast! You got to ride the bus to the game, see the band and the players come onto the field, pet Tusk! and cheer on those Hogs! You called the Hogs which is always a favorite cheer but you also got to do the first down cheer. When the announcer yelled "It's another Arkansas Razorback", the crowd responded with "First Down." You, however, decided to wait a few seconds before your first down so that everyone could hear! We'll work on that timing buddy! I'm so glad you had a good time and I can't wait to take you (and your sister) to many more games.

Destin 2011 - Chicken Nuggets in Paradise

I've been so busy since the end of summer that I've been putting off this post, but I want to get it down before I forget what we actually did. Our summer vacation this year was a fantastic trip to sunny Destin Florida. We went with some good friends who have a little girl and they were excellent traveling companions. We loved hanging out with them and having no other agenda than to rest and eat good food! Vacation is such a gift for us. It allows Trey and I to slow down our normal pace, reconnect with each other and let the kids deviate from their schedule a bit. Normally when we are away I'm ready to be home, but this time if there hadn't been a tropical storm brewing I could have moved on in for the duration!

Things I don't want to forget:
-Nothing like discovering your child might be car sick in the pitch black early morning. Also note that Dramamine could make your child almost fall asleep in mid-sentence.
-The traffic design in Mobile is bananas.
-There is NOTHING like crossing over the bay bridge and smelling that air, ahhhh vacation.
-Villa Coyaba, our place of residence, might have been nicer than my home. Just saying.
-The kids loved the water the first couple of calm days. It was glassy and crystal clear. We got some good ocean time in those first two days.
-You can own/pack too many sand toys.
-We had so many great meals. Thank you: Crab Trap, The Back Porch, AJ's, Louisiana Langinappe, The Donut Hole, and Red Bar. (I think that got them all!)
-The kids ate shrimp for the first time and no one's throat closed up!
-It was so nice to be able to stay up late and have good conversation with very funny friends! We love you guys!
-There is nothing better than a beach nap. Also, nothing better than a good book and an ocean view.
-Trey and John decided to brave the red flag waves one afternoon. It was a comedy show to watch them get pummled from the balcony. No real casualities other than a skinned knee, crab attack & hat.

We had the best time making memories on this trip! Thank you Lord for good times, good friends, our children & the majesity of your creation!

Bad Blogging!

I have been a really lazy blogger as of late so I thought I would catch up with a great Summer post. We've been doing a lot of indoor activities this Summer because it's hot as blazes here. Hulse and Olivia have been coloring, cooking and playing inside a lot. We've also gotten to do some extra fun things like going to the Wonder Place, the library to check out some books and of course to the pool at Papaw and Gigi's house. Hulse and Olivia have really taken to the water this year and love to jump and swim with their floaties. In fact, we hosted a swim party for our Sunday school class and after most of the folks were gone Hulse decided to take a leap into the pool with no flotation device. Trey did a dive and rescue and it was less than 10 seconds, but adrenaline producing none the less. We may have to do some swim lessons now!

We also had a very special first when we went to see our very first movie in the theater. We saw Winnie the Pooh and it was so precious. For those classic Disney folks, it's a must see. Hulse was transfixed the entire hour and Olivia didn't get restless until the very end. The most exciting thing that has happened this Summer is that Olivia is completely potty trained (Hallelujah chorus!). She has done SO well and we are very proud of her. Hulse is working hard but not quite there yet.

Summer is coming to a close and now we're shifting back into school mode around our house. The kids start a new class at school in a couple of weeks so we will be learning a new routine. They also start a new Sunday School class and a new Wednesday night program at church. It should be an exciting transition into the fall. I don't know about you but I'm ready for some cooler weather and some football!