Thanksgiving in Alabama and Arkansas

A week of travel. First we went to Arkansas for hunting and visiting family, and then we headed to Alabama to visit Dave's family for Thanksgiving. My grandparents hosted us and we had a lot of fun, although a one-year-old in the house was a little crazier than Grandpa expected. Ty hunted every day (ducks and deer) and I brought Knox down a couple of times to play with his little friend Lola. Overall Knox travelled very well despite the double ear infection he got right before we left AR.
Alabama is always a lot of fun and we eat and eat. Ms. Mary, Dave's mom, owns a restaurant right next to her house and so we eat there. She cooks some delicious southern dishes and everyone just scarfs them up. The day after Thanksgiving we always eat catfish with fries, onion rings, and hush puppies. Knox really enjoyed getting to taste his first Thanksgiving meals. They have lots of dogs, chickens, a goat, and two cats; you can imagine how that kept Knox entertained.

Roar!- It's Halloween!

Knox was a precious little lion this year. I was very surprised that he kept his little mane on, but he was distracted and forgot about it. He was a little under the weather, but we got out for a bit before bedtime.

New England Visit

We just returned from New England for a "fall visit". Our friend, Scott, was married in New York City and we were so glad that we were able to attend to see he and his beautiful bride on their special day. After that we drove to CT to see my parents for a week.
Several day trips were taken and Knox travelled in the car quite a bit against his will. He's not a very cooperative back seat rider anymore. We went to Newport, RI; Shelburne Falls, MA; and Northhampton, MA. We even drove into VT a little bit in order to see some more leaf color.
As you can see from our pictures, we really enjoyed our time there and Knox loved being with Grandma and Grandpa as usual. His favorite location in the yard this time was the raspberry patch.

Future Hurdler?

Folly Beach Trip

We had our 3rd annual Beach Trip with the Bennetts and Waldridges. Before the babies arrived in 2006, we had ventured to Willmington, NC and then the Outer Banks. This trip to Folly Beach, which is very close to Charleston, was a great "adventure" as we termed it while we were there. The word "vacation" doesn't seem quite right with 3 one year olds running around.
Every day was so much fun though. We got up early (wonder why?) and had great breakfasts. Then we would take the babies down to the beach and play for awhile before their naps. After lunch we would usually play around the house and then go out to the beach. Low tide was in the late afternoon every day, and it was wonderful for all the kids because little pools, or gullies, were left on the beach for them to splash around in. They were as warm as bath water and not too deep, although some of them could get deeper than you would think and we almost let our kids slip under a couple times.
The evenings were beautiful and the dinners were always the best. Every couple cooked a meal or two and it was so nice to have help in the kitchen and help with the kids as well. Every couple was also allowed a date sometime during the week while the others watched the baby. Ty and I went to a noodle house and a little artsy shop called POE afterwards. It was much needed.
We had such a fun time that all the moms were like "what are we going to do with the kids when we get home". Nothing beats a houseful of parents, babies, toys, and a beach on top of it.

Silly Faces

Knox is such a little guy now. He has lots of silly expressions, especially when he eats. This is him enjoying his eggs and other various foods.

Ty is 32

I know I really shouldn't mention his age, but it is so much fun to be 3 years younger and rub it in. We went up to NC and visited Tee, Jenn, and Lola for some fishing fun! O.k.- the boys just fished and we played with the kids. It was really relaxing though, right near the river with a hammock and everything. Ty said it was one of his best b-day's ever.

Trip to CT

At the beginning of July, Knox and I went to CT to visit my parents. We went a week ahead of Ty and Aunt Katie even came for a few days. We had tons of fun! It was just so nice to eat out on the deck every meal and not get swarmed by mosquitoes, which is common for us in the summer here in SC. Knox ate like a horse and really loved blueberries and fresh vegetables out of their garden. I think he gained a whole pound in the two weeks that we were there.

We took several excursions during our visit. We went to the UCONN dairy barn and stables, drove to Dock and Dine in Old Saybrook to eat clam chowder, and saw fireworks on the Town Green. We also introduced Knox to his first Tony's Pizza and I must say that it was a hit. He is a third generation Tony's Pizza eater, as I grew up eating there from about the same age.

Ty and I were able to go on our first overnight trip away from Knox. We went to Long Island and stayed in Montauk, which is a little surf town at the end of L.I.. We were able to go to dinner and see the most recent Harry Potter movie. The next day we went to the beach and strolled through East Hampton for a little while on our way back to the ferry. It was a great anniversary get-away.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and Knox had a big time with his grandparents and Aunt. It was a little lonely at our house after we got back, but we got into our routine again soon enough.

Birthday Party

Grandma had a wonderful birthday party for Knox and friends at her house. We had a delicious Korean lunch too! Koreans have a tradition of placing the one year old in front of yarn, pencils, and money. Knox went straight for the pencils which means he may be a scholar in the future. We hope so!
Knox had five friends at his party who were all around his age. They played with the balloons, ate cake, and swam in the baby pools. Aftern the swim, Knox opened presents on a big mat outside and all the kids enjoyed them together. What a day!

First Haircut

Wow- I can't believe we waited this long for a haircut. We went out and bought new clippers and everything. Ty got Knox used to the idea of the razor by putting it against his cheek. I guess it tickled because he thought it was rather funny. I think that it came out pretty even and he looks like such a little boy now. What do you think???

Memorial Day

Our friends, Brad and Katie, hosted a wonderful Momorial Day cookout. We all had a lot of fun just relaxing and playing in the pool. Knox is definitely a waterbaby.

Fun with Lola

We went to Georgia this past weekend to hang out with Tee, Jenn, and Lola. Lola was a little scared of Knox upon the first meeting, but after the initial meeting, they were the best of friends. They followed eachother around and wanted to play right next to eachother. They traded toys, swam in the pool, and hiked together. Tee and Jenn live in the most beautiful place and we really enjoyed our time with them.

Little Rascal

As you can see from the pictures below, our little guy is growing up and getting into everything. He really enjoys pulling out the drawer handles and investigating the contents inside. The only problem is the occasional smashed finger and then we regroup so he can do it again.



He really enjoyed his sink bath because he could pull the sprayer down and take a little shower. He's a mess...

First Baseball Game

Knox has officially entered the world of baseball. We have a great stadium in town and it is really quite a family affair with kids galore. For Mothers Day Ty made me a delicious salmon lunch and then we went to the game. Knox really enjoyed watching all of the kids and even met a new friend, who didn't hesitate to give him a big hug. Enjoy the pics.

Friend Fun

Knox and his friends are growing up so fast. They are discovering how to play together now and the outdoors seems to be enjoyed by all.

Colorado Springs Visit

Our trip to Colorado Springs to see Ty's Dad and family was overdue, as Knox had not met one of his grandpa's yet. This was our 5th airplane trip since Knox has been born- whew, he's quite the little traveller. We all had a great time, especially Ty's little sister, Cheyenne. She and Eric are now an Aunt and Uncle at the ages of 10 and 12. Knox really took to Cheyenne and they played together quite a bit.
We were able to get a suite in a hotel, which was great because we had a kitchen and a seperate room for Knox to sleep in. It looked out over the mountains and we had a great shopping plaza across the street. Knox's favorite thing to do was to stand near the windowsill and look outside at the great view.
We also went out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel with Kelly, my college roommate and track friend, and her new fiance, Brad. They are just the perfect couple and we are so excited about their upcoming wedding. Knox really loved being around them because they are both such happy people.

Aunt Linda's visit

Ty' s Aunt from SF was out in DC for a business trip and so she decided to visit us in April. We had a great time and she enjoyed meeting Knox. He was a little out of sorts because of another (yes, ANOTHER) ear infection. This makes 4 for him. We went to Asheville to the Biltmore House and it was a beautiful day. She toured the house and we toured the gardens. It was really great for Knox to get to meet his great-aunt Linda.

Kansas City

Knox and I travelled to Kansas City, MO for Easter weekend to see Grandma and the Great Grandparents. He was an angel on the plane rides and made sure that everyone talked to him. It was a really good time for all of us to get to see one another and for Mema and Papa to finally meet Knox. Papa liked to hold Knox and show him the plant, while Mema entertained him with her glasses.


Grandma just couldn't get enough of him. Sleeping was a little difficult for all of us at first, but it got better after a couple days. Papa bought him two Easter bunnies, one pink and then a blue one. He also outfitted his pack and play with a brand new snuggly blanket. Spoiled, Spoiled.

Fishing Trip

Well, the family went on the first fishing trip together a couple of weeks ago. Ty found a wonderful spot to fish where he can fish all he wants and we can relax nearby. The cabin was right there next to the river so Knox was able to take naps while we were outside fishing away. Ty caught some really nice sized fish. I believe there were trout and steelhead in this river.





Tyler and his dad were there too and then Jen, Tee, and Lola came by to visit since they live nearby. Jen and I took the babies for a short walk and they both seemed to enjoy being out in nature.




You can tell from the pictures that Knox enjoyed holding the fishing pole with his dad. I can just see him doing it himself in a couple more years.

Aunt Katie's visit

We had a wonderful visit with Katie. Knox really took right to her, maybe because she looks and sounds so much like Mom. Or maybe because he could just tell how much she loved him. She got him the cutest little outfits and one of them is in the pictures ( the blue and green striped hooded romper).
We went to the the park, took walks, went out to eat, and shopped. He also got to go for a fun wagon ride up the street. I think he is finally over his teething, earache, and stomach virus. Thank Goodness! He is resisting many foods right now, but really loves the foods he can pick up with his fingers. Very independent already!
T got to go fishing in TN last weekend with his friends. He got the biggest fish that he's ever caught in his life. He was just a tad bit excited. I'm sure we'll have to put that picture up on the blog too. ha!