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!

Remembering 3 years ago

The world just melted away...the August heat helped with that!!!

We made a promise to take on this world hand-in-hand, and we will forever.

We were so excited to enjoy our honeymoon in Telluride, Colorado. The weather was a refreshing change (hi in the low 80s, low in the 40s). The flight was a memory for all time. Nothing like riding in a 24-seat jet that had to be calibrated by weight...ie they juggled passengers to the left or right to balance the weight on the plane. And the guy that checked us in at the regional airport, also loaded our luggage in the plane as well as directed the incoming air traffic on the tarmac.

Holding on for dear life after the most amazing Jeep ride to the top of Imogene Pass. I look at this picture and wonder why we thought we had to stand on the edge of the trail to take the picture. It was on this trail that I got to experience my first thunderstorm in the mountains. We listened to thunderclaps that rolled for 2 minutes through the mountain range...awesome doesn't come close to describing it.

On our way to Alta Lakes...simply gorgeous! Caribbean blue lakes in the middle of Colorado.

Making our way down Ophir Pass. It was on this pass that I decided I shouldn't drive on the mountain roads. I just don't handle the rock slides like John Paul does.

As we talk about our dreams, we always circle back to this trip. We can't wait to take all of the trails again (Mason in tow) because it was the perfect vacation for us. Here's to many, many more years of great memories as the Blackhill Padgett's.

Late, late night

So last Friday, Mason decided to catch a second, third, fourth and fifth wind before giving up for the night. I guess he was trying to play his way to the other side of midnight. He was outplaying his parents...we had a full-full week and were looking forward to some sleep. After fulling off my socks, Mason decided to show us a new game...SOCK TIME!! Before I get in any trouble with grandparents for the dirty sock on the head, you must know that Mason put that sock on his head and wanted to keep it there. He'd reach up and touch it, making sure it was still there.

JP would put socks on his feet, Mason would remove them, then stick his foot up to his dad in a gesture of "let's do it again". This went on for some time with the ankle socks when I found a pair of tube socks for the boys to play with. Let's just say the pictures speak for themselves.






He was so proud of his new footwear...he walked around the living room, only coming back to one of us for an adjustment. He finally ran out of steam at 11:45, but JP and I stayed up for another 30 minutes just laughing at the imagination of our little boy.

Enjoying the lake

The Monday after the July 4th weekend, we had a great opportunity to spend some time on Medina Lake. Clifton and Amy wanted to take a quick trip for the day and asked us to go along. Knowing that Layton had handled being on the boat for a few trips helped calm our nerves about how Mason would handle the boat ride.

We had a fabulous day. The weather was amazing, the water was so refreshing and we had a great time with the family. And we managed to come home with a pale little boy...God bless sunblock and hats!!!

Road Crusties

Anyone that has grown up with a dirt driveway or a dirt road nearby will recognize this picture. For me, it offers a peak into a great set of childhood memories...road crunsties just waiting to be crushed. I have to say it brings a smile to my face every time I see these. Crunching on these crusties a week or two after a rain was a point of sheer joy for me as a child. I'd weave back and forth down our driveway as a kid, working from one rut to the other. The sound was very satisfying as a child...actually, it is still pretty satisfying.

And I've witnessed the joy unfold for Mason. He has always had a fascination with the deep rut in our driveway. It's in a low spot and is actually about 3 or 4 inches deep. Every time he and I go for a walk-about, he pulls me over to the rut so he can walk through it. Well, now that we are days past our most recent gully-washer, the ground beneath his feet went crunch-crunch. He stopped, looked down, then up and smiled. He's found another simple pleasure of country life.

Little Romeo

Mason has identified his first little-girl target in Emerson Cochran. She is the daughter of Chad and Kellie Cochran. Kellie's older sister Kim was my best friend growing up, so she and Clifton were always in tow when we'd visit them. Kim and Mark were throwing a birthday party for their daughter McKenzie and little Emerson was their. That was the first time the two met. He was fascinated with another little person (she's just about 6 months old). Keep in mind, Mason is not in day care, so he is not surrounded my little ones. At the birthday party, he kept touching her face, trying to give her hugs and kissing her forehead.

Fast forward to Layton's birthday the following weekend. Chad and Kellie are good friends with my brother and sister-in-law, so they were at the party with Miss Emerson. Mason kept grabbing for her toys and smiling at her during dinner. Later in the evening, Emerson's daddy was walking by with her and Mason reached out to touch her arm. He then leaned in to give her a kiss after kiss after kiss after kiss. Now keep in mind, Chad and others standing around were egging him on.

Notice that both dad's are supervising, but dear Lord, have mercy on us...isn't he a little young to be girl crazy?!?

Going through Granny's things

We had the fantastic gift of a visit with my cousin Cheryl, her hubby Koy and their two beautiful daughters, Natalie and Callie. Cheryl is my mom's brother, John's daughter. She's the only other female cousin on my mom's side, so she has a very special place in my heart and childhood memories. Cheryl was always the young lady I've looked up. I shadowed her as a young girl when she and her brother, Matt, came to visit and she was a fantastic substitute-big-sister.

The family came as a part of a multi-stop trip over the 4th of July weekend. And while we enjoyed a fantastic visit with them all (there is always a massive amount of laughter when you mix us all together), we also tackled the task of going through Granny Temple's things. Mom had tackled a large part of the process but she needed help dividing up the quilts, paintings and other things. While it was a little hard at times, I wouldn't trade the great memories and stories that bubbled to the surface as a result of the process.

We all walked away from the visit feeling so blessed for the legacy of love that was paved before us by our Granny and Grandpa.

Betty and Deborah...she was so proud of her precious, beautiful daughter. Mom jokes often that while Granny did good to quickly run a comb through her hair, she was so particular about how Deborah stepped out. She thought mom was the most beautiful little girl God ever made. And when mom went back to college, Granny was one of her biggest cheerleaders...even to the point of helping with our family's laundry (that's love).

Granny Betty and Cheryl...her first grandchild and such a point of light for Granny. You can't imagine the sheer joy Granny had when talking about her. Granny was so impressed with and proud of her artistic gifts, sense of style and humor, and the love Cheryl has for family.

Granny Betty and Leslie...I was her birthday present (literally). She prayed that I'd be born on her birthday and she had great pull with the Lord. I was due April 12th and was born May 15th...that's a powerful prayer warrior, wouldn't you say?!?!

A surprise in San Antonio

JP, Mason and I took a play day and spent the afternoon with Bill and Vicki this past Tuesday. We had lunch, visited, played with Mason and went swimming. Vicki got Mason a life-vest from Bass Pro, so it was the perfect day to give it a test drive. Mason wasn't too sure about the vest at first, but we played in the water with him for a bit and laid him on his back to see how it works. It's amazing how it kept his head afloat and he just relaxed in the water...a very reassuring practice.


After a while in the water, we slipped the vest off and just bounced him around the pool, back and forth between JP and I. He was having a blast, in between getting water in his mouth. The pool also has a great set of steps that is just the right height for Mason to stand up...he felt like such a big boy. I honestly think he was jumping/dancing/performing for his Cranky (Bill) that was sitting poolside.

As you notice in the picture above, I was wearing a visor. To say that Mason has a fascination with anything on our head would be an understatement. He kept grabbing my visor, taking it off and then doing his best to replace it. I continued to try and correct him, telling him to leave my hat alone. And out of the blue, his brain made the connection between object, word and mouth. He grabbed my hat and clearly said "HAT." It was missing the "T" at first but after saying it a few times, he nailed it.

Now, he sees any hat in the house and proudly announces "HAT." What a delightful surprise for us all. So we have our first word that Mason will say on his own...we are well on our way.

Swimming time

God bless kiddie pools in the summer time. Mason has had a ball in his pool this year. He's turned into our outdoor water-baby. We've made several trips to the backyard paradise and finally remembered to post some pictures from the last few. And by the way, the dogs are carried away by the large watering hole that they firmly believe is theirs.

Going, going, gone

All I can say, like mother like son.


You'll have to ask my parents for the story behind how I fell asleep in the mashed potatoes when I was a baby. As for Mason, we were having dinner. JP and I were talking about our day and started to notice our "peanut gallery" was getting quiet. And before us, we had a front-row seat for a slow-motion melting of our son. He started out with this cup as a support and half sitting up. Then when I took the cup away, he slowly melted down to the tray. Was it wrong of us to laugh?!?!?!

Second-hand nest

I've been known to decorate with all kinds of things, including bird nests. About two weeks ago, we had a dramatic storm pass through with all of the usual suspects...thunder, lightening, rain and WIND. The next morning, I noticed a birds nest that blew out of our oak tree by our back porch. So I picked up the next and placed it in our monster fern.


Fast forward a few days and much to my shock and surprise, I noticed an egg in the fern-nest. I have always been under the impression that a bird won't come near a nest if it has the scent of a human. Matter of fact I can still hear Granny instructing me "don't touch". But in spite my handling of the nest, a bird has laid an egg in that nest. Sad to say, I've not seen the bird since I've noticed the egg, but we are taking the hands-off, wait-and-see approach, just in case the egg hatches.

Father's Day came early

Meet the latest addition to our backyard. You would have thought JP won the lottery, and in all actuality he kind of did. As many know, one of the unusual perks of being a real estate agent is happening upon unique opportunities. Long story short, JP was able to trade some yard work for this pit...talk about a deal. He spent hours with his new pit and he actually cooked a pork tenderloin the night he and Clifton installed it...we ate at 9:30 that night. And talk about needing to peel him off of the ceiling...he was over-the-moon-excited. Congrats honey, I'm glad this one fell in your lap!!!