Growing in the New Year

Getting a family picture taken with a 20-month old is far more difficult than it was last year. And seeing that we've been super busy this last month with work, church activities and illness, it's been hard to find a day when we all are on our mark. Christmas week passed us by in a blur of blessings and joy, so we tried one more time to catch a family picture for a New Years Card. After MANY attempts to get the boy to smile, this is the closest family picture for the books in 2010. What you can see (but can't hear) is Mason was saying "bye-bye" and waving while taking this series of shots...guess he had enough.


As we've ended another year, we have been overwhelmed by the blessings that continue to flow into our family. There is love unspeakable under our roof (not just a cliche, but a sincere declaration of what is) and we are grateful. Mason is blowing our mind as he grows up. His tongue is loosening up more and more, giving us a regular surprise with new words. And he truly is growing like a weed...he is 1 inch shy of 3 feet and weighs in at 29 pounds.


I've been enjoying the busy pace that faces me these days. It was a difficult revelation to arrive at, but I've found that I do far better in life when I have some regular work to plug myself into. While the idea of being a full-time stay at home mom was what I thought was my path, I've found that God really does know me better than I know myself. So I've been tackling the challenge of medical billing three days a week at a Pediatric office and filling in the blanks with design work from time to time. I've also been doing well with this second pregnancy...we are now half way through the process and really looking forward to how this new life will change our life!!!

Mason is trying to understand what "Big Brother" means, but it is still an abstract thought for him. As we start talking new baby, he manages to crawl up in my lap and SIT on his sibling...Lord help us when this baby arrives!!!

JP is also doing really well. Real estate has opened it's doors in South Texas again, thanks to the oil boom that is on our horizon. He's also had a chance to have a successful deer hunt (photos will come later). John Paul has stumbled into a very passionate hobby...customized knives. He's been purchasing knife kits (the most basic metal structure) and doing intricate carving, filing, grinding, amazing handles and making some very unique pieces of art. He's had offers to purchase his work and compliments too-boot. To say he's proud is an understatement. Take a look at some of his work below.

Where have we been?!?!?!

So I've been AWOL for two months...and I've had several mention that they've missed the pictures and stories. So sorry for falling off the blogging wagon, but I promise I have a really good reason. As many know, we are expecting our second little Padgett. And this pregnancy has really taken the wind out of my sails. Well, maybe not the pregnancy but the life that I'm living along side this pregnancy. Running after a toddler certainly changes the 1st-trimester-nausea-dynamics...very little time for mom to lay down and settle the stomach. Thank the Lord I'm in the 2nd trimester now.

Add to that, I've gone back to work part-time (medical biller, new industry for me, but am really enjoying the numbers-game). Always figured myself to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, but apparently I'm not fully wired that way. I've enjoyed the ability to dip my toes into both realms, and we are SO blessed to have willing grandparents and friends to watch our little boy, keeping Mason out of daycare.

So I've let a few of my creative things slide to the back-burner. But I've missed sharing our stories and pictures, so WE'RE BACK!!

Hair by Grammy D...need I say more!!

Walking tall

Just wanted to share a few pictures of our growing boy. He continues to stretch-up and is proving to be our tall boy. He's had a great summer and we are looking forward to marking his year-and-a-half birthday next month...my how time flies.

Little Drummer Boy

So you never know what you are going to find when you visit your local Goodwill. I've been known to find some good deals on clothes for Mason and the occasional hidden-gem in the home decor section. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd find a drum set that was Mason's size. Mom pointed it out first and then it caught Mason's eye. He couldn't squirm out of the shopping cart fast enough. And after months of watching Sam (our drummer at church during weekly practices), Mason knew exactly what to do.

So I dropped $20 and packed the drum set in my back seat. Mason kept his hand on the drum set on the drive home until he passed out. So as soon as we got home and SURPRISED his Daddy with the news, we set the drums up in his room and turned him loose.

Tractor talk

I had the chance to play with both boys last Monday for a few hours before dropping them off at Granny Leigh's and going to work. For those that don't know much about cousin Layton, he has really taken off when it comes to language. He has many words in his vocabulary but his favorite word by far is TRACTOR. So when Aunt Amy dropped Layton off, the first thing he saw was Mason's new tractor and he said TRACTOR with great gusto!!

The boys jabbered on and on about the Massey Ferguson. Layton would say a word and Mason would mimic the sound...talking as only those two can. I was very proud of Mason for sharing his tractor with his cousin. He even decided to push Layton around the table.

But a little boy's threshold of patience only lasts so long. I had to separate the two, untangle them and ask Layton if Mason could ride for a while. So how did Layton respond? He wandered around for a minute or so, found Mason's sippy cup of milk and started drinking which led to another untangling session for me. Thank you God for knowing better than to send me twins!!!

Beat the Heat

Mason has developed his strategy for beating the South Texas heat. Nothing like a cold drink and an a/c vent to keep you cool. Imagine my surprise when he got quiet in the kitchen and I couldn't figure out what he was doing. I rounded the corner to this. He was so comfortable, he stayed put and let me capture the moment...what a ham!