Family Pictures

Okay, so I don't know who in the world decided that we needed to take pictures of our precious, ever changing children.....but all I have to say to them is..."THANKS A LOT!!!" If you have young kids you know how stressful a day of pictures can be. Let's picture it together...shall we? First, it takes forever to pick the perfect outfit and then once you get it on the sweet child of yours it is either too big, too small, too itchy, etc! Next, the children are hungry and want to eat the second the picture people are FINALLY ready to take the picture. Also, your kids have been smiling all morning or all the way to the picture place and you are trying not to get your hopes up. When you arrive the only smiling going on is the perfectly put together kid and family that went right before you. Finally, it is time to snap those sweet, adorable kids and get the perfect picture. You are sweating while trying to help the poor picture person! Are we having fun yet??? You also know the feeling of pure joy when ONE picture turns out to die for, and then my friends it is all worth it! :)

Well, this year it was my bright idea to try to capture the whole family in some pictures. I know...what was I thinking? I actually have come a long way...I don't get stressed with pictures anymore and have come to LOVE the usually unacceptable picture. I want to remember my kids in pictures they way they were at this time and that is the answer to why we do this to ourselves. I found a lady that would come out to the house which is great for the young and the old. I was open to whatever we could capture. We got some GREAT ones and some not so great ones. (I will let you judge for yourself!!!) I do have to say, we all had a blast just being together in the organized mess! The highlight being Poppy hitting himself over the head with a ball over and over! I have to say I am pretty happy with how most of them turned out...thanks to Poppy! The whole family together will have to wait until the kiddos are older. Good Times! Enjoy. We took like 500 pictures....I edited out a few for ya!

Thanksgiving at Holly Lake

We had a great time at Thanksgiving! There is so much to be Thankful for and we feel so blessed this year. I thank God for the following:
1. My families relationship with God Our Father...God's Grace...God's unconditional Love..

2. My husband who chooses with me everyday to try and put God first and to fight for a happy marriage and home...

3. My healthy, happy, smart, loving children...who teach me things everyday...

4. My extended family...
5. My good friends...

I could go on and on....but instead I will put pictures up of our fun Holiday!

Getting ready to eat with the family at Holly Lake! Corbin said, "Mama...I had food in my mouth, but you won't be able to tell in the picture!" :)


Mom and I finishing up the cooking!
Grandma and Chloe!

Corbin during the prayer! He said he was thankful for..."God!" Resting with Gramps and Poppy after the meal!


While others were resting the kids were ready to go! So we took them outside to play football and jump in the leaves! They loved it and it was followed by breathing treatments! :) David even tackled me in the leaves which the kids loved....once was enough for me!
Then it started to rain, so we let Corbin play out in the rain! Don't you remember how fun it was to play out in the rain. I remember when my Mom let us swim for just a little bit in the rain...too fun! Mummy took Corbin on a walk in the rain. Corbin told her, "Isn't this the best time!"

The "Men" went duck hunting early Friday morning! David got his first 2 ducks ever. He was excited and they had a great time! (Don't ask me...doesn't sound fun to me to get up at 5:00 am and duck hunt.) I was just proud of Dad for taking the camera...he is getting soft in his old age! :)

Everyone who comes to Holly Lake is measured and put on this door! The kids LOVE it and ask to be measured EVERY time we go. They get so excited to see they have grown. It is a fun thing to do....I still haven't grown! :)


Corbin and Bones were being sneaky and putting princess stickers on Dada while he was sleeping! Chad didn't know that Chloe had put a princess sticker on his shoulder too!





Chad's friend Meghan brought her Wii fit to try out and Corbin got really into the moves. (He must watch me more than I think when I do yoga) He had Mum take several pictures of him doing "yoga"!It was a fun time as always at Holly Lake! Happy Thanksgiving!

Chloe's 2nd Birthday

We had two small birthday gatherings for Miss Chloe this year. The first was with her friends. (Avery and Emma) David and I had the Myers' and Pero's over to watch the OU/Tech game... YEAH OU....so we decided before kickoff to have a baby girl Tutu party first. The girls had a great time. Corbin and Chloe (and baby...chloe wanted baby in the picture too) before party!

Chloe, Emma and Avery. They danced in their Tutu's for the party.

The boys had a good time playing that night too! They agreed no Tutu's for the boys! :)

Mama and Corbin cheering on BOOMER SOONERS!

My talented friend Christen made Chloe's cake. I loved it and so did Chloe. She was so happy when she saw and said, "Birthday Cake!" I loved it so much I had her make me another one for Chloe's birthday party at Holly Lake on Thanksgiving evening. Christen brought it over before we left and Chloe wanted to eat it. So we explained it was for Holly Lake to share with the Great Grandparents. So then she kept saying, "Happy Birthday...Holly Lake....eat cake." So Thanksgiving evening during "left-over time" we had another party with the family and Great Grandparents. We have found out that Chloe loves a party....she was very excited for the attention.

Chloe blowing out her two candles. (She really isn't as close as it looks to that candle) :) She did great blowing out her candles. (We had practiced the week before)

She had fun opening her presents!

1st Haircut

*Combing my hair before my 1st ever haircut!! When it is wet...it is pretty long.So Chloe will be 2 years old the day after Thanksgiving and I was thinking it was about time for a haircut! :) Chloe really hasn't had much hair until recently, but it has gotten a bit out of control. The only way it looks nice lately is when it is in Piggy's! Now I love her in Piggy's but I seem to be the only one around (Mom and David) that know how to put Baby Girls hair up in Piggy's. So this means when I leave too early Wednesday mornings to go work at Church...Baby Girl comes to church a cute mess.

*This is Chloe about to leave for her girly day of a workout at the Little Gym, haircut and some shopping. Why does hair always look sooooo cute when you are about to cut it??

Corbin screamed for almost 2 years during his haircuts. So I think I was a bit traumatized about taking Chloe for the first time AND her Daddy wouldn't let me! :) Daddy loves Chloe's little curls in the back and he doesn't want his baby girl to loose those. I love the curls as well...but it is time. We finally talked Daddy into letting Mama and Chloe go get a hair cut.

*Corbin is about to leave for school he told her, "Don't worry Chloe...it doesn't hurt...you don't need to cry...you will look pretty!" So sweet!

Luckily Chloe has watched Corbin get his haircut from day one...so she knew the drill. (Oh the ease of the second child) I told her we are going to get your haircut just like Bubba and you can watch Barney (yes..I know she LOVES Barney...help me) and you will look so pretty. She was in....she loves to be pretty!

*They just called her name in this picture. "Chloe it's your turn!" I could tell she was trying to be brave. I could just hear her say, "But I usually just sit here and color when I come to this haircut place!"

She did great...no whining at all. She did look a little nervous, but Mummy came along and we were all fussing over her on how well she was doing and what a pretty girl. I have already emailed pictures to her Daddy, so he can see her curls are still there and she is still his Baby Girl!

*She didn't move a muscle and was very serious during her haircut! What a big girl!

*After Corbin gets his haircuts he always goes over to the video game table and plays while I am paying. So cute...when Chloe was all done she went right over to that video game table.

After the haircut, Mummy, Chloe and I went shopping at the Allen outlets. Chloe really enjoys shopping. We were in the Baby Gap picking out Chloe and Mia some matching outfits for the holidays and Chloe wanted out of her stroller. I said yes, but she had to stay by us or she was going back in. She was walking around looking at the clothes and saying, "Oh pretty, ....oh cute!" She then held up a pair of pants and shirt and looked at Mummy and said, "these match?" I guess Mom and I were saying that a lot. We said yes they do and she would walk over and hang them on the stroller...just like we were doing. It was so fun and so cute. Of course Mummy loved to see how Chloe loves to shop.

TRICK OR TREAT!!

So... as many of you know the Hines Household is busy during Halloween time. I think Corbin summed it up this morning when he said, "I wish everyday was Halloween!" We have some fun at Halloween.

David told Corbin the pumpkin was going to scream....Corbin took a moment to get it! :)

So it was carve the pumpkin day! My kids are not the typical "get messy" kids. I told Corbin it is fun to be messy....get in there and get dirty....just try once.

Okay...well that didn't work out well! He said, "I don't want to do it, Mama!" We used a spoon to get the rest of the gunk out.

So here is the Hulk and Miss Bumble Bee!

Chloe didn't know what to think of the Hulk! When she would see Corbin, David or myself in a costume she would just say real nervous, "silly!"We always have a great time trick or treating around our great neighborhood with great friends. It was beautiful weather this year so that always makes it nice. All the neighbors hang outside on their front lawns and pass out candy and visit and get to see all the cute costumes go by. This year after Trick or Treating...we all got babysitter and had our annual neighborhood party. All that to say it was a fun night for kids AND adults! :)

Chloe was sick all night before Halloween and so I was worried. The next day she seemed fine...just a little tired. We didn't keep her out long and kept her from giving snuggles to her friends...and we put her down early. She did great putting her bumble bee outfit on and going from door to door. At the very first house she got a yellow sucker. She was thrilled and did not want to put it in her bucket...she just wanted to hold it. All night people would try to give her candy and we would try to get her to go up to the door...but she would hold up that yellow treat and say, "sucker!" As if to say, I got my treat...I am happy...this is all I need! Chloe held on to that sucker all night...I think she found a red sucker by the end of the night and she finally put the yellow one in the bucket. Chloe loved walking around with her friends and she did say "Trick or Treat" really well! It was a fun night for her!

Here are the girls getting ready to Trick or Treat! Bumble Bee and Tinkerbelle (Emma)....Princess (Avery)...these are three of our Prissy Pants Tutus!

She is holding tight to that yellow sucker....while she is giving her Poppy a flirty smile!

Now here are the boys! We have Hulk (Corbin), Wolverine (Alex) and Batman (Ryan). These boys have been trick or treating together from day one! Each year they get faster and faster and hit more and more houses. This year they were a little annoyed that they had to wait for their baby sisters from time to time. David took them with out sister toward the end of the night to get a little more in!Here is Poppy and Mummy with the Hulk mask on!

After the babysitters arrived and the kiddos were all settled...David and I were off to Party #2 of the season with the neighbors. We had such a great time....lots of laughs! David and I even took home a prize for our costumes and we got in 2nd place with the "Not So Newlywed Game!"

Hope you all had a fun Halloween as well!