Life and Times of Dinah Bess

2010-04-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was a time for family fun and enjoying the beautiful weather. Saturday Aaron and the kids came over and we had a massive egg hunt and a cookout. Carson said next year we shouldn't hide so many eggs. I think he is going soft on us because he actually had to look for the eggs! Josh ran around asking to play "da wii" every 5 minutes, and asking for band aids while trying to convince someone there was blood on his foot where he "injured" it. On Sunday, the fam cam over again for a delicious lamb dinner and a family walk afterwards. Overall, a great time of family and reflecting on the resurrection. Praise the Lord!

Papa pushing Genevieve in the stroller on an Easter walk.

She loves to go on walks!

Genevieve clapping, her new favorite thing.

Look at that piece of grass!

Grabbing Grandma's shoe.

My sweet little Easter princess:)

Yum, a baseball, I'll just see how this tastes.

Getting some sissy lovin'.

Grandma time on Saturday in a new cherry outfit.

Aren't I cute?

Saturday morning watching Einstein with momma.

I love to have my head rubbed. Mom sure does love the snuggles!

Happy Birthday Alex!

2010-04-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Alex's birthday involved multiple celebrations this year. It kicked off Wednesday with a family party and a delicious cake from Rasberries and Cream. Then, on his actual birthday, Thursday, Aaron stopped by on his way down to a business meeting in Dallas and we ate Nunu's, one of Alex's favorites. Then, Friday night we went to the Ranch to celebrate with Shonn, Danelle, Tommy, and Anne. Then, finally, on Tuesday, Alex's sisters came over and we had a wonderful family dinner and presents. Overall, a great birthday week. Happy birthday sweetie!

Mmmm, a delicious cake all for me.

The birthday boys.

Birthday smooch!

Da boys.

Alex opening the largest present ever from his sisters! It was wrapped so beautifully too:) Genevieve was all ready to help.

Don't worry dad, I'll get that paper for you!

Hey, who put me in this box?

My little chubby cheek angel!

Seriously mom, get me outta here!

And on to her favorite time of the day, bath time. Aunt Mary did a great job with the bedtime routine!

Finishing the evening with story time with Aunt Mary.

Cousins Take 2

2010-03-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Today Genevieve and I headed to Norman to my Uncle Fred's house. It was time for her to meet some of her many Stuart cousins! Some of them from Norman, and some were in town from Phoenix, AZ. As usual, I didn't take very many pics and none of Genevieve! What was I thinking! But, it is a little hard to wrangle her around and take pictures at the same time. So here are a few that I took, and hopefully I can get some other ones from John including a super cute one of all the kids! Can't wait to see that one. I am so thankful for a large family and so many great cousins. Looking forward to the reunion this summer!

Joshy climbing in the backyard. Despite his broken arm he still managed to be very active today. This was a rare moment when he wasn't knocking his head on something or falling down. Can't slow this little guy down!

Joshy, Lydia, and Melena.

Melena and Daria.

"The Twins" Lydia and Melena.

And Carson making an appearance! He and the cousins always enjoy crawling in and out of the basement. It never fails to be a crowd pleaser!

Cousins

2010-01-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Best buds:)

G: Hey girl, how are you doing? I love your outfit.

J: Thanks, but check out this gut, I know what my New Years resolution will be.

G: Whatever girl! You are hot, don't even go there.

Snow Baby

2010-01-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from a walk we took around the neighborhood in Colorado where our cabin is. We carried Genevieve and she loved the cool air and watching the dogs run around. She looked so cute in her snow bunny outfit!

Baby snow angel.

Off roading with daddy and the dogs.

Family pic!

And take 2.

Christmas Morning!

2010-01-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

Meg and Rach came over Christmas Eve and spent the night. We had such a fun time watching Scrooged, the Razor's Edge, and hanging out. The next morning we took Genevieve in and woke them up. It was so funny, she loved it! Can't believe she'll be walking next Christmas!

God Bless Us Every One!

Wake up Sissy!

Sister kisses.

Surprise, it's me!

Sisters.

Ski Trip 2010

2010-01-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

Well, as usual, the year was kicked off with our annual family ski trip. This year was especially fun because pretty much everyone got to come plus a few extras and we had a very full house which always makes for good times. Carson and Josh went to ski school one day and Aaron took them up another day for a few hours. Josh learned to snowboard and is a maniac as to be expected. Straight down the mountain, CRASH, fuss, 15 minutes to get him going again, repeat. Carson was very good at skiing and got to go in a more advanced class. Genevieve was sick at the beginning of the week but perked up and really enjoyed all of the activity. Here are some pics from the week. John took some good ones too so I will try to get more from him.

Here is my pink snuggie. Alex and Rachel picked it out for me and it got plenty of use this week!

Here we are at a Pinot Noir wine tasting in town. Mmm, delicious.

Excellent!!! This is such a Joshy face.

Rachel and Genevieve getting some light reading done.

Me on the mountain waiting to meet up with our group.

Cross country skiing with little G in the sled. She immediately passed out and took a nice little nap, and I got a great workout!

Me and Rachel getting ready to hit the mountain. Some dude in the parking lot took the picture and got his big ole finger in the picture. This was the cropped version.

Lots of pool was played at the cabin in the evenings. Here are Sam and Alex pausing for a sad frog picture. What a dismal game, blah.

Carson and Josh in jammies playing a little pool before bed. One had to be on alert around Joshy swinging that stick around everywhere.

Jammie pic! Joshy was barely awake at this point after a long day of skiing and sledding. It is not easy to wear him out!

Christmas Photo Shoot

2009-12-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Well, tis the season for a new family photo for the Christmas card. John came over and took some pictures for us in his usual accommodating brotherly fashion. Thanks bro! And we got some good ens. I especially like the one of G and Alex. He is such a good daddy and husband. Right now we are pretty settled in Happy Town and loving our first family Christmas. God has truly blessed us with peace and love this season.

Trying to wrangle the dogs to get a good shot. Hazy is getting so gray on the chin!

Our card selection coming to a mailbox near you.

All fancied up.

What's that thing on my head?

Playing with my girl:)

Soooo cute!

Smack! Gotcha.

Second Cereal

2009-11-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Genevieve is old enough for cereal already! But here we are. Here are some pics from her 2nd cereal feeding. We forgot to document the first cereal which she partook of on Thanksgiving Day. Grandma fed her the first feeding and daddy and sister did the honors for the second go round. She has done really well with it and seams to enjoy being fed. She is such a lounge lizard. Anything that involves lounging around while someone pampers her is ok with her.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-30T14:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was extra fun this year. For some reason my sister, who was supposed to be documenting the day for me while I was busy in the kitchen, only took these 3 pics, mainly of Rachel holding babies huh... Anyway, we had a full house with Laura and Sam and their friend Miles (AKA Mile) staying with us for a few days and we had the whole family over for Turkey dinner. 14 people in all not counting kids. We set up the Wii in the back bedroom, so Josh and Carson set up shop back there for most of the day except when we went to play football after lunch. Genevieve enjoyed the company of so many guests and meeting her cousin Julianne. Tami got some great pics of that meeting, so hopefully I can post them later. She was tuckered out at the end of the day and fell asleep on sister Rachel. She loves her sissies! And all of the family. Overall, a really great day even though Texas didn't lose as hoped. There is still time!

First Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

For Halloween we went over to our good friends the Carmacks and went around on our very first trick-or-treat walk in the stroller. Since we live in a retirement community with no other children we have to go to a kid neighborhood for such holidays. We all had a great time and Genevieve enjoyed some much needed socialization as did I. She was so cute with her skinny little legs in her striped tights! And the frogs won convincingly so a good day had by all. The last picture is with the Carmack kids Ayden (princess Leah) and Bennett (puppy). Shonn is extremely vigilant about grass upkeep and the grass was amazingly green! Hard to tell in the twilight, but it was almost like a carpet. I seriously need to invest in a better camera.

What We Have Been Up To

2009-10-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been forever since I posted anything, but such is motherhood. I usually don't even find time to sleep. But, here a few pics from the last few weeks. Genevieve is growing steadily I think and survived her first round of shots. More of those to come unfortunately. Enjoy! I will post some more hopefully in the next few days:)

Visit from Aunt Mary who is a natural with babies.

Playing dress up with Aunt Mary and Aunt Kathy.

Awww, she looks so cute! Too bad she had a huge blowout all over her outfit about 20 minutes later:(

A visit with Uncle Bud. We stopped in Amarillo for 2 nights on our way to Colorado Springs and spent a day at Helen and Bud's. Genevieve loved to look at Uncle Bud.

Visiting with Aunt Helen.

Genevieve's new hat! Thanks to Mary and Gary England:)

Sleeping in at the Broadmoor. This is what the Broadmoor does to people.

Pretty scenery by the lake at the Broadmoor. We came here for my birthday and our anniversary. As you can see Genevieve is more interested in sleeping:)

Sweet hubby. I finally pried him out of his Broadmoor lair for a walk around the lake.

Beautiful September weather.

Update

2009-09-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent pics of the little girl. She just started smiling the last 2 weeks which is adorable. She especially thinks her daddy is amusing. She went on a 10 hour car ride to Colorado with us and did great the whole week. She had her 2 month check up the other day and she is in the 97th percentile in height and 25th percentile in weight. But overall a healthy baby. We are enjoying our extended hours of sleep too. Starting to feel normal again!

Photoshoot with Daddy

2009-08-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from a photoshoot Alex had when Genevieve was about 9 days old. These are some of my favorites. What a handsome daddy and a sweet little girl!

Newby Pics

2009-08-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some professional pictures we had made when she was 6 days old. The photographer came to the house and spent a few hours getting some great shots. Enjoy!

Faces

2009-08-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

This is Morty the Moose her favorite toy right now. He is from Quebec, Canada and likes to sing New York New York and dance. She thinks he's pretty funny sometimes.

Cutest baby ever!

This is almost like baby fish mouth, but not quite. It is a pretty funny one though!

Miss squinchy face.

Giving the gangster chin to daddy, what up?

Spa

2009-08-10T23:26:00.001-07:00

So here's our little princess. We have started giving her a bath and feeding her really well right before we put her down for the night so hopefully she will sleep for a long time and we can too! For some reason she is always really awake between 12 and 2 am and then when we put her down in her bed she fights sleep like crazy. Well tonight at her bath Alex was pouring water over her and she was just lounging and relaxing in her tub so quietly. She probably took at least a 20 minute bath, but we were laughing because it was like she was at a spa having servants pour water over her. You! Draw my bath. You! Make me some earl gray. You! Fight to the death! Sorry family guy quotes snuck in here somehow?!

Random Shots

2009-08-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Several people have requested some new pictures of Genevieve so here are a few that we have taken over the last week or so. We are continuing to do well and she is getting into a somewhat predictable schedule. Looking back at some pictures from a month ago, I can't believe how much she has grown and how different she looks! What a sweet little girl:)

Sleeping on mama in her ladybug outfit passed down from cousin Julianne.

Passed out on dad.

Smiling while napping on the boppy.

Arrrg maties...

Wide awake, probably at 1 am. She's a night owl like her daddy. Check out that milk belly! The newborn diapers barely fit her now!

Daddy Did My Hair

2009-08-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Alex got ahold of Genevieve after her bath the other day and decided to give her a faux hawk. Here are the results. Aww, poor baby, but I think Alex had fun!

Seriously daddy? A faux hawk?

The hairstyle obviously didn't put a kink in her sleep schedule.

Gangsta baby.

Hey you...Drunky

2009-07-30T09:19:00.001-07:00

Well, we are getting used to having a new little one around. I guess that's a good thing since she's not going anywhere anytime soon! I am really enjoying being a mom. At first I was a little overwhelmed by the lack of sleep and structuring my entire being around her feeding times, but I am learning to get things done around the house and try to stay up on my sleep. I think I am getting off easy this first go round because she rarely cries or fusses and is a really textbook baby. I am thankful for that, and am glad God doesen't give us too much on our plate at one time. I am also really spoiled to have Alex helping me. He has changed a million more diapers than I have and is always willing to watch her, or hold her or whatever needs to be done so I can
lead a somewhat normal life! What a blessing he is:)
I haven't taken too many pictures recently of little G. Mostly because she does the same things over and over right now and the pictures are all the same. But, we are getting to know her a little bit better. She is a so-so eater, but is a champion sleeper which is not always a good combo for mom's nerves. I'm always worrying if she is eating enough which is a down side to breast feeding. She loves to make faces which crack us up. She wrinkles her brow and squints her eyes and, my favorite, when she purses her lips into a little fish mouth. We call it baby fish mouth after the When Harry Met Sally pictionary scene. We have yet to get a picture of it, but when we do it will go straight on here. She looks hilarious. She also always poops when she eats which makes it difficult for her because she can't swallow and push at the same time and usually ends up kind of fussing, popping on and off the nipple, spitting up and pooping all at once. I keep telling her it would be much easier if she would just do her pooping at another time, but I don't think she has much control over that at this time in her little life. A burp rag is a must, but I really am glad she didn't get my GI tract. At least she is regular! But overall she is a really good kid. I am enjoying and saving up all the snuggles I can get at this time and savoring every minute of it. Then if she is bratty one day in her teens I can think back to what a sweet baby she was. I know she will be all grown up before I know what happened. Below are a few pictures of what we call "milk drunk". This is the state she goes into after eating when she has a belly full of milk. Or when she just passes out in the middle of eating without a full belly and I have to prod her continuously to get her to keep eating, but I digress. She is a cutie pie!

Passed out.

And a lovely early morning shot of me, thanks Alex.

So...sleepy...can't keep my eyes open...

Settling In

2009-07-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we are settling into a routine here at home with baby. Eat, sleep and feed are the main activities on my agenda these days. Genevieve is the sweetest baby. She rarely cries, I have to wake her up every 3 hours to eat and she is rarely fussy. Overall, a pretty happy baby as long as she has a full belly:) We are really enjoying our time with her and find more things to love about her every day. This morning I woke up with a 101.6 temp and a few hours later it was up to 104. I felt absolutely terrible. The doctor thought it might be mastitis and called in some medicine. Thankfully I am feeling better now and my temp is normal. As long as Vivi stays healthy we are good!

Storm wasn't sure what to think about the new little "puppy" in the house. He was very curious about her, but now I think is just mostly put out he can't get on the bed as much anymore.

Hazy is quite motherly with her. She gets very worried when Genevieve makes any kind of noises and runs over to see what we are doing to her.

First bath, and not happy about it!

Ah, that feels so much better.

Bath take 2. We decided to change venue of the bath to outside on the back porch because the 100 degree weather feels much better to her than the chilly air conditioning. Success! She really liked it!

Her signiture frown and crinkled brow.

Pink burrito sleeping attire.

So cute!

Genevieve Simone

2009-07-04T17:55:00.001-07:00

Well, finally here are some pictures of our sweet little Genevieve. She was born July 2 at 8:29 am weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 20 and 1/2 inches long. She has a very healthy head of dark hair with blond at the roots and we just love every inch of her! So far she has been right on track with everything and my milk came in today (day 3), so hopefully she'll start gaining some weight over the next week. We came back home today and my mom and dad and sister are here helping which is such a blessing. Alex has been such a help thinking of every detail for my comfort and working tirelessly. I am so blessed to have such a dear, sweet husband and he is a wonderful father to boot! I will try to post more pics as we go along, but so far we are still trying to catch up on sleep as you might imagine. Enjoy the pics!

Alex and Dinah plus 1.

Baby Vivi fresh from her bath. I love that hair!!

Glow worm.

Snuggling with Aunt Laura.

Proud papa horned frog with his baby horned frog:)

Go Frogs!

Swaddled. She is a master at getting a little hand out. She loves to have one by her face at all times.

Some little pics from the hospital photographer. Go to www.mercyok.net to find these if you want to order some for yourself!

Final Belly Pics

2009-07-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, here is the final product. We've come a long way! Headed to the hospital in the morning to FINALLY meet our new little one! Stay tuned for baby pictures tomorrow!

Nursery!

2009-06-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

We finally got to finish the nursery. Steve did a great job, it is so beautiful and cozy! The painting in the doorway turned out great, and the bedding and chair is so perfect. Now all we need is Genevieve! Come on out little girl!

Walking in...

Crib and rug.

Doorway painting, french scene.

Small set of baskets.

Crib bedding and bunnies.

Comfy chair and ottoman.

Changing table and drawers, doggy picture on shelf above.

Christening gown and cap (present from Steve)

Window dressing and window seat with stuffed animals.

Standing by the crib looking back toward the door.

Tennis Shower

2009-06-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

My sweet tennis girls threw me and Genevieve a little party at Kickingbird Tennis Center. It was so good to see everyone, and made me anxious to get back playing! As usual the girls represented with TONS of delicious food and gourmet cupcakes. What more can a prego girl ask for?

Yum!!

Cute decor.

Buffet-tastic!

Hot men cup decor courtesy of Shannon:)

Top: Ramona, Michelle, Cindy, Shannon, Amy
Bottom: Me, Jo, Debbie and Christine
You guys are the best!

Mini marshmallows!

A moose toy for Vivi, so cute!

Baby Shower at the Shaw's

2009-05-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from my first baby shower. We had a great time, and it was great to see everyone! Thanks to Meg, Mom and Tana:)

Preparing to open presents.

Sun hat.

Mom and Laura enjoying some baby surprises.

Me and Meg; she had a beautiful cake made with Genevieve's initials.

Close up of the amazing cake.

Me and my sis.

Me and my BFF!

Fellow shower goers.

And 1 princess in attendance:)

Sweet handmade gifts from Tami.

Baby Belly 36 Weeks!

2009-05-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the belly is in full force! I am feeling like prego-zilla these days. Run for your lives! Just 4 more weeks to go. New things this month have been lots of pushing from Genevieve. I think she must be as uncomfortable as I am! And baby hiccups about 5 times a day. Overall I really can't complain, she has been a good girl:) We will meet her soon!

Baby Belly 32 weeks

2009-05-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see, Genevieve and I have done quite a bit of growing the past 5 weeks! She gets bigger everyday I think. It feels like it anyway! Just 8 more weeks!

4D Ultrasound

2009-04-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of Genevieve we got today. It was so fun getting to see her little face and seeing her move around in there. It is amazing that you can see her so well. Can't wait to see her in person!

Little profile shot. Tami, this was the best nose picture too:) Pretty cute, but I am biased.

Little front face shot. We couldn't get her whole head because she was nestled down in my pelvic bone. She likes to wedge herself in there and go to sleep.

And here is a little yawn. Her hand is up by her head, and her nose is a little bit distorted because she has it pushed against my uterus.

Baby Belly 27 weeks

2009-04-09T19:02:00.001-07:00

Starting to show a bit more these days. She finally pooched out there! So far a 19 pound weight gain, not sure if I'm doing good or not, guess I'll find out next week at my appointment! Going to the 4D ultrasound tomorrow, so we might have a face shot to post. Hopefully she will be more cooperative than last week! Stay tuned...

Happy Birthday Alex!

2009-04-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Alex is another year older, and this year we went to his favorite restaurant to celebrate. His good friend Shonn has the same birthday, so we invited him and Danelle to the celebration as well as Tommy and Ann. Megan was also able to join us and we had a great time! Closed the joint down, as usual.

Alex in his lair. The man area in the house.

Tommy and the birthday boys:)

The beverage line up for the evening, David Bruce of course.

25+ Weeks Baby Belly

2009-03-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest installments of the baby belly. So far it's getting a little bigger, but it certainly feels a LOT bigger than it looks!

New pics of Genevieve

2009-03-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some little shots of Genevieve. I can't wait to meet her! So far she is quite active. My constant little buddy:)

8 weeks, sea monkey!

12 weeks, oh good a baby!

20 weeks profile.

Congrats Tana!

2009-03-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

My BFF Tana found out today she got a fabulous new job! Yay, what an answer to prayer! So of course we went out and had Margaritas or, she did and I just drank some vicariously. Anyway, good luck T, you'll be great!

New Additions

2009-03-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally got our dining chairs today. No more Sam's folding chairs, not that there is anything wrong with that!

Almost finished dining room!

One chair.

I'm an Aunt Again!

2009-03-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

Little J

New Mama (again)

Me and Julianne

The fat man chowing down after a hard night of labor coaching.

Proud Grammy.

Here are some pics of my brand new niece Julianne Bell. She is so beautiful! A perfect little girl. We are very thankful for another healthy addition to the family. Also, I'm VERY proud of my sister in law for making it through naturally, way to go!

21 Weeks

2009-02-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the updated baby bump, 21 weeks, and it's a little girl! Her name will be Genevieve Simone L'Heureux. We just call her Vivi.

Baby Belly 17 Weeks!

2009-01-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, so as most of you know I am with child, and the babe is due July 1st. Here is the first installment of baby belly pictures. Just a beer belly really at this point. We find out what it is in 6 days, so I'll keep you posted!

Ski Trip '09

2009-01-14T20:46:00.001-08:00

We went to Breckenridge again this year to the ole' cabin. I wasn't able to snowboard this year due to the upcoming baby, but Alex and Rachel went several days and had a great time. I did cross country ski for the first time which was really fun, and the weather was mostly nice. Overall a good time!

Quandry peak on a beautiful, clear morning.

And a not so clear morning...

Alex enjoying the night snowshoeing trip. The moon was so bright it was almost like daylight. So beautiful. Back on the mountain you can see the lights on the cats grooming the slopes.

Mom's awkward snow angel. She was like a wet cat in the cold snow.

Angel print.

Moonscape.

City glow.

Group shot taken by Tom the snowshoe guide.

Holiday Decor

2008-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics of our holiday cheer around the house. We have two trees and Alex said that is enough, but seriously, it's kind of tiring decorating 2 trees so that is fine with me. Anyway, go Sooners! (and Frogs!)

Stockings and Storm roasting by the fire.

The 13 footer. This one took a really long time to decorate and required a ladder.

This is the 7 footer. Note the patriotic theme with the prominant American flag ornament just below the White House Ornament and just next to the egg with the Presidential Seals.

Settling In

2008-11-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Well, Alex and I are settling into married life. I finally finished moving all my stuff over from my house, and am enjoying my nice new closet:) Here are a few shots I took after work of Alex and the pups. Hazel was whining for her dog burgers so Alex decided to pick her up. She, of course, went stiff and looked so funny I took a picture. He also picked Storm up, but he just licked Alex and thrashed about until he could be put down and regain his Phez.

Hazel's smile. Storm is blurring by in the background.

Wedding!

2008-11-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been awhile since I blogged. I have been quite busy with the wedding and then we came straight back and went to work! We are planning a honeymoon later at some point. Everyone had a wonderful time at the wedding and below are some of my favorite pictures courtesy of John. Enjoy!

Post wedding smooch.

The Fab Four.

Us and the parents in front of the chapel.

Alex and Rachel.

Ceremony

Pre-wedding giggles.

Me and the girls.

Silly

2008-10-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Carson and I were laying on the floor trying to take pictures of ourselves. He was cracking up. Then Joshy wanted in on the action. Below are the fruits of our labor. Good times. And yes, that is Josh's hand on his face in the second pic; he apparently has contortionist skills I was unaware of.

Hilarious

2008-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

These pictures cracked me up. Alex wanted to point out that the kid with the donkey has a Georgia shirt on, and this is a typical pansy Georgian reaction. Strangely, this was the same reaction Georgia had while playing Bama this past weekend.

Is this kid (below) not the creepiest?!? I was laughing so hard, it's my favorite. And what's up with the girls outfits? Hooker prom? Small town Oklahoma prom? I swear that kids a vampire or something.

Happy Birthday Jo.....oshua!

2008-09-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, my second nephew turned 3. I can't believe it! They are growing so fast. Here are some pictures of the backyard festivities. Next year there will be a new addition to the family in the pictures!

Josh's much talked about blue cake.

Carson prepares to race in the number 88 car while uncle Russell (aka uncum) explains the rules.

Josh ready to go in his Jimmy Johnson car.

Singing happy birthday.

Blue tongue!

Pinata fun.

Candy! Swarm! Swarm!

Not so turbo charged.

Having a little "talk" with mommy. They had a disagreement about how much candy he could eat. He wanted to eat the whole bag as quickly as possible.

Fellow party goers.

Birthday Dinner

2008-09-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I turned the big 3-0 this month. I happened to be in Salt Lake City, Utah for a meeting and so celebrated my birthday on the town. We went a little crazy and drank caffeine! Just kidding. We went to a delicious very authentic Italian restaurant and had a wonderful dinner. The atmosphere was great and the owner, Valter from the old country, came around to all the tables thanking everyone for coming. I highly recommend this place if anyone goes to SLC. Below is the documentation of the meal. Pasta-tastic!

3-0

This was our little waitress. She prepared the plates at our table each course. Her name was "O".

First course, scallops, spinach, shrimp and shaved calamari in butter sauce (and a nice bottle of chianti in the foreground).

Second course, handmade cheese ravioli with pesto, cream sauce and asparagus.

And third course, my favorite, chicken marsala. Dreamy.

My birthday wish.

Lemon gelato with lemoncello liquor in the middle.

Cheers!

And my new birthday earrings. Saphire drops, of course.

Fort Worth Weekend

2008-09-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Alex and I went to Fort Worth this weekend for the first TCU home game. The final was 67-7, not a great game, but still a good time.

Me and the Count, Laura and Sam's giganto bunny.

Burrow, burrow!

He wouldn't hold still for a picture.

Yessssss! Cotton candy!

Sam and Alex very intent on the game.

Go Frogs!

The new section of the stadium.

Ouch, the lumberjacks are hurtin'.

Football sunset.

Family Reunion '08

2008-08-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again to make the trek to The Fin and Feather to congregate with extended family, catch up with cousins, play dominoes late into the night and drink plenty of adult beverages. Alex made the trip with me this year, and decided to mix it up a bit by renting an RV. It was pretty sweet. So, we rolled to the middle of nowhere OK in 100 degree weather in the Dutchman. Laura and Sam rode along, and of course, the dogs. There were good times had by all, and some boat times that won't soon be forgotten.

Alex, captain of the Dutchman.

Laura stretching out on the Dutchman's couch getting in some reading time.

Lick attack!

Sam works on his paper.

The Dutchman's abnormally large mirrors.

Hoarsin' around with Carson.

Josh hamming it up with an empty adult beverage bottle.

Ahhhh!

Da boys.

Little William Stuart. Even he was perspiring!

Hangin' out at the pool--from left, Cheryl, Bob, and half of Fred. (The guy in the background isn't one of ours)

Cousin Daria.

Worn out Stormy and Phez on the way home. Storm had no problem making himself at home on the Dutchman couch.

Ah, California

2008-08-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Alex and I whisked away to Del Mar, California last weekend for a meeting. Actually, Alex attended meetings and I lounged by the pool (pictured below) and went to the spa. The weather was 80 during the day and 75ish at night. Dreamy. Everytime I am in California, I think "I'm not ready to leave, this is the good life." But alas, come back we did to sweltering 100 degree temperatures. Sigh. On the up side I did get to see Sandy and Nate and get to know some great girls and gained some valuable beauty tips. (Thanks to Emily and Jeramie). I also had the pleasure to reconnect with some old friends who, as fate would have it, sat right behind us on the plane! Good times. Zach even entertained us with an in flight dramatization of the flight attendant's shpeel, pointing to exits, demonstrating oxygen masks etc... Good times. As always, I am looking forward to my next California experience whenever that may be.

Poolside at the hotel.

Large palm.

Our pink hotel.

Me and Sandy (above) and Lori and Zach Bice (below).

There's No Swimmin' in My Show

2008-07-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Joshy smiling for the camera after I jumped in to save him from drowning. Hence the flip flops in the shot.

Joshy and Papa.

Carnival tricks.

Splash!

And being fished out again.

Joshy and I self portrait with Aaron in the background.

New Shower

2008-07-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Alex got a new shower in his house, partly for aesthetic purposes, and partly to keep in the warmth. I think it looks great! Way better than before.

BEFORE

AFTER

New Stuart Crib

2008-07-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Went to visit the bro and family in Tulsa. They have a beautiful new house in a great neighborhood. Here are a few pics.

Great tree out front.

Cute front porch.

Nice big living room.

Carson told me his favorite thing about the new house is that it has a "real nice hall for puttin"

Josh and Carson's room.

Music sitting area.

The teeth brushing room.

Carson hanging out in the playroom.

Rafting the Arkansas

2008-07-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

We rafted the Arkansas while in Colorado. Unfortunately, the Royal Gorge was closed due to heavy run-off of water from the hefty snowfall this past winter, so we had to settle for a class 3 rapid. Kinda lame, but still fun.

Wetsuits are hot.

We had to pull our boat over because we passed some carnage from a boat in front of us that tipped over. Our guide ran down the bank and helped some people out of the river. We hung out and got rained on, awesome.

Storm rolling in.

Bleak waters.

Colorado 4th of July

2008-07-08T14:27:00.001-07:00

We drove to Colorado for 4th of July and stayed at the Broadmoor. We had a fantastic time, and the weather was beautiful. Enjoy the pics!

West Texas skies.

The trusty captain of Frog Inc.

Broadmoor scenery (pay no attention to the unsightly lightpole).

Pauline Chapel, the site of the Stuart/L'Heureux wedding in the fall.

Mountain view.

Lake view.

4th of July rainbow.

Festive lightpole.

Alex waiting for fireworks and enjoying the cool weather.

4th of July revelers.

We played tennis Saturday morning and had a great time. It was a bit hot and the altitude was quite noticable, but the scenery is hard to beat!

Studly tennis player.

Amarillo

2008-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Alex and I took a trip to Colorado Springs for 4th of July and went through Amarillo on the way. Below are some pictures of some familiar places and faces.

Alex with his Aunt Helen and Uncle Bud. They treated us to a wonderful breakfast Wednesday morning before we hit the road.

Alex's little house where he grew up.

Alex and sister Mary.

Mary's house.

Mary's smiley dog Bailey.

Alex's Jr. High School, go Fannin Panthers!

Father's Day '08

2008-06-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

The man himself on his special day opening some "pop" gifts from Carson. Hopefully he is puting his Home Depot gift card to good use today and buying the coveted after drill.

Josh brandishing his eating utensil of choice.

Freeze! Joshy models some fancy foot wear.

Josh told his dad "Look at my new gatorade shirt!"

Alex sporting his new father's day durag courtesy of Rachel. He looks strangely like Dr. Evil in the prison scene in Goldmember. That's hot.

Tulsa Time

2008-06-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

I went to Tulsa this weekend to visit my BFF Tana and go see Sex and the City. We decided to make an evening of it and dressed appropriately. We had cosmos and sushi before the movie and had a general good time. I do not yet have a pair of Manolo B's or Jimmys but soon, very soon...Also below are pics of Aaron's Tulsa lair and Tana's blue car gorilla.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T20:02:00.001-07:00

Today we all went to Mom and Dad's for a Memorial Day Cookout. Here are a few pics from the day!

Tennis Time

2008-05-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here is me in my tennis "uniform" for my USTA team. (This is before my first ever singles match which I won!) We all have various turquoise outfits that generally go together. So far we have yet to lose, woo-hoo! Hopefully we can go to Nationals in Arizona later this fall, but we will see. Our team is called "No Time For Love". Good times.

Backyard Birthday Bash

2008-05-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

We went to a birthday party for Aaron on Saturday. Lots of family and friends and good food provided by Laura Jean. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the apple pie, but it was D-licious.

Red River

2008-05-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

Oklahoma weather struck again last week. The tornado sirens were going off, the sky was black with a greenish tinge, never good. But like good Oklahomans instead of seeking shelter, we went outside to snap some pictures and see if we could catch a glimpse of a twister. The pictures below are of Alex's street. As you can see, we had our own red river for awhile. The wind was blowing like crazy with driving rain. But, we never did see a tornado and the sirens eventually died down. Just another spring day in tornado alley.

Hockey Night, Eh?

2008-04-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Alex loves hockey. He was so excited about watching the Dallas Stars, he had to suit up. Stormy is also a hockey fan. His favorite team is the Phighting Pheasants.

Spring Weather

2008-04-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

The Oklahoma weather is in full force this spring. Here are some pictures from a hail/thunder/rain storm that hit the other night. Pretty impressive winds and thunder even for an Oklahoma gal!

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

2008-04-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Alex turned the big 5-0 last month, so I decided to give him a racing birthday party. We went to an indoor go cart track for a wild time of racing and of course plenty of cake. We had a great time. Aaron won first place, Alex second, and Dad third. John and Aaron were battling at the end, but John lost control and hit the wall (almost taking Alex out) and so ended up fourth. Such is life. Unfortunately, I was too busy to take pictures so the below pics (except for Alex in the cart) were taken by Carson. Hopefully John will send me the rest of the birthday pics he took soon (hint hint).

Alex "Smoke" L'Heureux

The delicious racing cake. The icing dyed everyone's teeth green and black. Awesome.

A few party goers; Liz, Mario and Brent G. Iceman and T2 look on.

Everyone made posters for Alex with pictures of him from ages past. They turned out really good! Joshy peaks out from behind Laura anxiously awaiting the time when he can eat cake.

The Boys.

Six

2008-03-10T11:13:00.001-07:00

Maine and Canada Pictures

2008-02-23T23:01:00.001-08:00

We took a little trip North to Quebec City and Maine this past summer. I saw the town and houses in Maine where my family used to live as well as my uncle's farmhouse and property. Overall a really good time. Enjoy!

V-Day Haul

2008-02-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

Well, as usual, Alex totally spoiled me on Valentine's Day. Not only did I get this massive bouquet of roses, but a smaller bouquet to the left, an awesome necklace I have been wanting, a fancy dinner AND he (semi) surprised me by popping the question and presenting me with a beautiful ring! (I say semi-surprised because I managed to get my nails done the day before just in case) But he did throw me off with the necklace, it was a good decoy. All in all a wonderful day and a wonderful man. Hope you all had as wonderful of a day as I did!

Snowshoe Times

2008-01-11T21:12:00.001-08:00

John with his glacier baby.

Icicle Mayhem.

Death by icicle.

Snowshoe shots (for Tami)

Looking up through the pine canopy.

Swirling snow.

Snow angel finished product.

Alex making above imprint.

Rachel.

Poof!

C-tree.

We went snowshoeing tonight which was so fun. We hiked through the woods by the light of the moon and enjoyed God's creation. Before the hike we had lots of fun with the giant icicles on the Nordic Center Clubhouse. It snowed about 2 inches during the hike, and has snowed everyday we have been here. Going boarding again tomorrow morning, and then time to pack up for the trip back. Lots of good times in Breck!

More Breck Pics

2008-01-11T12:24:00.001-08:00

Today we decided to take it easy. We still have another day on the lift ticket so maybe we will use it tomorrow. I have found my body appreciates it if I take a day off between boarding. Tonight we are going on an evening snowshoe tour. No doubt more pics will follow of this exciting activity. Should be a good time. I am having a great time just relaxing and spending some time with the fam. Only two days left!

About to board the lift.

Chubb chubb hamming it up and me freezing my buns off. Apparently the wind comes sweeping down the mountains too.

Mon Johnny Boy. Little did he know he would actually look like this in a few short minutes when he crashed "old school".

Alex enjoying some hot tub time.

Mommy and daddy Stu on a walk with the dogs. As you can see, the dogs are growing impatient with my picture taking and are ready to go.

Overcast mountain view.

Me and my mama.

Ski Trip Pics

2008-01-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Rachel, Me, Alex and Chris (L to R)

Alex and I ready for action.

Alex ready to shred.

Rachel and Chris.

Me preparing to shred.

Alex and I self portrait on the mountain.

Alex in mid shred.

On the lift.

John preparing for blast off.

John and Alex.

Cashier run.

View from the loft.

Alex spending QT with the pups.

Lounging.

The pups checking out the igloo.

Cozy shot by the fire.

Tired chubb chubb.

Morning view from the cabin.

A Day With the Nephews

2008-01-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

I took Josh and Carson to the mall and we had a grand ole day. We ate at Chick Fil-A, and played at the play place. I then took them to get a little trim of their hairs. They were so good, and the promise of ice cream didn't hurt either:)

Christmas Day

2008-01-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

Aaron and fam. I love Carson and Joshy's "cheese" faces.

Upside down!

Another "cheese" oportunity. Joshy certainly knows what to do when you get out the camera!

Christmas wrestling.

Dad looks on.

Christmas goods.

Continuation of Cali Pics.

2008-01-09T18:02:00.001-08:00

In my Queen chair at the hotel.

Beautiful bouquet.

Gigantic nutcracker.

Opera House.

A Few New Pics

2007-11-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new pics from Cali. We flew into Sacramento and drove through Napa on the way to San Francisco. It was SO beautiful, I highly recommend it. We stopped at Chateau Montelena Winery (pictured below) which is amazing and looks like an old castle. The wine was quite delicious too. Also pictured below is the Golden Gate Bridge as we drove into the city. I love San Fran so far, it is a really cool city. Tomorrow Madame Butterfly at the San Francisco Opera house and more pics to come!

Off To The Races

2007-11-10T12:24:00.001-08:00

I went to my first NASCAR race this past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. It was quite a spectacle. I highly recommend going at least once. We had a great time and saw lots of rednecks. Get 'er done!

Alex honked after taking this pic.

At the entrance to the Speedway.

Getting our scanners. For those who don't know, one can listen to the racers talk to their peeps in the pit. Kinda cool.

View from the box.

Getting ready to start.

Alex and I listening to Tony and watching his car cam.

We met up with Aaron and Carson who had been at the Speedway for about 8 or 9 hours at this point.

We got to go into the infield which was cool. Here is Tony Stewart (or Smoke) whizzing by.

Walking under the track.

The Boys

2007-10-20T21:28:00.001-07:00

I babysat the boys the other night, and Josh had his monkey towel on after his bath (he loves animal towels with hoods). I decided to take advantage of the photo ops! They are too cute.

Football Game Fun

2007-10-20T17:06:00.001-07:00

I took Carson down to the TCU/Utah game and we went over to the kids area called Frog Alley. We had a really fun time and Carson enjoyed the inflatables. He then ate as much as possible during the game and later we had PB&J roomservice and called it a night about 12pm. Good times.

A wild ride...

Mixing it up with the other kids in the moonbounce. Carson is such a scrapper!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-13T09:56:00.001-07:00

Here is some amazing pumpkin art. Very festive.
Enjoy!

Super Frog Rocks!

2007-10-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

Go Frogs.

Happy Birthday Joshy!

2007-10-08T11:00:00.001-07:00

I took Joshy to the McDonalds Playland for his birthday lunch. We had a fun time. I can't believe he is 2!

Oh...Party!

2007-10-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Alex on the way to a neighborhood party.

Fall carrot cake...Yum!

Bath Fun!

2007-10-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

Look out Joshy!

A Quick Trip to Austin

2007-10-08T10:35:00.001-07:00

Go Frogs!

All smiles at half time before the 4th quarter carnage.

Happy Birthday to me!

TCU Gameday (By Chubb Chubb request)

2007-09-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

I went to the season opener TCU game this weekend in Ft. Worth. They played Baylor and beat them pretty handily. It was so incredibly hot and muggy, but still a fun time. Here are some pics from game day.

Get 'er done frogs!

Alex's parking spot and the site of the pregame tailgating.

Chubby G and Chubby D kickin' it in the stands.

Touchdown!

Coach Patterson peeved about something pacing on the sideline while hitching up his trousers.

Sunset and scoreboard.

Belated 4th of July Pics

2007-08-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from 4th of July that I forgot to post. Carson enjoyed his first fireworks, and Joshy enjoyed copious amounts of watermellon. There were good times had by all. When I asked Carson what we were celebrating, he said "Oh, just celebrating livin' in Texas and that we are free." Spoken like a true Texan.

Happy Birthday T!

2007-08-12T19:06:00.001-07:00

My best friend Tana had a birthday in July. I felt that it was time she made an appearance on my blog. Hope you had a good one Tan!

California--Drink it in!

2007-08-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

The beautiful view from the hotel. We stayed at the Ritz in Laguna Niguel. So plush.

The beach down below the hotel.

Scenic overlook.

Moonscape on the ocean.

Alex and I chillin' by the pool. Alex is sporting his new hot board shorts and surf shirt.

My pinky soft spa robe. I highly recommend one.

A self portrait; on my way to my first ever facial. Again, I highly recommend it. One of the best things I've ever done!

The Crab Cooker restaraunt. A little hole in the wall seafood place with amazing food and plastiware.

Mmmm, crab dinner.

Crab carnage.

Sandy and I outside of the Crab Cooker. She and her husband Nate treated us to dinner. Thanks guys!

My friend Amanda's parent's house in Huntington Beach.

My friend Amanda whom I haven't seen in 5 years! Too long mama!

Sandy and Amanda ready for the beach.

Me and my girls.

Beach babes!

Amanda and I on the beach which was packed due to a surf competition. We didn't go, but Kelly Slater was there!

More nephew pics

2007-07-21T08:10:00.001-07:00

Carson looking like Calvin while Joshy dances in his diaper.

Soakened.

Joshy clutches the TD remote and watches the rain.

Look out Joshy!

Man Down!

Aaron sent me these a while back and I thought I would share. Never a dull moment with these guys. Laura is probably glad the rain has stopped and they can go outside!

High School Reunion!

2007-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Me and Leighann at 747.

Justin and I at the picnic.

Signing in at the Saturday night party.

3/4 of the EJQ.

My handsome date.

I went to my 10 year high school reunion a few weekends ago. I can't believe it has been 10 years already! I was kind of nervous about going, but I ended up having a really fun time. I saw tons of people I haven't talked to since high school basically and I'm really glad I went. Alex went with me and was a superb date. He hung out with the other non-graduates and did his dately reunion duty brilliantly. I think he even enjoyed himself which was definitely above and beyond the call of duty! In general, I highly recommend going to reunions if you can make it, good times.

Mountain Biking

2007-07-14T09:35:00.001-07:00

Biker chick.

Geared up and ready to go.

Trying out the new wheels.

Alex and I went mountain biking the other day to try out the new bikes. It was blazing hot and a little buggy, but we were not deterred. We went riding out by lake Hefner, but alas, the trails were incredibly steep, narrow and root filled. A little too advanced for the beginner I am. They weren't kidding when they say it is not for beginners! But we had fun anyway riding around the dirt path and through some easier trees. Maybe one day I can handle the Hefner action.

San Antonio Trip

2007-06-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

Shamu show!

Baloogy!

Out to dinner.

Me and the inmates.

Alamo.

Can you say adobe?

Me and Dr. Amanda

Alex posing for his match.com picture.

Out on the town!

Mmmm, dessert...

Lounging.

Family Breakfast at IHOP

2007-06-08T11:03:00.001-07:00

Laura Jean

Rachel, Megan, and Alex.

The Fat Man.

Joshy.

Laura Lea.

Cheese!

C-man. Big breakfast please!

Dallas Blooms

2007-03-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Beautiful cherry blossoms.

Brotherly love.

Fun at the frog fountain.

Carson particularly enjoyed the frogs.

Running barefoot in the grass.

Picnic time. Tasty.

"Carson! Don't throw your gum in the flowers!"
This was moments before his father threw his gum in the flowers.

Butterfly wings!

Joshy running through the tulips.

I'm pretty sure Carson didn't know what this meant, but we told him to do it anyway.

Aaron and the boys.

This was one of several different tree houses in the gardens. The boys really enjoyed the misters!

Grandma Jana and Carson.

Joshy chowing down in his ride.

I went to the Dallas Arboretum this past week to enjoy an event called Dallas Blooms. There are millions of flowers in bloom and they smell wonderful! The tulip beds are amazing. It must take a veritable army of gardeners to keep this place up.
Since I made a return trip to the arboretum the following week with my brother, mom and nephews in tow, I decided to add some more pictures to this post that are considerably better quality than the ones I previously had on here. The nephews enjoyed the time there as you can see and we had a wonderful afternoon!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Carson and I had craft time on Friday night and made some fun stuff. Here is a picture of us with our hats on. He, of course, had lots of questions about Leprechauns and why they are grumpy and don't want to share thier gold or grant wishes etc... He was not up to date on St. Patty's lore, so I did my best. Good times in Big D.

More Ski pics...

2007-03-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Me shredding the mountain.

View from the lift.

Night tubing.

Carson enjoys the tubing.

Suburban sledding!

Mom and Aaron enjoying a cold one at the end of the day.

Carson gathering snow...

Look out PaPa!

Mountain woman!

Uh-oh, sleepy chubb-chubb!

Football and a fun dip, can't get much better than that.

Carson's first ski.

The whole gang ready to go.

Aaron and Laura self portrait. Nice.

Ski run.

Well, it has been some time since I added to the ole blog. But I finally got the pictures from Aaron, so I decided to post them. Nothing much new for February yet, so here are some more fun times from the ski trip. Enjoy!