July and August Recap

I am getting worse and worse about posting. I think about it everytime I check my email and I even read other blogs but can't seem to ever find the time to post myself. I thought I would recap the last few months with a few pictures.

This post is way over-due. My 29th birthday was June 26th and our 9th anniversary was July 1st. Mat took me on a surprise trip and told me it was for our anniversary. We got all dressed up and I didn't know where we were going. He took me to Hot Springs to the Hot Springs Belle where we went on our 1st anniversary. When I walked on the boat, I was greeted by my family and three of my very best friends and their husbands. It was a surprise belated birthday party. Mat decided he would do a big surprise for my 29th instead of my 30th - that way I wouldn't be expecting anything. It was so sweet of all my friends and family to make that trip for me. Jeff and Bridget stayed over with us and Bridget and I had a day of shopping and the spa the next day. It was lots of fun. The sweetest part though was on the boat when Mat had a song played for me. He wrote and recorded the song. It was all about our life together. Oh my- too sweet. Thank you honey, for a wonderful surprise and trip. I love you!!

Me and my oldest. He still talks about momma's party on the big boat.

The whole party.

We drove back on the Fourth of July just in time to get baths, jammies, and go watch the annual Harding display of fireworks. I just love fireworks! Easton covered his ears the whole time but loved to watch and name all the colors with me.

My grandpa had probably his biggest garden ever this year. He worked so hard on it and we all have enjoyed the fresh veggies. He had one very large area of just tomatoes. He let the boys go out one day and pick tomatoes. They loved it!

Pa taught them which ones were ready for picking and which ones still needed to ripen.

This was one day before we went up to Nana's to play outside. I thought they looked so cute in their muscle shirts and hats turned around backwards.

We took a spur of the moment trip to Memphis one Saturday and took the boys to the zoo and to see a baseball game. Unfortunately it rained really hard while we were at the zoo and we could only stay for a couple of hours. They had fun though and we were able to see all the main animals. We all got Zoo Ponchos.

Checking out the elephants.

After the zoo, we ate lunch and went to our hotel and everyone took a nap. How wonderful!! We were fully rested and thankful for the great weather to go the baseball game. The game was lots of fun. The boys thought it was really cool to see the baseball players and the big Redbird Mascot. Although Easton wanted the other team to win because they were wearing blue - and..."blue is my favorite color." They both were so good and we made it all the way to the 7th inning.

Lawson loves to ride the mower with his daddy. Pretty much he will do anything with his daddy, but this day, he had watched him out the window the whole time Mat was mowing saying, "I ide dat." (I ride that.) He was thrilled when I finally let him go outside and ride with daddy.

Ahh.... Easton's first day of Pre-K at Harding. He is going Tuesday/Thursday all day. He has been very excited about going to "big school." He did wonderful! He walked right in to his classroom, found his seat and starting playing. He didn't even blink an eye when I said I was leaving, he just said, "okay, bye." My big boy. He is such an easy, sweet boy. I praise the Lord for him.

Lawson fell asleep on the living room floor. We have been getting up earlier since school started and everyone has been taking good naps. I felt bad this day because he was just watching tv and I looked over and he laid down in this position and didn't move a muscle. Needless to say, he didn't even know when I moved him to his bed.

My little cowboys!! Easton's little children's church had a western day this past Sunday. He looked so cute! Saturday night we were dressing Easton up trying to decide what he should wear. Lawson, "Mr. Monkey See-Monkey Do", said he wanted to be a "ow-boy" too. Even though Lawson was just going to the nursery, we had two little cowboys. They looked so cute!

Thanks for checking in on us. We are doing good - staying very busy but doing good. We are loving the cooler weather the Lord has given us and it is giving me an inching for fall, hay, and football. Easton will start soccer soon. Mat is going to coach his little team. That should be another fun adventure. Lawson is growing up more and more. He is really trying hard to talk and doing very well. He is putting lots of words together and saying new things all the time. He also keeps us all laughing. He is such a ham!! We praise the Lord for our wonderful growing family.

Happy Father's Day 2009!

Happy Father's Day, sweetheart!
You are the best daddy our precious boys could ask for! We love you!!

Random Happenings

I just wanted to post of some pictures from the last few months. We have had a lot going on. Easton finished up Carpenter's Kids and is taking the summer off before starting Pre-K in the fall. He will only go 2 days a week but it will be big boy school. I can't believe he is that old. We are coming upon 4 years old and that just blows me away. I think at 3, they can still be a baby, but at 4 there is not much baby left anymore. My mom is keeping the boys this summer while I work a few days a week. That is helping us out so much. We will actually be able to pay for half the year of Easton's pre-k on what we are saving this summer is daycare costs. And of course....they are loving it! Lawson is now 18 months old and will go back to the sitter in the fall when Easton starts school. Lawson does well there and I am so thankful to have found a place that I feel comfortable leaving him. Those boys are my life.

Well here are a few pictures from the last few months. Enjoy!

Lawson's first haircut.
He did pretty good until the end. We tried to distract with juice, crackers, Mat's iphone, but he was getting restless and was ready to go. He doesn't like anyone touching his ears! I am sure that is from all those ear infections before the tubes.

How precious!

Sitting like a big boy in the chair.

Easton's HIPPY graduation. He loved doing the HIPPY program.

This is Easton kissing his metal. : ) He is learning early, folks!

There is nothing quite like Summertime and a Sonic slush!

The Four Ameigos!

"Eeeeeeze!" Lawson smiling for the camera in Momma's sunglasses.

My sweet baby sleeping away. A "pap pap" in his mouth and in his hand. Perfect!

Easton at his Carpenter's Kid's end of the year program. Easton was so precious with the large group but got embarrassed when it was his classes turn to sing. I was such a proud momma though. It was his first school program. I was one of "those" mom's with the camera, video camera, and tears in my eyes.

Easton and his daddy relaxing after the big event.

Me and my two handsome boys - this is one of the very few pictures that I have of me and the boys actually looking at the camera and smiling.

Playing with daddy. Mat has to be the best daddy in the whole world. The boys absolutely adore him and love to play with him...and on him. : )

Memorial Day at Nana and Papa's house. We had a cook out in the back yard.

Let me tell you...this boy knows how to hit a ball!

Easton stopped to pose for the camera before hitting one out of the park!

Picture Time

This summer has been very busy, but very fun as most summers are. The summer months are full of celebrations for my family. We start with my brother's birthday on May 1 followed by Mother's Day, then in June we have my mom's birthday, mom and dad's anniversary, Father's Day, Easton's birthday, my nephew's birthday and my birthday (which fall on the same day - the 26th). July 1 is our anniversary and then July 4th gives us a big finish to the marathon. We wait a few weeks and then my dad's birthday is at the end of July. This year it was packed full like any other, only we added a trip to Branson in the middle of June as well as my 10 yr High School reunion. We have stayed on the go to say the least.  With all the reasons to have parties and eat good food, there is no doubt the pounds stack on during May, June and July. I didn't even worry about trying to lose weight for my High School reunion. I just decided I would forget about it and focus on that later. Unfortunately, now later has come. : ) Time to get busy! ha ha! 

I have posted about Easton's birthday, but I wanted to post just some random pictures from the summer events. I have more but I was having trouble uploading them so I will have to add more later, I guess. They are not in order, but I hope you enjoy them!

Good times!!!

Lawson can pull himself up on anything now. He would rather be standing than sitting.

Look at those big beautiful eyes! I love that little boy!

Me and my sweetheart at my birthday celebration at Olive Garden. It was soo yummy!

Mat took this of me and the boys watching fireworks in the parking lot of Doc's Grill. We had a great view of Hardings Fireworks Spectacular. I absolutely love fireworks. I have ever since I was a little girl. I think they are very romantic. : ) Of course, not so much in Doc's parking lot with 100 strangers and chasing 2 children. But it was perfect! We had a great time.

My Memmaw and Lawson getting their feet wet. I am so blessed to have such wonderful grandparents!

Easton is quite the little swimmer these days. We are spending a lot of time in mom and dad's pool and he thinks he is something now that he can swim with his floaties all by himself.

My boys having fun before bedtime.

This is Easton pretending to be a pirate. He loves his "pirate sings". (things)

Easton riding the frogs at Silver Dollar City. He had soo much fun. We went to Branson with my whole family. We had been planning it for a long time. We hadn't all been on a trip together since Mat and I got married 8 years ago. There were 13 of us total (mom, dad, memmaw, pa, justin, katie, 3 lawson children, mat, shelley, 2 faulkner children)

Easton on the bumper boats

E on the swings

Mat and the boys on Father's Day. He is such a good daddy. They love him so much.

Launching....Searcy.com

Last Friday, my husband's business, Think Advertising, launched Searcy.com, our city's new website. He and his team have been working on this for the past 10-12 months. Mat purchased the former Searcy.com last year, then partnered with the city of Searcy to make it the city's website, completely rebuilt the site, and now have a great tool for the people of Searcy as well as those looking to visit our city. 

Like any large project, the website is still a work in progress. They are continually adding content and will soon begin work on Phase 2 and 3 of the website. The 2 weeks prior to launch, I was able to go work with Mat to help him and the team gather information and add it to the site, work out bugs, etc. So much time goes into the programming but then there is the huge task of finding and adding all the content. My mom graciously kept the boys so I could help out. I was so glad that I was able to be at the office those 2 weeks. Mat and I talk about the business constantly so I feel like I know what is going on, but it makes such a difference being over there and being a part of it in person. It is good for me to do that from time to time for several reasons. I now have a better understanding and appreciation for what Mat does and what we are talking about every night when he comes home. Not to mention, I love being with adults occasionally. It feeds my need to socialize. : )

One of the main reasons for this post is to share how proud I am of my husband. I felt myself well up with tears several times during the ceremony at the city launch party. He and his team have worked really hard to see this come to fulfillment. I felt the launch party was a great success. There were well over 400 people who came out. The mayor spoke as well as our three major site sponsors, Mat gave a short demonstration of the site, Docs Grill provided the delicious food and everyone seemed to have a great time. As the speeches were being made, I listened and stood back in amazement. The things said about Mat and the business warmed my heart. We have been through many ups and downs over the last few years and to see how the Lord has provided is simply humbling. He has truly been and continues to be our Provider. We have learned something we thought we already knew but now in a deeper way. We cannot take one step without the Lord first going before us and preparing the way. We rely completely on Him and Him alone. He gives us daily our daily bread. We praise Him and glorify Him. He is so faithful. 

If you have a minute, go to Searcy.com and browse around. Let me know your feedback - we know there are a lot of things we still need to improve on to make the site the best it can be. Thanks for listening.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for my wonderful husband. Thank you for his kind, giving heart, his hard working attitude, his willingness to never give up, his creative nature, his courage to take on challenges and the ability to problem solve as necessary, for his love for me and our children, and mostly for his love for You. Lord, please bless him as his strives to walk in Your will. Thank you Lord for loving us and being our Savior. Thank you for providing for us and being so faithful. Lord, I love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. My life is in Your hands and I am soo thankful. In your precious Holy name, Amen.

Daddy's Newest Invention

Look what my sweet husband did to my poor baby. We were at Wal-Mart and it was time for Lawson to eat. Mat was holding the bottle and pushing the cart while I was picking up our items. I noticed Mat had stopped and was doing something with the baby. I had a feeling he was coming up with some clever way to not have to hold the bottle. Not to my surprise, he took the toys that were velcroed to the handle of the car seat and attached the bottle to now have an "on-the-go bottle holder." Lawson didn't seem to mind. He simply turned his head and kept on eating. Mat was so proud of his latest invention; he took a picture with his phone. Just one of my many joys of being married to this imaginative man.