Happenings

It's been a while since I've done a "real" post so I figured we were due. Hulse and Olivia are rocking right along into their two's with no problems. They are learning so many colors, numbers, shapes, songs, letters, and on and on. I love to hear them sing a new song or count to a new number. Of course, they are my kids but I think they are genuises!

It's so great to be able to have a conversation with them and know what they are thinking and feeling. We've had some discipline issues but nothing any other two year old isn't doing. Trey and I are just incredibly blessed to have such great kiddos. We're just gearing up for spring/summer and some time outside.


I've been involved in Bible Study Fellowship since the fall and I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to it and encourage you to get plugged in if you had the chance. I began praying at the end of last summer for God to renew in me the desire to dig into His word, not for knowledge, but to have the chance to know Him more. He answered that prayer in a big way by leading me to BSF through a co-worker. The study format is provided by BSF international and we meet in a small group once a week. We also hear a lecture on the material as well. I have been blessed ten-fold from the word God has provided to me in Isaiah. If you're not plugged into a group study I urge you to investigate BSF in your area. All of that to say, I've so many of my friends and family on my heart who are in difficult situations and who have been so faithful to depend on God even in the midst of difficulty. This week with the devestation in Japan He's been speaking to me again. God has used Isaiah to point me to His Sovreignity and the fact that God is always working for good for His people. He can use a difficult situation to magnify His glory even when we can't see Him through the devestation all around us.

The Loves of My Life!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

The Two of You are Two!

I cannot believe it's time for me to write this post, but it's true, my babies are two. I've been thinking about the last year and marveling over the changes that have happened from one to two. I felt like getting through the first year was such a milestone and now I can't even remember where the year went! Trey and I feel so grateful and blessed to have been chosen as the caretakers of such wonderful children. He has been so faithful to be with us on this journey through parenting, and we pray His continued presence over our children for the coming years.


Hulse,
My firstborn, son, funny man, and drama king! You are all boy and your favorite things to do involving, running, jumping, constant motion, and anything you play with a ball. You are smart as a whip and have been talking in complete sentences/ paragraphs for a while now. You can count, know your shapes and colors, sing all kinds of songs, and have a pretty articulate vocabulary for a toddler. You are the leader between you and your sister. You are the first one to decide what to play and can get Olivia to follow you around with no problem. You're not overly protective of her yet, probably because she tends to be a bully, but I'm thinking that will come in time. You love to eat, and we very rarely have a problem getting you to eat what's on your place and try new things. You love kid food of course, but you also like to eat red meat, zucchini, and any pasta dish. You love music and really like to sing and dance. You also like to color and work puzzles, and you love to read! You are a big fan of the Sesame Street characters and like to watch Elmo and the gang on TV. You are into dinosaurs right now and like to watch a show on TV called Dinosaur Train. You are a sweet baby boy, but you do have a tender heart and can be pretty emotional at times when things don't go your way. I think this is a combination of your age and your personality. You're our favorite boy, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Your dad and I want you to know that we are praying for you always, rooting you on in whatever you want to do, and we love you like crazy! Happy 2nd Birthday.

Olivia,
Sister, my sweet girl, and total mess! You are an absolute joy to be around and are the funniest little girl. You like all things girl, but can also enjoy wrestling with your brother. You are also a smarty pants and say your ABC's, count, know your colors (this has been interesting since everything started with green and pink), shapes, and can talk up a storm. You still like to talk in your own language a lot but you can be sure you're saying whatever it is with feeling! You like to play with your kitchen and cook food. You enjoy getting your baby in the stroller and roaming the house (always with a purse of some sort on your arm). You love jewels and always want a bracelet or necklace on. You are like your brother and like to sing and dance. You are a big reader as well and would read your whole library in a sitting if we let you. You are making lots of progress with the potty training. You will tell us when you need to tee tee and go right in and potty, still a work in progress but it's coming along. You can take a licking and keep on ticking so it takes a lot for you to cry but you can throw a nice little fit when you get upset. Terrible twos maybe? You are our favorite girl and the world better watch out for you! Dad and I are praying that you will follow after Him and experience His love and grace. We know you have a bright future ahead and we can't wait to see what it holds. Love you to the moon and back! Happy 2nd birthday.

Newborn

1-Year-Olds

2-Year-Olds

Christmas Recap

We had a great Christmas this year. It's so much fun to watch the kids get so excited (to the point of overload!) about all of the fun. I know that it will always be a time we cherish at our home.
We started off the celebrations in Pine Bluff with Trey's family and my extended family. My kids are social creatures and I think they really loved being around all the people. Olivia really got into opening gifts while Hulse just wanted to play with everything he opened immediately. We also made a stop in to see my grandparents and I so enjoyed getting to spend some time with them. After a LONG night we headed back to our house for Santa to come. He didn't disappoint and I guess both the babies made the nice list. We had a relaxed morning at our house and I really enjoyed letting the kids just play without having to run somewhere. We had Christmas with my parents that night and again just got to enjoy the kiddos. Sunday we finished up with merriment with a trip to Trey's grandparents. We were tired and glad to have some time off after it was all over. I was off the week after Christmas and really enjoyed keeping the kids at home and spending some much needed downtime with them.
Trey always does a great job with my gifts, but he really outdid himself this year. My hands down favorite gift was the chance to sponsor a child through Compassion International. I've been really feeling God pushing me to some kind of action involving children. I haven't felt like he's calling me to adoption or fostering, but He calls all of His children to care for one another. We have an addition to the Hankins house named Moises and I honestly can't wait to correspond with him. I would urge you to check out the Compassion site and see the work that they are doing and pray about the part God might have to play in the life of someone else. http://www.compassion.com/
This year, more than any other, I found myself thinking of Mary and Joseph and that little baby in the manger. This has been a year of great spiritual renewal for me and God has been teaching me so many lessons. He's been preparing my heart to deal with situations that have come up in a way that honors Him and reminds me that He's my constant above all else. People may fail me, but He never will. His grace was my constant companion this Christmas season and I am so grateful.

Merry Christmas 2010!

It has been a busy season at our house with Thanksgiving going by quickly and Christmas knocking at the door.

Our family would like to take the opportunity to wish your and yours a Merry Christmas. In all the hustle and bustle take some time this year to focus on the incredible gift that our Savior sent. Stay in your jammies, eat an extra cookie, watch It's a Wonderful Life, and stay a little closer to those you hold dear.

Very Merry,
The Hankins Family

October 2010

We have had a full and happy October in the Hankins house. I feel like we have been so busy, and I know it's all just the start to a busy holiday season. October means the Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock, and we loaded up the kids and went one night after work. We strolled around and checked out the cows, goats, pigs, rabbits, ducks, and some other livestock I'm sure I'm missing. The babies also had fun being mesmerized by the rides, lights, and music. I think it's safe to say they had never been anywhere quite like that before. You can't really do the fair without fair food, and we had a polish sausage, a hot dog stuffed inside of a tater twister, some pizza, and some fried Hershey kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They were divine!

Our friend's the McKinney's had a fantastic Harry Potter-themed Halloween party at their house, and Hulse and Olivia had fun running around with their friends. The food and decor were awesome, and we can't wait for a repeat party. The kids also had a fun party at daycare with all of their school friends and got some good candy and treats.

Our family enjoyed going to the pumpkin patch for the first time as well. We played, looked at the animals, took the hayride out to the patch, picked our pumpkin, and just enjoyed good weather and a special mid week trip.

We also got to do Boo at the Zoo this year for the first time. It was fun with lots of activities for the kiddos, but their favorite thing was the train ride. Hulse is really into all forms of transportation right now so he loved to ride the choo choo. We saw lots of cute costumes and of course got some candy!

The highlight of October was the Halloween night trick or treating. This was the babies' first trick or treat, and it was really fun. They were of course precious in their Pebbles and Bam Bam costumes and had a blast getting candy. We didn't ever really get the timing of saying "Trick or Treat" down, but that didn't stop them from digging into the sugar when the time came.

Hulse and Olivia are at a fun and challenging age right now. October was month 21 for them, and we're getting so close to 2 I can't believe it! They are talking in sentences now and can pretty much tell you whatever it is they need. The problem is if they don't get what they "need" right then, meltdown mode comes quickly. We even had our first public meltdown at the pumpkin patch! That's always fun for mom and dad! It's really amazing to me how self sufficient they've become, and now we can just let them entertain us and themselves for the most part. They are so funny, and we just love being their mommy and daddy.

Long Time No Blog!

I really haven't even been that busy so I have no excuse for no updates! Since we last chatted the babies have turned 20 months old. We're well on our way to having double the 2 years olds in our house and that should be an interesting time in all of our lives!

Football season in our household is a busy time. Trey and I are lifelong Hog fans and Trey graduated from UCA so we also support those Bears. It seems like from now until December every weekend is full with travel to a game or plans to watch at home. I wouldn't have it any other way but it does make for craziness from time to time. The babies have learned their own version of the hog call and have the Whoo Pig part down pat. They can also tell you what a bear says with the growling and bear claws. We had to make sure they were ready to cheer!

Another time of excitement for me has come with joining BSF and studying the book of Isiah. One of the clinicians at work told me about BSF and I had been praying about a new area of study and the timing was just perfect. I love my small group and have already been blessed by God through the study of his word. If you ever get a chance to be a part of a BSF study I would recommend it. The commitment can be a little intimidating but already the reward has been so great!

Of course, I can't wrap up without sharing about my trip to Hogwarts. I'm a huge reader and got on to the Harry Potter series a little late but totally fell in love with the characters, story, and movies. It's one of my favorite book/movie series of all time and I share that love with several other of my girlfriends. When we all heard that Universal in Orlando was creating a HP theme park we knew we wanted to go and amazingly it all worked out for us to be able to do that. We went the last week in September and it was a perfect trip. Great weather, great fellowship, no lines, and HP, what could be better?

I guess that is all of the excitment I can think of sharing and by now the two of you left reading are so glad I'm done!

Keeping Cool

Toddler I

A couple of posts ago we mentioned that Hulse and Olivia would be moving up to the toddler I class at daycare and Thursday was the big day. We had already gone to an open house so they could see their room and their teachers. They moved up with most of the kiddos from their previous class and the first 2 days they got good reports. They even slept well on their nap mats. Such big kids! They got to take their new backpacks (which is a new favorite word) and school supplies. They are growing up before our eyes.

Where the Wild Things Are

In July when we took the kids to the alligator farm in Hot Springs they seemed to really like the animals so we have been wanting to take them to the zoo since then. However, when the temperature is vacillating between hell and spontaneous combustion a trip to the zoo quickly gets pushed to the back burner. This past weekend it was going to be a balmy 95 so on a whim we decided to go. I'm so glad we did because it was really fun. We tried to go early in the morning so that the animals would be up and about before it got hot in the afternoon and we did a pretty good job. Hulse and Olivia got to see: monkeys, camels, birds, tigers, lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, bears, deer/antelope like creatures, an anteater, and the extremely rare squirrel. I'm hoping this will be the first of many trips to the zoo.

Moving on up

So, a week or so ago, we were notified that Hulse and Livi were being promoted at daycare from "transition nursery" to "Toddler 1." Jennifer is taking it pretty well.

The new class means that there are no more cribs. They sleep on a mat in the floor. We'd love to see the first attempt at a nap where they just try to get them to lay down on the floor, outside of a cage.

Anyway, the other thing that we found out was that Toddler 1 also comes with a school supply list. They don't promote until the middle of August, but Jennifer has been so excited about the school supplies that we had to make a trip to Walmart . . . with a camera.

A Year and a Half Already?

From July 2010

I'm pretty sure I just got done putting up your birthday post, so how can you already be halfway to 2? You are such big kids now I can't even really call you babies anymore. You're running, talking, and playing just like big kids. We've had a really great summer swimming, traveling, relaxing, and growing by leaps and bounds. You had your shots in June and weighed within an ounce of one another at 25 pounds each.

Hulse, you have really lost some of your baby look and rolls so I think your sister caught up with you in the weight department a little. You also measured at the same height although your dad and I think Hulse is a little bit taller.

From July 2010

Your vocabularies have really taken off. Words that you can say:

1. momma
2. daddy
3. pappaw
4. gigi
5. nana (works for nana and banana, but we'll only count it once)
6. NO!
7. hi/hey
8. bye-bye
9. go (we promise she once said "where did it go?" or atleast that's what it sounded like.)
   
10. Elmo (melmo)
    
11. Abby (babby)
    
12. boat (usually repeated as "boat boat")
    
13. eat
14. grape (gape)
15. cheese (the dairy product and instantly upon seeing a camera)
    
16. diaper
17. shoe
18. hat (at)
    
19. papi (paci/pacifier)
    
20. duck
21. fish (pish)
    
22. turtle
23. mo-mo (mower)
24. choo-choo
    
25. cookie (as in food and the monster)
    
26. baby
27. ball
28. dog (whoo-whoo, doggie)
    
29. kitty
30. bird
    
31. book
32. car
33. bubble
34. light (usually without the L)
    
35. poo-poo
36. tee-tee
37. airplane
38. tractor (tactor)
    
39. nose
    
40. ear
41. teeth
42. eye (they can identify many others, but they don't say them)
    

You're both still great eaters and love pasta with red sauce, meatballs, and FRUIT! Olivia you especially like blueberries and can put away a ton if we let you!

From July 2010

From July 2010

From July 2010

From July 2010

Our Staycation

This year we decided to do a low-key trip to Hot Springs with our friends and their little boy. J is about 3 weeks older than Hulse and Olivia, so they really are at the same stages and can play together. I took off all week and had some mom-only time, and then we left Thursday morning.

We rented a condo on Lake Hamilton, and it was really nice. We had a quick BBQ lunch and then headed to the grocery store for some essentials. The babies took afternoon naps and then we headed down to the pool. I'm so glad all the babies love water, and they had a good time "swimming" around. We worked up quite an appetite and went to Rod's that night for some pizza. It was sooo good and the kids loved watching the train go around the restaurant.


Friday we slept in and woke up to a little bit of a rainy day, but we decided to go downtown and walk around for a while. We browsed several cute shops and found a really cute toy store. The kids got some new puzzles, balls, and a new book.

After lunch and nap time the weather looked a little better so we decided to load the kids up and try our luck at Magic Springs. The water park part of Magic Springs has a couple of kiddie areas that we tried out. Our friend J loved it, but our kiddos weren't sold on it. I think the water was too cold (our baby kryptonite) for them, and it was kind of overload for them.

We got dry, grabbed some dinner and went over to the attraction side of the park. Hulse and Olivia got to ride their first official rides. They did the train, Ferris wheel, carousel, and seemed to really like them all. We walked around the park some more and closed it down. Not too bad for our first theme park experience. Disney here we come! On the way home we had to stop for ice cream and found this local place that makes their own, it was AWESOME!



Friday and Saturday folks start streaming into Hot Springs, so traffic and trying to eat somewhere was crazy. More sleeping in on Saturday morning, and then we decided to try out the Alligator Farm. The place has been in HS since 1902 and was really the first "attraction" in the area other than the bath houses.

They have a petting zoo with goats, deer, and a couple of donkeys. Hulse and J liked the goats and fed them if they weren't being too aggressive. Olivia, on the other hand, is going through a phase where she's not too sure about dogs, cats, etc, and she was not having any thing to do with the animals. She did seem to like them if they were on the other side of the fence!



They have an indoor area where the animals live in winter and you can touch a baby alligator. Outside are the alligator pens and some other animals. We tried to stick around for the alligators to have lunch, but the kids were hot, hungry, and tired by that time so we went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant near the condo, Jose's. It was so delicious. They had the best homemade punch and avocado dip. We hit the pool again that afternoon, and then had dinner at Purple Cow.

On our way out of town on Sunday morning we went to Garven Woodland Gardens. I've never been, and it was a really cool place. Of course, this late in the summer not a ton of stuff is in bloom, but the waterfalls, bridges, and plants were gorgeous. They have a miniature train garden that Hulse thought was great and said "Choo-Choo" all afternoon. I would love to take them back at Christmas for the lights and in the Spring while the tulips and azaleas are in bloom. The bottom fell out just as we were leaving, and we were drenched by the time we got to the car.




All good things must come to an end, so we headed home, stopping for lunch at Browns' in Benton.

We had a fantastic, relaxing , fun time with our kids and friends. It was nice to be able to get away and be home in an hour at the same time!

(There are many more pictures on Jenn's Facebook.)